Zytron's cruiser – night
"Gentlemen, thank you for convening on such short notice," Zytron stated.
Zytron, with Cynetic on his left, lounged in his office chair, positioned at the end of a circular table occupied by holographic images of his chief officers. All thirteen of his commanders, leaders of various aspects of the army, were present; none delayed in tuning in.
"I know that this is unusual procedure, given that our briefing was scheduled initially for tomorrow evening," Zytron continued. "But the circumstances demand that we act more quickly. Gentlemen, one of our own has betrayed us and aligned himself with the ninja."
The officers gasped, turning toward one another in shock. Some murmured inaudibly, while others stood aback in reflective thought.
"How is this so," Officer Gastrix, chief of munitions, asked. "All our men are loyal, obedient to your every whim."
"In addition, they are implanted with biochips that prohibit rebellion against their creator," Officer Vortex, chief of intelligence, added. "If they even think revolt, a binary signal transmits to the nearest intel agency, and it is recorded promptly in the binary codes."
"Yes, but one has betrayed us nevertheless," Zytron nodded. "And he is one without a binary chip, one with…how shall we put it…free will."
"Ugh, the blasted word," Gastrix coughed. "You speak heretically, my lord."
"You insult my ears with such blasphemy," Officer Cybernix, chief of the navy, spat.
"I apologize," Zytron sighed. "But such treacherous language is in times like these fitting, for nothing else describes the current dilemma before us. Now, if it suits your fancy, Cynetic will brief you on who I suppose our traitor is."
"You know the traitor's identity," Vortex questioned.
"We do," Zytron nodded to Cynetic.
"Officers, the traitor among our ranks is none other than Dr. X, head of intelligence in the Stiix City sector," Cynetic stated, reading the report. "Dr. X, we believe, was hired by the Stiix client to act as scribe for his writings, a job reported by Dr. X the day he began in the daily log transmitted to the intelligence office. During that time, we believe he breached the code twice, once by recording his client, and twice, by scanning into his memory banks the writings transcribed by his hand. Furthermore, evidence indicates that two days prior, his employment terminated, upon which he lasted reported to the Stiix office and submitted an encrypted file to the database."
"And what was in the encrypted file," Vortex asked.
"Since Cynetic contacted me, my agents have attempted to declassify the file, with little success," Tron, chief of espionage, reported.
"What kind of encryption did he use," Vortex asked.
"Some sort of old order binary blue fuse, which shuts down coding operations with line edits," Tron sighed. "It's primitive tech, but none of our supercomputer malware attacks have succeeded in breaking the fuse. Worse still, the two files we did access flooded the system with viruses and crashed three of our databanks, eliminating part specs for a third of our weapons."
"So, Dr. X is playing us," Zytron mused. "Quite clever, actually."
"Sir, if I may, isn't Dr. X one of the remnant," Gastrix noted.
"Yes, he was, which explains his free will," Zytron nodded. "Indeed, he is like me, an ex-Nindroid soldier who survived Borg's manhunt. He helped me establish the original intelligence agency, and he worked with Vortex in rebuilding it after Lloyd destroyed the lot of our former order."
"Then he knows the inner workings of our entire operation," Vortex nodded, "yet he refused the post I currently hold."
"That knowledge is what I fear," Zytron stated. "Cynetic, read the rest of the report."
"Dr. X," Cynetic continued. "submitted the encrypted file, then uploaded into his memory banks files concerning the client's project. After that, data from the neurological databanks indicate he sorted out the data into files, they removed both his comm link and his neuro-sensor."
"And then what," Gastrix asked.
"No further information exists after he removed the neuro-sensor," Cynetic stated. "Our report was unable to trace any further."
"Clever move, I must admit," Vortex sighed. "It'll be impossible to track him down without a commlink or neuro-sensor."
"Not entirely," Zytron winked. "I have reason to believe he associated himself with Ronin and two of the ninjas, then planted a bomb in the client's house that detonated and destroyed the client's library. Chances have it he is fleeing with the ninja in an unknown direction."
"How does that help," Cybernix sighed.
"Because Dr. X was stupid enough to put back on his commlink," Tron interrupted.
"He did what," Cynetic questioned. "Preposterous. Glacier's men found a shattered commlink belonging to him in the wreckage."
"That was a fake," Tron smiled. "My agent in Stiix just reported in, and he said he detected binary signatures from four commlinks heading north. Three of them, he said, matched the frequency used by the ninja. But one of them is set at 6000 Hz, a frequency only Dr. X has used in the past three months."
"Good work," Zytron praised. "Even Dr. X can't elude our espionage department for long. Cynetic, order Solus and Glacier to lead ten squads in pursuit."
"A 100 men, sir," Cynetic questioned. "Dr. X is not a fighter."
"But the ninja and Ronin are," Zytron sighed. "I want 100 on them. At least then the odds of killing Dr. X are better."
Cynetic nodded, then stepped out of the room.
"Tron, continue tracking them, and patch Solus and Glacier into your tracking frequency," Zytron ordered.
"Yes sir," Tron said. "Over and out."
Tron signed off, as did several other officers. Only Vortex and Gastrix remained, having watched the others sign off.
"Vortex, Gastrix, listen closely," Zytron sighed. "With Dr. X's betrayal, my faith in my men is shallow. And we cannot afford treachery, not when the time draws nearer each passing day."
"I understand," Vortex nodded. "What do you propose we do?"
"A change in procedure, a change in…say…leadership," Zytron stated.
"You mean to restructure," Gastrix noted.
"Precisely," Zytron grumbled. "Dr. X is a lone wolf, but I perceive that his example was cause others among us to question their loyalties, to join him in his petty rebellion."
"We would know if they tried," Vortex nodded. "The binary chip would inform us."
"Yes, but by the time we catch them, it will all be lost," Zytron answered. "Thus, I am initiating a new order – Order 13. And by this order, we will purge ourselves of traitors and ensure total, absolute loyalty, without exception.
"First, we edit all binary chips, installing blue fuses that will, at the push of a button, terminate the memory core and overheat the reactor core, causing the one who rebels to be disintegrated immediately.
"Second, we eliminate the departments of negotiation and rehabilitation. They have wasted precious resources and men with petty treaties and trade deals. And they have till now hindered our progress. But no more. They will be wiped out to the last man, and there will be no survivors. And for those abroad, Tron's agents have orders to kill on sight and disintegrate.
"Third, we will triple our production quotas, and edit part specifications to adhere to this new order.
"Fourth, and most importantly, we will restructure the chain of command. The council of 13 I have kept, mostly to manage our vast operation. But after tonight, we will reduce that number to 7. Four will be junior members, and three will be the triumvirate, the ones who rule over the rest.
"I will be, as always, master and lord. Vortex, as one of the remnant, will oversee intelligence, espionage, manufacturing, and health. Gastrix, my other trusted advisor, you will oversee the army, navy, aerial, and munitions. The other departments will be consolidated or eliminated."
"What about the other officers, then ones not on the council of seven," Vortex asked.
"All the other officers will be evaluated by performance," Zytron assured them. "Those I deem worthy will be promoted or retain their post. Those I deem unfit will be demoted and transferred to another sector."
"And for those who resist the order," Gastrix asked.
"Destroy them," Zytron smirked. "Destroy all who resist. I am your king; I will have no other above me."