The Scout Part3

By Michel Ward aka Wolfbert

Going to Zion is not as easy as following the blinking neon signs or taking an off ramp. You have to navigate through a maze of sewers, natural caverns and mine tunnels. Depending where you are in the world, it can take you several days to a week to get to Zion. Then you also run the risk of stumbling into a sentinel patrol that sometimes stakes out the approaches to Zion. As you travel through the caverns and start to get closer to Zion, you begin to encounter the many rings of defenses that protect the city from the AI attacks. These range from remote weapons turrets to EMP mines. This is why you need the codes that allow your ship's computer to link with Zion. If your ship does not send out the proper encrypted signal with the right codes, then you would be turned into a smoking piece of wreckage before you knew what happened.

So far, the trip was uneventful. I came across one Squid patrol and I was able to avoid them easy. One of the bad things about hover skiffs is that they are too small for equipping them with EMP units, there's just no more room after you shoehorn everything else into them. So, if a squid catches you it's mostly over. The golden rule is, don't get caught.

As I get closer to Zion, the defenses get thicker and I watch as the computer system keeps responding to IFF challenges. After several more hours of traveling, I come to the final obstacle. A set of huge blast doors stretch from one end of the cave wall to the other. I pause here and hover before the doors. In the shadows, I can barely make out their movements and even with the Skiff's sensors they barely show up. The last line of defense for Zion is a small group of people outfitted with the most sophisticated combat gear known to man. The Mark 29 Battle Suit was the crowning glory of military hardware before the AI war. Each one contains the equivalent firepower of a heavy tank company, with its different weapon systems. I was told by one operator that the hardest part was choosing which weapon to use to destroy your target because you have so many to choose from. Each weapon system can independently acquire a separate target or groups of targets. An operator could lift a bolder weighing several tons and shatter it with one punch. The ablative armor is made of a carbon fiber and titanium laminate, it's not that thick but it can take a beating. Only two times have the AI war machines ever gotten this far. Both times, the AI's sent a massive wave that overwhelmed the defensive rings around Zion through sheer numbers. The last time it happened there were 15 people in Mark 29 Battle Suits outside the cities doors. When the smoke cleared, there were nine still standing and they had not given up an inch of ground. They had destroyed more of the AI war machines then the whole defense grid. The men and women who pilot these machines are the best trained and the most diehard of Zion's defense force.

They scan my ship to make sure I have nothing trying to piggyback its way in with me and to make sure I am who I say I am. I give a wave to one of the shadowy figures who waves back at me.

"Okay, you're clear," I hear over the radio and the doors open to let me through. I proceed down a long tunnel and come out into a massive cavern.

"Zion Control, this is hover skiff Shadow requesting docking clearance."

"Shadow, this is Zion Control; you are clear for docking bay 94. Welcome back," the cheerful voice tells me.

As I pass the other docking bays to get to mine, I check out the other crafts that are parked here. I see some Mark 3 hacker rigs. I see a Shrike that looks like it had a run in with something that chewed it up. He must have come out on top if he was able to get it back here. There is a salvage barge that looks like it has just returned and was unloading stuff. There are also two other Scouts parked below. I recognize the wing markings as Maniac's and Degausser's ships. I will have to look them up after I get debriefed.

I land the Skiff and shut down the systems, then head to the back. I load my ship guest into the mobile and make sure Fido is still on the job. I gather together the data and images which I have collected and shove them into my pack. I open the ramp and head out into the hanger area. The hangar, as always, is a flurry of activity, people moving and working on equipment of all different shapes and sizes. I do a quick once over of the ship as "Wing Nut" the hangar's lead tech comes up to me.

"Hey there Shadow, good to see you again," he says and shakes my hand. "Well, what did you do to it this time?" he asks.

"Hey Wing Nut, it's not too bad, just a hole in the wing and a damaged hydraulic line."

I show Wing Nut the damage and he checks out the patch on the line.

"You're lucky the shot wasn't a couple of inches higher or it would have not only severed the line but cleaved through the wing spar as well. That would have been messy. How did it happen anyway?" he asks.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, just look through the flight recordings and you'll see. Anything new going on around here?"

The smile leaves his face, "DreamWeaver is overdue, she should have been back a week ago but there has been no word from her. They sent Maximus out to find her four days ago, he should be at her last location by now."

Where most people think that Scout pilots are crazy, most Scouts think that Shrike pilots are insane. Whenever a ship comes up missing or there is a call for help, a Shrike will be sent out. A Shrike is built on the same frame as a hover skiff but they sacrifice speed for armor and firepower. When Scouts see a Hunter/Killer we hide or run away, when a Shrike pilot sees one, he jumps into the fray. Unfortunately, there aren't that many Shrikes and Shrike pilots. They don't seem to last that long. Maximus is the oldest and the best.

"What was her last position?" I ask.

"Somewhere outside of London," he tells me.

"Over there, Oscar just came back with a load of mining equipment that was found in a Virginia coal mine," Wing Nut tells me as he points to the salvage barge. "If they can get it working then maybe they can add some new levels around here."

One good thing is that the population of Zion is growing; the bad thing is that there is a shortage of living space and the engineering crew could really use the equipment to expand Zion. I leave the Skiff in the capable hands of Wing Nut and head off to Zion Intelligence Command. I report in and I'm lead to a debriefing room with a senior Intelligence Agent. I give him a quick review of what I have been doing since I last reported in. I turn over the data and images that I have collected from Washington. We both go over the data and he agrees that it warrants further investigation. Then, I tell him about the power plant rescue.

"I heard about what you did," he tells me. "You have become a bit of a hero around here."

"You can't be serious?" I ask him.

"Oh, believe it. Word traveled fast once the Hermes pulled in and the crew started talking, but it's good to hear your side of it."

"There is one more thing that I should tell you. The Fido program that I told you about, well he didn't destroy all three of the Agents. He brought one back to me and I have him here" I tell the Intelligence Agent holding up the mobile. At first I don't think what I said to him really registers. As it sinks in, I see the expression on his face change.

"You mean that you have an actual Agent in that thing?" he asks, pointing to the mobile and backing up like it was about to jump out and bite him. "Are you nuts, what if it gets loose and into the system?" his voice begins to take on an edge of panic.

"Don't worry, it isn't going anywhere," I tell him holding up the network card for the mobile. "I pulled this after I put him in here. The only way out is through a hard line and I'm not about to hook one up."

"Would you excuse me for a minute?" he quickly says and exits the debriefing room.

"Great, I'm in trouble now," I think to myself. "I knew I should have kept my mouth shut."

After about forty minutes, he finally comes back. "Follow me please, is all he says and leads me further into the building. We come to what must be a conference room with a large table and lots of chairs. All of the chairs are taken and there are a few people standing along the wall. Some of the people I know, the woman at the head of the table is Carla McAdams and she is the one in charge of the Intelligence division of Zion. The others are different department heads and a few others I do not know. I must be in REAL trouble.

"I hear you brought a sentient Agent program back with you from the Matrix," McAdams tells me.

"Yes I did. He is safely tucked away," I tell her patting on the mobile. "It's locked up and guarded by Fido, and if it did somehow get out and past Fido there's nowhere for it to go," I tell them holding up the network card.

"Even still, it is dangerous and you shouldn't have brought it here, the danger is too great," McAdams points out.

"I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to study one of them and learn its secrets. We may never get a chance like this again."

"Maybe so, but I will not risk Zion. If that thing somehow got out and into the system it could bring down everything including the defense grid. We would be wide open to attack," McAdams tells me. "I want you to destroy it."

I'm stunned and just stand there for a minute. "What about my Fido program? I need to get him off of here first," I tell her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. If you open the connection then the Agent can make a break for it. I hope you have a backup copy of your program."

"I do, but like I told you before, the program can change itself as it needs to. This one has added several hundred lines of code since it came into contact with the Agents," I tell her.

A squirrelly fellow that has been standing next to the wall speaks up, "Ms McAdams, I must once again protest, this is a once in a lifetime chance and we can not lose it out of fear. We must keep the Agent program and study it, the Fido program as well."

"The counsel has already decided professor and they want it destroyed, as do I." McAdams turns back to me. "Do you want to do it or shall I?" she commands.

I think about it for a second and then frustrated I open the access cover on the mobile and yank out a card. The mobile's screen goes dark and its lights go out.

"From this point forward, all AI sentient programs are to be considered hazardous material and are not to be brought back to Zion, is that understood?"

I nod yes.

"Okay, enough about that, you are dismissed. Also, good work with the rescue at the power plant," she tells me.

"Yeah, whatever," I say as I turn and leave.

After I exit the Intelligence office I open the access panel and reinsert the video card back into the mobile, the screen comes back to life. I do a quick check to be sure that the Agent program and Fido are still where I left them. "I can't believe I got away with that," I whisper to myself with a grin.

Now that I have all my official business done I can take care of some personal things. I head to the lower level where the hydroponics bays are. As I enter the hallway that leads to the hydroponics bays, two guards stop me.

"We need to see your pass," the taller of the two says to me.

"Tell me something, do we have to go through this every time I come here?" I ask. "You know the Mole will want to see me, he always does. Just call him and tell him I'm here."

The guard turns to a phone on the wall and punches in a couple of numbers. "Sir, there is a man by the name of…" He looks over to me.

"Darien," I tell him, not hiding my frustration, "it's only been two months since I was here last."

"Darien, sir. He says that you know him." I can hear the shouting on the other end of the line and the guard winces from the receiver. "Yes sir, I will tell him," the guard says and them hangs up the phone. "He says that you are to wait here."

After a couple of minutes Mole comes down the hallway. He is a stocky guy, about five feet tall with shoulders as wide as mine. His coveralls are smeared with dirt and there are all manners of implements sticking out of his pockets.

"If I told you once, I have told you a thousand times that if a Scout wants to see me, let them through. How many times do I have to repeat myself before you guys get it through those Neanderthal thick skulls of yours?" he shouts at the guards.

"Sir, Major Henderson's orders are to keep anyone without a pass away from the hydroponics bay," the guard replies.

"Well, Major Henderson doesn't run the Garden, I do. What I say goes. If you two can't get that straight, I will find someone who can."

Mole turns to me and a big smile spreads across his face, "Darien, my boy, it's good to see you again come with me." He turns to go back down the hall, towards the hydroponics bay, which is more commonly known as the Garden. Next to the cavern that houses the hanger and the docking bays the hydroponics bay, is the largest open area on Zion. A massive lighting system is supported from the ceiling. Below them on the floor, is row upon row of different vegetables line the way. At the far end are several different types of fruit trees. From the far wall, there are large pipes that jut out and disappear under the soil. These come from Zion's waste recycling plant and provide the plants with water and nutrients. This is where the only living plants grow on the earth. Mole and his crew are the ones responsible for the care and welfare of the Garden and they take their job very seriously. I have no doubt that if the AI Hunter/Killers ever came crashing through the door, they would take up arms and fight to the death to protect the Garden.

"So what did you bring me?" Mole asks.

I open my pack and pull out a plastic Ziploc bag. Inside are several different kinds of seed packets. A while back Mole approached the Scouts and asked if we could keep our eyes open for any signs of plant life and bring them back. Unfortunately, without sunlight there can be no plant life. The surface has been turned into a barren desert. But one day, while I was searching through a hardware store looking for tools, I saw something and hit on an idea. There in the corner of the store was a gardening center and on a shelf sat seed packets for different kinds of flowers and vegetables. I carefully gathered the seed because the packets would crumble to dust if I handled them too hard. From that point on, all of the Scouts have been on the lookout for the same thing. The Garden has come a long way since then. Before, the Garden was mostly soybeans. Now, there are a wide variety of plants that fill the Garden. Unfortunately, as big as it is it can't sustain all of Zion so we must continue to eat the mush. Now and then, everyone gets a small ration of real food from the Garden. I hand Mole the bag and he happily takes them and inspects them.

"Wow, cucumbers, this is great we don't have any of those" Mole exclaims. "Hey do you want to see something?" he asks and leads me off to a different area. "Remember the corn seeds you brought in a couple of months ago, well there they are." He points to a row of stalks that are as high as my knee. "In a little while, we will have real corn and I'll make sure you get the fist ear." Mole and I walk back to the entrance. On the way, he picks several fruits and vegetables and hands them to me. At first I decline.

"I'm sure someone should get it in his or her ration," I tell him. Mole won't take no for an answer.

"Besides, when was the last time you got your rations?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders not really knowing the answer, it has been a long time. "Well, that settles it then." He shoves the food in my bag. He turn and looks over the Garden "You know one day I hope to transplant all of this to the surface" he says with a faraway look in his eyes. He turn to me with that big smile of his "Take care my boy and come back soon," he waves and walks off.

I head back up to the main bazaar level. Zion has several bars. The two largest are the Core and the Bunker. The Core is where most of the hackers go. The Bunker is where most of Zion's soldiers go. Scouts can go anywhere they want and everyone knows it. I decide to head to the Core and get a drink and hopefully find Maniac and Gausser. As I walk across the crowded bazaar, I decide to check the mobile to make sure the Agent is behaving. As I look at the readout on the screen, someone bumps me hard and the mobile is knocked from my hand.

"Hey, watch where you're going," I tell the guy who bumped me.

"Watch where I'm going? You bumped me, you idiot," the guy says and actually takes a step forward. A man with disheveled hair and a scruffy beard steps forward, grabs the guy by the arm and pulls him back.

"You'll have to forgive him, he just got out and he's new here," the scruffy man tells me and pulls his friend along.

Great, another new copper top on the loose. I retrieve the mobile, good thing they can take a beating, and check on Fido. It reports that the Agent has been, for the most part, behaving. It has only poked at its containment a little as if to test to see if there was anyone still there.

I then head into the Core and begin to check tables for the other Scouts. Towards the back, I find Maniac downing a drink. I walk up behind him and give him a pat on the back. "Well, I see the AI's haven't killed you yet."

"Not for a lack of trying. Good to see you again, Shadow," he smiles and shakes my hand. I have a seat and Maniac orders a round for the two of us.

"I hear that you're a bit of a hero," he tells me with a sly grin.

I roll my eyes, "Oh great, does everyone know?" I ask.

"Pretty much everyone," he says. "When the Hermes called you, they high tailed it underground again. But they were ambushed by a Squid patrol. Lucky for them, there was a Shrike in the area and he saved their butts. The Shrike was shot up pretty good so they helped it limp back here. They started talking about how this Scout gunned his way into the power plant and helped Morpheus and his crew escapes. Then, he gunned his way out again, leaving a pile of HK's in his wake."

I put my head on the table and begin to hit my head against it several times. I can tell by the big smile on Maniac's face that he just loves it.

"So how much of this is bull?" He asks as the waitress brings our drinks.

I take a drink and from the mug, the drink is cold but it burns on the way down. "Jezz, what is this?"

"The Hackers call it a HardWire. I'm not sure what's in it and I'm sure I don't want to know. Don't worry, after the first one you won't taste it anymore."

I tell Maniac all about what happened. The stuff I found at Washington, the power plant rescue and the escape. The only thing I leave out is the part about capturing the Agent program.

Maniac raises an eyebrow when I finish. "They're not that far from the truth," he says and orders another round.

"Oh please, I was in so fast they couldn't get anything there to meet me. I ran out so fast they could barely catch me. I was real lucky in taking out those SwiftKillers," I tell him as I take a sip of my drink. Maniac is right, you can't taste it after the first one. Maniac and I down a few more drinks and get caught up on what each other has been up to. Later Gausser shows up and drops down in a chair we order another round.

"So what's going on Gausser?" I ask.

"I just came from Tactical Operation Center, Maximus has found DreamWeaver's Skiff. He reported that it looks like it was attacked by sentinels, but he doesn't think that she was in it at the time. There was no body, blood or sign of a fight. He will check the area and see if he can find her before heading back. If anyone can find her he will."

The waitress comes with more mugs. We raise them together "To DreamWeaver's safe return" Gausser toasts.

"Scouts Out" Maniac and I reply with the old Scout battle cry that has been around since the day of the horse Calvary and we all down our drinks.

After a few more mugs I say goodnight and head back to the Skiff. With the shortage of living space, those that are assigned to ships live on them. I stager up the ramp and close it to shut out the racket of the hanger and plop down on my bunk and drift off to sleep. I feel like I just shut my eyes when I am awaken by a beeping coming from the com system. I throw my pillow over my head and try to ignore the call but the com just keeps beeping away. I finally get up and answer the radio.

"Yes who is it?" I ask.

"Hello, this is Professor Kaiser. We met briefly in the conference room yesterday when you were being chewed out for bringing in the Agent program."

I think through the fog in my head and remember the squirrelly guy from the meeting. "Yeah I remember you. What can I do for you professor?"

"I would like to talk to you about your Fido program" he says.

"Listen Doc, could we make it for later I had a rough night and I would like to get some more sleep" I say around a huge yawn.

"Well I only have a little time before I ship out with the Hermes, I brought some coffee if the would help."

I immediately perk up. "Coffee, where did he get that from?" I wonder. "OK Doc, when do you want to meet?" I ask.

"Open your ramp, I'm right outside."

I lower the ramp and there he is with a thermos in hand. He comes aboard and I pour two cup and offer him the other. He thanks me and I take in a deep whiff of the dark brew. "Is it real?" I ask.

"Oh heavens no" he says. "If Mole has real coffee plants down in his little terrarium he keeps them well hidden, it's instant and I had to pull in a big favor to get it."

I take a sip and savor it before I swallow. "Well it's not StarBucks but it is good" I tell him.

"What's Starbucks?" he asks.

"Don't worry about it Professor you would have to have been plugged into the Matrix to know."

The Professor gets down to business. "I was intrigued with what you said about your program and I would like to see it and maybe get a copy."

"Sure Professor, let me bring it up" I say as I turn on the ships computer and bring up the original Fido program. The two of us go over it together and he complements me on what a great job I've done. As we go over the code he makes a few suggestions that will help the program. I then make him a copy of the program.

Why don't you just release a hundred of these into the Matrix and bring the whole thing down? He asks.

I shake my head. "It wouldn't work. Yeah they would cause all sorts of chaos but the Matrix is just too big and advance. It would learn to adapt faster then the Fidos would and destroy them or even worse incorporate then into itself. Wouldn't that be something, Agent Dogs?"

The Professor looks down at his watch. "Oh goodness I must hurry or the Hermes will leave without me. Thank you very much and I hope to see you again soon."

Later that same day I get a call from the TOC telling me that I come in immediately. I quickly get cleaned up, changed and head on over. The TOC (Tactical Operations Center) is the heart of Zion and it is where everything is run from. When I get there Carla McAdams is there talking to several others. I report to her and she leads me to the plot map that occupies the center of the room. The plot map shows the whole planet laid out flat. On the map is displayed the location of all the known power plants, birthing fields, processor buildings, and automated factories that the AI's have. Also displayed is the general location of every Hacker rig, Scout, Shrike and enemy location.

"We received an emergency transmission from Maximus just a little while ago. He was under attack and his ship was disabled." We lost the signal right after that. I want you to go and investigate."

I look at her in shock. "We already lost one Scout and now a Shrike and you want me to go and see what keeps shooting everyone out of the sky?"

"That about sums it up. But before you see what is going on you will need to check out something else first. Maximus was able to send us part of DreamWeaver's log. She seemed to have found a weapons cache and its location is inline with Maximus last know position. Check out the cache and see if its worth sending a salvage crew out to get it, then proceed on to investigate Maximus last location and maybe retrieve him." She tells me as she points out the different locations on the map.

"Why not just send out two Shrikes this time?" I ask.

"Because, we don't even have one Shrike available. The only one here is almost scrap, and all of the others are either too far away or busy with other assignments."

"And what makes you think that what ever got the two of them won't get me as well?"

She turns to me and smiles "Well the man who single-handedly fought his way in and out of the power plant and left the ground littered with H/Ks should be able to pull this off."

"I knew it! If I ever get my hands on the guys who started this I will strangle them." I nearly shout.

"Calm down Darien, I know it was blown out of proportion. But you are the best, if anyone can find out what is going on it's you."

"And what if whatever is out there gets me?" I ask.

"Then God help us all. Wing Nut has already fixed your ship and it's stocked and prepped to go. Good luck."

I leave the TOC and head back to the hanger, as I cross the hanger to the Skiff I hear a commanding voice call out "So I hear I have you to thank for saving me and my crew."

I turn and come face a small group of people. In front of then is a black man that must be their commander, he seems to radiate authority, no it more like purpose, this is a man with a mission that no one else but him can do.

"Excuse me?" I say.

He steps forward and extends his hand. I take it and I can almost feel a charge coming off of him. The others say nothing but never leave his side. I get the feeling that if I tried to do something stupid, which I wouldn't, that they would be all over me. They would follow this guy anywhere and do anything he would ask of them.

"At the power plant you helped my crew and I escaped from the Agents" he says.

It finally clicks in my head "So you're Morpheus. I was glad to help, I just thought that I would never do it that way."

A warm smile spreads across his face "Yes I've heard about how you did that, although I have a feeling that the guys on that Hermes have exaggerated a little. If not I expect you to start walking on water next."

I give out a slight laugh, so does his crew. "Yeah well I don't think that it's going to happen anytime soon. Listen I have to go, maybe if we see each other again you can get me a round of drinks and we'll be even."

"Oh I'm sure that our paths will cross again" he says, the conviction in his voice is like iron.

I leave the group and head to the Skiff. Wing Nut is there to see me off and tells me that the ship is in top form and ready to go. As I leave Zion and plot a course for London I can't seem to shake the feel I got when Morpheus said that we would meet again. He was so sure of it, maybe I will live through this after all.

To be continued…