CHAPTER FORTY
"I'm completely operational and all my circuits are functioning perfectly." - HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
The twenty or so Shadows that stood before Carlos were once his loyal followers. They were now an angry mob with their weapons off-safety. Those without laser axes were armed with ancient projectile weapons—rifles and handguns, which weren't very useful against cyberts but worked well enough if used on Bios. A few of the huskier lads, who considered themselves the leaders, had hardened steel and composite axes and clubs, preferring to get intimate with their prey. They stood at the front of the group, closest to Carlos, yet further away than their primitive weapons could reach.
"So few? I expected more of you." Carlos stood on an elevated platform in front of them.
Here were twenty of his team leaders—and that meant another seventy-five to a hundred remained hidden in the shadows. Probably armed as well, but all the more dangerous because they were invisible.
"If it is mutiny you're thinking, know the penalty is death."
"We know the penalty, Carlos. It appears you want to get us killed anyway."
"I don't know what you mean," said Carlos, bluffing. He knew damn well what they wanted. Damn it, Harry!
"All right, I know why you're here. You want Harry and Marlene out of here. Right?"
"Carlos, the ultrasound disruptor didn't work," another of the emerging leader said. "We know it. You know it. We don't just want them out of here. We have to destroy the chips before they give us away—if they haven't already."
"Destroying the chips will kill them."
"It's them or us, Carlos."
"You've eaten with these two, slept in the same comforting shadows. Do you give up their lives so easily? Harry fought for you." And me, thought Carlos. He saved my life. I can't forget that.
"I'd do what I have to do, Carlos. Don't we mean anything to you anymore?"
"Of course. We're brothers in the Shadow."
"We haven't time to debate. The longer we wait, the greater the chance is that they'll have given us away."
The mob grew restless, nervous and frightened with occasional outbursts of bravado. Carlos heard the rumblings of protest. All were voices of dissent and disagreement, but underneath it all was fear that fuelled their bravery in this stand against their leader.
"I, for one, don't believe what I'm seeing. Cowards..." Carlos began.
There was murmur and a gasp or two as those in the background expected the frontline to attack without provocation. Then, agitators deep within the group, incited the others, willing them to take whatever action it needed to save the Nest.
"You dare to call us cowards?" shouted a rowdy who couldn't be seen for the crowd covering.
"Who said that?" Carlos was suddenly back in charge." Give me the coward who said that. Do it, now!"
Giving in to Carlos' commanding voice, and not wanting to feel his wrath first hand, the crowd slowly parted, leaving a man standing with no protection save for his laser ax.
"Might have known it'd be you, Piggot," Carlos began slowly. "Slumming or have you just deserted your regular unit?"
Piggot just stared at Carlos.
"Oh, no! I get it! Greg kicked you out of his squad, his Nest now. Captain Jackson to you, Peegot!"
He started laughing at the man.
"Let 'em be, Carlos," interrupted another man brave in the company of so many others with weapons standing up to one man, that one Shadow being Carlos.
"You're right. Of course, you are." He smiled and winked at them." I'll kill him later," he said with stern conviction.
With that said, Piggot panicked and tried to run away. The others came closer and surrounded him to hold him for their captain. Maybe this action would vindicate them. Carlos was silent and his silence led the conspirators confident they had won the day.
The new leader from the pack spoke up, "Are you going to let us have the Insiders?"
"Sure, you can have them..."
Stunned, the group that had come back together now started to disperse.
"...if you can find them."
The crowd stopped.
"They left sometime in the night. I wouldn't worry about them though. By now they are probably Cyber sizzle meat, eh, Piggot?"
"You think you're so smart, don't you, Cap'n."
The mutineers pulled away while Piggot made his speech.
"Well, I know you ain't so smart."
"How's that, Piggot? C'mon, be brave now."
"You think Leach done got hisself killed, Cap'n. Nope. He got clean away. It was me who done it. I let him go and you was none the wiser. He's comin' for you soon I'd say."
"Interesting thought..."
"So much for you, you yella bastid...ongk!"
Piggot didn't hear or see the knife coming. The ten-inch blade pierced his larynx and exited the back of his neck. He went down coughing and choking on his own blood. After a few seconds of writhing on the floor, he was dead. Carlos went to him. The crowd parted again—this time moving as far as possible and close to some kind of protection to hide behind. Carlos reached down, pulled his knife out, wiped it gingerly on Piggott’s cloak, and put it back in its sheath under a fold in his toga sleeve.
"Sorry, Piggot. No time for a trial anyway."
Carlos faced the crowd again, which seemed to take a step backward into the shadows as he studied the fear on their faces.
"The man was his namesake. A total pig. Disobeyed my orders and let a prisoner go. You know the price and he paid it."
There was silence all around.
"I know you're afraid," he continued. "We all are at times. It's an uncertain world we live in. Our only reason for fighting is fear, plain and simple. Not for long though. We're leaving. We're going after Makr's primary cyberserver, but first, we'll find Harry and the girl—if they aren't already food for the tunnel rats or giant crocs—or cyber-zapped. Now, get this corpse outta here! Feed it to the crocs!"
The crowd didn't move. Carlos waved his arm quickly to test their reactions, and they fell back. Practically a swoon. It was almost comical. He stood his ground, and they held theirs. Materializing from the shadows were soldiers armed with superior weapons pointing at the mutineers, not Carlos.
"You know I could have killed you all at any time. Under other circumstances I would have."
The renegade group was beaten.
"Well, we don't have time at the moment. I don't know about you, but if I have to die I'd rather do it fighting cyberts than each other. How 'bout it? Are you with me?"
There were some nods and murmurs of general agreement.
"Okay then, let's move. We've already wasted precious time."
He stopped again, waiting for a reaction.
"And get that bloody bastard out of here!" Then, calmly, almost softly, "Now, please."
"You heard the captain." It was the first mutineer who hung back to offer an apology.
"Sorry, Cap'n. I guess we just lost it. It's weird now—just weird. We're all afraid. Those Cyber monkeys Inside and Outside used to fear us. What happened?"
"The entire world is about to change, like it or not, for better or worse. You've a right to be scared. Who knows if we'll survive the day?"
"You'll be in the front with us, won't you, Cap'n?"
"I'd have it no other way." Carlos started to give him a "how dare you look," but thought better of it. They all needed reassuring.
"Yessir. Thank you, sir."
The man's spirits were noticeably lifted by his superior's candor and resolve. Carlos grinned modestly and motioned for his man to take his leave.
Meanwhile, Carlos cursed himself for trusting those damn Touchables. I know Harry. I know. Why didn't you come to me? I'd have told you of my plan to get you and all of us out of here. The final battle has begun, and you're in the middle of it. Well, it doesn't matter now. I guess we'll have to win this one without you ...or die trying.