***ANAD to Base…how’s that? I’ve got my linkset narrowed down…just a few more connections….I’m not sure what they’re for…there seems to be others down here too…not sure about them…but I’m learning how everything works***
“Me too, ANAD,” Deeno muttered. “Doc, is it going to be like this every time? Is it going to take half an hour to get contained and set up comms?”
Frost shook his head. “I don’t think so. ANAD’s just learning…and I’m fine-tuning his program even more. Plus, your own neural net will adapt as well….it’s not everyday somebody has an assembler buzzing around inside her body, trying to plug in and talk with her.”
“I’ll say.” Deeno lay back in the seat and let ANAD do what he had to do.
Hours later, the process seemed a lot smoother. Several times, she had practiced a full launch and recovery sequence. Each time, the linkup took less time. By the end of the first day, ANAD and Deeno D’Nunzio had honed the process down to just a few minutes. And from outside Cell B, Johnny Winger cheered her on.
“You’ve got it, Deeno. It just takes practice.”
Her voice came back through the speaker. “Lieutenant, I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s like learning to walk all over again.”
An hour later, during one of the launch and recovery practices, Deeno reported a problem.
“I’m having trouble getting ANAD to come back,” she said. Doc Frost had left the Containment building for a much-needed break at the canteen. Mary Duncan was on duty, outside Cell B, chatting with Winger. “He won’t recover, he won’t go back in the capsule—“
Duncan and Winger immediately bent to their consoles, checking everything. Duncan reported D’Nunzio’s capsule was in the open position. A quick check of recent coupler traffic showed that D’Nunzio had issued the proper commands. Yet, sensors inside the cell showed clear nanobotic activity in the air over Deeno’s bed. Even through the porthole above their console, a faint sparkling mist was visible.
Winger spoke to her. “Deeno, did you command any reps? Looks like ANAD’s expanding, just from what I can see.”
“I didn’t command anything, Lieutenant. And I’m not sure this is ANAD anymore. The last few sessions, the voice has been pretty curt and abrupt….almost like a whole new personality. Something’s different here—“
Mary Duncan made a quick decision. “I’m going in.” She got up to cycle through the lockout, but Winger grabbed her arm. “Dr. Duncan, let’s re-prime the injectors…just in case. And I’m going in too.”
Duncan nodded. “Sure…that’s a good idea. But I can’t let you go in, Johnny…this is my job…my responsibility. I’d better let Irwin know too--”
Winger made sure the electron beam injectors were charged and ready, in case ANAD went big bang, then said, “Dr. Duncan, you’re not a nanotrooper and I am. I’m trained to deal with bad bots and swarms.”
“Very well, if you insist,” she finally decided.
The two of them cycled through the lockout and came to Deeno’s side. All around them, the air was buzzing, as more and more bots appeared, replicating from the master. It wasn’t a big bang yet, but it could easily become one.
Duncan pecked out a few commands on her wristpad. “I’m trying to override ANAD now,” she said. “Get down to the root command level of his processor…it’ll just take a second—“
Just then, Deeno uttered a sharp cry of pain. Her head had become enveloped in a thickening cloud of bots, swirling like smoke, a slow-motion thunderstorm building right on top of her. She flailed at something and Winger immediately knew what had happened, when Deeno scratched and clawed at her face….
“ANAD’s gone inside, Dr. Duncan…”
A sharp warbling alarm sounded inside the cell…it was the swarm master alarm.
Duncan wrestled with her wristpad. “ANAD’s not responding…I’m trying overrides, emergency shutdown…nothing’s working…it’s like—“
Winger had to make a quick decision. “…like he’s not ANAD.” He remembered the way the Dana Tallant angel had first appeared at the Custer Inn…and the way she had de-materialized in front of him.
Some of those bots are here in this cell, he told himself. And now, they’re inside Deeno.
Almost from day one, nanotroopers were taught to respond fast. Winger checked his own wristpad. His ANAD was still inside his own capsule, embedded, inert, just ticking over waiting for action.
“I’m launching,” he told them. He’d been in proximity to the Dana Tallant angel for nearly half an hour; there was just a chance his own ANAD system had been compromised too. But it was a chance he’d have to take.
Nanotroopers didn’t leave a buddy behind. It was in the Code.
The first thing to do was get Mary Duncan out of danger. Without a word, Winger grabbed the doctor by her arm and pushed her toward the hatch. “Get out of here now! Get away…this is going to get nasty fast—“
Duncan offered only token resistance, looked back with a helpless face, and hurried through the hatch, which swung shut right behind her. Through the porthole, she could see Winger now clawing his way through the growing fog of mechs, fighting his way toward D’Nunzio, who was writhing and twisting on her bed, nearly falling off with each shove.
As she watched the battle unfold inside, Mary Duncan had a sobering thought: if this ANAD is compromised or contaminated or defective, the others might be as well. She hesitated for a moment, unwilling to leave Winger alone with what was clearly an out-of-control ANAD system, but she knew she had to check the other troopers. Nguyen, M’Bela and Barnes already had their ANADs loaded and familiarization was underway. There might be a problem common to the entire batch of masters…Dr. Frost had to be notified right away…inhibits and overrides had to be sent, maybe new ones developed…worst case, Quantum Corps might have to bring their heavier defenses to bear—Duncan tore herself away from the porthole, pecked out an alarm code on her wristpad and hurried off to the other containment cells, leaving only Gavin to monitor things.
Inside cell B, Winger leaned hard on D’Nunzio to keep her from falling out of bed. For good measure, he found some straps and secured her in. He swatted and batted and swung his arms, trying to clear some space.
Then he felt his own shoulder capsule coming open. “ANAD, launch now…max rate reps. Assume config C-5!”