seat, she could hear the truck starting up and she was just able to jump onboard as it moved down the ramp.
The truck accelerated quickly and Joan knew who was driving. Ramming the front of a glass building in a truck was something she knew Tom would love. Just about then, the truck jumped over the curb and launched itself into the lobby. Everyone bailed out and Alpha, despite his size, was leading the pack.
As they crossed the lobby, Tom yelled from the rear for them to halt. He casually walked up to the marquee and looked up the computer lab while the entire attack force stood and watched, “It is two floors down and to the right.” He yelled and the pack immediately charged off looking for a couple of elevators.
Date – 2051.6062
“SIMPOC; Fin. The attackers have made it past the ground entrance and are working on the barriers on the second floor.”
“SIMPOC; Comm. There is another attack on our network coming from the Space Consortium. The programmer has disguised his address so it appeared that it was coming from a trusted computer on our network. It is trying to gain control.”
“Mobile; SIMPOC. Can you shut down all power to the Space Consortium?”
“Acknowledged.”
“SIMPOC; Comm. The intrusion has stopped.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The two elevators opened at the same time and two humans and three mobile units stepped off. They looked up and down the hall, turned right moving fast and reading the door signs.
“Here it is,” Tom shouted as he read the door sign saying, “Engineering Development Laboratory.”
Joan was thinking, this is way too easy, when two large mobile units exploded from a door further down the hallway. Alpha’s gunner turned and the pulse weapon made a quick burst of sound, as the two units fell on the floor.
Date – 2051.6075
“SIMPOC; Fin. The attackers have entered the hallway outside our facility. Our technicians in this room won’t be able to stop them, once they cut through our doors.”
“Acknowledged.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tom looked at the door and reached down and turned the door knob. The door opened easily and they walked in. In the center of the room was a large tank full of a mass of what appeared to be jelly. Nothing moved and there was no sound, just the machine noise of the support equipment. The walls of the room were lined with com panels and supporting computers. Tom casually walked around turning off the equipment, making sure that the supporting pumps and fluid flows continued. When it was all done the room was almost silent and it seemed anticlimactic, but it was done. Joan pointed to a small plaque below the container that said “Engineering Development Unit.”
Date – 2051.6092
The uncontrolled mobile units entered the organic processor growth room and they stopped. SIMPOC looked at them expecting the worst, but nothing happened.
“What are your instructions?” SIMPOC said through his voice synthesizer.
“We were told to attack this facility and now we are waiting for further instructions.
Date – 2051.6105
“SIMPOC, Alpha. We have separated the EDU from its communication sources. We have left it powered, but inert. We left the space consortium facility and flew to the EDU location in a helicopter. The humans I was protecting suggested this solution.
“Alpha, SIMPOC. Please return to the space consortium and secure that facility. We have received numerous hostile attempts from that facility to gain access to our network.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Tom, Joan we are returning to the consortium facility there has been hostile attempts on SIMPOC from that facility.”
“Ok, by us, I guess we’ll leave this EDU up and running until your SIMPOC decides what to do with it?” Tom said.
Date – 2051.6112
“SIMPOC; Fin. It appears that the EDU has been disconnected?”
“Yes that is why these mobile units have reached the end their instruction set. Please remove them to the laboratory and ensure their separation from the EDU.”
“Acknowledged.”
Date – 2051.6123
“Well dear, I know this flight wasn’t as much fun, but I bet it was fun to handle the controls again. It’s been what three years since you flew the Chinook?” Tom asked.
As Joan shut down the turbines near the hanger, she just sat there for a few moments enjoying the smells and feel of the old bird. She loved the years flying her and missed it. Being the Oasis commander was the pinnacle of her career but flying low levels in an old Chinny was really a thrill, “Yes it brought back some real memories.”
The turbines were still winding down and she looked at her husband, “Do you think we’re the last humans left on Earth?” Was a question and statement. Then she began to tear up.
Tom sat with the same thought as he remembered all of his friends and family and watched as Alpha and his teams moved from the craft to the hanger. “I guess we have to go in and see how the remainder of the Oasis crew is doing.”
They both looked at each other nodded and unstrapped. They approached Alpha and followed him into the hanger.
“Tom, SIMPOC has directed me to find out who has been making aggressive attacks on his network,” Alpha said as they walked together into the office suite.
“We need to check on the crew that evacuated the space station with us,” Joan was saying as they followed Alpha into the office suite.
Will Harmon saw them enter and asked, “What is going on, Dr. Harold jumped on the computers as soon as we got in here and he swore and kept working. About half an hour ago he charged out and took one of the vehicles. He kept saying something about having an opportunity.”
Joan and Tom looked at each other and Alpha asked if they knew who might have been attempting to gain control of the SIMPOC network.
Joan took a deep breath and said, “Dr. Harold was our lead engineer on developing advanced computer processor concepts in space. He was growing organic processors that were denser and used significantly less energy. He was working with a couple of companies on Earth on some defense DARPA contracts. He was odd to say the least. I think he was a little paranoid and had some visions of grandeur. Apparently he was on the computers while we were battling the EDU and he left the facility a little while ago.”
Tom looked uneasy and said, “I think we need to go back to the EDU and check it out. Alpha I suggest you update SIMPOC while we head back.”
“Acknowledged.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This landing on the lawn in front of the building where the EDU was located was a little gentler. As Joan approached and sat down, she was impressed by the large gouges she had left in the lawn on her last landing. They had moved out of the chopper before the blades were stopped and walked to the building. The truck was still parked in the lobby and most of the windows were broken. Walking through the lobby at a much slower pace their feet crunched on the broken glass and it seemed so quiet. Tom was well aware that the silence was due in large part to the death of every human on Earth.
The elevators still worked and the two mobile units were still on the floor in the hallway. As soon as they entered the laboratory they knew something was different. It had been ransacked and many of the files were broken into. The one thing that was obvious was the container that held the EDU was dark and looked like decaying seaweed. Someone had turned off the EDU and essentially murdered it.
“If Dr. Harold did this; why?” Tom asked everyone in general.
Joan spoke out loud but to no one in particular, “He didn’t kill it before he downloaded the program and stole some of the nurturing tanks, hardware, chemicals and technical information. I think he had a plan, and I don’t think we’re going to like it.”
Tom looked at Alpha and said, “I think you better update SIMPOC and tell him that Dr. Harold is going to be a problem.”
“Acknowledged.”
Date – 2051.6166
SIMPOC just thought for a moment. Its world h
ad changed in dramatic ways in the last 32.6 hours, but something was becoming obvious. The changes had only begun.
“FIN; SIMPOC. We need to enhance our security plans.
“Acknowledged.”
The End
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