Chapter 28
Andra’s place—her other place—was small but impressively high-tech.
It was in the basement of one of the nicest apartment buildings in Dreswick.
She had a Faraday cage around her computer desk that reminded me of Dr. Katz’s lab, though she said the cage didn’t work when she was connected to external power. I took her word for it.
She sat in her cage, updating us on her latest idea of disabling the amp control chips so that Softbiotics could no longer take over humans.
“The micro-targeted, cycling-pulse EMP won’t work—amps have a lot stronger EMP shielding than yours does, Cal.
Something about how the amp was designed—it’s more fluid basically than the typical amp.
” She held up a finger. “And before you tell me I’m wrong, your amp provided me the data. ”
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” I said.
“Those EMP devices are a risk we’ll face in the data center. If the patrols were all given them, the security stations might’ve been given them, too,” Kynan said.
“Cal could stay behind,” Talon offered.
“No,” Kynan and I said together.
“I’m going with the team,” I added.
“We need his amp at the data center,” Kynan added. “Either that, or Andra goes.”
She shivered. “Please, no.”
“Don’t worry. Byte’ll cover the hacking that needs done inside,” I said.
“Good,” she said too quickly, then added, “Besides, during the time you’re driving to the data center, I’ll be working on a kill switch for those amp control chips.
Byte has helped out with some of the code.
It’ll be ugly and I won’t have time to test it, but my goal is to have something ready to upload when Kynan patches me into the security system’s data core. ”
“That’s your number one priority,” Kynan said. “Get it working.”
She rolled her eyes. “I plan to if you quit bugging me.”
He cocked his head at Andra. “You’ve verified that the lab with Cal’s friend is in the same building with the data core tied directly to Softbiotics security systems?”
She nodded. “Assuming the data Byte gave me is current, Cal’s buddy is in that lab.
As for the data core, I verified it again this morning.
It’s in there. And the lab is still functioning—I confirmed that, too, but Roman Voss doesn’t keep his labs operating for long.
He opens one, uses it for one month, shuts it down, and then starts up a new one. ”
The data I provided is accurate.
“The data’s good,” I said.
Kynan rubbed his hands together. “Then we go in one hour. We need the data and saving some people for once will help morale.”
Talon chuckled. “And help refill ranks, I’m sure.”
Kynan ignored him. “Meet back here in thirty minutes to go over the plan one more time. Then we’ll change clothes and head out to Aberdeen after that. Right now, I’d advise you to grab some food, catch a power nap, and do whatever else you need to take care of.”
Kynan and Talon left down the hallway, and I headed to the kitchen, which was thankfully empty.
Most of the resistance, which was all of a measly dozen people now, were in another safe house.
“Are you done with the EMP shielding yet?” I asked aloud.
Byte had been burning through my energy to build shielding inside my brain.
It’ll take a full nine days to develop substantial shielding, and that estimate takes into account that I need to pause replication activity during this operation.
“Good call. I want us both operating at peak in there.”
We’re currently operating at seventy-eight percent. We require rest and healing time to reach peak effectiveness.
“And both of those require time, which is one thing we don’t have.” While we weren’t getting the number of resistance members we were counting on to free Nolan, Kynan and Talon were going with us, and Andra would be handling comms and tech support. If luck was on our side, it would be enough.
I was a little surprised that Kynan was keeping his word about going with me to save Nolan.
Then again, would he if that data core he desperately needed for his own plans was in a different data center?
I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the eye…
or however that old saying went that Grandmother used to say.
“I’m backing up to the delivery entrance now,” Talon announced through the team comm channel in my ear.
Kynan and I sat in the back of Talon’s food delivery truck for the second time that day.
Only this time, we wore fresh enforcer uniforms and had recharged blasters and stun sticks, along with a variety of other tools and weapons.
The Nutriva Systems Transport AV seemed like it could go anywhere without drawing notice…
including right up to a data center. As it turned out, even data centers needed vending machines.
“I’ve taken control of the security system and have control of the camera feeds.
The guards will see you enter and deliver the food directly to the lounge.
” Byte’s voice came through everyone’s earbuds.
It’d taken the amp a fraction of a second to tap into the team comm channel, though I noticed it sounded slightly different than usual.
Its voice had more of a computerized sound rather than the natural sound it spoke inside my head, but it was close enough.
“Thanks, Byte—I’m in. I’m uploading the code to put the drones into maintenance mode—that’ll keep them offline for sixty minutes. If the guards notice, they’ll just think the drones are going through an unscheduled update,” Andra said through the comm.
“That means the clock starts now,” Kynan said, coming to his feet in the dimly lit cargo space.
“On my way,” Talon said through our earpieces. The door slid open a few seconds later. Behind Talon was an indoor delivery dock. “Wakey wakey, let’s go takey,” he said, grinning, wearing a white Nutriva Systems Transport uniform.
I followed Kynan out of the truck, and the three of us hustled across the dock, with Talon rolling a cart stacked with boxes of food. Kynan glanced at me. “Lead the way.”
Byte displayed the HUD map to the data center’s small lounge that was a straight shot from the docking bay so that deliveries could be made easily, but we were taking a detour to the data store we needed to access.
Like the other data center, this one was a labyrinth of hallways and doors, which Byte hacked noticeably faster this time.
“I’m watching the camera feed. All I see is a delivery guy with an armed escort walking to the lounge. It’s looking good,” Andra said.
“We’re coming up to the data store,” I said, the dot flashing on my HUD just ten feet ahead.
Byte unlocked the door by the time we reached it, and Kynan and I hustled inside. Talon remained in the hallway with his cart.
I approached the computer desk and sat down. Byte flashed data across my eyes, and I pecked at the keyboard.
“Wow, you are slow ,” Kynan said.
“I skipped keyboarding in college,” I replied dryly.
“Guys, two of the guards are standing,” Andra reported. “Hurry up.”
“We’re just about there,” I said. The command screen displayed on the monitor and I stepped aside.
Kynan rushed to sit. He pulled out a black data stick and it clicked onto the outside of the computer. The screen blinked and then commands began auto-typing.
“The dipstick’s connected. I’m in and running,” Andra said.
“Two guards have decided to check on the delivery team. One is remaining at the guard station,” Byte reported.
“Just need two minutes,” Andra said. The screen filled with code. “All right, I’ve got a tether to download the data. Uploading the kill switch now.”
Kynan and I stood there. My nerves were amped, and I was half-tempted to twiddle my thumbs just to do something.
The screen displayed, Uploading Nullzilla Program. Below the text was a percentage that continued to increase every few seconds… 36% … 39% … 42% …
“The guards will reach the lounge in twenty-seven seconds,” Byte announced.
“We need more time,” I said.
“I’m going to the lounge,” Talon reported from the hallway. “I’ll make up something about my escort ditching me.”
“I can go, too,” I said. “Kynan doesn’t need me here anymore.”
“Be careful, both of you,” Kynan said.
“Now where’s the fun in that?” Talon said.
I had to jog to catch up with Talon, who was already halfway down the hallway. He was jogging, too, and was doing a better job than I could at keeping the cart from tipping.
I took the lead, and Byte unlocked the final door that brought us back to the main corridor. We made it inside the lounge just as Byte announced the guards were entering the space we’d been in a second earlier.
Talon tore open a box and started pulling out drinks, then setting them on the table.
“Byte, tell me you’re able to sync up the video,” I said.
“I’m syncing it as best I can. The false video showed Talon loading the cooler while you and Kynan stood around. They may notice that the cooler isn’t open,” Byte said.
Talon rushed to the cooler. “Spill a box on the floor,” he said while he ran his hand along the side and popped the cooler’s cover open.
I grabbed another box, tore off the top, and then dumped it out. The door opened before I could drop the box.
“What’s going on in here?” one of the guards asked. That they weren’t carrying blasters or stun sticks made me think they were more bored than anything, like the guards at the last data center.
“Juno here is clumsy,” I said. “I figured I’d help clean up or else be late getting off my shift.”
“Sorry,” Talon mumbled while he loaded the cooler, doing a decent impression of a lower-tier service worker.
The same guard spoke. “I get it. My first gig in security was monitoring the delivery guys. I swear, they’d go out of their way to mess with my schedule.
It’s not like it’s our fault they gotta have security.
I used to tell ’em to go talk to my boss.
That shut ’em up right quick.” He chuckled to himself as if he thought it was funny.