Chapter 154

The Daedalus Academy

Y: 2143 – 1 week until Southern Europe regional inter-academy first round.

Daedalus Financial Position: <5.23M> bitcreds 

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Myrmidon: The probability of escape is zero.

Daedo: They’re not firing. Monitor comms channels. Keep my HUD updated with thermal changes.

Myrmidon: All under control - I suggest you move.

The six craft approached rapidly, they spread out and then halted suddenly when they were above his position. Daedo activated his shield and readied his jumpjets. It may prove ineffective against such opposition, but he would try to escape if they were hostile.

Myrmidon: Svarski.

The identification did not surprise Daedo; they had the closest base. While Huawei were prominent in central America, Svarski had two strongholds in South America. The central VTOL descended slowly, while four began to sweep in wide arcs ready to intercept enemy craft. The last VTOL gained altitude. These were not civilian pilots, they were experienced, and their commander was a military tactician.

A short range, multi-channel comms blast reached Daedo.

Abramov: This is Commander Abramov of the Svarski 15th Special Purpose Brigade. We have information that you are Commander Daedo and ask that you come aboard our craft for protection as a foreign military guest.

Daedo: I am Commander Daedo. But I have made no such request with the Svarski CIO - Ulrich. I ask you leave this area because my Military are inbound to complete an extraction and I do not wish any misunderstandings.

Abramov: I am sorry Commander my orders are to extract you to preserve world peace. If you were not willing, we were to subdue you and escort you to safety. In order to avoid any misunderstandings please board quickly so you can get you back to our base in Brasil. You will be free to communicate with your people once aboard. You may be aware we are jamming all signals at this locale.

Daedo thought about several possible scenarios. None ended well except one.

Daedo: Agreed. Open a hatch and I will board.

Abramov: Please disarm. We will open our rear hatch. The entry lights are green, proceed when lit.

Daedo disabled his railgun and dropped it as he ran towards the rear of the craft. When he was behind it, he used his jumpjets to gain the 20m of altitude he needed before he levelled and approached the hatch at a lower speed. He nimbly placed a foot on the lowered ramp as his jumpjets throttled down. By his second step they were off.

The hatch closed behind him and the VTOL began to move without waiting for him to take a handhold.

Abramov: Secure yourself Commander.

Daedo activated his mag lift soles, reversed the polarity and stuck himself to the hull. It was a trick the Svarski soldiers couldn’t replicate in their exos. Four of them lined the cargo section watching him intently, they probably expected him to experience unease at the sudden movements of the craft. Myrmidon easily managed the electro magnets as Daedo walked through the craft.

Daedo: Here? 

Daedo reached the cabin where eight bucket seats were situated. Only two of them were occupied as the other six soldiers were standing braced against the hull, watching him.

Abramov: Help yourself comrade.

Myrmidon deactivated the jammer.

Daedo: Svarski craft A1990V. Do not attack or attempt rescue.

Along with the voice message he sent his current GPS location, heading and speed to Vardy and Vannier.

Abramov: You may regret that if Huawei picks up the communique...

Daedo did not reply. The Svarski commander would not know he had alerted DaVinci, he was only aware that his jammer was deactivated, and that Daedo had sent an encrypted message.

The bumpy ride continued for forty minutes until it reached an abrupt halt. The craft descended slowly into an underground base through its large loading bay doors. Sounds of safety warnings could be heard, and the tone changed as soon as they were passed the doors and within the complex. Daedo expected the other craft were conducting sentry and escort duties.

Based on their heading before his scanners were jammed, the flight time and mid-flight direction changes, Daedo deduced the location of the base was in Northern Bolivia. He estimated it was located near to the city of Riberatla. It was logical that Svarski had a base here; they had many mining interests in the region.

The VTOL landed on a pad which then moved laterally through the base. Daedo waited patiently for the commander to order him to move as disembarkation began. He was still in his exo which was in itself a weapon, but otherwise his railgun and drones had been confiscated by the Svarski soldiers. There were no great secrets amongst his weapons, everything was on the IPO or something Svarski could build themselves. His exo however contained elements of nanobots in the structure.

Daedo: we need to disguise the nanobots. Can we fuse them and make them look like a composite material?

Myrmidon: They can eject and escape into the atmosphere or become inert and mimic composite material 104.

Daedo: ejection poses the least overall risk. If they become inert, they may eventually become discovered, but if we eject them and they disappear into the base once the initial risk of discovery is passed, they will likely never be found. Can you program them to self-destruct over the next few days?

Myrmidon: We can send commands while the communication channel is open.

Daedo: We can’t risk that. Preset all commands.

Myrmidon: The process has begun, your exo will lose 28.7% of its resilience and 42.1% of its power assist.

Daedo: We have no choice.

Daedo was satisfied that the change would not be visible due to the armour plating hiding most of the internal workings of his exo. As he followed the Svarski commander through a series of corridors, the nanites slowly but surely left and filtered through the floor beneath his feet.

The commander stopped, and a door slid open to his left. He indicated through the open doorway and said, “This is your room, clean up, rest and the officer assigned to you will visit soon. A bodysuit has been made available for your use - please wear it.”

“My own bodysuit is self-cleaning, I will not be parted from it,” Daedo replied succinctly. They could insist that he wore their bodysuit, but that was his point. They would have to use force and begin treating him like a prisoner. He would not part with the devices in his own bodysuit lightly. 

“There are no orders to make you comply… yet,” the Commander warned.

All of Daedalus wore their bodysuits beneath their exos. They rarely took them off, and it was usually only for sonic showers. Daedo removed his exo, there was no point to attempt to keep it, especially since it was now depleted of all its nanites. From his limited experience the quarters were typical for an office on a military base. They possessed a personal shower, storage and sleeping cell. It was programmable with enough room to pace a few steps in each direction when in a VR meeting or work environment.

Whilst showering he removed everything but kept his bodysuit within arm’s reach. His cybernetic and ocular implants were by their nature always with him, which meant even when showering he could access all his tools and information displays. After a handful of minutes, he was refreshed and lying on the bunk waiting for the Svarski officer assigned to him to arrive. He presumed it would be an intelligence officer, someone who reported directly to Ulrich, if not Ulrich himself.

Twenty minutes passed and as if on queue the door slid open allowing a tall and thin officer to enter. He was middle aged, with a hawk nose and sharp eyes. Daedo had presumed correctly, his air and uniform designation was that of an intelligence officer and without a doubt Ulrich was monitoring every word, movement and heartbeat.

“Good evening Commander Daedo, I’m Major Sorokin. Have you been treated well? Have you eaten?” He asked in a polite tone although he did not hold out his hand to shake. He stood still, straight with his hands behind his back just inside the doorway as if entering the room fully would be intrusive.

Daedo knew the body language and demeanour conveyed meaning, but he didn’t really care for Svarski political manoeuvring. “Why do you ask questions that you know the answers to?” He replied.

The Officer’s eyes narrowed, and he paused. Daedo knew he would be receiving instructions, and the pause indicated they were already off script.

“Are you hungry?” Sorokin asked.

“I can eat after I am picked up by my people,” Daedo replied.

“Good, that means you agree to our terms?” Sorokin said smiling.

“I already passed on your terms. Are you unaware?” 

Another pause.

“Did you enter an agreement with DaVinci for the Troika?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t know this,” Daedo replied. The query meant that DaVinci was not hammering Svarski diplomatically, or if they were the agreement was not mentioned. 

“We haven’t finished negotiating,” Sorokin stated.

“I have,” Daedo replied leaving the next words unspoken. It takes two to negotiate and if he had concluded negotiations, then they were over.

“You’ll have to reconsider. Your future may depend an optimal outcome,” Sorokin said with a small measure of discomfort.

Daedo did not pay heed to Sorokin’s heartbeat or breathing. He wasn’t negotiating with the intelligence officer in front of him and his nervousness could just as easily be related to his own performance rather than Daedo’s ripostes.

“I don’t have to do anything,” Daedo replied. “Do I need to mention that Svarski’s future may depend on an optimal outcome?”

“You have unbalanced the alliance,” the officer stated and his nervousness at the revelation showed. He must have been aware of the nuclear attack which gave credence to a rift with Huawei and DaVinci.

Daedo laid back on his bunk, breaking eye contact with the officer and looked up at the ceiling. His relaxed demeanour was at odds with the officer’s formal stance. “Do we have to go and find you Arkernite to restore the balance? I suppose, what am I to expect of the group who just wants to run away at the first sign of danger.”

As if on queue the room shook slightly which an accompanying boom. The officer looked towards the door but then back to Daedo, “It would seem someone desperately wants to join our discussion. You shouldn’t have sent that message.”

“I told my people not to come for me. They usually follow orders,” Daedo replied.

“We will find out who it is soon,” the officer said as another blast hit the base.

“There is little point continuing our discussion until this intrusion is resolved,” Daedo said. He lay calmly in his bunk as his room shook and dust drifted from the ceiling.

“Aren’t you concerned for your safety? Do you want to move to a safer location?”

“This spot is as safe as any,” Daedo replied.

They could hear boots thumping as soldiers ran up the corridor. The door slid open and then closed behind an exo soldier who stood in the space between the officer and the door. He faced the closed door and otherwise ignored the officer.

Sorokin looked at Daedo and spoke quickly, “Our communications have been jammed. What did you mean when you said we run away at the first sign of danger? Chief Ulrich was very unhappy with that statement.”

“It appears that information is above your clearance. And you’re a major, tsk “ Daedo added an audible tsk showing his disapproval. “Are you assigned for space duty in the next couple of years?”

Sorokin shook his head in the negative, “No, but most of the military is.” His mouth opened and closed. “Why are we suddenly heading to space? There were a few ventures but now there is a massive effort. Is it because of Arkernite or the danger?”

“I keep my agreements Major,” Daedo replied. “And that information falls under a confidentiality agreement I have with Svarski, Huawei and DaVinci.”

Sorokin looked around. Sound was reverberating from the combat that was taking place outside and inside the base. He then looked back to Daedo, “So there is a reason we’re not being told.” He took one step towards Daedo, “If they broke their agreement with you, doesn’t that free you from your obligations?”

Daedo noticed the exo soldier had turned around. His focus on the door had been extinguished by the conversation. He felt empathy for the servants of Svarski and some surprise their loyalty was so thin. He imagined his people would never act like Major Sorokin was now. As soon as the leash disappeared the Major went off script. Daedo considered for a moment the attack and the break in communication was a ruse.

“I will not breach the contract.” Daedo replied. “You will have to look at the evidence and think for yourself.”

Sorokin nodded slowly. His face showed that Daedo’s answer fuelled his speculation. The information wouldn’t be protected if it wasn’t highly sensitive. 

“Here,” a voice outside the door called and a moment later the composite material began to melt. The temperature in the room rose as the door disappeared.

“If you surrender, they won’t shoot you,” Daedo said more to the exo soldier than to the intelligence officer.

The soldier pushed through the opening, fighting hand to hand in his exo rather than using his weapon. Sorokin raised his hands in the air.

After a short fight in the corridor an exo soldier entered the room and shot Sorokin with electrified goo. The intelligence officer was both stunned and stuck.

“Eyes on the target,” the exo soldier stated. He was wearing a Huawei uniform.