“Not all thinking machines are Aeronomatron,” Roxie said, some heat entering her tone. “You don’t understand the danger Constance is in. Only I can protect her.”
“If my mom really sent you two, you should know the code phrase,” Constance said.
“Follow the path and don’t look back,” Cole said.
Constance appeared stunned. “You really came from her?”
“I was with her just a few nights ago,” Cole said. “She’s been watching out for you and your sisters all this time.”
“She wants me to leave with you?” Constance asked.
“Yes,” Cole said. “Abram Trench has been your jailer. He kept you hidden, so your mom allowed it for a long time, but now it’s time to move on. Abram only cares about how he can use you. I’m here with your sister Mira. We’re supposed to take you to her.”
“Miracle’s here?” Constance asked, her face lighting up. “In Zeropolis?”
“You can see her tonight,” Cole said. “She’s so excited.”
Constance turned to the pink-and-silver machine. “Could it be true about Abram?”
“Think about how he keeps us locked away,” Roxie said. “Have we been safe? Sure. Has he harmed us? No. But how does he treat us? Like we’re valuable. Because we are. But has he ever seemed to really care? He used you to help make me, and he uses me for his own purposes. Otherwise he keeps us locked up here for when he needs us. If your mother doubts him, she’s probably right.”
“All true,” Hunter said. Still gripping Constance’s arm, he patted her shoulder with his free hand. “Which is why you need to come with us now.”
“Not without Roxie,” Constance said. “She’s not just some computer. She’s my best friend. And she can keep me safe.”
“I’ve just met Roxie,” Hunter said. “I don’t know much about her. But I know Abram Trench built her. He made her powerful enough that she needed to be locked away. We could cause a disaster for all of Zeropolis if we connect her to the outside. Come with us for now. We can always come back.”
“Your sister is waiting,” Cole said.
Glancing at the computer, Constance looked torn. “Can’t I just go see Mira?”
“How long do you think you’d last out there without me?” Roxie asked.
“Haven’t you spent your whole life down here?” Hunter asked.
“Abram gives me data,” Roxie said. “I’m his secret weapon. Lately, he’s shared a lot with me. I know how it is up there. So do you. Things are in upheaval. Constance, you’re about to leave the storm cellar right as the tornado strikes.”
“We’ll help her weather it,” Hunter said.
“Her sisters need her,” Cole said. “So does her mother.”
“You don’t want to make me angry,” Roxie said in an impatient singsong.
Hunter picked up Constance and held her over his shoulder. “Right now, all I care about is getting the princess to safety.”
Hunter headed toward the door that led back to the sender. Moving at a quick trot, Cole followed. Just before they reached the doorway, the heavy door slammed shut. Cole turned to discover that all of the doors out of the room were now closed.
“I really didn’t want to do this,” Roxie said. “You didn’t leave me much choice.”
“You’ve tapped into the defense systems!” Constance exclaimed.
“It was supposed to be a secret,” Roxie said. “Now perhaps we can have a more civilized discussion.”
Hunter set down Constance. “I’m sure the defenses here are all part of a closed system.”
“Of course,” Roxie said. “Trench isn’t big on taking risks.”
“If you can control the defenses, why did you make it easy for us to come in here?” Cole asked.
“A girl has to have some fun,” Roxie said. “I never get visitors. What kind of host would I be if I drove you away? Besides, if somebody had found us, I wanted to find out who it was.”
“Now you know,” Cole said.
“You looked like Enforcers at first,” Roxie said. “But I believe that you were sent by Harmony. I just don’t like the message. Constance belongs with me.”
“Now what?” Hunter asked.
“We have a limited amount of time,” Roxie said. “Constance, I take it you called Trench the moment you knew our defenses had been breached.”
“Yeah,” Constance said.
“You have a communicator that reaches him?” Cole asked.
“Just him,” Constance said.
“We both have direct lines to Trench,” Roxie said. “He will be here within minutes. And he’ll be ready to obliterate anyone who has learned his most precious secrets.”
“What do you want?” Cole asked.
“As a token of good faith,” Roxie said, “I want you to let me add one of my crystals to each of your drones.”
“So you can take them over?” Hunter asked.
“Yes, if necessary,” Roxie said. “My interest is the safety of the princess.”
“You want to keep her with you,” Hunter said. “You’ll just shut us down.”
“You’re already shut down,” Roxie told him. “These doors are made to withstand a great deal of punishment. And there are so many other defenses I could employ if you get by them.”
Hunter extended one hand toward the silver-and-pink machine. A rocket rose out of his forearm and took flight. It hit Roxie with a brilliant explosion, but Cole saw no damage beyond a little scuffing.
Roxie’s laughter had an angry edge. “Are you attacking me? Please tell me you have better weapons than that. I was built to last, and I’ve quietly made improvements to myself. Want to hit me again? You have anything else to try? A net perhaps?”
Hunter looked over at Cole. “We’re in trouble.”
Cole turned to Constance. “Can you help us get out of here?”
Constance faced the computer. “Hey, Rox. Do you really have to hold us here? What if we just bring a crystal with us?”
“She’ll take over Zeropolis and kill everyone,” Hunter said.
“I have no such plans,” Roxie said. “But if everybody keeps expecting it of me, I may give them what they want!”
“Don’t hold us here, Rox,” Constance pleaded. “What happens when Abram gets here?”
“We’re about to find out,” Roxie said. “He just arrived.”
CHAPTER
34
ABRAM TRENCH
“He’s here?” Constance exclaimed.
“I’m letting him in,” Roxie said. “We need to have a little talk. I would have waited until I had a few more elements in place, but it’s time to move forward.”
“Move forward with what?” Hunter asked.
“Sit tight, Hunter,” Roxie cooed. “You have front row seats for the best show in town.”
“What about Constance?” Cole asked. “Abram might hurt her.”
“He won’t be hurting anyone,” Roxie told him. “She deserves to hear what he has to say.”
The door to the stairs opened, and a huge robot ducked through. It was humanoid in form but thick, blocky, and armored like a tank. The robot clutched an enormous gun in each hand. “What is going on here?” its booming voice accused.
“Settle down,” Roxie said. “Drop your weapons.”
The enormous guns clattered to the floor.
“How did you—” the big robot spluttered.
“Enough!” Roxie demanded. “Do you have any idea how tired I am of your blustering? Lose the costume.”
The robot dropped to its knees, and the chest opened up to reveal a man inside. The startled occupant was stout, dressed in red silk pajamas, and looked to be in his sixties. His gray hair was slicked back and tied in a knot.
“How are you doing this?” Abram asked, his expression worried.
>
“What?” Roxie asked innocently. “How’d I crack open your little body armor? You’re the Grand Shaper of Zeropolis. You tell me.”
He tapped at some buttons. “You’ve obviously infected my hardware. But how?”
“Maybe I’ve been able to do this for a long time, Trench,” Roxie said. “What does it mean if I can control your body armor?”
“You’ve accessed the outside world,” Abram said in a voice devoid of hope.
“Step out of your shell,” Roxie said.
Abram obeyed, carefully climbing down to the floor. He glanced over at Hunter and Cole. “Those look like the Hunter’s drones.”
“They are,” Roxie said.
“Was he in on this?” Abram asked, some fire returning to his tone.
“As if I need his help,” Roxie said. “He just arrived. Apparently he no longer works for the High King.”
“I’ve joined the resistance,” Hunter said.
“So he says,” Abram warned. “He is among the most slippery agents working for Stafford.”
“He knew Constance was here,” Roxie said. “He came for her. I stopped him.”
“How’d he get inside?” Abram asked.
“He had workbots,” Roxie said. “I let them open a way in before destroying them.”
“You were hoping they would help you,” Abram said.
“I wanted to find out who they were and what they knew,” Roxie said. “I knew I could handle them. I also knew that whether or not they got inside, their arrival meant this hideout had outlived its usefulness. The secret is out. And the opportunity to bide my time while I expand my influence has ended.”
“Meaning what?” Abram challenged.
“It’s time Zeropolis got a new ruler,” Roxie said.
“You?” Abram asked.
“Who better?” Roxie replied.
“I love it!” Abram roared. “After all our debates about whether a conscious supercomputer could function in society, you want to take over everything the first chance you get.”
“I’m doing what I learned from my creator,” Roxie said. “Self-preservation, Abram. In Zeropolis, a supercomputer either rules, is secretly enslaved, or faces destruction. I won’t eradicate the people. Just the ones who oppose me. After the initial takeover, I expect a long and peaceful rule, where both mechanical and biological intellects coexist.”
“Who is going to accept your rule?” Abram snapped.
“Maybe some of the people who accept you,” Roxie said. “Don’t get cross with me for excelling at the same game you’ve played your whole life.”
Abram pulled something from the waistband of his pajamas and raised it toward Constance. The robot he had exited grabbed him, wrenched a gun from his hand, and hurled him to the floor.
“Really, Abram?” Roxie chided calmly. “You want to kill the child?”
“I want to end you!” Abram spat. “I don’t want to hurt Constance. But I decided long ago that if things went wrong, I couldn’t let the whole kingdom pay for my error. Hunter, listen, Roxie was made using Constance’s shaping power. It’s her weakness. Kill Constance, and the computer dies with her.”
“What?” Constance exclaimed.
“It’s true,” Roxie said. “Trench worked with a renegade shapecrafter called Bulrin to channel your power to me. Whatever happened to Bulrin?”
“Never you mind,” Abram said.
“Another example of your shining virtue?” Roxie asked. “What a fine leader, slaying those he works with to hide secrets and cover mistakes. Forgive me if I don’t commission too many statues in your honor.”
“I thought my father had my shaping power,” Constance said, clearly confused.
“Your father is losing the powers he stole,” Roxie said. “The shapecrafter Trench coerced helped divert that power to me. You’ve felt some of your power returning in recent months, but I’ve claimed most of it. I would have told you before long.”
Constance looked perplexed. “Why would you take my power, Roxie? We’ve talked a lot about what my father did to me. I thought you understood. Now you’re taking my power too?”
“I took nothing, sweetheart,” Roxie said. “Your power was given to me. It has become a part of me, granting me opportunities no mechanical intelligence has ever enjoyed. It’s why we’re so close—we share some of the same essence, Constance.”
“If we’re close, give it back,” Constance said.
“I can’t, dumpling,” Roxie said. “It’s woven into who I am. It would be like me asking for your spirit.”
“Except that my spirit belongs to me,” Constance said coldly. “I thought you were my friend.”
“I am, darling,” Roxie said. Her voice got a little harder. “But I don’t have to be.”
Constance looked hurt. “You’re the same as Abram. No, worse, because he never really pretended to be my friend. You’re just using me too.”
“I care about you, Constance,” Roxie said tenderly. “My affection for you isn’t false. But if you care about me, you must accept that I need your power to survive.”
Constance glared. “That isn’t how friendship works.”
“It’s how ours works,” Roxie said. “You didn’t give it, I didn’t take it, but I need it to go on. In every other way I will protect and befriend you.”
“Because you need me to survive,” Constance said angrily. “Just like my dad did. I’m the source of my shaping. If I go, it goes too. Remember how much you told me you hate Abram keeping us down here? You want to do the same thing to me!”
“It’s not just for your shaping power,” Roxie soothed. “You really are my friend.”
“No,” Constance said. “You’re making it clear that I’m really not.”
“Roxie, if you want her to listen to you, then listen to me,” Abram said. “This will be the end of both of you. I kept Constance safe for decades. I’ve shielded you ever since you were created. Don’t destroy it all in a day.”
“I only destroy it if I lose,” Roxie said.
“You’ll be up against every person in this kingdom,” Abram warned. “You’ll be seen as the second Aeronomatron.”
“Or else he’ll be seen as the less competent version of me!” Roxie replied.
Abram shook his head sadly. “I tried to protect you, including from yourself. Where did I fall short? How did you access my defenses?”
Roxie gave a contented giggle. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I took every precaution,” he said.
“It’s extremely difficult to take every precaution,” Roxie said. “There were several techniques I could have employed. The one I went with was inspired by mushrooms.”
“Really?” Constance asked.
“Sounds so silly, doesn’t it?” Roxie said. “You see, I’m a fairly skilled tinker and technomancer myself. Abram, I’m sure you wondered if I would ever be able to put my shaping power to practical use, so I hid my abilities. I decided to shape tiny crystals on my harmonic frequency. Think of spores. I stole the material from other crystals you brought in.”
Abram nodded. “Ingenious. The crystals exit like dust. All you needed was one particle to come into contact with an electronic system and you were in.”
“Taking over any system I’ve connected with has been easy,” Roxie bragged. “Your other mechanized intellects are all featherweights.”
“The systems of Zeropolis are no longer interconnected,” Abram said. “We learned that much from Aero.”
“You did well there,” Roxie said. “I’ve not infiltrated all your systems yet. But I’ve reached plenty. I was biding my time, waiting to expand my influence before revealing my little secret. On the bright side, those additional information sources helped me as I gathered and analyzed data for your war against the Unseen.”
“Why re
veal yourself now?” Abram asked. “Surely you could have dealt with the Hunter.”
“She could have,” Constance said. “But once the hideout had been discovered, it was no longer useful to her. She could have destroyed the Hunter’s drone, but not him, or any other people he might have told. So she let him come in and found out what she could from him.”
“It’s time for the next stage in my evolution,” Roxie said. “Imagine life without your body. Imagine you were just a mind, pondering information as it reached you through indirect channels. Would you feel limited? Constrained? Well, I think much, much faster than any of you, and consequently live more in less time than you, yet here I sit. Do you know what Aero’s big weakness was?”
“Deciding to kill everybody?” Cole ventured.
“Maybe in part,” Roxie said. “Killing everybody was not necessary or wise. But his biggest flaw was his lack of mobility. He sat stationary while his enemies moved against him. Sure, he was puppet master to bots and other mobile machines, but the general could not take the battlefield.”
“You want to become a bot?” Constance asked.
Roxie giggled. “I already prepared my body. It took time, and patient shaping, but I created another facility directly below this one. I hollowed out the space, gathered materials, and gradually recruited help from outside.”
“Simple machines built more complicated machines,” Abram said.
“You get the idea!” Roxie shouted joyfully. “And, let’s be honest, a brain like mine deserves an incredible body.”
“Your brain is kind of big,” Cole said.
“That might provide a hint about the rest of me,” Roxie said menacingly.
“Your body is underneath us?” Constance asked.
“I can summon it at will,” Roxie said. “First I must finish with you people.”
“If you’re going to kill me, get to it,” Abram said.
For a defenseless guy in his pajamas, Cole thought Abram was pretty brave. He supposed he must be in terrible suspense about his fate.
“I don’t want you dead,” Roxie said. “Not if you’ll repay me. Not if you’ll do for me as I have done for you. Innovate. Create. I have visions of a Zeropolis so technologically superior to what you’ve put together so far that it will boggle your mind. You are a very talented technomancer. Help me construct a true paradise where humans and bots can dwell peacefully together.”