Daniel Suarez - Influx

“Oh, I’m pretty sure they’re not. Mine is cool, and I’m certain yours is uptight and self-important.”

Alexa turned to Grady. “I don’t trust him. Cotton has no reason to help us.”

Grady placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hedrick tried to kill him. And Cotton’s distrusted them for years. He’s given us plans and preparations we can make use of, Alexa.” He looked around them. “In fact, we already have.”

“And what if this ‘mole’ of his is actually Hedrick or Morrison, and this is all a trap?”

“He could have called them here already. If he’s going to have any sort of life, post BTC, Cotton needs us as much as we need him.”

“Well, if he’s a master thief, why are we the ones breaking in?”

Cotton shrugged. “There was a time when I might have been crazy enough to try to breach their defenses on my own, but they’re on full alert. They’ve activated their perimeter security. No. This is a job for younger hands.”

“I’m twenty years older than you, Cotton.”

He patted her arm. “But you don’t look a day over twenty-five, my dear. And think how much more experience you have than me. Besides, you know their network, their control rooms, and all their procedures.” He raised his eyebrows. “But can you gain access to the network once you’re inside? That’s the question.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m confident I can get credentials.”

Grady gave her a look. “I hope so. Because without the location of Hibernity, this will all be for nothing.”

Cotton started combing a longer beard into existence. “I’m not sure I agree with you there.”

They both looked at him.

“You were right earlier, Mr. Grady. The Kratos satellite is actually the key. If you have control of that, you’ll have power over the BTC. You’ll be able to dictate terms—it’ll be like a celestial gun to their head. And it’s their main defense against enemies right now. Without it, even the government might feel confident enough to press the attack.”

“Or to liberate the prisoners at Hibernity.”

“Yes, Mr. Grady. They just might.”

Alexa’s eyes lingered on Grady. He could feel it. “What?”

“The more I think about this, the more I realize you shouldn’t be going. I can do this more easily alone. I’m trained in operations.”

He shook his head. “They won’t harm me. I’m too valuable to them. That means I can provide a critical diversion for you. They’ll drop everything and try to grab me the moment they know I’m near. Cotton’s right. You need to use that opening to go for control of the Kratos satellite.”

“Assuming Cotton’s mole can get me near the building without getting me incinerated.”

Grady frowned. “And what about this EM-plasma field?”

“You might have invented the gravity mirror, but I’m well practiced with it. I’m more concerned about Cotton’s mole.”

Cotton was forming a long devil’s beard with the stylus. “Have faith. My mole should be able to get you up to the building. All you have to do is turn their world upside down.”

“I can’t believe I’m taking instructions from someone who’s been caught doing this once before.”

“Live and learn, my dear. Now…” Cotton rummaged around his workstation. “Here…” He tossed her what looked like a one-inch cubic diamond. “Once you get inside and enlist the aid of your ‘friend,’ and you somehow miraculously get past their deadly security measures to the Kratos control station in the heart of the BTC, and then somehow get your biometrics cleared for security access to their most precious asset—”

“This isn’t inspiring confidence.” She studied the crystal.

“After all that, plug that relay q-link into one paired with the satellite. It will transfer control here.” He gestured to the many holographic computer screens floating over his workstation. “Extra points if you can destroy their other q-links. Just keep that control room secure after you do, and I’ll be your overwatch.”

She looked at him doubtfully. “And how do you know how to operate the Kratos satellite?”

“My mole has gotten me access to many things…” Cotton brought up detailed blueprints for the Kratos satellite onto his screens as well.

“My God, we had a serious security problem. How did you get these? How did you fool the AIs?”

Cotton spread his hands. “I’m a thief. It’s what I do.”

Grady examined the drawings. “Then the BTC never had a monopoly on all of this technology. All of this insanity is for nothing? ”

Alexa still didn’t look happy. “What other data have you stolen, Cotton? What other plans?”

He laughed. “Now is not the time or place, but I assure you I will share everything I have. I will hold back nothing.”

Alexa didn’t seem to know what else to do, given the situation. She turned to Grady, then grabbed the helmet from the nearby workbench and handed it to him. “I found this scout cover among Cotton’s stolen loot. It’ll give you some head protection if things go wrong. BTC aimbots always go for head shots.”

Grady accepted the helmet. It looked like a matte-black bicycle helmet except that its crystal visor seemed to be made of bulk diamond, which he was starting to become familiar with. It could probably withstand the impact of a .50-caliber bullet—though his brain would still be turned to Jell-O from the impact. He nodded grimly. “Thanks.”

Cotton finished his coiffure. “Well, what do you think?”

They turned to look at him. He now resembled Wyatt Earp. They stood silently.

“That good, eh? Well, to hell with you both. You have no taste.” He tossed the stylus onto the workbench. “Are we ready to do this thing?”

Alexa nodded. “Yes. The sooner we do, the sooner we can end this.” She turned to Grady. “Your destination is programmed into the helmet visor.”

Grady nodded.

“Cotton, how do you know they’ll be watching that geographic location?”

Cotton was busying himself at his workbench. “Because it’s the location my mole reported as Mr. Grady’s last-sighted position. They’ll have sensors on it.”

She turned back to Grady. “The site’s about two hundred miles from Chicago, and about two hundred and fifty miles from Detroit.”

“So even after the alert, it’ll take them hours to get to me.”

She shook her head. “No. Morrison’s assault teams use pressurized diamondoid armor. They don’t stay in the atmosphere. They ascend to about twenty miles into the atmosphere, and then free fall over the landscape from there.”

Grady considered this. “Much thinner atmosphere at that altitude. Makes sense.”

“Right. It means they can reach speeds of eight hundred and forty miles an hour. It’s about a four-minute fall up to their cruising altitude; about seventeen minutes travel time, and then a four-minute fall back down to sea level. So expect them to arrive within thirty minutes of the time they leave BTC headquarters. Stay miles away from your destination until I give you the ready signal.” She examined him. “Are you sure about this, Jon?”

He took a deep breath. “It needs to be done.”

“We could try some other form of diversion.”

“Nothing that’s guaranteed to get them to come in enough force to be of use to you. If they definitely see me, they’ll think you’re not far away.”

“We could have Cotton’s mole make a false sighting in—”

Cotton shook his head. “He’s no longer in a position to help there, I’m afraid—seeing as he lost track of Mr. Grady once already.”

“What if we created a decoy that drew them?”

Grady answered the q-link, “Alexa—anything that fails will only tip them off that you’re coming.”