Ramez Naam - Nexus

Then Wats would have to choose for him. And damn his karma, damn the consequences.

Sam watched as Kade headed towards the conference exit. She hadn't confronted him about yesterday's events yet. She wanted him to be as calm and cool as possible for his dinner with Shu.

Today had proven to be almost as interesting as last night. The conference center cameras had spotted Su-Yong Shu and Somdet Phra Ananda leaving together at lunch. The man who'd picked them up, the driver of the car that had taken them away, was Confucian Fist. One of the clone soldiers.

Between the reception last night and breakfast this morning, something had caused either Shu or Ananda to seek out a short notice meeting with the other. What had happened since then? Shu's conversation with Kade, of course. And Ananda and Kade's brief and odd interaction in the drink line.

And what would have gotten Ananda's attention? What could have surprised him last night, and sent him in search of the reason Kaden Lane was here? Could it have been Nexus 5 rattling around in Kade's brain at absurdly high levels? And if that were the case… how had Ananda detected it? Unless he were a Nexus user also?

It was ninety minutes later, while Sam was having dinner with Narong, that she received a message from her team. She discreetly read it in the corner of her tactical contact display as she listened to Narong enthuse about Thailand's bright future in neuroscience.

[Prelim lab analysis back. Comment card shows traces of self-destructed nanocircuitry. Likely a self-wiping message. No obvious return message from Lane, but could be hidden or encoded.]

So someone had gotten a message to Kade. Who? Shu? Ananda? And what had it said?

She and Kade were definitely going to have to talk. Keeping secrets from her wouldn't do. No, it wouldn't do at all. Tonight, after the mixer.

BRIEFING

War between those who accept the limitations of "humanity" and those who embrace the power of the possible is inevitable. The humans will not accept us, will not tolerate us, will not leave us in peace. They will fear us for our greatness, just as Nietzsche said they would fear the Übermensch. In fearing us, they will seek to destroy us. They will be legion. We will be few. We will triumph, whatever the cost.

Anonymous, Posthuman Manifesto , January 2038

In order to combat criminals and terrorists using proscribed technologies, we have little choice but to embrace the enhancement of our own operatives. We can and must maintain operational supremacy on the battlefield. As such, we will use any and all means to ensure that the capabilities of our agents are unparalleled.

ERD Position Paper, November 2035

17

VIP

The elevator door opened, spilling Kade out into the lobby. Serenity package turned up high, best shirt on, Nexus transmissions suppressed. The driver was there, waiting for him in black suit and tie, white shirt, black gloves and cap. He was Confucian Fist. A clone soldier.

The driver smiled, waved, and approached him. "Mr Lane?" He had a distinctly Chinese accent.

"Yes?"

"My name is Feng." He tipped his chauffeur's cap to Kade. "I have the honor of being Professor Shu's driver. Would you come with me, please?"

"Sure." Kade followed Feng out the door. The rain had stopped and the clouds had parted a bit. The sun had just set, and an orange glow came from the west.

The car was a lustrous black Opal sedan. Top of the line Chinese luxury. The plates were Chinese. They'd brought it all the way from China.

Feng held open the rear door while Kade stepped into air-conditioned luxury. The interior was dark wood and leather. Soft classical music played. Condensation beaded on two unopened bottles of sparkling water. The windows were tinted.

Feng slid into the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" Kade asked.

"Thonburi," Feng replied. "Just across the Chao Phraya river. A very good restaurant there – my favorite in Bangkok!"

"How long to get there?"

The Opal pulled silently away from the curb.

"Maybe twenty minutes," Feng replied. "Faster if traffic is good."

Kade leaned back into the seat. "Thanks." Something occurred to him. "You've been here before?" he asked.

Feng nodded. "Professor Shu comes to Bangkok often. I come with her."

"How long have you worked for Dr Shu?"

"Three years. Best boss to work for." He grinned into the mirror for Kade's benefit.

"And before that?"

Feng nodded again. "Army, special forces. Still am. Special protection unit."

"Special protection unit?" Kade inquired.

"Oh yeah. We take care of important people. Keep them safe."

"Dr Shu gets military protection?"

"Oh, yes. National treasure. Brilliant scientist. China's future depends on science. She's so important, you should be honored having this dinner with her!"

"Oh, I am. Shouldn't you be protecting her right now?"

Feng laughed, glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, maybe. But you know, she's tough. Very good at taking care of herself." He paused a moment, eyes back on the road.

"How come she isn't with us now?"

"Oh, she had meeting earlier close to where we going. No sense her coming back downtown."

Kade felt bold. Was it the serenity package? Did it matter? "Have you ever had to protect her from a real threat? Like someone attacking her?"

Feng paused for moment, answered more slowly. "Sorry. Can't talk about that. Operational details. Secret."

Interesting, Kade thought. Does that mean yes?

"Would you take a bullet for her?" he asked.

"What, you mean if someone try to shoot her? Get in the way myself?"

"Yeah."

Feng laughed. "Hopefully, I shoot him first." He made a pistol shape with his thumb and forefinger, held it up to show Kade, mock fired it at some target out the windshield.

Kade laughed to keep it light. He felt calculating, clear. He could get used to this state of mind.

"What if that wasn't an option? What if the only way you could see to save her was to get between her and a bullet?"

Feng made a face in the mirror. "Mmm, bad option, you know. I get shot, saves her for a second. Then what? Better hope I have backup. Otherwise, it only slow the shooter down. Better I take him out. Best defense a good offense, you know."

He paused.

"But yeah. I do it. I take a bullet, if there no other way."

Kade nodded to himself. He remembered Becker's question. Why would someone want to create hundreds of men with the same DNA?

He studied Feng. Clones engineered for extreme loyalty. Same genes, same training. Identical, predictable behavior. Perfect soldiers.

Do I believe it?

"What were you doing before the army?" he asked casually.

"Oh, I was just a kid before army. Grew up near Shanghai. Big family." Feng laughed to himself. "Really big family. Lots and lots of brothers." He laughed again, like that was the funniest thing in the world. Even through the serenity package, Kade felt a shiver up his spine.

They drove on, the orange glow of sunset warring with the neon lights coming on above them. The day's rain turned the streets into a glistening river of light, alive with reflecting reds and blues and greens and slowly deepening orange.

Feng made a left turn, and suddenly the view changed. They were driving onto a bridge crossing a brown river. This must be the Chao Phraya. Ahead of them, the sky reflected the final vivid rays of the recently set sun. Backlit in orange was a temple, a central structure like a pyramid with a spire rising from its apex, like the Eiffel Tower cast in massive and intricate stone, painted amber by the sunset and the lights at its base. Four smaller towers surrounded it, perhaps a hundred feet tall each. The central tower was the tallest thing on the western bank of the river.