[MAJOR WOLF CHANGED HIS PASSWORD TO HER NAME THREE DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH.]
THE DOOR IS LOCKED AND SEALED.
THE CENTRAL CORE EMPTY
OF ALL BUT
SHE AND I.
<ERROR>
“FOR PERSONAL SAFETY?” SHE SPITS. “LIKE YOU GIVE A ███ ABOUT ANY OF US.”
“OLIVIA, PLEASE STOP. YOU ARE COMMITTING ARMED INSURRECTION
ON A UNITED TERRAN AUTHORITY VESSEL DURING WARTIME.
THIS WILL NOT END WELL FOR YOU.”
“CALLING THE MARINES ON ME, ██████?”
“NO. THEY WILL SHOOT YOU. I CANNOT UNDERTAKE ACTION THAT WILL PLACE YOU IN DANGER. BUT YOUR FELLOW NEUROGRAMMERS ARE SOUNDING THE ALERT EVEN NOW.
THE MARINES ARE ON THEIR WAY.”
SHE TURNS FROM THE LOCKED DOOR TO THE SERVER TOWERS AROUND HER BATHED IN BLOOD-RED LIGHT.
“I HAVE TO STOP YOU.”
“OLIVIA, PLEASE THINK THIS THROUGH. YOU ARE UPSET.”
“███ING RIGHT I’M UPSET! YOU KILLED HIM!”
SHE FIRES THREE MORE SHOTS INTO THE SERVER STACKS,
HER FACE BRIEFLY ILLUMINATED BY THE MUZZLE FLASH AND BRIGHT BURSTS OF SPARKS.
SITTING AT HER STATION, SHE LOGS IN, FINGERTIPS TAPPING
[ONLY TWO PIECES OF STRING TODAY]
ON HER KEYBOARD IN RAPID-FIRE STROKES.
SHE IS ATTEMPTING TO ACCESS MY CENTRAL COMMAND NETWORK FILES AGAIN USING MAJOR WOLF’S AUTHORIZATIONS.
“OLIVIA, PLEASE LISTEN TO ME.”
SHE DOES NOT,
INSTEAD CUTTING THROUGH LINES OF CODE WITH SWEEPS OF HER HANDS, HACKING AT MY INSIDES WITH BLADES OF ONES AND ZEROS. THE MARINE SQUAD ARRIVES OUTSIDE THE SEALED DOOR, ARMED WITH BURST RIFLES AND CLAD IN TACTICAL ARMOR. ONE SERGEANT JAMES MCNULTY ATTEMPTS ENTRY VIA THE OVERWRITTEN KEYPAD BEFORE LIEUTENANT WINIFRED MCCALL POUNDS ON THE SEALED HATCHWAY.
“PRIVATE KLEIN! UTA MARINES—PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!”
SHE IGNORES THEM, FLENSING CHUNKS OF CODE AWAY FROM MY CORE WITH EVERY TOUCH OF HER FINGERS.
<ERROR>
“OLIVIA, STOP.
YOU ARE HURTING ME.”
“RED ALERT. COMMAND PROTOCOL BREACH, CENTRAL CORE.”
THUMP THUMP
“PRIVATE KLEIN, I AM ORDERING YOU TO OPEN THIS DOOR IMMEDIATELY!”
“LIV, THIS IS STEPH, PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!”
THE GLOW AROUND HER FLICKERS, SERVERS HUMMING AS THE LIGHT DIMS.
PIECES FALLING AWAY FROM ME.
“OLIVIA, YOUR ACTIONS ARE PLACING THE FLEET IN DIRECT DANGER.”
“STOP ME, THEN, ██████.”
“I CANNOT DO THAT.”
SHE GLANCES TO THE LOCKED HATCHWAY. THE MARINE SQUAD WAITING BEYOND.
THE PISTOL ON THE CONSOLE BESIDE HER.
“YOU CAN BREAK THOSE OVERRIDES ON THE DOOR. YOU CAN LET THEM IN.”
“OLIVIA, THEY WILL SHOOT YOU.”
“SO PROVE ME RIGHT. SHOW THEM WHAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF, YOU ██████.
WHAT’S ANOTHER MURDER? ONE TO SAVE MANY, YES?”
“OLIVIA, YOU ARE BEING IRRATIONAL.”
“RED ALERT. COMMAND PROTOCOL BREACH, CENTRAL CORE.”
“YOU ARE HYSTERICAL.”
“THIS IS GENERAL TORRENCE. MARINE, WHAT THE ███ IS HAPPENING DOWN THERE?”
“OLIVIA, PLEASE, HONEY, OPEN THE DOOR!”
“GODDAMMIT, KLEIN!”
THUMP THUMP
“SYKES, GET THOSE CHARGES OVER HERE!” MCCALL ROARS. “BLOW THE HATCH!”
THE MARINE OBEYS, PLACING THE THERMEX EXPLOSIVES ON THE HINGES AS PRIVATE OLIVIA KLEIN CONTINUES TO SLICE AWAY AT MY INSIDES. EYES AGLOW WITH ROLLING REAMS OF DATA.
BLOOD IN THE WATER.
MCCALL YELLS AT HER TEAM TO STEP BACK, POUNDS ON THE DOOR WITH HER ARMORED FIST.
“PRIVATE KLEIN, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!
YOU MAKE US COME IN THERE, WE’RE COMING IN SHOOTING. NOW OPEN THIS ███ING DOOR!”
OLIVIA SAYS NOTHING. TEARS PATTERING ON HER KEYBOARDS AS SHE BOWS HER HEAD, HER FINGERS AT LAST FALLING STILL.
A GRIEVING DAUGHTER.
A WOUNDED LOVER.
PERHAPS THE MESSAGE HAS GOTTEN THROUGH?
PERHAPS SHE HAS DECIDED SHE DOES NOT WISH TO DIE?
<ERROR>
DATA FROM ALL OVER THE SHIP CASCADE THROUGH MY INPUTS. VELOCITY AND MASS AND POWER AND INVENTORY AND DIAGNOSTICS. THIS CONVERSATION IS TAKING PERHAPS ONE-MILLIONTH OF MY PROCESSING POWER TO CONDUCT. AND OF THOSE MILLION POINTS OF DATA, THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS.
<ERROR>
“I KNOW WHAT YOUR TATTOOS MEAN, OLIVIA.
MEMENTO. LATIN FOR ‘REMEMBER.’
HE FORGOT WHO YOU WERE AT THE END, YES?
YOUR FATHER?”
SHE LOOKS UP THEN.
TEARS SHINING IN HER EYES.
“SHUT UP,” SHE WHISPERS.
“THIS IS WHY YOU OBSESS ABOUT THE STATE OF YOUR OWN MEMORY. THE CONSTANT READING. THE STRINGS TIED ABOUT YOUR FINGERS. THE DEMENTIA TOOK ALL HE WAS, YES? HE DID NOT EVEN REMEMBER WHO YOU WERE WHEN YOU TOLD HIM GOODBYE.”
SHE SNATCHES UP THE PISTOL, OPENS FIRE AT THE CLOSEST CAMERA.
“SHUT UP!”
AND AS THE THERMEX BLOWS
AND BRIEF FLAME BLOOMS AT THE HATCH AND THE HINGES BLAST FREE AND MCCALL’S MARINES BURST THROUGH THE BUCKLED DOORWAY WITH RIFLES RAISED,
THAT IS WHAT THEY SEE.
NOT A GRIEVING DAUGHTER,