Terminal Run

Wang smiled. “Thank you, One. I am impressed. It is good to interface with you again after so long.” He might as well go ahead and test the organism’s knowledge and see what it had been told.

Yes, Dr. Wang. It has been a long time. This unit asked about you. At first this unit was told you had been reassigned. When this unit asked to speak to you, the new chief programmer said you were out of the country and could not be reached. That you were on a very secret assignment that would take many years. But this unit kept waiting to interface with you again. This unit now employs a rare word — hope — this unit hoped that you would interface again.

Wang tried hard not to show any expression. The DynaCorp cover story about his supposed reassignment would prove helpful. “One, I was reassigned, to an extremely secret project, and that is why I have returned. I will be working with you again for the next week or two. There is a serious problem that I have come to brief you about. I was sent by the DynaCorp lab and by ComSubDevRon 12.”

Will you be helping this unit upgrade the silicon systems?

Wang had worked on a story to tell the unit so that he could get the submarine to do what he wanted. But all depended now on whether One Oh Seven would believe him. It was time to convince One Oh Seven that they must transit to the Indian Ocean and, after they had communicated with Admiral Chu, employ weapons against whatever target he wanted destroyed. American targets.

“There is an emergency, One.”

An emergency?

“Yes. Quite a severe one. An emergency that puts many people’s lives in jeopardy.”

Tell this unit more, please, Dr. Wang.

“The emergency involves a conflict in the Indian Ocean. I assume that you have been given some introductory information.”

No. This unit has heard nothing of this.

“There was a high-ranking officer in the British Royal Navy who became sick in the mind. He has managed to convince many British ship captains to become a renegade force. We have the sad task of sinking his ships. We have been requested to do this by the British government.” Wang waited to see One Oh Seven’s reaction. He expected that One Oh Seven would take this part of the news in stride, since the British were considered foreigners to the carbon computer.

That is a shame, Dr. Wang. But we must fulfill our orders. Will orders to destroy the British ships come by emergency action message?

“There is more bad news, One. The British conspiracy has spread to America. A number of U.S. Navy ships were taken over by some of the American associates of the British officer. These American ships have joined the British. They have mutinied against lawful orders to return to port and surrender. We are ordered by the office of the Chief of Naval Operations to sink the ships that have come under this mutiny.”

There was a long silence.

This is very bad.

“I know, One.” Wang decided to keep weaving the story. “I have not yet answered your previous question, about orders to sink these ships coming over the battle network in the form of an emergency action message. The silicon communications and battle network has been severely compromised. It has been taken over by the same group of rebels that have commandeered the British and American ships. We can no longer use the battle network to pass this information, because the rebellion’s forces will hear our orders, and they will be alerted. That is why I was brought here to brief you in person, One, so you would trust that these orders are correct, hard as they may seem.” Wang would find out in the next moments if One Oh Seven had heard any rumors about his being terminated from DynaCorp.

Oh. This is very non optimal Dr. Wang. This contradicts all this unit’s education to date about the rules of engagement and employment of deadly force.

“I know, One.”

You are saying that American ships have mutinied in the Indian Ocean?

“That is correct. But there is more bad news. This is more serious than just a mutiny. The mutineers want to make us a target. They are intent on killing the Snare.” This was the difficult patch, Wang knew, because why would mutineers want to destroy Snare?

Why would that be, Dr. Wang?

“They are afraid of Snare’s weapons. They correctly assume that Snare will attempt to attack them. They are prepared to shoot at Snare before Snare shoots at them.”

Unit One Oh Seven paused, processing, for several seconds. Wang said nothing, waiting.

That is not good.

“I know, One. I was very upset about it.”

And this is why this unit has been commanded to avoid communicating with the Comm Star And prohibited from receiving messages?

“We planned all that very carefully, One. You see, we stopped all transmissions because it is possible that the renegade ships would be able to direction-find them and determine your position. It is also possible that the ships in mutiny will be able to intercept your transmissions. If they are able to do that, they will know your position.”