“Not hard, I’ll admit. Maybe I’ll buy this level of intelligence could have come up with ways to fake video footage well enough to stand up to the classified authentication methods we used, even though they’re considered foolproof. But not half of a continuous shot. Not without leaving some evidence. And the footage I showed you was one continuous shot. You’ve vouched for its authenticity yourself.”
Kira frowned. This was true, and certainly didn’t help her argument. “Maybe it’s the one authentic piece of evidence mixed in for good measure.” She leaned forward and stared intently at the colonel. “But I’m telling you the message didn’t come from your friend.”
“If it didn’t,” challenged Jake, “tell me why anyone would go to the trouble. Why would anyone introduce me into the game?”
“So whoever is behind this can sit back and have you do all the work to root me out. To root Icarus out. Then they’re free to do whatever they want. They can bide their time, build up power and resources, until you’ve knocked off the competition. Until you’ve eliminated the only people who can possibly stand in their way. Once we’re gone you go back to blissful ignorance, thinking enhanced intelligence is a thing of the past.”
Kira realized this was the reason whoever was behind this had gone out of their way to discredit her longevity treatment. After even her brother had failed to pry or trick it from her, they must have decided not to make an attempt. But they had learned that the lure of the fountain of youth was so powerful it could corrupt anyone, and they didn’t want to give Jake and his group any reason to keep her alive.
“You’re being used, Colonel,” she said. “They’ve taken a page out of my brother’s playbook. He framed me and used the military also. The difference is, he unleashed them to keep me running and to set me and David up for his perfect storm. Whoever is pulling the strings this time wants me eliminated.”
“What are you talking about?” said Jake in confusion. “You killed your brother. Even before Desh was sent to find you.”
Kira frowned. “If only,” she said. “My brother didn’t die in the fire. He was behind it all. I’m not surprised that whoever sent you the information didn’t mention this little fact.”
She went on to tell him about Putnam and Alan and everything that had happened.
“Very inventive,” said Jake when she had finished. “Even you have to realize how farfetched all of that sounds.”
“I do. That doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Besides, how could I come up with a story this complicated without tripping up even once? Because the truth is much easier to keep track of than a lie.”
“If you were anyone else this might be convincing. But you’re inventive enough to spin a web of bullshit on the fly without contradicting yourself.”
“Colonel, you and I are on the same side. All I ask is that you at least consider the possibility that the information you have is false. Review it again with a more skeptical eye. And do the same with any new information you get. If you’re right, no amount of reexamination will change the fact that I’m an enemy of civilization. But if I’m right, you’ll discover you’re pointed in the wrong direction. That the true enemy is waiting patiently for you to do their dirty work. What do you have to lose?”
Jake considered. “Despite your legendary persuasive abilities, I’m still convinced you are who I think you are. But I won’t close my mind completely to other possibilities.”
“Thank you,” said Kira emphatically. “Again, we really are on the same side. I’d love to prove that to you. I know you’re on other projects, trying to keep the world safe from WMD. If you’re ever in a bind, hitting a brick wall on an important op, and think an enhanced mind could help break it open, I’m willing to help. You know how to reach me.”
Jake tilted his head. “I know we’ve been having a pleasant little discussion here,” he said. “And you’ve made some interesting points. But I still plan to lock you away for the rest of your life. Nothing has changed. So yes, I do know how to reach you.”
Kira couldn’t believe her own stupidity. What could possibly have possessed her to make a statement like this? To suggest so clearly she thought her stay was only temporary. She was very lucky she hadn’t put him on guard. She could have found herself surrounded by twenty men and encased in cement if he chose to exercise his usual paranoia. At exactly the wrong time.
She quickly changed the subject, asking Jake about the base, the responsibilities of his group, and anything else she could think of to stall for time. She estimated she only needed to engage him in conversation for another ten minutes, but it turned out she was wrong. She only needed seven.
Kira’s neurons reordered themselves in the mother of all chain reactions.
Her mind surged.
As familiar as the effect was, it never ceased to take her breath away.
She immediately turned her attention to analyzing various escape plans. She hadn’t bothered putting any effort into this beforehand, unsure of what situation she’d find herself in, what location, how heavily guarded, or what state of physical incapacitation. But she hadn’t been worried. She knew once her mind had jumped by orders of magnitude, she could figure it out on the fly.
A simple analysis made it clear that she should kill the colonel in front of her. It would make her escape easier. And he was talented, as far as normals went, and would be relentless in coming after her and the group. But she had to factor in the wishes of her pathetic alter ego, who controlled their body for all but a vanishingly small proportion of the time.
And moronic Kira thought Jake was a good man who was simply misinformed. Who fucking cared? Her analysis should only take into account the level of danger he posed, not whether he was good or bad, honorable or dishonorable, or just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Moronic Kira was pathetic and weak, and her superior self had come to loath this weakness. Kira’s brother had been right. She was nauseatingly self righteous, and managed to do everything the hard way, never willing to capitalize on the full potential of her invention. Always so worried that someone might get hurt, or she wouldn’t get her good Samaritan badge.
Nonetheless, she would honor Kira’s wishes in this case, and escape without killing anyone—if she could. Her first order of business was to incapacitate Jake and use his computer to plan her escape. Then she would take care of the guards patrolling outside his office.
She caused adrenaline to pour into her bloodstream to give her an added boost of strength to go along with her amplified reaction time.
Then, for the first time, she let the full power of her intellect shine through her eyes, and transfixed the colonel with a contemptuous, penetrating stare. She drew back her shoulders, tilted her head back haughtily, and her body language sent a shouted message of inhuman competence—and inhuman arrogance. The change in her bearing was unmistakable and intimidating on a visceral level.
The colonel gasped at the inner fire blazing in Kira Miller’s eyes and became a mouse, momentarily mesmerized by a cobra.