While Upton worked, she stared down at her bare feet. She had to tell him. “I used my legs and my…” she paused, shuddered at the thought, but couldn’t say the word. Instead, she finished the sentence, “…to kill him. I did something awful.”
Upton looked up at Lisa with a frown then went back to work.
“I killed him and shot down that Custer. I think everyone in my squad is dead. People died because of me,” she said with hair sopping wet and eyes still red from the previous tears.
Upton finished and searched inside the medical pack. “Here, take these,” he said handing her antibiotics and another pain med.
She reached down and took the pills. After tossing them back, she swallowed and said, “I’m not cut out for this. I just want to get out and be with my kids.”
“You’re a soldier and did what you had to do. The worst is over. Soon, we’ll be on our way. For now, get dressed and then let me get cleaned up. Afterwards, we’ll take turns resting.”
Still wrapped tight, Lisa forced herself to step out of the tub and glanced in the mirror. Her missing tooth was a horrible sight, the bags under her eyes, heavy. She couldn’t believe the vision.
“My turn for a shower. Keep an eye out,” said Upton.
She nodded and left the bathroom. Deep down, she wasn’t sure how she had killed the soldier in the pipe, but the impact was clear. She felt herself a wreck. War was nothing like she imagined. It was brutal and horrible in its scope and depravity. She tried to shake off the memories. At least, for now, they were safe. Higher Command was aware of their predicament and would rescue them. As she rummaged through the bedroom closet, deciding on what to wear, the thought of going home gave her some comfort.
Chapter Twenty-Five
RATIONALE
May 9, 12:05 (PDT)
At the far end of the table, even though she had slept little, President Julia Ortega hoped she looked fresh in her new red blouse. Sitting opposite, inside the same small SCIF conference room where they had met hours earlier, Vivek Basu, waited in a rumpled brown sport coat. He gave a soft smile. “Julia, thank you for meeting again.”
“My pleasure,” she replied.
“You’ve rested?” asked Basu.
She felt his concern was genuine. “Yes. Thank you. As promised, I’m ready to brief you.”
“Excellent. Please bring me up to speed.”
Ortega had rehearsed what to say prior to the meeting. Today, more than ever, she needed Basu’s support. She’d be careful and to the point. “Since our last meeting, SALI has briefed General Story, and he reviewed her plans. Afterward he expressed confidence in Operation Heavy Metal and agreed to lead the effort.”
“Good,” replied Basu.
“I recommend we move forward with the operation as planned,” she said in a firm voice.
“Hmm,” replied Basu, rubbing his chin. “Perhaps we should.”
“There are no valid alternatives,” said Ortega. Already, she felt a sense of frustration. Basu was famous for his vacillation. The man never did anything without quiet deliberation.
“Not true,” said Basu. “We can go forward with Heavy Metal and try to force a resolution, or we can give in to the most recent US demand and hand over the state of Nevada. Alternatively, we can sue for peace by handing over SALI. All are valid options to consider.”
“I don’t see President Tower settling,” she said. The white-haired old man across from her could be a frustrating piece of work. Yes, he represented the power of the oligarchs, and she owed much to their support, but, dammit, she was the president. They should have never hidden SALI from her. Still, her political instincts told her to be careful and win the man over like she’d done with so many others in her life.
Basu, in a low sad voice, shook his head. “I’m fearful the AI problem will be our ultimate undoing, and from the Committee’s perspective, we’ve got huge global businesses to protect, not to mention a nation we helped found. I fear Heavy Metal won’t stop them. It may just make them angrier.”
Ortega leaned over the table and looked Basu in the eye. She needed to convince him without using a hammer. “Anything is possible, but let’s both agree handing over Nevada is a non-starter. Appeasement of that nature won’t work. He’s after something much bigger.”
“I tend to agree,” said Basu. “But it is an option the Committee must consider.”
Ortega sat back and tried to maintain her cool. Dealing with Basu and the Committee was always trying, but in this case, with national survival at risk, it was appalling. She was the president, dammit. No, she needed to remain calm and approach this logically.
“I sense you’re upset,” said Basu, cocking his head.
“No, no,” she answered. “I’m tired and frustrated. As you know, my job, my life, has been dedicated to the liberal principles of our nation. Everything is now threatened, and I’m searching for the best answers.”
“Understood,” said Basu, his watery blue eyes looking back in apparent sympathy.
She glanced away from the soulful stare and smoothed her blouse. Needing to be tactful, she asked, “Will the Committee even consider the option of handing SALI to the US?”
There was a long pause, and she waited in the uncomfortable silence. At last, Basu responded. “I own SALI, not the Committee. She is private property and not controlled by them or you or anyone else. I’m the one to decide if she is handed over, or not. But, yes, I will ask the Committee to consider the option.”
“With all due respect, sir, your ownership is in violation of international law. Even worse, your keeping that poor woman locked up is a civil rights abuse. By every judicial standard, I could seize the AI and release the woman.” Before he could object, she raised a hand and continued. “Of course, I don’t want to do that. Instead, I seek your cooperation and, quite honestly, your wisdom in this matter.”
Basu chuckled, then grew serious. “If it gets to the point where I feel I’ve lost control, believe me, I will simply pull the plug on my creation. At that point, no more SALI, the disconnected woman can go free, and maybe that is best for the world.”
The words alarmed Ortega. She sat back in her chair, and looking at the old man smiling in his chair, she believed him. “It is a dilemma for certain. Yes, the US wants advanced AI, as does China, even Russia. Given enough time, regardless of treaties, the Great Powers will develop the ability and seek global control, and that time is now. The US is coming for her. To protect our nation, right this moment and in the future, SALI is our best defense.”
Unblinking, the old man stared back. She waited. At last he spoke again. “Let us speak of Heavy Metal and using that option. With good diplomacy, and if the operation is a success, our nation can buy time. How much? Who knows—five, ten years, or longer. Much can change during that period. The Committee, some of the members, may protest the ongoing trade war with the US, but it can be resolved some other way.”
At last, the man was coming around. “Agreed,” she said.
“It won’t be easy,” said Basu. “Tower has a huge ego. Defeating him once on the battlefield won’t be enough. He’ll need to be convinced that future attacks will meet a similar fate, and he must have a way to save face. Otherwise, his over inflated sense of self will overtake any common sense the man possesses, and the war will escalate.”