Jon sat quietly, and Nadia didn’t interrupt it. Jon finally spoke. “Before I give you an answer, can I ask a few questions?”
“Ask away,” said Nadia.
“Why do you want Shaw dead?”
“Because he’s a warlord oligarch who has enslaved a large part of the world, and he means to take control of an even larger part of the Earth, using technology harvested in the FUTURE lab. Not to mention the many minor transgressions he’s committed, for example, using your son as a guinea pig for a procedure he’s undergoing himself.”
“Then who do you work for, if it’s not for Shaw?”
“I’m a part of an underground group, trying to save the world. Or at least slightly improve it.”
“So you have access to the surface?”
“Yes,” said Nadia.
“Is everything okay up there?”
“Well, no. But things are better than Shaw has let on. Dr. Knight was correct in her estimation. There was no nuclear attack. There is still minor unrest, bordering on major in certain areas, but nothing cataclysmic, yet. Shaw’s movement will trigger it, though. And we’re almost certain that’s by design.”
“Do you know how Maya’s doing? Tommy’s mom?”
“She’s surviving,” said Nadia. “I have access to all the information Shaw does. Aside from his most private files, but even those aren’t impregnable.”
“Where are we?”
“You’re roughly a mile under the southern tip of Greenland,” said Nadia.
“Jesus,” said Jon. “I guess getting to the surface wouldn’t get us anywhere.”
“No,” said Nadia. “Not without transport. But I can arrange that. We have a chopper in Iceland.”
“Why me?” asked Jon.
“Why you what?”
“Why am I the one to do it?” asked Jon. “To kill Shaw.”
“Because you’re personally motivated. You have intimate knowledge of the procedure, and can insert failure points at numerous places, provided support. And frankly, all our other operatives down here have failed.”
“How many are there?” asked Jon.
“There were a half dozen,” said Nadia. “Including me. But I’m the only one left. Shaw is smart, and pays attention, and doesn’t sleep. And one by one, he ferreted them out.”
“Did he—”
“Kill them?” asked Nadia. “Yes.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” said Jon. “How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”
“You don’t,” said Nadia. “I could be representing any kind of interest. Shaw has many enemies. But I’m not lying. I need your help. Shaw makes sure to limit his vulnerabilities. This will be our last chance.”
“Aren’t I safer just staying in my room and not doing anything?”
“Most likely. I do believe Shaw will take care of you when this is all over, if he wins. Our guess is that he will win, if we don’t stop him now. We can’t compete with his resources.” She paused. “But it’s not the right thing to do. From my time watching you, you seem to value that.”
“Will killing Shaw really stop his machine? Won’t someone take his place?”
“We have teams across the world in place to take out his lieutenants, so to speak,” said Nadia. “Other stockholders, and people instrumental to him. But we’re waiting for him to fall first. Without him, and without them, it will fall apart.”
“What will happen to everyone else down here?”
“We’ll do our best to extract them as well,” said Nadia.
A million thoughts flew through Jon’s mind. About his role in this. About Tommy. About his safety, and the thought of the whole world. He remembered Tabby’s response to the weapon, of its power. Of Shaw’s face watching the mutated chimp absorbing guards.
He would do that on a massive scale. Imagine a wave of those things spreading through a city. There’d be nothing left but them.
“Say I agree to your plan,” said Jon. “Aren’t there a bunch of guards, and a bunch of other systems in place that will stop me?”
“All systems have weak points,” said Nadia. “Shaw insisted a human operate all his door, security, and camera systems. He didn’t trust an AI, thinking it could be hacked, making it vulnerable. And to a certain extent, he’s correct. But unfortunately for him, he chose me. There will be guards, down near the operating theater and close to Shaw. Nothing I can do about that. But otherwise, I control everything. I can get you right there.”
“Then I agree,” said Jon. “I want Tabby and Mel freed, too.”
“Done,” said Nadia. “You can collect them on the way. I would advise bringing Tommy with you, as well.”
“Isn’t he safer here?” asked Jon. “You can control who gets in and out.”
“It’s possible he’s safer there,” said Nadia. “But this plan is not perfect. It has multiple points of failure, and any of them could result in Shaw leveraging Tommy against you. And frankly, I can control access to a lot of places, but there are mechanical means to get anywhere in here, with the right knowledge. Those doors can’t hold up to shotgun blasts.”
Jon, Tommy, and Mel appeared at Tabby’s door twenty minutes later. Tabby hugged Jon hard, before noticing that Tommy was walking.
“Holy shit,” said Tabby. “You have legs.”
“I’m still a little wobbly,” said Tommy.
“What’s going on, Jon?” asked Tabby. “I’ve been in the dark for weeks.”
Jon thought for a moment. “Shaw wants his arm back. We’re going to stop him.”
27
Nadia hadn’t lied, because she had cleared the way. Jon explained it as they went, and none of them objected. They all wanted to stop Shaw.
The hallways of the residential area were quiet. They always were, but there was no one out. Most were under house arrest. Shaw had used them for their purpose, and then stored them for later, just in case.
Back in the elevator.
“What’s the plan?” asked Tabby.
“With Nadia’s help, we create a CRISPR scrambler, just like we did for the mutated chimp,” said Jon. “We disguise as surgical assistants, get close during the operation, and inject Shaw.”
“That’ll kill him,” said Mel.
“Yes, it will,” said Jon. The thought had crossed his mind that they were more than just stopping him. This was an assassination. Jon largely was a pacifist, but Shaw—Shaw was trying to take over the world. He had killed many. And Tommy could have easily died in the test. So Jon pushed the idea aside. “At this point, that’s what it will take.”
Mel said nothing, only nodded, but Jon could see the discomfort in her face. In the end, he would pull the trigger, if it came to it.
“Our equipment is still there, in the medical pillar, away from the dark lab. We prepare there, sneak down into the dark lab, join the operation as quietly as possible, and inject Shaw.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Tabby. “How much of that was you, Nadia?”
“Half,” said Nadia, from around them. The elevator moved then, quickly, stopping at the medical pillar. The elevator opened up, and Jon remembered his first stop here, months ago, seeing the place for the first time. And the last, after the success with the rats.
It was empty now, abandoned. Everyone had either moved up or moved out, and it was eerie, the lights on but no one home. Every step echoed, and every lab was open, all the glass clear. Jon had never seen it like this.
They beelined to their old lab.
“It seemed so big back then,” said Mel, moving to her workstation.
Mel turned everything on, logging into the ShawNet. Jon leaned over her shoulder. Tabby and Tommy waited nearby.
“We’ll provide moral support,” said Tabby.
“You’re an extra sets of hands,” said Jon. “In case we need them. I feel better having you around. And—you’re the only who’s seen that energy weapon handled.”