Inhuman(94)

As he rolled to his side, he saw Aldous turning around, a look of shock on his face as Alejandra, Lieutenant Commander Patrick, and half a dozen of Patrick’s men trained their rifles on the former leader of the post-humans.

“What is the meaning of this?” Governor Wong demanded. “This man is my guest!”

“Richard?” Aldous said, still incredulous as he saw Rich barely moving, struggling to get to his knees. “Did you attack me?”

Within the sim, James looked up at the A.I., concern furrowing his brow. “I just heard something weird. I think he’s been injured! Rich! Rich, do you copy?”

Rich tried to reply, but no words could escape his lips, the wind still knocked out of his chest. The nans were hard at work taking care of the internal damage, but the consequential pain of his rapid impact with the unforgiving wall hadn’t yet abated.

“Governor,” Alejandra began, “the chief isn’t to be trusted. He’s the post-humans’ prime suspect.”

“Suspect? Suspected of what?” Wong questioned.

“Treason,” Alejandra replied. “Commander James Keats and their artificial intelligence are imprisoned within the device the chief is wearing over his shoulder,” she pointed out, gesturing to the black hard drive, still attached to the strap slung over Aldous’s shoulder.

“James and the A.I. suspect that Aldous…” Rich began, struggling to get to his feet as he held both his arms around his torso, hugging himself to support his weight as he struggled against the pain that each breath brought along as part of the package so that he could continue speaking, “…may have paved the way for the androids to assimilate the humans on Earth.”

“James,” Aldous said as though the name alone was enough of an answer, his expression flat, yet stoic. “He found a way to contact you, didn’t he?”

Rich nodded.

“That boy.” He shook his head before, odd as it seemed to those present, he held up his hands in surrender. “And now he’s told you he’s concerned that I’ll damage the hard drive? That I’d rather see James and the A.I. deleted than have them set free to defend us against the androids. Is that about right, Richard?”

“That about sizes it up,” Rich replied, grimacing as he crossed both of his arms across his torso, hugging it to mitigate the extreme pain.

“Rich, can you report?” James asked through their aural connection, desperate for answers.

“I’m a little busy, Commander. Hang on,” Rich grunted in reply to the voice in his ears.

“Richard, in the future,” Aldous began, his tone carrying a hint of slightly amused indignation, “if you ever want to attack me again, keep in mind that I am the chief of the governing council. That means I have access to extra defenses that the regular citizenship don’t have. Even if you sneak up on me, you’ll be detected, and my force-field will automatically activate to protect me.”

“Yeah,” Rich answered. “So I noticed. Neat trick you got there.”

“It was nothing personal,” Aldous said, his words tinged with condescension. “I meant you no harm, and…” He turned to the governor before addressing everyone else in the room, most of whom had their rifles aimed futilely in his direction, “I also meant no harm to James, Thel, or the A.I. So, if you’ll allow me,” he began to move his hands slowly to the hard drive before removing it from his shoulder, grasping the hard drive in his hand and holding it out before him, offering it directly to Rich.

Rich kept his eyes squarely on the hard drive, but held his hands out, ready to blast the chief again while speaking with deliberate emphasis as each syllable escaped his lips, addressing Alejandra directly, “Would you mind?”

Alejandra lowered her rifle, letting it hang loose from the strap on her shoulder as she tentatively reached for the hard drive.

“You’re not thinking clearly, Richard,” Aldous spoke, a faint smile crossing his lips. “I already told you, you can’t harm me.”

Alejandra’s fingers reached the hard drive and, for a moment, she and Aldous held it together, Aldous’s eyes remaining locked with Rich’s. After seconds that felt much longer, Aldous released his hold and Alejandra backed away with the hard drive successfully before turning to deliver it to Rich, who took it in his hands.

“I’d never, ever, intentionally hurt Commander Keats, Thel, or the A.I., nor would I ever intentionally harm a post-human,” Aldous said emphatically.

“He’s telling the truth,” Alejandra confirmed for those assembled.