Beth stared. She had never heard of anything like this.
“Just what kind of machine is this, Frank?”
“It's not simply a machine,” he said, standing in place. “That's what I'm trying to tell you. GEO is not just a machine, and it's not a living organism. It's a totally new breed of entity with an entirely different way of reasoning and perspective. GEO's synoptic neural network is an electromagnetic copy of Rachel's cerebellum. And Rachel had an IQ of 197, a doctorate in computer science with a master's in psychology. After we copied her neural network, the image was implanted on the chip. So as GEO learns to use the artificial network of synapse connections for thought processes, it becomes more and more expansive in its thinking skills. The dangerous part is that there's an icon guarding the Logic Core and I might have to confront it in order to change the math-logic.”
Beth stared. “What kind of icon?”
The scientist stood very still.
“Rachel is the icon,” he said.
And suddenly Beth understood. “It's the icon's responsibility to safeguard the Logic Core? To prevent anyone from entering the Logic Core without the authorized code?”
“Yes.”
Beth waited, considering the implications. “Well, how much can Rachel's icon do to stop you? I mean, the icon is just part of the machine. Can it hurt you?”
Solemn, Frank replied, “Rachel can do whatever she wants. The Cyberspace Module has a body suit and helmet that are worn during connection. The helmet has very sensitive linkups which roughly interpret nerve impulses. It allows GEO to read my mind, in a sense. Hearing is digital, and the Cyberspace image is directly fired in my retina with a one centimeter overlap to provide absolute continuity in vision. I won't know the difference between Cyberspace and reality.”
“Meaning what?”
Frank stared.
“Meaning Rachel is queen of that universe, Beth. If Rachel disapproves of my presence and gets to me before I can put the logic off-line, she'll fry my nervous system.”
Beth's voice was a whisper.
“Can Rachel kill you in Cyberspace, Frank?”
Silence.
“Yeah.” He finally nodded. “She can kill me.”
* * *
It was an hour before Connor, Thor, and Barley staggered into the Housing Cavern, all but dead from thirst. Connor didn't even mumble a word before snatching up a clear plastic liter of bottled water. He drank half of it, then poured the rest over his head, back, and face. After a few minutes he almost felt refreshed.
Barley duplicated the procedure with another bottle, shedding his burnt flak jacket and hurling it angrily to the side as if it had betrayed him. He drank almost a full liter of water before finally stopping to gaze around, blinking like he hadn't slept in days.
Chesterton stared at them as they continued drinking water, pouring it over their heads. “Well?” he growled impatiently. “Do you think I’m standing here 'cause I like looking at you?”
Thor laid the M-79 on the table, leaning forward. His eyes were ice.
“It lives,” he said. “We wounded it, but it lives. We laid tracks through the cave to confuse it. But it is not so confused. We have heard it behind us, breaking what few vaults still stand. It is coming. And we have destroyed its food supply.”
Frank understood instantly, stepping forward. “That was a good idea! Leviathan is going to be weakening fast! And when it's in combat it's going to need even more food than normal to assimilate proteins for muscular and armor reconstitution.”
“Frank,” Connor looked up sharply, “if Leviathan is starving, will it go for the lake? Or will it push a confrontation? Will it try and finish this fight?”
“It won’t go for the lake yet, Connor.” The scientist shook his head. “Leviathan is... is proud. I know that that's a weird term but I don’t know how else to say it. Leviathan will never leave a conflict unless its own death is imminent. And I think Leviathan believes it can kill us. Even in a weakened condition.”
“Well,” Connor frowned, grim, “I’ve got a shock for it – the last shock of its life. Now find out where that thing is. I want an exact location and direction of travel.”
Frank quickly spoke into the headset and the computer replied, “Leviathan is two miles from the Housing Cavern.”
“What direction is it moving in?” Frank asked.
“Leviathan is moving toward the Housing Cavern.'‘
Appearing in the doorway of the Housing Complex, Beth suddenly cried out, running down the steps to embrace Connor.
Connor took her in his arms and kissed her on the neck, cheek, face, mouth. She stared into his eyes, holding his face in her hands.