Hell Divers IV: Wolves by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Author:Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 2018-10-10T20:26:30+00:00

TWELVE

“Look, I don’t trust Pepper, either,” X said over the private comm channel. “Hell, I don’t trust any AI, but I do need his help, and he proved back on the island that he’s here to help us.”

Katrina stroked her jaw and looked over at Michael. It was just the two of them in her office, and she wanted to keep it that way for now.

“I shut him down on the Hive after receiving the intel Magnolia sent us, X. Have you seen the videos and listened to the audio clips?”

“No. Been kinda busy staying alive out here. The boat’s in bad shape, and we’re approaching another storm, so why don’t you give me the short version.”

Michael grinned. “That’s the old X I remember.”

“I was starting to like the new one that didn’t talk as much,” she whispered back. “The one that wasn’t an asshole.”

“I heard that,” X said. “And I can confirm, I am and will always be an asshole.”

Katrina and Michael both chuckled.

“Okay, back to the issue at hand,” she said.

“If Pepper tries anything down here, I’ll light up his holographic ass, but what you do on the Hive and Deliverance is your business. As you pointed out, you’re the captain.”

“I’ve put Samson in charge of the Hive for now, but I need to do more research on what happened in those final days leading up to the end of the world and in the Blackout before I authorize turning Timothy back on.”

“I agree,” Michael said. “There are too many things that don’t add up. Like why Timothy, from the Hilltop Bastion, would not know what happened with ITC and the computer virus that apparently caused this war.”

“Maybe because of the Blackout,” X replied. “You guys have to remember, this shit happened two hundred and sixty years ago. The world ended. By whose hand, or how, shouldn’t matter at this point.”

“It does matter,” Katrina said.

“Why’s that? I’ve been out there. I’ve seen more than anyone what’s left. I’ve seen the mass graves, the skeletons, the horror of what life has become …” His words trailed off.

Katrina had a feeling he was remembering something awful.

“In Florida, I found a mass grave of robots,” he said.

“You never told me that,” Michael said.

“Because it doesn’t matter!”

Katrina sighed.

“Maybe X is right,” Michael said. “Pepper may have hidden something from us, but that doesn’t make him a threat.”

“I won’t take that chance on the airships,” she said, standing. “X, I’ll let you talk to Michael since you both seem to agree. Good luck out there. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Michael dipped his head.

“Yeah, thanks,” X said. “Good luck with your dive, Kat.”

She stepped into the passage outside her small office and closed the hatch almost all the way, torn about whether to give them privacy. She opted for eavesdropping. After all, it was a captain’s prerogative.

“Tin, I just wanted …” X began to say. “I’m sorry. I mean Michael.”

He stuttered out several sentences, clearly not sure what to say. X had never been good with words, especially back when she fell in love with him, but this was even worse.

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