Hunter Legacy 9: Hero at the Gates Read Online Free PDF Page B

ship now."
    Team one had been hiding on board the Cruiser,
using their suits in chameleon mode. Their objective was the computer room.
Jane had a dozen combat suits with them.
    "Crew?"
    "In position. All docked ships have
their docking clamps locked down, and airlocks closed and code locked. The
connections for the AI have been severed."
    "Good."
    I love it when a plan comes together.
     

Six
     
    Cams started popping up as we came within
team coms range of the station.
    Jane threw station schematics onto a side
screen. Team six seemed to be advancing on the center of the station without
any real resistance. Team one was fighting a pitched battle near the computer
room.
    I looked at it for a moment, confused at
the priorities being shown.
    "Jane? What's going on with team
one?"
    "It looks like the entire defensive
force of the station is concentrated outside the computer room."
    "That AI is protecting itself you
think?"
    "Seems to be. Odd for a mid-range
version."
    "Time to change tactics then.
BA?"
    "Boss?"
    "Get Jane inside the computer room.
Take the scenic route if you have to."
    "Gotchya."
    A flurry of commands followed. The twins
and half the team stayed engaged with the defenders, while BA, half Jane's
combat suits, and Aline's squad, turned, and together, punched a hole in the
nearest wall. BA dived through first, and the rest followed. Inside the next
room, they did the same thing. Three rooms later, and they broke through into
the Computer Room. I watched one of Jane's combat suits go up to a data port,
and plug in.
    Jane froze.
    All of her froze, everywhere. Including
here on BigMother.
    "Jane?" I yelled at her.
    She didn’t move, didn’t speak. She didn’t
appear to be seeing anything, or doing anything.
    The other AI had to be fighting her.
    The fact it hadn't taken seconds was a
problem.
    And I suddenly realized we had an even bigger
problem. She still had control of the ship, and we were pointed at the station.
    "Shit!"
    Angel leapt off the console and ran out.
    "What's wrong Jon?" asked
Annabelle.
    "The station must have a top of the
range AI, and it and Jane are now locked in a battle of wills for control of
everything."
    I tried the controls on my chair, and
nothing worked.
    "Jon!" yelled Dick, a horrified
expression on his face.
    The station was directly ahead of us, and
we were still at our normal cruising speed. And I didn’t have control. I did
have minutes though, if I could use them correctly.
    "Everyone launch, NOW!" I
screamed into ship coms.
    I didn’t wait to see if they did or not. I
jumped up and crossed to Jane. She was rigid, and not connected to the ship
physically. Which meant the battle was going on across all forms of
communications.
    "Everyone out of here," I yelled.
    "Jon?" started Annabelle.
    "Out. Move. If Jane loses, her avatar
will kill us."
    The few left on the Bridge hurried out, and
I slammed the door behind us. It would provide about as much slow down to Jane
as a sheet of tissue paper, but it also stopped her seeing us for right now. As
if that mattered. But I was thinking on my feet, and slamming the door was a
good emotional release.
    "Annabelle, do you still have a combat
suit on board?"
    "Yes, on Deck Zero. But I don’t use
one very often."
    "Go get it. If Jane comes out that
door, stop her any way you can."
    "Jon?" She was horrified.
    "No choice. Go."
    I pushed her away, and then ran for the
access shaft. On the way down, I changed my stunners to lasers. I threw myself
off, and ran as fast as I could to the main communications nexus.
    I had no idea where the on-off switch was,
so I drew both Gatling guns and raked the entire room until all the lights were
gone.
    It may or may not have solved anything, but
I was hoping if we had no communications, then Jane here on the ship was now
fighting for control only of her own bodies here, with no outside help for the
intruder.
    I ran for the CCC.
    Once inside, I jumped into my seat, and
brought up the controls.
    Yes! I had