Oklahoma Salvage Read Online Free Page B
Author: Martin Wilsey
Tags: mystery science fiction, intelligence hard scifi high tech combat robot science military ai
act like I just pointed out the
flame to a moth. I’m serious. Stay away. Please. I have a
feeling.”
Alex was so taken aback by
the word please that she froze in place and looked at Harv closely. He looked
like he was about cry or scream.
He started to speak,
quietly. “Ever since Solstice 31, I been done with the world. I
never want to see it again. None of it,” Harv said. Alex knew he
was holding something back. He never spoke of the events of
December 22, 2631. Even now, almost years later.
Alex crossed to him and
gathered him into a hug. He was shaking. “I know Papa.” She knew he
liked to be
called that when they were alone. “But
that was thirty years ago.”
“ You know I don’t hold
that it was all this Barcus fella, like they say,” He pulled back
from the hug enough to look up into her eyes. “It was the goddam
AIs. Some of ’em got spoiled somehow. I seen it.”
Alex started to cry and tried to hide
it.
She knew that day, Harv
was on the way back from an auction with a young Mark, when New
York was destroyed by
a nuclear explosion . They had just
purchased a large cargo shuttle in Toronto. When the call for help
in the evacuation went out, he was one of the first ship on
the scene. He took 400 to 600 wounded people per trip to Pittsburgh
and Philly and then Richmond.
He never talked about
what he had seen that day. She only knew from the clippings
of news feeds. For sixty hours straight, Harv had made run after run with that cargo shuttle before Mark made him
stop. According to Mark, even when they got home he loaded up the
water tank trailer and took it out into the middle of the desert
to power-wash the blood off the new shuttle for four more
hours.
“ Them goddam AIs knew in
advance. Some the day before, some the hour before.”
“ AIs are alright, Papa.
Hunter’s been part of our family, for decades before 31, and he’s
not spoiled.”
“ No
one knows we have Hunter. Never did. And he’s mighty careful what
he touches on the net,” He extricated himself from the hug. “Hunter
is the one that asked me to tell you to stay away. He suspects
something. Don’t know what,” Harv said, collecting himself and
sitting up straighter.
Alex walked behind the counter and
punched up the cams on landing pad 21D. Dave was putting up the
shade fly again, but not over the shuttle this time. She touched
her ear cuff and said, “Hunter, have you noticed anything unusual
about Dave?”
“ Not about Dave. Other
than he doesn’t sleep much. And he eats Morrison’s Chili cold,
right out of the can. Who does that?” AI~Hunter replied in her ear.
“It’s the acquisitions he has requested. Standard rack rails number
GP12974, locks, and a refurbished Capspan rack mounted
uninterruptable power supply. All are required parts for an AI
module. Hey, I should know.”
“ That doesn’t mean he has
an AI with him. He said Harv was going to find him a Local Nav
interface for easier in-system movement,” Alex said.
“ He said what?” Harv
walked over. “We never discussed that.”
“ And what if he does have
an AI module? It’s none of our goddam business,” Alex said,
even as she realized she was uncomfortable saying it. “It’s not
illegal. Especially here.”
“ Hunter, keep a close eye
on him. Let us know if anything gets hinky,” Harv said. “And you,
get back to work, ” he yelled at Alex as he left the
shop.
“ Don’t forget your goddam hat , ” she called after him.
***
For the next two days, she watched David Keener fix the struts on the MP-82. All
three had had various problems. Finally, he hovered the ship
a meter over the pad and tested them. They each retracted and
stowed over and over. He landed softly and stepped out of the
shuttle and started an animated conversation with Harv by the
destroyed nose of the thing. She watched as Dave talked and
Harv listened, pulling his beard. All the while she was working on
the rack mount UPS. Making a few special
mods. A bit of
flame to a moth. I’m serious. Stay away. Please. I have a
feeling.”
Alex was so taken aback by
the word please that she froze in place and looked at Harv closely. He looked
like he was about cry or scream.
He started to speak,
quietly. “Ever since Solstice 31, I been done with the world. I
never want to see it again. None of it,” Harv said. Alex knew he
was holding something back. He never spoke of the events of
December 22, 2631. Even now, almost years later.
Alex crossed to him and
gathered him into a hug. He was shaking. “I know Papa.” She knew he
liked to be
called that when they were alone. “But
that was thirty years ago.”
“ You know I don’t hold
that it was all this Barcus fella, like they say,” He pulled back
from the hug enough to look up into her eyes. “It was the goddam
AIs. Some of ’em got spoiled somehow. I seen it.”
Alex started to cry and tried to hide
it.
She knew that day, Harv
was on the way back from an auction with a young Mark, when New
York was destroyed by
a nuclear explosion . They had just
purchased a large cargo shuttle in Toronto. When the call for help
in the evacuation went out, he was one of the first ship on
the scene. He took 400 to 600 wounded people per trip to Pittsburgh
and Philly and then Richmond.
He never talked about
what he had seen that day. She only knew from the clippings
of news feeds. For sixty hours straight, Harv had made run after run with that cargo shuttle before Mark made him
stop. According to Mark, even when they got home he loaded up the
water tank trailer and took it out into the middle of the desert
to power-wash the blood off the new shuttle for four more
hours.
“ Them goddam AIs knew in
advance. Some the day before, some the hour before.”
“ AIs are alright, Papa.
Hunter’s been part of our family, for decades before 31, and he’s
not spoiled.”
“ No
one knows we have Hunter. Never did. And he’s mighty careful what
he touches on the net,” He extricated himself from the hug. “Hunter
is the one that asked me to tell you to stay away. He suspects
something. Don’t know what,” Harv said, collecting himself and
sitting up straighter.
Alex walked behind the counter and
punched up the cams on landing pad 21D. Dave was putting up the
shade fly again, but not over the shuttle this time. She touched
her ear cuff and said, “Hunter, have you noticed anything unusual
about Dave?”
“ Not about Dave. Other
than he doesn’t sleep much. And he eats Morrison’s Chili cold,
right out of the can. Who does that?” AI~Hunter replied in her ear.
“It’s the acquisitions he has requested. Standard rack rails number
GP12974, locks, and a refurbished Capspan rack mounted
uninterruptable power supply. All are required parts for an AI
module. Hey, I should know.”
“ That doesn’t mean he has
an AI with him. He said Harv was going to find him a Local Nav
interface for easier in-system movement,” Alex said.
“ He said what?” Harv
walked over. “We never discussed that.”
“ And what if he does have
an AI module? It’s none of our goddam business,” Alex said,
even as she realized she was uncomfortable saying it. “It’s not
illegal. Especially here.”
“ Hunter, keep a close eye
on him. Let us know if anything gets hinky,” Harv said. “And you,
get back to work, ” he yelled at Alex as he left the
shop.
“ Don’t forget your goddam hat , ” she called after him.
***
For the next two days, she watched David Keener fix the struts on the MP-82. All
three had had various problems. Finally, he hovered the ship
a meter over the pad and tested them. They each retracted and
stowed over and over. He landed softly and stepped out of the
shuttle and started an animated conversation with Harv by the
destroyed nose of the thing. She watched as Dave talked and
Harv listened, pulling his beard. All the while she was working on
the rack mount UPS. Making a few special
mods. A bit of