The Warrior
RHO walks confidently down the Boulevard of the Seers. Around him, the other travelers in search of their own cathedrals or hovels move like the human current of an urban river. In the distance, the howls of engines warming up for take-off can be heard.
RHO hears a whining noise. He spins, spotting three glowing orbs darting right at him. An attack! In broad daylight? He reaches down, makes a drawing motion. A glittering sword of gold-white light springs into existence and he swings it at the first orb. It slices in half and vanishes abruptly.
The other two orbs energize themselves. RHO sees the blue aura surrounding them, knows to expect beam attacks. He darts forward. The beams miss him by inches, and he comes up under the orbs. His sword slashes again and again, and the orbs fall to pieces and vanish into nothingness.
The people around him are looking up and around. Some are confused; others are amused. Of course they don’t care. Their cyberselves are probably low-grade and backed up on a public server. RHO can’t afford such carelessness.
RHO knows the spheres must have a master. He knows there are probably others. He could run for a cathedral, try to get into a high-security zone. He could unplug entirely, but then he couldn’t defend himself or counterattack while moving through security barriers, and the city’s own security systems would scrutinize him more closely than he cared for. No, he’s immersed and he’ll stay immersed.
RHO puts his sword away. He begins to jog down the Boulevard. People are moving out of his way. He withdraws a card from his deck, watching the rectangular shape flash into existence. He tosses it at the ground as he moves. The card lands, spreading Mandelbrot spirals of multicolored light across the street surface. The nearby security monitors stay green as he jogs past. Good. I’ve got at least 30 seconds.
He hears the sound of more spheres approaching. He draws another card, holds it above his head. Three azure beams lash out. At the last moment, they change course, arcing to the card instead of his head. RHO throws the card away as it explodes in a shower of orange sparkles.
The space port is ahead. RHO crosses the threshold. He feels a ripple through his cyberself, silently giving thanks for the delicate work that’s been done to his AR rig that makes him so sensitive. Behind him, the spheres jerk to an abrupt stop. They’re negotiating clearance with the space port’s security authority.
RHO darts up the steps. He feels a tingling; the security system is analyzing him. The warrior grins for the camera. Up the stairs and into the wide-open concourse. RHO glances around. The spheres haven’t come yet, and the port security programs haven’t come for him either. If they knew what I carried…
He’s still got a few minutes before the ship arrives. He decides to head for the high-security section of the space port. Some people call it the bathroom, but RHO knows better. Human taboos have kept anything but the most low-resolution sensors from invading rooms with toilets, and RHO runs an encode as he approaches. The security system loses track of him for long enough. He darts into the bathroom.
He stops inside and surveys himself in the mirror. Good looks, unruly black hair, Spyder jacket, open-frame pilot’s body armor. Lookin’ badass. I wonder if she’ll recognize me.
RHO leaves the bathroom. The security picks him up immediately. If the spheres are coming, they’ll be coming now. Sure enough, RHO sees them. They’re coming from two floors above him, straight down. RHO’s sword shines as it is drawn. All I have to do is hold them off, he thinks. The first sphere fires. RHO brings his weapon to bear, intercepting the beam. He hears the distinctive chime of space port security. Their green pyramids rez in the air around the sphere and begin self-replicating. The sphere tries to evade, but the pyramids match it. Why didn’t they grab all three RHO asks himself. The system should know who owns them..
There are two possibilities. First, multiple attackers working in concert, with no direct informational links between them. Tricky and bureaucratic, but possible. Definitely preferable to the second option, which is that whoever owns the spheres is either an excellent hacker or has some of the security keys for the space port.
Two more beams fire. RHO can’t parry them both, but he’ll try for at least one more. Aggravated electronic assault is more serious than mere vandalism. If he’s noticed blocking, he’ll be the victim. More green pyramids obediently appear as his blade edge catches the beam, but he isn’t quite as fast as he’d hoped. He feels a tingling in his shoulder. Instinctively he glances down; his shoulder is shimmering and writhing, but the damage isn’t serious.
He activates a reconstruction encode and the effect begins to wear off. Above him, the pyramids have almost completely wrapped up their spheres. A timer appears in the lower right corner of his vision. This is the estimated time of arrival for human security. He has a few seconds. He activates another copy of his invisibility encode, and the security system loses him completely. This will put him on a bad footing with the security personnel if they catch up with him.
The people around him saw him, but if their AR rigs are as low-quality as most peoples’, they’ll lose track of him. He’s drawing attention to himself. He starts the protocol for his clothing, activating the mutation function. His garb changes its fit and color as he moves. By the time the human security units are on the scene, he’s three blocks away and wearing the gray and brown of an itinerant priest. His hair is slicked back, and he’s wearing glasses. Oh well. The badass biker look was so great.. Still, maybe she’ll like me this way…
RHO passes through the gate’s examination zone and sees the dock he wants. He strides forward, smiling. His contact is waiting for him. She smiles in recognition as he approaches. He presents her with a card – the vital data he’s been carrying. “Welcome to Earth,” he says. She takes it, pockets it, and smiles. And then she throws herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. “Thanks, big brother.”