I Am Automaton: A Military Science Fiction Novel (21 page)

Lorenzo looked at him uncertainly, as if he wasn’t sure what he was up to.

“Good job, Sergeant. I’ll see you later.”

Lorenzo smiled uneasily and walked off in the direction of the barracks.

Major Lewis stepped out of the debriefing room and practically ran into Peter.

“Excuse me, sir.”

Major Lewis addressed him tersely. “Something I can do for you, Lieutenant?”

“I would like to speak with you privately, sir.”

Major Lewis appraised him rather obviously. “Yes, of course. In my office.”

He
walked off toward his office. Peter followed like a smaller, yippy dog following a larger dog. The irony was that Peter was taller and broader than Major Lewis was.

When they reached his office, Major Lewis rounded his desk and stood waiting for the formality before sitting. Peter removed his headgear and saluted. Major Lewis returned the salute and planted himself behind his desk. Peter sat as well.

“What can I do for you, Lieutenant Birdsall?”

“I would like to make a request, sir.”

“Oh, and what would that be?” He sounded disinterested, almost sarcastic.

“I have a younger brother, sir, and he just graduated AIT…”

“Oh? In what MOS?”

“He’s a field technician, sir.”

Peter waited for some kind of comment, but Major Lewis just looked at him creating an awkward silence. Peter took this as a cue to continue.

“And, well, I was wondering if it was possible if it could be arranged for him to be assigned to Fort Bliss, sir.”

Major Lewis looked him in the eye, considering the request. “Well, I suppose something could be arranged
…”

“To the ID Program, sir.”

Major Lewis’ expression soured instantly. “Now you know darn well that such a request cannot be granted.”

“Why?”

Major Lewis raised an eyebrow at the question. “Are you questioning a superior officer?”

Peter sat up as straight as he could in his chair. “Permission to speak freely, sir.”

Major Lewis paused, eyebrow still raised, and then nodded once.

“I have done everything you’ve asked me to do. I joined the ID Program, I’ve developed it for you, I’ve contributed every step of the way, and I believe the results speak for themselves.”

Major Lewis sat listening with his right index finger pressed thoughtfully to his lips.

“Lieutenant Birdsall, I can certainly consider your request to have your brother assigned to Fort Bliss. But you know that the military has a policy about siblings serving in the same unit ever since World War II when the Sullivan brothers all died together on the same ship.”

“But, sir,” Peter retorted as firmly but respectfully as he could, “there is no actual ‘Sullivan Act’ present in navy or army policy prohibiting siblings from serving together. It’s a myth.”

Major Lewis glowered at Peter. Peter was stunned into a rather uncomfortable silence. “Technically you are right, Lieutenant. But nevertheless
…”

“Please, sir. We could use another SWEEPER.”

“Why?”

“Pardon, sir?”

“Why do you want him assigned to the ID Program so badly?”

“Because I don’t want to see his talents wasted elsewhere, sir.”

“And it would have nothing to do with you wanting to watch over him.”

Peter had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “Sir, Captain London is mistaken.”

“Captain London? Mistaken about what?”

Peter was not sure if this was some kind of test. “Surely she’s spoken to you
…”

“Actually she has not.”

Peter knew he was caught. It was a guilty response on his part.

Major Lewis sat behind his desk scowling. He folded his hands and looked down at them for a moment. Peter swallowed hard. His palms were sweaty as he realized he was gripping the armrests of his chair.

“Okay.”

Peter did not believe what he was hearing. “Really?”

“Did I stutter, Lieutenant?”

Peter tried his best to sound contrite. “No, sir. You were crystal clear.”

“But if I find his presence is undermining your effectiveness, I’m transferring him out immediately. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

Major Lewis put on his glasses and began to sort through things on his desk as if Peter wasn’t there. When Peter didn’t move, he looked up over the tops of his glasses.

“Will that be all?”

Peter knew when to exit on a high note. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Peter stood up and saluted the
Major, who did not look up. Peter slipped out of the office and practically ran back to the barracks.

Once
again, big brother came through.

It was time for dinner, but Peter ran back to his bunk and called Carl on the com unit. Carl didn’t pick up, as he was likely at the mess hall himself.

Peter left a simple message: “You’re coming to Fort Bliss.”

Then he hung up and walked briskly to the mess hall. He found Lorenzo eating with the men. He grabbed a tray, made his way through the line, and once his tray was
full, he joined his men.

“I did it, Mike.”

“Did what, Pete?”

“I was able to get my brother assigned to Fort Bliss…”

“Really? That’s great, Pete.”

“To the ID Program.”

Lorenzo put down his fork. “Do you think that’s such a good idea, Pete?”

“Why?”

“Isn’t there a policy…”

“No Sullivan Act. I looked it up.”

“And Major Lewis approved it?”

“It took some coaxing.”

“Holy shit. What’ll he be doing? I thought he was some kind of egg head.”

Peter scooped up what was supposed to be mashed potatoes and shoved the load into his mouth. “Field technician. He can be a SWEEPER.”

Lorenzo nodded with approval, picked up his fork, and stabbed his chicken as if it wasn’t already dead.

Peter devoured his meal in earnest. He was looking forward to serving with his brother. For
once, they had something in common. Peter would be his commanding officer, but he was his big brother his whole life. To Peter there was no real difference. It would be like old times.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Lorenzo said
, “another Birdsall. This’ll be interesting.”

***

Private Carl Birdsall reported to the El Paso Intelligence Center at the Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss. He was instructed to go to Hangar Four and report to a Sergeant Michael Lorenzo.

He passed some heavy
security, which only intensified as he neared the hangar. This stoked his curiosity. He wondered what type of assignment he was receiving. Peter had alluded to some classified R&D.

He entered the hangar and was instructed to wait in a debriefing room. He was in there for around twenty minutes waiting, and just as he was about to get up
, Lorenzo walked in.

Carl stood up and saluted. “Private Carl Birdsall, reporting for duty, sir.”

Lorenzo saluted and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Birdsall…you wouldn’t be related to Lieutenant Peter Birdsall, would you?”

“Yes, sir. I’m his brother.”

“Oh, I see. Be seated, Private.”

Carl sat.

“Private Birdsall, you have been assigned to a very special anti-terrorist program using the latest in drone technology. I hear you’re quite sharp.”

“I do my best, sir.”

“Any college?”

“Two years of engineering, sir.”

“I see. And you don’t have to keep calling me sir every time you speak.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lorenzo shot him a look.

“Sorry.”

“So why aren’t you in the engineering core?”

“Because the army didn’t see it fit to place me there with only two years of college. And they needed field technicians.”

“Well, we could sure use you in the ID Program, Private.”

“What is the ID Program, sir?”

Lorenzo smiled easily. “Well, I’m glad you asked that. Because the ID Program is not something that can easily be explained. It’s something that is best demonstrated.”

Carl waited expectantly.

“Come with me, Private.”

Lorenzo opened the door and exited the debriefing room. Carl followed. They walked a short distance to a large structure with a front door and no roof.

Lockwood was waiting by the front door. Carl saluted him enthusiastically.

“Who do we have here, Sergeant Lorenzo?”

“Sergeant Lockwood, this is Private Carl

Birdsall, field technician and Lieutenant Peter Birdsall’s brother.”

Lockwood nodded. “Private.”

“Sergeant Lockwood here is in charge of overseeing the training exercises in the ID Program.”

Lockwood gave Lorenzo a knowing look. “I’ll leave you two to the…orientation.” He walked away.

Lorenzo opened the door to the Labyrinth and stepped aside. “Private Birdsall, please step inside.”

Carl was taken off guard. In there? He wondered what was going to happen in there, but he stepped in as instructed.

“Private Birdsall, your objective in this little demonstration is to try to make it to the other side.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and you’ll be pursued. Don’t get caught.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lorenzo began to close the front door, but he stopped and offered one last remark. “Oh, do be careful.”

Carl did not quite know how to respond to that, but he didn’t get the chance as Lorenzo quickly closed the door. Carl heard the digi-lock engage.

It was dark in the room he was standing in. There were three doorways all around him. He chose the one in the middle. He did not have to wander long to realize that he was in some kind of a maze. He was confident in his visual-spatial abilities, so he
cognitively began to map the maze as he traversed the rooms. He hit a few dead ends and had to retrace his steps on a few occasions, but overall he felt he was making progress.

Then
he heard the footsteps.

They were a few rooms away but closing in. Carl remembered his training in Basic. His instinct was to move in the opposite direction of the footsteps, but he knew that would only get him lost and caught.

He kept his cool and tried to analyze the pattern of the layout of the rooms. He began to realize that there was indeed a pattern. It reminded him of his study of fractals.

He began to cross from room to room, making fewer errors in direction and encountering fewer dead ends. He was excited with his progress and almost didn’t realize that he no longer heard the footsteps.

He was preoccupied with the layout of the maze when he ran right into someone who was apparently just standing there in the middle of a room.

He looked up. The face was hidden in shadow from the dim lighting, but the silhouette was unmistakably a woman.

“Pardon me, ma’am.”

The woman sounded like she was wheezing.

“Are-are you alright?”

She stepped forward and reached out for him, her breath cold and putrid. Her grip on his shoulders was vice-like.

“Ma’am, please.”

He tried to step back, but she pulled herself forward exposing her face. Carl gasped as a blue
-green face with dark circles under the eyes pulled close to his. She appeared young. Her eyes were milky white, her hair was like straw, and the stench was overwhelming.

“Ma’am…HEY.”

She opened her mouth.

He pulled away, and she pulled with him. He stumbled backward and fell, and she landed on top of him.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?”

She had fallen in such a way that their bodies were askew. Her face was above his head, and her bosom was in his face. He heard her wheezing loudly.

“Ma’am, get off me.”

He rolled out from under her, got to his feet, and backed away.

“Jesus. What is this?”

She turned around and snarled at him, jaws snapping. She pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and began to crawl after him.

Carl looked around quickly. He ran toward her, stepped up onto her back, and he jumped up against the wall, grabbing onto the top edge with his fingers.

She was beginning to stand up as he, hanging by his fingertips, inched over to a corner in the room hanging above the floor. She crossed the room, reaching out for him as he pulled himself up and propped himself on top of the intersecting walls.

He was able to steady himself as he rested on the top of the crisscrossing walls. She was snarling and reaching for him.