The Zero Code (Max Mars Book 3) Read online

  She took cover behind a parked car.

  The robot blasted at it, shattering the windows and filling body panels with holes. Max crept to the front of the car as the robot marched around the back. She saw her pistol in the roadway not far from the debris of the motorcycle. She dashed into the street. The ground around her feet erupted in explosive geysers as the robot showered plasma bolts in her direction.

  Max scooped up the weapon and twisted around to fire at the android. It was a smooth, fluid movement. She squeezed the trigger, popping off several rounds. Then she took cover behind another car on the opposite side of the street.

  The blasts pummeled the android, knocking him a few steps back. Max fired over the hood of the car, aiming for the weak points between the robot’s armor. With any luck, she’d put this bastard down before it killed her.

  36

  The robot kept marching toward Max, an unrelenting force. It didn't feel pain, it didn't know fear. It felt no guilt, no remorse. It was just following orders. Neutralize all threats.

  Max kept blasting at it until her pistol jammed. The damn thing overheated.

  The vicious robot kept stomping toward her, sending a flurry of plasma bolts in her direction. The blasts peppered the car she was hiding behind, vaporizing the body panels, destroying the engine compartment.

  Max tried to clear the chamber, but the bolt was frozen.

  The robot was almost on top of her, ready to annihilate her.

  Suddenly, several plasma projectiles streaked down the roadway, slamming into the robot’s neck, severing its spine. The robot’s body collapsed against the vehicle, and its head clattered to the ground.

  Sebastian had gotten lucky with his aim.

  He had peeled himself off the concrete, found his plasma pistol, and opened fire. He hobbled over to Max. His hands were scuffed, and he had abrasions on his face. His knee wasn't feeling so hot either. But he seemed quite proud of his handiwork. "I think I'm getting the hang of this thing."

  "I guess I owe you one," Max said, staggering to her feet. "Let's keep moving, or we’re going to have a lot of unwanted company."

  Max dashed into a nearby alley. Sebastian hobbled behind. They took cover behind a dumpster. Max cleared the jam in her pistol. She pressed the mag release button and dropped the magazine out. She inspected the cartridge, slapped it back in, then chambered a projectile.

  Max sprang to her feet and made her way through the alley. She found a subway entrance at Peden Street, and descended the staircase.

  “This area is off limits during curfew hours. Please return to your home,” a transit robot commanded.

  Max blasted the robot that was stationed at the subway turnstile. It was a regular, unarmored transit worker. Max's plasma bolt pierced his poly-plastic body parts with ease, incinerating his power supply.

  A metal gate secured the area, prohibiting access to the subway platform. Max incinerated the bars one by one with her plasma pistol, cutting out a hole. Some of the bars were hanging on by a thread and she kicked them free. They clattered to the ground like out of tune wind chimes. Max slipped through the gap. The edges glowed orange where the bars had been severed by the blistering bolt. Wisps of smoke wafted into the air. Sebastian made sure not to touch the metal as he squeezed through the opening.

  Since the subway was fully automated, it had been shut down since the moment the robots took over. The trains had stopped running, and there was no lighting on the platform. Even with Max's enhanced vision, she could barely make out shapes. She pulled out her PDU and used the flashlight to illuminate the area. She climbed down to the electromagnetic tracks and crept into the tunnel. At least she didn't have to worry about any oncoming trains.

  Sebastian lagged behind as they moved through the passageway. He was still hobbling along. Max used her mobile for navigation as they weaved through the tunnels toward the Robo-Dynamics Tower.

  “This sucks. But I gotta say, it's better than trudging through the sewers,” Sebastian said.

  Giant rogarts squeaked as they raced through the tunnel. They were vicious rat-like creatures, slightly larger than a cat. They had sharp teeth, claws, and eyes that could see in the darkest of environments. They were scavengers and would eat anything—grains, fruits, seeds, even flesh. They were known to chew on power cables, wreaking havoc on electrical systems in the subway. For the most part, they left people alone. But in larger groups, they were emboldened. Attacks weren't unheard of. Something about the little creatures made Max's skin crawl. She proceeded through the tunnel, keeping a cautious eye on the varmints as they passed.

  There were a number of people who had taken refuge in the tunnels, hiding from the oppressive robotic regime. Homeless and other indigent people had been living in the recesses of the subway tunnels for years. Now they were joined by upscale members of society caught on the wrong side of town after the imposed curfew. Fires burned in barrels, illuminating the crevices with an amber glow. Max saw one longtime resident roasting a rogart over an open flame. It didn't look at all appetizing—though she had heard they tasted remarkably like chicken. Not at all gamy or tough. Still, the thought of eating a giant rat made her gag.

  The glow from the flames faded as she pushed deeper into the tunnel. She passed multiple platforms and navigated through a maze of junctions. She and Sebastian were somewhere underneath Fulton Avenue when she noticed several individuals following from behind. She could hear their feet crunch against the dirt in the darkness. Max craned her neck over her shoulder to get a glimpse of the crew marching after them. They didn't look friendly. One had an assault rifle. Another had a pistol. One carried a bat, and another wielded a machete. They were a ragtag gang roaming the subways.

  It wasn’t long before several other undesirables jumped down to the tracks from a station platform, cutting Max and Sebastian off. They were armed as well with various items—guns, knives, crowbars. The apparent leader of the group floated down from the platform, wearing lift boots that allowed him to hover off the ground. They were gyro stabilized, but it still took some degree of skill to pilot the boots. The leader hovered above the ground then touched down on the tracks in a smooth, fluid movement.

  “Is there something I can help you with?" Max asked.

  Sebastian's face went pale, and his eyes were wide with fear.

  “This is our turf,” the leader of the gang said. “There's a toll if you want to pass through."

  37

  "You've got to be kidding me?" Max asked, snarling as the goons surrounded her.

  “We like to call it crisis pricing," the gang leader said. He was a tall skinny guy with long hair. He wore a vest, exposing his rippled abs. His arms were sleeved in tattoos.

  “You're really going to take advantage of people at a time like this?" Max asked.

  "I'm just responding to an opportunity. The subway just became a valuable piece of real estate. And we control this section of the tunnel. You want to pass through, you're going to have to pay."

  “What if I don't have anything to pay you with?” Max said, toying with him.

  His lecherous eyes surveyed her sumptuous form. "I'm sure we can work something out."

  Max chuckled. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

  The gang leader looked at her perplexed.

  “Tell you what. I've got an opportunity for you. You step aside, and I won’t beat the ever living shit out of you. How does that sound?”

  The gang leader's eyes rounded. Nobody talked to him like that.

  Sebastian stammered in Max's ear, “If that was your idea of negotiating a win/win, I think you need to reconsider your tactics."

  “When it comes to kicking ass, it's a zero-sum game," Max replied.

  “Yes, but in case you haven't noticed, they’re armed."

  “So am I.”

  The air was thick with tension. The gang members aimed their weapons at Max. She gripped her pistol tight. But there were too many of them. It didn't matter how fast
Max was, she wasn't going to be able to outdraw them all.

  “I’m gonna give you one more chance to step aside,” Max said. "I can't be responsible for what happens if you don't."

  The gang leader chuckled. “I think you’re a little confused.”

  Sebastian dug into his pocket. The sudden movement made the thugs uneasy. Their itchy fingers gripped triggers. It wasn't going to take much for them to open fire.

  “I’ve got 20 credits. How’s that?” Sebastian said, pulling out a single bill.

  “20 credits? What’s 20 credits going to do for me? I can't get a cup of coffee with that."

  Sebastian frowned. “Hang on," he said, trying to be helpful. "I think I've got more money in my backpack.”

  Sebastian slid Max's backpack off his shoulders and dug into it. “I know I've got something in here that you’ll appreciate.” Sebastian fumbled through the pack and pulled out a thermal grenade.

  Panic washed over the faces of the gang members. They all unconsciously took a step back.

  “Whoa! Easy there,” the leader said. "Why don't you put that away before you hurt yourself?”

  Sebastian puffed up his chest and growled at the gang members. All he had to do was let go of the grenade and they’d all be turned to ash. He lowered his voice and tried to sound like his favorite movie star, Sean Finn—star of the Devastator franchise—the epitome of a 25th century action hero. “I suggest you punks step aside, or we’re all going to go bye bye.”

  Sebastian managed to put on a pretty good show. But he was scared shitless.

  “You're bluffing,” the leader said. "You're not going to blow yourself up.”

  There was a touch of madness in Sebastian's gaze. It was all for show, but it looked pretty convincing. "You think I'm bluffing?” he said in a stern, gravelly tone. “How’s this for bluffing?” Sebastian tossed the grenade toward the leader.

  Everyone’s eyes went wide.

  Sebastian watched the grenade tumble through the air, having second thoughts about what he'd just done. Perhaps he'd taken the role of tough guy too far. He had watched Sean Finn do it in the movie Devastator 7 when he was surrounded by a bunch of goons.

  Max grabbed onto his sleeve, pulling him to the side of the tunnel. The two dove down a maintenance junction as the thermal grenade erupted. A blinding amber glow illuminated the tunnel. Shards of blistering shrapnel sprayed in all directions. The fragments tore through flesh and bone, severing muscle, tendon, and vascular structures. To make matters worse, the grenade had an incendiary liquid gel core, S9, that oxidized at over 4000°. It was like sticky molten lava that adhered to flesh and burned incessantly. It was the gift that kept on giving. The Marines called the gel liquid Satan—and with good reason.

  The only thing Max could hear was the high-pitched ringing in her ears. The blast overpressure was almost enough to tear through flesh. Adrenaline raced through her veins, causing her body to tremble. She patted herself down, checking for injuries. She seemed fine. There were always those few moments after an engagement where the adrenaline could mask an injury. She had been shot many times before and not even noticed it until after the fighting was over.

  Max crawled over to Sebastian. “Are you okay?”

  “What?” he yelled.

  “Are. You. Okay?” she yelled again. Max was barely able to discern the muted words herself.

  “I think so," Sebastian shouted.

  Max helped him stand, and the two dusted themselves off. Max eased down the maintenance passage to the main tunnel. The area was strewn with dead bodies. Blood oozed from shrapnel wounds. The bodies were pitted and charred from the splatter of the S9 gel. As Max's hearing returned, the sound of sizzling flesh filled her ears. Smoke wafted from the burned corpses. The pungent aroma filled her nostrils, along with the sharp chemical smell of the explosive residue.

  “I had no idea the explosion was going to be that big," Sebastian mumbled as he surveyed the carcasses. His face was grim. It was probably the first time in his life that he ever killed anyone. And he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about it.

  “Maybe you should leave the high explosives to me?”

  38

  Max grabbed a plasma rifle that was lying on the tracks. She looked over the weapon. It appeared to have survived the blast. She stepped over the bodies of the thugs and pried the lift boots from the leader. Then she kept advancing through the subway tunnel. She didn't have much sympathy for the goons.

  The ringing in her ears had lessened to a low-grade hiss that was still somewhat annoying. They felt full, almost like she had fluid in them, like after a swim.

  She weaved through the dark passageway until she reached a stop a few blocks away from the Robo-Dynamics Tower. She climbed up, then reached down for Sebastian and hoisted him up to the platform. He had a look of surprise on his face at how strong Max was. She lifted him with relative ease.

  “What's your plan? I mean, you're not just going to be able to walk through the front doors. That place is going to be heavily guarded by those militarized robots,” Sebastian cautioned.

  “We’re not going in through the front door," Max said as she held up the lift boots. “Were going in through the roof.”

  “We?”

  “You know how to access the system. I don't. I need you with me.”

  “Correct me if I'm wrong, but we only have one pair of lift boots. I'm not so good at math, but one pair isn't going to fit two of us.”

  Max handed him a boot and grinned. “One for each of us.”

  Sebastian’s eyes bulged. That wasn't exactly what he had in mind. “You are aware of my issue with heights, right?”

  Max ignored him and spun around. She marched from the platform, blasted her way through the security gate, and made her way to the stairs. She carefully ascended the steps, stopping just below street level. She crouched low as she surveyed the area.

  Sebastian caught up to her. “I don't understand how you're expecting this to work. Without two boots the stabilizers won’t be as effective. Why don't you take the boots, I’ll stay here.”

  “They can lift up to 500 pounds. We’ll be just fine.” Max strapped a boot over her right foot. It clamped on over her shoe and automatically sized to fit. It looked like an overgrown ski boot with the main thruster on the sole and several navigational thrusters on the sides, heel, and toe.

  Sebastian reluctantly followed suit, strapping the boot onto his left foot. “Now what?”

  Max slung her arm around Sebastian's shoulder. "Activate your boot on three." She counted down, “Three, two, one."

  They simultaneously activated the thrusters. It instantly propelled them off the ground. They clung onto each other, wobbling, trying to steady themselves. The stabilizers did their best, but it was still shaky.

  Sensors in the toe allowed the user to adjust thrust and direction. It took some getting used to, but with practice you could learn to maneuver with grace and ease. But Max and Sebastian were far from graceful.

  "You can't really be serious about this? This is an accident waiting to happen."

  "Don't be silly."

  "Where are we going?"

  "Straight up." Max engaged the thruster of her boot. Sebastian followed suit, and the two ascended out of the subway stairwell, rising alongside the building.

  Sebastian tried to steady himself. He clung onto Max for dear life. He tried not to look down, but it was unavoidable. And when he did, it left him with an unsettling feeling. The stairwell became a tiny speck as they launched upward. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.

  After 40 stories, the duo angled over the roof, clearing the parapet. Max and Sebastian touched down on the roof.

  Sebastian's knees were shaking, but he was beyond ecstatic to be on a solid structure.

  “Well, that worked,” Max said, surprised.

  Sebastian arched an eyebrow at her.

  “I wasn't sure."

  “You weren’t sure?"

  Max shrugge
d, innocently.

  With only one lift boot on, one leg was considerably longer than the other. It made for an awkward gait. Max stepped out of the boot. She picked it up and walked to the parapet. She surveyed the Robo-Dynamics Tower. The rooftop offered a clear view. Patrols of militarized robots guarded the premises. There was no way in from the ground.

  The tower was about three blocks away. It was a long way to travel sharing a pair of lift boots. It was one thing to elevate along the side of a building that was only 40 stories tall. It was quite another to scale a building that was 275 stories. The wind gusts at that elevation would be considerably stronger and more difficult to stabilize against. Max knew it was a bad idea to try and share the boots.

  “Today is your lucky day," Max said.

  “I'm struggling to find anything lucky about today."

  "Give me your boot. You're going to stay here. I'm going to do this by myself."

  Sebastian felt both guilty and relieved. “I’ll go with you, if you think you really need me.”

  “No. I can do it. Having you tag along would just be adding unnecessary risk.”

  “You'll have to access the uplink from Orlov’s office. You'll need an access code to enter the system. Bx398-%F8@#2.”

  “That's a helluva password.”

  “With current processing power that would take about 200 billion years to crack.”

  “And you're sure that's the right password?”

  “I put a keyword sniffer on Orlov’s terminal system.” Sebastian hesitated. "But there's one more problem. His terminal is going to require a biometric handprint to confirm access."

  “I’ve got that covered,” she said with a wink. She had sampled Orlov’s handprint when they shook earlier.

  Max dug through the backpack and pulled out the remaining thermal grenade and smoke canisters and tucked them into her tactical vest. She checked the assault rifle. The magazine was half-empty, but it was better than nothing. Max strapped on both of the lift boots and activated the thrusters. She lifted off the ground and hovered a few feet over the roof. "Wish me luck."