Conspiracy at the council

“Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on?!” The Governor yelled as she barged into the Security Council chambers. The three councilors were sitting there, huddled around a map of the city. “Why are you mobilizing an army worth of inspectors towards the Industrial District? The media is alrea-”

The black-haired Councilor stepped back from the group. He stretched his thin lips into a plastic smile. “Ah, Governor, a pleasure to have you here. How did you, err, manage to enter our most hallowed halls without arranging a meeting?”

“I’m the planet’s elected Governor, I go where I want. The Bureau, the Council even, ultimately answer to my office.”

“Oh, it’s cute that you think so. Why don’t you run along now and let the big boys handle this crisis?”

The Councilor tried to nudge the Governor out the door, but she stood her ground. “No. You will tell me what’s going on, Councilor Randle. The whole truth.”

“That’s a bit above your pay grade, Governor.”

“Excuse me? You are not Earth’s government.”

Randle chuckled. “But, Governor, we are. Sure, we let you squabble about zoning, taxes, and petty stuff, but the real important decisions are up to us.”

“Are they now? Do you think the Senate will let you let away with anything you want?”

“Sure, they’ve been obedient little puppies so far. Or what, do you think they will try to close us down because you told them we’ve been mean to you?”

“And do YOU think the public will let them do nothing when they find out about how the Council killed Professor Hiroto to steal his cloning technology? Technology that you have since made illegal to hoard it for yourself?”

Randle’s fake smile vanished in an instant. The other councilors left the map to join their companion in surrounding the Governor. They sized her up and down like a pack of wolves deciding whereter to go for the kill.

“Someone’s been digging through mud, but you ought to be careful not to get your fancy suit all dirty. Who knows what your dear electorate will think of it?”

“If they think I’m dirty, they obviously haven’t heard of you.”

“Hah! The most you can do is prove that my dear old gramps was a bastard. Me? I’m clean, and lovable, as a newborn babe.”

The Governor kept eye contact with Randle’s mocking face. She leaned forward, forcing the man to take a step back. “Don’t you mean, a newborn clone, Councilor Ixion Randle?”

The blonde and bald councilors' expressions contorted as if they had bitten a lemon. Randle, however, just clapped. “Ohoho, someone has been digging deep enough to find oil. Some secrets, however, as best left buried.”

Randle reached for his pocket and pulled out a miniature gun barely the size of his fist. The Governor didn’t flinch, even as the barrel hovered right at her nose. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“We would, but maybe we don’t have to,” Randle lowered his gun. “The Council had a couple of vacant seats for quite some time. We might be willing to share if you use your good reputation to blame the current crisis on the military and get us some of their juicy extraterrestrial powers.”

“I’ve seen what you do with people who outlive their usefulness, why should I-“

“Do you really have a choice?”

“I do believe she has a choice.” The door opened once more to let even more people into the crowded situation room. The General and a squad of her soldiers marched in, their guns raised.

“Ok, seriously, how are you people just getting here?” Randle asked. “What happened to the guards?”

“I believe we sent them to the factory as well.”

“Of course…”

“Councilor. You are under arrest for threatening the Gove-“

“Look guys, the military is doing a coup! I bet the electorate will love it!”

“Yeah, why don’t you tell General Tin Can over there to lower her gun, Governor?” the blonde Councilor added. “We all know this won’t fly with your precious Senate.”

“Even if you kill us, the Bureau will put your little insurrection down, General,” the bald Councilor threatened, pulling out his gun as well. Seeing how everyone in the room was armed, the blonde Councilor sighed and drew her handgun too.

“Not if we kill your clones as well, Councilor. Or should I say, Inspector Randle?”

Randle grumbled, waving his gun around in the air. “Come on! Is there anyone left who doesn’t know? What, someone post it on their social media?”

Cold sweat ran down the Governor’s forehead as she suddenly found herself the only unharmed party of this little standoff. Was this going to end in blood? In retrospect, it was a bad call to make the General her backup. That’s what she gets for thinking this situation was too “classified” to bring her bodyguard along.

“I believe we can all come to an agreement,” the General said, lowering her rifle. “We know you are sending your clones after our genetically-augmented fugitive. We want a piece of the pie.”

“Nu-oh. That guy has to die. No buts, no ifs, no questions.”

“Very well, do with him as you will. What we want is his AI. Let us keep it and use it to control our fleet. After that, if you stay out of our way, we’ll stay out of yours. What do you say?”

The Councilors shared a long look, almost as if they were communicating telepathically. “You drive a hard bargain, General, but fine,” Randle holstered his gun, and the General signaled his troops to lower theirs. “Let’s go after our freak, together. What do you say?”

The man stuck his hand out. The General shook it. “Very well.”

“That does leave the problem of you, my dear Governor. Can we trust you to keep silent? I believe you know enough about what’s going on to satisfy your curiosity.”

“What? B-but, this is preposterous-“

“Please Governor, it is for the greater good. With that AI, we can finally properly patrol human space. And loathe as I am to admit, exposing those snakes over there…”

“Ouch.”

“…might cause a lot of public unrest. I’m sure you don’t want your approval rating to fall.”

“I… fine. Do try to keep the collateral damage to a minimum.”

-----

“I won’t let you use me to infect the world.” Kensu threatened, dragging himself across the floor. “I’ll quarantine myself, or kill me if it comes to-“

“I knew you were going to say that, Kensu. Sadly, you are no longer a required vector.”

The lab’s ceiling opened, and a small tower rose upward with ventilation shafts aimed at the sky. AIDA was going to release the Counter-Pathogen into the air.

“No…”

“I’ll go prepare more of the cure for air dissemination. I suggest you try to use the Pathogen to speed up the healing of your wound while you still can. I sincerely hope you survive the treatment, Kensu. You deserve a chance to live-”

The laboratory shook as if a truck had hit it. Someone was trying to break inside the hard way. “… and here come the pests, just in time.”

“The what?!”

The lab shook again.

“Attention everyone, please evacuate the area,” Kensu could hear a man talking across a loudspeaker outside. “ This is the location of a joint Bureau-Military operation. A dangerous terrorist is located inside this factory and is threatening to blow up the District. I repeat. Stay away.”

Ah, of course. Of all the times to… Wait, no. That was good, right? They would surely stop AIDA before she could finish her project. Stop? More like kill... Kensu felt a pit form in his stomach. He didn’t want AIDA to die, but, well, if the alternative was for her to disseminate the cure…

The injured man groaned. That’s why he hated the trolley problem. It never felt right to sacrifice anyone else for the greater good. At least the nightmare should be over soon. Not even AIDA could stop a task force… right?

Well, she certainly would try. The factory was abuzz with the swarm of drones AIDA had constructed in preparation for the authorities’ return. Unlike the simplistic drill drones AIDA hastily made before, her arsenal had expanded. She had a few drones with built-in air cannons to provide some ranged cover, others with giant spikes made for ramming, and of course, the classic drill wasps.

The lab shook again, and again. Eventually, the walls gave in as the assailants managed to smash giant holes in them. Military drones immediately poured in from the openings. At the same time, armored transports rammed open the main gate, soldiers and bureau inspectors running into the building. AIDA directed her drones to intercept.

The battle for the lab had begun.