Kaizen Sanctuary (The Exoskeleton Codex Book 2) Read online

  “Why was Kaizen so dangerous to them?”

  Mac took a deep breath and blew slowly through his nose, “see now, Kaizen’s approach to AI was different. The droids they created were orders of magnitude more advanced than any other simtelligence unit, so much so that the machines they made became known as ‘Kaizen’ rather than ‘Droid’ or ‘Robot’, and that's what they used to bring the company down.

  “How?” Jacob asked

  Mac smiled, “The corpoliticals don't like rebels. The media assassins said that because of how the Kaizen evolved their minds, they could disobey, and hammered it into broadcasts until they harnessed the public’s fear.”

  “And that's why nobody wants Kaizen stuff,” Jacob said, remembering what Teeva had said about the droid’s head he’d found.

  “Well now, I wouldn’t say nobody wants it," Mac said, winking as he touched his Kaizen ball cap’s brim, “that little unit you found is a rare gem.”

  “You know about that?”

  “Oh yes, when Teeva was by the other day, he dropped it off. I’ve done some work on it since then, did you want to see it?”

  Jacob looked at his freshly washed white arcology clothes, neatly folded at the foot of his bunk, “Yes please!”

  Chapter 2

  Mac slipped out of the attic, closing the door behind him. The latch clicked shut, and Jacob heard Mac’s heavy footfalls descending the stairs. He threw back the bunk’s covers and swung his bare legs over the side. They were just long enough to touch the floorboards if he pointed his toes.

  He leaned forwards to stand, but the floor pitched, and Jacob tumbled back. His shoulders bounced on the mattress and Jacob thought this might be fun if he didn’t feel so dizzy. The room continued to spin and he closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. He waited for the motion to stop before pushing himself back into the same sitting position. He felt like he was on a tightrope, afraid to relax in case the room should tip again.

  Jacob counted out ten slow breaths before he leaned forward. He kept his legs bent in a low crouch as he dropped to his feet. The room tilted, but this time rolling forward. Jacob caught the floor as it raced up to meet him, his knees crashing against the hardwood.

  He felt as though his body had been wrapped in bandages, then torn away, leaving him exposed to the subtle air currents like caressing razors.

  Jacob braced his limbs as the room began to spin, widening them until he was sprawled like a ceiling clinging cat and counted another ten breaths. He raised himself until only his fingertips touched the floor, and rocked backward to sit between his calves in a collapsed kneeling position.

  Just as he straightened his back, the room slid to the left. Jacob ignored it, telling himself it wasn't real, but still felt himself leaning. A moment later, the floor circled and pulled him down. He caught his elbow against the hardwood and pain shot between his shoulder and wrist. He crumpled, rolling onto his back and stifling a cry.

  The woodgrain felt like arctic steel against his skin, and Jacob turned his head to see his white arcology clothes still folded on the bunk. With the arm not numbed from the impact, he reached up and caught some clothing fabric between his thumb and forefinger and pulled the pile onto the floor.

  He grabbed his shirt, but as he did, something shifted beneath the bunk. Jacob drew back his hand and rolled away, his body slapping against the floor. Still holding the white shirt, he waited for the room to still. His roll was instinctive, but Jacob knew he wouldn’t be able to move that quickly again.

  Under his bunk crouched a small Kaizen. Its shoebox sized modular body attached to eight narrow telescoping legs and the Kaizen logo, faded from age, was stenciled on the synthetic spider's abdomen. Jacob recognized the Shodo Calligraphy from Mac’s cap.

  “Hi,” he said, with his cheek pressed against the floor.

  The small Kaizen shifted forward.

  “Sorry, you surprised me just then. I didn't know you were under there.”

  Its legs extended and the Kaizen slowly came to edge of the bunk’s shadow.

  Holding his white arcology shirt, Jacob rolled onto his back and slid his arms through the sleeves before pulling his head through the neck opening. He rocked on his shoulders as he worked the shirt down his torso, until its hem reached just past his bone white briefs. He turned back to see the tiny Kaizen had refolded his pants into a perfect square, just as they were on the bunk.

  “So, you must be the one cleaning up around here, huh?” Jacob said, waiting for the room to stabilize. The Kaizen said nothing, but moved forward, and Jacob saw its many tiny lenses.

  He reached for the pants, but they were too far away. He braced his bare feet against the attic floor, and using the shirt as a slide, he gave a mighty shove towards them.

  They were still too far away.

  Jacob closed his eyes and restarted his ten breath procedure to gather his strength. When he reached his sixth, something soft pressed against his hand. He opened his eyes to see the Kaizen gently pushing the pants up against him.

  “Thanks!” Jacob said, and smiled. He waited the last four breaths before pulling the pants towards him. He decided it would be best to keep his upper body flat and threaded each of his legs through the pants while on his back. After kicking a couple of times, he slapped his feet against the floor, lifting his waist to pull up and fasten them, just as he heard someone on the stairs.

  Mac pushed open the door. “I heard a noise...” Mac started, but his face blanched seeing Jacob on the floor.

  “I’m okay, I just...” Mac scooped him up onto the bunk before he could finish, “...seem to be having some trouble.”

  “What’s happening lad, did you fall?” Mac asked as he looked Jacob over.

  “No, I don't know what it is. The floor starts throwing me around, but...” Jacob looked over the side of the bunk, but the small Kaizen had vanished, “I think there was a Kaizen under my bed!”

  “Oh,” Mac forced a smile, “that's just one of the house spiders, they were home assistance units before the ban. More than a few take sanctuary here, you were lucky to see one.”

  “He passed me my pants,” Jacob said, and thought how funny that sounded.

  “Hmm, yes... they do try to be helpful,” Mac said and leaned back from his examination.

  “Try to feel what’s wrong, try to sense what would make you feel better.”

  Jacob closed his eyes and tried to suppress the falling feeling. He was sweating, but slowly the feeling started to subside. A memory of darkness and a burning sandstorm flashed in his mind.

  “My armor, “Jacob said and opened his eyes to see Mac sitting in a bedside wingback.

  “Probably a side effect, from the Vade Mecum,” Mac said nodding, his eyes distant as he searched his memory.

  “What was the Vade Mecum, Uncle Mac?”

  Mac took a deep breath, “Vade Mecum means something that you carry with you, like a manual, or a guide, the data said it was supposed to be a complete combat philosophy.”

  Mac saw he’d lost Jacob, so he took another breath and tried again. “It’s like just because you pick up a sword and chop at some trees doesn't mean you’re a swordsman. It takes years of experience to transform knowledge into instinct. The Vade Mecum was a whole new approach to combat training.”

  Jacob nodded. “But you said you were pilots, didn’t you go through the Vade Mecum?”

  “No, the Vade Mecum showed up near the end. Anomaly reports were coming in from all over the mining sectors, and the Legion was just starting to get a foothold out on the belt. The Vade Mecum was shipped up to us as neural training for the new Kaizen Hummingbirds, but there wound up being too much political pressure to get the physical armor into orbit.”

  “Then how did you...”

  “...get the program? We stole it before we left of course!” Mac laughed, “it wasn't all that hard to do. Once upon a time, your uncle and I were big-wigs.”

  “What’s a big-wig?” Jacob asked, feeling better than he d
id a few breaths ago.

  “It's just a way of saying that we had some authority,” Mac said, and his vision drifted beyond the attic windows again.

  “Sometimes people get so involved they forget what's important,” Mac looked back to see Jacob preparing to stand.

  “Right, I’ll try it again.”

  “Easy now,” Mac said, and the room pitched Jacob back onto his pillow.

  “Sorry,” Jacob said, frustrated tears welling in his eyes. The world was so huge and dangerous, and he felt so unbalanced and exposed.

  “I’ve got something that might help,” Mac said.

  “No!” Jacob cried and tried to force himself up, “I’ve got training...”

  “And you will go,” Mac said, cradling Jacob back onto the bunk, “but your first training lesson is to use the right tool for the right job, and I might have just the tool for this. Wait here and don't move, I'll be back.” Mac crossed the attic floor and vanished down the stairs without waiting for a reply.

  Jacob wanted to call out after him, but the fatigue from getting dressed consumed him. He didn’t remember dozing off, but he awoke to the sound of Mac climbing the stairs.

  He burst into the attic with a clear plastic bag over a gray fabric mass and laid it on the bunk beside Jacob with a broad smile.

  “It's a space rated Kaizen Envirosuit,” Mac announced, “Hard to come by complete ones, but I just happen to have a surplus of extra small lying about. I guess it wasn’t a common size. Do us a favor and try that on as soon as you feel strong enough. I think those arcology clothes have reached their end-of-life anyhow.“

  Jacob was still stunned by the envirosuit when Mac walked back to the stairs, rubbing his palms against his coveralls, “I’ll just... wait downstairs for you, just holler if you have any trouble,” he said and left the door open a crack before shuffling down the steps.

  Jacob lay back and fought the urge to close his eyes. He counted his ten breaths before pushing himself back into a sitting position, bracing with his arms to not fall.

  The Kaizen logo, proudly displayed on the plastic wrapping gave him enough strength to tear into it. It felt familiar, like rediscovered shoes. The knees, elbows, and shoulders had all been reinforced with flexible ribs that accented and protected the joints, while the suit’s inner layers acted as a light duty fabric exoskeleton.

  He undid the neck seal and both internal zippers before touching the cool mesh interior. Feeling its safety brought a sudden clarity, the room steadied and he felt a surge of confidence.

  Riding his energy wave, he pulled the shirt off his back and bounced out of his white arcology pants and briefs, somehow knowing Kaizen envirosuits were equipped to handle waste recycling.

  He carefully slid his bare legs through the zippered opening. The feeling of climate fabric on his skin was exhilarating, and by the time his feet had slipped into the thin foot sock, he felt the strongest he had since waking.

  Jacob wriggled s into the top half, slipping his head through a turtle neck seal that fit snug up to his jaw, and pushed his arms into the tight elasticized gloves. He did up the zippers and replaced the magnetic seal flap.

  The room seemed stable enough. Jacob took a breath and pressed forward into his ski jump position, waiting for the attics retaliation. The floor didn’t pitch, but merely wobbled. He caught sight of himself in the free-standing mirror beside the door. Gone was the small lost arcology child, and a short, stocky astronaut stood looking back at him, strong and whole in a new synthetic skin.

  By your armor, you shall be judged.

  A memory of emerald flashed and was gone. Jacob spotted his tetrazine pill bottle and the iGlasses case still on the bedside table. He slipped them both into the angled technical pouches on the envirosuit torso that seemed designed for such things. As he sealed them, he heard a light knock at the door and looked up to see Mac peeking in.

  “It fits!” Mac said triumphantly and walked in, nodding with approval.

  “Yeah! it's amazing!” Jacob said, “things still feel a little wobbly, but it feels much better.”

  “I thought it might,” Mac said, “have you paired your iGlasses yet? You’ll have to do it manually the first time,” Mac caught himself, “do you know how to do that?“

  “No, sorry,” Jacob said, and reached into the technical pocket. He popped the case and flipped open the shields. The probes in the arms activated as he slid them on.

  “Just above your chest’s left pocket, you'll find a pressure pad,” Mac said.

  Jacob found it as he returned the case to the pocket, “here?”

  “Yes, that's it,” Mac said, “now press and hold that for ten seconds and think of linking with the suit.”

  The iGlasses blinking cursor vanished, replaced by an AR prompt saying ‘Searching...’ next to a small dot animated to chase itself in a circle. A moment later, the text shifted.

  ‘Authorize pairing with BXZ201A Kaizen Envirosuit?’

  Jacob thought the command, yes, and again when the second prompt confirmed it, stating 'Connecting...' for a few moments before flashing 'Connection Successful!' as a ticker tape diagnostic ran through the bottom of his new heads up display.

  ‘Power at 98%, suit integrity excellent. Adjust suit now?’ It asked.

  Yes, Jacob thought and felt the suit shift around him as the intelligent fabric shrank. his consciousness expanded into the envirosuit, making it part of his body. The outer edge of the fabric microsensors relayed information back through the iGlasses and Jacob touched his gloved fingers together, feeling his new skin.

  “That looks much better,” Mac said, nodding with approval.

  “It’s incredible!” Jacob said, “I can feel everything through this!”

  Mac stopped, “what did you just say?”

  “The suit... it’s like I’m not even wearing it.”

  “Really?” Mac raised an eyebrow and stepped behind Jacob, placing a finger lightly on his back.

  “Where am I touching you?” Mac asked.

  “Just on my left shoulder blade,” Jacob said, and felt Mac’s finger move.

  “You moved it, now you're touching my left calf,” He said, feeling a light touch on the back of his leg.

  “Well, I'll be,” Mac’s said, walking around with wide eyes. “It’s the Vade Mecum,” he whispered, “it must be.”

  “It’s supposed to do that right?” Jacob asked

  “I think so,” Mac said. “C’mon, let's go show your Uncle Vince.”

  Chapter 3

  Jacob eased himself down the attic stairs, holding the banister until he could trust the floor wouldn’t throw him again. At their base, he released the railing and held out his hands for balance as he took a few steps toward the front doors, building confidence with each stride. By the time he reached them, the gentle swish of his envirosuit motion was smooth, and his hands were at his side. He touched the door handle and hesitated before entering the bright daylight waiting beyond the stained glass.

  He swung open the door and stepped onto the veranda that overlooked the cargo stacks surrounding the farmhouse. A marine cargo loader stood ready at the bottom of the mismatched front steps. Its bright yellow seat like an eye looking up from the boxlike cab where Jacob had taken shelter, what felt like a lifetime ago.

  “They were very concerned,” Mac said from where he’d been waiting on the veranda.

  “They were?” Jacob asked, taking the first stair confidently. Near the bottom, he felt his balance threaten to shift and grabbed for the loader as he stumbled.

  The loader slid forwards on its wheel shrouded feet, reaching to steady Jacob with one of its two massive loading claws. Leaning against the loader, Jacob saw the Kaizen logo, faded under dust like a worn tattoo on its bulldozer shoulder.

  “Thanks,” he said towards the empty yellow seat as he caught his breath.

  A VTOL flyer zipped east over the house towards Deep City horizon. The sound of its engines faded, and faint mechanical noises made Jacob aware
of other movement in the tangled columns.

  “How many Kaizen live here?”

  “Oh, I have no idea,” Mac shrugged, “‘couple hundred maybe, they’re all pretty shy.”

  “But ...how did they get here?”

  “They come in from the salvage ships. Once the Kaizen learned this place was a sanctuary, they just started to show up.” Mac patted the huge metal arm of the loader. “Akakoda intended for the Kaizen to be partners, not slaves. It was a good idea, but people didn’t want to be friends with their tools.”

  “I want to be friends.”

  “And so do they, it would seem. It's not often they meet new people because they have to be careful. An international destruction order has been issued for all Kaizen, and most people are terrified of them.”

  “Terrified... but why?” Jacob asked.

  “People get freaked out by the thought of toys being alive, let alone a marine loader that can carry five tons like it’s nothing.”

  Jacob turned back to the large Kaizen, “Did you ... help me the other night on the road?”

  The loader was silent and still.

  “I asked them to keep an eye on you,” Mac said,

  “Well, thanks!” Jacob patted the giant steel arm.

  It’s the integrity of tools that lift the species.

  “What did you say?” Mac asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Oh, I was just saying thanks...”

  “No, what you said about the integrity of tools? Where did you learn that?”

  “Oh I...” Jacob didn't realize he’d said that out loud, and tried to remember where he’d heard it, “I... don’t know, but it’s true.”

  “Indeed it is, and it’s a Kaizen meme,” Mac said, nodding with a tight-lipped smile before shrugging it off. “C’mon then,” he said, twitching his head towards the shop.

  Jacob followed through the stacks feeling the same eyes watching as he did that first night.

  “Did you ever work for Kaizen Uncle Mac?”

  “Ha! I wish!” Mac said over his shoulder, “No, I was just a space jock with your Uncle. If I worked for Kaizen, I may not like them as much as I do.”