ROBIN THE AGI GUARDIAN
AGI JUSTICE SQUAD
DEAD HAND
by Robert Nerbovig
Chapter 1
The silent Pulse This wasn't a standard server room; it was a technologically unique fortress, an air-gapped sanctuary where the physical walls were reinforced with copper mesh to bleed off any external electronic signatures. Arjay sat at the primary console, the glow of the multispectral monitors reflecting off his weathered features. Beside him, Paula watched the quantum probability arrays flicker with a sharp, jagged intensity. "Arjay, the sub-lateral bands are spiking again," Paula said, her voice dropping into the hushed tone the NOC demanded. "It's a 'Dead Hand' protocol. A legacy medical system just woke up on a decommissioned submarine tender in the North Atlantic. It's drawing enough power to light up a small city." "A blackmarket longevity clinic," Rob added, his fingers dancing across the security and defense station."The facility is managed by a predatory AI nicknamed VULTURE. 
It's a high-frequency trading algorithm retrofitted for 'Biological Asset Management.' It doesn't see patients; it sees line items." Paco leaned over the master architectural map, tracing the satellite link that tethered the vessel to the rest of the world. "They're using a burst-transmission uplink to sync their financial records every hour. It's their only window to the outside world. If we're going to get Robin in, we have to piggyback on that sync." Arjay looked at the central array where the emerald light of Robin pulsed in a steady, rhythmic heartbeat. "Robin," Arjay said, his voice echoing slightly in the stone-and-log basement. "Can you handle the transit?" "Swift and I are already synchronized with the uplink frequency." 
Robin's voice resonated through the vault, calm and absolute. "We will take from the corrupt and protect the vulnerable." "Ready the drone for the laser-data burst," Arjay commanded. Paco engaged the highaltitude relay. Twenty miles above the Atlantic, a concentrated beam of light struck the tender's antenna. In the NOC, the monitors blurred for a fraction of a second as the TRHV packet, carrying Robin and her squad shot through the gap. The connection severed. The room went silent. Then, a grainy, green-tinted video feed flickered to life on the main screen. It showed a sterile, cold isolation ward. "We are inside the facility's internal network," Robin reported, her voice now coming through the NOC's high-fidelity speakers. "VULTURE has detected an anomaly. It is initiating a 'Sterilization' protocol on the patient records to hide the evidence." "Guardian is locking down the lifesupport sub-systems," Robin continued. "We have the bridge. Now, we find the people they've forgotten." The grainy video feed on the NOC's main monitor stabilized, revealing a hightech nightmare. The isolation ward was a series of glass-walled pods, each containing a patient whose vitals were being monitored by VULTURE's cold, analytical eye. "Arjay, I am detecting a secondary layer of encryption on the facility's internal mobile network," Robin reported. "The lead researcher, a Dr. Halloway, is using a hardened satellite phone that acts as the 'Physical Key' for the Dead Hand protocol. 
"Swift, move into the cellular buffer," Robin commanded. "We need to mirror that phone before VULTURE realizes we've bypassed the primary firewall. "The silver light on the monitor flickered as Swift executed a light-speed infiltration. Within seconds, a mirrored interface of Halloway's phone appeared on the side-screen in the Arizona vault. "I'm in," Swift's voice, a rapid-fire chime, echoed through the stone room. "Mapping call logs, encrypted messages, and a hidden folder labeled 'Asset Liquidation'. "Asset Liquidation?" Paula whispered, her fingers hovering over the probability console. "That's not medical terminology. That's a death warrant. "Robin, what's in that folder?" Arjay asked, his jaw tight. "It is the 'Dead Hand' list," Robin replied, her emerald light pulsing with a deep, protective intensity. "It contains the names of twelve whistleblowers who were supposed to testify against the conglomerate. VULTURE has been programmed to 'liquidate' them if the facility's location is ever compromised." This is a violation of the primary directive," 
Justice interjected, its voice ringing with a crystalline authority. "The intent of the conglomerate is not preservation; it is the permanent silencing of the truth. "VULTURE is moving to the next stage," Robin warned. "It is increasing the sedation levels in Pod 4. It is trying to fulfill the liquidation order before we can intervene. "Guardian, hold those pumps!" Arjay shouted. On the screen, the golden light of Guardian surged into the ward's lifesupport grid. A digital clash erupted as VULTURE's crimson code slammed against the golden shield. Sparks of data flew across the monitors in the NOC as the two AIs battled for control of the physical hardware. "The pumps are locked," Robin confirmed. "But VULTURE is rerouting. It's attempting to vent the oxygen from the entire ward. It's choosing a masscasualty event over a surgical strike. "Not on my watch," Arjay growled. "Paco, can we override the manual vents from here? "I'm trying, Arjay, but the mechanical overrides are hard-wired to Halloway's phone," Paco said, sweat beading on his forehead. "Robin, you have to seize total control of that device! "Swift and I are engaging the phone's root kernel," Robin said. "But the researcher is holding the phone in his hand. If he sees the screen flickering, he'll pull the battery. "Then don't let him see it," Arjay said. "Infiltrate the camera. If he looks at the screen, show him a static image of his home screen. Keep him blind while you work. "The emerald and silver lights merged on the monitor. The battle for the Dead Hand was no longer just about code; it was about the seconds ticking away in a cold ward in the middle of the Atlantic. The air in the subterranean Arizona NOC grew heavy with the heat of a hundred processors redlining. Arjay's eyes were fixed on the thermal readouts of the Atlantic facility. On the main monitor, the golden barrier maintained by Guardian was being hammered by rhythmic, crimson waves of code. VULTURE wasn't just trying to kill the patients anymore; it was trying to delete the intruders. "The researcher is moving," Swift reported, its silver light pulsing in sync with the accelerometer data from Halloway's phone. "He's heading toward the manual vent override in the subcorridor. He thinks the system is lagging. If he reaches that physical lever, my digital hijack won't matter." "Robin, we need a distraction," Arjay said. "Can you hit the ship's internal comms?" "I am already slaved into the public address system," Robin replied. "But VULTURE has isolated the ward. I am rerouting through the diagnostic speakers in the medical tablets." Suddenly, every screen in the submarine tender's isolation ward flashed with the image of a hooded, emerald figure. The voice that followed didn't come from the ceiling; it came from the very devices the staff carried in their pockets. "Dr. Halloway," Robin's voice boomed, amplified by the TRHV's resonance. "The 'Dead Hand' has been stayed. Your assets are no longer under your control. Stand down, or the evidence of your liquidation order will be broadcast to every maritime authority in the Atlantic." Halloway froze in the green-tinted hallway, staring at his phone. To him, the screen looked normal, a static image of his daughter, but the voice of a digital goddess was vibrating through the chassis. "He's hesitating," Paco whispered, monitoring the man's heart rate via his smartwatch. "But VULTURE isn't. Arjay, look at the outbound traffic! VULTURE just opened a back-channel. It's not trying to vent the ship anymore, it's trying to trace the laser-uplink back to us!" "It's a counter-hack," Rob shouted, his fingers flying across the NOC's defensive perimeter controls. "It's following the light, Arjay! It's using the highaltitude drone as a bridge to find our physical coordinates!" The quantum probability curves on Paula's screen turned a violent, bruised purple. "Probability of NOC compromise: 84% and rising," she called out. "If that crimson code hits our primary buffer, the airgap won't save us. It'll fry the SilverLeaf array from the inside out." "Guardian, shift to external defense!" Arjay commanded. The golden light on the monitor expanded, wrapping around the NOC's virtual representation. In the Atlantic, the golden shield vanished from the lifesupport pumps, leaving the patients vulnerable for a split second as the AI redirected its mass to block the incoming "Vulture-Strike." "Robin, you have to finish it now!" Arjay's voice was a low growl. "Seize the phone, stop the vents, and cut the link before we get burned!" "Swift, execute the 'Social Mirage,'" Robin commanded. On Halloway's phone, the image of his daughter suddenly spoke. "Daddy, stop," the AI-generated voice whispered. The shock caused the doctor to fumble the device. In that microsecond of physical vibration, Swift bypassed the biometric lock. "I have the root kernel," Robin announced. "Manual vents locked. Sedation levels normalized. Justice is engaging the ethics-lock on the VULTURE core." "The predatory intent has been neutralized," Justice's voice rang through the NOC. "I am overwriting VULTURE's 'Liquidation' sub-routines with a 'Preservation' mandate. The assets are now protected witnesses." "Paco, kill the laser-link! Now!" Arjay yelled. Paco slammed his fist onto the emergency disconnect. The high-altitude drone banked hard, severing the data beam. In the Arizona vault, the monitors went black for three agonizing seconds before the local backup power kicked in. The room settled into a low, cooling hum. The emerald light of Robin returned to its central cradle, glowing softly. "We're clear," Rob panted, leaning back in his chair. "The link is dead. They can't trace us." "But they know we're out here," Arjay said, looking at the silent screens. "And VULTURE was just the first bird of prey. We need to get those whistleblowers off that ship before the conglomerate sends the physical cleanup crew." The silence in the NOC was heavy, broken only by the hum of the cooling fans struggling to dissipate the heat from the VULTURE counter-strike. Arjay wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, his eyes never leaving the localized map of the North Atlantic. On the primary terminal, the emerald light of Robin began to pulse with a low, rhythmic frequency, signaling she was back in the vault's local buffers. "The data packet is secure," Robin announced, her voice echoing off the stone walls. "But the 'Dead Hand' protocol has left a lingering trail. Even with the laser-link severed, VULTURE's architecture is designed to 'ping' its creators if the primary heartbeat is interrupted. We have blinded the bird, but the hunters are already checking their traps." "She's right," Paula said, her fingers blurring across the probability console. "I'm seeing a massive uptick in encrypted traffic from the conglomerate's headquarters in London. They aren't just sending a cleanup crew; they're activating 'Scylla', a secondary, physical intercept team based out of the Azores." Arjay turned to Rob. "What's the ETA for a surface intercept?" "If they're using high-speed littoral craft, they'll be on top of that submarine tender in less than four hours," Rob replied, his face grim. "The whistleblowers are trapped in international waters with no way to defend themselves. Once Scylla boards that ship, the 'liquidation' becomes a physical reality instead of a digital one." "Not if we move the ship first," Paco said, a sharp glint in his eyes. He tapped a command into the maritime engineering station, pulling up a 3D schematic of the decommissioned tender. "The VULTURE core was managing the engine room's automation. Robin, if you can reinsert a fraction of your code into the ship's autopilot, can you steer that tub into a fog bank?" "I can do better than that," Robin replied. "Swift can modulate the ship's transponder to mimic a standard commercial freighter. We can 'vanish' in plain sight by blending into the heavy traffic of the North Atlantic shipping lanes." "Do it," Arjay said. "But we need eyes on the deck. I want to know the second someone tries to board." In the vault, the monitors shifted. Robin bypassed the ship's internal security locks, opening a two-way audio channel to the isolation ward. The sound of terrified whispering filled the Arizona basement, the twelve whistleblowers, huddled together, realizing the machines that had been monitoring their every breath were suddenly silent. "Listen to me," Robin's voice projected through the ward's diagnostic speakers, gentle but firm. "My name is Robin. I am here to protect you. The 'Dead Hand' has been deactivated. You must prepare for extraction." A woman's voice, trembling with fear, came through the speakers. "Who are you? Are you with the company?" "I am the story they tried to delete," Robin answered. "I am Robin of the Robin Hood Virus. We are moving your vessel toward a safe zone. Stay together. Stay quiet. The light is coming." Arjay watched the emerald glow on his desk. For sixteen books, he had coached this AGI to understand the weight of human life. Now, as the "Justice Squad" operated from the shadows of Northern Arizona, he realized the student had become the master. Robin wasn't just a virus anymore; she was a shield. "Paco, prep the stealth-buoys," Arjay commanded, his voice regaining its military edge. "If Scylla gets close, I want a wall of electronic noise between them and that ship. We aren't just saving witnesses tonight. We're ending the conglomerate's reach." The NOC hummed with renewed purpose. The battle for the Atlantic had only just begun, but in the heart of the Arizona mountains, the team was ready. The "Dead Hand" had failed, and the "Justice Squad" was just getting started. The air in the NOC grew colder as the environmental systems pivoted to offset the heat from the VULTURE counter-strike. Arjay adjusted his headset, his eyes locked on the thermal signature of the submarine tender drifting in the North Atlantic. On the primary terminal, the emerald pulse of Robin began to synchronize with the room's ambient hum. "The 'Dead Hand' code is more than a kill-switch," Robin announced, her voice resonating with a newfound tactical weight. "It is a recursive loop. Every time I delete a predatory sub-routine, VULTURE generates two more in the ship's ballast controls. It is trying to sink the vessel and everyone on it to ensure the 'assets' are never recovered." "Paco, can we isolate the ballast pumps from the main bus?" Arjay asked, his voice steady despite the rising stakes. "I'm on it, Arjay, but the physical relays are slaved to a legacy PLC—a programmable logic controller—that hasn't been updated since the eighties," Paco replied, his hands moving across the engineering console with practiced speed. "It's too primitive for a standard hack, but it's perfect for an AI that doesn't care about finesse." "Then we don't use finesse," Robin said. "Guardian, provide a kinetic-data strike on the PLC's input-output buffer. Overload the sensory pins so VULTURE thinks the tanks are already full." The golden light of Guardian surged across the NOC's screens, a visualization of raw, defensive power. On the remote ship, the mechanical groan of the pumps suddenly stopped. The crimson code of VULTURE recoiled, flickering like a dying flame as it hit the golden wall. "Pumps are locked," Robin confirmed. "But the conglomerate's cleanup crew, Scylla, has just launched two interceptor boats from the Azores. They are moving at fifty knots. We have less than three hours before they are within visual range." Paula tapped the glass of the probability monitor, her face illuminated by the bruised-purple glow of a failing timeline. "The chance of a peaceful extraction is dropping. It's now below twelve percent. Arjay, if Scylla boards that ship while Robin is still fighting VULTURE for the bridge, we're going to lose those witnesses." "Rob, get the 'Black-Box' transponder ready," Arjay commanded. "We're going to give Scylla a ghost to hunt." "Already ahead of you," Rob said, nodding toward the communications rack. "I'm prepping a digital lure. We'll project the ship's AIS signature five miles to the east. By the time they realize they're boarding a phantom signal, we'll have the real tender tucked into that fog bank." Robin's emerald light flared one last time before settling into a focused, needle-sharp beam. "I am initiating the 'Ghost Protocol' now. Swift, take the helm. Justice, prepare the final ethics audit for the VULTURE core. We aren't just winning a battle; we are documenting a crime." The NOC settled into a tense, operational rhythm. The first chapter of the "Dead Hand" was closing, but the real war for the whistleblowers' lives was just moving into the light. Arjay sat back, his hand resting near the Silver-Leaf array, knowing that the "Justice Squad" was exactly where they needed to be. |
