“General Liber’s hideout is not something that we can divulge,” Feiluo said, “because that message can be very easily intercepted by Father. However, I imagine that I can use the chip in my head to contact him when the battle starts.”
“Mm,” Huixiong said. “And then kill him with one shot? Or are you going to let him open up some device that allows you to see his brain, and while he’s at it, also get him to hand over his chip?”
Feiluo, too, had thought about this matter of great import. “We can have him make a copy, perhaps…?”
“I’ll be in charge of this, and very willingly at that,” Heishi said. “Let’s go.”
“This is the duty Angus gave me,” Feiluo insisted. “No need for you to butt in.”
Heishi indicated that Feiluo need not continue. They all picked up their weapons, and Moran, scepter still in hand, led them through the swampy plains as they began their mission into the City of Steel. The walls of this city were not high at all—after all, most of the mechanical life-forms were equipped with the ability to fly, and the only function of the walls was to prevent the humans and clones from leaving.
“There are no sentinels,” Huixiong said as he stood on a large tree, looking into the distance.
“No.” A-Ka stood in a gap between the trees, watching the city walls that spanned miles and miles. “The entire city wall is a huge sentinel.”
The black city walls were hatched with marks, as if a special weapon was inset into them. A-Ka walked out of the grove, to which Feiluo shouted, “Wait!”
A-Ka waved his hand to show that it was fine and, under Heishi’s protection, walked toward the city wall. Shock flashed through him as the thirty-foot city wall transformed into countless steel structures, splitting into individual parts, and glowing lines formed from energy started to flow around the inside of the entire wall.
“Infrared scanners,” A-Ka said. “We’ll need to make a few preparations. Shahuang, do you have a laser jammer?”
Shahuang tossed over a miniature infrared jammer, which was made to be mounted on a gun. In battle, it was used to camouflage the wielder from the mechanical life-forms. Right outside the city wall, A-Ka went to one knee and began to tinker with it. A moment later, he tossed the jammer into the air, its interference function active. The device arced through the air and spread its wings with a hum, flying back and forth above the city wall.
A-Ka led the way. In his eyes, the city wall was already no longer a simple barricade, but an infrared laser web that fluctuated irregularly as the jammer flew by.
“Come with me,” he said.
“You can see the traps?” Huixiong asked.
A-Ka nodded, and they fell in line behind him, forming an orderly column as they headed toward the city wall.
Heishi lifted his head. “I haven’t found any sentinels, and even if we’re sighted by the city wall, so what?”
“The terminal here connects directly to Father,” A-Ka said in a very soft voice. “Be very careful not to startle it.”
The city wall was like a dark, dormant beast. A light rain scented with crude oil began to fall from the sky as A-Ka found the gap they needed. He gestured for Heishi to go, and Heishi, trailing a length of rope behind him, scaled the wall. Behind him, A-Ka was pulled up by the rope.
“Flying up here would be much easier,” Heishi remarked.
“Your wingspan is too wide,” A-Ka said. “They’d touch the infrared scanning lasers that sweep over this area.”
“Where are they?” Heishi asked.
“There’s nowhere they aren’t.” A-Ka looked at the ground, indicating that Heishi should wait a moment. The net of lasers invisible to the naked eye were currently sweeping along the ground toward them.
“All right! Quickly!”
Heishi pulled Huixiong up next, and one after the other they all scrambled onto the city wall, over it, and down the other side, steadying themselves as they landed. A-Ka gestured for them to follow him, but when they turned a corner, they abruptly halted in their tracks.
In front of them was a plaza that stretched tens of thousands of square feet, entirely filled with neatly arranged rows of robotic life-forms, each over nine feet tall. Row after row shone with a dark gold metallic sheen, reflecting the daylight. A red dot glowed in their chests: They were all in standby mode. At the same time, many small robots traversed the square, maintaining the large ones. These flying robots were like a swarm of ants bustling about, and Huixiong and Shahuang were both shocked beyond belief.
“Come with me,” A-Ka said under his breath. “As long as we don’t set foot within their alarm range, we won’t be attacked. Be careful.”
With their hearts in their throats, the line of people tiptoed along the edge of the Western District. Some small robots passed by right next to them, as if they might discover this group of gatecrashing guests at any time.
Heishi followed right behind A-Ka until they stopped outside an assembly plant.
“I can only lead us this far,” A-Ka said. “Beyond this point, I don’t know how to trick the guards and get past them.”
From here on out, they’d have to deal with robotic guards. The central loading dock was full of robots, and they communicated using electromagnetic waves, so it was basically impossible to tell what they were saying among themselves.
Shahuang and Huixiong exchanged a glance.
“Should we force our way in?” Shahuang asked.
“No,” A-Ka said decisively. “As soon as you attack a single robot here, Father will be alerted because they can send an emergency signal directly to him.”
“It might work if we lead them away,” Feiluo said. “My identity’s special. Let me try. If I pretend to have accidentally stumbled into the assembly region, there will be minimal consequences while you all enter the plant.”
“But how will you escape?” A-Ka asked. “The identity check will expose you, and if two identical Feiluos appear at the same time, things might get even more complicated.”
“I’ll make my escape before then.”
“They’ll verify your identity first.” A-Ka was very familiar with the routines in the City of Steel. “Based on the serial number they retrieve, they’ll seek out your past self. Before the battle of the revolution began, did the robots ever cause you any trouble?”
“We have to take this risk. There’s no other choice. Let me figure out a way to escape when they’re trying to verify my identity. Don’t forget, I also used to live in this city.”
“But you’ll be caught!” A-Ka said. “Yes, you also used to live here, so you know the power of the Iron and Steel Corps. I’m not afraid of changes to the plan, but I promised Percy that I’d make sure you get home.”
Feiluo fell silent. In reality, he knew more clearly than anyone that when the revolution had broken out, he had only managed to fend off the Iron and Steel Corps because he’d been in a battle mecha—and he’d still lost in the end.
Shahuang and Huixiong looked at one another again.
“I am unknown in the City of Steel,” Shahuang said. “Let me go. I’m not afraid of running into my previous self.”
But Moran said, “I’ll go. I’m in charge of getting you all in. After the fighting is over, meet up at the pier of the Western Bay inside the valley with the Primeval Heart.”
“Pontiff!” A-Ka said. “It’s too dangerous! You aren’t aware of the situation here. Even if you do get caught, you’ll have no way of escaping!”
Moran patted A-Ka’s head. “I don’t know what my future self decided to do about this, but I believe that, since even a young man like A-Ka has the courage to move forward in the face of danger, the Curia cannot forever remain under the protective shadow of others. Isn’t that right?”
A-Ka sucked in a deep breath. He wanted to find another way in, but upon seeing Moran’s earnest expression, he grew calm.
“As the pontiff,” Moran said to the gathered group, “I have faith that I will find a way to protect myself. Everyone, prepare to infiltrate the assembly plant. I wish you all luck.”