Deira remembered the dreadful lewd personality that Adam had become on Mars and how she’d found it impossible to equate that with the gentle individual she’d known so well.
‘So, who was it if it wasn’t you?’
Adam frowned and looked a little confused. ‘Well, I suppose it was me, but only sort-of. I seemed to be in two places at once and couldn’t function properly in either place. It was horrible. I knew what was happening on Mars but was powerless to do anything about it. I managed to regain control very briefly …’
‘In the cell block,’ Deira murmured. ‘I thought I might be able to pull you back from wherever you were.’
‘I know. I know you tried. Unfortunately, I wasn’t completely there – on Mars, I mean. Well, for a brief instant I was, and then it all fell apart again. It’s all very confusing, even now.’
‘The PHASEing effect. Chayka thinks you really were in two places at once, the wave function representing your personality split between Mars and sub-quantal space. I can only assume that, when your body died on Mars, the wave function collapsed, and you existed only in sub-quantal space from then on.’
Adam shrugged. ‘I don’t know. It sounds reasonable, and if that’s what Chayka says, then it’s probably true.’ He looked troubled for a moment. ‘Did you know there are living entities in sub-quantal space? Very, very old entities.’
‘I didn’t, but that ties in with the EEGs Juliette found when she was examining Tao’s data. Did you meet any of them?’
‘Only briefly. They seemed to think they could use me in some way to escape. When they realised they couldn’t, they lost interest in me. I did have dealings with one of their constructs when Tao was almost dragged back into sub-quantal space again.’
‘You were the one that helped her? She said somebody had given her moral support and possibly even a little energy to resist that tentacled thing. It was you?’
‘Yes, it was me.’
Deira frowned. She’d recently been briefed by Juliette about the brainwave levels that were so familiar to the young agents, and what Adam had just said didn’t make sense.
‘But if you helped with the tentacle, you must have been in Tao’s infra-low. How did you get there from sub-quantal space?’
Adam sighed a deep sigh. ‘I confess, I made use of Tao Chen the first time she was caught in sub-quantal space. I was desperate. I’d been all alone for so long, and my energy levels were so low, I’d given up hope of ever escaping. Then Tao appeared, and I saw an opportunity. I told her she needed to get out quickly.’
‘You were her helper in sub-quantal space, too?’
‘Yes. She still had enough energy, as well as the ability, to contact normal space, so I told her what to do. Then, when she got the energy pulse, I piggy-backed on and rode with her, first into her infra-low and later back to delta-normal. Don’t ask me how that happened because I don’t know. It was almost like it was her doing the work, not me.’
‘So, you helped Tao to help yourself – and now Tao’s lost in sub-quantal space again.’
Adam looked distraught. ‘Look, before you accuse me of anything, it wasn’t me that pushed her into sub-quantal space – though I confess I didn’t help things. Having two consciousness’s in one skull is bad. It’s not what we were designed for and the effect on Tao was to produce a low-level headache. Then, around the time she destroyed her asteroid, a sub-quantal entity briefly entered her infra-low from sub-quantal space.’
That seemed to resonate with Deira. There was something that Chayka had said – something about EEGs. Then she got it.
‘Professor Chayka mentioned three EEGs occupying Tao’s brain at one time, two definitely human and one human-like. Then the human-like one disappeared.’
‘Yes. I think it’s completely impossible for three individuals to exist in the same brain at the same time. The sub-quantal entity was the last one to gain entry and it found no room at the inn and was forced to return to sub-quantal space. However, its temporary presence was almost certainly responsible for Tao’s severe headache. She retreated to delta-normal, you know.’
‘Okay. That fits with what Jiao told me at the time. So, how did she get pulled back into sub-quantal space?’
‘She didn’t. She did it herself. I watched her surrender to the tentacle. It dragged her through the hole and into sub-quantal space.’
Deira considered that. Tao had previously explained about the tentacle in her infra-low and how it had snared her while she and Josh had been on the Cthon planet. Josh had only just managed to rescue her in time on that occasion, and that with the help of both their AIs. Now, it appeared from what Adam was saying, that the hole the tentacle emerged from was a conduit to sub-quantal space.
So, there was a direct connection between sub-quantal space and normal space through the human brain, a remarkable fact that finally made sense of some of the things Deira had been confused about up to now. Like how Tao had managed to escape sub-quantal space the first time, when they’d provided her with the stimulus.
Adam had been watching her silently, recognising that this was all very new to her. He stood and walked away a few steps.
‘Do you see it now?’ he asked. ‘Everything’s connected. The brain wave levels, sub-quantal space, everything.’
‘Yes. It’s a big concept, but I think I’ve got it. Only one thing – you say Tao voluntarily surrendered to the tentacle? Knowing Tao, I can’t see her doing that.’
Adam gazed at Deira thoughtfully and hesitated. He returned and sat next to her again and she got the impression he was considering his next words carefully.
‘She’d do it if she had sufficient motivation.’
‘What could possibly have motivated her to return to sub-quantal space voluntarily? She’d only just escaped.’
‘She was trying to help Josh.’
Deira felt a constriction in her throat and a sting in her eyes. ‘What do you know about Josh?’
‘Nothing of note, I’m afraid. I’m truly sorry to have broached such a difficult subject. I think Tao felt she might be able to help Josh if she could get to sub-quantal space. I’ve no idea what her plan was – but whatever it was clearly failed.’
So that was it then. Tao had formulated a plan to help Josh from sub-quantal space and had allowed herself to be pulled through the hole in her infra-low by the tentacle. Then everything had gone wrong. Josh had been killed before Tao could get to him and that was the reason for the scream Juliette had heard.
The three EEGs that Juliette’s data had discovered were related to the presence of Tao, Adam and, albeit briefly, the sub-quantal entity. The entity had been expelled, but the associated severe headache had forced Tao into her delta-normal. From there, she had somehow become aware of what Josh was up to and had thought she could save him if she could get to sub-quantal space. To do that, she had allowed the tentacle to pull her through, and Adam had then been left in sole possession of her body. It all made sense.
Adam had been sitting quietly, a pained look on his face. Now he slowly slid his hand around Deira’s and gently squeezed it.
‘Deira,’ he started. ‘I’m sure you know I’ve always cared for you. I wonder …’
His touch was almost like an electric shock and jerked Deira away from her thoughts. She snatched her hand away, leaped to her feet, and hurriedly made for the door.
‘Too soon,’ she gasped, and folded away before Adam could say any more.
He sat for a long time, wondering what could possibly have possessed him to say that. It had been mind-numbingly crass – stupid in the extreme. Even if he’d been in his own body it would have been crazy, but to broach the subject while he still occupied Tao was complete idiocy. He wondered if he might get a second chance in the future. Possible, he supposed, but there would be difficulties. For a start, there was the issue of Sol. She had to get over him first and, whatever she said to the contrary, she clearly still hoped he was alive. That was going to take time, probably some considerable time. That was alrig
ht, though. He had time.
He retrieved the journal he’d been reading and lay back down on the bed.
§
Deira folded straight back to Chayka’s lab in Cambridge. When she’d opened the portal, her sole intention had been to escape Adam and his unwanted attention but, stepping into the lab, she realised she’d also had another motivation. While she and Adam had been talking, her brain had been working on the problem of retrieving Tao – and it had come up with a possible solution. She needed to run it past Chayka.
She glanced round the lab and saw Chayka and Juliette talking together by Juliette’s console. As soon as she saw her, Juliette came running over.
‘Mum! Are you alright?’
‘I’m fine, hon.’ Deira put all thoughts of Adam out of her mind and concentrated on what she’d come to discuss. ‘I need to talk to the Prof.’
Chayka hadn’t moved and was watching the proceedings with interest. They hurried over to him.
‘I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon, Agent MacMahon.’
‘I wasn’t expecting to be back so soon. Professor, you recall the last time I was here we touched on the concept of DNA signatures?’
‘Ah. Yes, indeed. If I remember …’
Deira couldn’t wait for the perambulation.
‘Josh once mentioned using Tao’s DNA signature as his mentalic anchor when he was on the Cthon planet. Couldn’t we search for her in sub-quantal space in the same way? Scan for her DNA signature?’
Chayka pondered this for a couple of minutes, gently stroking his goatee and ignoring Deira’s obvious irritation.
‘The idea contains has some merit, but what would we use for a scanner?’
That floored Deira. She hadn’t got that far, expecting that something would be available – from the pentagon, if nowhere else. That was where all the good stuff seemed to be, after all.
‘You mean there’s no technology that could do this?’
‘None that I’m aware of.’
Deira swore under her breath. She’d forgotten that Josh’s original solution had been mentalic not physical.
‘So, we need someone to do this for us,’ she mused, ‘and the only ones who’d be capable would be Tao and Josh. We’re screwed.’
‘You might be able to do it, Mum.’ Juliette had seen the look of hopelessness on Deira’s face and was trying desperately to think of a way through this.
‘Hah! No way! Even the young agents would struggle. I’d have no chance.’
‘No, wait!’ Juliette had thought of something and was hopping from one foot to the other in excitement. ‘Why don’t you take Jiao?’
That just didn’t seem right to Deira. Jiao was Tao’s PWC. She had been specifically bonded with the young Asian agent, and the thought of using her in the absence of Tao seemed almost sacrilegious. She didn’t think Jiao would agree to it either.
‘I don’t think that’s going to happen. I …’
‘Just wait a minute.’ Juliette ran to her desk and removed something from the drawer. Then she hurried back and handed it to Deira. It was Joao.
‘Why don’t you ask her yourself?
Deira gave a startled look at the PCW lying in her hand. This was crazy. What could she possibly say? Luckily, she didn’t need to say anything.
‘Hello, Deira.’ Jiao’s voice came clearly through her speaker. ‘I heard Juliette’s suggestion and I think it makes sense.’
‘Hello, Jiao.’ Deira turned the PWC over in her hands, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. ‘Surely, if this were possible at all, it’d be better for one of the young agents to do it?’
‘Not at all.’ Jiao sounded slightly smug. ‘I’ve worked closely with Tao and Josh during their self-development and I know exactly what would be required to implement your idea. I wouldn’t want to force this on one of the other young agents because it’s important they find their own way forward. You, however …’
‘I don’t have a way forward.’
‘That’s a somewhat stark way of phrasing it, but it’s essentially correct. Because your future mentalic development is extremely limited, you would suffer no ill effects.’
‘What about you? You’re mentalically bonded with Tao. Could you even consider working with me?’
‘Bonding results in a high level of efficiency between the human/AI combination. It doesn’t limit the ability to perform with another human if the need arises. I’d say the need has just arisen, wouldn’t you?’
Deira knew when she’d been beaten. In truth, having overcome the discomfiture at using Jiao, she was incredibly excited. She might not be able to self-develop, but she could sure as hell experience something she’d thought would be forever out of her reach. Juliette was looking expectantly at her, willing her on, and she thought even Chayka looked hopeful.
‘Okay,’ she said. She removed her own staff and handed it to Juliette before placing Jiao in her holster. ‘Let’s do it. Let’s go Tao-hunting’
Chapter 7
The proximity detector had been but one of many systems that had degraded following the ship’s long sojourn in Titan’s mantle. It remained barely functional, and its limited range meant that by the time it reacted to an imminent threat it was almost too late to initiate any counter-measures. At any other time, the close approach of an object the size of Mars would have triggered an emergency change of course as well as the establishment of a robust shield. Unfortunately, as the fragment of Titan containing the ship bore down on the planet, the incipient disaster went undetected until the very last moment, leaving the ship precious few options.
It did what it could. The folded space barrier was already in place – had been ever since the alien had come aboard. Unfortunately, that barrier alone was insufficient to prevent the effects of transfer of momentum and, although the other shields were rapidly activated, a fair proportion of the kinetic energy from the impact made it through to the ship and its occupants.
All those in stasis at the time – most of the crew – were protected from the worst effects of the collision, and any minor damage to their bodies were swiftly dealt with by the regenerative procedures within the stasis chambers. However, the captain, Micha, was less fortunate, having been recently woken from stasis by the alien. All would have been well had the inertial dampeners been working at full efficiency. Unfortunately, degradation in this system was considerable – approaching fifty percent – and Micha was taken completely by surprise.
He’d felt like a toy in the hands of a naughty child, his body grabbed in a giant fist, shaken vigorously, and hurled across the room in a fit of petulance. He careened off the ceiling and one wall, collided painfully with some projecting elements, and finally came to rest, broken and bleeding, on the floor. Mercifully, he briefly lost consciousness, but when he came around it was to a world of pain the like of which he’d never known. Every part of his body was screaming at him – a torrent of agony that proclaimed the seriousness of his injuries. He knew instinctively that he had to get back into his stasis chamber if he were to survive.
He crawled, slowly and painfully, towards his chamber, and had covered about half the distance when he noticed the other broken body lying nearby. For a moment, he was confused, then he recognised the small human he had been conversing with at the time of the smash. If anything, the creature’s condition looked even worse than his own. There were obvious compound fractures of many of the long bones and a particularly nasty penetrating injury of the thorax that softly bubbled bloody foam.
However, what was clearly the most critical injury was a jagged gash on the head that had split the skull like a melon and exposed the underlying brain. Ignoring his own body’s demands, Micha crawled over and felt for signs of life. There was a faint pulse in the creature’s neck, so all was not completely lost. He might yet be saved if he could be manhandled into a stasis chamber.
Micha was considerably larger than the diminutive human and, under normal circumstances, would have had no trouble carrying him. Howe
ver, his injuries were such that it was all he could do to drag himself along the floor. He was also keenly aware that his own condition was approaching critical. He scanned the row of stasis chambers. If he could wake one of the bridge crew that might solve the problem. He tapped a small device on his belt and gave his authorisation code. That should put him in contact with the ship – providing the device hadn’t been damaged in the crash.
For a moment, nothing happened, and he began to think the ship had been damaged worse than he had thought. Then a voice came from the speaker in the ceiling.
‘Authorisation Code accepted. Report: systems have suffered considerable damage and procedures may be impaired. Auto-repair in progress.’
Micha groaned, hoping the systems he needed were still intact.
‘Priority 1A,’ he wheezed. ‘Authority: Micha, Captain. Terminate stasis function in chamber zero-zero-two. Identity: Uri, First Officer. On awakening, inform him of need to place critically-damaged human in stasis chamber immediately. Identify Uri as acting captain until further notice. Command imperative.’
‘Command imperative acknowledged, Priority 1A. Powering-down stasis in chamber zero-zero-two.’
The Captain sighed. He had no idea whether the human would survive, but he’d done all he could. Now he must save himself. Painfully, and excruciating slowly, he dragged himself to his chamber, a trail of blood smearing the floor behind him like the slime behind a slug. He stared up at his stasis chamber. It seemed to loom over him like a monolith and he knew he would never be able to haul himself erect to get inside. Thankfully, there was another option.
He stretched towards the emergency button. Damn it! He was just short. He needed a little more height. Groaning with the pain, he forced himself onto one damaged knee and was just able to push the button before the knee gave way and he collapsed again. It was enough. The chamber silently swivelled on its horizontal axis and lowered itself to the floor, its door swinging open invitingly.
Micha gasped and pushed himself over the lip, falling on his face inside like a slab of meat. He began the slow process of turning on his back, and it was almost too much. Every movement was agony, his body screaming at him to stop, and for a moment he didn’t think he was going to make it. Then he flopped over, and all that remained was to activate the chamber.
Gods of Titan- The Cosmic Constants Page 5