by Rexx Deane
‘What about the overalls?’
‘You can get those anywhere, nothing particularly distinctive.’
Sebastian sagged. ‘I guess I’ll have to run it through facial recognition. Computer, search for matches in the Galactic database.’
‘Searches of the facial recognition database can take a maximum of one hour. Do you wish to proceed?’
‘I’ve waited over a week for the video. I think an hour is acceptable!’
Aryx frowned. ‘Will you stop being so grouchy? You’ve got some good evidence there – you should be grateful.’
‘I know. I’m tired, and I didn’t sleep well last night. The nightmares have kicked in again now we’re back. I still don’t remember them clearly.’
‘I slept fine.’
‘Lucky for some … So, this wiring. Do you think you can make up a connector to attach the melted cube to Wolfram’s interface?’
‘Probably. What’s it like?’
‘Wolfram, didn’t you show him yet?’
‘My apologies, he looked like he needed the rest and, since he has only just finished repairing the ship, there has not been time.’ This time, instead of hinging open, the small rectangular panel in the top of the cube dropped in by two millimetres and slid open, revealing the array of tiny, indented contacts.
‘It looks relatively simple,’ Aryx said, ‘if a bit old-fashioned.’
‘I am at the cutting edge of twenty-second century technology.’
Aryx laughed. ‘That’s what I mean, we’re in the twenty-third! It’ll take me half an hour to do the connector, I expect. I’ll start now.’ He took out the soldering iron from the kit box under the console and set to work.
Sebastian moved to the piloting console. ‘While you’re doing that, I’ll encrypt the flight logs. The Folians didn’t ask me to, but I think it would be wise, in any case.’
Five minutes later, the computer interrupted. ‘Match found in facial recognition database.’
His stomach turned to ice as he read the name.
Duggan Simmons, deceased.
Chapter 30
‘Oh no, no, no!’ Sebastian stared at the name on the screen. A knot formed in his stomach and he wanted to throw up. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t.
Aryx looked up from his work. ‘What’s that?’
‘The computer has identified the perpetrator as Duggan! It says deceased, probably because he’s been off the radar for so long. Oh Gods! He seemed so sincere when he said he hadn’t been here. I was convinced. It wasn’t just his body language, but his tone of voice, everything.’
‘Maybe you got it wrong? After all, wouldn’t it be difficult to get a handle on his body whatnot if you couldn’t make out his face?’
‘Maybe I did— Hold on, blackouts! He said he blacked out when he tried to make himself visible. He could be suffering from some kind of psychosis. What if he came to the station during one of those episodes?’
‘If that were true,’ Wolfram said, ‘it would not explain his motivation for attacking the laboratory. It would also not explain how he gained knowledge of its existence. It would only explain his lack of memory of the incident.’
Sebastian’s chest tightened. ‘As much as I don’t want to, I’ve got to confront him.’ He entered the coordinates for Yazor into the navigation computer, digit by digit.
‘I’ll be finished with this in a few minutes,’ Aryx said. ‘If I wire Wolfram up to the melted cube, we can transfer the data over and analyse it on the way there. It might give us a clearer idea of what’s going on, especially if it’s got a record of events in the lab. At least you’ll have some corroboratory evidence that might suggest motive.’
Sebastian rubbed his forehead. ‘Do you need anything else from the station before we leave? Food, tools, that sort of thing?’
‘No, I think I’ve got all that I need. Anything I’m missing, Wolfram?’
‘I believe you have everything covered. Sebastian has no legitimate reason to delay further.’
He narrowed his eyes. ‘Thank you for that.’
Aryx sniggered.
‘Oh, and I forgot this.’ Sebastian fished about in his canvas rucksack and tossed a replacement wristcom to Aryx.
‘Thanks!’ Aryx strapped it on and threw the broken one into the recycling chute by the console.
Sebastian initiated the launch sequence and an air of apprehensive tension filled the ship as it glided through the transit system and out into open space.
***
Aryx rubbed his eyes. He’d finished wiring the last few contacts, and the melted beta cube’s organoplastic matrix was now connected to a flat metal plate by a tangle of wires. ‘Open wide.’
The interface cover of Wolfram’s cube slid open.
He was beginning to think of Wolfram as the consciousness trapped inside the cube, rather than as the cube itself. During his time on Achene, when Wolfram had been in control of the cargomech, he’d thought of him as the cargomech. In essence, Wolfram was simply the process, and it didn’t really matter what housed it – the cube was simply the most compact and efficient computer for it to be in. In a way, it reminded him of how Sebastian had described the Folians.
He lowered the contact plate into the opening and tiny sprung arms extended from the perimeter of the socket and pressed down, creating a firm contact between plate and interface array.
‘I will initiate data transfer,’ Wolfram said. ‘Once the transfer is complete, I will run a differential analysis against my database. I will exclude my experiences since the original duplication date from the analysis. Transferring.’ The lights on the side of the cube extinguished and a single LED illuminated and began moving up and down.
Aryx waited for five minutes while information flowed between the melted blob and cube.
‘I apologise for the length of time the transfer is taking, the amount of data is redonculously large.’
He laughed. ‘Don’t you mean, “ridiculously”?’
‘Yes. There appraise to be some corruption of data, and it is affecting my linguistic datablasé.’
He snorted. ‘I don’t mean to laugh, but it is funny.’
Sebastian looked up from the console. ‘Aryx, what are you laughing at? Why is it taking so long?’
Wolfram’s lights strobed. ‘If I sped up the process, I wouldn’t be able to see the shit for the shovel.’
Aryx stifled a snigger.
Sebastian cawed raucously. ‘Oh Gods, that’s funny! What’s the maximum transfer rate?’
‘I don’t know off the top of my hand.’
Aryx let out another burst of laughter.
‘If you are trying to make me say things incorrectly on porpoise, you are pissing in the water.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Sebastian said. ‘I seem to be doing a good job. Did your mentors teach you any poetry or quotations?’
‘ “You can’t polish a rose”, or was it “would a turd by any other name smell as sweet”? Oh, my mentor loved William Milkshake … William Fakespear? William Spearmint, that’s it.’
‘That’s not right, Wolfram.’ Aryx nearly fell out of his wheelchair laughing; the SI seemed to be a glutton for punishment. ‘Please stop, it’s embarrassing,’ he wheezed.
Sebastian shuddered with laughter. Wolfram fell silent.
‘You’re an evil bastard sometimes, Seb.’
‘I know. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.’
‘He probably makes fun of people with speech impelliments.’ The lights on Wolfram’s side stopped moving. ‘Data transfer complete and I’ve corrected the linguistic subroutines. Would you like me to begin the analysis now? I’ll be unable to communicate or perform other functions until the analysis has finished.’
‘Yes, begin now,’ Sebastian said, straightening. ‘We need that information as soon as possible.’ He glanced at the console then up at the windows. ‘We’ll be at Yazor in a couple of hours, and if I have to arrest him, I want to present Duggan with as much evidenc
e as possible.’
Wolfram released the clamps holding the connector in place and it flipped out of the socket and the cover slid shut. ‘I’ll begin my analysis and inform you when it’s complete.’ The lights on the side of the cube slowly strobed up and down as it fell silent.
‘There’s one thing I don’t understand,’ Aryx said, turning to face Sebastian. ‘If Duggan never managed to undo his condition, why’s he visible in the video?’
Sebastian turned around and leaned on his forearms, draping his wrists down over his knees. ‘I don’t know … It’s puzzling. He was desperate to become visible again, and his blackouts coincided with his attempts to change back. Maybe he succeeded and then had some kind of episode?’
‘But why would he change himself invisible again afterwards, if not to disguise his identity? If you were going to commit a crime, wouldn’t it be better to do it invisible?’
‘I don’t know,’ Sebastian said, with a huff. ‘I’m a programmer, not a clinical psychologist.’
‘Well, it sounds fishy, given what he said to you about his clothes becoming visible.’
‘Maybe there’s a rational explanation for it.’
‘Rational explanation! You’re desperate to believe he’s innocent, aren’t you?’ Aryx still couldn’t believe in the whole magic thing – it seemed more likely that everyone who believed in it was nuts and it was all a big conspiracy.
Sebastian remained silent.
An hour later, the ship dropped out of superphase in the system of Yazor and the stars settled back into their usual state.
‘Ultima Thule to Yazor comet. It’s Agent Thorsson. Are you there?’
Aryx hoped The Paper Man would respond. He didn’t fancy the idea of negotiating the comet’s tail again.
The comms crackled into life. ‘Good to hear from you, Agent Thorsson. I assume you’ve made progress in your investigation?’
‘Yes, a little. We’d like to meet with you.’
‘Come around sun-side. There’s a docking bay, I’ll let you in.’
‘Thanks. I’ll be bringing my friend Aryx Trevarian with me.’
‘I look forward to it. Docking protocols are active.’
Sebastian took the ship on a path parallel to the comet’s orbit, approaching from the sun-side. Through the starboard cockpit window, a large opening appeared in the rocky surface.
‘That wasn’t there before,’ Aryx said.
‘Probably camouflaged, like the one the other side.’ Sebastian rotated the ship and approached the entrance.
The ship moved into range and a set of magnetic docking rings locked on to the inductors, passing the ship through an airlock into a large, icy crystalline tunnel, where the darkness was broken by regularly spaced lights. Aryx’s innards sank into his pelvis and moved back when the ship’s gravity generator released its grip on the occupants. Vibration rumbled through the hull as the atmospheric landing thrusters kicked in. He secretly crossed his fingers. The manifold repair better be up to the task.
The Ultima Thule settled down, uneventfully, on a landing pad ringed with lights.
‘Should we bring Wolfram with us, just in case he finishes processing while we’re here?’ Aryx asked. ‘It would be good to have the evidence to show Duggan if he doesn’t believe you.’ It was more than a little ironic that The Paper Man might not believe their story.
‘That’s probably a good idea.’
Aryx tucked the cube into his thigh pocket. ‘What’s the plan?’
‘I’ll ask him about his blackouts, when the last one was, then present him with the video evidence. If he’s uncooperative …’ Sebastian patted his holster. ‘I’ll have to arrest him.’
***
The first thing that struck Aryx as he wheeled out was the sheer size of the cavern in which the ship had landed. On the far side of the pad, mounted in the rocky wall at least fifty metres away, was a door, illuminated by several lights that made it shine in the darkness of the cave as though it stood free of its surroundings.
The second thing was that in front of the doorway stood a robed figure, shrouded in black.
‘He looks a bit freaky,’ Aryx whispered.
Sebastian whispered back as they approached. ‘Wait until you see him with his mask off.’
The Paper Man shook hands with Sebastian. ‘Good to see you again, Agent Thorsson.’
‘It’s good to see you, too. We made it to Chopwood and Achene.’
‘How was the trip?’
‘Hazardous, to say the least. Chopwood was in a poor state of repair, as you can imagine. We found a diary.’ Sebastian pulled the medic’s journal from his rucksack and handed it over. ‘We then made it to Achene, but it was a surprise to find it disguised as a gas giant.’
‘Oh!’
‘The Folians hid it after you left, to prevent others from finding them. Did you know they teleported the colonists away?’
The Paper Man didn’t respond; Aryx couldn’t read the expression behind the mask.
Sebastian continued. ‘You’ll see from the diary, that after they left Chopwood aboard the Iceni, they headed for Achene, intending to start felling the Folian trees.’
The Paper Man put a hand to the masked chin. It was about as pensive – or shocked – as the featureless face could get. ‘The Folians didn’t tell me that. Why would Cullen take everyone there? They were happy enough with the resources in Chopwood.’
‘I would read the diary, if I were you,’ Aryx said.
‘And this must be your friend,’ The Paper Man said.
‘Yes, sorry.’ Sebastian held out a hand. ‘Duggan Simmons, I’d like you to meet Aryx Trevarian.’
Without bending down, The Paper Man shook hands with him. Finally, someone with the sense not to be patronising.
‘So, Agent Thorsson, how do you know my name?’ Duggan hefted the diary in his hand. ‘Mentioned in here, am I?’
‘Not in a bad light. Do you mind if we discuss this indoors?’
‘Of course, where are my manners?’
They followed him through the airlock down a short corridor that terminated in a second, much smaller, door. He entered a code and it slid back to reveal a well-lit, icy cave-like room with a kitchen area and set of couches.
‘Welcome to my humble abode,’ Duggan said, bowing, and held his hand over the sensor, keeping the door open for the pair to enter. ‘Please feel free to take a seat.’
Aryx wheeled past and nodded. ‘Nice place you have here. Did you build it all yourself?’
‘No, not all of it. The technology, such as the docking mechanisms, doors, furnishings and walkways, I installed myself, but the basic structure, the tunnels and caverns, were already here when I found it.’ Duggan allowed the door to close behind them and walked to the kitchen. ‘Can I get you a drink?’
‘Just water, thanks,’ Sebastian said, taking a seat on the couch.
‘I’ll have a strong coffee, three heaped spoons of instant, if you have any. Failing that, I’ll have a strong tea.’
‘Got paralysed taste buds, have we?’
‘No, just calloused,’ Aryx called back. Duggan put a kettle on a burner and he grinned. He parked himself at the end of the couch next to Sebastian, pulled the cube from his pocket, and placed it on the low coffee table in front of him. ‘Damn thing’s sticking in my leg. Sorry Wolfie.’
Sebastian sat back and looked around. ‘How did you find this place, Mr Simmons?’
‘After I left Chopwood, I wanted to find somewhere I could safely experiment with thaumaturgy. I was pleased to discover that some of my insurances and bank accounts I’d set up before I left for the colonising mission were still active. I wasn’t ready to integrate myself with modern society, so I started scanning for small planets and large asteroids where I could build a base.’
‘You got insurance?’
‘Of course. We knew trips might take a long time – we had no idea of exactly how long, mind you, but many of us set up accounts that would accrue interest so we
could rebuild our lives when we returned to Earth. I was lucky that my policies lasted as long as they did, and because I’d not been confirmed dead by my insurers, regardless of what everyone else thought, the policies held. I was able to purchase the resources and technology required to make this place habitable.’
‘That’s very resourceful of you.’
Aryx stared up at the ceiling. The strange stained-glass-like sheets between the crystalline stalactites were unlike any rock formation he’d ever seen. ‘I take it these caves aren’t natural?’
A tinkling came from the kitchen as Duggan stirred something. ‘No. I don’t know exactly how old they are, but the lack of information on such things implies they’re very old, perhaps even older than Humanity itself. But I’m sure you didn’t just come here to discuss architecture. So, what can I help you with, Agent Thorsson?’
Sebastian turned in his seat to face the man properly. ‘Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to gain much useful information from the Folians, and I’d like a bit more information about your blackouts.’
The clatter of crockery stopped abruptly and Duggan looked up. ‘Why would you want to know about my blackouts?’
‘It’s a long story, but the timing is important. When did you last have one?’
‘Just less than a week ago, I think. What’s today?’
‘Saturday.’
‘I guess it would have been last Sunday then.’
‘What time, roughly?’
‘What time do you make it now?’
‘It’s about twelve-hundred hours, station-time.’
Duggan paused. ‘I guess it would have been the early hours of Sunday morning, then. It lasted four or five hours.’
Sebastian looked at Aryx.
He nodded discretely. It certainly confirmed Sebastian’s theory about the blackout timing. Be careful, he mouthed.
Sebastian blinked slowly and turned his eyes back to the kitchen.
Duggan brought the tray over and placed it on the table next to the cube. ‘So, why are my blackouts important?’
‘We found footage of you on the security video aboard the station. It was a couple of hours after your blackout would have started.’
‘Footage of me? How is that possible?’