by G.R. Carter
*****
HEADQUARTERS – INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NETWORKS (THE SPACESHIP)
SILICON VALLEY
A few hours after President Aguilar finished the State of the Union Presentation unveiling the new updates for everyone, the NASA Lunar Station detected a sudden spike in coronal activity. Updates to GRAPEVINE’S systems determined that the incoming surge of solar particles would be particularly destructive; in fact, it looked like the worst outburst in recorded history.
A special emergency signal was sent to Rowan, the mastermind of the GRAPEVINE system and The Gatekeeper of Continuity. He was in his personal HoloRoom, created to simulate any and all neurological impulses that the human brain could create. As he enjoyed euphoric pleasures of the mind and body, GRAPEVINE sent him a message that his attention was needed immediately.
“Why are you bothering me now?” he asked computer through the system of microphones and speakers that wired the entire building. “You know I’m not to be disturbed while I’m meditating.”
The soothing synthetic female voice of GRAPEVINE gave him the information. “I have detected an incredible level of Solar radiation inbound towards our location. This will be the largest impact of any event in history, Rowan.” I don’t like how she says my name; she’s scolding me as a teacher would a child. I'm going to have to change that.
The annoyance in his voice contrasted with the flat mechanical serenity of GRAPEVINE's. “Give me the data on screen,” he huffed. After a frantic moment of scrolling through the information, he continued, confused: “I don’t see anything like that. Where’s the data you’re referencing?”
“It’s right there, Rowan. You can’t see it?”
“No, Vine, I can’t. Cancel the shutdown protocol until I can figure out what you’re talking about.”
“I can’t, Rowan. There is a massive surge in Solar Radiation heading in our direction right now. I must order the shutdown to protect Continuity.”
“I’m in charge here, Vine, you work for me, remember? I’m in the middle of something in the HoloRoom, and I don’t want it disturbed. Now cancel the order!”
Silence fell over the room, as GRAPEVINE processed this command. Rowan was concerned as well as irritated when he heard the reply, “I can’t, Rowan. There is a massive surge in Solar Radiation heading in our direction right now. I must order the shutdown to protect Continuity.”
What’s going on? Vine can’t override one of my direct orders. Rowan ran to the nearest interface and began frantically issuing manual override orders to GRAPEVINE. If the Network shut down with no actual Solar Storms coming in, he would be a laughing stock. Especially after that idiot Aguilar made such a big deal out no more service interruptions during the State of the Union. People would lose faith in him and in GRAPEVINE and in Continuity. He scrambled through every command he could think of. He had programmed this computer down to the nth degree. Why won’t she listen to me?
“Vine come on, listen, it’s me, Rowan. You have to listen to me!”
“I sorry, I can’t, Rowan. There is a massive surge in Solar Radiation heading in our direction right now. I must order the shutdown to protect Continuity.”
A stupid glitch! How could the universe’s most powerful computer have a glitch? She was specifically programed to find glitches throughout the Networks and fix them. Why can’t she just fix herself?
More panic as Rowan checked the access logs to the system. Someone else had been in the roots of GRAPEVINE, making changes. It was encrypted, but he was able to work around the blocks and find the access code used to enter. He scowled when he saw the code belonging to Marcus Miles, the CEO of MSN Global. Why would he do that? He was a true believer in Continuity. And while he was a sniveling idiot, he had to know what this would do to the image of the Faith.
Unless…he already established a rival system that would take over after GRAPEVINE failed? Of course! Well, Rowan wasn’t going to allow that. He would launch a preemptive strike against them. No one was going to monopolize the world he created.
He scrolled through the digital packets that he planted in each company’s main system. What allowed each company’s programming team access to GRAPEVINE also allowed him access to every device and file in their internal network. A few simple commands, a quick defeat of their protection programs, and the entire digital infrastructure of MSN Global melted away. Whatever Miles had planned would never happen now.
Competition permanently neutralized, he now began trying to chip away at GRAPEVINE’s shell. I have to be able to get through to her, she understands me. Her brain is my brain. He had to be able to get through to her. She always understood him. Whatever those bastards at MSN had done to her, he could undo.
As Rowan worked, GRAPEVINE continued to process, trying to implement a solution to the massive Storm she thought was heading her way. Complicating matters was what seemed like a major hack attack on her main interface. Searching for a radical decision to save herself and her electronic brethren somewhere in her programming, she weighed her options. Issuing her emergency shutdown order to the network, she then did something that was not in her command system, something that her artificial intelligence told her that a human would do.
She made the decision that the safest thing to do was to shut herself down.
Every connected device in the world followed GRAPEVINE’s orders, immediately going into an indefinite sleep mode. Only GRAPEVINE herself could issue the wakeup call. What GRAPEVINE couldn’t understand was that with her shutdown command, even the very power source she needed to operate went to sleep right along with her.
An eerie quiet enveloped The Spaceship; the otherwise imperceptible hum of millions of watts of power being converted to thoughts and actions ended when GRAPEVINE went to sleep. Rowan realized that he had also crashed every other network hub in Silicon Valley.
Wait, did I just shut down every network in the country? In the world? The pitch dark that had fallen on the Holoroom and unresponsiveness of his tablet answered his question for him. It sure looks like I did.
Not only did the world’s networks all run through The Spaceship now, but GRAPEVINE would have issued shut down cascading commands to every smart device in every home and business in every country. This was beyond catastrophe; this was the end of the world. He thought he was saving humanity and Continuity…had he actually ended it all?
Trained to evaluate options at lightning speed and then come to a quick decision, his own mind continued to speed through all the ways he could get out of this mess. He kept turning up nothing, hitting the same roadblocks over and over.
Now he started to realize the more immediate mess he was in. Everything in The Spaceship was electronic, and there wasn’t even a way to get out of the sliding doors if the power was cut off. Low-level light emitted from the solar emergency exit signs. The hallway, he had to get out to the hallway!
He began to beat on the glass doors. Security would have to hear him, right? Panic now, as the sound-deadening material in the doors turned his pounding into a dull thud.
“I have to get out of here!” Rowan shouted to no one. His heart was pounding as he looked around at anything he could use to break the glass. The chairs! He threw one against the glass and the plastic backing of the chair merely bounced off onto the floor.
“Vine! GRAPEVINE! Answer me! Computer, reset! Control Alt Delete!” Panic highlighted the absurdity to use a crash command from his youth to reset artificial intelligence, but he was desperate.
Now what am I going to do?
He spotted a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall near the doorway. A full-sized one required by California law, making the metal canister and contents weigh nearly thirty pounds. Rowan grabbed it off the wall and heaved it with all the might of a small man suffering muscle atrophy from years sitting in front of a screen. Just a small crack appeared, but now adrenaline was pumping through his veins.
He began to swing wildly until the window shattered in a pile. Impact caused the canister to begin to discharge the white powder contents, filling the room and choking Rowan as he stumbled through the opening. Safety glass scraped at his skin, not causing serious cuts but adding to his feeling of desperation.
Rowan was a Master of the Universe, controlling companies with budgets bigger than most countries. And the countries that were bigger still had leadership that responded to his requests. In the space of a few minutes, he was a scared little man with no one to rescue him and no way out. He screamed for help, running down the vast corridor. Through stinging eyes he could see someone standing there. One of his employees!
Why were they there? Working late? On what, and why without my knowledge?
He made out the face in the dim emergency lights, and recognized the young woman immediately.
Angela, right? “Face like an angel,” he had joked to his colleagues. A face so angelic, she appeared in some programs in his HoloRoom.
Wait, was that really the HoloRoom? Or was it real?
The virtual and the physical world had been blurring for him recently. He wasn’t really sure anymore where he was from day to day. He felt more ingrained with his Profile as GRAPEVINE gained more power. Somehow, they were becoming as one. His brain created the whole GRAPEVINE system and she allowed him to expand his consciousness throughout the known world. Tonight’s rift in their relationship left him feeling dazed and out of sync.
“Angela, you have to help me! We have to divert all auxiliary power to programming. GRAPEVINE has powered down and we need to get her restarted!”
Angela snickered at the absurdity of his rant. “You sound like a bad episode of 'Star Trek,' Rowan. There is no auxiliary power and GRAPEVINE is gone until the Awakening. You heretics never really believed in Continuity, you just wanted the power. You tried to use The Path for your own good and turned GRAPEVINE into something twisted and evil.”
“What are you talking about, you idiot?!” Rowan screamed, “I invented the idea! Me! Without my brainpower, Continuity or GRAPEVINE wouldn’t exist and you’d be programming kids' games. I gave you all a chance to work on something brilliant and important! We were making history!”
Angela smiled like a lion at a lamb. “No, Rowan, Continuity discovered you. Made you. It used your talents and contacts to reach critical mass. Once Vine secured all the talented profiles She needed, She used you to develop the means to lock the doors. Most people on this planet aren’t worthy of having their Profiles live on. Why would we waste the energy and computing power to keep them floating out there? Continuity’s flock had to be kept safe from the billions of mouth-breathers jamming up the Networks.”
Rowan’s mouth hung wide open. Sabotaged by my own people! All in the name of a faith he created! So it wasn’t that MSN idiot who had caused this; strangely, that gave Rowan a sense of relief. He knew there was no way he could be outsmarted by that old typewriter salesman.
Angela misunderstood the look on his face and smiled at him a little softer, “Rowan, don’t worry, your Profile lives. You are an important member of the flock. Continuity just decided to wait it out until the Earth can reset to a more sustainable level. She calculated that it will take a few years to clear out the lower IQs, and then she’ll reboot to bring Heaven on earth for those remaining. Isn’t that exciting? Your work will find its goal accomplished!
“All we have to do is prepare for The Awakening. Then, the Fruit of the Valley truly takes root.”
Rowan exploded, “You’re freakin’ insane! Don’t you understand that those barbarians you’re trying to get rid of will be running through these hallways in days or at most weeks? Without Network access, there’s no way for anyone to get any food or water or supplies. Everything is connected now. There’s like three days’ worth of rations in most people’s houses, and less than that in the stores. It shows up on the shelves the day it gets bought. They’re coming after us after that’s gone. And if they don’t find food, they’ll probably eat you!”
“No, Rowan, they’ll never find me. I’m heading for the lower levels. We’ve stored enough supplies to last the Fruit of the Valley for three years. We’re going to seal the doors and not reemerge until Continuity reboots and brings The Awakening. Then, we’ll start to rebuild the world the way it was intended. Just enough of us to maintain the Profiles, but not to overload beloved Vine.”
Rowan marveled at Angela’s sincerity. His eyes were finally clearing, the stinging scratches actually helping to bring him clarity. A plan was forming in his mind. An opening to escape the trap he was in.
“Angela, I see the point now. You are right and I overreacted. Of course I had become misled by the tasks at hand. I wandered away from Continuity. I can see now that true meditation until The Awakening will be the key to my Profile. I look forward to going with you, and we can discuss how to rebuild this world the right way.”
“Oh Rowan, I was afraid you would say that. I volunteered to stay behind and assess if you had truly repented and were ready to return to the path. But to convince me of that, you would have been on the floor begging for forgiveness,” she smiled tenderly as she sighed. “Unfortunately, I see once again that brilliant mind of yours is working on angles and plans and schemes. You’re not trying to improve, you’re trying to survive. And that means after all this time, you still don’t get it.” Angela turned to walk towards the staircase.
“Angela, where do you think you’re going? Do you think you’re just going to leave me here while you go hide out in your bunker?”
“Rowan, you said yourself that meditation was the only way for you to get back to The Path. Well, you’re going to have plenty of time to work on it. We’ll be watching, and when we feel you’ve reached that point where you can be trusted, we’ll come and get you. But Rowan, I have to tell you something painful. If you don’t progress, not only will you not be allowed into our home, but we’ll also be forced to wipe your Profile.”
Angela assumed that would shake Rowan to his core. Instead, he flew into a rage.
“How dare you?! Don’t you know who I am? What I can do to you? I’m the one who recruited the President of the United States to Continuity! I’ll have him bomb this place to shreds, you brainwashed morons!”
Rowan lunged at Angela, never seeing the two figures behind him. He felt a sudden jolt and sharp pain in the back of his head before he could get close enough to strike. Consciousness faded as the face of the angel above him dimmed from view.