Machines of the Gods

by William B Lyons

  Steve noted that Neil was in the far corner of this giant room. This man appeared to have been frozen in fear as mountains of activity swirled around him. Steve moved over to where Neil stood. “What in the hell is happening here?”

  “It’s a freaking nightmare. That pulse explosion was really some kind of digital bomb. Not only did it fry millions of Pentium chips, but it uploaded a monster virus into all of the computers in the area. Think of it, a wireless alien virus that deletes entire databases.”

  “Wow!” Steve gasped.

  “It’s worse than you can possibly imagine. The primary database that has the launch codes for the nuclear missile silo in Irving, Texas has been wiped clean. In fact, thirty-two other explosions like the one here have occurred all over the United States. All of the nuclear missiles are off-line. In addition to that, the transmission codes to radar systems are down too. Planes cannot fly, rapid transit system trains cannot operate, bank records have been erased too. The whole grid could go.”

  “Good God!” Steve whispered.

  “Yes, you are beginning to see the situation. Right now, we’re sitting ducks for an attack. We cannot launch any of our missiles.”

  “Isn’t there some way of fixing this problem?”

  “Maybe, we can. However, it will take around-the-clock work for about three hours just to get the system fully back on-line. Next, we’ll have to create new codes and retrieve all of the backed up information from the databases far underground. And even then, we’ll have to figure a way to stop this new monster virus from spreading to other databases in the free market.”

  “Do you think that Diamond Jack is responsible for this?” Steve asked.

  Neil nodded his head. “I’m sure of it. That guy is trying to bring us to our knees. Yes, he’s made good on his promise to take away our most powerful weapons.”

  “Wow, I didn’t even know that there was a missile silo out in Irving.”

  “Nobody knew.” Neil turned around and looked at a giant monitor behind him. That strange encrypted code continued scrolling down that screen. “That virus is unstoppable. It is eating away at all of our databases. All we can do now is to shut down everything and reboot.”

  “What about the data-stream of information coming down from our satellites? We’ll lose that information. And with the system corrupted, you’ll not be able to link up with it again. Not even GPS systems will work.”

  Neil swallowed. “We’ll have to risk it before the entire system crashes. Hopefully, we have enough information in our underground databases to bridge the cyber gap. At this point, that is all we can do.”

  Steve tightened his lips and looked around this huge room at all of the subtle confusion. Just maybe, he would do something to end this mess. “I think I may have a way of catching this guy.”

  Without even looking around, Neil continued gazing up at one of the monitors on the wall and said, “I’m listening. We need to put a lid on this maniac before he does something else.”

  “Let’s start with security satellites. We know that he is somewhere here in the Dallas / Fort Worth Area. We also know that in order for him to manufacture these alien weapons, he’ll have to be using a rather large factory. He has to transform blueprints into scaled-down models. Machines will have to be used to change raw materials into working parts. These parts will have to be assembled on some kind of assembly line. In order words, this creep needs a large factory and many workers. Since this cannot be done in the daytime, the factory will have to come alive at night.”

  “What’s your point?”

  Steve swallowed. “We can just get a list of all of the large factories in this area. I’m talking about TV assembly plants, old automobile factories, abandoned high-tech facilities that handled large numbers of products. We’ll then map the locations of these plants on the big screen behind you.” He looked back and pointed toward the super monitor. “Next, we’ll aim the satellite’s cameras toward the North Texas area and wait. The workers with their cars will start congregating at the plant where this illegal activity is being done. The satellites can pick up all of this from space. After all, why would workers show up to an abandoned factory late at night?”

  Neil smiled. “That’s good thinking. Once we have a location on this maniac, we’ll just hammer him with a couple of SWAT teams.” He then turned around, picked up a telephone, and started making the necessary calls. “Maybe we’ll also be able to round up some other questionable characters too,” he replied while waiting for someone on the other end of the line to answer. “I’m ready to end this now.”

  Steve rubbed his chin and focused on Neil again. He still had to make a plan for his own father. Perhaps the technology to save his dad existed somewhere down here. At least, he had to try. “Neil, when you finish your call, I need to discuss something else with you. I’m talking about something very important.”

  Neil nodded and started talking on the telephone.

  Steve turned to see Jenny approaching from the left. “I’ve been trying to call you for almost an hour. I haven’t been able to get through.”

  “Yeah, I know. That explosion fried my phone’s Pentium chip. Besides, I’ve also lost contact with my bank and other important institutions.”

  Steve interrupted, “I don’t want to sound blunt, but I need to get back into that secret room where the orbs are. There is a blueprint of a device in one of those things that can save my father’s life. If it can be built in time, just maybe …”

  “I know where you are going.” She walked over to face Steve head-on. “We can’t do that. We don’t know the results of building and using such a device. We don’t have all of the materials to build these alien machines anyway. We also don’t have governmental approval to do anything like this in the first place. Besides, why would we spend so much time and effort in building something that we have no idea will work? We’ve never constructed anything that was designed to cure a disease. We’re swimming in uncharted waters.”

  “At least we can try. If it doesn’t work, I’ll take full responsibility for any unforeseen damage that is done.”

  Jenny continued shaking her head. “No, we still can’t do that. There is more at stake here than you know. The life of one person is important, but one person cannot be compared with the security of an entire nation—perhaps the world.”

  “Who will know? Besides, this machine could possibly help thousands of others who are in similar situations.”

  “That’s the very reason that we can’t do this for a single individual.”

  “I refuse to accept that!” Steve yelled, angrily turning away. “I’m sick of this secret mess. If you cannot help me, then explain why! I want to know the real reason why my father cannot be saved. Tell me that, okay!”

  “What’s going on?” Neil turned from watching the giant monitor behind him and focused on Steve. “There seems to be a problem here.”

  “There sure in the hell is!” Steve stepped forward, coming within a foot from Neil. “My father is dying and your partner is refusing to help him.”

  Neil frowned. “I don’t understand?”

  Jenny interrupted, “He wants us to build one of those devices from the second orb. It’s that machine that stimulates the regeneration of brain cells. He then wants us to use the device on his father.”

  Neil looked past Steve and directly at Jenny. “Did you tell him that his father’s condition is hopeless. No one has ever survived what that man has.”

  “I’ve tried, but he’s not listening to me.”

  Steve grimaced with rage. He’d not told Neil about his father, but yet, the man knew. It seemed that he was being played as a fool yet again—just like with that other case a couple of years before. “Okay, Neil, don’t act dumb, you are part of this conspiracy too. I work my butt off for you, and now I can’t even get any cooperation from the very department I’m a part of. How
is that right?”

  “Look, I know how you feel.” Neil stepped closer, arms stretched out as if to greet an old friend.

  Steve turned away. “Don’t even try to treat me like a fool. You have no idea how I feel. Remember, I know how the system works. I also know that my father is dying and that this organization could have the means to save him. I studied that device’s blueprints. That thing is not that difficult to build. The materials to construct it are not that hard to obtain either. At least we can try. It’s better than sitting around and waiting for my father to die.”

  “We don’t know the results of building and using such a machine. It could further harm or even kill your dad. Not only that, but it could also be a danger to those around that thing.”

  Steve turned back toward Neil. “I’ve already told you that I’ll take full responsibility for any mishaps. We can move Dad to a secret bunker far from people. I’m talking about an isolated room that is heat and radiation proof. It can also be hermetically sealed too.”

  “You are still not hearing what I’m saying. Listen, many centuries ago, an object fell from the sky over in Egypt. This cylinder was found by an Egyptian boy who brought it back to his village. The metal cylinder had a warning printed on its side. The warning said to quickly remove the contents and close the cylinder again. If it was not closed again quickly, a terrible tragedy would befall all who were near it. The village’s high priest ignored the warning and opened the container. An orb rolled out. In fear, the Egyptian boy ran down into the catacombs. A few minutes later, the cylinder exploded with a terrible force. Over a hundred people were killed, and the entire village was flattened. Only the boy down in the catacombs survived. That’s how anyone knew what had happened. The story of Pandora’s Box came from that single incident. It appears that the insolation jelly in those cylinders becomes highly volatile when exposed to air for more than a few minutes. That same thing happened with the cylinder that Diamond Jack found. There have been other incidences that have happened when dealing with these orbs. Those things are dangerous.”

  Steve looked down before turning to face Neil again. “I know that there are risks. However, science and technology have never moved forward without some chances being taken. We will take all precautions to minimize the dangers. Besides, look at what can be achieved if this thing works. Maybe this device can be used to save many lives and cure many other diseases. We are at the tip of a very large iceberg.”

  “Who decides which people will get machines built for them?” Neil asked. “Who gets the medicines when the cures are in short supply? Who will be responsible for taking care of a huge elderly population? Come on, think of what a mess society would be in if we suddenly had twenty or thirty million extra people on our healthcare system who are over a hundred years of age. What are we going to do with them, huh? Also, what if we accidently create some new condition or disease while using this device? We have to take this thing slowly. We have to test it on monkeys and other primates first. We also have to determine if the device is safe to even build. Come on, Steve, think about what you are trying to do.”

  Steve frowned in anger. “Forget about logic. I am a son trying to save my father. All of my life I’ve seen death and have been powerless to stop it—until now. We can make this work. I know that exceptions can be made. I’m sure exceptions have been made in the past.”

  “I’m not being insensitive. I know that you are in a difficult position, but so am I. My supervisors would put me in prison forever if I even thought about building an alien device without their permission. Look, after your father dies, I’ll give him the best funeral a man can have. I can even arrange for him to have a solid gold casket if you wish. Your mother will also be given enough money to last her for the rest of her life. We can take care of this.”

  Steve shook his head in disgust. “You just don’t get it, do you? Not everything is about money. You cannot just buy a person’s soul. If you will not help me, then I’ll go over your head. I don’t care how big this gets or how high I have to go, but I’m going to do what needs to be done!”

  Fear came into Neil’s eyes as Steve turned and headed toward the elevator. This man’s attitude could ruin this entire mission. “Hey, wait, I’m not through talking to you!” he yelled out. “Stop!”

  “Well, I’m through talking to you!” Steve yelled back.

  “Don’t be a fool!” Neil hissed, dashing behind Steve before the man could make it to the elevator door. He then ran around and stood in front of Steve, blocking his path. “This entire situation is much bigger than one man. You should already know that! The devices we have down here could easily change all of human history.”

  Steve stepped forward, moving into a challenging position, like a boxer before a fight. “I’m not asking you to change anything. You can do this simple thing without anyone knowing. No secret has to be jeopardized. I’m just asking you to help an old man live a little longer. You can do that without really causing too much of a problem!”

  “And what about the other employees down here who have relatives who need special help? Do I make exceptions for them too?”

  “I don’t care! Maybe I’m being selfish, but we’re talking about my father’s life. Years ago, I was known as Ace Miller because it seemed that I could come out of impossible situations at the last minute. Well, I’m coming out of this impossible situation too, no matter what has to be done. I have to at least try. Now move!” Steve yelled, violently pushing Neil backwards.

  Neil fell against the elevator door, tripped over a trash can, and landed flat on his back. He then rolled over and quickly stood. After reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a walkie- talkie. “All I have to do is make one call, and you’ll be arrested. After that, you’ll just disappear. It will be over!”

  “Is that how you solve all of your problems?” Steve growled, grabbing Neil’s collar. “How many other people have been down this road?” The man attempted to free himself, but Steve slammed him into the wall even harder. “I’m prepared to see this through to the bitter end!”

  Jenny yelled out at both of them. “Oh my God, look at what’s on the screen!”

  Both men turned toward the large screen on the far wall. In fact, all of the computers in the room had the same image. Diamond Jack’s grizzly face was smiling at everyone. Then, his voice blasted from every speaker in the room.

  “Greetings, my fellow citizens. I am here to let you all know the truth about many important issues. For years, your government and the medical community have murdered many people in the name of science, politics, religion, and capitalism.Thousands of people have already died from the need of medical attention. Many more are still dying every single day. These poor souls are unknowingly given dangerous or fake medications in order to test the effects of new medications. These deceptions are called blind studies. I call it murder. These poor people had no idea of the dangers they’ve been put in. And when they died, even the insurance companies would not pay the families of these victims. Today, I’m going to end this evil game. Below, I have created a website that has an alphabetical listing of all of the people during the last three years who have been given dangerous or fake medications without their knowledge. There are over thirty-six thousand names on this list, and these are just the ones here in Dallas. Look carefully, I’m sure that you’ll recognize many of the names on this list. I also feel so sorry for the many people who have died—all eighteen thousand, four hundred and sixty-two of them. Think of it, all of these innocent people are dead because of one man. His name is Neil Stone. He is the enemy of us all. Dear citizens, look on the website. It is www.KillNeilStone.com. Help bring this monster to justice.”

  A picture of Neil Stone appeared on the screen for about five seconds and then faded. Static reappeared on all of the computer screens. Everyone in this large room stood frozen in shock. Nobody knew what to do.

  “No… no… no…!” Neil yelled in
frustration. “Reboot the entire system now! Clear out the central database, and see how many stations got that transmission. Come on, do it now!” he yelled out to the other people in the room. “Get a move on it!”

  They all started working frantically at their individual terminals. Each person was busy shutting down system after system. Then, finally, all of the computers shut off. All of the lights went out, and all of the other machines went silent. For over twenty seconds, everything was completely dark and silent. Then, everything slowly started coming back on.

  “Okay, everyone, tell me what in the hell is going on!” Neil yelled out again.

  A man standing by the large console under the main computer screen was the first to speak. “The system rebooted successfully. That monster virus has been contained within our network.”

  Another man then spoke stood up. “We still have satellite connection. We’ll be able to upload lots of information from our buried databases.”

  Soon, many individuals began making their positive reports. It appeared that they’d dodged a bullet. However, much damage had been done. They would still have to generate tons of information. This was going to be a long process indeed.

  Jenny moved over and stood next to Neil. “I have some bad news. That transmission was broadcast on every major television station in the country. That website has already gotten over ninety thousand hits in just two minutes.”

  “What’s on that freaking site?” Neil asked.

  “Just what he said. The names of thousands of people—both living and dead—who have unknowingly been in trial studies are listed in neat columns along with the drugs they were given.”

  “Good God!” Neil blurted in frustration before leaving the room and disappearing down a dark hallway.

  Steve took a deep breath and moved over next to Jenny. “It looks like he has more to worry about than me now.”

  “We all do,” she replied. “Diamond Jack has made good on his second threat. He has taken our souls.”