Socrates and the Ionian

by Thomas Fay

  ‘Sentinels! Remain where you are,’ John shouted.

  The woman stopped moving.

  ‘Socrates, restrain her.’

  The android approached the woman, who remained perfectly still. Reaching out, Socrates grasped her right hand. John was completely unprepared for what happened next. The woman spun around. Fast. Twisting free of Socrates’s grip, she thrust outwards with both her arms, sending the android flying through the air. He landed heavily inside a pair of metallic crates. Turning around, she looked directly at John for a split second. Then she turned and ran towards the back of the chamber. Leaping into the air, she grabbed onto one of the metallic walkways. Vaulting over it, she sprinted to the end of the chamber where she leapt onto another walkway higher up. Grasping the sides of the metallic railings, she pulled herself up to the ceiling and disappeared through a hatch.

  John lowered his handgun. In his mind he could still picture the woman’s face when she had looked at him. There had been something wrong with that face. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but there was something familiar about it. Holstering his weapon, he walked over to where Socrates was extricating himself from the damaged crates.

  ‘Are you alright?’ John asked.

  Socrates stood up. ‘I remain one hundred per cent functional.’

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘I do not know.’

  ‘That woman just threw you like you were a rag doll. How is that possible?’

  ‘I have replayed the encounter several times. Based on my analysis, there is only one possible explanation.’

  ‘Which is …?’

  ‘She was not human.’

  ‘If she wasn’t human then what was she?’

  Socrates turned to look at him with eyes that only looked human. John could still picture the gleaming metallic endoskeleton that lay beneath. He shivered despite the perfectly controlled temperature conditions of the aerospace facility.

  ‘I don’t know, John.’

  Four

  The Icarus spacecraft lifted into the air. Its quad magnetic-inversion engines ignited, powered by an array of Flux Cells. Unlike the traditional solid rocket-booster launch systems, this was a clean way of propelling vehicles into space. Icarus gained height slowly at first but, as the drives built momentum, it began to climb faster and faster. Soon it was a distant shining point of light accelerating into the pale blue sky above.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ Qallan Frost continued. ‘The Icarus system will allow us to tap into the sun’s energy directly from space, storing it and then transmitting that energy back to Earth. Using our dedicated collection stations, we will then feed that solar energy into the power grid. We plan on launching a whole network of Icarus craft which, once fully operational, will allow us to provide clean energy via the existing power network without the need to retrofit buildings with Flux Cells.’

  A round of boisterous applause resounded from the assembled crowd. The reporters were furiously drafting and issuing press releases on their phones while the business leaders were attempting to acquire traditional power grid assets. John and Socrates quietly slipped back into the crowd.

  ‘Where did you go?’ Simone asked.

  ‘Someone tried to sabotage the Icarus launch,’ John said.

  ‘What? Are you alright?’

  ‘I’m fine. Socrates came out worse for wear after the encounter.’

  Simone raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Socrates. ‘Someone overpowered him?’

  John nodded. ‘Despite appearances, I don’t think they were human.’

  Simone’s eyes narrowed. ‘What where they?’

  ‘I don’t know. We were hoping you might have some idea.’

  ‘This is serious. We’d better go and speak to my father.’

  ‘Lead the way.’

  They made their way through the crowd towards the podium. Reaching the side, they were stopped by a pair of Council operatives. Simone waved to her father. He motioned for the operatives to let them through as he descended from the podium to meet them halfway.

  ‘My child, is everything alright?’ Qallan Frost asked.

  ‘Someone attempted to sabotage Icarus.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘We don’t know but I don’t think they were human,’ John said.

  Frost turned to Socrates.

  ‘You recorded the encounter?’ Frost asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Socrates said.

  ‘You’d better come with me.’

  ****

  The four of them were inside the glass control booth inside the aerospace facility. A series of holoprojectors was active, recreating the encounter from before. The image flickered slightly as the unknown woman grabbed onto the walkway and pulled herself up effortlessly. She disappeared out of frame a second later, as the image was from Socrates’s point of view and he had been lying inside the metal crates at the time. The recording stopped and the holoprojectors paused.

  ‘Go back to the moment you attempted to restrain her,’ Frost said. His blue eyes were fixed on the image.

  The holoprojectors rewound the image rapidly as Socrates continued to feed data wirelessly to them. Locating the exact point in time that he reached out to apprehend the trespasser, he restarted the playback. The woman sprang to life before them, spinning around so fast that the projectors struggled to keep up. The image changed to the ceiling as Socrates was sent flying backwards.

  ‘Pause. Rewind and freeze on her face,’ Frost instructed.

  The woman pulled her hands back towards herself as she turned away. The image froze as she looked directly at Socrates. Frost leaned forward.

  ‘Interesting,’ he whispered.

  ‘Father? Do you know what she is?’ Simone asked.

  ‘She is not human, that’s for certain.’

  ‘We figured that. There’s no way a human could throw Socrates across the room like that,’ John said.

  ‘Which leaves several possibilities,’ Frost said.

  ‘Several? I’m probably going to regret asking but … if she’s not human then what is she?’

  Frost stared at the image for a full minute before replying.

  ‘She could be an alien life form masquerading as human. While problematic, the alternative is even more concerning.’

  ‘More concerning than an unknown alien life form running around unchecked?’

  ‘Yes.’

  John took a deep breath. His eyes were drawn to the image of the unknown woman being projected into the air before them. There was something familiar about her face. The way the skin was stretched across her features. He had seen something similar before. He just couldn’t remember where.

  ‘What’s worse than an unknown alien?’ John asked.

  Frost turned to look at him. John was once again reminded of the depth of knowledge and understanding that was lurking beneath the surface of Frost’s eyes. He shuddered at the thought of what the Chairman of the Iona Corporation really was even as his mind suddenly remembered why the woman’s face seemed familiar. Something he’d seen in Professor Holstein’s laboratory, years ago. When Socrates’s programing had been compromised.

  ‘I believe the unknown assailant may be an android,’ Frost said, just as John recalled the image of Socrates’s face, the skin stretched like that of a doll that had melted in the sun. The same way the unknown woman’s skin seemed to be stretched across her face.

  Five

  The crowd had dispersed by the time they walked back outside the aerospace facility. A few reporters were still recording their commentary on the Icarus announcement against the backdrop of the dark-grey building but most people had left. John walked towards his Sentinel cruiser. Simone walked beside him, with Socrates following a step behind them. Reaching into his pocket, John withdrew the car remote. He stared at it for a long moment.

  ‘Are you alright, John?’ Simone asked.

  ‘Huh? Sorry, I was just thinking …’ John said.

  ‘About that intruder?’


  John turned towards her. He deliberately avoided looking at Socrates as he said, ‘Yes. Whatever she was, this can’t be a coincidence. A new technology—a new threat. I miss the good old days when all we had to worry about were thieves, murderers and terrorists. Now we have unknown life forms to contend with as well.’

  Simone reached out and placed her hand on his cheek.

  ‘I know, John. This isn’t what you signed up for when you joined the Sentinels.’

  ‘Damn right it wasn’t.’

  ‘You’re doing a pretty good job so far, though.’

  ‘Am I?’

  Simone smiled. ‘You saved my father when Gage tried to take control. You’ve acted as an effective liaison between the Sentinels and the Ruling Council. And you’ve had no trouble adjusting to working with an android partner. I’d say you’ve handled things extremely well.’

  John considered her words. His gaze flicked to Socrates. The android looked back at him with eyes that only looked human. He had seen what lay beneath—the metallic endoskeleton powered by a Flux Cell built by the leader of the Ionians, Qallan Frost. He knew there was no turning back the moment he’d set foot inside the Ruling Council Chambers.

  Taking a deep breath, he focused on the problem at hand.

  ‘Is there any way you can tell for certain what she was?’ John asked.

  Simone shook her head. ‘No. The surveillance inside the facility wouldn’t be able to differentiate between a human, alien or synthetic life form. In fact, the footage Socrates had was the most detailed recording we have of the encounter.’

  John nodded. ‘Socrates, is there any way you can analyse the data you captured to determine what she was?’

  ‘I have run various analysis algorithms from the moment the trespasser revealed its true nature,’ Socrates said.

  ‘And …?’

  ‘I am unable to determine conclusively what sort of life form we encountered.’

  ‘Right. That’s surprising, I thought you were always recording in various spectrums and could capture in extreme high definition.’

  ‘I can. When I am not being hurled through the air and embedded into a metallic container. My abilities were somewhat compromised during the encounter.’

  John and Simone stared at Socrates. Then they both burst out laughing.

  ‘I will never understand why humans find certain statements of fact amusing,’ Socrates said.

  John clapped him on the shoulder. ‘That’s because you didn’t see yourself get thrown across the room by a small woman. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.’

  Socrates stared at him but didn’t say anything. John opened the cruiser with the biometrically coded remote. Grasping the door handle, he turned to Simone.

  ‘Do you need a lift?’ he asked.

  Instead of replying, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Stepping back, she said, ‘I’d better stay here and help my father. The Icarus deployment stage is critical to the success of the project.’

  John nodded.

  ‘No problem. I’ll call you later.’

  ‘I can’t wait.’

  Six

  The turbo-lift came to a smooth stop. The display read B1 as the doors slid open with the faintest hiss of air. John and Socrates stepped out. The Sentinel tech lab stretched out before them, white-clad technicians busily at work in their high-tech playground. John waved James Gleason over to the nearest holoprojector array.

  ‘I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,’ the tech said.

  ‘No one ever does. Yet here I am,’ John said.

  ‘Something happen?’

  John considered the question for a moment. How much could he tell James without revealing the truth about the Ionians? He decided on the facts.

  ‘Someone tried to sabotage the Iona Corporation’s launch this morning. Socrates and I interrupted them before they caused any damage but they got away. That’s where you come in.’

  ‘Sure. What do you need?’

  ‘Surveillance. What do we have at the airport?’

  ‘Quite a bit. In the last six months the Ruling Council has given us almost full access to their surveillance around major transportation hubs, public event spaces and even the CBD.’

  ‘Okay, that should make this easier. Can you pull up footage from the launch an hour ago?’

  ‘Sure, give me a sec.’

  The holoprojectors sprang to life as James input a series of instructions into the virtual keyboards projected onto the desk. The tech’s left and right hands moved rapidly, sorting through information like most people sorted their washing: quickly, efficiently and logically. The LED screens were showing the aerospace facility from all sides. John saw himself and Socrates moving along the side of the dark-grey building, reaching the emergency exit, then entering.

  ‘Can you see the roof, on the other side?’ John asked.

  ‘Hang on, I’m going to access the feed from one of the UAVs.’

  That surprised John. ‘We have access to those now?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Did you know about this?’ John asked Socrates.

  ‘Yes, John. The Ruling Council provided limited access to their UAV network to the Sentinels six months ago,’ Socrates said.

  Qallan Frost’s words echoed in John’s mind. It looked like the Ionians were sharing technology with the rest of them more and more.

  ‘Got it,’ James said. ‘I’ll switch to the projectors.’

  The holoprojectors recreated an image of the aerospace facility’s roof. A hatch opened in the far corner of the building and the unknown woman appeared. She pulled herself up effortlessly. Closing the hatch behind her, she proceeded along the roof until she reached the building’s cooling system. Ducking beneath the large-calibre pipework, she disappeared from sight.

  ‘Track around and fast forward,’ John said.

  The image panned around, jumping from UAV to security camera to UAV. The time stamp at the bottom scrolled forward rapidly.

  ‘Stop,’ Socrates said.

  The image froze. There was no sign of the woman.

  ‘What is it?’ John asked.

  ‘Rewind two seconds. Pause. Then play back at quarter speed.’

  James input the instructions into the keyboard. The image spun backwards, froze and restarted at twenty-five per cent speed. The woman sprinted out from beneath the ventilation pipework, launched herself from the edge of the roof and disappeared.

  ‘What the …?’ James whispered.

  ‘Show me where she landed,’ John said.

  The image switched to a camera on a nearby hangar. It showed the aerospace facility, a grey structure silhouetted against the rest of the Iona Airport. Zooming in, the image showed the mysterious woman suspended in midair.

  ‘Restart playback; keep it at quarter speed,’ Socrates instructed.

  The figure of the woman landed a good distance from the aerospace facility. She landed hard, as attested to by the cracked surface beneath her. A split second after, she straightened up and moved towards the closest hangar. Fast.

  James’s mouth was actually open as he stared at the frozen image projected into the air. John turned to Socrates.

  ‘Could you do that?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, but there would be a twelve per cent chance of damaging parts of my system from that height and at that speed,’ the android said. ‘I would not do it unless I had no other options.’

  ‘Like if you were at risk of being captured,’ John said. He took in James’s stunned expression. ‘Uh, James, are you okay?’

  ‘Huh? Yes, sorry. What … what was that?’

  ‘That’s what we’re going to figure out. Until we do, best to keep this to yourself.’

  The tech nodded. ‘I’ll quarantine the footage. Is there anything else I can do to help?’

  John cast a glance at Socrates. ‘Finish the bike. We might need it to catch whatever that was.’

  Seven

  James Streeter was waiting for
them when the turbo-lift doors opened on level twenty-five.

  ‘Have you heard?’ was the greeting he offered.

  ‘Heard what?’ John asked.

  ‘Fernali’s retiring!’

  That surprised John. His former partner was certainly no spring chicken and he’d been threatening to retire for a while now but to hear he’d actually done it was something else.

  ‘When?’ John asked.

  ‘End of the month,’ Streeter replied.

  ‘That soon. Wow. Okay.’

  ‘Can you talk some sense into him?’

  John gave him a look. ‘Into Fernali? How long have you two been partners now?’

  Streeter managed to look slightly sheepish. ‘Good point. He is a stubborn son of a bitch, isn’t he?’

  John laughed. ‘That’s an understatement. He’s also one of the best law enforcement officers I’ve ever worked with. His retirement will be a great loss for the Sentinels.’

  ‘Isn’t that the truth.’

  ‘Where is he?’

  ‘Downstairs in Evidence.’

  John nodded. ‘Socrates and I need to speak to the Chief but once we’re done I’ll go and see Fernali.’

  ‘Thanks, John.’

  ‘No problem. I’ll catch you later.’

  Streeter disappeared down the corridor. John and Socrates made their way to the Chief’s office. John reached out and knocked once as he pushed the door open.

  ‘You busy, Chief?’ he asked.

  ‘Clearly that wouldn’t stop you from barging into my office,’ the Chief replied.

  ‘No, it wouldn’t.’

  ‘Sit down, Tesh. Socrates.’

  John entered the modestly sized office and sat down in the chair opposite the Chief. Socrates remained standing, halfway between the door and the chair. John suspected the android was standing exactly on the point between the two. It was just something the android would do.

  ‘What happened this morning?’ the Chief asked.