by Thomas Fay
‘You are irrelevant,’ she said. Lifting him up, she turned and ran at the side wall. Socrates twisted in her grip as the two androids went crashing through the brick wall into the parking lot outside. They landed hard. The android continued to strike Socrates over and over, while he attempted to block her blows. The sound was like an excavator striking concrete.
‘Socrates!’ John shouted.
He ran across the server room and jumped through the damaged wall. The android continued to hit Socrates, who was pinned to the ground. John desperately raised his weapon and unloaded the remainder of the clip. It had no effect. The android was faster and she was stronger.
It could only end one way.
Fifteen
An azure beam of pure energy struck the android. It sent her flying across the CTS parking lot and into the side of a delivery van. A split second afterwards, a sonic boom reverberated off the warehouse as a Ruling Council transport ship descended from the sky. Its side panels folded back against its fuselage, retracting both arc cannons. The side hatch slid open the moment it touched the ground and a dozen Council operatives, their visors glinting in the sun, jumped out. Running across the parking lot, they formed up around the delivery van. Each one carried a heavy-calibre weapon. Another figure emerged from the transport ship. A young woman with dark hair, grey eyes and pronounced cheekbones.
‘Hello, John,’ she said.
‘Alara?’ John asked.
‘That’s Councillor Green to you,’ she said, a smile playing across her youthful features.
‘Really?’
Her smile widened.
‘Yes, actually. I am a member of the Ruling Council, after all. We have to keep up appearances.’
‘My apologies, Councillor,’ he said.
Socrates was back on his feet and walking towards them. Parts of his metallic endoskeleton were visible through the damage to his face, chest and arms.
‘It seems you arrived just in time,’ John said. ‘Why are you here?’
‘I was on my way to the Aerospace Facility when we detected an electrical surge of considerable magnitude. I diverted to investigate.’
John nodded. ‘Good thing you did. Socrates, are you alright?’
‘My external polycarbonate skin has suffered damage but my internal systems remain one hundred per cent functional,’ Socrates said.
‘What happened? I thought you’d overloaded her systems?’
‘It appears that, in addition to being constructed with more powerful servos, this android is heavily shielded. I believe that is how it was able to avoid being shut down by the high voltage.’
John nodded, deep in thought.
‘Councillor, any idea where the android came from?’ John asked.
‘No. We are conducting our own investigation. Frost is still analysing the footage from the Icarus launch when you first encountered the android. He mentioned that the design seemed familiar.’
‘What about the Flux Cell surge?’
The Councillor’s eyes opened wider. It was strange how easily recognisable the stern Councillor was to John, despite the fact that she was now about twenty years younger than when he had first met her.
‘The what?’ Councillor Green asked.
‘Socrates can explain it better than I can,’ John said.
‘Go ahead,’ she said.
‘I believe the Flux Cells in several vehicles parked outside this facility were deliberately overloaded. The resultant energy surge pulled them, along with parts of each vehicle, into the alternate dimension they were drawing power from at the moment the incident occurred.’
‘Does Frost know about this?’
John shook his head. ‘No, we wanted to be sure of what had happened before we reported it to him. We were also busy tracking down the android, which is why we were here in the first place.’
‘You think the two are connected?’
‘It’s too much of a coincidence for them not to be and we know what Manson would have said.’
Councillor Green nodded. ‘Alright, we need to—’
‘Councillor!’ one of the operatives standing near the delivery van shouted.
John gripped his empty handgun as they all turned to look at the damaged vehicle surrounded by Council operatives. Each one of them had raised their heavy-calibre weapons to a firing position. The reason for their alarm became instantly apparent.
The android was standing up slowly, struggling to free herself from the collapsed delivery van.
‘These things are seriously tough to bring down,’ John said, taking a cautious step back.
‘The arc cannons are an energy-based weapon,’ Socrates replied. ‘Given the android’s ability to withstand 230 volts of electricity, it is not surprising that it was not permanently incapacitated by the arc cannon. Don’t forget—my synthetic frame is also capable of withstanding an arc cannon blast.’
‘I guess I was hoping it was over. Councillor, any ideas on how we stop this thing?’
‘One or two. Let’s see if those heavy-calibre projectile weapons can’t slow it down a bit. Fire!’
Acknowledging her order, the Council operatives opened fire in unison. A barrage of bullets exploded from their weapons. The already damaged delivery van was reduced to scrap metal within seconds. The android moved forward slowly under the onslaught. The bullets ripped into its synthetic skin, shredding it to pieces. The sound of metal striking metal was like heavy rain on a tin roof.
‘Councillor?’ John said.
‘What is it?’
‘I think it’s time to move to your second idea. Those bullets aren’t having any noticeable effect.’
‘You might be right. Get to the ship.’
The android reached the line of Council operatives. Lashing out, it sent their weapons flying across the parking lot. The barrage of bullets fell away as the android moved between the operatives, disabling them with lethal force.
‘Move!’ Councillor Green shouted.
The three of them sprinted to the waiting transport ship. Just as the last Council operative fell to the ground, its visor cracked and its arm bent backwards at an unnatural angle, they reached the ship. Climbing inside, Councillor Green shouted, ‘Get us in the air. Emergency take-off. Now!’
The ship rose into the air so quickly that John felt his stomach rise into his chest. He held onto the side of the open hatch with all his strength as his knees bent under the force of acceleration. Below them, the CTS parking lot and warehouse receded as they gained altitude. The android stood in the centre of the car park looking up at them.
‘We can’t just leave the android; there are people inside that building,’ John said.
Councillor Green looked at him for a long moment. Finally, she nodded. Pulling out her phone, she pressed a single button. Her call was answered almost immediately.
‘It’s me. The android is here. No, it survived. Whole squad killed. I think it’s our only option.’
There was a momentary pause.
‘Understood.’
She pressed the same button to end the call. Turning towards the flight deck, she said, ‘Mark the android and call down an orbital strike.’
The transport ship pitched to the right even as a bright point appeared on the android. A split second later a dense beam of light stabbed down from the sky. Just as quickly it was gone. Where the android had stood before there was now only a smouldering circle of molten metal and asphalt.
John shuddered as he beheld the true power of the Ionians.
Sixteen
The Ruling Council transport ships had first appeared in the skies above Iona in 2040. Showcasing advanced VTOL technology, the ships utilised quad-linked plasma-injection thrusters powered by Flux Cells. They could carry a full complement of Council operatives, along with their equipment and the Raptor one-person flight systems. The ships quickly became a common sight above Iona with the Ruling Council deploying them for various duties in and around the sovereign city-state.
&n
bsp; John leaned against the hard composite material of the cargo hold. The image of the beam of light striking the android was still fresh in his mind. His phone rang. He checked the caller ID: Simone Greenberg. He hit the answer button.
‘John, are you alright?’ she asked.
‘Honestly, I don’t know, Simone.’
‘What happened?’
‘We confronted the android in a warehouse in Mascot. It overpowered Socrates. Then Alara Green arrived in a transport ship and hit it with an arc cannon.’
‘Did that stop it?’
‘No. It took out a whole squad of operatives. We had to make an emergency take-off. Then …’
‘John?’
‘Simone—what I saw, the technology the Ionians possess. It’s so far beyond anything I had imagined.’
There was a momentary silence.
‘Alara called down an orbital strike, didn’t she?’
‘Yes. How did you know?’
There was another momentary silence.
‘The android must have been more dangerous than we thought if my father authorised a strike. They’re only reserved for the most serious of threats.’
‘I guess this qualifies,’ John said, his voice barely above a whisper as he once again pictured the beam of light striking down from the sky. Like Zeus unleashing his thunderbolt on the mortal world below. He had known the Ionian technology was advanced. He had never expected anything like this.
‘Where are you now?’ Simone asked.
‘Hovering about a kilometre above Mascot. I’m going to ask Alara to drop us off at Daniel Holstein’s laboratory so we can get Socrates patched up.’
‘Okay, I’ll meet you there.’
‘Are you still at the airport?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay, I’ll see you soon.’
John closed his phone. Slipping it back into his suit pocket, his eyes found Socrates. The android was standing perfectly still in the centre of the cargo bay. He looked like he’d been mauled by a large dog, with pieces of the synthetic polycarbonate skin hanging off his face, chest and arms. At least Socrates could be repaired. Unlike the Council operatives, who had been decimated in seconds. Clones or not, they were still human on some level. The android had clearly not been restricted from harming humans in any way. Not that Socrates hadn’t killed several aggressors over the years when the situation required it. With a sinking feeling John realised he, like Fernali, was probably getting too old for what he was doing.
His thoughts were interrupted when the door to the flight deck opened. Councillor Green stepped through.
‘I told Frost about the Flux Cell malfunction,’ she said. Her voice sounded troubled.
‘What did he say?’ John asked.
She paused for a moment. Then she said, ‘I’ve known Frost a long time. This is probably the third time he’s ever sounded worried.’
John nodded.
‘I may not understand what’s going on but it doesn’t take a genius to realise that when Flux Cells start to malfunction that’s about as serious as it gets. Not to mention having a nearly unstoppable android running around the city.’
‘At least we eliminated the android.’
‘Eliminated is probably the understatement of the year. You obliterated any evidence it ever existed.’
‘The orbital strike option is a last resort for extreme threats. We’ve never had to use it until now.’
‘What is the nature of the weapon?’ Socrates asked.
Councillor Green looked at the android and then at John.
‘I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that. It’s one of our most closely guarded secrets.’
‘I guess you don’t want anyone to know that you have a space death ray that can strike anyone down in less than a second?’ John asked.
‘Something like that. Are you alright, John?’ Councillor Green asked.
John took a deep breath. He let it out slowly.
‘It’s been a long day.’
‘I understand. Do you want me to drop you two back at Sentinel HQ?’
‘No, take us to Daniel Holstein’s laboratory. We need to get Socrates patched up before anyone sees him like this.’
Seventeen
The warehouse in the back of Mascot appeared to have deteriorated further over the years. Almost all of the paint had peeled off. The external structure showed signs of heavy corrosion from being exposed to the elements: steel beams were covered in oxidised blooms, metal sheeting was perforated with rust and window seals were brittle and cracked. It was an effective camouflage for what was the most sophisticated robotics facility in the city of Iona. The domain of Professor Daniel Holstein, it was here that Socrates had first been activated eight years ago. It was also where he returned for repairs.
‘There’s something I’ve always wondered,’ John said. They were standing twenty metres from the warehouse, near the road, where Councillor Green had dropped them off.
‘What is that, John?’ Socrates asked.
‘What do you do at night? I mean, I know you don’t need to sleep so where do you go and what do you do all night?’
‘I have an apartment, just like you, John.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. I need to keep up appearances for those that do not know I am not human.’
John nodded.
‘Right, that makes sense. So, you go to your apartment and …’
‘I learn.’
‘Learn?’
‘Yes. I review all the information and data I have collected during the day and also the newsfeeds from the day. I analyse, review and store the information.’
‘You mean you catch up on daily events?’
‘That is an oversimplification but it is accurate to a degree.’
‘Right. So, you learn … wait, does that mean your knowledge and abilities increase?’
Socrates paused. ‘I do not know, John. Lately I feel my programming is shifting, that I am able to understand more and more.’
‘Like what?’
‘Human reactions. I am becoming more capable of understanding and even predicting how humans will react in certain situations.’
‘Right, that’s good to know. That might explain why your sense of humour seems to be evolving as well. Have you discussed this with Professor Holstein?’
‘No. As I do not understand what is happening, it would be impossible for me to describe it accurately enough for the professor to diagnose the problem.’
John was surprised at that. ‘Why do you see it as a problem?’
Socrates was silent.
‘Socrates?’
If the android had been capable of taking a deep breath, he would have done so. As such, he did not but John got the distinct impression he had wanted to.
‘Because it is beginning to affect the way I react to situations,’ Socrates said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘When we encountered that android, I knew it was more powerful than me. Which is why, for the briefest of moments, I hesitated. It was almost as if I was …’
‘Afraid?’
‘As you know, John, I am incapable of human emotions. This was something different. It was as if I was anticipating damage to my systems and that caused me to hesitate.’
‘That’s what fear is.’
‘Perhaps you are correct; although, that would imply that I am experiencing human emotions, which is impossible. This is why I have concluded that there is something wrong with me.’
John considered his partner’s words. While he knew Socrates was an android, had seen the truth with his own eyes, he realised he subconsciously thought of his partner as human. The same as him.
‘I think you should discuss it with Professor Holstein.’
‘I will, John. When the time is right.’
John nodded. ‘Fair enough. Come on, let’s go and get you patched up. I’ve got a feeling that Flux Cell incident was just the beginning of something much bigger.’
Eighteen<
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Socrates emerged from the polycarbonate bays at the back of the robotics laboratory. Parts of his face and arm glistened, evidence of where his artificial skin had been repaired. Once it set properly it would be indistinguishable from human skin.
‘Good as new,’ John said.
‘Thank you, Professor,’ Socrates said.
‘No thanks are needed. Qallan Frost has tasked me with ensuring you remain operational,’ Professor Daniel Holstein said.
‘Professor?’ John asked.
‘Yes?’
‘Do you know of any way in which a Flux Cell could malfunction?’
The professor’s face became a mask of wrinkles as the aged scientist considered the question.
‘I do not fully understand the technology but, based on my research, I do not believe it is possible.’
‘So there’s no way something could break?’
The professor shook his head.
‘The Flux Cell does not contain any moving parts. There are no circuit boards, no wiring, nothing resembling any of the technology currently employed throughout our world. It is unique in its design and nature.’
John nodded. Then he frowned. ‘So there’s nothing that could go wrong with it?’
‘Perhaps …’
‘Professor?’ Socrates asked. ‘Have you undertaken further research to understand the nature of the Flux Cell?’
‘Yes, I have.’
‘And did that research identify the exact nature of the energy transference mechanism?’
‘I do not understand what powers the singularity at its core. It appears to be self-sustaining.’
‘Could the singularity itself be powered by the energy being drawn from alternate dimensions?’
The professor considered the android’s words. John watched them silently. He knew what they were discussing now was beyond his understanding.
‘It is possible.’
‘Assuming that is true, then the Flux Cell casing has a dual purpose: to convert the power into a useable form and to prevent the singularity from being pulled into the alternate dimension.’