by Thomas Fay
Fernali was crouched behind a row of Sentinel cruisers parked across the road from the entrance to the Council Chambers. Streeter was next to him, with a dozen other Sentinels on either side. Fernali lifted his head and looked around. His eyes came to rest on John and his companions. Fernali’s eyes opened wider as he took in the force field suits.
‘You’ve been busy, I see,’ he replied. He looked at Socrates. ‘What happened to him?’
‘Those rogue androids tried to take him apart.’
‘I take it they failed?’
‘In spectacular fashion.’
‘Good to know. So … how do we get in?’
John’s gaze turned to the Council operatives standing guard atop the perimeter of the Ruling Council Chambers. He took in the force field barrier surrounding the entirety of Garden Island. Finally, his eyes found the beam of light stretching into the sky.
‘I honestly have no idea. Frost?’
‘It’s not going to be easy. The operatives we can deal with but bringing down the force field barrier will take a lot of energy. More than we have available in the entire city—country even,’ Qallan Frost said.
‘So, we can’t get through?’
‘Not necessarily …’ Simone said.
‘My child, you have a solution?’
‘Icarus?’
Qallan’s face became a mass of wrinkles as he contemplated her words.
‘Yes, that might just work. We’ll need to hack it remotely but it should be able to direct enough power to bring down the field.’
‘Who or what is Icarus?’ Fernali asked.
‘It’s a solar energy collection satellite in geosynchronous orbit above Iona. It focuses the sun’s energy into a concentrated beam to provide clean energy.’
‘I thought the Flux Cells did that?’
‘They do but this is an older style technology we’re adapting to use here on Earth. Your sun isn’t as strong as Iona’s was, which is why we used the Flux Cells first.’
John nodded. ‘So how do we do this?’ he asked.
‘We use Socrates to hack the satellite and weaponise the beam. A single discharge for about one second should be enough to overload the force field barrier.’
‘And then what?’
Qallan Frost’s eyes hardened. ‘Then I deal with Jonathan Gage once and for all.’
‘I told you we should have done something about him when we had the chance,’ Fernali said. Everyone turned to look at him.
‘What? It’s true.’
‘John, what if there are more of the androids inside? My Null Cell has not recharged yet,’ Socrates said.
‘Can’t we call down an orbital strike like before?’ John asked.
Qallan Frost shook his head.
‘The control room is deep inside the Council Chambers. While Gage is unable to access the system, he will no doubt have disabled it to prevent me from using it.’
‘It’s a good thing I called Sorensen, then. This is the one she’s been waiting for. I’m sure by now she’s—’
‘John, look at the energy beam,’ Socrates said, pointing at the sky with his remaining arm.
‘What is it?’ John asked.
‘The beam just remodulated and decreased in output by ten per cent.’
‘What does that mean?’
Qallan Frost’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the sky above the Ruling Council Chambers.
‘It means Gage has almost completed the energy transfer. We’re running out of time.’
Sixty-Five
The beam shining up into the night sky from inside the Ruling Council Chambers was getting narrower and fainter by the minute. It was like watching a candle burning down slowly, the wick getting shorter and the wax dissolving and evaporating. The moment the sky went dark it would all be over.
‘Socrates?’ John asked.
‘I have established a link to the satellite Icarus. Interfacing …’ the android replied.
‘Fernali, what’s Sorensen’s ETA?’
‘Two minutes. Give or take.’
John nodded, his eyes locked onto the energy transference beam. It was like nothing else existed. It was the only thing he could focus on.
‘Where’s Alara?’ John suddenly asked.
‘She’s protecting the Flux Cell manufacturing plant in North Ryde,’ Frost replied.
‘Shame, we could have used her help. Socrates, what’s taking so long?’
‘I have accessed Icarus’s core systems. I am … interesting.’
‘What’s wrong?’
Socrates’s eyes blurred. ‘I have detected a secondary control routine running alongside the primary one. It appears someone else has accessed Icarus’s system.’
‘Someone has hacked into Icarus?’ Frost asked. ‘Can you tell what the secondary routine is designed to do?’
‘One moment; I am running a diagnostic,’ Socrates replied.
His eyes continued to blur as he interfaced with the futuristic satellite high above Earth’s surface. Once again John found himself marvelling at his partner’s ability to interact with technology. He wondered what it would be like to perceive the world the way Socrates did. Probably as fascinating as Socrates experiencing the world through the full range of human senses and associated emotions would be.
‘The secondary routine is running off a control module that was not part of the original Icarus Project design,’ Socrates said.
John smacked his fist into his palm.
‘That’s what the android was doing at the Icarus launch! They must have inserted the module just before we got to them.’
‘That would have been the only time the system was vulnerable,’ Frost admitted.
‘I have completed the diagnostic,’ Socrates said.
‘And …?’ John asked.
‘Your assumption is correct. The secondary module was designed as an orbital targeting device. Based on the events of the past two days, I can hypothesise that the satellite Icarus, combined with the CTS algorithm, was used to target the Flux Cells within Iona.’
Frost’s brow furrowed in anger.
‘Gage used it to target ground-based wave disruptors to destabilise the Flux Cell anchoring mechanisms and draw power from them. I never thought he’d be capable of something like this—subverting two of our clean energy technologies, which were designed to save this world, for his own aims.’
‘Which is why we need to stop him, and quickly,’ John said. ‘Socrates, can you use Icarus to disable the force fields?’
‘I have taken control of the targeting module and am recalibrating the power relays for maximum output … recalibration complete. Should I proceed?’ Socrates asked.
‘Do it.’
For a split second nothing happened as the satellite Icarus, in geosynchronous orbit thirty-six thousand kilometres above them, rotated its main energy dish. Then a single beam of intense light struck the centre of the force field barrier surrounding the Ruling Council Chambers. It burned with such intensity that John had to shield his eyes. The force field barrier fought against the sheer energy of Icarus’s beam. For a moment it seemed the barrier would hold. Then it fractured, wavered and dissipated along the entire length and breadth of the titanium-reinforced walls.
A cheer went up from the Sentinels crouched behind their cruisers. It evaporated as the heavily armed Council operatives disappeared from atop the titanium-reinforced walls. A moment later a section of the wall opened and two squads of operatives filed out. Forming up in front of the Ruling Council Chambers, they levelled their heavy-calibre weapons at the Sentinel cruisers.
‘John, should we engage?’ Fernali asked.
Instead of replying, John turned to Frost.
‘Is there any way you can talk them down? I thought the clones were all required to obey your commands?’ he asked.
Frost shook his head. ‘There are ways of encoding loyalty to one specific person during the cloning process. Gage undoubtedly would have done so with these operatives,’ Frost said.
John surveyed the line of faceless operatives. Then his eyes flicked to the energy transference beam, which was even fainter now.
‘Alright, I guess we do this the hard way. Fernali, can you—’
His words trailed off as two Sentinel armoured vehicles pulled up behind them. Matt black in colour, they were personnel carriers adapted from Iona Corporation military designs. Featuring all-wheel drive to six wheels, they were heavily plated and capable of carrying a dozen armed Sentinels each. In this instance, there were only five Sentinels in each vehicle, given the bulky nature of their equipment.
‘Finally,’ John whispered.
The side doors slid open and ten Sentinels clad in Monolith V combat armour stepped out. One of them moved towards John.
‘About time,’ John said.
‘Sorry it took so long. The streets are still a mess. We had to force our way through traffic jams in several places,’ Sorensen replied, the Monolith V’s inbuilt coms system amplifying her voice.
John pointed at the beam of light in the sky.
‘We need to get past those operatives and inside the Council Chambers before that light disappears from the sky,’ John said.
The Monolith V’s composite faceplate turned towards the Chairman of the Iona Corporation.
‘Are we authorised to engage the Council operatives?’ Sorensen asked.
Reluctantly, Frost nodded. Sorensen hefted her Gauss rifle with both hands.
‘Leave it to us.’
The ten Monolith V clad Sentinels moved past the line of Sentinel cruisers and advanced on the Council operatives. Stopping twenty metres from them, the Sentinels lifted their Gauss rifles.
‘Step aside or we will use deadly force,’ Sorensen’s amplified voice commanded. John actually felt his teeth rattle from the sheer decibels.
‘Do you think they’ll move aside?’ John asked.
‘If Gage’s encoded them from birth, then they’ll do his bidding to the death,’ Simone replied.
‘So … no?’
‘Very unlikely.’
‘Damn, I wish there was another way.’
Simone slipped her fingers between his.
‘I know, John, but we need to stop Gage. This is his fault. If it’s any consolation, they don’t experience pain the way we do.’
The sound of the Gauss rifles spinning up permeated the air with a high-pitched whine. The operatives maintained their stance, heavy weapons aimed directly at the Sentinels. John held his breath.
Then the operatives opened fire. A split second later, the Sentinels retaliated. The Gauss rifles spat out a barrage of magnetised projectiles at frightening speed. While the Monolith V combat armour protected the Sentinels wearing it, the Council operatives’ lightweight body armour was no match for the Gauss rifle rounds. The entire encounter lasted less than sixty seconds. The operatives fell backwards, maintaining their line, some still holding their weapons. Blood seeped out of their armour from large tears, pooling around their immobile forms.
John breathed out. He was about to move forward when the beam of light shining from within the Ruling Council Chambers flickered. Then it disappeared and the sky went dark.
‘We’re too late.’
Sixty-Six
The inside of the Ruling Council Chambers was exactly how John had remembered it from the first time he’d been inside. Its highly reflective floors, walls and ceiling creating a disorientating effect that receded into infinity. Having stood on the Ionians’ world, he understood the purpose of the reflective architecture, although he wasn’t sure why they had replicated it here on Earth. Perhaps the Ionians had a sentimental streak and this was just a way for them to remember their home world. He somehow doubted that. The Ionians were a highly evolved and intelligent alternate-reality version of humanity. There had to be more to the reflective surfaces than just nostalgia.
‘Which way?’ John asked.
‘Straight for about fifty metres and then the first left. We need to get to a command console,’ Frost said.
John nodded, waving Sorensen’s team forward. The Sentinel tactical team moved ahead, Gauss rifles cradled in their arms. The bulky armour suits reflected and refracted in each direction, creating the illusion of an unstoppable army. John only hoped there were no more androids. As powerful as the armour was, he didn’t want to take any chances. One Sentinel death was enough.
Simone walked beside him, with Socrates and Frost behind them. Fernali and the rest of the Sentinels had remained outside with two of the Monolith V clad tactical team to secure the perimeter.
Walking down a shallow ramp, they found four bodies lying in pools of their own blood. Three operatives and a Councillor.
‘Agatha,’ Frost whispered.
‘She must have tried to stop Gage,’ John said.
Frost nodded.
‘If we can stop Gage from leaving with the fleet we can restore her from the genetic database housed in our ships. Come on.’
They turned left into a round chamber made of dark composite material. There was a central plinth inside but otherwise the chamber was bare. Frost stepped forward and placed the palm of his hand on the plinth. The moment his skin touched the surface the chamber sprang to life with shimmering holographic projections. Unlike the holoprojectors in people’s homes, these images had a depth of clarity that would have made the most successful holotelevision manufacturers jealous.
Frost interpreted the information being displayed.
‘The energy transference is completed. Gage and his followers are aboard the fleet and have started the power-up sequence. They will be ready to leave in two hours,’ Frost said.
John couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After everything they’d been through during the last two days, everything Councillor Gage had put them and the city through, it couldn’t end like that.
‘So … we’re too late?’ John asked.
Qallan Frost turned to look at him. Once again John was reminded of the depth of wisdom and knowledge behind the Iona Corporation Chairman’s blue eyes. He knew that was a result of the decisions he had made to leave their world behind, to travel across a multitude of alternate realities in search of a sanctuary for his people. Despite having made the trip to an alternate dimension, John could only begin to imagine what a journey like that would have entailed. He realised he had developed a newfound respect for the Chairman.
‘No, John, we are not too late. Gage will not be allowed to leave after everything he’s done,’ Frost said.
‘Father, how can we reach them? The fleet is over a billion kilometres from Earth and Gage undoubtedly would have taken all of the shuttles,’ Simone said.
Qallan Frost smiled. It was so unexpected that it took John completely off guard.
‘We use a wormhole to transport us to the fleet,’ Frost said.
‘You mean like the network you employed on Iona?’ John asked.
‘Precisely.’
‘What are we waiting for?’
‘We need to get to the wormhole generator.’
‘Where is it?’
‘At a friend’s place.’
John was about to ask when he realised he knew exactly what the Chairman of the Iona Corporation was referring to.
‘Of course,’ he said.
‘Where is it?’ Simone asked.
‘Somewhere no one from the Iona Corporation would find it.’
‘Which is …?’
‘Where your father built Socrates. Professor Holstein’s laboratory.’
Sixty-Seven
The disorientation lasted a split second as the world around them vanished in a haze of white light. Blinking, John looked around. They were standing on a perforated metallic surface. Heavy-gauge cabling, metallic conduits and electrical components were visible beneath the floor. The walls were made of the now familiar highly reflective material, while the ceiling was the same as the floor. Turning around, John watched as Simone, Frost, Socrates and Sorensen in her bulky Monolith V combat armour passed
through the shimmering rift in the fabric of reality.
‘Everyone alright?’ John asked.
‘We’re fine,’ Simone replied. She was holding her father’s arm.
‘Sorensen?’
‘Give me a second. That was …’
‘I know. It gets easier.’
The Monolith V composite faceplate nodded. It was a comical gesture, given the size and shape of the armour and the fact that it was designed for high-collateral combat situations rather than emulating human nuances.
‘Did we make it?’ John asked.
Instead of replying, Frost pressed a control on the wall nearest to them. A section of the wall split into panels that rotated outwards, revealing a large viewing pane.
‘Hvad er det?’ Sorensen gasped, in her native Danish.
A yellow-brown landscape stretched out towards the distant horizon where it intersected with the darkness of space. A series of shimmering rings made their location instantly recognisable as Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, named after the titan in Greek mythology.
‘We’re on Saturn?’ John asked, his voice subdued.
‘Technically we are in orbit around the gas giant,’ Frost corrected.
John shook his head, not quite believing they had travelled from Daniel Holstein’s laboratory to Saturn in less than a second. The Ionian technology truly was astounding. He could only imagine what they could achieve on Earth if they were given the chance. If people like Gage were removed from the equation.
‘What now?’ John asked.
‘We need to reach the command deck before Gage takes the fleet out of the system,’ Frost said.
‘Which way?’
‘Give me a moment.’
Frost activated a wall-mounted holographic panel. It shimmered to life, displaying a schematic of the ship they were on. Their location was marked by a flashing red triangle. The sheer scale of the ship became apparent when Frost zoomed out and panned the view around. He pointed at a section near the top of the ship.
‘This is the command deck. Gage will undoubtedly be there,’ Frost said.
‘The ship is huge—how are we ever going to reach him in time?’ John asked.