Socrates and the Ionian
Page 22
‘What do you mean?’
‘A subroutine that allows him to process and analyse human reactions in real time.’
John cast a glance at his android partner. ‘Is there anything you can do about his sense of humour?’
‘I’m afraid not, John. That is something that he has evolved by himself through his interactions with those closest to him. Considering he spends most of his time working as your partner, I would guess that he has assimilated your sense of humour.’
‘You’re saying it’s my fault?’
‘I’m afraid so.’
Frost motioned for Socrates to stand up. The android did so in one fluid motion. While his movements were designed to mimic those of human beings, the speed and fluidity with which Socrates moved betrayed his true nature.
‘I need to go and make a public statement. Professor Holstein will finish with your diagnostic,’ Frost said.
Socrates nodded as he continued to move his arm in various directions, testing the servos. Qallan Frost donned his pinstripe jacket.
‘Walk with me, will you, my boy?’ Frost said to John.
‘Sure.’
John followed the Chairman of the Iona Corporation to the lift at the back of the secret underground facility. Frost pressed the button. The doors slid open and John followed him into the lift. They ascended in silence. Reaching the ground floor, the doors opened.
‘What happens now?’ John asked.
‘The Iona Corporation as we know it is finished but that doesn’t matter. We will help you to advance your technology while ensuring you do not make the same mistakes we did on Iona. The Earth will know a period of prosperity like never before,’ Frost said.
‘Will you continue to manufacture the Flux Cell?’
‘For now, it’s still the only viable option—at least until we establish the Icarus network. Then we can switch to solar energy and revive your traditional power grids. After that … who knows. This reality presents many interesting options for energy generation.’
‘What about your fleet?’
‘When the time is right, we will help you to develop your own spacecraft. Mankind will achieve the stars, perhaps even during your lifetime.’
‘Will you tell them the truth about who and what you are?’ John asked.
The aged Chairman of the Iona Corporation smiled.
‘Now that, my dear boy, would be telling.’
The End
Timeline of Events
2020 AD – Governments begin to increase the price of oil exponentially in order to reduce demand and usage. Oil production drops off dramatically as existing supplies dwindle. Minority groups call for new energy sources. A large number of car manufacturers declare bankruptcy as demand for their product evaporates. Unemployment rises in the automotive manufacturing, sales and service industries.
2025 AD – The price of petrol is now over one hundred dollars per litre in Australia. Corporations rush to develop viable sources of alternative fuel as oil production grinds to a halt. Only the wealthiest of citizens are able to afford to use private transport. House prices near major CBDs and work hubs skyrocket as people seek to move closer to work. Riots break out in major cities and urban areas across the world. The Global Energy Crisis begins.
2028 AD – A new player emerges in the race for alternative fuel sources, a private company called Iona Corporation, based in Sydney, Australia. Little is known about its origins or its backers but the company makes its first public announcement, declaring that it is close to developing an alternative fuel source. Meanwhile, organised protests sweep the globe. Cities become parking lots as cars, trucks and buses are abandoned. Riots continue unabated in all major cities. Damage to urban areas reaches into the billions of dollars.
2029 AD – Iona Corporation releases the results of its prototype Flux Cell tests. Initial trials demonstrate the technology’s viability. A single cell is able to power a passenger vehicle for a year without any noticeable decrease in performance and no noticeable pollution. Global riots reach a fever pitch as the world demands an alternative fuel source.
2032 AD – Iona Corporation moves quickly to distribute its products across Australia, North America and Europe. Demand is sky-high. Iona Corporation uses the proceeds from its first three years of sales to acquire distribution networks, car manufacturers and more plant. Global riots subside. Vehicles are retrofitted with Flux Cells and life slowly returns to normal. The process of rebuilding begins. The Global Energy Crisis ends.
2034 AD – All private and public vehicles within Australia are now run on Flux Cells with contracts underway for military vehicles. The technology is sold across Asia, South America and Africa. Iona Corporation is now the wealthiest private entity on the planet. Its continued acquisitions mean that it now controls all aspects of transportation, vehicle manufacturing, parts production, vehicle maintenance and warehousing, across Australia. Individuals begin to voice their concerns about the company’s influence and its monopoly over the renewable energy market.
2036 AD – The first protest breaks out as Iona Corporation restricts access to its supply of Flux Cells as it meets overwhelming demand from the Australian military and its allies. The police are called in to suppress the protests using Flux-Cell-powered vehicles.
2037 AD – Iona Corporation acquires the rights to run all civic utilities, all military maintenance contracts, public transport, telecommunications and city power requirements in Australia. Protests become more frequent as people begin to fear that Iona Corporation is taking over the country.
2039 AD – In a demonstration of its full power, Iona Corporation takes control of the city of Sydney and declares it the new sovereign nation of Iona. Local councils are dissolved and the Ruling Council is created. All opposition is swept aside thanks to Iona’s complete control over military, law enforcement and private vehicles, in Australia. The United Nations convenes an emergency session behind closed doors. The Chairman of the Iona Corporation, Qallan Frost, attends. Two days later the UN formally recognises the sovereign city-state of Iona.
2040 AD – The majority of former Sydney residents accept Iona control as they are granted access to its revolutionary technology. Iona continues to push the boundaries of its new technology by creating advanced vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) flying vehicles. It restricts the availability of Flux-Cell-powered VTOL flying craft to the Ruling Council.
2041 AD – In addition to the Ruling Council and regular police force, a new elite crime fighting unit is created. Its operatives, dubbed Sentinels, are charged with oversight over Iona and granted full authority over the police and all other law enforcement and emergency agencies, with the exception of the Ruling Council, which is the supreme authority within Iona.
2042 AD – Professor Daniel Holstein publishes a research paper that questions the very nature of the Iona Flux Cell and challenges how it can be pollution-free and generate seemingly limitless energy without any dangerous side effects. His questions are quickly dismissed and Professor Holstein disappears from the public eye.
2043 AD – A senior police officer by the name of John Tesh is promoted to the Sentinels. He quickly establishes himself as the foremost investigator in Iona.
2044 AD – John Tesh is teamed up with Socrates, a sophisticated android of unknown origin.
2048 AD – The murder of a prominent physicist, Walter Menzies, starts a Sentinel investigation that uncovers a plot by Councillor Jonathan Gage to take control of the Ruling Council. Sentinels John Tesh and Socrates, with the aid of Qallan Frost’s daughter, Simone Greenberg, uncover the truth about the murder and help restore Qallan Frost to his position as Chairman of the Iona Corporation.
2050 AD – The Iona Corporation constructs the Aerospace Research and Development Facility at the Iona Airport.
Socrates and the Ionian
A John Tesh Novel
The year is 2052 AD.
The Iona Corporation has successfully positioned itself as a global powerhouse w
ith its incredible renewable energy technology—the Flux Cell. The citizens of Iona, protected by the Ruling Council and the Sentinels, bask in a golden age of clean, limitless energy. Not content with the success of the Flux Cell, the Iona Corporation announces the launch of a new technology as it prepares for the future.
When objects and people begin to mysteriously disappear, Sentinel John Tesh and his android partner, Socrates, must embark on the most dangerous investigation they have ever undertaken. An investigation that will reveal the true nature of the Ionians and lead to a confrontation that will shake the city of Iona to its core.