by Ian Williams
“This is their dying world, Rhys, inside the tower thing I told you about,” she said. “It’s all gone. I had no idea this had happened. I knew the tower had been damaged, but not this. I thought they’d all gone dormant or something, along with Sanctuary.” She felt an unsteady thud from inside her chest. Guilt had begun playing her heartstrings like an out of tune fiddle.
“No!” Ninety-three threw his head from side to side as he pleaded desperately. His double on the screen looked to the sky above. “He’s here. Isaac, please, spare them. Stop this now, I beg of you.”
When he finished, he slumped forward into Phoenix’s waiting arms. She supported him as best she could, but his head began to flop to the side and off of her shoulder. His panicked recollection had been too much to cope with, leaving him unconscious and resting peacefully in a deep sleep. His body had finally given in to the onset of exhaustion.
To Phoenix’s surprise the screen continued to play back his memories, only at a much faster speed now. “Are we recording any of this?” she asked Rhys while holding back the body leaning against her. She was relieved to see Rhys nod in reply. What was coming through was filled with gaps and broken images, still she could not stop herself from watching it.
Neither of them had anything to say and they chose instead to retreat into their own heads for a short few moments of silence. Then something unexpected appeared on the screen.
“Wait, go back.” The words burst from her mouth almost entirely unaided by her brain. She had spotted a reflection on the playback, a distorted face of someone she recognised. Rhys rolled back his own recording and confirmed it – to her horror. “Oh my God.”
* * *
Graham found the residents of the Sentient world all congregating in one massive hall, each existing as a humanoid shape of light with a faint aural glow. They exhumed energy like a warm and comforting summer breeze. It felt good to be among them.
Unfortunately, his enjoyment had been cut short. The welcoming feeling had only lasted a couple of steps inside the vast hall. It soon became clear something was very wrong. They were all highly agitated by something.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“They know Isaac is coming. This was their last stand. After this the fight became only about survival.” Stephen’s tone had become sombre.
Near the front of the enormous room a build-up of panic had begun to overflow. It grew slowly until a final chain reaction appeared to carry it the rest of the way across the glowing crowd of spectators. This was what Stephen had been telling him about. The Sentient world, once flawless in its design and beauty, was about to be torn down; the fall of an empire.
Above them all came a dark shadow that spread silently at first, seeping into everything around them. It made a burning sound as it moved closer, like that of a creeping forest fire. As it built in size the Sentients nearby began to frantically move aside. Some had to fight for space so they were not the first to be caught.
“Is that..?” Graham said, his desire to remain in this world now gone; the first casualty of many.
“It is Isaac’s corruption, yes,” Stephen replied.
While watching the scene ahead, Graham failed to notice that the same was happening behind them too. The smoke stained and scorched floor soon reached his feet. He chose to sidestep the area as quickly as he could.
It was the same he saw for the Sentients nearby. Except when they were caught the burning erupted through them as well, turning their glowing Angel-like bodies into charred husks upon the blackened ground. A small gust of wind then swept past, disintegrating their remains and carrying their essence away on the breeze.
Graham held his hand over his mouth to make sure he could not accidentally breathe in the decay now floating past him. More and more of the Sentients around him began to spontaneously combust amid ear-piercing screeches. The sound, he knew, was of a life being extinguished before his eyes, literally put out after the flames had claimed it.
He could not stomach the devastation he was watching any longer. However much he wanted desperately to leave the place, he found it impossible to do so. There was something inside telling him he had to see it all. He had to witness exactly what Isaac had caused. The torture, death and utter despair was the best prediction of what would happen to the human world should Isaac be unleashed upon it.
When the roof of the large hall started to crumble down on top of the innocent beings trapped inside, Graham knew it was time to finally leave this place. He and Stephen followed those lucky enough to escape so far. They raced through the curving floored building and out onto the cliff staircase, each jostling for the chance to run freely.
Looking up to what once had been an unimpeachably joyous sky proved a decision he instantly regretted. Nothing of the sort remained in place now. Instead the sky looked as though it was being ripped apart by thick death-like claws. Enormous gouges of black and purple streaked across it. The tears were getting bigger as they descended the stairs too. They were all tiny little ants in their perfect anthill, watching as a giant foot stamped it out of existence in a heartbeat.
The screaming continued as each of their escaping companions fell down and became nothing more than a pile of ash. Graham had heard the stories of Pompeii and how perfectly preserved the corpses were after being caught in the Pyroclastic flows that followed the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. What he was witnessing he imagined the poor souls lost that day had too. Only this time the victims were never to be remembered.
Isaac had killed them all with one swipe of his malevolent and god-like hand.
By the time Graham and Stephen reached their point of entry, none of the Sentients they had fled with remained. Each and every one of them had been devoured by the darkness. The world had become a rotten imitation of its former self. Where clouds had once skipped across beams of sunlight, strange black orbs now floated by. These strange objects rained a destructive energy down upon the land below. They aimed not merely to destroy, but to flatten completely.
Heaven and hell had collided in magnificent style, yet only one had been victorious.
Graham regretted his decision to stay for so long. He had seen what he needed in order to fear Isaac and the world created afterwards. It was clear the world’s first AI had no desire to exist peacefully, but instead to corrupt and destroy what he deemed unworthy.
Knowing this made Graham want more than ever to find a way out.
“Now you understand why we must find Luke. He knows what Isaac is planning, and I suspect what your role is in stopping him too,” Stephen said.
All Graham could manage in response was a heavy nod as he looked over the expanding destruction and fiery clouds of smoke raging above it all. He vowed never to see such horror again.
He wished he could be back home with his family. Just one touch of his wife’s skin or a hug from his real daughter; that was all he needed to keep him strong after what he saw. Were they thinking of him too at that moment? He liked to believe they were. They were permanently tethered to his soul after all, regardless of the level of torment it currently resided.
With a clap of his hands, Stephen brought the scene to a sharp but merciful end. The world became black and unending, stretching away to infinity. This, Graham knew, was not a place he belonged in any longer. He had to get out into the real world. Of course to do that he would need a lot more than just an open door, he would need his own body too.
Nothing else would suffice.
“OK, let’s go find Luke,” Graham said.
Chapter 13
Priority shift
7am, Friday: 17 hours until Switchover
The door to the hospital room clicked shut gently. Though quiet, it still managed to stir Conrad awake. With his suit jacket up to his chin, he tried his best to slip into another short period of sleep. He assumed that either a doctor had come in or Joe’s wife, Susan, had returned with a coffee or two.
A sharp kick to his stretched-out legs told him otherw
ise.
“Wake up, Conrad.”
He cracked open one eye to find DCS Chalmers staring down at him with a mean ‘V’ between her furrowed eyebrows. Not wanting to appear as exhausted as he really was, he sat up straight and held back any building yawns. He would just have to store them up for now.
“Ma’am,” he said, his eyes struggling to focus on her face. His glasses were in the middle of the park somewhere still. If she only moved further away he would be fine.
“How is he?”
They each peered over to the sleeping lump in the bed against the far wall. Joe had been quiet for an hour or two by then. He had finally been given time to rest after a night of tests and check-ups.
“He’s doing well.” Conrad rubbed his eyes while the DCS switched to looking out the window to the street below. If she saw how tired he really was, he knew she would only order him home. “The doctor said he sustained three broken ribs, but his heart is fine.”
When she turned back to him, it was only for a second before her eyes were drawn away again. He had stepped over the line this time.
“What in the world am I supposed to do with you, Conrad?” she said, returning to watching through the window as the morning commuters scurried around the streets. “I specifically told you to stop the investigation. There might have been a chance for you to join the taskforce if you’d listened. But after this? Well, you can forget about it now. I’m not even going to try. Hell, I should suspend you right here.”
“Please, Ma’am. I can expl–”
“Don’t even bother.” She pushed her hand over her forehead, forcing it beneath her hanging fringe. “I could really do without this today. We’ve got the Mayor’s big speech to the city in less than seven hours’ time and I’m here dealing with this.”
“But we found something, Ma’am,” Conrad said. He stood and threw on his suit jacket while he let her decide whether to bite or not. The stubble across his neck scratched his palm as he stroked it clear of sweat.
DCS Chalmers continued to stare out the window for a few seconds more, then twisted her head to the side. “What?”
“I spoke to them, the killer-cult I mean.”
“Killer-cult? For God’s sake Conrad, I told you to stop calling them that?” she said, her voice hushed.
“Sorry. Look, there’s definitely others involved, likely a whole team of them. The two victims we found without markings were almost certainly part of that group. They were probably killed for making some kind of mistake or something. But I spoke to one of them through a communication system installed on the drone. I don’t think he was one of the killers, most likely he was some form of support. Ma’am, I’m almost positive we’re dealing with something completely new. They’re organised, they have a structure.”
“It’s not our problem anymore, Conrad. The Deputy Mayor made that quite clear to us. It’s up to his taskforce to catch them. Anyway, they’re already packing up our evidence as we speak.”
“And what happens in the meantime? While the taskforce drags its feet, more will die. They’re just not ready to take over.”
“So what are you telling me, Conrad?”
“I’m telling you that I think this is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets any better. I swear it’s as if the Mayor wants us to fail. At least now these assholes know we’re on to them.”
“Jesus, Conrad, you’ve probably forced them into hiding anyway, what with your last stunt. They could be long gone by now.”
“True,” Conrad replied. He was not worried that she was right, there remained another much more positive outcome she had yet to consider. “If they’re hiding from us, they’re less likely to try killing again. The way I see it, Joe and I just bought the Mayor’s taskforce more time. But while they’re getting setup, we should still be running the investigation.”
As she thought this over, a smile began to slide into place, exactly where a long and straight grimace had been. Conrad’s angle contained just the right amount of bullshit to help her look good to the Mayor still – he knew this was what really mattered. With any luck, he could even see it getting him and Joe added to the taskforce too.
When she saw him watching her face as it slowly relaxed, she spun around and walked over to the bed. “Fine. We’ll play it your way. Mayor Crawley might just let you keep your job after all. But I need you to stay out of this from now on, OK. No more going off on your own.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
The door opened and Susan, Joe’s wife, walked in with a handful of Styrofoam cups stacked one on top of the other. She jumped in surprise at the two of them standing around her husband’s bed.
“Susan,” DCS Chalmers said, a hand extended out to greet her.
Conrad shot a quick ‘sorry’ over the back of the DCS’ broad shoulder.
“Hi,” Susan said. Her straw-blond hair was tied in a long pony-tail that hung around her neck and down her front. A restless night had left her looking tired though.
“I’m so sorry for what happened to Joe.”
Susan set down the three steaming cups before replying. “Thanks.”
“Thank goodness it wasn’t more serious. How are you doing?”
“I’m OK, I guess.” She then turned to Conrad. “Has he woken up yet?
He shook his head, he did not feel much like talking anymore. It appeared the same was true of the others, as silence soon followed.
“Well, I’d better be going,” DCS Chalmers said suddenly. “Conrad?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Go home, get some sleep, and for God’s sake clean yourself up. I expect to see you fit and ready for this afternoon.”
Damn! He had hoped to be excused from that. “I’ll be there,” he said, managing to hide his disdain for the Mayor’s big day behind an exaggerated yawn. It had become too hard to keep it at bay.
“Take care of him and yourself, Susan,” DCS Chalmers said, angling her head toward the still sleeping Joe. She then left the room. Both Conrad and Susan let out a held-in breath as the door shut behind her.
“I thought she’d never leave,” a gruff voice said from the bed.
Susan laughed as she shook her head. “Dammit Joe, have you been awake all this time?”
“I woke up when she first came in.”
“You dick!” Conrad said. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“And let her tell me off too, no thanks. Besides, I thought you handled it well.” Joe managed to laugh, but only briefly. The pain in his chest stopped it short.
“Easy, easy,” Susan said, grabbing a clear cup of water from the bedside cabinet. “Here, drink this, clear your throat.”
Conrad could not help himself, he had to say something, something that had been playing on his mind all morning. Seeing his friend in pain only made the need to say it greater. “This is all my fault.”
“What was that?” Joe said between loud gulps.
“I said, this was my fault. I should never have dragged you along as well.”
“OMG, he’s worried about me.” Joe shared a smirk with his wife. “Hey, Conrad, I’m fine. Look, I wouldn’t have gone with you if I didn’t want to.”
Susan sat on the edge of the bed and held her husband’s hand. “The only people to blame for this are the ones out there that did it,” she said.
“Exactly. See, Conrad? It’s not your fault.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he replied.
“You should go home, Conrad.” Susan looked to Joe. “I’ve got this. He can’t go anywhere.”
Joe winked at his wife, then turned back to Conrad. “Yeah, you need a rest. There’s not much we can do about the case anymore, you may as well get some shut-eye. I can’t imagine the Mayor’s Switchover speech is going to be too interesting. You wouldn’t want to doze off during that.”
“Don’t remind me. This will probably be my career from now on; one wasted day after another.” Conrad started walking for the door. He stopped halfway as a thought occurre
d to him. “I need a good hobby. Gloria used to paint, right up until the end. Maybe I should try that?”
“Your wife didn’t have fat fingers though,” Joe said as another cough cut his laugh in half.
Stepping out the door, Conrad looked back again and said, “You’re such an arse!”
He then shut the door and left, knowing the rest of his day was certainly not going to be a good one. Like a student in detention, he found himself being punished for his misbehaviour. Unfortunately, he was not being made to sit out, but to join in with the Mayor’s celebrations, whether he wanted to or not.
Fuck it, he thought. There was only one thing he could see himself doing if he remained cut out of the investigation. In an unexpected moment of clarity he decided the fate of his long career as a police officer. After today he would simply quit.
* * *
“How long has this memory lasted?” Phoenix asked Rhys, who sat far too close to his screen to be good for his eyesight. “Here, I got you this.” She handed over the hot drink she had gotten from the café and then, with a long stretch and a loud yawn, took the seat next to him.
“Thanks,” he said, taking in a deep breath of steam from the cup as he drank. He then leant back on his chair and spied the time from the wall clock in the corner of his chaotic storage room. “I guess about forty-five minutes for this one alone. But we’ve gotten through twelve hard-drives already. I’m not sure we’ll have enough for everything.”
It had been her turn to take a quick break while the download process had continued. All the while Ninety-three had not moved. He lay on a soft blanket in the storage room, not far from the weird apparatus that connected him to their more primitive technology. Apart from the occasional twitch and flicker of his closed eyes, he was completely dormant. Neither of them were entirely sure if he was reliving the memories as they recorded them. It would be a cruel torment if he was.
“Just get what you can. Anything useful come up yet?” Phoenix said.