The Spire

by Peter F Smith

  They picked up where they had last left off with their digital armies battling across a make-believe solar system. Her mother’s hands flew through the air, her rings reflecting light from the holographic screen hovering before her, and the bronze bracelet that didn’t completely wrap around her wrist created a dazzling display whenever the stones along its surface caught the light. Her mother’s movement indicated that she was busy planning or implementing something in the vast game, but the screen was obscured from Maria’s view.

  So she accessed the intelligence data that her vast telescopic array was gathering on the positions of her mother’s fleets. The collection of telescopes was capable of viewing everything that occurred in her mother’s empire that just happened to be within line of sight of the apparatus. They were so powerful that on several occasions she had observed individual characters on her mother’s worlds. Consequently, nothing was beyond her sight or knowledge, and the array also acted as a giant receiving antenna capable of capturing any leaked electromagnetic emissions from communications that might escape from ships, stations, or planets within her mother’s empire. She often referred to it as the “All-seeing eye”, referencing one of her favorite childhood books that had dealt with the forces of good battling the forces of evil over a land that had long since fallen from its golden age.

  Yet, as of this moment, it monitored no activity out of the normal. Then why was her mother so active with her control board? Maria began to get an ominous feeling and scanned through the remainder of her other listening and observation devices. She even became so desperate for information that she called up her long neglected human intelligence division which was little more than official diplomats she had at the embassies and consulates she had established with permission on her mother’s planets. Both of them had agreed to the program in order to further interplanetary trade. When she ordered her diplomats to press their sources, they merely ended up being arrested on espionage charges, which in turn alerted her mother to the fact that she was attempting to fruitlessly gather information. A double failure on her part because now her mother was aware that she knew something was afoot and that her intelligence gathering ability was not nearly as robust as her mom’s.

  She didn’t have long to wait to find out what her mother had in store for her. Just as she was beginning to muster her defensive forces for a potential attack, a huge volume of ships came from around the star system’s double suns and was upon her fleet staging areas before her ships could even leave their berths. She only knew this because of visual reports from her units. As she watched her meticulously crafted defenses ripped to pieces before her eyes, what frustrated her the most was not the fact that her mother had clearly managed a perfect sneak attack against her and that she had lost the game, but that the centerpiece of her intelligence gathering infrastructure, her large telescopic array was still broadcasting data that showed her mother’s fleet sitting in its defensive positions around her worlds. This clearly wasn’t the case as they were currently raining biological weapons across each and every one of her major population centers. With the war lost she placed her planetary defenses on automatic and shifted her attention to figuring out how this had occurred.

  The attacking fleet was completely ignoring the array, and Maria decided that now would be the best time to figure out how this had occurred so that she could learn from it and prevent similar events from occurring in the future. She had the personnel stationed there begin a full sweep of all the software and physical systems. It took a full game day but eventually her people discovered a device that was securely attached to the outside of one of the telescopes with nanotubes that had worked their way into the actual data systems of the telescope. With that access, it was able to load a virus into her computer system at the array.

  When she managed to scrub it from the telescope array, the data she began to receive showed what she already knew. With what little time she had left, she contacted her remaining units still existing on her worlds. They had been routed far easier than they should have, and she had surmised the computer virus that was placing false information into her intelligence network was also disrupting the automated targeting systems that her forces used. As she suspected, the malignant programing had infected her few surviving units which left her with only one question. How had her mother managed to attach the hardware to her array in the first place?

  Maria terminated the game, ceding victory to her mother. As she turned off her screen, she saw her mother smiling at her. “How did you manage to get that module onto my telescopes?" Maria asked.

  “Where would the challenge be if I told you?" replied her mother, a wolf’s grin consuming her previous smile.

  Maria’s eyes narrowed at her mother, and while she was annoyed at her, she had to admit the challenge was what she enjoyed the most. However, she couldn’t possibly figure out how her mother managed to successfully approach the array without being detected. Even if her mother had sent just the device itself which was the size of an apple, the telescopes still would have picked it up. Any attempt at stealth would have been noted by the software which would have detected light being bent around an object or images projected onto its surface. The gravity detectors also would have noted any changes in mass in the space near the array. The few ideas Maria had she didn’t want to let her mother know about so as to keep her from using them in future games.

  Her father eventually chimed in from his seated position on the other side of the passenger cabin. His voice cut through the air like a knife as it was rare for him to ever talk on these trips since he spent his entire time reviewing his data in order to prepare for the inevitable negotiations and intrigue he was going to endure, or so Maria thought.

  “You should check your weather reports," he told her. Mother turned her gaze upon him and gave him an icy glare. Maria noticed a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth as he continued to read the information scrolling across his vision. Maria thought on it for a second and then let out a surprised gasp which she quickly stifled. She opened up the logs for the game and scrolled back through space weather near the observation array. Two years ago in real time, a month after they had started and Maria had begun construction on the device, a small meteor storm had raced through the area. The sensors of the ships working on the project hadn’t noted any impacts on the construction site, so she had never been made aware of it. She grinned at her mother. “Oh, that was sneaky."

  She turned to her father, seeing an opportunity here. “You know, given how horrible this day is going and that I have to spend the next several days with a bunch of vapid socialites, I figured you and Mom might be willing to do something for me.”

  Eva shook her head. Her long flowing hair taking a slightly more hypnotic appearance in the micro gravity that the transport was rocketing through. “No.”

  Maria whipped her head around. Her hair securely tied in a long ponytail that extended down to her mid back. “You don’t even know what I want."

  Her father chuckled, “Yes, we do."

  “It’s too dangerous,” Mom said.

  “It is not too dangerous!”

  Her mother’s accent thickened and she wagged her finger in the air, “Oh, that makes me feel so better. It’s not “too” dangerous."

  “The last time you went you dislocated your shoulder going through rapids and were thrown from the kayak," her father said.

  Maria turned to her dad. “I won’t get thrown again."

  “Oh, how comforting, not ‘Oh, Mom, don’t worry I won’t be foolish enough to put my life in danger doing such a thing again’ or ‘Mother, I’m sorry I didn’t think about what fresh misery my death would bring on you,’ ” Mom added.

  “Where would you like to go?” Father asked stopping her mother’s tirade and for the first time closing his virtual vision and looking right at her.

  Her mom made a sound of disbelief, “Are you actually entertaining this? She could have drowned last time.”

  “I didn�
��t!”

  He nodded. “Exactly, she didn’t. Besides this time, she’ll have Tobor with her the entire time as she goes to…,” he trailed off waiting for her to answer.

  She hesitated. She didn’t want to take Tobor along. The robot created an environment of almost total safety that made the experience less exciting. Knowing that everything was completely under control took some of the adventure out of the entire event. However if she raised a stink about it, she would likely not get the support of her father and that would guarantee she wouldn’t get to go on her kayaking trip. “The Ocoee River in Tennessee,” she responded.

  He looked away for a moment. “Not the most dangerous river, but the weather reports for that area show it’ll be raining pretty heavily after we get back from the celebration. The current will be stronger and the rapids more intense."

  She grinned, “Exactly."

  Her mother swore quickly and vehemently in a mix of Spanish and English that her father had, on several occasions, referred to as 'Spanglish.’ She then leveled a glare that would have turned her father into a sizzling pile of meat had her beautiful eyes been lasers. “If she gets hurt then you’ll have to clone some replacement parts for your anatomy!”

  “Eva, we’re raising her to be a leader. She needs to learn how to be out on her own and take calculated risks." Maria smirked at dad’s quick response. Her father was almost always in control, but the few times she ever saw him lose his cool was when he was dealing with her mother when she was irate.

  “Well, I won’t get the complete lesson since Tobor is going to be tagging along," she responded with fake sadness.

  He glared at her and she quickly made a “zipping it” motion across her lips. Her mother had spun her chair, turning so she was no longer looking directly at them both, and it was clear that she was in no mood to further discuss the topic. The intercom for the passenger section of the transport came to life, and Tobor’s voice filled the space, “We will be beginning our descent shortly. Please secure for landing."

  Her mother crossed herself quickly and whispered a small prayer. She was still nervous about flying in this craft even after so many trips. As the hull began to vibrate more and the harnesses on the chair tightened to keep them all secure, Maria smiled, “Best part."

  4

  She hated these events, not just because they forced her to deal with the foolish children of the Spire families, but because it made her dislike the very sight of all the pristine nature of this Hawaiian island. Her father refused to allow the transports they flew in to have real windows. She understood why since transparent material and holes in the outer hull of the vehicle created weak points that weapons could more easily penetrate, but that meant she was forced to view the lush tropical landscape through the holographic display projected before her. She soaked it in trying to enjoy the moment because in few short minutes this island that had such potential for exploration and excitement would be mired in politics and teenage angst.

  She understood the need for the political aspect of these meetings and was well aware that they were the true reason for the families to congregate. It provided the parents an opportunity to socialize with one another and meet face to face in order to discuss the various military and trade matters that affected them. More often than not it served as the foundation for alliances that could shape the global power structure making it vital that everyone attend or else find themselves the odd man out and the next victim.

  She smirked, and all their air-headed children thought this was a celebration for them. Oh well, she would make her time with them productive at least. She was able to fake interest enough in the other kids to be included in their conversations, which could often yield a bounty of information on the status of the other families. She could also spread a bit of false information about her own in hopes that they would pass it on to their parents. Her father had spoken to her during their descent letting her know what misleading information was safe to disseminate and what was not.

  The transport touched down on a concrete landing pad a hundred meters from the beach. Its powerful hydraulic suspension turning the vertical landing into nothing more than a slight vibration. The surf washed up on the fine sand as it had for millions of years, ever since the volcanic activity that created the islands breached the surface of the ocean. Farther down the beach she could see the assembled housing units and the meeting hall as well as other support buildings. Children rushed between the structures chasing one another and being followed by their family servants who were doing their best to keep the children from killing themselves.

  Her father was also viewing the holographic displays; however, his interest lay beyond just the scenery and people to any traps that may have been placed for their arrival. He stood in the center of a three hundred and sixty degree panoramic display that layered thermal and electromagnetic imagery on top of the visible light spectrum image. The added data allowed her father to see not just the buildings but the electricity flowing through conduits placed in walls as well as the devices it powered. He could also just as easily see people in incredible detail as well. She had the same ability for observation on her display as he did; however, she was more than happy to let him perform the task as the last time she had used the option she had inadvertently learned far more about the mating habits of her fellow uppers than she wanted to know.

  Once satisfied that the area surrounding the transport held no malicious surprises, her father lowered the ramp. Tobor was the first one out of the craft; it’s solid frame sinking into the soft sand. The drone performed a sweep of the area around the vehicle using its advanced suite of scanning equipment to verify the findings of the transport’s detection systems. Her father was never one to take chances, least of all with the lives of his wife and daughter. Tobor must have wirelessly communicated to her father because he walked down the ramp to join her robotic companion. Once he was truly satisfied, he signaled for them to join.

  As she stepped out from underneath the tail section of the transport and into the sunlight, she gladly let it bathe her as she took in the refreshing saltwater scent coming off the ocean. She looked at the rolling waves as they fell upon the pristine sand and rushed toward her family until they petered out well short of the landing pad, only to be replaced by the next in the ocean’s perpetual rhythm. Her mother stepped off the transport and stopped next to her. “Now is not the time to go running off into the surf."

  “And how do you know that I want to go play in the waves?”

  “Because we know you dear. You’d do anything other than go to the village," her father said jumping into the conversation. Maria had long ago realized that her father liked to do this in order to show that he was aware of everything going on around him. He motioned his hand, activating something in his virtual vision and a large platform lowered from the belly of the transport revealing a massive four legged robotic cargo unit that trundled onto the white sand. “Let’s head to our villa," her father said, setting out toward the small town that had been created just for the Spire families. Tobor took the lead and the baggage carrier, its feet sinking into the soft sand, followed close behind the three of them.

  Maria did her best to pretend to be friendly with the other families as they passed them. She waved and smiled, and when some of the other girls ran up to her, she pretended to be interested in their plans to meet up later on and have a party on the beach. Her mother smiled at her, knowing full well the discomfort she felt. Once they left ear shot of the gaggle of teenage girls, her mother leaned in close and whispered to her, “You really should learn how to enjoy the company of your peers."

  Maria smirked, “I’ll start working on that the moment I find some."

  “Your lack of modesty must be from your father’s side."

  They arrived at the door to their residence on the island. The cargo carrier took up position between them and the rest of the complex while Tobor approached the entrance. Her father made sure that the three of them were next to
the cargo unit as Toby scanned the doorway. There was a short time when Maria had been annoyed by this ritual however that was before she realized just how much hate and animosity the patriarchs and, in a few cases, matriarchs, of the other families held toward hers. She understood why it was so. Her father and mother had, with no help from anyone else, crafted the most powerful empire in the ruins of the once world-spanning civilization that was humanity. Quite literally, they had done it all by themselves, eventually including her in their work as well.

  She still had nightmares about when her father had opened the door to their panic suite several days after the riots in New York had started. His eyes had been haunted and hollow. His unshaven face failing to hide the gaunt cheeks of a man who hadn’t eaten enough for an extended period of time. That’s when he told them about the explosion that had ruptured the building’s hermetically sealed environment allowing the fatal disease to spread throughout the entire facility, passing him over only because the automatic safety systems sealed him in his office and away from the rest of the building population.

  Then he told them of watching the entire staff die, the people who had been an extended family to her, from the monitors and being powerless to do anything about it until the robotic units were able to repair the damage and the building’s filtration system cleaned the pathogen from the air outside his office and their panic suite. She could feel the sting of tears pop up in her eyes as she recalled the grief she felt at the loss of her friends, but most specifically, Mr. Miller, her surrogate father when her real one truly couldn’t make it. She began to wail and barely noticed when her mother asked about her grandparents. She never actually heard her father tell her that they had died on their way to the Spire, but she inferred that from the fact that for the first time in her short life, Maria watched her mother openly weep.