He was standing on a ring-shaped walkway overlooking a vast chamber. Lining the walls were what looked like giant condensers of some kind. Behind plate glass, huge bubbles formed and drifted lazily up toward a ceiling somewhere out of sight. Far below, covering the floor of the chamber, he could see banks of unknown machinery. Rael took a deep breath. The atmosphere here was as fresh as on the surface. Even the simple task of providing air this far down would be a major feat of engineering. He stood there, dressed in his undershirt, trying to take it all in. Somewhere far above his head–maybe a met-ryn, maybe more–his torn tunic and fur coat were presumably still lying discarded on the metal platform. He envisaged the frustrated pilot of the avionic that had attacked him, desperately trying to work out how he had managed to vanish into thin air.
Rael began making his way around the perimeter, watching the view below as his perspective gradually changed. He could see arrays of tiny lights, but there did not seem to be any movement. A quarter of the way around, he came across an open metal cage jutting out into the expanse. It seemed to be another elevator, designed to provide access to the floor below. How many turns had it stood idle? Do I really want to trust my life to this thing? Still, he had to know what was down there.
He stepped onto the metal grille that was the floor of the cage. It creaked slightly, but held steady. He swallowed. It was not unlike the elevators at the launch site at Takala Flats. Rael had no particular love for those either. There were two buttons, red and green. His hand was shaking slightly as he moved to press the green one. Nothing happened. He pressed the red button. Again nothing. Then, with a lurch that sent Rael scrabbling for a handhold, the cage began moving downward.
As he descended, the great machines filled his vision. Fear was soon replaced by wonder as he began to speculate as to the purpose of this place. What grand vision had driven its builders to bring forth such wonders? The cage juddered once more as it moved through the last ryn, before finally coming to rest at the bottom of the chamber. Rael exhaled slowly and stepped onto the chamber floor.
His boots echoed as he strolled through a cathedral of technological marvels. He was a tiny child, moving across a hall filled with immense toys that he did not comprehend and could not play with, but which filled him with intense excitement nonetheless. Gradually, he wound his way toward a circular bank of instruments that dominated the centre of the immense hall. He stopped before a console and ran his fingertips reverently over the array of panels and switches.
A voice just behind him made him jump. He whirled around and saw a figure standing before him. An elderly Kelanni in long white robes was speaking in urgent tones. Rael did not understand the words, but he recognised them as Ancient. “Hello…can you understand me?” he replied.
The old man looked at the floor and frowned, creases accentuating his bald forehead. He seemed to be concentrating intently on something. Finally the creases vanished and he raised his eyes, addressing the tall young visitor once again. “It’s about time.”
~
Rael stared at the sprightly individual. His eyes were alive, though his worn olive skin was peppered with freckles of age. “Wh…who are you?” Rael stammered.
“Don’t they teach you people in maintenance anything? I suppose you must be new. I am Rashid. I run this complex.”
“But you’re…you’re a…”
“An AP? Of course. Artificial Personality. Much more sophisticated than your common Artificial Intelligence, naturally. I had to have the computer make copies of myself.” Rashid waved an arm expansively. “How else do you expect me to keep track of everything that goes on in a place this size?” This creature seemed as much of an enigma as the rest of the apparatus that surrounded them. “You can start by dealing with the power transfer systems. The elevator at the loading dock isn’t working. We have outages in three more sections and fermionic capture is only operating at forty-three percent efficiency. I don’t know how they expect me to maintain quotas under these conditions.”
Rael shut his eyes. “Look, I think you’ve made a mistake. I would have no idea how to repair these machines of yours. They are far beyond our technology.”
“You’re telling me you’re not with maintenance?”
“No…sorry.”
Rashid threw his hands into the air. “Wonderful. So what were you doing on Drani-Kathaar?” The old man’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me Annata sent you.” Rael’s jaw fell open. “I knew it. Follow me.”
The man in white turned without waiting for a response. Rael trailed after him. He was beginning to feel as if he were in the grip of events he could not control. He was led across the floor of the great hall to a round table, topped by a clear transparent hemisphere. Within the hemisphere were four identical devices shaped like flat diamonds. They appeared to be made of a blue glass substance, embedded with complex circuitry. Four of them. Annata had said that the instrument was divided into four parts. Could these be…?
Rashid touched a button, and the hemisphere retracted silently, exposing the display. “Go ahead. Take them.”
Rael felt as if his brain were wading through treacle. “These are…”
“The components of the gravity wave device, yes,” the old man said testily.
“Aren’t there trials that the bearers of these things have to pass?”
Rashid threw his hands up once again. It seemed to be something that he did a lot. “How should I know? Annata insisted on storing them here for some people to use at some future time. They are nothing to do with me. I told you–I have enough to do just trying to keep this facility up and running.”
“What is this place?” Rael asked.
“You don’t know?” the old man sounded incredulous. “This is a neutrino collector, of course. I assume you know what a neutrino is?”
Neutrinos. To Rael, they existed only in theory. However, if their power could be harnessed, then their weak interaction would allow one to probe the deepest secrets of the universe. This place was a dream come true.
A high warbling sound.
Rael jumped for the second time. “Now what?” Rashid tut-tutted. “This is turning out to be a very trying day. Very trying indeed.” He stalked off, muttering to himself.
Rael lingered before the open table. The power to turn any ordinary matter into lodestone. It was his for the taking. All he had to do was scoop them up. The diamond-shaped components glistened under the hard artificial lighting. Rael’s heart quickened. He was a scientist first and foremost. Should he not at least examine them–experiment to see if they actually worked? He reached toward the nearest of the four. It was as if his hand no longer belonged to him. Suddenly, he pulled it back as if he had unknowingly plunged it into fire.
Absolute power. Its seductive quality shook him to the core. He let out a ragged breath, then turned his back on the four components and hurried after the self-appointed guardian of this cave of wonders.
<><><><><>
Chapter 34
Rael finally caught up to the elderly custodian. He was back at the central instrument bank, still muttering away to himself. The warbling had stopped, but a bright green light was winking on the console in front of him.
“Is there a problem?” Rael asked conversationally.
“You tell me.” Rashid moved his hand over a panel and a large screen appeared overhead. Rael recognised right away the image of the Dais, far above them. The picture drifted slightly. “The lookout has detected some further visitors. Friends of yours, perhaps?”
It suddenly occurred to Rael that he was looking through the same floating transparent globe that had observed him on the surface–similar to the Vision Sphere that Shann had described. The view moved to the left, and the image of a parked avionic swam into view. It had to be the one that attacked him earlier. “No, I don’t think they’re very friendly,” he mused.
As the view continued to pan slowly, Rael caught sight of a second avionic. And a third. Figures moved between the flying machines
, too distant to make out. “Can you move the…the lookout in closer?”
Rashid turned a bony wrist and the image shot toward them. Rael had to suppress a sudden queasiness as the front of one of the craft filled their vision. As he watched, a head and shoulders appeared. The lookout backed off slightly to reveal an odd-looking creature. It was broad and unnaturally stocky, with a pasty, sickly looking face. And it had no tail. Rael had never seen one before, yet he knew instantly what it was from descriptions he had heard–tales told to frighten little children. Hu-man.
The mouth moved and an oddly accented voice came over the speaker. “Who are you?” Rael stared in fascination at the strange form of the creature in front of him. “Who are you?” It demanded again.
“Would you like to make a reply?” Rashid offered.
Rael’s face was set. “Absolutely not.”
~
The hideous creature was soon joined by two others. They stared into the device. A thick-set individual with unnaturally bushy eyebrows spoke into the ear of the first one. His voice was a growl. “I don’t like it.”
“Pull yourself together,” the first one snapped. Then he addressed the lookout. “Listen carefully, whoever you are. We know about this place and we know what is concealed here. Allow us access to the gravity wave device and no-one will be harmed.” There was a pause. “I know you can hear me. You were seen disappearing into this structure. Open up now.” As Rael continued to watch, the first one turned to his right. “Bring the female.”
The thick-set one disappeared off screen. Moments later he returned, dragging a far smaller figure, bound and with short dark hair. Shann. She still wore the flying cloak but her face looked bruised and swollen. She was forced to her knees. “I will count to ten,” the first one declared. “If you do not reveal the entrance, then this one will die.” Rashid looked sideways at Rael, but said nothing. The creature began counting down. “Ten…nine…” If I let them in, then it’s all over. “…six…five…four…” Rael felt his heart clench within him. He shut his eyes tight. “…two…one…”
A sickening thud. The sound of it went through him like a blade. He forced his eyes open. A crumpled form lay on the platform. Shann. She was not moving. Rael gritted his teeth and felt his eyes water. How could this be happening?
The scene shifted slightly so that Rael could now see three more captives lined up: Lyall, Alondo, Patris. Of Keris and Boxx there was no sign. The first creature moved forward so that his revolting pink face filled the screen. “Open up now, or one of these will be next.”
“Oh no,” Rashid let out. Rael glanced at him, but he was not looking at the screen. His eyes were fixed on the console, his hands moving frantically over the multi-coloured panel.
Rael took hold of his grief with both hands and thrust it away in a deep dark place. “What’s the matter?”
“It’s the elevator,” Rashid said. “It’s headed back to the surface.”
“What?” Rael exclaimed. “Stop it and bring it back down.”
“What do you think I’m trying to do? It’s not accepting my commands.”
“Why not?”
Rashid’s brow knitted. “It’s not a software problem. I think the mechanism is…physically jammed. This is what happens when maintenance doesn’t do its job. Who are those people? They’re not Kelanni.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Rael said. “They mustn’t be allowed to get in here.”
Rashid’s attention was still fixed on the control panel. “Well, I don’t know what I can do to prevent it. The elevator is already at the top.”
Rael’s eyes turned back to the screen as the lookout recorded the first hu-man and his thick-set companion crowding into the elevator. The third creature–grizzled, with odd reddish hair on his scalp and face–had been left to guard the captives.
“Is there another way out of here?” Rael asked.
“Only the elevator at the loading dock. It’s not working–I told you that.”
Rael grabbed the older man’s elbow. He could feel the hardness of bone as if he were a skeleton beneath the sleeve of his robe. “Then we have to destroy the four components. Now.”
Sympathy passed across the custodian’s features. “That’ll be difficult. The casing is made from synthesized lonsdaleite. It’s nearly twice as hard as diamond.”
“You have a material harder than diamond?” Rael shook his head. “Never mind. Where is the other elevator now?”
“About halfway down. It’ll be here any moment.”
“They can’t be allowed to get their hands on those devices,” Rael declared.
Rashid shook his head. “I knew those things were going to be trouble from the moment Annata stashed them here. I only allowed it because…because everything was falling apart, and she said it was the only way to ensure our race’s long term survival. Now she’s gone and I’m left to clean up the mess she left behind. Look, if you want to destroy all record of the technology right now, then the only way would be a reactor overload.”
Rael’s eyes widened. “You mean…blow this place up?”
“I’m afraid so. If you’re sure that’s what you want. I am nothing more than an advanced AP–I have no conscious existence as you understand it. You, however, would be killed, I’m afraid.”
Not just me. They were too far underground for any conceivable blast to reach the surface, but it might well be felt up there. Rael had no illusions as to the fate his friends would suffer when their guard realised what had happened. On top of that, the device that Annata had concealed here would be lost forever. And the Prophet would still be building his weapon. He could only hope that Keris and Boxx were still alive and free somewhere. It’ll be up to you now.
Rael met the older man’s curious stare. “Do it. Do it now.” Rashid bowed slightly, then made off around the circle of consoles. Rael hurried after him. A third of the way round, the old man settled at a new set of controls and began making adjustments. There was a commotion from the circular walkway far above. Boots resounding on metal. Distant voices. They were here. “How long?” Rael pressed him.
The alarm began to sound once more, only this time the note was higher–more urgent. Rashid let his hands drop. “Reactants are set. Critical mass will occur in twenty dahns.”
“Thank you,” Rael said. The cage lift was descending towards the chamber floor.
Rashid suddenly seemed even older. “How long…how long since I was last activated?”
“More than three thousand turns,” Rael answered.
The old Kelanni looked as if Rael had struck him with a blunt instrument. “Rashid…the real Rashid, I mean. He is dead, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Then I am all that is left of what he was.”
Rael tried to find some words of comfort but could find none. In the end, he simply nodded.
The old man looked up at him, his eyes pleading. “I don’t want to die.”
Rael thought of his mother and brother. Of Hannath and Meira at the observatory. Of Solvi, his childhood friend. Of Lyall, Alondo, Keris and Patris, who had journeyed from Drann, across the Sea of Storms. Of Boxx and its remarkable people. And of Shann. Shann the courageous. Shann the annoying. Shann the strong. Shann the impatient. Shann, the girl in a pink dress who had led him by the hand through a golden pasture, who had dressed his wound and then kissed him. Which of them was truly her? All or none? He would never know.
The cage had reached the bottom and disgorged its occupants. But now they had grown insignificant; tiny, scurrying creatures lost in a vast mechanical forest. About to be stepped on. Rael felt suffused with a strange sense of calm, as if his life had suddenly been brought into focus. And with clarity came insight. “I think Rashid would understand. And he would approve of his…Artificial Personality.”
The two of them stood side by side to face the approaching hu-mans. Rael heard the creatures bark out a challenge. He watched as they stood and looked at each other, then levelled stubby instruments
that appeared to be weapons of some kind.
A searing light. But strangely, there was no pain. And then he was standing in the midst of a grey expanse. In place of Rashid, there was Boxx, looking up at him. “Follow,” it commanded.
Rael had no strength left in him for questions. He bent down, picked up his coat and the tattered remains of his shirt, and stumbled after the Chandara.
As they emerged from the fog bank, Rael saw the pitched tents and the parked avionics–just as he remembered them. He spotted Lyall and Shann, and a surge of relief washed over him. Somehow, he was alive and back with the others. His mind struggled to make sense of it all. He had seen, felt, touched–everything. Had it all been an illusion? Yet it was as real as anything here.
Shann came running toward him with Lyall close behind. She stopped short and her eyes ran him up and down. Haunted expression. Torn clothing. I must look a sight. “What happened to you?”
You did. Rael had no idea how to answer her. You are no more or less real than that other Shann. How can I be sure that you are not just another illusion?
“No questions,” Lyall reminded her.
Shann surged forward and threw her arms around the boy. Her touch felt unreal, otherworldly. Rael stiffened. She released him and stepped back, looking upset and confused. Rael’s heart felt like a stone weight in his breast. I don’t know who you are. I don’t know who any of you are.
Keris had appeared next to Lyall. She was watching the exchange with cool detachment. Finally, she broke the silence. “Boxx, has Rael passed the trial?”
The little creature stood on its hind limbs and looked up at her. “Rael Has Passed.”
A collective sigh of relief passed around the gathering. It seemed to touch everyone except him.
Lyall stepped forward. “Time enough for congratulations later. Rael is exhausted. Shann, help him to a tent and see to his needs, would you?”
The girl hesitated for a moment, then came forward once more and supported his arm. Rael allowed himself to be led away toward the sweet release of sleep. Please…please don’t let me dream.
The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) Page 65