by Wells, JB
“They come here?”
“This is Plantranet, everyone comes here. They transition into a room and go on shift like everyone else. They have separate doors but we are all fighting the same war, brothers in arms.
“Brothers in binary.” Dexter’s soldier laughed.
“Ha, I get that!” Dexter chuckled along.
“I didn’t see you upload from the arena?”
“No, we upload from our base the same as they do from their countries. We all know each other one way or another. That door is Germany, Netherlands and those alike.”
“So where is our door?” Kieran asked glancing around but a loud siren went off and a red light flashed around the hall.
“Dusters, ready?” Sergeant Benson bellowed putting his helmet on.
“Ready.” They all called back, placing their helmets on.
“Let’s go boys!”
“Catch you on shift, fresh meat,” Trevelli laughed and shoved Kieran’s armour with a playfully hard punch.
“Sure.” Kieran and Dexter watched as they approached a door. The sirens stopped and the door slid open, above it a sign appeared saying ‘UK.’ Hundreds of soldiers filtered out of the door, removing their helmets as they landed in the Hall. The Dusters met and greeted their brothers, then, when the old shifters were out, they went in.
“Come on, we need to get to the plates.” Kieran grabbed Dexter and pulled him away. Something flew past Kieran’s head but it was so quick he didn’t see what it was. “What was that?”
“What?”
“Something nearly took me out.”
Dexter looked around, “There are loads of Rewdys flying around, maybe it was one Fenton is controlling.”
“Funny,” Kieran ignored him and hurried his pace to a waiting Plate.
“Whoa.” Dexter looked it up and down.
A Fastplate was a big metallic plate that travelled across the Halls at an epic speed. They had a hand rail around the top for them to hold on to, but no wheels.
“Kealey and Price, we’ve been waiting for you. On, please.” The driver snapped.
The boys jumped on and stood next to Isabelle and Owen.
“Where have you been?” Isabelle snapped.
“Talking to our new friends,” Dexter began acting all smug. “Yeah, we were hanging with some soldiers from The Wall.”
“Cadets, keep your arms inside at all times and keep low to avoid being hit by data packets.” The driver pressed a button and the Fastplate lifted off the ground and hovered away at high speed.
“Yeah, we are really good friends with the guys.”
“Dexter keep down,” Owen warned him.
“Why?” Something hit him in the head and sent him backwards, landing on the floor of the hall with a splat.
The driver growled and stopped the plate. The other cadets nearly flew off themselves. The plate was reversed towards Dexter and stopped beside him. Kieran, Owen and Isabelle peered over the edge to see him staring at the ceiling in a daze.
“Ouch,” he whimpered.
“I said, watch out for the data packets!” The driver shouted impatiently.
Kieran looked up, he could see what looked like envelopes but bigger, they were flying around and some were disappearing through doors. The driver slammed down the ladder so Dexter could climb back up.
“They still fly around the place delivering information. The outside world doesn’t know what’s going on here, so if little Julie wants to play dollies on-line, that data packet will send and retrieve the info to her computer.” He put the plate into drive again and they sped along the hallway past cadets, Rewdys and more. “They’re all lost.”
“Sorry?” Isabelle called.
“Lost, the data is lost. Every sector that he is getting into, well he’s messing it up. The doors. Look at them!” He shouted as the plate sped away again.
Kieran leant over and looked at the doors as they zipped past. They were normal metallic looking doors, but then he could see a door with tape across the front of it. The driver slowed down for some other plates to cross. Kieran could see it wasn’t tape, it was a holosign in the form of an X. The sign said ‘404 ERROR 404 ERROR’.
“What does it mean?” Kieran called as they picked up speed.
“Adam has disconnected the sectors that people are looking for, the page or website people want no longer exists. So, the packages try to get through the door and bounce back. Duck!” He shouted again and this time everyone ducked. “Auto responder,” he tutted.
“I get the feeling he loves his job,” Owen whispered to Dexter who giggled.
“Yep, I’ve been driving Plates down here for years and those things have been the bane of my life.” The driver seemed to go into a tangent of his own, he didn’t care who was listening he was just happy to have a moan. “It’s all this high-speed data. Yep, auto responder’s that send an automatic reply to emails and high-speed data packets. Cadets, if one of those hits you, you’ll know it. It’s like being taken out by a high-speed train!” The plate came to a stop and so did his tangent. “Here we are the gates of hell. Kealey, you’re off.”
25
“Keep in contact with us if you can,” Isabelle made him promise and hugged him.
The plate lowered closer to the ground and Kieran jumped off, his armoured feet crashed hard into the highly polished surface. He looked over and waved to Dexter and Owen. Then, without a second thought, the plate zoomed away quicker than a flash.
“Maybe there should be a speed limit,” he shouted as he snatched his helmet from the plate before it ripped off his arm.
He watched the plate zip away down the hall, and disappear through a door. Turning, Kieran had to drop to the floor as a group of data packets flew across the room, like a flock of hungry seagulls. Kieran peered up at the swarm and noticed that all of the packets had 404 ERROR on them. They were flying erratically, trying to get back to their destination. Waiting until the coast was clear, he picked his heavy body up from the floor and looked around him but there was no one there. He was still in the main hallway, although he was now at the furthest end. The people at the entrance of the hall could still be seen but they were minute little specs moving around.
“You must be my new recruit,” A loud voice boomed around him.
Kieran looked around him and there was nothing. “Hello?”
“Up here, boy.”
Looking up there he was, Cyberus. Kieran dropped his helmet in shock.
“Don’t be scared, I don’t bite.” Cyberus bellowed down in a laugh.
“H…Hi?” Kieran stuttered. He couldn’t believe the vision that was in front of him.
Cyberus had been created by all of the top scientists from around the world using a super computer and he was the core processing unit of Plantranet. If things happened in there, he knew about it and could keep track – just like the Guiders. But Cyberus’s job was more complex. He had to keep the safe zones safe, he distributed the soldiers to The Wall’s when they needed more, and he could make an accurate assessment on outcome with his massive computer mind. Therefore he would deploy the numbers that were needed, to where they were needed. He knew everything.
The programmers had done a good job with his Avatar, he looked like a Greek God that stood over twelve metres tall. He had long flowing brown hair that draped over his shoulders and down his armour covered chest. All four of his arms were bare apart from big cuffs that sat on his wrists like bracelets. His face was mainly covered by a medieval style helmet and his huge mouth was covered by a massive beard. Kieran looked for Cyberus’ legs, but he didn’t have any. Instead the lower section of his body was a floating disc made of gold and inscribed on the front it said ‘Cyberus’.
“Oh I have legs,” Cyberus laughed, catching Kieran staring at him, “I sit here in this disc, and should I ever need to get out, well, I can.” He leant over the edge of his disc towards Kieran. “I just don’t want to.” Cyberus winked and began to laugh. It was a ground rumbling laug
h that nearly made him fall over.
Kieran could see Cyberus’s eyes between the hair and helmet; they were an amazing mix of sea blue with green and pink colours fluttering through. Kieran gulped. He felt very small and inferior, but he liked Cyberus. He reminded him of Dexter, the oversized brute that was a little clumsy and way too loud.
“Don’t be shy boy, come up here so I can show you what I do, and where you will be going.” Cyberus moved back up to his position and waved his hand.
A small pod came down. At the front of it were two little data packages tied to it and they carried the pod down. Kieran stepped back.
“Oh don’t mind them. Step on, step on.”
Kieran cautiously stepped on and held the little bar that surrounded him. The packages fluttered and flapped until they lifted off the ground and up into the air towards Cyberus.
“Annoying little blighters,” he laughed. “They’re daft as a brush you know, and damn easy to catch.”
“Really?” Kieran looked at the packets, they didn’t have faces but if they did he knew that they probably would have shown that they didn’t like their job much.
“Yes, blooming things, always flying around my head like bees. So I caught a couple and made a little lift.”
Kieran laughed. “Pretty cool.”
“Anyway boy, I hear you’ve been having some trouble with another cadet.”
Kieran nodded.
“And I have to give you a punishment. What to do with you,” Cyberus hummed to himself but it was loud and caused a slight ripple in the air, making the packets wobble and tilt. “Well, I guess putting you on The Wall as discussed would be the best option.” Cyberus clapped his hands together; as he opened them hundreds of windows filled the room. Each window showed a map, a fight or other things that were currently happening in Plantranet.
“Whoa,” Kieran gasped and his lift fluttered him closer to the windows. “Can you see everything?”
“I can see almost everything, the same as I know almost everything.”
“Can you see him?” Kieran asked, his plate being perilously held up by the two little packets.
“No,” Cyberus moved the windows around without even moving his hands. He was controlling them with his mind. “That is one thing he has done, he has blocked me.”
“Oh,” Kieran watched Cyberus’ face carefully as the windows moved around the room. “How?”
“He and I became close friends. He used to spend a lot of time down here and I grew used to having the company. He learnt things from me, things I wasn’t aware I was telling him and he has used them against me.” Cyberus went quiet and stared straight ahead. As Kieran turned to see what he was staring at, a window popped up. On the screen was a bar that filled and continued to fill, it was a red bar and counted up in percent until it reached 99 percent. Cyberus shook himself awake, and moved the screen away.
“What was that?” Kieran asked.
“That was the outcome of a war.”
“Was it good, in our favour?”
“I’m not sure, I’ve been running and rerunning this calculation for weeks and I still don’t know who the winning party is. I had hoped that by having someone else here, I could access the data that I do not have.”
“How is that possible?”
“I run on the internet too, I am the Supercomputer in Avatar form. Things he does can affect parts of me too.”
“So if you know everything, then you know who I am and who they say I am. You know I’m the new super freak in town.”
Cyberus hid all the windows except one. He gestured his hand and the packets lifted Kieran up to Cyberus’ shoulders. “Step off, boy.”
Kieran did and was standing on the shoulders of the greatest giant he had ever met.
“I know who you are, yes. But you are no freak. If you are a freak then I must be the biggest of all freaks.”
Kieran smiled up at Cyberus, feeling better and reassured. A sudden thought crossed his mind, he hoped Cyberus didn’t have another laughing fit because Kieran may be flattened or crushed to a pulp by its enormous arms. “Why do you have four arms?”
“I am built for battle, like you.”
“But how will you fight?” Kieran stared down at Cyberus’ plate again.
“Brains are the best weapon in war, and I am a HUGE ONE!” He bellowed and laughed. Kieran had to grab onto something for safety, and Cyberus’s beard was the closest thing to hand. “But as always we all answer to a higher power and so do I. Even if I wanted to intervene I can’t, my masters can control me via these.” He lifted his arms and pointed to his four bracelets. “Anyway, back to your punishment. I need you on The Wall in Sector M, section 54-3. I think you’ll enjoy spending the day with The Dusters.” The only window left in the room grew larger, it was a black space that showed one door in and that was all. The camera then zoomed in showing Trevelli.
“Yeah,” Kieran was happy to be with them, but he remembered that his friends would be out doing the hard stuff. He was worried for them, at the same time he was jealous of the action they would see and the points they would get.
“I think you’ll find it, trollific.”
“Sorry?” He asked, thinking he had misheard.
“I said I think you’ll find it terrific.” Cyberus howled with laughter. Kieran was right next to his mouth. He clung on for dear life to the giant’s beard as the gale lifted him up. “Right, on the plate boy and these packets will drop you at the door.”
Kieran slipped from Cyberus’ arm to the packet driven pod.
“Stop by again soon boy, or if you ever need to talk to the biggest freak, you know where I am.”
Kieran felt good, Cyberus was the first one to make him feel better. He waved as the packets began to struggle their way across the hall.
“And don’t forget,” Cyberus shouted after him, “The truth will out eventually.”
26
Clouds clashed high above and rumbled, releasing lightning across the grand hall. The weak and tired packets, aptly named Felix and Fenton by Kieran, struggled for what felt an eternity The Hall was still full of movement, cadets rushing in and out of rooms, Fastplates whooshed past dragging currents of wind in their wake. A large flock of data packets began flying around like a disturbed flock of birds. Kieran couldn’t bear the torment of the poor things any longer. Not knowing if they could hear, let alone see, he said, “It’s okay, just stop here.”
The packets stopped and slowly lowered the plate to the ground, once his feet were off the plate the packets fell to the floor. Limp and lifeless, they bounced around like hurt moths. Kieran approached them; he couldn’t work out how they could understand him. Either way, the poor things needed to be free to do whatever they were tasked to do, even if it was to timeout with dignity. Kieran bent down and unhooked them.
“Sorry Cyberus,” he whispered and watched them limp around, “go.”
The envelopes lifted up and fluttered away with a sense of happiness. Kieran stood and his arm plate began to buzz, he read the little screen which said ‘+ 250 LP - New Achievement unlocked: Set Them Free.’
“Huh,” he groaned surprised. Plantranet was the place that just kept on giving, not only did they get points but they got achievements as well.
Another group of cadets ran past him, it was a mix of first years and a few older ones. Some of the cadets Kieran knew and they waved as they passed him. The clouds behind him began to rumble again.
“No!” He realised that he was due on The Wall and he was late. The door was only a few feet away. He hurried along as fast as he could and clicked his helmet in place, his suit vibrated as he ran. He reached the correct door but there was no windows, no locks just a handle that sat proudly in the middle like a large door knocker. Kieran reached up and grabbed it but his hand went through it.
“What?” He pulled his hand back and questioned what he was doing wrong, he placed his hand over the door handle and concentrated hard, but his hand went through the door again. Kiera
n must have been standing for a few minutes just placing his hand in and out of the door continuously, but to no avail. Suddenly a head appeared through the door, a helmet very much like Kieran’s, then two arms appeared and the helmet was removed.
“Try to land on your feet!” Sergeant Benson huffed and placed his hands on Kieran’s chest plate. With no effort he pulled Kieran in.
“Aaaarrghh!” Kieran screamed as he tumbled down, he was free falling and he didn’t know when it was going to end.
“Keep your damn voice down!” Benson growled.
Kieran stopped screaming as he tumbled and he could see Benson falling in an upright position, his arms crossed as if he was completely unfazed. Kieran continued to tumble and spiral out of control, when he could see Benson’s face he was sure there was the hint of a smirk.
“But…When…Does...” he called between being the wrong way down and the right side up. Kieran didn’t get to finish the question as his bum hit the ground very quickly and very painfully, his suit vibrated. He ended up lying sprawled across the floor staring up into an abyss of black. His arm flashed and his energy levels had taken a battering due to the harsh landing. Eighty five percent was all he had for the start of the shift. Kieran pressed a button and the flashing stopped. “Good job it’s supposed to be quiet here.”
“Get up quickly, the shadows are not safe.” Benson placed his hands on Kieran’s chest plate again, Kieran knew that he was about to be man-handled in a rough fashion. “Quickly!” Benson shouted placing Kieran firmly on his feet.
Kieran dusted himself down and rubbed his aching back and bum.
“Now!”
“Yes, Sir!” Kieran cried, still in a little pain. He watched as Sergeant Benson ran off and he ran through the pain to follow him. They were running through darkness and all he could see was Benson’s faintly glowing armour, he followed it as best he could. “Where are we, sir?” he puffed.
“We are in the shadows, now run!”
“I thought this sector was secure?”
“No sector is secure, we just make it as secure as possible. Sector M has 196 different sections, plus 89 others side sections. So no, nothing is secure, run!”