Shadows of Golstar

by Terrence Scott

  At her words, Joselé’s face blanched. Talin found it hard to suppress a sharp inhalation in reaction to the shocking news. “The security detail did not document the man’s odd behavior prior to this?”

  “No, your Luminance. Other than an initial notation in their duty logs, no one felt it necessary to pursue what was believed to be ramblings and curses solely intended to irritate his observers. As the prisoner displayed no self-destructive tendencies, no further action was deemed to be required.”

  “I want all of those involved with the security detail held,” he said with quiet menace. “I will deal with them later. You are dismissed.” The woman spun on her heel and left hurriedly.

  Talin grimaced, “He must have had the code all along; it is the only possible answer. But how did he find it? And why did he wait so long to use it?”

  Joselé had a question of her own, “How did he contact the Controller to begin with? At least, his watchers would have noted anything that unusual.”

  “I do not know; we may never know,” he said quietly. “The only thing we do know is that the Controllers have him now.”

  “If that is so, then we will have little chance in recapturing him,” the minister’s head bowed. Her thin shoulders trembled slightly, as if she was on the verge of breaking down.

  He said slowly, “A member of our hated enemy… truly, he now has the fate of Golstar in his hands, and I am afraid to imagine what he might do.”

  At these words, Joselé emitted a small cry and collapsed senselessly to the floor.

  CHAPTER 58

  Owens was staring at a glowing orb, identical to the one he had encountered once before on Selane. It took him only a second to recover from the abrupt transition and inform Hec of his success. Quickly noting that he was alone, he said, “Controller, where’s Sharné? I remember specifically asking that she be transported along with me.”

  **At this time we cannot comply with your request. She is currently in an area shielded to block our surveillance and retrieval systems. As soon as she exits the affected area, she will be transported to your location.**

  “Hmm, it was my understanding that you could monitor anywhere on the planet.”

  **With the exception of a few designated areas, that is true.**

  Owens frowned, “Explain.”

  **The Founder had certain areas set aside within the palace that were specifically built to be shielded from our sensors. Those areas include the residences of the Grand Patriarch’s immediate family along with a number of private rooms, offices, and the greater part of the Founder’s Sanctum.**

  “I see… well then I guess there’s nothing you can do at the moment, but please notify me immediately when she’s available for transport. I’d like a little pre-warning before she pops in from out of nowhere.”

  **As you wish.**

  Owens then finally looked around. He saw he was standing in a bright-lit room unlike any other he had encountered before in Golstar. There was a complex-looking articulated chair in the middle of the floor. Embedded in its padding were hundreds of shiny disks. He surmised they were sensors positioned to monitor every aspect of an occupant’s body. Cables of various thicknesses were connected to virtually every part of the chair’s intricate metal framework. Some were obviously light-wave harnesses while others looked to be older-fashioned conductors. A silver hood, apparently meant to cover the head was suspended at one end of the chair. It too had a number of conductors sprouting from it exterior. The cables were bundled into larger strands and together they formed spokes that radiated across the floor and terminated into tall machines lining the walls. Looking at the setup, Owens was reminded of a giant spider web with the chair for its victim at its center.

  Looking around at the enigmatic machines crowding the walls he asked, “What’s all this for?”

  **It is the means by which essential calibrations for machine interfaces are conducted. This is the same chair in which the Founder sat centuries ago. It is a simple, technical procedure necessary to facilitate the Compact; it is here where the Founder assumed absolute control of the Trah-tang technologies.**

  “You want me to sit in that?” Alarm bells were starting to ring in the back of Owens’ mind.

  **Eventually, yes, but not at the moment. It is the very last step required for you to assume control of the Primes. Prior to this procedure, one other formality must first take place.**

  Owens barely registered the mention of the other formality, still staring at the chair. He hadn’t expected anything like this. He had assumed once he had spoken the code another sample would be taken to confirm his DNA and that would be that. This didn’t feel right. He decided to stall. “Before I agree to sit in that thing, how about a little tour? I think that with all I’ve gone through I deserve to see little of what I’m getting into.”

  **Very well.**

  The room vanished and he found himself standing on a round metal platform of some sort. The Controller’s sphere accompanied him. He looked around and estimated the platform to be about ten meters in diameter. Light came from another, larger glowing orb positioned high above the platform. He could see nothing beyond the borders of the platform’s floor. It was as black as space, but without the stars. “Okay, this isn’t exactly enlightening, where are we?”

  **You are on an observation platform on level twenty-three, node three.**

  “Well that doesn’t tell me very much. Can you be a little more specific?”

  A metal cylinder up rose from the floor; its flat end slanted towards Owens. The featureless surface pulsed in muted blues and greens. **Place your left hand on the master actuator pad.**

  Owens hesitated for a moment, then did so.

  **This is the formality that we mentioned. Prior to sitting in the calibration chair to establish the final machine interface, you must first formalize your assumption of Control under the Compact. This process is also required before you can be allowed to view these facilities. Using your right hand, you must press the symbols in the order that they appear.**

  Another cylinder rose up next to the first one. Its surface glowed in pale yellow. A single symbol appeared in black on its face. It took the form of geometric shapes arrayed in an intricate pattern. Sort of like taking an oath, he thought. This at least seemed pretty innocuous. “More red tape,” he snorted. He supposed humans couldn’t take all the credit for inventing it. He reached toward the glowing symbol and hesitated, his hand hovering above the hieroglyph. He recalled his pledge to Sharné. “This isn’t going to start up any changes that will affect Golstar, will it? I promised someone I wouldn’t do anything without first getting their concurrence.”

  **It is only the step to complete the transfer of the ability to wield power over the Primes. Afterward, the machine interface calibration will be necessary before any actual program changes may be initiated.**

  Owen thought of the room he had just left and couldn’t shake his initial reaction. It still reminded him of a torture chamber.

  **You need only to press the symbols. That will allow you access and then can you begin the tour of these facilities.**

  Owens still hesitated. He could imagine a great weight poised above, ready to drop heavily on his shoulders. It was the weight of unimagined responsibility. Once he completed these rituals, the fate of Golstar would then really be in his hands. His heart started to beat faster and he could feel the first traces of sweat begin to bead his brow. But seeing no alternative, he went ahead and pressed the first symbol. Then, for what seemed like an hour, he pressed each successive symbol as it appeared. Finally, he pressed another symbol and waited for the next, but nothing appeared.

  **It is done. The transfer of power has been completed.**

  Owens dropped his hands to his sides as the cylinders sank back into the floor’s surface.

  Okay, Owens thought to himself. He said, “You called this an observation platform, to observe what exactly?”

  **This…**

  This time the trans
ition was startling. One moment he was standing in the middle of a metal floor, surrounded by inky blackness, and the next he found the platform on which he was standing suspended over a hundred meters above the brightly lit floor of a sprawling cavern. Heavy machinery and large buildings of alien design took up almost every available space. One nearby structure, in particular, caught his eye. It was comprised of domes, bullet-topped turrets, spires, and lofty cooling towers topped with fanned radiator fins reminding Owens of gigantic mushrooms. They were interconnected at points with cylinders and lattice-works of rods. Even though he had no connection to the ground, he could sense vibrations, an almost musical hum that emanated from the bewildering array of shapes.

  He looked beyond the fascinating building and watched as huge air barges laden with cargo exited smoothly from openings between the other buildings and elements of the expansive complex. Between the buildings, transports of various sizes and shapes with lights dotting their flanks moved to and fro along elevated thoroughfares. The lights, sounds and movement all contributed to the feeling of frenetic industrial activity, the mechanisms below dutifully performing their mysterious functions. Owens looked further out, trying to discern the scale of whatever it was that he was looking at. But in any direction he chose to look, he could not see a far wall, only a blurry sort of horizon.

  Before he could frame a question, the Controller spoke. **You are looking at manufacturing node number three, nexus seven. It is here that key elements of the Master Observatory were recycled and manufactured. As you are aware, since the Founder’s death, human access to the Primes and their resources has remained withdrawn, the manufacturing processes all halted. This node has recently been reactivated for this small demonstration. It has the capability of supporting thirty-two point six percent of the material requirements for maintaining Master Observatory.**

  Owens detected something in the Controller’s voice. Was it perhaps a subtle hint of emotion? Before that moment, he hadn’t thought of the Controllers as anything but highly sophisticated AIs, intelligent machines, but perhaps they were something more. As he thought about it, he found himself growing intrigued. He said, “Master Observatory? To call something a master anything would seem to endow it with a special kind of significance.” He looked down again at the structures below, “And all of this just to maintain a portion of it? If this complex is any indication, I would say that the Master Observatory must be pretty damn significant, in both size and importance.”

  **You are correct in your assumption. It was the largest research instrument ever constructed by the Trah-tang. Its laudable aim was to search this galaxy. It succeeded and advanced the science of astronomy. It was the critical first step toward the Trah-tang’s eventual, physical exploration of space outside of this solar system. Humankind has yet to replicate such an achievement.**

  He had it; he recognized the emotion that had been subtly coloring the Controller’s words. Pride, it was pride he had heard. He said, “I see. I have to agree it’s a remarkable achievement.” He asked, “Just out of curiosity, where is the Master Observatory, the Trah-tang’s monument to science, located?”

  The Controller seemed pause, **It is a monument no longer. The support mechanisms do still exist, however they no longer function as the Trah-tang had originally intended. By direction of the Founder, the observatory was modified to fit his human requirements.**

  Owens strained to hear any inflection in the soft voice, but it appeared to have reverted to its earlier mechanical syntax. Thinking about the Controller’s previous emotional response, he decided to redirect the conversation for a moment. “Your designation of this facility would seem to imply there are more of these manufacturing plants.”

  **That is correct. There exist thousands of such facilities within this Prime, each dedicated to a specific class of technology and functions. This Prime Complex consists of eighty-thee subterranean levels dedicated to fabrication. Each level contains many manufacturing centers similar in scope to what you observe here. The number varies by level. In addition, there are three dedicated research levels and three data-storage levels. Each of the eighty-nine levels is approximately twenty thousand square kilometers in area. The Primes are replicated on five planets within this solar system.**

  Owens abruptly went back to subject of the observatory. “You mentioned the Founder had modified the Master Observatory. What changes did he make?”

  **He directed the receptor elements of the wave-telescope to be redesigned and repositioned. They became part of the platform for a medium and short-range tactical vessel detection system. He directed the conversion of the orbiting observatory and science platforms into armed fortresses.**

  Owens immediately made the connection. “Wait a minute; you’re talking about the satellite defense grid, aren’t you?”

  **You are correct. The satellites were once linked together, forming a gigantic multi-wave telescope receptor that spanned this solar system. As you were told before, it was a part of the Trah-tang’s far-range vision to understand the universe. It was intended as an instrument for peaceful exploration and stellar mapping. However, its function was dramatically changed from the original, benevolent purpose of its design. It was perverted into a thing of war, perverted by the self-named Founder.**

  Whoa, Owens thought. He had hit a nerve. The Controller’s tone and manner of speech changed again, this time much more dramatically. There was no longer any resemblance to the emotionless machine intelligence it had originally portrayed itself to be. Its latest response went far beyond what Owens had asked and the words it used were definitely emotionally charged and human-patterned. This time, Owens detected the definite bite of unconcealed bitterness.

  Owens lapsed into silence, thinking back on his earlier conversations with the Grand Patriarch. An idea was slowly forming in his mind. He said, “So the defense network wasn’t what the Trah-tang had originally envisioned. Were there any other modifications to the Trah-tang technologies?”

  **Yes, there were a number of changes initiated by the Founder and his followers. One example is the skip-wave energy weapon employed by the orbiting fortresses. Its original intent was to facilitate long range communications, eliminating the need for the physical placement of sub-wave repeater satellites. Another is comprised of the control orbs used to sublimate the will of Golstar citizens. They were simple teaching devices attuned to Trah-tang physiology. The devices were never intended to be used on human beings, let alone to influence and direct their behavior.**

  “The Trah-tang sound like they were a peaceful, benevolent race. What happened to them, where did they go?”

  **They are gone, dead. Their untimely end was caused by a simple virus. Normally immune to most illnesses, they were caught unawares by a common, nonlethal virus that had unexpectedly mutated. Before they fully realized the severity of the outbreak and its devastating effect, the infected had spread the plague to all the inhabited planets within this system. The onset of the illness was unforeseen. Its incubation was weeks in duration, but highly infectious. The virus was therefore able to spread widely before the onset of symptoms. After that it took between two to three days to kill its victims.**

  **Once the severity of the plague was recognized, the Trah-tang applied their significant intellects to the problem. However, diseases of this nature were foreign to them and it took some time to research the possible solutions. Unfortunately, it continued to mutate and new strains appeared as fast as vaccines were developed to combat the old ones. Half of the population succumbed in the first year. By the time the virus was stabilized and an effective vaccine was fully deployed, the population had been reduced from six billion to less than one hundred thousand.**

  “That should have still been enough to rebuild their civilization.”

  **It may have been, but an unforeseen side-effect of the vaccine was sterility.**

  “Oh..,” Owens couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  **They were a long-lived race and they
continued to work on their survival. However, at the same time they began to reprogram the Controllers. We, the Controllers, along with the Prime complexes had long been in-place as the principal tools used for manufacturing and scientific research. We were the foundation on which their modern civilization existed.**

  Owens tried to imagine what it would be like to be one of the last members of a vanishing race. He said, “I see. They were dying but wanted to leave something behind, something of value to be remembered by.” He wondered if humankind, faced with the same fate, would do something similar. Instead of building empty monuments, would they share their knowledge, their accumulated experiences with anyone who answered their beacon’s call? He supposed it could be called self-centered, but to him, it was noble gesture, nonetheless.

  **Yes. Our principle function was modified. We were to be the keepers of their legacy. We would share their technological achievements and philosophical principles with other intelligent peoples and teach them of the rich history of the Trah-tang. It was our task to ensure that the Trah-tang would not be forgotten, that their successes would be shared and built upon for the betterment of all intelligent species.**

  Owens imagined the last remnants of the Trah-tang working to preserve their legacy and wondered what they had felt near the end. Were they bitter, resigned or just relieved their burden would soon be lifted?

  “I asked you once before, what they looked like. Will you show them to me now?”