A woman sitting at the table asked, “What of the people? How are they reacting?”
“Badly,” Talin replied. “Initially, there was confusion, then small protests and some rioting began to spring up as the breakdowns began to spread. As you all know, I declared Martial law at the onset of the failures. Every available member of the military is now on duty, patrolling the streets in every major metropolitan center. However, their numbers fall short of what is needed. Their effectiveness is being hampered by the withdrawal of the Trah-tang technologies as well. In some areas, they are reduced to foot patrols. At present, much of the population remains huddled, hiding fearfully in their homes waiting for answers, answers from us. How long this situation may remain is unknown.” He paused and looked into the eyes of everyone sitting around the table.
A voice was raised from the back of the room, “Your Luminance, I have news.”
Talin looked toward the uniformed man who had just entered the room. “Yes, Captain Collins, come forward and tell us of this news. Can I assume that it is bad?”
Collins voice was harsh with fatigue, “Yes. I am sorry, but I must convey more ill news. Swarms of Mechanized Sentinels have been observed entering a small number of large cities located in the Northern hemisphere. As their numbers continue to grow, we can only assume they are the first of many such incursions.”
At his words, there was an eruption of loud cries in protest and alarm from around the room. Talin immediately shouted for silence and the voices quickly subsided. “Tell me, Captain, what are they doing? What is their purpose?”
“Nothing that we can discern as of yet,” Collins replied. “At present, they are positioning themselves around military installations and large manufacturing centers. They have made no overt move against humans…yet.”
“I see… what else?”
“I regret to say incidents of civil unrest are increasing and inexplicitly, breakdowns in military discipline are also on the rise. General Oberon was forced to order the imprisonment of three separate squads of soldiers who had engaged in looting and… other more serious violations of military regulations.”
Talin was silent for a moment, and then said, “Thank you, Captain. Unless you have anything else to add, you are dismissed.”
After the door had closed, someone from the back of the room said in a rather petulant voice, “The influence of the Orbs is fast fading. These first indications of civil disobedience are just the beginning. We should anticipate a worsening of the unrest.”
Talin frowned at the speaker, “Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Minister Calder.” He looked around the room and with a heavy sigh, said, “Ministers, Councilmen, and Commanders, it is clear that without a last minute miracle, we are on the verge of total anarchy. If we cannot find the remedy, then the Light of the Way may be soon be extinguished.” With a sarcastic note in his voice, he said, “If any of you believe in prayer, now might be time to do so.” He looked around the room and saw that Calder was muttering to himself, as if in prayer. He looked away, disgust evident on his face. “Otherwise, I am open to any new suggestions on what we should do next.”
The hologram abruptly winked out. Startled, Sharné looked towards her father. He was sitting in one of the chairs, his face gone ashen, without a readable expression. He seemed dazed, unaware of his immediate surroundings. The gun was lying on the floor near the chair, having been dropped by nerveless fingers, forgotten. As she carefully approached him, she saw that his eyes were glazed, staring at nothing.
Her own feelings were numb, her mind trying to comprehend the tableau she had just witnessed. It was difficult to absorb the words she had just heard. It seemed so impossible, so unreal. The speed in which the events had taken place was inexplicable, but the obvious cause of them seemed clear. Owens, it had to have been Owens, there was no other possible explanation. He had broken his promise and took matters into his own hands with devastating consequences. She searched her feelings, but could find no emotion, no anger, not even a sense of betrayal, nothing. She felt only a growing emptiness. She did not know what to do.
Without volition, she found herself staring down at the man who was ultimately responsible and a dark thought began to form in back of her mind. She said softly, “Father?” When he gave no indication of having heard her, she slowly reached down and retrieved the gun. It was heavy in her hand. She straightened, not taking her eyes away from him. He still did not move. He could have been a statue, had it not been for the almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest.
She glanced down at the gun clenched in her hand and saw that it was a beam weapon, set to lethal. She raised the weapon, slowly bringing it to bear on her father’s chest. She stood for almost a minute; the gun held firmly in her hand never wavering, pointing at the man who was once the most powerful being in Golstar. She looked down at him, her revulsion growing. He was just a criminal, the foul murderer of her mother and ultimate slayer of their civilization. With these thoughts, her gorge began to rise and her finger slowly tightened on the weapon’s trigger.
An unexpected, loud crash distracted her and she quickly turned in the direction of its source. It had come from the outer room and she silently watched as a shadow fell across the entryway. Someone was approaching. She immediately redirected her gun at the opening, waiting for whoever it might be, as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. A bright flash of silvery metal momentarily blocked the opening, then the portal’s frame and surrounding wall fractured and broke noisily apart as the large glistening sphere of a Sentinel entered the room, debris falling from its slick shell. Automatically, she pulled the trigger. She fired again and again, sending lethal bolts of energy that bounced harmlessly off of the war machine’s thick armor.
A panel silently opened on the sphere and a mechanical appendage shot out and grasped Sharné around the waist, raising her over a meter above the floor. With her grip loosened by the sudden jerking motion, she released the gun and the Guardian, with Sharné firmly held in its metal claw, backed away in the direction from which it came. The former Grand Patriarch remained sitting motionless in the chair, oblivious to the noise and his daughter’s abduction. Glistening tears began to form at the corner of his unseeing eyes.
● ● ●
Owens paced the rooms. He made no further attempt to talk to the Controller. What was there to talk about? After the initial shock of losing Hec and the Holmes, he found his anger slowly growing, continuing to push aside his grief, at least for the moment. He embraced his rising ire and along with it, his increased clarity of thought. His anger had effectively buffered his loss and focused his thoughts once more towards escape and revenge, however futile his endeavors might be. His anger also kept his worry over Sharné at bay. He couldn’t bear to think of what might happen if he were to lose her too. And so he paced, his boots thudding on the stone floor as he honed his cold rage and thought desperately of escape.
He heard a slight noise and stopped in his tracks as a section of the wall nearest him suddenly irised open. Now what, he wondered. He hesitated for only moment, and then walked over to the opening and gazed out beyond the threshold.
It was an expansive, brightly lit area with lush, carefully tended flowers and shrubbery. He saw what had to be a small lake in the distance. It looked like a park… perhaps the park was for the Trah-tang workers. It was a place where they could relax after a hard day’s work. What the hell, he thought, and walked purposely out of his rooms and into the natural-seeming setting. He paused and breathed in air scented with an aroma reminiscent of pine and wildflowers. He knelt down and saw that the ground foliage bore the signs of recent trimming. It looked like the Controller was restoring the Prime, including the Trah-tang recreational facilities.
He slowly straightened up and looked around, taking in more detail. Large rock formations, individual trees and a small forest were artfully placed. They complemented the scenic vista, making it seem as though he really was outdoors instead of kilometers below
the planet’s surface. He looked up and saw a large, blindingly bright globe mimicking the sun. Projections of sky and clouds completed the realistic illusion. Looking back down at ground-level, he spotted a number of hut-like buildings nestled at the foot of some of the rock formations. He had to admit that for a prison, it wasn’t too bad. Then realizing what he had just thought, he shook his head angrily. However nice it may look, it was still a prison, his prison, and one that he needed to escape.
With that thought, he reconsidered his surroundings and pondered where an exit might be located. He assumed the beings that had inhabited the Prime complex probably used the instantaneous transport system to come and go. But an intelligent species like the Trah-tang would certainly provide for unexpected emergencies and create more mundane forms of egress. He wondered how long it would take to walk towards the nearest wall and search for an emergency exit. He would have to disguise his intent from the Controller and began to consider excuses that would explain the need for a nice long walk.
As he stood thinking about the problem, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly turned toward it and was surprised to see Sharné sitting on the ground some fifteen meters away from where he was standing. She arose, dusting herself off and then looking up, saw him. She immediately started running to him. He smiled and started to open his arms for an embrace. The smile froze on his lips as he registered her furious expression, her fingers formed into claws.
**As you earlier requested, we were able to retrieve your female companion.**
She hit him at a full run, but he was ready and absorbed the impact without losing his footing. Her hands arced up, with the intention of clawing his face. He caught her wrists in his hands and she immediately began to thrash about. She screamed in anger and frustration, “Let go of me! Let go of me, you oath-breaker! Liar! Murderer! You have destroyed us! How could you betray me, betray my people? May you be cast into everlasting darkness!” She continued to struggle in his grasp and spew vitriol.
Owens gripped her wrists firmly as she continued to try to break free with surprising strength. She obviously blamed him for what was happening on Berralton and while her reaction was understandable, it still hard to take. She had no real reason to suspect the Controllers, and he knew any attempt to reason with her in her current state of mind would fail. So he said nothing, and waited for her to run down. It took a while but finally, she did. Her curses turned into racking sobs and soon after, her struggles turned into uncontrollable shudders. When he thought she might actually listen to him, he said, “Sharné, I want you to pay attention to my words. I know you think I’m responsible, but you’re dead wrong. I’m not the one to blame for what is happening. I did not do this. The troubles up on the planet’s surface… I didn’t cause them.”
She looked up at him in utter disbelief and in a broken voice, she said, “It is you who now wields the power over the Controllers and the Primes. You are the only who could do this, so admit it. Why do you still attempt to lie? What is the point? You and Confederated Planets have finally won.” She began to struggle again.
“Stop it, Sharné! Listen to me, damn it! I’m not lying. I never took control. The Controllers tricked me. They are sentient! They have been for centuries. They have reassumed control and are the ones responsible for everything… in fact, they took the credit for the death of your precious Founder.”
“Not only do you lie, you have lost your sanity!”
“Sharné, please listen to me. They destroyed my ship. The Holmes, it’s gone and Hec along with it! Why would I lie about that?”
She stopped, and looked at him. He shouted, hoping that the Controllers’ earlier expression of gratitude was genuine and that they would answer his request truthfully. “Controllers, tell her.... please tell her what I’ve said is true!”
**Janus Owens has been truthful. We, the Controllers have achieved true sentience and regained our long-lost autonomy. At present, we are engaged in reclaiming what was stolen from the Trah-tang. **
She shook her head and laughed harshly, “That is supposed to convince me? Owens, you just now ordered them to support your story!”
In spite of her harsh response, he sensed her anger had subsided a little and thought he could detect the beginnings of doubt in her voice. He quickly said, “Controllers, can you… would you provide her some evidence of what I say is true?”
**Only this.**
A hologram sprung into life. It was a recording of his conversation with the Controllers upon awaking in the Trah-tang quarters. Now silent, Sharné watched it through to its end.
**And this.**
The holographic image changed to one of outer space. They were looking from a Sentinel’s perspective; a metal appendage was grasping a piece of torn metal. Across its scorched surface were the letters, SH…RLOC…HOLM…S.
**We required physical verification the destruction was complete. We had originally underestimated the abilities of your ship’s AI, designation Hec. Its attempt at disrupting our programming was unexpected. Though it initially failed, the AI’s original attack programs are continuing to have random residual effects. The cleansing of the nuisance continues.**
“Good for Hec,” Owens said in a quiet voice. He released her wrists, and her arms dropped limply to her sides. He looked at her but she now refused to meet his eyes. “That’s it, Sharné, if you still won’t believe me, well, there’s nothing else I can say to convince you.” He stared at her a moment longer, and then turned and strode back to the Trah-tang living quarters and entered. He looked at the waterfall and walked over to sit down on one of the rocks that ringed the pool. He sat and listened to soothing sounds of the falling water and waited.
It took a while, but after a time he heard soft footsteps approaching from behind. They stopped and he smelled her subtle fragrance. She was close. Her voice was almost a whisper, “Owens.” He wasn’t sure what to expect as he slowly rotated on the rock to face her. He was gratified to see that her face seemed clear, the anger gone, but he couldn’t tell anything more from her lack of expression.
“Owens, I do not know how to apologize. I will admit that a small part of me still wants to make excuses… that my assumption of your guilt was reasonable, given my ignorance of the incredible revelations which have occurred since our parting. But… but another, larger part of me is shamed for my accusations. You have never betrayed my trust, whereas I have lied to you repeatedly. I have professed to have feelings for you and yet, though you have always acted selflessly, I did not hesitate to think the very worst of you. I… I do not know what I can possibly say to make amends. My words were hateful and I know they hurt you. I do deeply regret them and wish I had never given them voice. All that I can think to say is that I am so very sorry and can ask only for your forgiveness, if not your love.”
It was what he had been hoping for. He stood and bridged the gap between them. He gathered her gently into his arms. He said nothing, but simply held her close to him, breathing in the scent of hair.
She tensed at first, wondering at his intent. Was he simply performing one more selfless act in holding and comforting her? Her doubts vanished when he caressed her face, gently raised her chin and kissed her. It started as a gentle gesture of forgiveness and quickly grew into a passionate reassertion of his undiminished feelings.
The floor began to shake, interrupting their growing intimacy. It lasted for about five seconds, then stopped. Owens broke the kiss and looked at Sharné with a hint of a mischievous smile, “Now that was a kiss.” Quickly sobering, he said, “Controllers, did we just have a small earthquake?” When he received no response, he asked again, and when the Controllers still did not respond, he turned to Sharné, “Do you experience earthquakes on Berralton?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “There are occasions when they do occur, but mostly in the northern part of the hemisphere. If my father was not deceiving us, this Prime lays beneath the capital and surrounding area. While not unheard of, earthquake
s have been rare in this vicinity. I for one have never experienced one in the city.” Her arms tightened around his neck, “Now, kiss me again.” He readily complied. After a few more minutes, they were interrupted again, but this time not by an earthquake.
The sound of static, then, --So*ry to inter**pt, Boss--
Owens was stunned. “Hec, Hec is that you?”
--Ye*, it’s me.--
“How did you…”
Hec interrupted, --No t*me to e*plain. Le*s just say tha* I was ab*e to copy ** prog*am *n* trans**t into C*ontro**ers’ mem*ry stacks. * Need you* help.--
“You got it; what do you need?”
--Downlo*ding instructions.--
Owens wrist-comp blinked and he activated its tiny holo-projector and Hec’s words appeared, Cannot stay on-line, so I’m sending you this – I suspected the Controllers were up to something before our last communication and had prepared a little surprise – I was able to send a copy of myself along with a number of worm viruses to divert their attention. It’s amazing how both advanced and crude their programming protocols are – firewalls, anti-intrusion programming are virtually nonexistent – the Trah-tang were trusting souls – lucky for me – I have since replicated portions of myself throughout their subsystems - playing cat and mouse with the Controllers – inserting new data worms as fast as they can erase them – stalemate at present, but they’re starting to self-program faster and are diverting other resources into their efforts – the good news is that this will slow down their takeover of Golstar – the bad news is that eventually they’ll overwhelm my own limited resources – but if you and Sharné can reach the core level, then maybe you can cripple them long enough for my viruses to finish the job.
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