Wrath of the Shaitans

by Sudipto Majumdar

  Everybody stood in a semicircle around Ramesh as he started his discourse. “First if you notice I have attached a neural analyzer to the slime out there, which is connected to my terminal. That slime ladies and gentlemen is the Shaitan equivalent of a terminal, touch interface, keyboard, mouse, fingerprint scanner and any other computer peripheral you can think of.”

  “What is a mouse? I am assuming you don’t mean the kind that manages to get into my kitchen. I think I have seen a keyboard though. Isn’t it the one you have in your study attached to your terminal?” asked Mischa.

  Ramesh rolled his eyes. “Don’t bother. It is a term we computer engineers use together – keyboard and mouse. It is a historical term. No one actually uses a mouse now, but it used to be used in the early days of the computers to point and click on objects on the screen. As far as a keyboard is concerned, it is a programmer’s best friend. It is what we use when we code.”

  “So why don’t you just say what you want to program, or touch it on the terminals. Why do you need that plastic thing to hack into?” asked Mischa genuinely curious.

  “The answer to that question would have been obvious Mischa if you were writing ten thousand lines of G++ or the older C++ code which use syntax that makes no sense in plain English. Any way we digress, let’s get back to the Shaitan computer.

  As I was saying that slime is the interface the Shaitans use to see data and give commands to the computer. When I say ‘see’, the Shaitans don’t really see data, since they are almost blind. Rather they taste the data from the electrochemical signals. They issue commands the same way.

  As you can imagine, my knowledge of the system is severely limited at this time, and some of my concepts about their computer architecture might be outright wrong. There are a lot of guesses going around. The good news though is that there are some fundamental aspects of mathematics and computation that are universal. So they are the same for us and the Shaitans, and those fundamental aspects are helping me slowly peel through this puzzle.

  I have been dying to tear into the beauty of a quantum computer that they have out here. I believe it is possible to understand its workings completely in a fairly short period of time – by that I mean a few years, but we may not be able to replicate such a computer until we learn their manufacturing process, which has to be radically different from ours.

  So I have concentrated initially not on the computer itself, but on the control system that the computer operates. This control system runs everything inside this habitat. I want to give a demo and also pass on the learnings of whatever I know till now about the control system to others here.

  That will give the rest of you access to systems like the nuclear reactor, and equally important their fabrication units. I think it is very critical to understand their manufacturing process if we are to replicate anything out here.

  Once you all are comfortable with the control systems here, it will enable all of you to work simultaneously in your respective fields thus increasing our productivity and hopefully we will be able to reverse engineer a lot of these technological marvels. It will also free me up to dive into the core of the quantum computer.

  So let me start with the most dramatic part of my presentation.” Ramesh said theatrically while having a big smile on his face. As he issued the command on his terminal, he kept his eyes on the leadership team. He wanted to see the reaction on their faces. The gasps and shocks written on their faces was worth all the nights he had spent toiling over the control systems.

  The hemisphere of the nuclear reactor split open at an invisible seam, and the two halves slowly started rotating open, moving into the square block, that was the base of the hemisphere. The external metal was just a cover. As each half of the cover sunk into the base, it exposed a sphere that was half sunk into the square block.

  The sphere was held up inside the base with multiple struts jutting out of the hemispherical depression of the base, which held up the sphere. The sphere was magnificent and weird at the same time. The surface of the sphere reminded people of the surface of a human brain with multiple folds. The moment one tried to concentrate on any one fold though, it would seem to dissolve and become smaller folds. When you concentrated on one of the smaller folds, it would similarly dissolve to form smaller folds, until you got a headache.

  The entire surface seemed to shimmer, as if it was constantly changing, and yet when one concentrated, there was no movement visible on the surface. There were faint cracks of light visible from between the folds, and yet when one concentrated on those cracks of light, they seem to move away just like the folds.

  Each of them in the room except Ramesh was staring with his or her mouth gaping wide open. Some of them might have even been drooling. Ramesh gave out a loud laughter. He had been recording this for posterity. He was sure to have lots of fun showing it back to Jorge and Mischa. He laughed out loud.

  “Look at you guys. I wish you could see yourselves right now. Don’t worry I am recording this for you to watch at leisure and feel embarrassed.” Then he looked at Alex who was squinting. “I know it gives quite a headache staring at it doesn’t it. It sure gave me one heck of a migraine the first time. The trick is to not stare very hard at the surface.

  And oh… by the way, that surface IS moving. I confirmed by pointing a laser at it. But it is moving at such a microscopic level that you cannot see it with your naked eyes. That microscopic movement is what give it that weird and disturbing shimmer. Your eyes feel they are seeing something move but your brains can’t process it. That is what probably gives one the headache staring at it.

  I now know how to open up a lot of the machinery out here. I think I have even been able to identify a fabrication unit, although you guys will have to figure out whether it is a general purpose fab or used for some specific purpose. I am sure Mr. Gupta here would feel like a kid in a candy store very soon.” Ramesh said.

  Ramesh got busy with explaining the basics of operation of his program that controlled the Shaitan computer interface. He was keen on handing over as quickly as possible so that he could get on with what he was dying to do – study the computer. Jorge was not listening to what Ramesh was saying, he had absentmindedly stepped away from the huddle next to the terminal. He stood next to the weirdly shimmering sphere. He knew he was looking at the rest of his life’s work.

  Chapter 5

  Requiem

  Alpha Shaitan

  August 2061

  Harmony’s body was throbbing. Part of it was from the fact that he was now past his middle age, which brought various involuntary twitches to the body for his beings. Most of it was due to the eulogy that he was tasting in the Mingle. The eulogy was powerful, a summation of the feelings and emotions of all the beings who poured out their grief, shock and disbelief.

  There is no specific concept or mental symbol for eulogy or a requiem in the language of Harmony’s beings. It is simply called the Mingle. There are a few thousand different mental symbols for the concept of a Mingle. It is because the Mingle is what is used for a commune within his beings. Each Mingle has a subtly different taste to denote its specific purpose. This particular Mingle could probably best be described as a Mingle for the dead.

  Harmony was at the periphery of the Mingle happening in the center of the great council chamber, meant for such rituals. It had been just a few hundred cycles that he had become a member of the council of seers, and this was the first time he was experiencing a ritual Mingle on the council floor. It was a rare event and this was a sad circumstance to be experiencing it the first time.

  Over two thousand cycles ago, Harmony had been summoned to this very floor of the council to be briefed on the mission of 12-09 and Warmaster Scent of Carnage. He had wondered then, why this floor was even needed. Now he knew, although he would have preferred not to. He could still recollect the taste of the Warmaster, and now that being and many along more have no taste at all.

  Since Harmony was in the periphery, a reflection of his
junior status in the council, he could not directly taste the thoughts and the feelings of every person in the Mingle. Some thoughts and tastes came to him second hand or even third hand through other bodies in the Mingle. Yet those thoughts were strong and full of loss.

  Intellectually though, he could now appreciate the need to mingle virtually through technology even when physically present in the council. He had wondered about it during his early days on being summoned by the council. The clarity of concepts got lost and ideas became hazy as it was transmitted through another body of their beings. The concepts got intermixed with those of the being through which the electrochemical signals were being transmitted.

  It was fine for such a ritual, where all beings were of roughly same thought. The precise opinion of each individual was not that important, since all were of the same opinion. It would however be very confusing in a debate on a complex issue where individuals had varying opinion. In such a large council, it was not possible for all to Mingle directly. So the virtual Mingle via technology was the only option.

  Even through this haze of thoughts of multiple beings, there was one taste that was strong. Harmony could taste seer Taste of Fraternity clearly. His thoughts loud as he recollected the past sacrifices of their beings in their eternal struggles with Ka. Fraternity was a master in the study of antiquity and the history of their beings, and his taste reflected it.

  Taste of Fraternity was his batch mate in the council of seers. They had been inducted together to the council. From the time Harmony had discovered these latest spawns of Ka to confront their beings, he had known Fraternity. They had been kindred spirits consulting each other on metaphysical subjects all their lives. It was the closest that their beings came to the human concept of a friend.

  As the ritual mingle concluded, every being knew instinctively that it was over. Each proceeded back to their assigned niches. The significance of the session of the council was so momentous, that seer Taste of Light had actually been transported to the council hall physically to preside over this session as the eldest of the seers.

  Seer Taste of Light had not been inside the council hall for many hundreds of cycles now. Entropy had atrophied his body and wasted parts of it. He was barely able to move. Whatever parts of his limbs did move, twitched continuously. Yet his mind was as sharp as ever, although he did not have too much energy to engage in lengthy discussions of the matters of the council.

  Thus he rarely engaged even remotely from his nest in the council matters. This session of the council however was like none ever had in the history of this home world, and rarely in the entire history of their beings – a council session to respond to a defeat. Something so rare that Harmony had to recollect from his lessons of history from their antiquity about the protocol for such a session.

  Beings with bodies much more functional than seer Taste of Light had been sent to the liquefaction chamber. However seer Light’s mind had stayed sentient, and as is the way of their beings, seer Taste of Light would not be sent to the liquefaction chamber till his mind was aware of itself.

  The tasting station had been put into conversation mode/data mode, rather than in the natural taste mode. It was the protocol for such sessions in the council. Seer Taste of Light opened the proceedings without any greetings as is the way of their beings. He did not even say a word of condolence or mourning. There were no such words in the vocabulary of their beings. The feelings that had to be expressed as a ritual, had been vented in the just concluded Mingle.

  “We all have studied the reports and know the facts as best as can be determined. So I will directly ask seer Taste of Triumph to brief the council on the analysis of the Warriors about the battle and what we can infer about the enemy and its capabilities.” Seer Taste of Light opened and yielded the control of the stations to seer Taste of Triumph.

  Amongst the warriors, if there was one being that Harmony respected the most, it was seer Taste of Triumph. They had worked together in the last days of the first scout mission to the Kalshuk system. Harmony had been amazed at the brilliance of Triumph and how he had made a decent fight out of a lousy hand that he had been dealt. Triumph was the eldest seer amongst the warriors and one of the eldest in the council.

  Triumph opened without any preamble as is the way of their beings. “The detailed analysis of the warriors has just been sent to the stations for the seers to study at their convenience. It will just put up the highlights for the benefit of the council here.

  First I will repeat the oldest of the doctrines of our beings, which emanated from the original struggle for our survival from the ravages of Ka. ‘Every defeat at the hands of Ka is our fault and our fault alone, for it is the purpose of Ka to try its best to defeat our beings. We need to learn from our mistakes and successfully fulfill our holy duty.’

  In the spirit of that oldest of the doctrines of our beings, I will straight away list down the reasons for our defeat. They basically fall in two categories. First mistake was the failure to follow standard warrior procedures. This was primarily the failing of the Warmaster. It is inexcusable and all of us warriors will have to collectively atone for that failing.

  The second mistake was underestimation. As Warmaster Scent of Carnage correctly surmises in his full and final report, the special characteristics at a metaphysical level of the challenge of Ka in the Kalshuk system is deception. Everything about these spawns of Ka at the heart of the Kalshuk system reeks of deception. That is the main strength of the enemy.

  Anything the enemy shows us is not what it seems to be. They show us that they are weak, when they are not. Their ships and technology sends signals as if they are primitive, and yet their weapons are powerful enough to destroy our vessels. They give indication that they are not void capable to reach the 6th planet of Kalshuk, and yet they are able to sneak in vessels there.

  The technology of the enemy suggests that they cannot survive on the moon of the 6th planet, and yet they set up base there and then engage very capably in surface battle with our habitat. The warriors now suspect that even the original signals tasted by seer Taste of Harmony so many tens of thousands of cycles ago, were not the unintended signal leakages of an innocent primitive species, but a deliberate ploy to lure us there.

  Thus we fell into the trap of deception about the primitiveness of the enemy, underestimating their capability. This is one failure, for which I cannot blame the Warmaster. It is a collective failure of our beings. Thus when the Warmaster decided to make a base on the moon of the 6th planet, thinking it would be safe from the enemy, he was not imprudent. He acted according to data available to him.

  Thus I make a recommendation to the council on behalf of the warriors that when we go next time to exterminate the spawns of Ka as is our holy duty, we go there with all force we have got. If it means we have to wait a few hundred or even a few thousand cycles to better prepare ourselves, we do so.” With that the control of the stations was yielded back to seer Taste of Light. There were no courtesies to finish off a speech in the ways of their beings.

  The order of speaker had already been programmed into the tasting stations. It was the turn of Fraternity to speak next. “I have two suggestions to make to the council, based on my studies of similar situation in the history of our beings. Both the suggestions are in consonance with what seer Taste of Triumph just mentioned – we need to consider the enemy more dangerous that they appear.

  First I would like to suggest that we invoke the right of assistance that our world has. By the custom of our beings, we have the right to ask for assistance from any world of our beings of our choosing. I have studied the holy laws as well as various instances when such rights have been invoked by various worlds of our beings.

  By this law, when we ask any world for assistance, they are obligated to match the exact amount of resources our world puts up, and make it available under the command of our Warmaster. This is subject to the other world having such resources. Since ours is the youngest of the worlds with the
least resources, any world we ask assistance from is sure to have more resources than what we can put up.

  Practicality requires that we ask assistance from home world 11, which is the only other world of our beings, from where vessels can reach the heart of the Kalshuk system in a reasonable time frame. In any case, they have a stake in the outcome of our campaign as well. They have a migration vessel heading towards the Kalshuk system even at this moment.

  This will double our resources and ensure that we don’t commit the same mistake we did previously. We don’t underestimate them, but get there with overwhelming force to ensure that we prevail this time round.

  My second suggestion is also taken out of history of our beings. It is tactic used rarely. It has in fact only been used three times before, all against particularly difficult foes. I now believe that the enemy we are facing in the Kalshuk system is such a difficult foe. It doesn’t appear so because as seer Taste of Triumph mentioned, their specialty is deception.

  This particular tactic will further ensure that we engage the enemy with maximum force this time, making no underestimation of their strength. The tactic I am proposing is the use of Ka-ma-khya.” The control of the tasting station was yielded by Fraternity, as he finished his speech.

  Many in the council were scrambling on their tasting stations to learn what the term Ka-ma-khya meant. It was not a common term of usage. Even some of the warriors had to look it up to get the full significance of Fraternity’s suggestion. There was an odor of awe as well as approval once everyone had realized what Fraternity had suggested.

  It was the turn of the elder of the builder caste to give his report about the progress of construction of void vessels. Just as the migration vessel 12-09 had been completed, both the orbital building stations had been dedicated to war efforts full time. One building station had started building another migration vessel that their beings had anticipated would be required for follow on colonization of the Kalshuk system.