The Grid 3

by Paul Teague

  As Chris’s parents walked up to the Centuria, they gently took their weapons and placed them on the ground. The crowds watched on, terrified the gunfire would begin at any moment.

  Rebellion

  Damien Hunter’s face was bright red. He had clumsily interpreted the events of the day, and his complacency was coming back to bite him. He’d had to sit through Talya Slater’s address and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.

  He’d tried. He was immediately on his WristCom demanding the feed be taken down. The tech teams did their best, but the rebels had circumnavigated Fortrillium systems. The only consolation seemed to be that it was the ring main which served the screens in The Climbs that had been hijacked, so residents on Silk Road were not seeing Talya’s feed. Hunter was getting his feed directly from the ring main, and his internal feed continued to show what was going on in The Grid.

  Hunter had established within five minutes that there was nothing he could do to prevent the sabotage. Sitting in anger and frustration, he listened to what Talya Slater had to say.

  It wasn’t so long ago that he’d seen her himself. How had she gone from leaving the Fortrillium building to leading a rebellion in a space of a few hours? Had she been involved all along? He called up her Gen-ID data, looking specifically for her crossings into The Climbs. There were several over the years, but it had all seemed to be above board and connected to her legal activities. Had he been blind to what was going on? There had been no sign of organized resistance in The City for many years. The explosion earlier that day had been the start of things.

  Hunter’s brain made a connection. Law Lord Sivil hadn’t been present for the beginning of Mode 3. Sivil was always there. Was he connected too? Hunter cursed the deception and lies.

  His only sense of relief came when Talya avoided making a call to arms. Her misplaced sense of justice meant she still couldn’t make herself place the order for death and vengeance. Hunter actually laughed at that and shouted at his feed.

  ‘You can’t win a rebellion without spilling blood. It won’t all be sorted with a hug!’

  Reports began to cascade in via the Centuria teams which were placed in The Climbs. The crowds were becoming agitated. People were beginning to shout their agreement with Talya. They were getting more confident and brazen.

  Damien Hunter ordered the Centuria teams to open fire at the first sign of unrest. The reports continued, the tension was growing. Then they stopped. There was no news of shooting or riots. The feed of information suddenly broke off.

  Hunter understood that he would have to seize control. The President would be chasing him soon for a full briefing. He held the upper hand as far as the Centuria were concerned, and he’d be able to turn events quickly and halt any rebellion.

  First, he ordered the complete lockdown of all of the security gates allowing passage from The Climbs to Silk Road. The vast iron doors which had remained open for decades were closed, their aged ironwork creaking and groaning in protest. The Climbs was contained, and groups of Centuria at the gates were withdrawn to Silk Road before they got wind of what was going on and joined in the rebellion.

  The next thing Hunter did was to make his own impromptu address via the screens. He didn’t send his message to the Silk Road residents, he didn’t want them to know what was going on. The Fortrillium building was safe against attack, but if any effort at rebellion spread to the Silk Road side, the facility would be vulnerable.

  ‘Citizens of The Climbs, it is with a heavy heart that I make this address. Talya Slater has made some serious and deeply damaging claims to you this evening. This is a woman who was due to be scrutinized by the Law Lord panel for her level of competence and ability to perform her duties. Today she has stood up before you and made certain claims about my leadership and the functions of Fortrillium. The images you have seen are fabrications, those events did not take place. The claims that there is life beyond the walls of this city are ludicrous. There is no life out there, this is our home and our sanctuary.’

  He borrowed one of Talya’s speaking techniques. He thought her pauses had been a particularly useful device.

  ‘Talya Slater’s sanity and judgement have been under scrutiny from her peers. Her daughter had been plotting against The City and it’s likely that her husband was murdered six years ago because he was involved in dubious activities too. This is a family which is working against Fortrillium, the organization which has fought to protect you and your families for a hundred years.’

  Another pause. He looked directly into his ConsoleCam. He liked to use the screens to broadcast direct messages from his office, and he preferred not to have to go through the nuisance of studios, lighting and camera crews to do that.

  ‘I ask you now, in sadness and genuine concern, if this is a woman that you wish to follow. You must question her sanity and her motives. She is unreliable, unstable and she will stop at nothing to see her daughter rescued from our justice system in The Grid. Fortrillium has fought to protect you all from the ravages of the plague for a hundred years. I am your guardian, I am here to preserve all life in The City.’

  Damien Hunter felt he’d done his bit as far as diplomacy was concerned and it was time to start on the threats. These were always best framed against a background of rationality and legality, but when there was no alternative, he was prepared to slaughter anybody who stood in his way.

  ‘I need to remind you that your Gen-ID chips allow me – us – to ensure that order is maintained at all times. You will not be able to cross the boundaries of The City onto Silk Road. This is for the benefit of everybody in our community. I understand that a number of Centuria will be deciding whether or not to believe Talya Slater’s lies. I remind those servants of Fortrillium: think of your families and your own lives. Reflect on the allegiance you pledged when you first took up your role.’

  This was Hunter’s direct threat to the Centuria. He understood how it would be in The Climbs in the heat of the moment. The Centuria would be terrified of being overrun by the crowds, they’d also find Talya earnest and convincing. They’d probably forget what he could do to them. No problem, he’d remind them.

  Hunter’s camera feed continued as he turned his back to his audience and typed at his console. He made no apology for this and gave no explanation. He pulled up the list of every member of his Centuria army. He polled Gen-ID chips to isolate those who were in The Climbs at that moment. He then terminated twenty of them at random by invoking the terms of the contracts they’d signed when they joined the service. Not that that would have mattered. The contract was what gave him legitimacy, but he would have killed them anyway.

  He sneered as he thought of what would be happening in the squares and streets of The Climbs. The Centuria would have watched as some of their colleagues dropped on the streets in front of them. No warning, no chance to surrender, just randomized terror. They’d wonder if they were next. He’d rule them with fear, they just had to be reminded who they answered to. He could do the same to their families too. He’d save that for later if things escalated. Damien Hunter understood the requirements of information flow. He did not want Silk Road to know about any rebellion if it could be helped.

  He turned back to his screen. He looked directly into the camera and thought carefully about his next words.

  ‘Some of you may be standing close to Centuria who have dropped to the ground and appear to be dead. They are dead, and their families may follow. If you are one of the Centuria, your duty is to pick up your weapon and to protect the interests of Fortrillium. Fortrillium is here to guard The City, that is our primary objective. It saddens me to have to remind you of this, and you should consider it carefully when you decide what to do next.’

  It always came back to fear. You could inflict many injustices and grievances upon human beings, it would take a lot to force them beyond their fears. Hunter understood this better than most people. Whatever the crowds thought about Talya Slater, even if they believed everyth
ing she said to be true, they would still be paralysed by the fear of what might happen. He was relying on that. He needed to finish, he had things to do, he wasn’t going to get caught unawares twice.

  ‘Centuria within The Climbs, the gates are lowered, there is no way to cross onto Silk Road until they are opened again. They will be opened when you present me with Talya Slater’s dead body. I wish also to see the bodies of Leo Bachus and Jody Carn. I will accept, dead or alive, the fugitives, Shen Li, who is also known as Wiz, and Dillon Parsons, the brother of the traitor, Joe Parsons. I will terminate ten Centuria at random each hour until this is done and order is restored in The Climbs. I expect this to be completed by 06:00, the end of Segregation.’

  Hunter shut off his camera. He was confident his broadcast would immediately put an end to the unrest in The Climbs. It was contained within the walls anyway, and he’d leave them to fight it out until it was over. He then put his final plans into motion.

  First, he instructed the Fortrillium buildings to be placed on full alert. All staff were forbidden to leave the building, full fortifications were enabled, and guards were deployed to defensive positions around the perimeter and at the security gates separating The Climbs and Silk Road. That would protect the main vulnerabilities. He deployed armoured vehicles on the streets too, but their teams were under instructions to position themselves at key vantage points, they were not to cause panic or alarm on Silk Road.

  Next, he gave firm guidance to those operating the screens output that absolutely no indication should be given about what was going on in The Climbs. He demanded a full information lockdown.

  Finally, he instructed the Gridders to prolong the trial and to make sure it was good. He wanted there to be a distraction on the screens. He would look for opportunities to throw in rebels and make an example of them. He’d have to sacrifice Talya and the two Centuria as soon as possible, they were too capable and influential, but Wiz and Dillon would make excellent fodder for the screens.

  Damien Hunter took a moment to think things through. Had he done everything he could? He was still expecting Delman to contact him for an update. It seemed unusual that the President had not yet requested a security briefing. He would certainly know what was going on, security protocols ensured he was kept constantly updated on Fortrillium developments. That excluded, of course, the events Hunter made sure were hushed up.

  He needed to examine the Psyche-Evals, it was going to be a long night. There would be no sleep for him, that was for certain. He hoped that by 06:00 he’d have the bodies of the key rebels and the temper tantrum experienced in The Climbs would be over.

  When Hunter was under particular stress, he would either go to shoot off some rounds in The Climbs or visit his family in the Umbilica. The Climbs option was closed to him, though if ever there was a good reason for shooting its filthy, disgusting citizens, he figured this was certainly the night for it. He’d have to abandon that course of action until the gates were opened and the rebellion over. Instead, he went to visit his family in the Umbilica. They calmed him and reminded him of a simpler life before the responsibility of running Fortrillium had been placed on his shoulders.

  Hunter was alerted the moment he entered the area. There was a persistent buzzing sound as soon as he went into his family’s chamber. He assumed it was just the machinery at first, calibration perhaps, or going through some routine maintenance.

  He held out his hand, stroking his son on his head, touching his daughter’s hand and whispering to his wife through the thin membrane that kept them apart. He was sure they moved when he came to them. In his imagination, he believed they knew he was there.

  ‘Soon, darlings, soon. We’ll be together again very soon.’

  The buzzing persisted, it was beginning to annoy him. He became quickly agitated when things annoyed him, but he did not want to feel angry in this of all places. It was his personal sanctuary, the place where he came to feel human again.

  Hunter walked round to the control panels. This was not his area of expertise, but he understood it showed life signs, health, brain patterns and so on. As long as the screens were active, his family were alive and well.

  He’d checked several years ago that there were fail-safes in place. He understood what would happen if there were power failures, and he’d confirmed maintenance routines and health checks. He was not going to leave the welfare of his family to chance. Delman might have the final say on whether they lived or died, but while they lived he would do everything he could to care for them.

  He studied the screen which was emitting the buzzing he had heard when he came in. He scanned the dials and readings. There was a red bar forming at the bottom of the screen, red bars were never good. What was it? He couldn’t see what it was monitoring.

  He hurried to the door, keyed in his access code and shouted to the operative outside.

  ‘Come in here, take a look at this data. I think there’s something wrong!’

  The operative didn’t need to be told twice. She jumped up and followed Hunter into the chamber. She scanned the information on the screen and it was clear she didn’t want to deliver the news.

  ‘This unit is being switched off, sir,’ she began. ‘It’s been done on an override setting, there’s nothing I can do to fix it.’

  She looked at Hunter, waiting for his reaction. She did not want to have to be the one who delivered that news. He looked at her calmly.

  ‘Are you certain there’s nothing you can do?’

  ‘No, sir, it must have been activated at a senior level, the order must have come from the President’s office. I’m sorry, sir.’

  ‘How long until the situation becomes critical? Are my family in immediate danger?’

  The operative studied the data once again.

  ‘The command was initiated a few hours ago, it will take some time to reach a critical status. Your family can continue to live for a short time, even when the system is entirely shut down. You need to speak to the President’s office as a matter of urgency, sir. There must be some mistake here.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sure it’s no mistake. I think President Delman knows exactly what he’s doing.’

  The operative had not expected Hunter to take the news quite so well. He was calm and measured, there was no shouting. She began to make her excuses so she could leave the chamber.

  ‘One moment!’ Hunter commanded, seeing that she was edging towards the door.

  ‘Is there anything you can do to alleviate this situation or am I entirely in the hands of the President? I just need to be absolutely clear on this.’

  ‘Of course, sir. The President has a full override on these chambers, as you know, and there is nothing I can do to reverse the situation. You need to deal directly with the President’s office.’

  ‘In which case you are no use whatsoever to me.’

  Hunter hadn’t expected to be able to get a kill in that night, but here was his opportunity. However, he did not want to sully his family’s chamber with something as unsightly as a dead body.

  He put his hands around the operative’s throat and began to squeeze hard. She was taken aback by the shock and the force. She looked into his eyes, but he was calm and in control as if this was a routine task for him.

  She was not dead when he pushed her out of his family’s chamber, but her neck was broken shortly afterwards. Hunter waited for her body to go limp in his grip, then he let her fall to the ground by her workstation.

  So Delman had begun to make his move, the endgame had started. It was the perfect time as far as Hunter was concerned. It would be easy to overthrow Delman while the rebellion was being extinguished. He could even apportion blame to him, he’d have to think that one through. But with the disruption in The Climbs came an opportunity. A chance to remove the President and take control of The City.

  As Hunter let go of the operative’s neck, his attention was drawn by her console. She’d been monitoring events in The Grid and the feed was playing out with mute
d audio on her second screen. It was the way of moving that had drawn his attention. Justice Seekers usually looked cowed and scared. This person was confident and assured. He was also very old and accompanied by a younger woman.

  President Josh Delman had just entered The Grid. The President was finally making his play.

  Error

  ‘We need to leave now, Teanna. I hope you dealt with the Umbilica.’

  Teanna looked at the President’s face on her console. It was top-level encryption, he didn’t want anybody to monitor this message.

  Delman had just seen Talya Slater’s address on his own console. He’d known the woman was clever, that’s why he had made her a Law Lord in the first place. But a rebel? He’d missed that completely, it seemed unlikely in spite of the evidence.

  Delman had known his time was up when he’d watched the scrolling images of Damien Hunter’s atrocities in The Climbs. Delman had been no part of that, but he immediately knew them to be true. Hunter was an animal, it made perfect sense.

  The combination of Talya Slater’s words and Damien Hunter’s atrocities would spark dissent in The Climbs. Besides, Hunter would be on the defensive, he’d be protecting his own back, things would get nasty.

  With Catharsis almost upon them, Delman had to act immediately. He’d secured Clay as his escort through The Grid and Teanna had begun the process of shutting down the Umbilica. The timing was far from perfect but he had to move. They’d all die in a matter of hours if he didn’t get out of there. He’d have to leave behind whatever unrest was brewing in The City.

  The holographic image of Matt Parsons had been the final blow. Here was proof there was something beyond The City’s walls. Could Fortrillium kill that rumour? They could claim it was fabricated by the rebels and try to quash it before things got out of control, but they’d never succeed. Life beyond the walls was the impossible dream. If the citizens believed there was even a remote possibility of life outside, the idea would quickly gather a life of its own.