by Paul Ormond
“The goddess of the crossing,” Kalis said, locking eyes with SoHee.
“The goddess of the crossing?” SoHee asked.
“The legends speak of a Goddess that controlled the passageways between worlds. As barbaric as it sounds, my ancestors would sacrifice animals at these ancient sites they said were doorways of the Goddess. I just thought it was normal when I was a kid, but it seems quite strange in hindsight.”
“But these sites, are they still standing on your planet?”
“As far as I know. There are several sites sacred to my people. The most important of which is the Contronominus, a stunning acropolis located at the base of Mount Contro. It is here that my people are said to have emerged on Thylocene.”
“That’s incredible, but nothing happens there anymore? Have the Masters tried to interact with the site?”
“As I said earlier, Commander Holrathu was greatly interested in the traditions of my people, in particular, the Contronominus. He spent a lot of time at this site, and he brought a host of scientists armed with all manner of equipment to inspect the area.”
“What did they discover?”
“It is difficult to say, but there are still all manner of visitors coming and going as far as I know. The terms of our treaty with the Masters allowed them access to our sacred sites. It appears there is something of immense value there or they wouldn’t have put so much time into investigating the area.”
“So let me get this straight,” Gerald said, cutting in. “You’re saying a goddess deity opened the gateway for the first humans to seed the stars, and that gateway is on your home planet?”
“According to the legends,” Kalis said, leaning back against the wall.
“But the Masters certainly believe the story. If not, why would they spend so much time there?” SoHee asked.
“That may be true, but I don’t think we’ll ever know for sure,” Kalis said.
“What about the architects? Where did they come from? Is there anything about their story that you can remember?” SoHee asked.
“It is said, they vanished long ago, but they left behind a pyramid temple at the center of which sat the seat of their power,” Kalis said.
“I found a pyramid with a great power source within it on my journey,” SoHee said. “That was how I returned to Jarkadu.”
“That monstrous machine came from there?” Kalis asked.
“I can still see the pyramid clearly in my mind. It’s kind of a long story, but I met this robot-like being buried in the dirt, and it helped me find the temple, but as soon as we activated the power it turned on me,” SoHee said.
“A Defender,” Kalis said in astonishment.
“You know of these things?” SoHee asked.
“They are said to protect the temples of the architects. Metallic men with great strength,” Kalis said.
“Mother trapped my powers within one of these robots. I was only able to escape with Mitch’s help,” SoHee said.
“All of this is far too much to comprehend,” Kalis said, shaking her head.
“It seems simple enough to me,” Gerald said from across the room. “This place, the Contronominus, is an ancient gateway built by the original architects of the network. That’s why the Masters are so interested in it. According to what SoHee said, it looks like Mother has found her way into an ancient part of the network and set up shop. If you want my opinion, I think this Contronominus is our best bet at finding our way home and to defeating the Masters. If we can take out the network, we take away the Masters’ power.”
“That’s an interesting point, but networks like the internet, for example, are almost impossible to shut down because they are decentralized. How can we shut down a network that supposedly spans universes?” SoHee asked.
“If we refer back to the legend,” Kalis said. “The story goes that the architects reached across the divide and manifested the stars using their great powers. It is said they bore new cosmos from their wombs and let them loose into the ether to be seeded by our people.”
“So these architects made everything, the multi-verse and everything within it?” Allan asked.
“We aren’t entertaining conspiracy theories right now.” Gerald asked as he looked in Allan’s direction.
“It’s not a conspiracy,” Allan said, getting to his feet. “This whole thing, the multi-verse or whatever, proves that it’s all a simulation.”
“A simulation? Like this is all a video game. How is that even possible?” Gerald asked.
“It’s actually more than probable,” SoHee said. “The theory states that it would only be a matter of time before an advanced civilization would begin running simulations of themselves. In some ways we are already doing it on Earth. Although the debate is still wide open, most scientists would agree that it’s highly likely we are living in a simulation.”
“Just think about, how is it that we happened to come along at the exact moment in history when all of this came crashing together?” Allan said. “All of this technology and all of this development across universes and are alive at the precise moment when it all links up. The odds of that happening are beyond zero.”
“He’s not wrong there,” SoHee said. “But what we can do about it remains to be seen. I can confirm that Mother did mention simulations during my conversations with her, but I could not verify what she meant. It seemed to me that she was being deliberately vague. At the time I thought she was trying to further manipulate me, but as I think about she may have been revealing more than she meant.”
“But what are we supposed to do about any of this?” Babcock asked. “We’re locked in a prison cell on an alien planet. Philosophizing about simulations isn’t helping us in this situation.”
“But it might be the key to it all,” Allan said. “The whole problem with simulation theory is the question of base reality. How do we know that we are out of the simulation and experiencing the universe in its true form? But from what I’m gathering, we might have discovered the doorway that leads us there. If we can activate whatever powers this Contronominus, we might be able to find the architects’ reality.”
“But what do we do when we find it?” Gerald asked. “Everyone knows that nothing good comes if you start messing around with space and time.”
“That’s a good point,” Allan said. “But there has to be a way we can eliminate the Masters’ choke hold on the network.”
“The Emperor,” SoHee said with a gasp. “What more can you tell us about this anomaly?”
“From what I can tell, the Emperor and Empress are the result of a subatomic reaction that occurred during the activation of the device on Jarkadu. What they are and how they work is beyond me. But the Masters believe they are the source of their power and they give them unprecedented access to the network.”
“But this place where the anomaly exists. It’s not exactly in any kind of world?” SoHee asked.
“It seems like it is a place between universes. Somehow, this subatomic reaction created a bubble within the network and the spinning forces have maintained it ever since.”
“If we can find this hub, maybe we can cut the anomaly out of the network,” Allan said.
“It sounds like a needle in a haystack,” Gerald said.
“Not if we’ve got a magnet,” Allan said. “You said your powers connected you to Mother, that means if you could get to the hub, you could reach across the network and find the anomaly. Before Mother can stop you, you could eliminate it.”
“That’s possible, but it is a lot of hypothesizing,” SoHee said. “We don’t even know if any of this is true.”
“But it’s something,” Allan said. “I don’t see any other way to defeat the Masters.”
SoHee was about to respond, but a rattling at the door caught her attention. As she turned, several guards poured through the entrance armed with spears. Marching toward SoHee, the first guard jabbed her with the spear, immobilizing her on contact. She was raised into the air by her captor
as the others suffered similar fates. Once everyone was secured, the guards arranged their prisoners into neat rows.
A well-dressed officer stepped into the cell and inspected the arrangement with cold eyes before stopping in the center of the room.
“My name is Captain Juvius,” the man said as he looked SoHee in the eye. “I am the commanding officer of this facility, and you have been under my care since arriving here. I have been ordered to transport you to central command to stand trial. We will leave immediately.”
“What are we on trial for?” SoHee asked.
“That is for the high priestess to decide,” Captain Juvius said before he turned to leave. “Let’s move out. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us, and I do not want anything jeopardizing our trip.”
“But what about Mitch?” SoHee asked as she was led away.
“As far as I can tell, your beloved Mitch is in the process of completing his mission. And if he truly cares for you all, as he said he did, he will honor our agreement and return to you.”
“How are we supposed to believe you?” SoHee asked.
“You can’t,” Captain Juvius said. “And you can save any more questions about your fate for the high priestess.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“POUR IT OUT already,” XiaoFan shouted over the whir of the machine.
“You’re sure about everything?” Ramon asked from the opposite side of the mechanism.
“We’ve done this a thousand times already,” Christine said after she scratched her nose with her sleeve.
“It’s the last batch. I don’t want anything to go wrong,” Ramon shouted, poking his head around the machine.
“Just do it, fat ass,” Sanchez shouted from his position. “We’re all standing here waiting for you.”
“After all you’ve been through, and now you’re getting cold feet?” Artim said with his hands on a lever.
“I’m not getting cold feet. I’m just making sure we’re ready,” Ramon said.
“We’re ready,” XiaoFan shouted. “And it’s not your feet that you need to worry about getting cold. We’ve only got a short time to pour it out, or the mixture will cool, and we’ll have to do it all over again.”
“Fine. I just wanted to make sure. There’s nothing wrong with double checking,” Ramon said as he readied himself. “All right, here goes.”
Taking in a big breath, Ramon reached out and pressed his palm against a large red button on the control panel at the base of the electrolytic cell. As he pushed the button, a horn screeched overhead, and several red lights embedded into the stone walls flashed in rapid pulses.
“Here we go,” Ramon shouted before he heard several clunks within the machine.
“We’ve got action on this side,” Sanchez shouted.
“Everybody calm down. It’s about to come out,” XiaoFan said as she watched a large metallic barrel infused with glowing light tip toward a stepped slope at the base of the machine. In a slow trickle, a stream of glowing molten material poured out of the barrel and dripped down each step toward a small spout XiaoFan controlled with a handheld button connected to the mechanism by a large wire.
“Okay, get ready to open the gate,” XiaoFan said while she watched the orange liquid reach the bottom of the slope.
“Tell me when you are ready,” Sanchez said, adjusting his grip on the lever.
“Pull it now,” XiaoFan said.
“You’re the boss,” Sanchez said before he pulled the lever.
A flash of light flickered off XiaoFan’s goggles as the molten metal poured into the spout.
“Start the conveyor, Christine,” XiaoFan shouted while the spout filled.
“You got it,” Christine said, hitting a button on a control panel a short distance away. The conveyor belt started with a jolt, and a cube slid under the spout. Pressing a blue button on the controller, XiaoFan released a small amount of the molten liquid into the receptacle before the belt slid another cube under the spout.
As she repeated the process, Ramon stepped out from behind the large tank and came to XiaoFan’s side.
“I still think it’s incredible,” he said as he watched the small cubes fill with the material.
“It’s working, and that’s all that matters,” XiaoFan said. “Everything is looking good. I’m switching off manual control. We’ll be able to wrap up production today.”
“The first few batches have survived the testing phase. And I’ve got to say we wouldn’t be anywhere without you.”
“You picked the right girl to kidnap, didn’t you,” XiaoFan said.
“I was told to bring you here. I didn’t know anything about your family until Artim filled us in. Are you happy now that you know the truth?”
“I’m not sure why knowing all of this would make me happy.”
“Because now you know more about your father.”
“I know that he put his family in danger because of his ideals.”
“But you know he is right.”
“I don’t know who is right. All I know is I am doing this right now to help my father. But what comes next is what truly frightens me. Once we’ve produced all of these devices, you’re going to distribute them globally. When these things get out there, it’s going to be chaos.”
“We’re not doing this to create chaos. There is more happening here than you can even imagine, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. We’re talking about the future of the human race and the fate of our planet.”
“You sound like my father. All of you freedom fighters are the same: willing to sacrifice everything for your beliefs. But you never think about the consequences for others.”
“The whole reason I’m doing all of this is for other people.”
“Are you sure about that? Everyone always says they are doing it for other people, but people are selfish. Nobody does anything without wanting something in return.”
“When I first got into all this hacking stuff, I was all about the rush. I couldn’t believe the things I could pull off, but the deeper I went, the more horrified I became. I’ve had friends and family rounded up by government officials. They were sent off to camps and held indefinitely because my government thought they were illegal aliens, and I’ve been profiled by the police more times than I can count. But when my kid brother got shot, that was when I knew I had to do something.”
“Your brother was shot by the police?”
“He was heading home from a school party when the cops lit him up. For some reason he panicked and ran. They chased him for several blocks and finally cornered him in a parking lot. As he scaled a fence, they shot him in the back. He died the next day.”
“That’s horrible.”
“After that I started going hard after anything to do with police. I kept going deeper and deeper until I stumbled onto the Cell. My first job was hacking the nationwide police data base. We uncovered deliberate, systematic racial profiling. But when we released the data nothing happened. I thought it was going to change the world, but it just got buried in the news cycle. Since then I’ve been focused on making real changes like this.”
“Building an army isn’t going to change anything. All that violence does is create more violence.”
“This isn’t violence. This is self defense. There is a lot more coming down the pipe. We can’t say for sure, but we know governments all over the world have been building their own equipment at an alarming rate. This means they are planning something. If we don’t act fast, we’ll all be caught off guard. We’re going to get these units out to our people and let it spread through the network.”
“You don’t have to convince me. I’m locked into this whether I like it or not, thanks to my father.”
“I don’t know him, but I’m sure he’d be proud of you.”
“Yeah, his daughter following in his footsteps into the wonderful world of terrorism.”
“That’s not the best way to put it, but it’s up to you,” Ramon said before he looked up to the
observation deck and noticed Artim beckoning him to come up. “I’m going up to talk with Artim. Last batch. Let’s stay on it.”
“Thanks, boss,” XiaoFan said after Ramon walked away.
Mounting the stairs, Ramon wheezed as he pulled his body up the steep flight and leaned against the railing to catch his breath.
“Having a tough time, Ramon?” Artim asked.
“Those stairs are a bitch,” Ramon said.
“It’s quite the sight,” Artim said, looking down at the devices moving down the conveyor belt. Several of his workers inspected the cubes as they passed and sorted them into boxes which were sent down a series of shoots to more workers waiting to load the packages into a fleet of large Soviet era trucks.
“You think those hunks of junk will handle the journey?” Ramon said.
“Don’t underestimate the strength of communist manufacturing,” Artim said. “All of this equipment is left over from the Soviets and most of it is still running. You can’t say that about your American technology. Change your phones every year. Buy a bigger TV. Look where all that got you: miserable and wanting more.”
“Ok, Comrade,” Ramon said with a laugh. “And Communism turned out great for everybody too.”
“Communism is fine, it’s the people that are the problem. Our caveman brains won’t let us just be happy with what we’ve got. No matter what we do, we’ll still want more. But let’s leave the philosophizing to the philosophers,” Artim said. “The trucks will be fine as long as your upgrades don’t fall off.”
“They won’t.” Ramon said, leaning against the rail. “The way we built them in, there’s no getting ‘em out. Besides, it’s all connected to the operator, so even if the trucks fall apart, we’ll be able to keep moving.”
“And these cloaks, how long can they operate for?”
“Indefinitely, as long as they have a power source, but Christine rigged them up so that the system fuels itself.”
“It’s extraordinary,” Artim said. “But I’m getting too old for all of this stuff. In the Spetsnaz, we trained using our bare hands. I know dozens of ways to kill a man with the flick of my wrist, but this stuff is an entirely different story.”