Reanimated_Terminal Misery

by Jon State

“Traitors.”

  “Step back!” roared Manas Sterling, pointing a shock-rod at a furious confluence of people who seemed bent on assaulting Ben Greer, who sat cowering on his pale-milky chair.

  “Please folks, we need to talk about this,” Ben said, but his voice lacked conviction.

  Two Alphas stood unfazed at the entrance.

  “Dr. Spencer,” Manas said, “Please speak to them.”

  “Listen up! This is not the way to get answers. I need everyone to take a seat. I believe this dilemma is going to take some time to sort out. Malica is gathering the other Council members,” Dr. Spencer said, holding up both hands. If it were up to me, I’d join in.

  The cloth doors rattled open, and the remaining Council members hesitated at seeing the heat that spilled from the crowd’s glare. All the seats were occupied, so they gathered around Manas and two other guards like frightened sheep.

  “Glad you could make it ladies and gentlemen,” Dr. Spencer said. He and Malica remained among the glowering faces. "Lt. Pierce, you have the floor,” he said, ignoring Ben Greer.

  “Thank you, Doctor. Yesterday, the Council held a secret meeting. I found out about it by mere coincidence and made some inquiries into its obscurity. Mathew said it was classified, and I drilled him until he revealed what was said. When he said some Council members were not present, that troubled me even more.” He turned to Ben. “What about it, Councilman Greer? Can you shed some light on the meeting’s secrecy, or why you labeled it classified? Lt. Pierce crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

  Ben cleared his throat, "We were not sure where Malica or Spencer where, that's all. And, we wanted to postpone some technical deployment until we finished the Constitution," Ben said, looking to his comrades for support, some nodded, but they all remained silent.

  “What would the Constitution have to do with communication deployment?” Lt. Pierce asked.

  “The Constitution will protect every citizen’s privacy. Technology on Old Earth became intrusive and abusive in regards to privacy. We thought it prudent if we waited until we could consider everyone's rights," Ben said, hoping to sound confused.

  Lt. Pierce squinted as he digested the answer. Damn politician. “Mathew said the archives were wiped clean. Is this correct?”

  At the mention of lost data, the room erupted in angry shouts once more.

  “Let him answer!” Dr. Spencer said, louder than he had intended.

  “Yes, but we are still looking into this. We were going to ask the IT pros to help us, but we were going to make sure we weren’t jumping to conclusions. I mean, look at this,” Ben turned his head to expose a shallow gash along his neck. “We didn’t want anyone to be alarmed, and here they are—a lynching mob? This is the first violent act between people in this new world, and they assaulted me" he said, waving his bloody hand around.

  “Mathew, have you checked the archives?” Dr. Spencer said, ignoring Ben’s sensationalism.

  “I checked them all last night, and it’s gone,” Mathew sighed.

  “This is not accurate. There are only a few erased canisters, and we’re missing six. I’ve had security looking into their disappearance. We could’ve left them in the caverns, for all we know,” Ben said.

  "What is truly missing, Mathew?” Lt. Pierce said glaring at him.

  “All the music, movies, and books, not to mention all the VRG’s.” Mathew’s voice grew grave.

  “What? We only lost entertainment? That’s pretty odd,” Lt. Pierce said, turning to Ben once more. Mathew, could this have been an error?” Lt. Pierce said.

  “No way. These canisters have several protective layers. It’s virtually impossible to destroy their contents. I showed Ben all of this, upon his request, over the past few weeks," Mathew said, directing his glare at Ben.

  "How many people have access to the archives, Mathew?" Ben asked, unperturbed as if he'd deduced what Mathew would say next.

  Mathew hesitated. “The IT department,” Mathew responded, his voice losing some resolve.

  “Which is seven people,” Ben clarified. “Who else?” he added sternly.

  Mathew looked to his people for support and said, “The engineering department.”

  “Eight more hands in the pot, Mathew!” Ben snapped. “Since we haven’t got all night, let’s elucidate—the science department has access to all the archives, in one way or another, which is more than three hundred people, and yes, I could access the data as well.”

  “Yes, but only IT and you know how to scrub the data," Mathew interjected.

  “So, you’re accusing me, when so many others have dealt, in one way or another, with the core?” Ben contested.

  “It’s a true shame, but only entertainment archives were affected? We all know well what Old Earth’s entertainment did to youths back then. Why, Dr. Spencer, didn’t you have a family tragedy due to one of those dreaded VR games?” Ruby Patel said innocently.

  “How dare you?” Dr. Spencer started forward, but Lt. Pierce put an open hand on the man’s chest.

  “They told us all the archives had disappeared,” someone in the crowd said and others agreed.

  Ben noticed the change of heart among the crowd. “Listen, I’m sorry. We were still piecing together what happened. Ever since we discovered the unfortunate event, we have redoubled our efforts at finding what caused the data loss and the misplaced canisters.”

  “Why wasn’t the IT department informed first? Aren’t they the pros here?” Efrem said sternly.

  “Alpha 18 has been assisting us in—” Ben blinked when Dr. Spencer cut in.

  “Now we’re trusting alien machines with our archives? This is insane,” Dr.Spencer said, switching his iron blue eyes to the Council members. “I vote we remove Councilman Greer from his post pending an investigation.”

  “Wait a minute!” Shrieked Mathew, storming to the front, seemingly unafraid when Manas turned his gaze on him. “You had an Alpha with you every time you came to visit our department. You said it was for security purposes. All other times I’d see you with a person.” His eyes became haunted, “The Alphas know the security measure we’ve taken to protect the data.” I knew I’d get you, he reveled.

  “Is this true?” Lt. Pierce asked. He glanced at Sergeant Gonzales who brought a squad of his men to ensure a peaceful gathering.

  “Ludicrous. Again, more suppositions. Many people have seen the Alphas guarding Council members. The Alphas are following a schedule set out for them by the head of security. Plus, they are loyal to any human,” Ben said, feigning a bruised ego. “I welcome an investigation, especially now that the news is out. In fact, I would like Mathew to lead the investigation,” he said, turning to Mathew. “I didn’t use you, my friend. We’ve been through a lot together, but I can see why you decided to tell everyone about the delicate situation we told you to keep to yourselves.”

  “I vote we mount an investigation,” Dr. Spencer said, raising his hand.

  "I second the motion," Malica spoke up, and she saw Councilor Ruby stand, her face unreadable.

  “Then it is decided, but can we ensure it is a mixed investigation utilizing security, military, and IT personnel. I will personally question Alpha 18. Would you like to be present Mathew?” Ruby said.

  A stunned Mathew said, “Yes, of course.”

  “And as for removing Ben Greer as chair, what say you?” Dr. Spencer said, looking directly at Ruby.”

  “I am sorry for my previous lapse in compassion, Doctor,” Ruby said in her raspy ancient tone. “I think this would be rash, especially when there is no refutable evidence. We have been helping Ben determine what happened. Does this mean we all have to step down?”

  “I say you should. This is more than suspicious, and—” Sammis was cut short by a shrill voice.

  “So we are being penalized based on pure conjecture, young man. If we, the Council came up with such trivialities against anyone here, would it be fair to investigate this person as if they were a criminal? I see no evide
nce the Council—nor Ben Greer for that matter—is involved in any wrongdoing," Tomas Strum said, sitting among the crowd, his pig nose balancing his bifocals.

  Murmuring flared across the crowd. Some voices shot over the hushed tones.

  Lt. Pierce scanned the whispering heads, deep in thought, and said, “I’m a military leader, but in this instance, where the governing body seems divided, I have to agree with Tomas strum.” He turned to Malica and Dr. Spencer. “I will, however, add—Until this is resolved, no one is to access the data storage facility unattended until we conclude the investigation. I will post guards to ensure this is carried out. As far as decision making," he turned to Ben, "All Council members will be present during any session unless they have a good reason not to. I have to be partial. If not, this will end up dividing everyone,” Lt. Pierce considered.

  “Understood and agreed,” Ben said, nodding.

  “Dr. Spencer?” Lt. Pierce said, understanding what could be coursing through the man’s mind.

  “Understood,” the doctor said, clenching his fists. He gave Lt. Pierce a brief glance and headed for the door.

  Chapter 47

  Order

  New York Territory, USC

  August 15, 4067

  "So the Alphas failed to incriminate Ben?” Dr. Spencer asked.

  Mathew trumpeted a puff of tired air. He ran his hands through his matted, shiny hair. “He covered his tracks too well. We’ve been at it for three days and can’t find someone to blame for the data wipe or the lost canisters. More than twenty thousand exabytes are gone. This was a deliberate act, and no one can doubt that. On the remaining backup canisters, we also found that someone had surgically removed data dealing with social entertainment, philosophy, and religion. There is no way this is a coincidence. I know Ben had something to do with it, but at this point, I can’t prove it,” Mathew said, leaning his upper mass on his elbows, which dug into his thighs, as his eyes dragged back and forth across the floor. “The other investigators have come up with nothing as well.”

  “I think we’re missing something. I'll go through every damn bit of information if I have to. There has to be a way to track the culprit. As for entertainment, I guess we’ll have to make our own from now on until we recover the lost ones," the doctor said, giving Mathew a tired smile. How disappointed he felt for himself. Who was he kidding? A doctor versus a bureaucratic strategist? He had little choice but to hope someone came up with something.

  “Easier said than done. We lost irreplaceable data since it came from people that are long gone—unique individuals. A legacy of the human spirit erased forever. It's not only the virtual games—it's the music, the poetry, the novels, the art, and the movies. These are not mere objects--they are a part of us. The people we are, in part, come from the experiences we had with all those things created by unique individuals. Even die-hard scientists at one point were young and fell in love,” Mathew said.

  Dr. Spencer had never seen Mathew so distraught. “You’re right. I’m one of those die-hard scientists, and I still love my Zombie Eclipse, or the old rock classic groups, like Def Leppard. Also, give me a good VRG, like Valcary Rising, and I’ll have to take a Sabbatical.” He snickered at the idea.

  “I didn’t know you roll like that, Doc,” Mathew said, smiling for the first time in days.

  “I spoke in earnest with Lt. Pierce and Efrem, and they will not abandon the search, but I'm afraid the perpetrators will never return the data unless they're exposed. Timing is crucial because, as far as we know, the lost canisters can hold enough data to match what they erased,” Dr. Spencer said, pursing his lips.

  “What do you have in mind, Doctor? Their reading the Constitution tonight, and by what I’ve eased dropped, it’s a big deal. I also found out that the Council deputized some displaced lab technicians,” Mathew said, noticing the doctor’s surprise.

  "Once again, he has made a decision which I was not aware of. We need to rally as many people as we can, to insist we step up the efforts to find the missing files. Once they realize we will not rest until we find them, perhaps the perpetrator will do something foolish," Dr. Spencer said and checked his light screen, which stared back at him from his forearm. "18:00 hours. What time's the central assembly meeting?

  “20:00 hours,” Mathew answered.

  “Then we have two hours. We need to find those canisters, even if it means sending a search party back to the caverns," Dr. Spencer said.

  “What are we waiting for? I’ll start with sympathizers. I know I can count on my people.”

  ************************************

  Two hours later, a large crowd converged at the pavilions exterior wall.

  “I got sixty, Mathew said, a bit worried.

  "I rallied eighty or so," Dr. Spencer said but noticed the downcast expression on Mathew’s face. “It’s a strong voice, though, considering our time constraints.”

  “You’re right,” he managed.

  The large group entered the half-finished arena. The rough seats they had fashioned with the geo-f were nearly all taken. A pall hung throughout the gathering, as the doctor's group shuffled to what seating was left.

  “Either we're late, or they're early," Efrem whispered into Lt. Pierce’s ear.

  “I think we’re late…in more ways than one,” the lieutenant said.

  Dr. Spencer and Malica joined the Council.

  “The meeting was at eight, right?” Dr. Spencer said as he stopped by Ben.

  Ben cupped the small mike in his hand protectively. “A memo was sent this morning stating that, due to the delicate matter at hand everyone should arrive an hour early. Check your light screen.” Ben said, frowning.

  Dr. Spencer plucked the device with his forefinger and thumb and aimed the screen towards Ben’s face. “Do you see a red icon indicating a message?”

  "Not sure what happened, Spence. We sent a broadcast message," Ben said, appearing genuinely flummoxed. "You’re here for the best part, though.”

  “Strange, the broadcast letter missed Malica and I….” He turned to the people rallied behind him. “And everyone behind me.” Someone in the crowd coughed, others began to murmur.

  “I’ll have Mathew check the mail server for glitches,” Ben said.

  "Ben, you never updated the first incomplete Constitution I received, and in the last meeting, they didn't have the thing nearly ready, either. How about if the people do not agree with portions of this constitution? Will they have the right to resolve such issues in a delegated assembly, even if only a few voices are against?” Dr. Spencer said, louder than he had intended, remaining erect by his chair as he waited for Ben’s response.

  “Of course, but you know a voting majority rule any amendment,” Ben said, looking to the Council for support.

  “Yes, I know,” Dr. Spencer said, with a snarl. He's got something big planned, and I fear we are about to be pinned down, he thought, feeling his abdomen burn.

  “Good evening to our late arrivals,” Ben’s voice boomed through the speakers, a hint of feedback cracked his voice. “Last week, we inaugurated the Main Gate, and there were a few mixed feelings about the Council’s admonishing rule prohibiting anyone from abandoning the wall’s protection. We want to be perfectly clear about this. You may leave the wall, but it is at your own peril. We cannot condone interaction with the land. We have sent out two parties, and both were attacked. Thanks to the Alphas, they were unharmed. The land does not want us interfering with it, and this should be quite clear by now to everyone.”

  Efrem, the Doctor, and a few others stirred uncomfortably.

  Malica glanced at Dr. Spencer's hands as they dug into the solid armrests.

  Mirra stirred as if to stand and rebuke what Ben was saying, but Sammis held her steady. She glared at him, her breathing heavy.

  Lt. Pierce wondered when the two parties were sent out. Manas sent his men and didn’t notify me, he thought but didn't say anything because he knew Ben would have a reasonable excuse.


  “We have gathered friendly fruit trees and vegetable plants. The fish are abundant in our small channel, which is enough to feed our city, at least for now. We have fresh water and are searching for an underground water source, just in case our small river were to dry up. Therefore, there is no reason to leave the city. This part is non-contestable. If you abandon the city, you will remain outside, so as not to endanger the entire city.” Ben waited for the moaning and groaning to cease, his features fixed. “The Constitution takes this into account since we are living in a conditional freedom. I believe one day we will interact with the land, but first let us secure and rebuild our lives. For now, we are safe. We have much to learn about our little corner of the world. Let’s give ourselves some time to feel human again. Then we can tackle, in time, what to do about Earth’s new world.” He paused. To his amazement, everyone listened intently. “We are great people. We will live and prosper," he said and smiled as he nodded. He paused long enough, then cleared his throat, “Ruby Patel will be the reader. Ruby.”

  Ruby read avidly. Dr. Spencer’s face was dark. The three pages were similar to the Constitution of the United States Coalition, but articles had already been added to it, which surprised the doctor. If he deciphered the jargon correctly, they were agreeing to a socialized system. The Council appointees, Delegation appointees, and the newly founded Environmental Body appointees held absolute power to decide what was best for the people.

  Malica turned to him as the document came to its conclusion, “What is this?” she asked, ashen.

  Around them, murmuring crackled in spurts. Some people’s tones spiked above others.

  “That’s preposterous!” someone from Dr. Spencer’s group said.

  “Shut up...!” someone said to the person beside them.

  “I protest…!” a man in a lab coat said, coming to his feet with clenched fists.

  “Don’t make a fuss….”

  “I agree. We are better off here..."

  “Idiotic…!”

  "It's for our own good…"