by Peter Wood
***
‘Mirri is talking about getting a job.’
Jarra was relaxing with Alira in the special shelter near the bird place. They didn’t come here nearly as often now, with so much time spent at Alkere, but the weekly walk with Alira was almost always from Mparntwe, and whenever they did return Mirri rushed round collecting leaves and grass for Jarra’s special bed and tidying the place up. He was outside somewhere in the stand of eucalypt trees right now, looking for a new support log for a section of the lookout wall which needed replacing.
‘Do you think he’s serious about it, Jarra?’
‘Karmai and two of his other brothers are working and he has it in his mind that he’s old enough to do the same.’
‘Has he talked about any jobs he might do?’
‘No, like everything else he just expects it will happen.’
‘And we’ll make it happen if it keeps being important for him ... You’ve thought of something, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, and I think it would work. Birringurra Centre has asked him to be part of the corroboree at the end of each intake as a ceremonial dancer and he’s perfect for it. He learns it all easily and everyone watches him when he’s dancing.’
‘Birringurra? Jarra, he can’t go there. He has to be with you.’
‘I could fly over there with him for the corroborees.’
‘Once every four or five weeks? We wouldn’t be able to convince him it was a proper job.’
‘If he spent two or three days a week learning the dances with a group here at Mparntwe he would.’
‘You’ve found someone?’
‘There are a number of traditional dance groups in Mparntwe but I don’t know how good they are. Darri’s going to check them all out for me and see if they’re the kind of people who would look after him properly.’
‘Tell him not to worry,’ said Alira.
‘What do you mean?’
‘The council already has plans for a Mparntwe Cultural Centre so he can dance there if he wants to and help with the Walkabouts, but I know a much better job, where his skills and his enthusiasm will shine.’
‘You do?’
‘Yes, we’ll give him a job as an explorer. We’ll set him up as a guide to show people special places and give them a unique experience. I can’t think of a job he’d like more.’
An explorer. Jarra agreed, but it wouldn’t work.
‘It’s too complicated. All the organising and details would be too much for him.’
‘Not with backup staff. One or two competent guides could be with him at all times and we can easily make sure he’s always working with people who like and understand him.’
Jarra felt a tingle of excitement. This was brilliant ... And also too well thought out to be off-the-cuff.
‘When did you work this out?’
Alira laughed.
‘Burnu and I have been talking about it ever since Mirri brought it up with us and we’re very pleased with our solution. We want to wait till he’s at least twenty, though, so reinforce to him that that’s the right time for him to start working.’
Jarra listened to details about an office and showroom/meeting place, as well as ideas about timetables and suggestions for suitable locations. So many new places. The personal carrier was going to get a real workout helping Mirri become familiar with them all.
***
‘It’s getting worse and it’s all lies, Darri. I don’t understand why we can’t do something about it.’
‘We’re a tiny Community compared to the places it’s coming from, Jarra, and they’re all fairly directed nations or societies. We do put our side of things on the InterWeb, but because we’re such a small voice it’s just not listened to. Alira says we’ll win out in the long-term but it will take years of negotiation and example.’
‘That petition in Europe with two and a half billion signatures demanding all AI installations get closed down isn’t from a Closed society.’
‘The group sponsoring it is.’
‘Yirgella told me that more than thirty-two countries have stopped their people from buying anything from Mparntwe and more are talking about joining them.’
‘And it means absolutely nothing, Jarra, check your sales of 3D printers over the last five or six months and tell me what’s happened.’
Jarra hadn’t really looked for a while but he knew everything must be okay or Yirgella would have talked about it.
‘Send our printer figures to my InfoPad please, Yirgella.’
The figures appeared along with a message saying that sales from all their financial projects were increasing, with the security modules and construction materials doing particularly well. Jarra showed Darri.
‘So why aren’t the bans making any difference? Thirty-two countries is a lot, and some of them have enormous populations.’
‘Because the people are still buying everything. To get round the bans they simply purchase from third-party countries who make a business of buying extra and selling on at an increased price. Yirgella is helping the Freedom Community in New Zealand by making them the major outlet.’
‘That’s ridiculous ... I mean it’s good for New Zealand but do we ship everything to Darwin, then south, and then back again to the northern hemisphere? All that construction material?’
‘No, Jarra. New Zealand takes ownership in Darwin and distributes it direct from there. It’s the same with energy supplies. Now that Carnarvon, Darwin and Normanton have started their own AI projects, seventeen countries are refusing to take their energy and they get it from Africa instead.’
Jarra knew about this because it had already happened with Alkere Inc. when their own project had started.
‘And Africa hasn’t got enough, so they get it from Australia anyway and sell it for a slightly higher price. The whole resistance is crazy. Alira has to go all over the place because of it.’
‘She’s doing a wonderful job though. The Australian OverGovernment has asked for help with an AI project in Canberra because of her, and Freedom in New Zealand wants to do the same.’
‘When did that happen?’
‘In the last few days. That’s why she’s been away. Durrebar will help get them going as soon as our own three are working.’
‘Four new AIs. The InterWeb propaganda isn’t doing any good in Australia.’
‘And as the benefits become obvious more and more places will follow our pattern, Jarra. The innovations coming from Alkere are forcing them to pay attention and Alira thinks that five years from now an avalanche of AI projects all round the world will sweep the objections away.’
‘Did he say when the Canberra AI project might start?’
‘About three months. That’s when Carnarvon, Darwin and Normanton should finish after all the help from Durrebar and Yirgella.’
Three more AIs in three more months, and then another, five or six months after that. Jarra left to look for Mirri with his concerns about the nasty stuff on the InterWeb somewhat allayed. Trust Alira to have it all worked out.
***
Jarra laughed again as the dolphin lifted him out of the water. A Mirri-dolphin, happy and excited about tomorrow’s trip to Birringurra to help with the corroboree, making Jarra happy and excited himself at the energy and antics. He splashed down and strong arms dragged him at speed to the shallow end where they could sit on the steps for a quiet time. Mirri knew exactly how much Jarra could cope with in the pool and the sitting spot was one of his strategies for giving Jarra a rest.
‘I know the secret for tomorrow, JJ.’
‘Tell me, or I’ll sit on you and send you to Davy Jones’ locker.’
Jarra had made up a story for Mirri at one stage about Davy Jones’ locker and all sorts of related happenings at the bottom of the ocean, and somehow it became a pool game where Jarra would sit or kneel on Mirri’s floating body till it hit the bottom or he ran out of breath.
‘Can’t tell. It’s a secret.’
‘Tricker. Tri
cker. Tell me, Mirri the tricker.’
‘Tomorrow.’
Mirri had been talking to Jarli and the twins and been told a secret which Barega had prepared for Jarra, and it was now the most exciting feature of the trip. He wouldn’t tell but he loved talking about it.
‘On the plane?’
‘No.’
‘When we meet Jarli and the boys?’
‘No!’
‘When?’
‘When Barega tells you.’
‘Mirri, you’re such a good secret keeper.’
Mirri had his arm resting companionably across Jarra’s shoulders and he gave a happy squeeze at this praise.
‘Can you come home with me, JJ? We have to get ready.’
‘Not straightaway. I have work to do with Yirgy and then I’ll be home at teatime.’
‘Yirgy knows the secret.’
‘He won’t tell me. I asked him.’
‘It’s a beautiful secret.’
Jarra was even more curious. Beautiful? That was an interesting word for Mirri to use.
Mirri headed for the lift and Jarra settled at his InfoSystem. He’d been working on ways to make strong electric fields and wanted to finalise some ideas before his busy three-day break. For a while he revised the notes he’d made then decided to look at some associated diagrams. He called up the data but nothing happened. Strange.
‘Yirgella, I can’t seem to access the database I was using this morning.’
There was no answer.
‘Yirgella?’
He looked to the big display screen. It was completely blank and a frisson of apprehension tinged his puzzlement.
‘Yirgella?’
‘My apologies, Jarra. I will speak to you in 20 seconds time.’
Sound but no image? Twenty seconds? Never before had Jarra had to wait and 20 seconds in Yirgella time was vast. What was happening? Was there something wrong? Had Yirgella’s processors been infiltrated? Ideas started to race and worry till Yirgella’s image appeared. A sombre-looking image.
‘Jarra, first let me inform you that my last image from Mirrigan’s ComPatch shows him safe and well at the Mparntwe terminal.’
Jarra’s mind pounced. Last image? Oh no!
‘Alkere’s surface installation has been assaulted and all indications are that it is completely destroyed. I have little hope for the survival of Durrebar, the delegates from Canberra he was meeting, and fifteen of our security people. All our communication and surface access is cut off and our lift system is disabled till we can make repairs. Everyone down here is safe and secure with adequate supplies but we must make efforts to contact Mparntwe.’
There was silence and Jarra knew that Yirgella was giving him the opportunity to gather his thoughts.
‘What happened?’
‘The flight data I intercepted indicated three private aircraft flying on a standard course from Darwin to Adelaide till a sudden descent and release of numerous stealth missiles overwhelmed our defence system. They were all targeting our project and I could see that at least four would make a strike. I had seconds only for warning and action.’
‘Durrebar? ... And everyone else? ... Someone might survive?’
‘The closest sensor still functioning in the lift shaft is 20 metres below the basement level and destruction reaching that depth leaves little hope for anything above. We will make what efforts we can. Professor Allerton is calling for all staff to gather in the main conference centre but can I ask you to return as quickly as is appropriate? With the loss of both our NanoFactories I am reliant on your expertise with the 3D printers for almost all the efforts we must make.’
Both NanoFactories! That meant the Alkere terminal for the Vac Train as well. And all those people. The magnitude of what had happened struck through the strange feeling that he was listening to news of bad events happening somewhere else, and a range of emotions and ideas raced through Jarra. Shock and disbelief. Durrebar and all the friendly security people. How could they be gone just like that? Two minutes. That was how long the Vac Train took to reach Mparntwe. A little more teasing about the secret or talk about the trip and Mirri would have been at the Alkere terminal. Dread welled at the thought and Jarra couldn’t help calling out.
‘Mirri. Is he safe? Has anything happened to Mparntwe?’
‘Nothing happened before we were cut off and I’m confident everyone there is safe. All probabilities indicate that this attack was directed solely at me.’
Jarra stood and moved towards the door, hesitated, then turned to Yirgella’s display screen.
‘What do we need to do, Yirgy? I won’t go to the conference hall because it will hold you up for a long time.’
‘Our first priority should be to make contact with Mparntwe and allay any fears for our safety. Many people will be worried and the degree of destruction at the surface will be extremely confronting for them. Our first task will be to modify some of the excavation equipment we use down here so that it can climb our lift shaft. Specifications are in the 3D printer but I need you to handle the physical actions and attach the extensions when the first excavator arrives.’
The main 3D printer hummed busily and several of the extension parts were ready when the project room door opened and one of the security people wheeled in a trolley with a very small excavator. Jarra recognised it as one of the type used for drilling conduit tunnels for cables and pipework. An engineer approached and took over the attachment job while Jarra worked with the more demanding task of printing a communication replacement for the drilling head of a second excavator. Soon the first little excavator was out the door and heading for its 1400 metre climb. Yirgella estimated approximately half an hour and then, after the climbing attachments were discarded, an indeterminate time to drill to the surface.
When the communication replacement was finished Jarra decided to take a short rest. If he managed his rests carefully he should be able to work with Yirgella for at least two more hours. Professor Allerton arrived but then chased Jarra into his rest partition and stayed with Yirgella to help as best he could with printer tasks that didn’t need Jarra. The short rest took longer than Jarra planned because his mind was so active he had to cycle through his best relaxation techniques several times before they took effect. The break was necessary though. His project room was chaos when he came out, with people everywhere. One group was working with power supply arrangements for the lift shaft, another on a one-person platform to make use of that power, and a third group was gathered round one of the larger excavators which Jarra discovered would drill a shaft big enough for people and equipment. Professor Allerton spoke quietly with him for several minutes till Yirgella called for everyone’s attention.
‘Our first machine has reached the top of the lift shaft and is divesting its climbing attachments. We should have surface breakthrough in 10-20 minutes.’
That brought a buzz of excitement and even some smiles. Jarra sat at his InfoSystem and looked at Yirgella expectantly.
‘All our actions are limited without a NanoFactory and I propose we build a small one in the large storage area near our water supply as our first priority. With a team of engineers helping we can have it functioning within four weeks and ready to rebuild in full scale on the surface.’
Four weeks! Impossible. It took at least five months for the building stage of their first NanoFactory. Well, maybe. With no research and no construction techniques to work out it might be possible.
‘Can we really do that?’
‘We can, Jarra. By limiting the size and the capability to the minimum needed. Have a look at the design and the timetable and tell me what you think.’
Jarra did just that and quickly agreed. This was simple but adequate. It crossed his mind that this was almost like a giant 3D printer with nanobots taking over the printing process. Very clever, and only one third the size of a full NanoFactory.
A cheer interrupted Jarra’s thinking. What? The excavator had broken through.
‘Peo
ple. You will have access to full InterWeb connection through your InfoPads or any display screen within minutes. The communication module is about to enter the surface conduit.’
There was quite an exodus as people ran for a display screen or their InfoPads. Jarra knew Yirgella’s big display screen was his channel. The plans for a mini NanoFactory were forgotten. Yirgella had included a miniature vision sensor on the communication module and Jarra watched the walls of the 15 centimetre conduit pass steadily by. There was a flare of light as the sensor adapted to daylight and then showed a nondescript view of rubble, an antenna extending and a little dish opening. The image on the big screen changed and Jarra didn’t understand what he was seeing till he heard Burnu’s voice.
‘Mirri, look! It’s Jarra!’
The view shifted slightly and Jarra now understood he was looking through Mirri’s ComPatch at a shirt. Burnu must be hugging Mirri.
The view shifted with a lurch this time and Jarra saw himself looking out from the display monitor at Mirri’s home.
‘JJ! JJ! JJ!’
Jarra jumped at the great shout but when the display changed again to the InterWeb view of Mirri and his dad, the smile on his face faltered and faded. Mirri’s eyes were red, his cheeks tear-stained, and his nose running. Oh no! Poor Mirri. Why was he looking so distraught?
‘What’s wrong, Mirri?’
‘Bad people hurt you.’
‘No, they didn’t. Yirgy was too clever and they didn’t touch me.’
‘JJ. COME HOME. PLEASE COME HOME, JJ.’
Mirri’s arm stretched forward and Jarra wanted with all his heart to be there with him. His own arm stretched and, as if they’d touched through the InterWeb, a little smile broke through Mirri’s features.
‘No-one hurt you?’
‘No-one hurt me at all. I’m in my special project room with everyone else and Yirgy is looking after us.’
‘Will you be home soon, JJ?’
‘I hope so, Mirri, but I have a better idea. Can you come out and collect me as soon as Yirgy makes a special new tunnel for us? The bad people broke the old one and we have to dig through all the dirt.’