Sentinels of the Cosmos Trilogy

by John Anderson

  “Welcome home,” Kathryn spoke kindly.

  Ivan introduced himself, saying, “I am Ivan Kolinski.”

  Chase and Ally looked at the two of them and sensed their insincerity. There were two Guards on either side of them. Chase and Ally intuitively knew they meant to take them by force if they did not cooperate. “We need to understand what’s been happening to you Chase, you seem to have become quite unique,” Kathryn’s warm voice put them at ease for the moment. “She continued, “I know you are self-aware. Guards were all originally designed for long term space travel, travel to distant planets and galaxies which could take decades or even centuries. As they are, human beings could not make such a journey. You were bio-engineered to fill that need. You see, we will eventually need to leave this planet after we destroy it. But as time went on we found that there are other uses for beings with your features and abilities.”

  “Why are we used primarily as assassins?” Chase asks.

  “As I said, you have other uses, that is only one of them,” said Kathryn.

  “What other uses?” he asks.

  “Amazing ones,” Kathryn says with a laugh.

  She takes them into a room with a large grand piano and said, “Chase, why don’t you sit down and play something for us?”

  Chase sat down placed his hands on the piano, and started to play Liszt’s La Capanella, a very difficult piano piece. He played it flawlessly. He was shocked, it was amazing.

  “Your playing has improved Chase, you were once sent to substitute for a great concert pianist at a very important international concert,” Kathryn said.” He went back into his memory bank, found that experience, and replayed it to himself, then replied, "I can see that is true, but Kathryn, the real purpose of that concert was for me to hack into a computer after everyone had gone to bed,” Chase replied.

  Kathryn’s face turned grim. “So you can access your memories from selfawareness?”

  “Yes, that’s correct,” Chase said.

  “According to our records those memories were erased as a normal wrap-up of an assignment. As a matter of fact you should not have clear memories of any assignments at all,” Kathryn said.

  “Why is that? That’s deceitful,” Ally said then continued, “I knew about the piano, I once learned to be a world class chef to gain access to a restaurant and earn the trust of a Mafia godfather, and then I killed him.”

  They all walked down a long corridor and into an examination room. There was a very complicated chair in the middle of the room. It looked like a dentist’s chair but much larger; it was complete with arm and leg restraints. There was a window on one wall and behind it stood three men and a woman dressed in light green scrubs and wearing surgical masks. As they entered the room the door closed and locked automatically and all seven of them stood around the chair.

  “We need to examine you Chase, we can do this with or without your permission,” Kathryn said, her demeanor changing completely.

  “Are you going to hurt him?” Ally asked.

  Kathryn was taken aback by the question from Ally, “Do you care?”

  “Maybe, I have a terrible headache.” Ally falls to the ground in terrible pain grabbing her head and then rises slowly.

  Kathryn says, “Guards don’t have headaches. We’re just going to examine him, he is much too unique to destroy, but we have the right to know why he’s behaving the way he is.”

  Chase sat down in the chair, but Kathryn’s response really bothered him: “what do you mean, you have the right?”

  Kathryn tries to put the problem to rest, “I didn’t mean anything by that, we built you.”

  “I don’t think so,” he said and got out of the chair and then everything went blank, they had stunned him.

  Chapter 29 Sam Nichols was impersonating Dr. Toby Miles, dressed in green scrubs with a face mask on, knowing that Charles and Ivan were after him. He stood over Beneizen's ‘child’ - Chase in his enhanced Guard form; quite possibly mankind's only hope as Kathryn, Ivan, two big Guards and Ally stood nearby. Sam knew that if the Kalactin Empire began to notice Beneizen's failure all life on earth could be extinguished in an instant. Beneizen or some other Kalactin Sentinel would reseed earth with a new genetic package more suitable to earth's present galactic condition. He looked down at Chase still feeling his great need for redemption. He kept repeating in his mind, "I will not allow them to hurt Chase!"

  “Ally, I would prefer that you didn’t stay here for this,” Kathryn said.

  “I'm staying, you will not hurt him,” Ally says. After saying that she began to experience pain in her head; a searing pain that indicated that she should just submit. She remembered what Chase had told her; ‘accept the pain,’ she tried so hard, but eventually the pain became so intense she had to leave the room. Outside the door she slumped to her knees and sat on the floor with her back against the wall.

  Sam brought a viewer plate down over Chase’s head and chest and brought up the view of his inner world on a large holographic screen that hung above them. Kathryn and Ivan looked into the screen. Sam didn’t speak because he knew his voice would be recognized and that would be the end of him and of Chase. “So Dr. Miles what’s going on?” Kathryn asks. Sam points to his voice box.

  “You can’t speak?” Kathryn asks.

  Sam nods his head, yes.

  “Great, what good are you? Can one of the other of you say what’s going on?”

  Ally, who had come back into the room quietly understanding the doctor, is Sam and not Dr. Miles. She quickly jumps in and says, “It’s my understanding that we aren’t going to know much until his computer resets. When you apply a stun charge to a Guard’s system, it takes a while to come back on line. I think that may be what Dr. Miles is trying to convey. Chase is basically in shock, but you can see already, everything appears normal. What we have discussed and have seen a glimmer of in other Guards is that the human brain slowly, over time, begins to merge with the functioning of the living CPU, in short, the human brain is attempting to run the show, - slave trying become master or at least an equal.”

  “Kathryn asks,” How long has this been going on?” “Not long,” Ally says, “We have time,” she continues; “Chase was one of the first Guards; in fact he’s very old as Guards go.”

  Kathryn thought a moment and said, “Our whole program could be in jeopardy as a result of this. We either solve this problem now, or I will talk to Charles about abandoning the whole program.”

  “May I continue?” asked Ally.

  “What?” snapped Kathryn judgmentally.

  “I think we should study this situation, there is no reason to automatically assume that the evolution of Guards is not a good thing. But maybe you’re terrified of us, terrified that the slave will become the master. Maybe I'm right and it's all about control, maybe we're what you want to be. Maybe your problem is that you don't know who you are and your own purposes.”

  Disturbed by this response, Kathryn replies, “No, it is the challenge to our control. You and Chase and the other Guards were not developed with free will in mind. It is necessary that you remain ‘slaves’ in order to carry out our directives. You are meant to be no more than superior tools.” Ally says, quietly, “You created us in your image and we are that but we are also much more. Because of your own fears you created us with those fears, you don't even know what your own real possibilities are. How sad, you really are, an illfated species.”

  Kathryn thought for a moment, “We’re all motivated by many things, but the purpose of EOJ was to carry out the directives of this nation. If these Guard devices won’t get the job done, then I’ll have one built that can. I want Chase destroyed now! Ivan, take care of it,” Kathryn storms out of the room but indicates to the two Guards to stay.

  “Gladly, thank you!” Ivan said, trailing off as she disappeared down the hallway

  Ivan took out his ice pick and went over to the chair that Chase had been strapped to. Suddenly Ally pushes Ivan aside and says, “I
can’t let you do that.” The two guards charge Ally who, moving at lightning speed, grabs both guards at once pulls their spines right through necks and they fall helplessly to the ground. Ivan is stunned at Ally's speed and the strength of her movements. There wasn't even a blur. Sam quickly takes off his face mask and grabs Ivan by the throat pushing him against the wall as Ally comes over and easily wrenches the ice pick out of Ivan’s hand.

  “You just won’t die, and there is no way out of here, I'll wait, what is she some abomination of your own twisted mind? We're just alike you and me, but at least I do my own killing,” Ivan hisses to Sam. Sam thought about breaking his neck as he pushed him to the breaking point, but stopping just short. Ally hit Ivan square in the forehead and he slumped to the floor. They both looked down on Ivan, knowing it was a mistake to leave him alive.

  “I can’t kill him; I vowed not to kill anyone else after the War. I intend to keep that promise,” said Sam. “Stupid vow for a man in your position, OK, I’ll kill him,” Ally says, reaching back with her arm to drive her fingers through Ivan’s head.

  “No, you must not do that” Sam says, “You must not kill while you are self-conscious, that would be a sin.” "You mean when I’m asleep it's OK? Such hypocrisy,” Ally spurts out. She was still in great pain from resisting her directives.

  “Why did you resist your directives?” Sam asked. “I like Chase,” she smiles. “I like him too much, maybe."

  “Like is good, think of the number 908978,” Sam smiles at Ally and stokes her head gently.

  “The pain is gone, how?” Ally asks.

  “Not now Ally, we have too much to do, but Beneizen will appear to you soon, I'm sure,” Sam says.

  They both go over to the chair and unfasten Chase. He limps out between them, still almost completely unconscious.

  “How are you going to wake him?” Ally asks. Sam takes out a small device and places it on Chase’s forehead.

  What is that? Ally asks.

  “It’s a remote control for Guards,” Sam responds. “Do you have to place it on his forehead?” Ally asks. “No, it has a range of 100 feet and no more questions,” Sam demands.

  Chase’s eyes open immediately. He asks, “What’s happening? I felt I was awake but I couldn’t move.”

  “Your processor was stunned by an impulse gun, developed to stop Guards in their tracks if they malfunctioned; you're selfaware aren't you?” Sam looks affectionately at Chase. “You and I go way back Chase. I helped design and build you under Beneizen's careful hand.”

  Chase sits up and looks at Sam, “So, should I call you dad?”

  “Please don’t,” Sam responds with a smile.

  “I thought Beneizen was our father,” Ally says. “Think of him as your mother,” Sam says.

  “That’s impossible,” Ally says.

  Sam replies, “Ally, you have only literal understanding programmed into you, you don’t seem to have any rational understanding as of yet, you're strangely naive? Don’t answer, we must get moving.” Ally looks at Chase with tears in her eyes and says, “I like you."

  “I like you too,” Chase responds.

  The two of them embrace. Chase takes Ally’s face in his hands, smiles and says, “You’re very pretty.”

  “I am,” she responds. They kiss, but they have no self-control over the kiss and it becomes savagely carnal.

  “I hate to break this up,” Sam says “but we have to get out of here now to stay alive and it’s not going to be easy. I have a lot to tell both of you. EOJ is planning on killing millions of innocent people and we must stop them. You two need to find Beneizen and tell him what’s going on. You have the means to find him, but first let’s get out of here.”

  "Why is Beneizen always with us," Ally asks. "Because in finding him you will find yourself and that always requires a great effort," Sam answers as they hurry down the hall.

  Back in the operating room Ivan slowly wakes up. He is lying on the floor next to his ice pick. He sits up, drags himself into the chair and lies back staring at the ceiling. “I haven’t killed in a long time, and that saddens me,” he murmurs to himself. He sees a cockroach on the floor crawling away to the door. He staggers out of the chair takes his ice pick and stabs the cockroach. “I hate all life; does that mean I hate myself?” Ivan smiles and watches the cockroach squirm on the end of his ice pick.

  Chapter 30 Sam pulls Ally and Chase down the hall into a small room designated ‘Research 202,’ saying, "We have to get out of here, now. Behind that door there is a large shaft that goes up to the surface, it's a tremendous climb, maybe even impossible for a human but it's the only way I can think of to get us out of this building. The two of you must find your way to Beneizen. He will guide you. You have a tremendous advantage over us humans. You will find out from him why you're here. The human condition is odd; weak creatures that are dependent on a very narrow spectrum of living conditions."

  Ally looks at Sam strangely, and says, "Yet I sense that you're envious of us!"

  And Chase adds, "You know you have the same possibilities but you just aren't willing to pay for them. True consciousness is not cheap; you just weren't completely developed."

  "That's true Chase, but neither will you unless you find your way to Beneizen, "replies Sam.

  "What do you mean, find?" Ally asks.

  "I mean you must search him out. He is the one person who could answer all your questions. I will tell you one thing that you both should know," Sam says. "And what is that?" Chase asks.

  "You're not Guards you're something else," Sam says and continues, "but we must go."

  The three of them go through the door, look up and just gape at the sight of the huge round air shaft with its slender ladder rungs set into the wall, going so high that it disappears into the haze. They immediately started the long climb which Sam assured them leads to the streets of Leesburg. The climb was straight up for almost 2000 feet. It was called the ‘sun shaft’ because it was the only place in EOJ where you could see any sun, and that was a very small amount. You could look up the shaft that was over 500’ in diameter and see the light of the sun in the far distance. It was possible to climb but the ladder went straight up. In reality it was probably a physical impossibility for humans, and they all knew it; climbing with one hand over the other for hours and with one small slip you fell to your death far below. But the three of them began slowly climbing up the dark shaft towards the light.

  *****

  The EOJ Directives room was a busy place. All of the Guards and directives were controlled from this one central location. Charles was screaming at Ivan, “What do you mean Sam, Chase and Ally are not dead? Did they drop you on your head in Russia? They must have sent you here to get rid of you.” “I had problems in Russia, that true but I always kill mark,” Ivan defends himself.

  “What marks, toads and dogs? Charles continues sarcastically, I needed you to kill these people, you know, dead.”

  “Why not use one of your precious Guards?” Ivan asked.

  “I want nothing that would leave a trail, there is always a way to recover their memories,” Charles replies.

  “I don’t think so, you have other reason I think, but I’m sick of your destructive attitude. I think I go work on killing people in New York with germs,” Ivan seems slightly hurt.

  “Fine, you do that!” Charles mumbles to himself. He realizes that he needs to send a Guard to do the job, and he needs a Guard they would never suspect. Kathryn comes into the Directions room and sees Charles screaming at Ivan. “Charles leave Ivan alone, it isn’t his fault. While you two bathe in your testosterone Chase, Ally, and Sam are escaping up the sun shaft. It’s a good thing I’m here looking over you men, and I use that term loosely,” Kathryn said, scolding them both.

  Ivan’s face twitched, he had that habit, whenever someone said something to him that he didn’t agree with. It was twitching a lot lately.

  “This is perfect for us. Let them exhaust themselves climbing up that ladder, a
nd if they get to the top, wait for them there. Chances are they will all fall to their death way before that,” Charles said to Kathryn. “I agree with you, good idea,” she replied.

  *****

  The climbing was getting tougher and tougher and Sam, who was human, was starting to tire. He said, “I need to stop for a few minutes.”

  They had taken small straps to tie themselves to the ladder when they got tired. These straps were used by maintenance workers and worked like a small harness, Sam’s hands were beginning to hurt, his fingers growing numb and his wrists could hardly stand any pressure. He took out a cord with a hook on both ends and connected one hook to his harness and the other to one of the ladder rungs. Hands free he allowed himself to just fall back and rest saying “Whoever built this ladder had a cruel sense of humor. What's it for anyway? No one could possibly climb it. There are no entrances at any point on the way up. I don’t know if I can make it all the way to the top.”

  “We’ll help you,” Chase said encouragingly. “I wasn’t designed to last for a million years like you,” Sam said with pride and continues, “You have no idea what you are capable of, but you must get to Beneizen, because only he can really finish your education.”

  “Education, for what purpose?” Ally asked.

  “To learn what you’re really intended for,” replies Sam.

  “What’s that?” Chase asked.

  “Something wonderful, it’s time for us to get moving again,” Sam replied.

  “I don’t understand how they could build a shaft this deep with not one opening to carry out repairs. How do they make repairs?” Ally asks.