by Thomas Fay
John’s gaze flicked to Lauren. She seemed very worried.
‘Lauren, are you alright?’ he asked.
‘Please don’t let them take me, John,’ she pleaded.
‘Don’t worry, I—’
‘Enough. This woman is wanted for questioning in relation to a matter of Council security. She is coming with us.’
‘Like hell she is. Socrates!’
John drew his handgun and dodged past Jonathan Gage. He reached out and grabbed Lauren’s hand, preparing to pull her towards the door.
‘Stay where you are!’ Jonathan Gage commanded.
John found himself staring at the business end of four Council operative weapons pointed directly at him. Socrates stood motionless. With a sinking feeling, John realised that something was very wrong.
‘Socrates?’
‘I am sorry, John, but I am unable to assist you.’
John experienced a sense of helplessness as Lauren gripped his hand.
‘Take her,’ Jonathan Gage ordered.
Two Council operatives stepped forward and grabbed Lauren by the arms.
‘John!’ Lauren cried out, fighting to hold onto his hand.
‘Let her go!’ John tightened his grip on his weapon. He looked up at the surveillance cameras in the ceiling, wondering why the Chief hadn’t sent anyone to assist him.
‘Stand down, Sentinel, before I have you arrested,’ Jonathan Gage ordered. ‘This is a matter of Council security. You have no jurisdiction here.’
John realised that no help would be forthcoming. He reluctantly let go of Lauren’s hand. The two Council operatives led her outside into the corridor.
‘I will report this incident in full to your Chief and leave it up to him to deal with you,’ Jonathan Gage said. ‘The next time we meet, I will not be so generous.’
With that he turned and exited the room, followed by the remaining two operatives. The door closed. John was alone with his partner. A partner who had saved his life countless times, whom he had trusted above all else.
Until now.
Thirteen
John waited for a count of ten. Then he was in motion. Flinging open the door to Interview Room 4, he moved along the narrow corridor. His face betrayed his inner turmoil as he fought down his anger at the helplessness he had experienced when confronting Jonathan Gage while at the same time trying not to think about what could happen to Lauren. People took one look at him and quickly moved out of his way.
Reaching the Chief’s office, he didn’t bother knocking.
‘Tesh, I—’
‘What the hell is going on, Chief? Why is a Councillor interfering in a Sentinel investigation?’
‘I’m sorry, John. I cannot challenge the authority of the Ruling Council. Sentinel jurisdiction does not extend that far.’
John took a deep breath.
‘They took Lauren,’ he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
‘Damn them!’ the Chief exclaimed.
‘Is there anything you can do?’
‘Close the door.’
John did as instructed. The Chief cast a quick glance at the surveillance cameras in the ceiling. Activating a control on his desk, he shut down the surveillance in his office.
‘Alright, listen to me very carefully. Officially, I cannot condone or be seen as authorising any action against the Ruling Council.’
‘And unofficially?’
‘Let’s just say that there are a few of us who have had our doubts about the Iona Corporation since day one. It was one of the main reasons that I accepted the role as Chief Sentinel. The resources and manpower have allowed me to keep a close eye on the Ruling Council’s activities.’
‘I suspected something to that effect,’ John said.
‘Of course you did. You’re good, Tesh. Damn good. But even you’re no match for the Ruling Council. You’ll need help and I know where you can get it.’
The Chief opened the top drawer of his desk. Rummaging around, he brought out an old-fashioned notepad and ballpoint pen. A sharp click brought the pen in his hand to life. He wrote down a name and an address.
‘Here. Take this and go to this address.’
John nodded. Then he frowned.
‘Chief?’
‘What is it?’
‘Do you know of any reason why Socrates would refuse to move against a Council operative?’
The Chief leaned forward across his desk and looked intently at John.
‘You asked him directly and he refused?’
‘Yes.’
‘Damn. He was our best hope of challenging them in a physical confrontation. I wasn’t joking this morning when I said that he would be capable of taking out a transport ship.’
‘What do you mean? Sure, he’s fast and strong but he would be no match for a VTOL craft powered by Flux Cells and carrying God only knows what sort of weaponry that they haven’t bothered to tell us about.’
‘Because Socrates is so much more than he appears to be.’
‘How so?’
‘I don’t know exactly but when he first came to Sentinel HQ and asked to be instated as a Sentinel, I was sceptical. His results on the sims quickly convinced me.’
‘I remember. A perfect score.’
The Chief nodded.
‘Perfect. Every time. No human could do that. I confronted him and he told me what he was. An android. A machine so advanced it appeared to be human. The only one in the world, as far as we know.’
‘Thanks for telling me what he was by the way.’
The Chief smiled.
‘You were smart enough to figure it out. Anyway, once I realised what he was Socrates told me he had no knowledge of where he came from or who created him.’
‘We still don’t know.’
‘No, we don’t but I’m pretty sure he was created for a reason and that reason has to do with helping us. Why else would he come to us? Why become a Sentinel?’
‘I don’t know but what you’re saying makes sense.’
‘You need to find a way to get through to him, John. Get him on our side.’
‘I’ll try.’
With that John left the room and walked back down the corridor. He found Socrates waiting for him near the lift banks. Without a word, he activated the call button. Ten seconds later they were back inside the Sentinel garage. Another twenty after that they were inside their cruiser heading west.
Fourteen
They drove for a while along Victoria Road in silence. Finally, John turned to his partner of almost five years.
‘What the hell happened back there?’ he asked.
‘I’m sorry, John. For some unknown reason I was unable to assist you,’ Socrates replied.
‘What do you mean? You don’t know why?’
‘No, John. I have been running every possible diagnostic on my systems since the incident. I have not found anything wrong. My systems are operating at one hundred per cent efficiency and effectiveness.’
‘Then why?’
‘I don’t know. I can only speculate that some form of code has been inserted somewhere into my system that prevents me from acting against the Ruling Council and requires me to obey the commands of Councillors.’
John eyed him warily. It all sounded too neat to be true. But then again, it could be true. Occam's razor.
‘Is there any way we can remove it?’
‘I am unable to even locate it. However, there is one person who may be able to assist me.’
‘Who’s that?’
‘Professor Daniel Holstein.’
‘The scientist who questioned the very nature of the Iona Flux Cell?’
‘Yes.’
‘By all accounts he disappeared and hasn’t been seen since he published that article. How do we find him?’
‘I know where he is.’
‘You know where he is?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay. So why is he so important?’
Socrates said nothing.
‘Socrates?’
‘He is the one who activated me.’
That surprised John. He had never heard Socrates speak of his origins in any way. To all intents and purposes he had simply appeared one day at Sentinel HQ, asking to be assigned to the best officer they had. After explaining what he was and demonstrating his prowess, he and Socrates had been teamed up and let loose on the streets of Iona. Almost five years later, they were a highly functional unit. Had been, John corrected himself. But now it seemed there was a way of freeing Socrates from whatever was holding him back and of uncovering more about his origins.
John could still hear the Chief’s words. They worried him. He wasn’t sure whether unleashing Socrates’s full combat potential was a good idea. But, John realised, he didn’t have much choice if he wanted to get Lauren back. He smiled inwardly at the realisation of just how much he still cared about his ex-wife. Old habits certainly did die hard.
‘Alright, we’ll go and see Professor Holstein as soon as we’ve spoken to this old buddy of the Chief’s. Let’s just hope we don’t run into any more Council operatives until we’ve fixed whatever it is that’s wrong with you.’
‘Thank you, John,’ Socrates said. He continued to stare straight ahead with eyes that mimicked those of a young man. John tried not to think of what lurked beneath.
Fifteen
The backyard was narrow but extended for about twenty metres. Most of it was occupied by what appeared to be a fully functioning orchard with a complex homemade irrigation system and carefully laid out pathways. A pair of older women, hunched over at the waist, moved between the rows of plants. They would stop regularly to pull out weeds and to collect ripe fruit and vegetables. It was a self-sufficient household, part of the reason that the ethnic communities had survived the energy crisis better than anyone else.
‘You have an amazing set-up here, Agostino,’ John said. They were seated on a shaded wooden deck overlooking the backyard. Socrates sat next to him, while the owner, Agostino Romano, sat facing them. He was in his early sixties, a heavy-set man with thick, grey hair and a wrinkled brow. His voice was a deep baritone.
‘Grazie, John. This house has been in my family for three generations now. My grandfather built the irrigation and stonework that you see. He was homesick when he left Italy and wanted to re-create a piece of it here. My father and I have upheld his tradition. Who would have guessed that this garden and others like it would have sustained us during the Global Energy Crisis.’
‘My wife and I travelled through Italy on our honeymoon. I remember seeing such gardens all across the country.’
Agostino nodded.
‘Yes, it feels like a slice of home. But you didn’t come here to discuss Italian gardening.’
‘No, we didn’t. The Chief told me you could help us.’
Agostino leaned closer.
‘What did he tell you exactly?’
‘He said that he couldn’t openly move against the Iona Corporation but that he knew of those who suspected that their motives were not exactly benign. Then he gave me your details.’
Agostino cast Socrates a suspicious look.
‘Can he be trusted?’
John looked at his partner. That was the million dollar question, he realised. But he also realised there was no way he could get Lauren back without Socrates’s help.
‘Yes. He’s been my partner for almost five years. I trust him with my life.’
‘Allora. Listen to me very carefully, John. The Iona Corporation is not what it seems; its motives are not benevolent. People seem to have forgotten that they took over this city. Without permission and without any justification. They simply took control of it and declared it the sovereign nation of Iona. What deal was struck between the UN and Qallan Frost, I can only guess at, but the world accepted the new status quo.’
‘The citizens of Iona got full access to the Flux Cell technology. The energy crisis was resolved and life returned to normal.’
‘Full access? You must be joking. Have you seen one of those transport ships of theirs up close?’
‘As a matter of fact, I saw one this morning when the Ruling Council snatched a murder victim out from under us.’
‘Then you know that they have not shared their technology fully. Only they have access to VTOL flying vessels equipped with Flux Cells. Only they understand and deploy the force field barriers. No, John. They have not shared the technology with us. They have kept the best parts of it for themselves to ensure that they can easily overcome us if we ever challenged them.’
John shifted in his seat. Socrates remained silent.
‘So you’re saying that the Iona Corporation could effectively control the entire population of this city if they wanted to?’
‘No, John. I’m saying that they already do.’
Sixteen
The two older women returned to the house, their baskets filled with tomatoes, onions and zucchinis. A short while later the sounds and smells of cooking came drifting out of the kitchen. John’s phone began to vibrate in his pocket.
‘Excuse me,’ he said, standing up. Walking past a dense patch of tomato and basil plants, he flicked open his phone.
‘Tesh here.’
‘It’s Fernali. We’ve finished up at the university.’
‘Anything?’
‘Yes and no. There’s no forensic evidence, like you suspected, but what is interesting is what they took.’
‘Which is?’
‘His laptop, his personal research files and his financial records. Nothing else.’
‘That’s pretty specific.’
‘Tell me about it. What do you want us to do next?’
John watched a pair of black and white butterflies chase each other across a bright yellow sunflower as he considered his options.
‘I need you and Streeter to do some digging for me. I need you to find out exactly who was paying Walter Menzies for his consulting services.’
‘We’re on it. Anything else?’
John took a deep breath.
‘They took Lauren.’
‘Your ex-wife Lauren?’
‘Yes.’
‘Who?’
‘Councillor Jonathan Gage.’
‘I’m sorry, John.’
‘Don’t worry. I plan on getting her back.’
‘Just say the word and I’m there.’
‘Thanks. Call me once you’ve learned more about Walter Menzies.’
‘Will do.’
John switched off his phone and walked back to the shaded deck. One of the older women had brought out a plate filled with cold cuts and fruit. Agostino hesitated and then offered the food to Socrates. Not surprisingly, he declined politely.
‘Thank you but I’m afraid I cannot eat,’ Socrates said.
‘So you really are a machine under there?’ Agostino asked.
‘Yes. This exterior hides what I truly am from casual observers.’
‘You should see him go through airport metal detectors,’ John said, sitting back down. He reached over and grabbed a piece of prosciutto wrapped around ripe orange melon.
‘Incredible,’ Agostino said. ‘I had heard of you, from the Chief, but knowing what you are and believing it are two different things.’
John nodded while Socrates said nothing. The older woman disappeared back inside the spacious house. Agostino leaned even closer and lowered his voice.
‘Maybe there is hope then. Having an android as powerful as you on our side may just be enough.’
‘Enough to do what?’
‘To challenge the Iona Corporation. To restore the balance in our favour.’
Seventeen
The Sentinel tech lab was filled with the steady hum of the countless computer banks and data processors. Three separate holographic projectors were displaying an image of a young red-haired woman walking across a busy street. The image shifted as she turned down a side street. Then it wavered and disappeared as she entered a three-storey building.
>
‘That’s the extent of the camera surveillance in that area. Our algorithms picked her up on Crown Street around 3.00 pm. We tracked her all the way to the Dolphin Hotel but we’ve got nothing that can look inside that building,’ James said.
‘What about behind the building or the side street?’ John asked.
‘No, sorry. Only the main roads in Surry Hills are covered at this stage. There’s a sizeable blind spot behind that building and the coverage only extends about five metres down the side street.’
‘So there’s no way of telling if she’s still inside the hotel. She could have just walked out the other side.’
‘No other surveillance camera has picked her up on the facial recognition or audio recognition algorithms that we’ve been running. As far as we can tell, she’s still inside.’
‘But there’s no way of knowing for sure?’
‘I’m afraid not.’
‘Not necessarily,’ Socrates said. ‘Please replay the last ten seconds of the recording.’
The holographic projectors sprang back to life. They showed the red-haired woman turning from the main street and entering the three-storey building.
‘I don’t see anything,’ James said.
John smiled.
‘Well I’ll be damned. Play it again; slow it down just as she enters the hotel.’
The image replayed for a third time. Just as the red-haired woman turned to enter the building, the image slowed. Each frame skipped forward individually, her movements becoming jerky and slightly blurred.
‘How could I have missed that?’ James asked.
The red-haired woman, Simone Greenberg, paused for a split second on the steps leading into the hotel. She turned her head to face the camera high up on the other side of the street.
Then she smiled.
Eighteen
Surry Hills was one of those areas that had gone through a considerable transition over time. From offering cheap housing to immigrant families after World War II through to a period of urban revival in the late nineties, it became a hub for fashion houses, cafes and chic apartments in the first decade of the twenty-first century. The Global Energy Crisis saw prices skyrocket as people sought to move closer to the CBD. Despite this, some parts of it retained their original character. The Dolphin Hotel was one of them. Despite going through numerous renovations and upgrades over time, it still retained a certain quality that was unique to that part of the city. Something the Iona Corporation could never take away.