Socrates and the Sentinel

by Thomas Fay

  ‘Looks like the Chief has recalled everyone to HQ. Wonder what’s going on?’ John said.

  ‘I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.’

  John pulled into an empty space and killed the engine. The cruiser powered down and went dark.

  ‘Let’s go.’

  They opened the doors and stepped out, John, Fernali, Socrates and Simone. Closing the doors, they made their way towards the turbo-lifts. John reached out and was about to press the button for up when his phone rang. He pulled it out and checked the ID: Private number. He flicked it open.

  ‘Tesh.’

  ‘John, this is Councillor Alara Green. Where are you?’

  ‘I’m in the basement of Sentinel HQ. We were just about to—’

  ‘Listen to me very carefully. Do not go upstairs. Jonathan Gage is making his play for control of the Ruling Council. He has sent operatives to take control of the Sentinels and ensure your full co-operation during the transition. All transport ships have been grounded at the Council Chambers. All operatives are on high alert. I fear he may even lock down the city.’

  ‘What is it?’ Fernali whispered. John motioned for him to wait.

  ‘What can we do?’

  ‘I’ve still got control of one transport ship and a handful of operatives. Meet me in the usual place. I need your help.’

  ‘Councillor, I—’

  ‘Please, John.’

  ‘Alright, we’re on our way.’

  John flicked his phone off. The others were staring at him.

  ‘We’ve got a situation. It seems that Jonathan Gage is making his move for control of the Ruling Council. He’s locked down the Council Chambers and in the process of locking down Sentinel HQ.’

  ‘Christ, that’s just what we needed,’ Fernali said. ‘I take it that was Alara Green?’

  ‘Yes, she’s asked for my help.’

  ‘What do you plan to do?’

  ‘I plan on helping her.’

  ‘John, this could be a trap,’ Socrates said. ‘It could be a ruse for you to reveal your allegiance and to hand over Simone to the Ruling Council.’

  ‘No,’ Simone said. ‘Alara Green is part of the faction lead by Qallan Frost. She would never betray him or me.’

  ‘You’re sure?’ John asked.

  Simone nodded. John looked up at the surveillance cameras above the turbo-lifts.

  ‘Alright, we need to get out of here before they lockdown the garage.’

  They turned and ran back to their cruiser. John fired up the engine and drove up the ramp and out onto Elizabeth Street. The turbo-lift chimed and the doors slid open in the underground parking garage. Four heavily armed Council operatives stepped out. The Sentinel cruiser was reflected in their visors as they watched it leave. One of them activated a communications channel.

  ‘Sir, we’re in the basement of the Sentinel HQ. One of the cruisers has escaped.’

  Forty-Four

  The storm was at its peak. Dense clouds and fog had rolled in across the city. Rain was slashing down in waves reducing visibility to almost nothing as the windscreen wipers fought to keep the water at bay. The majority of traffic had slowed to a crawl. Drivers either pulled over and stopped or drove at a quarter of the speed limit. A veritable torrent of water was surging down the edges of the road. The world beyond their windscreen was a blurry canvas of red lights interspersed with splashes of water.

  ‘This is ridiculous. Can you see anything?’ Fernali asked.

  ‘Not really. Can you swap with Socrates?’ John replied.

  ‘I guess so. Why?’

  ‘So that he can take control of the car before I hit something.’

  ‘Okay, sure.’

  Fernali managed to somehow squeeze himself into the back seat between Simone and Socrates.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ Fernali said.

  ‘It’s okay,’ Simone said.

  ‘Socrates, get up here,’ John said.

  ‘Certainly, John.’

  The android deftly grasped the front seats and twisted his body through the gap and onto the passenger seat. Straightening up, he adjusted the seat and fastened the seatbelt.

  ‘Would you like me to take over?’ Socrates asked.

  ‘I thought you’d never ask,’ John replied. He flicked a button. A steering wheel and control panel slid out of the dash on the passenger side. Socrates grasped the wheel.

  ‘Transferring control now.’

  John released his death grip on the wheel. It was only when he let go that he realised exactly how tightly he had been holding on. The rain continued its relentless assault on the car’s windscreen. It seemed as if the wipers had given up as the water built up faster than they could remove it.

  With Socrates in control they made some progress, the android deftly taking advantage of even the slightest opening in traffic. They had reached the corner of William Street but were still faced with a long line of red lights stretching out to the blurry horizon.

  ‘This is taking too long,’ John said. He reached for a button on the console. He hesitated.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Fernali asked.

  ‘I can’t use the Sentinel override. They’ll know exactly where we are.’

  ‘You want to use the override in this weather?’

  ‘Trust me, this weather makes no difference to Socrates. He could drive through a blizzard at top speed.’

  ‘If you say so. I’d rather not put that to the test. You do know what the top speed on these things is, right?’

  ‘Well over three hundred. You should see it on full override.’

  ‘Three hundred? How the hell did you get it to go so fast?’

  John smiled.

  ‘I know a guy.’

  ‘I don’t want to know.’

  Socrates managed to cut across into the opposite lane. Accelerating smoothly, he watched the traffic on his left. Picking a gap barely large enough for them to fit into, he slotted their cruiser back into the left side of traffic. A second later he swerved into the Eastern Distributor tunnel.

  John reached up and yanked their toll pass off the windshield.

  ‘Good thinking,’ Fernali said.

  The moment their cruiser crossed the tunnel entrance the rain stopped. The sudden silence was deafening. Socrates accelerated up to 180 kilometres per hour. The Flux Cell delivered an effortless surge of power to the engine as the big car travelled down the well-lit tunnel. Traffic was surprisingly light. They emerged back into the rain moments later. Socrates maintained the new speed. His eyes never left the road. His arms barely moved yet he made continuous minute adjustments to keep the car centred on the road. He drove with skill beyond any human being.

  Forty-Five

  The foreshore at Port Botany was being buffeted by eighty kilometre per hour winds. The transport ship descended through the lashing rain. Its quad engines glowed brightly as they fought to keep the ship stable against the savagery of nature. It had to lift back into the air several times before it finally managed to level out and land. A force field barrier extended over it. Socrates inched the cruiser forward until it was underneath the barrier.

  ‘That’s impressive. I had no idea the force field barriers could be moulded into different shapes like that,’ John said.

  Simone smiled but said nothing.

  ‘There’s Alara Green,’ Fernali said.

  ‘Okay, let’s go. Socrates, you stay here with Simone. Keep the car running in case we need to leave in a hurry.’

  ‘Yes, John.’

  John and Fernali opened the doors and stepped out. Despite the presence of the force field barrier deflecting the rain, they both instinctively braced themselves for a deluge of water. Seeing that they were perfectly dry, they straightened up and walked towards the transport ship. They climbed up the waiting ramp.

  ‘John, thank you for coming,’ Councillor Alara Green said. She stood in the rear compartment of the transport ship. She was alone. Rows of Raptors were stowed in recessed alcoves along the side
s.

  ‘Sure. I could hardly refuse to help you after everything you’ve done for me. You remember my colleague, Michael Fernali?’

  ‘Councillor,’ Fernali said. ‘Good to see you again.’

  ‘Can he be trusted?’ Alara asked.

  ‘Yes. Michael and I have been working together for years.’

  ‘Very well. Now listen carefully, for I don’t know how much time we have. Jonathan Gage has taken control of the Ruling Council. His operatives have locked down the Council Chambers and secured all transport ships and submersible vessels. They have also locked down Sentinel HQ.’

  ‘How could this happen? Surely no one Councillor can do something like that?’ John asked.

  ‘With the absence of Qallan Frost and the threat of this alternative to the Flux Cell and the Iona Corporation’s dominance of the energy market, Jonathan Gage has converted many to his cause. While there are those of us who remain loyal to Frost, without his actual presence, we are diminished. I fear that our ability to act has been crippled and Jonathan Gage has now assumed control.’

  ‘What does that mean for us?’

  ‘I fear that things may change if Jonathan Gage is not removed from power.’

  ‘Change how?’

  Alara said nothing.

  ‘Councillor?’

  She took a deep breath.

  ‘Jonathan Gage was always diametrically opposed to Qallan Frost’s approach to Iona. Now that he has taken control, I fear there is nothing to stop him from enacting his own agenda and vision for this city.’

  ‘What do you mean, diametrically opposed?’

  ‘While Frost always envisaged a city where the Iona Corporation’s technology was used to help people and make life better, while at the same time guaranteeing us freedom from any external political or economic influence, Jonathan Gage has a radically different view. His vision for Iona was of a city that was controlled in every aspect by the Iona Corporation. He believes that if we are to provide the means for this city to continue to function, then we should have full control over how it functions and what its people are permitted to do.’

  ‘Some would argue that is already the case. The level of surveillance and security around the city are the highest on the planet.’

  Alara shook her head.

  ‘Believe me when I tell you that it is nothing compared to what Jonathan Gage will do if he is allowed to fully establish himself.’

  They were interrupted by a Council operative entering the compartment.

  ‘Forgive me, Councillor.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Our sensors have detected two transport ships converging on this location.’

  Forty-Six

  The heavy rain continued unabated. Combined with the low lying fog and dense clouds, it made it impossible to see anything further away than a few metres. There was no sign of the two transport ships. It made no difference. In fact, it made it worse. Not being able to see what was coming for them caused their imagination to spread cold fear throughout their bodies.

  ‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ John said.

  ‘How are we supposed to outrun a transport ship in a car?’ Fernali asked.

  ‘You won’t. Your only chance is to come with me,’ Alara said. She turned to the Council operative that had brought the dire news. ‘Lift off immediately. Cruising altitude and hold position.’

  ‘Yes, Councillor.’

  ‘Wait! What about Socrates and Simone?’ John asked.

  ‘We’ll lead the ships away from them,’ Alara said. ‘Trust me, they’ll be safer on the ground.’

  The Council operative disappeared into the forward section of the ship. Moments later the rear hatch retracted and they rose into the air. The ship rocked from side to side as its quad engines struggled against the savagery of the storm.

  ‘What will they do?’ John asked.

  ‘I have no idea. Nothing like this has ever happened before,’ Alara replied.

  ‘Are these ships armed?’

  Alara cast John a look.

  ‘I’ll take that as a yes.’

  ‘Two against one aren’t exactly great odds in a fight,’ Fernali said. He was holding onto the composite moulding as he peered through a side window. The glass was enduring a continuous assault by the rain as the ship accelerated into the sky. The rain seemed to intensify as they approached the dark clouds. The ship began to shudder violently. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped. They passed through the clouds and into sunlight. Hovering above the clouds, the ship swung around and faced north.

  ‘We’d better get up to the flight deck,’ Alara said. John and Fernali followed her through a sliding airlock door. The flight deck had a crew of four Council operatives. Two sat at the front, facing the forward view screen. One sat on either side, manning sophisticated-looking holoprojection screens with an integrated tactile control system. All were dressed in standard Council operative uniform, complete with reflective visors which obscured their faces.

  ‘Councillor, the two ships are approaching,’ one of the pilots said.

  The forward view screen showed two identical Ruling Council transport ships rising up through the storm clouds like some ancient slumbering giants. They rotated to face them. A voice filled the cabin.

  ‘Transport ship Delta-004, you are hereby ordered to return to Council Chambers.’

  ‘Open communications,’ Alara said.

  ‘Open.’

  ‘This is Councillor Alara Green. How dare you give me orders?’

  ‘Forgive us, Councillor, but we are under strict instructions to ensure you return to Council Chambers.’

  ‘And if we fail to comply?’

  There was a momentary silence.

  ‘If you fail to return to Council Chambers immediately or if you deviate from your course in any way then we are authorised to use deadly force.’

  Forty-Seven

  The three transport ships flew in tight formation above the storm clouds, their hulls glinting in the sunlight. Ship Delta-004 flew slightly in front, flanked by the other two. They reached the airspace directly above Council Chambers and began to descend through the clouds.

  ‘If we land inside Council Chambers then this is all over,’ John said.

  ‘I know. Which is why we’re not going to land,’ Alara said. She motioned to the two pilots.

  ‘The moment we drop back into the rain, accelerate directly for the Harbour Bridge. It should give us a few seconds before they realise what we’re doing. Hold position and open the side hatch.’

  ‘What are you planning on doing?’ John asked.

  ‘Dropping you off.’

  ‘On the bridge?’

  ‘Yes. We should have enough time to drop you both off. Then we’re going to have to accelerate hard to prevent them from pinning us down. It’s going to be touch and go but I think we can make it.’

  ‘Can’t we use the Raptors?’

  Alara shook her head.

  ‘Not in this weather.’

  ‘Explain to me how we’re better off than if we’d stayed with the car?’ Fernali asked.

  ‘We’re still alive and not in Council custody, aren’t we?’ John asked.

  ‘True…’

  ‘Then we’re better off,’ John said. ‘I’m going to call Socrates and tell him to meet us near the bridge.’

  He pulled out his phone and flicked it open.

  ‘Socrates, its Tesh. Councillor Alara Green is going to drop us off on the Harbour Bridge. Can you meet us there?’

  ‘Certainly, John. We are already on our way back to the city. We should be there in less than ten minutes.’

  ‘Alright, hurry.’

  John flicked his phone off. The transport ships dropped through the storm clouds and began to shudder as they were battered by the wind and the rain.

  ‘Transport ship Delta-004. Proceed to the main landing pad. Do not deviate from your course.’

  ‘Acknowledged. We are proceeding to land,’ the pilot of their sh
ip responded. They began to descend through the storm.

  ‘You’d better get in the back. Wait until the hatch is open and then jump and grab onto the bridge. We’ll draw them away from you,’ Alara said.

  ‘Will you be alright?’ John asked.

  ‘They’ll escort us back to Council Chambers. Worst case, I’ll be put into a holding cell. It doesn’t matter now. You’ve got to find Walter Menzies’s research and get it to Qallan Frost, wherever he is. Only he has the leadership and resources to restore the Ruling Council and overthrow Jonathan Gage.’

  ‘We’re on it.’

  John and Fernali passed through the airlock into the rear compartment. They positioned themselves near the side hatch. Turning back towards the flight deck, John gave the thumbs up sign.

  ‘Now?’ one of the pilots asked.

  ‘Now,’ Alara said.

  The pilots engaged the forward thrust. The transport ship’s quad engines rotated backwards and ignited, propelling the ship forward at incredible speed. The two other ships continued to descend for another ten seconds before they realised what had happened. It took them another fifteen to stop their descent and accelerate forward. By then transport ship Delta-004 had swept a wide arc and decelerated above the Harbour Bridge. The side hatch slid open. The wind and rain battered the inside as John and Fernali held onto the sides of the ship.

  ‘Jump!’ John shouted.

  They leapt out of the ship. Landing hard on the slippery walkway atop the arch of the bridge, they struggled to a standing position. Within seconds they were completely soaked and shivering from the wet and the cold. Above them, the transport ship’s side hatch slid shut and it accelerated out into the harbour, its engines glowing a deep vermilion colour. The other two ships approached it from the east. All three came to a complete stop in the centre of the harbour.

  Forty-Eight

  The Harbour Bridge was originally opened in 1932. It was designed to link the northern and southern shores of the harbour. Over fifty thousand tonnes of steel and six million hand-driven rivets were used in its construction. Sixteen people lost their lives to create what became one of the most iconic bridges in the world. The steel in the bridge had been steadily restored and replaced over its lifetime ensuring it would endure well beyond its original expected life of eighty years. It was the pride of the city. It was incredibly well built, well maintained and an essential part of millions of people’s daily lives. It was also very slippery.