Socrates and the Sentinel

by Thomas Fay

  ‘Socrates!’ John shouted.

  The android floated to the surface, air bubbles rising around him.

  ‘Do not worry, John. I am able to float by drawing air into my body.’

  John splashed around, trying to stabilized himself.

  ‘Christ, it’s cold!’ John shouted. He swung around to face the shoreline. The two police cruisers had stopped. Detective Jastrzebski and three uniformed officers were getting out. They held their handguns at the ready as they eyed the Ruling Council ship warily. The transport ship retracted its arc cannons and hovered closer.

  ‘Where the hell is she?’ John asked. Socrates retrieved his phone. It was wet but still functional.

  ‘Give me that thing,’ John said. Taking the phone, he hit redial. The call was answered on the second ring.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Where the hell are you? We could really use some help here!’

  ‘On our way.’

  ‘Hurry!’

  John closed the phone and handed it back to Socrates. Kicking with his feet, he moved further from shore.

  ‘Tesh! Are you alright?’ Detective Jastrzebski’s voice carried over the water. He was crouched behind his cruiser.

  ‘Stay back!’ John shouted.

  ‘What the hell were those things?’

  ‘Get out of here, Jastrzebski!’

  The transport ship moved closer. Its quad engines glowed a deep vermillion colour as it hovered over the water, spraying it outwards in all directions. The downward force of its engines threw up sizeable waves, making it difficult for John and Socrates to remain steady. The transport ship’s side hatch slid open and two Council operatives appeared. They were clad in the standard uniform with reflective visors. John shuddered as he remembered what he had seen on the Harbour Bridge. He knew what lay beneath those visors.

  ‘We have you covered. Do not attempt to resist or we will open fire,’ the operatives said.

  The transport ship was now twenty metres away from them. John frantically looked around. There was no escape. Once they were on board that ship it was all over. He could only hope that Professor Holstein’s reprogramming of Socrates had worked if they were to stand any chance of getting away.

  ‘Climb on board now or we will—’

  The transport ship was struck by a single azure beam of energy originating beneath the churning waters. It passed directly through the flight deck and exited through the ship’s hull, streaking off into the sky. The ship managed to hover for another second before it dropped from the air. It imploded as it hit the water, sending John and Socrates under. They emerged a few seconds later.

  ‘What the hell was that?’ John shouted. He kept having to spit water out as it churned around him. He felt his lungs straining to take in enough oxygen as he fought to stay afloat. A strong hand grabbed his wrist. Socrates pulled him forward and stabilised him.

  ‘Thanks,’ John said.

  ‘I believe Simone has kept her word,’ Socrates said.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Look!’

  A Ruling Council submersible vessel, similar in design to the one used by Councillor Alara Green, rose to the surface. Its matt black radar-absorbing hull broke the water. A single arc cannon slowly retracted inside, water draining down its sleek sides. The hull peeled back. Simone stood up from the reclined pilot’s chair. Fernali and Streeter occupied two of the other six seats.

  ‘You two alright?’ she asked.

  ‘We are now. Where did you get this thing?’ John asked. He rolled himself onto the submersible vessel and landed on his back, gasping for breath.

  ‘It was part of the safe house set up by Qallan Frost. It was intended as a covert getaway.’

  ‘He really thinks of everything, doesn’t he?’

  Simone smiled. Socrates climbed on board with considerably more grace than John had. They turned their gaze towards the shore.

  ‘Jastrzebski! Are you alright?’ John called out.

  ‘I’m fine. What the hell is going on, Tesh?’ Detective Jastrzebski called back.

  ‘You’ll find out soon enough. Watch yourself until then.’

  ‘You too.’

  ‘I may have misjudged him,’ John muttered under his breath as the submersible vessel’s hull closed over and its matt black hull slowly sank beneath the water.

  Sixty-Five

  The Ruling Council submersible vessel was unlike anything John had ever seen before. On the outside it appeared as a large oblong shape akin to a flattened torpedo. Its matt black radar-absorbing material not only made it undetectable by conventional instruments but also made it difficult to see with the naked eye. It was even more impressive on the inside. The rather tight interior comprised semi-reclined operating positions for a maximum crew of six. Detailed schematic and command holoprojections with a tactile interface were used to control all aspects of the sophisticated vehicle. John let out a low whistle as he looked around.

  ‘Now this is impressive,’ he said.

  ‘Tell me about it,’ Fernali said. The tight quarters and low ceiling made it impossible to stand up while the hull was closed. Fernali twisted around in his seat. ‘You alright?’

  ‘It was touch and go for a moment there but we’re fine. Streeter, good to see you back in action.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Streeter replied. He was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. His left arm was heavily bandaged and strapped to his chest.

  ‘I hear I missed a bit.’

  ‘That you did. Seems we’ve been declared the most wanted people in Iona. Councillor Jonathan Gage is stepping up his efforts to take full control of Iona.’

  ‘What are we going to do about it?’

  ‘Stop him, of course.’

  Streeter and Fernali smiled. John turned to face Simone.

  ‘How long until we get to Pearl Beach?’ he asked.

  ‘We can achieve full cruising speed once we clear the shallower waters. I’d rather not risk being detected while we’re this close to shore. Say ten minutes to reach deep water and dive to optimum depth. Then it should take about half an hour at maximum speed.’

  ‘Optimum depth?’

  Simone smiled.

  ‘You’re not afraid of the water are you, John?’

  ‘No, I’ve just never been inside a submarine before.’

  ‘Don’t worry. This is about as close to a submarine as one of our transport ships is to a helicopter. It’s virtually undetectable and the hull can withstand water pressure up to a depth of twelve kilometres.’

  ‘Christ, that’s deep enough to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench, isn’t it?’ Fernali asked.

  ‘Where do you think we tested the prototype of these?’

  Fernali’s eyes opened wide in surprise. John laughed. Then his eyes narrowed as he remembered what Professor Holstein had told them. He looked at Simone closely.

  ‘What’s wrong, John?’ Simone asked.

  ‘I’m still trying to figure out what exactly your role in all of this is.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘When were you going to tell us that Qallan Frost was your father?’

  ‘What?’ Fernali and Streeter exclaimed as one. Socrates turned his head to look at her.

  Simone said nothing. She stared straight ahead at the holoprojection showing a detailed readout of their speed and depth. A ghostly virtual representation of their vehicle was descending rapidly as it headed out towards open water. There was a barely perceptible change in cabin pressure as they descended to the bottom of the seabed.

  ‘It’s true, isn’t it?’ John asked.

  ‘Yes, it’s true.’

  ‘Why didn’t you just tell us?’

  ‘Would you have trusted me if I had?’

  John considered her words for a moment.

  ‘No, probably not. You are the daughter of the head of the very corporation that’s trying to imprison or kill us.’

  ‘You really don’t get it do you, John? Qallan Frost is nothing like Jonat
han Gage. My father is a scientist. He has devoted his life to understanding the nature of the Universe in order to advance technology and make people’s lives better. Gage is a power-hungry psychopath who would enslave the world if given half the chance.’

  ‘Simone, I didn’t—’

  ‘I know and I know you’re suspicious and you have every right to be.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered.

  Simone nodded and turned back to her instrument panel.

  ‘John, you should see this,’ Fernali said.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘I’ve been running a background check on the Councillors who form the Ruling Council. I’ve searched all the known global databases and news archives.’

  ‘And…?’

  ‘There’s a lot of information about their public lives since the Iona Corporation announced the Flux Cell to the world in 2028. Information a few years before that becomes sketchy. Prior to the start of the Global Energy Crisis there’s nothing. It’s as if they didn’t exist.’

  ‘You’re saying that the only records of their activities originate around the same time the Global Energy Crisis began to unfold?’ John asked.

  ‘Yes. What does that mean?’

  ‘I have no idea but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Iona Corporation somehow started the energy crisis in the first place.’

  Sixty-Six

  The Ruling Council submersible vessel descended rapidly as they entered deeper water. Reaching what Simone had described as optimum depth the vehicle accelerated to its top cruising speed. A noticeable surge of power ran through the cabin, alerting its occupants to the change in speed. The readouts inside the sophisticated interior showed the vehicle maintaining a distance of less than ten metres from the bottom of the Tasman Sea.

  ‘I don’t think I could believe that the Iona Corporation was responsible for the Global Energy Crisis,’ Fernali said. ‘They may be powerful but I can’t see how even they would have been capable of something like that.’

  ‘I tend to agree with Fernali on that one, John,’ Streeter said. ‘What do you think, Socrates?’

  ‘I have not analysed the information relating to the hypothesis that the Iona Corporation is responsible for the Global Energy Crisis.’

  ‘If you had to take a guess?’

  ‘I don’t guess. However, I believe, based on what information I have analysed about the Global Energy Crisis, that it is highly improbable.’

  John made an indelicate sound.

  ‘Fine, perhaps that is a bit of a stretch,’ he admitted. ‘But haven’t any of you ever questioned how the Iona Corporation just happened to time their release of the Flux Cell so perfectly? Why no one had heard of them before the Global Energy Crisis?’

  No one answered. They all swivelled around to look at Simone.

  ‘What?’ she asked.

  ‘You’re part of the Iona Corporation. Your father is the head of it, surely you’d know?’ John asked.

  ‘You really have to stop with these extravagant conspiracy theories of yours.’

  ‘So you’re not denying it, then?’

  ‘Honestly, John. Pretty soon you’ll start blaming every major calamity that has befallen mankind in the twenty-first century on the Iona Corporation. Surely we can’t be responsible for everything.’

  They all stared at her. Then they burst out laughing.

  ‘She does have a point,’ Fernali said.

  ‘That she does,’ John conceded.

  ‘So, were you able to find the professor?’ Fernali asked.

  ‘Yes, we did, in fact.’

  ‘And…?’

  John cast a critical eye over Socrates. The android stared back at him with eyes that only looked human.

  ‘We’ll find out the next time we’re around a Councillor, I guess.’

  ‘You mean there’s no way of knowing before?’ Fernali asked.

  ‘No.’

  ‘That’s reassuring. I’m very reassured. How about you, Streeter?’

  ‘I’m not feeling it.’

  ‘You two have been working together too long,’ John said. He swivelled back around to face the holoprojection in front of him, swiping his hand through the floating photons. The image changed to show a topographical map of the seabed. Frowning, John swiped again. The map rotated and the display changed to show water currents and temperatures. His next swipe changed the image to show the marine life around them.

  ‘Okay, I give up,’ John said. ‘How far away are we?’

  Simone took a deep breath. Expelling it slowly, she turned towards him and said, ‘We should be there in fifteen minutes.’

  Sixty-Seven

  Pearl Beach had always been a sought-after location for those with money and a desire for privacy. Located an hour north of Iona, it had developed into a pristine coastal community with large beach houses, boutique shops and a gated community feel. Although most beach houses had taken a significant price cut during the Global Energy Crisis, the residents of Pearl Beach had steadfastly refused to give up their prized possessions. They had been rewarded by unprecedented growth since the introduction of the Flux Cell and the creation of Iona. It was the sort of place where, unless you knew someone who owned a house there or were prepared to pay exorbitant sums of money to rent one, you were relegated to the public parking lot and day trips.

  ‘Let’s not do that again,’ John said. They had surfaced at the end of the main beach where a series of large rocks protruded into the waves. The hull peeled back and they exited the Ruling Council vessel one by one. Simone was the last to leave. Once she was on the rocks, she turned and pointed a remote control at the submersible vessel. Its hull promptly slid shut and it disappeared into the water.

  ‘Where did it go?’ Streeter asked.

  ‘I’ve sent it out to deeper water. The waves here are quite strong and I don’t want to risk damaging it in case we need to get away in a hurry,’ Simone replied.

  ‘Good thinking.’

  John, Fernali and Streeter each checked their weapons. Socrates scanned the immediate area, which consisted of rock pools and a sheer cliff face with a well-used dirt path. Coastal shrubs and twisted trees jutted out of the cliff at precarious angles, their growth having been dictated by the strong winds.

  ‘It’s the first house at the start of the beach. Socrates, take the lead. Streeter, Fernali, you two bring up the rear. Simone, you’re with me.’

  They moved out along the path, painfully aware that their suits made them stand out against the coastal backdrop. They would be easy to spot from a mile away. Rounding a corner where the beach opened up before them, Socrates stopped. He held his hand up. John inched closer, his handgun at the ready.

  ‘What is it?’ he whispered.

  ‘There’s someone watching the house,’ Socrates replied.

  ‘Where?’

  ‘Those trees along the beach. I think there’s another one on the beach as well.’

  ‘Damn. Okay, we’ll need to take out the one in the trees to get to the house.’

  John motioned for the others to come closer.

  ‘What is it?’ Fernali asked.

  ‘At least two people watching the house.’

  ‘Damn. Can we get around them?’

  ‘No. We’ll need to take out the one in the trees. Socrates and I will take care of it. You wait here until it’s clear.’

  ‘Okay. What about the other one?’

  ‘They’re on the beach. They won’t have line of sight if we approach through the trees. I’d rather not try to sneak up on them in the middle of the beach wearing a suit. That’s not going to end well.’

  ‘Good point. Happy hunting.’

  John grinned at him.

  ‘Thanks.’

  John motioned for Socrates to take the lead. The android moved swiftly around the corner of the cliff and stepped sure-footedly between the large rocks jutting out of the sand. John followed a little more slowly, careful not to lose his footing and give away their position. Th
ey stopped once they were among the trees and shrubs.

  ‘I can’t see them,’ John whispered.

  ‘Twenty-two metres ahead and 1.2 metres to the left of our current position,’ Socrates replied.

  ‘How can you be so sure?’

  ‘I can see them clearly through the foliage with my thermal vision mode and I am able to accurately compute the distance from our present location.’

  ‘Right, didn’t know about that. Good to know.’

  ‘How would you like to proceed, John?’

  ‘Can you get around the other side of them? I’ll go from this side.’

  ‘Yes. I will wait for you to make the first move.’

  John nodded as Socrates disappeared amongst the green leaves. Checking his handgun again, John quietly inched forward. He wasn’t sure how far twenty-two metres was so he took each step very slowly. Something moved in the shrubs directly in front of him. Bracing himself, John sprang forward, handgun at the ready.

  ‘Don’t move,’ he said.

  A startled-looking youth of about eighteen fell back onto the grass. Socrates appeared behind him. The young man raised his hands in the air.

  ‘Non sparare! Agostino Romano mi ha mandato.’

  Sixty-Eight

  The beach house was an impressive architecturally designed two-level home. It featured sandstone and wood exteriors and full-height glass windows, making the most of the spectacular views out across the water. A large pool was nestled in the back of the L-shaped house, along with the smaller bedrooms. The interiors were modern. Glass, steel, wood and earthen tiles dominated the palette. The main living room occupied the majority of the ground floor and commanded a sweeping view across Broken Bay and out towards Lion Island. The house’s owner, Franco Cagliari, ushered John, Socrates, Fernali, Streeter and Simone into the living room. Lauren was sitting on the edge of an oversized couch. Seeing them come in, she stood up and rushed over to John. She threw her arms around him and hugged him.