by Thomas Fay
Simone put her arms around his neck. Leaning forward, she kissed him gently. John grimaced with pain.
‘Seriously, again?’ Simone asked.
‘Is it my fault you decide to get intimate only when I’ve been in a fight for my life with a heavily armed genetically engineered soldier?’
They stared at each other for a moment in silence. Then they burst out laughing.
‘So what will you do now?’ Simone asked.
‘I’m going to go home and lie down for the rest of the day. I don’t think my body can handle any more punishment.’
Simone bit her lip playfully. Her green eyes opened wider. Then she smiled.
‘Want some company?’
Seventy-Nine
It was Monday morning when John Tesh walked into Sentinel HQ. Socrates walked beside him. The polycarbonate artificial skin had set and was indistinguishable from human skin. Both John and Socrates were dressed in identical Sentinel grey suits, with matching ties and black shirts. John’s face was still swollen. His nose was a shade of purple and his eyes had deep marks underneath them. A series of small cuts were slowly healing on his cheeks. He looked like a man who had gone several rounds with a heavyweight boxer. He felt like it too.
They crossed the foyer, past two Sentinels standing guard, and entered the turbo-lift. Pressing the button for up they arrived at the twenty-fifth floor ten seconds later. Fernali was waiting for them.
‘You look like hell,’ was the greeting he offered.
‘Thanks. Good to see you too,’ John said.
‘Where were you yesterday? I tried calling you.’
‘I needed a day to recover.’
Fernali eyed him, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
‘And how is the lovely Simone?’
John grinned like a schoolboy.
‘That good, huh?’
‘Tesh! Get in here,’ the Chief’s voice called from his office.
‘We’d better go,’ John said. They stepped into the Chief’s office. John and Fernali sat down. Socrates stood behind them.
‘So what the hell happened, Tesh? Did you find out who killed Professor Menzies?’
John shook his head.
‘No, Chief. I suspect it was Karl Hobbs but I can’t really prove it.’
‘What about the research?’
‘Hobbs has it,’ John lied. ‘Did you manage to catch him?’
‘No. Hobbs’s plane took off as soon as the lockdown was released. For all we know he’s halfway to South America by now.’
‘Damn!’ John swore. The Chief eyed him carefully.
‘You sure there isn’t more you want to tell me, Tesh?’
‘No, Chief. Hobbs was behind this mess.’
‘What about the Ruling Council?’
‘Councillor Jonathan Gage tried to take over the Ruling Council. I helped Qallan Frost retake his position.’
The Chief grunted.
‘It seems Frost supports your version of events. He’s asked that you be absolved of any wrongdoing and cleared of all the charges raised by the Ruling Council.’
‘Thank you, Chief.’
‘That’s not all. He’s also asked that you be assigned as the liaison between the Sentinels and the Ruling Council.’
‘The what now?’
‘It means you will report directly to me and to Frost. You’ll be the link between the Ruling Council and the Sentinels, John. Well, you and Socrates. This presents us with a unique opportunity.’
‘How so?’
‘The two of you will be allowed access to the Ruling Council Chambers. You will be the only non-Council members to be given such access. It will allow you to keep an eye on them.’
John nodded. Then he frowned.
‘What about Gage? Is he still on the Council?’
‘Yes, John. Qallan Frost reinstated him as a Councillor,’ Socrates said.
‘That’s just great!’ Fernali exploded. The others turned to look at him. He raised his hands up in a defensive gesture. ‘What? Am I the only one that has a problem with that? He tried to kill you at least three times.’
‘Gage has shown his true colours now,’ John said. ‘The people of Iona have seen him for what he is. Don’t forget, he initiated a lockdown of the city. Hundreds of people were injured when the force field barriers activated simultaneously. The damage to vehicles alone is estimated to be in the tens of millions. The hospital and medical bills are even higher. No, I don’t think we need to worry about Councillor Jonathan Gage for a while.’
‘That makes me feel a bit better. I’d still like to arrest him.’
‘Someday you may get your chance but not today,’ the Chief said. ‘Alright, enough of this. We’ve got a job to do. Fernali, I want you and Streeter on the Karl Hobbs clean-up. We might not be able to get to Hobbs but we can certainly secure all his assets and arrest anyone who’s ever received even a parking fine who works for him.’
‘I’m on it, Chief,’ Fernali said.
‘Good. Tesh, you and Socrates get over to the Ruling Council Chambers. Frost wants to see you. When he’s done with you, come back here. You and I need to have a long talk in private.’
‘Will do, Chief.’
Eighty
The Sentinel cruiser came to a complete stop. The Ruling Council Chambers were directly in front of them. The five-metre-high titanium-reinforced walls with dense force field generators rose out of the ground, forming an impenetrable barrier. Heavily armed Council operatives stood on either side of the main gate, their reflective helmets glinting silver in the morning sun. One of them approached the driver’s side of the cruiser. John pushed a button. The window disappeared into the door frame.
‘John Tesh, Sentinel. ID Alpha-101. I’m here to see Qallan Frost,’ he said.
‘Please proceed. The Chairman is expecting you,’ the Council operative said. John absently wondered how he could speak. Then he realised the helmets could easily account for that. Another mystery solved.
The force field barrier shimmered and disappeared. An opening, large enough to admit a truck, appeared in the gate as sheets of reinforced titanium slid aside. John guided the cruiser through. The opening sealed itself shut. They were inside the Ruling Council Chambers.
‘Not what I expected,’ John said, looking around.
‘What did you expect?’ Socrates asked.
‘I don’t know… something. These are the Ruling Council Chambers, after all. The most heavily guarded installation on the planet. And that’s saying something, given how paranoid some of the world’s superpowers are about their privacy. This is the one building that has never been breached. Sadly, it just looks like any other office building.’
‘Perhaps the interior will be more consistent with your expectations.’
They opened the doors and stepped out. A wide entrance foyer spanned the length of the parking area they were in. There were double sliding doors at regular intervals. Black support columns framed the exterior of the darkened glass. The five-metre-high walls enclosed the entire area. John and Socrates walked through a pair of sliding doors.
‘Wow!’
‘I take it this is more in line with your expectations?’ Socrates said.
‘You could say that.’
The sedate nature of the exterior of the building belied its interior. Inside was a vast open hallway. Highly reflective metallic surfaces created the illusion that there was no floor, ceiling or walls. The hallway appeared to go on forever in every direction. The effect was highly disorientating. Only the presence of Councillors and Council operatives walking around provided an anchor point for the eye to establish perspective. A Council operative approached them. He was dressed only in a plain white one-piece outfit. His clear blue eyes stared at them. John avoided looking at the place where his mouth and nose should have been.
‘John Tesh. Please follow me. The Chairman is expecting you,’ a perfectly normal human voice spoke from somewhere on the Council operative’s body.
> ‘Sure.’
The faceless Council operative turned. John and Socrates followed him across the mirrored hallway. Several Councillors stopped their conversations and watched as they passed. The partially formed operatives moved out of their way. Some disappeared into hidden doorways. A figure moved to block their way. It was Jonathan Gage.
‘John Tesh,’ he said. His cold eyes bore into John’s. ‘How you managed to evade my transport ships I don’t know, but believe me when I say your life is over. I can reach out and crush you anytime I want.’
‘Try it,’ John said.
‘Don’t tempt me, Sentinel. Frost has promised you safe passage.’
‘And since when do you listen to Frost?’
Gage’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He raised his hand and three operatives surrounded them.
‘Socrates,’ John said. His eyes never left Gage.
‘Stay where you are, android!’ Gage commanded. ‘Take him to my private quarters.’
The first Council operative took a step forward. Socrates sent him flying backwards into the mirrored wall.
‘How did you…?’ Gage’s eyes opened wide as he stared at the fallen operative. ‘You’ve removed the safety override? No human could do that. How did you do it? Answer me!’
‘That’s none of your business,’ John said. He leaned in closer. ‘This city has seen what you are. I’d watch myself from now on.’
John took a step past him. Then he stopped and turned.
‘Oh, and I’m a Sentinel. Remember that.’
John swung a right-handed punch. Gage was completely unprepared. It caught him off guard and he fell to the ground.
‘That’s for Alara Green.’
John and Socrates walked down the corridor. Their guide had reappeared and ushered them through a hidden doorway. They found themselves in a large room. One wall showed the harbour and the city skyline. The others were made of the same reflective surface as the hallway. A large mirrored desk dominated the room. Qallan Frost sat behind it.
‘Come in, John. I’m glad you accepted my invitation and the new role I’ve created for you.’
‘I didn’t get the feeling that I had a lot of choice in the matter,’ John said flatly.
‘That’s not true, John. What I’ve been trying to show you all along is that you do have a choice. Yes, I helped you to find the truth, but the decisions along the way were all yours. You chose to trust Simone. You stood by your partner even after a weakness in his programming was revealed. You gave up Walter Menzies’s research willingly. And you didn’t reveal the truth about the Iona Corporation. Those were all choices you made.’
John nodded. Then he frowned.
‘So why am I here?’ he asked.
‘I’m afraid that with knowing the truth will come a new level of responsibility. I need your help, John. We all do.’
John looked at the Chairman of the Iona Corporation. His gaze flicked to Socrates, his android partner. He looked at the room, the harbour and city beyond. He thought of Simone. It finally dawned on him just how far down the rabbit hole he really was. He also knew there was no going back.
‘Whatever I can do to help.’
‘Excellent! But first, I thought you might want to say hello to a good friend.’ Qallan Frost motioned to someone standing behind a mirrored panel. ‘Won’t you join us?’
A girl of about ten, wearing a white dress, appeared. She had grey eyes and pronounced cheekbones. John’s eyes opened wide.
‘Is that…?’
‘Yes, John. Say hello to Alara Green.’
The End
Timeline of Events
2020 AD – Governments begin to increase the price of oil exponentially in order to reduce demand and usage. Oil production drops off dramatically as existing supplies dwindle. Minority groups call for new energy sources. A large number of car manufacturers declare bankruptcy as demand for their product evaporates. Unemployment rises in the automotive manufacturing, sales and service industries.
2025 AD – The price of petrol is now over one hundred dollars per litre in Australia. Corporations rush to develop viable sources of alternative fuel as oil production grinds to a halt. Only the wealthiest of citizens are able to afford to use private transport. House prices near major CBDs and work hubs skyrocket as people seek to move closer to work. Riots break out in major cities and urban areas across the world. The Global Energy Crisis begins.
2028 AD – A new player emerges in the race for alternative fuel sources, a private company called Iona Corporation, based in Sydney, Australia. Little is known about its origins or its backers but the company makes its first public announcement, declaring that it is close to developing an alternative fuel source. Meanwhile, organised protests sweep the globe. Cities become parking lots as cars, trucks and buses are abandoned. Riots continue unabated in all major cities. Damage to urban areas reaches into the billions of dollars.
2029 AD – Iona Corporation releases the results of its prototype Flux Cell tests. Initial trials demonstrate the technology’s viability. A single cell is able to power a passenger vehicle for a year without any noticeable decrease in performance and no noticeable pollution. Global riots reach a fever pitch as the world demands an alternative fuel source.
2032 AD – Iona Corporation moves quickly to distribute its products across Australia, North America and Europe. Demand is sky-high. Iona Corporation uses the proceeds from its first three years of sales to acquire distribution networks, car manufacturers and more plant. Global riots subside. Vehicles are retrofitted with Flux Cells and life slowly returns to normal. The process of rebuilding begins. The Global Energy Crisis ends.
2034 AD – All private and public vehicles within Australia are now run on Flux Cells with contracts underway for military vehicles. The technology is sold across Asia, South America and Africa. Iona Corporation is now the wealthiest private entity on the planet. Its continued acquisitions mean that it now controls all aspects of transportation, vehicle manufacturing, parts production, vehicle maintenance and warehousing, across Australia. Individuals begin to voice their concerns about the company’s influence and its monopoly over the renewable energy market.
2036 AD – The first protest breaks out as Iona Corporation restricts access to its supply of Flux Cells as it meets overwhelming demand from the Australian military and its allies. The police are called in to suppress the protests using Flux-Cell-powered vehicles.
2037 AD – Iona Corporation acquires the rights to run all civic utilities, all military maintenance contracts, public transport, telecommunications and city power requirements in Australia. Protests become more frequent as people begin to fear that Iona Corporation is taking over the country.
2039 AD – In a demonstration of its full power, Iona Corporation takes control of the city of Sydney and declares it the new sovereign nation of Iona. Local councils are dissolved and the Ruling Council is created. All opposition is swept aside thanks to Iona’s complete control over military, law enforcement and private vehicles, in Australia. The United Nations convenes an emergency session behind closed doors. The Chairman of the Iona Corporation, Qallan Frost, attends. Two days later the UN formally recognises the sovereign city-state of Iona.
2040 AD – The majority of former Sydney residents accept Iona control as they are granted access to its revolutionary technology. Iona continues to push the boundaries of its new technology by creating advanced vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) flying vehicles. It restricts the availability of Flux-Cell-powered VTOL flying craft to the Ruling Council.
2041 AD – In addition to the Ruling Council and regular police force, a new elite crime fighting unit is created. Its operatives, dubbed Sentinels, are charged with oversight over Iona and granted full authority over the police and all other law enforcement and emergency agencies, with the exception of the Ruling Council, which is the supreme authority within Iona.
2042 AD – Professor Daniel Holstein publishes a research paper that questions the ve
ry nature of the Iona Flux Cell and challenges how it can be pollution-free and generate seemingly limitless energy without any dangerous side effects. His questions are quickly dismissed and Professor Holstein disappears from the public eye.
2043 AD – A senior police officer by the name of John Tesh is promoted to the Sentinels. He quickly establishes himself as the foremost investigator in Iona.
2044 AD – John Tesh is teamed up with Socrates, a sophisticated android of unknown origin.