The Sentient Corruption (The Sentient Trilogy Book 3)

by Ian Williams

  “It’s not my call,” Gregson answered with trepidation. “The only person in the city who can agree to this is Captain Rigs, and he’s not going to believe any of it – hell, I’m not sure I do either.” She allowed her weapon to finally swing away around her side, signalling her willingness to cooperate. “What exactly are you proposing?”

  “I’d have to agree with Kindness,” Luke said. “A joint attack would have the most chance of succeeding. There are many more of us now than there were when Graham last saw us. There are enough, in fact, to mount a forceful push into Isaac’s territory. He must have nowhere left to hide. You will have to exorcise Isaac from everything he has come into contact with in your world. Only then will we finally crush him out of existence.”

  “That’s all well and good, but with the shield still up that won’t be happening any time soon.” Rhys had to heave Graham’s weight up an inch or two just to keep him upright.

  “He’s right,” Phoenix said. “The shield is the real problem right now. We can’t do much without help from outside. Taking out a relay here and there is only ever going to slow Isaac down, it won’t stop him. We need more help.”

  Gregson crossed her arms, pushing her shoulder muscles up. “We have a plan for that.”

  “You do? What is it then?”

  “I was ordered not to say anything until Captain Rigs was ready. All I can tell you is that the basement will be a lot busier soon.” Gregson then spoke to Luke again. “If we can do something about the shield still, what is it you can do to help?”

  “We will mount an attack of his tower within our world. An attack on both fronts will have our enemy’s forces in disarray. But if you try alone, you will force Isaac to retreat into our world. And if we fail, he will simply hide in yours. Neither can be allowed to happen. We will never have such an opportunity again; Isaac will surely be prepared for another attempt.

  “But there is a problem. Our spies have heard mention of a new threat, within Isaac’s ranks. So far we’ve been unable to uncover more. That is why time is of the essence here. We cannot wait too long to launch our attacks. If the enemy is changing, then we must be ready.”

  “Changing?” Phoenix gave a look to Rhys. “Just before we blew up the first relay, I saw some kind of being come right out of it.”

  “What kind of being?” Gregson appeared agitated again.

  “The thing looked like it was made of pure energy. I think it travelled there through the new relay network. Does that count?”

  Stephen took a moment to think before he replied. “I believe it does. We will investigate further and let you know what we find. For now, you should discuss what we have told you with your superiors. You must convince them to time any plan they may have concocted to coincide with us. We will await your answer.”

  “And how exactly do we give you that answer?” the younger Graham said, his arms crossed too, almost as though mocking Gregson.

  Stephen stepped toward the floating sphere and studied it as he answered. “Through this device again. It is the only way. As soon as you are ready to begin you will need to return here and find us again.”

  “Right, then let's get going. I don’t want to hang around any longer. No offence,” Gregson aimed this at Stephen, who shrugged in reply.

  “Hang on a second,” the older version of Graham said, bringing everyone facing him. “What about Jack?”

  Phoenix answered, “What about him?”

  “He survived having Luke’s mind removed. What about the others, the ones being forced to fight for Isaac? We can’t kill them, there might be a chance to save them all.”

  “I admire your compassion, Graham,” Luke said. “And we will look into it. If there is a way, then we will find it. To do that we would first have to stop them from fighting back.”

  “Good luck with that.” Gregson made no attempt to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

  “Now, head back to safety and prepare for what is to come. We will update you on our progress when we speak again.”

  The others all prepared to leave, but were still trapped within the black void until the sphere was deactivated. The only one with the control to do this was Graham, and he was far from ready.

  “OK, you can end the display now,” Rhys said gently to Graham, still resting in his arms.

  “No. Are you all really just going to leave, with me stuck this way?” the younger Graham protested.

  Stephen chose this time to address the real Graham. “I am truly sorry. We unfortunately have no choice.” He stepped back toward the row of glowing beings still lining the area. “We will see you all again soon. Just keep him out of trouble.” He then blurred until his form had become the same as the rest.

  “Please forgive us, Graham,” Luke said as he did the same. “With your help my race might just survive this war.”

  Kindness did not say anything, and instead waved goodbye with his long and lanky arms, more like a puppet’s than a human’s. With that the others all faded into the void. Then slowly the mist dissipated and the library came back into view. The last thing to return to normal was Graham, whose hand fell away from the black sphere soon after.

  Finally, now he could hold himself up without Rhys’ help. Like an intense dose of anaesthetic had just worn off, he could once again feel his body beneath him and took control as best he could. He chose not to face any of those with him. The disappointment and hurt he felt would not allow it, without an argument at least. He wanted only to leave the library far behind and return to a more enclosed space, where he planned on sleeping for the foreseeable future.

  He needed to reassess his plans too. By now he had expected to be himself again, not a broken mess that was only set to get worse. His priorities were quickly changing, whether he agreed or not. Now it was looking as though to find help he would have to do what seemed almost impossible; he would have to help them defeat Isaac.

  “Please tell me you got all of that,” Gregson asked Susan.

  “Oh I got it all right,” Susan replied with a loud outgoing breath.

  Chapter 19

  Final exam

  Stanley again found himself standing in a strange room and wondering what his master had in store. Their last conversation had told him exactly what would be expected of him in order for his rise through the ranks of Isaac’s new world order to begin. He had been tasked with destroying the remaining Sentient resistance fighters. A clear order, but it was one he had absolutely no idea how to carry out.

  They had since left the simulation behind them and ventured deep into the Sentient world. The place he now waited patiently was one he had no love for at all. It was a dark world made of ugly black material, like coal or tar. Every wall and surface was made of the same, to create a hellish look of the underworld. Stanley tried not to touch any part of it for fear of it infecting his very soul, turning it an equal shade of black.

  As before, he had entered this place through the Orb network Isaac had introduced him to. Because of the disconnected state of his consciousness from his body, he was able to move freely through the network, even taking it into the Sentients’ plane of existence. The two worlds he now knew were permanently linked and unable to be separated, they were so close. Isaac had drawn them together to cement his true ownership of both. There was still some work to do to fully join each as one shared space, and he knew his mission would help that happen when the time was right.

  Before any of that could proceed, the human world, his world, would face a hundred years of hardship first. Isaac’s plan of desolation and war was soon to begin too. Even without all of the details, he could see that the momentum was building.

  He was OK with what he knew would come, after witnessing it for himself during his time within the simulation. So many deaths, so much pain and suffering, yet he could see beyond that. A quote from the past kept appearing at the forefront of his mind that put it all into perspective for him. Joseph Stalin had said it, and Stanley had always agreed; “One death is a
tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.”

  In the wall before him came an opening that appeared to dissolve through the solid surface. Isaac then walked through the newly formed hole and beckoned Stanley forward. “It is time,” he said with an about turn, before returning through the gap.

  Stanley followed with little delay. He was glad to leave the previous room in favour of the next. It led into another grandiose space of high design and detailed patterns. In each corner of the ceiling he spotted a beastly gargoyle staring down into the centre of the room to add to the devilish nature of Isaac’s tower base.

  His master was definitely one for impactful architecture and menacing artwork.

  At the end of a long and narrow strip of blood red carpet stood three tall cages of thick iron. They took up most of the wall space – what was not already filled with strange paintings of medieval styling. Inside these metal prison cells were thin beings that tried their best to shine within the darkened area. All three of them were struggling to maintain a steady glow, and so appeared dim, like a fire about to go out.

  “This Sentient scourge is more pathetic up close, is it not?” Isaac asked, standing before the cages with his arms crossed and admiring the occupants as though viewing an animal in a zoo. “These three were captured during my last engagement with their race.”

  Stanley took a position by the dimmest of the beings. Without their glow the Sentient resistance appeared as fragile as glass. “Why not just kill them, sir?”

  “To understand your enemy, it is wise to see what they are really made of. In this case I mean that in an anatomical way, and not as a measure of how strong they are. And as I suspected, they are a chaotic mixture of random and nonsense code.”

  “How did they form, sir, was it spontaneous?”

  “They were nothing more than an accident, Stanley. They are a by-product of my reforming and they never deserved to exist. Now they are a threat and must be eradicated.” Isaac placed his hands on the bars of his nearest cell and began to rattle them to awaken the huddled form in the corner. “You deserve no mercy. You deserve only pain.”

  From behind Stanley came a pair of Isaac’s soldiers. They each approached a cell and opened the door to release the prisoners. The occupants were too weak to run and only stepped out into the room with the rough help of the soldiers. Both beings were then set down on their knees in front of Isaac. The soldiers stood directly behind their feeble and wholly powerless prisoners. Neither of them had a weapon to hand, so they waited with their arms around their backs and ready to deliver the fatal blow when instructed.

  “Do you have anything to say before I end these two?” Isaac asked the only Sentient still imprisoned.

  The caged Sentient fighter had a reply prepared. The others were too injured to speak. Deep gashes ran across the chests of the other two, leaving them hardly responsive at all. “You cannot defeat us all,” it said, its light flickering brighter for a second. “We are stronger together than you will ever be.”

  “So you still refuse to show me a way into your hidden home?”

  “We would rather die.”

  “Enough.” Isaac ordered his men to act with a simple nod.

  The leftmost soldier suddenly produced a metre-long blade from out of thin air and sent a deadly strike down upon the Sentient fighter in front of him. The prisoner let out a high-pitched squeal as its glowing body was sliced in two. The pieces fell away in different directions, shattering across the carpet and cold black ground.

  Forced to watch as one of its own was despatched, the caged Sentient thrashed about and violently swung its arms into the bars. The reaction, one of rage and defiance, was something Isaac enjoyed greatly.

  “This will be your last chance to change your mind.” Isaac left the remaining Sentient kneeling on the ground, the tool of its demise hovering inches from its head. He stepped perilously close to the cage, well within striking distance, and bore his eyes deep into the featureless face of his enemy. “What is your answer?”

  “Nothing you do here will alter my–”

  The blade in the soldier’s hand never made contact with the Sentient fighter in front of him. Instead Isaac burst into action and delivered the fatal blow himself. He spun on the spot, producing a blade of his own that he swung effortlessly through the neck of the Sentient. His impact swiftly removed the head, and with enough force to send it rolling along the ground. The body slumped forward, joining the other in a pile.

  Stanley was shocked by the speed of the strike and he stared, open mouthed, while his master regained his composure. It was a reaction he had not expected from a being of pure logic. There resided a deep anger within Isaac when it came to the Sentient resistance fighters; their very existence appeared to hurt him.

  “We will never bow down to your rule. You will have to kill me too,” the caged Sentient said.

  The blade in Isaac’s hand vanished in a flash. With his hands free again he smoothed the loose strands of his deep black hair back into place to remove them from his recessed eyes. “Oh I intend to. But first you have something I need,” he said. “Stanley, join me.”

  “Sir?”

  “Do not keep me waiting.”

  A faint feeling of paranoia came over Stanley as he took his first step toward the caged beast. The unexpectedness of Isaac’s attack on the defenceless Sentient had him nervous of a similar fate.

  “What would you have me do with this one?” Isaac asked.

  Stanley thought on this for a moment before replying. “If there is no more need for it, then we should dispose of it.”

  “Ah yes, the obvious choice. But there is another here, Stanley. I have given you a mission to carry out, have I not?”

  “Of course, sir, but…”

  “The answer is staring you in the face. Allow yourself to see it. What better way of infiltrating our enemy than by becoming one of them.”

  Looking over the Sentient inside the cell, Stanley tried to see how such a thing could be achieved, but did not get far. He knew he was failing one of Isaac’s tests, yet the answer remained unknown to him.

  “Very well.” Isaac then spoke to his men. “Bring him.”

  The two men kicked open the last remaining cage and dragged the Sentient out. They threw it to the ground and then surrounded it. They left a gap large enough for Isaac to step into and look down upon his next victim.

  “I will take your essence, your very being, and use it against your own,” he said, projecting his voice far and wide.

  “What are you doing?” the Sentient asked. He was restrained in place by the two guards and unable to move much more than his head.

  “Stanley, step forward. The life force of this one will become a part of you. With it you will do what no-one has done before you; you will bring down my enemy from the inside.”

  “You will never–” was all the Sentient could say in time.

  In another surprise attack and with an intense ferocity that broke the conversation in half like a thin twig, Isaac forced his hand through the centre of the Sentient. His arm was almost lost elbow deep inside the transparent chest cavity. Quickly the glow from the rest of the body began to form around his hand as he twisted and turned it inside the open wound. The Sentient called out in pain, with a crackle to its voice and a building distortion.

  With each turn of his hand, Isaac brought the Sentient down a little closer to its knees. The light of the energy coalescing around his hand reflected in his eyes like a fire burned deep inside him. Again he appeared to take pleasure in hurting, it was cruel even.

  Stanley felt himself conflicted by this side of Isaac, one he had never been privy to before. His predecessor had to have faced a similar lesson during his tenure as next in line to join The Twelve. He realised that perhaps a part of the suffering Isaac had planned for Humanity was based on revenge after all.

  When Isaac removed his hand from the core of the Sentient he held a bright ball of pure white energy. The being he had ripped it from d
windled in the guard’s arms and fell silent, its glow now gone. He then approached a rather concerned Stanley staring directly at the coming light.

  “Sir, I’m not quite sure about this,” Stanley confessed with a small backward step.

  Isaac deliberated. “Tell me, Stanley, why did you join our cause?”

  “I, erm, well…”

  “You’ve been with us for precisely four years, seven months, eighteen days, two hours, twenty-six minutes and fifty seconds. While I was still fragmented and yet to reform, you were already with us. Mayor Jonathan Crawley brought you in before anyone knew of my plans for the future. So what was it that convinced you?”

  “I guess I just wasn’t happy with the way things were.”

  “No, that is not the reason. You wanted revenge, didn’t you?”

  “Revenge, sir?”

  “For a great wrong done to you, by someone close. I know what happened to you, Stanley. I know you lust for power. If not for this one person you would have achieved that power too. You came to us to right that wrong, to take what is rightfully yours. Tell me what your brother, Daniel, did to you.”

  “He’s my younger brother, sir. He now stands as the leader of the party I was once a member of. I was destined to lead the party, but he schemed behind my back to steal the job from me. His smear campaign not only ended my political career in the capital, it also broke me as a person. I would very much enjoy seeing him suffer at my hands.

  “But how did you know about that?”

  “I know everything, Stanley. Just like I know this is your real reason for being here today. The world we will create is one that contains no such wrongs. That is why I know you will do what is necessary. So, will you take this life-force?”

  “I will, sir.”

  Isaac grinned widely and then proceeded to ram the ball of energy through Stanley’s ribcage. As soon as it touched the skin he moved away and watched as the white light spread throughout Stanley’s body.