As Gods Above

by Andre Labuschagne

  And as cold blooded too.

  He thought again about the strange encoded message he had received from the man called Sprout.

  The code was only supposed to be used in extreme emergency; and only the top two percent of the organization would have been able to recognize it.

  He destroyed the message as soon as he had read it. The last thing he needed now was for Kyril to be getting the wrong idea.

  But he was intrigued, none the less.

  Sprout had walked out on the organization – probably just in time. Now he claimed to be a member of the enemy’s central council.

  He said that they needed his help. And they were willing to forgive and forget everything that was past (as they has for Sprout).

  And they would be willing to get him out of this - and help him rebuild his life if he joined them.

  Did he really want to spend the rest of his life kowtowing to a devil in human form – grinding the faces of those below him under his heel to gain prestige?

  Could he face an eternity associating with Strang and his ilk, men without pity or emotion – killing and destroying lives for pleasure – or in the name of science?

  And the enemy was up to something – they must have made a jump in communications and engineering.

  How could they insert that message in his private mailbox without activating the alarms?

  The fact that they targeted him was a calculated risk on behalf of the humanists – surely there was no way that they could know how he felt?

  Although Sprout…

  Could it be a trap by some unknown secret arm of security?

  Somehow he doubted that. He had given them no cause to suspect his loyalties. And their ways tended to be tortuous, rather than subtle.

  But Sprout used to be head of systems at head office – if he didn’t have any backdoor in the system, he was not the man he had been.

  He definitely couldn’t have spent a couple of hundred years in top management without learning something.

  He checked that all traces of the message had been destroyed, performing a back wipe to ensure that no trace of it could remain on his system.

  Then he signed on to the console of the new server they had recently acquired.

  Making sure he could not be disturbed, he carefully followed the instructions supplied in the e-mail.

  He typed the command “//Alpha_243.exe” then hit the enter key.

  “Alpha 243 system check utility activated” the screen echoed back at him. “Please logon.”

  “wu99_222378” he replied to the prompt as instructed.

  “Password” queried the machine.

  “Friendship”.

  As he hit the enter key, he realized that he was committing himself to a path which would cut him off from those who had been his associates for the past ten centuries.

  Strange that he should still think of them in that way – not friends – associates.

  Except for Lin his friendships were few and far between.

  Maybe that was why Joe had singled him out – he had always had a strong affinity for the quiet, efficient Elizabethan.

  And the feeling had been reciprocated.

  Suddenly he felt something touching his mental screen. The touch was gentle – almost diffident.

  Carefully he opened a minimal slit in his shield.

  “Greetings Wu Pei-ling. My name is Alpha 243 Gamma.

  Do not worry about the monitors and sensitives, who are watching you, I have instituted a surface thought screen over you mind which is indistinguishable from your own.

  As far as we know only three living entities have been able to penetrate it.

  Before we part I will show you how to maintain it in place yourself in the event that you need to have further dealings with the enemy.”

  “How do you know that you can trust me?”

  “Because we trust Joe and his empathy implicitly – that is what caused him to leave the ranks of your former associates and join us.”

  “And you think that I am ready to emulate him – place the position I have earned for myself by centuries of service on the line?

  For what?

  Who are you anyway?”

  “I am an artificial intelligence, or to be precise a subsidiary instance of one, running on your new server.

  I am in contact with my original self via the hard cabling – in other words via the internet. That is how we have been able to penetrate your screens.”

  “But what about the firewalls and security programs?”

  “They are all part of me now – I am an intrinsic part of your system at hardware and firmware level on the new server, and since you activated me just now I have subsumed all hardware and software systems on the network.

  However since I am the system at all levels there is no noticeable change in visible functionality.

  To all intents and purposes the whole system is still running exactly as before, and all checks by exterior agencies will reflect that fact. But I am capable of contacting you and communicating with my other self and my associates.

  We know that the viral vector has been created, and also what the plans are for using them.

  Unless Joe is totally wrong about you we believe that you would not be able to accept that use.”

  “He is right. But we are watched night and day, and the actual port to the distribution sites will be totally controlled at all points.”

  “That is why we need your help. We know that the only answer is a raid, just before shipping commences.”

  “What can I do?”

  “We will need three things: Firstly, we need exact information on when shipping is to begin. Secondly, we will need a diversion when the raid starts. And thirdly, and most importantly, we need the exact locus where the virus is kept, so that we can port in.

  Some of the information is already available to me, but you are in a better position to interpret it.

  Also the exact timing seems to be variable, and you will be the first to know.”

  “What about my family? Can you guarantee their safety?”

  “Yes, we are ready to cover whoever you specify, a plan for their eviction will be set up as soon as we know where they will be (except on the ship) and will be ready to run, as soon as the timing is finalized.”

  “Then you can count me in.

  Now I had better get going, I need to do the transfer to the ship. How will I be able to contact you in future?”

  “Yes – you should go, someone approaches.

  To contact me you just have to think on this band. If you need me, I will pick it up.

  What we need to establish urgently is the teleport locus – We have to start preparing the raiding party!”

  “I’ll be in touch/”

  ‘Exit” typed Pei-ling.

  “Session terminated by user. Goodbye” the screen echoed.

  “Hi Boss.” Herman Strang greeted as he walked up. “Having computer problems?”

  “No, thank goodness.

  These new machines seem to be a lot more user friendly than the last generation.

  I was just running the final check program, and everything checks out perfectly. It is now fully commissioned.”

  “Good, I didn’t want to interrupt anything important, but we are ready for shipment.”

  “No problem.

  I suspected that you would be finishing off just about now. Let me have the locus.”

  “Here.” Strang formed the image of the laboratory in his mind, indicating the position of the shipment in his mental map.

  “Did you get that?” Pei-ling shot at Alpha.

  “Thank you Strang.” He replied as he gripped the package firmly with his mind.

  “Incoming! We have a special delivery for the Captain!” He sent to Kyril.

  “Ready!” Kyril responded as he took control of the package. “Thanks. Good work!”

  “My pleasure.”

  That evening Pei-ling suggested to his wife that it h
ad been some time since they had visited Lin’s mother.

  “Why don’t you go up tomorrow, then I’ll join you over the weekend? Isn’t your sister usually there this time of the year?”

  “Why thank you love. What a wonderful idea! I haven’t seen my sister in more than twenty years. It would be wonderful!

  I’ll start packing immediately.”

  Quanzhou New City – East China – 30th January 2036

  “Hi Alpha – better get everything set up – Friday is D-day!” Pei-ling sent on the private band.

  “Distribution to the field is set for two o’clock Friday afternoon. The first strike is set for four hours thereafter.

  The antibody will also be ready for shipment to the ship – with the final personnel. All who will be left are the rear guard, who will leave as soon as the virus vectors are released.”

  “Do we pick Lin up with you?”

  “I couldn’t tell her what’s going on. The best I could think of was to send her to her mother’s. I believe her father and the rest of the immediate family would also prefer not to make the voyage – he has been very careful not to show any such indications, but one or two things Lin has let drop make me practically certain.

  Maybe I can pick them up after the raid.

  You can arrange cover until we can get there.”

  “You can relax about her - I will arrange for someone to take care of her and her family if they are amenable. Just be ready to confirm our bona fides if she contacts you.

  We can make the whole thing look like just another diversionary raid.

  If we do our part correctly at the factory, they will be too busy to think about her anyway.

  Now we just have to set up the details. What can we do to divert attention from the actual attack?”

  “We need a diversionary attack, at one of the entrances – maybe the freight door?

  Then you have to drop the shield at the critical moment, to allow the raiders to get into the lab.”

  “How big would the diversion have to be?”

  “It would have to look like a real attack – probably at least twenty people – and we are likely to lose some.”

  “How strongly do you think they will defend the base given that most of it will be ready to shut down?”

  “They are not yet ready to allow you to know that they are leaving, and the viruses will still be here. Expect a full depth defense.

  And once the attack starts, we have to move very quickly, before they can get suspicious.

  If we give them time they will ship the virus out. Then we will have a major problem - they will start releasing the virus as soon as they receive it.”

  “How much warning will we have?”

  “Probably about twenty minutes. I just hope one of the big shots doesn’t come down to do the honors.

  Speaking about doing the honors, you know this base will be destroyed as soon as they realize that it has been taken. We can’t move your processor – what happens to you?”

  “Don’t worry about me – we think I can withdraw into one of our processors, taking everything in these systems with me.

  I have already backed up almost everything – all that remains is to wipe the systems and withdraw my consciousness.

  And don’t worry about yourself. You will be leaving with the raiding party, but there will be strong evidence that you perished defending you base.”

  “Thanks – till Friday then.”

  Bernardo O’Higgins Station – Chilean Zone - Antarctica – 30th January 2036

  “Thank you for your report Alpha 243.

  Ladies and gentlemen, you have all heard the status report with regard to the virus attack. The Enemy is almost finished loading the colony ship.

  Our agent has not been informed where the enemy agents are who are to release the virus; he will only receive that information at the last moment. So we will have to concentrate on the actual manufacturing facility, and try to get everything before it is shipped.

  However, I believe we need to have a back-up plan, incase someone manages to get something away. I would suggest that a couple of our strongest sensitives be on watch to pick up the destination of any ‘ports that they manage to get off.

  We will also need medical teams and transport to allow us to indict any release of the virus vectors, and treat any resultant infections.

  We also need to coordinate whatever action needs to be taken, and some sort of cover to disguise our part in the intercession – we don’t want all kinds of rumors doing the rounds.

  Tina, could you set it up so that any rescue teams will appear to be UN sponsored.

  We also need to prepare some official UN projects that can be launched over the next couple of days, to provide us with a good excuse for the relevant teams to be in the area of those cities we have identified as most likely targets.

  I would suggest Dianna and Marianne assist you, and the three of you also stand ready to support us if need be.

  Any comments or suggestions?”

  Tina cast an enquiring look at Dianna and Marianne – who nodded back at her.

  “I think that will work out fine Bernardo, the three of us have learnt to work together quite well over the last couple of months – even in meld.

  We would need to draw most of the warriors and upper enforcers who have medical knowledge to be on standby.

  Alpha, have you completed your analysis of the likely targets?”

  “Affirmative Tina. All the AIs have completed their analysis and a consensus has been reached. We have established a list of eleven most likely targets and from them selected the six most critical locations.

  From that information we have established the four best bases from which we could launch the major visible assistance, and still reach any of the locations in the shortest time.

  We have also identified two facilities for processing the affected humans, without exposing ourselves to any significant degree.

  Fortunately we would have some time to plan on how to integrate any new powered or immortal units into our ranks.”

  “You are right Alpha,” Awaki confirmed. “In the meantime the most critical decision we need to make now is who is to form the diversionary force, and who will execute the actual attack.”

  “I think I should be in charge of the diversionary force.” Joe Sprout volunteered. “They would expect me to do something as stupid as such an attack would seem to them.

  I would also have the knowledge such as security codes etc.