The Orb

by Tara Basi

  His compatriot, with a skull earing, grabbed hold of Zip’s arm and painfully squeezed, then brought his face close to hers and leered. “We can have some fun while we wait.”

  Zip tried one last time. “You’re going to die if you don’t take the five thousand, give me the Record and leave.”

  The man holding her started laughing, but he never finished. Mathew flashed out of the shadows and snapped his neck. Q silently appeared behind the man holding onto Bremer and dug his gun barrel into the back of his head.

  “Hand it over then get out and take your dead with you.”

  The would-be robber didn’t need any further prompting. He threw the Record at Zip and dragged his dead compatriot out of the bar by the heels as fast as he could.

  The bartender mysteriously reappeared. “Good riddance! They’ve been arseholes for years. They had it coming, right, Q?”

  The Quartermaster sighed. “Lots got it coming worse, but never seem to get it.”

  Zip was shaking. She wanted to shout at Mathew, that he didn’t need to kill the man, but that’s how the Specials were trained. No force or lethal force. There wasn’t any in-between. Zara would have done the same. Q was always the maverick, and he lived here. She turned to the barkeep. “You have some kind of charity box for the kids out there scavenging?”

  “Sure. Q’s been very generous over the years.”

  Zip walked over to Bremer, who was breathing heavily and clutching at his chest. She held up Professor Simmons’ Record so his gear-specs had a clear view. “I have it. Let Alice and the kids go. I’m coming back,” she told whichever director was spying and then turned her attention to Bremer. “Give the barman everything you’ve got, for the kids.”

  A blink from Bremer and it was done. The barman looked shocked. “Wow, five thousand! You get a drink on the house.”

  “Don’t get sticky fingers. I’ll be watching,” Q growled at the barman.

  Bremer started spluttering incoherently before he started making sense. “Zip, Industries knows. You can’t go back through London. They’re sending a boat to Whitstable to pick you up. Hurry.”

  She was furious. “Church has to stop the clock. How they hell do I get to the coast without going through London?”

  Mathew reappeared and assumed his usual, rigid pose. “I’ll accompany you. There are smuggling tunnels under the wall. I must speak to the professor. The Church must agree.”

  “Bremer?”

  Bremer squeezed his eyes shut for a moment then snapped them open. “Same conditions as yours. He must be harnessed. They’re anxious you get back to Paris safely.”

  Mathew nodded once.

  “What about me?” Bremer said. “I can’t take any more of this savagery. And I’m not going outside the wall to Whitstable. I only wanted fresh coffee.”

  The Quartermaster spoke. “I’ll lead him back to the lift, but I’m not coming after you, Zip. I’m not helping the Church, even if it’s the right thing to do.”

  Bremer squeezed his eyes shut again, obviously concentrating on whatever the Church was telling him. His eyes popped open with a happy glint and he cracked a huge smile. “Church agrees. Thankfully, they think I’d be a liability outside the wall. I’m to tell you they’ll be satellite tracking your progress. Everyone’s safe as long as you’re heading in the right direction.” Bremer walked over to Q and shook his hand vigorously. “Thank you, thank you.” Then he smothered Zip in a huge hug.

  “I’ll get the gear you’ll need,” Q grunted.

  When Bremer finally released Zip, the Quartermaster had disappeared. Zip was hurt that Q had nothing more to say to her. Maybe there was nothing more to be said.

  Bremer’s smile slowly faded as he anxiously scanned the bar and realised that Q, his only way home, had disappeared.

  “Wait here. He’ll be back,” Zip said.

  As she was clambering back into her thermal gear, Q returned, pulling a large handcart behind him. He dropped the handles in front of Zip and stepped away. “Combat suit, weapons and a gyro. Send it back on autopilot.”

  She gratefully accepted the gear and embraced Q for a long time before whispering, “The note, it’s all true, I still love you.”

  The Quartermaster didn’t say anything. His arms were eloquent enough. Finally, they released each other, and Zip followed Mathew and the cart out of the saloon’s back door. She was going to the seaside.

  Chapter Twenty-One – Peter and Quattro

  Quattro asleep looked much like Quattro awake; Peter couldn’t see any differences. She was rock-still and had been for hours. Her expressionless face with its empty eye sockets revealed nothing about what might be changing behind the mask. Peter tried to take her hand. It was immovable, cold and lifeless. What kind of human touch could reassure a being made of metal? When she regained consciousness, would Quattro be more like Kiki or more like Mathew – even more inhuman?

  “Quattro, are you awake?” Peter asked. The words reluctantly left his mouth. Who or what might answer?

  There was no reaction from Quattro.

  “The sleep routines may still be in the process of deactivating. She must restart her cognitive processes incrementally to avoid damage,” Bunny explained.

  “She’s not a bloody machine; she’s my daughter,” Peter snapped. “Sorry.” If it weren’t for Bunny there would have been no hope for Quattro.

  A small glint of light caught Peter’s attention. Had Quattro moved? It wasn’t obvious. Maybe her head had tilted towards Bunny and Peter a little more?

  “I am a machine. I’m not your daughter.”

  Peter smiled broadly despite the hurtful words. They were spoken with Kiki’s voice, not the icy, artificial tone Quattro had been using or the painful distortion of his daughter’s childhood voice that K3 had employed. He’d not heard her real voice since the VR sessions in his cellar.

  “Thank God you’re awake. It’s wonderful to hear your voice again.”

  “The others are gone. They didn’t want to die, even if their existence was wretched.”

  Peter wanted to hug her; she sounded like Kiki. There was a warmth and calmness in her words that he’d missed so much.

  Bunny said, “It was necessary for you to survive. They have not been expunged. Their essence has been integrated into your mind. Only the pseudo-psychosis has been removed.”

  Peter was grateful for Bunny’s intervention. He could only think of saying sorry again, and that seemed worse than inadequate.

  “The something else in here, in my mind, is more solid now. Somehow, I know what I have to do, what I’m for.”

  “What do you mean?” said Peter.

  Bunny intervened again, before Peter could question her. “It is nothing to be concerned about. Your settled mind is fully integrating with your body. It will pass.”

  Peter knew waffle when he heard it. Either Bunny had less idea than Peter what Quattro was talking about, or he didn’t want Industries to know the truth.

  “Peter’s experiment killed Kiki and all her ghosts, but despite everything, I feel blessed. I’ve been given a great responsibility.”

  Quattro sounded relaxed and calm even if her words were hard for Peter to hear.

  “Bunny always hoped some great good would come from Peter’s work.”

  Peter was surprised by Bunny’s comment. The damn machine was hiding an awful lot.

  Quattro’s head swivelled smoothly towards Bunny. “You mean me? Perhaps. Maybe I am a new entity. Maybe I should have a new name? We’re not four anymore. No, it would be wrong. Disrespectful to their memories. They aren’t dead, only reintegrated. I’m more Quattro than ever.”

  Peter liked the new Quattro, even though he was unsure what her great responsibility was. Maybe there could be a new beginning, a new relationship.

  “Quattro, how can I help you? I want to make amends for what I’ve done.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. I owe you, and Bunny, for my existence. Peter, now that I’m thinking clearly, I don�
�t believe Kiki was ever interested in the Orb or had ever met Zip, though I would like to know what the Orb is saying before I complete my mission.”

  Quattro’s simple statement gave Peter some relief from his crushing guilt; though her observation about Kiki was a puzzle that had been nagging at him for some time. “I never understood your obsession with the Orb and Zip.”

  Quattro didn’t answer straightaway. While there was no outward indication, Peter guessed she was recalling something before responding.

  “It was K3; she had the obsession. It was nothing to do with Kiki. It was something she found in her mind, like an urgent message that had to be delivered. Peter, I don’t think K3 killed Kiki. Maybe she wanted to, but I don’t think she could have, not by herself.”

  Peter was stunned. If K3 hadn’t hired Mathew, who had? He shook away the thought. It had to be K3. She’d admitted it. Hadn’t she?

  Before Peter could question Quattro further, Bunny interjected. “It is probably nothing, a random fragment K3 found when she accessed Peter’s Headgear and the Net. In her disturbed and decaying mental state, anything could have triggered her obsessive and paranoid tendencies.”

  Peter thought Bunny was doing it again, diverting attention away from obvious anomalies that hadn’t been properly explained. He was convinced Bunny was doing it deliberately. It obviously didn’t want Quattro’s nature explored too deeply.

  Bunny continued his diversionary tactics. “Regarding the Orb, it was a lifelong obsession of Professor Simmons. If it’s communicating, her reanimation might reveal something.”

  Peter couldn’t help snorting. “If it’s talking? I’m surprised, Bunny.”

  “If, Peter? You don’t believe it is?” Quattro asked.

  “No, I don’t. There’s never been a shred of evidence. Thousands of specialists have studied the Orb and found nothing but silence. It may have been Professor Simmons’ Pilgrim beliefs that convinced her, rather than any facts. She changed when she converted. It’s why we stopped working together. You know how I feel about the Church.”

  “If we bring Petula back, like the Tramp, we could ask her,” Quattro said.

  Peter shuddered at the idea of bringing Petula back, especially if she’d done what Quattro had accused her of.

  “Did Petula really send VRs, fake ones obviously, to my wife, to Melisa?”

  Quattro tilted her head to one side. “Oh. You really didn’t know? It’s irrelevant now.”

  At that moment, the Suit fluttered into existence. “We believe Zip is back in London to recover something important for the Church. She’ll be arrested when she tries to leave. You must prepare a VR for Professor Simmons as a contingency measure.”

  The damned detective appeared to be behind everything yet claimed to know nothing. He wasn’t sure he wanted to see Professor Simmons again, even for Quattro. She might be responsible for his wife’s death.

  “Creating a convincing VR for Professor Simmons will be difficult. She won’t be easily convinced. You’ve seen how the Tramp behaves.”

  The Suit billowed and reformed as it drifted towards him. “You knew her well, Peter, very well some say, before you fell out. What else could you need?”

  Peter could imagine the Suit smirking.

  “What is it you want from her?”

  “If it becomes necessary, get her to say the Church was responsible for her death.”

  Peter didn’t understand. Were Industries looking for a suicide message that blamed the Church? “We’d need to know more about her suicide. There are no details.”

  “She was assassinated by the Church. It wasn’t suicide.”

  Peter was shocked. “But she was a Pilgrim.”

  “You’ve almost convinced the Tramp he was targeted by the Church.”

  “You mean it’s a lie?”

  “No. She was assassinated to stop her research on the Orb. She’d made some kind of breakthrough, discovered a message. Simmons wanted to make it public.”

  Peter couldn’t work out if he was relieved to know Petula hadn’t killed herself or angry that it might have been murder. “The Church killed her?”

  “If the Orb has a message for the world, the Church would want to censor its content and control its dissemination.”

  “If? What was the message?” Quattro asked.

  The Suit turned in Quattro’s direction and floated closer. “I understand you have a personal interest. We don’t know. All of her research self-destructed when her Headgear signal was lost. Feel free to ask her. I’m sure it’ll be key to a successful VR.”

  Peter had to know, “How, exactly, was she killed?”

  “The assassin shot her in the head. Professor Simmons probably had no idea who her killer was or why they were sent. You’ll have to persuade her it was the Church.”

  Peter’s stomach turned. Murdered, like Kiki, by an assassin? Peter didn’t want to know or see her again. Petula had triggered his wife’s decline and eventual suicide, and betrayed him by converting. But something wasn’t right.

  “Wasn’t Professor Simmons under constant surveillance down here? How could anyone get to her?”

  “All the surveillance systems were behaving oddly just before Professor Simmons was killed. We don’t know exactly what happened.”

  The Suit’s circular answers were starting to irritate Peter. “Was she killed here? How could the Church get in here?”

  “The spies on both sides are very good. There are double agents, triple agents, who knows what else. Infiltration goes on at the highest levels. Anything’s possible. Returning to more immediate concerns, Professor Simmons’ Record is a last resort. You must continue with the Tramp and urgently. Tread carefully, Peter. Do not deliberately mishandle the Tramp session or there will be consequences for Quattro.”

  Peter looked across at Quattro. It was impossible to judge her reaction to the Suit’s threat. With the kill-vest still in place, she was under Industries’ control. He really had no choice.

  Peter turned back to the Suit. “When we restart the VR, you must be there as the Director of Santiago, Horacio Salinas.”

  The Suit floated over to Peter. “Fine, let’s get on with it.”

  Unexpectedly, Quattro spoke up. “I would like to participate. After all, I’m the one to be punished if you fail.”

  The Suit shrugged. “I’ve no objections. What will her role be, Peter?”

  He didn’t immediately have an answer. He was still wondering how it would be possible for Quattro to enter the VR. Then again, Bunny wasn’t having any problems.

  Bunny saved Peter. “Bunny suggests we introduce Quattro as an AI and VR specialist. She might be useful in persuading the Tramp the Record of his death wasn’t a VR simulation.”

  “Very well, let’s begin,” the Suit concluded. “What’s the plan, Peter?”

  He’d been thinking about that ever since the last VR with the Tramp had ended. “We deny everything, insist it’s all real and that his life is in danger if he leaves the safety of the Cuboid.”

  Peter froze the Tramp while they took up their places. When everything was ready and Quattro was waiting for her cue to join them, Peter chewed his lip as he restarted the Tramp’s simulation.

  His first task was to respond to the Tramp’s suggestion that the assassination attempt had been a simulation.

  “I assure you, sir, this is all real. It’s a miracle you’re alive.”

  The Tramp seemed dazed, probably the effects of the VR restarting. His eyes seemed to have trouble focusing and then he was fully alert.

  “Director Horacio is unconvincing, and I’ve never seen him before. Why should I trust you, or him?”

  Peter relaxed. At least the Tramp was willing to entertain the idea that his Record was real.

  “The director has taken a great personal risk by coming forward. I’m sorry you don’t believe him.”

  The Suit as Horacio looked suitably hurt but said nothing.

  Peter continued, “Tramp, you have to ask yourse
lf, why would Orb Industries want to mislead you? You and the Orb are very important to us.”

  The Tramp’s eyes blazed. “Damn the bloody Orb! All you lot care about is Wave revenue.”

  The Suit used a private Headgear channel to communicate with Peter. “If we could get him to say something really blasphemous about the Orb, that would be dynamite. Get Quattro to ask him about the Orb.”

  The aside confused Peter. “I thought you didn’t want him to deny the Orb’s divinity?”

  “We don’t, but it might be useful, even if it’s only to blackmail the Tramp into getting what we do want. Cue Quattro now, while he’s angry.”

  Peter wondered if that was such a good idea, but if it failed, the Suit could only blame himself; Quattro would be safe. He brought his hands together as though he were praying and lied as sincerely as he could. “I assure you we have nothing but your best interests at heart. I’d like to bring in our VR specialist, Kiki, who will hopefully convince you that your Record of the attack is real.”

  The sound of a door opening caused Peter to turn around. He couldn’t suppress a gasp of surprise and delight. Kiki had walked through the door. Not a shiny machine. Not the ashen, ghostly Kiki from his basement. This was Kiki as he remembered her. His beautiful, vibrant daughter was alive again. A brightly smiling Kiki, in a flouncy summer dress and sandals, bounced across the room and bowed respectfully towards the Tramp before taking a seat at the conference table.

  “Tramp, it is a great honour to meet you.”

  The Tramp didn’t smile back. “I’m listening.”

  Kiki’s smile only got brighter as the Tramp’s expression soured. “There’s a Headgear function: True-Record verify. It’s not very well known. If you apply it to the attack, it will confirm the Record is of a real event rather than a VR. I’m sending you the parameters now.”

  Despite the surge in his heartrate, Peter fought to keep his expression bland. Kiki was taking a risk. She, or more likely Bunny, had almost certainly limited the scan to the real Record. If the Tramp decided he wanted to verify anything that followed, they’d be in trouble.