Absolute Knowledge Box Set (Books 1-3)

by Drew Cordell

“What are you?” Grez asked, nudging his way forward.

  Unverified user detected. Information restricted.

  “What are you?” I asked, glaring at Grez until he took a step back.

  I am Ω.

  “Omega?”

  Yes.

  “Are you the Omniscience Engine or Artemis?” I asked.

  No. Neither.

  “What is the function of this place?”

  It is designed for the Champions of Liberty. It is the Haven.

  “Why are we here?”

  Because you found this place.

  “Damn cryptic messages,” Grez complained, the others in the group watching my camera feed through their wrist links.

  “Builder, are you seeing this?” I asked.

  “Yes. Ask it if it is an AI.”

  “Are you an AI?” I asked Omega.

  No. I am simply a program designed to facilitate the resurrection of this facility. We have been waiting for .

  I groaned in frustration. “What is on the other side of this door?”

  The Haven.

  “And what is in those crates in this room?” I asked.

  Quantum fluid. You will need to take it with you.

  “What is it and why do we need to take it with us?”

  It is needed to bring the facility online. In order to preserve this facility and maximize the chances it would be functional, everything has been placed in stasis.

  “I would listen to it. Again, I am not reading anything harmful in those crates,” the Builder told us.

  “You heard him,” Grez said, moving back to the crates with our group.

  The opening mechanism was a small latch on the back. The five crates hissed as we opened them and moved the lids out of the way, sliding them to the side and letting them fall to the floor. Opaque, black liquid rested on the inside, blocking out all light and masking whatever was underneath. If the liquid was giving off a smell, the filters on my helmet were blocking it out.

  “Do you mind having your Spinners reach in and grab whatever is in there?” I asked the Builder.

  “No problem. Looks like some kind of oil solution, probably to preserve the contents through the ages.”

  The Spinners reached into the dark liquid, sifting through and pulling out metal canisters dripping with black fluid. With their coating, the canisters were slick, but the Spinners accompanying us were able to carry them with relative ease.

  “And what about this quantum fluid. What does it do?” Grez asked the Builder.

  “It is a base for an intelligence network, the easiest way to create the start of a quantum computer—implicitly, it can only be used to create soft or narrow AI which is harmless in itself because it is restricted to a narrow field of activities rather than having the power or ability to expand itself and write its own code. The main lab and my AI network were built using quantum fluid as a base. The Champions of Liberty also used it to support and grow Artemis.”

  I didn’t like his answer. “But the Omniscience Engine used it too?”

  “Probably at first, but it takes a lot more than quantum fluid to create hard AI. Listen, I am not going to be able bring this facility back online and connect it with my existing network until the quantum fluid is in place. I assumed it would already be installed, but it makes sense to keep it stored separately to preserve the long-term condition of this facility.”

  “Okay,” Grez said. “We’ll play along for now.”

  “I have the quantum fluid as you called it. How can we pass?” I asked Omega, returning to the console.

  Welcome to the Haven. Please proceed to the center to bring the facility online. I will assist you through the process.

  The door clicked and opened to reveal a room the same size as the first one. This one, however, was filled with huge storage crates towered high in uneven stacks. The crates were positioned in a way that created aisles within the room, some ending short while others seemed to extend the entire distance.

  The Builder spoke again. “Same drill; move nice and slow while my scouts map it out. I am going to have my Spinners scan these storage containers while you move as well. I do not want there to be any unexpected surprises. Just so you know, there are no signals. The computer controlling the vault doors appears to be hardwired to another part of this facility which I cannot access, but I am still not picking up even a whiff of a signature. I thought the material of the vault doors was blocking signals both ways, but that does not appear to be the case anymore.”

  We walked slower this time, listening for anything out of the ordinary in the silence. As scout robots and Spinners rolled through the area, our map screens were filled out, revealing that the entire area wasn’t as maze-like as I had initially expected. The center lane of crates, probably 10 feet in width, would take us straight to the center.

  “I don’t like this,” Grez said, turning to Gerald and Agatha. “Let’s get a couple of these containers open and see what we’re dealing with.”

  “Keep moving,” the Builder said. “We can go through the supplies later. I want to be sure you are safe while you clear the facility and the sooner we can bring it online, the better.”

  Grez shook his head, continuing on his path. “That doesn’t work for me. I’d like to see that these aren’t empty or filled with HKs or Enforcers waiting to kill us.”

  “Be quick about it,” the Builder said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

  One of the containers was opened, revealing a mass of supplies wrapped in white plastic. It was filled to the brim, leaving no room to walk inside. Grez tore at the plastic wrap on one of the pallets, inspecting the contents underneath.

  “Electronics of some sort,” he reported. “Okay, let’s get to the middle so we can bring this facility back online and get out.”

  We continued through the maze of containers, scanning our surroundings with lights. Stealth was out of the question, and with the narrow passage between the optimized route to the center, I found myself wanting to switch over to my shotgun for the time being. The others had taken up a similar sentiment and had holstered their sidearms in favor of more powerful weapons.

  “Almost there,” the Builder reported as we completed our walk. The center of the massive storage room was empty except for a large circular platform that raised off the ground. There was a console in the middle, extending from a rod anchored in the center.

  Most of the Spinners joined us on the platform as I walked to the console, ready to interact with it. The screen illuminated as I stopped in front of it.

  Do you not trust me? You opened one of my containers.

  I didn’t like the ‘my’ in the statement. The Builder made it seem like there wasn’t anything watching or listening to us here. This statement directly contradicted that.

  “This stuff is for the Champions, right?” I asked, deflecting the question.

  It is, yes. Did you bring the quantum fluid?

  “Yes, we brought the Quantum Fluid,” I said.

  Please step off the platform and wait for setup to complete. I will alert you when to return.

  We moved off and the platform started digitizing, shifting in form and structure with movements I knew all too well.

  “The entire platform is made out of Nanotech,” I said in awe, watching five pillars rise from the platform. I had never seen so much Nanotech in my life. The tech was incredibly rare, and the value and utility of such a substantial amount of it was unthinkable. Deep trenches carved themselves through the base of the platform from the center of the circle which had depressed into a spherical hole. Each trench touched the base of one of the tall pillars. Movement stopped and the rod with the console reappeared, offset from the spherical hole in the center of the platform. The screen flashed again, and I took it as a sign to return to the platform.

  To bring the facility back online, please place each of the five canisters into the slot on top of the pillars.

&n
bsp; “Do you mind if we leave before this happens?” Grez asked the Builder.

  “I am not detecting any danger. There was a brief signal flash when the Nanotech restructured itself, but I am not seeing any other activity on any frequency. If you want the ODIN II, then you need to see this through. Bring the facility back online. As soon as I know what we are dealing with, your duties will be complete. If there is a problem syncing the facility to my existing network, you may need to fix it from the inside. Again, I need Jake, and I don’t think this can be completed without him.”

  “Sure,” Grez said, nodding to the others.

  I took one of the canisters from a Spinner, almost dropping it as it tried to slip through my fingers. It was a lot heavier than I had expected and felt almost as if it was filled with solid lead. Letting my rifle hang from its sling, I got a better grip on the canister, loading it into its pillar and twisting until it clicked into place with a pressurized hiss. As the other canisters were loaded, dark sludge seeped from cracks in the bottom of the pillars, draining into the trenches at their base.

  “Okay, there is definitely something now. Trying to analyze the data,” the Builder said.

  “What is it?” Grez demanded.

  The dark ichor dripping into the trenches was splitting off into globs the size of an egg. The smaller orbs moved along their trenches in jolty, uneven movements, propelling themselves toward the center where they pooled in a single homologous mass, quivering like gelatin as it grew.

  “I do not know. I am still not detecting any danger or smaller signatures, just a lot of digital noise,” the Builder reported.

  “Well, have you known quantum fluid to behave like this?” I asked.

  “No…” he paused and there was uncertainty in his voice. “I do not think that is quantum fluid. I think it is something else, but I do not know what. Maybe stand a few feet back just in case.”

  “You’re not paying us for just in case. I think we’ve done enough,” Grez huffed, taking several steps away from the sphere materializing in the center.

  “You need to see this through,” the Builder said. “I will do my best to alert you of any danger the second I see it. As of now, you appear to be safe.”

  Grez grimaced but held his ground several steps away from the platform where the rest of us now waited.

  The black sphere buzzed as it floated off the center of the platform, deep ripples and distortion shaking through it as the last of the droplets shot up and joined the hovering mass. The sphere was bigger than a person now, massive and motionless as our flashlight beams gleamed off the flawless surface. The silence was tangible as the base of the platform expanded, the nanotech digitizing and adapting.

  “Are you seeing this?” Grez asked. His voice seemed distant, like he was a lot farther away from me than he actually was. It was as if the sphere was somehow absorbing sound in the room.

  “The signal is dead now, but I see it,” the Builder said. “Try to—”

  A ring of energy erupted around the orb, blue and blinding. I shielded my eyes against the intense flare as the light drowned out everything else. At the same time, a horrible screech echoed through my headset, drowning out the Builder’s words and replacing them with sharp static. Squinting, I tried to look at the sphere to see what was happening. The ring of light died down, and my vision slowly returned to me even though a line of black still blocked the center, burned into my eyes for the time being. The orb, still dark as night, lowered itself back into the cylindrical depression in the platform.

  “No. It is impossible,” the Builder said as the ring of energy disappeared into the base, returning the room to its former darkness.

  “What’s going on? What is this?” Grez demanded.

  There was panic in the Builder’s voice. “Get out. Now!”

  18 THE HAVEN

  ∆∆∆

  We turned to one another, trying to make sense of what was happening. The sphere in the center of the platform was silent and still, but the Builder’s words echoed in my head.

  “Get out. It’s a—” There was a pause, static in comms that cut out his words. “Do you understand?”

  “No!” Grez yelled. “We didn’t hear that. Comms are breaking up.”

  A door on one of the storage containers three tiers up flung open, the hinge screeching as the door slammed into the side with a clanging reverberation. We all stared in silence, weapons raised at the source of noise.

  The Builder’s voice cut through the static. “There’s something in there with you. Run.”

  “Stand your ground! We don’t run until I say,” Grez ordered, taking up a position behind one of the pillars of the platform and gripping his LMG with stoic determination. “We don’t want to get lost in the maze of containers if the map data is no good. Our exit will be on our terms.”

  “Grez, you heard him, we need to get out of here! If there is danger we may only have this short window of opportunity to get out,” Marwin shouted.

  A cloaked figure materialized from the door of the storage container. It stepped off the edge, falling three-stories and landing in a crouched position as the white laminate beneath its feet shattered and shot outward in a web of cracks. The figure, standing at average height, wore black combat armor, a rounded carbon fiber mask without any holes for eyes or a mouth, and a heavy black cloak.

  “Who or what are you?” Grez demanded.

  “I’m Omega. Thank you for bringing this facility back online,” the figure said in a gritty voice, maybe the result of some kind of voice modulator in the mask.

  “That’s far enough. One more step and we shoot!” Grez shouted, squaring his shoulders and sighting down his LMG. I had the figure in my sights as well, positioning the red dot on center mass rather than the head.

  “Builder, are you seeing this?” I asked over comms. There was no response.

  “You’re the program I was talking to?” I demanded, feeling as though my own voice was being sucked into the black sphere.

  “That was just a simple gatekeeper program for what I am. I could not be here without you bringing this facility back online. For that, I am grateful.”

  “So you aren’t human then?” Grez stated.

  “Not anymore,” it said.

  “What are you?” I asked.

  “I can’t really answer that question anymore, I’m afraid. But I know what you are.”

  I shifted my rifle uncomfortably, feeling my frustration and discomfort rise. “You’re not answering our questions. Why are we here?”

  “It was not anticipated that Champions from a different country would find their way to this Haven. Nevertheless, I will be happy to reclaim this country for the cause.”

  “What cause?” I demanded, my heart kicking in my chest. The fear that this was all an elaborate trap set by the Builder was creeping into my mind.

  “What has and always will be done,” Omega said. “It is not by chance you found your way here.”

  The Builder’s Spinners were circling around the figure, preventing its escape even if comms still weren’t working. It was when they turned outward that I realized something was horribly wrong with the situation.

  “Can you hear me? Get out now! We need to seal the vault. The facility isn’t connecting with my AI network, it’s trying to take control of it,” the Builder said. Static shrouded his voice, but we were able to make out the words.

  “We’re leaving now. One more step and we shoot,” Grez said, backing away from Omega while the rest of us did the same.

  “I’m afraid you aren’t,” Omega said.

  Grez set his jaw and pulled the trigger of his LMG. The weapon spurted to life, gunfire booming as he sprayed heavy rounds at the human-like robot and the surrounding Spinners. The rest of us did the same, engaging our enemies and trying to cover our escape as we moved back toward the exit. Omega dove to the side, rolling behind a storage crate and disappearing into the shadows while the Spinners covered its escape.

  Bullets sh
attered against the armor of the Spinners that were charging toward us now, slowing them.

  A Spinner broke formation and drifted to the left, catching Gerald off guard. He tried to move out of the way, but the robot was too fast. It caught him with a long limb, dragging him away into a gap between storage containers. He screamed for a moment, but the attack was so fast that his cries were quickly cut off and swallowed by the echoing gunfire. As he was pulled away, the true danger of our situation sank in like a barbed hook.

  I turned away from the Spinners, firing several rounds at the black sphere in the center of the Nanotech platform. They cut through, causing the orb to ripple from the impact, but it had no obvious effect on the Spinners that were still trying to kill us.

  “Gerald, we need to go after him!” Agatha yelled, breaking formation and trying to run around the Spinners to get to Gerald.

  “Agatha, no!” Christopher yelled, but she was already too far away.

  Grez cursed, shifting his stance and trying to cover her dash, but the Spinners were too quick. They surged forward and quickly closed the distance, circling and surrounding her in a way that prevented us from shooting without hitting Agatha by mistake.

  Violet slung her SMG around her back, drawing her Hellfire Knives. She charged forward, deploying the miniscule drones stored in her wrist sheath while activating her stealth suit. Her armor shimmered as she seemed to disappear. Several copies of her materialized from thin air around the Spinners clawing at Agatha. The robots lashed out with long limbs tipped with sharp tools, slicing through holograms while the real Violet appeared where they least expected, slicing through long metallic limbs with ease.

  As Violet fought, we moved into a better position, taking shots without the risk of hitting her or Agatha while scanning our surroundings for additional enemy reinforcements. It looked like the Builder was trying to pull out his other Spinners before they fell victim to the same takeover as the others, but it could have just been a misdirection to get us to put trust in him.

  Omega walked around a corner, without its cloak this time. It was holding something which looked like a mass of dangling cords, long and dark. The robot was also wearing bulkier armor now which rested over its chassis like an oversized exoskeleton.