by Tony Corden
“No, my AI is normal and unaltered by Nathan.”
“Would you mind if I talked with it? I wanted to know if it had any ideas about your location.”
Meredith seemed hesitant, but after a moment said, “I don’t mind. Akira, you are free to answer Leah’s questions.”
A male form appeared, and it looked to Leah like one of the Fae. He said, “Hello, Leah. I assume the AI you planted can edit me from the feed. Meredith would prefer people forget I’m here. We tend to talk internally.”
Leah made a few changes to the directions she’d given the AI and then said, “That’s done. Thank you for being willing to answer my questions. Can you give me a better idea of where in the building Meredith’s Pod is?”
“Yes. I’ve built up a good schematic of the lower floors over the years.”
“Great, is there anything else I should be aware of?”
“Nathan’s had the entire room, and those around it, redesigned to prevent Meredith escaping. I’m not sure about the outside security, but the floor has pressure-sensitive explosives that are only turned off for the time Meredith is having her medical. I think Louise has her own passwords as sometimes she enters the room to stare at Meredith through a camera hidden in the Pod. I can give you a matrix of recorded data surges just before she enters the room. I don’t have the ability to process it and match it to possible codes or biodata. Still, a sufficiently high end AI with access to a lot of known data points may be able to.”
Meredith head snapped around to look at Akira and said, “You never told me that.”
“It wasn’t helpful, and you never asked directly. I only mention it because it may help in some way.”
“Akira, is there anything else you can think of, or anything to add to what Meredith and I discussed before?”
“Not really. I can give you Meredith’s latest scans so you can bring some clothing. She’s always kept naked.”
“Good. I should have thought of that. I’ll arrange for some armour to be made to help get safely off the premises.”
Akira had nothing else and after having Meredith have her treadmill appear and begin running, Leah waited for the AIs to match the feed with what they’d been sending then disappeared from view, retrieved the three data-mimicking spiders and exited the storage container. Once outside, she sealed the hole and went to visit Leo Barnsworth.
50
December 26 2073 - 3
CYBERVERSE
After carefully drilling the hole, she again inserted the flexible fibre optic cable into the tip of her middle finger. When her perspective shifted, she found herself standing at the edge of a small apartment almost identical to Meredith’s. Instead of scanning the room, she remained still, Leo wasn’t alone. In the room was a man she’d seen once before, that time he’d been with the fake Leo Barnsworth in Ascendent. His name was Egan Anagnos, and he was talking.
“Come on, Leo, enough of the games. Emily is ten now and really likes her monthly visits. Agnes has done a great job with her. It would be a shame to have either of them have to suffer because you won’t answer some simple questions. Now, why has Sir Archibald Matthews suddenly asked to meet with you? When he met your substitute a few days ago, he sounded like he was an old friend. Have you ever met him? If so, when was it, and why didn’t you say anything previously?”
Leah carefully unplugged the data connection from her finger to arrive back outside Leo’s prison. Thinking quickly, she tried to remember everything she could about Leo and Archie. She couldn’t find a single point where they may have met. Finally, she focussed on Leo. She knew Three was monitoring and would realise something was up. If Three mentioned it to Gèng then hopefully all could be quickly arranged. She composed a note which she transmitted to one of the spider AI. Fixing the room in her mind, she programmed the spider to change the layout of the room behind Egan. After taking a deep breath, she reinserted the data cable in her finger.
Leah was fairly certain Egan’s AI would recognise the scan for security cameras so she made an assumption and sent the three spiders to the same spots where she’d found sensors in Meredith’s room. She then released the fourth AI that she’d modified. It scurried away and settled on the wall behind Egan. Words began to appear just over Egan’s shoulder and hopefully visible to Leo. They read:
“Earl Barnsworth - Please say, ‘I’m not sure who he is. The only person I can think of is an army chap I met once or twice at the cricket. He was a Brigadier or something like that. Bit of a prat really, he wanted some special favour to increase security for his division. I ignored him then, and I suggest you do the same.’”
Leah watched as Leo’s eyes widened a little. Still, he covered it up well enough before turning it into a look of comprehension. As the message scrolled through for a second time, he repeated what Leah had written before wringing his hands and saying, “That’s all I can think of. I am trying to help. Please, just leave Agnes and Emily out of this.”
Leah had all four AI return to her, then waited as Egan discussed something with his AI. It was almost five minutes before he said, “OK, good. See, all you need to do is help. Sir Archibald Matthews was a Brigadier and records show he did go to the cricket twice. Both times it was to see you, and it seems he was struggling to meet his budget and hoping you’d help. He’s now a private citizen of sorts, and there’s some evidence he needs some cash for an investment opportunity he’s interested in. Once we started looking, we found several others he’s been trying to approach for funding. You know, we wouldn’t have had to do this if you’d just agreed to work with us.”
“Egan, I would do almost anything to protect Emily and Agnes, but I won’t enslave millions, and I can’t sanction murder. It’s just wrong.”
“Your father didn’t think so. He knew that some have the right to rule, while others get ruled.”
“He was wrong. I do agree we have a right to rule, but we do so for the people, not for ourselves. It is a position of privilege to be a noble, and we are there to make our nation great, not to prosper only ourselves.”
“Still the fool. I think I’ll cancel Emily’s next visit anyway as I suspect you’ve forgotten who holds the winning hand here.”
With that, Egan disappeared, and Leo sat staring at the spot on the rear wall where Leah’s message had been. Leah waited for five minutes of virtual time. Then, after scanning the small apartment to confirm she’d found the only three surveillance sub-routines, she appeared at the edge of the room and said, “Earl Barnsworth, do you have a moment?”
Leo sat bolt upright in his chair with a look of shock on his face. Finally, he said, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
Leah moved to the chair Egan had been in and said, “It’s a long story, and I’m running a bit late so I can’t even give you much of the shortened version. My name is Atherleah, and I stumbled across you and several others locked in this vault. I don’t trust the authorities but wanted to free you. I contacted Archie, and he promised not to interfere, but it seems he’s rusty at the whole ‘stay out of sight’ thing. Anyway, he and some friends of his are poised to protect you and your family if you want out. I’m in Australia, so I’ll be helping free one of the other prisoners. Do you want out?”
“They have my family.”
“I was here when Egan was questioning you. If they can guarantee Anges and Emily are safe, do you want me to have you set free or do you want to wait until Virtual Security arranges that?”
“Don’t let V-Sec know. Egan and his group have eyes and ears at the highest level. I’m in a secure basement bunker at my manor. The whole estate is heavily guarded, as are my family. If this Archie can secure Agnes and Emily’s freedom, then I don’t mind if I’m freed or not.”
“Is there anything you can tell me about their security, or yours, that will help? How many guards, the timing of guard changes, etc.?”
Leo told Leah what he knew, then after assuring him she would emphasise his family’s safety, Leah exited the apa
rtment and after sealing it, moved to the final one.
Her conversation with Abimbola Adebowale was the shortest of the three, and she didn’t even tell him her name. His daughter had modified the apartment to look like a torture chamber and he was slowly going insane. Abimbola struggled to hold a coherent thought while she was there but she did learn it was his daughter who kept him enslaved. His prison apparently changed randomly between the apartment, the torture chamber, a cannibal’s kitchen, and various other horror-themed scenarios. He also had an idea who was pulling the strings. Apart from that, all she got was information on his location. Most of the time, he was either rambling or weeping for his family that had been killed.
After talking with him, she sealed the sampling slot and made her way back into Alan’s network. The security guard met her at the door and escorted her back to the entrance. After warning her that she would need a new permission from Alan if she was to have any further access, Leah stepped back into the St Lucia Network. She then made her way back to the Tower.
REAL WORLD
Leah had been in the Pod for over three hours and exited immediately for a break. As she did, Three said, “3: Archie sent a high priority message asking for a meeting. There are several other messages that Gèng suggested you look at before going to another world.”
“Thank you. I’ll spend some time checking them when I get back in the Pod.”
Lin was waiting in the room with some congee and the usual additives. She said, “L: Hello, dear, why are you late?”
“I was caught up in a place I couldn’t leave. It isn’t something I can talk about just yet. Some of what I saw I’m not sure I ever want to talk about.”
“L: Does it have to do with the Kodomans?”
“Yes.”
“L: Vengeance?”
“Not today, this was about justice.”
“L: But you are planning something?”
“Yes.”
“L: Part of me wants to help you, but another part wants to encourage you to look for peace. My Saviour told me to love my enemies, but the truth is, I’m struggling not to hate them.”
“Don’t hate them, Mum. It’s something I’ve been struggling with ever since they first tried to enslave me. To be honest, it is getting harder and harder though. I try and remember what you said when I was a little girl and Tommy Chang broke that toy airplane that dad made me. Do you remember? You made me say it over and over until I could repeat it without a mistake.”
“L: I remember. My pastor taught me the rhyme when I was angry at someone. He said,
‘Be angry only when evil’s done
At actions and words that hurt someone
Be mad at that which God would hate
Not people or habits that irritate
Be careful not to lose control
Lest you hate and lose your soul.’”
“You told me it was OK to be angry that he broke my plane because stealing and destroying people’s things is wrong. You said I wasn’t to do anything to Tommy that would make God mad in return. You said to think about my response and never, ever, ever to start hating Tommy.”
“L: Then you went and broke Tommy’s nose and knocked out his front two teeth.”
“That was never proven, and you and Dad are the only two people who believe that. Everybody knows that Tommy broke his nose and lost his teeth when he came off a bicycle.”
“L: Your father saw you loosen the nut on Amanda’s front tyre.”
“So, it was Tommy who stole her bike. If he hadn’t, then I would have tightened it again. I was just trying to protect her stuff.”
“L: Ling, Amanda’s lock was undone, and I know she always locked it. If the lock was there then Tommy might not have tried to take it. What was her combination?”
“One-nine-five-six, the year she was born. That I know that proves nothing. Besides, Tommy was a thief.”
“L: Don’t go there, Ling. I know some of what you did for Jimmy. You aren’t a saint.”
“I don’t pretend to be. What I’m saying is that I’ve always tried to remember what you said.”
“L: I also said that stealing things is wrong.”
“I was five. At that age, I think even remembering one moral was an achievement.”
“L: So, what are you trying to say?”
“Hate what they’ve done. Work to see it never happens again. Don’t become like them. Having said that, if I can get justice and get them to hop on a bike with a loose nut, then I’m not going to be upset if the tire falls off and they bust their nose or something like that.”
“L: What does justice look like for what they did to you?”
“I can’t go there. That’s why I have to think of what they do to others. They’ve killed, imprisoned, enslaved and stolen from tens of thousands of people. I can plan justice for that and sleep well at night. If I go after them for what they did to me, or to you, then I’ll lose what little self-control I have left, and they would suffer like I did, but worse. If I did that, I’d be acting for myself and not for what I consider to be right. I’d be motivated by my own standards. I will have put aside God’s, or society’s, or whatever it is that sets the values. Once I do that, then it’ll be a slippery slope to keep doing things because I think they are OK or because I feel slighted. Eventually, there will be no checks or balances.”
“L: I will pray. I need guidance and help not to hate. I will pray for you too.”
“Thanks, Mum. I best go, Wisp, Thad and Amy want to catch up. I’m going to spend an hour or so with them in Cosmos Online.”
“L: I also must go. Grace had a chip inserted, and I’ve agreed to help her. Her parents asked me to visit the SNAIL Calibration Centre with her.”
“Why can’t they go?”
“L: They do not have chips.”
“Would it help if they did?”
“L: Of course, but it is very expensive.”
“I have money.”
“L: No. I agree with you helping Grace, but now her parents need to take the next step. If they ask and say how they will make the repayments, then maybe. Don’t be like the government who give and give but take away people’s responsibility. Helping is good but people need to remember they are accountable for their own lives. You did the right thing when you make people pay back to get an education. Grace’s parents have been given a gift. See how they respond to that gift before doing more.”
“Are there others like Grace? People who should be helped?”
“L: Yes, but you need to be careful that people don’t begin to expect your help. Showing grace and mercy are fine, until people expect them and then they often use them as an excuse for sloth and complacency.”
Leah and her mother chatted for a few more minutes, then Leah got ready and entered the Pod.
51
December 26 2073 - 3
STORK TOWER
Arriving back in the Tower, Leah first sent a message to Major White asking him to tell Archie he was being watched and not to contact her again. Leah then started working through various other messages. Catherine Thang had responded and agreed to meet Leah whenever it was convenient. Leah hoped she would be free in fifteen minutes and arranged to meet Catherine then. Leah then sat to concentrate on the other correspondence. Several companies had responded to her additional queries concerning the shells. Only one of the companies seemed both willing and excited about some of Leah’s ideas, and she arranged a meeting with their Director of Special Projects later that day.
Leon gave an update on the modifications completed at the old power station. Leah sent some additional items for him to source, as well as a few tweaks to the development plan he’d suggested. She had several messages from Spectator about her feed which she referred to Sharon. Red and Tungsten both sent messages explaining the difficulties they had in their quest to claim the space station and portal. Leah looked through what they sent, and after making some suggestions, she looked through her finances.
Because s
he was working at an increased rate, and using her ability to multi-task, she was finished long before Catherine was due. She started looking at the research Gèng, Reed and Tesfaye had collected on Meredith. Besides Dunyanin, Cosmos Online, and Warrior, her next most significant interest was the world Leah had heard about from Abcde, the racing world of TRAX. The world had dozens of options catering for all types of mechanised and fantasy racing. Besides cars of all varieties, there were motorbikes, hovercraft and a range of null-g vehicles. Even helicopters, aeroplane and spaceship racers were catered for.
Meredith was rated fifth overall in the world but had been as high as second in previous years. To be placed on the leaderboard, you had to place in the top eight in five of the eighteen main classes. Meredith’s best five events were Project Cars, Off-road Rally (four-wheel), the Time and Gate Attack (two-wheel), Fantasy Circuits (open), and Fantasy Last-One-Standing (two-player, four-wheel, class I and II weapons).
With over a billion players, the game had twelve tiers. Approximately fifty-thousand twelfth-tier races were started every minute and spread out over the fifty-plus different classes. Most of these races were in the eighteen classes used in world rankings. Most races in tiers four through twelve had up to ten players, although several of the more extended rally type events catered to several thousand contestants at a time. More racers were often included in the higher tier races depending on who was eligible to race.
If you placed in the top three in a twelfth tier race, you were eligible to enter an eleventh tier race. Over fifty-thousand eleventh tier races were also started each minute, and the top three who placed could enter a tenth tier race. The last three dropped back to the twelfth tier. There were over forty-five-thousand tenth-tier races each minute. The number of races was somewhat dependent on the number of contestants until players reached the top three levels. Then, there was a third-tier race every virtual half-hour in each of the eighteen major classes. The winning contestants were eligible to race in a second-tier race, one of which began every virtual hour in each class. Only the winners of these races were eligible to compete in the single first-tier race held every twelve hours in each class.
