Socrates and the Ionian

by Thomas Fay

  The image changed to an advertisement for the latest Iona Corporation passenger vehicle. There were times when it was easy to forget that the entire city was controlled by a corporation. This wasn’t one of those times.

  ‘Where’s Socrates?’ Simone asked.

  ‘I think he’s downstairs,’ John replied.

  ‘Doing what?’

  ‘Probably reading the newspaper.’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘That’s what he does after work, apparently. Catches up on the daily news, catalogues it all and learns from it.’

  Simone sat up and looked at John closely. ‘You’re in a strange mood tonight.’

  John ran his hand down the side of her face as he looked into her green eyes. He could still remember the first time he saw her in Walter Menzies’s house. That had been over four years ago. They had grown close. Yet there was always that nagging reminder at the back of his mind of who she was. What she was. Despite her claims of being human, John knew that wasn’t possible. Not if her father was Qallan Frost. Her mother may have been born on this planet but her father certainly hadn’t, regardless of what body he currently possessed.

  ‘Since I became a Sentinel I’ve had a few challenging days. I think today just surpassed all of them.’

  ‘I can imagine.’

  ‘I’m not sure you truly can. For you a lot of this is normal, it’s what you grew up with. I’ve gone from being a detective to a Sentinel to some sort of alien hunter. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, everything escalates to a new level.’

  Simone moved closer to him. Putting her arms around his neck, she leaned in and kissed him. After a moment, she pulled away.

  ‘I love you,’ she said, quietly.

  John couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. He knew he felt the same despite any misgivings he might have had about who and what she was.

  ‘I love you too,’ he replied.

  Simone laughed.

  ‘I’m glad that’s been said. Not that you were ever going to say it first,’ she said.

  ‘Hey! I would have said it eventually.’

  ‘I know. Still nice to hear you say it.’

  John pulled her close as the news shifted to the press room at the Ruling Council Chambers. Qallan Frost stood at a podium with the Iona Corporation logo on it—a sphere with two concentric rings around it. He wore the same blue suit with a faint pinstripe he had worn that morning at the Icarus announcement. Unlike this morning, the Chairman of the Iona Corporation looked tired. Officially, he was eighty years old. Right now, he looked like he could be closer to a hundred.

  ‘Good evening, citizens of Iona,’ Frost said in his out-of-breath voice. The camera zoomed in closer on his wrinkled features as he continued to speak.

  ‘Today has already been an important day for Iona with the launch of Project Icarus this morning. Let me assure you that that was only the beginning. Iona has been slowly going through a transformation. Today marks the first step in the final part of that journey.’

  ‘Do you know what he’s talking about?’ John asked.

  ‘Ssshhh. Listen.’

  Qallan Frost took a deep breath before continuing.

  ‘The Iona Corporation has dominated the global energy markets for over two decades. The Flux Cell has become the standard in safe, clean energy. It powers your homes, your vehicles and your workplaces. Over the past two years we have been establishing deep partnerships with numerous companies worldwide to allow them to develop and distribute their own Flux Cells under licence from the Iona Corporation. Last week, the first Flux Cells were successfully created outside Iona by Swiss, Singaporean, American and Brazilian firms. Over the coming weeks we expect production will begin at selected European, Asian, and North and South American facilities. Iona will continue to supply the rest of Australia.’

  Frost took another long breath.

  ‘There have been many who, during our control of this city, have questioned our lack of a democratic election process to the Ruling Council. While this was necessary to establish Iona and allow us to solve the Global Energy Crisis, that is no longer the case. Today, I am announcing the creation of a new seat on the Ruling Council, one that will be open to citizens of Iona who are not senior executives of the Iona Corporation. We have been working closely with a select list of potential candidates over the past six months and have narrowed it down to three highly accomplished and capable individuals. I expect the candidates will announce themselves tomorrow which will give them exactly ninety days to campaign for your vote before the election takes place. While I appreciate this is far from a truly democratic process, I believe it will lay the foundation for more open elections in the future.’

  Frost looked down at the podium for a moment. He appeared to be gathering his thoughts. Finally, he looked up and began to speak.

  ‘The final part of my announcement is of a more personal nature. For the past two decades I have overseen the Iona Corporation and this city. We have come back from the brink of economic and social collapse. We have ushered in a new era of prosperity and safety. We have expanded the sum of our knowledge. We have created a platform for future generations.’

  Frost paused for a second.

  ‘My part in this is coming to an end. I will be stepping down as Chairman of the Iona Corporation by the end of this year. My only hope is that once the final truth is revealed history will judge my actions fairly. Good evening, citizens of Iona.’

  Thirty-Seven

  The pale light of dawn filtered through the window blinds as John opened his eyes. He blinked several times. Turning on his side, he admired Simone’s sleeping figure. She looked completely at peace at that moment. His sleep, on the other hand, had been troubled. Blinding flashes of light striking those close to him as powerful androids pursued him constantly, never quite catching him but always just at the edge of his awareness. Not surprisingly, he felt on edge, as if he hadn’t slept at all. The clock on the wall read 7.30 am. Sitting up, he reached for his phone. Simone stirred beside him.

  ‘Morning,’ she said, her voice husky with sleep.

  Still holding onto his phone, John leaned over and kissed her.

  ‘Morning,’ he said.

  ‘You okay?’ Simone asked.

  ‘Tired. I didn’t sleep well.’

  ‘I’m not surprised. Yesterday was an intense day.’

  ‘Tell me about it. I’ve had some interesting days since I joined the Sentinels, some even more interesting ones since I learned the truth about the Iona Corporation, but yesterday topped them all.’

  Simone sat up. Reaching out, she caressed his face. ‘I’m here for you, John.’

  ‘I know and I’m grateful for that.’

  ‘I meant what I said last night.’

  John smiled. ‘I did too.’

  Simone leaned in and kissed him again. Pulling back, she looked at him, her green eyes reflecting her smile.

  ‘What?’ John asked.

  ‘Nothing. You make me happy. That’s all.’

  ‘I tend to have that effect on some people.’

  ‘You also seem to annoy quite a few others from what I’ve seen.’

  John grinned. ‘I’m an acquired taste.’

  Simone laughed. John stood up. Grabbing his pants from the floor, he put them on and sat down on a chair facing the bed. He flipped open his phone. No messages, no missed calls. That surprised him.

  ‘Everything okay?’ Simone asked. She was still sitting on the bed, the sheet draped across her body.

  ‘I was hoping James would have found something by now. I don’t think there’s much hope that Councillor Stone will share her findings with us, is there?’

  ‘Not likely.’

  ‘I didn’t think so. We really need to figure out what they’re using to disrupt the Flux Cells before …’

  John’s words trailed off as he reached for his shirt.

  ‘Before what?’

  ‘Socrates. We need to get him to Professor
Holstein. Until we’ve neutralised that Flux Cell disruption device, he’s vulnerable.’

  Simone stood up, the sheet falling away from her body as she walked across the room to where John was sitting in the chair. She plucked the mobile phone from his hand as she straddled him.

  ‘What are you doing?’ John asked, trying to reach for his phone.

  ‘Making love to you,’ Simone replied.

  ‘I don’t really think this is the most appropriate time.’

  Simone leaned back as she looked closely at him. ‘You’re really that worried about Socrates?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘About your android partner? A machine that was created to look human?’

  ‘Simone, you know I don’t think of Socrates like that. He’s my partner. Has been my partner for eight years now.’

  Simone smiled. ‘I know, John. It’s just interesting to see how you’ve been able to adapt to working with an android. I guess my father was right about you.’

  ‘Ummm … I’m not sure mentioning your father is really the right thing to do if you’re trying to seduce me.’

  Simone laughed. ‘Probably not.’

  ‘What about Socrates?’

  ‘He’s fine for the moment. No one other than my father and Councillor Stone knows we’re here.’

  John slid his hands around Simone’s waist, pulling her closer. ‘I guess you’re right.’

  ‘You’re only just starting to realise that?’

  It was John’s turn to laugh. ‘I don’t deserve you.’

  ‘Probably, but you’re stuck with me now.’

  ‘I’m also way too old for you.’

  Simone leaned in and whispered in his ear. ‘It’s a good thing I like older men.’

  Thirty-Eight

  A steady humming sound permeated the high-tech robotics laboratory operated by Professor Daniel Holstein. The sound grew in pitch, then modulated across several frequencies, before stabilising as a dull hum just on the edge of human hearing. A series of LED screens showed data scrolling across them. The majority of it was raw code, while one screen showed dense clusters of multicoloured dots against a pale-grey outline of the city of Iona. Professor Holstein stood watching the screens in silence, while Socrates sat on a metallic chair. The back of the android’s head was pulled apart and a heavy-gauge data cable was plugged into his multiport interface. His face looked like a doll melted in the sun as he sat motionless.

  ‘Anything?’ John asked.

  The professor said nothing.

  ‘Excuse me, Professor?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Have you made any progress in determining if Socrates is vulnerable to the Flux Cell disruption device?’

  ‘It is impossible for me to state with any degree of certainty without understanding the nature of the device which caused the Flux Cell malfunctions.’

  ‘Okay, so there’s no way of knowing?’

  Professor Holstein turned to look at John. ‘There is not.’

  ‘Right, that doesn’t help us much.’

  John turned to Simone, who was leaning against a workbench piled high with circuit boards and composite metallic panels.

  ‘I thought your father said we’d be able to get Socrates checked out?’ John asked.

  ‘He did,’ Simone said.

  ‘Doesn’t sound like it.’

  Simone walked over to stand beside Professor Holstein. The data continued to scroll across the LED screens.

  ‘Professor, what did my father ask you to do?’ Simone asked.

  ‘Qallan Frost told me to download the data from Socrates’s full spectrum of sensors for the past twenty-four hours,’ Professor Holstein replied.

  ‘To what end?’

  ‘He tasked me with analysing the data for any unusual energy fluctuations and then cross-referencing them against real-time energy readings across the entire city of Iona by tapping into the Iona Corporation’s field sensor arrays.’

  Simone pointed at the screen showing the multicoloured dots against the ghostly outline of the city of Iona.

  ‘Is that what this is showing?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes.’

  More dots were appearing on the screen every second and the larger dots continued to grow in size and brightness. Simone’s eyes opened wider as she stared at the screen.

  ‘Oh, my God …’ she whispered.

  ‘What is it?’ John asked.

  ‘If I understand what the professor is doing, then those dots represent similar energy spikes to the ones experienced yesterday when the Flux Cells malfunctioned.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Socrates would have recorded the Flux Cell spikes. These energy readings are identical to what happened before those Flux Cells malfunctioned.’

  ‘Hang on a second, how could Socrates have recorded that data? We were nowhere near those Flux Cell surges.’

  Socrates turned his distorted face to look at them as he spoke.

  ‘My sensors record continuously on a vast array of spectrums. Even though I was not physically present at the Flux Cell surge locations, the resultant energy waves travelled a considerable distance from their focal points,’ Socrates said.

  John considered what Socrates had said. He then looked at the LED screen showing the blossoming dots across the city.

  ‘Are you saying that each one of those dots represents an energy surge identical to the one that caused the Flux Cell malfunctions?’

  ‘The display is a graphical representation of the focal points for the same energy patterns which preceded the Flux Cell surges,’ Socrates said.

  ‘So, each one of those dots could be a potential surge?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What the hell are they up to?’ John asked.

  ‘There is insufficient data to postulate a hypothesis.’

  The dots on the screen continued to multiply. Some of them were moving. That’s when John realised the true implications of what he was looking at: each one of those dots was a Flux Cell in a vehicle, a building or any other device that was powered by one. And all of them were being affected by the same energy pattern that had caused Flux Cells, along with parts of the surrounding vehicles they had been installed in, to disappear.

  ‘This is insane. If all of these Flux Cells malfunction at once it won’t just cause chaos and panic. They’ll take a fair chunk of the city with them,’ John said.

  ‘I need to call my father,’ Simone said.

  ‘You do that. I think it’s time we got an update from Councillor Stone on what she found in that e-storage box,’ John said.

  Simone took out her phone and placed the call. She walked towards the back of the lab. John turned his attention back to the professor and his android partner.

  ‘Professor, based on the data you’ve analysed from Socrates, is there any way to protect his Flux Cell?’ John asked.

  Professor Holstein scratched the back of his head as he considered the question. After a moment, he said, ‘I have checked Socrates’s power cells. Both of them appear to be undamaged.’

  ‘Both? He’s got two Flux Cells?’

  ‘The first power cell appears to be a standard Flux Cell. I am unable to determine the nature of the second cell. It is heavily shielded and resists any attempt to scan it.’

  ‘Professor, is the second cell active?’ Socrates asked.

  ‘I am unable to detect any energy signature but it is impossible for me to scan it to confirm,’ Professor Holstein replied.

  ‘Can’t you check it yourself?’ John asked Socrates.

  ‘The second cell does not show up on any of my self-diagnostic routines,’ Socrates replied.

  John cast a glance to where Simone stood talking to her father on the phone. The same man who had built Socrates and a myriad of other advanced technology employed by the Iona Corporation.

  ‘I think I know someone who might be able to tell us about that second cell,’ John said.

  ‘You believe Qallan Frost knows about my secondary pow
er source?’ Socrates asked.

  ‘Knows about it? I’m fairly certain he put it there.’

  Thirty-Nine

  Professor Holstein removed the data cable from the back of Socrates’s head with a loud click. The android reached back with his hands and pulled the back of his head closed, stretching the skin on his face at the same time. It was a rather unnerving sight and acted as another reminder of what Socrates truly was. The android stood up just as Simone finished her phone call.

  ‘What did your father say?’ John asked.

  ‘They’re working through the data on the e-storage device,’ Simone replied.

  ‘What about the energy signatures?’

  Simone said nothing.

  ‘Simone?’

  ‘He’s worried, John. Whatever is going on, whoever is behind all of this, has got him truly concerned. I haven’t seen him like this since …’

  ‘Since?’

  ‘Since my mother died.’

  John nodded. Then he frowned.

  ‘Does having those energy signatures help us find whoever is behind this?’ he asked.

  ‘Only if we could figure out what the pattern is.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  Simone pointed at the LED screen with the glowing dots depicting Flux Cells.

  ‘That energy signature that Socrates recorded appears to affect the Flux Cell by tampering with its anchoring mechanism. We know it can overload it.’

  ‘If that were the case, wouldn’t all of these Flux Cell have imploded by now?’

  ‘Not necessarily.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Socrates, is there any difference in the energy pattern you detected before the Flux Cell malfunctions occurred? Did it change in any way?’

  ‘Based on my analysis, the energy pattern modulated in intensity zero point zero one seconds before the Flux Cell event which transpired outside the CTS facility yesterday morning,’ Socrates said.

  ‘How significant was the change?’ Simone asked.

  ‘It increased exponentially to the power of ten.’

  ‘So, it was deliberate.’

  ‘I think we already assumed that?’ John asked.