The Crucible

by Mark Whiteway

  She leaned forward and took his hand. “I want this. Let me give my life meaning by saving my people and yours.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. His vision blurred, and their bodies trembled as they embraced beneath the ever-bright sky.

  ~

  The sky faded, and Quinn stood once more in a dusty corridor that smelled of stale cigar smoke and old varnish. Before him, emblazoned in peeling gold lettering on frosted glass were the words:

  Lance Larsen

  Private Investigator

  He turned the handle and entered without bothering to knock.

  The same gaudy female with bleached blond hair glanced at him over her horn-rimmed spectacles.

  “Oh, it’s you. Go on in. Mr Larsen is—”

  Ignoring her, he crossed the room and entered the inner office.

  Staring out of the window was Aurek, dressed in a loose-fitting business suit. He turned, and his mouth twisted into a smile.

  “Hello, Quinn. I pulled you into this simulation so I could explain what’s about to happen.”

  “No, you didn’t,” Quinn replied. “I’m sorry, but this isn’t your simulation. Another Elinare is calling the shots—Salahan. I believe you know her.”

  When the scenario had been drawn from Quinn’s mind alone, Aurek’s re-creation had no recollection of her. But now she was interposing her memories.

  Aurek’s signature smirk vanished. “That’s not possible.”

  “I can prove it,” Quinn said. “You’re about to tell me of your plan to introduce a spurious command that will corrupt the AI’s interconnected systems. I want you to recall that command now.”

  Aurek leaned his palms on the desk, and his brow furrowed. “I can’t. Why? Why don’t I remember?”

  “It’s simple. This scenario is drawn from my and her memories. You are a representation of Aurek, and that information died with you… is about to die with you.”

  “Then I don’t under—”

  “We’re attempting to re-create the conditions under which you destroyed the AI. On the Osei ship—or a representation of it, at least—my absorption is already underway. Salahan has assumed the nature of the AI.”

  Tat tat tat! Gunfire echoed from somewhere in the building.

  “This is madness. You’ll both expire!”

  “I admit that’s a possibility. But in the real world, the AI has almost completely overrun the Consensus. Earth and its dependent worlds will be next. If I don’t find a way to destroy this thing, then everything and everyone I’ve ever known will be gone.”

  Aurek shook his head. “I don’t have the answer you seek. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re a re-creation of Aurek. His cleverness, his deductive reasoning… everything he was is within you. Salahan loved you. She believed you could do it, and so do I. If you are successful, then you will destroy the AI in this scenario, and she will be… no more. But I have a chance of survival just as I did before. Do you understand?”

  Aurek gazed into space and nodded.

  Wood splintered. Glass shattered. A woman screamed.

  Quinn went behind the desk, unlatched the window, and pushed it open. The thrum of traffic drifted up from beneath. He climbed onto the ledge. In the street far below, cars were parked at crazy angles, and people hid in shop doorways.

  He looked back at Aurek and smiled. “We’re counting on you.” Rapid gunfire sounded, along with shouts of alarm… then a massive explosion. He leapt into midair and fell, outstretched like a dying bird.

  ~

  Oozing shapes filled the ramp leading to the Osei vessel’s engineering deck, cutting off Quinn’s escape. A shiny, black tentacle coiled vicelike around his forearm. His muscles froze, and his teeth gritted.

  The tentacle merged with his upper arm and shoulder, and its tip waved a centimetre in front of his eye as numbness crept into his bones.

  A bright light emerged from his forehead and vanished into his arm. Then his arm glowed. The tissues felt as if they were being torn apart as fire battled ice. His eyes closed, and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Unfamiliar symbols stampeded through his mind.

  Then with a sound like the soughing of an autumn wind, the dark masses collapsed into piles of ash.

  Agony drained from Quinn’s body. His head lolled, his legs crumpled, and his mind shut down, delivering him into the arms of unconsciousness.

  ~

  Quinn opened his eyes. The darkness was still there, but the shadows seemed familiar. Up ahead, a wide screen showed a muscle-bound dog with a spiked collar chasing a scrawny black-and-white cat. A movie theatre. I’m in a movie theatre. And not just any theatre. This was the Rocket Man, Eire Colony’s one and only cinema. How—

  “Congratulations, Quinn. You did it.”

  He turned and saw Salahan, her features flickering in the screen’s light. “You survived!”

  “Sadly, no. I am not Salahan. I am… an echo. Salahan designed me to activate after her expiry. I am keyed to respond as she would. You may ask me anything you wish.”

  The other patrons chewed popcorn and chuckled at the antics on the screen, seemingly oblivious to the pair chatting during the movie.

  Quinn swallowed. “Are you saying we won?”

  “If you mean did Aurek’s avatar determine the algorithm necessary to disrupt the AI’s command sequence, then yes. The Qan-ho-nah wish to thank you for your service.”

  “I didn’t do it for them.”

  “Nevertheless, your reactions were just as predicted. Aurek’s algorithm is a clever little beast. It takes advantage of the AI’s linked design, overloading and shutting it down, then corrupting itself before the AI can adapt. Rinse and repeat. You now have everything you need to neutralise it. Why is the mouse hitting the cat?”

  “Why is the what?” Quinn glanced back at the screen. “It’s just a cartoon, a form of entertainment designed to provide amusement.”

  “Very strange,” she said.

  “You say I have the means to defeat the AI, but I still don’t know how Aurek managed it.”

  “Salahan sealed the information in your subconscious so that not even one of the Elinare can access it. The Agantzane have spies everywhere. If they realise what you have, they will expire you without a thought. Others such as the Cethlan might seek to use the information for their own advantage. You must tell no one of its existence.”

  “But how can I use what I cannot access?”

  “It will haunt you in your dreams, Quinn. Look for it there.”

  “My dreams?”

  She cocked her head. “Dreams. Or nightmares, perhaps.”

  The air in the cinema seemed suddenly cold.

  “What of Keiza? What happened to her?” Quinn asked.

  “I don’t know. Many have expired in this conflict already. Many more will likely perish before it is over.” She took his hand in hers and smiled. “You must be strong, Human Quinn. The fate of all rests in your hands.” She released him, and her expression slackened. “Why is the mouse hitting the cat?”

  Quinn stood up. “I’m sorry. I have to leave now.”

  Her gaze remained transfixed on the screen as Quinn turned and exited the cinema.

  ~

  Quinn awoke with his back against a stone floor. His head felt like the inside of a bell, and his calves were red with agony.

  Kah-lar leaned over him, something pressed against his arm, and he heard a hiss.

  “Wha—” he began.

  “Pain relief,” she said. “Your nerve receptors show high levels of stress.”

  The burning at the stake. Salahan was no longer in his head and countering the pain.

  Kah-lar’s finely chiselled Kimn features were replaced by those of Par-shan. “You passed out. What happened?”

  “I had a little run-in with the Elinare, but she’s gone now.”

  “Gone?”

  “For good. Turns out she was on our side after all. Who knew?” Quinn winced.

  Par-shan and Kah-lar exchanged a
look.

  “The Osei has become delirious,” Par-shan said.

  He grimaced and tried to sit up. “Keiza left her. Don’t know why.”

  “Also, I must inform you that Vil-gar has expired.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “You know?”

  “Long story.”

  Par-shan lowered her voice. “Vil-gar’s passing means that our mission on Pann is a failure.”

  You must tell no one. Salahan’s warning rang in his head. Best play along for now. “We can’t do any more good here. If the Cethlan will agree to provide us with transport, I would like to rejoin the Kimn vessel and then head for the Maaka nebula. Last time I spoke with Zothan, the gormgast were on the brink of defeat. We should make Nemazi our base of operations.”

  “The Nemazi have just three operational darts,” Par-shan said. “And we’re expecting the bulk of the Damise fleet to come crashing through from the neighbour universe any day now. Even with the addition of the Cethlan fleet, we can’t hope to stand against them.”

  Quinn grimaced in a vain attempt at bravado. “They may find we have a few surprises up our sleeve.”

  “What of the Osei?”

  “We’ll bring her with us. Maybe we’ll find an opportunity to help her down the line.”

  Kah-lar waved an instrument over him that looked like a small aerial while staring at another that looked like a TV remote. “Your Shade illness is worsening. Organs are undergoing changes I can only guess at.”

  Quinn brushed fingertips over his temple, cheek, chin, and neck. Virtually his entire face was now covered in hard lesions. “I feel fine.”

  Kah-lar shook her head. “Heartbeat is up. Blood pressure is abnormally high.”

  “How do you know? You have no other humans to form a baseline comparison.”

  “I think you should stay off your feet for a few minutes.”

  Quinn stood with as much dignity as he could muster. “Sorry, doc. No time. Got worlds to save.”

  ~

  The Cethlan transport’s interior was dark and winding. A slithering Cethlan accompanied them everywhere, which was just as well because Quinn would have gotten utterly lost on his own. At length, the transport touched down, and he found himself blinking in the lights of the Kimn vessel’s landing bay. A small welcoming committee of Kimn were there to meet them. At the front, he recognised Syn-moon.

  Par-shan descended the ramp first, but Quinn got ahead of her. Syn-moon nodded to Par-shan then settled her eyes on Quinn. “I am glad to see you are safe, Quinn.” She sounded solemn.

  Quinn gave a slight bow. “Thank you. We were set upon by a large force from the lower levels before we could reach the avatron. I regret to report the loss of the four male Kimn, one healer, and one engineer. The avatron was unable to sustain Vil-gar, and so he, too, was lost.”

  “That is grave news.”

  “We mustn’t lose hope. Pann’s upper level is largely devastated but is free of AI contamination. As you can see, we managed to secure the support of a coalition of lower races, including the Cethlan fleet. I have spoken with Zothan. The gormgast are on the verge of defeat. Once Nemazi is secure, we can—”

  “Quinn, may I speak with you in private?”

  Quinn’s mouth flapped like a landed fish. “Uh, why yes, of course.”

  Syn-moon addressed Par-shan with a short bow. “Welcome back to the Shasallah and to our cushatra. Please arrange safe departure of the Cethlan transport. Give the Cethlan fleet commander my compliments and inform him we will be leaving orbit shortly. Then see to the disposition of your party and yourself. Ship’s provisions and medical facilities are at your disposal.”

  Par-shan returned the bow.

  Syn-moon turned on her heel and headed across the landing bay. Quinn trotted to catch up. Her body language precluded small talk, so he followed in silence. Is she upset with me about something? He found that difficult to imagine as he had been down on Pann. The loss of Vil-gar was undoubtedly a body blow, and not just to their strategic plans. Even Quinn would admit that he missed the annoying little light bulb. But he could hardly be blamed for the failure of life-support equipment thousands of years old. The mission to save Vil-gar had been a dice throw from the start.

  Six Kimn had also been lost, but Pann was a dangerous place, and technically, Par-shan had been in charge…

  He was still rehearsing counterarguments as they ascended in an elevator, traversed a corridor, and entered what appeared to be a briefing room. Flowering vines decorated the walls, a living reminder of the lush home world that the Kimn had been cast out from millennia before. White seating rose from the floor to form a semicircle around a raised dais.

  Syn-moon selected a seat at random, and it moulded to fit her back and thighs. Quinn selected a seat across from her.

  Syn-moon’s expression softened to one of concern, and Quinn clasped his hands on his lap.

  “Conor and Vyasa,” she began. “They’re gone.”

  ~

  Quinn stared at her as his mind struggled to process the information.

  “Gone? What do you mean, gone?”

  “They are no longer aboard the Shasallah,” Syn-moon said.

  “Then where are they?”

  “I don’t know. When I determined they were missing, I initiated a systematic deck-by-deck search of the ship in case they had suffered an accident and were unable to communicate. We found nothing. However…”

  “However what?”

  “A couple of crew members overheard a heated argument between you and Vyasa in the corridor not far from your quarters shortly before you departed for Pann’s upper level.”

  He bristled. “Are you implying that I had something to do with their disappearance?”

  “I am submatriarch of this vessel,” she said, keeping her voice even. “The welfare of each and every person on board is my responsibility. When something amiss happens, I have a duty to investigate.”

  “Of course. You’re right, I’m sorry. Look, it was nothing really. I needed someone to watch out for Conor while I was away. I asked her because I trusted her. She… took it the wrong way.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “She thought I was abandoning her.”

  “She has feelings for you.”

  Quinn stared down at his hands. “Possibly… I suppose so.”

  “I see. I appreciate your honesty. It tends to support my prevailing theory.”

  “Which is?”

  “We discovered one other piece of evidence. Let me show you.”

  A panel slid open on her armrest. She waved a palm over it, and a rectangular patch of light appeared in midair just behind the dais, showing a backdrop of stars with a fuzzy oval patch at the centre. Quinn squinted at it. “What’s that supposed to be?”

  “Damise stealth technology renders a ship all but invisible. But if the ship remains at station for long enough, it leaves a subspace shadow, like a footprint. The day after you left for Pann, a vessel of some sort lay alongside our starboard quarter for a period of two minutes and thirty-four seconds. I had the computer do a complete correlation with ship’s systems. During that same period, this ship’s mass decreased by a little over ninety-five kilos, the combined mass of Vyasa and Conor.”

  “She kidnapped him.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “To… to get back at me, put pressure on me, I don’t know. Maybe she used her link with the Damise.”

  “Her what?”

  Quinn sighed. “Vyasa is a Damise reanimate. She died on Pann, and the Damise re-created her. She has one of their chips in her head.”

  “And you didn’t think to mention this before?”

  “I didn’t think it was relevant. When the Damise ship she was on was destroyed, their control over her was severed. She later proved that when she used her link to help us gain valuable intel during the siege of the Haven.”

  “The decision to trust her on this mission was not yours to make,” Syn-moon said. �
�You put this ship and its entire crew in jeopardy.”

  “I understand, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But Conor’s example shows that a reanimate can break their control.”

  “There is no guarantee of that either, Quinn.” She got up from the chair as the display fizzled out. “Either way, it no longer matters. They are lost to us and to you.”

  “No, we have to go after them.”

  “Even if I knew where they had gone, I couldn’t ask anyone to embark on a suicide mission.”

  “Then I’ll go alone.”

  “I can’t spare a transport, and you’re too vital to our cause.”

  “But I can’t just leave him out there!”

  “If we are victorious, then he will be freed anyway. If not, then he will suffer the same fate as the rest of us. I’m sorry, Quinn, but this is how it must be.”

  She turned away, and the briefing-room doors swished shut behind her. Quinn stared after her. The truth was she didn’t know the half. If she even suspected that the key to the AI’s operation was buried in his subconscious, she’d lock him up and throw away the key. Syn-moon had protected him, even inducted him into her family, yet once again he was repaying her with dishonesty. True, Salahan had warned him to tell no one, but if he couldn’t trust Syn-moon, then who could he?

  What was Vyasa up to? Had the Damise reestablished control over her, or was she cooperating with them voluntarily? What was it Keiza said? She may look and sound like Vyasa, but this is not the person you knew. She is a twisted creature, the Damise’s plaything. Had Vyasa been in league with them all along? Could she somehow have been responsible for Keiza’s disappearance?

  Quinn’s gut wrenched with the realisation that Conor was out there somewhere at the mercy of a brutal enemy. And I’m powerless to help him.

  ~

  That night, he dreamed with a clarity and precision he had never experienced before.

  He was a ringmaster striding out beneath the circus’s big top. Thousands cheered and clapped in an arena packed with humans, Shanata, Osei, and Badhati. Kimn whooped, Cethlan whistled, and giant Lampetia let forth their ululating cries. Quinn raised his top hat and milked the applause.

  Black-and-white-striped acrobats bounded away, revealing a large cage. Quinn froze. Crouched behind the bars was a winged creature with a lion’s head and a snake’s tail. He recognised the chimera he had encountered long before in the white room. Its yellow eyes smouldered, it bared its teeth, and its tail spat venom.