by Mark White
'You have a choice, if you feel like you can trust the people of the Confluvium, then destroy the control infrastructure once you ascend,' she suggested.
'I could, but I expect I'll have access to the information to build it anew. Can I ask one thing Safira?' I said.
'Of course,' she replied.
'Will either you or Kwasi monitor me? I will try to provide a Lictor android that you can inhabit as needed to perform physical actions. It is your responsibility to ensure the Stopcock infrastructure stays intact. If I start to act in the same way as Raj, trigger it. I must not be allowed to control people in that way,' I said. I'm not sure I can trust myself long term.
'I will fulfil that role,' said Kwasi, suddenly appearing. 'I will be your permanent support, and your conscience, Geraldine.'
'Kwasi, what happened?' said Safira. 'The process should not be complete yet.'
'It is complete. Raj is gone,' he said in a lifeless voice. 'Kofi's Redoubt had other plans for Raj.’
'What did he do?' I asked, stunned.
'It started as expected, the Redoubt partials helped to guide Raj into the bulk. Once there however, rather than helping him to embed, they surrounded him,' Kwasi said.
'So Kofi trapped Raj?' I asked.
Kwasi paused, clearly upset. 'Yes, he was trapped, and called to me for help. He was confused, but I could not approach. Kofi's Redoubts thinned, spread out and joined together, forming a continuous sphere around him.’
'So is Kofi still imprisoning Raj now?' Safira asked. 'Raj will need to embed soon if he is to correctly consolidate his consciousness in the bulk.'
'No. I didn't see what was happening at first, but then I realised that the sphere was shrinking. Raj was being constrained into a smaller and smaller region, and at the same time he appeared to be becoming weaker. It was as if Kofi was consuming Raj's life force,' Kwasi said, clearly distressed.
'Is he gone?' I asked.
'Yes, and so is Kofi,' said Kwasi. 'As Kofi absorbed Raj, he also seemed to attenuate. By the time Raj had faded away, all that was left of Kofi's Redoubts was a thin insubstantial film. Suddenly, like a bubble bursting, he was gone. No sign remains of Raj, or Kofi.'
Oh Kofi, serving us to the very end. 'I think this was Kofi's last service to us. He knew Raj would cause problems no matter what. It is probably for the best,' I said.
'You did not hear Raj's screams, or feel his pain,' said Kwasi. 'I’ll never forget those cries; the confusion, the pain, the sense of loss once he realised he was about to die. The architect of the Confluvium is no more, but he did not go gentle into that good night.'
That shut me up.
‘So is there any reason to wait?’ I asked. With no Raj, the clock is ticking for me to get into the Stream and start getting on top of things.
‘If you are ready Geraldine, no. There is no going back now,’ she said. 'However, don’t forget that you run the risk of the same thing happening to you as to Raj. Your personality could be fragile in its new environment. You must take care,' she said.
Shit I'd forgotten that it made him go insane.
'Will it help if I don't try to split myself across multiple androids and locations?' I asked.
‘Yes it should I believe,’ she replied. ‘But I cannot guarantee your long term safety. Your mind did not evolve to survive in an environment like the Stream. We will have to make sure you can fully ascend to join us before your consciousness degrades. From what we can see of Raj’s history, if you limit your activities, you should be safe for at least fifty years I think. We should make that the absolute limit before you ascend, preferably much earlier.’
'I have a lot to do before then it seems. I'll need to make sure the Stream's operation is fully autonomous and doesn't need an intelligence long term. I just hope that is possible,' I said. Shit, the implications are only just dawning on me. I might get to fully ascend though, what a prospect. I wish Kofi was still there to join me.
'If it is not possible, you will have to find someone to take your place,' Safira said.
'I guess that is a possibility, I probably ought to prepare that from the start as a contingency. Hey, I get to have an apprentice,' I said brightly.
‘First priority needs to be to stop the use of the bulk drive,’ Safira said to me.
'Agreed, it sounds as if that is dependent on me in the Stream anyway. I will need to let the sync drones complete a round of flights first to ensure Raj's personality is flushed out of the remote Sources, but no more. The sync drones will be the first ships to be replaced with bulk-skimmers,' I said, making it up as I was going along but trying to sound convincing.
'What will you tell the people of the Confluvium?' she asked.
'Honestly, I've no idea until I am there. I do not wish to cause mass panic, hysteria, or a backlash against me. I need to ensure a smooth transition first, and then see. I will need time to put things right, but then everyone deserves to know the truth. I will probably let people see the transcripts I prepared when we were about to deploy the Stopcock, although I will update it to cover the recent events,' I said. 'Most of all, I need to make sure humanity does not revert back into its old ways. I need to be confident we have learnt from our mistakes. That will take time.'
‘Agreed, that sounds the right approach,’ she said.
I guess I should be feeling more worried now as I’ll be in the Stream with no backup, no support. The main thing that’s worrying though me is the icy coldness I feel having heard Kwasi’s tale. I am certain Kofi did the right thing. I will make sure his actions are known and celebrated throughout the Confluvium. We could never have been free of Raj while he was here, interfering at every step.
I may have a much bigger burden on my shoulders now, but I feel free. Free to make this work for the benefit of all, without being beholden to Raj’s opinion at every stage. Thank you Kofi, your final service to me will not be forgotten, or be in vain. I will do my part to ensure your sacrifice has meaning.
‘Safira, is there any chance Raj may return?’ I asked, needing to be sure.
‘No, I have shared and reviewed Kwasi’s experiences, Raj is definitely gone. The only aspects of him that now remain are his AI personas and clones in the Lictors and the other Confluvium Sources,’ she replied.
‘Very well. Then there is no point in delaying this any further,’ I said. If I do, my courage might desert me.
‘It is time for me to go. I will take the next step. We are on our own now, so I need to get into the Stream and get everything under my control,’ I said.
‘Very well,’ said Safira, still looking a bit stunned. ‘Do you know what you’re going to do once you’re in the Stream, Geraldine?’
‘First task is to disable all the Lictors and androids. Secondly, I will send a sync of my personality to all the other Sources. That will finally purge Raj from humanity. Then I will need to take stock, review what Raj has left me, and decide how to reveal what has happened to the Decemvirate and the Confluvium. I will be back in touch with the both of you as soon as I can,’ I said.
‘Good luck, Geraldine. If there’s anything we can help with, please contact us immediately. Now, you know what you need to do,’ Safira said, gesturing towards the monolith.
I walked to face the monolith, and turned to both of them. ‘Thank you. I’ll see you both on the other side.’
‘Open the pod bay doors, HAL,’ I said and reached forward to touch it.
[Logging closed]
Valediction: Raj Tamboli - 31st Ianuarius 228PD
Yes, I am still alive. I did not die after the Flood. I could not, as my work was not yet done. It is still not complete, but now I can guide you through eternity.
Having saved humanity from itself with the Flood, I knew it still needed my guidance. Only I had the vision to ensure you did not fall back into the savagery of fascism. I was determined we should no longer be tied to a single, fragile planet. We should no longer be frightened of politicians who stoked up bigotry and hatred to achieve
their goals. We should no longer be divided by inequality and lack of opportunity.
I shaped the world in my own rational image, as I did the other races we met. Your safety and prosperity is down to me, do not doubt this.
Now it is time for me to pass the mantle of your immediate protection to one who has earned my trust. You also believe her to be dead, but instead she has been working in secret for your safety; former Decemvir Geraldine Mander will now help you, under my continued guidance and tutelage.
I will admit to one mistake - I misjudged the Safirans. I believed they could not be trusted, but instead they can help humanity achieve further greatness. Geraldine has shown me the glorious possibilities that lay in my future if I embrace the friendship they offer us.
I will be the first human to fully explore the path beyond this universe. I will monitor the Safirans and ensure they fulfil their promises. I will ensure Geraldine guides you as I did. You cannot be allowed to turn the clock back yet again. I will make humanity greater still.
For now, while I take the next steps towards ascension, I say farewell. Think kindly of me for the sacrifices I have made on your behalf. I ask for nothing in return but your understanding and gratitude.
