by Drew Wagar
The Obelisk’s deep voice spoke. ‘One administrator must be selected to service the augmented management system. The AMS is located two levels down within this facility. Axial alignment requires adjustment by another administrator within the antenna complex above. An elevator is available to take you to the aerial platform where adjustments can be made. Replacement parts will be provided.’
‘Sounds like two teams,’ Coran said.
‘Confirmed,’ The Obelisk replied.
‘What is the augmented management system?’ Mel asked.
‘The AMS is the central governing capability of all Esurio systems,’ the Obelisk replied. ‘Its purpose is to manage all the disparate facilities on the planet, ensuring communications, telemetry, diagnostics and centralised management of all aspects of terraforming control. It is currently non-functional. Without it, terraforming status will continue to decay, ultimately rendering Esurio uninhabitable.’
‘Uninhabitable?’ Kiri asked.
‘Everyone will die,’ Zoella said. ‘Like my vision …’
‘Confirmed,’ the Obelisk said. ‘Without the AMS, the magnetic field boosters, atmospheric processors and nano-tech systems will remain functioning poorly, ultimately leading to cascade failure and complete shutdown. Atmospheric pressure will drop and inimical radiation will reach the service, rendering human life impossible. AMS replacement is imperative.’
‘And you have the replacement parts?’ Coran asked.
There was a short pause.
‘Replacements are available,’ the Obelisk replied.
‘Right then,’ Coran said. ‘Meru, Kiri, you’re going up, neither of you are scared of heights. Mel you can go with them. Zoella, Fitch, Ira and me will go down and fix this AMS whatnot.’
‘Holographic assistants are available to guide you through the necessary procedures,’ the Obelisk said. ‘Do you wish them to be activated?’
Zoella looked around at the rest of the crew. Everyone shrugged.
‘Yes, please activate,’ Zoella said.
There was faint shimmer in the air, and a series of beams of light flashed out from above them. The crew gasped in surprise and backed away as two people appeared before them.
Both had dark skin and were short and stocky. Their gender was difficult to tell, both had short cropped hair and blank expressions. They appeared to be dressed in lightweight jackets and trousers.
Meru was the first to recover from the surprise.
‘They’re not really there,’ he said. ‘Look, you can see through them … like a reflection in glass.’
‘This facility is equipped with seventh generation holographic projection technology,’ the Obelisk said. ‘Holographic assistants may be queried on all subjects and can demonstrate procedures.’ There was a pause. ‘Administrators unfamiliar with this technology should note that holographic assistants have no physical presence.’
The first turned as Meru approached him.
‘Welcome Meru,’ he said. ‘I am Zane. How may I assist you?’
Meru looked over his shoulder with a grin.
‘What a strange accent,’ Kiri said.
‘Welcome Kiri,’ Zane said, appearing to look at her. ‘It is good to meet an administrator after all this time. Asha and I have been deactivated for almost two thousand rounds.’
Kiri swallowed. ‘Two thousand rounds?’
Zane nodded. ‘You are the first administrators to visit this complex since round three four one.’
‘What … what are you?’ Coran managed to ask.
The second person, Asha, turned towards him. Her voice was lighter, feminine, but also with the curious accent.
‘We are artificially intelligent reference simulations,’ she said. ‘Our physical appearances are based on the vital statistics of the initial eighty Esurio colonists, averaged to a mean and then adjusted to provide a …’
‘You’re what the original settlers of Esurio looked like?’ Mel asked.
Asha nodded. ‘We are an approximation of their appearance.’
‘And there were eighty?’ Meru asked. ‘How did …?’
‘Not now, Meru,’ Coran said, interrupting him. ‘Two teams, let’s get on with this. We’ve got work to do.’
‘We need to reach the antenna complex,’ Meru said to Zane.
‘I can show you the way,’ Zane said. ‘We shall be team one. Kiri, Meru and Mel, please follow me.’
‘We shall be team two,’ Asha said. ‘Zoella, Ira, Coran and Fitch, please follow me.’
The crew of the Mobilis watched as the two figures strode off a few paces, then turned and beckoned. The crew broke into two groups and followed them. Only Fitch hung back.
‘So we’re just going to trust them?’ Fitch asked.
‘Got any other suggestions?’ Coran asked.
‘No, but neither am I all that enthusiastic about following a pair of ghosts around an ancient building,’ Fitch said, shaking his head. He gestured to Zane and Asha. ‘No offence meant.’
‘You’ll have to stay here on your own then.’ Coran said, with a grin.
‘No, no, somebody sensible needs to keep an eye on you all.’ Fitch rolled his eyes. ‘Ghosts, disembodied voices, talking tables, magic, witches and funny lights in the sky. You can’t surprise me with anything any more.’
‘Keep your eyes peeled,’ Coran said.
‘Oh I will,’ Fitch replied. ‘Don’t you worry.’
* * *
Kiri, Meru and Mel followed Zane along a brightly lit corridor. They entered an ovoid-shaped capsule attached to the main building. A door closed behind them.
Kiri looked around in surprise, seeing Meru and Mel do the same. The room was perhaps fifty hands in length and half that in width. The walls were curved glass, but looking out on to plain metal walls.
‘Where are we?’ Kiri asked.
‘This is an elevator,’ Zane replied. ‘Please standby.’
There was only the faintest sense of motion. The walls outside the room moved downwards as the entire capsule moved upwards. The light of Lacaille burst in about them and the walls fell away, revealing that the capsule was ascending the Obelisk tower.
Kiri gasped as she looked out of the sides of the capsule, seeing the buildings shrinking as they rose higher into the air. Within moments the entire layout of the compound could be seen stretched out around them.
There was no sound, nor a hint of vibration, as they ascended. The structure of the Obelisk could be seen in greater detail, a vast tracery of complex woven metalwork moving past the windows at a dizzying speed.
She could see that the structure was narrowing as they rose, the great supporting struts of the Obelisk moving closer and closer.
There was a flicker outside the windows and the view was obscured for a few brief moments in a mist. Then Lacaille’s light blazed once more. They were above the clouds now, looking down at the ground through the wispy air.
There was then the faint sense of lightness in her feet and she sensed the capsule was slowing in its upwards trajectory. Scant moments had passed before it came to a halt amidst a complex series of transparent tunnels. The door opened.
‘We have arrived at the Antenna Complex,’ Zane said, walking before them. ‘Please follow me.’
Zane led them through a series of the glass tubes.
‘Woah …’ Meru said, trying not to look down.
‘Keep looking forwards,’ Kiri said.
‘I am … it’s not helping!’
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before they reached a more solid surface. They entered an enclosed bubble in which a series of consoles were arranged in an octagonal configuration.
‘This is the Antenna Complex Guidance Control System,’ Zane said. ‘Various components have failed and must be replaced.’
Zane gestured to large storage lockers that lined the walls.
‘Replacements can be found here.’ He turned to the central consoles.
‘Access the panels by opening the compartments beneath.’
/> Kiri looked at Meru. He moved forward and inspected the consoles.
‘These are like those I saw in that abandoned telescope place,’ he said.
‘Dozens of them filled with dark green panels …’
‘They are circuit boards,’ Zane said, by way of clarification.
Kneeling down, Meru found out how to remove the front section of each cabinet. Inside was a series of cables, all plumbed together, all connected to a series of boards slotted into parallel grooves. On each board were tiny little devices, some round, some cylindrical, small and neat. Between them hundreds of fine metal wires could be seen, connecting them.
‘The same,’ he said.
‘These are like those things we found on the Scattered Isles,’ Mel said. ‘There were crates of them, but we never found out what they were.’
‘So, what are these things?’ Kiri asked, looking at Zane.
‘Circuit boards are discrete electronic and optronic processing devices,’ Zane replied. ‘They are designed to provide particular capabilities and are arranged together to form a complete mechanism.’
‘Yeah, that helps,’ Kiri said, rolling her eyes.
‘We have to replace these?’ Mel asked.
‘That is correct,’ Zane said.
‘Is that all?’ Mel asked.
‘The malfunctioning boards must be replaced,’ Zane said. ‘The Antenna Complex is unable to align effectively without them. This adversely impacts cooling and magneto-electric management systems.’
‘What’s wrong?’ Kiri asked.
Mel shrugged. ‘Don’t know. Just seems … so simple.’
Meru was nodding. ‘Why can’t they be fixed?’ he asked. ‘I mean, everything else here is shiny and polished …’
Kiri looked around her. They were right. Everything looked brand new, clean and polished. It had been the same outside, the paving clear, the gardens and flower beds trimmed.
‘Board replacement can only be carried out by authorised administrative staff,’ Zane replied.
Kiri shrugged. ‘Well, we’d better get on with it then I suppose.’
She knelt down beside Meru and inspected the boards.
Each one was topped with a light. Most of them were green, but she could see a number were red.
‘Guess those are the ones that need replacing,’ she said.
Meru nodded.
‘Boards 5a, 14a, 15a and 22b must be replaced in this cabinet,’ Zane said.
Kiri counted along, noting the red lights. ‘He’s right you know.’
Meru smiled. Each board was secured by a locking bolt that could be twisted up or down. Meru twisted each one and then the boards popped free. The red lights went off.
Kiri slid the first board out and turned it over to inspect it. She could make nothing of it. It looked like metal embroidery to her.
‘Doesn’t look broken,’ she said.
‘Componentry fails on a microscopic scale,’ Zane replied from behind them. ‘It cannot be visually diagnosed.’
Kiri handed the board to Mel.
‘We need another 5a board,’ she said.
Mel looked through the storage lockers. Kiri could see dozens of the boards were all installed there.
‘Snuts,’ Mel said. ‘There are hundreds of these things. How am I … wait, they’re in order. Is this the one?’
Mel pulled a panel out, giving it to Kiri. As far as she could see it was identical.
‘You have identified the correct replacement,’ Zane said.
She slid it back in between the appropriate flanges and pushed it into place. It snapped home with a decisive click. Meru twisted the securing bolt into place.
A green light came on.
‘There we go,’ Meru said.
‘Simple enough,’ Kiri said. ‘This should be easy.’
Above them, through the clear arched glass, they could see the structure of the Obelisk rising further into the sky. Above it Lacaille blazed, its light growing bluer by the second.
‘Alacrity is required,’ Zane said. ‘Another flare is imminent, radiation shields have failed and magnetic booster output is insufficient.
‘I think he means let’s move it!’ Meru said.
* * *
Asha led Zoella, Ira, Coran and Fitch down a corridor until they came to a wide spiral set of stairs which led down. The area was illuminated only by overhead lights with a sharp blue glow. As they reached the bottom of the staircase Zoella found herself in a circular room with every available wall covered in moving images.
They seemed to be views of the planet from many different vantage points. Zoella could make out seas, mountain ranges, vast forests and barren deserts. Some cities were also visible, Ira pointed out Airea, its white material construction obvious. There was another view of the frozen wastes. Zoella shivered as she remembered the freezing icy trek through those desolate lands.
‘I wonder how these pictures are collected?’ Coran asked.
‘The AMS is able to monitor several hundred locations by means of remote cameras and drone technology,’ Asha replied.
‘There you go,’ Fitch said, deadpan. ‘Drone technology. Obviously. I thought you all knew that.’
Coran shot him a look, but Fitch stood there with his arms folded.
‘Don’t show Meru this,’ Coran said, smiling at Zoella. ‘We’ll never get him back out again.’
Zoella nodded.
‘He was bad enough with Caesar,’ she replied. ‘Asha, where do we need to go now? Where is the AMS?’
Asha gestured at a sealed pair of doors along one side of the room.
‘The AMS is located through these security doors,’ she replied. ‘They can only be unlocked by administrators.’
Coran gestured for her to proceed and, watched by Fitch, Zoella and Ira moved towards the doors. Another one of the palm readers was positioned alongside it. Zoella placed her hand upon it.
‘Identify confirmed. Access granted, administrator Zoella.’
The doors slid into the walls. Inside, a short corridor could be seen, ending in another pair of doors.
Asha led the way, with Zoella and Ira behind her. Coran and Fitch were still in the monitoring room, looking at the images on display. They turned and moved to follow.
There was a brief hiss. Zoella and Ira turned to see the doors closing behind them. Zoella caught a brief glimpse of Coran’s face and heard an alarmed shout which was cut off as the doors snapped closed.
* * *
The first console didn’t take long for Kiri and Meru to sort out, so they moved to the second one. Mel was sorting through the spares. Zane stood behind them, watching their progress.
‘Circuit boards 4a through to 16b must be swapped out,’ Zane said. ‘Please use the appropriate spares from the parts provided.’
Kiri pulled the board out and handed it to Meru. He held on to it while Mel found the appropriate replacement. Kiri then swapped the new one back in, ensuring the locking mechanism was returned to the original position.
They repeated the process time and again, watching as, each time, the corresponding light flickered from red to green.
Kiri handed yet another board to Meru. This time he stood up.
‘You alright?’ Kiri asked.
‘Just need to stretch my legs,’ Meru said. ‘Getting a bit sore crouching down there.’
Kiri watched him stroll past Zane and over to the locker where Mel was sorting through the spare boards. After a few moments he came back again, a board in his hand. He gave it to her.
Kiri took it and slotted it into place, saw the green light come on and went to pull out the next board.
‘Wait,’ Meru said.
‘What’s the matter?’ Kiri asked.
Meru turned around and got to his feet, looking at Zane.
‘I just swapped the broken one back in,’ Meru said, his voice stiff. ‘At least, the same one the light said was broken. Now it seems to have miraculously fixed itself. What’s going on?’
&n
bsp; ‘What?’ Mel and Kiri asked together.
‘I didn’t swap the board,’ Meru said to them. ‘It’s the same one we took out.’ He looked at Zane. ‘Explain that.’
‘Non administrative staff cannot make requests of Obelisk facilities,’ Zane replied.
Kiri got to her feet alongside Meru and glared at Zane.
‘Answer him,’ she said. ‘We’re not changing anything more until you tell us what’s going on. Are these boards really broken, or not?’
Zane didn’t reply. His image vanished in a brief flicker of light.
‘Bring him back,’ Kiri shouted into the air. ‘Hey. Obelisk! This is administrator Kiri, switch Zane on, we need to speak to him.’
There was no response.
‘Obelisk, answer me!’ Kiri demanded.
Mel was looking back the way they had come.
‘Does anyone get the feeling we’ve been decoyed up here?’ she asked, her voice hushed.
Kiri and Meru were looking at her.
‘But why?’ Meru asked.
‘I think we’d better find the others,’ Kiri said. ‘And fast!’
They ran towards the capsule.
* * *
Zoella stared at the closed doors for a moment, before looking at Ira. She looked alarmed, her pale eyes wide with surprise.
‘Why has the door closed?’ Zoella demanded, turning to look at Asha.
‘Access to the AMS is not permitted to non-administrators,’ Asha said.
‘Why not?’ Zoella asked.
‘Security protocols apply,’ Asha answered.
‘Open the door,’ Zoella said. ‘We’re not going any further until you let our friends in.’
‘The AMS must be repaired,’ Asha said. ‘There can be no further delay. Another flare is imminent, radiation shields have failed and magnetic booster output is insufficient.’
Asha turned. The doors at the opposite end of the corridor opened.
Zoella ignored them, stepping towards the closed doors and banging on them.
‘Coran! Fitch! Can you hear me?’
She could just make out their muffled voices on the other side. She made out Coran’s voice.
‘Are you both alright?’
‘Yes,’ Zoella answered. ‘Asha won’t open the door. She says it’s not permitted for non-administrators. She says another flare is coming …’
