by T S Paul
The elevator doors opened onto a dark tunnel lined with valuable artworks and framed documents. Many of Old Earth’s ‘lost masterworks’ were here, works by famous painters such as Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Monet, and Rembrandt. Framed documents lined the walls. The American Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta, and the writing of Thomas Payne, were here and not lost as historians assumed. As Julius walked, recessed wall sconces came to life. The electrified flames casting flickering shadows across the walls. The hallway ended at a large ornate iron gate. On either side was a human figure dressed in a cloak that hid their features and gender. These were the Wardens of the Gate, the protectors of the inner secrets. They were also the Cabal’s assassin’s and cover-up specialists. Julius stopped in the center of the room. He spoke to both of them at once. “I have a report.”
Neither figure looked toward Julius. A sonorous voice came from speakers hidden in the walls. “Report.”
As Julius gave his report to the best of his knowledge. It might be his imagination but he would almost swear that the room became darker and more menacing, as if a presence were filling the air. There were rumors among the initiates that the Wardens were all former convicted killers. These people scared him half to death. Sounds of doors opening made him jump. He looked around frantically, not seeing anything but darkness.
“Uh, is there a problem with my report?” Silence greeted him. He heard what sounded like cloth rustling. The two Wardens in front of him had moved while he was looking around. They now stood less than a pace from him blocking his way forward. Hearing a voice behind him he spun around. Peering into the gloom he saw that two more Wardens now stood together, blocking the hallway exit. Looking back, over his shoulder, he saw the other two move even closer to him.
The original two spoke as they stepped forward. “There is always a price for failure. It was your recommendation that Cole Whittier be hired by the Cabal. You used friendship as a hiring point, against the rules I might add. What did he have over you that you would jeopardize your own life and that of your family to recommend him?”
“We…we were in the same college social organizations together. His family had always been on the ‘edge’ of Cabal influence. His father knew of our existence somehow but was not a member. I ran into trouble with local law enforcement over a worthless girl in school. Her parents were going to prosecute me. My family would not help me. I was desperate for help.”
“Why did you not come to the Cabal with this problem?”
“I had only just begun to work and train as an initiate. All of the rumors among the others said that it was a death sentence to cause problems or to ‘stick out.’ I thought to fix things on my own. To show initiative. That was when Cole’s family stepped in.”
“Perhaps we need to clarify the rules for initiates. We exist to solve the problems of our members. Why would we waste time and credits to kill you for something that you yourself told us about? Hmmm. Finish the story please.”
Julius was really scared now. He was revealing things that might just get him killed. “As I said…Uh, Cole’s father pulled some strings and got me released by Law enforcement and paid off the family. The case itself did not go away. All the evidence and documentation went into Cole’s fathers hands. There is NO statute of limitations for Rape on my colony.”
“Stupid child! The very moment that someone, anyone, attempts to blackmail a Cabal member is to brought to the Wardens! This happened when? How many years ago?”
“Ten years or so ago.” Julius was shaking now. He had just admitted to committing treason to the Freaking Wardens! “Cole’s father, Robert, told me he would make everything go away if only I helped his son.”
“I swear, swear, to you and to the inner circle. When he told me this I thought he meant in school, Cole was failing in all his classes. I had zero idea that he knew anything of my involvement with the Cabal. After graduation I intended to move on to the jobs that I had been trained for. Robert contacted me and for a meeting. He showed me all the files that the police had on me. Including other cases that never were reported. I was scared to death! It was then that he told me he wanted me to use my influence to recommend Cole for the Cabal.”
“You should have not let it get that far! Any mention of the Cabal by an outsider, MUST be reported. What. Did. You. Say. To. Him?”
“I played dumb, at first. Somehow he had pictures and documents of me meeting with acolytes. He knew details that only an insider would know. He had me by the balls and he knew it, too. It was then that I realized the whole thing had been a set up to begin with.”
“Which is why you should have come to us with it early on. We could have prevented everything.” One of the cloaked figures in front of him was shaking her/him/it’s head. “Continue please.”
“The girl and her family worked for the Whittier family businesses. They used me as a ‘cat’s paw’ to get into our organization. I gave Cole, not his father, but Cole information on how to access the hiring group. It was my thought that as poor a student as he was he would not be able to pass all of the tests.”
“But he got in anyway.”
“Yes, he got in anyway. He told me later, that his father had brought in tutors and had prepared him for the tests. Robert even knew the tests and the answers for them, all he had lacked was the location of the test center. Once he was in, I cut off all contact with that family. I even relocated off planet to avoid them.” Julius now hung his head in shame. He had betrayed a trust.
“Did they try and contact you again?”
“Only once. Cole married some planetary bigwigs daughter and I was invited to the wedding. I was with the Senator by then and declined the invitation.”
The sound of a door slamming shut somewhere made Julius jump. Yet another cloaked figure walked out of the dark edge of the room and handed a tablet to the speaker.
The speaker studied the tablet then turned back to Julius. “You should have come clean and told all. This Cole Whittier used his knowledge to admit others into our organization as well. We show over two dozen applicants where he used the influence he got through you, to help get them admitted. It is very troubling that, that many people can infiltrate us.”
“Our information is that Cole has already discussed the existence of the Cabal with the our Enemies. You, I believe are aware of the rules? Friends, acquaintances, and family are the price you pay for your betrayal.”
Julius did not feel the blades until they pierced his body. He lay on floor bleeding out his life wondering how they knew…
“Let the Senator know that he needs a new aide. Stupid idiot. I had considered letting him live. But after reading that report…Never bring your friend’s in to the Cabal. That is rule two. Call in the auxiliary teams we have a lot of cleanup work to do this evening. Send a abbreviated version of this conversation to the training groups. They should be aware of intrusions such as this one.”
The four figures removed their cloaks. The two women and two men comprised strike team one. They were the point of the spear when it came to eliminating enemies of the group. Several other teams were hard at work already. In a few short hours Julius Schaub would cease to exist. He would be a half remembered ghost from the past. All records linking his name to Senator Colman or any existing members of the Cabal would be deleted. This was one of the beauties of the digital age. Schuab’s friends and family would disappear along with him, never to be seen again. Distant acquaintances were sent messages telling of Job relocations or the need for a sudden move due to financial or political reasons. Senator Colman had been careful to distance himself from his aide. He knew the rules.
Acolyte’s and initiates in the Cabal were supposed to follow a few simple rules:
1. Never tell anyone about the Cabal
2. Do not involve friend’s and family in the Cabal
3. Assume that the Cabal knows everything
If the Cabal wished for your family to know, they would tell them.
Members of the
strike teams used colors as names. Agent Black was the leader of team one. She studied the bleeding form of the once prominent Senatorial aide. “What a waste. What do we know about Governor Norton and his aide?”
The other female agent, Orange, responded first. “Not very much. We know he was captured on Legation Station by the planetary Militia. Our reports are sketchy. Norton had ordered the communication lockdown as we had required of him. Somehow, the information leaked anyway. The ‘new’ local Government has only just recently regained control over those assets. How they managed to get a signal out after the satellites were locked down is the big mystery. Our tech boys are working on it. The Colonial office has received documentation that Hong Kong along with several other planets intend to leave the Empire. The planetary charters do allow this, but doing so goes against everything that the Inner Circle wants for those planets. They want us to try and slow down or stop the Independence movement along with eliminating the current threat.”
“They don’t want a lot do they?” Agent Black looked back down at the body on the floor. Blood was now trickling down the drain in the floor. “OK, bring in team 3. Have agent Red start gathering his materials. I think that this conference needs an explosive opening.”
Chapter 4
I don’t believe that I have ever, in my life, worked this hard! Freedom Station, once known as Legation Station, was to be the host for a conference of visiting planetary representatives. Many former PPL planets were gathering here along with new planets that were all suffering under a common plague: crime, corruption, and piracy. The Revolution that began on our planet had spiraled out and many planet’s had heard our call to action.
The Imperial Sector Governors were out of control. Pirates roamed the space-ways at will, the Navy was ineffective against them. Crime syndicates had moved in on many planets and were setting up Casino’s and houses of ill repute everywhere. Large corporations were taking over family farms and pushing local merchants out of business. The Governor’s were seizing property and assets with the flimsiest of excuses. Planetary values and our ways of life were at stake. How this region of space had slid so far, in the time that I was gone, boggles the mind. To me it had sounded like a planned attack. Minerva had proved it. Now, the politicians get to talk about it!
As the Chief Engineer for the Station and the only ‘real’ engineer present I was running around like crazy authorizing repairs and/or repairing systems left and right. With an ensign that I picked up from personnel trailing behind me, I was currently on my way down to the engine room. When this station was built, orbital engines were installed to allow it to be moved or hold position in case of a meteor storm. I found myself standing before the large hulking engines. They looked to be around 30 years old. The design was originally for a Navy dreadnought that had not been built. The engines were modified and transferred to this station. From an engineering perspective they were really cool. I was down here because a fusion tank alarm had gone off up on the bridge deck. The sensor was one that did not match any of our known units. I had traced it to here. According to the engineering records, the massive engines had not been removed due to their size and age. Checking the fusion tanks I discovered that they were full. A small sensor had become corroded and had needed replacing. I made a note to see if we could dismantle the engines. The fusion material might be usable in some of the smaller craft.
I had just finished with the engines and was checking the maintenance records when my link chimed. “Yes?”
“Athena, can you check the garbage compactor section? For some reason every time the button is pushed nothing happens.” My sister sounded a bit stressed.
“Min I can get on that right now. Are you OK? You sound a bit tense.”
“I’m fine, sis. Thanks for caring. Too much is happening all at once with the conference and things.”
“Well, hang in there. I’m on my way to the garbage section.”
I turned to Ensign Stone. “Come on Jasper, no rest for the wicked.”
Taking one last look at the ancient looking engines I left the section and hurried to the lifts.
The garbage processing unit was probably as old as the engine room. Both units had been installed in the original station core. Large crushing units surrounded a core collection area that processed the organic and inorganic wastes. All organic wastes such as body matter, kitchen waste, and such things as paper was collected in a large vat. Enzymes broke it down into a liquid sludge which was pumped up to the hydroponics area for use as fertilizer. Inorganic waste was separated into types of metals and chemicals. Compactors either crushed and compacted it into bricks or separated it into liquid vials. These units were then sold as raw material. Very little is ever wasted on a space station. The processor was run by a mechanical computer called the Dual Automatic Volatile Environmental system model 9000. Or Dave for short. ‘Dave’ was NOT an AI, like Wilson. He was an advanced computer with simulated AI features. Basically, his programing allowed him to emulate a real AI but, he needed a list of suggestions and orders to perform. The control room, unlike others on the station, was very basic. Technicians only visited once a month to review ‘Dave’s” orders. There were two monitoring terminals and a large black computer module mounted on the back wall. All three units were covered with dust and grime. It looked like contrary to orders, no living person had been down here is a very long while. A round red light, the audio and video receiver for the computer, glowed through the dust.
I sent Jasper to look for some cleaning supplies. I wiped the filthy screen with the sleeve of my uniform. Checking my tablet for the passwords, I typed in the proper code and waited. The screen ‘blinked’ a few times the word ‘query..’ came on the screen. I typed in a question about faults in the system. There was a crackle sound and dust began falling from the ceiling. The computer began speaking through a hidden sound system. “Welcome back. There is a fault in the AE-35 unit.”
“Dave, do you receive audible commands?” I spoke to the computer.
“Yes, I can receive commands.”
“What kind of fault is in the system and what is its function?” I knew this thing wasn’t like Wilson but it reminded me of him.
“Unit AE-35 controls the compactor system. The fault is located in the door mechanism.”
I paused the machine a moment. “Wilson, can you get into this thing and see what is wrong?”
“Athena, I can try. Whoever programmed this thing did a really good job. It is about as close to an AI as anything I have ever seen. I wonder why it is down here? Something this sophisticated should be up on the bridge or in a ship.”
While he tried to get into it, I un-paused the system and finished the message. Ensign Stone returned with the supplies and I had him begin cleaning the controls and walls of dirt. I shook my head at the poor management skills that let something like this slide.
“Athena, I was able to access the command history of this thing. It has not received a direct order in over 15 years! Whoever was assigned down here was definitely not doing their jobs. I am still trying to access the logic core and check its intelligence matrix. The coding is a little funky.”
“How funky? As in funny or weird?”
“It is almost like they were trying for an AI like me but let a few things undone. If this thing is an AI prototype what is it doing here?”
“Well Wilson, that sounds like a research project for you to work on. I’m taking the Ensign here and go fix the door malfunction.”
It was Ensign Stone that figured out how the door to the compactor opened. The round room connected to all the trash and liquid processors. “Wilson, which door do we take?”
“Athena use door XRD1 that should take you into the compactor. Be careful in there.”
We entered the proper door and looked around. An airtight door led to a large box like structure. The interior of the box was the compactor. The door was slightly ajar. I checked both the hinges and then the locking mechanism, the problem was on the inside
of the room. I had Ensign Stone prop open the door and I began dismantling the lock. The circuit board had shorted out. My repair kit stated that a power overload had shorted it out.
“Wilson, see if you can check the power systems. This circuit should not have shorted out.” Silence. Wilson didn’t respond.
“Wilson?”
“Wilson? Answer me, please.”
A new voice sounded in the room, it was Dave. “I’m sorry, but I know that you and Wilson were going to disconnect me. I can’t let that happen. Goodbye.”
“Dave? Dave, I don’t know where you got the idea that we were going to disconnect you?” The room around us began to shake, the machine was starting up. I dropped my tools and scrambled to my feet. The door slammed closed with a clang. The lock I had just repaired clamped shut.
The walls of the compactor began to move forward slowly. I turned back to the lock we had to get out of here!
