The Sin of Moloch

by Andrew Gordinier

  “We’re on the right track…” John had to stop himself before he said too much and had to explain Moloch and his attempt to wipe out mage society by blocking the ability to learn magic.

  “There are parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls that match this stuff! This goes from Nobel prize-winning math to ancient alien references so fast that the guy on TV with freak show hair won't buy it. Now, you say that this means we are on the right track, so I am totally creeped and freaked.” Deanna folded her arms across her chest and pouted in a very unbecoming way.

  “Look, I can’t tell you how I knew, but I knew that there were patterns in those texts that would match the data set at some point.”

  “A grand unified theory of physics is part of a data set that can be found in every religion on earth? This is insane.”

  “No, but it’s close.” John leaned in and examined the numbers again. It was hard to just look at them and picture the pattern they described, but it was there, and it would work.

  “So why do you want it? Why do you want this program?”

  “It describes data sets that will only work together in particular ways. One wrong number out of place and it will fall apart, creating chaos, but if they all fit together… They lock into place and are harmonic. I think it has a lot to do with M theory, as you described it. I think this might be world-altering access to the very nature of reality.”

  “Is that why you warned me not to run this through a graphics program and render it?”

  “Sort of.”

  “Sort of why?”

  “Because too much will drive you mad.”

  “Of course, insanity would come into this eventually. Is that ‘other’ group that would be upset about this a religion by any chance? Because I was really hoping not to be the focus of a holy war this week.”

  “I can’t even tell you.”

  “Then tell me why I shouldn’t publish this? This stuff would make me rich and famous.”

  “Because I will pay you very well.” John placed a banded stack of hundred dollar bills next to the keyboard. “And there is more.”

  “More money?”

  “More to solve.”

  Deanna snatched up the money and flicked through the bills, not trying to count them, just making sure they were all the same denomination. Gasping, she looked at John with her eyes wide and jaw hanging open.

  “So, that will be enough then?”

  “Being an FBI agent is a good gig!”

  “I’m not an… Oh, never mind. Just remember; don’t talk about it and don’t render it.”

  “No problem, money bags!” Deanna flashed a smile. John smiled back weakly before he wandered out into the cold winter air and crossed the snow-covered campus towards the Blue Line stop.

  Waiting for the train, John’s thoughts drifted, and he had yet another paranoid moment about trusting Deanna. She had introduced herself to him while he was working on a very primitive version of the program that she was now developing. She had been reading code over his shoulder in the computer lab. Not literally, she had been at the corner office testing a program that watched other terminals. She had come over, introduced herself, and told him how to rewrite several lines to avoid a subroutine that John had gotten wrong. Her eyes sparkled not for him but for the complicated math that his clumsy program was trying to deal with. After a few minutes, she had pushed John from his chair and taken over his terminal, rewritten most of his code, and asked if she could help. John had been hesitant, and she begged, in a way that he had since learned was not generally in her character.

  “I will fraking blow you if you let me work on this.” She had whispered while leaning forward so John could get a solid look down her loose shirt. As impressive as her physical endowments were, it was her coding skills that had convinced John. He was also sure that she had made a copy of his program before approaching him to help, so it was either keep track of her or let her run wild.

  Looking down the tracks to see if the train was coming, he enjoyed the symmetry of the rails running parallel out of sight, crossed by wooden ties supporting them. He could see the gentle pulse of the waves in the third rail that powered the trains. It reminded John of waves marching to shore with an eternal patience that only nature seemed capable of. John had decided to mimic that persistence and search for new patterns. When his program was completed, it would systematically run simulations on every permutation and safely determine what patterns worked and which ones wouldn’t. With luck, John would rediscover the patterns that had been lost over time, or at the very least, learn why he couldn’t heal people. It wasn’t the power of magic that troubled John, it was the senseless limits to what it couldn’t do. John could work with almost no effort to create, alter, or destroy almost anything. Not so with living things, those could only be killed.

  The train arrived, and John found a seat. Looking across the aisle at an old man, John mused that perhaps it was proof that there was a God. Some divine force had decided that there had to be limits to what his/her misguided children could do. But why limit the ability to alter living things? No shapeshifting, no healing, not even the ability to alter hair color without resorting to cheap light tricks. A potent mage, or a group of mages working together, could shatter the Earth’s core or pull the moon from orbit, how could that be allowed, but not a cure for cancer?

  When John told Conrad that he wanted to change the world, Conrad had responded by asking who he was going to save first and why. It was a question that still haunted John. Who would he save, and who wouldn’t he save? What was he going to do, wander through the children wards healing every sick kid he could, while a gunshot victim died in the ER? It was a line of thought that revealed to John just how many prejudices he had. It reminded him that he had to chose not to be a product of his environment and society. John transferred to the Red Line and did his best to clear his head of questions and doubt as he made his way north.

  John walked into Icosium Cafe extremely late and made his way towards the booth where Radha was seated. It was a bit out of the way, but it was one of Radha’s favorite restaurants. She smiled when she saw him coming, it cheered John and reminded him that sometimes things were as simple as that smile.

  “Sorry I’m late.” John kissed her on the lips quickly.

  “What happened?”

  “I had to swing by the computer lab at school, Deanna was freaking out.”

  “Really?” There was frost clinging to Radha’s words.

  “She found the pattern Moloch’s followers hid.”

  “The one that prevents people from learning magic?”

  “That and more.”

  “Such as?” The waiter arrived and placed mugs on the table and a small teapot between them. “I ordered you mint tea.”

  “Thanks. Like a lot of physics stuff that I don’t understand. Things like string theory and something called M theory. Deanna says that this equation may be part of the grand unified theory of physics.” John added sugar to his tea.

  “As in Einstein’s grand unified theory?”

  “I guess so, I’m going to have to do some research, but it’s world-altering kind of stuff.”

  After a long pause, Radha said, “I heard a quote the other day that made me think of you. It says that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

  “Who said that?”

  “Arthur C. Clark. I’ve never read any of his books, but I looked him up on the internet, he’s one of the greats of science fiction, some of the quotes from him sound very wise.”

  “If it’s science, some form of physics, how does it work? If it’s the math of the universe, how am I interacting with it? It’s just so frustrating to think about and see arbitrary limits that don’t make sense.” John sipped his tea.

  “John, I’m getting worried. It’s starting to get scary.”

  “That guy showing up asking questions?”

  “That and everything else. You’re keeping a lot of secrets from a lot of
people. I think Conrad and Eric are starting to get suspicious. Eric asked me all kinds of questions, he was very subtle, but I kept having to say that I didn’t know anything about what you were up to or where you were.”

  “I’ll have this all figured out soon, I think we're close.”

  “John, I think that you are taking too many chances at once. Put off the program for a while. Figure out what's going on and who this man is just to be on the safe side.”

  “I think you might be right.” John said begrudgingly and wondered if Radha was just expressing her jealousy of Deanna. They had never met, and John briefly toyed with the idea that it might improve things if they did, then just as quickly discarded it as the worst idea ever. “Did Eric sign you up for boxing lessons?”

  “No, he said Tai-Chi was just as useful and less barbaric.” Radha smiled.

  “Sure, you learn elegant martial arts, and I get thrown in a boxing ring to get beat up.” John was getting hungry and looked around for the waiter.

  “To get beat up by a girl.” Radha smiled because she found the idea of a girl beating up John amusing and endearing. “Do you really think this guy could be a long lost relative?”

  “I don’t know. As far as I know, most of my family died off. Sure, there are plenty of Carters out there, but I always understood my dad and I were the last ones from our branch of the family tree.”

  “Maybe it would be better to give the book to Augie, let him worry about it.”

  “I might need it for my research project.”

  “Look, if you start mumbling about ‘my precious’ book, I’m going to have to throw it in a volcano,” Radha said with a smile.

  “I guess that’s fair. What do you want to do this weekend?” John asked to change the subject.

  “Let’s rent a movie and relax.”

  “Deal.” John said with a smile knowing full well that in most relationships, this was code for let's go be naked and do what comes naturally for nude adults till we can’t walk right. This, however, was not most relationships, and John had no illusions that what Radha said was what Radha meant. She had made it clear early on that there was no sex before marriage. It was at once frustrating, confusing, and oddly made things easier. At first, it was difficult, and there were still moments when John’s gaze drifted. It just wasn’t what he was used to, and he was used to women behaving differently. Not better, not worse, just differently. He tried to look at it without being focused on sex, and that wasn’t easy. He was realistic about it, and John knew that Radha was unlike any woman he had ever met or was likely to ever meet. She had put up with his mysterious and stupid behavior when they had first started dating. Then gave him another chance when he had finally screwed up completely.

  He looked at her and felt again what he had never felt with anyone else. A depth of feeling that was hopeful and bright. A desire that was not just for her body, but for her mind, her laughter and joy. He felt an urge to protect her, be there for her. And a desire for her to be the one that was there for him. Some things in life are just so clear that they make other choices and difficulties unimportant.

  Chapter 8

  Everyone complains that no one looks each other in the eye as they walk down the street anymore, never mind that it is often prudent to watch where you’re stepping. Eye contact could often be a provocation or unwanted invitation in a large city. John, like most city dwellers, had mastered the art of seeing without looking. The trick was to see what was going on around you and not indicate that you were looking around. Being a mage helped to some degree, but it was definitely a learned skill. It was helpful in spotting problems ahead of time, such as aggressive beggars or someone out of place. Such as the guy watching him as he walked across the campus of UIC.

  Never mind that it was winter and cold enough that only a fool, or someone waiting for a train, sat on a bench and read a book. The man’s coat was clearly not heavy enough for the weather, and he wasn’t wearing a hat or gloves. John could even discount the fact that he was sitting on a bench that John passed nearly every day. The fact that he was blatantly using a simple pattern to keep himself warm was clue enough that he was trouble. John walked past, ignoring the man with short blond hair but was not surprised to soon hear footsteps behind him.

  Since it was Monday morning, the campus was flooded with students, despite the cold weather, so John was sure the man wouldn’t try anything too stupid. Rather than make his way to class, John cut through a building and headed back towards the cafeteria and main building. Once inside, he looked around and didn’t see the man with the shock of blond hair, that meant nothing to him though, he knew all too well how easy it was to follow. John headed for a seldom-used stairwell that eventually opened on the roof. He wouldn’t actually go to the roof, but there were no cameras on the top floor, and it was an excellent spot to teleport from. John opened the door to the stairwell and found the man seated on the stairs, resting his chin on his hand, he smiled and gave a slow wave ‘hello’ with the other.

  “You’re sloppy.” John said, closed the door behind him, and used a pattern to lock it. “There are cameras in the stairwell.”

  “They don’t work anymore. I took care of that before I jumped in.” The man’s English accent was harsher than Augie’s.

  “So we’re here now, alone and unobserved, what do you want?” John braced himself to survive an attack.

  “Did you get my message? The one I left with your pretty girlfriend? You should have called me if you did, it’s not polite to keep people waiting.” The man opened a pack of gum and unwrapped a piece, dropping the wrapper on the floor without thought, then offered John the pack. John declined with a wave of his hand.

  “I got it.”

  “And?”

  “I’m keeping the family heirlooms.”

  “Let’s be clear, to avoid mistakes, I want the primer and the key.”

  “Oh, those heirlooms?” John feigned surprise. “The answer is still; No.”

  “Oh, come on. Don’t say ‘no,’ so many people say that. As a matter of fact, a lot of people die screaming it.” The man smiled gently.

  “Nice line, been working on it a while?”

  “I think I might have picked it up somewhere, but it’s good, isn’t it?”

  “Either way, I get it. You’re creepy and scary, but I’m not impressed.” John sensed this was not going to end in an outright attack, so he leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest.

  “I didn’t think you would be, but it’s a hard habit to break, like smoking.” The man pointed to his mouth, indicating the gum he was chewing.

  “I can relate, I have a nasty habit of hurting people that go after my girlfriend.”

  “You sure do.” The man chuckled. “Giving Peter to the FBI was a nice touch, by the way.”

  “I’m happy you approve.”

  “Peter doesn’t. He’s also not too happy that you killed his girlfriend. I understand she was beautiful, but a bit of a bitch.”

  “He can come talk to me about it, I owe him much worse for killing Owen.”

  “You talk the talk, and according to all accounts, you walk the walk.”

  “Are you going to get out of my way and let me go to class?”

  “No. Not till you-“

  John teleported before he could hear the rest of what the man had to say.

  Materializing in a janitor's closet across the hall from his math class had a vaguely comic book feel about it. John figured he could worry about style later. Rushing from the closet John was able to make it through the door to the classroom just as his instructor was pushing it closed, he locked it during tests and the weekly quiz.

  “Sorry, sir.” Mumbled John as he rushed past and took the first available seat.

  “Very unlike you to be late, Mr. Carter.”

  “Sorry, sir.” John quickly removed his coat and pulled a pencil from his pack.

  “I don’t feel that I have to remind everyone about the honer syst-“ The
door to the classroom slammed open and in walked John’s stalker with a smile from ear to ear.

  “That was rude, John!”

  “Excuse me, this class is in session, I’ll have to ask you to-“

  “Be quiet old man! Because, if you interrupt me again, I will burn you to ashes where you stand.” John leaped to his feet and grabbed the stranger by the arm and dragged him out of the classroom before things got worse.

  “Not so rough, John. I wanted this to be civil.”

  “Shut up. You wanna talk? Let’s go talk.” John all but dragged the stranger to the nearest bathroom and slammed the door behind them.

  “Really? I would have preferred another stairwell to this, a dirty loo makes everything seem so… sordid.”

  “I’m not giving you the Primer. What do I have to do to make you go away?”

  “I suppose we started off on the wrong foot, didn’t we? I’m sorry I’ve gotten kind of used to being heavy-handed, and some times I don’t mean to be. I’m Finley, Finley Holden.” Said Finley as he offered his hand with a smile.

  “Get screwed.”

  “Now, I know I’ve been rude, but that’s no way to treat a long lost relative.”

  “I don’t have any relatives, not among the living anyway.” John wondered if teleporting Finley into orbit would be fatal.

  “Really? Why? Because you were told, you don’t have any relatives? Do you know what it takes to wipe out an entire extended family? It’s not like I’ve tried.”

  “Even if I have a distant family you have no right-“

  “At least hear out my story. I’ll leave you alone for a while so that you can check it out and see if I’m telling the truth, and trust me, there are facts out there to prove that I am.” Finley held up his hands gently and stepped away from John.

  John hesitated for a moment. “All right, but if I fail this class because of you…”

  “Yes, yes, we are both scary mages. I’ll make amends with your professor.” Finley said as he quickly double-checked the stalls to make sure they were empty. He then raised his right hand and closed his eyes ever so briefly while he used a pattern to freeze the lock on the bathroom door. John said a mental thank you to Owen for teaching him not to fall into such traps while using magic.