by Waiting for the Machines to Fall Asleep- The Best New Science Fiction from Sweden (retail) (epub)
"Yes, but if they do, this terminal will activate immediately and I can re-issue the sleep command again. We just have to guard the terminal long enough for all machines to fall asleep."
Latif was watching her. "You're still jumpy. There has to be something else." He could always see her through.
"Yes ... the alarm goes off network wide the minute I access the terminal."
Shouting erupted immediately. Akim approached her and waved his clenched fist in her face.
"Are you crazy?" he screamed. "We'll never manage to knock them all out before security gets down here. You're going get us all killed!"
Kate raised her hands to stop him, backing away until she felt the terminal pressing into her and could go no further.
"This is our only chance," she screamed back. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life controlled by machines. Freedom is more important than being safe and we have to defeat the machines. You all said so."
The shouting died down.
"Do you really want us to risk our lives when there is no chance of success?" Akim asked.
"There is," she insisted. "A big one. Yes, they'll know I cracked the protection, and where I am. Their first priority will be to stop me. But the moment they broadcast new software, I'll know. Information travels the network far faster than an android can run, and probably all androids in the neighborhood are relatively close in the network. Even with the time my virus needs to crack the protection our command should travel fast enough to outpace their network response. If we can hold them off physically until all have been deactivated into sleep mode, we'll win."
Latif was silent for a time, then he nodded.
"Okay, what the hell," he said, "I'm in."
"Me too," Monifa agreed. "I'll rig up some explosives to slow them down."
Fina and Akim nodded as well.
Four hours later preparations were complete and Kate was once again back in the small room.
"I've set up a simple visual surveillance using only lenses and optical fibers in two locations," Akim said. "The first one is placed at the other end of the culvert leading here and the second at the bottom of the closest ladder from Third Main Street. The images aren't great, but we'll be able to see the androids approaching."
Kate nodded looking at the screens. Monifa and Latif were in the culvert. Fina was on the ladder. Akim had drilled holes through the concrete above the door to make room for the fiber and placed a screen on either side of the door. It would do.
The door opened and Monifa backed into the room dragging a cable and switch box. She used her back to keep the door open while Latif followed with a similar cable and device.
"We fixed the explosives," she said. "The blast is going to take out our surveillance system though."
"It doesn't matter," Akim said, holding the door for them. "We only need to see when to pull the trigger. When the first surveillance is gone, we'll still have the second so we can see when they enter the last culvert. If there are any still operational after the second blast we'll have to hold them off here."
He indicated a heap of antique laser carbines on the floor near the door.
"Not exactly top of the range, but they'll do the trick," he said.
Fina was last to arrive in an outfit the same gray hue as the walls. Akim released the door and it closed to with a soft thud. Monifa and Latif finished mounting the trigger switches on a wooden rack in the middle of the room.
"Okay," Kate said. "Let's go through the plan. I'm going to issue the command from the terminal. Akim, you're in charge of watching surveillance, and informing us about incoming androids. Latif, you're responsible for detonating the explosives by the ladder."
"And I'll take the second charge," Monifa said. "Latif is a better shot than me, so he needs to be ready with the laser gun from the word go."
"Yeah, and I'll help Latif shoot everything coming through the door," Fina said. "We know what to do, Kate. Instead of preaching make sure you're armed too. Once the charges have gone off, defending this place is going to require a team effort. We all need to be ready for them when they enter."
The room filled with nervous clatter as they armed themselves and readied weapons before assuming positions. Latif and Monifa remained close to the wooden rack. Fina was by the light switch to the right of the door. Kate was poised at the terminal, and Akim was on her left.
Kate placed her rifle on the floor. The moment she launched the virus, she'd grab it and defend the terminal with her life. Her heart was thudding in her chest. Would it work? Everything depended on how fast her virus progressed through the network. Sweat beaded her forehead and she wiped her clammy hands on her pants.
The countdown had started.
Normally she could interface directly via thought implant, but the terminal was so ancient she could only access the system via a keyboard. That meant slow work. She thought of Erik and wished he was beside her. But then she forced those thoughts away – she mustn't think about him now, had to concentrate.
She pressed the last key; the terminal blinked once and then went black. On the instant the alarm sounded, a shrill piercing wail that hurt her head. In a smooth movement the laser carbine was in her hands and she faced the door.
Fina flicked the light switch and the room became darker, a faint glow from the surveillance screens sending flickering shadows. Monifa was nearly invisible with her dark skin and black outfit and Kate couldn't see Akim, because he was turned towards the door. But Fina's face was a lighter oval in the gloom.
"They're coming," Akim whispered.
Kate could see the legs of an android dressed in the dark green uniform of the security detail stepping down the ladder. Suddenly the android fell.
"It's been deactivated, the plan's working," Kate murmured.
"No," Akim said. "They're still coming."
He was right. Android after android stepped down the ladder. Kate held her weapon tighter.
"Now, Latif," Akim said.
Latif reached towards the switch but then froze and collapsed over the rack.
"What the hell?!" Monifa shoved Latif aside and pressed the switch. The surveillance screen monitoring the ladder went black.
The culvert was still empty. Monifa turned Latif over examining him.
"What happened?" Fina asked. "Is he dead?"
"No." Monifa shook her head "He's ... it's like he's asleep."
Before Kate had time to ponder the information, Akim shouted: "They're still coming!"
The door into the culvert was open and the androids were pouring into the tunnel. As they watched, one froze, stumbled and collapsed. Then another. The remaining androids stepped over their fallen comrades and kept coming.
"Now," Akim said, then he too collapsed, his laser gun skidding over the floor and into the rack. Monifa pressed the switch and the last surveillance screen went black.
"What's happening to us," she said, her voice shrill with fear.
Kate swallowed. "I ... It's the command – Latif and Akim must have been androids." she said.
"We've been infiltrated, we're doomed," Monifa moaned, grabbing the laser and getting ready for action.
"Don't give up, we're so close," Kate yelled. "Keep fighting till the machines fall asleep!"
They could hear the androids' footsteps pounding towards the door, but also thud after thud as the command reached them and sent them to sleep.
The door burst open, an android in the gap. Fina fired into the culvert and the door closed again with a loud thud. One second passed, and the door swung open again. Kate saw a laser blast hit the wall beside Fina, before she even had time to shoot. Fina fired, but there were too many of them and one of them got inside.
"Aaargh!" Monifa bellowed, showering them in laser shots.
The android went down. The next one in the door collapsed, causing the one behind to trip. Kate's hands were shaking. She fired and missed, but Fina hit the stricken android with a burst, and it flattened against the floor, smoke traili
ng from its wounds. The next one collapsed before they had time to shoot it.
The door was wedged open by the heap of fallen androids, while beyond them the culvert was still teeming with their fellows. Fina fired into the culvert, hitting one of the androids in the chest.
"Yeah," she cried, and then collapsed.
Fina too? Kate was trembling so hard she could hardly aim.
"What the hell is this?" Monifa shouted, still firing. Then she stopped.
In a daze Kate watched her collapse. She fired at the next android and missed, but it didn't matter. The android collapsed before she had time to shoot again.
Then there was silence and stillness. The culvert was heaped with fallen androids. Nothing moved. No sounds to indicate more were coming.
She moved close to Monifa clutching tightly to her carbine. Monifa was asleep. Her chest moving slightly. Kate hurried to Fina, then Akim. Both the same. Latif was actually snoring. Her comrades were all androids. How? She didn't get it.
There was motion in the culvert. She rose, her carbine gripped firmly. The door at the far end was moving slowly. She held her breath and tried to steady her hands.
Inch by inch, the door opened. She could see the dark green of a security detail uniform. She swallowed, her mouth dry. The android moved into sight and she pressed the trigger. Missed. The newcomer's barrel was pointed right at her. She threw herself to the floor. Pain exploded in her shoulder. She fired blindly, looked up, fired and missed again. Her heart was pounding like a drum. The android took a step forward, taking careful aim. There was nowhere for her to go. Then it collapsed.
Kate took a deep breath. There was a big smear of blood on the floor. Her blood! She was dizzy. The room seemed to swirl. She rose, her laser gun falling from limp hands. No strength left to pick it up. The strangest feeling.
It seemed they had succeeded, but her comrades weren't there to celebrate with her. And if her friends were androids, why hadn't they stopped the plans? Didn't they know what they were? How was it possible to be an android and not know?
At last the humans were free, but there were no fireworks, no music and nobody to celebrate with her. She needed Erik. He should have been here. She'd go up, find him and help him. People were so used to the machines there'd be chaos at first. But they were free at last. She felt herself smile.
Kate staggered towards the door. Something buzzed in her head, then the floor jumped up to hit her and everything went black ...
"Outpost Eleven" – Markus Sköld
"Commander, come take a look at this."
It takes a second before Marta realizes that Sing – the communications specialist – is talking to her. She's not used to the title. Not yet.
"What is it?"
"We have a priority message from Outpost Ten, to all outposts."
She's been in command for about thirty minutes. She tries to remember if there ever was a priority message before, when she was a mission specialist. She doesn't think so.
"What's the message?"
"They've detected changes in the cloud. They want us to check at our end."
The master cloud they call it. Before it was discovered, reports popped up from around the galaxy about a phenomenon people called black clouds, drifting between solar systems. Being impervious to scans, nobody knew what they were made of.
The ships that did travel through them were lucky to make it out on the other side. So when a deep space exploration vessel discovered the master cloud ten years ago, far away from the most remote settlements, Central Prime decided to build a series of outposts to keep watch.
The cloud hasn't moved at all since it was discovered. Nobody actually knows how large it is, but projections dictate that it could probably cover the entire region of space populated by man, save for a few really remote planets.
Marta looks around. Her role as station commander is new, but Outpost Eleven has been her home for the last five years – minus the year of training at Central Prime. She wonders if her crew knows that she used to be a missions specialist. That she used to sit where that young guy, Sandan, is sitting right now? How many times she's sat there, looking out the enormous panoramic window? There should be stars out there – in space. Instead, there is only the cloud.
Of course they know. They must have checked up on her before she arrived. That's what she would have done.
They all look at her, waiting for her to give an order. The outpost is technically a military station, but the chain of command has always been quite relaxed by tradition. They are all scientists after all, not military. But this is not an ordinary situation and they all look to her for leadership.
She clears her throat.
"Sandan, do we have a reading?"
He spins around in his chair and starts pushing buttons.
"Unclear," he says. "I'm detecting some type of disturbance, but I can't confirm that it's coming from the cloud."
"Computer, what is the status of the sensor array?"
The station's computer sounds like an old school teacher – nurturing, but stern.
"Sensor efficiency at thirty-four percent, commander. Manual calibration recommended."
"I'll go check the sensor tower," Warren says and starts towards the elevator. He is the only one of her crew that she's worked with before. She follows him with her eyes, hoping he'll turn around to glance at her before he leaves. He doesn't, and then he is gone.
Nothing has ever happened between them. A relationship on the outpost would be problematic at best, catastrophic at worst. Besides, he is fifteen years younger than her and can probably get any girl he wants with just a glance from those steely blue eyes. She puts her hand on top of her pocket, the one with the note in it, and feels the paper through the fabric.
"Let's see," Sandan says, interrupting her thoughts. "We have a reading," he says and points at a display showing the clouds position. "It's one kilometer closer now than it was a couple of minutes ago."
"Is it still moving?"
Sandan shakes his head.
"It's impossible to tell right now. We just have to wait and see."
Marta bites the flesh of her lip, unsure what she is supposed to do now.
"Where are Trinn and Grule?" she asks.
"In engineering," Sing says.
"Call them. Tell them to start a level one diagnostic. All systems. We need to be sure that all measurements are accurate. And call Warren and tell him to get back here as soon as he has calibrated the sensors."
"With pleasure," she says and smiles.
Marta wrings her hands together behind her back and takes a few steps towards her station.
"Oh, and call Outpost Ten. Tell them we have seen some changes, but that we need to verify our results."
"Should I send something to Central Prime?"
Marta shakes her head.
"No, not until we know for sure."
Marta sits down at her station and takes out the small piece of paper from her pocket. She found it in her cabin when she came aboard, just a few hours ago. It's a handwritten note from Warren with two words on it: "Welcome aboard". It's just like him. She can't read him, she never knows what he wants, what he actually thinks of her. He barely speaks to her around other people. And then he does things like this. The paper alone must have cost him a fortune. It's real paper, not the synthetic kind. And he has made the effort to write it by hand. She looks at the letters. He has beautiful penmanship. A bit straggly, but elegant in a masculine way. Marta sighs and puts the note back in her pocket.
"Commander," Sing says. "Trinn and Grule have started the level one diagnostic. But Warren hasn't responded."
"Computer, open a channel to the entire station."
There is a low beep.
"Warren, this is the commander. Where are you?"
No reply. Sing and Sandan turn in their chairs to look at her.
"Warren? It's Marta. Can you hear me?"
She glances at Sing, silently asking her if the communications sys
tem is working properly. Sing checks her console, then nods. The message is broadcasting throughout the station.
Marta steps off the elevator and turns left towards the ladder leading up to the sensor tower. Each step is both familiar and strange. So many times she has been here before, in another life. Why is now so different? It's like coming back to a house you once lived in that is now occupied by someone else. Familiar and strange at the same time.
It seems a little darker in the corridor than she remembers. The walls a bit dirtier. Maybe not all that strange. Cutbacks. That's why the outpost now runs with a skeleton crew. Why spend money watching a cloud that hasn't moved in ten years. Until now.
Two years ago, the crew was twice as big. Everything looked new back then, everything worked. The new engineers – Trinn and Grule – are highly competent and keep the station in good working order, but they can't perform miracles. She's read the reports. Little things – showers without hot water, automatic doors closing too fast. Their priorities are to keep the station operational. Who cares about cold showers?
She takes a deep breath and starts climbing up, into the sensor tower. Antennae and receivers crowding the rather large room with tubes of coolant snaking its way between the equipment. There is a constant hissing from air circling the tower, trying to keep the machines cool. The window in the sensor tower is nearly as big as the one in operations, but the view is the same: darkness. The master cloud has swallowed all the stars.
"Warren?"
There is no reply. She climbs the final few steps and walks over to the systems console. It's active, and shows the progress bar for sensor calibration nearly completed. That means he was just here. But where has he gone?
"Vera, are communications working in this section of the station?"
She calls the computer Vera sometimes, when nobody is around. The voice reminds her of her old nanny.
There is a slight delay, then she hears the old familiar voice.
"Yes, Marta."
"Was Warren here?"
"He logged keystrokes on the tower panel fifteen minutes ago."
