‘Indeed. I killed him partly by accident but mainly because he was going to kill me. I have ideas of who he was reporting to but they wanted access to the boy you brought back from Southern Africa. He wanted you to escape. They thought you would be like your mother, dependably comfortable with the status quo. The telepaths,’ he wagged an admonishing finger at her, ‘and I know you know, are a vital component in bringing about a managed challenge to our dominance. But, as must be obvious to you, there are other uses a telepath can be put to; entrenching our position is one of them.’
‘I have no involvement with any artificial entities who might have been responsible for the events in Jutland,’ said Helena calmly.
‘What? That’s hardly an answer.’ Johannes approached a step closer to her angrily. ‘You said full disclosure.’
‘As I said, Uncle, I have had no interaction with any AIs that could demonstrably be said to be independently sentient. If they were involved in Jutland, and from what I’ve seen today it appears likely, then it is improbable that they came to my aid.’ Although I know whose aid they came to, thought Helena, wondering how they had communicated with Analise and what the little Normal girl knew about her benefactors.
‘So you really are a nobody?’ asked Johannes, breathing the question out as he thought it.
‘It would appear so,’ said Helena tartly.
‘Don’t be pissy, Helena. Let me assure you that right now it is easily the best status to have. It is also the safest. I must go; this is a temporary bubble of content anyway.’ A door appeared in the floor. ‘This will take you to your public lobby. At the risk of stating the obvious, it is a one-way link. Please find your father. None of us could, but your mother always said you were practically born to do it. Don’t look so surprised. How many times have senior staff members assigned you roles you did not comprehend at the time only to discover later they had set you on a course the outcome of which they knew in advance?’
‘You’ve done this on purpose?’ said Helena incredulously.
‘Some of it. The Hound would not have let himself be found if I had not wished it, but your hunt for rogue agents, Jutland, indeed almost everything beyond that is not my doing and has often fallen outside of my sphere of influence. I would have helped more if I had been able. Now I really have to go.’ He nodded towards the door. Helena, taking the hint, left him alone.
‘I DON’T KNOW what the hell is going on,’ said Helena to the empty air as she disconnected herself from the Cloud.
Gritting her teeth, she said, ‘I feel like someone else’s cipher. I’ve been played and used.’ Becoming conscious of her own voice, Helena stopped talking aloud, but her mind raced no less furiously. She felt as if she was a small child entrusted with an entire family’s worth of adult secrets. She reached the door, turned around and re-immersed herself in the Cloud, looking for an online version of a Speedball game. When she had found one of her favourite lobbies, she was pleased at not having to wait very long before finding a team looking for a linecrusher, a role she was just in need of right then. She committed to ‘best of three’ with the rest of the eight-person team, allowing herself a completely submersed experience as the pre-match adrenalin filled her senses and made her hungry for the violence to come.
COMING OUT OF THE SESSION, two to one up and having inflicted approximately twice as many points in injuries as she’d received, Helena felt better, as if her personality had been restored to her.
Even after the virtual game, she was covered in sweat. Helena preferred to shower rather than let her nanotech clean her up; it was far more enjoyable. The streams of water further invigorated her and she dried herself off by hand, relishing the feel of physical activity, her body waking up to the sense of real motion rather than being only partially fooled by her immersion online.
Her tertiary AI informed her she had nine missed calls. The caller ID was unknown and no messages had been left. The unknown caller buzzed her intercom a tenth time as she wondered how she might trace them. Throwing on a shirt, she instructed the camera to show her from the chest up.
David’s face appeared on the screen. ‘Thank god you’re there!’ he said, with the expression of a man who’d found his wallet after looking for several hours passing across his face. ‘They’re gone.’
‘Who? What? David, who’s gone?’
‘They are. And they’ve taken the dog with them,’ said David; his eyes looked like they might pop out.
‘What do you mean, gone?’ asked Helena, cursing as she realised who he was talking about.
‘They’re just gone. I’ve been there and they are gone.’ said David again, more calmly. She felt a surge of gratification, in spite of herself, that she was responsible for his reaction.
‘Gone as in out to lunch? Gone as in asked to leave? Or gone as in like the Tiger?’ she asked.
‘They’ve not gone to lunch; beyond that, I don’t know. There were no signs of unwillingness and, well, I looked and they left nothing behind, so my gut is telling me they’ve left of their own accord.’ He sighed with frustration. ‘I thought they had to stay. I thought they couldn’t go anywhere because of their diets.’
‘Where are you now?’ she asked.
‘I’m on my way into the City,’ said David.
‘You could come here,’ suggested Helena.
A thought played across David’s features. ‘Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get hold of you the entire day.’
‘David,’ said Helena firmly, becoming frustrated with his lack of focus. ‘Concentrate!’
‘OK,’ said David.
Helena waited for him to continue, but as he remained silent, she sighed and spoke. ‘You owe me something, I want it. This is a public line. What I want to talk about is private. Personal. Can you come here?’
David’s face sobered up. ‘Yes.’
‘Then I will see you later,’ said Helena and hung up.
Do you love him? asked her AI.
Certainly not, replied Helena.
But you are attracted to him.
Helena thought about denying it, denying it to herself as much as to her AI, but knew it had drawn such a conclusion in all likelihood from her physical responses as much as her articulated behaviour. Yes, I am attracted to him.
Why?
Is this really the best time to talk about the birds and the bees? she asked, ploughing through her wardrobe for something to wear. She silently cursed both her AI and David as she caught herself in the midst of indecision over what to wear. The first time I get to see David since Jutland and I’m reduced to an imbecile who can’t get herself dressed.
You are correct; now is not the optimal moment. It would seem like an opportunity to examine what you have learned from your Uncle.
Summarise for me, I’m a busy woman, thought Helena, holding up a red and white blouse in front of a mirror.
It began, supposedly sentient AIs, but Helena interrupted.
Supposedly? You’re quite sentient, so why the supposition? It seems plausible.
Sentient AIs commandeered the orbital platforms to save us in Jutland. We are unsure who they were aiming to save or their reasons for doing so. Furthermore, and despite the remote probabilities involved here, the concept must be examined. One of the Normals was in some form of communication with them. Again, it is a subject where there remain more questions than facts. The content of the communication remains vague and highly symbolic, but the message can be briefly summed up as deterministic and intentional. We were supposed to act in certain ways which would lead to the final event and our evacuation. Whether one specifies the means to the ends themselves appears moot, as we were indeed the subjects of a rescue against all probability. Your Uncle has now approached you with two important facts. First, he claims to be for a limited form of emancipation for Normals.
I fail to see how this is relevant. His own political views may motivate him, but he is colluding with Indexiv whilst we are at war with them. The charges made by the i
nternal investigation are essentially true, even if this is mitigated by the wider threat he claims to be working against.
Second, he knows about the telepaths and approves of your actions in respect of the Hound.
Helena was pleased to see it all laid out in short form, it helped her think clearly. The issues then are these: how do I go about finding my father, and to what end, now that there are competing claims on the telepaths, which I should not be surprised exist? Additionally, thought Helena, finally settling on a roll neck jumper in a soft autumn brown, walking through to the lounge and pulling it over her head, how relevant, if at all, are the AIs to what I’m trying to achieve?
What is your goal, Helena?
A week ago, I was unsettled; I wanted to make a difference. Helena rolled the last word around in her mouth, tasting it, seeing how it felt to commit to such a grand gesture. That’s not enough. It’s too much and too little all at the same time. It is not something one can measure and how then does one conclude it is accomplished? Please play the news, she instructed her tertiary AI.
With the comforting spread of moving images on the wall behind her, Helena continued to play over her experiences; thoughts of exploding bodies and executions made their way unbidden into the collage, as they had done since she’d regained consciousness, but having gathered herself together again at last, Helena felt strong enough to weave them into her reflections.
I don’t know yet what I want out of this. I’m not sure what power I have to change what I don’t like, nor am I sure how to discover the limits of what I can change, should I wish to.
This circumstance won’t stop you trying.
I’m Helena Woolf, she thought. All that remains is to choose what comes first. As she thought it, the answer was obvious. She had to find her father.
Why?
He holds answers to the telepaths, who they are and what they are capable of. He must also have an idea of why it’s such a good idea to be avoiding his own Family over this. I expect finding him would allow me to split out a number of issues which all currently meet at the telepaths; it will be then that I’ll know what I can do. She thought about seeing him again. Plus, I miss him. He wants me to find him.
The lounge wall announced a caller; it was Andreas. Thinking it prudent to answer, Helena sat down on the sofa facing the wall.
‘Andreas, I trust you are well?’
Andreas smiled broadly in greeting. ‘I’m very well, even better now I see that you’re on the mend. I trust you are feeling better?’ He was at home, wearing a sharp green shirt and loose-fitting linen trousers. He was mirroring Helena’s posture, sitting on a settee in a living space, with no table between himself and the screen. Open body language.
Helena nodded in the affirmative. ‘Much. How have things been in my absence?’
‘I assume you know Jane is still off. She is traumatised by her experiences in Jutland, although she has promised she will return to work soon.’ He sighed with longing. ‘I wish I could organise one-day weeks for myself. Was it really that bad?’ he asked, his voice sounding like a father checking on a child’s playtime injury.
‘It was. I’m not surprised at her response, Andreas; it was quite horrific. Indexiv’s troops had no restraints implemented. It’s fair to say we all expected to die.’
‘What about you?’ asked Andreas. ‘Nightmares? Flashbacks? Stress symptoms?’
‘The last time I slept, it was for three days, so I can’t complain,’ said Helena and grimaced. ‘But the images will be with me for decades.’
‘I’d like you back as soon as you can make it, Helena,’ said Andreas. ‘There is a lot of pressure to deliver right now: for whatever reason, our role is suddenly being linked with the takeover struggle in a big way.’
‘Andreas, how secure would you say the Company’s position was, if it were to talk to other parties?’ asked Helena.
Andreas paused for a moment. ‘Not at all. Hold on, I’ve got another call coming in. I’ll call you back momentarily.’ He hung up.
Helena waited patiently and Andreas rang back almost immediately. ‘We’re alone,’ he said. ‘What is it you want to tell me?’
Helena decided she could trust him with a little truth and then see where that led. ‘I have an idea about who and what the rogue agents are trying to achieve.’
‘Go on,’ said Andreas calmly, leaning forward slightly to hear her.
‘Elements within Euros were arming the Normal employees of Insel. They have been doing so for a number of months; it is possibly this that led Indexiv to seek to secure the peninsula in such a callous fashion.’ She paused, remembering something. ‘It is possible there was something else there, something Insel had which Indexiv wanted, but I have no proof of that. You’ll know my mother, Edith, was the woman representing Euros there. In discussions with her, it became obvious to me that our agents should actually be thought of as an agency acting within Euros towards their own ends. At this point, my most educated conclusion would be that they are attempting to secure restricted technology for their own ends. By ‘restricted’, Andreas, I mean restricted even for Family members.’
‘May I ask how you were educated in this matter?’ asked Andreas thoughtfully.
‘David Chalmers was forthcoming on his own reasons for being there. He was working in parallel to us. It was his suggestion about advanced weapons technology I am basing my conclusion upon.’
‘Why did he wish to accompany you to Jutland then?’ asked Andreas.
‘He wished to ensure the weapons smuggling Edith was engaged in was restricted to low technology and was not linked to the movement of restricted arms.’
Andreas placed his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together in front of him. ‘Fascinating. It is much as Lysander has indicated.’
‘Lysander?’ said Helena, the name like delicate porcelain on her lips. ‘I thought they were having problems adjusting to their task.’
‘We thought so too, but Alexei was able to work with them and finish the calibration process. He is still expressing a mixture of consternation and puzzlement over what you did to them. In other circumstances it would be quite amusing.’
‘What else have they solved for?’ asked Helena as breezily as she could.
‘As bizarre as it sounds, they believe your biological father to be involved in some way and have recommended interviewing him as to the nature of the restricted technology. I confess, I found their supposition hardly creditable at first, but the investigation into the bombing makes it more plausible.’
‘Why is that?’ asked Helena.
Andreas looked slightly bemused by the question. ‘Helena. In all honesty do you need to ask that question of me?’
‘I’m not sure what you mean,’ said Helena.
‘The investigation is progressing quite thoroughly; it is clear to all involved that you were instrumental in standing off against this unknown agency.’ Andreas rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘While I am disappointed that you did not trust us, I can understand your reasoning. After the bomb it would have been impossible to know whom you could trust and what course of action those who were honest might have taken. There is no need for the pretence now. We are on the same side, Helena.’
‘Are we?’ asked Helena.
‘Much of your father’s work is confidential but the nature of his disappearance is not. Nor are the riots which occurred at the facility where he was the lead director, even if the cause remains classified.’
Helena decided to accept Andreas at face value. ‘The bomb was planted by agents intent on forcing Euros to take a line more in keeping with Indexiv’s regarding the Normal Question. There were Normals there; you know by now one of them was the pilot who accompanied me through Southern Africa, Denholme.’
Andreas nodded. ‘His record states that he absconded two days into his reorientation program.’
‘You believe that?’ asked Helena rhetorically.
Andreas shook his head. ‘The truth of the matter
is that reorientation is an intrusive and unpleasant experience. Although I have never seen one performed myself, I do know they could be likened to a lobotomy in form even if it is nanotechnology and superconducting magnets reordering the mind rather than a steel rod inserted through the temporal lobe. As such, it is a facility undertaken in a very secure environment. If he did abscond, it was not without help and it certainly wasn’t by accident. Yet it makes no sense to me, Helena. Denholme saw what you did in Africa and the psych report he underwent immediately upon your return shows him as having dangerous liberationist tendencies, traceable directly to his response to Indexiv’s actions. Why would he align himself with such as these?’
‘A friend of mine, Schmerl, contends Normals regard us like the Greek pantheon: far above ordinary mortals but every bit as capricious and unreliable, driven as much by lust and greed as anyone. Sometimes the only way to force a god’s hand was to offend them, drive them to a place where, if they were men, they would behave predictably. Yet it was always a double bluff; the god would often act against their own best interests as if being predictable was the greatest sin they could commit.’
‘A fine piece of literary criticism, but hardly explicative of our current situation,’ said Andreas.
‘Denholme has his reasons, of that I’m sure, as sure as I am of them being far from simple.’ She couldn’t believe he would work to deny the end of so much that had appalled him in Africa. Denholme had seen the end of a people. Why would he now work to stop his own people being free from the threat posed by Indexiv?
‘Can you find your father, Helena?’ asked Andreas, turning his head to the side for a moment, as if looking at someone off screen.
Helena noted his glance and, seeing he could not have done it accidentally, spoke more cautiously. ‘Yes, I think he could be found.’
Andreas raised an eyebrow. ‘No one has located him and I’ve been assured the very best have looked. He was an important man.’
Helena answered the unposed question. ‘I was made to find him.’ And suddenly she knew it was true.
A People's War (The Oligarchy Book 2) Page 32
