by Stefan Bolz
Aries tries to see where her feet are going and at the same time watch the air for the drone that has disappeared behind the tower.
Let me do that, she hears Born-of-Night think. You concentrate on where you're going. I'll watch out for the drone.
They reach the dish and find shelter under its massive reflector.
"I have a feeling that this was the easy part," Ty says, trying to catch his breath. "C.J., how are you holding up?"
"I'm fine," she says. The fact that she isn't wearing any shoes doesn't seem to bother her. If it does, she's not saying anything.
"We're halfway down," Seth says. "We shouldn’t all go at once. Leave some space between us."
"Good idea," Ty says. "Aries, you and Max go first. We'll follow right behind you with Sam."
"I'll go last," Seth says.
"I'll stay with you," C.J. says.
They look at each other. The safety of the parabolic reflector above them makes Aries hesitate.
Come on, Max thinks. No sense waiting here.
"Can I come with you?" Mila asks.
"Of course," Aries answers. "Let's go."
The three of them step out of the reflector's shadow and run down the hill. Max holds Mila's hand and when they get to a large rock outcropping in front of them, they move to its left while Aries goes to the right. For a second she looks back, sees Ty, Sam, and Tevis on their way down, and Jeremiah and Kiire beginning their descent.
The drone has circled back.
"It's coming!" Aries cries.
Then a blue fireball explodes next to her, sweeping her off her feet. She lands hard on the stones. Two more explosions rock the ground. Small pieces of rock fly through the air, hitting her head and back. She hears Ty scream in pain behind her, sees Max fall to the ground, and Mila sliding down the slope.
Go! she hears Max think. Get Mila. Get to safety.
Her rational mind shuts down at that moment. Her instinct takes over, lets her grab Mila's hand and run downward and toward the buildings at the bottom.
They could have hit us already, part of her thinks. They don't want to hit us.
They want you alive, she hears Born-of-Night think.
She doesn't dare look behind her. With Mila by her side, she runs down the remainder of the slope and through the opening in the stone wall at the bottom of the hill. She can still hear the explosions behind them when she reaches a narrow alleyway and an opening in a house wall.
"Come," Aries says, while she leads Mila past a large hearth and through what must have once been a kitchen, into a dark corner of one of the rooms in back. There, they crouch down, holding each other. The quiet that follows is as impossible to bear as the explosions a minute ago.
They are taking them, she hears Born-of-Night think. And when she closes her eyes, she sees the black forms of the androids as they make their way up the hill, circling around the others, grabbing them, pulling them up from the ground. Aries can't see anyone in particular, but one of the limp shapes must be Ty. She doesn't recognize him, but she recognizes Tevis's distant screams. Until one of the androids—judging by the red-and-black-striped uniforms he must be an E-9 unit—touches Tevis's neck with his hand and she falls to the ground.
"We have to get out of here," Aries says. Mila nods. Tears flow down her cheeks. She has seen the same image Aries saw. "Shhhh," she holds Mila, kisses her forehead. "We'll have to be brave now, you and me. You understand? Very brave."
"What should we do?" Mila asks.
"I don't know," Aries says. "But whatever it is, we need to reach that plate and we need to do that before they try to get Amber to tell them what it all means."
They leave the building and run down the narrow street. Blind windows stare at them from above.
Max, where are you? Aries thinks. But there is no answer. Only an eerie stillness where his thoughts once were.
* * *
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Forty-seven years ago, the Corporation found several large scrolls rolled up neatly inside a titanium-lead cylinder and buried a hundred and fifty feet below and two hundred meters northwest of the machine's center point. The scrolls contained what appear to be texts, written in Amber's language, together with drawings, geometrical patterns, and notes regarding the machine and the large plate in front of it. The Artificial Intelligence Software was developed for the sole purpose of accelerating the process of deciphering the language. After decades of extensive analysis, SELKom's head of engineering compiled a report. It was called the Alpha Study. All the material in it suggests that the engravings on the plate contain mathematical formulas describing a process in which a conduit, made within the specifications outlined in the formula and placed at the exact location of the plate, would activate the machine to go from the low revolutions it currently operates at to a much higher frequency. This would, according to the report, allow enough power to be generated to achieve one thing: create a wormhole and make it possible to travel instantly through space.
Except for the last item, they got it all wrong.
/end of upload 1-Tt7_54.15.221 ghost server //*1.00009__kiire_understaad
Chapter 21 — Battle
Battle Morning —
“After the battle has run its course
When mist in its mercy still covers the dead
When the valley weeps for its children
When the waters, the waters, run red.”
[Part of a poem by a soldier of the 4th War]
"We're about here," Mila says, pointing at a rectangular shape on the floor. They kneel in the center of a small room. A narrow beam of light enters through an opening in one of the walls, illuminating parts of an unfinished drawing. The whole floor is covered by it.
"How far from the machine do you think we are?" Aries asks.
"Half a mile," Mila answers. "Basically, there are seven main roads leading to the center," she continues, while pointing to the thick, mostly straight lines leading to the center. "Then we have the smaller roads connecting some of the main ones. The alleyways branch off from there. It seems as if whoever planned the city laid out the main access roads and maybe a few of the side roads but the alleyways seem to have just appeared, depending on where the houses were built."
For the last hour or so, Aries has had to actively block out her concern for Max and the others and try to concentrate on coming up with a plan. Born-of-Night has done two fly-overs to get an idea where the others have been taken. During the first one, she saw a group of androids carrying or pulling their prisoners behind them, making their way from the outskirts of the city toward the center. The second time, several of the androids shot at the hawk. They missed, but since they now knew what to look for, Aries had told Born-of-Night to stay hidden. The last image she saw was that of the androids taking the others toward several huts, staggered in a semicircle between the machine and the plate of stone.
There are four drones in the air that I can see. Born-of-Night's thoughts reach Aries. They hover in circles. Two constantly circle around the machine and two are further out, toward the edge of the city.
"It's only a matter of time before they find us," Aries says. "Once one of the drones spots us, it can lead the androids straight to us."
"If we stay close to the house walls and only use the alleyways, we should be able to come very close to the plate," Mila says.
"There's no way for us to get to it," Aries says. "They'll never let us through."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Mila answers.
"Why is that?"
"Because I think they need you."
"You mean they'll just let us walk in?"
"I think they know they have us. What are you going to do to them at this point? We're surrounded. There's no way out and even if there was, they know you would want to try to free the others, at least."
"You think they'll wait for us?"
"Yes. What would you do if you were them?"
"I don't
know," Aries says. Part of her recognizes the logic in Mila's arguments. The other part can't fathom simply walking up to them and saying, "Here I am, do what you want."
It's not all black and white, you know, she hears Born-of-Night think. There are options between surrender and inaction.
And what would they be? Aries replies.
You can make them think you're doing one thing when, in fact, you're doing another.
You know they have close to infinite server capacity to figure out every possible scenario. I'm sure they have calculated what we're going to do next.
Your weakness is your strength. Born-of-Night's thought echoes inside Aries mind. And their strength is their weakness.
I don't understand.
The anomaly questions the norm, Born-of-Night replies. But it not only questions it. It disturbs it; it challenges, confuses, and distracts it. The anomaly questions the very existence of the norm.
But if they have factored in every possible scenario, doesn't this mean that they have also accounted for the anomaly? Aries asks.
Not necessarily. Remember when you were first in Kiire's room and you asked him about the fact that they didn't know he was in there?
I remember.
They don't know what they don't know, is what Kiire said. I think it's the same for them. They can't calculate you. They might know you're the anomaly but they can't calculate what you're about to do, simply because what's going on in that little head of yours is outside their scope of data. The anomaly is the unknown factor, Aries. They have calculated everything but they are blind to you, to what you can do, to what you're capable of.
Aries looks at Mila, who smiles slightly.
So what should I do? Aries asks.
Do what only you can do, Born-of-Night continues. Take into account what brought you here and how you got here, consider the whole picture, not just a small fragment, and from that point, do what feels like a natural next step.
"But what if that step seems crazy."
"Crazy is good," Mila says.
While Aries's conscious mind thinks feverishly about the right solution to this, the right path to take, the right move to make, there is a small part of her, hidden below the surface, that knows with absolute certainty what she needs to do. It is the same part that knew that following Born-of-Night down into the Forgotten Floors was the right choice, however preposterous it seemed at the outset.
"Okay," she says.
"Okay, what?" Mila asks.
"If we were to get to the next main road that leads into the center, how would we get there?"
"Um... let me see," Mila says. "We would pass this road over here and through those two alleyways." She points at the connecting line between two main roadways. "I think from there we should be able to reach the main thoroughfare."
"Okay. Mila, listen—"
"The answer is no."
"You didn't even know—"
"I have no charcoal left," Mila says. "I used it all. I'm coming with you."
Aries becomes aware of Mila's dirt-smudged hands, black from the charcoal; her filthy hair hangs partially over her face, and her clothes are more than raggedy by any standard. But the sparkle in her eyes is undimmed.
"Okay," Aries says.
I'm coming too, Aries hears Born-of-Night think.
I want you to stay hidden. I might need you later on.
She gets up, looks at the drawing one more time.
"Ready?" she says.
"Ready," Mila answers.
They make it across their section of the city in thirty minutes, led by Mila's infallible knowledge of where they are at any given point in time. The idea to go against everything she knows and basically walk straight into the arms of their enemies, as logical as it felt when she first thought it, now becomes more and more questionable. The plan that is beginning to form within her seems nearly impossible to implement. There are too many variables—factors that are solely based on how other parts play out, parts that are in all likelihood figments of a childish imagination.
They enter a narrow building from the back, walk through dark rooms and past a large hearth and deteriorating furniture. Aries thinks about how long ago the last fire had burned in there and what had made the inhabitants leave this place. Then they reach the doorway. From here, a wide, straight road leads directly toward the machine, about a mile in the distance. The surface of the street, together with the adjoining buildings, glows in the golden light the machine emits. The moment Aries steps onto the road, Born-of-Night swoops down from one of the windows and lands on her shoulder.
"I told you to stay hidden," Aries says.
I know. That would be expected, Born-of-Night answers. To keep a trump card in your sleeve, an unknown factor you could use. Did you expect me to come to you?
"No," Aries says.
Good. That means they probably won't either.
Mila takes Aries’s hand as they walk in the center of the street toward the machine. From down here, it looks even more imposing. The center blade turns slowly around its three-dimensional axis. In front of it, Aries can see the dark lines of the androids on either side. The huts in the center look bigger than they did through the hawk’s perspective. There is a commotion, figures running and moving, but it's too far for Aries to see what's going on.
Where are you? She hears Max's faint thoughts within her.
Max! she thinks. Are you okay?
I don't know. I can't see anything. They put some kind of a bag over my head. Where are you?
I'm on my way to you... Max? Can you hear me—?
That's not a good idea. I think they are torturing Sam and if you come here, they'll have even more leverage than they already do.
Why would they torture Sam? He doesn't know that much. The mere thought of it makes Aries’s chest hurt.
No. But Amber does and she's the one they want to talk.
Aries's thoughts go in circles. Do you know where you are?
No. I'm assuming we're inside somewhere, but I can't be sure. And we must be pretty close to the machine, judging by the humming.
Is there anything else you can tell me?
I don't think so. I was unconscious this whole time.
Max, can you see where we are? Mila asks.
You can hear me? Max asks.
Yes. I can. I've been able to hear you for a while now, Mila answers. Can you see where we are?
Yes.
And we think you're ahead of us in one of the huts.
Okay. Something's happening—
"Max? Max! Max!" her voice echoes eerily through the empty street. "This wasn't a good idea," Aries says. "We shouldn't have come here."
"There's no way of knowing this," Mila says. "We're here now and we can't go back."
"We could still run."
"I don't think so," Mila says. "I didn't want to alarm you, but..."
"But what?"
Mila turns her head to look behind them. Aries does the same. About a hundred meters away and twenty meters up, a drone hovers in the center between the buildings. The rhythmic stomping sound reaches them at the same moment Aries sees the androids come marching toward them.
"Your enemy's upon you," Aries says.
"He comes for you in strides," Mila says, squeezing Aries's hand. Aries can see in her eyes that she has held it together for a long time, but is now close to breaking down. Then the androids reach them, surrounding them on all sides. They don't do anything. They match their speed, making sure they have nowhere to go but in the direction they’re leading them.
We have to destroy the machine, Aries thinks.
How?
I have no idea.
The closer they come to the machine, the more details are visible. The material of the pillars on either side seems to be the same as the tower—polished black stone. The engravings, the symbols that reach from the bottom all the way to the top of the pillars, are laced in gold. The sheer power emanating from the machine is staggering. But Aries rea
lizes that this power is not threatening. It's almost... peaceful. The rotation of the center blade creates an ever-changing pattern of light that doesn't hurt her eyes even though it should be blinding by any measure. Who or whatever built this must have had knowledge beyond anything even remotely comprehensible.
The androids in front of them part, leaving a narrow, straight path from them toward the huts. There are people ahead—humans, judging by how they move. And then she sees the plate. Deep black and raised about a foot off the ground, the slab is much larger than she thought it would be. When they are about a hundred feet from it, three figures come toward them from the huts. The androids in front reach the plate, stop, and turn to face it. The three figures—a woman in the center and two men on either side—stop a few feet from the plate on the opposite side. The woman gestures Aries to stop. They now stand equidistant from the plate.
"We didn't expect you to come," the woman says. Aries and Mila exchange a brief glance. The woman's dark hair is tightly bound into a bun. "But how rude of me to speak to you without introducing myself. I am Dr. Marjory Veneira, Director of Corporate Education. And you must be Aries. It is very nice to finally meet you in person. I have been so busy getting to know you through reports and files and all kinds of data that we have collected, that I'm very glad to be able to see firsthand what all the fuss is about." She smiles widely. "If you were to get to know me, which unfortunately you won't, you would know that I am not one for chitchat. So, allow me to come straight to the point."
She nods to the man next to her, who turns to one of the androids. "Bring them," he says. The android doesn't move at all. But a few moments later, one of the huts opens and Sam appears. He is being held up by two E-9s, one on either side of him. His face is bruised and his bald head is covered in blood. He is semiconscious. Aries squeezes Mila's hand.
"You will see that what you have brought upon your friends is serious. This is not a game. You are responsible for what they have gone through and will continue to go through once we are finished. Just so we are clear, we are acting fully within the parameters laid out by corporate rules and regulations as to how to identify, interrogate, and finally punish a traitor to the common good. For us to reestablish order, we must know exactly what has occurred and how much damage has been done. For that purpose, it is my duty to apply any means necessary to find out everything you know."
