by PJ Haarsma
“What?”
Max looked at me. “By yourself. Without us. Without funds. To who knows where.”
I looked at Ketheria. I knew I didn’t like it here, but I could never leave without her. “I can’t let them find me guilty, Max,” I said.
“I know,” she said, glancing at Ketheria. The dinner drone arrived at my cell, and she moved out of the way.
“Don’t worry, it’s only delivering food,” I told her. “Just don’t touch it.”
The drone deposited enough food for the three of us, and Ketheria sorted through the different-colored food pills, taking out her favorites.
“Everyone is very nervous. Boohral says the entire existence of Orbis relies on that computer. It was built to never make a mistake. That’s why they are afraid of you: you can connect to it and now there’s all this trouble. . . .”
“Max — I can actually get into it.” She stared at me, and her eyes widened.
“But I don’t think I’m the only one.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I go into the computer, sometimes I get the feeling I’m not alone.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“It’s hard to explain,” I said. “It’s like I see things sometimes. I don’t know what they are, though. Listen, when you go back, I want you to find out if there have ever been other malfunctions with the central computer.”
“There haven’t; that’s why everyone is freaking out. They started when we arrived — when you arrived.”
“Look harder; look for little things. Like a virus or something,” I said, my mind spinning. I could not let them banish me.
“The computer is self-adjusting; it would spit out any virus or any bad code by itself. It’s the most advanced computer anyone has ever dreamed of. Don’t you get it? If something is wrong, someone else is doing it,” she said.
“Then we have to figure out who.”
Max and I discussed strategy as Ketheria finished the last of the toonbas, as well as all of her favorite food pills. Before they left, Max agreed to visit every other cycle to keep me up-to-date, and I promised to pry Theylor for as much information as I could. Max said my testing time was the perfect opportunity to dig into the central computer, since it was my only chance to access it.
“I wouldn’t let Theylor know what you find, either,” Max warned.
“I trust the Keepers. Theylor is a good person.”
“It was a Keeper who put you in here, JT.”
I had never looked at it that way before.
Charlie did come to see me again, only this time it wasn’t for a visit.
“Here,” he said, handing me one of the narrow gold tubes I’d seen the Keepers carrying. “This is for you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a screen scroll. Read it.”
I pulled out the silicon screen, and the notice blinked onto the electronic parchment. It was addressed to me.
Johnny Turnbull:
The Trading Council of Orbis requests your presence at the Center for Impartial Judgment and Fair Dealing on Orbis 1. You must be accompanied by your officially authorized advocate. If you do not possess an officially authorized advocate, one will be provided for you by the Keepers.
I looked up at Charlie. “When am I supposed to go?”
“Right now,” he said, and held up a nasty-looking device that was nothing more than a corroded helmet with shoulder padding. A silicon strip with a metallic core dangled from the back of the headgear.
“What’s that for?”
“People on the ring are fearful of you, my little friend. Unfortunately this is for their comfort, not yours.”
“Do I have to put that on?”
“Afraid so. It’s going to make you a little disoriented, but by the time we get to IJFD sector, you’ll be used to it. They don’t want you messing with the central computer or their tribunal,” he added.
“But it’s not me.”
“Well, let’s go prove it, then.”
Charlie was right. The protection device made it impossible for me even to see straight. By the time I got used to it, we were already standing outside the Center for Impartial Judgment and Fair Dealing.
“This is where I do most of my work,” Charlie said with a little pride.
The perfectly round structure floated several meters above the ring. I could see aliens standing out on the large bladelike platforms protruding from the building, where small craft were also landing. It was the first time I’d seen these fliers. I had just assumed everyone traveled on the spaceway. A large light chute streamed down from the bottom of the sphere. I watched Keepers and Citizens step into the pale purple beam of light and disappear. That must be the front door, I decided, and followed a frail-looking alien toward the beam of light.
“One at a time,” Charlie said, holding me back. The thin alien glanced at Charlie and then at the apparatus on my head. He quickened his pace and stepped into the chute. I noticed that a lot of aliens were staring at me.
“I look pretty guilty with this contraption on my head,” I told Charlie.
“Don’t worry about them. We’ll get all of this straightened out,” he said. “Make sure to step out of the way when you arrive. You don’t want to go clogging up the system.” Then Charlie gave me a nudge and I stepped into the purple light beam. The effect was instant. There was no time to feel anything. Before I could blink, I found myself inside an enormous lobby abuzz with activity.
The building seemed even larger on the inside. Rows and rows of railings circled the walls. Aliens traveled up even more beams of light to different floors. Small robots carrying screen scrolls flew back and forth between the floors like bees among flowers. Then I remembered what Charlie had told me and stepped off the light beam just as he arrived.
“Follow me,” he said.
Charlie walked straight up to the front of a long line and accessed a private O-dat. I saw two or three aliens nod to Charlie as he tapped at the screen. I stood waiting patiently, but my skin itched from the stupid device I was wearing. I forced my fingers under the plastic to get at the itch. The alien next to me left his place in line. I think I was making him nervous. Maybe he was worried that I was trying to take the thing off. I don’t know, but I noticed that a lot more aliens were staring or moving erratically, trying to get away from me. I really needed to prove to these Citizens that I was not the one messing with the central computer.
Charlie finished and handed me an ID disc. “Here we go,” he said. “Trading Council Tribunal. Room twelve fifty-two. We’ll take light chute fifteen-C over there. Better hurry — we’re late.”
All along the main floor, light chutes carried aliens to different destinations. We located 15C, waited for it to clear, and stepped in. I arrived instantly on the fifteenth floor and stepped off the chute. I didn’t have a clue what the C stood for, but room 1252 was straight ahead. The large metal doors disappeared as I held up my ID disc. A security drone greeted me, scanned the ID, and directed Charlie and me inside.
The tribunal was crowded. Aliens jostled for space along the ribbed walls, and every crystal bench was filled. All this commotion because of me. I couldn’t believe it. What had I done?
Perched high on the wall to my left was a balcony attached to metal struts that curved up and out from the glass floor. The Keepers sat there. I counted eight, including Drapling and Theylor. On the opposite side sat the Trading Council, or its representatives. Again eight seats, but there were only seven members — four in person and three who had sent their holographs.
The room was filled with a buzzing murmur as more and more aliens tried to enter. But once the crowd saw me, the entire room quieted for a nanosecond and then erupted in a noisy clatter, only now the clatter was focused on me.
“Exile the Softwire,” I heard someone shout.
“Death to the human,” said another.
“Don’t listen to them,” Charlie whispered as we took our seats below the Keepers
.
With a dramatic flurry, a late member filled the eighth seat on the Trading Council. It was Madame Lee, only this time she arrived in person. Her extensive entourage stood by, almost in an attack position.
My eyes never left Madame Lee. I remembered what she had done to Boohral’s assistant when we first came. Her cold stare gave me the shivers.
After she arrived, Drapling stood up and shouted, “If I do not have order, I will have everyone silenced.” This quieted the crowd. “You may begin, Theylor,” he said.
Theylor rose and addressed the crowd. His image also appeared on giant transparent displays that floated over the center of the round room. “This tribunal has been convened by request of the Trading Council to discuss the rumors —”
“There are no rumors. The Softwire has breached the sanctity of the central computer!” an alien interrupted.
The crowd was on its feet, or whatever other appendages members of the assembly used to stand erect. The turmoil in the room appeared to be more than Drapling could control. Several security drones immediately activated small security bubbles. Pale yellow energy shields surrounded the heads of the loudest aliens, silencing them instantly.
“This is not good for relations between the Keepers and the Citizens,” Charlie whispered.
“Why?” I asked.
“There’s a pretty shaky balance between those who rule Orbis and those who control its wealth.”
“The War of Ten Thousand Rotations?” I asked. “That ended eons ago.”
“They still mistrust each other — a lot.”
I couldn’t believe I was in the middle of all of this. These aliens were so convinced that the central computer was infallible that they needed someone to blame. It could be anyone, even a thirteen-year-old kid. How would I convince them it wasn’t me? Would they believe me if I told them what I saw?
The crowd quieted after Drapling followed through with his threat, and Theylor continued. “Any judgment passed by this tribunal shall be fair and just. All fines or sentences will be carried out immediately, in accordance with the Keepers’ decree.”
Then, from a door under the Trading Council’s balcony, the massive alien Boohral emerged along with his cloned son and several other Trefaldoors. Everyone moved out of their way as these giant creatures crammed the center of the tribunal hall.
“Gaar Boohral,” Drapling demanded, “what is the meaning of this interruption?”
Boohral looked around the tribunal. He smiled. His eyes caught Madame Lee’s as she stared at what the large yellow alien clutched in his right hand.
“That’s a computer drive from the Renaissance,” I told Charlie. “What is he doing with that?”
Boohral held the metal box in the air while still staring at Madame Lee. “I have information from the Softwire’s ship that will rock the very foundation of this ring!” Boohral’s voice resonated throughout the tribunal. Several aliens took attack positions as Boohral’s brood circled their leader. Boohral glared at me. “Orbis is in great danger and I can prove it!”
Was he talking about the restricted files on the Renaissance? Was he talking about me? What had he found? I wanted to know what was on that drive now more than ever. Pandemonium spread through the tribunal. Security drones bubbled the loudest aliens at will. Theylor hurried quickly down to Charlie.
“Take the boy back — now!” he said with his right head, while his left head cautiously watched the crowd.
“No,” I said. “I want to know what Boohral found.”
“Kill the Softwire!” someone shouted.
“Hurry,” Theylor told Charlie.
Charlie grabbed my arm and dragged me through the crowd. I caught a glimmer from the drive still in Boohral’s hand. What has he found?
“Get back,” Charlie shouted to an alien who reached over the barrier and pawed at me. Someone grabbed hold of the device I was wearing and wrenched my head back. I felt Charlie’s hand yanked from my arm and the crowd smother me.
“Charlie!” I yelled.
I couldn’t see who had me, but Charlie turned around and swung at the culprit. He threw another alien to the side and pulled me to my feet.
“Take this thing off me,” I told him.
“There’s no time,” he said. “We’ve got to keep going.”
Charlie thrust me toward the doors, holding his big arms out in front and ramming his way through the crowd. In all of the commotion, I was still dying to know what Boohral had found on that drive. Was it about me? My parents? It was all I was thinking about when Charlie finally broke through the doors.
The next time I saw Theylor, I felt like I had waited an entire phase. It was little comfort to me that only one cycle had passed in real time. My head was filled with so many questions about the tribunal, it was driving me crazy. I was pacing my blue cell when Theylor finally arrived.
“This time-stretching thing is going to take some getting used to,” I told him.
“Let us hope you are not here long enough for that to happen,” Theylor said.
“Can I go home, then? What did Boohral show you? Did they find the virus?”
Theylor held his hand up. “Please, Johnny. The tribunal could not continue. Threats have been made against Boohral also. The Keepers have arranged a private session at a secret location with the Trefaldoor the cycle after next. We will know everything then.”
“That’s it? You don’t know anything else? They still think it’s me?”
“I understand your frustration. You, too, must remain patient,” Theylor said. “As for your involvement, the Keepers are aware that there have been issues with the central computer since you have been placed here for study.”
“Then you agree something is wrong with the computer.”
“I do not know, and that is why we must continue with our tests,” he said.
“More tests! You’re kidding me.”
“I am sorry, Johnny, but time is of the greatest importance right now. May we begin?”
I was frustrated. Theylor’s tests weren’t getting me anywhere. And if they were still testing me, that meant someone still thought I had something to do with this mess. I plopped down in front of my display.
“I would like to examine your ability to stay in the computer when you push,” he said.
“You mean, how long I can do it for?”
“Yes.”
If they weren’t going to tell me anything, then I would have to get the information on my own. Theylor’s test gave me the perfect opportunity.
“So far you have mastered all of the surface-level user interfaces with the central computer. Now I want to see how deep you can go into the info-structure. I have hidden a file in the computer, called Ketheria, after your sister. I want you to find it.”
“Why don’t I simply tell the computer to find it for me?”
“The computer doesn’t know it is there.”
I looked at Theylor. “How can it not know it’s there?”
Theylor motioned to the O-dat without answering my question. “Take your time. If you feel anything strange, if you feel too weak, come back to me. Remember to remain grounded to this room.”
I pushed into the computer. If Theylor could put something into the computer that the computer didn’t know about, why couldn’t someone else do the same thing — someone who wanted the computer to malfunction?
The familiar architecture whizzed by me as I connected with the computer’s user controls to access the file. The computer could not find it, just as Theylor said. Corridor after corridor lined with blocks of data storage stretched as far as I could see. Light encoded into bits sparkled along the corridors — like the trams that buzzed around Orbis. The central computer was a complex and breathtaking metropolis of data. How was I going to find a single file in a computer that controlled a space station the size of a small planet?
I started by sorting any new files tagged with this cycle’s date. That limited my search to 345,789,222,505,617,001 files. Not much h
elp. I then accessed all files tagged with any Keeper’s personal signature. That helped, but with the entire set of automated tasks the Keepers had in place, it limited my search by only several hundred million files. I would never find this one file, let alone have time to search for information about the tribunal.
But I figured the only way Theylor could get a program into the computer without the computer knowing was to disguise the file as something else — but what or where? Maybe the file wasn’t even there anymore. Maybe it had been deleted. I asked the computer for the number of deleted files. That number exceeded my previous search. I asked the computer for the number of files created, then deleted, by Keepers within one diam, during this cycle.
Seventeen.
That was more like it. I accessed the computer for the origins of the deleted files. I needed to examine their origin, so I pushed my way in deeper. If I could simply relink those files to whoever had deleted them, I was certain I would find Theylor’s file marked Ketheria. Since the computer could not bring deleted files to me, I would eventually have to go to where they were stored.
The computer unfolded before me like an endless maze. Terabytes of info streamed along beads of light to their predetermined destinations, and I was able to shift the dimension of the computer only so far before I would have to push in farther. My body felt like it was stretching behind me, becoming no thicker than a data cable. I turned my head and tried to look at myself, but I only saw more of the computer. I was in Theylor’s digi, trying to look inside the bucket. I felt very fragile, and I was nowhere near the location of the file.
But I’m still in the examination room, I told myself.
I made one more push through a cache of open portals to reach the Keepers’ storage location: rows and rows of colorful processing cubes, each with more power than a million seed-ship computers, linked together and stacked one on top of the other. The sides of each cube changed constantly as beads of light traveled among the storage devices. I located the spots where the seventeen files had been and asked the computer to link these former locations with files now in the trash so I could identify them. While I still felt strong enough, I retraced my path and headed for the trash.
