“I’ll stay with W… you know… in case he starts again,” Suma said, and Slate passed her his pulse rifle.
“If he activates, the gun might work. Otherwise, if anyone comes near you, hit them with it.” Slate feigned swinging a bat, and Suma nodded.
I didn’t love leaving Suma alone up there, but it might be safer. We hadn’t seen anyone around, and the force field appeared to have been set up a long time ago.
“What’s so bad down there?” I asked Rulo.
“It’s not that it’s bad, just tight. There are a lot of components inside too, most of which I have no clue about. Maybe we should have brought Suma,” Rulo answered.
We were down the stairs in a few breaths, and the Keppe woman led us around the side of the structure, merging into an entranceway. There was no door to cover it, and the frame was arched smoothly. Inside, we were met with a hallway, and now I understood what had Rulo irritated. The corridor was narrow, and only about five feet high. Whatever race had built this place was small in stature.
“I think I should wait with Suma, boss,” Slate said, starting to turn around. I grabbed him and pushed him forward.
“I don’t think so. You’re with us. If Rulo can fit, then you definitely can,” I told him, and he grunted as he turned sideways to allow the walls to accommodate his proportions, which was hard when he was ducking low to avoid hitting his head.
Rulo laughed as Slate did just that, and I cringed at the solid thump noise his forehead made against a cross beam on the ceiling. I narrowly avoided hitting it too, and that made Rulo laugh again.
“It’s so funny, isn’t it?” Slate asked, rubbing his head.
“It would be funnier if I hadn’t hit my own head about five times,” she admitted. “This won’t take so long now that I know where I’m going.” The hall ended, and we had to choose left, right, or straight. I noticed a scratch in the stone wall. “I marked them. That’s what took me so long. The entire inside of this pyramid is a maze, a labyrinth of tiny halls. Whoever made this place was demented, or they had a really sick sense of humor.”
I noticed now that the pitch of the floor was rising and falling, meaning there were probably corridors above and below us, making for a convoluted 3D maze within the ruins. We followed Rulo’s markings, and it still took us almost an hour to navigate into the central room where she’d turned off the barrier.
We entered the open space, Slate pouring into it and stretching his arms out. We all did, my spine cracking as I stood up straight. The walls were lined with technology, electronics softly beeping, and dim lights triggered as we entered.
“Pretty fancy for a place that looks straight out of an ancient civilizations textbook,” Slate said, and I agreed with him.
“Why build rock buildings when you have this?” Rulo asked.
“Maybe they did this with the help of Origin?” I offered.
Slate tapped his chin like a professor contemplating a serious problem. “Almost makes sense. Couple holes in the theory, though. Why would Origin help them if they stole it? And why would Origin help set a trap?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the secrets lie inside this building.” I noticed the frayed wires in the center of the room; the computer screen was flashing. “Your work, Rulo?”
She smiled. “I didn’t have any other way to shut it down. Kind of the only option.”
Origin had to be nearby. W had interpreted a reading from this area, unless that was part of the trap. I began sorting through cabinets, and Slate attempted to access the computer files. He keyed something into the console, tapped a screen, then proceeded to get an energy burst attacking him from the wall of computers. Slate fell to the floor, his hair standing on edge.
“Oh, and don’t touch the computers,” Rulo said, receiving a glare from me. “What? It’s only a little buzz.”
I helped my friend up, and he dusted his pants off. “I’m fine, boss. It more surprised me than anything. Thanks for the heads up, Rulo. It seems whoever left this doesn’t want anyone messing with it.”
I took a moment and scanned the room, trying to decipher the puzzle. If Origin was inside this room, where could he be? “The power source. Origin has to be powering this place. Do any of these consoles have wiring?” We started searching for hardwired components, and just when I’d begun to assume the entire place was wireless, we found a line running from the left corner of the room into the center console that Rulo had destroyed.
“It’s in here. It has to be,” I said, stepping to the square system. It was the size of a fridge, and the one screen Rulo had damaged sat at chest level. I crouched behind it and noticed a seam. “Rulo, can I have your knife?”
It flashed out, and the hilt stretched out for me to grab a second later. I used the sharp edge to pry the metal backing off the unit, and there it was: a sphere the size of a volleyball. It hummed as tiny pinprick lights flickered on the exterior.
“Origin,” I said, and I swore the lights flashed faster in response.
“You did it, boss. Let’s get out of here. If we have to carry Dubs back, this is going to be a long enough night,” Slate said, and headed for the exit.
We spent the next hour crammed into the narrow corridors, but eventually broke free and outside the structure. The world felt so open as we walked into the night air, and I took a deep breath, feeling like it was my first inhale in ages.
I clutched Origin in my hands, and so far, it hadn’t done anything but hum with energy. The lights had dimmed, possibly conserving its energy. We ran to the stairs, and Suma met us halfway, immediately glancing to Origin in the dark night.
“You found it!” she shouted as she ran down the rest of the stairs to get a closer look. “This is what started the entire robot community? How is that possible? It’s so… small and round.”
Origin lifted from my grip and rose into the air, tiny thrusters sending it upwards. It hovered toward the top of the stairs, and we chased after it. Origin was our ticket out of here and through the portal. Without it, we were stranded, and I didn’t want to have to find another way to get J-NAK to help us.
It stopped above the deactivated form of W, our pilot android, and a glow emerged from underneath Origin, shooting into Dubs. He sat up straight, his eyes red once again. “Greetings. I am Origin,” W said in an unfamiliar voice. “Who are you?”
The others paused, each looking to me to answer the spherical robot speaking through our pilot. “I’m Dean Parker, and we’re here to take you back to your city.” I didn’t want to elaborate until the robot replied.
“I’ve been helpless here for far too long. You’ve freed me,” it said through W.
“You were stuck in that box?” Slate asked.
“I have been forced to power this temple’s system for centuries.”
“Who stole you?”
“They were a stocky carbon-based creature. Good with their hands, but not so great with their minds. They seized me to power their planned colony, but they couldn’t survive here. They died out after a few generations,” Origin told us. “They created a barrier at the pole, one that wouldn’t allow my creations to cross the threshold. I suspect the blockade is no longer functioning.”
That would explain how we were able to get through it with our ship, and why W didn’t falter upon our arrival at the pole. There had to be more to the story, but at that point, I really didn’t care. I only wanted to get back to J-NAK with their leader in hand. “Will you return with us?” I asked.
“Let us proceed,” Origin said through W, and our android began to walk down the steps, his eyes still red, implying he was under the small hovering sphere’s control. Origin floated above him, and soon we were all walking back toward our ship, a few kilometers away.
____________
“You have done well.” J-NAK reached for Origin, lights blinking quickly across its body as it picked up the smaller spherical robot. We’d made the lengthy trek to the lander in the dark. It was twelve hours after we’d first left J-N
AK’s city with the lander, and we were all tired, each of us grouchy and short-tempered.
Origin wasn’t much to look at, yet it had arrived on this world and created everything we saw. Thousands of miles of robot cityscape, all started by the round energy-drained robot cradled in J-NAK’s grip.
“You’ve found a way for us to leave safely?” I asked it, and J-NAK began to walk away from us. I chased after it and jumped in front of the robot, happy to see it actually stopped instead of bowling me over.
“I have. Proceed to the box we arrived in. It will lift you back.” J-NAK opened a compartment on its side and pulled a device out. It was crudely finished and consisted of a panel, clear wiring soldered between conductors. On one side, there was a smooth, clear screen. I had no idea what I was looking at.
“What do we do with this?” I asked.
“Trigger it, set it on the table controlling your portal, and choose the symbol on this screen, not on the portal’s. It will relay the correct information, and you will get to your destination safely. It is a Portal Modifier.” J-NAK stepped around me and carried itself forward on its four legs, faster than I’d seen it move yet.
“Thank you for your assistance, Dean Parker… and others,” Origin said from Dubs’ speakers. The same light lifted from our robot, entering the sphere again. W continued to stand, though his eyes faded back to green.
“W, that you?” I asked the android, and his head turned to meet my gaze.
“It is I, Captain.”
“Are you okay? Functional?” Suma asked him.
“I am operational,” W said, not expanding on it.
Dozens of robots emerged from the shadows, and before I knew it, hundreds of hovering drones, scuttling dog-sized robots, and countless other mechanical shapes were following J-NAK as it transported Origin somewhere.
I didn’t intend to stick around to find out what happened next.
“You got that, Suma?” I asked my Shimmali friend, and she grabbed the panel.
“Got it,” she said, heading to Slate’s side.
We made the quick trek to the elevator box, and W stopped short, turning back towards the manufacturing plant.
“What is it?” I asked him.
“Nothing. I only wonder what it’s like to be part of a collective rather than being a solitary programmed positronic brain. I had a taste of it for the last few hours, and it was intriguing. Do you ever wonder the same thing?” Dubs’ voice carried a wistful tone that caught me off-guard.
The entire idea of being connected to thousands of other minds horrified me, but I did understand where W was coming from. Here he saw interconnected robots, each operating solo, but also part of something larger. I hated the idea, but I thought it should be offered. “W, would you like to stay here?”
He stared off into the distance as the others entered the dark cube, waiting for us quietly. They were all exhausted, and I didn’t blame them for shutting down right now. We were almost at our end on this world, hopefully.
“No, Captain. I have work to do. We must rescue Magnus and Natalia, as well as the children and the Keppe crew. It would be remiss of me to consider staying,” W said.
“If you’re sure. I’m happy to have you with us, W. You’re part of our collective,” I said, and he turned to me, giving me a slight nod before stepping past me and into the cube.
“J-NAK gave me the symbol for their world. I could always return, if someone brought me. Would you bring me if I later decide to be part of all this?” W asked.
“It would be my pleasure,” I answered.
“Can we leave now?” Rulo growled.
“Yes.” I rejoined them, and the cube once again moved without sensation. It wasn’t long before the door opened to reveal the portal room high above the city.
Suma was the first out, and almost ran to the portal table. “Karo!” she exclaimed, waking the dozing Theos. He rubbed his eyes and stood, towering over Suma.
“Hello, Suma. I take it you accomplished your task?” he asked.
“Did you ever doubt us?” Slate asked with a grin on his face.
“No, Slate, I did not.” He clapped Slate on the shoulder, and I watched the Theos closely, noticing he seemed relaxed and happier.
“Everything go okay up here?” I asked him, and he nodded.
“These robots know their way around… everything, it seems.” Karo turned to the table, and watched as Suma set down the Modifier J-NAK had given us.
“What’s going on outside, boss?” Slate pressed against the far wall, staring toward the city below. Lights began turning on all around the region; buildings moved, as if extensions of a larger robot. Hundreds of drones took to the sky, buzzing past our portal room.
“I think Origin has been initiated. We better leave, Suma. Can you get this working?” I was nervous, and I didn’t know why. It was almost as if an energy was cascading in waves through the city, the continent now, and I didn’t want to be here when it coalesced.
“I’m on it.” Suma pressed the panel device, and the stone powered up, glowing brightly along with the symbols on the clear walls. They burned bright blue, moving around like a screensaver on my old work computer, long before the Event.
“I’ll choose the symbol for Oliter, and…” Suma started, and I peeked over her shoulder, making sure it was the right one. She didn’t even question the double check, and when I gave her a nod, she readied herself. “Everyone good?”
“We’re good,” Rulo said, and the others stood in a circle around the portal stone. The device was meant to correct any “crossed wires” the stones were sending between the portal stone’s destination and the symbol for that world. We could only hope J-NAK knew what he was doing, but we had no choice. Even if we asked them to build us a vessel to fly out of here, we didn’t know where we were or how long it would take to go home. This was our only shot.
“Please work,” I whispered as Suma tapped the icon and everything went white.
Ten
We arrived inside the Keppe portal room, my heart pounding so quickly, I had to lean against the table. I’d half expected to wake in space, being sent into the expanse by the erratic stones.
Rulo grinned, obviously thrilled to be on her home planet. “What are you waiting for? I need something to eat,” she said, and Slate ran after her.
“Come on, Karo. It’s been a long day. Let’s see what we can find out about Magnus and get some rest,” I said, patting the big Theos on the back. Suma rushed ahead, and soon we were walking up white marble stairs into the main level of Lord Crul’s mansion.
It looked much the same as it had when we’d arrived from our time on Sterona. Keppe people walked by us in their bland robes, a few greeting Rulo. She looked so different from them, wearing a white Gatekeeper suit and a broad smile. I could see why Magnus had been looking forward to three years among the Keppe crew. They could be fun to be around, and were a strong, loyal race.
A thin, bent-over Keppe man approached and whispered something to Rulo, too quiet for any of us to hear. He glanced at our group, disdain evident on his wrinkled face.
“Lord Crul wants to see us. Now.” Rulo’s posture stiffened, and she took the lead, walking with purpose and pride toward her leader’s quarters. Instead of the study where I’d spoken to Crul in the middle of the night so long ago, we went to a larger space, more suitable for our entire group. Inside were refreshments, many familiar from our stint aboard Starbound. I saw a pink beverage on the table; Mary’s favorite, and it made me miss her.
I had to get it together. It had only been a day, and who knew how long we were going to be gone? At the rate this mission had started, it was anyone’s guess.
A chair swivelled to reveal a dark gray Keppe: Lord Eran Crul. His eyes danced as he met my gaze, and he motioned for us to sit. “Have a seat.” His words translated, and we each relaxed on the soft seats. It was an informal room, a few pieces of muted art on the walls, all enhanced by soft yellow lighting. Slate moved a pillow from be
hind him and held it in his lap, hugging it close until he noticed me watching him. He set the cushion to one side and cleared his throat.
“Lord Crul,” I said, breaking the silence, “thank you for meeting with us. What can you tell us about Magnus’ disappearance?”
Crul drank from his cup and frowned. “First off, five hundred of my good people are missing alongside your friend and his family. This is not just a rescue mission of Magnus and Natalia. You’ll do well to remember that.” He flicked his stare to Rulo, who nodded and lowered her eyes.
I noticed W loitering at the doorway, and I waved him over to stand next to my chair. I wanted him to be watching and remembering every detail.
“We know that, Lord Crul. We’ll hopefully be returning with the crew and ship intact, if at all possible. What can you tell us?” I asked again, noticing how zero details had emerged so far.
The door opened to reveal a familiar face. She walked by me and lightly clapped my arm with her hand.
“Kimtra, it’s nice to see you again,” I told the Keppe woman. She’d been an integral part of finding Polvertan and getting to Fontem’s collection. She still had screens and electronics strapped to her arms.
“I wish it were under better circumstances. We can all catch up once our people are found. Here’s what we know.” She clicked a hand-held device, and an image appeared on the white wall. It showed Magnus’ ship. “This is Fortune, the exploratory vessel Magnus is captaining.” The 3D image rotated, showing a long, bulbous ship shaped like a peanut. “It holds over a thousand at max occupancy, but for the sake of the exploration mission, we didn’t need a full militia crew.”
“That may have been short-sighted on our behalf. It is standard procedure, but given the extreme nature of their mission, we should have sent him more prepared.” Lord Crul tapped the arm of his chair as he spoke, a clear sign he was agitated.
“What the hell do you mean, ‘extreme nature’?” My own agitation was increasing with each passing second.
Crul looked over to Kimtra, who answered for her leader. “They were heading to an unknown part of the galaxy. Uncharted, if you will.”
New Alliance Page 8
