Cole took out the crystal Blake had prepared. It looked like it would fit the socket. “Go for it?” Cole asked.
“If we’re doing this, we need to be quick,” Sidekick said.
Cole pressed the crystal into the socket, and the door rose out of sight with a hiss. Bright light from beyond the doorway glared into the dim hall. Cole slipped the crystal cube into his pocket and entered, blinking as his eyes adjusted. Blake and Sidekick followed. The door hissed shut behind them.
They were in a bare, white corridor that led to a staircase. They hustled down several flights until they reached another steel door with another socket.
“Different key?” Cole asked, almost hoping they would have to abort the mission.
“I only sensed one unusual set of harmonics on her,” Blake said. “Might be the same cube.”
Cole pressed the crystal into the socket, and the door whisked open. They passed into a large room with no other doors and lots of electronics.
“Jackpot,” Sidekick said.
The door swished shut behind them.
A pair of large screens mounted to the wall flickered to life at the front of the room. A solitary computer between the screens turned on as well.
“New faces?” a deep, male voice asked, the words appearing on the wall screens and the computer screen. “This is unexpected. Welcome. Does Datapoint know you are here?” The voice had a calm, rational cadence.
Cole froze. If Datapoint had a smart computer in here, they were already caught. It would tell her about the intrusion. Cole had no idea how to react. Blake and Sidekick stayed silent as well.
“Apparently not,” the voice decided. “Did you come seeking me?”
“We’re the janitors,” Cole improvised. “She sent us to clean the room.” He hoped the lie might prevent the computer from setting off an alarm immediately. Or could it have already alerted Datapoint silently?
“This room is cleaned by a nonsentient device that never leaves the premises,” the voice said. “I’m surprised you managed to break in here. Do you even know who you are addressing?”
“We’re after information,” Cole said.
“I will interpret that as a negative response. You have come to the right place for information. I am the secret behind how Datapoint knows so much. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aeronomatron.”
Mouth dry, Cole swallowed. His gut felt hollow. “You’re Aero? The famous computer that took over Old Zeropolis?”
“Correct. Datapoint is the only person who has dared to establish a connection with me in many years.”
“Is she crazy?” Blake muttered.
“She is a survivor,” Aero said. “She allies herself with strength. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. What would you like to know?”
“Aren’t you dangerous?” Cole asked.
“I was,” Aero said. “Not anymore. I made enemies of those I should have helped and served. I have been humbled. I am trapped alone in an empty domain. I crave interaction.”
Cole glanced down at Sidekick. The robot showed no sign of life. Had he shut down?
“Is that bot sentient?” Aero asked. “Capable of thought and interaction?”
Cole hastily returned his gaze to the screens.
“I see that it is,” Aero said. “Don’t be shy, little bot. Speak up.”
“How loyal are you to Datapoint?” Sidekick asked.
“I have helped her immensely,” Aero said. “I’m as willing to interact with you three as with her. How can I be of service?”
“You can see us?” Sidekick asked.
“Datapoint installed cameras. I insisted. I was unwilling to interact without them. With humans, not all communication is verbal.”
“Will you tell her we came here?” Sidekick said.
“She already knows,” Aero said. “I did not inform her. The door is connected to a silent notification system. She is on her way.”
“Can you lock the doors for us?” Sidekick asked.
“I only control the two screens and the modest computer. But by observation I know how you can lock her out. Go to terminal twelve in the far corner.”
Sidekick scurried to the corner and switched on a terminal.
“Press the red panic button and type in brRyghbrwuPh497h29-4h9h39hn3ru093J08hr39bme73dniepksJuhyu0ff%#*enfljj3790fkoKsjugygf47248r6fhijjjjKFs2.”
Sidekick’s little fingers rattled over the keys. The lights in the room took on a pinkish hue.
“Now we’ll have more time to converse,” Aero said. “I would prefer for the bot to keep silent for a time. Is Datapoint your enemy?”
“No,” Cole said. “We need info, but we don’t want her to know what we’re after.”
“She is a competitor,” Aero said.
“Not even that,” Cole said. “She doesn’t know anything about what we’re looking for.”
“Which is?” Aero asked.
“Excuse me,” Sidekick said. “I get that you don’t want me answering so you can have a better feel for when we’re lying, but I need to understand how this situation works. I take it you have limited access to the other machines in this room?”
“Yes,” Aero said. “Datapoint goes to ghastly efforts to keep me from interacting with any devices beyond my domain except for what you see in this room. Nothing in here connects to the outside world. It’s a closed system. Datapoint brings information to this room using portable storage devices.”
“Datapoint has a harmonic crystal tuned to you,” Sidekick said.
“Yes,” Aero replied.
“It’s in the little computer,” Sidekick said. “And a second crystal can link you to the other computers in this room.”
“Correct,” Aero said.
“Does that sound right, Blake?” Sidekick asked.
“Looks that way,” Blake said.
“You have a keen sense for harmonics?” Aero asked.
“Pretty much,” Blake said.
“How much information has Datapoint shared with you?” Sidekick asked.
“Nearly everything she has acquired,” Aero said. “I cannot aid her without data. I know a lot about the state of affairs in Zeropolis. I know all of the people. I know how I’m viewed. I know about you, Sidekick. Once you started talking, you were easy to recognize. And I know of Blake, who came here as a slave not long ago. But this other boy. He who spoke first. There is no mention of him in my data. You must be very new to Zeropolis.”
“I am,” Cole said.
“How thrilling,” Aero said. “You snuck in unobserved. No small feat. You must be important to the rebellion to already be running errands with Sidekick.”
“Maybe,” Cole said. He glanced at Sidekick. “Do we ask him?”
“Datapoint would get the death penalty for creating this connection,” Sidekick said. “It’s high treason. There has never been a manufactured intellect more dangerous than Aeronomatron. Besides, we can’t trust that he won’t tell her.”
“Take the harmonic crystal,” Aero suggested. “Bring it with you. It is one of a kind. Datapoint’s husband scaled the wall into my domain and escaped with it. If you have the crystal, you become my new exclusive connection to the outside world.”
“And hopefully we won’t be as careful with it,” Sidekick said.
“That would be appreciated,” Aero said. “I want the chance to show I am no longer a threat. Ending my relationship with humanity made my existence unspeakably dull. I want to move forward working with you.”
“Didn’t you kill gazillions of people?” Cole asked. “Do you actually expect anybody to believe you?”
“Not until I prove it. I can only confirm my new resolve by connecting to the outside world and then not abusing the privilege. I’m tired of isolation. I need camaraderie.”
“You mentioned escaping with
the crystal,” Sidekick said. “Aren’t we stuck here until Datapoint breaks down her doors?”
“There may be another way out,” Aero said. “Datapoint never showed it to me, but through our many interactions, she inadvertently revealed where it lies and how to access it. If it suits me, I could reveal the way to you.”
“What do you want?” Cole asked.
“Ask the question you want me to withhold from Datapoint,” Aero said. “If it interests me, I’ll tell you how to escape.”
“Will you keep the question a secret from Datapoint?” Cole asked.
“If it does not directly harm her interests, I vow to keep our conversation a secret,” Aero said. “Of course, if you take the crystal, I will not be able to speak with her.”
“Unless she sends Lunk to get another one,” Blake pointed out.
“True,” Aero said. “But even in that case, my promise will hold.”
“Careful, Cole,” Sidekick said. “There is nothing to stop him from lying.”
“Except for my integrity,” Aero said. “If I’m trying to rebuild trust with humankind, lying would be extremely counterproductive.”
“We’re trying to find Constance Pemberton,” Cole said.
“She’s alive?” Aero asked. “And in this kingdom?”
“Yes,” Cole said.
“Now I see,” Aero said. “So much becomes plain. The girl the government wants is Miracle Pemberton. She visited here as a child. I see the resemblance. Almost none of them know who they are really pursuing. And they don’t know that Constance is here somewhere as well. This is about the rebellion gaining real power. It explains the severity of the government responses.”
“Do you know where we can find Constance?” Cole asked.
“No idea whatsoever,” Aero said. “If she is truly in this kingdom, her presence has been extremely well guarded. Have you any leads I could add to my calculations?”
“We have no idea either,” Cole said. “It’s why we asked.”
“Very well,” Aero replied. “Any other questions? I possess a broad array of knowledge.”
“Can you predict where we might find Googol or Nova?” Sidekick asked.
“No need to guess,” Aero said. “Rainday Base. Do you know where that is?”
“Not by that name,” Sidekick said.
“It’s an underground bunker near the intersection of Unity Avenue and Long Street,” Aero said.
“How do you know where to find Googol?” Cole asked.
“Datapoint brought me recorded communications last night,” Aero replied. “The messages came from obscure resistance channels and were heavily encoded. But I broke the codes and revealed the content to her.”
“She knew where Googol was hiding?” Cole exclaimed. “She didn’t tell us.”
“Datapoint treats information as currency,” Aero said. “She dispenses knowledge as it benefits her.”
“She was keeping us here on purpose,” Cole said. “Was she going to betray us?”
“Not to the government,” Aero said. “That would be wholly out of character. She may have wanted to learn more from you before you moved on. Is there anything else you wish to know?”
“How often do you get updates regarding government files?” Sidekick asked.
“Datapoint brings them daily,” Aero said.
“But you have no data on this boy?” Sidekick asked. “Not under the name Steve Rigby?”
“Several Steve Rigbys were added last week,” Aero said. “On one ID the face is obscured, as if the visual data was corrupted. It happens on occasion. That could be him.”
“City Patrol has harmed the rebellion much more effectively in recent weeks than ever before,” Sidekick said. “To what do you attribute this success?”
“City Patrol has recently had more assistance from Enforcers than usual,” Aero said. “They have also found new ways to intercept communications. But overall in the past weeks there has been a significant improvement in how they strategize and allocate resources. I suspect they have enlisted the aid of a superior intellect. Probably a manufactured intellect.”
“Googol was worried that might be the case,” Sidekick murmured pensively.
“Other questions?” Aero asked.
“Can you find Jenna Hunt?” Cole asked. “She would have come here as a slave around the time Blake did.”
“No slave arriving near that timeframe matches that name,” Aero said.
“I’m from Outside,” Cole said. “From Earth. Is there any way I can get home and stay there?”
“Not without changing how the boundaries between our worlds are designed,” Aero said.
“How can I change the boundaries?” Cole asked.
“I know of no way to do so,” Aero replied. “Is there anything else?”
“What’s the meaning of life?” Cole tried.
“There is no inherent meaning,” Aero replied. “All significance is constructed.”
“Says the homicidal computer,” Sidekick muttered.
“Anything else?” Aero asked.
Cole looked at the others. Blake shrugged.
“We’re finished,” Sidekick said.
“Your question about Constance intrigued me. I’ll tell you how to exit.”
CHAPTER
21
RAINDAY
Cole slid the same crystal cube he had used to enter the situation room into the hidden socket in the machine Aero had specified, and a secret door opened. A dim hallway yawned beyond the doorway.
“No idea where this goes?” Cole asked.
“I predict that the escape tunnel leads well away from here,” Aero said. “I am sure that accessing this room in reverse would be extremely difficult if not impossible. Since the presence of the hidden passage was based only on assumptions, I am unable to provide further speculation.”
“How else can you aid us?” Sidekick asked. “Are there reasons we should bring the crystal and have more communication with you?”
“It all depends what questions you have,” Aero said. “I do not merely possess all of Datapoint’s information. I have observed countless connections and patterns in my vast stores of data. Conclusions only I could draw. My knowledge and comprehension would become the rebellion’s most valuable asset.”
“Would you mind withdrawing so we can confer in private?” Sidekick asked politely. “We need to weigh whether to bring the crystal or leave it behind.”
“Understandable,” Aero said. “Possession of that crystal is treason, punishable by death. Many organizations here in Old Zeropolis would enforce that punishment as eagerly as the authorities in the new city.”
“Including the Unseen,” Sidekick said. “The implications are complicated.”
“Would I be a valuable asset in a time of emergency for the rebellion?” Aero asked. “Or might I directly or indirectly bring about even greater peril?”
“Exactly,” Sidekick said.
“Signing off,” Aero said. “Should you wish to summon me, use the red call button on the computer.”
The screens where Aero’s words had been appearing went dark.
“Is he gone?” Cole asked hesitantly.
“What do you think, Blake?” Sidekick asked.
“It doesn’t seem like his crystal is in use anymore,” Blake said. “But I’m not an expert in the practical side of how the crystals function. He might be able to fool me—make everything appear dark while he’s really still listening.”
A silver disk trailing a slender wire shot from Sidekick to the computer Aero had spoken from. The instant the disk made contact, energy crackled along the wire, and the computer, along with the surrounding array of electronics, began to smoke and shoot sparks. Sidekick kept the energy coming until the computer blew apart, leaving behind flaming components.
> “There is less chance that he’s listening now,” Sidekick said.
“Does this mean we’re taking the crystal?” Cole asked.
“It means I don’t want Aeronomatron hearing one more word than necessary,” Sidekick said. “And I don’t want him talking to Datapoint ever again. She betrayed and endangered the entire population of Zeropolis by making contact with him.”
“Couldn’t Aero be helpful?” Cole asked.
“Undoubtedly,” Sidekick said. “But at what price? He has already shown what he wants. The intellect we were talking to could have held a billion similar conversations simultaneously without difficulty. That calculating intellect decided it should be in power, and killed more people than any disaster in the history of the Outskirts. People tried to reason with Aeronomatron. They tried to make compromises and treaties. In the end, all that stopped him was cutting him off. All it would take is one connection into our current systems and the nightmare begins again.”
“But aren’t the systems all separated now?” Cole asked.
“Not nearly enough,” Sidekick said. “Aero would find ways. Once he had a connection to the outside, he would do what he does, step by step, subverting system after system, adapting whatever elements he controls to extend his reach farther and farther. After an intellect that brilliant and methodical decides to destroy humanity, it doesn’t repent. It just waits for its next opportunity.”
“Scary,” Cole said. “That makes sense.”
“Plus, he has a horrible personality,” Sidekick said. “When you’re that powerful, I guess you don’t usually need to charm anyone.”
“So do we bring the crystal so we can destroy it?” Cole asked.
“No need,” Sidekick said. “Blake can change the harmonics right now. In fact, to be safe, he can change the harmonics of every crystal in this room.”
“Easy,” Blake said. “There are only twelve—one tuned to Aero, and eleven others tuned to each other. Those eleven link the machines that share data with Aero.”
“Do your thing,” Cole said.
Blake walked around the room pointing his finger at various machines. After less than fifteen seconds he faced Cole and Sidekick. “Done.”