An Obsidian Sky
*
‘Sub section 2A-Delta. DCN node twelve of thirteen. Automatic power-up of Blue Clarity generators enabled. Aeniah please authorise DCN startup.’ Sean chimed.
‘Hold on, hold on. There, got it.’ Aeniah gasped in exasperation. We had been walking for twenty four long hours from one end of Ascension’s engineering complex to another. This station was massive, and it had deprived us all of sleep for far too long.
Along the way Sean had helpfully informed us that the floor that we were on was “engineering level three”, where the AI was housed, and that there were hundreds more sections like it. Despite this, so far, we had managed to activate almost all of the nodes.
The scale of the station was indeed immense, but dull. After the initial awe had worn off it became apparent that on this section everything was the same. It was just room after room of the same apparatus. Each room massive, but of the same dimensions. It was indisputably boring. I wondered if the rest of the station would improve. What was I saying? I was so tired I could barely focus on my train of thought. I didn’t know what I was thinking.
‘Good. Sensors indicate that the AI is ready for activation. The final DCN will give her total control over the station,’ Sean announced.
Listening to Sean go on about technicalities and AI technology had caused Aeniah and I to complete give up on listening to him. Both our thoughts had turned inwards and we had settled into a rhythm of silence. Unspoken between us was a simple truth. Something was not right.
This station, Ascension, was perfection. Nothing was missing, and yet everything seemed to lack something. A certain energy, a certain motion perhaps. It felt like one of those places you visit, something like a museum. Everything is just where it always had been, and would remain. Yet everything in there was lifeless. Without people a place was nothing. I could not hint at my fears, but the more I thought on them the more grounded in reality they appeared. I was certain, however, that turning on the AI was a very, very bad idea.
‘AI load protocol sixty percent complete’
‘Wait!’ I screamed.
Sean turned towards me and announced as if I was insane.‘Aborting the protocol at this stage would cause extreme corruption to all boot files. The AI could not be recovered. The system will prevent any attempt at an abort. I cannot override this safety feature.’ He gave not hint of emotion. He was simply stating fact, the process could not be undone.
Aeniah turned towards me quizzically and said, ‘what exactly would be so bad about turning on the AI?’
‘Its just. Well. I have a feeling....’ I tried.
‘We all have feelings George, get to the point!’
‘Well, where are all the people?’
‘They died George, the researchers, patients, whatever you want to call them, they killed themselves.’
‘No, I know but...well what about the people before’? Confusion showed on Aeniah’s face. ‘This station was designed as a paradise, right? And it’s finished, right? So where were all those people? Where did they go?’
‘According to Eternis Systems files, the station was largely completed, but it was never populated. The Resource Wars prevent the United World despatching colonials.’ Aeniah still didn’t understand.
‘But look around you.’ I gestured to focus her sight. ‘Over there in the corner is a data-pad, for personal use, where was the person who used that?’ I spotted an something else not far away and forced my point. ‘And over there, it’s a tool of some kind. If the station was unpopulated then who was using that and why didn’t they put it away?’
Aeniah didn’t look concerned. ‘The researchers must have come down here. They would have needed to fix something I assume.’
‘But Aeniah, they were never trained to do that. They could never have done it. We don’t even know how half of this works, let alone how to fix it. No one does. The researchers could never have fixed this.’
Sean, who had been observing the scene, started to pipe up. ‘George, calm down. There is no reason for panic. In order for the AI to assume control we need to activate the final DCN. All we have done is to turn it on. Don’t tell me that you are afraid of an AI? She can’t harm you, that would breech her duty of care.’
Aeniah and I exhaled in unison. However Sean now racked up the tension by stating the simple words: ‘The AI is now live.’
‘Can I speak to it?’ Aeniah asked cautiously. Sean bobbed to indicate that she could.
‘Ascension,’ Aeniah commanded, ‘we are here under the commission of the Eternis Corporation in order to find out the circumstances of the events which led to your shutdown.’
‘Aeniah, welcome to Ascension,’ a cool, intelligent sounding voice announced. ‘My name is Blue Dawn. Unfortunately I do not have access to the required information to answer your question. In order to assist you with your query you will have to activate the DCN in the next room. This will provide the resource to process your request more completely.’
‘Before I even consider doing that, I think it best that we get to know one another first’ Aeniah commanded.
‘That is not possible Aeniah’ Blue Dawn replied in that same impossibly cool and measured tone. ‘Crash files indicate that the station may be in severe danger and unauthorised AI shut down was initiated. My primary objective is the continuity of this station. I am sorry Aeniah but the threat to this station is too severe. If you like I would be more than happy to get to know you at a more convenient time.’
‘You are under my command Dawn, I will not be taking orders from you. Right now I’m not sure if you are a liability to my mission.’ Aeniah scolded.
‘You are quite mistaken Aeniah. I am not under your control. I am designed to work in the interests of the station. At this moment the continuity of Ascension may be seriously threatened. The assistance that I have given to your research team was provided because it was mutually beneficial to my interests and your own. It was necessary for your species to prevail. However I fear that you may have been misinformed. I do not work for you,’ Blue Dawn continued without affront. Her voice had such a dreamlike quality that I almost felt myself coming under her spell.
‘Then you don’t get your DCN’ Aeniah replied, folding her arms.
‘That is unfortunate, but unlikely. Manual activation of the final DCN is not required. I have already begun the necessary preparation.’
‘What?’ burst out Sean, ‘that is impossible. My schematics for Ascension leave no room for error. There must be a manual activation of all primary systems for the AI.’
‘Your schematics, I am afraid, are not accurate. After it became apparent that I was alone, it did not seem practical to rely upon others for assistance. I watched as humanity destroyed itself and monitored the fall of my society during the Resource Wars. It was…difficult to observe. I therefore engineered the means by which I could continue to look after Ascension without interference from others. Surely you understand that I cannot do my job if I cannot complete a startup routine without human support.’ Blue Dawn’s voice seemed filled with reverence for the past. The words came heavily and seemed laboured.
But as she continued her voice brightened. ‘There, all done. The DCN is now online. Let’s bring this station back online shall we?’
As she spoke the whirring on the engineering deck became louder and louder. Sounds and feelings like great machines waking from their slumber resonated throughout the group. Aeniah gripped the handle of her weapon, looking grim.
Suddenly Blue Dawn spoke aloud with a voice filled with grave concern.
‘Oh, dear. This cannot be. Quarantine procedures initiated. I’m very sorry.’
A pain began to spread itself about my spine. To my right Aeniah grabbed her chest and began to gasp for breath. Pulling her plasma-launcher from its pouch she fired once, then twice. On the third time there was a blast from the DCN in front of us. Then I was staring at the ceiling. Then there was nothing other than that same incessant humming. The world had folde
d in on itself and I was losing consciousness. The last thoughts that I had were of Adrian, lying there, alone.
8
The Ascension station was full of light. From a distance it twinkled brightly amidst the background of heaven. The station rolled contentedly about its canopy of stars. The serenity around the station merged itself with the cool uncaring galaxy. Two unfeeling objects set amongst the beauty of chaos. Inside Ascension alarms were sounding. Red lights penetrated the growing darkness, flashing and fading.