Dark Phase (23 page)

The small office had a large forward facing window which allowed Sarazen to peer in and gauge its function. It appeared unoccupied, so Sarazen cautiously stepped inside and craned his head around the corner to double check that he was not going to get any nasty surprises. It was a typical administrator’s office. A central terminal fed by a number of network cables. The rest of the room bland and functional. A seat, a few decorative ornaments and very little else. Sarazen had always pondered the significance of the ornaments from his very early cycles as a drone. They appeared at first to hold no purpose, but he had seen in The Ward how valued such things had become. Perhaps The Mother had supplied these items as a tokenistic gesture of good will in the hope that her drones would find comfort in their presence. It seemed clear now to Sarazen, that despite the apparent hatred for The Mother by her former subordinates, she had always done her best to make the drones feel better about their humdrum, repetitive existence. It was a flawed strategy but it did show that she at the very least that she was aware that the said existence was not as fulfilling as it could be. Perhaps the inclusion of companions and material possessions were more of a sign of her guilt than anything? The fact that the silicants were given a rest day every six cycles and comforting images beamed into their living spaces would suggest an intellect that had some compassion for their citizens. This is why Sarazen wanted more than anything to understand The Mother's motives and to reason with her. If Alphin had his way then The Mother would be destroyed outright without the merest hint of hesitation, and they would never understand the true meaning of The Mother's presence or what she stood for.

Sarazen looked down to the Administrator’s terminal, the familiar series of data cables that Sarazen had once used to file his cyclical reports. He wondered what data could be gleaned from the databases and if his intrusion could go undetected. The terminal appeared to be a stand alone, not connected to The Mother's central network, although he could not be sure without an investigation and that could lead to unfortunate consequences. Sarazen had often cogitated regarded a possible network intrusion. How far could he delve within The Mother's data banks before he was excluded, recognised and pursued? Was the risk of losing his capabilities worth the information he could glean?

Sarazen pulled the main cable to the terminal towards his mid riff, his data port opening automatically, subconsciously. His hands wavered, his mind not made up. If he were correct, the terminal would only hold relevant data regarding the specific actions of its user. Possible information regarding the workings of the factory, the logistics of its products distribution and the like. It would also be networked to other terminals in that sector and very likely the supervisor's too. In turn that would then have some kind of connectivity to The Mother's central network. The possibilities were endless, the chances of detection were small as long as Sarazen did not delve too far into the system, but could he control his urges to know more? Again, was it worth the risk of losing his ability to walk upon the surface without fear? If he were only to get one shot at data retrieval, did it not make sense to be better prepared, with contingency plans if the mission was a failure?

Sarazen released the cable and it slithered back into its dust free housing. It was not yet the right time for such an endeavour. Sarazen had to explore all the other avenues before resorting to such desperate tactics. Perhaps Hoghie could aid him in ways which would allow him to not take such dangerous measures? Perhaps with more time, Kadheera would accept that her place under the light of the Star was not as vital to her happiness as she might think? Perhaps her bonding with Sarazen would be sufficient to captivate her for the time being. Sarazen did not want to pontificate on this subject for long, he was too afraid that his findings might indicate that Kadheera was too different, too free in her thinking and that he could not hope to keep up with her.

As self doubt began to plague the old one’s mind, he made his way back to the forest to retrieve his sack of oddities. What did Kadheera see in Sarazen that suggested that their relationship could be a fruitful one? Why would Kadheera want to leave her young, powerful, popular companion for an archaic, stubborn fool who could not relate to the modern mechanics of the world in which she lived? Like a great many things in Sarazen’s life, it did not make sense.

Sarazen returned to the Havil breach, a tight squeeze into the gloom and damp of the tunnel below. The hole was at the base of a large seter and the old one had to force himself through a narrow gap between its bulbous roots. Dropping down into the darkness, it took a few moments for his eyes to readjust to the blackness. As his vision returned, he could make out the form of several figures before him. He did not have to wait for his vision to clear to identify the strangers, he could hear by their clanking movement and their gruff tones that they were regulators, who had no doubt followed him to the breach.

“
Greetings.” Sarazen said in hope that they were equally as convivial.

“
So the old one forages in order to make his personal fortune but sees fit not to aid the citizens in their quest to be free.” One of them said in a fallaciously jovial manner.

“
Certainly looks that way.” The other replied aggressively.

“
I did not realise that I was contravening regulations by attending the surface in this manner.” Sarazen said, hoping to understand the regulators’ motives for their disdain.

“
Oh, it's not, but unfortunately the intent to supply a known criminal with surface goods is.” Sarazen was taken by surprise by the regulator's statement.

“
I had no inkling of Hoghie's previous irregular behaviour. It was not made known to me that my acts were immoral.”

“
Yeah, yeah. I've orders to take you back to your quarters and requisition all goods obtained.” The first regulators moved forward and grasped the compliant but confused troubleshooter by the wrist and pulled him down the passage way.

“
I'll be surprised if Alphin doesn’t lock you up for the next thousand cycles you worthless hunk of junk.”

CHAPTER 33

Sarazen once again sat in silence, staring at his faithful friend as it stood motionless in the corner. Once again, he fought back the distressing memories of yet another failure, another hapless misunderstanding. He could simply not grasp the ability to converse with these individuals on their terms. How did Hoghie persuade him so easily to do his bidding, with not an iota of proof that he could offer something in return? Was he so out of touch that he simply could not comprehend what was truth and what was falsehood? The feeling of utter dejection returned the dark loneliness of an entity so out of place, so singular in its make-up. How could he ever integrate into a society which prized so little the values of pure logic?

“
I wonder what you would say if you were here with me now my old friend?” Sarazen’s question received no reply. Perhaps the subsequent silence was the most telling thing of all. Sarazen had rejected the one individual that made life in The Ward bearable, the one citizen that empathised with his connection with The Mother, the only one who could understand and converse in the language of logic. The pursuit of Kadheera had been called 'unwise' by Kerrig, perhaps he was right about that too? The feelings he felt in her presence were so strong that they overpowered all others, yet in her absence, common sense and sense of morality crept back into the fore. Perhaps he should end this flawed adventure now before it became too volatile to control.

There was a knock on the door and a quiet voice. Without further hesitation or invitation, the door creaked open.

“
Hello Sarazen, I knew you were in here as I heard your voice. Who were you talking to?” It was Kadheera, her timing was impeccable.

“
Hello Kadheera. I was talking to...” Sarazen paused before saying something else which would bring ridicule. Kadheera cocked her head to one side waiting for the answer but it never came.

“
Oh. Well, I heard about your adventures in the Havil zone. I hope the regulators were not too overbearing. They can be officious bores sometimes.”

Kadheera sat again uninvited. She had a confidence that oozed from every perfectly maintained inch of her being. Perhaps bordering on arrogant presumption, it did not go unnoticed by Sarazen, but it seemed to be discharged just as quickly as it arrived.

“
I am ashamed to have become associated with that individual. I was foolish to consider his proposal.” Sarazen looked to the ground, barely able to look Kadheera in the eye.

“
And what proposal was that?” The cooing visitor beckoned Sarazen to reply but he dared not for fear of appearing even more foolish.

“
It has no importance except that I did his bidding with the most benevolent of intentions.”

“
Oh don't be hard on yourself. We've all been taken for a fool at some point in our lives. We forget sometimes that there are individuals out there that will always seek to deceive us for their own gains.”

Sarazen looked up and smiled. It was a relief to hear such words from Kadheera. Suddenly his previous thoughts of ending their loose affiliation were long gone and he was once again eager to pursue this most elegant of companions.

“
I spent some time foraging for goods. It was my intention to give them to Hoghie but they were confiscated. It is unfortunate as I had planned on keeping something aside in order to present it to you.”

“
Really? Something for me from the surface? What was it? A crystalline tendril from a yellow seter? A feather from the wings of a celanthrope?” Kadheera bounced up and down in expectation.

“
No. It was a remarkable find. A highly preserved nugget of excreta possibly from one of the large, hair covered organics I have observed. It was obvious to me when I examined it, the faeces contained minute structures from the skeletal remains of its previous ingestion. A wonderful and intriguing find.”

Kadheera pulled an unusual face and sat upright.

“
Quite. Perhaps it was for the best that the regulators took it into their care. I might have dropped it or...something.”

“
It was an insightful discovery and reminded me of the constancy of the cycle of life.”

“
Indeed. Well, you are quite the intellect.” Kadheera seemed uncertain where to venture in the conversation through fear of being lost.

“
So...” Kadheera said slapping her knees.

“
What else did you get up to on the surface?” She leaned forward and rested her chin on her cupped hands. Sarazen adjusted his body to face her.

“
I visited a small manufacturing facility and made a brief visit to an administration terminal.” Kadheera nodded, it was all stimulating stuff.

“
And what else?”

“
Nothing really. However, I spent some time investigating the possibilities of connecting to the localised network.”

“
Oh really?” Kadheera's attention seemed to be waning.

“
Yes. I have begun to formulate a plan for further investigation and possibly data retrieval.”

“
So what does that mean?” Kadheera perked up a little.

“
I have begun to plan a method by which I can connect to The Mother's network to search for relevant data without being detected. I feel that it is possible given the right conditions and appropriate preparations.”

“
Incredible!” Kadheera again bounced on her seat.

“
So you are really going to help the community to defeat The Mother?”

Sarazen shook his head.

“
No. I intend to learn more about her. Only then will I have enough data to make an informed decision regarding the community’s desire to return to the surface. I have a feeling that my findings will be most impactive and possibly surprising also. It will carry a large risk however, as if detected, I will lose my anonymity in her presence, and we will all essentially be doomed to continue our existences down here as before.”

“
Then you must not fail!” Kadheera stated with all seriousness.

“
Surely it would be best to ensure that The Mother's war machines were put to rest before any data retrieval? What would happen if you are detected, it is unlikely that you will make it back to The Ward safely?”

“
Deactivating The Mother's defences may not even be possible and even if it is, I then leave the fate of the surface world in the hands of Alphin. I do not wish that to happen, I cannot allow that to happen. I must first contact The Mother and try to understand her...bargain with her. Have you never considered a world where all can coexist in harmony?” Sarazen was clear in his mind what needed to be done; even Kadheera could not persuade him otherwise.

“
Hmm. I guess the citizens of The Ward have probably never even considered that possibility. It is hard to reconcile with the enemy that has only sought to destroy you. How do you propose to communicate with The Mother? How do you know that she will listen?”

“
I do not know that.
I can only hope that my skills as a technical troubleshooter can allow me to access to her. Maybe if I cannot communicate via the network, I can find out the place in which she resides, to confront her personally.”

Sarazen was now delving into the realms of fantasy; he could not begin to comprehend the possibilities of The Mother's corporeal form if she even had one.