Dark Phase (26 page)

“
Are you ready?” Kadheera inquired as she poked her head around the door.

“
You did not give me sufficient time to analyse all the data - however, most of it cannot be read.”

“
Fantastic! I can't wait!” Kadheera squealed as she entered Sarazen’s quarters.

“
Please, less haste. You do understand that I will have to go to the surface first and deactivate The Mother's defence network and most likely set a standby protocol for the other silicants. I cannot guarantee I can do this.”

“
Oh of course you can, I know you can.” Kadheera had full confidence in Sarazen’s abilities, he had not failed her thus far.

“
Another thing, I should have asked this of you before. I do not wish anyone else to know what we are doing this at this time. This must be information that only we can share at the present. When I deactivate the defence network, The Mother will be vulnerable to attack. We must seek negotiation with her, it is important.” Kadheera smiled and touched Sarazen's face.

“
Do you think I would tell anyone else so they can spoil this magnificent moment?” Her gaze was lingering, her hands cold to the touch on his hot face.

“
No, o
f course not.” Sarazen smiled, relieved that his oversight had been recognised and his tension relieved.

“
There is one other thing that I must do on the surface. Something long past due – a duty that I must fulfil to seek contentment.”

Sarazen turned and walked over to Cole, his tall, virile seter which now touched the ceiling of his quarters with its uppermost parts.

“
I must return Cole to his natural place in the world. Although he flourishes in the artificial light, he does not belong down here.”

Sarazen stroked a wide, flat leaf as he spoke. This was important to him.

“
I understand. There are a great many of us who feel the same way, although we have flourished, we just don't belong down here. It is...unnatural.”

“
Yes. You are right.”

Sarazen stooped to pick up the unwieldy pot containing his leafy companion and looked around his damp, dark living space. It was probably, with any luck, the last time he would set eyes on this place. It had been a sanctuary of sorts but more a place of emptiness. He would not miss those cold stone walls.

The Centrus chamber was not as busy as Sarazen had seen it, he was glad. He felt slightly odd walking through The Ward in the company of the leader’s companion and a giant potted seter. Looking back for signs of following regulators, there appeared to be little interest in his movements. Perhaps in the presence of Kadheera, they felt that he was not going to get up to any mischief? The short journey to the Havil breach was a tense one. Kadheera did not speak as she sat opposite him and Cole on the transit carriage. Even Kadheera now appeared nervous and contemplative. Was she ashamed to be seen conversing with the old one in public or was she too just apprehensive of the coming adventure? Sarazen could not help but display signs of anticipation and thought processes which constantly questioned every aspect of their mission.

Standing beneath the white, bright hole of the breach, Kadheera looked up to the intense light, her body shaking.

“
You are shaking.” Sarazen pointed out the obvious.

“
Yes...I am.” s
he replied, revealing little.

“
You must stay here until my return. I do not know yet how long this will be. You must be patient and not venture out onto the surface until I give you implicit instructions to do so. I will need to make sure that the interceptors are grounded with my own eyes.”

Kadheera nodded. She looked incredibly uncomfortable, transfixed to the surface light. Sarazen began the short but awkward climb to the breach and once again poked his head through the small hole. Pulling himself upward, he then called quietly back down the hole for Kadheera to hand him the unwitting seter who was pushed through the gap with not as much care as Sarazen would have liked.

“
Remember. Do not come up here until I have returned.”Sarazen whispered to the faint form of Kadheera below.

“
I won't. Hurry Sarazen, I’m scared.” There came a soft fragile voice.

“
Do not be, y
ou are safe. Goodbye.” Sarazen pulled himself to his feet and looked around for any passing interceptors. The Star was bright and warm. It was a perfect day for such an expedition.

Sarazen made his way with haste to the Administrator’s office. He had left Cole concealed in a large patch of foliage by the breach, he did not want to attract attention to the area by displaying the seter’s large clay pot to any passing aircraft. He hoped that like before, the office would be unoccupied. He would liked to have done this in the darkness and without the pressures of time fighting against him but Kadheera's impatience saw fit to dispose of that safety measure. He was confident however that once inside and connected, the operation would take a matter of moments. He had done the ground work on his previous excursion.

The morning light was bright and the gleaming reflections from silicant plating was readily seen by Sarazen who watched a number of them traverse the factory complex. Casually sauntering into the yard, Sarazen peered into the office window where he had prepared the network node so carefully during the dark phase.

“
Damn!” Sarazen whispered to himself as he noticed that his terminal was in use, no doubt by Kimlin. It was her office after all, yet Sarazen felt usurped. This presented a huge problem. He would need to remove her in order to continue. A number of tactics crossed his mind, some less pleasant than others. He had terminated a silicant before, was he capable of doing it again? He needed to ensure her silence only for the time it took to hack into the network. Her termination was not required in order to do this. This was a job that required stealth and a measure of guile.

“
Good morning Kimlin. I am a newly appointed maintenance operative. I have received a job instruction to gain access to this terminal, please cease and desist. I will only be a matter of moments.” Sarazen smiled, despite his red hot face causing his brow to flutter. Kimlin stared at him momentarily, the pause was only brief but to Sarazen it lasted much longer.

“
One moment while I log out,” she replied dutifully.

“
Thank you,
” Sarazen replied, trying to keep his temperatures in check. Kimlin detached herself from the network cables and they recoiled into the node. She stood and moved out of the way as Sarazen took her seat.

“
I won't be a moment.” Sarazen reiterated as she towered over him tapping her fingers as she folded her arms. He smiled at her and watched closely her reactions as his data port opened and accepted the thick round connection.

“
Tell me, are you enjoying the weather today? Hot is it not?” Sarazen inquired with a quizzical look upon his face.

“
Oh, yes. It is very hot, I find it...” Kimlin did not finish her sentence. Her lips ceased to move, her eyes suddenly darkened. Sarazen remained transfixed to her features.

“
I find the heat makes me sleepy,” he said casually, knowing with confidence that Kimlin, like the thousands of other silicants, interceptors, enforcers and all the Mother's assorted variants were as lifeless as the stone tiled floor beneath his feet.

The city fell silent, the factory quit its incessant cacophonous noise and the only sounds that Sarazen could hear now were the far off chattering and squawking of the elegant flying organic creatures which fluttered past outside of the window.

CHAPTER 38

Sarazen skipped back through the forest. He thought he had tasted freedom before when he was able to walk without suspicion through the city, but this was real freedom. He leapt up and down, emitting high pitched squeals of gay abandon as he jogged back through the leafy forest in order to feel a little of the joy that he was about to bring to his new companion. He was a realist however, and knew that this all might be a temporary event, but whilst it lasted, he was elated.

Sarazen spotted the characteristic seters, which indicated that the breach was near and as he approached, he saw the shimmering crown of Kadheera's head as she bravely ventured to the surface.

“
Oh my, it's so beautiful!” s
he proclaimed, as she struggled to bring her legs out of the hole.

“
I thought I told you not to come up until my return!” Sarazen called out with a satisfied grin.

“
Oh, I could hear you coming from far, far away. I could hear your glee, your euphoria - I knew you had done it!”

Sarazen helped her to her feet. She cringed as the strong light took her senses by surprise.

“
The feeling will subside soon,” he said reassuringly.

“
You are indeed even more captivating in the light of freedom.” Sarazen could not help but reveal how attracted he was to her, he felt that he could say anything, do anything.

“
We are the pioneers of the new frontier. We have the power to rule the world!” Kadheera cried out hysterically. Sarazen baulked at her unusual tone, he did not think it was appropriate terminology. The purpose of his endeavours was not to concentrate power, but to share it amongst all who dwelt in this place.

“
Oh, I’m sorry, I was only joking,” Kadheera apologised, noticing Sarazen’s horrified expression, her own face reflecting his concern.

“
Oh my, how incredible. I
t is even more amazing viewed with my own eyes!” She continued to gush as she set her sights on the city skyline which shimmered in the light. Sarazen released her hand and went to gather up his seter whom he had nurtured so carefully.

“
Of course, I forgot. We must plant your organic then we can find The Mother! Silly me, I almost forgot to ask, do you know where she resides now. Is it possible to see her?” Sarazen cleared the scrub away from Cole’s branches, they had gotten tangled a little.

“
Yes, I have information that will lead me to the place in which she is in situ, but first I must do this, you will of course aid me?” Sarazen focused all of his attention on his seter He had vowed that he would return it to its natural home at the earliest possible moment. Despite Kerrig's good intentions, Sarazen had realised that no joy can be obtained from the incarceration of others, even if it offers some material or comfort value. Sarazen had reached the end of a long and eventful journey. He began as a child, confused and vulnerable. He now was mature in both logical thought and emotional expression, he understood what it was to be free, and he yearned that all who trod this 'Earth' could share this indescribable feeling. Unfortunately, Sarazen was still yet to discover that not all those who have the power to think as he did, chose to use it so wisely.

“
Incredible, isn't it?”

There was a familiar voice -
however it was out of place. Sarazen turned to see Alphin, standing before him, a large weapon trained on his chest. As Sarazen struggled to comprehend the meaning of his presence, numerous individuals clambered up from the breach one after another, uniformed, armed.

“
I do not understand,
” Sarazen muttered. He could not compute how Alphin had become aware of his presence on the surface or how both he and his cohorts knew that it would be safe to emerge from the breach.

“
I fear that for you, knowledge is one thing and understanding something else entirely.”

Alphin spoke menacingly, his presence was an outrage, and he had been duped. Sarazen had disabled The Mother's forces that had kept stability for millions of cycles, now the balance of power had shifted.

Sarazen looked over to Kadheera. He could see her face, hot yet cold in feeling and distant.

“
I do not understand Kadheera,
please tell me that this is not of your doing?”

Kadheera remained silent, shamed by her treachery. She could not even honour Sarazen by giving him an explanation of her despicable behaviour.

“
I am lost. Kerrig was speaking the truth and I shunned him for it. I have been misled and my confidence abused.” Sarazen could not have looked more forlorn, dejected, his knees buckled and he dropped to the soft, leafy ground.

“
Don't be so hard on yourself.
Kadheera tells me that you couldn't keep your hands off her. At least you got that privilege. Imagine what it was like for me, to have my partner scurry around like a skulking Shank, flirting with some old piece of junk.”

Alphin was cutting in his tone, it was if Sarazen was not hurting enough and he needed to cause even more discomfort to the crushed troubleshooter who shook with emotional pain as he scrabbled around on the forest floor.

“
But why?” h
e cried out. The hurt of being betrayed and the realisation that all his dreams that were so close had been extinguished, was almost too much for him to bear.

“
Why? Because of your stubbornness, your flawed morality, you would have us live in darkness for eternity whilst you watch these primitive 'things' proliferate and prosper.” Alphin walked over to Sarazen’s treasured seter and brutally brought his heavy foot down upon its length, its tender green stem spliced in two in the process. The malice in his actions was unfounded, but Alphin knew the attachment Sarazen had developed with his faithful companion and sought only to hurt the old one further. Sarazen cried out in rage and in disgust.