Dark Phase (25 page)

The troubleshooter did not know what he was looking for - the files were formatted in an unfamiliar manner. Many of the files were designed to display visual and data, both pictographic and in text. This seemed odd in itself as this was not how The Mother processed archived data. It was becoming quite clear that these archives were not designed for The Mother's usage, but for someone else entirely. Sarazen shuffled about on his backside as the enormity of his findings suddenly got the better of him and his nervous energy needed to be released.

Not knowing where to begin, Sarazen searched for the earliest files, cross referencing them with key phrases such as 'The Mother', 'creation' and 'purpose'. Instantly the troubleshooter began to filter out the extraneous data and leave but a handful of files remaining. Pulling the earliest file from the list, he opened the ancient document and sat back as he digested its contents. Sarazen coughed a stifled laugh of astonishment as it became quite clear to him that this was with all possibility the most impactive find in the history of his kind.

To: Dmitri Kuznetzov ([email protected])

From: Ryuichi Sato ([email protected])

21 March 2085 09:49

Dmitri,

Hi there, just a quick one to make you aware that Barker has arranged a meeting between the C&C programming team and our lot for Friday next week. It's probably going to be another lecture about the suitabil
ity/acceptability of data input. I really am hoping that this doesn’t get too political. This is meant to be a co-operative project, there are way too many egos at the top for my liking (I guess it's their big chance to write their name in lights and get their place in the history of the human race!)

I received the projected figures this morning regarding how much we can pack into the old girl. This bitch is huge! I doubt we'll be able to fill her before A-Day, I just hope that all this effort is worth it when we could be doing more research into actually saving our asses. I read this morning that some eminent Australian astronomer has gone public to denounce NASA's findings. He reckons Wilbur will fly right by and miss us by several thousand miles. God I hope he's right, but then what the hell would we do with Mother then?

I know you are running a working group with Kate's team on ideas to increase her
survivability and sustainability. Did we get any further down the line with any of that? It seems like a massive gamble to be pooling all our resources into this if we can't be assured that Mother will survive the hit. I know burying her under a million tons of rock will save her from the worst of it, but it’s the dark phase after that I’m most worried about. That dust is going to get kicked up so high into the atmosphere it’s going to be pretty dismal for what could be years? What kind of time span are you guys projecting for this, are we any closer with the computer analysis? The only reason I ask is that I’m concerned that Mother won't come back online if we are talking tens or even hundreds of years. The P-Mech guys have developed a great product but there's only so long we can keep her on standby. There is of course the concern that the solar cells will also degrade leaving her as dead as dog shit. Oh, on that front, I spoke to Yasser at Solstice yesterday. The CCF self cleaning panels are passing all the tests, they're really throwing some heavy shit at those things and they’re pulling through. They hope to begin installation next month. I guess then we will truly see how much light these things can suck up.

Generally, it appears that we are on schedule for preliminary tests scheduled for the first week of June. At least it will be sunny – I hope. Oh, speaking of sun, I hear you
’re off to Cairo next week - don’t forget your factor 50!

When you get back, don’t forget we have 'that' meeting on the 4
^th
- yeah that one we've all been dreading! I just hope Richards doesn’t get too pushy on the directives, he doesn’t know shit about computers, it's one part of this whole thing we can't afford to fuck up, you know that I’m sure. We have to stick together and resist, I don’t care if he is the President. When it comes to Mother, she's my creation and he can suck my dick before he starts pushing her buttons and using her for his own purposes.

Anyway, I’ll leave it there for now. Make the
most of the time away my friend. Time is precious, as they say. Give my love to Gracie and the kids and go easy on the ice cream (although if we do make the hit then it might not be a bad idea to be carrying some extra padding!)

Take care

Ryuichi

Ryuichi Sato

Development Team Leader

Phoenix Project

TEKSYS CORP

Viscall: 326 5899 9112

Cell: 05669 321 5499

Sarazen digested the bizarre communication as he leaned back against the Administrator’s desk. He stared into the distance, his mind trying to comprehend the enormity of his discovery. It was a complex document with unusual terminology, inferences to events and references to individuals which would seem to indicate that The Mother's creation was somehow facilitated by intelligent organic creatures. Sarazen shook his head in wonder. This would change everything.

CHAPTER 36

Kadheera nervously knocked on Sarazen's door and slowly pushed it open. Sarazen was pacing around his living space in a tight circle completely oblivious to his unusual behaviour. He barely noticed Kadheera enter, her long flowing gown trailing along the ground behind her.

“
Oh my, are you alright?” She inquired as she could immediately detect that he was hot and bothered.

“
You know something don't you, I can tell!”

Sarazen turned to look at her and smiled. It was a pained smile as if he needed to blurt out his findings but could not release them as quickly as he might like.

“
Sit.” He ordered as he continued to fidget. Kadheera looked nervous around Sarazen as she did as he asked.

“
Tell me. Tell me Sarazen.” She begged, clearly seeing the disbelief on Sarazen’s features.

“
It's really quite incredible. Utterly incredible.” Sarazen sat and bounced his legs up and down on the balls of his feet.

“
You must tell me, I can see that it pains you!” Kadheera again could not bear the tension.

“
I have discovered a great many things about The Mother. A great many things. Of course, there are many unanswered questions also. I have discovered the origins of The Mother, I understand her creation even her profound but flawed purpose.”

“
And how have you achieved this?”

“
I gained access to her network and obtained data from her most ancient archives.”

“
Amazing! And did you deactivate the interceptors?” Kadheera puzzled Sarazen, the interceptors were insignificant next to the insight he had achieved and longed to share.

“
No, although I believe now that it would be quite a facile operation to do so, her systems are far more basic that even I had anticipated.”

“
And what of The Mother tell me everything!” Kadheera placed her hands on Sarazen’s knees which were knocking together in anticipation.

“
It is quite simple really. The Mother is the creation of an intelligent civilisation that lived here millions of cycles ago. This civilisation was comprised of sentient organics who called themselves...the 'humans'.”

“
Organics?” Kadheera shrieked. She was surprised as Sarazen had expected.

“
Indeed. I have found evidence that suggests that they created The Mother in order to aid them in their survival during an event which could lead to their absolute extinction. The Mother's archives were filled with as much data as their primitive systems would allow. They hoped that after this devastating event, some 'humans' would remain to perpetuate their kind. The Mother's archive would be used as a tool for learning and guidance to those that sought to survive the difficult conditions. I find it ironic that this period of hardship is referred to as the 'dark phase'. It was a period of time after the event where the light of the Star was stifled and organic life could not be sustained. The humans designed The Mother so that she could remain functional on a basic level throughout this period and then be revived by the light of the Star when the atmosphere had returned to normality.”

Kadheera was dumbstruck into silence, her head shaking gently, her brow furrowed.

“
So the humans did not survive?” She inquired, wondering at the same time what these ancient creatures must have looked like.

“
There is not enough data collected to suggest otherwise. I have but only scratched the surface of this incredible bank of knowledge.”

Kadheera laughed to herself as if the intake of new knowledge had addled her thought patterns.

“
So The Mother survived the cataclysm, but what of us? Why did she create the silicants?” Kadheera was asking most of the questions Sarazen had already asked of himself.

“
I cannot say for certain without further examination. There is data to suggest a hypothesis but it is merely that. Until I can engage with The Mother first hand, we cannot know the whole truth.”

“
So The Mother is real? She is an actual living...'thing'?” Kadheera was not as eloquent as her troubleshooting friend.

“
I believe The Mother has a form. She is a singular entity. Her location can be deduced from inferences recorded in several documents I have discovered.” Sarazen smiled at Kadheera. His dream was about to be realised.

“
Do you know what you are saying Sarazen? We can find The Mother? Talk to her?” Kadheera was impassioned and her feelings of elation were quite apparent.

“
Yes, that is a distinct possibility.” Sarazen smiled and took Kadheera's hand.

“
I believe that you will soon feel the light of the Star upon your face and I will see your true magnificence for the first time.” Sarazen knew that he was part way to accomplishing his most cherished desires. He longed to communicate with his creator and bathe once again in her comfort. He longed for Kadheera's commitment to him, he yearned to explore her passions and her innermost thoughts, but most of all he sought to end this vacuous loneliness that had eaten away at his consciousness. He knew that the unification of these goals would lead to the satisfaction he had craved all his sentient life.

“
Oh what news! I cannot wait to feel the warmth on my face, when can we go?” Kadheera was impulsive, a trait that Sarazen was not fond of, but accepted.

“
No Kadheera. We must not be hasty, I have much more data to analyse that could aid us and ensure our passage to The Mother's place. We cannot rush into this blindly, I must study the archives I have retrieved, piece it together. This information might aid our ability to communicate with her. I have already stumbled upon data that suggests that her systems are radically different to ours.”

Kadheera slumped back on her chair.

“
If not now, then when?” She hissed impatiently.

“
I cannot speculate a time as I have not analysed the data.” Sarazen understood Kadheera's enthusiasm but grew a little tired of her haste.

“
Then do not waste another moment! I will return shortly, I must go and prepare! Is the ground soft? Will I need protective clothing? I hope it isn't too damp, I don't want to get any corrosion...” Kadheera leapt to her feet and stood at the door primed and ready to leave.

“
You will hurry won’t you Sarazen? You remember what I said about being together forever don't you? That time is so close now, I can feel it. After we have seen The Mother, all our fears will be distant memories and we can live in unity on the surface. Oh, I am so contented!”

Sarazen stood to see Kadheera out. He too was on the brink of his own personal paradise.

“
I will hurry for you. We will go together to see The Mother and we will show her that we pose no threat to her, we will show her the beauty of our culture, we will negotiate for peace.” Sarazen spoke those words like a true diplomat, but did he really have faith in those very words as they passed through his lips?

In a flash, Kadheera was gone. Despite knowing full well that he had much to do, he could not help but yearn her return. He could barely contain his euphoria as all his goals began to fall neatly into place and the Star began to rise in the East. If only he had the courage to reconcile his differences with Kerrig. The excavator would no doubt long to be imbued with the knowledge his old friend had acquired.

CHAPTER 37

True to form, Kadheera's absence was short lived. Sarazen had sifted through several thousand files that he had gathered. Frustratingly, most were just not accessible by his systems. Most of the information he had digested had originated from more of the casual communiqués that he had analysed in the Administrator’s office. In the short space of time that the petulant Kadheera had allowed him to work, he had become quite familiar with some of the human characters that had sought to save their species from destruction. Sarazen could relate to their sense of impending fate and their strong will to defy the odds. He was saddened, knowing that all their work was ultimately in vain, but intrigued to understand that their creation outlived their race and still lives in the present, millions of cycles later. In some ways, the humans were his creator too.