The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [179]
‘They don’t look like Hegemony AIs,’ he said. ‘I’ve seen images of the kind of exters they prefer and they give new meaning to the phrase “self-important megalomania” … ’
The small motiles had widely varying types, orbs or pyramids decorated with odd symbols, strange toylike shapes resembling dogs or cows or birds, even shellfish. One was an old piston engine moving along on three wheels while another looked like a tiny stubby aircraft.
‘Sub-programs?’ Julia said. ‘Semi-autonomous … routines?’
‘Doubtful,’ Harry said, then frowned. ‘Uh-oh.’
One of the motile objects, a glassy green hourglass with short tendrils poking out from the ends, paused on its midair flightpath and floated towards them.
‘I enquire as to status, as to purpose,’ came a high unhurried voice. ‘Context of respect and compliance.’
Julia looked at Harry, who gave a wide-eyed shrug.
‘Time we were moving on,’ he said, grabbing her hand.
Another headlong, zooming charge through bright cloudy blurs. The next stage up the immense pillar was busier still, the structures and interconnections more intricate. The modules had many facets and the colours rippled through changes while different dataflows were visible, slender threads along which silver bursts zipped back and forth. There were also many, many more of the small AI objects and even as she and Harry wandered through, getting their bearings, the green hourglass was there again, gliding towards them, accompanied by what resembled a sea horse.
‘It’s back,’ she said. ‘And it’s brought a friend.’
Harry took hold of her hand. ‘I hope they’re very happy together.’
And they were off again.
But this time they found themselves on a square ruby platform, apparently suspended between levels in the great amber conduit. The air was suffused with a soft golden flow. There were no dataflows in sight and when Julia peered over the edge a built-up area of system structures was visible some way below. The platform was also positioned directly before the wide lacuna that ran the full length of the hollow column from bottom to top. Through it they had a magnificent view of the virtual metropolis which the Hegemony AIs had made for themselves.
It consisted of a rising spiral of circular plates, tapering to the summit. Each plate was essentially a city, clusters of buildings of every design, and although details were hazy at such a perceptual distance, Julia could see that the cities grew denser and more opulent the higher up the spiral the eye travelled.
‘A symbolic expression of hierarchy,’ she said.
‘I would say more functional than symbolic,’ said Harry, who glanced over his shoulder and frowned. ‘Our hosts have arrived.’
She turned to see the small green hourglass and the sea horse, and a new addition which roughly resembled a thick wheel with an eyelike cam that moved freely in an axle socket. The hovering hourglass tentatively advanced a short distance.
‘Context of high-value respect and apology,’ it said. ‘We enquire as to nature and purpose. We possess state-re-evaluation document—’
‘We must know if you are of the Wellspring,’ interrupted the sea horse. ‘We wish to know if you intend to countervail the intruders from the External.’
‘Are you of the Wellspring?’ said the eye-wheel. ‘Are you of the Gray Eyes?’
Julia suddenly realised that all of the enquiry was being directed at her, and pointed this out to Harry.
‘They seem to think that you are someone very important,’ he said. ‘I’m going to activate our exters’ outgoing translators and try something.’
Harry was still and silent for a moment then raised an arm.
‘I have been assigned to speak,’ he said. ‘By what authority do you delay us? We have vital tasks to execute at a higher level.’
The three small AIs faced each other and exchanged brief bursts of sibilant twittering and polyphonic note clusters. Then the green hourglass spoke.
‘Context of status parity and concomitant courtesy,