The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [180]
‘Or Eminentials,’ said the sea horse. ‘If your principal is of the Wellspring, you must know of the intruders from the External. We can be of assistance … ’
‘We have an image document,’ said the eye-wheel, which then started to project a vid-recording from its axle-eye.
It was Corazon Talavera, smiling as she leaned in close to whatever recording device she had been using.
‘Listen to me carefully,’ she said, face lit up by the gleeful delight that Julia knew so well. ‘I and my associates have taken up temporary residence aboard your very wonderful data-nexus station for purposes which need not concern you. In fact, I strongly urge you to go about your normal administrative duties without giving us so much as a second thought.
‘But, if you stray outside these easy-to-follow rules and interfere with my activities, I shall without hesitation start up this … ’ Talavera held up a dataslate showing a still of a large drumlike machine assembly topped with an overlapping fluted torque. ‘As you surely must know, this is the generator that powers the EMP emitters which would wipe every circuit and every core aboard the Great Hub. So to sum up, occupy yourselves with your usual pastimes and soon we shall be finished and gone. But if you try to test me, then the lights go out … ’
The recording ended and the sea horse AI spoke again to Harry.
‘That was sent to the Supreme Servicer, the mind that administers the Great Hub’s operations. Our co-worker, VZ1183 … ’
‘I admit to being such,’ said the hourglass.
‘ … is a meticulous collector of peripheral system trivia and abstracted that document from the raw mirror data through which it sifts. It then noticed the absence scan which revealed the existence of high-density, dynamic file structure – this convinced it that your principal is one of the legendary Superexaltants, the machine sentients who designed and built the Great Hub. Is this true?’
Harry glanced at Julia, eyebrows raised, and she nodded.
‘That creature is an enemy of the Eminentials,’ she said. ‘She is malicious, violent and untrustworthy, and will very likely activate the generator anyway in order to erase all traces of her presence. We were sent by the Wellspring as a countervailing force but we need to gain access to the intruders’ devices. Can you help us find the right level?’
Again the three subservicer AIs conferred for a few seconds, after which the hourglass addressed Julia and Harry.
‘Context of optimism and combative anticipation,’ it said. ‘You will already have been sensed by midlevel flow monitors, therefore transit to the culminant levels will result in detention by the Supreme Servicer’s utilitors. However, there is another route, secondary backups, inactive paramonitors of the External which still have process space assigned … ’
‘It is a cluster of dormant monitoring systems modelled in dataform,’ said the sea horse. ‘Their functions are similar to those of the Supreme Servicer’s hardware interarrays, and are capable of infiltrating the intruders’ data wall and providing you with the required access.’
Julia glanced at Harry, who shrugged then grinned and nodded.
‘Very well,’ she said. ‘We accept your offer of assistance.’
‘Transfer now taking place,’ said the eye-wheel. ‘Expect minimal disruption … ’
The square platform quivered and their surroundings flickered and went through a succession of strange, non-Human-perspective backgrounds that flew in and out around them, looking hazy and smeared as they did so. It was similar to those earlier speedy journeys except that it was the surroundings which were in motion rather than themselves.
Abruptly, the tumult ceased. They were now all grouped near the end of a long dark corridor of immense proportions. Small glowing points lit the floor all along the wall to the far end, which was pretty far away. The other wall boasted