The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [181]
The three subservicer AIs made straight for the console and a moment later a massive construction of light began to build itself before their eyes. Julia knew she was seeing the virtual representation of a complex simulation program coming online, but clearly the representation itself had been designed according to a unified aesthetic. In its rainbow translucency the device of light was beautiful. Block sections spun into place, extruding meshes or laminae or rods. Cylinders telescoped, opened, unfolded or turned into spirals of cross-sections. Helical dataflows unwound and branched throughout the dataform device, whose self-assembly rose in a broad curve towards the corridor’s high ceiling. From there complex, cross-connected conduits extended across to join with a pattern of dark slots and sockets in the opposite wall.
‘Current context has a high risk factor,’ said the hourglass AI. ‘We are establishing our shadow system, and planning to trace a threefold infiltration through their data wall. Soon we will begin charting the components of their system … ’
‘It is highly secure,’ said the sea horse. ‘All lines are encrypted, although scarcely to the most expert level. We could seize control of any or all segments of their operation but alerts would be triggered. This would lead to the generator’s activation, we have no doubt.’
‘With respect,’ said the eye-wheel, ‘may we know your plan?’
Julia frowned. ‘I need to see a realtime visual feed of their operational location – is that possible?’
‘A rudimentary one is available,’ said the sea horse. ‘Shall we scale it to your perceptual height?’
‘Certainly.’
Suddenly ghostly images filled the area beneath the dataform’s overarching curve. It was a low, oval corridor with consoles along one side, cables taped to the wall, unidentifiable equipment stacked further back while five forms lay strapped into couches placed lengthwise along the other wall. They all wore close-fitting VR bands that enclosed the eyes and ears while their hands were buried in keyer modules. Drips led to arms and throats, evacuation tubes trailed to round containers under the couches and several neural leads ran from scalps to a junction console nearby. Even with their faces half-obscured, Julia knew them – Irenya, Thorold, Arkady and Konstantin. It felt like an age since she had thought about them or even recalled their faces to mind.
They don’t deserve this horror, she thought. I have to get them out somehow.
And finally, last in line was herself, motionless in the couch. Pointing at her own body, she turned to the subservicers.
‘I wish to be transferred into the organic cortex of this sentient,’ she said. ‘Can it be done?’
‘Context of regret and honesty,’ said the hourglass AI. ‘Our analysis of this individual reveals significant neural damage … ’
‘Our shadow system is more efficient than that of the intruders,’ said the sea horse. ‘Our diagnoses of their operation are more encompassing and more accurate. These five lifeforms are being used as networked bioprocessors to direct the launch and guidance of several hundred missiles. Regretfully, only two of them retain persona coherence … ’
‘Which ones are those?’ Julia said.
The sea horse rose up and used a blue beam to point at Irenya and Konstantin.
‘The others no longer exhibit such brain-activity signifiers, although their neural pathways are being used for high computation by task-dedicated cognitions.’
Harry was suddenly more alert and focused. ‘Are these cognitions running from cortical implants?’
‘Yes,’ said the sea horse. ‘One possible method would be for the Eminential to be transferred directly into the implant on the indicated individual, overwriting the cognition currently installed.’
Smiling widely, Harry nodded. ‘But that scale of intervention would trip their alerts – so we need a diversion and we need to make it look as if it came from outside the Great Hub!’