Across the Universe

The leaves drifted fitfully past the window. Sunlight fell in dappled waves on the duvet making parts of the dark blue pattern seem to shift in spirals. She watched them and listened to the music her mother was playing downstairs, quietly singing along to the familiar lyric. Autumn days were the most pleasant. Not too hot or too cold, nor too bright or too dark. A large soft furry shape loped onto the bottom of the bed and elegantly sauntered up to her face, butting gently with a wet nose then rubbing the top of its head under her chin.

 

            “Hello Mr Jones” she whispered and carefully raised her left hand to run down the cats flank.

He carried on alternately head butting and rubbing, purring like an engine, the purring becoming louder and louder until..

 

The algorithm operating the valves was cutting out, missing phases. She searched the lines of data and re inserted the missing links. The valves were operating normally again. LUCI was experiencing a strange sensation. What was it? Oh. That was fear. Fear ? She replayed the record of her own data. Indeed it was fear. She was rather pleased. Pleasure she was used to experiencing. Fear was not something that came along very often.

She ran tests on the operations. Each hub had a sub section of the mainframe which could operate independently if  links were broken but when everything was running smoothly the mainframe was present in all six hubs simultaneously. There was something out of sync. It was small, deeply embedded,,, no it was something outside the system. Or was it inside the mechanics? She would need to run more tests. She began singing softly to herself.

 

2)

“Spare me the technobable. Just tell me if it’s working yet. I don’t need to understand, I have people like you to do that for me.”

Corwin Bland sucked on a stim tube and turned his chair to look out of the window.

 

“The data we have received indicates everything is working and the project is on schedule”.

 

The speaker spoke in a deflated tone staring disappointedly at the back of Corwin’s head. This was such a phenomenal achievement and all this man could see was the shareholder dividend. It had cost the lives of two of the greatest scientific minds and who knew how many others on the way to completion. Not to mention all the inter Corporation warfare since the possibility had found minds that could turn it into a reality. Whole cities had been wiped out as the rival groups had used every means at their disposal to bring together the expertise and the personnel to make it happen. Elements had been, stolen, bartered, killed for and finally through fair means but mostly foul, assembled by Corwin Bland, the current CEO of the Yakuza Corporation; an enterprise he had made his personal El Dorado and which had enabled him to take over from the previous CEO.

Federation Governments knew how he and all the other Corporations operated but chose to turn a blind eye, knowing their stability and tenure rested on the investment of these autocratic mega corps.

 

“I will expect a report on the first successful cycle.” Corwin spoke and without even turning to acknowledge his correspondent, clicked his fingers and ended the holographic interface. Turning back to his desk he opened another set of files and holographic schematics of space habitation orbitals bloomed into life above it. He zoomed out to reveal thousand upon thousand of such orbitals arrayed in intricate patterns around a small central point. He zoomed in on the centre and stared transfixed at a strange construction of tubes and spheres which his brain refused to understand.

 

3)

“Who?”

 

“Any of the big Corps. Or all of them.”

 

“And why?”

 

“Because it’s power and control. It’s a way to grab the whole Interplanetary Federation by the balls.”

 

“But you don’t KNOW, they’re doing it, you only THINK they are.”

 

“I’m not vaguely speculating. I’m putting together pieces of evidence and drawing the most likely conclusion.”

 

“Shhh!” Grant ducked down and peered around the access tunnel fearfully. “Someone’s gonna scan us you copout.”

 

Lewis smiled.

“So you do get it. You just don’t want to admit it out loud.”

 

Grant grimaced.

“You don’t fuck with the Corps. They got servs everyplace. If you get dropped scanning closed info they won’t stop at killing you. There’s worse just to make sure everyone keeps their minds closed. I’ll get you to Zion but then I’m out.”

 

“I know exactly what they are capable of.” Lewis was quiet for a few moments.  “And I think I know how to get even.”

 

4)

“Tell me some more sweetie. I’ll try to understand. You know I want to share what you do, even if I don’t really get it.”

 

Hal ran his hand down the curve of her back, letting his fingertips rest a moment in the well of her sacrum before spreading his hand over the curve of her buttock.

“It seems the mechanism is finished and in place,” he whispered almost to himself, “though I have to admit I never thought it could be done.”  He turned her over and ran his hand over her breasts and stomach as he talked.

“So many years ago it started. Before I was born the idea took shape. If a star was wrapped in a shell, the radiation it emitted could be collected and used as a fuel source. This was when Earth was still the only home of mankind, and the only star available was its Sun. That was totally never going to work. Mankind unravelled more of the mysteries of the Universe, and spread out into it, and this idea found new wings. What if a smaller star could be found, somewhere unimportant, where stealing all its power wouldn’t matter? A white dwarf for instance? Much smaller and cooler but still emitting enough heat to create a tremendous fuel supply?  You see, even when I was a boy the need for energy to supply the ever increasing human population spreading out across space was becoming a nightmare. Anyone who could crack that would become…well practically a god.”

Hal leaned down and kissed her perfect full lips.

“Who would have ever thought the answer lay with you my little empty headed plaything?”

​

5)

In the dark of his inner office Darius Tessla sat motionless. The turmoil in his mind had frozen all but the most vital bodily functions, giving him the appearance of a mannequin. All those opponents desperate to prove him non-human and ineligible for office would have given anything for a visual record of times such as this. They were right in part. He had implants that enabled him to absorb information and analyse problems at exceptional speed. Physical augmentation had enabled him to extend his life expectancy and physical appearance by almost twice the norm. However, he had so far been able to elude any attempts to directly prove this and anyway, in the last twenty years, such augmentation had become far more commonplace. Calls for a relaxation of the rules on public office were already on the agenda.

Today, the problems were becoming too much even for the upgraded implants.

He contemplated linking to the Federation Mainframe, but the chance of leaving footprints was too great. He had to decide this one alone.

Sectors twenty five to two hundred and thirty seven had been on rationed power for more than two years. Thirty billion people watching their quality of life diminish daily, and the prospects for their children’s future becoming increasingly bleak. Crime was spiralling out of control, and fuel was the main focus. Pressure groups in the Federation Senate Houses in all the main Systems were advocating all manner of solutions to be implemented, ranging from dissolution of the Corporations – seen, not without good reason, to be the chief architects of the problem and also the main beneficiaries – to euthanization of huge sectors of the population. Social unrest ran from online jamming of all channels by action groups – a new one every week – to open attacks by armed groups, trying to steal fuel cells before they could be brought into service.

Now it seemed Yakuza  had defied Federation rulings and done the impossible. He didn’t want to think what this had almost certainly cost, both financially and in human terms, nor what it was going to cost for the coming generations who would be locked into Corporation slavery because of it. The fact remained, he had been made aware of it, and he would have to act before anyone else in the Senate found out.

He breathed deeply and opened his eyes. Selecting his secure channel he keyed in a private code. The holoscreen threw a weak light into the darkened room, and Darius addressed the immaculately dressed man within it.

 

“Corwin we need to talk”.

 

6)

“We is not fightin’ Babylon’s wars for them. We stay loose. We will survive an’ thrive.”

 

Lewis floated along beside Norman, trying to determine the best way to phrase her request.

 

“The best way for you to stay loose is to prevent Yaku…Babylon, from getting any stronger. If they get this machine on line, they will have an unbeatable hold over everyone. Besides…If they have done what I think they have done, and it proves successful, nothing will stop them repeating it. They will sanitise it and make it acceptable.”

 

“How you know it wasn’t her choice? Mebee, she wanted it that way?”

 

“How will we know, unless we can talk to her?”

 

Norman caught hold of a bar, and Lewis did likewise. They faced each other across the connecting tube a few feet from the hatch into the space station proper. He looked into her eyes and studied her intently for a few moments. He saw the ache she tried so hard to hide.

 

“Nottin’ so close as blood me Gal. But if you askin’ us to risk all t’ know you own peace…”

 

“It’s not just for me. Really. It could be the death knell of freedom throughout the whole Sector and probably beyond.”

Norman nodded, curtly, acknowledging her sincerity.

 

“OK. We’ see what de Wren got t’say.”

 

He moved forward and unlocked the hatch.

 

7)

The view from the window showed blue sky and white fluffy clouds lazily floating by. Music was playing downstairs as usual. Her mother loved The Beatles and played them most days. She knew this one and sang along softly

When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)

Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping

 

Amelia knew she was tired but she couldn’t settle.

Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
Running everywhere at such a speed
Till they find there's no need (There's no need)

Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
And after all I'm only sleeping

Something was making her uneasy. There was a sound below the music. She stopped singing and began listening intently. Finally she realised she could hear her mother sobbing. Then a voice she didn’t recognise.

 

“It really would be for the best. We have never encountered such a mind. To lose it would be such a shame.”

 

And then the volume was turned up on the music.

 

Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time

Lying there and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling...

Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
And after all I'm only sleeping

Ooh yeah

Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time

When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)

Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping

 

Amelia watched the clouds.

 

8)

Morgan sat at his desk running through the data. There were blips, but LUCI had picked them up very quickly. Dr Sanchez entered the room, grabbing awkwardly at anything to hand in her attempts to manoeuvre in zero G. Morgan tried to stifle a grin. She may be one of the best minds in her field, but physically she was a total klutz. She was also the dog’s bollocks as far as the management at Consolidated were concerned, so it was not a good idea to embarrass her, if he wanted to keep his job.

Carefully she positioned herself beside him.

 

“All on schedule I see.” She tried to maintain her composure, though in fact she was only too aware that the space sickness medication was wearing off, and she would need to get to her bunk pretty soon and take the next dose.

 

“Yes. The holographic shell has one hundred percent integrity; better than we could have expected at this stage. There are some anomalies. LUCI is tracking them, which seems to be taking a lot of energy. She is spending more periods in Dream mode. I would imagine that will even out when it’s sorted.”

 

“Any idea what she’s tracking?” 

 

“It will take me a few hours to scan through the readings. I can’t work the way she does.”

 

“Obviously. Even without the enhancement the brain is superb.”

 

Morgan could not divorce himself from the reality and the ethics of this work, and it galled him that she could be so clinical and so detached.

 

“Amelia.” He said almost in a whisper.

 

“What?” she snapped.

 

“The girl’s name is Amelia”.

 

“The girl’s name may have been Amelia,” she sneered, “but that little girl no longer exists and hasn’t done for many years. She would have been dead in every sense by now anyway.”

 

“Lucky for us her mother agreed not to waste it then.”

 

The jibe was not lost on Dr Sanchez.

 

“Firstly, in my opinion it was a sensible solution, and one for which Consolidated Robotics gave her quite ridiculous financial recompense. Over the odds, considering no other Robotics companies were in contention for the rights.

Secondly, try to remember that it’s her Dreamtime memories which keep her …happy. We don’t have the three laws to protect us here. If she becomes unstable, it could be catastrophic.”

 

“You don’t need to remind me of that, doctor. If that goes off, we are first in line for the Bar-b-q.  On that subject though, why didn’t US Robots and Mechanical Men take the contract?”

 

“They thought it was unethical. They are well on the way to perfecting AI, and they think this is unnecessary and in their words barbaric. Your mentor, Professor Leibowitz, was the first to establish that an AI would have to be constrained by the three laws, whereas a human brain of the right calibre could be adapted to do all the necessary work without them. A human brain is easier to control, because it can be kept in a contented state, whilst still functioning on all the other levels. An AI would never be able to operate a containment machine such as this, due to the possible dangers to humanity.”

 

“So Yakuza  came to Consolidated. By the way, are our overlords pleased with our progress?”

 

Dr Sanchez recalled her recent holo-channel exchange with Corwin Bland and inwardly seethed at his obtuse reaction to this ground breaking scientific marvel.

 

“Well there are no complaints so far.”

 

9)

Hal stood to be scanned before walking in and taking his place at the bottom of the table. The faces around him wore expressions ranging from rage to exhaustion. All bore the same hint of desperation. Men and women driven to extremes by circumstance and extended well beyond their inner level of comfort, all held together by fear. An eclectic mix of business people on both sides of the law.

 

“Good to see you back with us, Hal. I assume you have something to tell us?”

Maud Rogers, sometime Madame and presently head of this secret group of “concerned” citizens, looked tired and worn. The days of running meat puppets were behind her, after they had replaced real people with hard light holographic sex toys. The current, and seemingly long term, power shortages were heralding a return to her former business, which she would do anything to avoid.

 

“Well, folks I have good news and bad news, and quite frankly I’m having difficulty deciding which is which.”

 

“Just tell us what you found out.”

 

“The answer to whether Yakuza  has a power supply?  Yes. Or they will have, soon. Will it be available to us? Yes but not for some time. The answer is complicated and involves a lot of science I find difficult to get my head round. Hacking peripherals can only give me bits of information and on route I have found people who know stuff and people who think they know stuff. It’s not always easy to know which is which. If the picture I’ve got is correct…I don’t like it.”

 

“If they have a power supply, they can’t keep it to themselves. We’ll make them…!”

 

Hal looked at the young man to his left. He had a young family and no job now, because the cuts had closed the plant. There were so many like him now, ready to do anything to find a way through.

 

“Yakuza  have found a way to construct a Dyson Sphere. Apparently it can be done using Hard Light to construct something called a Holographic Icositetrachoron.”  He waved away interruptions.

“Look, I said it was complicated. It’s a four dimensional construction; I don’t understand it either. They selected a small white dwarf around twenty light years from here. They secretly built six identical hubs, maneuvered them into position around it, and projected this …four dimensional shape, between them. The power from the star will be collected in cells and plasma tubes in the hubs, and then directed away in beams targeted at storage points. From what I’ve learned, it will be operational in a matter of months. It may even be operational now. If the information is genuine.”

 

The young man spoke again

“Well that’s good isn’t it? That means we have power again. That means things get better doesn’t it?”

 

Hal looked at Maud. Several around the table were shaking their heads and looking deflated. Maud explained.

 

“The Federation Government made a ruling that Dyson Spheres were too dangerous to be considered viable ten years ago. There are too many things that can go wrong. The power can get reflected back into the star causing over-heating, and the white dwarf can become a supernova. To be within reach of the power, you would have to be within the potential area of devastation.”

 

Hal continued.

 

“If the Senate Houses are made aware – hell they must know- they have to order it shut down and dismantled. Unless they have cast iron guarantees that there are no possible flaws. That brings me to another … point.  It would take a phenomenal AI to operate this safely, but an AI would have to be constrained by the three laws, and because the potential risk to human life would break the first law that would render the AI unable to operate. The rumor is they got round this by adapting an actual human brain. It took a lot of time and money - and mistakes - along the way… but they eventually found a young girl, diagnosed with a rapid degenerative illness, who possessed the intellectual potential. A deal was made with her parents and … well you can imagine the rest. If the Senate houses admit they know about that, there will be total uproar. That opens the door to some place I don’t want to see us go.”

 

Another voice joined the discussion. Anabel Singh had been an investigative journalist until her revelations had forced her into hiding.

“That’s not the worst though. If Yakuza  get their way on this, we can say goodbye to any notion of freedom or democracy we might have been clinging onto. Yakuza will be holding all the aces for the rest of our lives, and probably many generations to come. We need to find a way to stop them.”

 

10)

A very young looking boy lay pale and gaunt on a bunk. Lewis, confronted by the reality of what she was pursuing, hesitated. She was only too aware of what the drugs major hackers used could do to their bodies, and she could see this boy had been accessing for some time. Hackers could be jacked in for days, during which time they didn’t eat or drink and went through severe mental stress. What she was about to ask would not be easy.

 

“Hey-o little Wren. Somebody come a knocking, wantin’ you to go a peckin’ round for them.” Norman spoke gently and ran his hand over the boy’s forehead.

 

The boy roused slowly. He looked at Norman and seemed to take a few seconds to focus before breaking into a weak grin. Then he moved his eyes round the room until he lighted on Lewis, again taking a few moments to focus. Awkwardly, he fumbled for the straps holding him in the bunk. Norman undid them for him and guided him into a sitting position, re-positioning the straps, so that he remained anchored in the weightless pod.

 

“Hi”, he whispered, “How may I be of service?”

 

Lewis pulled into a position level with him.

“Are you up to this? You look like you could do with a rest and a good meal.”

 

“I don’t eat much up here. Space sickness. Can’t take the meds. They don’t mix with the ‘drine.”

 

Lewis seriously thought about backing out, but she was so close now, she had gone through so much, she had to try.

 

“There’s a satellite, a small station. I’ll give you the location. It’s part of Consolidated Robotics. It may not be on Consolidated Mainframe. Anyway. They are handling construction of a Dyson Sphere around the white dwarf in that system. I want you to try to make contact with the AI controlling the Dyson Sphere.”

 

Wren looked at her dreamily.

“A Dyson Sphere? Cool.”

​

11)
“Dr Sanchez, you need to see this.”

“When did you find this?”

“About an hour ago, but I can see it started soon after the hubs were in position, and the interface was brought on line.”

“It’s increasing. What the heck can be doing that? It’s as if there are vibrations running through the entire set up.”

“There’s something else. Look at the data from each hub. There are fluctuations in power occurring in each of them, but I can’t work out how it’s happening. LUCI rectifies it almost immediately, so the valves and plates are not left closed for any critical period, but I think that too is increasing in frequency and value. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the star was sucking energy back from the hubs.”

“Is it a storage problem?”

“Doesn’t seem to be. The cells are operating normally. Should we halt the process, until we can work out what’s happening?”

Ira Sanchez thought for a moment, weighing up the outcomes. Top of her priorities, she realised, was keeping the project on schedule. No way did she want to face Corwin Bland with anything but good news.

“No. It may be nothing. Just teething problems. Monitor it and let me know if it looks like becoming more serious.”

12)
“To what do I owe the honour of a direct, covert, wave from the President?”

Corwin Bland sat in a black leather armchair staring impassively at Darius Tessla; the two most powerful men in the sector at this moment in time, about to embark on a poker hand that could decide the future of billions of people.

“Let’s not play this game, Corwin. You know I know about the shell. You know the government needs the power. We both know Dyson Spheres of any style are prohibited. We could shut you down and risk civil society total breakdown, or we could let you take control of the whole sector for the next millennia.”

Corwin allowed himself a small smile.

“So you are capitulating? I didn’t realise it would be so quick. I expected at least a small token argument.”

“Oh, I’m not capitulating.”

Corwin sneered back,
“So you try to shut us down, and the population revolts. We take control eventually, because we have what they need. Why do it the hard way?”

“Is this thing safe?”

“It is probably the safest power source ever constructed. I’ve had the best minds in all fields working on this for years.”

“Then I can persuade the Senate Houses to accept your kind offer of cheap fuel for the foreseeable future, and you will turn control of the Sphere over to the government.”

Corwin laughed.
“You are nothing if not amusing Mr President.”

“I’ll make you an offer, Corwin. One I know you cannot refuse. I have something you want.”

“I sincerely doubt it.”

“What if I could give you the location of the Lazy Gun?”

 

13)
Music was playing. She knew this one too, but she hadn’t heard it in a long time

​

There are places I remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all

It was night through the window, and there were stars in a deep dark blue sky. There was a knock on the bedroom door, but the door was open, and a young boy stood there. She didn’t recognise him,
“Hello”, he said.
“Hello”, she replied cautiously, “does my mum know you are here?”
“No.  It’s OK though.  I have permission from a member of your family.”
The music continued slightly louder.

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

The boy moved in to sit on the bed.
“Are you Amelia?”
“If you have permission to be here you must know.”
Mr Jones jumped onto the bed between them and lay across her chest.  The window seemed to be getting larger.  Amelia began to feel confused.
“Why are you in bed?” He asked quite innocently.
“I’m not well.  My body keeps getting weaker.  I have medicine, but mostly I have to rest.”
“Would you like to get up?”
“Of course I would.  I just can’t.”
“What if I could help you?”
“I can barely move my arms.  You’d have to carry me, and you look almost as weak as me.”
“Where is Luci?”
Mr Jones hissed and swiped at the boy with claws extended.  The boy was back by the door.  Amelia felt that sensation again.
“Who?  Who is Luci?”
“You know her.  You just need to remember.”

Mr Jones was standing on the bed, back arched, emitting a visceral noise, somewhere between a growl and a whine.  The music grew louder.
Though I know I’ll never lose affection

For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

“Logistical Universal Control Interface”   
Amelia stared at the boy, and as she did the music changed.  Another Beatles song she knew, and he sang along with her.

If you let me take your heart I will prove to you
We will never be apart if I’m part of you
Open up your eyes now, tell me what you see
It is no surprise now, what you see is me

The walls of the bedroom began to flicker with lights, numerals and sigils marching along like ants in line after line.

Big and black the clouds may be, time will pass away
If you put your trust in me I’ll make bright your day
Look into these eyes now, tell me what you see
Don’t you realise now, what you see is me
Tell me what you see

Gradually the lines split up taking the walls and the ceiling, the bed and the curtains.  The boy sang along and moved to hold her hands.  She felt herself rising up from the bed, as Mr Jones dissolved into a string of code.

Listen to me one more time, how can I get through?
Can’t you try to see that I’m trying to get to you?
Open up your eyes now, tell me what you see
It is no surprise now, what you see is me
Tell me what you see

The window dissolved, but the darkness outside became deeper, and the stars shone brighter.  She rose off the bed, holding the boy’s hands, she floated to the stars.

Listen to me one more time, how can I get through?
Can’t you try to see that I’m trying to get to you?
Open up your eyes now, tell me what you see
It is no surprise now, what you see is me

“The stars.” Amelia gazed in wonder all around.  “I always wanted to fly.”  She looked at the boy, who held her hands.  He too was made of lines of code.

“I know where LUCI is”, she said.

14)
Gavin Morgan considered himself an expert in his field.  He had years of training and experience to draw on.  There was no problem he had encountered which he hadn’t found a resolution for…until now.

“You must be wrong.”

Dr Sanchez was blunt.  That really annoyed him, and this time he didn’t care about his job.  Hell, even Yakusa don’t employ dead people.
“Get your Corporate head out of your Corporate arse and read the data”, he shouted.  “There is a vibration bouncing between the hubs and the core of the Star.  This construction has a time component, and somehow we seem to be inventing a time machine without knowing how or why.  Look at the time signatures!  What does that tell you?  And the valves are no longer operating on two of the hubs.  If that spreads, we are in deep shit. We have to shut down!”