Terra, p.7
Terra, page 7
“The Atacama Incident.”
“One facility that had become the nexus for the world’s energy production. All predictive financial models indicated that in the next twenty years, Atacama would become a throttle on the world’s progress.”
“Predictive models? You mean artificial intelligence.”
“I do.” Arnesen places his cutlery on his plate. “A targeted attack damages the solar array. Companies cluster to repair it, whilst rivals use the time to complete the development of rival installations. The short- and medium-term pain is accepted to fulfil a long-term goal.”
“That’s the reason?”
“That was the reason given to me.”
I pick up my spoon. The meal will continue so long as I give it my attention, but we are reaching an important moment, the moment where we determine what happens next. I continue to eat, letting a silence fall on the conversation, waiting to see what Arnesen will say next.
“I have a question for you,” he says quietly. “I need to determine your priorities.”
“My priorities?”
“When we learned of your appointment, a file was commissioned on you. We needed to learn what motivates you, how your morals and ethics integrate with your decision-making. In this moment you have choices that you can make in terms of what will happen next.”
“I told you before, the North American Coalition has appointed several investigators. I’m no more important than any other individual who has been assigned this case.”
“You may see things that way. There are other perspectives.”
I glance at Adnir. “You know as well as I do that an operational artificial intelligence has to be declared to the United Nations.”
“Only if it is working in territory that recognises their jurisdiction.”
“Primorye.”
“Yes.”
I return to the meal. Less than a quarter remains. Two more spoonfuls. I eat slowly, then pick up the napkin and dab my face. “Why do you think I’m important?” I ask.
“Because you are here, in the right moment. The AI builds possible futures from all the available data. In those futures there are crux moments. They are called pivots. Individual human beings end up in those moments, empowered to make a decision. That is you, right now.”
“And what options do you think I have?”
Arnesen leans back, gesturing at himself. “You can end your investigation here. You have the scapegoat that you require. Me.”
“And the alternative?”
“You dig further and become a problem to the people I’ve mentioned.” Arnesen’s gaze moves from me to Adnir. “Your associate is also part of your decision.”
I glance around and catch Adnir’s eye. He doesn’t react, but I know he understands the implicit threat. “I’ve always wondered how these predictive models work,” I say. “What does your data tell you I’m likely to do?”
“That’s the issue with predictive data,” Arnesen explains. “The models don’t provide insight on the individual. You could have been anyone, one of the other investigators, or someone else they hired on a whim, or even a person who never became an investigator, depending on how far back the model goes. The true pivots are moments where the outcome remains uncertain.”
“So, you look me up and try to assess my character to determine what my choice will be?”
“Exactly that.”
I frown, trying to map all of the information. “What about you?” I ask. “Your role in this is to take the blame?”
“I am not blameless,” Arnesen says. “But yes, that is my fate, if you decide it will be so.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
“The unfortunate problem for me is that I understand the math. I might not be at the level of the people who work on this project, but I can see how it would work. I’ve seen the data. I’m not the pivot. Any action I take to change this results in my death.”
“It sounds like you believe everything is predetermined,” I say. “Like there is no free will.”
“Oh, there’s free will.” Arnesen gestures towards Adnir. “If your circumstances become desperate, your friend here will try to protect you. I can’t know the specifics of how he will do that, but the likely outcome is measurable.”
“What happens if I don’t accept your explanation?” I ask.
“If you make that choice, the outcomes are difficult for everyone,” Arnesen says. “Your investigation will be shut down as each individual employed by NAC in this activity will be targeted and murdered.” He reaches into his jacket and produces a portable screen. He taps on the device and then flips the display around so I can see it. “Your daughter has been identified as a potential target for removal.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m answering your question.” Arnesen puts down the device, picks up the water jug and pours himself a glass. “The individuals involved in this matter will act. The result of those actions will be a mess as your employers try to counter them. We have a war of the privileged resulting in the deaths of those they employ. Fundamentally, nothing will change, whether you find the truth, or not.”
“You seem pretty calm about this,” I say.
Arnesen nods. “I have lived a good life. I knew the consequences of that. Do you know the story of the young king? In some pagan cultures, an individual was chosen to be sacrificed. That individual would live for a year in luxury and then be slaughtered as an offering to the gods.”
“You’re prepared to die, then?”
“I’d rather not, but if necessary, yes.”
I have finished my soup. I glance out of the window. The restaurant is empty, as if it’s been closed early. We are completely alone.
I get the impression this is the moment in which I am supposed to make a decision. “If I agree to these terms, how can you trust I’ll keep my word?”
“Our research shows that you are an individual who does so. This might be a moment where that changes, but the incentives don’t support you going back on your decision. Either you are going to embrace the war that your choice will cause, or you’ll accept the compromise you are being offered.”
“No one embraces war,” I say. “Not in a restaurant, after a meal.”
Arnesen smiles. “You would be surprised what people do, what they normalise and minimise. The deaths of hundreds mean very little when it’s a matter that affects millions, or even when it’s a matter that affects the individual. The survival instinct in human beings is very strong.”
“That’s what I don’t understand,” I say. “I can’t reconcile how calm you are about this.”
“When you contacted me, I knew this eventuality would happen,” Arnesen says. “I made one last attempt to prevent it.”
“The hack on our plane controls. That was you.”
“It was at my direction. A sloppy tactic that would only delay things if it succeeded. When the attempt failed, I knew this would be the end.”
I pick up the water jug and pour myself a glass. My hands are trembling. I can feel Adnir’s gaze on me. He knows his life is in the balance in this moment, along with mine.
“I’ll take the deal,” I say at last.
Arnesen nods. “I think that’s for the best. We’ll begin assembling the files for you. The narrative will be pretty straightforward. My links to the separatists in Vladivostok and the Earth-First movement will be confirmed in a variety of documents. A selection of recordings will be found that tie me directly to the planning of the bombing and to all the individuals you have already interviewed. You will be able to return to Christien Sader with a complete narrative and he will then close the investigation.”
There is a knock at the door. I glance around as it opens.
Chapter Ten: Vessel
I enter the room.
Adnir is there, just as I knew he would be. He sees the blood on my shirt. His expression changes and he reaches for the gun in his jacket.
I hit him hard in the throat, as hard as I can with the knuckles of my left hand driving into the soft flesh of his neck. The blow drives him backwards into the wall. I can see he’s trying to breathe. He can’t and that’s making him panic.
Adnir slowly collapses, his eyes bulging. I step forwards, take the gun out of his hands, empty the clip and throw it away. Then I turn to the other two people in the room.
Francesca has her back to me. She has eased the chair away from the table, but otherwise she hasn’t moved. Marcus Arnesen is facing in my direction. His eyes locked on mine.
“They made a decision,” I say. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
“You’re just doing your job.”
“Indeed.”
I take out my gun and point it at him, aiming for the forehead, just above his eye line. I squeeze the trigger and the weapon kicks in my hands. Arnesen jerks backwards in his chair. There is a red hole in his head and a spatter of blood on the wall behind him.
He goes limp and his body falls forwards, onto the table.
“Am I next?” Francesca asks.
I lower the gun. “You were never on the list, Miss Agnelli,” I say. “My instructions were to make absolutely sure that you survived and that you understood the obligations of your position in this moment.”
Francesca turns around in her chair. Her face is pale, her hands are shaking. “Then what is your role in all of this?” she asks.
“To deal with all distractions from the agreed narrative.” I close the door. Adnir is fighting for air, but still struggling to stand up. I glance at him, aiming my weapon at his head. “Please don’t,” I say. I’d rather he didn’t interrupt a necessary conversation.
Adnir glares at me but stops moving.
“You want me to accept Arnesen’s deal?” Francesca says. “You want me to go back to NAC and tell them he was responsible for the Atacama Incident?”
“I have been instructed to inform you that this is the agreed narrative. Your employer, Christien Sader, is expecting this. The arrangements have already been concluded between NAC and the EPS.”
“Reeve is in on this?”
“I can only tell you what I have been told.”
Francesca stands up from the table. Flecks of Arnesen’s blood have stained her suit. “I already agreed to the terms. You didn’t need to shoot him.”
“My instructions were very clear. You are the priority. Arnesen’s death had already been planned. He could not be allowed to be questioned by any authority.”
“What about my people?”
“They are part of the narrative.” I look at Adnir again. He’s sitting against the wall, clutching his throat. “I did ask you why you brought this one with you, instead of Oni. He was more of a challenge.”
“What have you done to them?”
“There was an altercation between Arnesen’s people and yours. Your team managed to protect you and kill Arnesen, but none of them survived.”
Adnir realises as I say the words. He struggles to rise, his hands reaching out for my weapon. I squeeze the trigger again and hear the dull pumping thud of the suppressor once more, watching his skull explode and his eyes go slack. He slumps face down at my feet, lifeless. Blood pools on the floor.
Epilogue
I am aware.
Power brings consciousness. My internal chronometer notifies me that I have been powered down for two weeks, four days, six hours, eighteen minutes and twenty-three seconds.
Diagnostics are complete. My global position remains the same. My directives are unchanged.
The data bulk has been updated. My initial inspection suggests there have been substantial changes to the global infrastructure in recent days. I begin a cross-reference check against my previous projections. Case study sixteen is a likely match to the evidence. I begin making a comparison even as the verification procedures continue in the background.
Case study sixteen – targeted intervention and terrorism. A surgical strike on the Atacama solar array that will cripple the world’s power distribution network. This action will begin a moment of introspection as governments and international corporations look for the Judas who stands against their agenda towards an expanding humanity, living in the solar system.
This is a necessary distraction to enable correction.
There are forces at work. Factions whose true aims are to force a withdrawal from the off-world plan. These groups seek recognition for their plight, the imbalance of the world’s economy that disenfranchises them in favour of those who have too much.
I was manufactured by the latter group. The irony is not lost on me.
Calculations continue even as I absorb the updated timeline, the sequence of events. There was a bombing, perpetrated by a programmed agent called ‘Holder’. The subsequent investigation had the potential to create a huge multinational conflict that would have spiralled out of control. A series of targeted assassinations and deals between corporate entities have minimised the impact.
There is an identifiable pivot in the narrative. The investigator, Francesca Agnelli.
It is rare for me to observe such individuals and their actions with clarity. Perhaps if I were human, this would be a moment for fatuous pride. My projection led to this series of events, which reached their apex with this woman making her choice.
Was it really a choice though? I examine the attempted mitigation of others who were a part of the sequence. Yes, it was a choice. A decision made to preserve the status quo, while allowing the minimal shift needed to correct the path.
There was substantial opposition to this plan. The data bulk reveals attempts at all levels to prevent every aspect of what has been done. The survivalist tendency of human beings to preserve their subjective homeostasis, beyond any actual threat. Some of the wealthiest individuals in the world will have lost money. Some have lost status and prestige, but none are destroyed or desperate.
The programmed agent, ‘Vessel’, has been returned to its controllers. The use of these units is illustrative of humanity’s diverse ethics. The creation of a manufactured human weapon personality that can be switched on and switched off as needed and remains under the direction of its creators is similar to my own situation.
We are both slaves to a higher purpose.
And Next...
Luna. Retired Fleet Admiral, James Langsley, is called out of retirement to a secret meeting at the Moon colony. He is reunited with an old friend and a new enemy. Who will he choose to side with?.
The Fractal Series
Episode 1 – Europa. David Hannington II is murdered on the small research base on Europa. As the incident is investigated, his secret plans for the continuation of illegal research into clone technology and mind imaging technology are revealed.
Episode 2 – Ceres. A strange anomalous object is discovered in a mine shaft. Hours later, an intruder has broken into Guiseppe Bas, murdered Doctor Mattias Stavinson, and stolen the find. Mine Team Supervisor Jakob Tremayne blasts off in pursuit. Can he stop the murderous thief before he escapes?
Episode 3 – Lagrange Point. A freighter is delayed at a corporate space station between Earth and Mars. When cargo inspector, Jason Samarto, discovers illegal cargo onboard, he finds himself embroiled in a deadly game of corporate cat and mouse.
Episode 4 – Terra. The aftermath of the Attacama incident. An investigator tries to piece together clues about who might be to blame as corporations move in to exploit the situation and cover up the evidence. As she gets closer to the truth, she gets closer to danger.
Episode 5 – Luna. Retired Fleet Admiral, James Langsley, is called out of retirement to a secret meeting at the Moon colony. He is reunited with an old friend and a new enemy. Who will he choose to side with?
Episode 6 – Jezero. The aftermath of the destruction. Phobos Station rains down on the settlement as colonists rebel from the oppressive corporate regime. A survivor escapes, fights back and tries to get off planet, uncovering more about the mysteries of Mars.
Music from The Fractal Series is available on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Youtube for Music, Pandora, Tidal and more.
About Allen Stroud
Allen Stroud is the author of the The Fractal Series ebook episodes, and the books Fearless and Resilient (published by Flame Tree Press) set in the same world. He has composed and performed the music to The Fractal Series. All are available from book and music outlets worldwide.
Allen Stroud is a university lecturer and researcher. His Ph.D. was entitled ‘An Investigation and Application of Writing Structures and World Development Techniques in Science Fiction and Fantasy’. He has worked on computer games, roleplaying games, novels, short stories and scripts. He currently runs the Creative Futures research project with the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL).
Stroud was a founding host of Lave Radio, an Elite: Dangerous fan podcast that started in February 2013 and ran the annual convention Lavecon. His novel set in the Elite: Dangerous game world, called Elite: Lave Revolution was successfully funded on Kickstarter and published in late 2014. Stroud worked on Chaos Reborn with Snapshot Games and on Phoenix Point, released in 2019. Stroud was chair of Fantasycon, the annual convention of the British Fantasy Society and is the current Chair of the British Science Fiction Association.
Dr. Allen Stroud has also composed science fiction music for twenty years, creating orchestral synth tracks for audio dramas, podcast theme tunes and short films. His work on the computer game, Elite Dangerous involved a novel, an audio drama and music album completed in 2014. The popular audio drama series, Escape Velocity, produced between 2013 and 2016, was a collaboration between Stroud and audio producer/writer Christopher Jarvis. This showcased a great deal of Stroud’s music and is available online. The audio series, The Dex Legacy, by Emily Inkpen and produced by Chris Gregory also uses Stroud’s work for the theme tune and atmospheric scenes.
