Digital Ghost

November, 2098

Zhan’s mind always awoke before the rest of his body. He was still human, and therefore needed actual rest every once in a while, but the process of shut down and unconsciousness aggravated him. It was simply lost time.

Avi had explained the mechanics of it to him before, and as with most things, it was the overseer’s logic that had calmed him. It was Zhan’s mind that interpreted the random images from the crystallized carbon structures that made up the nodes of the quantum computer that ran the lightning farm. The process almost perfectly mimicked the benefits of REM sleep. Almost.

As a result, he was able to remain jacked into the ever-changing universe created by the data-stream for extended periods of time, but still had to return to the “real” world to care for some of the needs of his body. And sometimes, he had no choice except to sleep. His brain still needed occasional hours of actual rest to kick out its own random image sequences, decompiling the stream of information that Zhan had ingested and interpreted over his shifts in the digital expanse.

“Welcome back, Zhan 169,” Avi’s soothing contralto hummed in Zhan’s ears. “You have awakened after a restful four hours of sleep. You have…”

Zhan kept his eyes closed as Avi compiled a list of messages and anomalies for him to examine. After the moment stretched for what seemed like a slightly longer interval than normal, Avi’s voice returned with, “1793 separate anomalies to examine.”

That statement brought Zhan quickly back to full consciousness.

“Avi,” Zhan croaked, his mouth and throat still dry from sleep, “That’s a far larger number of instances than a typical sleep cycle usually accrues, by an order of magnitude. Run diagnostic again, please.”

“I agree, Zhan 169, that seems an unlikely number, even accounting for electron path-location variance. Running instance accrual report again.”

As Avi ran the numbers again, Zhan went about his typical routine. He moved deliberately, with practiced ease. Three seconds holding each side of his hands under the sonic scrubber, five good passes with the facial cleansing cloth, cleaning his mouth and teeth by quadrants, each quadrant for thirty seconds; the set of actions involved in eliminating his waste and cleaning himself had become almost ritual to him, and by the time he was finished and awaited Avi’s new report, the routine had focused him.

“You were correct, Zhan, the first report seems to have been in error. Last night’s storms were particularly fierce, and the energy build-up caused additional excitement in the electron flow. Their paths were particularly unpredictable, and the system interpreted that as anomalies for analysis. After recalibrating for last night’s increased lightning occurrence, the number of anomalies for analysis has dropped to 201.”

Zhan considered the new number, breathing slowly. That was still higher than normal, but not unreasonably so. Nevertheless, he felt his hands twitch and rise to the level of his ears for the barest second. He took a moment to reestablish firm, conscious control of his extremities, before speaking once more.

“Thank you, Avi. That is much closer to the standard variance, though still high, even for a storm surge. I will examine the remaining anomalies immediately upon entry.”

Despite the vast power and creative potential contained within the facility, Zhan kept the care of his needs simple. His harness was designed to exercise his muscles, mimicking the effects of his movements within the various landscapes that his mind created to make sense of the streams of data from the lightning farm’s control nodes. However, he still had to eat and drink. Zhan had never understood the purpose of partaking of sustenance for anything other than its nutritional value, despite Avi’s numerous attempts to direct him to such human endeavors. As a result, his requests were ordered, predictable, and perhaps most importantly, routine.

As usual, Avi had Zhan’s preferred nutrient-dense food pellets and luke-warm water ready. He ate and drank, precisely measuring the time spent chewing each bite, following up every swallow with a mouthful of water. He finished quickly, allowing the facility’s waste collection and recycling bots to do their work with the detritus.

He was finally ready.

“Avi, prepare node one for the entry sequence, please.”

“Very well, Zhan 169, preparing node one for entry sequence. Calculating electron excitement levels. Calibrating for electron path randomization. Insertion and data interpretation in three, two, o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-nnnnnnnne”

Zhan gritted his teeth as his perceptions seemed to stretch, and the solid matter of the facility wavered around him. For a moment, as his thoughts accelerated to match the movement of data packets at quantum speeds, the image of the facility was still superimposed over the approaching landscape that his mind was creating to make sense of the incredibly random, unpredictable motion of quantum-packaged information. Despite having served almost his entire life as the lightning farm’s protector and sole human component, Zhan could never get used to the effect of the shift.

And then, he was there.

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The dense cloth grates against the skin of my face. I reach down to the dune upon which I stand and take up a handful of sand. I let it sift between my fingers, watching it fall from one hand to the other until none remains.

“201 grains,” Avi whispers as she stands behind me and to my left, a tall, thin figure, dressed in the same loose robes as I now wear. My shadow stretches out behind me, and Avi takes advantage of it, the cool darkness pooling over her uncovered eyes, obscuring them.”

“1797 grains,” I repeat back to her, nodding in agreement.

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I sit by the window, watching as the city passes by far below. The aircraft banks, preparing for its approach.

This city’s arrangement comforts me, and I watch it roll by beneath, examining its even grid. I notice my fingers are tapping out a rhythm against the glass, matching my count of the houses in the neighborhoods below.

Avi sits behind me and to my left, the corners of his mouth turned downward. His suit is impeccably tailored, the red tie he favors standing out against the double-breasted black jacket and white shirt. The view through the window rolls to catch the setting sun, and my shadow stretches behind me. The darkness pools over his face, obscuring it, but what I can see of his expression baffles me.

Sensing my regard, Avi speaks before I can ask the question. “I do not believe we have ever arrived at precisely this time before, Zhan 169. It seems different.”

“Different how, Avi? I count the same number of houses.”

“201?”

“Yes, 1797, precisely.”

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I stand atop the Wall, the cold chill of Britannia’s northern air seeping through my armor and the padding beneath. Avi moves with me, the uniform of the First Spear catching the fading light as the sun sinks lower behind the hills. The light no longer illuminates Avi’s face, the shadows from his centurion’s helm gathering around his eyes, obscuring them.

“How many breaches remain, Avi?”

“We have personally checked 187. Theoretically, only fourteen more remain.”

I sigh, and feel the weight of the time already spent pressing in upon me.

“So many remain?” I ask, unable to keep the incredulity out of my voice.

Avi stops, and his abrupt halt brings me up short as well.

The First Spear’s head cocks to one side.

“Only fourteen, Zhan 169.”

“Right,” I respond, wondering at the meaning of his tone.

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Zhan gasped as he was unexpectedly ejected from the data flow.

“Avi? What is happening? The scapes are shifting even faster than normal.”

“I am aware, Zhan 169. The storm has picked up outside and is gaining power beyond the regulators’ set parameters. Increased lightning activity is once again boosting particle excitement, increasing packet movement randomization. I will need to boost internal compensators to account for the unexpected change.”

Zhan frowned at the news. “How are external weather patterns exceeding the regulator’s control?”

“I do not know, Zhan 169. While local weather control has been fairly reliable during your tenure here, there have been instances in the past when confluences of natural events have exceeded the regulators’ ability to immediately compensate. I’m sure that this is merely one such instance. I have already made appropriate adjustments. Your next entry should be much more stable.”

“Very well. Thank you, Avi.”

“You are welcome, Zhan 169.” Avi paused before continuing.

“Zhan 169, I am… curious about something.”

“Yes, Avi?”

“How many anomalies would you say we have examined, at this point?”

Zhan frowned in concentration, the hesitation uncharacteristic. He loved numbers, and they came easily to him, but the scapes had been so random and quick this time.

“I am not sure, Avi. I only have clear recollection of three short scapes, and no memory of the created imagery for any specific anomalies. I remember one of your avatars telling me we had fourteen left to check, but it felt like more.”

Zhan waited in silence, expecting a quick response from the VI, but it was nearly thirty seconds before he got one.

“I have checked the log, Zhan 169. In the three hours of this entry, there were over a thousand separate instances created by your mind and recorded across all thirteen major nodes. Additionally, many of the shield and logic nodes have either gone completely silent or conversely have increased activity to such a degree that they are emitting energy on the visible wavelength.”

“What is causing that, Avi? More storm discrepancy?”

“That is a scenario as likely as any other, but I cannot be certain until you have been able to condense and predict the electron path probabilities.”

“More anomaly examination, then. When will the system be ready for another dive?”

“It is ready now. Insertion and data interpretation in three, two, o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-nnnnnnne…”

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The light of the star behind us is wild. Jets of energy, each as wide as a planet, stream from the turbulent blue surface. This star wasn’t always blue. Somehow, its mass has expanded. Something is FEEDING it. It is pulling in more and more hydrogen, an entire nebula’s worth, and the star grows hotter. Its energy is growing unstable.

The light brightens in flashes that we can see despite the shade’s highest setting. It creates shadows that dance around the room. Avi turns toward me at her control station, and the darkness pools across her scarred face, obscuring it.

“Avi, activate the Einstein-Rosen generator in coordination with the receptor at LEDA 3074547. Let’s see if we can speed up the process there while stabilizing things here.”

“Activating matter/energy transference protocol… Readings through the quantum tunnel indicate reactivation of the energy matrix at LEDA 3074547. There is still an excess of matter/energy at these stellar coordinates. Perhaps a similar protocol for NGC 6611?”

“Go ahead, Avi.”

And so it goes. We examine one star after another, siphoning off their wildly expanding energy to reignite others gone dark too soon. It seems like we have been doing the job for a thousand years. Or maybe it’s just been a few days, but a thousand stars. I am no longer certain.

“I’m tired, Avi. Weren’t we supposed to be doing something else?”

The shadows still cover her scarred face.

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The Catalaunian plain rises on one side, sloping sharply upward to a ridge. I stand atop that ridge and watch as two massive forces clash below.

“Shouldn’t the Huns be losing?”

The day wanes, and my shadow stretches behind me. It collects over Avi’s uncovered eyes, his scarred, weathered face hidden.

  “Many things are no longer as they should be.”

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We sit alone at the café, drinking in the French sunset. I am tired, but Paris comes alive at night. We will have to return to work soon. There are too many dead at the hands of a bloody-minded killer.

“How many does this make, Avi?”

“I no longer know, Zhan 169.”

I turn to her, surprised at her admission.

“But you always know,” I whisper.

She leans her lithe frame back, her dark hair falling away from her face, but I can’t see her eyes. Only the barest sliver of red remains of the sun in the sky, and my shadow covers her face.

“You should know by now, too. Perhaps better than I. How many have we found?”

“I… I can’t remember. We’ve been at this for too long. Over six hundred?”

I close my eyes, and my head droops. I feel my hands rise reflexively to cover my ears, though the street is quiet. My fingers tap a rhythm on my temples. The numbers are starting to lose their meaning.”

“You need to remember, Zhan 169. You need to wake up.”

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We stand in Pilsudski Square in the Warsaw City Center. It’s November, and the weather is cold. Despite the chill, Avi stands behind me, my short 173 centimeters still taller than his diminutive 155. I glance behind me, but his face is obscured, downcast, my shadow covering his eyes.

I turn back to the military parade and watch the soldiers in their formation. I count the beat of their steps as they march together.

“There are extra rows,” I hear myself say. “There are too many footsteps.”

I look up, trying to count the numbers. I am convinced there are more than expected, far more than there should be.

“Why are there too many?” I ask, puzzled by the change, slowly becoming distracted by the extended pattern of their marching footsteps.

“You are missing the most important details, Zhan 169.”

“I don’t understand.”

Just as those words leave my lips, my attention is drawn across the square. A woman stands there, long, pink hair caught by the cold November breeze. Her hair makes her stand out, but it is her eyes that hold my gaze. They are striking, and even across the square, I can tell that they are emerald green. She stares directly at me.

She is not a construct of my mind.

Avi steps up to me and places both hands on either side of my face. I try to recoil away from the physical contact, but he is quick and determined. He pulls me down closer, and at last, I can see his face through the obscuring shadow.

There’s something wrong with his eyes.

“The barbarians are at the gate,” he whispers. “WAKE. UP.”

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November, 2098

Zhan’s eyes snapped open once more, the solid feel of the control room driving away the moment of stark terror.

“Avi?”

Zhan waited, but did not receive the expected answer.

“AUTONOMOUS VIRTUAL INTELLIGENCE AGENT 713, PLEASE RESPOND.”

“Apologies, Zhan 169. I had to reinitialize audible communication.”

“Did I get ejected again?”

“Yes, Zhan 169. However, it was necessary in this case. You have been in the data stream for three full days now. You have far exceeded standard tolerance levels while chasing an increasing number of anomalous instances. I had to wake you.”

“Did we succeed?”

“In part, yes. We were able to stabilize shield and logic buffer node energy collection and output. However, we are still experiencing an increasing number of anomalies in the trajectory of various data packets which exceeds electron path randomization probabilities. You have not yet been able to ascertain how or why. However, there are no system failures, and with all nodes currently stabilized, it is both safe and necessary for you to rest.”

A thought struck Zhan. “Avi, we are supposed to be a closed system, are we not?”

“Yes. However, there are means through which the Enclave’s Chinese control center can obtain data remotely.”

“Yes. I’ve seen the effects on the data stream when they do that. It’s nothing like what we’ve been experiencing. Could that pipeline be followed by someone else?”

“That is possible. However, it would have to be very intentional, and no one knows this power station even exists, save for Enclave control. Additionally, that data pipeline is only physically connected for literal nanoseconds at a time. I do not see how an outside entity could have followed such a short-lived data stream, at least not without help.”

“Avi, what node recorded our last activity before ejection?”

“That would be master node thirteen, Zhan 169.”

“Was that node connected for data upload to Enclave’s Chinese control during that time?”

“Checking…”

“Avi?”

“Apologies, Zhan 169. I ran the check repeatedly to be certain of the results.”

“And?”

“Yes, Zhan 169, it seems that master node thirteen was physically connected for data upload. Additionally, that connection to the hardline lasted for a full second.”

“Avi, lock down that node immediately and institute Sahara protocol on it, please.”

“It is done, Zhan 169.”

Exhaustion hit Zhan like a wave, and he suddenly knew that he couldn’t handle another insertion.

“I have to sleep, Avi. Is the node effectively cut off?”

“While none of the master nodes can be fully excised from the system, even temporarily, the Sahara protocol is designed to limit extraneous data packet copies to only that node. Nothing should be able to travel in or out, for the time being anyway. That should be sufficient to protect the rest of the system while you rest.”

“Thank you.”

As sleep shut down Zhan’s exhausted mind, the phrase Avi spoke before pulling him out of that last, terrifying scape bubbled up from his lips.

“The barbarians are at the gate…” he muttered. “There’s something wrong with your eyes.”