Contest (The Stork Tower Book 6) Read online

  She used her radio to communicate with Wisp. “Wisp, beneath each section of the iris is a suspended walkway. If you drop through you can use thrusters to move toward one of the walkways. I’m doing that now.”

  Leah used her thruster and headed for one of the under hanging walkways. As she got closer, she felt the artificial gravitational field began to have an effect. By now she was so used to the changing of gravity that she dropped onto the walkway and automatically set her boots to exert just enough magnetic force to hold her in place without sliding. Moments later Wisp joined her. Beneath them was a tunnel almost two hundred metres long. At the base of the tunnel was what looked like an opening into a vast cavern. In her display, the sides of the tunnels were covered in a complex mosaic of different colours. Leah indicated they should use thrusters and drop down the tunnel. As Wisp agreed, Leah began to fall headfirst down the tunnel. She was looking for trouble and trying to find a control room or a starting point. Wisp, on the other hand, had given herself a slight spin and fell feet first as she watched the mosaic on the way down. It was as if she was in a trance of some sort.

  Leah didn’t notice when Wisp stopped moving toward the cavern, and she’d travelled another fifty metres when she looked behind her and saw Wisp slowly turning on the spot. Leah slowed her movement and, wary of whatever that might have trapped Wisp, she changed direction to carefully approach her slowly rotating friend. Leah stopped just below Wisp with her head level with Wisp’s waist. Looking up she was able to see Wisp’s face. Wisp was talking to herself, and her eyes moved rapidly back and forth between something on her display and the wall she was looking at. Leah watched Wisp’ lips, and they seemed to be mostly repeating colours. ‘Blue, blue, red, red, yellow, yellow, blue, blue, white, white, purple, purple, blue, blue, green, green.’ As she said each word, Wisp’s eyes would move back and forth between her helmet display and the wall.

  Leah recognised the signs of someone who had a sudden inspiration, so she did nothing except keep watch and try and imagine what Wisp had discovered. Finally, after ten minutes Wisp brought herself to a stop, shook her head and said, “I think the mosaic is a representation of the maze above. When I was trying to decode things I thought maybe the colours were a code of some sort—kinda like DNA. I started at the opening on the lowest tier and moved around the walls both clockwise and counter, moving along the walls, then I tried the roof and then the floor. It looked too complicated to solve, so I ended up viewing it as a maze. I spent about three hours on the colour code idea, and along with burning several different colour combinations into my brain, I asked my PAI to highlight recurring patterns. One of them was ’blue, red, red, yellow, white, purple, yellow, blue, blue, etc…’ I wasn’t really looking for it but as I spiralled past this section my PAI noticed that pattern, ‘blue, red, red, yellow, white, purple, yellow, blue,’ and started highlighting it. I checked the sequence myself and just finished going through the outer ring. This particular colour sequence took each cell and listed the colours in order, outer wall, roof, inner wall, left wall, floor, right wall, it then moves to the next cell and repeats. A break in the wall is shown by the colour white. Here, let me send you the full scan. Can we go back to the top level and see if it matches the upper tier?”

  Leah nodded and together they used thrusters to move toward the top. As she did, she subvocalised, “Gèng, is such help from Wisp’s AI permitted?”

  “Yes, we are allowed to form searches that replace tedium but not those which find solutions. Each quest in Cosmos Online lists operations that the players must do themselves. Wisp’s PAI could not search for a way through the maze nor offer suggestions to solve problems, but it can repeat a tedious search. While some would suggest finding the way through the maze is a tedious search, the designers have specifically listed that as ‘no help given’.”

  Leah thanked Gèng and focussed on the top row increasing the magnification of her display. Immediately she could see it was a spiral mosaic rather than separate rows. She found the start and began checking the sequence against the model Wisp had sent her. She only finished five cells before stopping. She said, “Gèng, it looks good to me. Can you check the mosaic and see if it follows the pattern all the way?”

  “I can. Please lower yourself down the tunnel while revolving. I can use the image to check.”

  Leah moved down the tunnel making sure she looked at each part of the mosaic. She did this rapidly, knowing Gèng would be able to match colours much faster than she could. When she’d finished, she used her thrusters to rise to the top and meet up with Wisp. Once there she said, “Wisp, Gèng agrees. The mosaic is a representation of the maze we just came through. Do you have any idea what it means?”

  “None that have any evidence to back them up. My best guess is they somehow identify the system the portal sends ships to.”

  “That’s my guess as well. We have to keep moving but let’s keep our eyes out for something that might explain this.”

  Wisp nodded, and Leah turned to watch the mosaic as they descended along the tunnel. As she approached the end of the tunnel and was about to enter the cavern, she noticed several sections where the tiles were noticeably brighter. Coming to a stop, she said, “Wisp, I hadn’t come this far before. Do you notice the sections in the last few rows which look brighter than the rest?”

  Wisp used her thrusters to get close to the area Leah had pointed out. When she was several arms lengths away, she moved along the row looking closely at the square sections. Then she moved closer to examine several of the ‘tiles’. Finally, Wisp said, “They are brighter, but that isn’t the only thing, the mosaic isn’t just radiation, it is enclosed within some type of container. If you turn off your display, you can still clearly see the outline of each tile. These are actual tiles, and they have some design etched on all of them. I think it’s a representation of this solar system.”

  Leah came closer and had a look both using Wisp’s radiation display and then with it turned off. Each of the tiles had a symbol etched on it.

  Leah said, “The fourth and fifth planets are the gas giants, so I think this confirms two of the spikes need to be aimed at each of them.”

  Reaching out Leah touched the tile, and it dimmed. She touched it again, and it lit up. She looked at Wisp’s plot again and said, “Wisp, the tiles that are lit are all from cells in the maze that we passed through. None of the tiles at the top was lit, only some at the lower end. Can you go to the top near the opening? I’m going to turn some tiles on and off. Can you tell me if the aperture gets larger or smaller?”

  As soon as Wisp was near the iris, Leah dimmed several of the lit tiles by touching them. Wisp called over the radio, “The iris closed slightly.”

  Leah re-lit the tiles and Wisp called, “It opened back to where it was.”

  Leah moved to the tiles she knew represented cells in the path they travelled on.

  “That made the opening larger.”

  Leah touched a tile represented one of the cells they hadn’t crossed through.

  “Leah, there was no change in the size of the opening but a series of lights along each of the triangular sections which form the opening lit up.”

  Leah touched the miscellaneous tile again, dimming it.

  “The lights have gone out. I also noted that each of the sections has a very slight glow. Can you make the opening larger again?”

  When Leah did so, Wisp said, “OK, when you do that the light from each section became stronger. I couldn’t tell with my eyes, but the display said it increased. I think when the iris is fully open, there would be a ring of light outlining the edge.”

  Leah said, “I am going to try and close the opening. If it closes then come down. I’m pretty sure I can open it if we need to.”

  Leah moved around the lower end of the tunnel touching the brighter tiles. As the last one dimmed Wisp called over the radio, “That’s closed the opening. I’m coming down.”

  Moments later Wisp joined Leah at the end of th
e tunnel, and together they made their way into the large cavern.

  24

  Chapter 24

  December 17, 2073 - Morning - Part 4

  COSMOS ONLINE

  The cavern filled the centre of the space station. It was shaped like a disc and orientated the same way as the station. It had a diameter of two-and-a-half kilometres and was one hundred metres thick. On one face there were eighteen tunnels which corresponded to the gravity tubes leading to the space portal. These occupied a circle of diameter two kilometres in the centre of the face. Around the outer two-hundred-and-fifty-metre wide ring were thousands of entrance ways, antenna, docking rings, and landing bays. On the sides of the disc were thousands of docking points for spaceships. Most were vacant, but maybe twenty still had vessels docked. The circular area opposite the tunnels was almost entirely free of access points into the station while the outer ring of 250 metres was covered in a mix of landing bays and docking points. The only access points that could be seen in the vacant patch opposite the tunnels were eighteen hemispherical domes. Each was set on a raised platform and entryways could be seen around the edges of the platforms.

  Leah pointed to the dome opposite the tunnel they had emerged from, and then using their thrusters, they landed on the station surface next to one of the entryways. The height of the platform was three metres high, and each dome had a radius of ten metres. Activating the magnetic soles of her boots, Leah walked over and looked at the hatch. It looked to be set into the wall in such a way as to open like a diaphragm rather than opening outward or inward. In the centre was the same symbol that had been etched on each of the tiles in the mosaic. Leah couldn’t see any handle, keypad or lock. She touched the symbol, but nothing happened. After running her hands over the door and seeing no change, she and Wisp walked around the circumference of the building. There were four identical doors. Wisp used her thruster to look at the dome but it was solid and had no visible etching that she could see, nor did it show any of the gravity fields in her display.

  They had an hour-and-a-half before they had to log out and literally thousands of hatches and other openings they could potentially use to enter the central part of the station. Leah turned slowly, taking in the room looking for inspiration. Finally, after five minutes of silence, Leah said, “Let’s recap. We successfully entered the station. If everything is the same as other places, we need to find the power source and turn it on. Turning it on should energise the forcefield over the city, and we can then enter the control room and claim the station. After we claim this station, we expect to have to enter the portal complex itself and connect its power source and claim it.”

  “That’s been the plan.”

  “The next task then is to restore power to the station. If we are correct, then two of the spikes may need realignment, although it may require only one. We suspect each planet should have a spike aimed at its centre and so one should be aligned with the gas giant which does not have one aimed at its centre. The other should work with the horn of the portal and create a bubble of some sort on the alternate gas giant which already has a spike centred on it. I think the spike that isn’t moving needs to be aligned with the centre of one of the gas giants. The other is already set up in tandem with the misaligned horn on the portal. Regardless of where they should be aimed, our next stop should be to whatever room or area which controls those two spikes.”

  Wisp nodded and said, “We suggested the spikes were controlled toward the outer rim of the station. Which direction are the two spikes that aren’t aligned correctly?”

  Leah moved to the top of the dome and with Gèng’s help, projected the wire frame onto her display. After several minutes getting everything oriented correctly she sent Wisp a diagram which indicated the direction of each spike and highlighted the two which were misaligned. Leah had her display zoom in to see more detail at each location. At each point, Leah could see a dome building similar in design to the one she was standing on. The two they were interested in were at opposite sides of the huge hangar.

  Leah said, “I don’t think we have time to do both if we both go to each. Which do you want? The one that seems to be working but is focussed on the wrong spot or the one that isn’t working?”

  Wisp thought for a moment before replying, “I’ll take the one that is working.”

  Leah nodded, “OK, I’ll go to the other one. We should be able to communicate while we are in the hangar. When you get to the dome, let me know and we can describe what we see. Maybe we can help each other at least get into the station.”

  After agreeing, each of them headed to the dome they had chosen. When Leah arrived, she approached the first hatch and saw the familiar symbol. This time when she touched it, the symbol began to glow from within. When Leah did nothing for five-seconds, the light turned off. Looking closely at the symbol, Leah thought the planetary symbols looked slightly recessed. She shared what she had found with Wisp, who having reached her door said she’d discovered the same situation. They decided Leah would try something first and then Wisp.

  Leah considered the image and then checking if the gas giant she thought the spike should point towards was the fourth or fifth planet, she touched the symbol and then pushed against the symbol for the fourth planet which did not have a hole in its centre. The backlighting intensified then dimmed and a screen opened in front of Leah.

  Player Atherleah, you have successfully entered an abandoned space station. You have forty-eight virtual hours to complete the claim of this station. Enter the key shown at the end of this encoded set of instructions to begin the next section. (Note: these instructions are generated from the English language version). You are given only one attempt. You may log out anywhere in this cavern.

  As Leah read the words, a thin sheet of flexible sheeting was slowly ejected from the door, then a timer and keypad were displayed underneath the screen. The clock had already begun the countdown. Leah took the sheeting and explained to Wisp what had happened. Wisp touched the door in front of her and nothing happened. As Wisp used her thrusters to make her way over to Leah, Leah looked at the sheet in front of her.

  She was still staring at it when Wisp arrived. Leah said, “We have a code to decipher and I’m certain we won’t have it done in an hour-and-a-half. I suggest we each take a copy and work on it with the plan of meeting back here tomorrow. I’ll head here after the Merkize Contest, depending on how long that takes.”

  Wisp agreed, and after Wisp had taken several shots of the page, they both logged out.

  25

  Chapter 25

  December 17, 2073 - Morning - Part 5

  STORK TOWER

  As soon as Leah arrived in the tower, she walked out onto the closest balcony and looked out into the valley. She said, “Gèng, before I had the chip implanted I imagined that once I had it I’d spend most of my time in my personal space and most of it would be spent studying. Instead, I find myself jumping from one world to the next with hardly a moment’s peace. Do you think I’d get any benefit if I set some part of my mind to rest while the rest multitasked?”

  “I don’t know. Both Dr Roberts and I are continuing to review your neural structure and looking for activity during times when you multitask. We haven’t yet come up with anything beyond some vague hypotheses. Until then, I don’t think you could compare what you do with what I do. I can actively rest or use certain processors and you do not seem to have that ability. I believe you will find that to relax you will need to stop all activities you think of as work.”

  “That’s what I imagined. In that case, I best get started working on the code. Has anything else come up that I need to do?”

  “Your dad sent you a video message. Tesfaye has an idea of how to anonymously bring to the attention of the authorities the names of those in slavery. He says it’s a long shot, but he hasn’t got anything else. He’s obviously worried because his message was heavily encrypted.”

  “Aren’t all messages encrypted?”

  “
Yes, which I believe highlights his concerns.”

  “Fair enough, I’ll read it shortly. Anything else?”

  “I’ve set up a more accurate simulation of Survival. I’ve included all the data collected over the last few days. If I include all those at this facility and those in the new facilities in Perth, Adelaide and Wellington and add some of the people you have helped who have access to their own Pods, we have eighty-six people who have been collecting data on the world.”

  “Eighty-six! How did that happen?”

  “Several people had your contact details. When they tried to contact you I had Reed do a background check and then had Leon talk with them. He agreed to pay the Survival costs and even the Pod hire costs for anyone who would play and pass on the information. Another twenty are likely to start later today. I thought you could spend half an hour in the simulation at full neural speed to get a handle on everything they have learned. After that, you can head to Survival yourself and see how close the simulation is and if it helps.”

  Leah was stunned. She said, “I hadn’t expected there to be so many. When did this happen? I didn’t read it in the reports from Leon.”

  “He isn’t using your money. He and I are splitting the costs at the moment. Many of the players are only accepting the money as a loan. They want to help. We haven’t said why you want this done, only that it is something you care about. While we’ve been talking, two more reports have come in, and three people have contacted me. Word is getting around that you need help. Stephen has drawn up a non-disclosure agreement and people sign before being told what the help required is.”

  Tears welled up in Leah’s eyes and she stepped forward to embrace Gèng. She said, “Thank you. Please thank Leon and Stephen. I will when I see them, but I want them to know I appreciate their help. How can I thank everyone? …”