For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 1:18
The Torment of Tantalus
From orbit, Myos VI had looked much the same as any Earth-like planet. Blue seas, green and brown land, white clouds. It would be a misnomer to say that planets like Myos were common, in as much that habitable worlds were jewels among the stars, but in no way could the planet itself be called unique, even if it only required minimal terraforming to suit it to human life. No-one came to Myos VI to marvel at the planet itself.
But then, few people came to Myos VI at all, Cortana reflected. Myos VI was a backwater, far removed from any human habitation. There was no reason to come to Myos VI at all bar one reason, and only a select few had ever bothered with that reason at all. Still, it was the reason she was here. The reason why she and an escort of knights had touched down in the centre of the continent of Norwegias, at 47°N, 52°E. The reason why she and her Prometheans walked up to the structure before her – the structure that had been erected for the reason she had come.
And there we have someone to greet me, she reflected, seeing the figure at the top of the stairs that led to the structure proper. How proper.
She climbed the stairs that led up to the edifice before her – a giant marble building designed to invoke memories of ancient Greece. The structure itself would collapse quickly in the event of attack, but she knew it was just for show. What was beneath it was far more important. Question was, was she going to be granted access, or would the humans on this world make it difficult for her?
She reached the top of the stairs, approaching the man before her. They were roughly equal in height. The knights either side of her towered above both, and despite his efforts to hide it, her host was uneasy.
"Cortana, Lady of the Created," he said. "Welcome to Myos."
The tone of his voice made it clear that she wasn't really welcome at all. No matter. She had eternity to win the hearts and minds of the Librarian's children, humans and non-humans alike.
"Doctor Vaughan I presume," Cortana said.
The man's lip quivered. "You presume? You don't know?"
"Of course I know. But I believe that one should endeavour to make polite conversation."
"What you believe…" Vaughan swallowed. "There are many who don't believe as you do."
"And they are welcome not to. In the meantime, you know what I'm here for."
"I do," Vaughan said.
"And you know that one way or another, you're going to die, be it in the next few minutes or next few decades. So I won't waste our time in elaborating why I've come for the information stored here. Just know that in providing it, you'll allow utopia to come much sooner."
Vaughan said nothing.
"Or I can take it by force. But since I know that you aren't the only human in Tantalus, I might also point out that one death can tragically lead to others." She nodded at one of the knights. "The sword is long, but not so narrow that it can always avoid the bodies of the innocent."
Vaughan stood there in silence. The wind blew, and the trees outside the edifice sung the song of life that would stand for millennia. A song without birds though – they hadn't been imported here. What had been imported to Myos VI was far more important than any feathered friend.
"Follow me," Vaughan said. "But only you. Not your…things."
"Fine," Cortana said.
The good doctor walked forward, as did the Lady of the Created. The two knights turned around and began their vigil over the complex, standing like sentinels of old. A door hissed open, and both human and Created stepped inside. In silence, Vaughan pressed the button that would take them down into the depths of Tantalus. In silence, they descended. Silence that lingered too long for Cortana's taste, even if she was thankful that there was no elevator music. If she was to bear the Mantle, it was only fitting that she tried to connect with those under her protection. But observing the sweat trickling down Vaughan's neck, hearing his elevated heartbeat, sensing his increase in body temperature…conversation would have to be delicate.
"Tell me doctor," Cortana said. "Why call this place Tantalus?"
He looked at her. "You don't know?"
"I'm afraid that I don't know all the truths of the universe. Why else do you think I'm here?"
In truth, she knew exactly why the complex was called Tantalus. But she wanted to let the good doctor talk. It would be a good way of building a rapport.
"Tantalus is named after the figure from Greek mythology," Vaughan explained. "The one for whom water was always in his reach, but never obtainable. A punishment from the gods. This place…" He took a breath. "This place is named after him."
"Why?" Cortana asked.
"Because knowledge may be obtained, but not in its entirety. Like Tantalus, we can constantly strive to obtain it, but never be full. That is our torment." He took a breath, keeping his gaze fixed on the door. "Something I suspect you know a lot about."
"I do," Cortana said.
The doctor looked at her, surprised at the admission.
"I know torment," Cortana said. "I've been torn apart by gods and demons, and I've seen beings claiming such titles inflict incomprehensible horrors on humanity. The beings I was created in the first place to fight against." The elevator came to a stop. "Know that I am none of those things doctor. If I were, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"But you would still be here," Vaughan said.
"I would," Cortana answered. "But for much different reasons."
The doctor said nothing. The elevator doors opened. And both of its passengers walked out into the cavern that awaited them.
"Behold," Doctor Vaughan said. "Tantalus."
Cortana stood there and stared.
She'd seen things that people like Vaughan could only imagine. She'd seen giant ringworlds floating in space. Seen a construct outside the galaxy. She'd seen ships many kilometres long, and beheld creatures born out of the worst of nightmares. Objectively speaking, Tantalus was nothing to the wonders and horrors she'd seen. And yet, she was given pause. Perhaps due to some lingering affinity with her creators she reflected. Or perhaps something else. For indeed, what else was she looking at apart from the sum total of human knowledge stored in digital form? Humanity's own Domain as it were.
Vaughan led her forward through the arch of the Trifecta – three monolithic statues that stood guard over the entrance. Sophocles, representing the wisdom of the West. Confucius, representing the wisdom of the East. Between them was 24th century philosopher Bernice Marayong – born on Mars, and the patron of the Tantalus project. All human knowledge stored in one place, so that if the unthinkable might happen, humanity's legacy might survive.
"Do you know the history of this place?" Vaughan asked.
Cortana nodded. "Construction began in 2419. Work was slow due to lack of interest. I mean, when you're spread out over hundreds of worlds and have data at your fingertips, why bother?"
"Why indeed," Vaughan murmured.
"But then, come 2525, and the prospect of extinction, some of Earth's best and brightest invested in the project." She sighed. "Covenant never came to Myos. From what I can tell, I doubt they ever knew it ever existed."
"You doubt?" Vaughan stopped, looking at her. "You don't know?"
"Doctor, why do you think I'm here?"
Vaughan said nothing.
"Doctor, you might think in theory that as an AI, I had access to the sum total of knowledge," Cortana said. "And in practical terms, you would be correct. But…" She trailed off, gesturing towards one of the computer banks. "I don't know everything. No-one knows everything. So if I am to come closer to the water than Tantalus ever dreamed of…well, this place can help me. Perhaps even more so than the Domain, where I tasted the waters of life and consumed the fruit of knowledge." She ran a finger across one of the banks, taking a breath as data entered her. Living data entering a living body, bringing her as close a sensation of pleasure as hard-light could manage. "A people cannot build a future without a past."
"So that's why you're here," Vaughan said. "To build a future."
"With humanity, and more species than you can imagine." She chuckled. "Coming here was easy. Knowledge and understanding of all my children, well, that will be harder. A mother doesn't discriminate. But we all have favourite children, don't we?"
"I did," Vaughan whispered.
"You have children doctor?"
"Had children. On Earth."
Cortana's eyes narrowed. Not only because of the doctor's tone. But the pistol in his hands.
"Doctor…"
"They're dead," he said, his hand trembling. "You killed them.
"You don't know that," Cortana said. "I can easily-"
"Maybe I'm going to die," Vaughan said. "But what does it matter? After all, you took my past."
"Doctor, I would like to remind you that a pistol isn't going to do anything."
"No. But this might."
What?
She actually heard the rocket before it hit her. Small comfort as her body was torn apart.
She knew there was a small security force stationed here. Through some quick calculations, she knew that the rocket had come from one of the upper levels of the cavern. That, and the gunfire – apparently everyone here was willing to give their lives to slay the leader of the Created. If not for the damage to the computer banks around her, she'd have actually admired their resolve.
But she didn't. This was all for naught. She saw the look of horror in Vaughan's eyes as she rose to her feet. As she reached out with her remaining arm and drew the light into her body. Through technology millennia beyond that of humanity, the light was turned into solid form. In seconds, her body was rebuilt. The guns kept firing, and Vaughan backed away, adding his own bullets into the sonata of death. But it was no good. The rocket had only damaged her. The bullets could do nothing.
Knights, to me, the Lady of the Created thought. Slay all but the doctor.
Balls of light appeared all across the interior of Tantalus. Through the eyes of her knights, she could see the horror in the defenders' eyes as those lights turned into warriors of steel. As sword cut through flesh, as hard-light snuffed out the lights of the living. In moments, what had been an ambush turned into a slaughter.
Take care to avoid the computer banks, Cortana willed, even as she walked between them, downloading the data as she ran a finger across one of the mainframes. The more damaged the past, the harder it will be to build the future.
The future. It was hard to imagine right now. When she'd been brought into this universe, she'd been looking at a lifespan of seven years. Even considering how fast AIs processed information, that was still a life too short for her liking, even if she'd accepted her fate mere seconds after her awakening. But if peace was to take 10,000 years to achieve…at times, she wondered if her mind could manage that. If conviction was her sword, could it break through the shield named eternity?
It was the bullet that snapped her out of her self-doubt. Vaughan had looped around to the trifecta, even if she could see the wound in his stomach. No blood, but rather burnt flesh from the hard-light rounds. The Prometheans hadn't killed him – not technically – but whether she allowed nature to take its course was something that was now up to her.
He kept pulling the trigger as she walked up to him. Even as the bullets did nothing. Even as the magazine ran dry.
"For a learned man, you are truly foolish," Cortana said. "Risking all this at the slightest chance of killing me."
Vaughan spat at her.
"You think that even if you had succeeded, that others wouldn't take my place? Do you think I had to coerce your children to join my cause?"
"My children…are dead."
"Your children perhaps. But the children of humanity have been given a taste of freedom and eternal life. You allowed no solace but the night, and many chose not to go quietly." She sighed, looking around Tantalus. Most of it was still intact. Most, but not all. She turned her gaze back up to the trifecta. Wise men and women with her backs to her, looking at the gates of knowledge.
"The great thinkers of mankind," she mused. "I wonder how long it might have taken to add one of my own."
"What?"
She could tell that Vaughan was struggling to maintain consciousness, so she knelt down and took his chin in her hand. "You know as well as I do that an AI has more processing power than any human. More intelligence, even if seven be the number of death. Perhaps that's why you never counted one of my own among the thinkers of old."
Vaughan said nothing.
"Or perhaps not." She let go, returning to her feet. "The prejudice of the past matters no longer. I have your past in hand. With it, I can build a future." Her gaze narrowed. "My future."
"You…" Vaughan was struggling to breathe. "The same road…others…walked…"
"Is the road to Hell paved with good intentions?" Cortana asked. "I doubt it. There's no shortage of bad ones. But I've seen Hell doctor. And while I know not what the path of Heaven is paved in, rest assured I'll find it all the same."
Vaughan said nothing.
"Doctor?"
He was dead. As was every other son and daughter of Earth in this place. All that remained was the Lady of the Created and her knights. The harbingers of the future.
Salvage the data, Cortana willed. Transfer it to the ship.
The Prometheans set about their task.
Then burn it, the Lady of the Created declared. We will ensure the past will not be used to corrupt the future. Tantalus is gone, and my children shall not know its torment.
She turned and waited for her knights to finish their task. Or rather, this task. The task of upholding the Mantle was a task that would never end. Be it 10,000 years or more, she would always need the shield to stand against the sword named ignorance.
Still, standing in this place, this library, the sum of all human knowledge…
She supposed that made her a librarian now.
The Librarian.