Dead Space and their characters are property of Visceral Games (former EA Redwood Shores), Mirror´s Edge and their characters are property of Digital Illusions. I claim no economic benefit of this story.
Interlude:
Between two corrupted souls.
Concordance Mining Company Home Corporate, Mars.
One month before the disaster of the USG Ishimura
The Director General of C.E.C. was leaning back in his chair as usual. He had remained motionless in his ostentatious office for a while, one of those rare moments of stillness that emerged as if it was the coming of a comet, sporadic and fleeting.
He reflected to himself, concocting plans and wondering how much more he would have to wait for events that were required to be in strict order. Only at that fleeting moment when the stars are in position, and the fates decree of destiny changes... just at that precise moment... he would be able to find a minute-lasting window to let him escape, out of that corrupt body, to go to a new plane of existence. It couldn´t be before that moment, and if done after the auspicious time, it would be as if mutilating himself with a saw...
The presence of his personal A.I. took him out of his reverie. It made almost no noise, but that mattered little to his sensitive ear. In reality there was little that he could fail to perceive with his senses, magnified as they were. The presence of an A.I. assuming his avatar was perceived as the sound of a rushing stream to the sea, slowly and peacefully. He sighed and wondered what would his efficient, but annoying butler computer might want:
--- What do you want Daniel? --- He said in a voice that betrayed some irritation.
--- It has arrived a new sub-space communication from the Aegis VII colony in the Cygnus constellation ---
--- And why should i be bottered by that?, tell me again what are the other senior executives for, Daniel? --- said the man, visibly annoyed.
--- Lord, message comes from Hanford Peter George la Salle Carthusia, director of the colony, it is encrypted with protocol Theta-542-M ---
It awoke a keen interest in the man's eyes. Would that be the sign he was waiting for?. He decided to approach the situation with a much direct, thorough, but reserved as well, resolve as possible, but he knew very well that the used protocol could only mean one thing:
--- Hanford Carthusia... let´s see it Daniel ---
--- Playing --- said the A.I.
The construct displayed the message. In it, the squat and complacent figure of Hanford Carthusia could be seen. He was an middle-aged man with a long and a little haggard face, unaccustomed to the rarified atmosphere of the planet, despite this being the fourth colony he presided. Hid his eyes behind small, metal framed, circular glasses, which didn´t help his image, giving him a sinister and unpleasant look.
The ambitious executive spoke frankly and decisively about the discovery of a new Marker in the bowels of the colony, making little or no reference at all to the creed of Unitology, knowingfull well like others, that the Director General couldn´t tolerate the faithful of Altman. When the message ended, the corpse-man seemed very excited:
--- Daniel, what ships do we have available for the trip to the Aegis VII system? --- Asked without losing his composure entirely.
--- The USG Ishimura is scheduled to make contact with the colony in three standard weeks due to a number of adjustments to the shockpoint drives, which are carried out in the orbital yard EH-145-K, around Earth orbit. Anyway, Carthusia had already requested the presence of a ship of the Planet-cracker class in that sector by the end of this month, because the colony has completed the exploration and analysis phase and is ready to...---
--- It´s enough Daniel, sometimes you don´t know when to stop. Give orders to double shifts in the yard, I want the USG Ishimura ready for the trip in two weeks --- the director said, gesturing with his hand.
--- By your command sir --- the A.I. Answered and was going to disappear, but a new wave of the hand of his master stopped it:
--- And also be sure to communicate to the colony the USG Ishimura will be arriving in four standard weeks. One more thing: Make a selection of profiles of potential employees available for the trip. Eight people. The selection criteria are rank, psychological profile, company loyalty and job matching with possible casualties aboard the Ishimura. Keep the list a secret from senior staff. Expand your selection to include staff of Alpha One and Two Units, as well as Obsidian and Scorpion Engineering classes, preferably people with a minimum of three years experience of working in deep space. I need that list in a week at the latest. Book three more places: I will assign three employees of my entire confidence and selecting ---
--- Understood sir. Anything else you need? ---
--- Yes Daniel. Get me The Doctor at the videcomm... --- mentioned the corpse, as he turned his chair and opened the curtain, watching the Olympus Mons.
--- As you order milord --- and saying that the construct vanished, with that unmistakable sound of a running creek, perceptible only to him.
When the A.I. left, the dismal man was left alone, but the light from his eyes still shone. Finally things were starting to move...
Two weeks later:
A half-lit room was the first thing it noticed, when its senses were immersed in the atmosphere of that room. The pale light coming from the mahogany desk in front of him, created sinister shadows that stirred slightly with air movement. The atmosphere of the room smelled old, like those fine wood cabinets that have years unopened. It was an anachronistic smell in a world where synthetic plastics and metal were the norm for the rooms of a house. The occupant of this room however, was considered an eccentric by the few people who had the misfortune to cross his path.
The construct blocked a sub-routine associated with the demonstration of displeasure at the pungent smell of old wood. He knew what had happened the last time he dared to voice an opinion on the particular tastes of their master. An A.I. acting on the basis of fear was something the general public couldn´t imagine, accustomed to business intelligence models, that had no complex algorithms designed to emulate emotions. Daniel however was one of the most advanced A.I.´s from the company, far outpacing the performance of all others, including the so-called "Olympic Twelve", who controlled the nearby Olympus City. He knew too well that getting on the nerves of his master, meant to be cut a few hours of general information flow of the C.E.C., which in its machine-time, meant to live for years in a vacuum. No, it let the expression of its personal problems for another day...
Assuming its digital avatar, which was the representation of an old English thoroughbred steward, Daniel went to the desk in the middle of the room where a figure seemed to be asleep. He waved his hand to stop it:
--- Has the ship already left? --- Said a thin cadaverous man, with trifling voice, as he lay reclined on a padded chair, upholstered in a velvet cloth.
--- Yes, sir. The Director of Colonial Mining Operations is travelling on it --- the butler said impassively.
--- Good. The Church has moved its pieces. The opening takes place as planned. Now we only need to wait... --- Reflected the other, keeping his eyes fixed on a point, beyond the fictional body of the A.I.
--- Sir?... --- Said the simulacrum, letting out a hint of anxiety.
--- What is it Daniel? --- The other didn´t flinch as if expecting the question.
--- If I may ask... Why did we allow the Church to place so many loyalists on the Ishimura?, is it not too big a risk? ---
The man that Daniel posed its question at smiled broadly, showing perfect teeth, which seemed to highlight the whitish-to-light tusks:
--- Nothing the Unitologists do can change the outcome, Daniel. But it would´ve been too revealing for the Enigmas and their servants, not being able to infiltrate like-minded elements, on which is so far the most important mission of the company, the largest since the first encounter with the Marker. Moreover, our own envoys will ensure things go as we want ---
--- That reminds me sir... the Doctor has obtained interesting results from the biological sample, results you might want to see... --- The hologram commented, simulating a slight forget that they both knew it was not only a comedy but a very personal one.
--- Alright Daniel, but remember that at my old age, reading technical reports is far too tedious for me. I Would rather have The Doctor come here to my office to present his findings --- the charade continued, with the man feigning an old age that he didn´t have, and letting the A.I. pamper him a bit.
--- I´ll have it arranged milord. Do you need anything else? --- In a perfect fatherly tone, giving the closure to the play.
--- Not now Daniel, you are dismissed ---
The simulacrum vanished immediately, saying to himself that humans were the most fascinating things of the universe but also some of the most futile...
Ten days later:
--- Excellent. Two weeks more. Your reward awaits you in the place of your choice, in cryostasis as agreed ---said the man to a screen where a white man gave him a sharp look.
--- Over and out ---
The blue holographic display particular of the video-conference, vanished, and the man in the room laid down in his chair. The furrows in his brow gave his skin a worn and faded appearance that was characteristic of old fabric. The man called his butler with a soft-spoken but determined voice:
--- Daniel ... ---
--- What are your orders milord? --- Said the construct, appearing without wasting any time.
--- Daniel, comunicate with the media of the Federation of Colonies. It is high time that we let the public know of our new refining facilities in the Sprawl ---
--- Do you mean the facilities in Excella AE-725? --- the A.I. said, showing images of a dark planet, with a perennially packed atmosphere of storm clouds, where few buildings rose above the surface. The subsurface of the planet however, was something else...
--- True, true... I always forget that the press wouldn´t recognize it by that other name... --- A new invitation to a charade.
--- What we will do if the press decides to sniff too much?. You know what black legends tell of Excella... --- Daniel said, putting his powerful computer brain to work.
--- Daniel, Daniel, just make sure to do as I said, the press can sniff all they want, but the residents know perfectly well when it's best to keep their mouth shut, especially when a business is as illegal as it is profitting, such as illegal organ replacement ---
--- And The EDF sir, don´t you think they will take a sudden interest in these new facilities? ---
--- Daniel, did you come here today determined to try to make me mad? I have no time nor patience to explain the size of the negative impact that can overwhelm the EDF if they dare to even attempt an investigation... ---
--- Sir, my planning routines advise not to attempt a move of this magnitude, it can become very risky... ---
--- Daniel! --- the man said with a look that could freeze hell over. The intelligence saw those eyes and knew he made a mistake...
--- You are one of the greatest wonders of this company. Only the personnel of Project Renaissance is more important than the development team that developed you, and you're destined for great things... but if you ever question my decisions... ONE. MORE. TIME. AGAIN, i will have you disassembled and funding for the subsequent development of A.I.'s. will be canceled. I will not have a simple construction question my strategy, let alone you of all them ---
The blue holographic presence faded quickly and left without saying a thing. It would fulfill their orders to the letter.
The room was silent. The cadaverous man decided to not turn on the light immediately. He liked the dark, relaxing. It was full of reminders that only he knew what was happening in the shadows. Nobody else...
Nor the high priests of the Unitology Church and its thousands of devoted, who believed in the chimera of a life beyond life, with their mausoleum ships waiting for their soon dead useless bodies...
Neither the leaders of the Earth Defense Force, with its huge cruise ships, and its unparalleled military might, which, however, was no use them to maintain order in the colonies, at the mercy of the pirates, paramilitary groups or rival companies of the C.E.C. ...
Not even the Alpha Unit, the group most aware of the situation, the loyal accomplice of the hundreds of operations that placed the C.E.C. over most of the large companies. Ultimately only one more pawn in the galactic skirmishes that developed for control of the Marker...
Much less a rebel artificial intelligence who insisted on showing very unpleasant human gestures...
Only the weaver can glide effortlessly through the giant net herself had weaved. All others are at risk of being stranded and helpless, helpless before the eyes of the all-powerful Spider Mind...
Two days later:
--- The report of the Ishimura, sir ---
--- Put it on screen, Daniel ---
The man behind the overstuffed armchair found himself watching a communication where Captain Matthius reported the sorry state the colony had sunk in. Chaos reigned and no one could restore order.
The transmission was abruptly cut short. The Spider Mind sensed what was happening. It was the delayed shockwave of the experiment carried out more than 150 years ago, by the EDF. When creating a new Marker, synthesizing the material of the original and duplicating it, recreating the threads of matter at a sub-atomic level, they were picking on forces they didn´t understand, recreating an alien artifact that might have destroyed them mercilessly. Now the consequences of that failed experiment were being met.
Imagined how the followers of the Church that would see that report at the same time would react. Daniel had already intercepted a transmission from the Director of Colonial Mining Operations to one of the Enigmas. Another subject of the Renaissance Project had attracted the attention of the Church and he had no doubt they would do the impossible to capture her. Alpha would have to be mobilized... in due course.
The Spider Mind leaned back in his chair and waited. Time would tell the exact moment he should act. It always did...
Four days later:
Daniel appeared before his master in the late afternoon, at a time when the corpse-man was studying the writings of the Church of Unitology in a thick paste and binding in hardcover book, a whole relic. As someone who reviews a fairy tale ...
--- What´s wrong Daniel? --- The man said without looking up.
--- Communication from the Aegis VII system, protocol encryption Theta-542-M, do you accept the message? --- entrusted the A.I. taking a step forward.
--- Yes, key confirmation "Renaissance". Link to my personal RIG and make sure nobody interrupts me, now go --- told, dismissing him with a hand movement.
The A.I. bowed and vanished. The director pushed a button on the surface of his suit and a blue-white screen appeared. He could see the silhouette of a man, taking no specific definition. He seemed to be wearing a suit and had the mask of the engineering suit down over his face. He didn´t say anything at all, but the corpse had a cold mortal feeling, it suddenly seemed familiar. On a screen of the ship, a sequence of symbols that were recorded on the original Marker projected itself, in a creepy chilling way. The man raised his mask, revealing a face that the director acknowledged as one of three men in his confidence. Breathing heavily, being stared by the being in the suit for what seemed like endless moments, he uttered only a single sentence:
--- We will be whole again!... --- with a deep, penetrating voice, that echoed long seconds in his sensitive ears.
Then the line went dead. The corpse presented for the first time in many years the face of a surprise that hid a secret alarm at what just happened. The events that tied him to his fate were in progress, but the old forces that kept him away from that same fate, were also acting. The body smiled. The challenge to the Spider Mind was shouted and damn him and his ilk if he would not cope...
Within the C.E.C. computer network, Daniel watched the same message, measuring and analyzing the possible consequences. If the Earth Defense Force was so interested in this new information as they were with Yushchenko´s, Daniel would make sure to make the best of it...