The Circle
“I assume you understand the regulations?” Keeper Daly asked from a safe distance, and Jerlee nodded.
“Yes. I have half an hour to explore, and must return to these doors before they close again. If I am not here when the time elapses, you will not come for me.”
“Correct,” Daly’s voice rose over the grinding of granite slabs. “Enjoy this time, but do not become so involved that you are not present here when required.”
Jerlee doubted that would be an issue. Her entry into the Chamber of Circles was a privilege given only because of her father’s position with the Assembly, and she had no interest in ancient history or the machines that supposedly orchestrated the everyday lives of original Dantarans. With any luck, she would find a safe spot to stand just inside the doors and remain there until her allotted time elapsed. Her father’s colleagues would be pleased that tradition had been honored, and Jerlee could go back to enjoying the comforts that familial power supplied.
“The doors of knowledge are fully opened,” the Keeper intoned. “Soon, they shall close again. Balance in all things, rotation in all things. The Circle provides.”
“The Circle provides,” Jerlee murmured as she stepped forward, crossing the threshold and leaving Daly behind. Past the door’s massive hinges the dank cave was almost identical – light brown rock stained with luminescent fungus surrounded her, each outcropping as boring and dull as the next.
It was the humming that drew her in further, a low-toned buzz that set her skin to tingling. The sound wasn’t unpleasant but clearly unnatural – too regular to come from any of the stone or as a result of falling water.
Twenty steps in and the chamber expanded, its ceiling rising to a height she could no longer see. Ancient computer terminals lined smooth walls, and pale lights glowed down from above, dangling on silver strings. In the distance she saw a massive monitor, the green glow from its face suffusing the entire space and with a blinking cursor pulsing out steady rhythms. As if her feet operated beyond her control Jerlee drew closer, breath held until she felt lightheaded, then exhaled in a single great rush, its echo loud in the chamber.
“Yes?” A crystalline question shimmered over the cavernous space, and Jerlee jumped, barely managing to keep her feet planted as she came down.
“Who’s there?” She called in a small voice, and after a moment the same multi-toned sound responded.
“We are the Circle. We are life. You come in search of knowledge, as many before you. Ask.”
“I –“ Jerlee hesitated. “I don’t have any questions to ask. I’m not with the Academy. My father’s an important man.”
“Academy,” the voice said, and Jerlee was sure she could hear the faint whirring of gears - Daly had said something about the Circle’s knowledge being stored in one of the greatest technical wonders of ancient times, but she hadn’t paid much attention. “Yes. I am familiar with this term. Small-minded things, mostly, that cannot fathom what I hope to impart.”
Her mind raced as the thing droned on – if it was so powerful, so intelligent, perhaps it knew about things that really mattered.
“Computer,” she said abruptly. “What do you know about the Assembly?”
It whirred for a moment and then began to rattle off information. “Assembly. Formed 1256 Free Year by Mathus Halbren. Still in existence, directed by Strauss Tom’son and soon to be overthrown –“
“Stop!” She cried. “What do you mean, overthrown? How can you know that?”
“We are the Circle,” the thing said firmly. “All is known to us – all is merely rotation to be discovered.”
“Fine, fine – tell me what will happen to my father!” Panic rose in her voice – she had heard rumblings of concern from both her parents, despite their attempts to conceal it.
“Likely predictions indicate that he will die by poison at hand of Boris Muldor.” Jerlee’s breath caught in her throat. Assemblyman Muldor was her father’s closest friend!
“I won’t listen to this,” she declared. “You can’t possibly know the future!”
There was distressed clicking, almost as if the machine was perturbed. After a moment, a soft response floated out. “You are correct, seeker. The future cannot be known. I read only the past.”
“Past?” Anger began to build in her chest – she hadn’t wanted to tromp through a murky cave or seek knowledge from some dusty machine. “Talk sense, you piece of scrap metal!”
Shimmering force-shields sprung into existence all around her, and a deep-toned klaxon sounded. “Aggression will not be tolerated, Seeker. You must calm yourself.”
Jerlee took a deep breath and forced herself to focus. Daly’s time limit had to be coming close, and she didn’t want to be trapped.
“I apologize,” she said slowly, “but tell me – if you’re so smart – shouldn’t you be able to predict exactly what I’m going to do?”
A tinkling sound almost like soft laughter came to her ears, and when the voice spoke again the shields lifted and warning sirens stopped. “You are pert, young Seeker, to see so much. Here, inside the Circle, we cannot know what has occurred, what will occur. You are within the diameter.”
There was a pause, followed by sudden discordant strains, as if a debate were taking place.
“It is decided,” the voice came again, stronger and with greater certainty. “You will remain with us. There is much to learn, we think, before the Circle turns again.”
Jerlee heard the sound of scraping stone behind her, and the quickly-quieting sound of Keeper Daly’s voice.
“But I don’t want to stay here!” Jerlee wailed. “I want to go home!”
“You are home,” the machine spoke again after a long moment. “You are one. You are none. You are the Circle.”
- D
No comments:
Post a Comment