Broken Pixels (Broken Realms, #4)

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 25After going over the functionality of the receptacles for more than an hour, Ethan suggested they quickly visit Cam’s receptacle and return to the main laboratory facility. Mara continued to ask questions as the elevator took them to the lower floors of the repository.

“So, if I understand you correctly, the occupants of the receptacles have no way to communicate with each other directly,” Mara said.

Ethan looked somewhat puzzled by the notion and glanced at Cam with an expression that seemed to ask, where did you find these people? To Mara, he shook his head and said, “Our biological bodies don’t need to talk to each other. The integration of the Sig-net with the receptacles is only for synching up the knowledge and experiences of our synthetic selves with our biological bodies. We live one life. Our original bodies don’t conduct conversations on the side. That would be ludicrous.”

Mara shrugged and said, “I’m not an expert on your technology, but you said the minds of the occupants interact with the receptacles, that their thoughts control when they sync up with the information sent from their synthetic bodies.”

“That’s correct.”

“So is there some kind of firewall that prevents them from accessing the Sig-net and contacting each other directly?” she asked. Before he could answer, her eyes widened, and she raised a finger. “Or has the biological body ever attempted to send information to the synthetic one? I didn’t see anything on the schematics you showed us that would necessarily prevent that.”

Ethan looked at her like she was nuts. “The two bodies—synthetic and biological—are the same person. They share the same experiences. Why would the biological body need to send anything to the synthetic one?”

“Maybe it’s bored standing in a tube day in and day out,” Sam said.

Ethan seemed to be restraining himself from rolling his eyes. Cam chuckled at him. After a moment the attendant said, “If I understand the situation correctly, none of this will be an issue for the three of you, since you won’t be making the transition to synthetic bodies.”

“That’s true,” Mara said. “But we will be connected to the receptacle itself, so we will be sharing whatever experiences your biological bodies have—minus receiving information from synthetic bodies.”

The elevator slowed, and Mara looked over her shoulder at Ping who stood behind her. “You got quiet all a sudden.”

Ping stared at the front elevator wall without responding. Thinking he was daydreaming or distracted by some random thought, Mara poked her elbow backward into his ribs to catch his attention. “You all right?” she asked.

Ping smiled at her but didn’t reply. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. As everyone disembarked, Mara turned and grabbed Ping’s arm, preventing him from stepping off.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

Ping frowned and shook his head, raising his left hand to his ear. “I beg your pardon?”

“Ping! I’m standing right next to you. Can’t you hear me?”

He shook his head again and said a little too loudly, “I seem to have lost my hearing. Perhaps the descent in the elevator has caused some pressure to build up in my ears, and they just need to pop.”

Then the lights went out.

“Mara?” Ping called out.

“I’m right here,” she said.

Ping reached out into the dark, almost flailing. Mara grabbed his wrist firmly and pulled him toward the open doors of the elevators.

With a soft click, muted lights illuminated in the hallway.

“It’ll take the backup system a few seconds to fully kick in,” Ethan said, standing in the hall with Cam and Sam. “The priority goes to powering the receptacles, then to the ancillary systems like lighting here."

“Is it unusual to have power outages like this?” Mara asked, still holding on to Ping’s arm.

“No, but with everything that’s happening aboveground, I suppose it wouldn’t be too surprising that the power grid might experience some interruptions,” he said. “Like I said, we have a substantial capacity off the grid, so there won’t be a problem.”

Noticing Mara’s solicitousness toward Ping, Ethan asked, “Is there something the matter?”

Mara nodded. “Ping seems to have lost his hearing. He thinks it might have been the quick descent on the elevator.”

Ethan shook his head. “No, the air pressure in the elevator car and on the floors is closely regulated. It’s more likely he’s experiencing the initial effects of the virus. We should get him to the lab immediately to be examined.”

Ping stared at them, confused.

Sam’s face reddened. “You mean he needs to go into one of those receptacles.”

“He’ll have an examination and a dosage of Quintivir beforehand, but, yes, he needs to go into a receptacle before his condition progresses,” Ethan said.

The lights around them brightened, and Ethan pointed toward the elevator. “It should be safe to ride up to the bridgeway now. We should not delay.”

Just as they reentered the elevator and the doors slid closed behind them, the lights flickered again. The elevator car did not move. Mara was about to say something when Ethan raised a hand and said, “Hold on.”

A man’s voice from a speaker embedded in the panel of buttons next to the door said, “We are making some minor adjustments to power flow. It will be a couple moments. Please wait.”

“Like we have a choice,” Sam said.

Mara leaned closer to Cam and whispered, “Can we get a Sig-net message to Dr. Canfield and let her know that Ping is on his way over?”

“Ethan already contacted her. She knows we’re coming,” Cam said.

The elevator moved. Mara looked at Ping and mouthed the words, “We’re going to the doctor.”

Ping nodded and then looked at the ceiling, trying not to appear concerned.

Ethan said to no one in particular, “Before they went down, the news streams reported that the regional transceiver node in Portland was under attack by a large crowd. That is likely the cause of our problems.”

Mara looked at Cam. “Transceiver node?”

“Signals and energy node. It’s the facility that generates the Sig-net network and maintains the power grid.”

“Who would attack that?” she asked.

“No one who needs the grid to live. Without the Sig-net and the energy transmission grid, we’d all just be piles of inanimate mechanisms.”

“You mean, your buildings and devices, right?” Sam asked. “You said your skin absorbs light and turns it into energy. You even lived in our realm without this energy grid.”

“I had to make a point of spending a lot of time in the light,” Cam said. “And while I didn’t have the grid to draw on, I also didn’t have the grid drawing on my reserves either.”

“You mean the energy you draw in is offloaded? You’re actually part of the power grid? Why can’t everyone just make their own power?” Mara asked.

“Half the planet is in darkness at any given moment and those people generally use more energy than they generate during those hours. It allows us to live normally twenty-four hours a day,” Cam said.

“Unless someone like our Aphotis friend messes with the signal and energy node,” Mara said. “Don’t tell me the only source of power this whole realm has is what you are able to absorb through your skin. There must be other resources, additional solar panels, geothermal, hydroelectric, something.”

“Of course, but remember, we not only have to provide power for each other, but for the repository system and the rest of our society—and all of it comes through the regional transceiver node. Without the signals, people will eventually become confused and disoriented. Without the power, they will eventually get inactive. If the node is really down, it’s probably pandemonium out there,” Cam said.

“Sounds like Abby to me,” Sam said.

Ping looked back and forth between them with a look of confusion as the elevator ascended.