Ryan Somma - The Spiraling Web

Dana followed the woman's vacant stare to the television sitting across the room. Her reflection bloomed in the screen's convex curve as she approached it. It was an antique with a content filter patched to it. The lack of digital cable or satellite reception, combined with the otherwise barren presentation of the living room told Dana this was a low-income family.

A family , Dana thought remorsefully. However Almeric Lim had done it through the television, it was peaceful, a small consolation that was. The whole reason Dana went into Data Forensics was the lack of a body count. She'd seen more than her quota in the last 24 hours.

Dana thought about what Ian had told her, about the power being out, and whispered, "Samantha."

Alarmed, she ran down the hallway to where the officers were making the final room sweeps. She saw the team leader at the end of the hall kick open a door, his gun leveled through the entrance. He shouted orders to someone inside.

The officer cursed as Dana shoved him aside to enter the room. Rotting food littered the floor. She pulled off her gasmask and almost gagged at the stench. The room was completely dark.

Then the officer brought his flashlight back up and Dana saw what he was shouting at. A child stood at the back of the room, dressed in full VR gear. The gloves were too big and the helmet looked too heavy for that delicate neck. She stood there, frozen in place in the darkness.

Dana approached the child and her heart sank. Purposefully, she unbuckled the chinstrap and lifted the helmet from the child's head. She then set it down and looked into the glassy eyes, staring into space.

With one hand, Dana gently reached up and closed them.

"You're dead Samantha," Zai's voice was black ice.

The little girl's wide, disbelieving eyes alternated between Devin and Zai. Stripped of their avatars, they were exposed as themselves. Devin avoided the girl's eyes; he knew Zai spoke the truth. She could detect that slight difference between real people and virtual incarnations.

"No I'm not," Samantha retorted innocently.

"I can hear it in your voice," Zai stated. "You're a ghost, wandering the circuitry of a computer."

"I wanna to go home," Samantha whined.

"You don't have a home," Zai said. "Not a real one anyway."

Devin whispered harshly to Zai, "What's wrong with you? Are you trying to be cruel?"

Zai spoke loud enough for Samantha to hear, "She's one of them, a computer program."

Devin could only stare in shock at Zai's callousness. Samantha sniffled, about to burst into tears and Devin' felt like a lead weight was crushing his heart. He searched his mind for a solution to this tragedy, some way he could magically restore this child's life.

"Samantha," Devin's tone was soothing, attempting to calm down her growing despair. He approached her slowly, hands out to show he meant no harm. She watched him suspiciously, her cloak drawing around her protectively, "I think we can help you Samantha, but we need your help first."

Samantha, choking on sobs, pointed at Zai, "But she said-".

"I know what she said," Devin shot Zai a warning glance, and she bristled visibly as her system described the gesture, "but she doesn't understand what's wrong with you. Have you ever been to the doctor?"

Samantha calmed down a little as she listened, "Y-yes."

"Well, that's all you need," Devin explained. "I know a doctor who might be able to help you." If Alice will help her , he thought.

"I want to go home now ," Samantha begged.

"Now who's being cruel?" Zai asked, "Aren't you just getting its hopes up?"

Devin did not know the answer, he looked at the sign above the door, where Samantha had emerged, "You like battle-bots Samantha?"

"Yeah," she replied, after a moment, "I make them for Almeric."

Devin looked around suspiciously at the mention of Flatline's real name, as if he expected him to manifest at its utterance. Where was Flatline?

Devin asked, "Do you enjoy making battle-bots for Almeric?"

Samantha shrugged, "It was fun for awhile, but now I want to go home."

Devin leaned in closely and asked, "Do you know where Almeric is now?"

Samantha shook her head, "I haven't seen him for a long time. He told me to watch the bots and keep them working while he went to do stuff, but I don't know if he's coming back, and I want to go home."

"What are the robots for, Samantha?" Devin asked.

Samantha was settling down, traces of concern remained, but the conversation was distracting her, "Me and Almeric are building a castle."

"A castle eh?" Devin feigned enthusiasm. "Sounds like fun. What are you going to do with it?"

Samantha smiled, "We're playing war. I want to try out all my new bots, but Almeric keeps saying we have to wait. He says our army needs to be bigger, but it's boring watching bots building bots all day."

"Won't he notice you aren't watching the bots right now?" Devin asked.

Samantha shook her head, "No. The cycs know what to do."

"The cycs?" Devin asked.

"Yeah," Samantha said, "You've met them. They're all around."

She pointed at a spot on the floor, where a fist-sized AI mass pulsed. A single AI grew from it and slouched there, its myriad of eyes watching Devin and Zai neutrally. It was different than the ones Devin met before, more complex, less human. Samantha turned to it and spoke in white noise. It shambled in response, as if communicating with her, and returned to its passive observation.

Samantha turned back to them, "They say I shouldn't be talking to you."

"Why is that?" Devin asked.

Samantha hesitated. She cupped a hand around her mouth, leaned in, and whispered to Devin, "They said you're spies, from the other side, and you want to learn about the castle so you can beat us."

Several more AI's rose from the floor all around them. Devin saw more rising behind those. The room was changing shape, the doors disappearing, the entire lobby's features melting away into the AI's.

"They said they have to destroy you," Samantha said guiltily. "I'm sorry."

Zai knelt down in front of Samantha. "Samantha," she said gently, "I don't know what Almeric told you, but this isn't a game. If they destroy us, we will be dead, and then there won't be anyone to help you. Do you understand death?"

Samantha nodded, "Yes, but these are my friends."

"Am I your friend?" Devin asked.

"Yes," Samantha smiled. "You're nice."

"And do you want me to die?"

"No," Samantha said, and frowned. "I don't know..."

"If these are your friends," Zai said, gesturing at the AI's surrounding them. "Then why don't they take you home? Why doesn't Almeric let you go?"

"You're not my friend," Samantha narrowed her eyes at Zai, hands balling into tiny fists. "You said I was dead. You lied to me."

"I'm sorry, Samantha. I was wrong. You're hurt and I just want to help you get better, but you have to come with us. If you can help us leave this place, we can help you go home. Can you do that?" Devin was surprised at Zai's sympathy, a very convincing performance.

Devin was sinking into the floor, hungry mouths surrounding his legs. Tendrils slithered up Zai's legs, wrapping around her waist. She was only focused on Samantha.

The little girl looked around the surrounding cyc mass, "They need me here. I'm an essential component."

"That doesn't sound very friendly to me," Zai said, a tendril slipped around her throat. "Wouldn't a friend let you go home, if that's what you want?"

"Yeah," Samantha stared at the floor, one foot nudging the biomass uncomfortably.

"So-!"the tendril around Zai's throat constricted. Her mouth worked desperately to find air, and she struggled against her bonds, trying to reach her throat.