Aetheran Child Page 17

  “Here I have two NCCs, all ready to go. This one on the left -” He pointed at the box with a green marking, “-is about the same quality as your previous computer. While this one on the right -” he tapped the red-marked box, “Is a significant update. It's easier to customize and it features better bio-mechanical synchronization. Look” The man brightened up at the prospect at playing with the computer.

  He opened the box and touched the liquid with his finger. It disappeared seconds later, “As you can see, it can get into the body without leaving a trace. And then,” he stretched his hand and the computer enveloped his wrist, showing a screen, “it can materialize without the need of a dock, of course that takes a lot of power out of it.” The man shifted his arm again and the liquid climbed up to his neck and turned into a necklace, “It can easily transfigure into any object you desire.” he pressed a button on the necklace and the whole apparatus enveloped his mouth and created a rebreather. Then it shifted again and climbed into the back of his skull, “Another neat feature, it's completely wireless, even in its liquid state. As you already know, most computers cannot do this because they need to build an antenna first.”

  He demonstrated this by opening the second box. The liquid came out just as quickly but instead of disappearing, it formed long dark lines over his skin. When it reached the top of his shoulder, the liquid formed a small metal square, probably the antenna. The clerk gave the liquid one more order and it formed around his neck, but not into the seamless necklace as he had before, but into a crumbling, strange, disfigured piece of metal, “You actually have to program the object you want the NCC to form into.” He connected the computer to his brain and downloaded a program. Afterward, the liquid turned once again into the necklace, and this time it worked.

  “You see, the older version has to be adjusted and programmed to resemble an object while the new version uses an algorithm that processes your command into an object without the hassle of programming.”

  Lexan turned to Remu for help. She nodded, “What's the price difference of these two?” She pointed at the shimmering liquids.

  “About thirty to fifty credits. Depends on the quantity you want to take.” He put the liquids back into the boxes.

  “Okay, I will take three packs of hundreds, red.” she said and pulled out three blue square crystals and two red crystals. Each was actually a box filled with precious sand. The man took the credits, inserted them into the computer console on the counter. The computer verified the crystal's contents and sucked the powder in, “Would you like these back?” He asked Remu and she took the empty credits.

  Romul stared at her, incredulously. She took the three boxes and they all left. Once outside the store, Romul turned to Remu, “How did you get so much money?”

  “What? I have been working.” She answered.

  “I work too, you know, but how did you get so much money? You know you have to give most of it away to the school, it's almost impossible to get that much money.” Romul stared at her.

  “Not if you do extra-curricular activities like take care of the gardens, and save, efficiently” She raised an eyebrow at him. He waved his hand at her dismissively and looked at his box.

  She, meanwhile, turned to Lexan, “You owe me.” and handed him the box and announced, “We're going to the Code-master shop. I think it's on this floor.”

  Lexan walked behind Remu as she headed the way through the crowd. Romul followed close behind them already unwrapping the red-marked box and trying out his NCC. The liquid jumped and climbed all over him. They walked up to a directory, Remu quickly scanned it, and they all continued.

  “So why are we going to the code-master's?” Lexan asked. He stashed the box into his pocket but Remu motioned him to open the box. He did and tried it on.

  “Joshua,” he said, “link me to the new NCC and put the important data back on it.”

  “I will link it as soon as it boots and establishes connection with the dock on your wrist.” Seconds later the liquid swarmed his wrist and took a hold of the metallic dock. A thin line extended and connected with the dock. Immediately, a company logo lit up with numerous status icons. The NCC was half-way charged, all seemed to be in order, the firmware and software worked fine. Joshua pulled up all the diagnostic tests, and it turned out to have no problems at all.

  “Don't bother with the diagnostics. We're going to re-install the firmware anyway. That's why we're going to the code-master’s.” Romul answered, “The first rule of security and anonymity is not trusting the original software. You never know if it's bugged to send information back to the software company. It is best to program all of it by yourself but since that is quite difficult, you can obtain pieces of code at the store.

  “Then just put it together, look it over to see if there is anything suspicious, and you are good to go.”

  He nodded toward Remu and said, “I will cover this one.”

  “Oh yeah, you pay for the cheap stuff,” she rolled her eyes and all of them walked into the Code-master's store. The store differed immensely from the previous one. The room was circular, lined with holographic stands on shelves that displayed the codes. Next to each stand was placed a cheap NCC in its dock that showed a screen that tested the code. Lexan walked up to one of the stands and saw a long string of numbers, letters, and strange symbols. The symbols had a special arrangement, as did the numbers and letters. A small screen on the bottom explained the code and what it does.

  This particular one was used to calibrate the screen's sensitivity to light. Remu walked up to Lexan and explained it, without looking once at the small description screen, “This code changes the screen brightness depending on the light outside, so you can see it right. But, it also changes the screens viewability from different angles. Look,” She touched the small NCC, “Right now, we are in the store, so the light is just perfect and there is no need for a change. Look what happens when I shine light on it.” Her NCC emmitted a small ray of light onto the screen. The store's NCC adjusted and so it was still visible.

  “Hook it to your dock.” She said and Lexan sent out a line to connect, “Right now, it's monitoring where you are. You can set that up wirelessly, of course.” Lexan looked left and right but the screen did not change, “Do you see any change?”

  Lexan shook his head. Remu reached out and connected the computer to hers, “Now look.” She moved her head and as soon as she did, the screen went completely black. Lexan moved right behind her and saw the screen again. He was impressed and wondered how it worked. Joshua informed Lexan that the code was very simple and has been around since NCC have come out. Most people also tend to completely shut off the screen and view everything privately using 2nd Degree Vision.

  “Hey come over here. This is where they have the core coding.” Romul waved them over and showed them an array of cores for the NCCs. The compatibility list checked out alright with Lexan's computer and they bought the simple core coding, copied it three times and continued to shop.

  Lexan found a couple more codes he wanted to try out and bought them with Remu's help. She was not reluctant at all to lend him money, “Economy is good so everything is cheap.” She said.

  “How about the NCCs?” Lexan looked over at Romul.

  “Oh that's just an industry the school does not like to support. We, students, get a higher price for NCCs because the grandmaster wants us to create our own in class or use the school-assigned ones.” She answered and Lexan probed no more.

  A few minutes later, they walked out of the store.

  “We'll meet again in a few days.” Remu said, nodding toward Lexan, “We'll let you know when.”

  “Then we can discuss the plan to retrieve the data from Master Raki.” Romul grinned. His nano-constructed computer turned into a blob with little appendages with chubby hands and feet. It stood on his shoulders, and a small grin spread over its head.

  V

  Lexan walked down the hallway, heading toward the pro
gramming class, after that, he would have recess. Already, after only one class in the morning, he felt exhausted. He has not gotten much time for relaxation and meditation lately because he kept thinking about the files that Master Raki had on him. He wanted to find out what the council thought of him, and what they meant that he had no Aether genes. That was just impossible. The conversation he overheard so many months ago in the spaceship became suddenly vivid in his mind.

  He tried to remember the details but could not.

  “Hey, there is a break coming up.” He overhead a couple of students talking.

  “Oh yeah, I cannot wait. Two weeks of freedom. What are you thinking about doing?”

  “I'm going to the fourth planet. I want to see the Apprentice trials.” He said excitedly.

  “Well, I'm going to the Empire system.” Some girl said.

  “Empire system? What are you going to do there? Watch politicians babble over the same stuff all the time?” A boy laughed.

  “No,” She glared at him, “I'm going to see how the United Republics are run.” And she walked off.

  “Sounds like fun,” another boy said sarcastically, “I would completely trade my Sun-surfing trip for that.”

  “Wow, you're going Sun-Surfing?” his friend asked.

  “Yeah, best fun in the world. I can't wait.”

  Lexan tuned them out and walked off into the class where he started chatting with Krall, a shun boy he befriended in the last few weeks. They discussed the homework where they had to map out the cryptography in their NCCs.

  “I think it's completely useless to use passwords, or passsymbols, we have DNA testing, skin cell testing, voice testing, and everything else for disposal on the NCC,” said Krall.

  “Yes, true. But imagine being forced into unlocking your system. They can take your fingerprints, those are too easy to fake. DNA can be extracted, put in stem cells and multiplied, even to create skin cells. Voice could be recorded.” Lexan answered.

  “Okay, well how about brainwave analyzer? You cannot fake those.” Krall pointed out.

  “True. I guess you cannot,” Lexan nodded.

  “I don't believe that. There is one more security feature. The passpicture. It identifies your handwriting, along with your identity because only you will be aware of what the particular picture is.”

  Lexan nodded again in agreement and they turned to Tr. Circi as he started out the class. He talked for some time about the mathematics used in cryptography and reviewed the homework. Then he started lecturing on other security devices.

  Krall, as usual, got immediately distracted and opened a private channel with Lexan and another boy, Solan.

  “So what is everyone doing over the break?” He asked casually, “I'm going to see the gladiator games at the Tournament Hall in Orako.”

  Lexan had a few private channels opened at the same time. One with Remu and Romul where they discussed the next meeting place. Another with Bloo, Jacque, and Nivua but they were engaged in their own conversation so Lexan chose not to participate much.

  “I think I will stay in with Bloo.” Lexan said absent-mindedly and switched his priorities to concentrate on the teacher but could not. Romul and Remu had already taught him most of what Tr. Circi taught.

  “You're always with Bloo. You need to hang out with the guys sometimes.” Solan answered, “Tell you what. You've never been Sun-Surfing, right? Come with me, I'm going with couple others.”

  “Hey man, why didn't you invite me?” Krall sounded offended.

  “You're going to Orako on a field trip, aren't you?” Solan laughed.

  “Yeah, true. But it's the thought that counts!” Krall laughed too, “I wouldn't be able to afford it anyway.”

  “Solan, what makes you think I could afford it?” Lexan asked absent-mindedly. He picked up on the conversation.

  “Well, you're from the Cardinals, right? You guys get all kinds of discounts and funding from the school.” Solan said and sent Lexan a bookmark in the school information book.

  Lexan looked it up and noticed a column about the Cardinals and their special privileges. Anyone from the Cardinal Regions could apply for funding for any purpose. The likelihood of getting funds, Lexan noticed the other bookmark, was very good. He read over it once more, noticed a list of discounts. One of them was for Sun-Surfing.

  “Joshua, please keep those bookmarks close by.” Lexan announced and returned to the private channel, “Thanks. I think I'll stick to hanging out with Bloo. I'm sure she already made plans for us.”

  “Okay, but you're seriously missing out. Check this out.” Solan sent Krall and Lexan a video of him Sun surfing. He stood on a long wide board, similar to the one Lexan saw Bloo using when she was Sky-surfing.

  “What's the difference between Sky-Surfing and Sun-Surfing?” He asked, and switched to the channel with Bloo, Jacque and Nivua. He commended Joshua to record the answer and alarm him if someone mentions him in the conversation.

  “Bloo, do we have any plans for the break?” He asked after making sure there was no conversation going on between the three.

  “Oh yeah, I wanted to talk about that.” Bloo answered enthusiastically and sent out a notification to Jacque and Nivua. They turned their attention to the conversation.

  “I'm thinking we should have a double date. Go to a nice restaurant. Eat some real food, you know? I've wanted to try out some of the specialties this part of galaxy has to offer.”

  “Great idea, Bloo! What restaurant do you want to go to?” Nivua asked and simultaneously sent out a list of all available restaurant, thousands. Bloo crossed out hundreds of them already by filtering through only restaurants that served certain specialties. Jacque crossed out the place he's already tried and did not like. Lexan just stared at the list, not knowing what to do. He noticed an “Earth” specialties restaurant and crossed it out. Some other food places looked questionably too. Nivua took the liberty of crossing out the cheapest and most expensive places.

  Lexan switched over to the channel with Remu and Romul to catch them discussing the problems of swift-spacial mathematics.

  “Excuse me.” Lexan said and they stopped talking.

  “Oh yes, let's plan the meeting.” Romul said, “But first.” He sent out a program that encrypted and decrypted messages at lightning-fast speed. It also featured a strange algorithm and security. Lexan planted it in his NCC and linked it to his newly installed firmware. The programs merged and Lexan noticed a new option when creating a private channel, “Romul-secure”. He laughed, selected the option, and looked up.

  Tr. Circi was still talking and put up an assignment for everyone to do. The assignment encompassed creating a program that automatically encrypted and decrypted messages according to a passpicture. Lexan selected a program he created for Romul and Remu that they used for text, graphic messages. Even though they saw no reason to use text and graphics, they wanted him to learn how to do this simple program. “Start with the basics” Remu always said. Lexan gave Joshua a command to upload the program as the fifth or sixth person so as not to look suspicious.

  Lexan looked at the display overlay and noticed that everyone in the channel has turned on the same setting.

  “I have the perfect idea on how to infiltrate the classified files. I will tell you the details when we meet.” Romul started.

  “Great, I have an idea of my own too. Lexan, Romul and I will meet separately and forge out a plan. We know how much of a busy social life you have.” Remu said with a minor disgust.

  “Oh chill, Remu. Just because you don't have a significant other, you don't have to attack others who actually do enjoy the company of one,” Romul laughed.

  “Shut up. I have better things to do.” Remu answered coldly.

  “I can blow off anything. We can meet up, just choose a time and place.” Lexan said loyally.

  He mentally clicked over to talk to the Bloo trio. The conversation notes showed that the list of restaurants
was narrowed down to ten different places. Also the question of date and time has come up with Decday, the last day of the week, as the prime candidate right after school or Primitusday, the first day of the break. It looks like Joshua has been keeping close tabs on the conversation.

  “Okay, it is settled then. We will go to the least crowded place at the time. Let's make it at 23.00?” Bloo asked. Lexan recounted it in his head, almost forgetting, again, that a day here was thirty hours long, instead of twenty-four.

  “Sure, that works.” Lexan answered and switched over to Krall and Solan. He listened to the recorded message.

  “Sky-Surfing and Sun-Surfing is essentially the same. You just surf. The difference is, if you Sky-Surf, you don't need any more equipment than a surf. You strap it to your feet and fly. You gotta have your suit though, for oxygen and pressure changes.” Solan sent over a picture of himself flying on a Sky-Surf, dressed only in his normal suit.

  “With Sun-Surfing, things get complicated. You have to have a special suit,” Another picture popped up of Solan wearing a black jumpsuit. The suit glowed faintly blue, “The suit gives off an anti-gravity field and protects the body from the immense temperatures. Look,” A picture of a professional Sky-Surfer came up, the man was swimming in the hot plasma.

  Lexan caught up with the rest of the conversation and continued in real time.

  “So, you can actually swim in hot plasma?” Krall asked incredulously.

  “Yeah, but it gets too hot after a while. After about a ten minute swim, you have to get on the surf.” Solan answered and put up a bulletin for the conversation that included channels with information about Sun-Surfing. Under every channel name was a quick summary.

  “What all do you need to Sun-Surf then?” Lexan asked absent-mindedly, knowing all too well, he had others on the line as well. Joshua reported with quick text summaries on the screen. Nivua asked everyone to mark their calender for the last day of school before the break. Lexan sent along the automatic confirmation message.

  “You'll need the special black suit.” A picture of it from the DomeStem came up, along with the hefty pricing, one blue and three red credits, “Since you don't have a surf, you'll have to get one, along with the Sun-Surf extension.” The surf rotated into Lexan's view. He zoomed out of it to see all the possible Surf extensions. There was “Torrent” which specialized on hazardous sky conditions, “Phoenix” which specialized on surfing over hot areas such as volcanoes and newly forming planets, “Splash” which enabled its user to surf underwater, and the list went on endlessly.