LF Friends, Will Travel

Our Clockwork Children: Chapter 14

"Guys, I can't move."

Ivan spoke in a confused tone as he sat on the beach, the idyllic shoreline as calm and pristine as ever. The two AI 'sat' at either side of him, unaware of what was going on in orbit.

"Considering the quantities and varieties of the substances you have consumed, I am not surprised."

ODIN spoke in an unconcerned voice, teasingly making fun of Ivan's partying ways, unsuspecting of the real danger.

"I'm not joking, I can't move and I'm freaking out!"

Ivan's voice had turned from confusion to sheer panic, obvious fear and terror emanating from every syllable he spoke. That got the two AI's attention, his change in demeanour clearly marking that something was wrong.

"This is not normal. I am detecting unnatural broadcasts of energy within the 265 nm to 320 nm range."

Scellestra could feel the change. It was everywhere, almost vibrating off their nanobots. They didn't know what was going on, but something this sudden and prevalent couldn't be good.

Movement. Ivan gave a cry of fear and surprise as the Terran got to his feet with a series of stiff movements, as if each muscle was being contracted purposefully and manually. He wasn't the only one, more commotion could be heard on the beach as tourists and employees alike found themselves moving along without their own thoughts being involved.

"I'm not doing this! ODIN help, what's happening!"

Squawks of terror and cries of surprise filled the air as tens of other beings were dragged along the sands by their unwilling bodies. ODIN noticed something strange, however: not everyone was moving. Some Parkets flapped forwards inelegantly with their eyes filled with fear, while others were frozen in place, with no obvious rhyme or reason as to why one person had been affected over another.

Or... chosen? A pattern was immediately obvious, disproving the notion that such a thing was random: Every single non-Parket on the beach was slowly heading in the same direction, away from the shoreline, towards the small little resort town that held this area's various hotels and amenities.

"I am investigating. Hold tight, I need more information."

ODIN's voice was as calm as they could make it, but internally the AI was terrified. A wave of fear and confusion ran through their being as in an instant they left the beach behind, transferring themselves over the planet's Galnet network to arrive back at their ship. It was from here, they could see just how... fucked everything was.

The airwaves were filled with a strange voice. Every TV channel, and every radio signal, all returned the same burbling static. It took ODIN critical seconds to work out exactly what they were: XK-level signals. 'Psychic' abilities were rare in the universe, and the species that did have it all worked the same: Certain species could generate specific electrical signals through audio, visuals, or sheer proximity which connected with the signals that controlled most species' nervous systems.

But these were everywhere. Now that ODIN knew what to look for, they could see the planet practically vibrating through the power being pumped into it. Searching through CCTV cameras and various other records, the Terran AI could see the impact.

Most of the three million beings on the surface of Far-Sa-De were frozen in place, screaming in terror as they were locked down where they stood, streets and homes filled with a cacophony of fear and despair. But a few were moving, just like those on the beach, just like Ivan, like a puppet dragged along by its strings.