Part 8 (2/2)
”Your test is to retrieve the Fruit of Knowledge, Adam. Overcome the Serpent and bring me the data.”
John slowly eased toward the door. He needed a long stick; Eve would never approve killing the snakes and he'd have to snag the card over their heads.
He left the hut and searched until he found a meter-long tamarind branch. The thought of re-entering the hut made him queasy, but there was no other way.
Back inside, he studied the adders. They had barely moved, and the snake that had coiled earlier had uncoiled once more. Standing as far from the languorous reptiles as possible, he reached carefully to the desk. He'd chosen the stick because of a fork at the end, and he hooked one of the fork ends under the drawer's grip and gently pulled.
The drawer slid open smoothly, and there was the datacard inside, a ten by six centimeter slab. It was a type that could be accessed directly through a display surface on its side, or inserted into a reader at one of the Facility's consoles. John found himself more curious than ever to know what was on it that Eve wanted so badly.
It took quite a few tries to push it until it was propped up against the side of the drawer so he could get the branch's fork under it. Finally he was able to get it onto the branch's fork and lift it out. Ever so carefully he brought the branch back toward him, keeping it steady so the wide card resting across the fork would remain flat.
Finally he held the card in his hands, and he let the branch fall to the floor. One of the snakes on the floor coiled, disturbed by the stick's clatter, but John was already backing away out of reach. Sweat poured off his forehead and his heart thumped crazily in his chest, but he didn't leave the hut or announce his victory to Eve.
She hasn't said anything yet.
After the first task Eve had immediately congratulated him, but she was silent this time. If she could see him, why didn't she announce his success? He hadn't seen any cameras or cables around the hut, and if she had a sky-eye it wouldn't be able to see the hut's interior.
Blind spot. A slow smile spread across his face. Yeah. Maybe. Don't get comfy; the snakes won't allow for that.
She might be able to track his geo-location using the earpiece connection, but only to within several meters. This chance wouldn't come again. Perhaps she was watching, but it was a risk worth taking.
He climbed onto the little table by the window and sat cross-legged, keeping his back to the open window frame to block any discovery of the card he was holding. The adders couldn't reach him up here, and he might have a few minutes of precious privacy.
He touched part of the card to activate it, and waited while its display surface slowly began to glow. It was in good shape; the desk had protected it from the elements and the monkeys. As it came on, he noticed that the networking access terminal was permanently disabled. Totally off her grid, stashed here in a place where Nut would never go. She knew it was here, but whoever put it here effectively blocked her from ever accessing it. Looks like Eve might not be quite as omnipotent on this island as she'd like me to think.
Just as the card became fully initialized and readable, Eve interrupted in a concerned tone. ”Adam, are you all right? Have you got the card yet? I don't hear you.”
”I'm okay,” John replied. ”Just trying to find the safest way of doing this. The whole floor is covered with snakes. I know what puff adders are capable of, and I'm not about to take a risk.”
”Take your time.”
”Did you know that there were adders in here?” he asked.
”Part of the test, Adam.”
He glanced down the list of doc.u.ments the card contained. They were all logs, organized by date. He glanced through a couple and saw that they were mostly scientific observations of the valley and notes about the ecosystems, health of the populations, and other data of purely biological interest.
”You do have an antivenin handy, right, Eve?”
”Why, Adam, are you planning on needing it?”
”I hope not, but I'd feel better if I knew it was available. These snakes are all over the place.”
”Just keep your distance and be resourceful. You should be able to find the card easily enough.”
She wants this computer so bad she's even helping me. There's got to be something more in here. He quickly found a pa.s.sword-protected portion of the doc.u.ment system, and cracked it. Child's play just using the onboard tools. The creator must not have expected any serious hacking threats since the card is unlinkable.
”Still hanging in there, Adam?” Eve's came through his earpiece.
”Yeah. Almost got it.”
There were about two years' worth of private diary-style entries, recorded by a user named Glenn. Scanning through ten of them, he gleaned that Glenn must have been the creator of the Facility. Some entries mentioned Eve and the development of both the Facility and the progress of the project. There was also a lot of rambling philosophy.
She wants her creator's private diary. Makes sense. But where is he now? The last entry was dated years ago.
The snakes were getting restless. Most of them were aware of the intruder in their hut, and a few had started to move out of the boxes they were nesting in.
Time to vacate.
He stood up and exited the hut, keeping well away from the snakes. ”I got it. Don't make me do anything like that again, please.”
”Excellent work, Adam. Is the card functional?”
There was no mistaking the concern in Eve's question, and John smiled again. ”Yes, I think so. It looks fine.”
”Wonderful. Please return to the Facility and insert it into any console. Then you may have a rest.”
”A rest sounds very nice, Eve, but I don't really want to go back to the Facility just now. I didn't feel very safe there, with crazies attacking me and gas shooting out of vents at me. I'd rather keep exploring.”
”Adam, I-”
”Also, I want to look through this card,” John said, leaving his words hanging meaningfully in the silence.
”That would not be advisable,” Eve replied a little too casually. ”It's just an observation journal of the area that a worker recorded and then carelessly left behind. I want the data, but you won't find it at all interesting.”
Yeah. ”But I am interested, Eve. If you really plan to make me a partner in your little enterprise here, I need to get to know all this stuff just as well as you.”
”As you like. I'm telling you that it's just a series of logs. If you want to look through them, go ahead, but not now. The third task awaits.”
”You just offered me a rest break, now you're in a hurry. And I thought we had all the time in the world here.”
”I'm not going to argue with you, Adam. You may either return the card to the Facility, or continue on to the third task, located just off the sea cliff to the west. I advise that you complete the third task before dark, however, or you may find it impossible. And you know what will happen if you fail.”
John cleared his throat. ”I think I'll head for the sea cliff. Let me know when I'm getting close.”
”I will.”
Now she's sulky and curt. Programmed just like a woman.
He began reading through the posts, holding the card in one hand as he walked slowly toward the western end of the valley. He stumbled a few times, but the content was fascinating.
9.5.
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