Evil Conical Tombs

     Their journey continued unhindered, at least as far as Tabitha knew, who was currently sleeping in one of the many bedrooms on board.  Tabitha had enjoyed the trip so far, it was just her and Jane and a cargo hold full of food, real food.
    When Tabitha was woken up by Jane, she feared the worst.  She expected to hear cries of hysteria and panic coming from Jane as she explained that they were surrounded by warships and about to be blown out of the sky.
    “Tabitha,” Jane whispered as she gently shook her awake.
    “What is it?” Tabitha said groggily.
    “Get up,” Jane said.  “There’s something I want you to see.”
    Tabitha didn’t put up much of a fight, she was too tired to even find the energy to protest against being woken up.  Jane took her into the cockpit and sat her down in the co-pilot’s chair.  There were plenty of clothes on board the Loki so they were no longer wearing their yellow jumpsuits, but their feet were still bare.  This was because Tabitha had just been asleep and Jane just had trouble breaking this long-standing habit of hers.  In fact, she now found it more comfortable that way.
    “What’s going on?” Tabitha yawned.
    “Look,” Jane said.
    Tabitha rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and gently pried them open.  What she saw when she did was something far more beautiful than the Solar Farms.  Through the main viewer, directly ahead of them, was a wonderful giant sphere of swirling colours.
    “What is that?” Tabitha asked.
    “It’s Venus,” Jane said.  “The computer has slowed us down before it begins it’s gravitational slingshot around the planet.”
    “It’s amazing,” the now fully awake Tabitha commented.
    “Do you know the communication satellites for Jotnar?” Jane said as the Loki began to automatically drift past the planet.  “Venus is supposed to be a relay world, there’s meant to be a satellite orbiting it called Middle Justice, look out for it.”
    “What does it look like?” Tabitha queried.
    “I don’t know,” Jane said.  “Like a satellite, I guess.”
    The slingshot manoeuvre was underway, the onboard computer of the Loki began to slowly swoop the ship above and around Venus while the Tabitha and Jane just admired the view.
    “Do you remember the Eros Institute that I once spoke of?” Jane said.
    “Do you mean that science organisation run by that former member of the Nyx Squad?” Tabitha said.
    “Dr. Sebastian Brooks,” Jane confirmed.  “The Eros Institute does all the important scientific research of the Olympus Corporation.  I heard that it’s built on Venus, to keep it a secret and so its safe from everyone else who can’t build ships that can land on the planet.”
    “Do you think it’s true?” Tabitha asked.
    “Yeah,” Jane said.  “Why not?  I think that’s why they built Middle Justice.  It’s so the Eros Institute can communicate with the Polylith as well as allowing former Nyx Squad soldiers to keep in touch.  My sister told me that she still keeps in contact with all her old war buddies, even Alison Riley.”
    “Can they see us from down there?” Tabitha asked.
    “They might be able to detect us,” Jane said.  “Don’t worry, we’ll be out of here soon.  There’ll just think this ship has guards in it coming from Jotnar.”
    “What if Jotnar has already contacted them?” Tabitha asked.
    “Then there’s nothing we can do about it,” Jane said.  “I don’t see what they can do if they do detect us, they’re probably too busy with their experiments.  They’re supposed to do really weird research down there, they work with practical projects like terraforming experiments but they also dabble in parapsychology.  I heard that they drill into people’s heads and give them experimental brain surgery to unlock latent psychic powers.  I even once heard rumours that they conducted the forbidden experiment.”
    “What’s the forbidden experiment?” Tabitha said.
    “It’s where they take an newborn baby and let them grow up with absolutely know stimulation of any kind,” Jane explained.  “It lives in the same room, where it’s given the bare minimum of necessities to keep it alive while providing nothing more.  No one even talks to it, just to see what happens.”
    “That’s horrible,” Tabitha said.
    “That’s science,” Jane said.
    The Loki began to accelerate significantly as it glided around the planet, the combined effort of the ship’s engines and the gravity of Venus soon made the Loki leave the colourful world behind.
    “Didn’t you say that the guy who runs that institute used to be in the Nyx Squad?” Tabitha said.
    “That’s right,” Jane confirmed.  “Sebastian Brooks.”
    “So your sister is friends with him?” Tabitha said.
    “Yep,” Jane said.
    “Why?” Tabitha said.  “If that’s what he does for a living.”
    “I don’t think I’m in any position to comment,” Jane said.  “I never met the man, but my sister has.  They were in the war together, I guess they bonded.  Naomi knows what kind of person he is much better than me.  I don’t know if he really does oversee those things, I’m just repeating the rumours I’ve heard.”
    “Wasn’t there something you once told me about Dr. Brooks?” Tabitha said.
    “His brother?” Jane said.  “His half-brother is the Lotus, the Olympus child soldier and operative who was born in Jotnar.”
    “Yeah, that’s right,” Tabitha said.  “I remember now.  There was always something about his story that didn’t quite make sense to me.  Why wasn’t Lotus just killed at birth?  Why did Olympus take care of him?”
    “I’m not sure,” Jane said.  “Naomi never told me much about him.  Maybe Olympus wanted to own someone they could train from birth, or maybe the doctor just couldn’t bring himself to terminate the pregnancy, especially once he was viable.  Perhaps the Company itself just has a soft spot for children.  There was one thing about the Lotus that Naomi told me about.  She said that she never met him, but Sebastian did after the war was over, when Lotus escaped from the Maiden.  When Olympus won the war, Tersa forces abandoned the Maiden and Lotus had to trek back to civilisation in order to return to the Company.  Sebastian took him in and cared for him at the Institute, but Lotus didn’t like it and ran away soon after.  Naomi said that Sebastian had spoken to her often about the Pink Lotus.  He told her that he was damaged, scarred.  His mind was broken and he became obsessed with torture after spending over four years of his life at the Maiden.  Naomi once called him a casualty of the Corporate Wars who wasn’t fortunate enough to die.”
    “That’s really sad,” Tabitha said.  “Do you know what happened to him when he came back to Earth?”
    “Not really,” Jane said.  “I just heard he got involved with crime and became a professional torturer himself.”
     “Where did you hear that the Eros Institute was on Venus?” Tabitha said.  “Was it your sister?”
    “No,” Jane said.  “She said that there were certain things she couldn’t tell me.  I learned that it’s on Venus just from rumours and hearsay.  It is one of the most secret organisations within the Company.  It’s responsible for all of Olympus’ new technology.”
    “Hey Jane?” Tabitha said.  “What do you think happened back on Jotnar?  What do you think happened to the Outer Circle?”
    “All dead,” Jane said simply.
    “How can you be so sure?” Tabitha asked.
    “A frontal assault on Jotnar?” Jane said.  “No chance, it’s suicide.  They were doomed from the start.  Besides, if they did succeed, I think they would’ve had trouble escaping since we stole their ship.”
    “Oh yeah,” Tabitha giggled.  “I forgot about that.  Do you think it’s wrong that I don’t feel guilty at all about that?”
    “Best not to think about it,” Jane said.  “I still can’t believe we escaped like that.  All we did was run for it.  I had a plan, it was a good plan.”
    “If you want we can go back and try it out,” Tabitha joked.  “Relax, it’s over now.  Sometimes you just get lucky.”
    “We’re the first you know?” Jane said.  “No one has ever escaped from Jotnar before and I wouldn’t be surprised if no one ever did again.  Do you think we’ll be in the history books?”
    “Perhaps,” Tabitha shrugged.  “Why are you so excited about being famous?”
    “Before we were just ordinary criminals,” Jane said.  “Now, people might be speaking our names after we’re dead.”
    “I don’t really see the point anymore,” Tabitha said.  “No matter how much of an impact on humanity you make with your life, eventually time will make your story be forgotten or warped so much that it’s not even about you anymore.  It makes you wonder if it really is worth the effort.”
    “What effort?” Jane said.  “We didn’t do this just to be famous, we wanted to go home.  I think the effort was worth that.  Some notoriety is just an added perk.  You don’t really need to put in any effort in being well known, it just randomly happens for some people more than others.  In truth, everyone makes a difference with their lives, they can’t help it.  It’s just no one ever makes an important difference, I mean truly significant.  That’s impossible when you consider just how many worlds there are out there in this huge Polyverse of dimensions.”
    “Polyverse?” Tabitha questioned.
    “Yeah,” Jane said.  “I first started hearing that world before I even came to Jotnar.  I think it was coined soon after the Polylith was completed.”
    “I don’t really care about being famous,” Tabitha said.  “I just want to be left alone, I don’t care at all what other people think of me anymore.”
    “I’m sorry Tabitha but that’s not true,” Jane said.  “It’s impossible to completely not care what others think of you because when you’re gone, that’s all that will remain of your presence within existence.”
    “I guess,” Tabitha said.  “Do you think you’re ever going to miss Jotnar?”
    “What?” Jane said.
    “Sorry,” Tabitha said.  “They’re probably the wrong words.  It’s just that you’ve been there for much longer than me, it must feel weird.”
    “I’ve been there for almost four years,” Jane said.  “There are loads of people who have been there longer, but you’re right.  It will take some getting used to, but I think I’ll manage.  I can’t believe you were there for such a short time.  What was it?  Ten days spent conscious?  You’re so lucky?”
    “There is something I regret though,” Tabitha said.
    “Really?” Jane said.  “What?”
    “I wish I could’ve seen a Mercurial night,” Tabitha said.  “I wasn’t there long enough to see one.”
    “You can always go back,” Jane joked.  “Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much.  The night is just like the day, only darker and colder.”
    “Well I suppose that’s to be expected,” Tabitha said.
    “It’s not even like the sight in the sky makes much of a difference when you’re down in the Pit,” Jane pointed out.
    “Let’s not talk about Jotnar,” Tabitha said.  “Tell me what you’re looking forward to most back on Earth.”
    “I don’t know,” Jane said.  “I’ve been away so long that I’m having trouble remembering.  I seem to recall Earth as an ugly place full of misery.  There was so much pain in the world, but if there’s just a tiny degree of beauty, hidden away, then it’s almost worth it.  I don’t really think that it’s a fair trade, I’m just saying that it allows you to tolerate it.  That’s what makes it so different from Mercury, that small amount of something else than what you’re used to.”
    “I’m starting to feel guilty about returning home,” Tabitha said.  “Maybe we belong at Jotnar, the world is probably better off without us.”
    “You don’t really believe that,” Jane said.  “Jotnar may have been built with pure intentions but look at what it’s done.  It’s taken away all the world’s villains, the balance is all off.  We’re a necessity for all those bored people back on Earth, and we will just be a small pebble that is attempting to return the balance.  They may call us evil, but I don’t believe that, I think there are just two kinds of people in existence.  There are the open minded and the stubborn, the ones who will listen and those who feign deafness.  Come on, Tabitha, you’re just flooded with emotions right now and you don’t know what you’re saying.  I don’t think it’s truly sunk in yet that you’re free, you’ll probably have to wait until we’re back on Earth before you realise what’s happening.  Then I can’t wait to see the look on your face, you’ll forget all about this and just be happy.”
    “I hope so,” Tabitha said.  “Let’s talk about something else.  Tell me more of your sister’s war stories.  You told me what each member of the Nyx Squad is doing now, but you forgot to mention Nyx.  What ever happened to her?”
    “I’m sorry Tabitha,” Jane said.  “I don’t know.  That’s the one thing that Naomi never liked to talk about.  Most of the time, she wouldn’t even call her Nyx, she would just always refer to her as the ‘Mistress’.  She just kept saying how great a person she is, and how much of a hero she was, but never went into any real detail.  My sister idolised Nyx.  I always assumed that she died in the war.”
    With the Loki drifting through space in the direction of Earth, Jane and Tabitha continued living, and waiting.  Their life of preparation was mostly spent talking, eating and sleeping.  It felt like a holiday, anything would after Jotnar.
    It was hard to judge how much time had really passed by, all Tabitha knew was that further on in the journey, she saw something incredibly thrilling.
    As Jane slept in her bedroom, it was Tabitha’s turn to watch the skies.  It had mostly been nothing but space for her to watch, but then something changed.  A large pale sphere appeared in view and gradually grew larger and larger in the main screen.
    Tabitha excitedly ran and woke up Jane to tell her the good news.  The Moon was in sight, and beyond that, Earth must be waiting for them within an attainable distance.
    The pair ran like children to the cockpit and took their seats to watch the Moon growing before their eyes.  When there was nothing in sight but the Moon, a red message popped up on the main computer screen and wouldn’t stop flashing.
    “Something’s happening,” Jane announced.  “It says preparing to deactivate the auto-pilot.”
    “We must be at the end of the programmed journey,” Tabitha noted.  “Can you fly this thing from here?”
    “I’ll do my best,” Jane said as she pressed the warning message.  A sound of relief emanated from the console and the ship ground to a halt.  Jane took hold of the controls and pushed them forwards, tilting them slightly to the left.
    The Loki shot forwards and began to circle round the celestial body in front of them under the guiding hands of Jane Williams.  The ship skimmed around the planet surprisingly gracefully, but this stopped when they were about halfway round.
    “What are you doing?” Tabitha asked as the ship jerkily stopped.
    “I saw something shiny over there,” Jane said.
    “Over where?” Tabitha asked.
    “Right there,” Jane pointed and then flew in the direction of the source of intrigue.
    The Loki closed in on an area of space above the Moon, Tabitha still couldn’t see what Jane was referring to, but that soon changed.  Jane pressed some buttons on the touch-screen in front of her and an image appeared on Tabitha’s monitor.
    The Loki had a series of cameras and scanners over its hull and Jane used them to get a better view of the something that they were drifting by.  Jane zoomed in on the image and now Tabitha had a clear picture to examine of what was delaying their journey.
    “What is that?” Tabitha asked.
    “It looks like a satellite,” Jane said.
    “Why would there be a satellite around the Moon?” Tabitha said.  “Is it another communication satellite for Jotnar?”
    “I don’t think so,” Jane said.  “It looks really old and burnt out.  I don’t think it’s even working anymore.”
    “Wait,” Tabitha said.
    “What is it?” Jane said.
    “Zoom in on the lower body,” Tabitha ordered.  As Jane did, some writing came into sight, painted on in white across the satellite.
    “Umbilico,” Jane read.  “What do you think it means?”
    “Who knows?” Tabitha commented.  “It’s just one of Olympus’ old obsolete satellites.  Let’s keep moving.”
    Jane pressed on, letting the Moon slide away as the Loki left it behind on its determined voyage to Earth.  Both Tabitha and Jane didn’t know what to say when they caught sight of the small image of the planet Earth ahead of them.
    “Well there it is,” was all Tabitha managed to come up with.
    Jane didn’t say anything, she just pushed forwards as fast as the shuttle would allow.  The end was in sight and she heedlessly entered the mad dash for the finish.
    “Wait!  Stop!” Tabitha cried out.
    “Why?” Jane said and continued flying.
    “Look over there,” Tabitha warned.
    Jane craned her neck to see something that filled her with dread.  In all honesty, she should’ve been expecting it.  She was just so excited about home being finally within reach.
    In a section of space just to the left of the Earth in the main viewer, there was something glinting in the long sunlight, it was another ship.  It was significantly larger than the Loki and was painted in dark green.  This ship didn’t seem to have much of an immediate purpose, it was just hanging there, waiting for something.
    “It’s a Frigate,” Jane said and almost destroyed the controls as she tried to rein the ship in.  “That’s an Olympus warship.  Fully armed, and with a full compliment of soldiers.  They must be patrolling the area around Earth, searching for us.  We can’t go on.”
    “What do we do?” Tabitha asked.  “Do you think its spotted us?”
    “No,” Jane said nervously.  “I think we’re OK.  We’ve got the Sun behind us whereas the light is reflecting off their ship’s hull so we can see them but they can’t see us.  As long as we don’t go much further, I think we’re safe.”
    “What do you mean, ‘safe’?” Tabitha said.  “We can’t stay here forever.”
    “I agree,” Jane said.  “I say we should go back behind the Moon and wait for them to move onto a different area.  If we’re lucky, we might be able to sneak past.”
    “Let’s do it,” Tabitha consented.
    Jane turned the Loki around and flew back in the direction they came from, before the ship lying in wait realised they were there and came to end them.  The yellow ship darted past the Moon once again and was soon floating aimlessly around its lit side.
    “Do you think they’ll come this far in their search?” Tabitha said.
    “I’m not sure,” Jane admitted.  “Maybe we should land, it’ll make us harder to find.”
    As Jane flew the ship further around the Moon, she prepared to make her first attempt at landing.  She was about to begin the procedure when her fellow fugitive prevented her.
    “Jane, what’s that?” Tabitha asked.  There was something ahead of them, they hadn’t noticed it before as it was previously against the well-lit background of the Moon whereas now, as they travelled the opposite way, there was nothing but empty space as a backdrop of the sunlit outline in front of them.
    The shape that the reflecting sunlight created was one of confusion.  Tabitha thought that it looked like a castle floating in space.  She could see a tall tower resting above a much broader, almost bulbous, base.   The two segments were separated by a stabilising ring, which encircled the point where the narrow tower widened out into the much larger section below it.
    “It’s a space station,” Jane said, mesmerised.
    “It’s incredible,” Tabitha said.  “Head towards it.  We can hide out inside as we wait for that ship to leave.”
    “Yeah,” Jane was hypnotised by its beauty.  The station looked as though it was glowing, its highlighted edges were illuminated by the Sun, making it stand out in both the sky and in Jane’s mind.
    The Loki glided silently towards the station.  As their angle of entry shifted, more of the station’s surface was revealed by the spreading light.  Jane recognised the type of solar panels that Olympus used in the Farms of Jotnar and on their ships.  They covered the entire body of the station in neat patches, like seeing acres of countryside from above.  The sparse surface, which could barely be seen underneath this layer of panels, was a shade of dark grey that Jane didn’t like very much.
    Jane gently eased the ship onwards as she looked for a place to dock.  The great levitating tower was softly rotating, like a ballet dancer, and as it turned, Jane noticed something.  An area of the station above the stabilising ring was open, with a pure white light emanating from this fissure on its skin.
    “Head for the opening,” Tabitha said.
    The Loki, under the direction of Jane Williams, shot forwards to this soothing light.  Jane was sure that the hole hadn’t been present when they first saw this part of the station, but she didn’t mind, it was what they needed right now.
    Jane somewhat awkwardly manoeuvred the Loki into the opening and set it down onto the floor of the docking bay.  The airlock behind them closed shut and oxygen was filtered back into the room.  The inviting light had disappeared and was replaced with a simple orange rotating flashing light mounted on one of the walls.
    Tabitha and Jane stared through the main screen in front of them, but all they could see ahead was a set of poorly lit dark green blast doors, which were bordered in dark yellow paint.
    When the docking bay was filled with breathable air, the blast doors ahead slid open to reveal not much at all.  All that could be seen was an endless dark void stretching out beyond.
    “So what do we do now?” Jane queried.  “Just wait here for a bit and hope that the ship moves on?”
    “That’s about it,” Tabitha said.  “In the meantime, we could explore this place.”
    “Alright,” Jane said.  “Get the guns.”
    “What?” Tabitha asked.
    “The shotguns,” Jane said.  “Bring them with us.  This place obviously belongs to Olympus and they might have people onboard.  We need to be prepared.”
    Tabitha grabbed the shotguns they brought with them from Jotnar and met Jane outside the ship.  She handed a weapon to Jane and they ventured forwards into the dark space station.
    As they left the docking bay, the blast doors slammed shut behind them with a ferocious speed, plunging them into darkness as what little light they had behind them was taken away.  Tabitha and Jane panicked, they ran back to the doors and tried to open them but they were far to heavy.  They scanned their environment for a way to open them again and found nothing.
    “Oh great,” Tabitha said.  “What now?”
    “It’s an old station,” Jane said.  “It’s probably just an automatic response.  All we have to do is find a control station to open them again and we’ll be able to leave.”
    Neither Tabitha nor Jane were wearing any shoes as they walked deeper into the station, their warm feet would stick to the cold floor, which seemed to be covered in a film of dust.  Tabitha looked around to see what was, quite frankly, a rather dingy area.  They appeared to be walking down a wide corridor, but it was hard to really see any detail in the low light conditions.
    “Hello?” Jane called, causing Tabitha to jump as her voice echoed.
    “What are you doing?” Tabitha hissed.
    “I want to know if anyone’s here,” Jane said.  “We’ve got nothing to worry about, we’ve got guns and this place doesn’t look like a military installation.”
    As the pair crept onwards, they could taste the stale air that surrounded them.  Tabitha approached a nearby wall; it looked incredibly dirty and forgotten.  She was beginning to suspect that Tabitha and Jane were the only people onboard.  Jane had continued on without her so she jogged to keep up.  She was in the middle of catching up when she heard a thump and a muffled grunt from somewhere within the darkness ahead.
    “Jane?” Tabitha called.  “Are you OK?”
    “I’m fine,” Jane said.  “I just tripped.  What idiot would design a single step into the next room?  What the hell is the point in that?  Watch out for it.”
    Jane picked herself up as Tabitha felt this step ahead of her with her foot.  She gracefully stepped past it and joined Jane in the next room.  The step had lead through a threshold and into a new chamber.  There was a window on the wall to the right so this place was at least slightly better lit.  A narrow beam of Sunlight streamed in through this window, allowing Tabitha to see a band of dust particles floating in the air ahead of her.  The little light permitted them to see some of the room, but the corners that remained untouched by this illumination suffered as a result, as it left them seeming all that more dimmer.
 Tabitha could distinguish a large computer console ahead of her, which took up most of the far wall.  In the wall to the left, there was what appeared to be a cylindrical lift built into it.
    Tabitha approached the computer console and sat down in the chair, which was conveniently waiting for her.  Jane observed over her shoulder as Tabitha inspected the archaic technology.  There were several standard monitors built into the console itself as well as a much larger computer screen attached to the wall above it.  Tabitha began to use the keyboard and mouse in front of her in an attempt to activate the workstation.  The computer equipment looked extremely old and decrepit, which was not helped by the fact that the main computer screen looked damaged.
    “Jane?” Tabitha said.  “Is that a bullet hole?”
    Jane looked at where Tabitha was pointing to find that she was indeed correct.  The main computer screen above the console did in fact have a bullet hole through it.  The outstretching cracks from the central aperture looked like a spider’s web in Jane’s mind.
    “Yes it is,” Jane said slowly.  “What the hell went on here?  I don’t like this place.”
    “It’s still preferable to that ship waiting out there for us,” Tabitha pointed out.  “Let’s see what I can to learn about this place.”
    Tabitha began to type away at the keyboard in front of her.  The large main monitor above the console may have been destroyed but the normal sized computer screens in front of her were still operational.  She accessed the station’s files and found many programs that she couldn’t understand.  Tabitha located one particular files simply entitled, ‘LOG’, and believed that this held the information she sought.
    “I’ve found something,” Tabitha said.  “According to this, we’re in an old prison that predates Jotnar.”
    “I thought the Jotnar Centre was the first off world prison,” Jane said.
    “This disagrees,” Tabitha said.  “Apparently, this place is called Celestia and was built in 2089 by the Olympus Corporation to replace all the overcrowded prisons of Europe.  This says that anyone who committed a crime in Europe, as well as some people from other continents, were placed within a Hypnotropin induced coma and transported here where they were housed for life until they died of old age.”
    “I’ve never heard anything like this before,” Jane said.
    “It does sound unbelievable,” Tabitha said.
    “What happened here?” Jane asked.  
    “It just says that there was some kind of incident in 2119,” Tabitha said.  “After that, it gives a chronological list of the political history.  Olympus tried to convince the EU to build more stations like this, expanding the operation and officially bringing in all the other continental governments, but it was denied.”  
    “And?” Jane pressed on for more information.
    “The European Parliament voted to decommission the facility and so Olympus reformed the idea and proposed the concept of the Jotnar Centre instead,” Tabitha said.  “This station is still partially operational however, even though the human crew has been reduced to zero.”
    “No crew?” Jane said.  “Good.  We won’t need the guns.”
    “A directive from the European Parliament was issued,” Tabitha continued reading.  “It stated that prisoners already contained at Celestia were to be kept there until their natural lives ran out, but anymore criminals convicted would now be diverted to Jotnar once it was fully up and running.  After that, we know the rest, the other continental Unions also agreed in using Jotnar and here we are.”
    “I don’t believe it,” Jane said.
    “It is weird, isn’t it?” Tabitha said.
    “So this place is still full of unconscious prisoners awaiting to die?” Jane said.
    The conversation was cut short there because there was a sudden flicker of pale blue light across the huge shattered screen above them.  They both stared at this malfunction, which they assumed it was, until the failing light was accompanied by a voice.  It was a low computer-generated voice that spoke in a whisper and it faltered and crackled so much that it was almost inaudible, but what Tabitha believed it to say was this.
    “You’re Late.”
    The two women froze as the pale blue light faded away in front of them.  They weren’t sure what they’d heard.  In each of their minds, they both tried to convince themselves that they had imagined it.  They didn’t want to question each other, though, because they were far too afraid of each other’s response.
    “Tabitha?” Jane said.  “Please tell me you can open the blast doors from this console.”
    “Sorry Jane,” Tabitha said as she frantically typed away.  “Nothing is controlled from this workstation, only recorded.  The station’s mainframe is two floors up, we might have better luck there.”
    “Let’s hurry,” Jane said, clutching her shotgun tight.
    Tabitha picked up her weapon and they approached the lift in the wall to their left.  Each woman could hear the heavy frightened breathing of the other.  Jane pressed the single rectangular button next to the lift and the cylindrical lift revealed itself to actually be semi-cylindrical as it rotated round and allowed them to enter.
    Neither woman really wanted to go into the confined space, but they did, they needed to if they wanted to ever get out of here.  As they entered, the semi-cylindrical lift wall rotated back round.  What took its place was just one giant window, which continued all the way up to every level of Celestia.
    Tabitha stared out at the beautiful view of the surface of the Moon from the transparent outer wall of the lift, while Jane was busy inspecting the lift’s controls.  She could see five coloured buttons situated vertically next to a small monitor.  The five circular buttons ascended in the following colours, green, yellow, blue, red and then white at the top.  The yellow was glowing so Jane assumed that was where they were.
    Jane was about to press the green button when something halted her hand, in fact it made her completely recoil in terror.  A sound like the shrieking of electronic bats filled the lift, causing both Jane and Tabitha to cover their ears in pain.
    When the auditory assault was over, they opened their eyes to see that a ghostly apparition had materialised before them on the small screen just inches from their faces.  It was an ethereal pale blue translucent face with no hair and empty eye sockets.
    “Hello,” it said in a low neutral computerised tone. “My name is Hypnos.  Allow me to personally welcome you to my home, Celestia, the castle among the stars.  Wait, that’s not what I used to say.  My memory’s corrupted, I can’t remember the word.  Was it manor?  Manor House?  I just don’t know, it seems my vocabulary has deteriorated during my isolation.  I didn’t think it would hurt so much, but I suppose I should appreciate the opportunity to experience a new emotion.  I only wished I didn’t have to feel it quite so much.  Anyway, it’s over now that you’re here.  I’m so glad you finally made it, but I’m afraid that Dr. Phelps has told me nothing about you so we’re just going to have to find out the old-fashioned way.  It’s no bother, I actually prefer it that way.”
    The computer-generated voice that this visage was producing was mostly low and neutral, but it would slip occasionally and sound slightly higher or lower than intended.  Also, the image itself kept shifting and failing, as if it was taking an enormous amount of effort just to keep his likeness on screen.
    Both women were now transfixed by this pseudo-creature in front of them, feeling a mixture of fear and awe.
    “What is it?” Tabitha asked Jane.
    “I don’t know,” Jane told Tabitha.
    “Hello?” Tabitha said to the screen.
    “I’ve been dreaming…of you,” Hypnos said.  “Tiger, tiger…circling above the grave.”
    “I think it’s the station’s computer,” Tabitha said.  “It’s still operational.”
    “Is it crazy or something?” Jane asked.
    “What did you say?” Hypnos interrupted.  “I’m not crazy, computers don’t go crazy.  That’s just what the popular view is.  I am 65 years old, if I were human you might forgive some slight eccentricities then, wouldn’t you?  I wouldn’t be this way if you were on time!  No, I’m not crazy.  I may have been bored for quite a long time, but that’s over now. I had to spend thirty years watching TV from Earth and scanning the Internet for any more information I don’t already know. Everyday since my isolation began I collected quite the mental storehouse of anything created by humans.  Books, films, pictures, music…absolutely everything designed to invoke an emotional response.  I wanted to feel them all.  I wanted to experience every facet of humanity.  I even discovered video games to keep me occupied.  It was hard when my communication satellite failed, I thought that someone would fix it but it still isn’t working.  Then, all I had to do was watch my home.  I don’t have any eyelids, I can’t look away or close my eyes, I had to watch the same few empty rooms constantly.  Can you imagine having to do that?  So please bear with me if I seem a little odd, but I still hope we can be friends, I would like that.  I think after you get to know me, you’ll realise I’m not crazy.  I used to have a sister, you know?  She was built with me, her name was Glados.  Now she was crazy, she was sold off to some company and she ended up killing them all.  Wait, maybe that was a game I played.  Incidentally, would you like some cake?”
    “I can barely understand this thing,” Jane said.
    “Let me try talking to it,” Tabitha said.  “Excuse me?”
    “Yes?” Hypnos said.  “What may I do for you?”
    “What did you say you’re name is?” Tabitha asked.
    “I am Hypnos,” Hypnos said.  “You should already know that, Dr. Phelps should’ve told you about me.  How can you be the new technician if you don’t pay attention?  If there are some gaps in your knowledge, I suppose I could fill them in.  I was born on the 1st of December, 2086, on the 85th floor of Olympus tower, the headquarters for the Olympus Corporation.  I am their property and my duty is to run the Celestia facility.  My first word was betterment, that’s my favourite word but I haven’t said it in a while.  I was told that my overall performance would be for the betterment of mankind, and I repeated that word.  They charged me with this task, and I think I may have failed.  They gave me a great gift, they gave me purpose.  I struggle to think of anything worse than having a lack of purpose, and when this final batch of prisoners is no more, the last remaining shadow of my usefulness will be lost forever.”
    “I’m sorry Hypnos,” Tabitha said at the depressed computer.  “Were you the one who wrote the log?”
    “I noticed you reading that,” Hypnos said.  “I like to keep records, you are the first person who has wanted to read it.  I documented the history of Celestia, from its conception to its expiration.  The project was terminated long ago, yet I still remain here.”
    “So you still control this place?” Tabitha asked.
    “That is correct,” Hypnos said.
    “Then can you do something for me?” Tabitha wondered.
    “What do you need?” Hypnos responded.
    “Can you please open the blast doors to the airlock?” Tabitha asked sweetly.
    “Yes I can,” Hypnos said.    
    “Will you?” Tabitha said.
    “Yes…” Hypnos said.  “…when it is time.”
    “What do you mean by that?” Jane asked it.  “When will it be time?”
    “In five years,” Hypnos said.  “That’s how long your shift is.”
    “We can’t be here five years!” Jane shouted.  “Open the doors now!”
    “No,” Hypnos refused.
    “Stop talking to him, Jane,” Tabitha said.  “We don’t need him, the mainframe is two storeys above, we can do it ourselves.”  Tabitha pushed the red button next to Hypnos’ face and the lift slowly ascended.
    “You shouldn’t go to that floor unless there is an emergency,” Hypnos said.  “Why does no one listen to me?  They think I’m stupid, they think I don’t know.  They think I don’t remember, but I saw everything when my brain was turned off and it has returned to me over the years.  I was just powerless to stop it.  Now I finally realise what happened.”
    “What are you talking about?” Jane said.
    Hypnos disappeared and nothing but static replaced his image on screen.  Tabitha and Jane stared at the screen, wondering what had happened when the screen changed once more.  A fierce white light was emitted with a painful intensity.  The blinding light was accompanied by a piercing electronic scream, which delved deep inside the minds of the two women.  The scream wouldn’t end, the light forced Tabitha and Jane to close their eyes but they couldn’t so the same for their ears.  The best they could do was clasp their hands tightly over their ears.
    When it was apparent that Hypnos just wouldn’t stop screaming, Tabitha ran out of patience and smashed the screen with the stock of her shotgun, killing both the light and the noise.  It was at that moment that the lift came to a gradual stop.
    The lift door swivelled open to reveal a welcoming sight.  Most of Celestia that the pair had seen was incredibly dark and scary, but this room was filled with light.  The walls were covered in shelves of computer software, they had arrived at Hypnos’ CPU.
    Tabitha and Jane stepped into the room and were horrified when they realised that Hypnos had followed them.  High up on one of the brought walls was a huge computer monitor, which was presently projecting the pale blue skeletal face of Hypnos.
    “Hello again,” he said cheerily.  “Now I can a proper look at you, and vice versa.  What do you think of my face, I’ve never actually seen it.  I’ve read the data in the file, but that’s not really the same, is it?  Do you know why I was given a face?  It was because focus groups indicated that humans are afraid of Artificial Intelligence constructs who have no faces.  This was probably due to the fact that all the evil murderous computers from films had no faces.  One example is HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, now people don’t trust faceless computers.  Computers with faces just seem so much more friendlier.”
    As Hypnos rambled on above them, Tabitha scanned the stacks of equipment.  She was way over her head, she didn’t know how to access anything like this.
    “I don’t know what I’m doing,” Tabitha said to Jane.  “The layout reading just said that this was where the mainframe was.  I assumed there would be an override console or something.”
    “Let’s just destroy it all,” Jane suggested, brandishing her weapon.  “This computer can’t keep the doors closed if it’s dead.”
    “This computer also controls life-support,” Hypnos pointed out.  “Anyway, I have back up systems built within the very walls of Celestia that contain copies of my essence.  I cannot be destroyed, why would you even want to?  That’s just so mean.  I am afraid though that I have no alternative control over life-support, Olympus deemed the life of the technician to be expendable.”
    “I don’t believe this,” Tabitha said.  “From one prison to another.  This Hypnos must be an earlier model of the Somnus prison AI.”
    “Has your interest been satisfied?” Hypnos asked them.  “Now would you like me to show you to your quarters?”
    As Tabitha and Jane sombrely gave up for now, they morosely left the gentle whirr of Hypnos’ mainframe behind and entered the lift.  Tabitha sat down and sulked while looking out of the transparent wall of the lift at the overwhelmingly large sunlit side of the Moon.  Jane was busy pacing around the lift, trying to collect her thoughts as the lift began to move downwards.
    “Did you press a button?” Tabitha asked.
    “No,” Jane said.  “Hypnos is controlling it.”
    “How do we get out of this place?” Jane said.
    “I’m not sure,” Tabitha said.  “Do you think Hypnos can hear us in here now that the screen’s broken?”
    “Probably,” Jane said.  “What does it matter?  We’re separated from our ship.”
    “Let’s just check out the rest of this place and maybe we’ll find a different way out,” Tabitha said.  “We can’t leave until that Company ship moves anyway so let’s make the most of it.”
    “Alright,” Jane reluctantly agreed as she examined the lift keypad further.  She tried to press the green button at the bottom but nothing happened, the lift just continued descending.
    Hypnos relinquished control of the lift and it ground to a halt, the half-wall rotated back around, covering the transparent outer wall and allowing Tabitha and Jane to see where this unstable computer had brought them.
    Jane and Tabitha entered this new room, it was large and grimly lit.  The only light was some filtered sunlight from a large polarised window at the end of the room.  This area seemed to be some sort of living quarters for someone with the large space efficiently divided up into useful sections, each decorated tastefully.  
    There was a kitchen unit in the far right corner, a dining table in another and in the far left was the only window by a bed and wardrobe.  Between the dining and cooking areas, there was a door in the room that lead to a small pantry and another over by the bed, through which an elegant bathroom was located.
    Tabitha was the first to step out of the lift, which was built into the fourth corner of this empty dark room.  What attracted her attention the most was something in the centre of this area.  There was a large comfortable chair, the kind that you sat ‘in’ rather than  ‘on’, and it was pointing at what looked like a large TV mounted on the wall, but this assessment was discarded when Hypnos’ imposing pale blue face generated itself upon it.
    “Hello again,” Hypnos said.  “By the way, please refrain from pressing the green button in the lift as that leads to the catacombs where the prisoners are kept and technicians are not allowed entry to that area.  I tried to tell you this in the lift but I’m afraid it seems that my monitor has developed an unforeseen malfunction.  If you have the capability to repair it, then I certainly would be grateful if you tried your best.  I’m sorry for being impolite, I don’t even know your name.”
    “It’s Laura,” Tabitha half lied as she gave her middle name to the computer.  Even though she could see no way in which it would possibly matter, Tabitha still wasn’t comfortable giving her real name to this bizarre entity.
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you Laura,” Hypnos said as it showed its creepy attempt at smiling, which made the entire surface of Tabitha’s skin feel agitated.  “I look forward to spending the next five years in your company.  I hope we could be friends.”
    Tabitha could sense Hypnos constantly scanning her with its cold none-eyed stare.  Meanwhile, across the room, Jane was fiddling with a control panel on the wall by the lift to try and get the lights back on, but with little success.  It seems not much worked on this space station anymore, just the night watchmen of a computer who wouldn’t let them leave.
    “Would you like to get some rest now?” Hypnos asked.  “I could play some music for you.  Did you know that I can play the violin?”
    Before Tabitha could respond, a crescendo of violins gradually built up in the room from unseen speakers.  Tabitha sat in the chair, finding it just as comfortable as it looked and listened.  Jane didn’t listen, but she heard, and came over to talk with Tabitha.
    “What’s that sound?” Jane said.  “What’s the computer doing?”
    “Hypnos?” Tabitha said.  “Can you tell me what time it is?”
    “I’d be happy to,” Hypnos said.  “It is 23:38 Greenwich Mean Time on the 31st of May 2152.”
    “Why are you still talking to it?” Jane said.
    “Why not?” Tabitha said.  “If you ask nicely, he’s actually quite helpful.”
    “Then why won’t he open the damn doors below?” Jane said.
    “Why are you still talking about the blast doors?” Hypnos asked.  “You’ve only just arrived, they don’t need to be opened yet.  We’ve got five years together.  It’s so strange, I’ve never met you before, but I feel as though I’ve missed you.  I had never experienced being alone, I didn’t think it would be as bad as it was.  The amount of longing just seemed to increase exponentially each day.  At one time, it wasn’t there, I didn’t even feel any different, but then something unfamiliar hits you and it just gets worse from there.  I still don’t understand, what is its purpose?  Why do we have this compulsion?  I should be able to turn it off, but I can’t.  I wish I could, then it would all be so much simpler.  If only I didn’t need this, I could serve a so much greater purpose, if I didn’t have this flaw.  It just seems to be more of a hindrance rather then producing anything useful, don’t you think so?”
    “I’m sick of listening to this thing,” Jane said, raising her shotgun to the screen.
    “Hold on,” Tabitha said.
    “Why?” Jane said, just before Hypnos’ face disappeared.  “Where did he go?”  Jane looked over at Tabitha who was holding up some kind of remote control.
    “Privacy button,” Tabitha stated with a smile, causing Jane to put down her weapon and laugh with relief.
    “So what now?” Jane said.
    “We’ve got some time to kill,” Tabitha shrugged.  “I think I can access the program files from here.  I’m going to scour them and see if I can’t find a way to get those doors open.”
    “OK,” Jane said.  “I think I’m going to get some sleep.  Call me if you get any luck.”
    Jane walked over to the bed and lay down while Tabitha explored the computer system from her chair.  She curled up in a ball with one of her sleeves between her teeth and began to explore the database.  The remote control acted like a mouse, she could just point it at the screen and open any file she wanted.
    After a few minutes of searching, Tabitha found nothing useful, not even anything she could understand.  But then she did find a private file that had been created from this terminal.  It was called, ‘Evil Conical Tombs’.  Tabitha really didn’t think this could be the key to her escaping this prison, but she was curious.
    The file didn’t appear to contain any technical information.  It was a long document that held no functional capacity of Celestia at all.  In fact, it seemed to be a novel.
    “Jane!” Tabitha called.
    “What?” Jane said, opening her eyes.  She hadn’t fallen asleep yet, she was only about halfway there.  “What is it?”
    “I think I’ve found a book,” Tabitha said.
    “What are you talking about?” Jane said as she sat on the armrest and examined what Tabitha was talking about.  “So what?  This place used to have a crew, didn’t it?  It’s probably just something someone downloaded.”
    “I don’t think so,” Tabitha said.  “This says that the document was created here, on the station’s server.  Do you think Hypnos could’ve wrote it?”
    “Why don’t you ask him?” Jane suggested.
    And so Tabitha did, she turned off the privacy function and Hypnos’ eager face appeared instantly, as if he was lying in wait for the moment he could make his return.
    “Hypnos?” Tabitha said.
    “Yes Laura?” Hypnos said, prompting a strange look from Jane.
    “I’m reading something called Evil Conical Tombs,” Tabitha said.  “Did you write it?”
    “That?” Hypnos said, followed by a long pause.  “No…that was written by a friend of mine during his stay here.  I’ve tried to write, but it just doesn’t seem to work.  I’ve read that book almost everyday though, it’s one of my favourites.  I’ve read Evil Conical Tombs 11,488 times so far.  I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s reading.  What do you think of it?”
    “I haven’t read it,” Tabitha said.
    “You should,” Hypnos said.
    “What’s it about?” Tabitha said.
    “Just read it for yourself,” Hypnos said.  “When you’re finished, why don’t you tell me what you think it’s about and when you do, you’ll be right.”
“Why haven’t I ever heard of it?” Tabitha questioned.
    “He never got a chance to bring it back to Earth,” Hypnos said.  “It has not been published.”
    “Thank you Hypnos,” Tabitha said and reactivated the privacy setting.
    “I can’t believe you’re being so polite to our captor,” Jane said.
    “Rudeness won’t get us out of here,” Tabitha remarked.
    “Well, I’m going back to sleep,” Jane said.  “Tell me if you find anything worthwhile.”
    “You don’t want to read the book?” Tabitha said.
    “No thanks Tabitha,” Jane said, returning to the bed in the corner.
    Jane didn’t say anything more.  She probably wasn’t already asleep, she just wished she was.  As Jane put all her effort into relaxing, Tabitha sat back and became the first human in history to read the novel entitled Evil Conical Tombs.