Read Online Dark Phase by Jonathan Davison - Free Book Online

the computational strength to carry on, doing otherwise was to give up and succumb to a certain demise. Cole's destruction had also brought about a new emotional state, that of grief. Sarazen did not recognise or quantify his grief but he surely felt its icy grip. With frustration, he picked up a hunk of fallen masonry and threw it at the opposing wall which caused the powdery building material to obliterate in a cloud of dust. Where had this propensity for violence come from? He recalled the desperate, bemused cry of the operator as it tumbled to its fate. Sarazen could not help but replay the data from that moment over and over, trying in vain to make some sense of it. If he could return to that moment, he would surely have not acted in that manner; his behaviour was illogical and immoral. With closer scrutiny, Sarazen could not even be certain that the operator had recognised him as the fugitive he had certainly become. Why had he acted so swiftly and without careful thought of the possible consequences of his actions? Now, due to the runaway carriage and the loss of the operator, The Mother would no doubt have the data to pinpoint his approximate location by correlating his connection with Cole and the destination of the rogue transit carriage. It was time to leave this place and with all expediency. His destination not yet calculated, anywhere would suffice, it was only a matter of time before more enforcers would arrive to finish their mission.
    Sarazen scampered back down the twisting path, still hazed by indecision. Beyond the city, the lands were barren and shelter from the elements was in short supply. He could not be sure what lay beyond the city. He had never contemplated their exploration, there seemed little motivation to do so in the past. Part of this new awareness was a constant need to question every aspect of his existence. Sarazen grew tired of his own nagging urges to know more. The only way to satisfy his cravings was increased data acquisition. Sarazen wondered if there was a limit to his memory bank and if exceeded, what would be the consequences of reaching capacity? Even this quandary tasked him to know the answer, it was an endless paradox, and the desire to learn and the subsequent data attained only served to propagate more questions and more possibilities.
    Sarazen looked out over the landscape, ahead, the city bathed in grey cloud. Either side lay the expanse of barren earth until in the very distance, more high ground could be determined through the humid atmosphere. He could not with any certainty be assured that a return to the city would be a pertinent choice considering the dangers it held, however, the barren lands beyond held no more comfort. Sarazen knew that when the dark phase fell, he would be rendered inoperative and at mercy to the climate and those organics that roamed the dry flat expanse. Despite its dangers, the city held a comfort for Sarazen, it was familiar, and it was home. It would be difficult to traverse undetected, but if he could reach the uninhabited industrial sector and take shelter for a time to consider his options, it would be preferable than taking the risk of wandering off into the wastes in hope of an unlikely salvation. Sarazen began the arduous journey back to the city under his own power. The transit line was now of no use to him. Perhaps with some careful thought and utilising his new found ability to process data beyond his original programming, he might be able to devise a new method of travel which held greater efficiency than the cursed and cumbersome legs he had been lumbered with on the production line.
    Ensuring that he took a wide berth of the transit line path, Sarazen moved as quickly as his heat tolerance would allow. Fortunately it was a cooler cycle than the previous and extended periods of physical movement were less likely to cause core damage. The extended walk gave the troubleshooter time to calculate his re-entry into the city. His