THE TRICK

It's 20:00.

I got out of my car. I stand here behind high building. The building is completely flat box. The emergency staircase is only feature coming out of its flat walls. The emergency stairs seem to be missing some steps. The building seems really badly managed.

This is a very important building. The details weren't diclosed to me about all the parts of it. It seems like it's vital to the functioning of the internet.

I step inside. I turn right. I get into the storage room. All of the hardware that I have to hired was there.

I hear a wind from the window.

It's 21:00. I've finally thought of the best way how to deploy these.

I begin to unpack the machines. There is lot of boxes.

It's 22:00

I begin carrying them into the main room inside a wheelbarrow.

In the darkness, there was a face. A human face to be exact. It happended so quickly I couldn't catch any glimpse of it. I think I am going insane.

It's 23:00.

Here in the dark labyrinth of the server farm, there's never enough light to see properly. So many blinking lights.

I was hired to deploy the new Layer3 storage cluster. I have to reconnect all network cables. It seems noone previously deploying servers even thought of cable management.

I hear clicking noise. It must be that old Sun server in the corner. I guess its disk died, not my problem. I'm suprised that such important service uses such old server. I wonder what it does.

I hear clicking noise. Again? Really when is that server going to run out of disks. What sort of raid does it use?

I hear clicking noise. I finally decide to go look at the Sun server. It has monitor connected to it. The bulky cathode-ray Trinitron. Hey I'm not complaining. Atleast it's in colour.

I check the filesystem. Old unix shell is not my area of expertise. Well hey atleast it's not something more obscure.

I hear clicking noise. I finally realise that it's not this server. The ground. It's coming from the ground.

I look at the ground. There are cables on the ground. Some are simple to guess what they are for. I see power cable connected to several power splitters for powering the Sun server. There's RJ45 cable. I guess internet for the Sun server. Looking further I see VGA to the monitor. And serial cable.

Sometimes I have wondered whether whatever I do with my life is the correct decision. To end up like this. Could I have done better? I never really felt happy in life. I never really was determined to do something. I kinda went along with what was easiest. To live easy life was my goal. Is that a correct goal? At this point, I don't think it matters.

I hear clicking noise.

I hear clicking noise.

The serial cable leads to hole in the ground. I wonder where it leads to. The clicking noise can be heard from the hole.

It's 00:00. The employer really wanted to have Layer3 running as soon as possible. It is supposed to be the final section of this server farm.

I hear clicking noise. It's starting to annoy me. I take a good look on the map that is supposed to show atleast where some cables are layed. The serial cable supposedly leads to lower level of this building. I didn't knew it has a lower level. This is really big server cluster. The map has hand written note that says it's supposed to handle connections between Layer0 and Layer1. The Sun server acts like adapter. I didn't know there's Layer0. The employer didn't tell me about it.

Layer1 is the central processing cluster. It's where most processes run. Layer2 is the global cache and currently also storage. Layer3 will be the storage cluster. It's all like oversized computer.

I try to find any mention of Layer0 in the notes I've got. It's supposed to be collector of data. It generates the entropy. Ah that must mean it's used for cryptography. It must encrypt lot of data. I check where the serial cable leads to. Layer0, the last unit, server 3. Well I know the clicking noise could come from anywhere. Not sure what I gained from looking at the serial cable. I am truly overworked.

May I find salvation among this sea of blinking lights.

I hear a long bang. It came from the Layer2 system. I decide to take a closer look. Layer2 is located on the opposite side of building to Layer3. Layer1 is in front of both.

Then it happended. There was a screen. Blinking cursor. Beeping BIOS noise. It said there was a critical error on U01A1. The server farm uses consitent machine names. This is unit on layer 0, the first unit 1, server A section 1. The employer told me that I shouldn't worry about what the server as a whole does. Only thing he said it's very important.

I'm curious. I don't think I've ever been really curious. This time the curiousness burns in blood. This system, this cluster. It's mess of cables, racks and machines.

The cluster sounds like expermental symphony. Without the clicking noise it'd even be pleasurable soothing sound. Like rain. Oh rare is rain here where the server was build. Like if the server was hiding from the water. Water is the poison for the machine.

I check my phone. It's 01:00.

I look into the distance. The darkness engulfs the machines. The darkness is interupted only by the red diodes. When I look here only thing I see is blinding red lights. And the darkness filled by the vaguely purple noise of the eyes. Oh how are my eyes tired. I will have to sleep whole day after I finish this job.

I look into the distance. In the darkness the intertwisted webs of cables look almost organic. The blinking lights, blink like it's thinking. Thinking about me. The surgeon, the parent, the warden of this prison. Or does it think I am the prey?

There's one big server in the Layer1. Its fans ramp up, and return to their idle state every few seconds. It's sickly static sound, like the clicking, Never changing. Always beating. If the lights make impression of a brain, that server surely is the heart. That machine is supposed to manage state of the compute cores in the Layer1. It must be the master, and the other servers its slaves.

Sometimes I wonder whether I am trully alive. I must be. I am now, here. In the present.

I've finally returned back to my work. I've began connecting the data bus to the units. When the Layer3 gets signal from Layer2 to store a data it comes through the multiple 10Tbps cables. It's the fastest connection I've ever seen. Then there's huge server. I call it the Librarian. It's fed the data from the cables. Then it communicates with the storage units. And reroutes the data to or from correct location. The storage servers contain 100PB each. This is truly gargantuan. There's 200 of them in 20 units. The total capacity is one 20EB. Truly a giant. Well after formating and setting up raid it ends up being 5EB. Still absolutelly giant. I wonder that would such giant storage would be used for. Well another thing the employer hadn't told me.

I hear a rumbling noise from the upstairs.

In the upstairs there's the power distribution. This cluster uses power primarily from the small nuclear powerplant not too far away. It's intresting that a nuclear powerplant was build here since this area is so dry. Well I guess the river is enough,

Employer said that if I hear any weird noise from upstairs I should check it. While the power distribution can shut itself safely, the fallback may not be properly suited for long term replacement of the primary circuit. Good thing I'm also electrician. I think that's why they choosed me for this job. To do it as quickly as possible requires both data and power to be connected as soon as possible.

I went to the stairs. The weak lights illuminate the steps. I hear a fans ramp up from the bottom floor. I wonder what it's processing.

I stand here, in the almost darkness of the second floor. I see something move at the end of the room. Or rather, its shadow. I wonder what would a rat even eat here. Does it chew the cables? Was it a rat?

I check the breakers. The breaker for Layer0 has tripped. I see below the name Layer0 there's additional text clarifying that the Layer0 is also known as the Primary Packet Infuser. What a vague name. It looks like I have to check the Layer0 to see why it tripped.

Walking back on the stairs I come up with image of domino in my mind. This building is like a domino waiting to fall. I briefly look at the first floor. Lights are still blinking. Fans still run at max speed. It's still busy doing something. Descending down the stairs into the basement I hear the clicking noise again. More low I get the louder it is.

Layer0 is in general not that different from Layer1 Layer2 and soon to be Layer3. It doesn't have as much of lights as the other three. The room is dark. Instinctivelly I go after the clicking noise. Maybe that's the culprit. I take out my phone to use it's light to see better. Genuinely I have no idea why the lightbulbs here are so dim. Had they tried to save on cost of electricity?

I found the source. Suprisingly it's indeed U01A1. On its front panel there's paper note saying it's encrypted data multi-request scan decoder. Okay? I've never heard of anything like that.

I look at my phone. It's 02:00.

Looking closer at the machine. It's a very old computer. I don't recognize the name. It stands out from the rest for being blue. It looks like washing machine. Must be atleast 60 years old. Listening closer the noise comes from it's back. I decide to move the machine. It has wheels so it's not hard.

It has two power cabbles. The clicking noise comes from the left PSU. I guess the PSU died and shorted out the whole power distribution. Good thing it doesn't short it anymore judging by the backup power working. I can just pull the breaker back up and it will work. I'll have to write a note to replace the faulty PSU to the employer.

Then I feel it. A weird sickly feeling.

I quckly return upstairs. Having reenabled the power, the backup power unit doesnt produce the rumble anymore. And no more clicking noise since I've pulled the PSU out. Finally I can return to the work.

Something is off.

I finished connecting up the Librarian. Now the hardware is done. I just have to setup the zpools and connect it to the Layer2.

I catch a glimpse of something moving near the Layer2. What could even be there. I really doubt rats are here.

Continuing the work on the software. I have setup the instalation of Linux on one of these. Now just to dd the image to all other 199 servers. Did you know that dd is often reffered to as disk destroyer. A fitting name.

I hear a noise. It's startling. In this otherworldy enviroment it sounds otherwordly. It sounds like breathing. Is someone here? No I must be imagining something.

I finish copying the disk images. Now just to setup the IDs of the machines. Then to move to the unit collectors.

It's 03:00.

Having setup the units only last thing is to setup the Librarian and the connection to the Layer2. I relax a bit. This torture of a job is finally over.

Now I have noticied it, and it must have noticied me the long time ago. There's a figure hiding in the darkness.

At some point I must have realised I am not. And if I am not I must not think. I must not be here. Inherently I must be not.

I continue setting up the Librarian. Installing operating system, setting up the connections, everything. Seems the system refuses to colaborate with me, great. Kernel panic, core has been dumped. I begin to check the bios. Finally I decide to check the installation image from my laptop. It looks like the initramfs is completelly messed up. How? I've made this image the same way as for the storage servers. The blinking cursor laughs at me.

A chilling shock runs through my back. I am not here alone. I know someone, something else plays in the space. I can feel them observing me.

I will never do night shifts ever. I want, I wish to live happy life. I wish not to be tortured by the darkness.

I hear it. I hear repeating sound. I hear a repeating beat. I hear a heart. I hear a beating heart. I hear someone's else beating heart. I hear someone else. I hear someone not myself.

I finished making new boot image. Now it complains again. Apparently machine U14B1 INFUSER2 tried to ddos it once it connected to the intranet. Great, even the cluster itself refuses my surgery. I stand up and go towards Layer1.

The pair of giant fiery eyes, they observe me.

The processing cluster's activity finally went down. It finally finished thinking.

It said it doesn't wish me here. I am hurting it. My imagination really plays trick on me.

The computers lie there, static, unchanging. But I am sure they are alive.

The pair of giant fiery eyes, they blink. They are not alone. I am here with them.

I hear a sound. I hear a scream. I hear a human.

I see a figure. I see a human.

It's 04:00

I am going crazy. What would a human be doing here? Especially at this time.

No, I truly see human figure. Another chilling shock runs through on my back. I feel stuck. The fear. I fear.

I run. I must get away. This is not worth the risk. I must get out of here.

I am sure the figure will run after me.

No I am insane. There's noone else but me. I must finish this job. What am I? A child scared by darkness?

I step over the thick cables. I enter the area of Layer1. I find INFUSER2. What a strange name. I check it visually. It's little one U server. Looks fairly normal.

Except it does not. The case. It isn't metal. It isn't plastic. It feels soft. It feels wet.

I sweat. This is weird. No my mind must be playing tricks again. It's normal server.

I connect to it. I check logs. Apparently it ddoses Librarian because Librarian is not catalyst infuser capable device? I have no idea what this means.

The fiery eyes keep observing me. They look sad.

I don't know why I even think I see a pair of fiery eyes. Obviously it's just a wild imagination. There's no magic. There are no ghosts. I never really believed in anything supernatural.

The orchestra of computer noises kept playing its great symphony.

I hear a speech. Someone said I should get away. I freak out. At this point anything freaks me out. I hear a clicking noise. I see a human face. I see a human head. I see a human torso. I see a human figure. I see a human body. I see a human. I see a person.

The person points at the fiery eyes. The person touches the fiery eyes. The person burns.

No! I have been wrong. God please help. I want to cry. Is my life over? I never believed in demons. Yet they reside in the servers. Demons materialise from services. God please have mercy.

I stand up. I see another person. The fiery eyes cry. The fiery eyes dissapear. The person freezes. I run. My mind freezes. My mind is empty.

I run. I run to the exit. I run the shortest path to the exit. I look behind me. Darkness. The disguisting darkness. The darkness makes me sick.

The exit is locked. I've forgotten keys with my laptop. I look at the place where my laptop was.

In the darkness, there was a light. A dim light to be exact. It happended so slowly. I think my mind can't comprehend this demonic force.

I quickly decide to run upstairs. Upstairs is an emergency staircase. I run. I run. I hear a noise. I hear a clicking noise. I run.

I reach the emergency staircase. I look behind me one last time. I see a light. I see a blinding light. I freak out. I run. I run. I must get away. I run.

I feel the ground behind my feet. I feel the air behind my feet. I see a light. Not behind me. In front of me I see a light. A light surrounded by darkness.

I have gone crazy. I don't fear supernatural. I don't fear fiery eyes. I don't fear humans. I fear my own mind. The mind that will not reach darkness. The mind that will touch the darkness.

I saw things that weren't there.

I see the darkness below me. I see a light.

I see a light.

It's 05:00.