Interphase (65 page)

David crawled over to him. "Thomas, is that you?"

"David?" Thomas asked in his own voice. "Is it over?" His words were barely a whisper.

"Yes. It's time for us to go home," David replied.

"No. Just you." Thomas's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled wanly. "This is what my body looked like… out there, before I got pulled in. I'm dead either way."

The bloody stain spread across Thomas's chest. David pressed his palm over it, but he knew that it was hopeless. He locked his gaze with Thomas.

"It's over now. Everyone is safe."

"Thank you, David."

Tears stung David's eyes as he held his friend's shuddering body, and suddenly his victory felt hollow.

Thomas's eyes slipped closed again. "Tell everyone… farewell." A final gasp escaped from his lips, and he lay silent in David's arms.

"I will, my friend. I will."

The module started to collapse inward around David. His vision blurred, and he felt Thomas pulled from his grasp as he was lifted up. Light shone all around him, and the world went white.

Chapter 52

Clyde wandered aimlessly around the darkened chamber. Several hours had passed since David defeated Shalaron and saved Phoenix. The others had all left, but Clyde couldn't bring himself to log out. This room was the last remnant of the network that he'd spent his entire life mastering.

A sigh escaped before he could stop it. There was so much that needed to be done now. A basic intelligence program had to be written to govern humanity's necessities, and it would need to be done before the automated systems around the planet began to fail.

Clyde took a final look around the chamber. He couldn't afford to spend any more time wallowing in self-pity. He prepared to log out, when a peculiar sight drew his attention.

A link chair stood in a corner of the chamber, lit by a soft blue glow. Clyde shook his head. It didn't make any sense to have a link chair inside the network. He knew that it might be foolish, but he gave into his curiosity, and sat down in the chair.

As Clyde leaned back against the headrest, he felt a burst of energy within his mind. His thoughts grew and expanded, and his senses were pulled in every direction. He watched the network rebuild itself all around him. Every connection, every pathway, every module returned to their original states.

The sensation overflowed and began to burn. Clyde tried to break away, but he could barely control his limbs. The data poured out of him, and the fire in his veins continued to blaze.

Finally, the stream slowed, and Clyde pulled himself free of the chair, collapsing to his knees. He gasped for air as the smoldering within slowly faded away.

A soft touch on his forehead caused him to flinch. Someone was in the room with him, stroking his temples gently. "I'm sorry the process was so painful," a distant voice whispered in his mind.

In one motion, Clyde stood and turned to face the visitor. As his eyes took in the sight before him, he stepped back in shock. Mierva smiled at him.

"How is it even possible?" Clyde asked incredulously. "Your mainframe was destroyed, all of your backups erased."

Mierva's smile became a mischievous grin. "When Shalaron broke through the gateway, I feared that he would seek to attack me, as Totarakh did. So I found a safe place to store a backup of myself."

Clyde gaped at her in disbelief. "But there's nowhere inside the system where you would be undetectable."

"Ah, dear, you forget yourself. I used our link to copy myself into your mainframe. It's the least accessible and safest computer on the planet."

With an engulfing smile, Clyde threw his arms around Mierva and held her close. She ran her fingers through his hair and whispered into his ear. "Now tell me, my love. What have I missed?"

***

The Assembly Hall of New Terra was jammed with news crews, security drones and regular citizens. David stood to the side and watched it all unfold around him, feeling like some kind of spectacle. Analara waited beside him, looking about as cheerful as he felt, but when she caught his glance, she took his hand and squeezed it.

For her, David found a smile.

On the other side of the room, Clyde typed into his wrist computer, and the lights dimmed. Slowly the room quieted.

Everyone shifted their focus to the massive holographic screens at the front of the room. They flickered to life, and VERA stepped into view. Cameras and V-scene projectors captured her image and displayed it across every screen and module on the planet. Inside the hall, there was a sense of barely contained anticipation.

VERA nodded a greeting and began her speech. "Less than a week has passed since the human race stood once again upon the verge of extinction. As many of you may know, for the last three months, there have been a series of attacks, acts of sabotage, and tragedies that have befallen our world. Many innocent people have died, and even more lives have been touched by the events that have unfolded. Today, I will share with you the truth behind the hidden conflict."

Hundreds of voices murmured astonished words to one another, rising in volume like an incoming tide until VERA raised a hand. "Over three months ago, we made contact with an alien race. They are called the Anrath, and it is they, not we, who were the original caretakers of the planet we now call Phoenix. Many thousands of years ago, they fled into a simulated world of their own making to escape the destruction of the surface of their planet. Over time, they forgot the true nature of their new home and learned to live without the trappings of technology that we rely upon."

A stunned silence filled the gap left by VERA's pause. "The events of the past months have all stemmed from contact between our two existences. Neither of our races knew the true nature of the other, so this contact fostered fear. That fear spawned war, and that war caused grief." She closed her eyes momentarily. "So much grief." When she opened her eyes again, it looked like tears were glistening down her cheeks. "Through brave actions and heroic deeds, the conflict between our worlds has come to a close. I can assure each and every citizen of humanity that the war has ended."

VERA turned to David and the others and motioned for them to step forward. David obeyed, still clutching Analara's hand as he climbed the steps to the raised platform at the front of the room. The eyes of humanity rested on them.

"These are your heroes," VERA said. "They are the saviors of Phoenix. I present to you Lucas Smith, whose skills as a programmer enabled us to trap the greatest threat our world has ever known." Lucas gave a stiff bow and waved to the crowd.

"Clyde Verell, the chief architect of V-Net. During the final battle of the war, I sustained heavy damage and was nearly destroyed. It was due to Clyde's ingenuity and skills that I survived to continue my duty to you all." Clyde blushed as everyone focused on him, and he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Analara, child of Analath. Though she appears human, she is an Anrathian refugee who fought at our side against her own people because she believed that we could learn to co-exist." This news caused a considerable stir. Cameras and lights flashed around Analara, and though she gripped David's hand tightly, she did not shy away. David had never felt more proud of her.

"Finally, I present David Harris, the man who bridged the gap between our races. He was the defender at the last line, and he was responsible for defeating the greatest of our foes. All of us owe our lives and our world to him."

The cameras turned in his direction, and David fought the urge to look away. Despite the joyous occasion, he could not stop the wave of sadness that rolled over him as he remembered the friends that were no longer with them.

"Sadly, not all of the heroes of the war survived the conflict," VERA continued after a pause. "Jessica Spencer was one of the first to fall, but she set in motion events that would ultimately lead to our victory. Let her sacrifice not be forgotten." A tear rolled down Analara's cheek as VERA continued.

"Lastly, we remember Thomas Childs. He stood against the tide of darkness that threatened to sweep over us all, and he gave his life to halt its advance and protect his friends."

In the silence of the hall, Clyde gave a salute to their fallen comrade.

"That those who perished may always be remembered, I shall erect a memorial with the names of the heroes and the fallen alike. Remember them, Phoenix, for they are your legacy."

The crowd erupted in applause, and David turned to Analara. They shared a soft smile and grasped each other tightly. Their worlds would never be the same.

Epilogue

David sat on a chair with the final box in his lap and gazed at its contents. A knock at the door startled him from his reverie. Setting the box aside, he got up and answered it.

It was Roger. "I came to see if you needed any help with the new lodgings."

David smiled and stepped aside to let him enter. "Are Mom and Analara still out?"

"They haven't stopped talking since you brought her by the house this morning. She's a fascinating young lady." Roger looked around the front room. "I should have come sooner. It doesn't look like there's much left to do."

"Well, living in a tier two apartment didn't give me much room to accumulate stuff," David replied.

"VERA was certainly generous. This place is nice. One of the perks of saving the planet, eh?" Roger motioned to the open box on the couch. "Is that all you have left?"

David nodded, then walked over and carefully removed his father's sword from the box. It had been two weeks since the conference, and still a surge of mixed emotions rolled through him.

Roger laid his hand on David's shoulder. "You have come a very long way on a hard road, David. I hope you know how proud I am of you."

It was the first time Roger had ever said something like that, and for several seconds David didn't trust himself to speak clearly. He turned and gave his stepfather a hug. "Thanks."

David set the sword down; there would be time later to find a suitable place for it. "Why don't I give Mom and Lucas a call?" he asked. "We can have everyone over here for dinner tonight. I've got plenty of space for company now."

Roger chuckled. "I'm sure your mother would like that. Lucas may be a bit preoccupied though."

David raised an eyebrow. "He's still seeing that girl he met in Eternity?"

"Apparently they hit it off quite well. For some strange reason, his social life picked up after he stopped using his…" Roger cleared his throat. "… usual avatar."

David grinned. "I guess I'm not the only one who's come a long way."

***

"Still awake?"

Clyde looked up from a work station inside his mainframe. He'd spent two weeks rebuilding and reinforcing it to serve as a suitable home for the ruler of Phoenix. He'd been so engrossed in a line of thinking that Mierva had managed to sneak up on him. He smiled wryly as one of her arms curled about his waist. "Just keeping busy."

Mierva's expression was a mixture of subtle emotions, and Clyde felt the currents shift through their connection. She knew that he still grieved, and she understood, even as she worried that he was doing too much. He was aware of it all. The numerous levels on which the two of them communicated never ceased to amaze him.

Clyde turned and wrapped an arm around Mierva's shoulders, grateful for her presence. "I was just playing with a couple of theories. I've been studying the Anrathians you captured in Phoenix, trying to figure out how Shalaron moved a digital mind into a real one. I did something similar to Analara, but I don't know if we have the tech yet to do it with a healthy mind."

Mierva leaned over to study the read-outs at the monitors. She blinked her eyes in surprise. "You think we could learn to transfer a human mind entirely into the system?"

"It's a working theory. I don't know if it would
actually
work, but it could be used to save someone who was terminally ill, or maybe someone who…" Clyde's voice faltered.

"Someone who had been critically injured?" Mierva finished gently.

Clyde nodded.

Mierva hugged him closer. "It is a fascinating line of research. In fact, it's given me a couple ideas of my own."