Post-Human 05 - Inhuman (18 page)

24

“They’re legitimate aliens, yet they look human?” Samantha summarized, bewildered by what she’d just heard.

“Yes,” Old-timer confirmed, “and they’re bent on assimilating every organic human they can and turning them into androids.”

“There’s yet another head-scratcher for you,” Paine observed. “A little coincidental that they
all
appear human, isn’t it?”

“They’re
homo sapiens
in appearance,” Old-timer confirmed, “but there’s nothing human about them below the surface. Believe me. I’ve seen inside.”

“And these android bodies? You believe they’ll be sufficient?” Aldous asked Old-timer in the void.

Old-timer nodded. “I’ve inhabited one myself.”

“
Inhabited
one?” Samantha reacted, aghast. “What does that mean?”

“It’s a long story, I’ll get to it, I promise, but right now, all you need to know is that I have to admit, in some ways, they were nice upgrades on our organic bodies. So, what do you think? We’re extremely low on time here.”

“It’s a no-brainer,” Paine spoke up. “We’re either electrical patterns floating around in a hard drive that’s eventually going to run out of power in what’s left of a dead universe, or else we’re robots in a live universe. Given the choice, I’ll take being a robot in a live universe—at least for now, anyway.”

“The question is,” Old-timer cut in as he displayed the simulated version of the assimilator, “will the technology be compatible? I don’t know much about its design, other than it copies neural patterns from biological bodies and uploads them somewhere in the android collective, where android replacement bodies are then constructed. But this thing I’m holding in my hand...well, I’m not really holding it in my hand at all.” He turned to the collapsed form of his physical body within the safety of the Planck platform’s magnetic field. “That’s the real assimilator there. So, how do I get you three in there?”

Aldous took the simulated assimilator from Old-timer and examined it. “Fascinating,” he commented. “Technology far beyond our own.”

“Is it a lost cause?” Old-timer asked, wincing and expecting the worst.

“Absolutely not,” Aldous replied. “The void was constructed as a means of bridging our sim to the physical reality of your universe, if ever we were fortunate enough that you’d check on us before it was too late and you’d been destroyed yourselves. When you cross through your magnetic field, your pattern is automatically uploaded into the void, having been scanned on the molecular level by the void’s own mainframe. In theory, this assimilator was uploaded intact and functional. It should work the same here as it does in the physical world, and when you cross back over, our patterns should cross, too, after being uploaded into the physical assimilator.”

“In theory, Professor?” Paine questioned Aldous.

Aldous sighed and shrugged slightly. “Yes, in theory. This device is extraordinary, alien technology, but as long as it functions on principles that are grounded in the laws of the universe, it
should
work.”

“In theory,” Paine repeated.

“Theory is good enough for me. Listen, we’ve gotta go,” Old-timer urged. “Yes or no, guys? Are you coming back with me?”

“Of course,” Aldous said. He swallowed, slightly nervous as he handed the device back to Old-timer. “I’ll put my money where my mouth is. Craig, you may assimilate me first,” he volunteered as he stepped forward.

Old-timer nodded respectfully as his eyes met those of Aldous. “It’ll be okay. See you in a minute,” he said. He hoped he wasn’t making himself into even more of a liar than he already felt like. He placed the assimilator on Aldous’s neck.

Rather than losing consciousness, Aldous vanished as though he’d blinked out of existence, like a balloon that had popped, there one second and gone the next, stunning the three patterns that remained in the void.

Old-timer looked down at his assimilator, a half shocked, half quizzical expression on his face.

“That’s actually probably a good sign,” Samantha offered. “If his pattern is inside the assimilator, there’d be no reason for the void mainframe to still be expending energy to generate a simulated body for him.”

Old-timer blinked, his bottom lip protruding slightly as he considered Samantha’s assessment. He hoped she was right, and he was glad he wasn’t going to have to test her hypothesis on himself.

“Well, I’d say ladies first,” Paine broke in as he stepped forward, “but I think this is a circumstance where being the third wheel outweighs being chivalrous. I’m next.”

Old-timer nodded again before holding the assimilator next to Paine’s neck.

“See you when I’m a robot,” Paine said with a grin.

Old-timer couldn’t help but fight back a shiver as their eyes met. There seemed to be no lingering hint of the bitter rivalry the two men shared in Universe 1, at least not in Paine’s eyes. In fact, he looked at Old-timer as though they’d been close friends. “See you,” Old-timer replied awkwardly.

An instant later, Paine was gone.

Old-timer stood alone with Samantha. They stood together, in the perfect emptiness, their eyes locked. He couldn’t move. Despite everything that was on the line, he couldn’t shake himself free from his paralysis.

“Well, I guess I’m next,” she said, pulling her shoulders back and summoning up the courage.

“We were married,” Old-timer suddenly blurted out.
Why did I say that?
he immediately asked himself.
It just came out. Stupid.
“But,” he began, trying to course correct, “in my universe, it was a long, long time ago. I-I lost you. You were…
taken
from me.”

Samantha’s expression suddenly changed dramatically. It wasn’t an expression of just happiness, relief, or even torment; rather, she felt a mixture of all three. She suddenly realized that she wasn’t as alone as she’d believed, and her misery loved company. “So you know how I’m feeling?” she said. “You remember…how it feels like there’s no ground under you anymore. How you’d do anything to hear their voice one last…” She stopped speaking and swallowed, fighting back as a lump formed in her throat.

“I-I have some idea,” he confirmed. “It-it staggers you. It still gets me sometimes when I least expect it—but it gets a little better as time moves on.”

“Then I guess that’s my problem,” Samantha realized. “I’ve been frozen in time.”

Old-timer could barely breathe when she said the words. This time, it was Samantha that had been frozen in time.

I am fortune’s fool.

“Maybe,” Samantha began, “maybe when we get back, and when this is all over, maybe we can talk about it some more.”

Old-timer smiled faintly, a smile that he forced onto his lips, but wasn’t shared by his eyes. “Absolutely. Of course.”

Samantha smiled genuinely, though her expression was still mired in conflicting emotions. “I’m ready,” she said.

“Okay. See you in a bit.”

He put the assimilator to her neck, and she vanished.

Old-timer found himself standing alone in the perfect absence of the void. He looked down at the assimilator, then up at Djanet, still in the protection of the Planck platform, crouched over the crumpled android, her palm on his chest, ready to wake him. He looked up into the absent sky. “I’m your fool, but I swear I won’t quit today. Not today.”

And with that, he marched, determinedly, toward the magnetic field, ready to wake up.

25

“Are you in control of the mainframe yet?” Rich asked impatiently as he continued to stand alone, the only light now that of his magnetic field, the androids having completely blotted out the sun as their bodies piled hundreds high over every inch of the only protection for the mainframe.

“It’s not as easy as it sounds to locate the operator’s position for a mere mortal such as I,” Aldous replied as the brilliant glow of the operator’s position appeared on the horizon.

“Uh, you know what else isn’t easy for a mere mortal?” Rich retorted as he continued to stare straight up at tens of thousands of faces.

The android bodies that were against the magnetic field didn’t appear to be functioning any longer, having been crushed by the incredible weight of the bodies on top of them. Some of them had been pulverized, while others were partially crushed, their torsos or heads giving out under the extreme pressure.

“I’m in a nightmare,” he whispered to himself.

“I understand, Richard,” Aldous replied, “but I’ve found the holy grail now. I’ll be in full control in moments.” Aldous landed at the foot of the glowing source of the mainframe’s incredible thinking power. He paused for a brief moment and wiped his bottom lip as he considered his next move.

“
And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds left to conquer.
”

He took in a deep breath of simulated air, then engaged in what he knew would be the highest level of consciousness he’d ever reach.

Meanwhile, Rich watched as the first android dug its way down through the deep trench Rich had forged around the perimeter of the mainframe, emerging from the Earth, its arm reaching out first, its hand grabbing the surface and pulling itself out as though the planet itself were giving birth to the fearsome figure. When it fully emerged, Rich saw the android’s other arm reach out right behind it.

“Not good,” Rich uttered to himself, his eyes round as the first android locked eyes on him.

The android crouched down, about to begin his charge toward the single post-human that held back the trillion-strong tide of assimilated humanity.

Rich never gave him a chance. He instantly shrank the force-field by several meters, and millions of bodies dropped, impacting on the new, lower ceiling above him as a result. The android that had made it through the field suddenly found himself back on the outside, swallowed up by the perversion of humanity that came charging forth, the crowd reclaiming him as though he were a droplet of ocean spray reclaimed by the ocean.

“Aldous, I am not kidding when I say that they are about to crash this party,” Rich stammered, his voice shaking from fear and desperation. “I just used my last trick, man. They’re gonna be able to dig up under the magnetic field now!”

“Not to worry,” Aldous replied with a calm tone that seemed to Rich to be several leagues removed from their current reality. “I’m in control. The androids will be cleared off momentarily. Stand by.”

Well, it isn’t like I can do anything else
, Rich thought. He stood perfectly still, his hands outstretched as he continued to generate his magnetic field, his nervousness causing sweat to pour from his forehead, despite the efforts of his nans to calm him. “
Stand by,
” Rich said, imitating Aldous’s flat tone. “Is this some sort of artificial intelligence understated humor? Gee, Aldous. I guess you’re right. I’m going to twiddle my thumbs, if you don’t mind.”

The seconds ticked by as the ground shook from the aerial attack that was quickly transitioning into an attack from below. The androids were already under Rich’s force-field, the earth being thrashed around under the protective perimeter, the androids having quickly adapted, digging farther toward the mainframe in an effort to force Rich to collapse the field back even further. Rich knew that each android that was charging up from under the earth was cognizant it would quickly be dispatched after the magnetic field retreated once again and he was appalled at the ease with which they chose to sacrifice themselves for the singular purpose of the collective.

The first androids began breaking through, arms emerging simultaneously in various locations all around him, quickly surrounding him. He could only assume others had breached the other sides of the mainframe as well, and that he’d have to collapse the entire magnetic field back several more meters, almost to his feet, to keep up the protection any longer. “Dear God, this is going to be way too close for comfort,” he said, nearly hyperventilating.

“Richard, disengage your magnetic field,” Aldous suddenly commanded.

“Are you sure?” Rich replied, considering the mass of metal that surrounded him and that would almost instantly collapse on his head if Aldous had miscalculated.

“Richard, you have nothing to fear,” Aldous replied calmly. “Disengage. Trust me.”

As Rich watched the first of the androids to fight his way up out of the Earth within the confines of his perimeter, he realized he had no choice. He closed his eyes, knelt on the ground, and let his guard down.

The instant the magnetic field was down, it was replaced by the mainframe’s own magnetic protection, a force-field far more powerful than the one Rich had generated. It pulsed out, heaving the millions of bodies that had collapsed on it up and off of it, hurling them out in a formation that looked like a dark gray mushroom cloud from afar. The bodies were expelled for dozens of kilometers.

Rich could feel the sunlight on his eyelids, a feeling he’d felt sure he’d never experience again, and he flashed his eyes open to take in the life-giving orb for one more moment in the sun. He smiled from ear to ear. “Aldous! That was incredibly badass! We might actually be able to win this thing!”

“I’m afraid you shouldn’t get ahead of yourself, Richard,” Aldous cautioned, throwing cold water on Rich’s brief hopefulness. “Even with these new powers, I don’t have the experience that would allow me to fend the androids off for long.”

“What do you mean?” Rich replied, his expression suddenly souring. “Just keep blasting them!”

“Richard, look up to your one o’clock.”

Rich looked almost straight up. A brownish object, the sun reflecting brightly off of its left side, hung in the sky like a cigarette burn on a piece of paper.

“Do you see it?”

A cloud partially covered the object, just as Aldous spoke, but Rich had indeed picked it out beforehand. “I see it. It’s an android ship, right?”

“Yes,” Aldous confirmed. “One of their largest, and it’s headed for us.”

Rich shrugged. “Thanks, Captain Obvious.
All
their ships are headed for us. What makes that one—”

“No, I don’t mean it is headed for Earth. I mean I’ve already calculated its exact trajectory. That ship, which is two-thirds the size of our moon, is headed directly for us, Richard. Directly for
this
spot on Earth.”

The temporary relief Rich had felt was instantly replaced with a dread so heavy that it felt heavier than the android collective that had previously covered his magnetic canopy. “Wait. Are-are you saying—”

“Richard, it is headed on a
collision course
. The androids are taking no chances. They are going to ram the mainframe. Even I can’t repel an object of that magnitude.”

“Oh no,” Rich whispered.

“Make no mistake, this will be an Earth-destroying event. We are experiencing the final moments of life after a three-billion-year reign. Less than five minutes from now, it’ll all be over.”