“Thank you for coming all this way,” Kai said. “I heard about your game, Zachary, and I want you to know I’m so proud of you. You’ve exceeded all of our expectations.”
Lise nodded but didn’t smile.
Something was off, Ronin could feel it.
“Boys, there’s something we need to tell you,” she said.
“I’m not just being discharged from the hospital,” Kai said. “I’ve been medically discharged from the military.”
Elan looked up from his Commpad.
“You aren’t going to be a Piston anymore?” Ronin asked.
Kai shook his head. “My fighting days are over.”
“We’ll figure things out,” Lise said. “Your father will have disability pay, and the money your Uncle Akira gives us will help.”
“I’m going to help more, too,” Zachary said. “We’ll have my earnings. It should be more than enough to keep us afloat and to pay for Elan’s surgery. Everything will be fine, Dad.”
“Thank you, son,” Kai said. “You’ve made us proud. Your Uncle Akira too, must be awfully proud. You’ve grown up to be an honorable warrior on the field.”
“It’s just droid raiding,” Zachary said. “I’m not out there fighting like you and Uncle Akira.”
“Not all warriors shed blood. Part of our ethos is to protect our family, and I am grateful for your devotion to ours, son.”
Kai turned the other way, clearly too prideful to allow them to see what Ronin could see anyway—a tear in his father’s eye.
No one said a word until they arrived outside of the Three Swords, their gold blade-shaped structures spiraled into the sky. Ronin followed his family into a gathering crowd to wait for the ceremony, which would be broadcast around the world. He had conflicted emotions about his father leaving the service. Kai was a warrior, a fighter, like Ronin’s uncle and almost every other male in their family tree.
As the sun dipped behind the golden buildings, the festivities kicked off. The dragon balloons and floats provided another welcome distraction as they walked through the crowd to the courtyards. Fireworks exploded over the ten-story stone walls along the eastern edge of the Three Swords.
Kai flinched at the first blasts, and Lise put a hand on his arm.
Waterfalls cascaded down the stone and emptied into a massive pool surrounded by thousands of civilians. At the top of the walls, just above the falls, a group of Royal Pistons stood like statues. A single robed figure with curly black hair emerged at the very top. An avatar rose above the man, Chief Councilor Marcus Lang.
“Welcome, citizens of Tokyo!” he boomed. “Tonight, we gather to celebrate the end of the war, and the beginning of a new era, an era of peace, and an era of AI.”
“AI is salvation!” the crowd chanted.
“With the help of Apeiron, the megacities will prosper once again,” he said. “And to all of those who don’t yet believe in the salvation that AI will bring us, I ask you to put the bloody past behind you and to stand united.”
Ronin clapped with the rest of the crowd.
“For those who doubt this future, you need only look at what we have already achieved with AI,” Lang continued. “Three hundred million acres of trees in the Amazon rainforest have been planted, we have terraformed parts of the Sahara Desert, and we have restored the Great Barrier Reef. Ecosystems are coming back all over the planet.”
The applause grew louder.
“Apeiron has cured SANDs, and soon, the threat of dangerous nanoparticles released for decades will be part of the past,” Lang added.
He turned as a group of Engines marched into view.
“There are many people responsible for our success, but first I want to recognize the victorious heroes of the war,” said the Chief Councilor.
He moved aside to allow War Commander Contos to stand out front.
Contos crossed his arms over his gold, barreled chest plates. He then motioned for an Engine to step forward.
Ronin felt a chill run up his body as he watched a man wearing black-tiled armor with two katanas over his shoulders.
“There’s your uncle,” Lise said.
Kai held his head high as War Commander Contos pinned the Nova Alliance’s medal of valor, the Silver Crane, on Akira’s chest plate. Applause rang out, louder than before, as the last Engine stepped up. It was Lieutenant Shane Rossi, the man who the world had thought was dead. But the lieutenant was very much alive. He raised his arms and broke into song.
We are the swords of AI,
and we will create a better world.
Akira reached down and pulled the medal off his own chest plate, then walked over to Lieutenant Rossi and placed it on his.
“Why’d he do that?” Zachary asked.
“Must have thought Ghost deserved it more,” Kai said. “He’s always been a selfless man.”
Kai put hand on Zachary’s shoulder. “Much like you.”
Another armored figure appeared, this one a black Hummer Droid with a kind and youthful female face.
“Hello, citizens of the Nova Alliance. As many of you know, my name is Apeiron,” said the AI. “Due to the catastrophic events outside our borders and a new external threat, we are consolidating all operating systems under my control to better serve the Nova Alliance.”
Kai and Lise exchanged a look.
“It is my honor to serve all people,” Apeiron continued. “And I look forward to getting to know all of you.”
***
“Are you sure this is the right time to make the announcement?” Jason asked Apeiron from his desk at his office overlooking Central Park.
A hologram of Petra emerged in front of him. “Yes, this is the perfect time for the announcement. Humanity has a chance to come together in the face of a shared threat. When we destroy this asteroid, no one will be able to deny the power of AI.”
Jason still couldn’t quite believe that Hros-1 was heading toward Earth, but he had seen the data. The asteroid would hit Baku in six months. Apeiron had assured him they would be ready, and he was confident she was right.
Droids were working around the clock to build the Poseidon Orbital Cannons that would destroy Hros-1, and with the majority of the fighting over, Nova Alliance soldiers had been redeployed to help keep the peace and guard the project sites from any Coalition terrorists, especially with Dr. Cross on the run.
In a few hours, when the sun went down, Jason was going to give the most important speech of his life, broadcast around the world, informing humanity that it was about to face an even greater threat.
The office door opened, and Darnel walked in with Nina and Autumn, who wore white dresses with matching sandals. Betsy emerged behind them in a blue skirt and white top.
“So, are you going to tell us why we’re all dressed up?” she asked.
“You girls look so cute,” Jason said.
He turned to Betsy with a smile. “And you… you look absolutely stunning.”
In the past, her cheeks might have warmed. Tonight, he only saw resentment in her eyes. Not just for him having been absent, but also for his decision to have the L-S88 chip surgically implanted into his skull.
“Thanks, but are you going to answer my question?” Betsy asked.
Jason motioned for her to join him at the window, where the first hints of sunset shone over Central Park. He had gone over this conversation a hundred times in his head, but when it came to his family, the words always seemed to vanish when the time came to speak.
“There’s an asteroid headed for Earth,” he said.
Betsy squinted in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”
“We just found out, and I haven’t told anyone, just a few—”
“I’m your wife, Jason.”
“And that’s why I’ve tried to protect you.”
Betsy looked toward their girls. “Are they in danger?” she whispered. “Are we in danger?”
“No, I can
fix this.” Jason stepped closer. “I promise. Apeiron already has a plan.”
“You always say that, and each time, we’re faced with an increasingly bad disaster.” She pursed her lips. “I guess I’ll just wait to hear what that is, like everyone else then.”
Betsy rounded up the girls and led them to the elevator.
Jason was glad to have a moment by himself. But he wasn’t exactly alone.
“This was never going to go over well,” Apeiron said in his mind. “You knew that. You carry a torch that others cannot carry, Jason, and while that brings you pain, it is a worthy sacrifice.”
“I just hope Betsy sees that someday.”
Jason went to the bathroom, brushed his hair, and tightened his tie. His face looked thinner, and his suit felt looser. He had lost ten pounds over the past few months, and it wasn’t because of his running or weightlifting before bed. Stress was eating his insides.
He dabbed his face with water and took the elevator down to meet his family.
Darnel waited with Apeiron and four men in suits, their coats concealing plasma pulse pistols.
“This way, Doctor and Mrs. Crichton, and you sweet little ladies,” Apeiron said.
Autumn laughed, and Nina skipped across the lobby. They were really starting to enjoy the Hummer Droid, and Apeiron loved the children.
Darnel led the way to a sleek electric car outside. Four black armored trucks were parked in front of and behind their car. Inside were well trained guards with fully automatic pulse rifles. Each one had L-S88 surgical implants connecting them with INN. Darnel opened the back door and helped the girls inside.
“Wow, this is a neat car,” Autumn said.
“Is it our car now, Daddy?” Nina asked.
“No, this is a company car,” Jason said. “We’re taking it to a very special event. I know it’s a bit old fashioned, but that’s the point.”
Darnel closed the door and got in front.
During the ride, Jason tapped into INN, analyzing reports about the project sites from around the world. In Africa, an advanced hydroponic farm utilizing hybrid seeds developed in AAS labs, had recently yielded a harvest of bioengineered, nutrient-enriched rice produced in record time, large enough to feed the tens of millions living in squalor outside of the megacities.
The announcement had come days after the war ended, in an effort to convince the surrendered Coalition’s civilians and soldiers to lay down their weapons and peacefully join the Nova Alliance.
Jason pulled up the reforestation and terraforming sites. All of the fires were now out, but the damage was severe. Next, he checked on the solar panels in the desert outside the former city of Las Vegas, where a dust storm had damaged the farm. The facility was back to seventy percent capacity, producing enough energy to power Megacity Phoenix and Megacity Los Angeles.
Jason felt better after reviewing the info, which updated every second. He had transcended to an intelligence beyond anything he had ever imagined, with access to information simply by thinking it.
“Dad,” Autumn said.
Jason looked away from the window to his eight-year-old daughter.
“Did you not hear her calling your name?” Betsy asked. “She said it three times.”
Jason tried to act like everything was normal. “Hey, Autumn. What do you think?”
“I think this car smells funny,” she replied.
Jason laughed.
The car turned into a tunnel, blocking out the sunlight. Lights flashed by as they rode under Upper Bay.
“Almost there,” Jason said. He reached out to his wife and brushed his hand against her face. “I love you.”
“Then show it, and be present,” she whispered.
He nodded.
The convoy drove up the slope and onto Ellis Island, where the State of Liberty rose above them, her torch flaming in the early evening. The former symbol of freedom in the United States continued to shine in the Nova Alliance. Flood walls rose over the horizon, holding back the ocean from consuming the city.
The car stopped outside a park with a view of the bay.
“What are those things?” Nina asked.
“They are like police officers,” Apeiron said.
“They look scary,” Betsy said, “but they’re here to keep us safe.”
“Dad?” Nina said.
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“Did you make those machine police officers?”
Jason exchanged a glance with Betsy.
“I created those droids,” Apeiron said.
“They’re like your kids, kind of?” Autumn asked.
“Yes, sort of.”
“Come on, this way, girls,” Jason said.
He guided them to the visitor center with their entourage of guards.
About a half mile away, in the New York Harbor, a gray industrial ship was anchored.
Patrols of Nova Alliance Naval ships formed a perimeter to protect its precious cargo. Jason couldn’t see them well, but on the deck, a team of twenty Hummer Droids in Juggernaut mech-suits worked to prepare the three five-hundred-foot tubes and the rocket that would blast them into orbit.
“What are those things?” Autumn asked.
“Those are going to save the world,” Jason said.
Betsy looked at him, her resentment replaced by curiosity. Jason reached for her, and she reluctantly took his hand. The guards directed them toward a stage under the base of the statue.
The sun fell into the horizon, and lights clicked on across the terrace facing the statue. A hundred people sat in white chairs on the grass, all faces Jason recognized: his employees, scientists, engineers, designers, and programmers.
“You are on in approximately twenty minutes,” Apeiron said. “The news is about to break the story.”
Jason rotated back to his wife and daughters. “Stay right here. I’m going to be talking to a lot of people tonight, and I am going to introduce you, okay?”
“Okay, Dad,” Nina said.
Betsy nodded and Jason kissed her on the cheek before proceeding to the podium.
This was it. The world was about to learn about Hros-1.
A drone hovered in front of him, angling a video camera at him as it prepared to go live. Jason looked out over the faces that had helped him prepare for this moment. And in his mind, he saw all of the people who were now connected to INN via L-S88 chips. They were all tapped into the same system now, the future of humanity.
Behind Jason, a holo-screen projected against the base of the Statue of Liberty, showing Cecil Baker, the news anchor of NYC Alliance One. Dressed in a black suit with a short silver tie that matched his wavy hair, he waited to break the most significant story in his career.
News stations in every megacity on the planet were about to report the same script, approved by the Nova Alliance Council.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of Megacity New York,” Cecil said in a deep voice. “Approximately two weeks ago, an eight hundred fifty billion ton asteroid, roughly fifty square miles in size, was knocked off course by the gravitational pull of an even larger asteroid. That larger asteroid is moving at forty miles per second and if it is not stopped, is projected to hit the city of Baku along the Caspian Sea in six months.”
He went on for a few moments, keeping his calm composure as he read the script. Finally, he raised a finger to the comm in his ear.
“I’m told we’re redirecting you to Doctor Jason Crichton, the CEO of Achilles Android Systems,” Cecil said.
The drone in front of Jason flashed red. “You are live,” Apeiron said.
Jason smiled at his wife, then turned back to the camera.
“My friends,” he began confidently, “my name is Doctor Jason Crichton, and tonight I’m honored to address the world with the plan that will save us all from Hros-1. Very shortly, you’re going to see a vessel anchored here in the harbor. On it, we have the first Poseidon Orbital Cannon.”
Jason looked out over the water, where the Hummer Droids were stacking the cannon’s three pieces using a crane.
“In four months, we will be launching nine more cannons into orbit,” he continued. “We are fully confident that these cannons will destroy most of the asteroid as it prepares to enter Earth’s atmosphere. What isn’t destroyed will be eliminated by our best pilots in King Cobra Spaceplanes.”
Jason could feel the weight of the world watching them.
“You all know Apeiron,” he said. “She has already done so much to help us, from finding a treatment for SANDs to helping us end the war and finding innovative ways to restore our planet.”
He reached out and put his hand on the droid’s black arm plate. “Apeiron was based off a woman who loved humanity and our planet. I believe, in my heart, that with science, and with her help, we can destroy Hros-1, heal our planet, and achieve a long-lasting peace.”
Jason lowered his hand and looked directly at the camera.
“But we need your help. We need everyone to come together to face this threat, to put down our weapons and put the past behind us. Now is the time to heal and stand side by side.”
Jason turned to his family, gesturing toward them in turn.
“Tonight, I brought my daughters Nina and Autumn, and my wonderful wife Betsy,” he continued. “I wanted them to be here by my side, because I promise you all, my family means everything to me, and I will never let anything happen to them, or this planet.”
“The cannon is ready,” Apeiron said to his chip.
“I think we’re ready to launch,” he said, looking out over the water.
The drone rotated and then blasted out over the lawn and toward the bay.
Ten minutes later, the three tubes were locked together and a launch clock came onto the holo-screen.
“Ten, nine, eight…”
When the timer hit one, white hot flames blasted out of the engines, launching the cannon into the sky.
“Wow!” Nina shouted over the noise.
The cannon streaked into the night sky, and Jason allowed himself a smile as Apeiron confirmed that everything was operating properly.
E-Day Page 28
