Infinity eyed the tube. “What is that?”
“It’s the Outlanders’ instructions,” he said. “I was going to give it to the lemurs. I did give it to them.” One of his eyes twitched almost imperceptibly.
“Why’d they bridge us back?” Vic asked. “Did your little stunt make us fail the test?”
Desmond eyes flitted nervously toward the Marine. “I don’t know. I hope not. It was the only thing I could think of that I hadn't already tried. And Infinity was… I don’t know.”
“What’s going to happen now?” Dr. Fornas asked, his voice hinting at panic.
A slight change in air pressure tickled Infinity’s ears. Something appeared to her left and she turned. It was Kitty’s mechanical pod. The machine was gleaming and clean, despite having been buried in the dirt for over twenty-four hours.
Kitty gazed at the humans through the pod’s portals for a moment and then opened its hatch. She pulled herself out and then started what appeared to be a stretching routine, touching the floor, extending her arms toward the chamber ceiling, and rubbing her butt muscles. If not for the ornately-dyed fur covering her entire body, Kitty would’ve looked almost human while doing this. Infinity noticed the woman still smelled like flowers, despite having been confined to the tiny pod for so long.
Kitty held her translator to her mouth and spoke softly in her rapid-fire language. The translator interpreted in near-perfect English. “We will not give you consequences for violating our rules.”
Everyone in the chamber remained silent, waiting for an explanation.
When it became clear Kitty wasn’t going to elaborate, Desmond spoke up. “I was going to give the Outlanders’ instructions to the lemurs, without the key. I decided maybe that’s what you wanted us to do.”
Kitty listened to her translator and then spoke. “Yes, and we will not give you consequences.”
“We lost eleven men,” Vic said. “They were good men—friends of mine.”
Again, Kitty listened and then spoke. “Yes. But now you will not have consequences.”
“So you’re not going to destroy our world?” Fornas asked.
“No.”
Someone tapped Infinity’s shoulder. She turned, and a med tech handed her a paper gown. Infinity had forgotten she was naked. She nodded to the tech and accepted the gown.
The tech gently took Infinity’s right wrist and examined her broken hand. “This is serious, hon. And that looks like a nasty bite on your thigh. Why don’t you come with me to the lab.”
Infinity pulled her hand back. “Soon.”
Desmond spoke to Kitty. “What will happen to the lemurs and their world?”
“They will not be able to build a bridging device because we did not allow them to keep the Outlanders’ instructions. Your intent was important. The act was not.”
Desmond shuffled his feet awkwardly. “I’m glad you didn’t, but why didn’t you allow them to keep the instructions?”
Kitty tilted her head to the side in a strange gesture. “Perhaps we will eventually allow the lemurs to keep the instructions. But for now the lemur world is useful to us. It is a suitable world for conducting trials, such as the trial you have just completed.”
“I was going to give it to them,” Desmond said.
“Yes, you intended to. But you had no intention of giving them the key to bridging technology. This is what we wished to know about you. Now we know that you understand the Outlanders’ purpose. The Outlanders’ purpose is important and wise and foremost. Some civilizations can be allowed to exist. Other civilizations should not be allowed to exist. You were willing to destroy the lemurs’ civilization by giving them the Outlanders’ instructions. Now we know you understand the Outlanders’ purpose.”
“You could have just fucking asked us,” said Terry, who was still sitting on the floor.
Kitty listened to her translator and then smiled at Terry. “We have done trials such as this many times before. Words are often not true. Actions are more often true.”
Dr. Fornas cleared his throat. “If I may be so bold, can we now expect that you’ll remove those green cone devices from outside our facility?”
Kitty smiled again. “They have already been removed.”
Fornas clapped his hands together. “Thank the heavens!”
Kitty listened to her translator, and then her smile faded slightly. She fired off a long, bewildering string of rapid speech. Her translator began responding while she was still speaking. “This is a turning point for your civilization. You may choose to destroy your bridging device. Other civilizations have done so when faced with similar turning points. However, these civilizations typically do not progress very far beyond the state they were in when they decided to destroy their bridging devices. Alternatively, if you do not destroy your bridging device, and you continue to learn from bridging technology, your civilization may flourish beyond anything you can imagine. As you know, the key to bridging technology was purposefully hidden within the Outlanders’ instructions. What you do not know is that the key to bridging technology is only the first level of hidden information in these instructions. There are deeper levels, each requiring progressively greater intelligence and skill to understand. Of course, if you choose to continue using your bridging device, we will monitor your progress and ensure that you do not violate the rules. As you know, there must be consequences for violating rules.”
Kitty waited for the translation to end before making one last comment. “As I said, this is a turning point for your civilization.”
Infinity glanced at Fornas. His expression had lost all signs of fear. In fact, he was grinning, and Infinity sensed he was practically drooling over the thought of being a part of his civilization’s turning point. But Infinity felt no such excitement. She’d had enough. Bridging brought nothing but destruction and misery. There was no chance in hell Fornas and his people would destroy their bridging center. They would continue bridging, exploring new worlds, and exposing their entire civilization to new threats. Kitty and her species would forever be monitoring them, ready to inflict consequences at the slightest violation of rules. Infinity would inevitably get sucked back into the whole process. Once a bridger, always a bridger. She turned to Desmond. He looked back at her, frowning, and somehow she knew he was thinking the same thing.
She turned to speak to Kitty, but Desmond beat her to it. “I have a question,” he said. “Is there any way that a small group of us could get away from all this? Is there any version of Earth at all, in any universe, where we wouldn’t have to worry about being watched or being destroyed simply because someone has made a mistake?”
Kitty listened intently as her device translated. She then smiled even more broadly than before. “I am pleased by your question, Desmond. In fact, we were hoping you would ask this question. Yes, such an arrangement is possible.”
Infinity waited for more, but Kitty just kept smiling. “How?” Infinity asked. “How can there be a version of Earth that can’t be destroyed?”
Kitty replied, “We have designated many such worlds. We can say with certainty that they will not be destroyed because we do not allow bridging to these worlds. Only we can bridge to these worlds. We are hoping to bridge Desmond and others like him to one of these worlds. In fact, this is one of the reasons I have returned here following your trial. You and Desmond, and the others of your team, have shown us that you understand the Outlanders’ purpose, as well as having other qualities we value. We are pleased that we will not have to give you consequences. We are hoping to bridge Desmond and others like him to one of the worlds we have designated. Desmond and his friends may then populate the world, which would please us. Subsequent bridging to the world would never be allowed. Destroying the world would never be allowed. Desmond and his friends, and then their children, and the children of their children, will never be disturbed or destroyed. This would please us very much.”
Infinity chewed her lower lip, considering Kitty’s words. Somet
hing about Kitty’s proposal made her uneasy. Desmond started to say something, but Infinity cut him off. “I’m Desmond’s partner. I go where he goes. But I can’t have children. So I guess that’s a deal-breaker.”
Kitty frowned. “Why can’t you have children?”
This question caught Infinity off guard. After hesitating briefly, she put a hand on her abdomen. “I was injured when I was sixteen. Stabbed right here with a knife. Three times.”
Kitty listened to her translator and replied without hesitating. “Such physical damage can be repaired easily. I have the proper tools and would be happy to do it myself if you would like me to.”
A sensation of weightlessness overtook Infinity’s arms and spread up to her scalp. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am serious,” Kitty replied. “The damage will be easy to repair. It is not a deal-breaker. I could repair the damage now if you wish. My pod is equipped with the proper tools.”
Infinity turned to Desmond. She wasn’t sure what to say, or if there was anything to say at all. He extended his hand, palm up. She put her left hand into his, and he squeezed gently. For just a moment, she allowed herself to believe what Kitty had said. But then the moment ended.
She shook her head and turned back to Kitty. “Yesterday I watched you murder a pregnant lemur, a sentient being. Why would you be interested in repairing my damage?”
“My action yesterday was needed in order to stimulate your conflict with the city-dwelling lemurs. My offer to repair your damage today is needed to enable you and Desmond to help populate the world you wish to inhabit. Different needs require different actions.”
Desmond said, “Okay, so forgive me for being skeptical, but this all sounds too good to be true. There’s a catch, right? What do we have to do in return?”
Kitty renewed her smile as she listened to the translation. “What we ask in return is that you thrive and find happiness and populate the world. I must also tell you that another sentient species will exist on the destination world. They are peaceful and will not be a danger to you. They are a remarkable species. But they are somewhat unique in that they thrive only when they are able to interact with another sentient species.”
Infinity felt her weightlessness begin to dissolve. So there was a catch. “You want to send us there for the benefit of this other species? I suppose they will hunt and kill us for honor? Or are we to be their food source? Or perhaps their slaves?”
Kitty replied, “You are suspicious. But this species is peaceful and will not be a danger to you, I assure you. You will benefit from their presence, and they will benefit from yours. They are on each of the worlds we have chosen, and for the same reasons that are important to you—they wish to live simply and without fear, to thrive, and to be happy. No civilization, not even my own, will ever bridge to any of these worlds or destroy any of these worlds. The worlds we have chosen are suitable to your biological needs, and your options are diverse. You may choose a world that has the environmental conditions you prefer.”
Infinity glanced around the room. The others were silent, listening to the conversation. Her eyes met Desmond’s. He simply raised his brows at her.
She turned back to Kitty. “I’m not saying that we’re agreeing to this yet, but I have always wanted to live by a beach.”
May 2 - 5:49 AM - 21 days later
“Looks like a lot has changed here in twenty-one years,” Infinity said.
She and Desmond had been unable to sleep, so they had borrowed a car and driven to West Plains. This was their first venture outside the National Bridging Center, and it would be their last chance to spend a few hours on their own. In spite of the darkness, they wanted to take a look at this world, which had diverged from theirs twenty years before Armando’s group had bridged here nineteen months ago. Neither of them had ever been to West Plains—it was simply the closest town.
The two were now sitting atop a picnic table in a park, Infinity leaning back against Desmond’s chest. This positioning of their bodies had a special meaning for both them, having been the way they’d spent their first night together, hiding from killer birds in a tree. A few yards to their right was a bronze plaque explaining why the park’s name had been changed from People’s Park to Freeborn Park. Apparently, a doctor named Linus Freeborn had established a quarantine facility in his local clinic at the height of the red howler fever epidemic fifteen years ago, saving hundreds of lives and paying the price with his own. After parking the car at the park, Infinity and Desmond had taken a walk through the darkened town. With the help of street lamps, they had seen lingering evidence of the epidemic’s severity: burned buildings that had been abandoned to rot, warning signs still affixed to stores and houses that had long been vacant, and rusting sections of tall fencing.
Desmond rested his chin on her shoulder. “Yeah. And then my actions nearly destroyed what’s left of this world.”
She turned her head and gave him a bite on his chin. “This world is still here because of what you did. You saved these people. You need to accept that and get over it.”
He remained silent for several seconds. Then he said, “The ring-tails were decent beings. So were the white lemurs. I’m guessing the species in the other enclosures were decent as well. But I was willing to let their world implode the way ours did—willing to kill them all. That’s not something you just get over.”
Infinity groaned. They had gone over this more than enough times. “Kitty didn’t allow it to happen. That’s it. Done. And even if she had, those species probably would have been better off dead anyway. You were under extreme pressure, and you came up with a brilliant strategy—and it turned out to be the right strategy. You know how I look at it? My man is willing to do anything to keep me safe. Anything. How many women can make that claim and know with complete certainty that it's true?”
His chest heaved as he sighed. He then put his arm around her, slipped it under her t-shirt, and stroked the three old scars on her belly.
She placed her right hand on his and guided his fingers to the new scar, from a puncture only three millimeters wide. Kitty’s work had been quick and painless.
“How’s the hand?” he asked, brushing her ear with his lips.
She flexed her fingers. “Still tender. Full motion is almost back.” She put her hand back on his as he drew circles around her tiny scar.
After perhaps a full minute of silence, she said, “Tell me something—if I were gone, and you met Passerina, do you think you two would hit it off?” She was referring to Passerina Stroud, the other version of herself who had always lived on this world. Passerina had flown to Missouri over a week ago to spend the day with Infinity and Desmond.
Desmond stiffened a little. “Are you serious?”
She waited silently.
“I have a feeling there’s no correct answer,” he said. “Yes, she’s incredible because she’s you. But no, she’s also not my type because she isn’t really you. How’s that?”
She hit the back of her head against his chest. “It’s a pussy answer.”
They both fell silent and stared at the eastern sky, which was starting to turn orange. Infinity’s thoughts continued to dwell on the other version of herself. Passerina had decided not to bring her son, Maslin. She’d left him at home with her husband in Phoenix. Perhaps this was for the best—the thought of meeting Maslin, and then having to tell him goodbye forever, terrified Infinity.
“Just a few minutes until sunrise,” Desmond said. “Less than two hours till we bridge out. It took fifty minutes to drive here.”
Infinity scanned the surrounding area. It was still fairly dark, and the park was completely empty. Perfect.
Desmond must have been thinking the same thing because his hand started sliding downward past her scars. “It’s our last opportunity on this world,” he whispered.
She arched her back slightly. “Then I guess we’d better make it really memorable.”
May 2 - 7:51 AM
White, weat
herproof boxes of various sizes were stacked from floor to ceiling in the bridging chamber, filling almost half the room. A cargo net was stretched over the boxes to prevent them from tumbling when they bridged. Twenty-two migrants and a handful of techs filled the other half of the chamber. Infinity grabbed the nearest tech’s wrist and looked at his watch. Nine minutes to bridge-out—far too long to stand around smelling sweat and listening to nervous chatter. She gave Desmond a look and then stepped through the airlock into the lab.
Desmond followed her out, as did Armando, Lenny, and Xavier.
“You can’t change your mind now, Infinity,” said Lenny. “It took two freaking weeks to gather all this crap.”
Infinity just shook her head. She and the other migrants had spent the last two weeks filling the boxes in the bridging chamber with all the camping and survival supplies they’d been able to procure. They’d gotten most of the stuff as donations from stores looking for a bit of positive publicity. The government had been reluctant to get involved in this endeavor, probably afraid of doing anything that might anger Kitty and her people. So most of the gear and supplies were consumer quality rather than military grade. Kitty had assured Infinity’s team that anything they could fit in the chamber would bridge with them, regardless of whether it consisted of living tissue. Apparently this was one of the capabilities that could only be accessed by decrypting one of the deeper layers of data in the Outlanders’ instructions.
Infinity gazed at Armando. The poor guy was sweating profusely. “You sure you’re up for this?” she asked.
He tried to smile. “I’m not losing you and Desmond—not again. I’m sticking with you until you’ve made me a grandfather.”
Armando wasn’t actually Infinity’s father, but he was the closest thing she had. And she was the closest thing he had to a daughter.
“We’re sticking with you too,” Lenny said, slapping Infinity and Desmond on their backs. “Isabelle and I wouldn’t miss out on this for nothin’. Daisy’s just a pup, but she’s a seasoned explorer of worlds.”
The Trial of Extinction Page 19
