Abe shakes his head. “We didn’t do anything, sir. I don’t think we caused this event.”
“Then how did it happen?”
“We don’t know.”
Lionel stares at the zoomed-in display. “Mr. Allen, we now see polar ice caps and a thin, blue ozone layer. The planet has much in common with Earth, except for the purple land.”
“How close are you to it?”
Lionel scans the radar. “We will approach in several hours. I look forward to flying through it to the other side.”
Gareth screams through the speaker. “Do NOT fly into the wormhole. I repeat, do NOT fly forward.”
Abe looks up. “Do you want us to turn back?”
“Yes, come back home.”
Lionel falters. “…but Centcom told us to inspect the star and report our findings.”
“Forget about them. The CIA will handle it from here. You are not to report your findings to anyone until you receive permission from me. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Lionel reassures. “We are heading home now.”
31.
MANOS COVERS his eyes with his left arm, shielding himself from the blinding light in the sky. With his right hand, he points a gun at Beth. “What the hell did you do?”
Outside the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, the dirt field pulsates with electricity flowing through an ultra-high-voltage cable into the Bay Area. As the sun rises, its orange hue is masked by the intense white radiance of the star.
Smiling silently, Beth and her colleagues sit handcuffed on the ground. Above them, the remnants of a mushroom cloud drift towards space.
“Answer me!” Manos roars. “What was that explosion?”
She stares at him defiantly. “I told you, but you didn’t want to believe me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We’ve solved fusion power.”
He kicks her in the back. “You’re fucking delusional. Why are there two suns in the sky?”
She falls forward in agony.
“Answer me!”
She looks up at him. “Check the market.”
“What?”
“Look at oil prices.”
Manos dons his smartglasses and loads a real-time stock ticker. His jaw drops when he sees the price of crude. “Why is Brent down 11% in the last hour? We’re at $77,000 per barrel.”
Beth grins. “We just activated the world’s first fusion reactor. It’s in your best interest to let us go.”
Manos appears confused. “I don’t understand. What does that have to do with oil?”
“We generated 50,000 gigawatts of electricity in the last five minutes.” She points to the neodymium laser. “That is the biggest power plant ever created, and it doesn’t emit a single greenhouse gas.”
“But why is oil falling?”
“The market sees a massive spike in supply and that lowers prices of all hydrocarbons. It’s only the beginning. With this breakthrough, we will no longer need fossil fuels.”
“That’s impossible.”
“They are obsolete, Manos. Soon they’ll be worth pennies. We’re freed from our addiction.”
Manos scratches his face. “You mean a little laser can create that much energy?”
“Yes, you idiot. We’ve used less than five percent of our deuterium supply. At this rate, our reactor will run the world for several hours.”
“That sounds too good to be true.”
“It isn’t! And the best part is that it’s clean. No more pollution and global warming.”
He shakes his head and points upward. “You liar! Look what you’ve done to the sky. There’s a giant ball of fire heading our way!”
Beth looks up and squints at the bright star. “I’m not sure what that is.”
“It appeared right after your blast.”
“It must be a byproduct of the gravitational wave. We’ll have to study it.”
Manos holds his rifle high. “What if it’s a giant meteor flying towards us? What good is clean energy if we all die in a fiery hell? You’re responsible for the consequences of this technology and I’ll make sure you go to jail for it.”
A military transport plane lands vertically on the field and its hull opens. Fifteen soldiers emerge brandishing guns and the lieutenant in charge approaches Manos. “Are these the criminals?”
“Yes,” Manos says, pointing at Beth, “She’s the ringleader.”
“We’ll take them to Las Condes,” the solider says as he lifts Beth off the ground. “There’s a military tribunal there. What’s the charge?”
“Theft of company data crucial for the War. I have the evidence to prove it.”
“We’ll take them to trial.”
Manos grits his teeth. “Lock them up.”
The officers pick up Beth, Austin, and the twelve other A.I. team members and escort them towards the plane. They walk single file with their hands cuffed.
Manos receives a call and answers it in his smartglasses. The CIA deputy director appears in a navy suit. “Gareth, what’s happening?”
“We have a situation, Manos.”
“It can’t be worse than mine.”
Gareth peers around. “Where are you?”
“I’m in Livermore. We just had a massive blast and earthquake, and now there’s a meteor heading our way!”
Gareth’s eyes widen. “A meteor?”
“Yes, a giant bright light.”
“Does it look like a star?”
“Yes.”
Gareth laughs. “That’s not a meteor.”
“What?”
“That’s exactly why I’m calling, Manos. I just spoke with two astronauts on the USS Hawkeye. They’ve flown near the object and discovered a wormhole connecting to a new solar system.”
Manos looks up at the sky. “It’s not a meteor? Then what the hell am I looking at?”
“That’s a star somewhere in the universe.”
Manos looks away and shuts his eyes in pain. “You mean to tell me there’s a portal above us connecting to another sun?”
“Yes! And here’s the amazing part—the astronauts detected a planet on the other side.”
Manos jolts upright. “A planet?”
“Yes. It has blue oceans and ice caps.”
“Does it have oxygen?”
“We don’t know. I ordered them to return home. An opportunity like this must be carefully planned.”
Manos puts down his rifle and sits. “Gareth, I take it you’re not calling with bad news?”
“Quite the opposite. This is a rare circumstance and the prospects are extraordinary. There’s a new world a stone’s throw away!”
Manos’s brow relaxes. “What if there’s gold and silver there?”
“Imagine if it contains oxygen or fresh water. We could lay stake to a virgin planet!”
“New Earth?” Manos’s eyes widen. “We can take it all for ourselves. No one knows about this!”
Gareth snickers. “Yeah, let China colonize Mars for all I care. If we do this right, we can clinch full control of a planet that looks just like ours. Imagine the possibilities…”
Manos hoots. “We’ll definitely be great again.”
“Listen, we have to be strategic and tread carefully. The Russians and Chinese must not know about this. We have to keep our findings confidential.”
“But can’t they see the planet for themselves?”
“No, it’s only visible from space. I repeat, don’t tell anyone about this.”
“My lips are sealed, Gareth. What do we do next?”
Several seconds of silence ensue. “How would you like to be the first explorer of New Earth?”
Manos’s jaw drops. “You want me to go up there?”
“Yes. There are too many spies in the CIA. If I announce this to my team, it will leak immediately. I trust GoldRock to keep it secret.”
“That’s very noble of you.” Manos rubs his chin and stares in contemplation. “Thanks to you, I do have
a Falcon 12 in New Mexico.”
“Yes, I gave that you as payment for one of our missions. Didn’t I say the rocket would be useful someday?”
“It’s sitting idle in Spaceport America. You want me to fly it through the wormhole?”
“Would you?”
Manos grins. “Absolutely. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m honored, Gareth. Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. I want a detailed account of your discoveries. Bring back samples from the planet.”
“You got it.”
“We also need to understand why this portal opened up in the first place.”
Manos stands and heads for his chopper. “I know the reason. Andrews is behind it.”
“Bethany Andrews?”
“Yes. Apparently, she developed the first functional fusion reactor here in Livermore. We had an enormous blast when it went online. The star appeared right afterward.”
Gareth leans forward. “You mean her nuclear project was a success? That explains everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oil prices are down $10,000 per barrel, Manos! Take a look at natural gas and coal commodities. Fossil fuel prices are lower across the board. We are scratching our heads wondering what’s going on.”
Manos stops walking. “You mean she’s telling the truth?”
“Apparently so. Her reactor is filling up our energy reserves.”
“I threw her in jail just now. I thought she was lying to my face.”
“That’s a mistake! Let her go, Manos. We need her on our side.”
“But she’s an anti-war liberal. You want me to free her?”
“Yes. If Andrews has solved nuclear fusion, the President will want to speak with her.”
“Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“Please do. And hurry, Manos, get to the Falcon 12. A new world awaits!”
“I’m heading to New Mexico now.”
“Good luck!”
Manos disconnects and approaches Felina. “Get our helicopter ready. We’re going on a flight.”
“Yes, Mr. Kharon. Where are we headed?”
“Spaceport America.”
“To your rocket, sir?”
“Yes. We’re about to go on a wild ride.”
Copter blades start to spin and kick up dust. Outside the Livermore Laboratory, a steady flow of electricity runs from the reactor through the heavy cables and into the heartland of the country, powering a world in desperate need of energy.
Manos sees the prisoners marching through the dirt field. Soldiers escort them single file onto the military transport plane. He turns to his assistant. “Felina, send a message to the lieutenant over there. Tell him to release Andrews and her team. They are free to go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. There’s no need to take them to Las Condes. They are no longer under arrest.”
“I will let him know immediately.”
“Now let’s get out of here.”
He boards and buckles in for the flight to New Mexico.
32.
AUSTIN STANDS handcuffed about to enter a military transport plane. Kwame and Fei wait in single file behind him. As he prepares to board, the lieutenant arrives and yells to the group. “Uncuff them!”
“What was that, sir?” a soldier asks.
“The captors are to be discharged.”
The officer shrugs. “If you insist...” He frees Austin and gives him back his smartglasses. “You can go.”
Austin stumbles. “…what’s going on? Why are you releasing us?”
“Get lost before we change our minds.”
He turns and races through the dirt field towards the laboratory, confused by the intense luminescence of the second sun. He looks back.
I have two shadows. What the hell is happening?
Hearing high-voltage electricity flowing in the vicinity, he looks around and sees sparks fly from the neodymium laser.
Fei arrives close behind. “I can’t believe we’re free. Why did they release us, Dr. Sanders?”
“Don’t ask questions. We have to find Anil.” They sprint into the warehouse to find thick, black smoke billowing from the X10. A sulfuric odor permeates the air.
Fei covers her mouth and nose. “We should have brought gas masks.”
“It’s too late for that.” He shouts over the raucous tremor. “Anil, where are you?”
Beth catches up with the team. “Is the reactor still running?”
“It sure sounds like it,” Fei replies.
“Those noises don’t mean anything. We have to inspect the machine.”
Austin scans the laboratory. “I’ve been through enough already. I just want to find Anil and get out here.”
The hall rocks with a thunderous roar. They run through the facility and find the neodymium laser frying a semi-molten reactor. Liquid zirconium oozes from the shell and melts the concrete floor as black smoke rises to the ceiling.
Fei points at the vibrating transformer. “Look, we’re still creating energy!” The ultra-high-voltage line shakes as it sends electricity into the nearby power plant.
“Amazing,” Beth says. “That means the laser is maintaining a temperature above 100 million degrees. The gravity engine worked! We’ve recreated the conditions inside the sun here on Earth.”
“Anil was right all along,” Austin proudly states. “The gravitational wave gave the extra boost to hit our magic number. That was the missing piece of the puzzle.”
Beth snaps a photo. “This is the longest fusion reaction in history. We are generating 500,000 gigawatts per hour. Imagine the possibilities…”
“Not now. We have to find Anil.” Austin follows the cable to an opening in the wall and looks outside. Soldiers writhe in pain on the mud field. He grabs a first-aid kit hanging from the wall. “He might be out here. Let’s hurry and find him.”
The team climb from the hole and fan out in search of their colleague. They cover their eyes from the blinding starlight as roaring currents flow around them.
“Anil!” Austin screams across the field.
There’s no response. They scour the area and inspect the bodies scattered on the ground.
“He’s over here,” Diego exclaims.
The team rushes to find Anil badly injured and covered in debris, his wrists cuffed and his hands black with bruises. Blood drips from his face and his shoulder appears dislocated.
Austin feels his pulse. “Can you hear me?”
Anil broods in silence.
Beth nears. “Is he alive?”
“Yes, but he’s badly hurt. He suffered a head injury.”
Anil blinks his dust-filled eyes, mouthing something inaudible.
“He’s awake!” Beth sits next to him. “Anil, are you okay?”
“He needs water,” Austin says, removing a pack from the first-aid kit. “Drink this.”
Anil opens his mouth and slowly sips from the canister. The team wipes the dirt from his face.
Austin wraps a cloth around his associate’s wounded hand. “I am so proud of you, Anil. You single-handedly solved Project Titan. Without your insights, we never would have succeeded.”
A tear streams from Anil’s eye. His face strains as he tries to speak. “Lu—”
Austin leans closer. “What did you say?”
“Lumi...”
“Your daughter?”
Anil slowly nods, frowning as he tries to move his neck.
Austin turns to the team. “Oh my God, his wife Prisha is due any day now. Anil, is your wife in labor?”
Anil grimaces as he nods.
“We have to hurry and get Anil to his family.”
“Stay here,” Beth says. “I’ll bring my helicopter around and take you to San Francisco. Don’t worry, Anil. We’ll get your wife to the hospital as fast as we can.” She runs back into the laboratory towards her chopper.
Anil blinks with sand in his eyes. A smile comes over his face. “We did it…”
<
br /> Austin beams. “Yes, all thanks to you. Somehow, you caught the gravity wave right as it hit Earth. You’ve made history!”
Anil lifts a thumb. “We did it together.”
“This is the world’s first fusion reaction, a hundred and fifty years in the making!”
They lie silently waiting for Beth, listening to the electricity flowing into the world. Anil covers his eyes from the bright star in the sky.
An incoming call arrives in Austin’s smartglasses. “Excuse me for one second.” His heart beats madly in his chest. He walks away and takes a deep breath before answering the call. “Hello?”
A soft female voice answers. “Austin…”
His voice cracks. “Olivia?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Austin sits and stares in shock. “You heard my message?” His eyes well up with tears. “I miss you so much.”
“It’s been so long, Austin…”
He puts the line on mute and cries for several seconds, then tries to get himself together. “I think about you every day.”
She is silent.
“Olivia, I’m sorry. I treated you so badly...” Austin weeps. “My behavior was irrational and out of line. I was devastated when Matthew passed away. I couldn’t control myself...”
“It’s not your fault, Austin. Losing a child is the most difficult experience for anyone.”
He wipes his tears. “I’m a mess without you, Olivia. I have dreams about you and our son every night. I miss our little angel. He was so sweet and innocent…”
She sobs. “I think about him all the time.”
“I’ve wanted to hear your voice for so long. Can I see you?”
She grows quiet.
“Please Olivia, I want to make it up to you.”
“Let me think about it,” she says quietly.
Moments of silence pass. “My heart bleeds for you, Olivia. I apologize for my behavior.”
After some silence she replies, “I accept your apology.”
“You do?”
“Yes…and I will see you.”
“You will? Are you sure? I don’t want to force you.”
“You’re not. I do miss you also and I want you back in my life.”
He appears shocked. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Can I take you somewhere special?”
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