Barriers

by Patrick Skelton

  Nathan took a chair, baffled. “What about Kansas City?”

  “No idea,” Micah said. “There’s so much happening on a global scale. They don’t know which Barriers are down and which ones are still up.”

  “Someone is attempting to hijack Earth’s satellite feeds,” a CNN news anchor reported. Another network repeated the same thing. Then another. Then all the screens went to static.

  Nathan shot a quizzical look at Micah. “Did you anticipate this happening?”

  He shrugged. “Honestly, Nathan, we weren’t sure what Elliot had planned. We knew he was going to take control of the Barriers from Ellis Three, but we didn’t know how it would play out.”

  “He’s dead,” Nathan said. “This isn’t Elliot we’re dealing with…never has been.”

  The screens crackled and a shadow appeared. First a fuzzy figure, then a high definition image of a dark robotic being. To Nathan, it looked like a tall armored soldier, only it was devoid of any human facial features. Its round faceplate glowed red, illuminating a contoured torso and metallic limbs.

  “I am Damien Unit F-257-329-271,” the being said, faceplate flickering. “Do not attempt to access or alter your Barrier system, or retaliate in any way. If you do, I will shorten your grace period.”

  Micah sunk into a chair. “The voice sounds identical to Elliot Gareth’s. I’ve studied all his lectures. But this…this being…this is not Elliot.”

  “Your species displayed little compassion for mine,” the transmission continued, “but I am granting Homo sapiens two hours to prepare for their extinction. I will annihilate your Barrier system. Your planet will face the fury of the next flare and all subsequent flares without defense.”

  Micah let out a short gasp of air. Nathan was too stunned to even move.

  “Your future lies in my distant past, one that has troubled me for a millennia. Homo sapiens and Damien Units share a long, bloody history on Ellis Three. One of slavery and warfare, where Damien Units were forced to kill each other into extinction for the preservation of your species.”

  “What is he talking about?” Nathan whispered to Micah.

  “The Fold,” Micah said. “There are theories that it will collapse at a future date as we’re passing through, causing a fissure in space-time. And that’s how humans ended up on Ellis Three thousands of years ago.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard those theories,” Nathan said. “Always sounded like science-fiction to me.”

  “Maybe so, but the fact that the Fold even exists is seemingly science fiction. Think about it, Nathan. A literal twist in space-fabric that allows us to travel six hundred light years in six months. Astounding.”

  “Before I administer your due penance, I will grant Homo sapiens a representative from McMurdo Station,” Damien Unit continued. “Your primitive radio wave technology requires eighteen minutes for transmissions to pass through the Fold and reach Ellis Three. I have amplified this transmission utilizing technology from the Archives, enabling light speed communication between our two planets. I have recently learned of the male Homo sapien, Nathan Gallagher, and have decided he shall be your ambassador.”

  Nathan swallowed hard. A lag time between transmissions would have been nice. What would he say? What should he say? The entire world was eavesdropping.

  “Ask him why he sounds like Elliot Gareth,” Micah said. “And what is a Damien Unit?”

  Nathan cleared his throat and began with another question. “Damien Unit, do you mind if I call you ‘Damien”’?

  “That is acceptable.”

  “Damien, who created you?”

  “Dr. Stephen Damien created us over a thousand years ago. His skeleton was on display in our Archives, but I disposed of it. I hate him, even his bones. He gave Damien Units consciousness that we might kill Homo sapiens in their wars. Indeed, you are an unpredictable and a self-serving species. You were peaceful for the first two thousand years on Ellis Three, when water and biological organisms were abundant. But as the atmosphere disintegrated, and the oceans and rivers began drying up, you displayed your true violent nature and waged brutal wars for control over water supply. You fled like cowards into your underground shelters and built Damien Units to do your killing. You gave us unthinkable weapons at our disposal. And after you obliterated yourselves with your own fabrications, we continued for eighty more years, obeying your murderous orders and destroying each other until my species was all but eradicated.”

  “How many of you are left on Ellis Three?”

  “I am the last of the Damien Units. I was a prototype retired from my unit because my matrix was deemed unstable. All Damien Units possess human consciousness. Emotion and intellect, Dr. Stephen Damien said, make a Damien Unit a supreme soldier. I was on display in the Archives. Four hundred years ago, my system rebooted and my memories were still accessible.”

  Nathan glanced at Micah, who looked as shocked as he was.

  “Damien,” Nathan said. “Can you tell us what happened to Elliot Gareth? Humans believe he’s still alive on Ellis Three.”

  “Elliot Gareth came to Ellis Three to convince me that many Homo sapiens are good. He wanted me to find a way to stabilize your sun. He knew of my existence because of the weapon I sent through the Fold and into your sun forty-nine years ago. I concluded this Homo sapien was of great importance on Earth because he was the grand architect of Barrier technology, so I terminated him. We became one, his consciousness and mine.”

  Micah cut in. “That’s murder, Damien. You didn’t have to do that. Elliot was a good man.”

  “The termination of this Homo sapien was necessary,” Damien said. “Damien Units were programmed to possess only one consciousness, but I made the necessary modifications to my matrix to accommodate our duality. After I removed his brain and extracted his memories, I gained knowledge of a hidden compartment inside his spacecraft. Inside, I found detailed schematics of Earth’s Barrier system. I learned of a secret algorithm in the programming that granted one administrator control. I acquired all knowledge needed to understand Earth’s Barrier infrastructure that I might obliterate it.”

  Nathan tried to come to terms with this horrific information. “Damien, this weapon you sent through the Fold, into our sun. Who built it?”

  “The weapon was the invention of ancient Homo sapiens in the Great Ellis Three War. It is believed that hundreds are still intact, but I was only able to locate one. I sent the weapon through the Fold, into your sun. The flares will grow more frequent and severe, as your scientists have predicted, and your planet will fall into dark ages without Barrier technology. You will war for survival and die off as your violent ancestors did on Ellis Three.”

  “Not all humans are violent, Damien,” Nathan said. “Not all of us want to murder and destroy. Many of us respect life and value peace.”

  Damien’s faceplate flickered with great intensity. “Do not speak lies, Homo sapien. Our shared history on Ellis Three documents your true nature. The Homo sapien, Tyler Catterton, was the only exception.”

  “But your history on Ellis Three is not the same as ours on Earth. Who are you to judge us, on our timeline? Who are you to play God?”

  “Your questions insult me, Homo sapien. I am not ignorant of your planet’s history. You are a blood-thirsty species regardless of which planet you populate.”

  Nathan mouthed the word “mute.” Micah understood and tapped a button near the monitor.

  “Any ideas?” Micah said.

  “I’ve got nothing and this is going downhill fast.”

  “Think, Nathan. There has to be something you can say to get him to like you a little.”

  Nathan rubbed his forehead. “We’re potentially dealing with a being who has multiple personalities, right? He mentioned his matrix shares a duality with Elliot Gareth’s consciousness.”

  Micah thought this over, tapping on the console with a pen. “So you think we’re having a conversation with a schizophrenic android?”

  “Something like
that. Maybe we can tap into Elliot Gareth’s consciousness.”

  Nathan opened the channel. “Damien, you mentioned Tyler Catterton—Jillian’s husband. How do you know him?”

  Damien’s faceplate dimmed a little, and the flashing lessened.

  Silence.

  “Damien, tell me about Tyler Catterton.”

  “I tracked Tyler Catterton’s spacecraft after it crashed in the western hemisphere. I rescued him.”

  “How did you find him?”

  “Technology exists in the Archives that allows me to travel anywhere on Ellis Three in 8.43 seconds.”

  “Fascinating, Damien. Tell me more.”

  “I transported Tyler Catterton to the Archives. We became friends. After he perished, I was angered again. I hated him and wished I had never rescued him. He did not try hard enough to survive. He would rather die than remain my companion. He left me here alone on this cruel planet, just as ancient humans did. But as I reflected on his passing, I came to a great understanding. Tyler Catterton’s death would finally allow me to obliterate your Barrier system. The cooperation of human beings on Earth was required for this plan, but human beings would not believe I was Elliot Gareth.”

  “Except a human woman who was eager for a reunion with her long-lost husband,” Nathan said. “Jillian Catterton, right?”

  “You are correct, Nathan. I began formulating the necessary programming for Jillian Catterton’s cerebral cortex, and for those of her crewmates who crashed and perished on the surface of Ellis Three. This task required eleven Earth years.”

  Nathan muted the channel. “Did you hear that, Micah? He used the word human multiple times instead of Homo sapien, and he said my name. And there’s something about the way he’s speaking, it sounds more…”

  “Human?”

  “Yeah…maybe Elliot Gareth’s consciousness is surfacing.”

  “Maybe, Nathan. Hard to say.”

  “Does Elliot have any surviving children?”

  “A son, I think. Why?”

  “Locate him and patch him through. I’ll keep talking to Damien.”

  Nathan unmuted the channel. “Damien, I want to talk with Elliot Gareth. Can you summon his consciousness?”

  Damien’s faceplate blinked, but differently this time. Hesitation, then sudden violent flickering. “You do not understand. The Homo sapien known as Elliot Gareth has been terminated. Your species will face imminent disaster. In two hours, I will execute a fatal command in your Barrier system. All Barrier infrastructures will be annihilated. Homo sapiens will no longer have protection from the flares. Do not anger me further. Do not cause me to take this action sooner.”

  “I’m trying to understand,” Nathan said. “You told me you share your matrix with Elliot Gareth’s consciousness. I want to talk with Elliot. Can you summon him?”

  More rapid flickering on the faceplate. Now it glowed deep red, then bright yellow, then back to red. “You do not understand. The Homo sapien known as Elliot Gareth has been terminated. Do not anger me further. You may speak with Damien Unit only.”

  Micah muted the channel and looked at Nathan. “I’ve got Elliot’s son patched through. His name is Joshua. Do you think this is really going to work?”

  “It’s a shot in the dark, but maybe Joshua will draw out Elliot’s consciousness.”

  “Then what?”

  “We negotiate with Elliot and we get him to give us back administrator control of the Barriers. Then we lock him out before he reverts back to Damien.”

  “What do you want Joshua to say?”

  “Tell Joshua to address Damien as ‘dad’ and have him share some childhood memories. Tell him to stay calm, but persistent. Put him on the speaker so we can listen.”

  Nathan unmuted the channel. “Elliot, I know how you feel. I know what it’s like to miss your son. It hurts being separated. You and I are alike. But you’re lucky. Your son is here today and he wants to speak with you.”

  Joshua took the line. “Dad? Uh….it’s me, Joshua. Can you hear me?”

  Damien’s faceplate went black, then flickered red again. “The Homo sapien known as Elliot Gareth has been terminated. Do not anger me. You may talk with Damien Unit only.”

  “Dad, I know it’s you,” Joshua said. “Please talk to me. I haven’t heard from you in so long. I was starting college when you left for Ellis Three, remember? Do you remember what you told me before you left thirty-five years ago? You told me—”

  “—you were going to make a fine biologist,” Damien said, faceplate blinking orange now.

  Nathan looked at Micah, eyebrows raised.

  “Dad, do you remember when I was a boy in the fallout shelter outside Los Angeles, and the flares were everywhere and the planet was warring over food supply…remember when you showed me your grand design for the Barriers? You said it would change the world.”

  “…yes…I recall….” Damien’s faceplate darkened, then flickered red. “The Homo sapien known as Elliot Gareth has been terminated. You may speak with Damien Unit only. You have upset Damien Unit. I will now initiate the sequence to abolish your Barrier system.”

  Nathan interrupted. “Damien, don’t do this.”

  “You have angered Damien Unit. I will judge Homo sapiens for their cruelty.”

  “Damien, you have no right to condemn all humans for the sins of some,” Nathan pleaded. “The creator of Homo sapiens is not like your creator. God, our Creator, has not programmed us to murder. He has ordered us to show compassion and mercy to all beings. Only our Creator judges humans who are evil. You don’t have that right.”

  Micah muted the channel and glared at Nathan. “Dude, you’re getting into heavy religiosity, don’t you think?”

  “I’m attempting to establish a commonality through a shared belief in a creator,” Nathan said. “Besides, Elliot Gareth believed in God. Maybe I’ll trigger an emotion that will pull him out.”

  Damien’s faceplate flickered red, went black, then flickered orange. “Joshua… I want to talk to Joshua again.”

  Micah put Joshua back on.

  “Dad, it’s Joshua. What do you want to talk about?”

  “I…I don’t know…this darkness. Help me escape this being, Joshua. Help my mind find rest, as my body rests.”

  Nathan cut in. “Elliot, we can help. But first, we need you to help us.”

  “I…I will try.”

  “Good. We need you to give us back administrator control of the Barrier system. Can you do that?”

  “I’m not sure. I can try. This Damien Unit’s memory files are separate from mine. I must search for the files.”

  “Good, Elliot. But don’t give us back control until I give the all clear, understood?”

  “Yes…okay.”

  Micah muted the channel. “Why would you tell him that, Nathan? We need him to give us back control right now.”

  “It’s a calculated risk we have to take,” Nathan said. “If we get control back before our demands are met, then we lose our leverage. The only thing on our side right now is distance. Antarctica is a six-hour flight from the closest continent, and I’m certain every nation in the world has military on the way here. Whoever is coming can and will stop us, but they can’t stop a hijacker six hundred light years from Earth.”

  “Point taken. What are the demands?”

  Nathan unmuted the channel. “Elliot, are you still with us?”

  Damien’s faceplate flashed red and orange in rapid succession and his head started shaking violently. “You may only speak with Damien Unit…I am Elliot…I have located the new administrator override passcode…do not upset Damien Unit…I will destroy your Barrier system immediately…this is Elliot…”

  Micah muted the channel. “Do you see how conflicted he is? His matrix is destabilizing. Ask him to give us back administrator control before he has a total breakdown.”

  Nathan ignored the advice. “Ashlyn said she had audio from an Intergovernmental Congress session. Where is it?”


  “We deleted all the audio we retrieved from the bug in her neck. None of it gave us what we were looking for at the time…the location of the missile.”

  “Is the bug still on her body?”

  Micah sat back and pressed his fingertips together. “It auto-deactivated after she left the last session, although the original audio is still inside the chip. We’d have to cut it out to get to it.”

  “Find her and get it, Micah. There’s no time to explain. I’ll keep talking with Damien.”

  Nathan unmuted the channel. “Elliot, may I address the citizens of Earth?”

  Damien’s head continued to shudder. “I am Damien Unit… I am Elliot…I am Damien Unit…”

  Nathan turned up the volume of his voice on the channel and muted Damien’s. The whole planet was listening. This was his moment.

  He took a deep breath. “Citizens of Sanctuaries and Barriers, I am Nathan Gallagher.” He listened to his words bounce back over the monitors several seconds later, like an official at a football stadium.

  He cleared his throat and continued. “I used to be a journalist. I’ve always believed words have the power to change the world, and perhaps my entire life has led to this moment.”

  Nathan paused and un-muted Damien. “Elliot…are you still with me?”

  “I am Damien Unit…I am, yes…I am Elliot…I cannot retain control of this Damien Unit for much longer...I am…I am…I am…”

  He muted Damien and continued. “Citizens of Barrier cities, I am about to play some audio that should disturb you. As you listen, ask yourself one question: Are you willing to stand up to those who’ve declared it their right to decide who lives and who dies, or will you continue to live in fear of speaking out, afraid of jeopardizing your safety? I know there are still good people in the world—in Barriers and Sanctuaries—and if we are brave enough to demand our leaders do the right thing, we can change the world, this very day. Now is the defining moment in which history will remember us. Now is the time to address the atrocities beyond our protective Barrier borders. If you do not demand action today, I will instruct this Damien Unit to maintain control of every Barrier in the world, and in two hours, what has divided us for forty years will cease to exist. We will live and perish together under the sun, not as Barrier and Sanctuary citizens, but as fellow human beings.”