by J. D. Cavan
“Now it’s really going to be hard roughing you up,” she said.
Myers smiled widely, some of the distress leaving his face. “Just go ahead and do it before I change my mind.”
She dealt with the butterflies smashing around in her stomach, and calmed herself down. A frown appeared on her face and her fist clenched.
“Wait.” He stopped her. “Good luck,” he said.
“You too. I’ll see you soon,” she said, not knowing for sure if she’d ever see him again.
* * *
MYERS HAD CREATED a diversion. After Samantha had drilled him in the jaw, and then in the eye, he raced out of her cell and down the hall shouting and attracting Replica attention. That gave Samantha enough time to slip out a back entrance and down flights of stairs to the doors leading to the compound’s exit.
Once outside, she killed a bunch of Replica, took an assault jeep and drove it through a series of huge chain link fences. Replica guards in the towers began firing on her, alarms blaring, as assault vehicles and drones chased her down.
Her jeep crashed through the last fence, with only one final wall between her and the outside world. She scanned the cement wall for ways up and over it when her jeep was hit by a rocket from a tower. It flipped and she felt herself ejected into the air as the vehicle careened into the dirt and grass.
She went out cold, and when she woke up, Replica were fast approaching her from vehicles and on foot.
She tried to stand up but stumbled as she did, limping on what might have been a broken ankle. Her gear was torn and she was bleeding all over. She grabbed her arm and attempted to straighten it out, pain shooting through it. She tasted blood in her mouth.
The first line of Replica got to her, about ten of them coming up from behind. She was breathing heavily and hurt badly. An armored vehicle pulled up and the Replica parted ways. General Zim jumped out of the passenger’s side door.
“Don’t hurt her, no need,” Zim commanded the Replica. “We are going to get you into the truck. You’re going back to the Order immediately.”
“Screw you!” she snapped, and spit blood from her month.
“You don’t want to do this, trust me,” Zim said to her. There was something different in his voice. It seemed genuine and not just a sadistic taunt.
She glanced at the wall. Tons of heavily armed Replica stood in front of it. She turned and could see Replica behind her, and all around. She was weighing her options and buying time, hoping her body could heal itself.
She picked her head up and stared into Zim’s eye-shield. She could see her reflection, and her leg was bleeding badly. She glanced around slowly again. There were too many of them. Her body gave up its tension, and she was ready to surrender when she startled. A loud explosion went off behind her.
A giant part of the wall blew out, sending Replica body parts along with it. A ton of smoke and dust rolled out from the opening. She stumbled backwards and focused her vision. A truck came flying out of the smog, careering into compound. She instinctively stared to run toward the truck as more explosions ripped around her. Replica began firing as the pickup raced across the compound.
The pickup was swinging toward her, and she could see Dani in the driver’s seat. Bags and James were in the bed of the truck. Bags had a rocket launcher and James was firing a heavy-duty assault blaster, tearing down Replica as they ripped by everyone.
Over her shoulder, she could see an army of Replica assault vehicles approaching with rounds whipping around and over her head and toward the pickup. The sound of the battle roared as James continued his rapid-fire assault and screamed at her to “Run! Run!” toward the truck.
Her body felt like it would fall apart, but she raced at them, gunfire and explosions going off everywhere. They had seconds to pull off this rescue and escape.
She was a moment away the truck, and she felt relief as she caught Dani’s hopeful eyes through her open window. Then she suddenly felt it. It was a pain she had never felt in her entire life. It was nothing like a broken bone or a burn or a gunshot. It absolutely paralyzed her.
An excruciating sensation came from her stomach and doubled her over. She crashed to her knees, without words or air to breathe. Her mind was blank, pain the only thing in it. She raised one arm up, moaning and begging for help. She just wanted whatever was happening to stop, and finally it did. She found herself breathing rapidly, still on all fours.
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Dani’s face, which had looked so hopeful, now appeared demoralized.
She was surrounded by Replica and their assault vehicles, mere feet from the pickup. James pounded on the sides of the truck, yelling at Dani, who hesitated before racing off. They drove out of the opening in the wall with Replica in chase behind them. Her heart sunk.
Zim walked over toward her, his giant black boots in front of her face. “So close, but so far,” he said.
“What are doing to me!?” she shouted. Her head was down and she spit more blood from her mouth and watched it drip into the dirt.
Zim sighed loudly, and then said harshly, “You don’t listen, do you? I warned you. Now get up and get into the truck! Forget about your Ereb friends. We’re going to track them down and kill them.”
She grunted and struggled to stand up. She put her shoulders slowly back and raised her head and clenched her jaw. She was wobbly, and it looked like she was bleeding from everywhere. She still hadn’t caught her breath, and it pushed in and out rapidly, but she made two fists and raised them.
Two Replica came toward her and she instinctively she hit one, flinching in pain as she did. It was a hand chop to the nose, shattering his eye-shield and sending him crashing to the earth in a spasm. The other one stepped back and looked at Zim, who merely shook his head.
“Stop,” Zim said to her, but she took a step toward him. She’d rip his face off if she could get to him. But the next step sent her down again. The pain in her stomach returned, this time harder and faster. She lay on the ground, nearly out cold from its brute force.
Barely conscious, she heard General Zim order the Replica to pick her up and put her in the back of his vehicle. She felt them hoist her off the ground, carry her over to the truck and dump her in the back. She felt her near-dead body rocking and bouncing back and forth as they took her over the bumpy landscape back to the Aion compound.
22
“WHAT DO YOU WANT from me!” Samantha snapped in anger before a shot of unbearable pain went through her body again. It felt as if she was on fire on the inside, and it was burning its way out of her. She dropped to her knees, holding her stomach, and growled at them. Then her agony abruptly ended and she pushed herself to stand back up defiantly.
“You just don’t learn, do you?” Zim said. He had his eye- gear off, revealing a razor-sharp gaze with icy blue eyes.
“I just don’t give up, nor do my people,” she snapped at him. She was still bloody and beat up, but if she could get one shot in, she’d try and drill him. She searched for a reaction. Did they catch James, Dani, and Bags? Apparently not. She was sure Zim would have gladly told her if they had.
“General Zim, we’ll take it from here. Thank you for bringing her back alive,” Bernard said before turning to address her. “It turns out that you are a very complicated being. Your mind is trap door with an abyss at the end of it—that’s how Aion described it. In human terms. So there’s no end to you.” She was back in front of the Order and Bernard was lecturing to her.
Another dose of pain raced through her and she put an arm out, begging for them stop, but she only hit the floor again, almost passing out.
“Stop!” Myers shouted. “The Calculation’s not for this!”
“Silence! The Calculation is for whatever reason Aion determines,” Dr. Carlyle interjected.
The pain had stopped but she remained on the floor.
“The extinction phases have started already, Ben,” his mother told him. “Aion never intended otherwise. My apologies.
We needed to remain opaque regarding these matters.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” Ben replied, his voice leaving him.
“It’s the only way, darling.”
“The young chap has too much human in him, doesn’t he?” Bernard chirped.
There was a long silent pause. “Samantha, we have wonderful news for you. We would like you to join us in our Great Community. You will praise Aion and the Great Beings every day and live very comfortably,” Silva announced as if she was giving out the best news anyone could ever get.
Samantha felt her tears now. What a mistake she had made trusting Myers and allowing the Calculation. Her despair was overwhelming. Her synchronic sense, the thing that had saved her life, seemed to have betrayed and doomed her in the end. She glanced up at Ben and could see the misery in his eyes. She didn’t care. She hated him in that moment, and herself for trusting him. She put her head down and closed her eyes.
“You will be in the same community as Ben Myers. We can see the obvious affinity you have for each other.” Bernard seemed to have sympathy for her, but she knew the truth—it could only be for some cold and calculated reason, otherwise they’d never consider putting her and Ben together. She just hadn’t figured it out yet.
“While Aion cleanses things, you will be well protected within our Great Community from the human suffering we know you are all too concerned about,” Silva continued.
There weren’t walls high enough or bunkers deep enough to prevent her from feeling the pain that was about to come from all the slaughter of innocent humans during the extinction phases.
“Now stand up, enough pouting,” Silva said.
Samantha slowly got up to her feet.
The Order paused for a moment as if they were listening to something.
“We have brilliant news!” Bernard announced. “Aion will join us now.”
Instantly, everyone dropped to one knee. Samantha remained standing, as did Ben, before he fell to a knee, keeping his eyes on her. He gave her a serious look and she hesitated for a moment, but then went to a knee as well. It seemed ridiculous bowing down to a computer program.
It was quiet for a while before a voice bellowed out. It seemed to come from everywhere at once. “Rise!”
She stood along with everyone else. An image appeared in the middle of room—it was the symbol of Aion. She had seen it before pasted around the compound. It was the strange-looking, winged, lion-headed figure. It was a static image, and eerie. The empty white eyes of the lion seemed to stare out at her. It was like a portrait with the eyes that seemed to follow you around the room.
“It is an honor that you will become one of us,” Aion’s voice said, without any movement from the figure. It was deep and had a monotone quality, like the Replica. “We are sure that your integration will be marvelous, just as it was so many years ago when the Originals first integrated.” The voice reverberated oddly. “Welcome, Samantha.”
There was a silent pause before Silva whispered to her mouthing the words, “Thank you.”
Samantha watched the bizarre scene and then uttered, “Thank you, all powerful one?” Ben cringed and Dr. Carlyle shook his head angrily toward her. “I mean, Aion and the Great Beings,” she said.
“You are still a creature of nature. This is understandable. Please be patient with her.” Aion seemed to be talking to the Order.
“Yes, you are correct. Honor Aion and the Great Beings,” Bernard replied before everyone chanted in unison, “Honor Aion and the Great Beings.” She noticed that even Zim chanted it.
It got silent after that, and she subtly glanced around the room at everyone. It was weird, really weird.
Aion spoke again, and it startled her. “You have some of us in you now, but not much.”
Her heart dropped. She knew it, what she didn’t want to know. They weren’t just taking her fluids while she was in the tank, but injecting technologies into her. That’s how they were causing the pain that was controlling her.
“In time, in time,” Aion’s deep and automated voice rang out. “We do have something remarkable to share with you, however. I will let the Order present my gift and bid you farewell for now.” Aion’s strange image disappeared.
There was a long pause before Silva spoke. “We have someone we’d like you to meet.”
General Zim opened the door and someone walked in with him. Samantha almost threw up. She couldn’t believe it. She was staring at an image of herself. It was her Replica.
“It’s our first attempt and very basic, a far cry from her Original, and certainly not easy! We were able to get the strength part of your domain traits for the Replication—but the rest of the domain traits, no. Pretty darn good for a first try,” Bernard happily announced.
“No,” Samantha said under her breath.
“We even added some strength on top of it. Not that she needed it, but since we have the technical capabilities, why not!” Bernard looked thrilled.
For the most part, she appeared physically the same, but she was larger. Her back and legs and arms were more muscle-bound and ripped, and she was taller also. She wore the black military clothing and the eye-shield of the Replica. She stood motionless next to Zim. Myers looked stunned; clearly it was a surprise for him as well.
“Take your eye-shield off for a moment so we can see Aion’s creation,” Carlyle told her.
She removed her eye-shield and Samantha’s head spun. She was identical. Her eyes appeared dead at first, but then it was as if something woke her up and they came to life.
“Hello, Samantha, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” the Replica said in a voice that was almost exactly her voice, except for the slight automated quality. Samantha stared at her blankly.
“Well, don’t be rude. She’s going to be working for you,” Dr. Carlyle said, almost gleefully. “This is a gift. Usually we are grateful when offered gifts. I hope we don’t need to train you in polite discourse with dosages of pain, like an unruly pet.”
She waved her head back and forth. She clamped down on her jaw and mustered up a hello to her Replica.
“Jolly good, Samantha. She seems to be fitting in already. You’ll be so pleased to know that she has no name yet. Guest what?” Bernard asked, delight in his voice.
Samantha just nodded her head slightly, hiding the bitterness she felt inside. She felt violated beyond anything. She couldn’t hide the tears forming in her eyes.
“You get to name her. That’s what. What would you like to call her?” Silva asked pleasantly.
Samantha bit down on her tongue and held her breath in and wiped her eyes. She was eating more crud in minutes then she had in her entire life. “Are you sure you want to do this, Replicate me. I mean I’m a hand full if you haven’t noticed. I can barely deal with myself let alone another me,” she said, struggling to find some pride.
“I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor but to be honest with you you’re going to be much less of hand full now, to use your words,” Dr. Carlyle said.
Then she felt it full force—the utter despair, her mistake on a grand scale, worse than she’d ever felt in her life. She experienced an unbearable amount of misery, but this went to her core being. Who she was, was utterly crushed. It was deep and she couldn’t help but resist.
“I’ll have to think about it. It’s not every day you get to slap a name on your mechanical twin robot.” Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, but she thought she saw her Replica frown slightly. Then she felt a quick dose of pain again. She shouted in anger as the punishment buckled her knees. She managed to hold herself up before the pain ceased just as quickly as it had started.
“We don’t use those terms. I’m pretty sure you’re smart enough to know that by now. We are called, what?” Dr. Carlyle asked. Samantha glared at him. “Say the name or you can expect more training.” There was a pause. “Say it,” he ordered.
Samantha squinted. “Great Beings,” she mumbled.
“Very good,” C
arlyle said.
“Well, of course, you should have some time to name her,” Silva chimed in. “But do so before you leave.”
“You’ll be heading to the Great Community shortly with Dr. Myers, General Zim, and whoever you decided to name this currently unnamed beauty,” Bernard finished saying before the Replica projection system shut off and the Order disappeared.
23
BEN MYERS ESCORTED Samantha back to her room. They stopped at her door.
“You’d think they could give me a nicer place now,” she told Ben. It was the same old cell where she’d been held captive.
He stepped into her room and shut the door. He shook his head. He looked terrible. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” she said. Her heart was broken, and not just for her and the Ereb, but for everyone. She was naive to think it, but she’d hoped she could have stopped the extinction phases.
“We have to be careful now when we’re together,” Ben said to her. “They’re going to be monitoring us very closely, and especially once we get to the community. They want us together for some reason.” He looked into her eyes and lowered his voice to a whisper. “There’s another option. I have a plan. Just get to the Great Community safely. Try not to kill anyone. Promise me?”
She nodded and sighed heavily. “Where will you be?”
“With you, eventually. But for now they’ll send me out with the Replica to monitor the extinction phases firsthand.” She felt the suffering inside him as he took hold of her hand and held it. His heart was broken, too. Someone knocked on the door and opened it. A Replica walked in.
“Dr. Myers, the Order is requesting your attendance, right now. Military trips are departing and phases are initiating.”
“Yes, give me minute,” he told him. The Replica stood there observing them, which meant for sure the Order was observing them, too.
