Waking Gods

by Sylvain Neuvel

  —Well, it’s hard to move around when you can’t see anything. I thought I had turned Themis completely around, but I was about thirty degrees off. That’s how I ended up in Canada. All things considered, I think I did OK.

  —The question was not meant as a reprimand, I was simply curious as to whether or not you chose that destination.

  —I had no idea where I was, or where I was going. I kept moving forward until there was enough of Themis above water for me to see outside. I didn’t know where that island was either until I turned on my cell and Google-mapped it. From there, I stuck to shallow waters all the way to New York. That gave me some time to figure out how that thing really works.

  —Dr. Franklin told me you had talked about the possibility that Themis could transport herself. She seemed to suggest the odds of discovering anything we could use were not in our favor. Should I take your ability to return to base in one piece as a sign that we have beaten those odds?

  —Oh yeah. It’s even better than I thought. When I managed to get Themis moving again at the bottom of the ocean, I was convinced we were dealing with a multiple-coordinate system. That could have been a nightmare for us. Turns out it’s a lot more user-friendly than I thought. It’s … point-and-shoot, more or less. You orient Themis in the direction you want to go, then you punch in how many units you wanna move forward. What confused me is that you get to define those units beforehand. The shortest distance she can move is about fifty, sixty feet. That’s a very short step for Themis. So for short distances, you can use that as a unit, then enter how many times that you want to move forward. The console will take three digits tops, so the biggest number you can enter is 777. That’s in base-8. In base-10, that means 511.

  —If I understand correctly, the farthest Themis can transport herself is 511 times 50 feet, which is roughly 25,000 feet.

  —It’s 25,550. That’s about 7.8 kilometers. If you want to go farther than that in one jump, you can increase the unit size. You can use three digits for that too.

  —So the maximum distance we can travel is … 511 times 50 feet …

  —Times 511. In the neighborhood of 4,000 kilometers. I wouldn’t recommend jumping that far unless you end up in the ocean again or in the middle of the desert. It’s easy to use when you see where you wanna go. We’ll need a map or something for longer jumps. I’m supposed to talk to the guys downstairs. It shouldn’t take them long to program something we can use.

  —Can it be used safely?

  —For us, yes. It really does all the work for you. It’ll put you on the ground at the distance you told it to go. It’s not so safe for anyone at the destination. People, cars, buildings, well, whatever can’t support the weight will be crushed. We’ll have to be careful, but it’ll be a hell of a lot faster than taking her apart and loading her on a boat. I can’t say I’ll miss spending a week at sea either. I know Kara’ll be happy. Where is she?

  —We will discuss your wife shortly. Has General Govender made you aware of the current situation?

  —He said that the aliens are back in London. That can’t be good.

  —I wish that were all. Since then, several more robots have appeared in largely populated areas on four continents. The last one materialized in Rio de Janeiro nine minutes ago. There are now thirteen robots on Earth, all nearly the size and shape of the one you battled a year ago.

  —He said the one in London hadn’t made a move yet.

  —That is still true. None of them have. However, given our previous encounter, we cannot ignore the possibility of an attack. The density of the population in the areas where they have landed would make a simultaneous strike incredibly lethal.

  —Just so you know, if they start vaporizing everyone, I’ll go. Kara will too, but you have to realize we can’t beat all of them.

  —You may be our only hope.

  —That’s not hope. I’m not selling us short, it’s just simple math. We might get lucky again one time, maybe twice, but not thirteen times in a row. I don’t think our odds are even close to fifty-fifty, but say they were. You can’t flip a coin and get heads that many times. We’ll go. We’ll go because it’s better than just sitting here watching, but we won’t win. You need a better plan.

  —NATO is planning a nuclear strike in case you are defeated. However, even if that strategy proved to be successful against the alien robots, the fallout from thirteen large-scale nuclear explosions all over the world would be devastating and would be felt for decades. That cannot be our first option. I feel obligated to tell you that, if the aliens turn hostile, the order to send Themis will be given if she is operational.

  —What do you mean operational? I brought her back in one piece.

  —I suppose now would be a good time to discuss your wife. Themis is not damaged, but she is not operational because she is missing a pilot. Ms. Resnik has left the base unauthorized.

  —Kara’s gone AWOL? Is she in trouble?

  —Given the current state of affairs, military discipline is not the issue. What concerns me is not that her absence is against military rules but that she is absent. Without her, this organization, and perhaps the entire world, is absolutely powerless against what could be the prelude to a full-scale alien invasion.

  —Where did she go?

  —I believe she intends to visit the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

  —Puer … Why?

  —Read this.

  —What is it?

  —It is a letter—an electronic letter—from Ryan Mitchell to Ms. Resnik. That letter is what sent your wife on what I can only assume is a rescue mission, the purpose of which will become amply apparent as you continue reading. I should also remind you that the content of this letter, while shocking and inflammatory, only represents one side of a much more complex story. You should—

  —I’m done. Is he lying?

  —Already?

  —I’m a fast reader. Is that sack of shit lying?

  —He is not. Mr. Mitchell does not possess all the facts; he is being irresponsible, shows a complete disregard for the consequences of his actions, and appears to be on the verge of a complete breakdown, but he is being truthful.

  —So it’s true? I have a child?

  —That, I honestly do not know. It is true that Ms. Papantoniou removed biological samples from both of you while you were being held, and that evidence left at the laboratory suggests that she intended to attempt in-vitro fertilization. What Mr. Mitchell failed to mention in his missive—which would have been very helpful for Ms. Resnik to know—is that all of the information he is so eager to divulge, from the existence of a child to her parentage, not to mention the threat of a Russian kidnapping, also comes directly from the mouth of Ms. Papantoniou. I need not explain why I do not take everything she says as gospel.

  —You found Alyssa?

  —I did not personally locate her, but she is indeed in custody.

  —Do you think she’s lying?

  —She faces charges that could normally carry a death sentence or several lifetimes of imprisonment. The circumstances under which she committed her crimes make a public trial unlikely, but she is well aware that the United States Government would like nothing better than to see her … retired. She knows that without a bargaining chip of some sort, she will in all likelihood disappear without explanation, or fall victim to something more mundane, get lost at sea, or succumb to a mysterious disease. She therefore has ample reason to lie. That said, I am tempted to believe her. She could only buy a few days by sending us on a wild-goose chase.

  —Where is she now?

  —In a safe house under twenty-four-hour surveillance.

  — …

  —What are you thinking?

  —A child?

  —A daughter, yes.

  —Now?

  —She would have been born a decade ago. We are only finding ou
t about her now.

  — …

  —Mr. Couture?

  — … What?

  —You do not appear angry?

  —You mean at you?

  —Yes. I did hide what I knew about what Ms. Papantoniou intended to do a decade ago. If I had to do it again, I would still conceal that information, but that makes you no less entitled to some form of anger.

  —Oh, I’m angry all right. I’m just … I can’t imagine what Kara’s going through.

  —I am fairly certain Ms. Resnik did not react so calmly to the revelations contained in the letter you are holding.

  —I’m sure she didn’t. She must have gone mad when she read this. But that’s not what I’m thinking about. She didn’t want … I tried real hard to make her change her mind, but she didn’t want children. But I did, and I pushed, and I pushed.

  —And now?

  —Now? Now the world is ending. Would you bring a child into this world? Today?

  —As I previously stated, she would have been born several years ago.

  —How do we find Kara?

  —You stated that she was against becoming a mother. Do you believe she will attempt to contact the child?

  —She’ll go. She won’t come back until she finds her. She won’t stop looking. There’s a reason she didn’t want a child. I think she was afraid it would consume her. Now that she has one, it—

  —She very well may not—

  —Doesn’t matter. Now that she thinks she does, there’ll be no stopping her.

  —Are you worried?

  —Yeah, I am. I’m afraid she’ll do something stupid.

  —I am truly sorry if I—

  —I really don’t care. I’ll deal with you when this is over. What did you plan to do with the information Alyssa gave you. Oh, and how the fuck does Ryan know?

  —I did not want to share the information with anyone at the EDC until I could at least confirm that some of it was accurate. I requested help from the United States Government.

  —What did you promise them? A pilot?

  —Not in so many words, but I did leave open the possibility. They agreed to send a Delta Force unit to retrieve the child. In the event that a child did reside at the address Ms. Papantoniou provided, I asked Mr. Mitchell to accompany the Delta team and to make the experience less traumatic. There was also a strong possibility that there would indeed be a child living there, but that she would later prove not to be the offspring of Ms. Resnik and yourself. My request was later denied when the robot appeared in England.

  —Let’s say they had gone and found a little girl. Say it was our daughter like Alyssa said. Would you have told us?

  —Of course I would have.

  —How do I know that?

  —I understand that your trust in me may have been irreparably damaged. Trust, however, is not a prerequisite in this case. Simple logic will suffice. The sole reason I would have—that anyone would have—to hide your daughter from you is to use her as a pilot in the future. I, or anyone else, would first need to determine if she can activate one or both helmets inside Themis. This could perhaps be accomplished without your knowing. That said, she would eventually need to be trained. Themis requires not one but two pilots, her training would demand that you or Ms. Resnik be present. It would most likely have to be you, since you are the only one whose anatomy is compatible with the lower body controls. I would surmise that her ability to activate the controls, coupled with a likely physical resemblance to one or both of her parents, would make it near impossible for me or anyone else to hide her lineage from someone of your intelligence.

  —Really? Flattery? And what do you suggest we do now?

  —We wait. Now that the information I was trying to conceal is out in the open, I will renew my request for a Delta Force extraction, this time through the EDC, and sans Mr. Mitchell.

  FILE NO. 1556

  NEWS REPORT—JACOB LAWSON, BBC LONDON

  Location: London, England

  [Thirty seconds, Jacob.]

  —No! No! Don’t put me on the air. We’re walking away.

  [What do you mean, away?]

  I mean that my cameraman and I are leaving. We’re five minutes away from the van.

  [Why? They’re ready for you in … twenty seconds. What’s going on Jacob?]

  Stall them. The bloody thing moved. I’m getting the hell away from it.

  [What do you mean it moved? I’m looking at it on channel two. It’s not doing anything.]

  I’m telling you, Jack, the robot moved. It … shifted its weight. It moved its hands.

  [Shifted … You can’t do this to me Jacob. What am I supposed to air for three minutes?]

  Weather report. Show some footage from this morning. I don’t give a shit. The last time one of these things moved, a hundred thousand people died. It happened—oh, wait—right here.

  [You’re being paranoid. We’re all looking at it now and I’m telling you: It’s not moving.]

  Paranoid, Jack? We’re walking on dirt, Jack! Do you understand what I’m saying? We’re walking on dirt because the last of those bloody robots vaporized every bloody thing that was here. We’re too close anyway. I can get a better view from farther away.

  [Where are you going to go?]

  Where there’s no dirt! We’ll take the van and get to one of the downtown buildings on the edge of the levelled area. I can get you some footage from there.

  [How long will that take?]

  I don’t know. Give us … twenty minutes to set up.

  [Jacob. The edge of the dirt field is two kilometres away. It should take you two minutes to get there.]

  There are fifty thousand people here, Jack. Children everywhere, more tents than you can count. There’s a food station ahead of us with—I don’t know—fifty barbecue grills. Hundreds of people waiting in line for hamburgers. These people have built a community here. It’s difficult to walk through the crowd. We’ll need to clear a path for the van.

  [And these fifty thousand people, are they leaving as well?]

  No, Jack, they’re not leaving. There are people coming and going but I don’t think anyone is fleeing.

  [And neither should you. You’re a journalist, for goodness sake. Even the children are not as skittish as you are.]

  Go to hell, Jack. We’re leaving.

  [What does your cameraman have to say?]

  Janet, do you want to stay?

  {Go to hell, Jack!}

  [OK! OK! I’ll kill your segment. ]

  What will they air?

  [I’ll have them improvise for three minutes. They won’t be happy. You could lose your job for this, Jacob. Both of you.]

  You know me, Jack. I went to a dozen wars for you. I took a bullet for you.

  [Your bag took a bullet for me, Jacob. You were never injured.]

  Another six inches and we wouldn’t be talking. My point is I don’t scare easily. I’m telling you: I have a bad feeling about this.

  [I hope you’re right, or there’ll be hell to pay.]

  I sincerely hope I’m wrong. We’re at the van. I’ll call you when we get there, Jack.

  [No, you won’t. Don’t hang up. I’ll put you on the air just before the weather, but I need you in front of the camera five minutes from now.]

  Janet, Jack says we have five minutes.

  [What’s she saying?]

  She’s smiling.

  [That’s more like it.]

  Janet, look in the mirror behind us. Can you see that?

  {Yes, what is it?}

  [What is what, Jacob?]

  The air … It’s hard to explain, the air around the robot is becoming … thicker, like …

  [Like fog?]

  Not quite. It’s like a mist slowly forming all around it. Whatever it is, it doesn’t l
ook like a natural phenomenon. I see people running away.

  [Is the robot making it?]

  I think so. I can’t see where it’s coming from. The air is whiter now, opaque. I can’t see the robot’s feet anymore. It’s not fog. It looks like … like smoke from dry ice, a lot of dry ice. Janet, can you drive faster? I think it’s gaining on us.

  [Is it dangerous?]

  How the hell should I know? It’s moving a lot faster than anyone can run. We’re about three hundred feet from the road but it’s right behind us.

  Floor it, Janet! There! That way! We’re in the city. Take Golden Lane. Bloody thing’s all over us now. We can’t see ten feet ahead of us.

  Bloody hell! It’s coming through the back door of the van. Through the floor. Janet STOP!

  [Jacob?]

  …

  [Jacob!]

  I’m here. Fuck! We … we hit a parked car. My head, it’s bleeding. Janet! Janet! Janet’s unconscious. I have to get her out. Come on, girl. Let’s get you out of here.

  [I’ll send help. Tell me where you are.]

  I’m taking her inside Cromwell Tower. Jack, you better hurry. She’s … Her veins are dark, almost black. Her skin is all pale.

  [Is she dead?]

  I don’t fucking know! I have her in my arms. I can’t check her pulse. The smoke, it’s coming inside the building, even with the doors closed. I have to get her away from it. I’ll try the lift.

  [Jacob, is she dead?]

  I’m getting on the lift. I’ll take her to the top floor. Hopefully whatever is hurting her won’t reach us there.

  [The police won’t answer.]

  …

  [Did you hear what I just said?]

  …

  [ Jacob!]

  She’s dead. Janet’s dead. Bloody aliens killed her. She’s … hard. Her skin … It’s like someone sucked all the blood out of her— …

  [Jesus.]

  They’re doing it again, Jack. They’re killing us all.

  [I’ll find some help. I’ll come get you myself if I can’t.]

  You worry about yourself, Jack! The fog will have crossed the river by now. It will reach you soon.