Waking Gods

by Sylvain Neuvel

  —Yes! They did, for a while. They also left pilots with her. You wouldn’t have been able to use Themis otherwise.

  —Because of our anatomy.

  —I’m sure they never thought you’d be crazy enough to mutilate your own legs, but there’s a much simpler reason. The controls wouldn’t work for humans. They shouldn’t. Even now, there are only a few people with the right DNA.

  —Vincent and Kara.

  —Among others. Why do you think we sent them to you?

  —You sent them to me?

  —Is it true they had a daughter?

  —They did. Her name’s Eva.

  —Such a great name!

  —You seem genuinely happy.

  —Why wouldn’t I be? I love children. How is she? Is she OK?

  —She’s fine. What do you mean?

  —That was a simple question. Never mind.

  —No, not never mind. What do you mean, is she OK?

  —Does she see things?

  —She does. How do you know about it?

  —Just a guess. Her parents had more of our DNA than most. Their child could be … closer to people like me than most humans. Our people sometimes have some sorts of … episodes, visions.

  —They can see the future?

  —Not really. They get … glimpses into what might be. Some of it will happen, some of it won’t. Not all of us see things. I never did. Those who do sometimes have a hard time adjusting. Without the proper guidance, it might be a bit … overwhelming at times.

  —You could call it that. The poor child is scared to death.

  —She’ll get over it. Children are more resilient than we give them credit for. I was saying something, wasn’t I?

  —I don’t remember.

  —Oh yes! Pilots! My point was, back then, you couldn’t control Themis, so they left behind a small group of people who could.

  —Your ancestors.

  —No! My ancestors had chosen to mate with humans. They were dead by the time the robots left, but their children were alive. There were a dozen or so families. The pure aliens were instructed to protect the bloodline.

  —What does that mean?

  —They were told to slaughter them, and their children, and their children’s children. Then they were to return home.

  —With Themis?

  —Of course. What would you do with her? So they went on their mission, probably thinking the half-humans wouldn’t put up much of a fight. But they did, they protected their families. They killed all the aliens. Then they dismantled Themis, buried her pieces all over the world so she wouldn’t be discovered.

  —And the people who sent Themis didn’t notice that she never came back?

  —I’m sure they noticed. They knew something happened to her. It’s a big universe. A lot of things can go wrong. My ancestors tried to make sure they wouldn’t think that happened.

  —What did they do then?

  —Who?

  —Your ancestors.

  —Oh, nothing. They tried to stay out of history’s way as much as they could. They were instructed to mate only within the group, to avoid … well, to avoid exactly what happened. They were very strict about it. But over the centuries, a few people ran away. And here we are!

  —Why did they run away?

  —I imagine they fell in love. People will do the craziest things out of love. That includes refusing to marry your cousin. Maybe theirs weren’t attractive enough. Do you find your cousins attractive?

  —But the chamber I fell in, it was left for us to discover, wasn’t it?

  —Indeed it was. When you were evolved enough, they wanted you to learn about them. But it wasn’t a hand you were supposed to find.

  —What was it?

  —A communication device. It could send a message to their world. It could also reorganize matter, so that, in time, you could transport yourselves and visit. It’s a big round thing with light in the middle. There’s one of these very things inside each robot.

  —That’s how Themis can teleport herself.

  —Yes! My ancestors took the device, replaced it with a hand so you’d have something to find. They used it to scatter the body parts all over the world. We used that same device to re-create you, so that you and I could be having this conversation when the time came.

  —How did the aliens find out?

  —You found Themis! You found Themis and you used her. Finding her was one thing, but you shouldn’t have been able to do anything with her. They knew something was up. They probably figured out what happened to their pilots way back then and they came to finish the mission they started three thousand years ago.

  —Then we all died and they realized their own genetics were now part of ours.

  —Exactly. To them, that’s a tragedy. It’s the worst kind of interference. They don’t want to kill you all, because … because that’s bad, and it’s also interfering. But the alternative is to deny you the future you were supposed to have! They believe that they have, however unwillingly, robbed you of your destiny.

  —So they stopped killing us. Now what?

  —Now they’re looking for a reason not to finish the job. Like I said, they don’t like to interfere. They’ll do it if they think you wouldn’t be where you are without them. They’ll remove their genetic footprint from mankind’s. You’ll get a do-over.

  —They’ll kill everyone but those of us without any alien genes.

  —Exactly. You get to rebuild an Earth all on your own, free of anyone’s influence.

  —What about you?

  —Oh, my people die no matter what. We’re criminals by birth. Our very existence is a capital offense. There’s no changing that.

  —You won’t even try?

  —I didn’t say that—

  —So how do we stop them? You said they’re looking for a reason not to finish the job.

  —You show them you could have gotten here all on your own.

  —Could we have?

  —How could I possibly know that? Does it even matter? It’s possible. That’s all that matters. Their DNA only makes a tiny fraction of yours. The point is, you have to convince them, give them an excuse to let you continue on your journey. They believe that, had we not contaminated human genetics, you might not have evolved this far, reached this level of technology, that you might not have fiddled with atoms and discovered what they left behind. All you have to do is show them they could be wrong. They won’t wipe out an entire civilization without being one hundred percent sure.

  —Reasonable doubt.

  —If that’s what you wanna call it—

  —How can we show them something we don’t even know is true?

  —Show them what you’re made of. Show them that pure humans can be better than they think.

  —You mean me. That’s why I’m here, isn’t it? You brought me back because I’m still one hundred percent human.

  —Still? You’re not the way you are because you somehow magically escaped three thousand years of genetic changes. Your parents probably had alien DNA. It’s just luck that brought you here. But here you are. Now you just need to show them how formidable you can be.

  —But how?

  —Defeat them.

  —I can’t defeat them! We couldn’t beat them with all the armies in the world. How can I do anything on my own? We don’t have the technology.

  —Even if you did, that technology was created by people with alien genes. It’s … tainted.

  —Really? So you’re telling me that I need to defeat these giant machines without using anything that was invented in the last three thousand years?

  —Well, you can assume it took my ancestors a few centuries to spread their gene pool around, but yes, that’s the general idea.

  —But we had nothing three thousand year
s ago! Nothing! The wheel, early steelwork. We certainly didn’t have anything that can destroy these robots.

  —Then I’d say you’re in some trouble, young lady.

  —I don’t understand. Why not tell me what I need to do? You’ve told me everything else. Why won’t you save us?

  —I haven’t told you anything you couldn’t have figured out on your own.

  —Why not?

  —Because if they think I … if they think my people helped you, they’ll kill every living thing on this planet, alien DNA or not, and let you evolve from unicellular organisms.

  —There’s more than that. In some weird way, you agree with them, don’t you?

  —Agree with what?

  —That we shouldn’t be allowed to live if we’ve been … tampered with.

  —Forgive me. It must be hard for you to understand. That noninterference thing isn’t just a slogan. It is ingrained in our culture. It’s something everyone on their world is taught from birth. That belief survived even here. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as you can see.

  —Even after all this time? Even if they’re trying to kill you in the process?

  —I don’t wanna die, if that’s what you’re asking. But I understand why they think I should.

  —What about us? Do you think we should die?

  —I wouldn’t be … guiding you if I did.

  —But you understand why they’d want us to.

  —I understand why they think they’d be doing you a favor.

  —What difference does it make whether I have DNA from another species or not? How does that make me better or worse than anyone else?

  —Now you understand the problem. For them, it’s not a question of better or worse, it’s about you being what you’re supposed to be. In their mind, humans aren’t what they were meant to be. You, Rose Franklin, are. That means they’ll pay attention to you.

  —How is your ancestors coming here any different, any less “natural” than whatever accidental events led to life on Earth, than whatever mutations turned us into what we are? Who’s to say we’re not supposed to be part alien?

  —They are! I don’t know if they’re right or not, but that is precisely what they’re saying. And you better hurry. I don’t think you have much time.

  —How long do I have?

  —I don’t know. A day, maybe two. You know what’s orbiting the Earth, don’t you?

  —General Govender thinks they brought in heavy artillery.

  —He’s a smart man.

  —You know what all of that reminds me of?

  —I don’t, but I have a feeling it’s something bad.

  —Interracial-marriage laws. We had them until the late sixties.

  —I know. I was there. They called them antimiscegenation laws.

  —Whites weren’t allowed to marry or have sex with blacks. It was considered a felony. In some states, it was even illegal to perform the ceremony.

  —Louisiana banned marriage between Native Americans and African Americans. Maryland didn’t allow marriage between blacks and Filipinos. I see what you’re getting at, but these laws were based on the assumption that some races were superior to others.

  —And that’s not what’s going on now?

  —They believe there is a purpose to life, and that no one should interfere with that purpose—that things should be the way they should be.

  —I’m pretty sure they used that argument in Louisiana and Maryland. I’d say anyone who feels they have the right to dictate what someone else’s genetics should look like is feeling pretty superior.

  —And what if they are?

  —I don’t think it matters. I don’t think ants should do whatever cats want them to do. I don’t think fish should obey dolphins. I don’t think humans should dictate the behavior of every other species on Earth.

  —Humans sometimes do make decisions that affect other species.

  —Yes. Look how well that turned out.

  FILE NO. 1620

  UHF SATCOM COMMUNICATION

  BALLISTIC SUBMARINE USS JIMMY CARTER, DESIGNATED SSN-23

  Location: Bering Sea

  ORDERS 774627-53N

  SSN-23—Rooke, Demetrius, CAPT. 225-48-1627

  Abort current mission. Return to US waters immediately. Hold position at 48.498682, -125.143043 off Vancouver Island.

  Alert Status—Gamma Five. Maintain readiness for SLBM launch on domestic target. Stand by for orders.

  FILE NO. 1622

  TRAINING LOG—VINCENT COUTURE, CONSULTANT, EDC AND EVA REYES

  Location: Shawnee Mission Park, Lenexa, KS

  [ … ]

  —You’re doing it, Eva! You’re doing it!

  —We’re walking!

  —Yes we are. And now we’re going to fall.

  —What? NO! What are you doing? NO! NO! NO! AARGH! That hurt!

  —You say that every time.

  —What’s wrong with you? It was working. I didn’t make us fall! I never got it right until now.

  —I know! Do you know what else you never did?

  —What?

  —Get back up. Every time we fell, you never even tried to get up again. That’s the part that really matters. Now if you want to walk again, we need to get up. I gotta warn you, getting up is hard. Think you can do it?

  —I’ll try.

  —There is no try.

  —What?

  —Just do it.

  —I will if you stop talking!

  —Don’t push me, Eva, or I’ll leave you here with your hands glued to your chest like a bunny.

  OK. Getting up 101. I’m gonna crouch. There’s no weight on Themis’s legs, so she’ll just bring her knees up. You have to push up a little with your elbows and bend down at the same time so Themis ends up with her legs in a ball.

  —Like that?

  —Yes! There you go! Push with your hands all the way up. Push hard! Push! OK, just stay like that. Now for the tricky part. I’m gonna extend my legs. That’ll bring us up, but you have to straighten your back at the same time. Not too early, not too late, or we’ll just lunge forward and break a bunch of trees.

  —Yes! Yes! Do it now. My arms hurt!

  —Here we GO! Whoa! Shit! We’re up. Don’t move. Don’t do anything.

  —That was fun.

  —Oh, you liked that, didn’t you? What do you say we call it a day? We can try and really hurt ourselves tomorrow.

  —OK.

  —OK? That’s all you have to say?

  —I’m hungry.

  —Me too, now that you mention it. OK. Let’s get her down!

  —Down?

  —Yeah down! We need Themis to lie down if we want to get out.

  —You mean fall again?

  —No. I’m crouching, just keep the balance a bit. I’ll make us fall forward now. You have to bend backwards a little and catch us with your hands. Like that. Now bend forward, lift her butt up and I can … stretch my legs. Stand straight, and she’s … down for the night. Just stay put. I’ll unstrap myself and come take your helmet off.

  —I can do it!

  —No, don’t! It makes Themis look like an idiot.

  —What? How?

  —She’s still moving with you. She’ll turn off with her hands around her head, makes her look like she’s pulling her hair or something. Let me do it, keep her dignity intact.

  There. Let’s get you out of your straitjacket.

  —Can I ask you something?

  —Why do you do that? Ask if you can ask a question? Has anyone ever said no?

  —I—

  —Just ask!

  —You never told me what made you change your mind.

  —About what?

  —About my trying on the controls.

&n
bsp; —Your mom did. I mean Kara. That, and Luke.

  —Who?

  —Skywalker … Never mind. I was hoping we could sit down for this. Have a cup of … whatever it is you ten-year-olds drink.

  —Can we talk about it now?

  —OK then. Kara, she sent me a letter when … I guess it was the night before you met her. She wasn’t sure she was gonna make it out of there alive, and she asked me to promise a few things in case she didn’t. It’s a shitty thing to do to anyone in a letter, but I would have lost that argument anyway if she’d been around. Anyway, she asked me to … to let you figure things out for yourself, to let you be what you wanted to be.

  I was fine with it. I was fine with it until you told me you wanted to pilot Themis. That was just … wrong, on so many levels. First, Kara also made me promise to keep you safe. There’s nothing safe about being in here. This has to be one of the least safe places, anywhere. And it’s her place. Kara and I got together at that station, right where you’re standing … without the phone books. To let anyone take her place … I don’t know, that meant letting her go. I don’t want to let her go.

  —You don’t have to.

  —I wasn’t finished. There’s also why you wanted to get in here in the first place. You said that’s what Alyssa made you for. You said you were a tool. That got me angry. It seemed so … cruel. You … You’re not a toaster, or a screwdriver. You’re not just a means to an end. You get to decide what you are. You’re my kid! You’re not a tool!

  One morning, I was in the shower and I flipped my knees—I do it from time to time or it’ll hurt like hell when I have to do it. I was feeling the metal in my kneecap with my fingers, running my hand up and down my shin. My whole legs are metal. All the bones, all the joints. I … I felt like Luke staring at his mechanical hand after he cut Darth Vader’s with his lightsaber. I’m a tool too. I’m someone’s handiwork.

  I don’t know if I ever really had much of a choice, but I like to think I did. And I chose that. I chose to do what they made me for, serve my purpose. They made me into a screwdriver, and I chose to drive screws. It just seemed hypocritical for me to deny you that same choice. I would be saying “you can be what you wanna be, except what you were made for.”

  You were right. You’re a tool. You’re someone else’s handiwork. This is why you were created. But you’re more than that, Eva. So much more. You’re a bright kid, with some serious but not unsurmountable emotional issues. You do have a choice. You can choose to be … You can join the Army, or be a musician. You can be a scientist, a chef, a ballerina. You were made for a particular purpose, but you can be anything you want. Anything, including that.