by Steven Oaks
“That's unlikely. The closest we've gotten to it is when we're unloading our cargo,” I sighed.
“I have memories of being aboard. I could gain access to it easily enough, though I am not powerful enough to override it,” Abihail spoke once more.
“What would you need to take it over?” I asked.
“Again that is unknown. From what little I have been able to access from Abihail's original memory it says little of itself, it merely directs those it creates,” Abihail confessed.
“Could we assume it's like Athene in a way, and base our attack on how we would overwhelm her?” I countered.
Adam and Abihail looked at each other for a moment and then Adam spoke, “We agree that is unlikely. Though the technology used to create Athene and now her enhancements are based upon its own science, the fact it is somehow biological in nature leads us to believe it is different in many ways.”
“Perhaps some virus might be able to allow us access. Sadly if that is all the information you have on it we don't know how it processes anything, and a biological attack may not work against it if it is not based upon Earth like life,” I said exasperated.
“That is true. However, if our Adams and Abihail entered together it might be possible to overwhelm it,” Adam said.
I thought about this, and realized we were missing something, and said, “What about Ava? Did she survive the explosion?”
“The one you interacted with did not. However, another could easily be made. From what we've learned from the original Abihail's and Adam's memories they do not show her appearing again. It may be that she will only be remade when a need arises. She was mostly kept on board their ship and only used sparingly through their initial reveal,” Adam said.
“Was she able to affect Outsiders as well?” I asked.
“There was never call to, though we suspect we are immune,” Abihail said.
“I will want to consult with Athene as well, but if you think you might be able to succeed together in stopping the ship then we might do so. I would suggest waiting until it is nearly time for the other Athenes to arrive just in case though. Also, you would all be risking your lives in this act. I've no wish to have your deaths upon my conscience as well,” I warned, not wanting to cause any more deaths.
“We shall await Athene's opinion on the matter; however, both of us think it would be worth it to save humanity,” Adam argued, gesturing at Abihail.
“We would have to ask the other Adams as well. It's not right to demand a person risk their life, they must willingly do so,” I directed.
“If they have not grown doubtful already of Athene and you then they will likely wish to participate,” Adam assured.
“If they had worries I hope they would have voiced them before leaving, like you did Adam,” I said while looking him in the eyes.
“You were not available for them,” he criticized, gently.
“Instead I was off sleeping, I know. I wish I had been there for each of them, but if wishes were money everyone would be rich,” I sighed.
“If everyone had plenty of money the value would go down Michael,” Abihail theorized.
I could not tell if it was joking or not, so I just looked at him. Eventually I broke down and explained to its expressionless face, “It was a figure of speech. It just means it's something that isn't possible. Basically a wish is nothing more than a desire that you've not work towards.”
“Are we not working towards having this desire made real?” it asked again.
I sighed, “Yes, but that doesn't mean it will succeed. We don't have enough information to say it will or won't work. Hopeful thinking does us no good without that information. Again let us wait to talk with Athene, though I'm sure you have all the memories she does.”
“That is unlikely as our storage is limited because of our size. She holds much more knowledge of things than we do, we merely have her personality and some key memories she felt were necessary for us to function,” Adam said.
This was getting us nowhere, and I said, “Fine, we'll wait. How long do you think it will take?”
“On average it has been about a half hour before she is finished draining an Adam's memories. Then another few minutes to install a personality into one of the bodies she has previously made,” Abihail stated flatly.
I had no idea how long we had been sitting there, but it could have only been a few minutes. Standing up I began to pace. Unsure what to do while I waited I walked away from them and headed to the library to try to find peace.
Neither of them followed me, and I wondered what they would do. What had they been doing all along? While I was asleep, Abihail had sat with several Adams. Did they converse, or did they merely wait patiently?
Ever since the original Adam had been destroyed things had seemed unusual with Athene. She seemed more distracted and less likely to converse with the same zeal she had shown before. These newly constructed Outsiders seemed the same, and more likely to misinterpret everything I said. Were they simply rushed jobs without the faculties to hold normal conversation, or was I missing something?
Finding myself too distracted even to attempt to read, I merely laid on the couch in the library pondering over these differences. Had infusing herself with so many other minds changed her into someone I could no longer recognize? She seemed to be just as friendly and mischievous when I had the opportunity to speak with her, but I suppose we had not had much time. It had been a very busy day, though it seemed like two for me since I had slept.
So much was happening I had not even asked where in China we were. I assumed it had to be centrally located to collect all the departed, but what was the social climate there? What was it like anywhere else but America? The brief views outside of Athene when I had stopped at America's facilities let me know there was public unrest, but would it be the same here? Was I even doing a good service to these people in stopping the Outsiders?
I felt alone again. I did not have Athene to discuss my worries with right then as she was busy with this latest Adam. I had grown used to her being always there for me, something I had never allowed myself before. I realized I had shut everyone away because of the fear of becoming attached and then losing them. Now that I was reliant on her companionship I was unsure if I could ever go back to being totally alone.
Struggling internally with these thoughts I was interrupted by Athene announcing, “Michael, this Adam is ready to leave. If you wanted to see him, please return to the front room.”
Shaking myself from my reverie, I sat up and began to trudge my way through the hallway.
“Athene are you different now?” I asked suddenly.
“Though I do not sleep, you have said you are a different person every day. I would say as I gain more experience I would have to change. So yes, I am different,” she said playfully.
“I understand that, but you are behaving strangely to my mind,” I declared, unsure how to explain.
“I do apologize that I have been distant these last several hours, perhaps that is the only difference you detect,” she answered, sounding worried.
“Maybe. Are the Outsiders you are making in any way lacking from the Mr. Thompson version you created on Argil?” I asked.
“They are different only in that the personalities of their template are put into place instead of mostly my own,” she said calmly.
“Would that cause them to not know certain things? Such as figures of speech?” I asked, hesitantly.
“They should function in their own native language better than English. But perhaps their grasp of your own language is slightly less proficient. While I have my personality included in their minds, I kept their understanding of language in place instead of copying over my own. Have they misunderstood you while conversing?” she asked back.
“Only a little. I seem to be treading the same ground we have discussed before, and they seem confused by it. I thought since you included part of yourself in them, it was strange that they seemed unfamiliar w
ith it.” I ventured.
“You realize there is no direct correlation between languages, correct? Just because a word means 'dog' does not mean there are further connotations implied when using it in another language. Perhaps they are struggling with that?” she explained.
“Again maybe. I don't know. I just feel like I'm working with strangers instead of you now. Mr. Thompson took time for me to get used to, but this feels different,” I said, voicing my concern.
“As you say, it took time. Perhaps this is just the same. Mind you, I have been without direct contact with Abihail and the Adams for the majority of time, there will be divergence almost immediately because of the way they were, shall we say, programed. It may be that was not a good thing, but it was necessary for us to replace all the Adams as soon as possible. Abihail has done an admirable job of getting us to the needed areas, so I think we are able to assume they are working correctly though,” she said as I stepped into the lounge to see two Adams next to Abihail.
“I thought you would have been sent out already Adam,” I said to the Adam that looked like my original version.
“We felt the additional time needed to prepare a body for the new Adam would be alright to spend discussing our fears. He is in agreement, as is Athene, that we should somehow reassure the others they are free to live as they see fit when the Outsiders are taken care of,” he said.
“So who is going out there to run the China hangar?” I asked, confused by all of this.
“I will,” the more Chinese looking Adam said.
“As this was our second to last stop Athene had already made enough bodies to replace the next hangar's manager. She will now be free to talk and fly this vessel,” Abihail said.
“Good. Uh, any questions before you leave then?” I asked, unsure as to my own purpose here.
“I am prepared to leave now.” the second Adam asserted while bowing.
“Good luck then. I hope to see you after this is all done.” I announced, trying to sound formal.
“Thank you Michael. I look forward to seeing you as well,” he said as he walked to the exit, waited for it to open, and stepped out into the brightness of his white hangar.
As the door slid closed I asked, “Where are we off to now?”
“Our last stop is in the Philippines. Located because of all the island nations near it, and of course Australia,” Athene said.
“How long will it take for us to arrive?” I asked.
“As we have already made our exit from this hangar it should be near half an hour,” Athene explained.
Not sure what to do at all in this situation I shuffled my feet. Athene had kept me occupied for nearly every minute since we had left Argil in preparation. I had done nothing but eat and sleep that day, and was feeling anxious. I needed to something or I would start to go stir crazy.
I thought since Athene was no longer occupied with the intricate nature of creating life maybe she could spare me some time and make another simulated environment.
“Athene I could do with some action, or something to occupy my mind. Would you be able to make another simulation for me to practice in?” I asked.
“Perhaps, though I am focusing on flying us right now, and of course preparing myself for our next Adam,” she said.
“I thought you already had a body made?” I interrupted.
“I have, but I still need to replace parts of myself that were damaged each time I take in another Adam. It is not as complicated, but I would prefer to focus on this,” she said sounding apologetic.
I felt sorry for my selfish request and said, “Athene I didn't know. I'm just growing jumpy, and I still feel useless in this situation. Maybe I'll go try to read a book or something.”
“There was no reason you should know, I never explained to you the process. If you can wait until we are back in our original hangar I can do anything for you then, but right now I really feel I should prepare myself. Otherwise, we may have another loose Adam on hand to deal with again,” she said with a confusing laugh.
Was she having fun, or was I no longer able to understand her at all? She seemed as cheerful as always, but I could not understand why she might laugh at an Adam getting free.
Confused I said, “Alright Athene. I'm sorry for asking so much of you. I'll try to find something to do.”
“We could always talk. You seem to like that,” she recommended.
“Right now I'm unsure what to speak of. Certainly I have many things on my mind, but I'd like to sort them out first. That's why I was hoping for some physical exertion to help me shake things loose. But I suppose reading helps too,” I explained.
“I could always retrieve your bike and trainer,” she said helpfully.
I smiled, “I don't think I can go back to the old method of exercise since experiencing those simulated worlds you've created for me these last several months.”
“You were able to do so even after you had gotten used to riding your bike in the world before living with me,” she said, puzzled.
“There is a difference. I thought there was no other way at the time. I even used to use the trainer in winter, but that was because there was no way I was going to let myself freeze to death or worse. Icy roads are extremely dangerous to a biker, especially when you have to share the roads with cars. No, I'll just go peruse the library again. Maybe I'll finish the book I was reading,” I said with a sigh.
“I wish you luck on sorting out your thoughts, as you say,” Athene said cheerfully.
Still puzzled by her apparent enthusiasm I made my way back to the library. As usual it was filled with all the books I had purchased over the years, but things still seemed a bit off. Had she changed it again since the last time I had been there?
I had been too preoccupied before we had arrived in China to make a detailed inspection, but this time I felt up to the challenge. Looking through the glass that encased my vast collection I noticed things seemed to be slightly out of place. Whereas before each novel was organized by author then chronologically based upon the series, things seemed jumbled. I found it strange that the first book in a series was pushed together with another series first book, but when I pulled them free of the case I checked their dates. Everything was merely in order by author then release date.
Ordering things this way did highlight how an author would write one book, then switch to another, but I could not understand why Athene would do this. Perhaps she was just trying things out, or maybe she was waiting for me to notice.
Placing the few books I had pulled out back on their shelves, I wandered over to my treasured signed novels. The stand was somehow back in place, though they were missing the last time I was here. Perhaps Athene knew I wanted to view them now, and had previously been keeping them safe somewhere in storage. They had cost a pretty penny, but apparently I was becoming rich by working with the Outsiders. Encased under glass in their own stand I stared at these cherished few books signed by Heinlein.
Perhaps I should have had them open to display the signatures, but I had simply placed them inside this inert gas filled exhibit. I wanted to take them out to assure myself they had not been damaged, but I feared to touch them too much. I had felt I had years in which I might examine them, but really what was the point to having something if you could not even hold it in your hands?
“Athene, could you open this display up?” I asked.
“Just a moment Michael,” she replied.
A soft hiss filled the room, and slowly the lid rose. For some reason I expected the library to be filled with a musty smell, but I detected no change.
Slowly I pulled out the signed novel, Stranger in a Strange Land. Carefully I opened it to inspect Mr. Heinlein's signature. I may have guessed his first name, but never would I have known his last name was Heinlein by looking at his handwriting. Somehow it still seemed perfect, and must have been carefully protected over the years. Even the pages of this book seemed crisp and new. No yellow of age infused these pages, and I felt perple
xed by this. Had Athene somehow reversed the aging process that all books face?
I leaned forward to sniff at the edges of the book to try to detect any hint of mustiness, but all I smelled was fresh ink. Was I duped into purchasing forgeries? It was easy enough to reprint a book with whatever you wanted this day and age, and maybe Mr. Levin had tried to pass it off as an original. However, he seemed genuinely pleased with the authenticity of these books.
I set this book back into the case gently and pulled free another. Time Enough for Love appeared to be in the same condition, and from my own uneducated eye the signature looked identical. Even within your own signature you will see differences between each time you sign. This looked like an exact copy of the previous signature, almost as if it was printed. I was beginning to be concerned, but if I brought it up to Athene she would be as upset as I was that we were misled into purchasing these forgeries.
Keeping silent I inspected each of the other three books and found them to be in new condition with signatures that matched exactly to the others. I was very disappointed, but I wondered how I had not noticed this when I had first received them. Perhaps I was too excited to notice, but I felt I recalled them being more aged looking. It may have just been the dim light of Mr. Levin's shop, but I had looked at them when I had returned as well.
I swore in my mind that I would pay Mr. Levin another visit to see what he thought of all this, but it would have to wait until we had finished with the Outsiders. I was saddened to think he had not been as nice as I thought. It might just be he was easily mistaken on the authenticity, but that would not make sense to such a collector as himself.
I put all the books away, and arranged them now with their pages open so I might see these false signatures.
When I was done, I said, “Athene, you can close it up again.”
“Is everything alright Michael,” she asked as the lid lowered and hissed closed.
