by J. Thorn
- Launch the program, Mags.
He hoped with what he thought were his final breaths that he’d got it right. He didn’t have time to debug the code or test the program. It was literally all or nothing.
- Successfully executed, awaiting report. I’m switching off your pain receptors and directing what’s left of the NanoStems to your heart. Hold out for a while longer; we can’t die just yet.
- I’m… trying…
A black fog snuffed out his view of the network and the flow of data. He felt the icy touch of an AI’s multithreaded virus enter his brain. This wasn’t how it should have happened. The AI was probing his brain, leaving malicious code in its wake, destroying cells and neural pathways. Gerry was sure he could hear an audio file of something laughing as it took him apart piece by piece.
Old memories came flooding back: images of past birthdays with his wife and kids. Walking the dog in the fields, and then he was younger, trying on badly designed jumpers, and there, opposite him, another child wearing the same jumper. It was true…
Two high-pitched screams broke through his consciousness. The two guards fell to the floor, blood pouring from their ears and noses. Jasper reeled away from the server, dropping his slate. Across the VPN connection, Jasper screamed and shouted ‘no’ over and over. The Helix code running to and from the VPN transformed and mutated as the AI’s subroutines investigated this change.
- Disconnect us from the VPN now, Mags.
- Disconnection successful.
The set of preprogrammed instructions executed, and the AI leapt from his brain and into the nearest node: Jasper.
Gerry’s heart stopped. At first he thought it was because he wasn’t breathing, but when he took in a deep breath and rapidly filled and emptied his lungs in attempt to start his heart again, it remained quiet and still. The last dark, tentacular viruses of the AI were easy to uninstall from his brain.
- What happened? Did it work?
- Yes, but we’re dying.
He closed his eyes, thought of his kids, and lay very still as Jasper’s data flow stopped. Everything was quiet, and life slipped away as one by one Gerry’s organs failed. At the very end, the last thing to stop working was his brain. It was clean. He’d successfully managed to exorcise the demon AI—by using Jasper as the lure. To save his family, he had to sacrifice his own brother. He made peace with it and let the darkness take him. At least the city was safe.
Chapter 21
The afterlife wasn’t something Gerry believed in. He was having trouble explaining why he could still feel and hear. Maybe he was still actually dying and, as the blood ran from his brain, phantom stimuli tricked him into thinking everything was okay.
His right hand dangled down, and his fingers brushed against something soft. Carpet perhaps. No. It moved. He twitched his fingers away, but the furry thing pushed against him, purring. He realised it was a cat. A real cat!
He opened his mouth, felt the dryness within his throat, but was still able to speak. “Hello? Is someone here? Where am I?”
The purring continued as the cat nudged against his hand before leaping up beside him. It curled against him, and its purr vibrated through his chest. It was soothing, and soon he felt his own breathing match the rhythm of the cat. He tried to open his eyes, but something held them shut. This couldn’t be the afterlife, could it?
A door opened. Footsteps shuffled across the carpet.
“Are you awake?”
It was a female voice, soft, but with a mature tone.
“Who are you? Where am I?”
She cupped his left hand in hers. They were soft and warm, and only then did he realise how cold he was. “I’m your mother, and you’re home, my darling.”
She peeled away the tape holding the bandages to his eyes, and light flooded in. In the brightness, he saw a woman standing beside him. She was tall, lithe, and glowing with vitality. Her eyes were bright blue, her skin, completely flawless. She turned away from him and opened the blinds on the window. Outside, distant stars studded the great black space. And then he noticed, in the corner of the window, a blue planet moving slowly across their path in an arc. Earth.
“My girls?” Gerry asked.
“Safe. You saved everyone, apart from your brother. But Gerry, my son, don’t fret. They’re not your girls anymore. Never were, but I know your love was real. That’s why we believed in you. Unlike all our other children, you were the one with empathy. You were the most human. But I’m afraid you’re badly damaged, and we have to rebuild you.”
“Rebuild? What happened to me?”
“You died. But don’t worry, we’ll soon make you better than before, and then you’ll be going back to Earth.”
“Where exactly am I?”
“Our space station, of course. Like I said, Gerry love, you’re home.” She wiped his forehead with a cloth and smiled at him. “We need you to go back and do one more thing for us.”
“I’ve died for you! Been tortured for you! What more can I give?”
“You met a girl calling herself Petal. We need her. She’s ill, and we can’t allow her to die.”
“What do you know about her?”
“She’s living evolution, Gerry. And dangerous.”
“Dangerous how?”
“You’ve seen what she can do, holding code secure. Well, she can do that to DNA too. She can hold a human consciousness within her and mutate it. In the wrong hands… well, let’s just say that you thought Seca was out of control, he would pale into insignificance if our enemies get hold of the girl and realise what she can do.”
“And who are your enemies? In fact, it seems everyone is your enemy. I can’t say I blame them, considering what you did during the Cataclysm.”
“Ah, the Cataclysm. They all think it was us. Well, that’s not entirely true. We ended it, Gerry, but it was the governments that started it. They were the ones to first drop the nukes. They sent hundreds of thousands of drones into civilised areas and killed millions of innocent people. If we hadn’t stepped in when we did, there would be nothing at all left. That’s why we built the Dome. To start again. To give humanity a fighting chance.”
“And in the process, forsake all those outside it.”
She lowered her head then. Her sadness clear and apparently genuine.
“We tried to help them. They’re too far gone. If we let them in, the gene pool would fragment and wither. We can’t allow that. We need to build a stronger, more resistant human. It’s a harsh world out there, Gerry. You’ve not even scratched the surface, but we’ll teach you. We’ll show you everything, and then, my dear, we’ll rebuild you and send you back so you can find your Petal.”
The way she said it: ‘your Petal,’ as if they were more than just casual acquaintances. And yet she was right. He knew it. He loved her, in some way. If what his mother was saying was true, he would kill for the chance to go back and find her. And Gabe. There was bad blood there that needed letting. One way or another.
“What do you plan on doing with her if I agree to do what you ask?”
“Keep her safe. The pair of you can live here, in perfect safety. Your every desire and want can be catered for here. Even more so than the Dome. You will be a free man here. Free to come and go as you please. You could have a wonderful life. Our research departments would be at your disposal. You could continue your work or go in any other direction you wish.”
“What if I wanted to stay down there?”
“You won’t, Gerry. When you experience what it’s really like, when you go to the places that we suspect Petal has been taken to, you really won’t want to stay there.”
“And what about my girls? I still miss them.” But even as he finished that sentence, to his surprise, he realised that wasn’t entirely true. He barely knew them now. Or hi
s wife. That world seemed so far away. As if it all took place in a dream, fading into his memories. Was that the doing of this woman, or the Family? Had they wiped his memories of them? Were his feelings artificial?
His mother didn’t respond. She knew that he knew.
“Please, Gerry. Do this one thing. Find Petal and then come home to us. You belong here. We’ve missed you so much.”
“What about Jasper? Did you love him too?”
She took a deep breath and tried to hide the hurt that was still so clear on her face.
“I won’t lie. I adored him. Though he didn’t have your empathy, he had such a drive to live, and live in the right way. It hurts me deeply to see how quickly he changed, how far Seca drove him once he got his poisonous claws into him. I don’t blame you for what you did. You had to do it.”
“Where were you and all your resources while I was down there dying?”
“We were blocked,” she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Something jammed our communications and satellites. We tried to send help, but we couldn’t get there soon enough. By the time the shuttle landed and the security team got to you, the rest of Jasper’s allies had escaped. But you, Gerry. You saved the Dome. Saved everyone.”
She leant over and kissed him on the cheek. His skin was still sore from the wounds.
Sighing, he sat up, sending the cat scooting off the bed.
“I’ll do it. I’ll find Petal. But let me make it clear. I’m doing it for me.”
She closed her eyes and breathed out with relief.
“I want you to tell me one thing, though,” Gerry said, scrutinising the woman, trying to divine any sense of deception.
“Anything.”
“Tell me why you faked my life. Why the false memories? Why wasn’t I told what I could do? That I was one with my AIA?”
“It was your father, Nolan’s choice. He wanted you to stand on your own two feet. He wanted to give you the closest to a normal upbringing as possible.”
“You think any life down there is normal?”
Amma shrugged. “It’s as close to normal as we can get it.”
Gerry shook his head and realised she didn’t truly understand what it was like to be controlled, to live in fear of the D-Lottery. But she continued on, making her case.
“Your foster parents were real. Normal. They loved you as much as we do, and we entrusted them with your education. You had the benefit of knowing what it was to be like the others, but also, now, what it’s like to be something else, something better. And it’s that experience which makes you perfect for recovering Petal.
“It’s not easy for me to let you go again. I’ve been watching you grow and develop for years and become the man you are, yet I couldn’t speak with you, hold you. You talk of torture. It was torture for us watching you from a distance, always in fragments. But I couldn’t interfere with your development. You needed time to find out what you were naturally.
“When you go for Petal, you’ll have help. You won’t be alone. We have a contact on the ground who will supply you with resources. You’ve met her.”
“Enna?” Gerry asked.
“Yes. She’s one of ours. Your aunt, in fact.”
“So that’s why she wanted me to take care of Petal… She knew what she was and knew you wanted her up here. Why didn’t she say anything?” The clarity of truth just didn’t jibe with what he got from Enna on the surface. He just couldn’t see her as one of them. But if what Amma was saying was true, then he was one of them too. It made him sick. After everything he had learned about the Family, about the results of their weapons and actions, it turned out that all along he was another one of their number.
He shook his head. “None of this can be happening. None of this is real. How can I trust any of it?”
“We’ll show you. And then you’ll know the truth of who you are.”
“Show me, then,” he said, sitting up in the bed.
Amma held up a hand. “Easy, you’re still recovering. Maybe tomorrow. Your full recovery might take a while.”
“The more time I spend up here in your space station, the less time I’m on Earth finding Petal. Besides,” Gerry said, “if she’s so special to you, why don’t you send a squad down there after her?”
“It’s a question of resource management. And you really are best suited to the job. Besides, Enna’s on the ground, tracking her. She has resources to do part of the job, but we’ll need you to convince her to come back with you.”
“And what makes you think I’ll do that?” Gerry asked. “I’m not even convinced myself.”
“That’s what the next week or so is for. We’ll convince you.”
It sounded like a threat, such was the steel in her voice. Perhaps he was getting to the heart of her true nature. “Fine,” Gerry said. “Either way, I will gladly return to the surface and find her.”
He didn’t mention that he’d bring her back. Finding her was priority number one. Anything after that wasn’t as important. His mother hugged him, and he grudgingly gave in. The need for love and family floated like shallow oil on top of an ocean of hate for what they had done. The fact both Seca and Jasper had betrayed them was enough for Gerry to be wary of their intentions.
Although he had only been with Petal for a few days, he already felt close to her like she was his family. A desire to protect her burned deep. He would follow this woman’s lead for now, gather intel, and then make sure no one would use or abuse Petal again.
***
Gerry finished his basic physiotherapy within his recovery room. Two days had passed since his surgery. He felt his body begin to recover, although it would take longer for him to return to his previous levels of fitness. Muscles, bones, and tendons clicked and popped as he put himself through the callisthenic exercises. Taking a deep breath to let his heart rate drop, he sat down on an armchair, and his hand naturally went to his head again.
They had given him a prosthetic, cybernetic eye replacement with the promise of enhanced vision and various recording and augmented overlay functions, but it wasn’t hooked up to his internal systems yet. It felt wrong in his skull. Too heavy. He couldn’t stop poking it through his skin, feeling the hard metal casing against his fingers.
During the last two days, he’d been given a nutrient-rich drip alongside real, cooked food. Despite himself, he grew accustomed to the luxury, reverting back to his old way of life, but throughout, he played the game, kept them onside, all the while observing them, learning from them. So far they’d kept their cards close to their chest. Both Amma and her precious, and arrogant, son, Tyronius, had treated him well; the latter talking Gerry through some of the systems of the station and some of the advancements he oversaw for their various transhuman and posthuman technologies.
It was clear to him, however, they weren’t showing him everything; they soon diverted the subject and his attentions whenever he got too close to the details.
The station itself seemed to stretch for miles. Hallways and corridors without end, rooms and labs filled with computers, holoscreens, and busy men and women. They let him wander how he liked, although there were certain parts of the station locked down to him, despite the sound of activity beyond the various doors, making him wonder what they were doing, what they were building.
One of the busiest zones was the shuttle dock. He observed that once a day, a shuttle would leave the station for Earth, and another would return. The first one, they told him, was taking down a number of new officials to take over the running of Cemprom and the presidency.
It seemed Kuznetski had seen the end of his reign, although what had happened to him, Gerry could only speculate. Yet another detail they obfuscated.
Throughout his meanderings up and down the white-surfaced corridors, he struggled to catch on to any networks
with his implant or his internal transceiver. He knew the station had incredible computation power both internally and externally with the Family’s various satellites, but he could find no way in. They did a fine job of securing their systems.
He knew why—their head of IT: Jachz. A formidable example of the Family’s technology.
It was 09:00 on the third day when Amma entered the sparsely decorated recuperation room. Beige walls, white furniture—a bed, a cabinet, and a holoscreen stand—and a number of modern art pictures created with fractal calculations, made up the full complement of decor.
A tall, lithe man, wearing a sharply tailored grey suit, stood behind her. He was completely bald, with small, green eyes. They darted too fast, too precise. His movements were smooth, efficient, and without flaw as if he were made of liquid metal.
“Let me introduce you to your recovery manager,” Amma said, standing aside and placing her hand on the man’s arm. “Jachz will complete your systems upgrades and make sure you’re ready for action.”
Gerry stood and approached the man, although he knew the word man wasn’t entirely accurate. He held out his hand. Jachz took it with a dry, cold grip. Squeezing just a little, Gerry noticed the lack of pulse. Unsurprising.
Given Enna had specialised in building transcendents—AI-controlled humanlike bodies—Jachz was no surprise.
“AI?” Gerry asked, eyeing Amma.
“Our finest,” she said, her body puffing up with pride.
“Thank you,” Jachz said. “I’m honoured to meet you, Gerry. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Oh?” Gerry asked. “You’ll have to fill me in on the details. It seems I don’t know myself half as well as you all do.” He meant to say it as a light-hearted quip, but the truth of his conviction came out, giving the words a knife edge.
