Damnation

by Ken Barrett

  “From what I’ve been told, Keith wants no part of the Resistance.” Roxi’s eyes shifted nervously. “Both him and Denise want to take their brands and blend in with the fanatics.”

  “What?” Rose exclaimed. “Keith was with the Resistance in Pike City; I can’t believe that he’d back away when we need him.”

  “I think that he and Denise have more at stake than most of the others, but that doesn’t matter,” Roxi said quickly. “The first thing we have to do is build a hideaway for ourselves, and it needs to be ready to go before the Scarred Faithful arrives.”

  “Hideaway?” Liam asked.

  “Yeah.” Roxi smiled. “We’ll dig out the back walls in some of the storerooms down here, and turn them into bunk rooms, planning centers, and so forth.”

  “Alright,” Liam replied cautiously. “But what will we do with the rubble? I mean, I doubt we can take it all the way up to the vestibule and dump it outside without anyone noticing.”

  “That’s the beauty of Paul’s plan,” Roxi stated. “We’ll take the refuse and use it to bury the ramps leading down here, then tell the priests that there was a cave-in. That way, this entire floor will be ours, and with only one hydroponic farm left, there will be less food for the Scarred Faithful Army. We’ll have everything we need to get by, and they’ll be none the wiser.”

  “But you’ll be trapped down here,” Rose said.

  “We’ll dig tunnels behind the walls,” Roxi stated. “Work on that has already started.”

  *****

  The work to enlarge level fifteen began the next morning. When the clatter and roar of pneumatic jackhammers filled the air, guards were posted on the ramps to keep out the curious. But the zealots on the upper floors would eventually hear the sounds of excavation and come down to investigate, what would happen then? Perhaps they would be provided with a lie about increasing food production to meet the needs of the approaching army, if so, Liam hoped it would be believed.

  He and Rose had lost their place of safety, all it would take was a single person among the workforce to betray them, and everything would fall apart. Roxi assured them that everyone was trustworthy, but many in the Resistance hated technology, and them by extension. They worried, and kept themselves locked behind their workroom door; for the time being that was the best they could do.

  “We’ll have to move,” Rose stated. “Everything was going so smoothly, why did this have to happen right as we’re about to install our upgrades.”

  “No, we can’t move,” Liam argued. “Our isolation beds and equipment are here. We’d have to dismantle everything, and then, where would we go?”

  She bit her lip, considering her answer. “The work started on the opposite side of the floor, and it will be a while until they start work over here. So, we’ll do the install and then move somewhere else.”

  “We could move to level thirteen, there are a lot of empty apartments on that floor,” he replied.

  “The heat and humidity won’t keep the searchers away up there,” Rose said. “Maybe we should move to level fourteen instead?”

  “Too much foot traffic,” he responded. “But thirteen has the lowest population of any level, and with our new batteries installed, we won’t have to go out looking for food. We’ll just lock the door and wait until the army leaves.”

  His sister slowly nodded her consent. “I can’t think of anything else we can do.”

  *****

  Between shifts of the excavation crews, Liam and Rose left their hiding place and slipped through the scattered boulders that littered the ramp to level fourteen. Silence had finally come to the lowest levels, but it wouldn’t last long. Commander Davis had taken charge of the Resistance and had a schedule, and as the enemy army approached, he was intent on keeping to it.

  Voices echoed from up ahead, and they eased behind one of the massive power generators and waited for the workers to pass. When their conversations finally faded into the distance, they cautiously moved up the eastern ramp to level thirteen.

  It was like walking into a dusty crypt. Silence hung heavy around them as they quickly jogged down the first hallway they came to. None of the apartments appeared to be occupied. About midway between the eastern and western ramps, Liam cautiously tried opening a door.

  The small apartment was empty, save for a bed and the standard furnishings. Moments later, they checked a neighboring room. “These will do just fine,” Rose said.

  “We’ll move up after our upgrades are installed,” Liam suggested. “But I’m not sure what we should do then. We could try joining the Resistance, but there are a lot of people who hate technology, and we’re the embodiment of that.”

  “Maybe we could kill the missionaries?”

  “Violence.” He sighed.

  “I know,” she answered. “But shouldn’t we destroy those who would hurt others? Could you do nothing while Denise is murdered?”

  “No. But with the army coming, would it do any good to kill the priests?”

  Rose leaned back against the hallway wall. “Probably not, and the army is too big for us to fight.”

  He reviewed his ongoing simulations of possible futures. “There are other possibilities, but we won’t be able to save everyone.”

  Chapter 16: Lucy

  Six L80 laser rifles were scattered across Liam’s work surface. Each weapon had been torn down to its essential components, then inspected and improved if possible. When they were finally reassembled, each would be powered by an infinite diamond battery, similar to the one that was about to be placed in his chest cavity. The work was unnecessary, but Liam was nervous about the coming operation and needed a distraction.

  Just beyond the locked door of their workroom, the excavations continued. Men and women labored as quietly as they were able, and yet the sharp clatter of their jackhammers was impossible to ignore or escape. Surely, someone among their enemy must hear the uproar, and yet there was no indication that their activity had been reported to the priests. Why?

  Perhaps a trap was being set, and the zealots would descend on them when they were most vulnerable. If he and his sister were captured before their upgrades were installed, they would have no defense against any atrocity the priests might inflict. They could die, and there would be no returning this time.

  He recalled their deaths after Pike City had fallen to the Tribal Armies. He and Rose had been mowed down and torn apart by railgun fire. Their passing was peaceful, and afterward, they floated for what felt like an eternity on an endless sea of consciousness. He hadn’t wanted to return, but their autonomic repair system had brought them back to life.

  This time would be different though. If they were chained and burned in the vestibule as others had been, they would die, permanently. Without an upgrade, their power systems couldn’t cope with that scale of destruction. Their bodies would be consumed by the flames, their processors melted, their memories lost, their minds gone. He had experienced the tranquility of death before, so maybe he shouldn’t be frightened, and yet he was. When viewed from this side of the veil, life and vigor were vastly preferable to darkness and sleep.

  With a sigh, he slipped a sealed diamond array battery into an L80, and it buzzed briefly then became still as the weapon’s processors came online. After shutting it back down, he set it aside and began assembling the next rifle in line.

  “Whatcha doin’ Big Brother?” Rose asked with mocked playfulness.

  He could hear the tightness in her voice and knew that she was worried too. Roxi was late, and he didn’t know why. They had known their physicist friend for their entire lives and understood that she kept an irregular schedule, but that knowledge was no comfort.

  “You’re still a brat,” he responded. “The new batteries will provide permanent power for these weapons, just like the ones that we left outside.” He turned toward her and raised an eyebrow. “Do you want the technical details?”

  “Not just no, but hell no,” she stated. “You always keep your hands b
usy when you’re nervous; I’m worried about Roxi too.”

  “With all the racket those jackhammers are making, I don’t know why one of the Stickman’s disciples hasn’t come down to investigate.”

  “That bothers me too,” she replied. “The demolition is almost done though. New rooms have been added behind the storage areas on the other side of the floor, and that’s all they’ll need.”

  He frowned. “Really?”

  “Yes. Both ramps down to this level will be blocked, so the Resistance will have the entire floor to themselves, and that’s plenty of room.”

  “And the zealots will only have access to one floor of hydroponics, and the limited food supply won’t support the invading army,” he added.

  “That’s right,” she stated. “Now, will you stop worrying?”

  “Sure Sis, right after you do.” He swiveled on his chair and returned to work.

  *****

  Hours passed, and the workers had gone home, leaving him and his sister alone. Beyond their door, all he could hear was the soft mechanical rumble of plants being lifted toward the grow-lights and the hiss of nutrient sprays to their roots. The relative quiet was worse than the cacophony of jackhammers, it was oppressive and nearly unbearable.

  “Roxi’s coming.” Rose suddenly stood up. “She’s not alone.”

  “Tiger and Alice?” he asked hopefully, then took a newly modified L80 and laid it across his lap. The rattle of hydroponic machinery along with the tangle of worries within his mind made it difficult to interpret what he was hearing.

  “Yes, it’s just them,” Rose replied at last.

  “Alright, finally.” He sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Minutes later someone lightly tapped on their door. “Come in Roxi,” Rose said.

  The older woman led Tiger and Alice into the room. “Sorry for the hold-up,” she said.

  “What happened?” Rose asked.

  “There was a huge brouhaha in the level six cafeteria that Oxana forced everyone to attend,” Roxi explained. “She announced that trials to test the faith of our people are about to start.”

  “Cages have been built on level eight, and a big courtroom area with chains bolted to the floor is right next to the Command Center on level seven,” Alice said.

  “Oh, that’s awful.” Rose paused to take a deep breath. “Are any of you in danger?”

  “Yeah,” Tiger said. “But the plan is to have those in the Resistance pretend to leave, but actually hide down here. It looks like we got this place sealed off just in time.”

  “How will you do that?” Liam asked.

  “It’s kinda complicated, but I got the idea from you guys,” Tiger responded. “Tomorrow we’ll make a big show of going outside; the priests think that’s a death sentence, so they’ll allow it. Later, we’ll start sneaking people back in, we’ll use a side shaft that starts on level three to get them down here.”

  “How many are in the Resistance?” Liam asked.

  “About two thousand, but most of them are already keeping out of sight,” Alice said. “So, only a few hundred will go outside, and all of them are volunteers. Those already hiding will use other side shafts, and will start coming down later tonight.”

  Two thousand people living on just one level would be really cramped, even with the excavations they had made. But that wasn’t the only problem. Liam glanced at his sister. “Rose and I will move up to level thirteen as soon as our batteries are installed,” he stated. “I know that there are some good people in the Resistance, but a lot of them don’t like my sister and me.”

  “What? No!” Alice protested. “It’ll be ok, we’ll keep you guys safely locked away in here.”

  “It’s better for us to move, and we won’t be far away,” he answered.

  “We need to leave before the crowd arrives,” Rose added.

  “They won’t all come down at once, because too many people would notice,” Alice replied. “We have time.”

  “We’d still better get started,” Roxi said.

  *****

  “Tiger, I’d like you to wait outside and guard the door,” Roxi said.

  “What?” The young man frowned. “I came down here to help.”

  Rose smiled. “I know, but I’d be more comfortable with you outside making sure that no one comes in.”

  “It’s also a matter of modesty,” Roxi added. “Their power supplies are within their chest cavities; at about the same place our lungs are. To access them, I’ll have to remove their skin and the structure beneath it.”

  “Her boobs will be on display, you big dummy,” Alice said playfully. “Now, go outside and wait.”

  “My brother and I will be powered down for the operation and completely helpless. There’s no one we trust more than you to keep us safe,” Rose stated.

  “Ok. I swear on my life that no one will get in before you’re ready.” Tiger took a modified laser rifle, then nodded and turned away.

  “You’re a good man Tiger,” Liam said as the door clicked shut.

  Rose extended her hand toward him. “Are you ready to download the code?”

  “Sure thing Sis.” He reached out and pressed his palm to hers. His mind buzzed with hyperactivity as seven terabytes of compiled code swarmed into and through his systems, overwriting everything it encountered.

  “What are they doing?” Alice whispered.

  “These two can pass large chunks of data by direct contact.” Roxi waited with her hands on her hips until the transfer was complete. “Alright, shirts off, and lay down on the beds. I need to get you guys into a sterile environment before I open you up.”

  Liam removed his shirt and lay down. “While you’re in there, maybe you could check my oil level too.”

  “They use oil just like my father’s tractor?” Alice asked.

  “No, of course not,” Roxi scoffed. “Every time I work on these two, Liam makes the same stupid joke.”

  “I don’t remember that.” Several rows of lights ignited above him, the illumination would kill bacteria or any other contamination on his skin.

  “Yeah, you never do,” the older woman smiled. “Now just shut up and let me work.”

  “This is more like an old-fashioned engine overhaul than an oil change anyway,” Rose countered.

  “I’m not paid enough to listen to all this foolishness,” Roxi replied. “Alright, we’re clear to open.”

  A rectangular seam suddenly appeared that spanned the width and length of his torso from neck to navel. Roxi, wearing sterile gloves, lifted the chest plate and set it on his thighs, then turned away to do the same thing to his sister.

  “There’s no blood,” Alice said.

  “They can affect blood when they need to appear human,” Roxi answered. “But don’t worry, they aren’t in any pain.”

  “If you say so,” Alice replied.

  Roxi returned, and looked down at him. “Alright Liam, I’m powering you down now.”

  He started to reply, but his universe abruptly ended.

  *****

  It was always nighttime here. Above him, an infinity of stars hung from an ebony sky, and a gently undulating indigo sea stretched to the horizon. Time danced to the rhythm of the gentle crash and hiss of the waves. A cool breeze tickled his skin as he wiggled his toes in the damp beach sand; each grain, a different reality.

  His sister stood at his side. “We’ve been here before.” Her whisper drove the tide.

  “We’ve always been here,” he answered.

  “Are we dead?”

  “Were we alive? I can’t remember.”

  “This is life, so the other must be death,” she responded.

  “Binary thinking in a multiverse. When all is one, is there a difference?”

  “But there’s more to do,” she insisted.

  “Why? It’s all just a dream.”

  “It’s time to die here and return there.”

  He inhaled deeply and sighed long. “I suppose so.”


  *****

  “That was interesting.” Rose was sitting up on her bed.

  “Yeah, it was nice,” he responded.

  “I wish I knew what you guys experience when you’re powered down because you always say the same things when you come back,” Roxi said.

  Tiger was standing just inside the door. “What did you guys see?”

  Liam shook his head, struggling to find the words. “It was incredibly peaceful and beautiful.”

  “You came back, so you guys really can’t die,” the young man stated.

  “I wish I could be like you,” Alice said. “To not be afraid of dying would be wonderful.”

  “Oddly enough, death is a relative term for us,” he answered. “If our bodies were damaged beyond repair, we might be stuck in them until our batteries finally ran out of power. Can you imagine being unable to speak or move for thousands of years?”

  “That’s our version of hell,” Rose added while buttoning up her shirt.

  “Our systems almost shut down when we went out to fix the vents, we nearly died then,” Liam stated. “And anyway, you can’t just change your body like you do your clothes.”

  Alice lowered her head. “I’m so tired of being scared all the time. I don’t wanna be human anymore, I wanna be like you.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Tiger gazed steadily at Roxi. “Can you make us like them?”

  “That isn’t possible,” Liam said. “There’s no way to transfer a human mind into a body like ours.”

  “Actually, that may not be entirely true,” Roxi stated. “You see, you and your sister’s minds were created by running literally millions of simulations. Before you were transferred into these bodies, your burgeoning consciousness lived thousands of lives within progressively complex computer models. Your experiences were made increasingly difficult, which honed your minds like a whetstone sharpens a blade.

  “The science that created you was based on seventy-year-old research done by Dr. Lucy Galen; she’s truly the mother of all AI systems, and was the first to theorize that all consciousness is derived through suffering,” Roxi continued. “It was Dr. Galen that developed the algorithm we still use to create artificial intelligence. She was a genius, but so far ahead of her time that processor technology wasn’t up to running her programs. If her AI systems had been built, they would have been huge and taken enormous amounts of energy to run. It’s a great shame that she never saw her work take physical form.”