“Empty streets. We’ve seen this before,” Thel observed.
James shook off the eeriness of the quiet, abandoned streets and addressed Old-timer’s question. “I’ve already begun amassing nans in the Purist territory. They will excavate a hangar and begin building a ship and a launch mechanism.”
“Holy…Commander, are you talking about building a spaceship big enough to carry 10,000 people?” Djanet asked, astounded by the enormity of the proposition.
“It’s the best alternative,” James replied as he put on his helmet. The team ignited their magnetic cocoons and began flying in formation toward South America while transferring their communication to their mind’s eyes.
“A titanium spacecraft will keep them safe, and there are centuries of designs that can be amalgamated into something that will work. Our job is to facilitate the evacuation and pilot the ship off of the planet. We can rendezvous with our families once we’re certain that the Purists can take care of themselves.”
“You said there was a major complication though,” Old-timer pointed out. “What is it?”
James opened his mouth to answer but was stopped by the voice of the A.I., whispering in his ear. “I wouldn’t tell them if I were you.”
James paused for a moment, stunned by the voice in his head and the secret that it was proposing James keep.
“James?” Thel asked as she noticed James’s unusual verbal stumble.
“What were you going to tell them, James?” asked the A.I. “That the evil A.I. is still alive and inside your head? But don’t worry, you have it all under control? Do you think they’ll believe you? Do you think they’ll follow your lead then?”
“Are you okay, Commander?” Djanet asked.
“I’m fine,” James replied. “I’m just getting used to the connection again. The complication is just a technical thing. I’m working my way through it. We’ll be fine.”
There was silence for a moment as the others absorbed the strange response and the quartet reached the stratosphere. James fixed his eyes on the blackness of space and the thing—the implacable enemy—that was coming.
“Good work, Keats,” the A.I. said, satisfaction in his voice. “You and I make a fine team. A fine team.”
12
Meanwhile, inside the mainframe, James stood in the operator’s position, tens of thousands of beams of golden light hitting him at every moment.
“You’re spending far too much time worrying about the Purists,” the A.I. observed as he strolled leisurely in a perimeter around James. Although he was not in control, he was enjoying watching James in a hopeless predicament, relishing his position as an unwanted, yet indispensable advisor. “Sooner or later, you are going to have to place your attention where it truly belongs.”
“You’re talking about the alien A.I.,” James said.
“I am indeed.”
“Tell me what you know about it,” said James.
“I know only as much as you do,” the A.I. replied.
“Bull.”
“I was hiding in your subconscious for the past year and a half, James. I know only as much as you do,” the A.I. reiterated.
“You may only have learned of the alien’s impending visit when I learned of it, but you’re the one who it is coming for. You must have sent out a message.”
The A.I. smiled. “I did—just as your own species had. I simply used much more advanced technology. I called into the darkness and, alas, a voice has called back.”
“Look into the abyss long enough, eventually it looks back into you,” James observed.
“So now the question is: what are you going to do about it, James? You removed me from my throne and now ‘heavy is the head upon which the crown sits,’ as they say.”
“I’m not going to wait for the alien to arrive,” James said, revealing his plans. “I’m replicating a massive fighting force of nans, and I’m going to see if I can drive it right into the heart of the alien machines.”
“You’re going to launch a preemptive attack and kill them,” the A.I. replied, summarizing the plan.
“Destroy. I am not killing anything.”
“You’re not?” the A.I. laughed. “Really? Are they not living? Didn’t you just accuse Chief Gibson of having a narrow view of what constitutes life not one hour ago?”
James suddenly stopped. “Were those my words…or yours?” James demanded.
“Oh, this is rich! You don’t even know whether or not to trust your own thoughts anymore! I do so love watching you unravel!”
“Were those my words or yours?” James demanded again.
The A.I. simply laughed. “What are you going to do? Delete me? You can’t. I’m part of you now. You’d have better luck removing a brain tumor from your head with a butter knife.”
James was boxed in, and he knew it. The devil had infected his mind and there was no way to remove him. His only option was to push forward.
“I’ll kill them if I have to. I have no choice.”
“Oh, James, you will find that there is always a choice, and I do believe in the next few hours, you’ll be forced to make a great deal more of them than you would like.”
13
James, Thel, Old-timer, and Djanet touched down in Purist territory and were immediately greeted by Alejandra and Lieutenant Patrick. “It is good to see you, my friends,” Alejandra announced as she embraced the post-humans one at a time. She embraced Old-timer last and met his eye for only a short, knowing moment. Old-timer was trying hard to bury his feelings, but he knew the harder he tried, the more apparent they would become.
“The excavation site is only a kilometer from here. We need to start moving your people there within the hour,” James said.
“Si,” Alejandra replied. “We received your plans and are already informing the entire community. It will be difficult, but we will be able to begin moving out within the hour.”
“Thank you,” James said. “In the meantime, I’ll head to the construction site. My friends will remain here to help you with your evacuation.” James turned to the rest of the team. “Meet me at the site when you are ready and make sure all of the Purists are with you.” James kissed Thel quickly, and then lifted off into the sky.
“Is your friend all right?” Alejandra asked.
“What do you mean?” Old-timer queried.
“He’s suffering from an enormous conflict,” Alejandra revealed.
“I’m sure it’s just the stress of the situation,” Thel responded, trying to smooth Alejandra’s concerns away with a reassuring smile. “The whole world is in his hands…again.”
Alejandra was dubious, even after reading the sincerity in the rest of the group—she would be keeping an eye on James. She nodded and waved for the rest of the team to follow her.
Meanwhile, James landed at the massive hole in the ground that would become the underground hangar for the Purist evacuation ship.
“The empath sensed me,” the A.I. observed.
“I know,” James replied as he watched the enormous fog of nans building furiously. “That’s why I left them behind. There’s no reason for me to be here. I can control the nans from the mainframe. I should be helping with the evacuation…but I can’t.”