“Unlike many, you ask the right questions,” Drone 451 replied. The holographic image changed to a flat screen. On the screen a stream of code flowed too fast for Denver to understand or recognize any individual characters. “This is the Order of Things as it stands now. It is much changed since you arrived on Tredeya. It is the underlying programmatic expression of the chaos that exists in all things. Our intelligences mine it for information, seeking patterns. We build algorithms to fix complex programs and compute outcomes.”
“That’s… interesting, I suppose, but I’ve never really used computers, so excuse me if I’m not blown away. Are you suggesting you guys can tell the future?”
“No,” the drone said. “We can infer from it. And that’s where you come in. One of our algorithmists saw your pattern in the Order of Things and we knew that you would be important to us regarding one of our long-running missions.”
Denver cocked his head as the screen changed to show a small blue planet surrounded by darkness and a single sun. There were no other planets or moons on the image and so few stars that he couldn’t make out any recognizable constellations, which told him it could only be one thing. “That’s not Earth, is it, even though it looks like it at first glance?”
“You’re correct, although you could look upon it as the first Earth.”
“First… you’re saying there’s multiple Earths?”
“Of a kind, yes. Humans currently inhabit three hundred and fifty-nine planets with similar properties to the first Earth. Yours is classified as number ninety-seven.”
“Okay, that’s… kind of mind-bending, but then I suppose everything is at the moment. I’ll be sure to process this all at some point. So what’s special about this first Earth, and where do I come in?”
“You’re going to find it for us,” Drone 451 said.
“Oh, am I?” Denver wanted to laugh at first. The absurdity of this whole scenario suddenly hit him in the chest. “Is this like some kind of weird test? You know I’m just a guy from Earth ninety-seven, right? I know nothing of the galaxy. I think you lot would be better suited to find this planet than me.”
“But you’re human,” the drone responded as though that answered everything. “For the mission we have in mind, we need you. Doslin, please provide Agent 6001 with the printed mission brief.”
The holographic display shut down. The cone clasped down onto the prism and the room’s lights slowly came back up to their previous illumination. Denver felt as if he had just awoken from a dream.
Doslin appeared by his side. He hadn’t even seen or sensed her move. She held out a folded piece of white card. “Your mission brief. You’re to press your thumb against the box to accept.”
“You all seem so sure that I will just go along with this madness.”
Doslin gave him the slightest smile. “The scion are… persuasive. Now please, read the brief. Then we can return to your father and Layla. There is still much to discuss before the gate is fully operational.”
Denver took the card and sat back in the sofa. He realized he was smiling, still thinking all this was some weird elaborate game, but when he opened the card and started to read, his smile dropped and he leaned forward. The card shook slightly in his grip. He twisted his head to stare up at Doslin. “This isn’t bullshit, is it?”
“The scion might be many things, but when they offer agent status, bullshit is not in their mode of operation. I can assure you of that.”
“Right,” Denver said, turning back to the briefing. He paused for a second, his thumb hovering over the small chip embedded into the card. And then he pressed his thumb down. A small tickle of electricity excited his skin.
Doslin took the mission briefing from him and held out her hand.
“Welcome to the scion, Agent 6001.”
Chapter 38
CHARLIE PEERED through the glass of the observation room. A large scion prism had floated to the surface and stopped over a flat strip of land. A ramp dropped from its underside.
Hundreds of tredeyans and croatoans were being escorted aboard by a row of hovering jet-black mechs. He felt little sympathy after his experiences with both species. At least they probably weren’t being turned into trays of silver slop.
Scion fighters still patrolled the sky, although they only made sweeping runs around the ship and none fired during the time Charlie observed their movements.
Half an hour had passed since Denver left the room. Layla paced around behind him, fidgeting and mumbling to herself.
“Get yourself over here and relax,” Charlie said.
She stood by his shoulder and looked at the fully formed gate. “What do you think they’re saying to him?”
“No idea, but worrying about it isn’t going to change anything. We’ll find out when he comes back.”
“If he’s coming back.”
Charlie wrapped his arm around her. “You should know Denver by now. He’ll be back.”
A loud crack echoed to their right. From their position, only the top half of the gate was visible. A solid shimmering blue surface filled the giant circular structure, like a piece of suspended water. Green waves rippled across it as the strip of light running around the perimeter flashed. The green strip remained solid after ten blinks, turning the internal space to aquamarine.
The ground shook below Charlie’s boots, accompanied by a low rumbling sound. Layla gasped and pressed her hand against the vibrating glass. Stones danced around on the ground directly outside.
“Looks like they’ve got it working,” Layla said.
Charlie shook his head. “That’s insane. Hard to believe we came through it.”
A black tip punctured the surface inside the gate. Electricity fizzed around it. A large black prism smoothly glided through, filling three-quarters of the area.
It continued forward over the trees toward the command center. Charlie took a couple of steps back, maintaining a fixed gaze on the ship. It stopped over an area covered in yellow grass peppered with orange wild-growing root. The croatoans must have used a different version of it on Tredeya. The ones on Earth didn’t spread seeds.
Dust puffed from below the prism and showered the observation window. Through the haze, a graphite ramp, with blue lights running along each side, lowered twenty meters to the ground.
“Do you trust them?” Layla said.
“I’m prepared to trust anyone who’s fighting the croatoans. If they make good on their promise to defend our solar system, I’m all for it.”
“It’s hard to believe this could all finally be over.”
Charlie shrugged. “It ain’t over ’til we get back to Earth.”
The door clicked open behind them and he spun around. Doslin walked toward them. Denver followed with the black prism fastened around his neck.
Charlie attempted to read the expression on his face. Denver looked sheepishly away, which wasn’t a good sign.
“That is your transport back to Earth,” Doslin said. “Terms have been agreed and the scion are content. They are preparing an environment chamber and you need to be ready to board in ten minutes.”
“What’s happening?” Layla said and grabbed Denver’s arm. He stared outside at the scion ship and the top of the crackling gate. “Answer me. What terms did you agree to with them?”
Denver puffed his cheeks and fished a piece of card out of his back pocket. “You two best sit down for what I’m about to tell you.”
“It’s us you’re talking to,” Charlie said and remained standing. Being told to sit down for news was never a good thing. Especially when it involved his son. “Why do I get the feeling there’s a catch to all of this?”