David Simpson - Post-Human Trilogy

The soft glow of information flashing across Aldous’s eyes indicated that he had flipped open his mind’s eye once again. This time, he opened up a link to everyone in the facility. “Attention! As you already know, the world government has amassed an attack force, and they are headed this way. Each of you has a choice. You can either flee—in which case you will undoubtedly be tracked until you disengage your cocoon and flight systems—or you can remain here and take your chances. You take a risk either way. I won’t advise a course of action, but I will remain here to help protect those who choose to face the Purists, come what may. If you plan to stay, meet me at the main entrance, where we will work to facilitate the escape of those who choose to flee. Hurry!”

“Aldous,” Samantha began, grasping tightly onto his bicep, “you can’t do this. They’ll kill you!”

“Everyone in this facility is here because of me, Sam—every single one of them, including you. I won’t abandon them to save myself.”

“But you’ll abandon me?” she exclaimed, shocked.

“I’ll save you,” he responded, trying to be soft while also cognizant of their rapidly dwindling time. “I won’t see you die. But I need you to do one last thing for me.” He gestured to the holographic figure a few paces away. “I need you to protect the A.I.’s mother program. I need you to upload him into your brain, and I need you to escape.”

Craig watched the exchange with a grotesque fascination. There was his wife, desperate to talk another man out of sacrificing himself for her. He didn’t know how to feel. Part of him was glad Aldous would soon be out of the picture, but another part of him was so repulsed by Samantha’s behavior that he couldn’t bring himself to give a damn.

“Fleeing isn’t going to do those people any good, Aldous!” Samantha shouted back desperately. “They’ll be tracked! There’s no way they’ll be able to get far enough away on foot once they set back down. Every camera and sensor in the world will be locked on them! It’s a fool’s errand!”

“You’re not going to be flying out of here,” Aldous replied. “You’re going to be crossing into Universe 66.”

Aldous nearly had to drag his wife next door; they entered yet another large industrial room, this one housing the Planck platform.

“This is insane!” Samantha shouted in protest. “It hasn’t been properly tested!”

“It’ll work,” Aldous replied, his lips pulled back into a stubborn determination. He turned to the A.I. “Are you readying the download?”

“I am, Professor Gibson. The nanobots that will receive my consciousness are being prepared as we speak and will arrive in moments. In the meantime, I am preparing the Planck platform for our departure.”

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” Craig asked, desperate for information that might help him begin to comprehend this most recent upheaval.

“You and Samantha are about to be transported into a parallel universe,” the A.I. replied with the same inappropriate calm that Craig was quickly learning to expect from the technological apparition.

“What now?” he responded, his mouth opening in astonishment.

“Professor Gibson,” began the A.I., ignoring Craig’s flabbergasted expression, “the Planck platform is still set for departure to the series of universes you have most recently explored. I cannot recalibrate in time to change this.”

“You sent yourself through the Planck?” Samantha asked, her head swiveling from the A.I. to Aldous.

“No, of course not,” he replied. “I was studying them. I knew some universes move more slowly, so I focused my research on ones that are nearly identical to our own. The best way to determine this was by looking for recognizable events from history.”

“Red letter dates,” the A.I. added. “I can set the Planck to take us through a series of these universes, but I don’t have enough time to change course.”

“I understand.” Aldous nodded before turning back to Samantha. “ Don’t change anything . These are all major events in history. We don’t have the right to interfere with the timelines in those universes. Just lie low and wait for the Planck to engage again and take you to the next universe.”

“How many universes are you talking about?” Samantha asked, still aghast.

Aldous turned to the A.I. for the precise answer.

“We’ve examined sixteen,” the A.I. answered. “They are loaded and ready. There will be a ten-hour layover in each universe, though the time frame will be relative to that universe.”

“Relative?” Craig asked. “What does that mean?”

“We don’t have time to explain,” Aldous interjected. “Explain it to him when you arrive in Universe 66,” Aldous ordered the A.I.

The door to the Planck room suddenly opened, and a large syringe on a small, levitating tray entered.

“The nanobots are ready. I will upload my consciousness now, with your permission, Professor,” the A.I. announced.

Aldous nodded. “Do it.”

The A.I. returned the nod before turning to Samantha to give one last instruction. “You will need to have Dr. Emilson implant the nanobots high in the back of your neck, just below the occipital bone. It will take the nanobots anywhere from several minutes to an hour to pass the blood-brain barrier and make neural connections so I can communicate with you.” And with those final words, his image vanished from the room.

Aldous grabbed the syringe and handed it to Craig. Their eyes met, ever so briefly. The look on Aldous’s face was intense, and his eyes communicated a message that had to remain silent but needed to be communicated nonetheless: Take care of her .

He turned back to Samantha. “I have to go now. We’re down to five minutes. I have to meet the others.” He grabbed her hands, and their fingers interlaced as he looked upon her wet, desperate eyes. “Live for me, Sam.”

“No, no, no! We need a better plan!” Samantha shouted, her eyes squeezing shut as she tried to block the nightmare out. If only she could wake up.

“There’s no better plan. Craig can’t take care of himself yet. You have to protect him and the A.I. When you return, the two of you have to hide and rebuild. You’ve got to wait for your opportunity.”

“For what?” she asked.

“The A.I. will know,” Aldous replied. He leaned in and kissed her quickly but passionately—a last kiss.

Craig, with great effort, resisted the urge to stab Aldous with the syringe.

Aldous pulled back and stepped away, but Samantha wouldn’t release her grip.

“Don’t do this, Aldous!” she shouted with all of her desperation.

“This is the right thing,” he said to her, pleading for her understanding as he tried to disentangle himself. “This will make things right.”

Aldous turned to Craig for help in separating himself. Craig didn’t have to be asked twice and pulled her roughly away from her new husband. Samantha fought back, but Craig easily manhandled her.

“No!”

“Live for me, Sam,” Aldous said again before turning regretfully and flying out of the room.

“No!” she shouted one last time before the tears turned into sobs and overwhelmed her.

Craig stood over her and watched as she cried. He shook his head slowly as he watched. He couldn’t have written a version of Hell that would have been more painful. “I hope you’re not expecting me to console you right now,” he said as Samantha continued to sob.

She pulled at her hair and rocked herself slightly, her face bowed to the ground and hidden from view. “I don’t expect you to understand,” she replied, her tone harsh but filled with regret. She almost wished she hadn’t reanimated him.