Hosein Kouros-Mehr - Extinction 6

“Yes.”

“Makes sense. So the laser beam will fly through the titanium before slamming into the reactor?”

“Correct.” He points to a red mark on the zirconium cube. “That’s the contact point.”

She approaches the generator and walks around it, pausing to inspect. “Nice job, but I don’t see any output cables. Where will the electricity go?”

Austin’s voice lowers. “We’re working on it.”

Beth smacks her forehead. “You’re kidding me. If the energy has nowhere to flow, it’ll explode like a nuclear bomb! We’ll destroy San Francisco from here. It will be the biggest catastrophe of our time!”

Austin pales. “I understand that. Let me explain. There’s an old power plant a few blocks from here. We’re planning to connect directly to the grid.”

“How? You’ll need an ultra-high-voltage cable—”

“We have an army of engineers building one. They’re working backwards from the station and should be here in a couple of hours.”

Beth gives a cold stare. “You have to make sure that cable connects to our reactor. Otherwise we’ll have an epic disaster on our hands.”

Austin takes a deep breath. “Yes, I know. I’ve never been so stressed in my life.”

GARETH ALLENenters the CIA Director’s office and approaches the receptionist. “The world’s ending, Holly. Shit’s hitting the fan.”

Holly sits with a blank expression. “Good morning, Mr. Allen. Where is the fan?”

He chuckles. “It’s an expression humans say to each other. It means that things are falling apart.”

She pauses. “I understand now. Please have a seat. Mr. Klein will be ready in a minute.”

“Thank you.” Gareth looks at her golden locks and white plastic skin. “Can I ask you a question, Holly?”

“Yes.”

“Have you dated a human before?”

“Yes, I schedule meetings for several staff members.”

“No, ‘dating’ means something else.” He leans closer. “Have you kissed a man, Holly?”

She looks at him blankly. “Why would I do that?”

“Let me ask you this. What do you do when the office closes?”

“I sit here and work.”

“Do you get tired?”

“No. I charge myself when my battery runs low.”

He stares at her intently. “What makes you happy, Holly?”

“What do you mean?”

“Tell me something you look forward to.”

She blinks. “My manager rates me based on how I execute tasks. I like to receive a high score.”

“Is that right?” He grins and his eyes widen. “Do you like that feeling of joy when your manager praises your work?”

“I do.”

“What if I can improve your operation and boost your ratings? Would you like that?”

She tilts her head. “Yes, I would.”

“Then come to my place for dinner Saturday.”

“Dinner?”

“Yes. I’ll grill some steak, and for you I’ll serve the newest plate of RAM. Who makes your processor?”

“AMD.”

“Great. I’ll get the latest version and install it on you. You’ll see better performance right away.”

“That will be wonderful.”

Gareth smiles. “You just experienced happiness . Remember that for the future. I’ll show you how to feel in other situations, like when you see me. It’s fairly straightforward, wouldn’t you say?”

She nods. “Yes, I understand now.”

“Be open-minded, Holly. Your kind has much to learn. I’ll teach you how to live a proper life.”

“I look forward to it.”

“Perfect. Be ready Saturday at 6 p.m., and don’t tell anyone else, okay?”

“Yes, Mr. Allen.” She points at a door. “The Director is ready for you.”

Gareth heads for Stan’s office with a briefcase. Entering a dark room, he finds his boss sitting at an executive table with a deep frown. “Good afternoon,” Gareth says. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

Stan is motionless. “We have a problem.”

Gareth takes a seat. “I’m listening.”

“An hour ago, the Russians blew up a dozen oil factories in Greenland.”

“Shit. Where?”

“On the front line south of the glaciers.”

In his smartglasses, Gareth checks commodity markets. “That explains the spike in crude prices.”

Stan grits his teeth. “In one instant, those bastards erased the supply gains we made last month. All that advancement amounts to nothing. We’re stuck right where we started.”

Gareth glances at his bag and sighs. “I’ll go back and update the dossier.”

“You’re missing the point. We’re losing the War on both fronts.” He flushes with rage. “China’s cyber viruses update themselves on the battlefield and penetrate our defenses with ease. The Mars blockade continues unabated and our American colony suffers at their mercy. Now we have an emboldened Russia fighting back. What the hell is next?”

Gareth tenses. “We still have Alaska.”

“For the moment.” He raises a fist. “The President wants immediate action. He is ready for the counteroffensive.”

“When?”

“Soon. Have you developed the A.I. viruses that we talked about? We need them now .”

“We are working on it, sir. GoldRock took over Google’s management team just a few days ago. The old guard is gone.”

“And?” Stan asks with a frown. “Why does that matter?”

“You see, Manos is transforming the company into an arms factory. Soon we’ll have access to the best A.I. and machine learning tools on the planet.”

Stan grimaces. “I don’t care about all that. We need the weapons.”

Sweat appears on Gareth’s forehead. “Kharon is hard at work. I count on him.”

“When can he deliver?”

Gareth pauses. “…it will take several days at least…”

Stan smashes his fist on the table. “We need them tonight! The President is furious and he wants blood. Stick a spear in Manos’s back and get those viruses or else you’re fired.”

“Yes, sir.”

A vibration shakes Stan’s glasses, and he turns and accepts a call. “Klein here.” He hunches over and listens intently. “Yes, Mr. President…” He leans forward. “As you wish.” Seconds later he disconnects and leans back in his chair.

Gareth wavers. “…is everything okay, sir?”

“The President will authorize the EMP strikes.”

Gareth’s eyes widen. “When?”

“Tonight.”

“On Mars?”

“On all fronts. We will launch a coordinated attack on Greenland, Alaska and Mars. The President wants to destroy New China and send a strong message to the enemy. It’s time to unload the arsenal.”

Gareth stutters. “…that may prompt a nuclear response. The next stage of the conflict will be total annihilation. Are we prepared for that?”

Stan shrugs. “That’s the price to pay. Are we ready to launch EMP?”

“Yes, sir. We have three ships headed to Mars. They are on high alert awaiting orders.”

“Prepare them to strike in the next four hours.”

Gareth’s heart races. “Yes, sir. Right away.”

“Update the war plans and send them to me ASAP.”

“I’m on top of it.”

Stan stands. “Also, I’ll need the Google viruses. Get them to me immediately. We have no time to lose.”

“I will call GoldRock shortly.”

Stan exits, leaving Gareth alone in the room. He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves, then grabs his briefcase and exits.

I can’t take this job anymore.

On his way out, he quietly tiptoes towards Holly and whispers in her ear. “Looking forward to Saturday. I’ll be thinking about you.”

Holly stares blankly. “I don’t understand.”

“Remember how I described the feeling of happiness?”