Hosein Kouros-Mehr - Extinction 6

“He’s awake!” Beth sits next to him. “Anil, are you okay?”

“He needs water,” Austin says, removing a pack from the first-aid kit. “Drink this.”

Anil opens his mouth and slowly sips from the canister. The team wipes the dirt from his face.

Austin wraps a cloth around his associate’s wounded hand. “I am so proud of you, Anil. You single-handedly solved Project Titan. Without your insights, we never would have succeeded.”

A tear streams from Anil’s eye. His face strains as he tries to speak. “Lu—”

Austin leans closer. “What did you say?”

“Lumi…”

“Your daughter?”

Anil slowly nods, frowning as he tries to move his neck.

Austin turns to the team. “Oh my God, his wife Prisha is due any day now. Anil, is your wife in labor?”

Anil grimaces as he nods.

“We have to hurry and get Anil to his family.”

“Stay here,” Beth says. “I’ll bring my helicopter around and take you to San Francisco. Don’t worry, Anil. We’ll get your wife to the hospital as fast as we can.” She runs back into the laboratory towards her chopper.

Anil blinks with sand in his eyes. A smile comes over his face. “We did it…”

Austin beams. “Yes, all thanks to you. Somehow, you caught the gravity wave right as it hit Earth. You’ve made history!”

Anil lifts a thumb. “We did it together.”

“This is the world’s first fusion reaction, a hundred and fifty years in the making!”

They lie silently waiting for Beth, listening to the electricity flowing into the world. Anil covers his eyes from the bright star in the sky.

An incoming call arrives in Austin’s smartglasses. “Excuse me for one second.” His heart beats madly in his chest. He walks away and takes a deep breath before answering the call. “Hello?”

A soft female voice answers. “Austin…”

His voice cracks. “Olivia?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

Austin sits and stares in shock. “You heard my message?” His eyes well up with tears. “I miss you so much.”

“It’s been so long, Austin…”

He puts the line on mute and cries for several seconds, then tries to get himself together. “I think about you every day.”

She is silent.

“Olivia, I’m sorry. I treated you so badly…” Austin weeps. “My behavior was irrational and out of line. I was devastated when Matthew passed away. I couldn’t control myself…”

“It’s not your fault, Austin. Losing a child is the most difficult experience for anyone.”

He wipes his tears. “I’m a mess without you, Olivia. I have dreams about you and our son every night. I miss our little angel. He was so sweet and innocent…”

She sobs. “I think about him all the time.”

“I’ve wanted to hear your voice for so long. Can I see you?”

She grows quiet.

“Please Olivia, I want to make it up to you.”

“Let me think about it,” she says quietly.

Moments of silence pass. “My heart bleeds for you, Olivia. I apologize for my behavior.”

After some silence she replies, “I accept your apology.”

“You do?”

“Yes… and I will see you.”

“You will? Are you sure? I don’t want to force you.”

“You’re not. I do miss you also and I want you back in my life.”

He appears shocked. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Can I take you somewhere special?”

“Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

She giggles softly. “Sure, I look forward to it.”

“We’ll do it soon. I love you, Olivia.”

She pauses for a few seconds. “Thank you for calling me.”

He disconnects as a helicopter descends on a concrete platform away from the electrical wires. Looking up, he covers his eyes from the blinding star and then runs back to Anil. “Let’s get you home.”

Anil winces as he tries to get up. “What about the reactor?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Austin shouts as he lifts his associate off the ground. “It will stop when the fuel runs out.”

The team carries Anil toward the copter, strapping him into a back seat. Diego shouts above the engine noise. “There isn’t enough room for us, Dr. Sanders. Why don’t you fly Anil back to his wife and I’ll take everyone else home?”

Austin gleams. “Thank you, Diego.” He boards and closes the door. “Let’s get out of here!”

Beth looks back from the driver’s seat. “Anil, where is your wife?”

“Cupertino.”

She taps the screen and the helicopter lifts and speeds to the west. “We’ll be there in ten minutes. Hold on tight!”

The San Francisco Bay Area comes into view. Austin glances below and spots a crowd dancing in the streets of Livermore. “What’s going on over there?”

Beth looks down. “They’re celebrating.”

“Why?”

She points. “The street lights are back on. It looks the city’s coming back to life.”

“Incredible. Isaac, zoom in.” Austin stares at Livermore as it fades in the distance. “People are alive again. They’re back from the dead.” He stares at the desert landscape. The dry Sierra Nevada Mountains stretch for miles and the ocean emerges on the horizon. Austin presses his face against the window.

My home.

He closes his eyes.

I’ll do everything I can to protect you.

A ringtone fills the cockpit. The chopper’s tablet flashes with an incoming video request. A title shows up on the screen—“President of the United States of America.”

Austin’s jaw drops. “Look who’s calling us!”

Anil’s eyes widen. “Oh my goodness…”

Beth answers the call and President Hughes appears on the screen. “Hello, is this Dr. Andrews?”

She quivers in shock. “Yes, that’s me.”

“I want to congratulate you on your stunning accomplishment. I understand you’ve launched the world’s first fusion reactor.”

“It’s an honor to hear your voice, Mr. President.”

“The pleasure is mine. Because of your work, oil prices have fallen $15,000 per barrel. That’s a 17% drop in less than twenty-four hours. The ramifications of your technology are extraordinary.”

Beth shines. “Thank you, sir. It’s the work of my dedicated team.”

“I’d like to invite you to the White House.”

“I’m at a loss for words, Mr. President. We’d be delighted to see you in person.”

“The pleasure is all mine. I can’t overemphasize how critical your technology is for the world. It came at the right time.”

She takes a deep breath. “Yes, Mr. President. While nuclear fusion delivers abundant clean energy, we still have to explore the unintended consequences of our reactor—”

“Consequences? Like what?”

She looks up at the bright star. “For one, the technology appears to affect space in some way.”

“You’re referring to the wormhole?”

Beth turns to her colleagues in surprise. “Is that what we’re seeing in the sky?”

“Yes.”

“You mean we’re looking through a portal at another star?”

Austin smacks his forehead. “The gravity wave must have warped space-time. Einstein predicted this in his theory of relativity.”

Beth tilts her head. “Mr. President, are you certain it’s a wormhole?”

The Commander-in-Chief points his finger. “Dr. Andrews, please allow my government to assess the developments in space. We do not believe your technology poses any danger to our planet. The benefits of fusion power far outweigh the risks.”

“That is wonderful to hear.”

“This energy crisis threatens our existence. A few weeks ago, I held a summit to find solutions for the fuel shortage. Your reactor is the answer we’ve been looking for. Thanks to you, the cost of raw goods has cratered, bringing down the price of food and clean water. We are on our way to an economic recovery. I commend you for a job well done.”