Evolution's End

by Steven Spellman

  There were tears streaming down Denna’s brown cheeks. Marcus almost didn’t notice them; Denna’s voice didn’t crack, her hands didn’t tremble. Marcus suddenly felt as if he wanted to shed a few tears, himself. When he was young he wanted to save the world for the exact same reason, so the people he loved would be happy again. But unfortunately, the world hadn’t been a happy place for a long time before either Denna or Marcus had been born. Denna continued through the tears, “You know, I think I thought that a big wedding would be the cure to my life. A big wedding would mean that I was still human and not some stray animal roaming the streets, looking for food. Animals don’t get married. Plants don’t get married. Only humans do that and I think it’s beautiful because you really don’t have to do it. You can love someone dearly and spend the rest of your life with that person without a marriage certificate. But then you would miss the party and a good wedding should be like a great party. And Lord knows, Science City needs more parties. For most of us, life is just a meaningless, painful, uphill battle and then you die …”

  “I understand, and I think you’re right. Hopefully, very soon, people won’t have to die anymore and life won’t be so painful and difficult.”

  “That would certainly take a miracle.”

  “Not a miracle. A robot.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Marcus and Professor Edelstein sat in Edelstein’s office but this time they weren’t watching high definition recorded footage on a small television screen, they were facing each other on opposite sides of the table. Neither one of the professors looked happy about the meeting. Professor Edelstein’s frown was the deepest of the two. “That is not a good idea, Professor Willoughby.” Edelstein said. “Especially now. You saw the tape, you know what’s going on out there. We have to do this now or never and none of us can afford to be distracted.”

  Marcus rubbed his temples. “Believe me, I understand that but I’m marrying Denna, Edelstein and I would really appreciate it if you were there.”

  Edelstein’s deep frown pulled further down at the edges. “Well, it seems like you’re set on this, Marcus” he said at last “and nothing I say will convince you that it is in fact a bad idea.”

  “That’s right. The only thing left to discuss is if you’ll be there.”

  Edelstein fell silent for another moment. “I’ll be there.”

  “I appreciate it.” Marcus said as he stood from his chair. “I’m sure you won’t understand, Edelstein, but this is something I have to do. This is why we’re trying to save mankind, not so we can just exist, but so we can live.”

  Edelstein didn’t answer and Marcus didn’t wait for an answer. He left the professor’s office and walked briskly down the hallway towards his classroom. He knew that he was making the right decision no matter what his fellow professor thought. In his classroom, he announced to his students that he was getting married and invited everyone to attend the ceremony. Everyone applauded but the applause was less enthusiastic than Marcus could’ve hoped. There was no real surprise there. These kids were no doubt as overwhelmed with what was going on as any adult. The wedding would happen in four days thanks to Denna’s insistence that she needed time to prepare at least a few particulars. If she had had her way it would’ve been even longer. The problem was, Marcus was convinced that they didn’t have much longer before the next disaster.

  Those four days passed with lightning speed. With every passing day Marcus found himself more nervous and excited and at times a little disconcerted, than the day before. Meanwhile, Denna scurried around her old apartment building to get some of the wives of the laborers to put together a dress for her. When it was finished, the dress didn’t exactly fit perfectly but it fit well enough considering that it had been made from scratch on such short notice, and scratch was almost literally what it had be made out of since luxurious materials like what Denna wanted were scarce. Marcus scheduled the wedding for late into the evening since that was the coolest part of the day—here, cool meaning at least a hundred degrees—in the lush genetically engineered lawn that grew where the botanical garden had once been. The entire student body of the school, not just his class, showed up and the staff as well. Once everyone had taken a seat it looked like a sea of different color faces stretched out into the distance. An hour later and there was only one familiar face that Marcus didn’t see and that was Professor Edelstein’s face. He doubted that the professor had had second thoughts about his promise to attend—Edelstein was many things, but never wish-washy.

  It didn’t change the fact that he wasn’t there and Marcus knew that when the time came he would have to begin with the ceremony whether the professor had arrived or not. Unfortunately, at that moment Professor Edelstein was lying on the floor of the robot storage chamber in the Willoughby Building in a pool of his own blood, with the top of his skull sitting in the same pool of blood three feet away and a thin slice of his brain removed. Meanwhile, Ed stepped lithely over its creator’s body and left as if nothing had happened. It had fulfilled one mandate of the new programming Pao had programmed into it. There was only one mandate left …

  Back at the ceremony the minutes ticked by until it was time for Denna to begin walking down the narrow makeshift aisle that separated the students and staff of the Willoughby Building. The proprietor of the restaurant where she and Marcus had enjoyed breakfast together nearly every morning since they’d first met had graciously closed the eatery for the day so that she could use the modest kitchen area for her bridal preparations. A few laborer’s wives doted over her dress, her hair, her makeup, until she was as perfect as they could make her with their limited resources and limited experience when it came to marriage. Most of these women had gotten married in quick, no frills and most times no friends or family, weddings, so that they could ride their husband’s coattails into the campuses and away from the depravation of the outskirts. Most of these women had not been able to afford wedding dresses themselves when they’d tied the knot. Some of them rejoiced for Denna but none of them really knew what they were doing.

  That didn’t change the fact that when Denna emerged from the restaurant she looked impossibly resplendent to Marcus eyes. It caught his breath in his throat to realize that this woman with her unbelievable curves, and her gorgeous face, and now adorned in a dress that was uniquely feminine and that made her soft caramel complexion glow like the noonday sun, was approaching an aisle to pledge herself to him for the rest of both of their lives. It was a surreal experience for Marcus and one that he knew would never dull, even in memory. The dress was yellow, not as brilliantly yellow as the rose he’d given her, but close enough. The skirt of the dress was heavily lined with thick frills that were supposed to imitate the open blossom of flower pedals. It didn’t quite meet the intention but because Denna was inside those ill adapted frills they were gorgeous to the groom to be. It wasn’t until Denna had approached a little closer that Marcus noticed the sparkle of the Titedelstein plated rose peeking out of the tight bun that the laborer’s wives had worked her hair into. It was the perfect touch to a perfect woman.

  Denna walked, slowly, majestically, down the aisle and every eye was upon her. She felt like a princess basking in the admiration of her loyal constituents. She could hardly believe that all of this was happening. But as Marcus watched his lovely bride to be amble down the aisle he noticed someone approaching from far behind her. Marcus’ first thought was that it might be Professor Edelstein, finally arriving for the big event, but as the person drew closer Marcus could see clearly that it was not the professor. When Marcus saw the sheen of the setting sun’s rays on the person’s metallic skin, he realized the ‘person’ was Ed the robot. And Ed the robot was staring directly at Marcus. Its glistening robotic eyes never waved from Marcus’ as it strode forward steadily on the lush grass. The thought flashed across Marcus’ mind that perhaps Edelstein had programmed the robot to make an appearance, maybe as some kind of PR maneuver, especially after all the bad press that Ed had been receiv
ing lately.

  But as Marcus watched Ed stroll past Denna and down the aisle, directly towards him, he didn’t think so. Certainly, even Professor Edelstein wouldn’t have been so crass as to crash his wedding like this for PR. Would he? Marcus became more anxious when the robot climbed the steps leading to the raised makeshift platform where he and the preacher he’d managed to corral were standing. Something was wrong. Ed stretched his hands out and Marcus flinched back but the robot was too quick and too agile. Ed grabbed Marcus firmly by the shoulders and immediately he felt a tiny prick in the soft of the left side of his neck. He realized that the prick was from a tiny specialized needle the robot had in one of its fingers that it was programmed to use for medical emergencies where the patient was still conscious and perhaps uncooperative. Marcus knew that soon he would lose control of sensation and his motor functions. He wouldn’t feel a thing and he wouldn’t be able to move a muscle but he would remain conscious during whatever would happen next.

  As soon as he felt the prick he began to panic, but it was no use. The robot’s grip was too powerful. Marcus lifted his arms to try to pry Ed’s hands off him but his arms already felt as if they were fifty pounds heavier. Even as his heart raced, his breathing was becoming more shallow. Soon he could no longer feel Ed’s crushing grip upon his shoulders and his own arms fell back limply to his side and no matter how he tried he could not raise them up again. His vision remained clear but his mind began to grow fuzzy. He could register a faint pressure just above his right ear that seemed to be circling around the top of his head but then that sensation was gone as well. He also noticed that the robot was now standing over him instead of eye to eye. He wondered vaguely how that was possible since there was nothing for Ed to stand on besides the same platform he stood upon. Marcus thought he heard screaming but he couldn’t be sure. It was like he was hearing through water and seeing as if in a dream.

  He saw Denna’s radiant face and his heart leapt inside him. With the sun’s blinding halo just behind her head, she looked like an angel fresh from the gates of heaven. Marcus tried to smile but he couldn’t. His body did not seem to be his own any longer. Then her face was gone and the harsh sunlight alone blasted his eyes. He wanted to close them, the light was too bright, but he couldn’t. Then the light dimmed and it took a while for Marcus to see that the robot was passing something across his vision. His sight began to clear of sun specks just in time for him to see the robot place something carefully into a concealed storage compartment inside one of its legs. The blinding whiteness quickly turned to blinding blackness. Whatever Ed held in its hand was the last thing Marcus saw.

  Everyone watched anxiously as the robot approached the raised platform where Marcus and the preacher waited for the bride to be. No one knew what to do or even if they should do anything as the robot climbed the platform and placed its hands firmly on Professor Willoughby’s shoulders. A few people noticed Professor Willoughby waiver on his feet shortly after the robot touched him, but people didn’t begin to rise from their seats in concern until the robot lowered the obviously drugged professor to the ground and begin slicing into his skull beginning directly above his right ear. The robot held the professor’s head above the platform with one hand and expertly sliced through flesh and bone with the other until it removed the crest of the professor’s skull and placed it beside him. That’s when everyone started yelling and Denna rushed to Marcus’ aid. She leapt onto the robot’s back but it used its internal gyroscopes and sensors to throw her off and nearly to the other edge of the platform without ever removing its hand from the back of Marcus’ neck. The blow knocked the wind of out Denna.

  All the students were in a noisy panic as Ed cut away a thin slice of Marcus’ brain and placed it in a special compartment in its leg, right above a thin slice of Professor Edelstein’s brain tissue. Then the robot walked back to the Willoughby Building, throwing off the brave few that tried to stop it with very little effort. Once it made it back to the Willoughby Building it walked directly to a special machine, a machine that Professor Edelstein had only just designed in the last two months. Ed fed the slices of brain matter into the machine and the machine coated the slices in thick flows of blue amber. The amber hardened into permanent sheets around the slices and Ed fed them back into the machine to cool until the amber was as hard as stone. That was the medium that Professor Edelstein had found, the answer to his brain slice storage problem. If amber could preserve fossils and sometimes entire organisms for millions of years completely intact then it could do the same for human brain tissue. It was nature’s own answer to the only remaining problem that had stood between Professor Edelstein and the completion of his project. It was unfortunate that he hadn’t lived to see it put into action.

  Meanwhile, back at what had supposed to be have been a joyful wedding celebration, Marcus remained, lifeless, upon the place where Ed had left him. Denna was the only other one there now, slumped over the edge of the podium, knocked unconscious by the blow she’d received from Ed. Everyone else was gone. People had nearly trampled each other to death in their panic and fleeing. It was almost like the Willoughby Building attack all over again. Even the preacher had run for dear life after he’d realized that the robot was cutting the top of Marcus’ head off right there before his eyes. Soon, word spread throughout the entire campuses that Ed had gone mad and was butchering people by the dozens in broad daylight. By the time the rumors and eye witness accounts had reached full steam, the robot had supposedly murdered thousands. No one was safe, not the professors, not the campus counsel, and certainly not the laborers. Chaos spread through the streets and buildings of the campuses like a plague.

  People had no idea what to do. Where could they run from this rampaging machine? Chaos quickly became widespread violence as people began to rob the homes of trusted friends to steal anything that they thought might help them survive what was happening. Simple arguments escalated to murder as people who had known each other for years found themselves at each other’s throats over little things like hiding places that no one wanted to share. Hours went by like this. A day, then days. Disgruntled laborers decided that if this were the end of the world, they wouldn’t sit back and be regulated to filthy over-heated tenements any longer. They wouldn’t fear every morning that that day would probably be their last from radiation poisoning, or physical trauma, or just general ill health. They began to rape and pillage and rob and kill more heartily than anyone else. They’d decided they wanted a bigger piece of the pie before it was all burned up in everlasting fire.

  By the time the rumors and the panic reached the outskirts, the campuses were completely destroyed. The strongest, tallest buildings still stood but dead bodies littered the cracked sidewalks nearly as heavily as they did the streets in the rest of the city. Even the buildings that were left standing were completely destroyed on the insides. Only one building remained intact and unmolested—the Willoughby Complex. Security doors powerful enough to withstand nuclear explosions held people at bay people who would’ve robbed the place blind or use it as the ultimate hiding place. But those doors didn’t keep Ed from activating the other robots and initiating their primary programming objective, which was to collect brain slices themselves, see to it that they were preserved in amber and stored until more robot shells could be built for them. It had been professor Edelstein’s plan before his disastrous experiment with Ed to have the robots fan out into the city and retrieve brain slices from all the recently dead, to be incorporated into robotic bodies later.

  The robots did fan out into the city, which only escalated the fresh panic that was spreading there, to raid the morgues for brain tissue that hadn’t completely decomposed yet. But many of the robots never made it to the morgues—with what was going on there were more dead bodies in the streets and alleyways than ever before. Meanwhile, Pao and his Freedom Movement fanatics managed to hack a few of the latest robots and broadcast their feeds throughout the city as well. That meant that people could watch wha
t must certainly be the end of days while they experienced it in real time. Meanwhile, the robots cut away their brain slices, took them back to the Willoughby Building, and then returned for more even as the dead bodies kept piling up. Months passed like this, until there were only a few hundred people left alive anywhere in the city and without the campuses to supply the city those few hundred found themselves in truly dire straights.

  General Pao and what remained of his Freedom Movement rose up to assume leadership of the remaining remnant of mankind, but his rule was harsh and short. Years passed and people turned on people. Pao was eventually assassinated by his top lieutenant, and that lieutenant was assassinated by his top official in a matter of weeks. And so as the long years passed, so the remaining remnant of mankind passed away with it while Ed and the rest of the robots stood vigilant in quiet stasis, waiting for a professor that had long been dead to come and wake them so he could feed the brain slices into the back of their necks and make themselves living souls. Only Ed had been programmed to incorporate a brain slice into itself and it was Marcus’ brain slice that it incorporated. Thus, Marcus became the new Adam, born not into Eden, but into the ruin of hell.

  CHAPTER 15