The two men continued to drift away from the Sun. It became indistinguishable from the stars around it and eventually disappeared into the band of the Milky Way. As Ramon and Dvorkin continued to fly upwards, the Milky Way became the loop of a vast stellar pinwheel. Then, it became one pinwheel among hundreds of other stellar groups in myriad forms ranging from bars with pinwheel arms to balls to amorphous blobs.
Finally, they were carried to a different pinwheel altogether and taken within it. The structure resolved into stars. A moment later, he and Dvorkin approached a world revolving around one of the stars. “This is my home,” said Legion, “like it was billions of years ago. I barely remember it.”
“Are there people there, like humans?” asked Ramon.
“There were, once.” Ramon detected a hint of sadness in Legion’s voice.
“What happened to them?” asked Dvorkin.
The two men drifted away from the planet. They watched as the sun swelled into a bloated, red mass that swallowed Legion’s world. As it did, Ramon heard Legion’s soft whispering again—not exactly speech, more like a transfer of knowledge. As the whispering quieted, he understood a future like this would happen to Earth.
“How did you get away?” asked the colonel.
“Long before this happened, I was a scientist.”
“Like Professor Maravilla,” said Ramon
“You have seen his clockwork wolf?”
Ramon nodded.
“I built machines like that, only they were quite small—so small you could not see them. Despite their small size, I was able to give them my memories, my personality, my feelings—everything that made me who I was. The little machines became me.”
“Those little machines,” said Ramon, “they’re the dust devil I see.”
“The dust devil is just a way for you to grasp what I am. I am much smaller.”
“Why build machines so small?” asked Dvorkin. “You must be very fragile.”
“Because a swarm of small automata is more indestructible than one big automaton. Sure, parts of me wear out with time, but I can build new ones. Each one is identical to others I have built before.”
“How am I seeing all this?” asked Ramon.
“Because I am so small that I can manipulate the chemicals and electrical signals within your brains. It’s tricky. I failed with the first person I encountered. I did better with the second. Finally, when I encountered General Gorloff, I got the details right. I can enter the brain and let a person see what I want them to see. I can get them to do what I want them to do.”
“Do you mean to say that we Russians have been your puppets?” Dvorkin’s features betrayed utter disgust.
“We cannot make you do anything you do not want to do,” said Legion. “We can help your brain and muscles create chemicals giving you greater speed and to some degree greater strength. You have taken the actions you have because your Czar ordered you to. I have only helped to make the Czar’s orders a reality.”
Ramon’s brow furrowed. “Why are you even helping the Czar at all? What do you hope to accomplish?”
“I hope to save humanity from itself.” The starscape vanished from Ramon’s sight and he once again hovered over the ball of the Earth. A moment later, it looked like a globe with the boundary lines of countries marked over the surface. “We have observed your socio-political structure and foresee a time when the Russians and the Americans become the two most powerful forces on the planet.” The boundary lines on the map shifted. America and Russia each took over more of the globe. “However, if technology continues to grow at the rate it is now, then you could develop weapons that would allow you to destroy each other.” Explosions erupted in each country, leaving a black and scarred world. Ramon trembled and a lump formed in his throat. He closed his eyes against the nightmare and realized Legion had watched his own world burn in much the same way. “We hoped to avert that crisis by making America and Russia one nation.”
“So, why have Russia invade America?” asked Ramon.
“Because America had recently been fractured by Civil War. We felt it would benefit by the stability Russia could bring.”
Dvorkin folded his arms and Ramon thought he looked decidedly smug. Ramon pointed from Dvorkin to himself. “Why are you telling us all this?”
Ramon and Dvorkin found themselves back in the barren, earthly plain. Once again, Ramon faced the dust devil and the small cloud. “Because Legion wants it.” Ramon sensed that the dust devil spoke the words, referring to the small cloud of particles.
<<>>
Fatemeh flew across the Golden Gate without incident. However, as she reached the north shore, she realized the problem with flying at night. She tried to see where to land. If she landed on the beach, she would be exposed and the ornithopter’s feet might sink in the sand. If she tried to land on the hillside, she might well crash into a tree. A sliver of moonlight low on the horizon cast long shadows in the hills. Despite her reservations about landing on the beach, that seemed the better option.
Bringing the ornithopter down, she misjudged the distance and hit the ground too fast. The feet caught in the beach’s soft sand and she lurched forward into the control rod. The mechanical owl toppled over onto its nose, then listed over sideways.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around. She checked her arms and legs. Aside from a bruised sternum, she seemed okay. She unbuckled the harness and slid out to the sand. Scrambling away from the ornithopter on all fours, she stood upright and evaluated the flying machine with hands on her hips. She took a moment to brush the sand off her skirts, then went to the machine and pushed it upright onto its feet. With one wing broken and the blue skin torn, the ornithopter was grounded until someone repaired it.
She looked around for someplace to hide the machine. Even if it couldn’t fly, she still didn’t want it to announce her presence. Of course, if anyone found it, they’d likely search for an American soldier rather than a Persian woman. She realized her best bet would be to haul the machine toward the underbrush in the nearby foothills. The problem was she couldn’t do it alone.
She reached into the cockpit and disabled the engine. As the steam pressure fell, she became aware that someone approached from the trees. She ducked down into the shadows and waited.
“All right, come on outta there with your hands up!”
Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the voice. She stepped out from behind the ornithopter, but kept her hands high, just in case he couldn’t see well.
“Well, I’ll be.” Billy holstered his gun and ran to Fatemeh, scooping her up in a warm embrace. “It’s sure good to see you.” His smile rapidly dissolved. “How’s Luther doing?”
“He’ll be okay,” said Fatemeh. “Where’s Ramon?”
Billy told her what had happened since their arrival. “He’s all frozen up, like that General Gorloff was when we found him on the airship. I think Legion has taken control of him, but he didn’t talk like the general did.”
Fatemeh frowned and nodded. “Let’s hope Ramon has made contact. Help me hide the ornithopter, then let’s see if we can get to him.”
<<>>
Ramon looked over to the small cloud of dust motes. “I take it you don’t see things the same way as your big brother.”
For a moment, the little cloud’s particles danced and jerked about, but it soon settled down. “We traveled to America with the force that went to Denver on the airships. As we traveled, we realized we had not succeeded in conveying our desire for unity; we had merely cultivated a desire for conquest. We realized if our experiment were to succeed, we needed to start anew, work with humanity and be more careful in how we adjust your brain chemistry. As we’ve lived with Professor Maravilla these past months, we came to understand that while we could turn off aggression, we would also turn off the drive to explore that would allow you to evolve into superior creatures.”
“Evolve?” Dvorkin narrowed his eyes. “You mean like the theories of that Eng
lishman Darwin?”
“Evolution is no theory,” said both clouds in unison. The booming voice startled Ramon. “You allow different types of cattle to interbreed to make new cattle. You combine different types of wheat to make new wheat. You make biological evolution. The same thing happens in nature.”
“This is heresy.” Dvorkin folded his arms and turned around.
Ramon wasn’t really comfortable with the conversation’s direction either, but felt they should return to the topic at hand rather than argue about science. “So, what exactly do you think should happen?”
“We feel a better course of action would be to help scientists, engineers, artists, and diplomats work toward common goals that would better humanity. If the two countries work together, then they will be less inclined to destroy each other over the course of the next century.”
Ramon thought back to his visit with Professor Maravilla and Larissa in Tucson and the mining machine they were building. To his surprise, the scene around changed. He saw the completed machine. It looked like a strange, metallic pig burrowing into the mountainside.
“This is an example of how we were able to help the professor use the technology of this era to build a machine that could benefit humankind.”
At that point, the dust devil interrupted. “The problem is that some humans took the machine to use for their own benefit.” The scene changed. He watched as the machine plowed through a bank’s wall. A man wielding a gun that threw lightning bolts cut down a sheriff. A former lawman himself, Ramon swallowed hard.
The small cloud of dust motes grew agitated again. “But the humans were able to solve the problem.” This time, the machine stood in stark mountains of yellow rock. The man with the lightning gun fired indiscriminately at a tribe of Indians. Ramon thought he recognized one of them as Geronimo. Soon Larissa Crimson rode up on a strange motorized bicycle and disabled the mining machine by firing a lighting gun of her own and venting the steam from the engine.
Ramon removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So, one of you thinks you should help Russia conquer the United States to prevent the destruction of humanity. The other thinks you should help all the world’s smart people work together to develop new technologies.”
“That is a rather crude way of framing the issues, but yes,” said both incarnations of Legion at once.
“You came to this impasse because of your separation?” Ramon put his glasses back on.
“And our different experiences,” said the small cloud.
“If you can’t communicate over long distances, how can you show me pictures of what happened to Professor Maravilla’s machine after I left him?”
“The initial separation was caused when the airships over Denver were destroyed. Much of me died that day. We did not anticipate a long separation, or we would have left components along the route to act as relays, as we did during your journey here, Mr. Morales. We can build new components to replace those that are lost, but it takes time.”
“You’ve been traveling with me?” Ramon had guessed as much by this point. He scowled. “I would have preferred if you had asked permission.”
“You may have been indecisive and that could have caused delays.”
Colonel Dvorkin pointed at the two clouds. “You have been using us as your puppets. We could have accomplished this feat without your help. I happen to know that our own scientists had designs for airships before you came along.”
“But there would have been many failures on the way to a successful design. What’s more, we have helped many people see the benefits of not putting up resistance to your forces,” said the dust devil.
“Ah.” Ramon took a step forward. “So you can’t actually make humans follow your will.”
“We can only manipulate brain chemistry and electrical activity,” said the smaller cloud. “It is highly effective now that we understand how your brains work, but we cannot force actions. That is why Professor Maravilla suggested you accompany us for this reunion.”
“But I can’t make anyone do anything they don’t want, any better than you can.” Ramon shook his head.
“You are a peacekeeper. You can help us see the ways to influence people.”
“I am through!” shouted Dvorkin. “I no longer wish to be used as a puppet by you, whatever you are!” With the words, the colonel faded from sight.
“We have only altered your brain chemistry enough to let you visualize us and to let you see the things we wanted to show you. You are no puppet, Ramon Morales. We would like you to help us find the best path forward for humanity.”
Ramon swallowed hard. He wanted to be a diplomat, but this seemed awfully soon for this much responsibility.
Chapter Fifteen
California Dreamin’
After hiding the ornithopter, Billy and Fatemeh climbed the hill, ate a hasty meal from the stolen rations, then walked three miles until they had a good view of the town. Billy kept a particular eye open to make sure another patrol didn’t surprise them. Looking into the town, Billy noticed lanterns lit by the docks and the shadows of people moving about, working late into the night. “I think the Russians are gettin’ ready to make their move.”
“We better go find out if Ramon has learned anything.”
They made their way down the hillside into town. The streets were empty and no one accosted them until they reached the rooming house. Inside, they encountered Mr. Chandler. Billy drew his revolver. “Now don’t you be callin’ out to anyone. We’re just here to check on my friend.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. McCarty.”
“Where’s Ramon?”
“Right where you left him,” said Chandler. He opened the door to the kitchen.
Billy stepped through and shivered in spite of himself. Colonel Dvorkin and Ramon were in exactly the same position he last saw them in. Ramon had dried out, but his shirt was still rumpled and his hair still hung limp from the dousing.
“They’ve been like that since this afternoon. What do you suppose Ramon and that Legion fella have had to talk about for so long?” He holstered his gun, figuring Chandler wouldn’t give them any trouble.
Fatemeh shrugged. She walked over and peered into Ramon’s eyes.
Just then, Colonel Dvorkin reached for his sidearm. “It’s time for the puppeteer to die!”
Billy leapt on top of him and wrestled him to the ground. “What’s been going on? Have you just been playing ’possum all this time?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” shouted the colonel. “Let me go!”
“Not on your life,” said Billy.
“Chandler! He’s gone,” called Fatemeh.
Billy sat up and aimed a right cross at the colonel’s head. Once he was still, Billy looked up. “Chandler’s gone to get help, I wager.” He took the gun out of the colonel’s hand and handed it to Fatemeh as he stood up.
She held the revolver with the respect and loathing she’d give a dead rodent. “Let’s get Ramon out of here.” She handed the gun back.
“Our room should still be unlocked.” Billy holstered the six-gun. “It’s not the best place to hide, but we can get there quick.”
“All right, let’s go.” Fatemeh took Ramon by the shoulders and leaned him back. Billy grabbed his feet and together they made their way upstairs.
<<>>
“What happened to Colonel Dvorkin?” asked Ramon.
“He exerted his free will and returned to your plane of existence. You could do the same any time you’d like,” said the dust devil.
“Where exactly are we?” Ramon looked around. “This looks like the Painted Desert in Northern Arizona. Have you actually transported me through the aether to see the star and planet you call home?”
The small cloud vibrated a little. Ramon had the sense it was chuckling. “No, it would take billions of years to travel that far. Everything you have seen has taken place within your mind.”
“You mean this has been my imagination?” Ramon
put his hands in his pockets and began to pace. “None of this has been real?”
“Just because these have been images within your mind makes them no less real.” The dust devil spiraled close enough that sand grains occasionally pelted Ramon.
He took a few steps away. “Billions of years.” Ramon tried to wrap his mind around the concept. “I take it that means you’ve been in this form just as long. Has it been billions of years since you’ve been a person like me?”
“Yes,” said the small cloud. “It’s been that long and more since we’ve been a corporeal person.”
“But we are still an entity capable of hopes, dreams and desires. We have free will just as you do.” The dust devil spiraled back toward the smaller cloud. “Does that not make us a person like you, even if we are composed of many smaller, independently thinking parts?”
As Ramon heard the words, he remembered the time he was denied a hotel room because of his skin color. He remembered being accused of trying to ditch a job just because of his Mexican ancestry. His father fought and died for the Union Army in New Mexico because he believed that men should be free. Ramon pointed at the dust devil. “You’re a lot bigger than the other incarnation of Legion. Why don’t you just absorb him and exert your will?”
“We are equal. The only thing that makes us different is our experience.”
Ramon nodded. “What would happen if you did it anyway?”
The smaller cloud shimmered with agitation. “I would fight to have my voice heard.”
“That’s exactly what will happen if Russia takes over the United States. Eventually there would be a civil war even greater than the one America just endured as people fought to get their voices heard.”
“Why didn’t we see that before?” asked both clouds in unison.
“Because you really are one entity and understand you’re both equal,” said Ramon. “You know if you were absorbed, your thoughts would become one in time. You’ve lived that way for so long you haven’t experienced anything different. Humans, on the other hand, have learned their voices can be quashed.”
“Then that suggests,” interjected the smaller cloud, “my conclusion is correct. We should work through scientists and engineers. Helping them to create inventions that will bring people onto an equal footing.”
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