The Trial of Extinction

by Stan C. Smith

  Desmond approached them, and one of the men stepped forward cautiously, obviously struggling to keep his balance with the ground shaking beneath his feet. Desmond leaned closer and shouted in the Marine’s ear, “We have to go, now!”

  “What the hell is happening?” the Marine shouted back. He then pulled back before Desmond could answer and simply nodded, apparently deciding he didn’t need details at this time. He motioned to the other men, and one of them stepped forward with what appeared to be a leather bag. The first man took the bag, opened it, and pulled out a handful of oblong, glistening pellets that vaguely resembled raw oysters. He leaned in to Desmond’s ear and shouted, “Eat one! Radioisotope marker!”

  Desmond nodded and took one of the pellets. The Marine then moved to the other colonists and started handing them out, motioning toward his mouth to indicate that they were to be eaten. The man shouted in Lenny’s ear for a moment and then squeezed the juice from one of the pellets into Daisy’s mouth.

  Desmond popped his own pellet into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed. It had been flavored with vanilla extract, but it had the texture of a raw oyster. Perhaps it was a raw oyster, injected with Technetium-99m. This would be an ingenious way to make radioisotope doses bridgeable.

  Technetium-99m was the radioisotope marker necessary for a bridging device to locate a person’s body and pull the person back to the world they had bridged from. Desmond and the other colonists had bridged to this world without taking doses of the marker. At the time, they had believed that doing so would mean they would be stuck permanently on this version of Earth.

  Desmond approached the man who had originally carried the bag of radioisotope doses. He briefly considered talking to the man by projecting his thoughts through physical contact, an ability he’d acquired nineteen months ago on another version of Earth. But he decided against it—this wasn’t the time to hit these guys with something that might startle them or downright freak them out.

  Instead, he yelled in the man’s ear, “How long? It’s not safe here!”

  The man pulled back, tapped his wrist even though he had no watch, and held up three fingers.

  Desmond mouthed the word, “Minutes?”

  The guy nodded.

  Desmond let out a sigh of relief. They were going to make it off this world alive. He tried to mouth the words "Thank you," but the guy was now staring to the east with a horrified look on his face. Desmond spun around. Something wasn’t right. The landscape to the east had changed. A mountain range was now visible in the distance, whereas before there had been only an open moss plain all the way to the horizon. He realized suddenly that the mountain range was moving, getting closer. It wasn’t a mountain range at all, but a wave, a buckling of the world’s surface, unimaginably high and moving west, directly toward the bridge-in site.

  Desmond could only stare, paralyzed by fear, as he struggled to wrap his mind around the enormity of the wave’s destructive power. Everything in its path—hills, rivers, living creatures—would be heaved hundreds of yards into the air and crushed in the churning amalgam of bedrock and soil. It looked like the wave would reach them in less than thirty seconds.

  The humans had to bridge out now or die.

  Desmond shook off his shock and turned to see Infinity and several of the Marines frantically herding the colonists into a cluster around the spot where the men had bridged in. He joined in the effort, and seconds later the entire group was standing shoulder to shoulder. The Marine who had handed out the radioisotope pellets was now fumbling with a device he had pulled from his belt, but his hands were shaking with panic, causing him to drop the device. He pounded the side of his head in frustration, picked up the device, and glanced to the east before trying again.

  Desmond turned and stared at the approaching tsunami of earth and rock, unable to even guess at its height. The closer the wave got, the faster it appeared to be moving. It would be upon them in seconds. He felt Infinity put her arms around him from behind. She knew. She knew they weren’t going to make it. He put both his hands on her arms and squeezed.

  The wave was towering over them so tall he had to crane his neck to see its crest. It was the most beautiful yet the most terrifying sight he’d ever seen. Splotches of green, brown, and gray blinked in and out of sight as swaths of moss, rock, and soil roiled violently on the wave’s surface. It occurred to him that the level of noise now was no louder than before, and then he realized the wave had to be traveling faster than the speed of sound.

  Desmond felt the ground begin to rise beneath his feet. He wanted to close his eyes but couldn’t stop staring at the force that was about to kill him and everyone he cared about.

  A voice to his right, barely audible, screamed, “Yes! Yes!”

  Everything suddenly became silent, except for Daisy’s crying.

  3

  RHF

  April 10 - 11:31 AM

  Infinity realized she was still gripping Desmond tightly around his waist. She released him and pulled back. She was now standing on a padded floor in a white room. Her adrenaline was still flowing, causing her muscles to twitch as if coaxing her to run or fight. But there was nothing here to fight, nothing to run from. She and the other colonists were standing in a bridging chamber, similar to SafeTrek’s but larger by at least half.

  She glanced down at her own body. Her isopod-skin clothes and shoes were gone. She ran her fingers over her scalp. The shoulder-length hair she’d been growing for the last nineteen months was also gone. The other refugees around her were similarly hairless and naked. But the dozen or so Marines were still fully-clothed and armed with their strange weapons that were apparently made of living tissue. One of the Marines immediately removed his helmet, revealing that he was bald like everyone else.

  “That was unexpectedly brief,” said Armando’s voice over the comm system. “And it appears you convinced others of your group to come with you, Infinity. What a pleasant surprise!”

  Infinity turned and saw a viewing window in the chamber’s wall to her right. Armando was on the other side, along with the physicist Kyle Fornas, who had been with Armando the previous evening.

  “We encountered unexpected complications,” said one of the Marines.

  A staggering understatement.

  Infinity stepped forward. “Armando, our world—our home—was in the process of self-destructing. It started just a few hours ago. There’s no way in hell it wasn’t somehow related to you bridging in last night.”

  Armando’s eyes widened, showing genuine surprise. “Self-destructing? How?”

  “Just like our own version of Earth, only much faster. It started just this morning, and we were lucky to bridge out alive.”

  “There was something there, sir, at the bridge-in site,” said the Marine who had handed out doses of radioisotope to the colonists. “It was a piece of machinery. Big as a house. Never seen anything like it.”

  Armando frowned and shook his head. “There wasn’t anything like that at the bridge-in site yesterday. How did it get there?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me,” said the Marine. The guy was understandably rattled, and his tone hinted at suspicion.

  Armando shook his head. “This is all very confusing.”

  “It’s also quite alarming,” said the scientist beside him. “I had been under the impression that the key discovered by your people revealed all that we needed to know in order to use bridging technology safely. We must stop activating the device immediately, before we cause irreparable damage to the planet. Assuming we haven’t done so already.”

  “I’d like to get out of these clothes,” said one of the Marines. “They feel like they’re made out of live weasels. Can someone open the hatch?”

  Infinity took a closer look at the nearest Marine’s fatigues. The material didn’t look anything like live weasels, but it did kind of resemble the skin of a black lizard.

  The hatch popped open. Several techs in white bio-suits stepped through and gestured fo
r the Marines to exit the chamber. Infinity started to step toward the hatch, but one of the techs put out a gloved hand to stop her. “You’ll be allowed through the hatch in a moment, ma’am.”

  She turned and raised a brow at Armando.

  “They have their own protocols, Infinity,” he said. “Keep in mind that this world has been on a different timeline from our own for over twenty-one years.” He gave a sidelong glance at the physicist beside him. “They’ve been kind to us, but there are differences, as you’ll soon see.”

  After the Marines had exited the chamber, three more techs in bio-suits entered the chamber, and one of them, a woman who appeared to be in her fifties, addressed the refugees. “I’m Dr. Trini Soloman. First, I’d like to welcome you to our Earth, and to the National Bridging Center. I’d also like to express my sympathy regarding the destruction of your own Earth nearly two years ago. Although we haven’t experienced anything so devastating as that, it is important for you to be aware that our world has faced its own unique challenges. In the nearly twenty-two years since your universe diverged from ours, we have endured a devastating pandemic, from a disease known as RHF—red howler fever. It has changed the very fabric of our country, making us particularly cautious. We’ll examine each of you more carefully in the adjoining medical labs, but I'm afraid we must insist on performing a cursory skin exam before we can even allow you out of the bridging chamber. It won’t take long, I assure you.”

  “Ma’am,” Lenny said, “after saving us from the zip-banging shitstorm we just went through, you’re welcome to probe every crack and orifice if that tickles your fancy. We’re just freaking grateful to be in one piece.”

  Dr. Soloman forced a slight smile behind her bio-suit faceplate. “Red howler fever presents as scaly skin rashes. As soon as we've verified that none of you are displaying symptoms, you'll be able to leave the chamber.”

  Infinity wondered what these people would do if any of the refugees did happen to have a rash. Would they simply seal the hatch and bridge the entire group to another world?

  The techs spread out and began examining the newcomers. One of the techs, a guy who looked younger than Infinity, came directly to her and began shining what appeared to be an ultraviolet light at her skin. He was very thorough, illuminating and examining every square inch, starting with her face and scalp. As he worked his way down her body, Infinity gazed at the walls and ceiling of the bridging chamber. During the last nineteen months she had become accustomed to living in a crudely-constructed dwelling and seeing nothing but natural objects, plants, and living creatures. It was almost discomforting to be in a sterile, human-made structure, with smooth, flawless surfaces.

  The tech moved his light down to her chest and said, “Lift your breasts, please.”

  She sighed and lifted them. At least the guy had the decency to keep his hands off her.

  “What’s the story with this red howler fever?” she asked.

  The tech’s eyes flicked to hers and he shook his head slightly. “Started fifteen years ago. An unknown virus. We had no warning. Patient zero was an American tourist returning from Venezuela. Turns out the guy had come across a dead red howler monkey, probably killed by a poacher or by other howlers in a territorial dispute. Anyway, the guy picks it up, has his picture taken with it. He comes back to the US. A week later, he gets a rash. A month after that, he’s dead. By the time they figured out it was contagious, it was too late. The virus had already started spreading. It took seven years to finally get it under control, and by that point it had killed almost sixty-two million people.”

  “Sixty-two million?”

  He looked at her through his faceplate. “Every single death has been in the United States. A pandemic like that tends to change the way other countries treat you. Americans aren’t allowed to travel beyond our own borders. Not even to Mexico or Canada. Both countries have constructed border walls to keep us out. The quality of life here isn’t what it used to be, so everyone wants to leave, but there’s no place that will take us.” The guy dropped to his knees and started inspecting her groin and butt.

  Once all the refugees had been subjected to this inspection, they were moved to the med lab, which, like the bridging chamber, was larger than SafeTrek’s. As the med techs were taking blood samples and throat swabs, Armando and the physicist Kyle Fornas entered the lab. They weren’t wearing bio-suits, which indicated they too were in quarantine, probably due to having bridged to the colonists’ world the previous day.

  Armando smiled and addressed the colonists. “I was planning to apologize for not having bridged to your world with the squad of Marines this morning, but from what I’ve heard, it was not a pleasant place to be, and my presence wouldn’t have been helpful.”

  “You’re lucky you weren’t there,” Desmond said as a med tech stuck a needle in his arm. “It was like being in hell.”

  “We’ve lost two home worlds in less than two years,” said Lenny, still cradling his daughter in his arms. “How many freaking people can say that?”

  Armando shook his head. “I’m afraid this changes everything. I had grand plans for using this enhanced bridging center to rescue the colonists we had evacuated from our own Earth. I was certain we had constructed a bridging device that could be used safely, without causing harm to this world or any other. Now what are we to do?”

  “We certainly cannot activate the machine again," said Fornas. "It's too risky. Especially considering what happened to your own version of Earth. Our scientists will have to re-examine everything we thought we knew.”

  Armando sighed heavily. “Yes, I agree completely. But meanwhile, the several thousand remaining refugees from our own Earth could be suffering and dying. It’s all terribly exasperating.”

  “But there may be nothing wrong with your bridging device at all,” Desmond said. “Like we told you, some kind of large machine had somehow appeared at the bridge-in site after you bridged back yesterday. It seems pretty likely that device had something to do with the planet’s collapse.”

  They all fell silent for a few long seconds.

  “We don't know that for sure yet,” Fornas said. “There are many unanswered questions. I know you’re eager to rescue your people, but it seems highly unlikely we’ll be allowed to use the device until we fully understand what we’re dealing with.”

  Infinity could see where this was going. “Which I assume might take years?”

  Fornas looked at her and nodded. “If not longer.”

  A few hours later, the refugees had been shown to their rooms, which were located at the opposite end of the quarantine area from where the Marines were being housed. The rooms were small, but they were spacious enough to accommodate couples, or even a small family in the case of Lenny, Isabelle, and Daisy.

  The med techs had already examined everyone thoroughly, but Infinity had decided to talk to each of the refugees to assess their mental state. They were all exhausted, and they were struggling with the tragedy of having lost the home they’d made for themselves during the last nineteen months. They were all scared, with no idea what was going to happen to them next. Still, they were coping as well as could be expected.

  Finally, Infinity and Desmond were alone in their room. They each unfolded the paper pants, tops, and booties that had been left on their bed and dressed themselves. The clothes weren’t all that different from the sterile paper garments that had sometimes been used at SafeTrek. Compared to their usual clothing made from isopod leather, they felt scratchy and flimsy.

  Desmond stretched out on the bed and immediately closed his eyes.

  “You don’t want to talk?” Infinity asked.

  He opened his eyes. “We can talk if you want to. I’m just not sure what to say right now.”

  “Never mind. Get some rest.”

  He closed his eyes again. Infinity started pacing the room, trying to banish visions of the horrors she’d witnessed since meditating on the rocky hillside above Mossview before daybreak. She had c
ome to love her new world of giant, multi-legged arthropods and cognizant hives of flies. She couldn’t believe it was gone, all of it, completely destroyed.

  Someone tapped lightly on the door. “Infinity? Desmond?”

  She opened it and found Armando standing there with a laptop in one hand. She stood aside and waved him in.

  Desmond sighed and sat up. “Armando, I haven’t really thanked you yet for finding us and bridging us off that world. We’d have been dead if we’d remained there for even a few more seconds.”

  Armando frowned. “I sincerely hope that our efforts to retrieve you weren’t the cause of the disaster.” He hesitated for a moment and then continued. “I cannot adequately express how relieved I am to have you and the remaining members of your colony here. I bridged to this world all those months ago with nineteen other refugees from our Earth, but all of those people have long since scattered throughout the country to start new lives.” He displayed a smile that seemed forced. “We were all celebrities for a few months. The people here had no idea alternate universes even existed. I mean, how could they, having not yet discovered the Outlanders’ radio signal? But the media folks quickly began to lose interest, as they tend to do, and eventually my compatriots from our version of Earth dispersed to find places for themselves in our new home. Some of them, I'm sure, just needed to distance themselves from the people who reminded them of the home they'd lost. Others decided they wanted to meet the alternate versions of themselves. I, myself, did not have that option. The other Armando Doyle was a casualty of red howler fever during the peak years of the disease’s grip on this country.”

  Armando placed the laptop on the bed. “I hope you don’t mind—I took the liberty of doing a bit of digging.” He eyed Desmond. “I’m afraid, Desmond, that you’re in the same boat as I am. The Desmond Weaver of this world succumbed to red howler fever ten years ago.”