by Eric Warren
But none of that concerned Blu. She was confident the gate would work. Arista had stayed in the back offices for the rest of the time, working out what she and Frees were going to do when they got back. Blu had tried to bring her some tea but she’d refused, saying she didn’t have much of an appetite.
She hated seeing Arista like this. And she loved having her around; the past six weeks had been fantastic. She finally had someone who would listen to her go on and on about programming and artificial intelligence and not get bored. And on more than one occasion Arista took her arm off to show Blu—who secretly wanted to disassemble it, but would take her desire to the grave. It had just been so…comfortable. The nice thing about Arista was she had full confidence in Blu, more so even than her own father. Because by some miracle she’d managed not to let Arista down yet. Everything she’d told her she could do, she’d done, despite her own self-doubts. And after everything she’d experienced; everything she’d been through it was going to be hard to go back to life as normal. Not that it would be normal by any means if she and Dad were in charge of the large pile of money Arista left behind. But still…Blu had been instrumental in letting Charlie out of his pandora’s box. Shouldn’t she take some responsibility for that?
She stood and returned to her father’s workstation where he was performing some detailed calculations. “Oh, hi, Bloom,” he said. “If you want to go on home I understand. I’ll be here late. We’re close.”
“No, that’s okay,” Blu said, drawing out the last word. She wasn’t quite sure how to say this.
David must have picked up something in her voice as he stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said with a wave of her hand. She pulled her hair back and twisted into a messy pony. “I just…I’ve been thinking.”
“About?” her father prompted.
“I’ve made a decision,” she said. “And I don’t want you to freak out. But I’m going back with Arista and Frees. I’m going to clean up my own mess.”
FIVE
“Good news,” Frees said, stepping through the door into the living area of David’s abode.
Arista had returned home after the second drone test hadn’t produced any better results, leaving Blu and David back at the assembly floor. She had a headache and needed to come up with a plan now returning to her own universe was a real possibility. Back in the subway she’d been so preoccupied with getting back through the gate she hadn’t even considered what she’d do once she was over there. In a way, it was fortunate they hadn’t made it through as it gave her time to prepare. At least, that’s how she chose to look at it. Any other way would mean accepting that everything since had been a failure and she wasn’t going to do that to herself, not again.
She glanced up from the small kitchen table through what she was sure were sleepy eyes, holo tablets stacked beside her. “What time is it?” she asked, longing for her internal chronometer.
“Almost eleven,” he replied, tossing his jacket to the side and taking the chair opposite her. “What are those?”
“Possible plans of attack.” She yawned. It was eleven already? She hadn’t even had anything for dinner she’d been so focused on figuring out their next move. “You said you had good news?”
“Oh,” Frees replied, sitting straighter. “I think we’re really close. The third auto drone we sent didn’t come back on fire. Which means I think we’ve figured out the intensity issue. The only problem is we’re still not getting any telemetry from the other side. I was able to download the drone’s scans but all they produced was static. I have no idea what’s over there.”
She rubbed her eyes again then stacked another tablet on the rest. “So, it’s more of a good news/bad news situation.”
He pursed his lips. “I’m choosing to look at the positive. You should too.”
“I’d love to, but the fact is even if we get back over there in one piece we’re still at his mercy. He’s had six weeks to prepare for our arrival—”
“If he suspects it at all,” Frees interjected. “If he even survived the trip through the gate. Who knows, maybe when the subway car was cut in half the other half was completely destroyed by the explosion. He might not have made it.”
She gave him a face like he was stupid. “We can’t afford to assume that. We need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Which is Charlie made it across and is now in power.”
He leaned forward, his eyes softening in the way that made her take notice. She wasn’t sure if he’d been doing it on purpose or if it was something he’d picked up, but it made her feel better. “Do you really think the humans would stand for that?”
Arista shook her head. “But the humans have what, a couple thousand on their side? Charlie potentially has six million, assuming he can still inhabit any non-sentient machine body he wishes.” She removed two of the tablets and pulled a third from the stack, activating it. A series of blue-tinted plans extended from the small device and she scrolled through the data in the air. “If we assume he tries to assuage someone like you again he might get stuck.”
“You mean if he went for one of the Peacekeepers or Jill.”
She nodded. “That might be what we need to do. Force him into a sentient body, trap him again. But he’s not stupid; it would have to be a target so tempting he ignored the danger.” She turned the tablet off and set it on the table. “And I just don’t know what that would be.”
Frees watched her for a moment, his eyes not leaving hers. It was about to get uncomfortable again, she could feel it in her core, but she didn’t want to look away. She needed to figure this out. “What are you doing?” she whispered, not breaking eye contact.
“Trying to figure out how to help you,” he replied.
Arista pushed down the sensation building in her chest. She didn’t want to feel it and she didn’t want to think about it. They didn’t have the time. Things were too precarious. “If you want to help,” she finally said, “make me some dinner.”
A smile broke out across his face and he stood, heading for the refrigerator. While he worked, they made small talk about the tests. Anything to avoid the heavy stuff. She’d had enough heavy for one day and wanted nothing more than to eat something and go to bed. He’d been right to stop her from going through the gate earlier, that had been nothing but pure impulse on her part. A desire to get it all over with. But now she had considered it further, she realized it wasn’t just about her parents. Because if it had been, she wouldn’t still be so anxious to get over there. They had their other friends to consider: Jill, Mitsu, and Takai. Then there was Jessika, her biological mother and the first human Arista had ever connected with. She tried not to think what would have happened if Jessika had been there when Charlie came screaming through that gate. She wasn’t sure she could handle losing two mothers at once.
“Here you go, fresh and healthy,” Frees said, setting the plate of eggs down in front of her. He’d become a talented chef in the few weeks he’d been cooking for her.
She smiled, taking a mouthful of eggs and relishing the taste. “I can see why so many humans used to use machines as servants,” she said as he returned to his seat.
“Very funny,” Frees replied, picking up one of her tablets and activating it. He scrolled through her notes and plans. “Just because you said that next time you’re getting them raw.”
“As long as they aren’t that mush your people made me eat, I won’t care.”
He scoffed. “No one made you eat anything. That was your own desire to blend into our society.”
The eggs went down easily. “Remember that first night in your apartment? When you brought me that tofu burger and fruit, along with my powders?” she asked, relishing the memory. “Probably the best burger I’ve had in my life.”
He dropped his eyes. “I wasn’t very fair to you that night.”
Arista shrugged, finishing the plate of eggs in less time than they�
��d taken to cook. “It had been a long time since you’d met a human. You were bound to be a little rusty. But you’re right. You were an ass.”
“And you were an absolute pleasure,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Though he kept his eyes on her notes.
“Hey,” she said, tossing the fork down on the plate. “I had just had my hand amputated. It was stressful.”
He stared at her through the scrolling notes until a smile broke out across her face and they both started laughing. She hoped things could continue to be like this, it was what made their relationship so great. Taking it any further might…cause damage.
“What’s this here about Trymian?” Frees asked, going over the last of the notes in the group. “Do you think he might help us?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But it’s worth a try. Hogo-sha came around eventually. And Trymian is doing double-duty now that he’s dead. He might be willing to negotiate. That is, if Charlie hasn’t already decided he’s a threat and destroyed him.”
“What if they’ve joined forces?” Frees asked.
She had to admit it was a possibility. Since both Charlie and Trymian were fully integrated AI’s they had been responsible—along with Hogo-sha—for maintaining the balance for the machines. That meant resource allocation, energy production, overseeing the creation and destruction of husks…all of it. They had been partners once in that endeavor. There was no reason to think they couldn’t be again. “I don’t know. Hogo-sha seemed to think both he and Trymian covered for Charlie on more than one occasion. As if Charlie was the loose cannon of the group. I feel like we could use that to our advantage. Even if they are working together when we arrive, I think it’s worth approaching him.”
“Assuming we can get close.” Frees closed the tablet and put it with the others while Arista deposited the dishes in the sink. “What about the humans?”
“We’ll need to find my—Jessika first. She might have information we can use and maybe even help us convince the humans what we want is in their best interests.”
He arched an eyebrow. “And what is it we want?”
She sucked her lips between her teeth a moment before releasing them. “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought; even before we talked this morning. So I don’t want you to think I’m crazy.”
“That’s not at all ominous,” he said, leaning forward.
“It’s obvious now both sides want the same thing: total control of the planet. When we first met Echo and the other humans, they’d lied to us about their plans for cordoning off a small section of land somewhere and keeping to themselves. Her plans to use me as a way to destroy the machines is proof enough for that. And then everything with David’s gate…regardless, the truth is clear. The humans never had any intention of living in peace with the machines.”
“Right,” Frees said. “And?”
“And the machines were under the impression they had destroyed most of the humans, just as they had wanted. Except for Charlie. He worked with the humans to maintain his own personal status quo and provide them with some semblance of hope. Because he knew hope would keep them under his thumb. Had it not been for Charlie the colony probably would have been destroyed.”
“I don’t see what you’re getting at,” Frees huffed.
“What I’m saying is I think Charlie might have been right on some level, though his methods were wrong. What we need is a way both species can live on the same planet without obliterating each other. We need is a truce, with allowances for growth.”
She could tell the idea had thrown him. But to his credit, he didn’t dismiss it. Instead, he sat back in his chair and contemplated it for a moment. “You want to…merge the two societies?”
Arista shrugged, her eyes wide. “Why not? Killing each other isn’t working. What we need is some kind of balance. Look at us. We’re like a microcosm of what it could be. What if we integrated everyone together? What if we made it so humans were no longer illegal and machines were no longer a threat?”
His eyes widened. “It would mean all of my people would have autonomy. That many humans moving through the machine population? They’d have their freedom.” Was that excitement she detected in his voice?
“Exactly.” She wasn’t tired anymore. She’d been hesitant to suggest this to him because she wasn’t sure how he’d respond. But she shouldn’t have worried. Frees always supported her, even if all her decisions weren’t the best. “As soon as we get back, I think you should try and contact Mitsu and Takai, assuming the comm system hasn’t been destroyed. I’ll have to wait until we’re back to see if mine still works. Though I imagine if the Device is off then I won’t be able to make any calls either.”
“What do you think they’ll be able to do?” he asked.
“They’re in charge of Hogo-sha’s sector now, right? Which means they might be able to help us with Trymian. It’s worth a shot at the very least,” she said.
He nodded. Good. She wasn’t out of her mind after all. They’d need to rally as many allies as they could if they were going to take on Charlie again.
Absently, she fingered the key in her pocket, twirling it around her fingers as if it was nothing more than a piece of loose change.
SIX
Arista awoke to what she would have sworn were the sounds of someone being attacked. Loud voices and the shattering of glass reached through her slumber and pulled her out of unconsciousness like a fish on a hook. She jumped up, checking her arm was still attached and sprung from the bed, taking only two steps to get to the door and fling it open. She balled her fist as she sprinted down the hall to the raised voices, ready to do whatever was necessary to take out whoever had decided to come after “her” fortune this time.
What she found instead was Blu and David locked in a screaming match and an old computer monitor on the ground with its screen smashed in and shattered glass all over the floor.
Arista relaxed her hand and took a step inside as the two continued to argue, careful not to step on any of the shattered glass with her bare feet. “What the hell is going on?” she demanded when neither of them acknowledged her presence.
David turned to her first, but Blu spoke before he could get a word in. “He’s trying to control my life!” she yelled.
“How is saving your life controlling it?” he yelled back. Arista had never seen this David so agitated.
“Because it isn’t yours to save. If I want to do it, I’m going to do it and I don’t care how dangerous you think it is,” she snapped.
Arista put her polymorphic hand to her forehead. The synthetic material felt cool against her skin and might even have a chance at relieving the oncoming headache. “Just wait a second. What is this about?”
“It’s your fault,” David said, his accusatory eyes finding Arista. “I blame you. I never should—”
“Don’t blame her. Like I told you, this is my decision. She had nothing to do with it,” Blu spat.
“Nothing to do with what?” Arista asked, confused.
“She wants to go with you,” David said. “Through the gate. Back to your world.”
Arista’s eyes snapped wide awake. “Absolutely not, no way,” she said, dropping her hand.
“Not you too.” Blu sighed. “Guess what? It’s not your decision either. You can’t stop me,” she said, though Arista heard some fear in there.
“Why on Earth would you want to come with us?” Arista asked. “Keep in mind it’s a one-way trip. The gate over there has probably been destroyed. I don’t know if we could get you back.”
Blu scoffed, her eyes growing wide. “Why wouldn’t I? This world you’ve described, I want to see it. I want to help.”
Feeling the presence of someone else in the room Arista turned to see Frees standing in the doorway behind her.
“See? Even she agrees with me,” David said, pointing in Arista’s direction. “You’re not going. I’m not letting my only daughter kill herself over some misplaced sense of responsibility.”
“What are you talking about?” Frees asked.
“She thinks because she helped Charlie escape, she needs to help put him down for good. That if it weren’t for her, he never would have gotten out,” David replied.
“She’s right,” Frees said. “He wouldn’t have.” Arista gaped at him. “But he also may have found a way to control me, or destroy what was left of me from the inside. By releasing him she may have saved me. I can see why she wants to try and make amends for letting him loose.”
“See?” Blu said, pointing at Frees. “He gets it. Plus, I’d rather be over there, helping them rebuild that world. There’s so much to learn.”
“What about this world?” David asked. “Are you telling me you’ve already seen and done everything interesting here?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
He rolled his eyes, turning his back on her. “Now you’re just being flippant. But it doesn’t matter, because my decision stands.”
Blu’s face turned a deep shade of red, and it looked to Arista like if she opened her mouth she might explode. Her dedication to eliminate Charlie was admirable, but misplaced. No way would Arista be able to protect her over there; it had been hard enough to do that here. “I’m sorry, Blu,” she said. “But I think your dad is right. It’s better if you stay here.”
Blu whipped her face to her, angrier than she’d ever seen it. “Safer you mean,” she said, then turned and stormed off to her room. Her door slammed a moment later.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” David said, taking a few deep breaths. “We’ve been arguing about it since she told me yesterday. This morning was no different.”