by Mark Lingane
“I am @summer.”
“You’re human?”
“Yes, but an enhanced one. Are you enhanced?”
He looked away, embarrassed. “The readings from Sebastian’s mind … were the alpha and gamma waves suppressed?”
“Yes.”
“I’m wondering if his exposure to nuclear material put the waves out of phase.”
@summer hesitated. “This is beyond my understanding of medicine. But if you’re right, how are brainwaves rephased?”
“Natural renewable energy. And I think I know the exact place.”
“We’ll talk later, smelly old man,” @summer replied. “Until then, we need to get you cleaned up because you’re making me feel sick.sick.”
Memphis woke. The grim fist of life still crushed her. She had dreamed about Sebastian, which added to her unbearable existence. She opened her eyes and saw Sebastian looking down at her. She gasped and reached out. He was real. She crawled up to consciousness.
She felt his face, then pulled it close and kissed it frantically.
“Please forgive me. Please.” She repeated the word until it became a meaningless sound. She burst into tears. She felt a needle in her neck.
“This will calm her down,” @summer said to Sebastian. “But everything else is okay. She’ll survive.”
Sebastian wrapped his arm around Memphis. She clutched at him, wailing, as her grief flooded through her.
@summer ran her fingers through Sebastian’s hair, and gave him a smile.
“Who is she?” Memphis managed to utter.
“She’s my … friend,” Sebastian said. “A very special friend.”
“But she’s a … what is she?”
“A cyborg. Sort of.”
“Hi, I’m @summer.” She held out her hand.
Memphis glared at her.
“I’ll give you two time alone to talk,” @summer said, and left the room.
Memphis stared at her hands, not knowing where to start. She took a deep breath. “I’ve lived a certain kind of life. I’ve had to do certain things and be with certain people to survive. What the Master said wasn’t true. Well, maybe it was when I first met you—I was going to trade you—but as time went by, I couldn’t go through with it. I thought you could free me, but in the end you saved me. I don’t deserve you. I never will. But for you, I know I can change. With every beat of my heart, with every breath in my body, I know I can change.”
Sebastian looked at her sadly. “But you did betray me.”
“I didn’t mean to. Haven’t you ever done something wrong by accident? Please. I can’t go on like this. I need you.”
“I’m sorry.” He turned away to wipe his eyes. “I never knew @summer was alive. If I’d known, I would’ve waited forever for her. I haven’t felt like that about anyone else. She’s my future.”
“How can you say that? She’s not even human,” she spat.
He stood up. “People used to say that about me. Maybe that’s what makes us right for each other. You need to rest.” He went out and closed the door.
She felt the pain, loss, and rage burn through her until she howled and smashed her fist into the wall.
A cleaner came through after everyone had left. He was surprised to find an elaborate pair of knee-high boots abandoned in the patients’ ward.
“Come on, lad, time to wake. We’ve got a brain to fix.”
Sebastian yawned, and instantly rolled over and went back to sleep.
“Hey,” Nikola said, shaking him, “there’s a war on.”
Sebastian mumbled his disinterest and tried to wave the voice away.
“He’s worse than the other teslas back at the Steam Academy.”
“I’ll wake him,” came another voice.
Sebastian heard a quiet whirring and something sweet smelling sat down next to him. A soft hand ran through his hair, stroked his face and down his neck. His eyes sprang open, and he grinned as his gaze focused on the beautiful face of @summer. He tried to pull her close, then realized she’d locked her movement.
She leaned over and whispered in his ear. “You need to ask.”
“@summer, would you lie next to me please?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Nikola closed the door behind him.
76
NIKOLA AND BRAD were deep in conversation when Sebastian emerged from the makeshift quarters. The people of Denver had been extremely hospitable when the combined armies had rolled into town. It was unclear exactly who was winning the war, and they’d obviously decided it was best to be on everyone’s side.
Sebastian took in the sight of the Chargers and 49th Division mingling together. Jazz commandos added to the mix, and there were other uniforms he didn’t recognize. Everyone looked tired, angry and stressed, but no one was fighting.
“Brad, Chargers are here,” he said. “What’s happening?”
“Your commander here,” Brad said, indicating Nikola, “has managed to get us to agree to a joint attack on the Master in Manhattan. We’ve all had enough of his manipulative ways. Charlie’s here too, and he’s leading what’s left of the Chargers and the southern divisions, but Nikola’s spearheading the combined force.”
“You’ve given Nikola overall command?”
“They thought I’d be a good sacrificial goat if things turn nasty,” Nikola said.
Brad smiled. “Nikola’s got a good mind for this kind of thing and he’s very persuasive. It’s time we moved on. We can’t wage war eternally. Having a neutral leader will give us all the best chance of working together.”
“How are you going to fight the Master?” Sebastian asked.
Brad gave him a wink. “You’ll just have to wait and see. You can bed in with the Forty-ninth if you want. We’ve got a few more resources than the Chargers.”
“Come,” Nikola said, and indicated for Sebastian to follow him. “Your bike was a bit battered and sandy, so I’ve had some of the tech people have a look at it.”
Sebastian looked at the stunning machine. “Wow, what’ve they done? It looks amazing.”
“No, that one’s mine. Third generation from the warped mind of Albert. Yours is over there.” Nikola pointed at Sebastian’s trusty old steambike, still as battered as ever.
“I’ll miss not being able to ride it,” Sebastian said.
Nikola put his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Maybe there’s still a way. Get that smart man of yours to have a think,” he said, smiling at Niels.
“It’s probably beyond even Niels’ mighty mind.”
“That’s the thing with these madmen,” Nikola said, “you never know. Come on, get your girlfriend and put your stuff in the back of the truck.”
“Are you taking the whole army to the solar banks?”
“No. Just us and a few specialists.” Nikola turned to Brad. “Are you coming, Brad?”
Brad nodded and indicated a second truck.
“Niels, can you drive beside me in that interesting vehicle of yours and lead the way?”
The various vehicles pulled out onto the southern highway leading out of Denver. The day was young and the sky was blue, but the soldiers looked tired and battered. The convoy followed Niels down a series of roads that grew narrower as they progressed until, by the early evening, they had ended up in a vast field of solar panels. The panels moved in unison as they tracked the sun across the sky.
Niels got out of Veronica and motioned for Sebastian to come over. @summer held him by the hand as they trekked into the center of the vast field, then let him go to finish the short journey on his own. The intense sun bore down in the cool clear sky. Niels found a control panel and levered it open. He fiddled with the keyboard inside the small box until all the cells had turned to face Sebastian.
The heat of a ten thousand solar reflectors beamed in on him. The light around him glowed, and increased in intensity until he was engulfed in a ball of spinning electricity. He felt the raw power of the thousands of solar cells. It was
unlike anything he had ever felt before. The rush was exquisite. He felt like the sun was channeling straight through him and there was nothing he couldn’t achieve. He felt his mind shift, twist and settle. Pieces of the puzzle slipped into position in his mind and, like a clockwork lock, he felt every particle in his body align.
He closed his eyes, breathed in, and sucked the power down. He screamed, and threw his hand above his head. Light exploded from him and roared up into the sky.
The solar panels went dark as all the light was sucked into Sebastian. The sky dimmed. The ground shook from the impact of the waves of solar power flooding downward.
Niels had walked back to the vehicles and stood beside Nikola.
“What’s going on?” Nikola shouted above the roar of the energy. “Is it a solar eclipse?”
“No, just Sebastian. He is, indeed, a mega-tesla. Watch and be amazed. You’ll never see another.”
As Sebastian walked toward them, flecks of metal rose up out of the ground and swirled around him before drifting back down. The solar panels swiveled, tracking his movements.
“They’re following you,” @summer said.
Sebastian raised his hand and the flakes rose up. He twirled his fingers and the flakes formed into a flower. He handed the metal flower to @summer. It turned into a bird and flew away, disappearing into the mass of flakes.
“The panels follow the greatest power source,” Niels said. “Be amazed. He’s pulling the metal out of the ground.”
“Your eyes are glowing. Are you healed?” @summer said.
“No. Yes. But not like before. I’m better than ever,” Sebastian said. “And I’m going to save the world.”
@summer raised her hand and he raised his. They touched fingertips and a spark jumped between them. They smiled at each other and intertwined their fingers.
Niels came forward with a small bag. He placed the contents on the ground. “Be a tesla for me.”
Sebastian looked down and smiled. He cleared his mind and reimagined the object. He closed his eyes, waved his hand, and realigned the molecules. He flipped the magnetic field, and his sword, reformed and reborn from the shattered pieces, leaped into his hand. He raised the glowing sword and twisted it slowly. Light crawled up and down the blade.
“Now I want you to try something,” Niels said. “You can call the metal out of the ground, can’t you?”
Sebastian’s voice contained harmonics from the raw power flowing though him. “Yes.”
“Good, this might be the only place we can fix you. Think about your missing arm,” Niels said. “Think about moving it. See if you can feel within your mind where this happens.”
Sebastian cleared his mind. He felt he was at a distance looking at himself. Everything seemed so vivid and alive. He felt his mind flex as he remembered how his arm had once moved.
“Now summon the metal into the shape, the memory.”
Sebastian imagined flakes of metal joining and holding together. He entered a small part of his mind that controlled the movement. The onlookers gasped as millions of flakes rose up out of the ground and formed into the shape of an arm. The arm waved around like a snake until he clamped his good arm onto it.
“That’s disturbing,” @summer said to Niels. “It looks reptilian. It scares me.”
“Once his mind is used to it, it will act like a normal arm,” Niels explained. “The neural pathways have to adapt.” He turned back to Sebastian. “You can sense electromagnetic waves. Look within yourself. Clear your mind and think of nothing except raising your arm.”
Sebastian did so. He let the blankness roll in, and thought about his body. He could feel the neurons firing. He raised his arm slowly. Pieces fell and realigned, the whole of it constantly sliding and changing.
“It’s mesmerizing,” @summer said. “Magical. But it’s still scary.”
He focused his mind and reached out for her.
“Close your eyes,” she said. “Now touch me.”
He closed his eyes, raised his arm, and gently caressed @summer’s face. He opened his eyes, and to his horror he saw her face in a death grip. He yelped and let her go.
She gasped for air. “You need much.much practice,” she squeaked. She rubbed her jaw.
“No, wait, let me try again.”
“You can try again, but on someone else!”
“No, it has to be you.”
“Okay,” she said. “But if it hurts, I’ll stab you. And I’m not lol-ing.”
He closed his eyes and filtered the pain away. He thought of @summer and what she had meant to him, and what losing her had done to him. His hand gently curved around her face. She closed her eyes and rolled her face with his movements. She raised her own hand and interlaced it with his metal fingers. She wrapped her other arm around him and pulled him close. She rested her head on his chest.
“Can we stay like this for a while?” she murmured.
77
THEY SET UP camp near the vast array of solar panels and settled in for the night under clear moonlight that reflected off the glass and metal. The grim attitude of the small contingency of soldiers continued and most huddled away in solitude.
In the main tent, Nikola sat studying maps in the dim light from the lantern. He held up the paper and squinted. His sword rested against the edge of the table, its point stuck in the ground. A machine gun lay on top of the table.
“I sometimes wish I had your sight, @summer,” he said without looking up.
“Shall I read it for you?”
“No, I’m not that old.”
Sebastian sat next to @summer, his metal arm wrapped around her. Her head rested against his shoulder, and she moved her hand over his leg, feeling the flesh. He stroked parts of her body, which she complained about because they weren’t alone.
“It’s the arm,” he whispered, “I can’t control it properly yet.”
She rolled her eyes.
Lights on her back were flashing. Most were green, but some flashed yellow and others red. He worried that she was suffering the same fate that had overtaken the other cyborgs back home.
“How come you’re still here?” he asked her. “I thought cyborgs couldn’t live without Iris.”
She nodded. “There are certain programs running. But everyone’s future is uncertain, right here, right now. Whatever time I have left, or you have left, I want us to spend it together, share every moment, breathe every breath, be by your side.”
Nikola concealed his smile.
There was a distant sound of clicking.
“What’s that?” Sebastian said.
Nikola reached for his sword. “They’re here.”
Brad appeared through the curtain. “Time to go to work.”
“What’s happening?” Sebastian asked.
“Infected,” Brad said. “That’s part of the war we’re not winning.”
“How many, Brad?” Nikola said.
“Two hundred or so.”
“A quiet night.”
Sebastian’s eyes lit up. “Can I come?”
Nikola shook his head. “No, you need to rest.”
“But—”
“No. @summer, you know what to do.”
@summer got up and retrieved a small box. She pressed a button and the lid sprang open. Metal pieces jumped in the air and slotted together. She rammed her arms through the circular tubing, and the rest of the pieces snapped into place around her body, forming an exosuit.
It took Sebastian a few moments to find his voice. “She’s got a suit.”
Nikola nodded. “It’s Melanie’s.”
“My two favorites rolled up into one. There’s no way I’m missing this.”
@summer ran outside to join the soldiers, the pistons on her exosuit wheezing under the strain. She leaped onto the top of a truck, and in moments both Gatling guns on the suit were blazing into the swarm of charging infected. She leaped in the air and somersaulted off the truck, landing behind the soldiers. An infected broke through the line of
defense, and she fired over the shoulder of a solider. The man ducked and swore as the guns exploded next to his ear.
@summer grabbed the next infected by the throat and blasted its head off. She crushed and severed the leg of another, and swung her arm into the jaw of the next, breaking its neck. She fired both barrels at a pack of three that were running at her, obliterating them. She turned and speared the back of an infected that had grappled a soldier to the ground. She picked up the infected, and with the help of the exosuit, ripped it apart. The soldier got to his feet, cursing @summer.
She looked around. Four infected had surrounded another soldier, and one jumped onto the man’s back. She ran to him, pulled off the infected, and blasted its head away. She kicked at the next, hearing its bones crack. She spun and fired another round into the third infected and gave the fourth an uppercut that knocked it clean into the air. As it fell, she kicked it into the path of another charging infected.
The soldier swore at her. “Why’d you do that? I had it under con—”
But she was gone, onto the next target.
Sebastian charged after @summer, trying to be useful, but her trail of destruction left very little for him to do. He saw Brad being attacked by three infected, keeping them at bay with a combination of sword and pistol.
Sebastian charged in. He slashed with his sword, cutting cleanly through the creature and leaving it squirming on the ground. Brad took down the other two and Sebastian ran onto the next.
Nikola was laying waste to two or three at a time as he brought his mighty sword around in great swings. They fell before him like petals in a breeze. Four ran at him. He sliced into two and brought the sword down on the third. The fourth danced around the blade and came in from the side. @summer charged at the infected, obliterating the body.
“Thanks, @summer,” Nikola called. “But don’t forget your prime objective.”
She waved as she ran on dealing her death.
Sebastian glanced at Nikola. “You’re the only person who’s nice to her. Why are the soldiers so against her?”