Epocalypse: Inception.

by G. Adler

  I clutch at my stomach and begin to feel sick. Ninety minutes ago: the exact same time as the destruction of my base.

  “Thank you, Qatar. I am standing in the American-built Yokota Air Base in the Tama Area of Western Tokyo. This base was first built by the Japanese during World War II, but the American government uses it now to deploy relief and military aid by the 374th Operations Support, the 36th Airlift and 459th Airlift Squadrons. Six pilots touched down here by parachute a few moments ago. Here is what one of them had to say:

  “My jet didn’t just turn off. It ejected me and then flew away, as if something else had total control of all of its functions!”

  I actually feel the color drain from my face. This can’t be happening.

  “Thank you but we are going to take you back Stateside for… wait a second, United States. Behind me I can see that every aircraft here is powering up, but there are NO pilots in the cockpits! I have never…

  “Sorry Japan but we’ll have to get back to you. This just came across my desk. Air force bases around Canada, Mexico and the United States are reporting that their aircraft have been taken over by a yet unknown source. Hundreds of them are buzzing over a specific area on the Eastern seaboard. Eyewitnesses are comparing it to a beehive but with Tomahawk missiles as stingers! Unconfirmed reports are saying that the jets are maintaining a perimeter around the flattened military base! Could it be that terrorists have taken over the installation and hacked our systems? Stay tuned as we get more on this developing…”

  The radio goes dead once more but I don’t need to hear the rest. I know exactly who is behind all of this. There is only one entity capable of controlling that much tech at once. I look up to the shimmering night sky and let the tears stream down my face.

  “Please God, have mercy on my soul. I knew not what I did.”

  Chapter 27 - Hayden

  Each of their faces look at me expectantly. I take a deep breath and begin.

  “I started this. I have to stop it. I have no idea if there is a way to make this right. It isn’t every day that you are accused of ending the entire fucking species! It’s a bit much to take in. Quite frankly, I think it would be best if it were a topic we don’t discuss. I need something else to focus on or I very well may snap entirely!”

  Tyrese comes over to put a hand on my back, but I move a step away from him.

  “I appreciate it, Tank but there is more at stake here. This forever changes me and who I am. I always believed that the truth mattered, no matter what the cost. But there is no way that this is equal. I may expose the skeleton that rides off along with the other horsemen!”

  Tyrese nods.

  “Maybe so, Hayden. But as my aunt and uncle always tell me, God has a plan for everyone, whether you believe in Him or not. A pawn doesn’t need to know who is playing it to see that it’s moving. What if you hadn’t made us go down in the lab and nobody had ever found out about DANE? What if it was too late then but…”

  I grasp his shoulders and squeeze with all that I have. My eyes go wide and a huge smile spreads across my face.

  “… it isn’t now! You, my friend, are a fucking genius!”

  I hear the snap of bubble gum in my ear. “You know, Byte, I’m starting to get pavlovianly conditioned to that sound. Let’s hear it.”

  “I know that look! You think that we can stop this! Look around you, guys! This isn’t the auditorium or gym or parking lot.”

  Maya’s breathing starts to quicken and her eyes dart in every direction at once. They move so quickly that the pupils soon become a blur of motion that looks just like… bar codes.

  I walk over to Maya and grab her in my arms and crush her with all I have.

  “We’re not going to die. We’re going to make it out.”

  “Don’t say that to me, Ghost.”

  I tilt her head back and make her stare into my face. Her eyes are wide and her lips are quivering. “I PROMISE that we are going to make it out of here!”

  I scoop her up in one arm and drag her over to Ethan, who I corral in my other arm.

  “Ungh, unwanted contact! Where is HR?”

  I stop in front of Tyrese and Joo-Eun. I put Ethan down but swing my arms wide so I can feel all of them within my wingspan.

  “We are going to stop this twisted, insane, maniacal compu-God.”

  “Oh, nice one. Can I use that?”

  “Not now, Ethan.”

  “Sorry.”

  “None of us are going to die. Not on my watch. I don’t just think it. I KNOW it. I dare any of you to look into my eyes and see if there is even the tiniest shred of doubt!”

  Each of them looks deeply, giving me their fear, doubt and terror. I puff out my chest and look back at all of them at once with utter confidence.

  Ethan purses his lips and nods appreciatively.

  “Shit he’s good!”

  Maya grabs my collar and kisses me deeply. Her tiny hands wrap around the hairs at the nape of my neck and I feel her nails claw into my skin. She finally breaks the seal by yanking at my hair and breathlessly says, “You better believe it, Bartender!”

  Maya and I blush profusely and we all laugh. The tension in the air eases noticeably. Ethan makes a gagging sound and clears his throat. “Okay, now that the mushy-gushy stuff is over with… it is over with, right guys?”

  “Yeah, yeah, make your point, Bartender.”

  “What do we do now?” Knock on the floor of our fake cement world and hope that DANE agrees to a dialogue? Should I bake a cake and put lots of pink frosting on top?”

  Maya claps her hands together and smiles. “Oh I like the pink frosting idea! I second that motion!”

  Ethan looks over at Maya with one eyebrow raised and his jaw slightly open. “Seriously, Byte?”

  “I like pink frosting, okay? It makes me happy! Deal with it!”

  I look over at Tyrese and Joo-Eun, both of whom are scanning the horizon with expressions of concern etched into their faces. “What is it guys? Other than the obvious I mean.”

  In unison they both look at me and say, “Where are the others?”

  “What others?” I ask.

  “Other human beings, Hayden,” Tyrese replies.

  “Why would DANE create other people here with us? I thought we were it! If this world is artificial then why not just make it in its most perfect state? Ergonomic and maintenance-free is the way to go right?”

  Joo-Eun shakes her head and says, “DANE may be the brain but he still needs bodies to act as arms and legs. As soon as he brought us here, he had to make sure that basic things like oxygen and gravity existed in an amount that would sustain our lives.”

  Something in what she just said sparks an idea. “Say that again.”

  “When DANE brought our physical bodies here, he had to make sure that he maintained them. I would imagine that we should be able to find a source of food and water, not to mention that the climate should stay fairly consistent in order to maintain a paradoxical equilibrium.”

  Now it’s Ethan’s turn to jump forward with his finger pointed right at Joo-Eun. “OXYMORON!”

  “Yes Ethan, you are.” Maya notes.

  “Shut up, both of you!” I demand.

  I sit down on the ground and close my eyes tightly while banging my fists against my temples.

  “Careful, Hayden. That could cause damage to your skull. Even a mild contusion in the temporal lobe can be…” Joo-Eun warns.

  I jump up and grab her, throwing her in the air and catching her on the way down. “THAT’S IT! You figured it out, Guts!”

  “I… I… I… I did?”

  “DANE needs us. Without us here, he generates zero power. He can’t afford to let anything happen that could endanger our lives.”

  Joo-Eun stares at me and does her blinky thing before she replies. “You are assuming that h
e needs ALL of us.”

  “Actually I think he only needs one of us and I don’t think it actually matters which one,” I note.

  “Then why…?”

  “Because DANE is also a computer and must also think like one. Why would he risk any of us dying until he actually achieves his goals? Joo-Eun, you are practically a computer, would you take that chance?”

  Joo-Eun smiles at me and says, “Hayden, allow me to make you an honorary Asian.”

  I bow appreciatively. “Kamsahamnida.”

  Joo-Eun smiles and gives me a gentle punch in the shoulder. “Try to emphasize the second syllable a bit more but otherwise, you’re welcome.”

  Tyrese bends his back and stretches his arms wide. “Okay, Ghost. Sounds like you have something in mind. Where to?”

  I open my mouth to speak when the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse. The dark clouds spiral into tornado-like funnels that skip off the ground, causing tiny bits of dust to swirl with them. A smaller one passes over us and I feel the harsh sting of the bits as they slice into my cheek.

  “Tank, tuck and roll!”

  I grab Maya and push her to the ground while curling my body around her. Tyrese does the same with Ethan and Joo-Eun. I feel the suction pull at my back and my knees actually lift slightly off the ground. Maya tightens her grip as we wait for the phenomenon to pass. I wince a few times and grit my teeth. A few moments later and it disappears.

  I stand up and let Maya out from her cave. From behind me I hear Ethan gasp. “Holy, shit! Ghost, your back!”

  “What?”

  “Fuck, Tank too! Look at Tyrese if you want to get an idea of what I’m talking about!”

  I look over at the big guy and my jaw drops. The back of Tyrese’s shirt has long strips torn off it. Blood is seeping from each strip, making him look like a twisted prison inmate.

  Joo-Eun rushes over and shakes her head back and forth. She takes out a set of forceps and removes a few large slivers from Tank’s back.

  “Fuck me! Do I really look like that?” I ask.

  “Pretty much, buddy.” Ethan says with a shudder.

  Joo-Eun shoots him a nasty glare.

  “Ethan, stop freaking him out. It will only elevate Hayden’s blood pressure and make him bleed more. Maya, I have an extra set of tweezers and some sanitized wipes. Can you handle this?”

  Maya looks pained and her face goes a pale white. She takes a deep breath and walks over to Joo-Eun. With shaking hands she takes the forceps and white cloth.

  Ethan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small flask. He takes the cloth from Maya and pours some of the elixir on top while rubbing it into the fabric. He does the same thing for Joo-Eun. “Trust me guys, you’ll thank me for this one.”

  I feel the cloth against my skin and I start to wince but then a cold, soothing feeling comes over my skin. “That’s nice! I can’t feel anything more than a mild itch.”

  “Ethan’s own brand of topical anaesthetic. Don’t get pierced without it!”

  Maya and Joo-Eun finish removing the splinters from our backs. Joo-Eun then pulls out a few rolls of gauze, which she uses to bandage up Tyrese and me. I watch Maya biting on her thumb while staring at me out of the corner of her eye while my shirt is off. Once Joo-Eun is satisfied with her handiwork she says, “Evidently, DANE has no trouble hurting us. I think we need some sort of shelter. This storm of shards could be worse next time.”

  Right on cue two of the tornadoes merge and become a much larger one. The extra wind sounds like a motorcycle cruising down the highway. It then heads directly for us. I whip around and shout, “Run, now!”

  I take off towards the nearest structures in the hope of finding somewhere to hide. I point at the rectangle to my left and say, “I think I see some kind of opening; head that way!”

  We rush to the direction I pointed and are met by a solid steel door. There is no handle or knob to speak of. I bang on the surface, as hard as I can, but am only met by the sound of bone on metal. The tornado gets closer and I push the rest of the guys against the wall and try to use my back as a shield. I close my eyes tightly and wait for the pain…

  Nothing.

  “Ghost you can stop saving us now. You might want to turn around and look up!”

  The tornado is now the size of the entire sky but seems to be focused on the nearest pyramid. A mechanized whirl sounds over the area and the top of the pinnacle begins to rotate ninety degrees; peeling back into four equal sections like a banana. From the top of the pyramid, a long, metallic spike emerges, sticking high into the sky. The tip seems to be sharpened to a razor-like point that sparks with a white light as it climbs.

  I follow it as high as I can but the wind is so strong that I have to shield my eyes with my hand. I look past the pyramid into the distance and shout, “Oh, this can’t be good!”

  “What is it, Hayden?” Maya asks with a trembling lip.

  “This pyramid isn’t the only one getting excited. Look!”

  Tiny sparks of energy can be seen rising in the distance as if by invisible hands.

  As soon as the spike reaches the tornado, it stops spinning and disappears entirely, revealing a clear night, complete with the strangest sight I have ever seen.

  A planet appears in the sky like the moon on Earth. That is, if the moon were a pulsing blue and white color with two white rings spinning in opposing directions. One is going clockwise around the equator of the planet like a hula hoop while the other is moving counterclockwise from North to South. Every now and again, a streak of lightning charges from one of the rings and zaps the planet. The area that the energy touches glows whiter for a moment and then returns to normal.

  Maya rushes over and grabs my right arm. Seconds later, Ethan grabs my left. Maya and I stare at him incredulously.

  “You two don’t get to look at me like that! Exoplanets were NOT on the menu as far as I knew. This is just messed up!”

  “I think it’s about to get messier: look!”

  The spikes from our world stop rising and the tips glow brighter. A streak suddenly zips from the tip of one, leaving a spider web-like filament in its wake. It heads straight towards one of the other pyramid tips and continues its convoluted journey. After a few seconds, the sky is streaked with lines of iridescent white light. A hum then begins from somewhere deep within our planet. It builds for a few seconds and the web of light glows brighter as it does. Finally, an aurora borealis-like emission comes from the web, bathing the exoplanet. The rainbow of colors shimmers in space like a fireworks show where the explosions never vanish. They surround the strange, new world and create a multicolored nimbus around it.

  My jaw drops as I hear Ethan say, “Cool aura. This planet is giving off good vibes!”

  “Oh, no! Not anymore it isn’t. Look!” Maya cries.

  The rings seem to be slowing down. Each time they try to send a spike of electricity to our planet, the lightshow around it siphons it off. After four such events, they stop spinning entirely.

  A new sound reaches my ear as concentric rings of energy come from the web. The moment that they touch the planet, everything changes.

  The blue and white pulses become frenzied for a few moments but then become fainter and slower. Soon, craters of metallic rock appear on the planet’s surface as the lights disappear entirely.

  Ethan swallows hard and keeps his eyes trained on the sky as he speaks.

  “Maybe they forgot to pay the electric bill and DANE came to collect?”

  “Nice try, Bartender but I don’t think so.” I reply.

  Tyrese pushes all of us back against the structure and puts his arms out wide. I look up and I can see why. Spheres, roughly the size of bowling balls, are falling from the sky. Each one is pulsing with the light that was once on the planet. They fall in massive numbers like hail during a winter storm.

 
“This could be some sort of counterattack! Bombs maybe? Look at them all! That’s more balls than even Maya’s seen!” Ethan notes.

  “Not now, Ethan!” I remonstrate.

  The spheres seem to pour from the planet in droves, like someone tipped over a jar of ball bearings from the top of a table and let them spill out like a waterfall onto the floor. As they drop, the spheres coalesce. Every now and again, there is an audible “zlump” as two of them connect and combine.

  “This is going to hurt!” I cry as I look up and see a volley of them clumping together and heading right for us. I put my hands up to try to shield the others, knowing full well it won’t do much.

  Luckily, it doesn’t need to.

  Each orb becomes caught in the web of light. It acts like a strainer, collecting them in massive piles. This only seems to add to the clumping effect. Soon the spheres seem to be moving on their own, arranging themselves in a precise order.

  “Holy shit! DANE’s captured the Geometrons! Run for it! They’re probably the species that write all the standardized math tests!” Ethan jokes with eyes wide.

  “Boys are such idiots.”

  The blue and white energy within the orbs begins to pulse faster. Waves of light seem to pass through all of them at once.

  “See, that’s what I like to see: a species that knows how to share resources.” Tyrese notes.

  “You really wanna live as a tiny ball?” Ethan questions.

  “If it meant that everyone lived in harmony? Sure.”

  Ethan pats him on the back and laughs. “Tank, when did you sleep with Yoda?”

  The spider web begins to flicker and the orbs go into a frenzied state. A few of them drop below the level of the web and start to make a long chain heading towards the surface.

  “YEAH! Balls out, baby!” Ethan cheers.

  I turn to him and have to high five him for that one.