EHuman Dawn

by Nicole Sallak Anderson

  Deep in the sewers below the city, Adam stood alongside Origen’s troops, waiting for their signal. The constant dripping of water and shuffling of feet around him was beginning to drive him crazy. Worse, he had no idea what was happening up top. Was Dawn okay? Or was she dead? Adam needed to know—the suspense was killing him.

  Fortunately, within thirty minutes, Dawn and her secret force of three hundred successfully infiltrated every RMO and LMO in the city, as well as the entire Transportation Authority complex. Origen received his signal to rise up from the sewers, and thousands of black-clad Resistance members, Adam included, poured into the city, moving in freedom and with force, to round up any remaining WG officials and supporters.

  “You get your ass to the main LMO in the town square,” Origen commanded Adam.

  At that moment, a team of WG security guards rounded the corner and began to shoot at them. The Resistance soldiers to either side of Adam fell to the ground, their Chi-Regulators shorted out.

  “Return fire!” Origen cried out.

  Instinctively, Adam raised his gun and pointed it at the eHumans before him. He pulled the trigger, making contact with a guard near the front of the line. The eHuman fell, dead before his body even landed on the cold, concrete streets of New Omaha. Even though he’d been successful, Adam felt a strange anxiety. He had taken his first life. Another round of guards came towards them, and Adam fired again, taking more lives. When the round of shooting was done, every single WG guard lie dead before them.

  “Forward!” Origen commanded.

  Adam fell into formation as the group climbed over the mound of dead WG eHumans and continued their trek into the city, taking out anyone who would resist them. As the New Omaha Capitol building came into sight, Adam knew that the second part of Operation Insurrection had succeeded. The siege was over. All that was left was for Resistance SpiderScouts and drones to surround the city, not so much as to keep the inhabitants in, but rather to keep the WG out and send them a message: We’ve won this part of the battle. New Omaha is now ours.

  The Uprising has begun.

  Adam followed Origen as he quickly crossed the open, grassy mall before the New Omaha Capitol building, which gleamed in the sun, oblivious to the fact that it was under siege. People were starting to gather in the mall, demanding to know what the hell had just happened to their city. Hundreds of Resistance squadrons were immediately assigned to pacify the crowds and keep them from striking back.

  The New Omaha LMO was next to the Capitol building and Adam felt excitement rise within him; he knew Dawn would be there. Even though they’d only been parted for a day, he had not realized until that moment just how worried he’d been that the attack would fail, and that death would part them forever.

  “Quickly,” Dawn called to Adam via TeleSpeak, “I need, you—I mean we need you in the Control Center. Meet me there as soon as you can!” Adam was grateful for the new feature that gave him a personal link to Dawn.

  He took the steps three at a time as he approached the LMO. Upon entering the sterile waiting room populated with metal chairs and machine-inspired art, Origen led Adam to one of the doors located just off the room. Through the front windows, Adam could see the city streets beyond, steadily filling with eHuman civilians. Adam hoped they would remain peaceful while the communication system was being set up. He knew that they demanded answers and that being offline was causing most of their discomfort.

  Adam entered the Control Center amid a frenzy of activity. The local RMO of the city had been successfully disconnected from the Global Energy Grid and re-routed to the solar generated grid located in Avalon, about 150 miles northwest. It was believed that this would be enough energy to power both New Omaha, and New Valentine to the west, which was also taken during the attack.

  Their next task was to explain the takeover to the citizens of the city, while also encouraging people to disconnect from Neuro and report to the various LMOs around the city in order to receive an energy pack. No one could safely recharge on Neuro until the network was secured from the WG. A message explaining the situation had been sent out to the inhabitants immediately after the takeover. Until it was secure, all access to Neuro within the city was now blocked.

  “The Guardians really know their shit,” Alrisha explained to Adam as he gazed over her shoulder at the computer screen before her. The room itself resembled the Command Center located in Avalon, with one key difference—in the center of the room stood a curious tower, containing fifty small, black boxes with a series of colored LEDs along the front, each no bigger than a shoebox. They were stacked upon one another, forming a tower that reached above Alrisha’s head. A series of golden wires linked them together and an antennae topped the tower. Around this curious set of electronics were twelve recliner chairs, each with a plug located near the seat of the chair.

  “So this is where the Guardians plug into Neuro?” Adam noted and Alrisha nodded.

  “Yes, twelve of them at a time would be physically plugged in. The rest of the Guardians worked wirelessly from all points in this room. It seems the MICE Tower, and Guardians plugged into it, were responsible for the security of Neuro, as well as spying and data manipulation,” she explained.

  “MICE Towers?” Adam asked.

  “Yes, this set of servers before us,” she explained, “contains Multi Intelligent Cyber Entities.”

  Adam must have looked confused, because she led him over to the tower.

  “As far as I can tell,” she said, raising her tattooed, purple arm to point at the blinking structure, “each individual component houses an independent Lux. They were once eHumans, like you and I. But shortly after the Great Shift, it became evident that the only reason we lived in eHuman bodies was to be mobile. As Neuro became more complex, and the Apps running on Neuro became more and more like reality, people realized that we didn’t actually need bodies anymore—especially not those who preferred Virtual Reality to the reality of the world. A modified Chi-Regulator was created to power this small box,” she patted her hand on one of the black components in the tower, “They call this a Chi-Server, and it contains much of the hardware that you and I have within our torso. This Chi-Server runs Neuro, stores memories and information in a database, etc.—but the Lux that inhabits the server is always connected to the network. Thus, MICE live and operate their Lux entirely within the fiber optics and wireless channels of Neuro. Their reality is exclusively virtual.”

  Adam looked at the tower. He quickly counted the number of boxes and instantly saw the ramifications.

  “There are fifty Guardians here?” he asked.

  “That’s how it appears. We knew of the MICE Tower, but this is the first time I’ve seen one,” Alrisha explained, “Right now, we’re trying to get inside, but it’s highly secured. We can’t access their RAM or programming in any way. But don’t worry, we’ll crack the code soon enough. We have no choice. Cracking the Tower’s the only way to gain control of Neuro at the local level. It appears the LMO was run mostly by the Tower itself, with the other Guardians employed interfacing with citizens. The traditional red-robed Guardians as we know them help people choose new bodies, repair and upgrade them to new careers and the like. But the core of the LMO intelligence and security exists right here, in this Tower. We’ve disconnected it from Neuro, but there are fifty separate Lux we have to deal with.”

  “Is this the way it is in all the LMOs?” Adam asked.

  “It appears so, and the RMOs as well. MICE Towers are very useful, indeed. I can’t wait to discover more about them,” she answered.

  Dawn entered the room. She was still dressed for the battle in her black rain suit, her hair hanging haphazardly in a messy, long golden braid down her back. As soon as she caught Adam’s gaze, she had eyes for no one else. Throwing caution to the wind, as well as all Resistance protocol, she ran up to him and embraced him. Everyone in the room was taken aback, except Alrisha, who was smiling—and Origen, who simmered behind the Tower in anger, not letting t
he happy couple see his reaction.

  Dawn noticed the crowd staring at them in confusion, and pulled back from Adam, resuming her role as commander. But she couldn’t resist continuing to hold Adam’s hand. She might be in charge of a Global Resistance, but her feelings for Adam were something she refused to hide. Her people were simply going to have to accept this change in her life.

  “We’re needed in the conference room of the Capitol building,” she began, “All of our leaders have arrived and are gathering as we speak. The RMO has been secured and the LMOs are fully staffed. Most members are handing out energy packs and answering people’s questions.”

  “That seems like an impossible job. There are millions of people to speak with,” Adam observed.

  “It is—which is why we have to get control of Neuro,” she said looking at Alrisha, “In the meantime, each energy pack contains a program that will execute as soon as the person plugs in. This program explains the how the WG planned on unplugging New Omaha and encourages the citizens to refrain from using Neuro until they receive notice that it’s safe. The program also explains the technology behind the energy pack and assures them that they’ll be fully charged during the transition. Lastly, it encourages the citizens to rise up and join us in the fight, should the WG try to take back the city.”

  “Ah,” Adam began, “So all we have to do right now is get them to put on the energy pack. The program will take care of the rest.”

  “That’s what we hope,” Alrisha answered.

  “You seem hesitant,” Adam said.

  “Well,” she continued, “most people never even realized they were under tyrannical rule. They’ve lived inside Neuro, believing the Newsreels and forgetting reality. It won’t be easy to stay off the network, not when you never felt any harm from it before. The evil of the WG is insidious. Most people in New Omaha aren’t looking for a fight or a revolution. They had no idea the WG had plans to power them off.”

  Adam gazed about the room, noting the level of activity. eHumans darted everywhere, in and out of the room like bees in a hive. They were all linked via TeleSpeak and were taking orders every second. He looked at Alrisha and Dawn grimly.

  “Then it’s obvious,” he declared, “the time has come to take Neuro into our own hands, once and for all. When will you be ready to plug me in?”

  “Once we understand the MICE Tower and how it’s secured,” Alrisha answered, “I don’t want to plug you in until the dangers are clearer. Your safety is of the utmost importance. Edgar might have been expecting you to eventually sabotage him. I need to know if any safeguards were put into place for such an eventuality.”

  “Besides,” Dawn continued, “We need to report to the Council. It’s time to introduce you to everyone and bring you on as a formal member of the inner circle. They’re eager to meet Elijah Prince.”

  Adam shook slightly at her words. The knowledge of his past life didn’t make the way forward any easier. He still had a hard time believing he could have anything hidden in his database that would release the eHuman world from bondage. He felt no desire to be a messiah. Yes, he’d always wanted to be admired, and he’d always wished that he was more than a local New Omaha celebrity. Indeed, he had always had a sense that he was more important than anyone gave him credit for. But didn’t all eHumans feel that way? Wasn’t this misguided conceit a simple part of eHuman nature? Now that he was on the verge of doing something truly important, he felt unworthy, less than perfect, and scared that he was going to let everyone down.

  While Adam suffered through his feelings of inadequacy, Origen emerged from his place in the shadows of the MICE Tower and moved cautiously towards the group, enduring his own dark night of the soul. He hadn’t spoken with Dawn, other than to give and receive commands during the siege, since the revelations back at HQ. He longed for the comfort of his relationship with her—but something had changed within him. There was a darkness, a jealousy that went far beyond simple disdain. He’d lost the battle for Dawn’s heart and he knew it.

  The problem was, he didn’t know what to do about it. Pursuing Dawn had filled almost every minute of every day since he could remember. The moment he had first laid eyes upon her, he had been in love.

  Origen recalled the day the two of them were unveiled to the world at the 2045 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Scantily dressed, they had marched hand-in-hand onstage to an overjoyed crowd delighting in the ultimate singularity product. They were the first eHumans. The throbbing bass line of the music that had blared through the convention hall while they strutted about, showing off their various features to a spellbound audience, still echoed in Origen’s mind. He’d been the happiest man in the world on that day: immortal, strong, and beautiful, with the most important woman in the world on his arm. Dawn and Origen—the future of humanity.

  Now she stood before him holding hands with a different man.

  Origen felt like he was falling into an abyss. His unrequited love had been the constant fire that had kept him alive. The hope, the possibility that he would win her heart, had been the drumbeat that had set his steps forward. The only thing left for him now was war. At least he had that.

  “It’s time,” Origen said clearly, without a single hint of emotion, “The Council awaits our guidance.”

  Dawn and Adam were startled by his words. They’d forgotten him in all of the excitement about the MICE Towers. The trio stood in an awkward silence. Once again, it was Alrisha who removed them from their uncomfortable situation.

  “Lead the way, Commander,” she said.

  Although Origen glared at her, Alrisha felt a huge sense of relief. If he could still glare, then he wasn’t dead inside. For all his shortcomings, Origen was their best warrior. The Resistance needed his malice, his fury and his anger, if they were going to hold off the WG retaliation, which was sure to happen sooner than later.

  Alrisha hoped it would be later. The more time she had the better—because cracking the security kernel of Neuro had just become a lot more complex than she’d anticipated.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Adam stood before the members of the Resistance Security Council. He felt completely exposed. Their eyes also tracked Dawn as she strode across the room to stand beside him. The rumors had already spread that Elijah Prince had been found. Was he this Newsreel reporter who stood before them? Could Dawn have finally discovered the solution to their peril?

  The large, open hall was ornately decorated in the typical, retro-Renaissance fashion of the WG, and as Adam’s eyes scanned the domed ceiling above his head, he noticed that the artwork depicted the legend of Prometheus. His eyes hovered upon the haunting image of a ferocious eagle, attacking the chained Prometheus, as the Titan cried out in vain to his gods, who would not lend a hand.

  What sort of gods would punish someone for sharing the gift of life with humanity?

  Edgar Prince’s smiling face flashed in Adam’s mind.

  The image made him shiver.

  “Greetings, members of the Security Council,” Dawn announced, the joy of her own success blinding her to Adam’s insecurity, “We’re here today to celebrate our victory and establish plans for securing the cities from the WG permanently!”

  The eHumans in the room clapped and cheered at this news. Dawn raised her hands to quiet them.

  “But the greatest news is that we have finally found Elijah Prince!”

  With this, the room began to hum with interest. So it was true. Dawn had secured the greatest prize of all.

  “May I present to you Adam Winter, host of the New Omaha Friend’s Network Newsreel,” she announced with pride, gesturing her arms towards Adam, who made a slight, awkward bow, “After submitting Adam to testing, Origen and I both agree that before the Great Shift, he was Elijah Prince.”

  Rather than cheer, the members of the council stared at him with distinct curiosity. Adam knew they were TeleSpeaking, using a key that he didn’t possess. He also knew that he should say something, but all words escaped
him. Instead, the image of Prometheus being punished by the gods filled his mind.

  “So why don’t we have control of Neuro yet?” a nervous Council member asked.

  Through the fog that had entered his mind, Adam heard Alrisha explain that the virus hadn’t yet been located within Adam’s database. Until she was confident that no danger lurked within the MICE Tower security kernel, she couldn’t risk plugging him in. Impatience buzzed through the room like a swarm of hornets, and the mood quickly went from eager joy to frustration and complaint.

  Still Adam could not speak.

  Shit, he thought to himself, I need to say something to them!

  Instead thoughts and programs whirled through his mind, clouding his judgment. It was the closest thing to a panic attack that an eHuman could experience. He knew he was blowing his big moment.

  Origen used Adam’s momentary loss of words to launch his description of what needed to be done next to maintain the physical security of the city. The council members discussed the details, all the while staring up at Adam, obviously desiring some sort of response from him.

  As the discussion began to die down, Dawn nudged Adam. In spite of his fears, he forced himself to speak. Any words, no matter how poorly phrased, were better than nothing.

  “All of these plans are solid,” he began hesitantly; “Your leaders have done an excellent job.”

  Silence filled the room. In an attempt to increase his confidence, Adam accessed the image of Elijah Prince from his database and continued.

  “And yet it is I whom you wish to hear from. Yes, it’s true, before the Great Shift, I was Elijah Prince, and somewhere within me lies the software needed to take Neuro from the WG. All of us, myself included, would like to download that software as soon as possible. And we will. I may not know what I promised as Elijah Prince, but I know what I can promise you now. As Adam Winter, I stand before you and swear that I will do whatever it takes, no matter what the risk to myself. I will not rest until Alrisha and I have found the code, and successfully downloaded it. Until that moment in time, I’m at your service.”