EHuman Dawn

by Nicole Sallak Anderson

  “What the hell is going on here!” she cried, “Edgar—what is that woman doing to you?”

  “Silence!” Evelyn shouted, “Behold my power, World Leader!”

  The EC at the front of the room came alive, displaying two scenes. One was of the Golden Hall of Gemetria, now surrounded by WG drones, all with their nuclear warheads pointing at the capitol city. The second image was of New Caledonia, also ringed by drones.

  “Your reign has ended!” Evelyn declared, “A battalion of Resistance members is on its way to New Caledonia to arrest you and everyone else on the island. There is no escape for you, World Leader! Justice demands your presence in Gemetria, to face the tribunal that is gathering as we speak!”

  “And if I don’t surrender?” the World Leader asked.

  “Then I’ll blow you and your island to bits!” Evelyn answered.

  “Fine,” World Leader Donahi challenged, “You’ll kill Adam and Dawn as well.”

  “They’ve already shown that they’re willing to give their lives for a higher good,” Evelyn answered confidently, “I don’t think they would mind dying if it meant justice had been served.”

  “Arrest them!” World Leader Donahi commanded the Guardians, pointing to Adam and Dawn.

  “Yes, get this bitch off of me!” Edgar moaned.

  The Guardians in the room began to shift on their feet. It was obvious they were torn. They still feared Edgar Prince and his wrath—yet his daughter seemed just as callous and cruel.

  “Touch them and I’ll release the nuclear missiles. Your lives will be forfeit!” Evelyn replied calmly.

  At that moment, several eBot guards entered the room.

  The Guardians remained still.

  “Arrest them!” World Leader Donahi commanded the eBots, still pointing at Adam and Dawn.

  But the eBots paid her no attention. Instead, they grabbed her and put her arms behind her back, locking them in place with a steel hook no eHuman could break. The Guardians began to move away, but the eBots outnumbered them. Soon, they too were collected and hooked.

  “What about him?” Dawn asked Adam, nodding to Edgar at her feet.

  “Kill him,” Adam whispered.

  “No, brother!” Evelyn cried, “Don’t kill him. Bring him to justice in Gemetria!”

  Adam looked at the Archion machine, wishing that he could remember their lives together as siblings in any small way. He turned to Edgar and gestured to Dawn for the gun. She placed it in his hands and stepped away. Edgar stared Adam in the face, never releasing his gaze, daring his son to take his life.

  “No!” World Leader Donahi screamed. The eBot holding her struggled for a moment to contain her.

  “What?” Adam glared at her, “Afraid to see your lover die? Would it hurt you to be separated from your soul mate for the rest of your long, useless life?”

  Rosario Donahi’s eyes grew wide with fear. Yes. To watch Edgar Prince die would hurt her. She had given her life to the man. She had loved no other.

  Adam could see the pain in her eyes. He knew the panic that was forming within her chest. Even without a human heart to beat, eHumans knew love. The Chi-Regulator might keep their Lux alive, but love is what propelled them to keep on living.

  Adam looked down at his father glaring at him. He cocked his finger on the trigger—and threw the gun with all his might across the room. It hit the EC and shattered the screen, causing the images of the Golden Hall and New Caledonia to waver.

  Edgar smiled. His son had always been a coward.

  “Get up, you bastard,” Adam said fiercely, “Get your ass up off that floor now!”

  Edgar Prince did as he was told. He rose to stand before his son. They glared at one another through eyes filled with hate.

  “I’m not like you, Father,” Adam finally spoke, “I won’t separate you from her. Instead, I send you both to Gemetria—to face your fate together!”

  Edgar Prince continued to smile at his son as an eBot took his arms, hooked them behind his back, and began to lead him away. Adam thought he looked too confident for a man about to be put to trial.

  “Take them to the airstrip. A HyperPlane awaits them,” Evelyn commanded the eBots, who obediently began to move the prisoners out of the room.

  Just before he crossed through the doorway, Edgar Prince turned to look at his son once more.

  “You’ll regret this,” he said, “You’ll regret that you took eHumanity into your own hands. You don’t have what it takes to rule the world, Son. You never have. You’re too romantic. You’ll see—what you consider freedom will swallow you up and spit you out. And then, the age of chaos will begin!”

  “We’ll see about that, Father,” Adam replied.

  The eBot pushed Edgar Prince out of the room.

  Adam turned to Dawn and pulled her into his arms. They clung to each other, allowing their victory to finally sink in.

  They had won. eHumanity was free at last!

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  The pounding of the gavel could be heard in every corner of the Golden Hall as Dawn called the tribunal to order. Her long, blonde hair shimmered under the golden-domed ceiling. She was resplendent in an elegant purple dress. eHumans filled every square inch of the cavernous hall, each one anxiously awaiting the results of the trial.

  “Order! Order!” Dawn called out from her place at the head table.

  Origen stood to her side, dressed in a camel-colored suit. His crisp white shirt was unbuttoned just enough to display the solid gold chain that now hung around his neck. Never had Origen looked more dashing.

  To Dawn’s right stood Adam. He had chosen a more somber outfit: a black suit more fit for a funeral than a tribunal. It seemed appropriate, since this day represented not only a victory for eHumanity, but also the completion of his revenge upon his father.

  The rest of the High Court was seated at the oak table, which was situated upon a large wooden dais. At the base of the platform stood the seventy members of the WG, stripped of their crowns and jewels. They wore nothing but gray robes and the chains that bound them to one another.

  Just behind them stood Edgar Prince and twenty-three other accomplices from New Caledonia, also in gray robes and chains. The contrast between the once powerful and the newly powerful was striking.

  “Order!” Dawn called out once more.

  The noise in the hall began to quiet, all eager to hear what their beloved Dawn had to say.

  “It’s my pleasure to announce a change of global leadership! From this moment onward, Rosario Donahi shall be stripped of the title of World Leader! No longer shall she govern. Her reign has ended!”

  The eHumans in the Golden Hall began to cheer. Rosario Donahi struggled with her bonds.

  “Outrageous!” she cried, unable to give up without having the last word. She still could not believe that these brigands had taken over her empire. “You have no authority!”

  “Silence!” Dawn demanded, “The seventy-member WG shall no longer exist! It’s been mandated by the High Court before you that each of the seven provinces shall be tasked with forming their own governments—thus allowing the world’s citizens to govern themselves!”

  Again the eHumans began cheering.

  “In one year’s time, each province will hold elections to choose their leaders,” Dawn continued, “To ensure that the transition from one World Government to several smaller governments is successful, an interim Global Council shall be set up to govern the process. The Global Council shall consist of six members, with one interim World Leader. This World Leader will guide the process of creating the new governments, as well as ensure the safety of all the citizens of the world. To guarantee that we are never again under the rule of tyranny, the new World Leader has promised to step down from his post as supreme commander at the end of one year.”

  The plaudits in the hall began to dim to whispers. Who would lead them, now that Rosario Donahi had been forced out?

  “eHumans of the world,” Dawn announced, �
��Please join me in accepting Origen as our new supreme commander! One of the original twelve eHumans ever created, Origen has spent the past two centuries working for our freedom. He tirelessly led the Global Resistance to its ultimate victory! And now, the court has decided that he has what it takes to usher in a new world of freedom and human dignity!”

  The crowd went wild. Long had Origen held the imagination of the people. He was hero and a legend to many in the room. The eHumans jumped up and down for joy and began chanting his name.

  Adam glanced at Origen, contemplating the man who now ruled the eHuman world. Adam had been in the room when the High Court had deliberated the next actions. The High Court was a mixture of Resistance members and various world leaders who had pledge allegiance to the Resistance. These leaders had been working with the Resistance for decades behind the scenes to thwart the WG and their time for justice had finally arrived.

  At first, many in the room had suggested that the new leader should be Dawn. After all, she was the face of both the Resistance and eHumanity as a whole. But Dawn had turned down the role, stating that there were many mysteries of the world she wished to explore. She’d been tightlipped when Adam pressed her for more details, telling him that she would reveal her plans in good time. The High Court then naturally asked Origen to lead them, and he had accepted without hesitation.

  Adam wasn’t completely sure about Origen’s ability to govern. While he would certainly make a better leader than Rosario Donahi, Adam worried that Origen was too power-hungry to let things go at the end of one year. Too often the Resistance Leader had shown his cruelty in ways that gave Adam pause. Was he the sort of man who would be able to grant eHumanity its freedom, or would power corrupt him as it had every other leader in the history of mankind?

  Origen rose from his seat and the crowd finally silenced.

  “People of Gemetria,” Origen began, “The time has come for us to form a new world! Together, we shall create thriving communities, based on concern for one another and the needs of our people! I pledge to help you form your new local governments. There’s room for many styles of governing in this world. Let those of you who feel called to lead step forward and claim your place in history! I promise to keep you safe while you march forward with this endeavor!”

  The High Court members at the high table clapped and nodded their heads approvingly. Origen gave the crowd a stunning smile and continued.

  “Not only does our government need to be open, but so also does Neuro. Neuro is the fabric of our society. It knits us together and enables eHumanity to exist. Without Neuro, we cannot have the luxury of our eHuman bodies. Without Neuro, we would be nothing.

  “Yet to allow one private entity to govern Neuro has proven dangerous. Our minds have been nothing more than a commodity for some to abuse in order that they might increase their wealth and dominance over us! No more! As my first order of business, I declare that Guardian Enterprises will not own Neuro in any way! This includes the hardware, software, and Lifestyle Management Offices!

  “All current employees of Guardians Networks will be fired. A new hiring process shall begin immediately! Applications for new Guardians, financiers, and business owners shall be taken! Neuro shall now come under the management of both the local governments and the business owners, who will work together to link all LMOs and eHumans together! And most importantly, individual eHuman databases will be protected from all forms of data manipulation by law! Your minds and your memories are sovereign! No one has the right to use you or manipulate you for their own purposes!”

  “Really Origen? I don’t believe you!” a voice cried out from the gray prisoners.

  To the surprise of everyone in the room, it was Edgar Prince. His eyes were livid with anger and frustration.

  “The people are sheep! You are nothing but a fool if you think they can govern themselves!” Prince continued.

  “Silence!” Origen cried, glaring down at Edgar Prince from his post, “It’s time for my second act as interim World Leader. To hand down judgment upon Edgar Prince and his cronies!”

  The room fell silent once more. Edgar Prince stared up at Origen, who hesitated, losing himself momentarily in the man’s stare. Quickly he shook it off and continued, hoping no one else in the room had noticed. But he wasn’t quick enough for Adam, whose keen eyes hadn’t missed a thing.

  Adam hadn’t forgotten Edgar’s confession on New Caledonia. There was a traitor amongst them, and Adam was paying close attention to everyone—including Origen.

  “What punishment could possibly suffice for the centuries of manipulative rule that you and your fellow elites have imposed upon us?” Origen asked Edgar directly, “What could this court possibly do to make up for the billions of lives lost since the beginning of the Great Shift, when the free-thinking people of the world rejected your eHuman gift?

  “What could possibly make up for the years that many of us spent working around the clock in factories, making goods that you would sell to the unsuspecting population? Or the fact that you’ve spied on every single memory and action we’ve taken?

  “What can I do, as the supreme commander of the freed peoples, to make up for the fact that we can’t remember our loved ones in Chengdu, or any of the other cities you unplugged? In the end, I’m not sure there is any punishment in existence to bring justice to those of you who have used us and treated us as commodities in order that you might profit and live off of our unconsciousness.”

  Origen paused and took the moment to look each WG member in the eye. His eyes stopped and rested upon Edgar Prince.

  “But Edgar, we’ve thought of something.”

  A woman wearing a bright colored suit entered the room. Her raven hair framed her dark skinned face. She walked with an uncommon grace, as if she were from a different planet and had just touched down upon the earth. Her dark eyes focused solely on Edgar Prince as she crossed the room and climbed the platform to take her place next to Origen. At that moment she turned and looked at Adam, giving him a slight smile, in spite of the seriousness of the event. Instantly, he knew who she was.

  “Evelyn!” Adam cried, just loud enough for Edgar to hear.

  Edgar Prince struggled once more against his bonds.

  “I would like to introduce the members of the WG and the elites of New Caledonia to our newest member—Evelyn Prince, the architect and mind behind Neuro,” Origen announced.

  “Evelyn?” Edgar said, “Is it really you?”

  “Yes, Father,” she answered.

  “Evelyn Prince, who has spent the greater part of the last century inside Neuro as a cyber-entity, has been tasked as the leader for the Open Neuro Project, which will guarantee that Neuro and the LMOs of the world will continue providing us with the best services, while also remaining open to all who wish to use it!”

  Adam noticed Origen smiling at Evelyn with a look of immense respect and admiration.

  “In addition,” Origen continued, “Given that she is one of the most brilliant minds of our time, I tasked her with designing punishment for the criminals before us. I hereby sentence each of the seventy members of the WG, as well as Edgar Prince and the twenty-three executives of Guardian Enterprises, to one hundred years of Limbo!” Origen declared.

  The crowd remained silent. No one, not even Adam or Dawn, was familiar with the term.

  “Limbo?” Rosario Donahi called out, “What is Limbo?”

  “Evelyn, would you please explain to the defendants the nature of their punishment?” Origen asked.

  “With pleasure,” Evelyn answered, “Limbo is the state in which each of the judged shall be plugged permanently into Neuro, without any ability to unplug from their wall sockets. During this time, the judged shall have no use of their eHuman bodies. Rather, their Lux will be completely immersed in the Limbo App.”

  “And what exactly is the Limbo App?” Edgar Prince demanded.

  “The Limbo App is one of my finest creations,” she explained, a tone of joy in her voice, �
�Essentially, the application is simply a bunch of memories. Billions of memories actually, taken from the eHumans who were murdered in some way or another by the WG over the past two hundred years.”

  “Billions of memories?” Rosario asked, still puzzled.

  “Yes, specifically memories of the last moments of their lives, when they realized they were dying at your hands,” Evelyn clarified, “You’ll experience every feeling, thought and action they lived in their dying moments. You’ll be right there, as if it were happening to you. Take Chengdu for example. You’ll relive every single person’s death in that city. Over three million in all! From the moment they discovered their RMO was closed and that they were going to die, until their last moment before their bodies shut down.

  “And that’s just Chengdu. Before I Jumped from my MICE Tower in New Omaha into my eHuman body, I uncovered almost two billion different deaths for you to experience. It will take one hundred years for you to experience them all. And the best part is, your Lux will not know that it is an App that is running. Your Lux will experience every single moment as if it were its own!”

  “You can’t do that!” Rosario Donahi cried out desperately, “No Lux could withstand such pain!”

  Evelyn Prince turned to the former World Leader and smiled.

  “Perhaps you’re right,” Evelyn agreed, “The Limbo App has never been tested before. You’ll be the first.”

  Origen smiled at Evelyn Prince.

  With the exception of Edgar Prince, the gray-robed prisoners began to struggle and cry out against the action. Origen called to the black-clad Resistance guards to come forward and control them.

  “No!” Rosario cried out again, “You can’t do this! It’s unfair! It’s unfair!”

  The entire room erupted in conversation mixed with cheers and jeers.

  “Order!” Dawn called out while pounding the gavel once more upon the great wooden table.

  “Guards,” Origen said, “Bring the prisoners to their cell. It is time for them to plug in and begin their 100-year incarceration.”