The Last Place to Stand

by Redshaw, Aaron K.

  With tears in her eyes, she said, “I believe that you have always been the right man for me since you first held my hand. You have been gentle and loving to me and to our children. Your character is one I can trust and I give myself to you, to be your wife, who will love and respect you for the rest of my life. I will always love you.”

  The two of them kissed, both with tears in their eyes. Many in the audience were also crying.

  After the kiss, the music started up again with a very lively dance tune. They turned to face the crowd, took each other in their arms for a few seconds, and proceeded to dance to the music. The crowd began to pair up and to dance as well. No one sat out, girl or boy. When someone started to sit down after a dance, they soon stood up again as they were asked to dance with a new partner. The celebration went on this way for several hours.

  Businesses had closed and so had schools for this occasion, for this was a small settlement and such entertainment was rare and welcome.

  A table had been set up with food and drink for those who needed energy or refreshment for the great activity of the dance. Couples, long together, looked into each other’s eyes as if for the first time, reminded about the time they had said their commitments to each other. Girls giggled, told secrets, and giggled some more in groups of four or five. Boys talked in smaller groups, wondering what made the girls laugh like that. When one boy would work up the courage to ask a girl to dance and she accepted, the rest of the boys were encouraged and followed suit until everyone was up and dancing again.

  When the sun was nearly set and those from the small community had said their goodbyes, Jane and Odysseus, having sent their children home, took each other again by the hand and walked down the trail to the place where he had proposed to her. “I want to show you something,” he said. Walking over to the same bench where they sat when he proposed, he pointed to the middle of the bench. At the top, their initials had been carved into it by the local wood carver in commemoration of their engagement and their wedding.

  “Thank you,” she said. A silent tear slid down her face.

  “I don't have a lot to give you, but what I have is yours” he said.

  “That’s the only thing I ever wanted,” she said, and they kissed. And the only witnesses were the setting sun and the open plain before them.

  Chapter 38

  Dr. Chin came back that evening from dinner to find that his patient had moved. He was now placed in a secure hold, a room for dangerous criminals. He approached the man on guard. “Why did they place him here and without my permission?”

  “Sorry, sir,” said the guard. “I do not have that information. But there was a message left for you. Here it is.” He handed Dr. Chin a piece of paper. There was nothing written on it that could be read, but there was a series of numbers which, presumably, was machine readable. He took the paper and walked over to the lab where he had it scanned and the message was sent to him via secure feed.

  “Dr. Chin,” it said, “your project has taken an unusual turn. What started out as a means of accelerating the evolution of man has become much more than we could ever have expected. More than we could even have dreamed. Although the project will now be under a different jurisdiction, we would appreciate your involvement. If you still wish to work on this project further, please meet us at boardroom 16 at 8:30pm.”

  He checked his internal clock. It was 8:23. He had just enough time. Taking the pod and two lifts, he reached boardroom 16 at 8:29.

  When he entered, he saw the Director of Operations and a man who was introduced only as General. The director was watching his view screen with rapt attention when he entered. “Glad you could make it,“ the general said.

  “What is going on?” said Dr. Chin. He wondered if he should share what he already knew about some of the recent developments with the patient, but decided against it. If they knew the whole thing, maybe they wouldn't let him stay on.

  “What isn't going on?” said the general. “Take a look at this.” Projected on the wall, was the interior of the secure hold. On a gurney, he could see an oblong shape covered in what looked like gray thread. All the wires from the monitoring systems had been severed.

  “What is that?” said Dr. Chin.

  “That,” said the Director, looking up at last, “is your patient.”

  “What's happened to him?” said Dr. Chin.

  “That's something I'd sure like to know,” said the general in his gravelly voice.

  “Take a look at this, Doctor,” said the Director.

  On the vidscreens, inset into the table, were vital statistics of the patient. All major body systems were presented. “But he’s not even connected to the monitors,” said Dr. Chin. “How is he getting this to us?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” said the general.

  “Can I request some help on this issue?” said Dr. Chin.

  The director looked up, “A116 and H1549? I thought they might be helpful as well. They are already on their way.”

  “Thank you,” said Dr. Chin. “Can you put the vitals on the main screen?”

  “Yes,” the stats showed up on the screen. He studied them for a minute before A116 and H1549 entered the room.

  A116 did not even say hello, but barged in. “What's all that garbage?”

  “Excuse me?” said the Director.

  “I mean what's on the screen?” A116 said. “It can't be real, no one can have stats like that.”

  “It's our patient,” said Dr. Chin.

  “But he'd be dead!” said A116. “His heart rate has slowed down to near death and his breathing has stopped entirely. No one could live like that. Is he in a coma?”

  “Could be,” said Dr. Chin. “Could you show the men the patient Director?” The image from earlier appeared on the screen. The gray thread wrapped around him, much like what a spider does to its prey.

  H1549 gave a grunt of astonishment. Then he jabbed at the screen with his index finger. “Wha. . .What's that?”

  “Our patient,” said Dr. Chin. “And he seems to be changing.”

  H1549 said, “But wait a minute. How are we getting these stats?”

  “We were just wondering that,” said the Director.

  “I think I have an idea,” said A116. “The monitors were used to make sure he was healthy, right? What if it knows this and is using them to monitor itself while it makes these changes.”

  “Why are you calling him an it?” said the Director.

  “Because, with stats like that, how could it be human?” said A116.

  H1549 walked closer to the projection on the wall, “And how can it access this? Look, there are no wires connected.”

  “Well, there is the feed technology,” said the director.

  “But that’s secure. There is no way to get in,” said H1549.

  “No way?” A116 said, “No way? There's always a way. Any security can be breached in time. Wasn't the idea to build the best, fastest thinking machine on the planet? What security would be able to stand up to that?”

  “So you're saying it has access to whatever it wants, even secure regions of our systems?” said the Director. He gave a look at the general and nodded. The general left the room immediately.

  “Who was that guy?” said A116.

  “Nobody,” said the Director. “Nobody at all.”

  Chapter 39

  At the other end of the city, Wallace put down his headset. “Captain, we have been receiving more than usual static from our radios over the last couple of hours. I thought that odd, since these should be completely clear at the current distance. I tried to analyze it further, but what I found was just weird. Inside our signal I found another signal with a message repeated over and over.”

  “What was it?” said Samuel.

  “You’re going to love this. It said, ‘How do you keep an elephant from charging? Take away its credit card,’” said Wallace.

  “A joke?” said Samuel.
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  “Yeah, an old joke,” said Wallace.

  “What's the source?”

  “I can't figure that part out,” he said, “It appears to be from all over.”

  Chapter 40

  Zosimus was happy to have his sight restored to him. It had been a gradual thing, but even more gradual was the recovery of his soul from the lifestyle that had seemed to take it from him. Now, realizing more daily that he did not need to have the feeds to feel a sense of purpose, he began another healing venture: Making friends.

  Methuselah was sitting in front of a fire holding a cup in his hands. He was looking into it, moving it in a slow circular pattern watching the black liquid circulate. He took another sip and then picked back up a book that had been sitting next to him on a rock. Zosimus came to him and sat beside him on another rock. “Hello, my friend,” said Methuselah.

  “Good morning,” said Zosimus.

  “Good evening,” said Methuselah.

  “Evening? How could it be evening?”

  “It is always evening somewhere,” said Methuselah.

  “Evening somewhere in the world?” said Zosimus.

  “And evening everywhere for some people,” said Methuselah. “In my soul, it is evening always. In yours, I expect the morning is just dawning.”

  “The end of one life can be the beginning of a new one,” said Zosimus.

  “Ah, then do you also believe in God?”

  “I'm keeping my options open,” said Zosimus.

  “That is a start,” said Methuselah. “As the teacher said, he knocks upon the door and all we need do is open it. Your door is just beginning to creak.”

  They both sat and looked at the fire for a few minutes silently. “What do you think is going to happen?” said Zosimus.

  “I think I'm going to finish my coffee and then maybe take a bath,” said Methuselah. “I saw a fly talking to his buddies about me just a minute ago.”

  “No, I mean the Technos,” said Zosimus. “Do you think they will ever try to attack us? Drive us out? Convert us?”

  “I think I like my first answer best,” said Methuselah, now with a bit of a smile on his lips.

  “But shouldn't we think ahead?”

  Now Methuselah looked more serious. “I think that would be wise, but I also think I am too old to do anything either way. And as the teacher says, 'Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Right now I will worry about today. But you have seen a thing or two to worry you. Is that right?”

  “Yes,” said Zosimus, “I have.” He stared at the flame but did not see it. Instead, he saw himself as a playful child, long ago. Then as if propelled into the future he saw that boy receive his first implant, less playful and more focused. He had been so proud at the time. Later he saw a man receiving an advanced model implant, now receiving feeds in a blur of activity, having no time for anything else. Finally he saw the last implant go wrong, and him being tossed out with the trash.

  But more important than those visions, he saw a vision of the future, the way the Director had shown him. The consultation he had before the implant. The master plan of the Technos. They would be a race without boundaries, without limits. And the only way to do that, said the Director, was to join man and machine. Machines would free humans to expand themselves infinitely. Eventually the lines between man and machines would be so blurred that they would be indistinguishable. Then, he said, they would rule the earth as a race without limits. Nature would be utterly subdued. There would be nothing untouched, “nothing unimproved,” he had said.

  It seemed to be long way off, but if it ever came about, surely the Waldenese would be pushed out, destroyed, or assimilated. But these people did not fight, nor did they have any desire to do so, it seemed. They had no weapons. It would be a slaughter, and he hoped to never be alive to see it.

  “I know you think they will come for us,” said Methuselah bringing him out of his thoughts. “If they do and I am still alive, I will not run. Haven't been able to run for years. I will not fight. I will wait. . .and see.”

  Chapter 41

  O-1603, the general of the military, walked into a dimly lit room and sat down. The room's only light was from banks of computer screens that lined every wall with switches, buttons and keyboards. The keyboards were from an older time, but it was always possible that they could be useful in an emergency. Since each person in the room had direct chip to computer feed interfaces, they could control the systems much faster than anyone would ever be able to type. There were forty-nine people in all, sitting on chairs around the room, all staring at their screens. Each screen had a jumble of numbers, letters, words, and pictures. The images on the screen changed so rapidly it would have been impossible for a normal person to make sense of it. A series of wires attached at the top of each of their heads, stemmed from their brain implants and ran to their respective computer terminals. An experiment that went well, but had not been made public. Their feeds were thousands of times faster than any over the air feeds and was much more advanced. They also had unlimited access to everything, no clearance limit. The keys to heaven and hell.

  “Gentlemen and ladies,” he said as all were turned in their seats toward him.

  “We were expecting your arrival,” one of them said. “The system told us through the camera interfaces, but your intent was not clear.” He muttered it as if in a trance. That always took time to get used to. Their voices were like something far off, like someone under a spell.

  “Well, let's get down to it then,” said the general. “I am sure you are aware that there have been some new developments on the computer systems lately.”

  “Yes,” another one said. “We have seen evidence of the enlightened one.”

  “No, it isn't the enlightened one. It's just an experiment like you. It might be infiltrating our system though and I need you to try to isolate it and route it out. Can you do that?”

  Another one answered. “He has shown us that we were right to trust him. He has given us his seal and what we were we will never be again.”

  “What are you talking about?” said the general. “We need to wall this guy, this thing, off. Get him out of the system!”

  “It is too late,” a woman in the back said, still staring at her screen. “He is the system and the system is him. And so are we. What we have hoped for has happened. . .and more is to come.”

  At this everyone turned around and looked back at their screens, ignoring the general completely.

  The general got the feeling he was walking on dangerous ground, so he backed out of the room and closed the door. When he did so, the lights went out.

  Chapter 42

  “What are you looking at?” said Sasha.

  Martin stood just outside their house, staring at the horizon. “For just a few seconds, I could have sworn the lights went off in the city. But then they came back on.”

  “But how could that happen?” said Sasha.

  “I don't know, but it was weird and kind of spooky. I wonder if the Technos are having problems. Or maybe they are just trying out a new power supply or something. You can never tell with them. Always trying to improve themselves. Never improving what's on the inside, letting that part just rot away or waste away. How can they stand it?”

  “Are you coming to bed, Martin?”

  “Yes, I'll be there,” he said.

  At that moment there was an explosion. The top of one of their largest buildings just erupted in fire and smoke, but due to the distance from the city, Martin saw it before he heard it. Once the sound of the explosion reached them, people started coming out of their houses all over the Waldenese settlement. Each of the houses were in a line beside theirs. Neighbors came out and looked at the sight, all standing side by side.

  One elderly man, who had recently moved to the area, said, “They've done it! Now they've done it. They've gone and blown themselves to kingdom come! I'll bet they tried something new and made a mistake. That's all it tak
es is one mistake. Blow themselves right off the planet one of these days. Should have lived like us. Should have made peace with themselves. Crazy people, they never learn!” He continued to rant, gesticulating with each phrase.

  Others began to talk in lower tones. Couples talked to each other, husbands assuring wives and children. Trying to act braver than they felt, knowing it comes with the territory of being a man. Women and children sometimes crying. A baby cried terribly.

  One man, who had not long ago left the Technos and was still recovering from the implant removal said, “Burn, baby burn! Ha ha ha ha. Let 'em burn!” He had tears in his eyes and was shaking from withdrawal after the removal.

  The explosion could be seen throughout all the Waldenese communities.

  ***

  In a settlement not far from there, Sydney saw a light flash through the window. Without waking his wife, he got up and went to the front door and opened it. He heard a noise behind him. It was the children. “What happened?” asked Hamlet.

  Just as Sydney was about to say he didn't know, a booming noise came from outside. In the bedroom his wife said, “Honey? What was that?” She sounded scared.

  “I don't know yet,” he said. “I'm checking on it.”

  As he opened the door he saw the fire in the distance. Seeing it was the tallest skyscraper, he knew which place it had to be. “Whoa,” he said. “In the old days I used to pass that place every day on the way to work.” His wife got dressed and appeared at his side. His children also peered out through the window.

  They all gazed in wonder and shock. “What does it mean?” asked his wife.

  “I don't know,” he said. “It's probably not good though. For them or for us.”

  At that moment they heard the sound of running feet. It was Odysseus, running wildly. “I just saw it. Do you know what building that is?”