Hades- the Diasapora

by Ernest Filak

  I try to lift my head but it results in excruciating pain.

  “Lie down and don’t move.”

  I see pixels and code fragments jumping and flashing in my eyes. What is happening to me?

  “We have data transmission troubles,” a voice from somewhere reports.

  “What seems to be the problem?” I hear somebody ask in a very decisive voice. He’s an older man with a grey beard, standing next to a man in a double-breasted jacket.

  “The drivers load very slowly.”

  “Bandwidth?”

  “The initial data didn’t show any anomalies, but we still haven’t done a full scan, Sir. I think something is blocking it. Do I have your permission to increase the power?”

  “It’s not going to work anyway.”

  “I don’t think that is necessary,” the chief decided.

  “Any problems?” the man in the double-breasted suit asked.

  The chief of staff answered in an equally polite tone.

  “And what did your company expect? Miracles?” he continued, as if talking to a not very bright student. “We have only just connected nerve cells to the optical fibers. The healing process hasn’t even started and we’re already bombarding the brain with new information. The patient is ailing and below any threshold that would clear him for planned surgery. We normally get to that phase after multistage preparations, and not hastily. This is crazy. It’s obvious that the body is more resistant than ever. This is still an experimental method.”

  “The development of which is only possible thanks to the company that I represent,” the corporation official hastened to add.

  “This is much too fast. It can lead to irreversible brain damage.”

  “We’re more interested in his memory, not the future. Will it be possible to read it?”

  The brutal honesty was not something that the doctor appreciated. But in the end he nodded.

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you professor. InCorporation would like to assure you that there’s no reason why we would not be willing to build another hospital wing. We will cover all the costs.”

  “This technology definitely has a bright future,” the chief said.

  “We would like to lower the costs and move on to mass production as soon as possible,” the InCorporation representative pointed to all those who were listening to the conversation. “Soon all these students will find employment here. And you are in line for the Nobel Prize. I heard that you have already been nominated for the award.”

  There was a round of applause from the hall. All the attention was now focused on the older gentleman.

  “Ingrid, how are you?”

  “This implant is marvelous, I will be myself again!”

  “And when weren’t you?”

  “Don’t be mad.”

  “I’m not mad,” I assured her. “My head is spinning, in my eyes there is a carnival of shattered images. I’m simply scared. I wouldn’t like to end up as a turnip.”

  “Everything is ok. The connection between the implant and your spinal cord works well and without complications. I’ve compared it with other procedures.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I couldn’t resist the temptation to check what this toy can do and I infiltrated the local network.”

  “Are you completely out of your mind?” I was seething with rage now. We have only just decided together that we had to be super careful and she is testing equipment that has not been fully checked yet. “They might have better antiviral equipment at their disposal than you think. We only need them to notice that you’ve tried to penetrate that.”

  “Be careful what you say to me! I don’t want you to use such language, unless were in bed.”

  “Ingrid, you’re driving me mad,” I moaned.

  “I know, my little piggy. Don’t worry, I’ve only checked their files and didn’t poke my nose into anything else. These students are real morons. They use primitive logins and passwords. Easy peasy.”

  “I would like to believe it’s true. And don’t call me piggy. Where did you get that from?”

  “From a pig. You are a perverted pig, drooling over any piece of exposed tit. Will you deny it?”

  I was not able to have the same fight all over again. It was like tilting at windmills – I knew I would lose before it even started.

  “Why are you quiet? Are we beginning to have the silent treatment in our relationship?”

  We haven’t done it so far. Every, even the most violent fight ended as quickly as it started. Neither she nor I liked to be angry with each other forever.

  “I’m not feeling well. I’m worried about you and about us.”

  “About us, I like to hear you say that.”

  “So make sure I still can.”

  “I promise I won’t do anything without your consent. I’m not going to be noticed by the Father.”

  The silence that fell was awkward.

  “Father? Who is the Father?”

  “It’s the AI that monitors the medical center. I’ve captured his boots in the system and immediately withdrew,” she was assuring me passionately. “To be on the safe side I have covered my tracks.”

  I felt another wave of anger come over me. The creation of Artificial Intelligences was totally banned and strictly enforced. So far I have believed that it was only the revolutionaries who broke all the rules that would risk bringing AIs to life. It turns out it was not only them. Not many political or economic entities on Earth were powerful enough to risk it and, in case of being discovered, have enough political stamina to nip the problem in the bud. InCorporation was influential enough. Fuck.

  My emotional state must have reflected on the measuring equipment because it drew the attention of the chief. The analysis was still going on, which increased my anxiety.

  “Is the process complete?” the representative of InCorp asked.

  “If you’re asking about the implant, yes. However, we have noticed some brain stimulation in the sectors that we hadn’t registered yet. I would gladly devote more time to this case.”

  “I’m sorry Sir, but I cannot grant that request. Information is the most important things for us. I can only promise that once we are through, we will send him back to you intact.”

  The chief doctor snorted but he didn’t allow himself more in front of the whole auditorium. He turned to the nurse.

  “Please prep the patient for transportation.”

  The doc must have held his staff in check with a firm hand because nobody objected. The sexy nurse had a sad look on her face while preparing me for transport. Most of the equipment was disconnected, and only the machine monitoring my vitals remained. The unnecessary modules were moved to the side. The bed was adjusted putting me in a sitting position. The nurse gently buttoned up my uniform jacket. I felt better instantly. I didn’t know whether they had washed my clothes or maybe got me some new ones. Seeing the strip on my cuff with the name of the carrier and the 666 badge pinned to my collar brought back my self-esteem and the feeling of honor that apparently didn’t mean very much to them.

  My throat was dry so I only nodded in appreciation. She looked at me like at a beaten dog.

  “He’s yours,” the chief handed the steering joystick to the InCorp official.

  “Have a nice day,” the man took me out of the hall.

  Outside two Praetorians were waiting. They escorted us to the nearest elevator. Artificial light in the corridor flickered and went out. Soon emergency lights lit up. The Praetorians quickly moved their guns to the front, scrutinizing the places from which they could expect danger. They were good. Very good.

  How badly I wanted to see the cavalry and flashing explosions of the Sixth Fleet of Marine squads. It was too beautiful to be true.

  “That’s the local interruptions in power supplies,” the InCorp man explained. “Shall we move on?”

  The Praetorians hid their claws. A buzzer signaled the elevator coming. We went to the airfield level.
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  “Are you angry with me?”

  “No. I’m worried that this time we won’t be able to get out of this mess.”

  “Have more faith, honey.”

  “Faith? I know that you’re very special, but if the largest arms-producing company in the world has artificial intelligence at its disposal, I’m afraid we’re screwed. I don’t think that the revolutionaries that made you were better than these guys are.”

  My conversation with Ingrid was interrupted by the hiss of the sliding doors. We were there. On the airstrip in front of me, in pouring rain, a familiar shuttle was waiting. It was the same one that had taken me off the carrier. I recognized the code marks. It was hovering soundlessly on its antigravs right above the wet porcelain floor. Water was running down its body. Here and there rays of sun could be seen through the thick clouds.

  The ground-handling services slid my bed on board. In this moment, God knows why, I thought about Theodore, where he was and what was happening to him. Did he go through the same surgical procedure I did?

  “He was not listed among those who underwent the operation.”

  This didn’t necessarily mean anything. Guys like him were not treated in general access places like this. He either decided to cooperate, if such was his order, or he got a bullet straight into his head. There were no other options.

  The machine suddenly took off up in the air. The corporation representative, clearly not used to such means of transport, moaned out loud. Higher up a police escort was waiting for us. Two one-man vehicles turned on light signals and sirens at full volume. I could hear the racket even through the soundproof body of the shuttle.

  The bow of our vehicle moved down and we flew among the skyscrapers. The escort made sure we were privileged in traffic. Only once did we give way to an emergency vehicle. I didn’t know how long this journey would last but I really wanted it to be over as soon as possible. That’s why I noticed so late that something around us was changing.

  The InCorporation representative clumsily jumped up to the board and looked up somewhere above the low hanging clouds. His behavior turned out to be unacceptable to the Praetorian guarding the position of the door gunner, who brutally shoved the civilian aside. The man landed on me and I took delight in spitting into his ear. What else was left to me except for minor spitefulness?

  Of course, first he slapped me back in revenge, like a woman, with an open hand. After that, swearing, he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped out the phlegm.

  “I’ll make sure you end up a vegetable,” he promised. “A heedless plant.”

  This small bout of violence definitely improved my mood. Even more so when I realized that the behavior of the two bodyguards showed growing anxiety. The barrels of their guns were restlessly looking for targets.

  Something whizzed by going down followed by a streak of fire. The world spun around when the pilot changed flight direction in violent curves. Local advertisements went out and a second later the same happened to the rest of the neighborhood. The power went out.

  “Pavel, these are the Devourers!” Ingrid started screaming inside of me.

  And so it happened. Now we were totally screwed. As if to confirm her words, all electronics went down. We did once go through that. The shuttle began plummeting like a stone after the antigravity drive switched off. To my relief, after a while solid fuel engines switched on. The electromagnetic impulse must have spared some fittings. I was sure it was the military safety systems that were activated.

  The pilot managed just in time to pull the machine up over the heads of the panicking inhabitants. We were lucky, but others were not. The police cars escorting us didn’t have a chance. They crashed among the stupefied people on the sidewalk. Even if the airbags worked, they couldn’t get out of an accident like that alive.

  Turbojets boomed, drowning out everything. Like in a silent movie, I saw the terrified corporation worker shouting something but his words didn’t reach me. The asshole didn’t fasten his seat belts and was flying around the cabin like a rag doll. It hurt me to even look at him. Fortunately, the straps on my bed held.

  When we were taking sharp turns, I could see what was happening down there. And a lot of things were happening and none of them good. All machines affected by the impulse lost their lifting power and fell. The few ones that thanks to some miracle were outside its direct influence were flying in all directions, ignoring all the traffic regulations. Vehicles crashed all the time.

  Something flew by at a high level with a very high speed, scattering tens of small rockets that activated a moment after disconnecting and hit bigger cars. One of these rockets smashed into a school bus. Fire flashed out of all windows. I turned my eyes the other way.

  At the same time a barrage from the high orbit started. It was not accompanied by explosions but implosions of matter. This was the signature sign of the Devourers. I could still interpret the other symptoms in many different ways before but now I had no illusions. The Aliens have hit the heart of humanity.

  A neighboring skyscraper got hit. A huge regular tear appeared in the lower floors. The colossus caved in once fragments of construction buckled not being able to carry the weight. It leaned to the side and taking a turn in its final moment hit the neighboring building, carving a crevice in its side. I did not get a chance to admire its further demise because the shuttle dived and the guns started firing. The Praetorians were shooting at a target behind us. From the position I was in I couldn’t see what exactly got their attention.

  I glance a trace of fire on the left board and we turn to the right. What was that? A rocket? Did it hit us? We dive again. The InCorp man starts howling like a beaten dog. An incredible force tosses us from one side to the other. I recognize the results of implosion weapon being used. The drumming of the left gun stops. It’s ripped out. I can see the stump and the twisted metal of the pivoting handle.

  “Is this an invasion?”

  How am I supposed to know? I can’t get the bigger picture when I feel fire under my ass.

  “I love you Pavel,” she says.

  The pilot evens out his course and accelerates. With speed like that we will be smashed into pieces at the first obstacle. In the flashes of lightning I can see the sheet of the river we’re flying over. I hope we don’t encounter any river boats in this weather. I keep worrying but that’s the only thing I can do.

  “And you?”

  “What about me?” I ask.

  I hold my breath when I see bridge spans over our heads.

  “Do you love me?”

  “Of course I do!”

  We get shaken more and more. The Devourers are introducing adjustments. I instinctively feel that in a second or two they will compress us into pulp. The pilot must feel it too. The g-force flattens me down on my bed. I lose my sense of orientation. I don’t know what maneuvers we’re doing. We’ve got at least 8G now and it seems to be growing. I can see colorful spots in my eyes and can’t breathe.

  For a second I feel relief and after that I hear a roar of torn metal. The left board disappears together with the Praetorian who was keeping guard there. The InCorp guy is holding on to my bed with one hand. I get the impression that we are hovering in place. Down there, behind his helplessly dangling legs, I can see the abyss and the city. We look into each other’s eyes. His are full of terror. We see another implosion below. This one is not close enough to finish us off. But it is close enough to break the power of the man’s grip. His fingers open and the guy falls off. He has lost his will to fight and doesn’t even try to get hold of the ragged edge of the board that whizzes past him.

  “Bon voyage,” I say goodbye to him with the words I heard somewhere in a movie. I would wave goodbye as well but my arms are immobilized.

  “There are times when you scare me.”

  “Why? I’m polite until the end.”

  So much for human cooperation in the face of danger coming from a different species. There are some wrongs that a stranger’s hand
will not cross out.

  “Bye, bye, golden boy. If possible, do take the best place in line to hell.”

  The time comes for us as well. The left engine is quiet, the right one is wheezing in agony. We keep falling and this is our final flight. Even our miracle worker pilot will not be able to get us out of here, although he is undoubtedly making an effort. We fall into a tail-spin. Below we can see a large airstrip on the roof of a building with the logo of “Erotic TV.”

  This is not a real landing, it’s disaster control. Despite our pilot’s efforts we don’t manage to get out of the spin. We go past the huge letter H and hit centrally in the letter O in the logo. This is definitely the last erotic shot of our carrier. The pilots’ cabin gets smashed into a wall girder. Foam fills in the whole cargo space.

  The place gets totally dark and quiet. From the position I was in I didn’t stand a chance of getting out of the trap on my own. Even Ingrid’s superpowers could not do anything. All I had to do was wait for a miracle.

  And a miracle happened. Somebody undid my straps and lugged me out of the wreck. I could hear voices everywhere and among them mostly shrieks of terror and the bang of the world collapsing. The Praetorian, because it was he who saved me, ripped off of me all the unnecessary measuring sensors.

  “Can you walk on your own?” he asked.

  I nodded. I had nausea and felt like vomiting, but given what we had been through it was not surprising at all.

  “Wait here. I’ll check where we are,” he went towards the outside wall.

  I didn’t listen and followed him. Staying near a sparkling and smoking wreck was not safe. We went down the corridor our vehicle smashed into. Most of the glass from the front wall was gone, smashed by the blasts of explosions. The floor under our feet trembled and creaked, and through broken windows cold sharp wind blew. Outside there was havoc.

  The ships of the Aliens hovered in the stormy clouds. The barrage from the orbit systematically spread to the more distant quarters of the metropolis. Monsters straight from hell dropped into the destroyed areas. I hadn’t seen such creatures in Hades. They were thin and spindly with bulbous bony gnarls and they overlooked the capturing of people. Those who were not obedient were killed in place with punches of enormous fangs. Their bodies were decapitated and thrown onto piles.