by J. M. Preiss
"That's strange," Jacob said.
"What now?" asked Mason.
"Mason," Jacob started as he looked up at Mason. "Open the panel of your arm and show me."
Mason shrugged and rolled up his left sleeve as Hector looked on in puzzlement. Mason opened the panel and showed Jacob. There was a solid green status light and an arm inscribed under it. Hector looked in shock.
"Explain later," Mason said to him.
"Interesting," said Jacob.
"What's interesting?" asked Mason.
"Same style of status indicators." Jacob shook his head. "Either this is a body mod or," he trailed off.
"Or?" Mason cocked his head.
"Did you ever hear about Project Unbound?"
Mason shook his head slowly then stopped. "Wait, isn't that the Autonomous Intelligence initiative at Einstein?"
"What's that mean?" asked Hector.
"Explain later," said Jacob. "That's the one," he said to Mason. "They were looking to create an intelligence artificially that could work on its own without human input. They weren't too far from making a major breakthrough before Halcyon was activated."
"Are you thinking," Mason began to ask.
"Yes," Jacob said. "It might be highly illogical to believe that this man before us is actually a highly advanced autonomous intelligence, but it would explain everything."
Hector's mouth was agape. "None of this makes any sense to me," he said.
"Long story," said Jacob.
"So if this is an AI," Mason started, "that's how they were able to keep up with us."
"That's what I'm thinking," said Jacob. He looked to Hector. "Hector; is there any way to track your triangulation device?"
"Probably," Hector replied.
"Ok, and is there any way to communicate over large distances?"
Hector shook his head.
"AI," Jacob said to Mason.
Mason shook his head. "That's a bit of a leap though. They could just have something Hector has never seen. A radio or something."
Jacob shrugged. "Possible, except I've already looked over everything in his kit. The only thing he has is his rifle."
"Well, maybe the other one had the radio," Mason posited.
"Maybe," said Jacob. "Wait here. I'll go check."
Mason shrugged as Jacob stood up, grabbed his rifle, and trotted off towards the other body.
After a short while, Jacob came trotting back.
"Same thing for the most part," Jacob said as he got back to the group.
"What do you mean for the most part?" asked Mason.
"Other guy was shot in the head. Let's just say that it's not what you would expect."
Mason harrumphed. "Ok, so the Forest Tribe has AIs that perfectly mimic humans. What does that mean?"
"It means that things are not as they seem," said Jacob.
Hector was leaning against a tree staring at Mason. "You have a panel in your arm," he said in awe.
Chapter XIV
As far as Jacob could tell, they had managed to put a few miles between themselves and where the attack had taken place by the time the sun was over the horizon. The forest was dimly lit due to the number of trees. The entire time, Hector had been trailing behind Mason staring at his left arm. Every now and then, Mason would look back, see Hector, and then look forward whilst shaking his head.
"Jacob, this guy is starting to annoy me," Mason said.
Jacob chuckled. "Come now, Mason. You have an artificial arm and leg. I bet he has never seen something like that before."
Hector stopped walking. "Your leg isn't real either?"
Mason shook his head again. "Great, thanks. Now he's going to be staring at that as well."
Hector trotted to catch back up to the two as they didn't stop walking. "What else isn't real on you two?"
Jacob shrugged. "Just that. The rest is flesh and bone."
Mason laughed, then grimaced and grabbed his ribs. "Ooo." He stood up straight again. "Jacob there isn't telling the whole truth, you know."
"What do you mean?" asked Hector.
"Quite simple, really," Mason said. "He's not really human."
"What?!"
"That's enough, Mason. I am a human," Jacob said.
Mason continued. "Yeah, on certain nights, he turns into a gruesome beast that feeds on the blood of others." He lowered his voice. "The only reason I'm still alive is he doesn't like stuff with metal touching them."
Jacob shook his head.
Hector had turned pale.
Jacob looked over his shoulder at Hector. "You realize that he is joking with you?"
Hector swallowed and nodded slightly.
"Good," said Jacob. "Though I guess technically I don't completely fit the bill of being a human."
"What, what do you mean?" asked Hector with a stutter.
Jacob shrugged. "I'm the result of genetic tampering. Well, more than that, actually. Where we come from, altering the genome is common place to produce children that are without disease or disability."
"You can do that?"
Mason nodded. "We can do that and more. Jacob there is a product of a scientific project."
"My genome was altered and genes were changed on a major basis. More than anything that had been attempted before," Jacob explained. "The scientists wanted to see just how far they could push the technology and artificially evolve the human genome." He shrugged. "I am the result of that."
"So you aren't real?" asked Hector.
Jacob shook his head. "No, I am very real. I had two parents just like you. They just opted to undergo the procedure. I was paired off with my wife, Lisa, because her family had undergone the same procedures."
"So your wives are chosen for you, too?"
"They are," said Mason. "Chosen not long after we are born."
"We do that too!" exclaimed Hector. "Chosen for genetic compatibility and the viability of the offspring that will be produced!"
"That's what we do," said Jacob. "Disease is relatively unknown thanks to this fact, and the human race is evolving at a greater rate." He screwed up his mouth and scratched his head. "Well, that is what the genetic scientists are saying anyways. I don't know if I believe it."
"I don't," Mason said simply. "I have not seen any evidence that we are any different now than we were back in the past."
"We would've seen that if Halcyon hadn't gone wrong," Jacob said quietly.
"You know of Halcyon?" asked Hector. He had a puzzled look on his face.
Jacob and Mason stopped dead in their tracks.
"You know of it?" they both asked in unison.
"Of course. Everyone in the Forest Tribe knows of it," Hector said. "I am sure that the River Tribe and the denizens of Cago know of it as well. It is a myth that is passed down generation after generation."
Jacob looked Hector square in the eyes. "Tell us what you know," he demanded.
Hector cleared his throat. "Well, as the story goes, Halcyon was a valiant attempt to stave off destruction. Two great heroes went forth into the unknown to do battle with a great serpent that was bent on the destruction of the world. Alas, they were only partially successful. They did great battle, and the world was almost torn asunder, but they managed to stave off destruction. The final battle took place on the planes of Luna where the serpent was locked away, but during that final battle, the heroes were slain and Luna was shattered." Hector looked up into the sky. "Irreparable damage was done to Terra, but we owe the heroes our lives. If they had not prevailed as they did against the serpent, all would have been lost."
Jacob and Mason looked at each other with a dumbfounded look on their face.
Hector shook his head. "We only know the myth by word. As I said, it is passed down generation by generation, father to son."
Jacob squinted. "How many generations has this myth been passed down?"
Hector shrugged. "I don't know. Innumerable."
Mason blinked a few times. "Interesting myth. Sounds like the one
that we have heard."
Jacob opened his mouth, but Mason stopped him. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "It's just a coincidence. Nothing more. I don't even see how there could be a connection. Maybe the original teller of the tale liked the name."
Jacob nodded. "Hector, are we still on track for the River Tribe?"
Hector looked at the sky and found the sun. He then looked around the forest. He pointed the direction they were going. "I would say that we are. I can use my triangulation device if you wish."
"No," Jacob said. "That would be a bad idea. We don't need to let the Forest Tribe know where we are."
"How, oh, right," Hector said. "I forgot about that. We always use the device when we are hunting."
"That would make sense," said Mason. "Also a good tool. You know where your people are at all times when they use it."
"I suppose so," said Jacob. "I guess we did use similar things." He looked at the position of the sun in the sky. About mid-morning by now. "How about we take a break for food?"
"Good idea," Mason said as he leaned against a tree and lowered himself down slowly. He opened his pack and pulled out a protein supplement. Jacob followed suit.
Hector stood staring at the two. "What am I supposed to eat?"
"You don't carry food with you?" Mason asked.
"Well, normally, but we left a bit fast last night," replied Hector.
Mason sighed, reached into his pack for another protein supplement, and tossed it to Hector. "They taste horrible, but they keep you alive."
Hector opened the package, took a big bite, and almost spit it back out. "This thing is awful!"
Mason shook his head.
"Taste isn't the point," said Jacob. "Keeping you alive is. You get used to them."
Hector shuddered as he chewed and swallowed.
"Look at it this way, when you finish it, you won't want to eat anything for a while," said Mason.
Hector looked disgusted at the prospect, but he took another bite of the supplement.
Jacob stared off into the sky as he ate.
Chapter XV
They spent the rest of the day and a good portion of the night walking across the terrain in the direction of the River Tribe. By the middle of the night, they were all exhausted, and they were finally forced to stop by Mason's injury.
"Wouldn't mind having some pain meds right about now," Mason said with a grimace.
"We used the last of it up not too long ago," Jacob said as he shrugged.
"Yeah, I remember. All it really did was take the edge off anyways. Stuff ain't strong enough to completely numb it out."
Hector was leaning against a tree, stretching out his legs in the near darkness. The shattered moon cast an eerie glow across the landscape. Jacob guessed that it would be a full moon in normal times, but these were far from normal times.
"Might as well call this camp," said Jacob. He looked in the direction of Hector. "One more day?"
Hector nodded in the darkness. "Give or take. We are most assuredly in their territory by now." He nodded to himself again.
"Well," Mason said. "If this territory is as large as you make it sound, that doesn't really help us, now does it?"
Hector blinked and worked his mouth.
"Don't mind him," said Jacob. "Let's get a camp made for the rest of the night." He looked over at Mason. "I'll get some firewood and make us a small lean-to. Start the fire?"
"That's about all I can do," Mason replied.
Jacob nodded and set about his work. Hector followed off behind him while Mason slid to the ground and cleared away an area of snow.
Chapter XVI
Today was the day. The greatest day in my life. Today was the day that I would start on my path in the armed forces. I would finally get to do what I had been groomed for, physically, genetically, and mentally. Time to see if the government had wasted its money.
Jacob stood up as his name was called and shook his thoughts away. He walked up to the line, placed his palm on the reader, and said his name for recognition. A computer voice replied.
"Identity confirmed. Jacob Brown, cadet third-file."
The orderly looked down at her screen, then back at Jacob. "You may enter, Cadet. Follow the blue line to your assigned room."
A blue line appeared on the floor and lead Jacob through a door into the main part of the facility. It was eerily quiet. The sound of the air processors and air registers could be heard. A slight susurrus of rushing air with the occasional rattle of a grating. The only other sound was his soft footfalls.
The blue line rounded a corner, and he followed it closely. He abruptly stopped as a door slammed in his face. If he has been a moment slower in his reaction, the door would've easily broken his nose. He palmed the actuator of the door and it silently opened up. He walked in.
Inside, the room was stark white. The only other color was the blue line that faded away.
"Mr. Brown," boomed a voice. "Take a seat."
A chair rose up from the floor in the otherwise empty room. Jacob looked around then sat down.
"So you were chosen to be a part of this program. You have looked forward to it all your life," the voice said.
"Yes, sir," Jacob responded.
"That wasn't for you to reply to, Cadet," the voice said harshly. The voice made some noises to itself and finally sighed. "Very well, looks like we have to take you."
Jacob cocked his head to one side.
"I'm going to be frank, Cadet. I don't want you here. None of us want you here, but the powers that be have said that you get to be here." The voice sighed again. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"Yes, sir," Jacob replied sternly.
"Don't say I didn't try."
The room was plunged into darkness. There was a clicking sound followed by multiple slaps of panels being flung open. The sound of rushing water surrounded Jacob, and he felt water begin to fill up the room around his ankles.
He quickly looked around the room for any glimmer of light. Light meant there was a hole, and a hole meant there could be a way out. The room was pitch black.
The water was to his shins.
He stood up on top of the chair and reached for the ceiling. It was out of his reach.
As he stood on the chair looking around, water lapped up over the seat. The sound of rushing water didn't diminish. An idea struck Jacob, and he jumped down into the water and started feeling around the chair.
The chair had risen up out of the floor. That meant that there was a space beneath him. With any luck, there would be a service way beneath him as well that he could get into. Where the floor met the chair was perfectly smooth, and there were no protrusions on the chair that revealed some kind of actuator that could be activated. Jacob stood up and looked back around.
The water had reached below his ribs.
He took a breath and plunged his head under the water. The currents from the water flowing in were strong, but maybe there was a way to detect a current where water was slowly flowing out. He swam around looking for it, but he never found it. As he stood back up, the water was beneath his chin. He took one last gulp of air, and dove back under to look for a way out again.
Each time he came up for air, the water was closer to the ceiling. The final time he came up for air, he hit his head on the ceiling itself. He held himself there with his hands up so he didn't keep hitting his head.
"Sorry, Lisa," he said, and he dove back under the water to give it one last try.
Chapter XVII
Jacob opened his eyes to a dim morning. He rolled over onto his side, taking his head off of the bioscanner, and looked at Mason and Hector both sleeping on the other side of the lean-to. He took a deep breath.
"Haven't remembered that in a while," he mumbled to himself.
He cracked his neck to relieve some tension, rolled over onto his stomach, and then sat up. The morning was quiet. A light dusting of snow had fallen sometime in the early morning after they had gone to sl
eep. A few glowing embers were all that was left of the fire. Blinking to wake up further, he crawled out from under the lean-to and stood up.
Looking around at the landscape in morning daylight, he could see that they had moved out of the main part of the forest. No longer were there continuous trees. The landscape had opened up to stands of trees separated by ever increasing open land. Off in the distance, looking at the sun Jacob determined it was the Southeast, Jacob could see a house. It was at the extent of the horizon and hard to make out in the dim morning light, but it was the first building that they had seen away from Repose.
Jacob knelt by the fire and poked at it with a stick. After gathering some more firewood, he built it back up from the coals that were left so they would be able to warm themselves more before they continued towards Respite.
Rubbing his hands together, Jacob sat and thought about the dream that he had the night before, his first day of training.
Hypnotism was a powerful thing, and a lot of research had been done into unlocking how to fool the mind. No longer was it simple suggestion, but technology had been created that could directly implant images and thoughts into the conscious mind. In reality, Jacob had never left the chair that he had sat in after he had entered the room, but as far as his mind was concerned, he was in a room that was full of water and was about to drown. They let the scenario play out until he was about to lose consciousness, and then they stopped the simulation. He was snapped back to awareness of his surroundings, left panting hard from the exertion that his mind thought was real. That was the first part of day one. He was unable to imagine the days that were to come, but they certainly lived up to expectation that the first day started.
Shaking his head at the thoughts, Jacob poked at the fire some more.
"Well, that wasn't the best night of sleep I've had in a while, but it will certainly do." Mason slowly made his way out from under the lean-to.
"How are the ribs?" asked Jacob.
"Could be better," Mason sat next to the fire and warmed his hands. "We need to get some better cold weather gear."
"Won't argue with that. We might be able to barter for some at a house off to the South-East."