“It’s a matter of perspective, I guess. But you died already, even if only for a little moment.”
“On board Keera’s ship.”
“Yes. And your unborn son brought you back to life. He acted on instinct mostly. He knew your time hadn’t come yet.”
“What if I feel my time has come one day?”
“Well, then you’ll do what you must.”
“How?”
“You’re not invincible. Just using every ounce of your own energy can kill you, so you can always use that way out.”
“You do realize you’re telling me I can commit suicide any time I decide I want life to stop.”
“I do. But how is that different from every living being? Free will is the only gift we all share.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“But please don’t misinterpret my words. I don’t think suicide is a noble course of action for anyone. But I can understand that sometimes life is just too much to take, and you’ve been there not so long ago. Fortunately, it’s not something you are feeling at the moment, and that’s good, because suicide is, by definition, both a courageous and extremely egoistic act. We are defined by the connections we make in this life. We meet people, we love them and they love us back. We share a bond, sometimes stronger than life itself, with those that come our way. This is a gift from life itself, one we shouldn’t squander or decide we don’t want anymore. Because in the end, the ones that really suffer from such acts are those with whom we made these bonds.”
Chase stayed silent, so Hades continued.
“Your friend Fillio is a perfect example of that. While you two were friends you still took her death really hard. But if you think about it, it was suicide. She could have let you heal her. She decided not to. It was her right. Her soul suffered greatly so she decided to end this pain. But now others are suffering for it. That’s why consciously deciding to end one’s life is both courageous and utterly cowardly and selfish at the same time. How does one weigh his own suffering against that of others? Perhaps leaving life behind this way generates more hurt to those we love than the hurt we feel ourselves in that moment. If we truly love the people we form bonds with, doesn’t that love imply we don’t want to make them suffer?”
“What are you saying? That Fillio was selfish?”
“As a matter of principle I try not to judge. And I’m sorry if this discussion brought us to this sensitive subject.”
“No, that’s okay. I agree with you, for the most part.”
“At the end of the day hope, in any form or shape, is what drives us. When there’s no more hope, then life ends, one way or another.”
That last part resonated well with Chase in regard to Fillio’s passing. Was that what he felt in her resistance to be healed? Hope had died in her and, shortly after, so did her corporeal self.
“Indeed. You do seem to know a lot, though. Are you somehow aware of what’s happening in the world of the living right now?”
“It’s complicated. The simple answer is, only if I want to be.”
“I don’t follow.”
“When any being dies and their soul comes here, I have access to their thoughts and their feelings. I can use the bond they had with other living beings, at least until they fall into the pit. That gives me a pretty good idea, even if it is an incomplete vision of the living universe.”
“Isn’t that tiring for you?”
“Like I said, I can decide to look or simply block it out.”
“But being immortal you have all the time in the world. I would think you’d want to know what happens outside your realm.”
“Exactly, and with the billions of connections at my disposal I can go virtually anywhere, for as long as I choose. So, in a way, I don’t feel totally trapped in this place. This way I never lose my sanity.”
“I understand. Can you check on my loved ones for me right this instant?”
“I prefer not to do so on principle, but if it will allow you to focus better on the work ahead, then I will grant it.”
“How’s my family?”
“Sarah and Chris are both fine. They worry about you, but your son is pretty much in charge, even though Sarah doesn’t know it yet.”
“Are you serious?”
“It’s better we don’t discuss too much of it, but he has more power than any being his size ever had. While I don’t see the future, I can guess he will play an important role.”
“I see. Well, I’m not really surprised. He helped me even before he was born.”
“Indeed. I think he’s probably the most empathic Fury ever to be born; for better or worse I can’t say.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
“Then just ignore it, Chase. For now, you must not focus on what’s happening out there. It’s outside your control. Focus instead on the here and now.”
Chase wished it was that simple. His mind was always racing with a thousand competitive thoughts. Though he had to admit that the more time he spent in the underworld, the quieter his mind became. Which, in turn, had reduced his anxiety and overall stress levels to a much more manageable level.
“That’s what I’m trying to do, but can I please ask you how Daniel is?”
Hades took a deep breath before answering. “He is in turmoil. He’s exactly where I discussed earlier. He has been hurt by losing Fillio, and he is hurting on a daily basis now. He had opened his heart to her completely, so her death has really had a negative impact on his morale.”
“Will he be okay, though?”
“Chase, there’s nothing you can do about it one way or the other, at least not now. So is this really important?”
“It is to me. He’s a brother to me. I . . . I need to know he will be fine.”
“And unfortunately I can’t see into the future, so I can’t tell you more than the fact that he is suffering right now. For the time being he’s not on the right path. Please don’t ask any more questions on the subject now. You must focus on yourself if you ever wish to be in a position to help him in the future.”
Chase sighed. He had no doubt that Fillio’s death would take a toll on his dearest friend. He wished he could be there for him. To do so, though, would require him to complete his training by defeating Hades in combat. The sooner he achieved that, the sooner he would get back to his loved ones.
“That’s the spirit, Chase,” said Hades, who obviously heard or, at the very least, sensed most of Chase’s internal chatter.
Chase rose back to his feet. “Let’s pick it up from where we left it, then.”
“Yes, let’s.”
* * *
The alarm in Ryonna’s quarters resonated and took her out of her slumber. She had been so tired lately, she had really needed the shut-eye. She wished she could just turn the alarm off and go back to sleep. Her mind was still foggy and she didn’t want to get off the bed. But that was not an option. The moment that single thought reached her mind, she was up and about.
After a quick sonic shower, she went on to check on Keera, only to find her medical bed empty.
“Computer, locate other life signs aboard the ship.”
“Another life sign was detected in the mess hall.”
When Ryonna arrived in the mess hall, Keera was looking for food.
“Is there anything other than dried-up rations in your ship?”
“Hello to you too, Keera.”
“Oh, hello. I’m sorry. I’m starving.”
“How’s the implant working for you? No side effects?”
“What implant?”
“How much do you remember from our time inside the starport?”
“I remember it was intense, and—” She stopped talking and her expression changed. “My leg . . .”
She sat on the nearest chair and passed her hand over her new bio-implant. “You had to cut it. I remember now.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t have any choice, Ryonna. If you hadn’t we would have
both died.”
“Indeed. We barely made it.”
“See, so you did what needed to be done. But I barely feel any different. This must be quite an expensive medical facility you have on board.”
“I recovered it on a mission. I don’t even know how much it cost. I thought it would be a good thing to have on board at the time. My smuggling runs were getting more and more dangerous.”
“While it’s not exactly the same as it was before, I only feel a difference if I try to think about it.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“So any food on your ship?”
“Not fresh, I’m afraid. That would have been purged when I sold the ship.”
“Okay, disgusting, dry military rations it is, then. Where are we on our mission to locate Jonas?”
“We’ll reach the set of coordinates in just a few minutes.”
Keera finished the tasteless rations and made a face. No doubt they were past their prime.
“If we can get a real meal when we reach our destination, that wouldn’t hurt either.”
“I could go for some tasty food as well. The next time we’re on Earth I’ll make sure to upgrade this ship with a food synthesizer and Chase’s preprogrammed menu. Earth has some of the tastiest food I have come across in the whole universe.”
“Let’s go to the cockpit and, for the love of the gods, let’s not talk about food anymore. I’m beyond salivating right now.”
“You started it.”
“True. But right now I wish I hadn’t.”
They both smiled and headed towards the cockpit.
Soon they reached their destination. To their surprise, there was no planet in sight, just a large asteroid field.
Keera frowned.
“Did we take a wrong turn?”
“I was just asking myself that. Let me check my instruments. The ship was parked on Droxia for so many years, without any maintenance, so maybe something went wrong.”
Ryonna checked everything twice. “Nope, we’re right where we’re supposed to be.”
“Perhaps there’s something inside the asteroid field?”
“That would be my guess as well. But that’s a dangerous proposition.”
“That’s okay. I can fly inside asteroid fields. Wouldn’t be the first time. But it would help if we knew exactly where we need to go. The less time we spend in there the better.”
Ryonna opened a broad channel. “Jonas, if you can hear me, please respond.”
There was no answer.
“Jonas, please respond.”
Yet another minute passed without an answer.
“Ryonna, do you mind if I run a series of scans?”
“I’ve already scanned the area.”
“I know, but the only reason I can think of to establish a base inside an asteroid field is secrecy. If I was to do that, I would shield it to make it impervious to standard scans.”
“Sounds logical. Sure thing, have a go at it.”
Keera brought up the co-pilot’s holo-display and started entering advanced commands to recalibrate the scanners.
* * *
When Spiros got out of bed and arrived in the control center, Gaia’s droid was waiting for him.
“We need to talk,” she said in an icy-cold tone.
“Uh oh. In the entire history of the world, nothing good ever came after those four words.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That you brought a nuke on board.”
Spiros immediately understood what Gaia must have been thinking.
“It’s not what you think.”
“I think it is. This is a secondary measure by your superiors to get rid of me.”
“I can see how it would look that way, and perhaps my hierarchy does feel better with the ability to nuke us, but this has nothing to do with you, at least as far as I’m concerned.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Honestly, to avoid this very talk. But in hindsight it was a mistake.”
“I can confirm that.”
“I can sense you’re angry and I apologize. But please understand one thing. If we fail in establishing a stable artificial black hole, we need contingencies.”
“That’s what the hyperdrive engine is for.”
“It’s one of them but, let’s face it, this experiment could go awry so fast, we might have no other option than to blow ourselves up to stop a black hole forming near Earth.”
“Then let’s get farther away from here. Let’s train in a neighboring system.”
“That’s one idea, but we would lose access to resources we may need. At the very least it would delay our work.”
Gaia stayed silent for a few seconds. For an AI this was a long time to compute what she would say next.
“It’s true that it would hinder our efforts timewise, but didn’t we agree that the fate of this world and its security are paramount?”
“We did. And to tell you the truth, I’m surprised the thought of trying to generate an artificial black hole was not something you objected to from the beginning.”
“I had my reservations. But I also have faith in your abilities as a scientist, with my unrivalled computational power as a backup, double checking your math. There’s still a risk, but I estimate it at less than three percent.”
“Still, we’re talking about billions of lives. Three percent is still a huge risk when we factor their lives into the equation.”
“Spiros, you’re right, but then the Furies will come. If Chase getting stronger is the best bet we have to beat them, then it’s a risk I thought we should take.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Gaia. I’m incredibly surprised and equally proud to hear you say that. A few months back the mere thought of letting us roam this planet was a point of contention, if you remember.”
“Access to archive data does confirm this, yes. I guess I have evolved since then.”
“My point exactly. The more time passes, the more human you are becoming. Which is great, but humans do mistakes based on their emotional drive. I’m not saying you need to revert back to pure calculation. That wouldn’t work either. But we need to tread carefully. As for the nuke, it’s not really a problem for you if you think about it. Your consciousness is spreading over countless computers and memory units all over the globe. If this facility is destroyed, only your avatar and perhaps a small part of your AI matrix would be lost. I, on the other hand, would cease to exist if we needed to blow the nuke in a hurry.”
“I had not thought of that, but now that you mention it . . .”
“What? What is it, Gaia?”
“I do not want to lose you, Spiros.”
Spiros was really touched by Gaia’s words. He wondered if she had reached a point in her emotional development where empathy for other humans was already strong, perhaps even romantic. He hesitated over how to phrase his next words, though.
“That’s nice to hear, Gaia. I wouldn’t want to lose you either.”
He wanted to add something about her friendship meaning a lot to him, but he worried that if she had any sense of romantic attachment, that could hurt her. And an AI in emotional turmoil could have serious repercussions.
And here it was, the moment Spiros had dreaded. It had been easy to get attached to Gaia, especially since she had been so helpful and so friendly lately. Her personality had practically turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees since they had first met. And for weeks now, Spiros had not given a single thought as to how to talk with her. She had become a close friend, someone always there; to the point where he forgot that she had the power to destroy them all if things went awry or if she changed her mind about humans.
“It makes me happy to hear that,” said Gaia.
He did not like this. Not one bit. All of a sudden he felt as if he might still be walking on egg shells. But then, perhaps that had always been the case, whether or not he realized it consciousl
y. Spiros wondered if he should be careful from now on, or just be himself.
The one thing that nagged at him was that every emotion related to love was always strong. For better or for worse, love brought people together or broke them apart, to the point of hatred. Having someone so powerful hate him or the rest of humanity could be a serious problem. He had no doubt that his personal interaction with Gaia had made her trust humanity. Of course, Chase had helped. She had a soft spot for him too. But if the one person she identified as humanity became the source of negative emotions . . .
Spiros dared not continue this train of thought. This kind of pressure would surely be detrimental on almost every level. But he made a mental note to find a way to check on Cedric’s progress on wiping Gaia if it came down to it. He hoped, with all his heart, it wouldn’t be necessary; but just as they had argued about the small percentage of error in their black-hole engine, even a one in ten thousand chance of Gaia turning aggressive was potentially an extinction-level threat.
“You seem very silent. Did I say something wrong? I also detect a slight rise in your blood pressure. Are you feeling ill?”
The fact that he was monitored 24/7, even if she didn’t do it to spy on him, was something that made this different from any other relationship he had ever had with his friends or peers.
“I’m okay. I was just thinking about what we discussed, trying to see what we can do to lower the margin for error. Are we good regarding the nuke? I’m sorry for not telling you, though I knew you’d find out eventually. It’s not even armed yet.”
“We’re good. Indeed, we need to be able to destroy this ship if it means saving everyone else on Earth, so perhaps we should arm it now and integrate it as the secondary fail-safe, should the hyperdrive engine either fail or if time is a factor.”
“I’m glad you think so as well. Let’s do it.”
C H A P T E R
X
Intense pain brought Argos back to consciousness. When he pried his eyes open he quickly understood why. He was being held prisoner within the Titan’s hand. Menoitios looked utterly pissed. Many patches of skin had been burned by Argos’ multiple attacks, but not enough damage had been done, which worried Argos.
Rise of the Ultra Fury (Universe in Flames Book 5) Page 11