Awakening
Page 231
*
Several minutes in the past, Alza was still in the strange room with Dr Emmerfield, desperately searching for a way to defy her creator’s absolute commands. So far, she was having little luck, although this fact did not deter her from trying. They had entered a room which was unnervingly similar to the one in which she had been made, the only difference being the increased amount of computers. Each of them bore a dizzying amount of data values and ever-changing graphs, while a central console displayed the status of the empty white pod, which stood in the centre of the room.
Dr Emmerfield was at the main computer, double-checking the status of the pod. As he worked, he began explaining the procedure in detail. “After the cerebral-sensory barrier has been breached, the nanite-infused liquid will create a link between your limbic system and the central processing core. This will allow for your memories and experiences to be decoded and analysed, which in turn will allow me to make the necessary adjustments to my next batch. After your memories have been retrieved and processed, the nanites inside the liquid will be instructed to begin dismantling your body on a nanoscopic scale. This process will give me a more detailed look at how your DNA and cells responded to the outside environment, as well as letting me see how much pollution you have absorbed. Unfortunately, the breaking-down of your physical form will no doubt be painful beyond belief, but it should not last for more than thirty-eight minutes. At that time, you will cease to exist, although this fact should not really be of any great concern, since it will have been a necessary sacrifice.”
After finishing up the last of his preparations, Dr Emmerfield left the console and approached Alza, who was still standing idly by the door.
“Now, my dear, step into the pod, and let all of your worries melt away.”
As he took her by the hand and led her towards the glass-walled monolith, he said, “I am so very proud of you, did you know? From the very beginning, when you were nothing more than a clump of modified cells, I knew that you were going to be special. The first of a species is always a marvellous thing, but you proved to be more than that. From your physical resilience to your ability to survive, you have exceeded all of my expectations! And although your body and mind may be gone, your sacrifice will live on for all time, through the children that you will have helped create.”
Alza said nothing, as she slowly followed her creator towards her end. Her mind was blank, her heart empty. Barsch, was -or would soon be- dead, and she had failed him. Ion had asked her to protect him from Kain, and she had let her down. The old man, and the re-mech... Kain would never let them go. She was going to die, in a place so far from the warm sun, without ever having accomplished anything.
Eventually, she could delay no longer. With a heavy heart, Alza stepped into the pod. It's glass doors slid shut behind her, sealing her in completely. From hidden tubes in the floor, the nanite infused liquid began to pour in. An oxygen mask descended from a recessed groove in the tank's ceiling, which would keep her alive while the nanites slowly killed her.
“Initiating Memory Retrieval Sequence,” proclaimed Dr Emmerfield, while staring at the pod with a jubilant smile on his face. Her Father, her creator, her killer. She could not oppose him, just like she could not oppose her fate. As the nanites began their work, she felt a sudden ping of longing. Her memories were starting to flow, like a great river, carving out the path which had been her life.
“My Daughter, I thank you for what you have done. Now, it is time for you to sleep the great sleep, and dream no more. Your journey may have been long and tiring, but... with this... will finally be over. Goodnight my Daughter... goodnight... Alza...”
The darkness in the corners of her eyes expanded quickly, as the combined fatigue of everything that she had gone through was suddenly released. She floated, in the cool darkness, watching her memories float by.