by John Purcell
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We arrived at the station without warning. One moment, we were surrounded by darkness, the next, we were easing to a stop along the platform. Yellow sunlight streamed in through the station’s skylights, glinting off polished tile and stainless steel. Peering upward, I could see a patch of vivid blue sky, complete with white clouds.
Gutenberg was leaning on his cane, waiting for us. As he watched us exit the cars one-by-one, the hope faded from his expression.
He hobbled over to Emerald, looking downcast. “Thomas?”
She shook her head.
He let out a long sigh that left him bent over his cane. Then drew himself up and managed a smile, saying, “Hello, children. Hello, Teo.”
The Three nodded politely.
I said, “Hello, Mr. Gutenberg. It’s very nice to see you again.”
Emerald stepped to his side. “You can speak freely. Teo’s figured out everything for himself, except about Thomas.”
Gutenberg said, “First things first. The children have been through a great deal over the past three days. Would you please take them to the kitchen and make sure they get a solid meal?”
Emerald turned to the Three. “Who’s hungry?”
Dogan raised his hand.
“This way to the kitchen.”
She led them toward a door at the far end of the platform.
Mr. Gutenberg turned to the double doors behind us. “Come along with me, Teo. These lead to the main lab.”
The doors opened into an enormous room filled with all manner of scientific equipment. With some effort, Gutenberg wheeled an office chair away from one of the computer terminals and offered it to me, saying, “It falls upon me to be the bearer of bad news. Please sit and relax until I get back.”
I set my ax on the floor, saying, “You were watching everything through Thomas, weren’t you? And listening, too?”
“Correct.”
“He wasn’t really a MediTron.”
“I’m afraid that most of what he told you was untrue.”
I shrugged off my backpack and sat down. “He knew who I was from the start.”
“Also correct.”
“If he wasn’t a MediTron, what was he?”
Gutenberg smiled patiently. “I know how compelling this is for you, Teo, but I really must see Josie straight away. I gave her my word. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
He made his way to a side door and disappeared through it.
I rolled my chair back to the computer. It was surprisingly similar to my workstation at DynaLink, including the joystick. I turned on the screen, hoping the complex had an English version of the DataStream. When it flickered to life, though, I was greeted by Chinese, just as before.
I got up and wandered about the lab, looking at the equipment. There were a few items I’d seen before, such as test tubes and Bunsen burners and centrifuges, but the rest consisted of futuristic machinery, all hopelessly complex.
Every so often, I would happen upon another computer screen, only to be confronted with more Chinese. As I studied the language, I realized that it didn’t have an alphabet. It was based instead on pictograms. Learning to read them would be a matter of simple memorization, something I excelled at. All I needed was a dictionary.
Resting on the desk at the next workstation, as though left there specifically for me, was a little dog-eared, leather-bound Chinese-English dictionary. It was quite old and dusty, but otherwise in good condition. I opened the front cover to find that the owner had written his name at the top of the first page: Joseph Clay. I scanned the book from beginning to end.
I had just gotten back to my seat when Gutenberg returned. He pulled up a chair next to mine and lowered himself into it, hooking his cane on the arm. He looked very old and very tired.
I said, “How did Josie take the news?”
He rubbed his temples. “She’s heartbroken, of course. But she knew the truth the moment the screen went black. It was my unfortunate duty to confirm it.”
“Thomas sacrificed himself to save us. Why?”
Mr. Gutenberg hesitated. “I’m not sure quite how to put this. In some regards, it makes the most sense to call Thomas your brother.”
Something made me resist this notion. “Because he was built by Joseph Clay? That doesn’t make him my brother.”
“It’s more than that. Thomas was built right here in this laboratory, at the very same time your father was finishing you. No, that’s inaccurate. Thomas’s mind was built here at the very same time. His body was exactly like any other Menial’s, and came off an assembly line. It was what went into his skull that made Thomas so extraordinary.”
“I know he had TEO’s, but so do MediTrons. That still doesn’t make him my brother.”
“I’m not referring to his TEO’s. Thomas spoke of his Core Memory, did he not?”
“Yes. What about it?”
“Teo, his Core Memory was identical to yours. Whatever circuitry your father devised to make you fully human was replicated inside Thomas’s skull. And the portions of your father’s mind that were transferred into you were transferred into Thomas, as well. In fact, your father put more of himself into Thomas than he did into you. Much more.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because Thomas was intended for a different purpose.”
Suddenly, the pieces fell into place. “My father knew Cassius was too much for Lena to handle alone, and he knew he had to turn himself over to UNK/C. So he created Thomas to help her out.”
Gutenberg leaned forward. “Thomas was more than an assistant, Teo. The very idea of Cassius would have been impossible without him. Think of it. Thomas looked just like any other Menial. He could assume any guise, just by switching uniforms. He could go anywhere and do anything, virtually unseen. Dressed as a PilotTron, he could board any train and ride to any destination. Dressed as a JaniTron, he could enter any building and unlock any door. And he could take on assignments far too dangerous for Lena or Jules. When Cassius stopped a train to pilfer supplies, Thomas would be waiting in the tunnel. When Cassius landed a drone, Thomas would be waiting on the ground. And, above all else, he was able to meet with your father.”
“How is that possible? I thought the GR kept Joseph Clay under constant surveillance.”
“They did, at home and at work, the only two places he ever went. But his daily commute was another matter. In the morning, one agent would watch him board the train at the Dome Three station and another would watch him get off at Dome Six. In the evening, the procedure was reversed. But no one was watching him while he was on the train itself. Typical GR oversight. Just laziness, really.”
“So Thomas would meet my father on the train, disguised as a PilotTron.”
Gutenberg nodded.
“How often did they meet?”
“It was risky, but they had a standing date. Once a week, same day, same train. Joseph would trade letters with Lena at every meeting and record messages for his daughters.”
I wasn’t sure if this was a slip of the tongue or if Gutenberg thought I already knew. It seemed like a good time to settle the matter.
I said, “My father had more than one daughter?”
He looked surprised. “Emerald didn’t tell you?”
“She was doing her best not to say too much. But I gather Josie is the present day Cassius.”
“Right.”
“And she’s Jules’s younger sister.”
“Right again.”
“How much younger?”
“Eleven years.”
“So she was conceived during the Invasion. You could almost say we’re the same age.”
Gutenberg smiled. “Let’s just say she’s nine months your junior. Ninety-nine years old, at present.”
“So Josie took over from Jules, wh
o took over from Lena.”
“Correct. Bear in mind, though, that Jules was a brilliant scientist in her own right. She created Panacillin.”
“In some sense, though, my father was the first Cassius.”
“Well, it was a collective effort. And don’t underestimate Thomas’s contribution. He did all the legwork. He was literally tireless. He never slept.”
I said, “I know, we talked about it. I got the sense it was a burden.”
“What? Being awake all the time?”
“Yes. He seemed quite melancholy about it. Do you think that’s even possible?
Gutenberg stroked his chin. “I haven’t any answer to that. I’ve learned a quite a lot about Thomas over the past few days, but I’ve only met him once, the very same day I met you in the Ruins. Josie sent him up to find me.”
“Sent him up? How?”
“Dome Nine’s western rim is less than a quarter mile from here. If not for the zoo, the Chinese might have anchored it right on top of here.”
“So there’s a tunnel.”
“It’s really just a long drainpipe. Long and narrow. You have to crawl the whole way. But it connects to the Dome Nine train station. Thomas must have crawled it a thousand times. That’s how he went everywhere. He’d just appear on the platform, dressed as a PilotTron, and board any train he pleased.”
I said, ”Why did Josie send him to find you?”
“When she discovered someone had taken control of Cassius, she knew she needed help. I’m very glad she reached out to Emerald and me.”
“Josie was willing to reveal everything, just because of a glitch?”
Gutenberg sighed. “It pains me to say this, Teo, but Cassius doesn’t have much of a future. Josie’s been clinging to life through sheer force of will. Frankly, now that Thomas is gone I don’t think she wants to go on living. But she wants to meet you very, very much indeed. After all, you’re her only brother.”
“What about Thomas?”
“You still don’t understand, Teo. Thomas was the only father she ever knew. And, if you’ll permit me, on some level he was your father, too. So you can stop wondering why he gave his life for you.”
I didn’t know what to think. My resistance was gone, replaced by a feeling I was struggling to identify. It was clear now that Thomas was in many ways my father, and I knew I’d squandered my time with him and gotten him killed. I wanted to go back and do it all over again. The fact that I couldn’t made my stomach ache as never before.
Gutenberg sensed my thoughts. “I’m very sorry, Teo. Thomas had no choice. He was forced to pose as a MediTron. Telling you the truth would have complicated everything.”
“You sent him to watch over me.”
“We all talked it through—Josie, Thomas, Emerald and myself—and decided it was the best course of action. We were reasonably certain Mr. Wu would send you to Baltimore and Thomas wanted to accompany you there. But we also knew you would face a far greater danger when you returned to DC.”
“Thomas walked out on us in Baltimore, when we were still in Queen Scarlett’s clutches. Why would he do that?”
“Because his work was done. He knew the four of you would see it through.”
“How could he possibly know that?”
“The Oracle foretold it.”
I was already tired of hearing this. “Mr. Wu said the same thing, when he was Cassius. I just assumed it was one of his lies. Now you’re making the same claim.”
“I claim nothing. I’ve tried the Oracle and I can’t make heads nor tails of it. But your father swore by it, and so did Thomas. Don’t be surprised if Josie brings it up, too.”
“When does she want to see me?”
“She asked for a few minutes to compose herself. I believe we’ve given her that.”
I stood up. “Is she in her living quarters?”
Gutenberg pushed himself out of his chair. “No. Apparently, she hasn’t been there in some time.”
“Then where is she?”
He retrieved his cane. “They call it the Lincoln Bedroom.”
“Why?”
He started for the side door. “Because it is the Lincoln Bedroom. As soon as Trip Savage took over the White House, he stripped the room bare and filled it with his trophies. Your father managed to rescue the bed and some other furnishings before the bonfire.”
“But it isn’t part of the living quarters.”
“No. It’s where Cassius resides, so to speak.”
Gutenberg opened the door, motioning me to enter first.
The room looked much like the real Lincoln Bedroom. The hand-carved bed stood against the rear wall, complete with towering headboard, and the gilded, crown-shaped canopy was there, too, its lace curtains cascading to the floor. The room’s two windows had been replicated, as well. Through them, I could see green grass and blue sky.
Josie was stretched out on the bed, reclining on a backrest of pillows. Despite her age, the resemblance to Cassius was undeniable. Her face was moon shaped, and her eyes displayed the same fierce intelligence. Even her skin was the same shade of brown.
It suddenly dawned on me that Joseph and Lena Clay were Negro.
As I approached, Josie gave me a smile, doing her best to lift her arm from the bedspread. She was dressed in a long satin nightgown, and all the life was in her face. Her body seemed little more than a skeleton.
I took her fragile hand in mine, supporting her arm. “Hi Josie. I’m Teo.”
She gave my hand a squeeze. Her voice had a gentle rasp to it, another resemblance to Cassius. “Hello, Teo. I’ve waited such a long, long time to meet you. Will you sit with me for a while?”
As I went to find a seat, Gutenberg excused himself and made his way back to the lab. I placed an antique mahogany chair at Josie’s bedside and sat down.
She said, “There really isn’t much left of me, Teo. Most of the time, I don’t even feel my body. All I do these days is sip Mash and play Cassius.”
I could see a tube dangling within reach of her mouth. It led back to a plastic bag filled with pale blue liquid.
I said, “You play Cassius right here, from this bed?”
“This is how we’ve always done it.”
I could see no equipment of any kind. “But how?”
She raised her eyes to the ceiling. Following her gaze, I could see a metal orb, hidden up in the canopy.
I said, “That’s all it takes?”
“The helmet connects to computers in the laboratory. But let’s not waste our time talking about that. I want to know about you, Teo. Tell me about yourself.”
Josie’s eyes were bright with curiosity now.
I was at a loss for words. “There isn’t much to tell. I live in Dome Nine, in the Greater Philadelphia Seacoast Complex…”
She stopped me. “Your old life was just a dream, Teo. You’re awake now. I want to know about that.”
I was still at a loss. “It’s been…confusing. I don’t really know what I’m doing. I keep making mistakes.”
“What sort of mistakes?”
“It always comes down to the same thing. I take on something I think I can handle and then it all goes wrong and someone has to bail me out.”
“For example?”
“On our way to Washington, DC, we walked right into a patch of Queen Scarlett’s flowers. Luma and Dogan got hit. They were being dragged into the woods and I didn’t know what to do. By some miracle, a woman came along who happened to have salt.”
“Where was your mistake?”
“I didn’t recognize the danger.”
“But you’d never been Outside before.”
“I still should have known. The warning signs were obvious.”
“No they weren’t. That’s why we had Esmeralda meet up with you.”
“You sent her there?”
“Yes.”
“So you knew all along I was g
oing to fail.”
Josie sighed. “You sound just like Thomas. He was always so hard on himself.”
“He was?”
“Yes. He would dismiss all his successes and dwell on his failures. I think Joseph Clay transferred some of his emotions to him, along with his intellect.”
This didn’t seem right. “Are you saying my father was plagued by self-doubt?”
There was a quiet bitterness in her voice. “How would I know? The great man never deigned to meet me. But Mama said there was a certain melancholy about him. Every so often, he’d go into a funk and belittle his accomplishments.”
“Why would he pass that on to Thomas?”
“You guess is as good as mine, Teo. Maybe he just wasn’t that smart.”
She turned away from me, gazing out the window. When she turned back, she tried to dismiss her bitterness with a smile. “Now. Tell about some of your successes.”
I tried to come up with some. “Let’s see. I killed Queen Scarlett’s giant pythons. I didn’t feel very good about that, though. And I blew up most of her Lobe-bots. That’s about it, I guess.”
“You figured out Cassius was a fraud.”
“That doesn’t count. Gutenberg gave me an anagram.”
“There was more to it than that.”
“Well, Mr. Wu made mistakes. He kept letting us cut in line. That’s something the real Cassius would never do.” I suddenly remembered whom I was talking to. “I don’t think. You tell me.”
Josie nodded. “Right on.”
“And Lewis told me Cassius talked like a black man. Even with his voice disguised, Mr. Wu still talked like Mr. Wu.”
“So you figured it out on your own. How about some other successes?”
“I can’t think of any.”
“You defeated Queen Scarlett.”
“Defeated her? I failed completely. I had my hands around her neck and I couldn’t go through with it.”
“Why not?”
“I felt sorry for her.”
“You consider that a failure?”
“I don’t know, but you certainly can’t say I defeated her.”
“Not at that moment, no. That doesn’t make it a failure.”
I knew where she was headed. “I appreciate your kindness, Josie, but I’ve decided for myself that killing is wrong, so there’s no need to rehash it. Meanwhile, I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I don’t care to hear them explained away. My stupidity got Thomas killed and you know it.”
My words sounded harsher than intended, but Josie didn’t take offense.
She said, “You didn’t know Mr. Wu had your remote. We did. That’s why Thomas left you in Baltimore and came back to DC. We knew you’d see through Mr. Wu’s disguises. We knew you had the speed and strength to overcome him. But we also knew he’d never give you that chance.”
I chided her. “The Oracle foretold it.”
She took this at face value. “Right. So Thomas knew exactly what he was getting into.”
“Are you saying he knew he was going to kill Mr. Wu?”
“You knew it, too. While Thomas was playing possum, we were all listening. What you did was very shrewd.”
“I knew he could only kill Mr. Wu if it saved our lives. But it wasn’t supposed to get him killed. Why did he go after my remote?”
“You think he should have rushed Mrs. Po instead, and grabbed the gun.”
“When he broke Mr. Wu’s neck, she was too stunned to move.”
“Suppose he’d tried that and gotten his head blown off. Where would you have been then? She would have killed all four of you.”
“Suppose she’d shot him before he could free me. Same result.”
“But she didn’t. Thomas knew he had enough time.”
“Just barely.”
“But enough.”
I wasn’t convinced, but I could see no point in discussing it further. We sat in silence for a time.
Finally, I said, “All right, then, just tell me this. Was it worth it for Thomas to trade his life for Mr. Wu’s?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Without a doubt.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Mr. Wu was on the verge of finding us. After he killed the four of you, he would have begun tearing out the walls at Farragut North.”
“If he had taken down Cassius, would he have been rewarded?”
Josie shook her head. “Not for Cassius alone. The GR never cared all that much about what we were doing.”
“Then why was Mr. Wu so obsessed?”
“Before the Crash, Joseph Clay heard about the DataStream and got in on the ground floor. If I wanted to, I could go roaming around right now, deleting all the computer code your father added.”
“Roaming around?”
She nodded. “Joysticks and screens went out a long time ago. Now the DataStream is a three dimensional structure, a castle you can enter and explore.”
“And if you deleted all this code, then what?”
“The castle would disintegrate and the GR would lose all its data.”
“Mr. Wu talked about something like that. I though he was just using it as bait.”
“Well, it’s a very real possibility. If he’d eliminated that threat, who knows what the GR would have given him.”
“Why haven’t you crashed the DataStream yourself?”
“Why would I? It’s as much use to us as it is to them.”
This seemed obvious the moment she said it.
I said, “When he was playing Cassius, Mr. Wu said it was my destiny to bring down the GR. He implied that crashing the DataStream was the way to do it.”
Josie pondered this. “You’d have to do a lot other things first before it would do any good.”
“Do you think it’s my destiny?”
She smiled, but there was more bitterness behind it. “Wouldn’t it be grand if we could all have our destinies mapped out for us?”
“But you knew I was going to wake up. You must have talked about my purpose, about what my father wanted me to do.”
To my surprise, Josie managed to pull herself upright, through the power of her anger.
She said, “To be perfectly honest, Teo, I don’t know what that man wanted anyone to do. What kind of life was this for his wife and kids? Who would want that for anyone? At least Mama had some choice in the matter. Jules certainly didn’t. And I never even saw his face. So if you’re in the dark, Teo, believe me, you’re not alone!”
She sank back on her pillows and a tear made its way slowly down her cheek. I didn’t know what to say.
Josie finally broke the silence, sounding exhausted. “Dogan’s father is alive. He’s working in Oilfield 217. His serial number is 1216733498…”
Her eyelids flickered shut and she fell instantly into a deep sleep.
I realized that the bright blue sky outside had deceived me. I’d lost track of time. It was actually 8:04 PM, and my own bedtime wasn’t that far off. I got up and tiptoed out of the Lincoln Bedroom, closing the door softly behind me.
I took a seat in the lab again and fished my remote out of my backpack. It was similar to Moto’s, just a little screen with a keypad below it. It didn’t take long to find my way into the settings menu.
I sat for a while, trying to decide on a better shutdown time. There wasn’t any reason to keep the same boot-up time, either. I even considered not sleeping at all, like Thomas.
In the end, though, I left my settings unchanged. Under the circumstances, shutting down at 9:30 PM seemed about right. I wasn’t quite ready to part with my only remaining routine.