The A.I. listened to Rich’s words in his ears, his eyes still on James, unblinking. He un-muted his end of the communication and replied, “You’ll not die today, Richard. I promise.”
9
As Old-timer and his companions passed Europa, its new host planet’s predicament immediately became clear. Several android ships surrounded Venus, orbiting it along with an untold number of androids and smaller ships, the cluster so strong that it almost appeared as though Venus had developed rings as thick as Saturn.
“Colonel, we’re about three minutes out. What’s your ETA?” Old-timer asked.
“We’re entering the atmosphere!” Paine shouted back. “This 1 character is in my sights. She’s got about a twenty-second lead on us.”
“When you catch up to her, do your best to contain her,” Old-timer commanded. “We think she might be weakened, but use extreme caution. She’s desperate...and she’s smart as hell.”
“I’ll give it everything I’ve got,” Paine replied.
“Daniella,” Old-timer switched gears, “stay back as much as you can.”
“Like hell! I have to help!”
Old-timer heard Paine snicker over their connection.
“What?” Daniella demanded from him.
“Some things, not even a parallel universe can change,” Paine observed.
Old-timer’s expression hardened. Hot jealousy burned under his cheeks.
Djanet saw the changed expression on Old-timer’s face and cut in. “Daniella, Paine’s a trained killer. Let him do his job and just try to stay alive, all right?”
“I’ll do what I have to,” Daniella replied, clearly reluctant about her acquiescence.
“Damn it. Damn it,” Old-timer cursed repeatedly to himself. “I can’t lose her again. It’s my job to protect her. I can’t lose her.”
“You won’t,” Djanet reassured him before a small cry of pain snapped their attention onto Samantha.
Old-timer realized, without intending it, he’d squeezed Samantha’s hand so hard that he’d damaged it. He released it, and she held it in her other hand, falling behind as she pulled up.
Old-timer pulled up as well to match her declining rate of speed, turning to Djanet as she pulled away and ordering her to, “Hurry! We’ll catch up!”
She continued, cruising toward re-entry.
Old-timer reached out for Samantha’s hand, his eyes filled with sorrow. “I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied. “Let’s go, we can’t waste time. I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” she shouted as she zoomed past him, streaking to catch up to Djanet.
Old-timer accelerated as well, now taking up the rear. He looked down at his hand, the hand that could crush that of even an android, and was astonished at how oblivious he could be.
I just can’t stop hurting people.
10
“Damn it to hell!” Rich shouted. “He’s shooting at the tower!”
“Rich! You’ve got to protect it at all costs!” James shot back, having retaken the aug glasses within the sim.
“I’m trying!” Rich returned as he reached the shoreline and extended his protective field, forming a shield that deflected the powerful blasts from Aldous as he skimmed above the ocean on a collision course. “I need some help here. I can’t connect the sim to the signal booster and hold him off at the same time!”
“Just hold him off,” James returned. “The tower is the signal booster. The A.I. and I will take it from here. Just make sure he doesn’t harm the tower or the hard drive, and thirty seconds from now, we’ll be on our way to Earth, at the speed of light.”
Within the sim, the A.I. was already de-patternizing his hand. He winced from the pain but quickly joined his exposed patterning to that of the Kali avatar. Just as had occurred with Thel, the patterns began to fuse.
“See you on the other side,” James said.
“You certainly will,” the A.I. replied. “Happy journey.”
A moment later, he’d left the sim and the Kali avatar blinked back into existence, taking his place instantly, once again lifelessly standing in place, its left hand missing.
James stepped to the de-patternizer gun and aimed it at his own hand, but before he fired, the candidate stopped him.
“What about me?” he asked.
James turned to him, his expression filled with sympathy. “I’m sorry. We have to go.”
“I could come with you, couldn’t I? Is there any reason why I couldn’t use the Kali avatar to leave the simulation as well?”