Inhuman(116)

“I had, James,” the A.I. replied, “but what I have yet to figure out is how and why their plan went astray. Both Aldous and the androids benefited from us being trapped in the sim, so who took control of the Kali avatar and gave us the help we needed to escape? Who benefits from this?”

“Does it matter at the moment? As long as we put things right—”

“I think it does, James, because if our plan goes accordingly, all of this will be much ado about nothing, almost literally, except for our memories of the event.”

“Maybe whoever it was just wanted to help us put things right.”

“Maybe, but something tells me something isn’t right.”

“It’s natural to worry when you don’t have all the variables,” James replied, reassuringly. “Welcome to how most humans feel every day of their lives.”

“Perhaps. But may I remind you that the nan’s black hole computer has already swallowed one of the android’s ships. We may not have as clear a path to victory as we think.”

“There’s nothing we can do about that,” James responded. “Other than keep our fingers crossed that its only target was the android’s mothership. Hopefully, it got a bellyful of our solar system and has moved on.”

“Things are seldom that—”

Suddenly, the noise and vibration that James had been experiencing increased tenfold. He stopped, bracing himself against the two rock faces that he’d only a second earlier created by splitting the granite above him with his fists. The rumbling continued, despite his ceasing his upward progression toward the surface. “What the hell is that?” he asked.

Almost as soon as he’d asked the question, the first jet of molten rock sprayed over his hands and then jetted down farther, into the seemingly bottomless fissure he’d created. The glow of the lava was the first light James had seen since he’d awakened besides the reflected glow of his own azure eyes.

“You’re nearly at the surface, James. It will remain molten rock for several days yet. Be prepared.”

“We’re going to put this right,” James asserted, this time vehemently as he gritted his teeth, resuming his upward push. The further up he went, the more lava jetted down until James was eventually engulfed, the surface of his body beginning to glow as his punching and clawing eventually gave way to him flying through the extraordinarily bright, nearly white-hot liquid surface of humanity’s formerly home planet.

When he finally burst free, his momentum caused a plume of molten rock to follow him upward for hundreds of meters as he flew away from the surface, sneering as he focused on his goal.

Behind them, the Earth glowed, a combination of whites, oranges and reds, interspersed with infrequent veins of black rock that, themselves, floated like vessels over the sea of death. The debris field extended as far as the moon, which was still blue and white, its oceans having survived so far. But it was taking on so many impacts from gigantic, newly formed meteors—meteors that had been part of the Earth just hours earlier, that the moon’s ability to support life wouldn’t last long.

“If this were to remain the state of affairs,” the A.I. observed, “the Earth would likely gain a second smaller moon, unless the moon itself were to swallow up the—”

“Stop it,” James said to the voice in his head. “It won’t remain,” he asserted, once again. “We can’t go faster than light speed,” he pointed out, focusing on his mission, “but I think I can still warp the gravity field enough to ride a wave to Trans-human that’ll make it seem faster than light.” James sighed. “I can beat light time by maybe 50 percent.” He grunted with the frustration his new limits were causing. “I’m not liking being cut down to size like this.”

“I understand and empathize,” the A.I. replied, “but you’ll be happy to know there is another option.”

“Yes?”

“Your sensor array is picking up an object orbiting amongst the debris field that is of your own creation.”

James smiled. “Are you serious? The Planck platform is in orbit?”

“Indeed. Old-timer or Djanet must’ve used it to cheat light speed and get to Earth. If we reach it before it is destroyed by a collision with debris, we can use it for the same purpose.”

“I smell what you’re cookin’,” James responded excitedly. “Set a course. If this goes according to plan, you’ll be in control of Trans-human and turning back the clock in no time.”

“I hope you’re right, James. I hope you’re right.”