Inhuman(129)

“The candidate’s infamous ‘visitor,”’ Thel instantly realized.

“That’s right,” Aldous informed them. “Craig, when you immerse, you’ll be given character options. Choose the character nicknamed Blake. Once you have control, you’ll be able to locate the candidate. I’ve already visited him in this form, so he’ll recognize you.”

“Okay,” Old-timer replied. His tendrils began to unfurl, a half dozen of them becoming thread-like before puncturing the outside of the hard drive. The tendrils then branched into nearly invisible filaments, searching for connector points within the hardware.

“You’re going to want to lie down before—” Aldous began to suggest before, without warning, Old-timer’s eyes closed and he tipped over like a tree felled in the woods.





24





WAKING UP after a short rest in his bed in his penthouse apartment, the man who’d dreamt of people claiming to be his creators breathed a sigh of relief. “A dream,” he said to himself as he saw the low, gray clouds above his familiar, rainy city. A second later, as his head cleared, and he remembered the bizarre events all too clearly, a dubious feeling crept into his heart.

He swung his legs off of the bed, realizing that he was still in the armor he’d remembered from the supposed dream. Now he felt panic as he remembered that he’d gone home after being left behind, exhausted from his ordeal enough that he could pass out into the welcoming embrace of sleep. It had only been a short rest, however, as it had nearly been sunrise when he returned to his apartment—and he hadn’t returned alone.

The man sprang out of his bedroom and into the front hallway, where his panic instantly morphed into deep despair. The Kali avatar, once again an empty vessel, stood still as ever in the hallway, barely shifting her weight, staring straight forward, her hand still missing.

“Oh Lord,” the candidate whispered to himself. “It was real.” He turned away and paced to one of the barstools where he took a seat. “Goddamn it,” he cursed to himself as he ran his hands through his hair. What am I to do now? he asked himself. I’m alone in a sim, waiting to see if the people in the real world can save themselves? What if they don’t? What if they fail?

Then another, even more terrifying thought struck him: What if they’re killed, but their universe survives? I’d be trapped here, by myself, for eternity. Trapped in a simulation…a ghost in a machine forgotten by his creators. What would I do? Would I age and die, or live on forever? Could I even kill myself?

Then, suddenly, he heard the elevator door slide open.

His breath caught in his throat as he froze. His eyes went to the rain droplets frozen in place in the air outside his window, and he knew who was there.

“The stranger,” he uttered to himself.

Indeed, the familiar form of the man that had visited him a night earlier, setting the terrifying events in motion, rushed into the penthouse, his eyes immediately locking with those of the candidate.

However, unlike their previous meeting, the stranger didn’t affect any semblance of being in control. Rather, his eyes were wild and desperate.

“The candidate!” he shouted.

The candidate didn’t know how to reply.

“Right?” the stranger said, apparently unsure of himself.

“Yes,” the candidate confirmed. “What is—”

“My name is Craig, but most people call me Old-timer. I’m not the son-of-a-bitch that inhabited this body last time,” he said, gesturing with his hand to his torso. “I’m a friend—a post-human—and we need your help!”

“My help?” the candidate responded before adding, in a suspicious tone, “Is this part of the test?”

“Test?” Old-timer shook his head. “No, dude, look, we’re in serious trouble. Right now, my body is on Venus, as are the bodies of a few thousand others. But we’re about to be hit with a jet of gamma rays that’ll destroy all the life on the planet. You’re the only one who can stop it.” Old-timer paused, swiveling his head as he searched for Kali. He caught a glimpse of her over his shoulder and then turned, noting immediately her missing hand. He turned back to the candidate and pointed at her with his thumb. “I’m guessing that’s Kali?”

The candidate nodded, wordlessly, completely stunned as the bizarre events unfolded.

“Okay, this is going to sound a little strange, but we’re out of time here, friend. I need you to take control of that avatar. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to—”

“Hang on,” the candidate said, his expression puzzled as he held up his hand for Old-timer to stop. “Take control of her? As in shoot off my hand and fuse with her?”