The craft leapt out of the wormhole into the brief one and a half seconds of calm space between the two tunnels. Djanet blasted the android, knocking it off the back of the ship as she, too, thrust herself clear of the vehicle. A fraction of a second later, the next wormhole opened, swallowing Rich and the ship whole. Just like that, he vanished.
A second later, she saw another twinkle of light in the distance, the next wormhole opening like a shooting star. A second after that, a fainter light burst to life. Then another even fainter light appeared briefly. Each new twinkle was making a beeline for Earth, an orb that appeared the size of a small blue marble in the distance. She’d never seen the wormholes from the outside before, and it suddenly made sense how they could circumvent the speed of light. Each tunnel lasted thirty seconds from the perspective of those inside, but they were opening and closing in such quick succession that Djanet could hardly distinguish when one opened and another closed. “Wow,” she whispered.
She turned to see the Planck platform floating away from her to her right, while the unconscious android floated away at an equally fast rate of speed behind her. She flew to the android first, as she had no sensor connection with him and feared that she might lose him in the vastness of space if he got out of sight. Once she’d gathered him up in her cocoon, she connected her mind’s eye to the Planck platform and set an intercept course.
As she flew to the Planck, she attempted to call Chief Gibson. After a few moments, they were connected.
“Chief Gibson, this is Djanet Dove—” she began, her tone urgent.
“The androids have launched an attack,” Aldous said, his tone flat. “Is that what you were about to tell me?”
“Yes. How did you—”
“I detected it just moments ago. James and the A.I. are unresponsive. Do you have any idea why?”
“No,” Djanet answered, “though I do know they were in the final stages of preparing to activate Trans-human—”
“You’re halfway to Venus,” Aldous interrupted when he saw Djanet’s location on his mind’s eye. “Good. You’re safe. I strongly suggest that you head to Venus and hunker down with the Purists until this is over.”
“I’m afraid—”
“Djanet, I’m sorry, but I’m on my way to the mainframe to investigate and see if I can establish contact with James and the A.I. Failing that, I’ll have to attempt to assume control of the mainframe, if it’s even still possible. Whatever you choose to do, be safe and good luck.”
Djanet was stunned as the communication was terminated. She’d been about to tell him about the Planck platform and her intention to rescue Old-timer and the last inhabitants of Universe 332, but she hadn’t been given the chance. She knew she could try to reestablish a link with him, but she also knew she was only seconds in front of the massive first wave of the android attacking force, and she couldn’t risk not getting back to save Old-timer.
When she was ready, she pushed the android down onto the Planck so that his unconscious body was next to Old-timer’s and she prepared to jump back to what was left of Universe 332. She took one last look at the pale blue dot in the distance.
“Rich…be careful,” she whispered to herself.
In the next instant, she and the Planck were gone.
19
Rich’s craft emerged from the final wormhole on its race to Earth and, almost immediately, it began reentry into the atmosphere, its orange glow elongating, leaving a trail a kilometer in its wake as he streaked toward Seattle and the mainframe.
“Commander Keats! Do you read me?” he yelled in a last, desperate attempt to contact with James. When no reply came he opened up a new line of communication. “Goddamnit, plan B then. Chief Gibson! This is Rich Borges of the Venus terraforming proj—”
“I know who you are,” Aldous replied.
“You do?”
“Of course. I’m not an idiot. And you must stop frantically yelling. Calm down, man.”
“No can do, chief! The androids are attacking! They’re right on my tail! And James and the A.I. are AWOL!”
“I’m well aware,” the chief replied. “And I see from your trajectory that we’re headed to the same location, likely with the same idea. I’m seconds from reaching the mainframe.”
“I’ll be there in thirty seconds!”
“Thirty seconds then, the main entrance,” Aldous returned.
Rich closed communication temporarily before trying his estranged wife, Linda.
Predictably, she didn’t take his call. “Knew it,” Rich said, following it with a curse before opening a call to his eldest son, Edmund.