“I had to risk it. I don’t know where the storm shelter Daniella was talking about is.”
“About forty paces from the house, to the east. It should be under the shadow of the big oak at this time of day.”
Djanet turned her head to the left to the large oak tree, a remnant of a time long past—a tree that outdated WWIII. It occurred to Djanet that Old-timer had surrounded himself with artifacts of the past—as though he’d tried to erase the memory of the war he’d fought in and the post-human world that had risen in its aftermath. It had never occurred to her before just how much effort he’d put into being Old-timer, and not Craig Emilson. The insight was overwhelming for her as she sensed his spirit, the spirit of a man running from his past, saturating the grounds—the farm was Old-timer.
“I see it,” Djanet replied as she began to sprint toward the shaded area Old-timer had described.
“Be careful,” Old-timer cautioned. “If you get caught in there, there’s no way out.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about them finding this,” Djanet replied as she found the doors to the shelter, flush with the ground. “I doubt these things even know what a storm shelter is.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Old-timer replied. “Djanet, this android just told me he’s Russian.”
“Ukrainian,” Anisim corrected.
“Ukrainian,” Old-timer corrected in turn.
Djanet stopped in her tracks. “What? How can that—”
“I don’t think he’s lying,” Old-timer followed up. “I think the android collective’s been assimilating parallel Earths.”
“That makes sense,” Djanet replied as she fought back her surprise and accepted the bizarrely obvious truth. “We should’ve realized that.”
“I should’ve realized it. Besides Aldous and the A.I., I was the only person who even knew parallel Earths not only existed, but could be accessed. Be careful, Djanet,” Old-timer cautioned. “They will know what a storm shelter is.”
“Daniella! Can you hear me? It’s Djanet!” Djanet whispered as she rapped softly on the shelter doors with her knuckle.
There was no immediate response from within.
There was a pause of a few seconds as Djanet kept her eyes on the androids in the house, wary that at any moment, one of them could turn their heads and catch sight of her there in the long shadow of the giant oak tree.
“Uh, Old-timer,” Djanet began, “I’ve got some disconcerting news, but I don’t want you to worry.”
“What is it?”
“I just knocked, no answer. So I tried to reach her on her mind’s eye—”
“Oh my God, no answer,” Old-timer echoed as he too tried to reach his wife.
“I think they might’ve got her already,” Djanet said.
“Goddamnit,” Old-timer cursed. “One of them must still have the assimilator with her pattern,” Old-timer realized, desperation causing his mind to work at lightning speed to conjure a new plan. “Do you think you can get it?”
Djanet stood and considered the situation. “There are at least half a dozen androids inside the house and, Old-timer, I hate to tell you this, but according to Rich, if we’re not off the surface in the next ninety seconds, we’re dead anyway.”
“What are you talking about?” Old-timer reacted, mortified.
“He says the androids are about to ram the Earth with one of their largest ships—Aldous says it’ll be an Earth-killer.”
“Aldous? Oh my God. Djanet, you’ve got to save Daniella! One of those bastards must have the assimilator on—”
Djanet was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of impending dread. “Something’s not right here,” she said quickly, cutting Old-timer off as she continued to watch the androids ransacking the inside of the Old-timer’s home, apparently aimlessly. “If they got Daniella already, then why—”
Old-timer came to the same realization at almost the exact same time as Djanet. “Oh no! It’s a trap! Get the hell out of there, Djanet!”
Before Djanet could ignite her magnetic field, the android who had quietly emerged from the storm shelter and sneaked up behind her jammed her assimilator into Djanet’s neck, instantly rendering her unconscious.
“Djanet? Djanet!” Old-timer called out. The connection between their mind’s eyes had been terminated.
Old-timer knew there could only be one reason. “Oh no.”
32
“What if it’s Aldous?” Thel suggested in a low tone to James and the A.I.
“What?” James responded, tilting his head back in surprise.