Post-Human Trilogy

“James,” Thel began as she stepped beside him and laced her fingers around his arm, “what’s happening?”

“You must be mad,” Gibson finally said as he leaned against a workstation, his legs feeling as though they might give out on him.

“I’m sorry, but you simply do not have time to debate this,” James said.

“Why?” Gibson demanded. “How do we know you’re right? You want us to evacuate the entire species based on what? You’ve barely looked at our data!”

“I studied the data you sent me on the way here, and I’m telling you there is only one explanation for what we’re seeing,” James explained in an even but urgent tone. “If I’m wrong, I’m sorry in advance. We’ll know in a few hours, and everyone can return to Earth. But if I’m right, and I’m almost certain I am, then there’s an alien race of machines heading this way and their numbers are so vast that we don’t have a hope in hell against them.”

“How can you possibly know this?” Gibson asked, still disbelieving.

“I have to confess, old buddy, I wouldn’t mind an explanation myself,” Old-timer said.

James nodded. “It’s simple…and you’re right, Chief Gibson. Nothing organic could possibly be moving that quickly toward us so, by your definition of living, nothing alive is headed our way. However, that’s a pretty damn narrow view of the definition of life.”

“You’re an arrogant—”

James cut Gibson off before he could finish his remark. “The anomaly wasn’t affected by gravitational forces so this isn’t a natural, mindless path that it is taking. It is heading toward Earth and it has a purpose.”

“And that would be…?” Gibson asked, sarcasm and hatred dripping from his words.

“To make contact with the A.I.,” James replied.

6

“The A.I.?” Old-timer responded, astonished.

“How can you possibly know that?” Gibson demanded suspiciously.

“The A.I. told me that he intended to find another being like himself in the universe and join with it,” James related. “As far as he was concerned, it was a virtual certainty that there was another being like him. Apparently, he made contact.”

“With an alien?” Rich asked, in disbelief of the absurd turn of events.

“Then what do we do, James?” Thel asked, fear creeping into her voice.

“We have no choice,” James explained. “If the A.I. told the alien A.I. that it had wiped out humanity and was reproducing, then it is in for a surprise when it finds out the A.I. is gone. We can only assume that, from that point on, its intentions toward us will be hostile. Our only chance for survival is escape.”

“How do we do that?” asked Old-timer.

“Every dwelling in the solar system can be cocooned in a magnetic field and become its own ship,” said James “The replicators onboard can provide all of the air, water, and food necessary for as long as the people within need it and until they find another habitable planet.”

“You know damn well there’s almost no chance of anyone ever finding a habitable planet in their lifetime! What you’re talking about is the mass suicide of the species!” Gibson spat with vitriol.

“It’s better than a species-wide holocaust,” Thel yelled back at him.

“She’s right,” Old-timer concurred. “This is the best alternative.”

“It’s the only alternative with any chance of survival,” James asserted. He turned to the rest of the Council members. “I’m sorry, there is just no other way.”

“We can’t possibly evacuate everyone in time,” Gibson said, desperately fighting back.

“I might be able to buy us a little more time,” James said.

“How much?” Old-timer asked.

“And how?” Gibson demanded.

“Maybe an hour. Maybe only minutes…but it would mean reassuming the powers of the A.I.”

“What?” Gibson shouted furiously. “Now I see your game, Keats! This is all some kind of sham cooked up by you to get back into the A.I. and take control of the solar system!”

“That’s absurd!” Thel responded in James’s defense.

“Chief Gibson, have you not been listening at all?” asked Councilor Kim. “Have you not seen the evidence for yourself?”

“I’ve seen data on a computer screen—data that could be faked! Could be faked by him!” Gibson shouted while pointing in James’s direction.

James ignored the accusations and explained his reasoning to the Council members. “If I assume the position of the A.I. again, I’ll be in a position to facilitate the evacuation and to fight the alien machine forces. I’ll also be able to help the Purists.”

“The Purists? Why are we wasting our time on them?” Gibson retorted.

James snapped around and shot Gibson an atavistic snarl. “Why am I wasting my time on you?”

Gibson stepped toward James with his fists threateningly clenched.

Old-timer quickly stepped between them. “Hold on, Aldous. The Purists aren’t what they used to be,” he said.

“What they used to be?” Thel reacted with surprise.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Djanet interjected.

“Aldous?” Rich said, shocked to hear Old-timer addressing the chief on a first- name basis. “You two old chums or something?”

“What’s going on, Old-timer?” James asked, finally.

Old-timer nodded and held his hands up reassuringly against the barrage of questions. “We’ve got…history. Look, you have to understand that things between the Purists and us haven’t always been so…civil.”

“They’re bloodthirsty barbarians!” Gibson yelled, furious. “Haven’t you told them, Craig? Haven’t you told them what those people have put us through? What we’ve both lost?”

“What the hell…?” Rich whispered in almost-breathless surprise. “What is he talking about, Old- timer?”

Old-timer stood in the middle, James and the others on one side, and Gibson on the other, desperately trying to insert reason and balance into the discussion. “In the beginning…there was a lot of blood. A lot of misunderstanding.”

Gibson snorted and turned away, disgusted. “Putting it rather mildly, aren’t we Craig?”

“They aren’t the same people, Aldous. I know. I’ve met them. Years pass and things change,” Old-timer asserted to the chief. “They aren’t the same Luddites you remember.”

Gibson ignored Old-timer’s arguments, instead turning to the Council to make his own argument. “If we need someone to assume the powers of the A.I., then it should be me. I’m the highest-ranking member of the Council, and I’ll put our resources where they’re needed. Helping our people.”

“Don’t let him assume the A.I.’s powers, James,” the kind voice whispered in James’s ear again. The voice startled James and his muscles became rigid, alerting Thel.

“What’s the matter?” she asked him.

James didn’t respond as he watched Chief Gibson continue to try to persuade the rest of the Council. “And if this is an attempt by Keats to grab power once again, then allowing me to take control will thwart his selfish plans.”

James didn’t have time to solve the mystery of the voice. For now, he needed to heed its advice. “If I’d wanted control, all I needed to do was keep it when I had it. No clever ruses were necessary. And the reason you should grant me permission to take on the A.I.’s powers again is because I have the most experience—there’s no time for on-the-job training.”

There was a moment as the Council members talked the decision over with each other. In less than a minute, a consensus was reached.