Chapter 5

We are not alone

The blue light from behind his black glass helmet flickered as he spoke. It was now significantly dimmer than before.

But despite his body being split in two, he was still somehow… alive?!

Alex let out a huge sigh of relief. He wiped the tears off his face, out of sight of the robot.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked him once he was close.

The superhero, who had revealed his name to be Clark, was silent. Alex felt like he was being examined from cameras hidden inside the robot’s helmet instead of eyes.

“I’ve certainly been better,” Clark replied. “Just out of shape at the moment.”

Alex gave him a confused look. “Are you trying to crack jokes?”

“Sorry,” said Clark. “I’ve read on the internet that humans use humor to alleviate awkward situations.”

Alex was even more confused now. “Am I the first human you’ve ever interacted with?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Clark said plainly. “Clearly that was misinformation, though, because I don’t feel better at all.”

“You have feelings?”

“Why wouldn’t I have feelings?” Clark responded, completely dumbfounded.

Alex opened his mouth to speak again, then stopped.

Finally, he asked, “What are you?”

Clark stared blankly again, but not at Alex. He seemed to be thinking about the question.

Finally, he said, “To put it in words that someone like you would understand: I’m a computer code programmed to think.”

“Like an AI?” asked Alex.

“No!” Clark seemed to have taken offense. “I mean yes… but no. Don’t compare me to those mindless little machines. They’re nothing but ridiculous imitations of life.”

Alex was about to respond with “But aren’t you also an imitation of life?” but decided against it. Instead, he asked, “What makes you different?”

Clark fell silent again, as though in deep contemplation. “I don’t know,” he said finally. “I just am.”

Alex thought this was perhaps a touchy subject. Maybe it was wise to steer clear of it for now.

“What were those things?” he asked Clark, pointing at the sky, in the direction that The Chancellor’s ship had disappeared.

“Look, kid,” began Clark, in a shaky voice, as though he were choking. “I would love to answer all your questions, within reason of course. But right now, I can feel that the light’s about to leave me. Permanently.”

“Are you in pain?” asked Alex, as if what Clark said had completely missed him.

“Not really,” said Clark, back to his normal voice. “But I’m simulating the voice of a human being in pain so as to convey the urgency of the matter to you.”

“Can you actually die?” asked Alex in a tone of disbelief. How can an AI experience fear of death? He had so many questions.

“I actually do not know,” said Clark. “But I’m not in the mood to wait around and find out. So please…”

Alex composed himself. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

A faint voice inside him reminded him that he better not try and play the hero again. I wasn’t going to, thought Alex. I’m simply helping him get back up on his feet. He was the real hero, after all.

The champion who had saved us all.

“I need to get back…” began Clark, the blue light flickering much more frequently than before. “…to my house.”

“Is it like a secret lair?” asked Alex. “Your very own fortress of solitude?”

“More like a six-bedroom homestead atop a small hill, deep within the forests outside the north exit. Similar to a ranch but minus any animals.”

“So you’re a combat robot who lives in a ranch hidden in the forest?”

“Yes.”

“Okay…” Alex tried to rack his brain around it all. “Okay, I have an idea for quickly getting you there.”

“Wait—” said Clark, but Alex had already popped out a radio transmitter.

Alex pressed the button and it buzzed to life. “Dan!” Alex called out. “Dan, can you hear me?”

A couple seconds passed. And then, the radio buzzed. “Hey-yo kid! Feels good to hear your voice again, little brother. I thought you were dead when I didn’t hear back from you. But I’m sure as hell glad to know you survived. How did you survive all that?!”

“I’ll tell you when I see you,” replied Alex.

“Did you find any survivors?”

“No,” said Alex in a heavy voice. “Although it looks like those who could get out already did.”

“Well, shit. Let me know where you are and I’ll send the entire fucking squadron at you, you brave, brave motherfucker. We can use a break from all the celebratory fire, aimed at the demons of course. Oh they’re running scared shitless now!”

“Actually, I needed a fav—”

The blue light from Clark’s helmet flashed bright on Alex’s face. The light changed shape against the black background and morphed itself into the word: “DON’T!”

Alex stopped talking.

“A favor?” came Dan’s voice through the radio. “Anything you want, kid. Just spill it. You want a lift out of here? I’ll personally come get you.”

“Never mind, Dan,” said Alex staring at Clark. “I still got my bike. I’ll use that to get out.”

“Make it quick,” said Dan. “We’ve been ordered to withdraw from the combat zone since the military is at the city gates. They’re about to storm in and light this place up. Things could get ugly. Just leave as soon as you can, okay?”

“Okay, Dan. You take care.”

“Over and out, my man.”

Half a second later, the radio whirred again. “My dumbass forgot to ask,” said Dan. “Did you find the hero after you entered the smoke cloud? He’s missing now. Reports are he was battling a giant-ass demon close to where I left you. Quite the show that was, so I’ve been told. A show we missed because we were pinned down trying to get these good folks out.

“I’m sure it was him who snuffed that red lightning out of the sky. Once it was gone, these demons looked like they completely lost their will to fight. Some of them simply dropped dead, some escaped into the sewers. I’d like to thank that motherfucker face-to-face if I can. So did you find him?”

The words on Clark’s face morphed once again, now showing: “LIE!”

“No, I…” said Alex in a quivering voice. “I did not. I got chased out by a demon as soon as I entered the smoke cloud.”

“You’re a survivor, kid,” said Dan. “And I’m sorry that I promised that I’ll make them remember you, even though I didn’t know your name. So it’s time you finally tell me.”

“It’s Alex… Alex Hunter.”

“You’re a badass, Alex Hunter. Over and out.”

Alex smiled as he lifted his thumb off the radio and shoved it in his pocket. He then turned to Clark and said, “They should know it was you.”

“Not necessary,” Clark replied. “Besides, I’m not yet ready to make my presence known. I’ll explain it all later, but first—”

“Don’t worry,” said Alex. “I’ll get you out of here. Let me go get my bike.”

***

Alex gathered every little scrap of Clark’s metal body that he could find—upon Clark’s insistence—and strapped it all on the backseat of his motorbike. He covered most of Clark’s body with his bomber jacket, again because Clark insisted. Random bits of metal stuck out the end, making it look like he was carrying high-grade scrap.

Alex was about to ask whether Clark was comfortable before taking off, but decided against that as well.

They rode through the city that now looked like a fierce battleground. Local police and militia were gunning down runaway demons. But the army and the national guard still weren’t here. Didn’t Dan say they were already at the city gate?

What was taking them so long?

Several new fires had erupted throughout the city and its tall buildings, painting the air in a red and golden glow. Alex looked up. The sky was still covered in dark grey clouds, which should clear out soon. Then, the sun would be out.

He noticed that the demons stuck to the shadows, avoiding bright lights and fires wherever they could. Perhaps they were weak to sunlight?

If so, they would soon have no place left to run.

Alex smirked.

He’d better call the hospital and see how Kenny was holding up. The medics had said he’d be okay, but Alex still wanted to make sure.

He glanced at his phone strapped to his arm. No service.

Perhaps he can make the call from the robot ranch.

They were close to the north exit of Sol City, when Clark suddenly spoke through his metal head, which was dangerously close to Alex’s ear, making him flinch.

“Get off the road,” said Clark.

“Why?” asked Alex. “We’d be much slower—”

“Just do as I say. Off the road and into the wild. There’s a path through the woods. I know it well.”

“All right,” said Alex.

There were far less people on the large street now. Alex was glad. Surely this meant that most of them got out.

Right?

As he turned left into the woods, he spotted the military approaching from the far right, where the east exit should be.

Nice, thought Alex. They’ll hit the remaining demons from all sides!

Alex hated riding through the narrow path through the trees. The uneven terrain was bumpy enough, but the branches hung so low that he often had to duck. Several twigs struck the glass on his bike helmet; one of them deposited a bug onto the glass which smeared the screen when Alex tried to wipe him off.

After a few curves through the trees, Alex was glad to be out on a much wider dirt path that led uphill. The sun was out here, unlike within the confines of the city. After a few miles of climbing, they came upon a large, open estate, with a six-bedroom house nestled in the middle.

He didn’t know why he expected the house to be rural; perhaps because Clark said the word ranch.

This house looked like something a tech billionaire would build for his private forest retreat. It was spread across a wide area, with large windows on both storeys. It had a pleasant modern aesthetic with plenty of dim yellow lights. It most likely had a pool on the roof, but Alex couldn’t get a good look.

The warrior robot lived a life of luxury.

The house stood on a cliff overlooking the entirety of Sol City. Alex could see the grey clouds still hovering over it, now in the distance. The city glowed red under its shadow.

“This is it,” said Clark. “My secret lair. Just halt next to the front door.”

Alex got off the bike and jogged toward the door. He wanted to swing it wide open, before carrying Clark’s body through.

However, he immediately noticed that there was no door handle.

Maybe it just opened with a push?

Alex tried pushing it open gently, but it didn’t budge. Maybe it needed more force, since it was clearly designed to accommodate Clark’s super strength?

Alex shoved his shoulder against the door, aiming to bash it open.

He failed once. He failed twice. But the third time—

The door swung open.

And a small creature, about the size of a small dog, pounced at Alex.

“What the—?!”

Alex fell on his back, struggling to get the creature off him. Its body felt like cold metal; but the moment Alex tried to grab it, it would turn to fluid, making it impossible to grasp.

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Finally, Alex found his grip on something that felt like a muscle, or perhaps an unusually soft spine. When he gripped it, the creature’s grasp on him got loose, and Alex managed to fling it off and away from him.

Alex scrambled to his feet and got a good look at the creature. It looked like a little blob of metallic grey slime slithering on the ground. It had rounded arms and feet coming directly out of his front, which he had apparently used to cling on to Alex’s face. It had a wide jaw with tiny, but sharp teeth. Based on its glimmering grey color, Alex could only think of it as sentient liquid mercury.

The sentient liquid mercury then began to change shape. The clingy limbs and the tiny teeth were gone. He slowly morphed into a miniature minigun balanced on a tiny tripod. Then, its barrels began to spin red hot.

“No, no, NO!” said Alex, shielding himself with his arms and crouching low.

“Relax!” came Clark’s voice. He was chuckling.

Alex looked around. The blob had now transformed itself into a small four-legged robot and climbed atop the bike, nestling himself into Clark’s severed body like a… cute puppy?

“You definitely need a sign for that thing,” said Alex, getting back on his feet once again.

“He’s no threat to you,” said Clark, not taking his camera-eyes off his robot pet. “He’s no threat to anybody, are you?”

The robot puppy woofed in pure joy. It seemed ecstatic to be reunited with his master.

“He was about to gun me down,” said Alex.

“With tiny pellets of love!” said Clark in a voice that people usually use on puppies. “Anyway, he and I are connected. I can stop him using mental commands any time.”

“Then why didn’t you?!”

“Well, now, where’s the fun in that?” Clark chuckled, perfectly amused with himself.

Alex couldn’t believe this guy. It was weird enough that he was a wisecracking robot, capable of defeating monstrous demonic aliens from space, who lived on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Now, he’s also got a robot pet. And they’re both into practical jokes.

Alex wasn’t really mad about any of it though.

“Wasn’t it urgent to get you here as soon as possible, or was that also one of your pranks?” Alex asked him.

“Oh, no. I’m very much at the brink of certain death. But no need to panic, we’ve still got a few minuuuuuttte-------”

The blue light on his helmet was now the dimmest it’d ever been, and flickering so fast it seemed like it’d be snuffed out any moment.

“Where do I take him?” Alex asked the robot pet.

It woofed and got off the back, indicating Alex to follow.

The head must be where it’s all at, thought Alex. He can get the legs in later.

Alex grabbed Clark’s upper half and carried it inside. The metal pup was pointing at what looked like a modern armor hanger on the opposite wall. Alex lifted Clark’s torso with great strength and placed it on two large hooks.

The robot puppy then grabbed a wire by his mouth and plugged it into Clark’s metal skull from behind. In a tense couple minutes, the blue light flickered again, now growing brighter by the second.

“Slight miscalculation,” said Clark’s robot voice. “Guess we cut in a little too close, huh?”

The metallic pet woofed.

“Thank you,” Clark said to Alex.

Alex awkwardly nodded at him. “So you run on batteries?”

“Not exactly,” explained Clark. “I do have backup power embedded in the suit in case my main power source gets destroyed.” Clark pointed at his chest. Alex noticed that the hexagonal sigil was completely gone.

“What was that?” Alex asked. In a half-serious tone, he continued, “What are you even? Are you an alien like them too? Did they create you and left you here, so now you’re out for revenge—?”

Clark chuckled. “You watch way too much anime.”

“What then?” asked Alex. “Come on, now. You told me you’ll answer my questions.”

“Within reason, yes.”

“Are you feeling all right now?” Alex asked with sincere concern. “Do you need me to get you something?”

“I’m fine for now,” said Clark. The blue from his helmet suddenly disappeared, which sent Alex into a brief panic. Clark’s blue light then suddenly reappeared on one of the six screens on the desk beside the hanger. He bounced back and forth between the screens, as if finally happy to move. “You may ask away.”

Alex looked around the house. It was spacious, modern, plenty of lights, plush with a central lounge and a huge flat screen TV. A couch faced the computer desk next to the armor hanger. No one could have guessed that the inhabitant was anything but human, certainly not a sentient combat robot straight out of 80’s cyberpunk.

Alex’s eyes eventually landed on the metal puppy now rolling around on its back.

“What the hell is this?” asked Alex, pointing to the robotic slime that had now stopped looking like a puppy, and went back to liquid mercury blob bouncing around the room, glad that his master was finally home safe.

“That’s your first question?” Clark raised a digital eyebrow.

“Is it a dog or a slime or a damn minigun?”

“He’s my assistant,” said Clark. “He’s made of the same programmable metal as my suit of armor. Since he’s completely made of just that, he’s a lot more… versatile. He can take the shape of pretty much anything, just like my armor.”

Alex looked at the slime suspiciously as it grew a tail and started wagging it.

“Guess those are all your questions—” Clark said.

“No, no. Of course not,” said Alex, shifting focus back to Clark. “I’m just thinking about where to even start.”

The red lightning, the black tower, those monstrous aliens… and the creepy one at the end… there was just so much to unpack.

Clark waited for him patiently.

“Who were those aliens?” Alex began at what was pressing him the most. “Why did they attack Earth?”

“They were not aliens,” said Clark.

Alex looked confused. “Didn’t they fly away in a spaceship at the end?”

“Well, yes, but…” Now Clark was confused. “They are alien to you, sure,” he continued. “But the entire galaxy knows their species as demons.”

“The entire galaxy?” asked Alex, his mind was flaring up.

“Oh yes,” said Clark. “Newsflash, Alex: We are not alone in the universe.”

Alex gulped. Somewhere within him he had always known this to be true. There was no way that humans would be the only sentient, intelligent life form in the whole wide universe. But still… finally having concrete confirmation… it hit different.

“There were other species part of the attack too, apart from the demons,” Clark continued. “But I presume you were specifically referring to the colossal demon I brought down in front of you, and the big boss demon who split me in half.”

“Yes,” Alex confirmed. “Who was he?”

“The leader of a notorious gang of space pirates,” said Clark. “He gets special attention because he’s a demon, and because he has certain… well… ‘alleged’ connections with the Galactic Empire, but that remains to be proven—”

“Galactic Empire?!”

“Oh yes,” said Clark. “I’m sorry, I forget how little you know. Try to keep up.”

Alex had to take a seat on a stool nearby to massage his temples.

Clark continued, “His younger brother is a powerful demon sorcerer—you’ll learn what that means soon enough. They’ve both been getting away with way too much lately, while the other pirate factions face a brutal crackdown by the Empire. Makes me even more suspect that their imperial connection must be someone pretty high up—”

“How do you know all this?” Alex cut in. “Are you some sort of galactic police?”

Clark chuckled again. “Haha, imagine that. No. I’m an Earthling, just like you. Not exactly like you, but… you know what I mean. I’ve lived here all my life.”

“So how do you know?”

Clark paused for half a second. “I have my ways.”

Alex figured this might be something Clark did not want to share with him just yet. So he jumped to the next logical question. “How long have you been here?”

“Ever since I first opened my—ahem—eyes. Which was four years ago.”

“So you are four years old?”

“Time flows differently for us—”

“I’m talking to a literal toddler,” said Alex, chuckling and massaging his temples even harder. “That explains your juvenile sense of humor.”

Clark responded with a sarcastic “Ahaha.”

“You sound like an adult though,” said Alex. “In fact, you don’t sound like an AI at all. You’re like a much, much more advanced versio—”

“For the last time, I am not an AI!” Clark flashed a blue angry emoji on his helmet.

“Okay, okay, relax. Sorry to hurt your digital feelings.”

Alex stared blankly in the space ahead of him, trying to take this all in. It was too much. “I feel like my head’s about to explode,” he breathed.

“Hey, you asked for it,” said Clark.

After a few brief seconds in contemplation, Alex continued, “Look, at the risk of offending you once again, I gotta ask. Who created you? I mean… you are clearly not a human being. Someone must have programmed you to act like one.”

Alex wasn’t sure how, but Clark looked deeply uncomfortable with this line of questioning.

“I cannot answer questions about my origin,” Clark said plainly.

“But—”

“I’m sorry, Alex,” he said in a conclusive tone.

Alex lent back on the stool and almost tumbled over since it didn’t have a backrest. The metallic slime clearly found that hilarious and joyfully bounced around.

“It’s all so blowing my mind right now,” Alex breathed as he found his balance again.

“Well, it goes without saying you cannot reveal any of this to anybody else. Else I’ll have to kill you.”

Alex sprang upright in a jerk. “Oh come on! Everyone deserves to know that it was you who saved them! And with all the knowledge you have about the galaxy, maybe you can help them put up a capable defense against a future attack. Plus, I’m really not sure whether I can keep all this to myself.”

The red laser on top of Clark’s helmet began to charge up, targeting the center of Alex’s chest.

“No, no, okay! I’ll keep it to myself. Fuck!”

Clark chuckled again. “I’m sorry I can’t help myself. But in all seriousness, you cannot reveal any of it. Earth’s not ready, and it’s doubtful that it’ll ever be. Just this one attack is going to create a chain of events I cannot yet foresee. Moreover, them knowing won’t make much of a difference. Earth is hopelessly weak against any kind of galactic threat. Maybe we can defeat a small army of F-rank Tarentoric Mules but that’s about it. And that is if they aren’t bred right—”

“I get it, I get it,” said Alex. “No point in letting anyone know.”

“Besides, no one will believe you.”

“Even after everything that happened today?”

Clark was silent for a moment. “Humans have the incredible capacity to ignore or discredit a painful and uncomfortable truth, even when it stares them directly in the eye.”

Alex thought about it for a second. He wasn’t exactly wrong. “So what are you going to do? How do you plan to defend against them the next time this happens?”

“The question is:” Clark began. Alex eyed him suspiciously. “What are we going to do?”

“What do you mean?” asked Alex.

“Look, the mutagens—”

“The what now?”

“Sorry. Again, I forget how little you know. It’s like talking to someone who’s been living under a rock their whole entire lives—”

“Get on with it,” said Alex.

“The mutagens—you know—my main power source?” Clark pointed at his chest where the hexagonal sigil was supposed to be. “The seal was shattered when he… um…”

“Tore you in half?”

“Yes.” Clark cleared his (digital?) throat. Somehow this was uncomfortable for him to admit out loud. As if he were ashamed of it.

But he’s just a robot, isn’t he? Are artificial intelligences capable of genuine shame and embarrassment?

Remember, Alex. He’s not an AI!

“What was that thing?” asked Alex, his mind jumping through too many hoops at once. “The one that emerged out of you when…”

“It did not emerge out of me, I assure you.”

“Out of what, then? It looked like a… a different dimension.”

Alex paused to think how insane that sounded. But then he realized this entire conversation was nowhere near sanity.

“Bingo,” said Clark. “So it wasn’t just me. I thought I was hallucinating given that my visual acuities were under so much pressure. He did emerge out of what looked like another dimension. But… there’s a lot wrong with this picture.”

Clark fell silent, deep in thought.

“What’s wrong?” Alex couldn’t help himself.

“The Cyber-demon,” said Clark finally, “that’s what The Chancellor called him. He… he shouldn’t exist.”

“Whoever or whatever that was,” said Alex. “Looked pretty fucking real to me.”

“There are no official records in the galactic databases. Only legends… from distant, mostly primitive, rim-worlds. Unofficial accounts of his exploits exist, of course, mostly in folklore that has long been discarded as superstition or mythology. He’s been referred to by different names by different civilizations across millennia. So all those… horrific deeds… were never attributed to a single entity. No one today believes he exists, or ever existed. He’s a ghost.”

Alex felt shivers run up his spine.

“Why would he show himself on Earth…” Clark’s voice was comprised not only of intrigue, but also… fear?

“What do we do?” asked Alex.

“Oh it’s we now, is it?” Clark smirked.

Alex remained silent.

“We gather the mutagens,” said Clark. “First and foremost. They are a way to power my suit. But that’s not all they are. They are technological marvels of a very ancient, and a very mysterious race. My suit harnesses the electro-nuclear power generated and contained within them owing to their nature. But in the hands of a carbon-based life form such as yourself, they are a means to accelerate your natural course of evolution through targeted genetic mutations. Giving you abilities you only ever dreamed of. Power beyond what you can imagine. And a pact… with the Primordial System…”

“Okay, okay, whoa,” said Alex, panting. “I need a minute to breathe. This is… way too much. I’m barely able to make sense of any of it.”

“I understand you’ll need time to process,” said Clark. “Put simply: The mutagens are the source of my power, and our key defense against the next demonic invasion of Earth. In the wrong hands, they may ignite reckless ambitions of power and can be instead used against us. They were spread all over the city when the Cyber-demon vanished back to whatever hellish dimension he popped out of. My guess is that he had something to do with that. So we must act fast.

“In my current state, I’m useless,” said Clark. “I will need your help.”

Alex collapsed on the couch nearby. When exactly had he stood up?

“Clark, I…” Alex began. “I can’t.”

“It’s a simple rounding up of magic space rocks, Alex. I’m sure you can manage that! Don’t you want to be the hero who saves the world?”

The words should have been music to his ears. But they couldn’t be… not after everything that had happened.

“You don’t understand,” said Alex in a heavy voice. “I am not a superhero, like you. And I can’t go around acting like one.”

“No, Alex. You don’t understand.” Clark’s voice was suddenly intense.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Alex could hear the wolves howling in the distance. The leaves on the trees around them had begun rustling violently. Perhaps the grey clouds above the city were finally clearing.

Something seemed to be bothering Clark.

“You don’t understand,” Clark finally continued in a grim tone, “that this is not about you.”

Alex could hear the distant city fires crackling.

“There was once a great war, eons ago,” Clark continued. “The scale of which you cannot even begin to comprehend. A very old and a very wise civilization, technologically-advanced in every way imaginable, faced off against a great evil, who easily overpowered them.

“They were no match for it. And yet, they made a grave error: They sought to beat it on their own. They made it all about themselves.

“Fortunately, they managed to correct course just in time, and so the Primordial System was activated. The great evil was defeated. However, the Primordial System also vanished along with it. The mutagens that were in my possession are remnants of this Primordial System, engineered by this marvelous civilization, now long extinct. Imagine what a threat they would be… in the wrong hands.”

Alex glared at Clark, completely perplexed. “What are you?”

Clark replied in a mystical but firm voice, “I told you I cannot answer questions about my origin.”

“This is too much,” said Alex, as his entire body felt like jelly. “I have to lie down.”

He lied flat on the couch, which was surprisingly comfortable.

“It’s been a long fucking day,” Alex breathed with his palms over his face. “So much chaos… and carnage. Demons from space, ha ha. It sounds exactly as stupid as it should.”

Alex felt his eyes getting heavy. “I’d like to take a day to think, at least.” He sounded like he was responding to a job interview. “I also need to call Kenny, see if he’s all righ—”

And just like that, Alex fell asleep without even realizing it.

“No, he’s not dead,” Clark responded to his pet. “He’s had a long day and needed some rest, that’s all. He’s not like us.”

***

Alex dreamed of darkness. He had no idea how long he’d been asleep for. At this point, he didn’t even remember where he was.

A faint, flickering flame erupted a fair distance in front of him, piercing through the darkness… calling at him. He was sure that if he could just get near it, he could talk to it.

It was time.

Suddenly, muffled fire alarms went off everywhere.

Why were they panicking? It was only a little fire. It wasn’t harming anybody…

Alex sounded like Clark talking to his robot pet.

Wait, who’s Clark?

The fire alarms now became deafeningly loud.

Alex woke up with a jerk. Every screen in Clark’s room flashed a video of a rotating beacon of red light that’s typically found atop a firetruck.

“Good, you’re awake!” said Clark’s excited voice. “I was about to start the sprinklers.”

“What the hell is going on?” asked Alex, barely conscious.

“The mutagens!” said Clark, the most excited he’d ever sounded. “We gotta move, now!”

“Look at this.” He flashed an image of a huge satellite map on all six screens. “Two blips!”