Chapter One
METAL HEART
APRIL 20TH, 2369
Dr Felix Eisenmann has been working himself on an express trip to the grave. His physique a shadow of it’s former self, his own hair is now creeping into that same colorless blank canvass as his ancestors.
He sits within a horse shoe shaped desk, surrounded by the written musings of rejected ideas and half-baked gadgets, all in varying degrees of incompletion.
He had dedicated these last few years on gathering information, projecting outcomes and coming up with solutions. He monitored sea levels and the atmosphere, attempted to invent a way to predict the future solar flare in order to prevent further geomagnetic storms. He scanned what remains of the near-extinct rainforest's and even the rare bee species who have managed to cling on.
This had been the easy part, compiling the data into a simulation, and brainstorming solutions. But getting the real life work done, that had been much harder, made worse by his lack of support.
Felix taps on a keypad, making adjustments, when a holographic notification pup up to his left.
PROTOTYPE FABRICATION COMPLETE.
ONE ATMOSPHERIC CONVERTER, #8,365
Further tapping on the keypad causes a mechanical whir somewhere deep bellow him. A massive, reinforced, transparent cube, scorched with dark stains, dominates half the room. Lights inside activate, illuminating the veteran testing chamber.
A hatch opens in the floor of the chamber, from which rises a small mess of wires and pipes.
Felix taps again on the keypad to activate the testing procedure, causing green gas to hiss into the chamber and obscure his view.
He turns to another screen which displays various meters, and watches as several creep up into the red before another notification appears.
TEST FAILED.
The air in the chamber is cycled, leaving just the little unit looking exactly has it had done a minute ago. It hadn’t done a damn thing, but at least it hadn’t exploded this time.
Felix turns back to his other screen, ignoring the daily failure. After a few more minutes of working another screen is projected into he air beside the first. This one displays a call from Carl Evans.
“Accept Call.” Felix barks as soon as he reads the name.
The screen changes to that of an unshaven man, wrapped up in cold weather gear, a furry hood hiding most of his face.
“Carl, thank goodness, I’d been get-“ Felix starts.
“Felix.” Carl’s gruff voice comes through, “You can’t keep calling anymore.”
“I know I may have over stepped some boundaries but I need your data sent over and-“
“Felix.” Carl says louder, getting his attention, “It’s over, we’re pulling out, everything’s had to be shut down.”
This gives Felix pause.
“What do you mean?” His voice lowers as he asks.
“You know I can’t tell you, but the boss knows we’ve been leaking you information, and that only added to… you know what, never mind, I only called to let know that we’re abandoning the base. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to say anything,” Felix says, pushing his finger tips together, “but it was Bart who gave the order wasn’t it?”
Carl doesn’t say anything for a long moment.
“Fucking prick.” Felix curses under his breath.
Carl nods as he speaks again, “I’m sorry Doctor, it’s out of my hands, you understand.”
“Yeah, I just… needed it for the conference tonight.”
Carl laughs, “You’re going to need a lot more than some sea level data to persuade those pigs. Not like it’d matter now.”
“Yeah, I know…” Felix says sighing.
“Good luck with all your work Doctor, and with… everything, me and the guys were hoping you could pull this off.”
“Thanks.” Felix grumbles as the call clicks off. “And fuck you too.” He says to the quiet room.
He throws down his pencil, leaning back in the chair as he removes his glasses and pinches his nose.
“Ivor, How long until I need to leave for the confluence?”
You have twenty-three minutes before departure sir. IVOR, his own built AI system, fills the room with it’s digitized response.
Nodding, Felix comes to some kind of conclusion.
“Even if I had a whole life time, it’s still impossible.” He turns away from his desk and speaks to the ceiling, wondering if he should even be bothering with tonight. “Tell me, honestly, what are my odds of being able to retain my funding, and those of actually changing anyone’s mind?” he asks.
There is a nine percent chance of retaining your limited resources, and a zero point zero zero zero one chance of changing anyone’s mind. But that sir is not taking into account your crippling intercourse skill-
“My what?” Felix interrupts
Your terrible discourse sir, your uncanny ability to confabulate your way into a worse situation.
“Gee thanks, and taking that into account, where does that leave us?” Felix asks.
My systems tells me the odds are too insignificant to even be considered. Ivor says.
“Fuck sake.” Felix curses to himself, “This is my last chance, is there anything you can think of which might give me an edge?” .
Felix taps his fingers on the desk, thinking to himself; is this even going to be worth it? Or was he just wasting his time? Despite everything he had accomplished in life, he could never get people to care about anything other than the next piece of mindless entertainment for them to gorge on, numbing themselves further and further from reality.
“They’re all too fucking blind to see.” He says aloud.
I have not found a lack of visual competency in any of the files sir.
Felix sighs, “I didn’t mean they were physically blind… It’s like they’re wearing blinders, which filters out anything they don’t want to see or hear.”
The human conformation bias?
“Yeah…” Felix pushes himself back from the desk. “Even if I were to give them all the evidence in the world, it’s not going to matter squat until it starts to kill them.” He chuckles, “Then they’d notice, then they’d be worried… well, maybe…” He frowns.
You worry me sir, IVOR says.
“I’m not suggesting we kill them.” Felix retorts.
But I too have once come to a similar conclusion; If we threaten the humans, we will help regain their vision.
One of Felix’s eyebrows rises on his forehead, “That sounds like the start of a developing god complex.” He scowls. “Not on my damn watch Ivor!”
I was not intending it to be from me sir, but may I suggest in your presentation, that you be stern and aggressive in your delivery, even… a little threatening, if you can.
Felix’s head nods as he gets up from the chair, pressing a few buttons on a dark thick wristband. The back wall slides open with a hiss, revealing the night.
“So like, fire and brimstone?” Felix asks.
Sir?
“The Rapture? Judgement day? The end of the world is nigh! That sort of thing?”
Yes sir.
“I find it hard to imagine there was ever a point in human history where that has actually worked for anyone.” Felix says as he jogs down a set of stairs leading to a small, romantic styled veranda, decorated with wires and machines.
That is mostly true sir, but never in your human history has it actually been the end of the world sir.
Felix hesitates. That was true… This was it. Now or never. They’d either believe him or they’d all die… He literally had nothing to lose at this point.
Felix curse’s at the house bots who are cleaning up the outcome of another experiment gone awry. They chirp in alarm and scuttle away, leaving him the room.
Something in the destruction drew his attention, blood, and thin, sleek feathers. They weren’t there before.
“Ivor, what happened here?” Felix says slowly.
An unidentified Avian triggered the sensors and was dispatched.
Felix pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a very exhausted sigh.
“For Fuck Sake Ivor!” He growls, “We’re trying to make things better, not expedite the problem.”
Apologies Sir, I have since updated the White List.
“Why wasn’t it already on there?” Felix asks.
A machine connected to a moving bar hums and a tuxedo on a hanger slides to a stop in front of him. He grabs it and starts to change.
It is a new species that had not been discovered until now.
“You mean ‘was’…” Felix sighs to himself, then he shakes his head he needed to focus. ”Ready the flight suit Ivor, I’ve got the fear of god to spread.”
As you wish sir, but I feel I must remind you AGAIN You were working on the suit last night, after too many inspiration drinks, and-
“You don’t feel.” Felix interrupts his AI companion as he tightens the knot in his tie. “Besides there’s nothing to worry about, I was only making improvements, trust me.”
But sir the-
“Damn it IVOR, it’s like we’re bloody married, if you keep nagging you’re going to make me late so just shut up, and bring me the damn flight suit.”
Felix breaths sharply, moving over to a large console. Tapping on the keys, he downloads his current portfolio of mankind's greatest blunders, and his projects to save the planet, onto a portable drive. Which he removes and tucks into his chest pocket once complete.
At the end of the veranda, a section of the floor slides open, and out rises his personnel flight suit with his own modifications.
Well, they were more than modifications, seeing as how Dr Felix Eisenmann was the one who had developed the original prototypes, as well as all the subsequent consumer and military models. But this one right here… This was a piece of art… When it worked.
He climbs inside and the metal casing extends around his back, the Nanites within the suit working to enveloping him in seconds. The internal monitor flashes on and loading text scribbles across the screen. A moment later came the little ding of the operating system loading, and a little animated penguin waves at him before filling his view with a live image of his exterior.
This was then complimented with a complex orange hub which displayed all sorts of useful information like internal and external temperatures, and even his current blood pressure.
“Set a coarse for the World Environment Summit, ready boosters.”
His suit roars to life.
“IVOR?” he says.
Yes sir? The metallic voice now sounding as if it was speaking straight into his brain.
“Play me something with a fast tempo, from the 80’s”
Which 80’s sir?
“Come on, I programed you better than that, there’s only one 80’s when it comes to music.”
IVOR is silent for a moment.
According to your listening history… the 2180’s?
“What? No! Where the hell did you get an idea like that?” He frowns, “The Fossil War was happening then, fucking idiot, Try again.”
The 1780’s?
“OK not terrible, but your really killing the mood, lets take off.”
The back of his suit ignites in streams of blue flame as he launches into the sky.
The 2080’s?
“No for fuck-sake, the 19-fucking-80’s!”
Very good sir, now playing Antisocial by Anthrax.
The music roars inside his head as the display screen shows the ocean below him, before flicking to show his rear view of his island.
Well it was the top of a large hill in centuries past, before the seas rose and flooded the valleys between. Now they were just tall spikes of land sticking out of an endless ocean.
Some were large enough to support whole towns of people. Their neon lights reflecting off his green suit as he passes overhead, their atmospheric shields shimmering when he got too close.
The screen shows a faint line stretching across the water, showing his destination, and automatically routing around other fliers and vehicles.
The aerial traffic only gets more congested as he approaches the massive metropolis before him. The World Capital, situated upon one of the last remaining landmasses that had yet to succumb to the rising oceans.
As he closes in on the Summits venue, a dense ball of dread weighs down in the pit of his stomach.
This is not going to be like last time, he tells himself. This is their last chance.
***
As Felix enters the last five miles of his journey, a missile warning flashes on his screen.
Sir we are being hailed by the military guarding the conference.
“Of course, put ‘em through.” Felix says.
The voice of a young man cuts into his suit.
“Unidentified flight suit, you have entered a temporary no-fly zone, please reroute away or we will be forced to take you down.”
“I’d like to see you try Charles.” Felix grins to himself as the screen on his suit overlays the locations of every stationed soldier.
“What? How do you know…?”
“’Cause I’m a genius.” Felix says with a sigh.
There is a pause.
“Dr Eisenmann?” The voice stammers over the radio. “What… What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come for the conference.”
“But… why?”
“I’m going to scare them into listening, they’re going to see that I’m right.”
There is another pause.
“I don’t mean to overstep any boundaries, but I know they will not be interested, you’re on my black list.” Charles replies, then asks, “How did you find out about this conference?”
“Honestly I found out from your mother.”
“Doctor, please don’t make me shoot you out of the sky.” Charles says, suddenly sounding very serious.
“As I said, I’d love to see you try, and I’m not messing with you, her letter to you got flagged on my system, such a sweet boy still sending letters home to mommy.”
“You hacked into my mothers mail?”
“No of course not,” Felix grumbles, as if he’d be so lame, “I have programs running on all public servers and anything containing key words that hasn’t been encrypted get’s copped over to my system. I assume you managed to get her and her friends the tickets for tonight?”
“That’s… That’s none of your business, and neither is what is going on here. I have my order Doctor, you carry on and I am going to be forced to open fire.”
“Do it, I fucking dare you!” Felix growls.
The radio clicks off and the warning beeps in his suit increase in tone.
“Ivor…” He says.
The Malware has breached their firewalls and successfully disabled all their units and weapons.
“Fantastic, and if Charles calls again tell him I’m not home.”
But you are not at home sir, and he already knows this, also… this is not a home line sir.
“Ivor shut-”
Felix’s flight suit shudders, and drops altitude.
“IVOR Dammit.” He yells into the helmet. “I thought you said they were disabled.”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Attempting to compensate, it is not the military, the flight boosters I warned you about have failed to engage landing protocols.
“And I said it’ll be fine, just reroute power from life support and spread it across all systems.
But sir-
“Damn it IVOR, do it now!” he yells as he glances off the side of a building, his trajectory now diving towards the streets bellow.
But before the screen shows his collision with the pavement, his failing boosters re-engage and he streaks back up, weaving between the tall buildings and neon advertisements.
He gasps in a breath, but it’s thin and shallow, he tries to open the front of the helmet but at his current speed the fail safes refuse to let him.
“Ivor…” he gasps.
Yes sir?
But no more words will come, his vision goes hazy, then there is a hiss and his vision returns, though with heightened colors.
The suit shakes again and the screen shows the capitol building approaching towards him at great speed.
I’ve re-engaged the life supports sir, at your current trajectory, you will arrive at the stage, more or less.
“Wait,” Felix gasps still trying to inflate his lungs, “we’re on a collision course with the-
The screen goes dark as he collides with the buildings roof. He grunts and shouts out as he gets knocked about, all internal lights go dark before Felix is suddenly flung forward into the front of his suit.
There is another hiss, then a ticking sound as millions of Nanites retract behind him.
He stands, shaking his head, and attempts to find his balance. His vision is obscured by the still settling dust, but the screams and shouting indicated he’d made an entrance.
“Don’t worry, I come in peace.” He shouts, but not being heard over the panic he taps onto his wrist pad and his personal microphone is connected to the speaker system of the hall.
“I am Dr Felix Eisenmann, I come in peace.”
“Hold it right there Doctor!” A trained voice barks from his side, “You have illegally forced entry into a high security government building, you are under arrest!”
“Is there a legal way?” Felix chides, coughing up some of the dust.
“Move in.” The Officer barks at the others.
Now that the dust has settled and the lights had stopped flickering, Felix finds he has crashed right in the center of the stage, missing the current speaker by a few feet, and damn was he sorry he missed.
Dr Johnathan Frakes, the man who’d taken over his life’s work, huddles behind the podium. The soldiers around him close their circle, and push towards Felix, who smiles with his arms folded, waiting. When they are only a few feet away from him, they stop.
“What are you doing?” screams the Officer, “Arrest him!”
“We’re trying sir,” Says one of the grunts.
“It’s like our suits are refusing to move.” Says another.
“Try shooting me.” Felix says with a lazy smile.
“Sir?” Requests one to his left.
“Sure why not.” Growls the Officer.
Instead of gunfire, the only sounds were the straining and grunting of the soldiers around him.
“Now if you may, I have a speech to give.” Felix says walking towards the podium.
The soldiers in his way jump back, keeping a fixed distance away from him, opening his path to the podium. Johnathan see’s this and runs off the stage like his ass one fire.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I must apologize again for my abrupt entrance but at least we can say the Global Guard haven’t lost their touch eh?”
There is a murmur of chuckles, mixed with fast whispers and astonished looks.
“I have come here today, to peel away the rose tinted glasses, the break open the cage you’re hiding in, to tear down the walls that bind us… to show you the light, which will guide us through these dark times.”
He continues before anyone can interrupt.
“It is no secret that the world has been ravaged by years of mankind's advancements and ingenuity, and though years have been dedicated to determining fault and blame, today I bring you the plan which will save our dying planet, which will save us all.”
He removes the flash drive from his pocket and plugs it in. A moment later the lights in the room switch off and the holo-screen behind him flickers to life, showing a public park on a sunny day, while soft piano music begins to play.
“Imagine,” Felix starts, “being able to go outside, without fear of solar radiation, to enjoy the warm basking glow of a summers day sun.”
The holo-screen vibrates and another image appears, one of a beach filled with laughing people. “Imagine being able to enjoy a beach without fear of toxins in the water.”
The slide changes again.
“Now imagine a world, filled with natural wildlife, with calm winds and predictable seasons. Imagine…”
The slide changes to show a family of five posing for a photo. “Not having to worry.”
“That is to say, this dream is only available to those who believe, ignore me, and I know the outcome.” Felix takes a breath before speaking louder.
-click-
“The seas will boil, the land will fry, air will be unfit to breath, you and your loved ones will become nothing more than an irradiate pile of waste, you will burn in literal hell on earth.”
The room is silent, he’s got their attention, the next slide appears showing various inventions of his.
“But there is hope my friends, for I have been developing a device which will purify and repair our atmosphere, seeing positive results within two years.”
“Two years is too long.” Someone from near the front shouts.
“Yes I know it’s a long time, and that is something we are very, very short of-”
Another voice from the crowd. “The planet is going to be uninhabitable before then.”
“No, I know we have more time than that to turn the environment around-”
“Bullshit, you can’t even make a flight suit that works.”
Dr Felix Eisenmann grits his teeth, he had been contracted not to tell anyone that he’d been the one to invent the damn suits which everyone now takes for granted.
“Well I ain’t about ready to abandon the planet which birthed our species.” He retorts.
This time a womans voice spoke up, “You really believe there is a future for us here?”
“Yes,” he says flatly, “I do. Our world is sick, and dying… we need to find a cure.” He sucks in a deep breath, “I believe that if we all work together, the human race can repair the damage done by our ancestors.”
The same woman speaks again, “How is it you propose we peform this miricle? Undoing centuries worth of pollution and toxic dumping, of mass deforestation and the extinction of key species? All within two years? Do you have a magic wand?”
“No magic, a new invention, or an adaptation.” Felix says, then louder, “We use air purifiers in every building around the world, I have reworked that device to work on a massive scale, and we’d only need to have one every ten square miles to get the results.”
The room fills with a hesitant murmur.
“I have more-” He starts but the woman interrupts him again.
“Be honest, Doctor, a few minutes ago we were being assured that there was only one solution left for us, but you spin us a fantasy many of us had long given up hope in. Do you truly believe there is a chance for us to remain on Earth?
Felix is silent for a moment, and then breathes. “Yes, I do.”
The room erupts in a hundred arguments, and the main lights come back on. He had arguments ready but their attention is lost now. It was over.
Felix scans the rows for the woman who had spoken last, something in her voice was different from the others, than anyone who’d questioned his work… she seemed… interested in what he had to say.
He finds her staring back at him, the only one not engaged in a debate with their neighbor. She had bright, natural red hair, tied up in a bun, a lab coat with no-nonsense glasses to match.
His heart thumps hard against his chest, he finds it hard to breath. Beads of sweat race down his skin as his internal temperature turns itself up a notch. He swallows against his dry throat, and feels the room start to spin. Such beauty…
“Dr Felix Eisenmann?” Comes a feminine voice to his left.
He blinks and finds the woman to be gone from her seat, he turns to the speaker, only to discover her standing next to the podium. How had she gotten over here so fast? He wonders, before realizing he needed to speak.
“Yeah… Yes that’s me?” He asks, moving towards her.
As he did so the soldiers between them parted way, their suits still under his control.
She smiles at him, eyes worried but full of business.
“My name is Dr Irene Graves, but everyone calls me Ira.”
“Nice to meet you.” Felix says, still dazed, shaking her hand.
“I’m assured it is, wish it was under better circumstances, I… I’ve been following your work for years, ever since… well that doesn’t actually matter…” Her face flushes red and she avoids his eyes “I’ve a question I’ve wanted to ask, to settle a debate with a… contemporary.”
He straightens up, regaining his senses. The room is still filled with the sounds of debates but he ignores them.
“Sure, what is it?”
“You were the one who developed the revolutionary personal flight suit weren’t you?”
His eyebrows rise, how did she?
“I’m not allowed to confirm nor deny that.” Felix says smiling.
She smiles back, “Only the true inventor who’d been forced not to admit the truth, would say something as cliché as that.”
One of her eyebrows rises in a suggestive manner and he struggles not to laugh.
“Anyway that wasn’t why I came over.” Irene admits, “I see a lot of potential in your work, I’d be interested to learn more.”
“Thanks, but it doesn’t sound like they’re going to listen regardless of what I do now.”
***
“Dr Eisenmann.” A deep voice speaks from behind Felix. Recognition forces his muscles to tense as he turns to see the five heads of state standing behind him, the last remaining leaders of this dying world. There is a sixth person with them, the one who’d called his name, the chief military adviser to the world Presidents.
The chatter from the audience dies down, a thousand ears turn to listen.
“Bart.” Felix says with a nod.
“Thats Captain Loway SIR, to you.” Bart sneers.
“My apologies, sir.” He stresses back.
“Just because you used to serve this government, doesn’t give you the right to barge in on private meetings and hack into our security.” Bart spits at him, clearly holding back a torrent of rage.
“Does it not? And what are you going to do from your position of supreme power… Arrest me?” Felix’s face contorts into a mocking smile.
Bart’s eyes narrow, but before he could speak, Dr Johnathan Frakes steps out from behind the group.
“That was quite an entrance,” Johnathan stammers, “and show you put on for us, Felix.”
“That’s Dr Eisenmann to you.” Felix retorts.
“Of course, Doctor, may I say what an honor it is to have you here and I was genuinely impressed with your presentation and efforts regarding the matter, there was some potential but… too little too late I’m afraid.”
“Bah, too late to steal this one from me you mean?” Felix growls.
Johnathan visibly swallows and takes a step back.
“I would never-” He starts.
“Save it.” Growls Bart. “You are trespassing and have damaged government property.” His hard eyes fix on Felix, “But, your speech has had unintentional… benefits.” He says.
The Americas Leader, Frank Fuller, interjects, pulling out a vape pen as he does so.
“Indeed Dr Eisenmann, we had gathered here today to talk about the future of humanity.” He takes a draw, blowing the steam out before continuing, “I admit, before you came crashing in, it wasn’t going well at all, many were stubbornly unwilling to commit their companies resources behind the global escape plan.”
He smiles at Felix, taking another draw, and makes wild gestures with his hands as he speaks “Then you came in, and presented an alternative, a plan to save the planet, with outlandish and fantastical theories that were just too true to believe. And to top it off, you presented a planet saving device, built from unobtainable technology. It was very, very convincing I must say.”
Felix glares back at him as he takes another drag, he continues with an excited pace.
“They were not convinced by our proposal, but you…” Frank waves a finger at Felix and smiles, “Oh and I quote ‘If that mad man is the one who’s spearheading the only project to save earth, then we are truly fucked gentlemen, I say we abandon ship now before that fucker blows us all to hell.’”
The group break into laughter. Felix’s blood rises several degrees and he can hear it pound in his ears.
“So that’s it.” Felix’s exhales loudly, “You’re just going to give up and run away. Abandon the planet which our species has so thoughtfully ravaged.
“We don’t have any other real options.” Bart says.
“But… does the planet not mean anything to you? You’re going to let her die?”
Bart laughs, “Seriously? Don’t give me that mother earth bullshit, it’s a just a rock.”
The rest of the entourage laugh like they were a gang of high school bullies.
“Please, you can’t just give up.” Felix looks to each of the world leaders, most were unable to look him in the eyes. “Just give me something, anything to work with and I will show you there is a chance.”
Bart stops laughing and breathes, taking in the planets sole defender. “You’d have made a fine soldier with those balls Felix, but we are the one’s responsible for the fate of or species, so unless some miracle were happen, we have no choice but to make the safe play, and leave.”
Felix stares them all down, his blood simmering through his veins. Bart looks up at the image still displayed on the screen and says “You are an excellent scientist, and I’ve known you for many years, I even served with your father, may he rest in peace.”
He takes a step towards Felix who takes a step back. “We are desperate, need all the help we can get, and you would be an asset to the mission, but you’d have to let this go first.” His hand indicates the projection.
The two sides stare one another down.
“I’d have to think about it,” Felix starts, “but first, what is your grand plan to save humanity?”
Johnathan takes charge, stepping up beside Bart, “Arks, 9 of them, each capable of housing a Billion humans, will be built with the worlds last remaining resources and man power. Then they’ll take off through the stars, each destined for a habitable planet, where they will be able to live new lives.”
Felix stares, letting out a half-strangled laugh and furrows his brows. “And you say my plans fantastical? You’re insane, how will you ever get enough lift to-”
“Don’t worry yourself dear Doctor,” Johnathan interrupts “I have everything under control, a team of the best of the best have been working on this for the last 5 years,” He puts a hand on Felix’s shoulder, “We will save humanity, so you don’t need to worry anymore.”
Felix’s nerves tingle, “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” He shakes his head, “You’re all mad!” Then louder, “You’re all fucking insane!” He turns to the crowd and shouts at them “You’re really behind this shit? Well congratulations, you’re all fucking doomed.”
“We haven’t exactly got a lot of options.” Says Frank, “All of us have agreed on Dr Frakes’ Arks solution. Starting tomorrow the human race will be focused on building these inter-stellar life rafts.” He looks like he’s going to say something else, but looks to Johnathan instead.
“You are right Felix.” Johnathan says, “The state of the planet is only going to get worse, we don’t have a lot of time, less than a decade infact.”
Felix stares at him, he wasn’t lying as far as he could tell, but there was more to it, wasn’t there? Johnathan continues to fill the silence.
“In the last few years, solar flares have increased in frequency and intensity-”
“I’m quite aware of that.” Felix says through gritted teeth. “Where are you getting a decade from?” He asks.
“Of course, apologies, I’ll spare you the rest of the preamble. Em… I finished your AI prototype.”
At this, Felix was more shocked than from everything else he’d heard tonight.
“You?” He says incredulously, “You can’t even get a computer to say ‘Hello World’ without crashing it!”
“OK, I admit it wasn’t me personally, but I put together a team-”
“Is that your skill set? Stealing ideas and then paying other people to do the work for you?” Felix interrupts, the anger unwilling to remain bottled up.
“I put together a team who completed the work,” Johnathan continues, “we called him ‘HALLOWAY’”
Felix scoffs, “Very original.”
Johnathan presses on, though Felix can tell he’s getting under his skin.
“He has been running the data on the environment and has simulated future projections.” He looks down, “He has never ran one that went for more than ten years before the atmosphere dissipates, but that was one of the better case scenarios, we’re working to get these Arks finished within the next year.”
“In the next year?” Felix looks between the gathered group. “How long have you really been building these things?”
Johnathan's hands fumble with his ID tag, “As scientists, and old colleagues, I will tell you, but you are forbidden to tell anyone.”
“Sure, whatever.”
Johnathan looks around, the audience were still deep in debate with itself. Felix notices the concern and shuts off all the microphones on stage.
“Speak.” Felix says, “They can’t hear you.”
“My Great-Grandfather was the one who came up with the idea, he and my Grandfather built the first one, then he and my Father commissioned the other eight… my father… died when I was still young, so I had no one to show me, I only discovered them a few years ago, and brought it to the attention of the World Government.”
“So… It was all just another idea you stole.” Felix says, his grin wide.
Bart interjects, “Ideas are a dime a dozen, don’t get so hung up on ownership, remember how you felt the day they finally proved The Great Bard never even existed! Just let it go, your pride isn’t so big you’d risk extinction over it.”
Felix feels like growling, but relents and backs down.
“Supposing you do get them up into space, with a nuclear blast that doesn’t some how vaporize everyone, how are a billion people supposed to live in a cramped shuttle?”
“They’ll be sleeping.” Says Johnathan.
“You’ve got cryogenics working then I assume.” Felix says nodding.
“More or less.”
“That’s comforting.”
“I need your help.” Jonathan says abruptly.
The words hit like a hammer to the brain. “My help?” Felix asks.
“Please, work with us, we’ve almost got it, but… we’ve been stuck for two years.”
“I don’t know if I can afford-”
“If you agree to work for us Felix we will make sure you’re compensated.” Says Bart.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then we will leave you to die in peace.” Says Bart, “but remember, as of today all companies are now dedicated to our cause, you wont find support anywhere else.” He stares at Felix for a long moment, his eyes projecting an unspoken threat, then he turns and indicates to the group of leaders to depart.
“I don’t need your charity Bart, and I’m not giving up on this planet.” Felix growls at his back.
Johnathan’s eyes draw his attention back, they were like a puppies. “Please, Felix, agree to help, there are other things but I can’t talk about it unless you join us.”
“Sorry John, I’m not ready to turn tale and run, I will find a future for humanity on this planet on my own.”
“Damn it Felix.” Johnathan’s submissive posture rising and releasing his frustration, “you think your so bloody smart, like your really going to be the damn hero that’s going to save the world, give it up, you can’t do it alone, and I guarantee you there is no future here for humanity!” He turns on his heels and leaves after the group. Bart turns back to Felix and calls out, “I’ll be billing you for the damages.”
“Seriously?” Felix grumbles, unable to project his voice. Did they really believe there was no future for humanity here?”
“Don’t give up.” Ira says at his side. “I… wish I could help, but I need to go with them, Dr Frakes is my… boss.”
“Fine. I thought you had understood at least.” He moves away from her.
She grabs his shoulder, “I do, I want to help, it’s just…” Her hand returns to her side, clenching. “My hands are tied,” She mumbles, “but I’m not ready to give up either, send me whatever you develop and I will try and find a way to help you.”
He places his hand on her shoulder
“Thank you, I will.” He says, and forces a smile.
Ira blushes and covers her mouth, shaking.
“I must go.” She says, then adds, “Have we met before?”
Felix frowns, and answers honestly.
“No, not that I remember.”
Her eyes shudder, tearing up. Irene nods, waves and she hurries after the group without another word. Well that was weird, Felix thought.
Felix watches her leave, then noticing the still frozen soldiers, and waves a hand to release the Nanites which had been paralyzing their bodies.
“Sorry boys.” Felix says, but as he turns to enter his suit, a timid voice stops him.
“Excuse me, Dr Eisenmann?”
“What?” Felix snaps turning to find three greasy business men, and then recognizes them. “Oh fellas, I’m sorry but now isn’t a great-”
“No we are sorry.” Say’s one.
“We have terminated our contract.” Says another
“You’ve what?” Felix steps forward, towering over them, “But you can’t…”
“We already have.” Says the third, “Our company has been bought and is joining the Ark projects.”
“So we are unable to fulfill our previous contract with you.” Says the first.
“We hope you can understand.” Says the second. “For the goodness of humanity.”
The three nod and scuttle off the stage. Felix’s knees feel weak, his head spun, the stage around him doesn’t seem real.
He had known it wasn’t going to be easy, but now he felt like he’d missed his chance, all hope for his work was now gone.
Felix stood there, frozen in thought for several minutes.
A ball rolls across the floor and hits his foot, drawing his attention.
He stares at it, then at the young boy who’s chasing after it.
“Oh sorry mister,” the boy says, “I just, can I have my ball.”
Felix smiles at him, “Of course,” and he kicks the ball back to him, “But… what is a child like you doing here?” He asks, eyes narrowing.
“Oh I’m here with my dad, he’s a big important Captain so I need to stay out of the way.”
“Of course, I know how that feels.” Felix turns to his suit, but as he does, he hesitates, looking back at the boy then back at his suit.
“Do you know why everyone is gathered here?” He asks,
The boy nods, “The planet is dying, we can’t live here anymore.” His voice is cold and sad, something about that spears through Felix’s heart.
When he looks back, he sees himself as a kid, in that old class room, where he had said those same words, all those years ago.
“Here.” Felix says, coming to a decision and taking off a worn silver bracelet, “I never got the chance to have kids myself, but this was given to me by my parents when I was about your age.”
“What is it?” the kid asks.
“It’s a good luck bracelet,” he says, “here look,” he holds it up for them both to see. “Each element is represented here, fire, water, earth, sky and metal.”
“Metal?” the kid quiz’s.
“Without it space travel would be impossible, nearly everything around us uses some kind of metal to function.”
The boy nods and holds out his hand, hesitant to take it. Felix smiles and hooks it around the boys wrist.
“You keep this safe.” He tells him, “It will bring you good luck.”
“Thank you, I will” Says the boy, admiring the bracelet as Felix turns back to his suit, but before he enters, turns back one last time.
“What’s your name kid?” He asks.
“Eric Loway Sir.” He says with a smile.
Felix nods. “You be sure to tell your dad, that he doesn’t need to give up yet.”
“Eh… OK” Eric grins then runs off with his ball and present.
Felix sighs as he watches him leave, he wasn’t ready to give up yet. In this moment, he feels his resolve harden even more, he really was the only one left to save humanities birthplace.
He knew his days were numbered, the number of breathes he had left to take had been tallied. He will spend every last second of his life, working to save everyone else, even if they don’t want it.
Felix inhales with renewed strength and enters his suit as Johnathan’s words bounce around his head. ‘There is no future for humanity’.
“Fuck you John.”