Marilyn's recording of her first direct interaction with the Martians ended as the cameras returned to Sophie. Around her were the scattered contestants and few other houseguests. Everyone knew it was impossible to anticipate the reaction of the young lady, so there was apprehension in the air.
Images around each wall of the room switched to the fumes arising out of the Valles. In the video, a single steam of the dust had punched through the defenses of the Center. What was now coming was at least five thousand times more dangerous.
The game's final rounds taking place on Mars had begun days ago. But today, after the overwhelming cascade of events, nothing was truly shocking anymore. "Shock" was too small, too inadequate a word to encapsulate what humankind was truly feeling. It was too much to digest even for the brightest on Earth. There were too many moving parts for anyone, let alone a twelve-year-old stranded on Mars caring for her father.
"Sophie?" asked Marilyn. The girl had turned back her attention to caring for her father. All eyes in the room turned either to the girl or the screens showing an invasion. “Sophie?” she repeated.
"Yes?" she said, unaware the focus was back on her.
"What do you think?"
She looked up at the Georges. "Did it hurt?" asked the Attractor, bluntly.
"Not really," he offered, surprised by the question.
"Good."
"Would you consider helping us? All of us?" asked Marilyn politely.
"What do you mean?"
"Will you help, saving us from the martians? I tried to keep them away for as long as I could."
Sophie's eyes widened in disbelief. "I don’t think so." Upon hearing that short answer, the mood inside the room fell.
Marilyn, who strangely had half-expected it just said "Fine, we must..."
"Not sure why you think this is my responsibility," interrupted the girl, getting up her stool. She began to pack her father's things. “Susie, we are going to my room." The physician was in no condition to question Sophie. The girl was biting her tongue. The nurse looked at the pad on her wrist and pushed a couple of buttons.
"He is doing wonderfully well; he's improving with each game. These Rho waves seem to be healing his mind."
"Good,” said the girl as she stood up. Sophie’s hands were forming fists. She was really trying to be silent. Sophie did not like to disappoint. She grabbed the plush toy and wrapped the scarf around her forearm. In the silence, Laurent's automated table undocked from the table and began to roll toward the door. Everyone in the room was speechless.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Georges was about to say something, but the computer quickly tried to shush him. "Really?" said the programmer to the girl on her way pass him. Georges wasn't afraid to speak truth to anyone, including his seemingly omnipotent computerized daughter, either alien in the room, or the Attractor herself. That was the source of his charm. He voiced the concern of millions, if not billions.
"Really," she confirmed. She stepped to the doorframe.
Marilyn cringed, she wanted Georges to stay silent. Milly, the CNN journalist, knew better and waited for the protagonists to get her one more ratings record. The Asian journalist had expected to have to create and maintain artificial excitement as two characters battled from different parts of the Solar System. This situation was insanity.
"Where do you think you're going?" said the programmer in a rather patronizing way. Sophie knew every eye was on her. Leaving the room without an explanation was rude; these people deserved some explanation. “You left the earth to die, now us?”
The girl stopped and turned to face him. Her body was tensed.
"You people come here, to a deadly place, a world that kills for having no air, for not having heat, no food, no vegetation. We don’t stick to the ground. You dare talk to me about dangers and dying? You and Marilyn never had the basic decency to wonder if this place was yours to start with. You came here and disturbed them for the sake of holding a game. Wait, while I am at it, have you ever thought about forcing my father, other players, me, the most crippled man alive, to travel here for a stupid game? We tried, like the President, to get out of it. Because I love my Dad and this was all he had left, I was stuck on the cigar ship. That's fine, right? You know what is your problem? You lost touch with ordinary life. What matters.” Sophie’s lack of respect of authority was infamous.
Without a second of pause, Sophie added, “No one here thinks about these martians, this is their home, their citizens down on mercury. What about the Multiverse? If something is hurting her and it’s probably all of this!” she pointed at Georges. “I am twelve, and I am sure of one thing, I will not make peace with the Purple, with these creatures, or anybody else as a matter of fact. You people like war, you like to fight, to hurt. Try making peace.
"You saw on the same clip as I just did. The Martians think Marilyn is dangerous and should not exist. For all I know, they may be right. The deal made in that recording is between Marilyn and them. They stayed put. Marilyn just broadcasted their existence to the whole world, on every television of every living room. Why not put a neon sign on top of the cavern where they live. Round 29 in their home?” She was working herself up. With each sentence, she was getting louder.
She stopped herself. No one dared to speak. "Daddy can't feel any of this," she waved around. "He would tell me not to let him be the reason why more people die. He would not want me to start killing martians, that's for sure and I know if I do anything, you will not like what comes next. I don’t want to come out as a person who does not care for you, my father or the world on Earth. I do care. But if today is our last day, I am ready.”
The girl turned around and walked out, followed by her father, the doctor and several of the flying cameras. Everyone in the room and around the solar system was stunned. The Artificial Intelligence saw waves of the rare waves pour out of the girl's mind. They were different in shape, sharper. The words made sense but doomed everyone in the room.
Marilyn broke the silence. "This sounds like the perfect place for a word from our sponsors. Back after this."
The screens went dark.