The Chosen Twelve, page 25
Epsilon set the cup on the table. Lambda had been talking for weeks about how much she missed the stars. She almost sounded homesick. Her observation post in the command center was now strictly off limits by SCASL’s orders, much like every place else that wasn’t the room where they were currently being guarded. Epsilon couldn’t do anything about that. But this new query was something Epsilon could work with.
“The digitals have taken care of us for…”—Epsilon almost said sixty-two years—“...a long time. There’s no reason to think they won’t take care of us now.”
“Like how they took care of Omega?” Rho muttered.
Epsilon glanced around nervously. SCASL wasn’t here, and the other bots were on the far ends of the room at the doors. She wasn’t sure how closely they monitored their conversations, or if they reported back to SCASL. She had to assume they did.
Epsilon was tired of talking about Omega. What few hushed whispers the Chosen did exchange always came back to him. Beta and Iota wanted to hold a funeral for him, but Epsilon forbade it (although she said the order came from SCASL). Omega died because he broke the rules. What would have happened if he succeeded at getting on the lander?
“He tried to steal someone’s spot,” Epsilon said. “Did you want to stay behind so Omega could live?”
“No,” Rho said. She looked down at her hands.
“Look,” Epsilon said, “in a perfect world we would all land, but we can’t. We know that someone had to make the tough call. SCASL did that for us. He’s a machine. He made his choice based on empirical data. No favoritism. No agenda.”
“I guess,” Rho said flatly.
“Do you have a better way to decide?” Epsilon said. “Would you rather that one of you got to pick? Maybe you’d choose your friends and leave behind the organics you just don’t like. But what if the organic doing the selecting doesn’t like you? Does that seem fair?”
The rhetorical question lingered in the air. Epsilon was on a roll. She got up and started pacing. “Or what if we made it completely random? Forget merit and hard work. Forget putting the best person in the job where they’ll help us the most. Just draw lots and see where things fall and leave the survival of the human race up to chance. Does that sound better?”
“Of course not,” Rho said.
Epsilon slapped the table. “Exactly. One way or the other, some organics were going to land, and the rest would be left behind. The ones who were left behind weren’t going to like it, no matter how the decision was made. Letting the digitals make that choice was the fairest possible way out of a tough situation. We have nothing to feel guilty about.”
Around the table, organics murmured in agreement. Even Lambda perked up. She seemed to be fully present for the first time in weeks. Epsilon had them all behind her. Now seemed like a good time to push.
“Let’s vote to pick our leader,” Epsilon said. “Does anyone have a nominee?”
That sucked the air out of the room. The organics looked at each other.
“We don’t have to do this,” Rho said. “SCASL picked you.”
“SCASL picked who’s going to land,” Epsilon said. “But this is a democracy. We choose our own leaders.”
“Fine,” Rho said. “I nominate you. Let’s vote.”
“Hold on,” Epsilon said. “It’s not democracy if there isn’t a choice. We have to nominate someone else.”
No one said anything.
“I nominate Beta,” Epsilon said.
“But I don’t want to be the leader,” Beta said.
“That’s exactly why you’d make a good leader,” Epsilon said. “Now we can vote. Everyone, raise your hand if you want me as leader.”
Everyone raised their hand.
“Now raise your hand if you want Beta.”
“We don’t have to—” Beta started.
Epsilon held up a hand to shush him. “Democracy, remember?”
She waited to see if anyone would raise their hand. No one did since they had all already voted for her. Beta’s face turned red.
“Thanks for that,” he said.
Epsilon ignored him. She was riding high.
“Feel free to bring all your concerns to me,” Epsilon said. “My door is always open.”
“You don’t have a door,” Rho said. “We’re all trapped in the same room together, and all the exits are guarded by bots.”
“For our protection,” Epsilon said. “As president for life—”
“President for life?” Zeta said. “Is that what we just voted for?”
“Yes,” Epsilon said. “Is that a problem?”
“No, no, I’m good with it,” Zeta said. He glanced at the others around the table. If the immortality tank worked like it was supposed to, president for life was a never-ending position. A group of seven kids had just picked the ruler of the human race for all time.
“As president for life, our safety is my top priority,” Epsilon said.
“Can you use your presidential powers to get us some books?” Rho asked.
“What?”
“Books,” Rho repeated. “You know, information printed on thin sheets of wood pulp.”
“I’m aware of the concept,” Epsilon said.
“SCASL revoked my access to the books in the database, but Nu had the paper kind,” Rho said. “He hid them behind a fake wall panel in his room. Maybe those are okay.”
Epsilon stood up proudly. This was a perfect chance for her to flex her new leadership powers. “Of course. I’ll get them myself.”
She marched up to the lifting bot guarding one of the doors as the other Chosen looked on.
“Excuse me,” Epsilon said. “I need to get through.”
“Egress denied,” the lifting bot said.
“I just want to get some books,” Epsilon said. “I’ll be right back.”
“Organics may not leave the cafeteria unescorted,” the lifting bot said.
“Then escort me,” Epsilon said.
“I am required to guard this door.”
“Find me another escort.”
“Additional escorts are unavailable.”
Epsilon glanced back at the other Chosen. They were all watching her. This was the most entertainment they had had in days. She was grateful they couldn’t hear her.
“Will you just send someone to get the books?” Epsilon said. “They’re in Nu’s room behind a fake wall panel.”
“Your request has been taken under advisement,” the lifting bot said.
Epsilon threw her shoulders back and returned to the table.
“Well?” Rho asked.
“The machines are going to get them for us,” Epsilon said. “They work for me.”
Chapter 40
Iota drew a hot breath through the canvas bag. It wasn’t thick enough to totally block her vision, so Xi had wrapped an oily rag around her eyes over the top of it. He didn’t tie up her hands. She used one to grope blindly in the dark as he led her with the other. With every step, she was afraid she would run into something, and rightly so. She had banged her head on unseen objects more times than she cared to count. Or even could count. She thought that last impact might have given her a concussion. Xi didn’t give any indication that he noticed. They walked in silence. Her fingernail itched. It took all her willpower not to scratch it.
She had been alone for seven days. It had been the scariest time of her life. After leaving the colony ship, she had wandered the outer halls, treading lightly wherever she went. For a full week, she didn’t encounter any organic or digital life. She was thinking about giving up and going back. That was a terrifying thought. How would the others react? She preferred not to find out.
Finally, deep in a dank hall filled with slowly hissing steam, she heard footsteps behind her. They sounded too light to be from a bot.
“Hello?” she said. “It’s Iota. I want to talk.”
The footsteps disappeared. Iota stayed put. She waited in that spot for three days. Her food nearly ran out. She realized she would have to move again to find something to eat. Then Xi showed up.
He stepped out of the shadows nervously. He looked around like he expected an ambush. But there was no ambush. It was only Iota, all alone.
“What do you want?” Xi asked.
“To join you,” Iota said. “I ran away.”
She told him her story: how she had frozen when Delta launched her rescue at the lander even as Pi ran away; how she and the other chosen became prisoners as the bots guarded them around the clock; how she had waited until a lifting bot was distracted and made a break for it; and how she had been wandering in the outer halls for days, completely and utterly alone. It felt good to be in the presence of another living being. It was the first time she had ever been happy to talk to Xi.
Xi listened to the whole story. He didn’t offer her any information in return. He didn’t even mention his stupid goldfish. What she would have given to hear about its non-existent tricks right then. Anything to take her mind off what was to come.
“Wait here,” Xi said. He disappeared. Iota waited two more days. She had never been so hungry in her life, but she didn’t dare leave the area for fear that Xi would show up when she was gone. She hoped she was being watched. This had to be some kind of test to see if she was leading the bots to the renegades. She could completely understand their mistrust. She just hoped it wasn’t so strong that they would leave her here to die. Her fingernail itched uncontrollably.
Two days after Xi left, he reappeared with Gamma. Spenser wasn’t with him. They brought the canvas sack and later added the rag. Once they were sure she couldn’t see, they led her on a long and winding path through the lowest level of the outer halls. That was Iota’s best guess, anyway. They went up and down stairs several times, so she couldn’t be sure. The whole time, Xi led her by the hand. Thankfully, it was her right.
Gamma pulled off the bag and the blindfold. They were in living quarters with multiple bunk beds and an attached kitchen and bathroom. A layer of dust covered everything. In the corner, a blanket—the only clean object in the room—was draped over something.
Gamma sat beside Iota on a bed while Xi stood by the door.
“Tell me why you’re here,” Gamma said.
“I already told you,” Iota said. She didn’t look at her fingernail.
“You told Xi,” Gamma said. “Now tell me.”
Iota carefully repeated the entire story. It was exactly the same as the first time. When she was done, Gamma stood up. He pulled back the blanket in the corner to reveal a pile of rations and water jugs.
“The bathroom works, but I wouldn’t drink the water in there,” Gamma said. “This should get you by for now.”
“Is this your hideout?” Iota asked.
Gamma and Xi exchanged a look.
“This is where you’ll stay until we’re sure,” Gamma said.
“Sure about what?” Iota asked.
“You know,” Gamma said.
He and Xi left and closed the door behind them. Iota sat perfectly still on the bed for what seemed like hours. They didn’t come back. She tore into the rations. She ate two full blocks before she stopped herself. She was hit by a wave of panic. She had no idea how long she needed to make these rations last. She took a sip of water and waited.
Iota did jumping jacks and push-ups. She shadowboxed. She ran from one side of the room to the other and back again until she was covered in sweat. She had always been one of the most athletic organics. She didn’t have Beta’s endurance, but she could beat him in a sprint—and in an arm-wrestling match. She wished she had her blue rubber ball to bounce against the wall. She wished she could scratch her finger.
She tested the door. It was unlocked. She didn’t leave. She had nowhere else to go. One day bled into the next. She lost all sense of how much time had passed. Then, when she had one ration block left, the door to the living quarters suddenly opened. Iota jumped up from a dead sleep and hit her head on the bed above. Xi inspected the room. Then he nodded to someone in the hall. Delta strode in. She had a sword on her back.
Iota instinctively scooted back on the bed.
“Are you here to kill me?” Iota asked.
“I’m here to talk,” Delta said. “That’s what you wanted, right?”
Iota started to tell her tale again.
“Not that story,” Delta said. “I already heard it. Twice.”
Delta sat on a bed across from Iota. Their knees nearly touched in the middle. She motioned for Xi to leave the room.
“What’s the mood like over there?” Delta asked.
“Bad,” Iota said. “They’re all basically prisoners.” She glanced at the door of the room where she had been confined for who knew how many days. Not much had changed. But here, the guard wasn’t a bot. It was the vast and empty outer halls. It was more effective than any prison.
“Are they still going on the lander?” Delta asked.
“No way,” Iota said. “Not under SCASL. He killed Omega right in front of us. Now they all want to join you.”
“All of them?”
“All of them,” Iota said.
Delta nodded.
“Where are they?” she asked.
“The arboretum,” Iota said. “They keep us there all day every day.”
Delta remained impassive.
“How did you escape?”
Iota started to repeat that part of the story.
“No, why didn’t they chase you?” Delta asked.
“They didn’t chase you guys,” Iota said.
“We caught them by surprise in the middle of the night,” Delta said. “And they still chased us. I just fought them off.”
“Oh,” Iota said. “Well, I got away before they noticed.”
Delta nodded again. Iota was getting tired of this. She couldn’t read Delta at all.
“What do you expect to happen now?” Delta asked.
“I want to join you,” Iota said.
“And then what?” Delta asked.
“We’ll take over the lander,” Iota said. “Kill the bots. Pick who we want to land. By organics, for organics. Isn’t that what you have planned?”
Delta got up.
“I’ve made a decision,” she said. “I’m letting you go.”
“Letting me go?” Iota asked. Her finger itched worse than ever.
“Go back to your people,” Delta said. “Tell them we’re still out here and we’re not giving up.”
“They’re not my people anymore,” Iota said.
“You’re a good liar,” Delta said, “but not good enough. You slipped up when you said everyone wanted to join me. Zeta would never do that. He’d watch us all die before he’d risk his spot on the lander.”
“Please,” Iota said. “I can’t go back there. They’ll kill me. And I’ll die out here on my own.”
“I can give you directions to one more food cache,” Delta said. “You’ll have to forage for yourself after that.”
Delta turned to go. Iota saw her chance. In two strides, she crossed the room and slammed into Delta. They fell to the ground together. Iota jabbed her left index finger at Delta. Delta caught her hand at the wrist. The two struggled against each other. Iota pushed her outstretched finger closer to Delta’s abdomen. Iota had always been the strongest.
Xi heard the commotion and rushed in. He dove into Iota and knocked her off of Delta. Iota tossed him aside and jumped back on her. The three of them rolled on the ground. Their arms and legs were tangled together. Iota jabbed her left index finger at Delta. She felt the fingernail sink into flesh. The nail made a pneumatic hiss. The itching stopped.
Xi screamed. He frothed at the mouth and convulsed violently. An instant later, he stopped moving.
“That wasn’t for you,” Iota said. “That wasn’t for—”
She felt a whoosh of air and a slight sting at the base of her neck. She had the weirdest sensation that she was falling, even though her body was right where it had been before. She heard a dull thud as something heavy hit the floor. It was the last thought Iota would ever have.
Chapter 41
They built the cairn for Xi in a mining tunnel not far from where he died. Delta picked the spot. She, Gamma, Theta and Tau gathered what rocks they could until Xi was completely covered. For once, Tau didn’t make an excuse about being too tired. He hadn’t slept since he heard the news. Iota was still in the room where she fell. Delta hadn’t bothered to collect the body, and nobody second-guessed her. Gamma had to admit it was probably the right call. Returning there again would just put all of them at risk of being discovered. Besides, Iota didn’t deserve their final respects. She had betrayed them all.
The debate over whether or not to trust Iota had seemed endless. Alpha and Theta had argued stridently that they should accept her with open arms. Nu argued just as forcefully that her presence could only be a trick. When Nu found out how horribly right he had been, he didn’t rub it in. He just went off to reread Infinite Jest. At some point, it had been cut in half, and he only had the back section. It didn’t seem to make a difference.
The four organics stood around the cairn.
“One of us should say something,” Gamma said.
No one spoke up.
“Okay,” Gamma said. “I’ll start. Xi was a good friend. He was a good goldfish cloner.”
Gamma shifted uneasily. For the millionth time, he wished Spenser were there with him. He would know exactly what to whir.
“He was a good goldfish cloner. Did I already say that? He would have been great on the planet. He would have made sure we never ran out of animals. Especially goldfish.”
Everyone continued to stare at the cairn.
“Somebody else has to say something,” Gamma said.
“He always kept his room clean,” Tau said. “I lived down the hall from him for a while. He was a very tidy guy.”
That was all anyone had to say. It wasn’t much for sixty-two years together. Gamma didn’t have high hopes for his own funeral.
“We should get back,” Delta said.
Gamma had arrived at the scene of the attack moments after it happened. He had been waiting nearby as additional backup. He ran in to find the room already covered in blood. Delta held Xi, who looked like he had died in terrible agony. Gamma had no reason to doubt Delta’s story. Xi had a puncture wound on his leg, and Iota had a thin cartridge on one of her fingernails. Still, after sixty-two years with only two deaths, they had now had four deaths practically back-to-back, with two directly by Delta’s hands. Gamma would be lying if he said that didn’t make him nervous. From what Alpha had said, Delta had been greatly affected by Kappa’s death. Iota’s didn’t phase her at all.
