Saturday, May 21, 2011

Only Human Epilogue: Ten Years Later: In Our Angelhood

Benjamin Beckett knew he had more than he could carry, but it was his own fault for not wanting to make two trips. The miscellaneous circuit boards, memory cards, and random hard drives shifted in the overloaded cardboard box that he held tight to his chest.

It didn’t help that the expo building was getting more crowded every day as the opening day of this year’s Science & Technology Convention was fast approaching. Wintermute Co., which Ben worked for, was hoping to use the convention to impress buyers and attract new business, since things had not gone so well for the company in the last couple years. That is, if Ben and his brother could get the booth’s presentation working in time.

Ben had been just recruited out of college, and, while reluctant to admit it, he was nervous about his first convention. There was a lot riding on it, and his boss wasn’t shy about reminding him.

Related thoughts filled his head as he carried the box of parts down the stairs. Distracted, his foot missed the last step, and Ben found himself pitching forward, an inevitable date with gravity.

Instead of the hard ground, though, he fell into a woman who caught him. He sleepishly apologized as the woman took it all in stride.

He guessed she was about twice his age. She had a mess of redish-blonde hair that covered her long face. Small, oval glasses framed her dark eyes. She wore casual work clothes with her sleeves rolled up. Around her neck was a simple necklace with a cross hanging on the end.

“You’re one of the presenters,” Ben said, pointing to her badge.

“Guilty as charged, but don’t hold that against me,” replied the woman. “I’m Elizabeth.”

“Ben.” He shook the proffered hand as best as he could while juggling the box.

“My father wanted to call me Stacey, but I was named after my grandmother instead.” She watched him fumbling with the box. “Do you need help with that?”

“No, I’ve got it. Thanks.” They walked out the stairwell and into the bustling lobby area.

“So, what company are you with?”

“Wintermute.”

A smile spread across her face. “You’re kidding.”

“No, why?”

“No reason. Mind if I tag along for a bit?”

“I guess not,” Ben said as he showed the guard his badge. The actual convention area was a lot quieter than the lobby outside. Ben nodded towards a corner booth where another man was sorting though a pile of computer parts.

“I’ll get this working if it’s the last thing I do,” said Silas, Ben’s brother. While related, Elizabeth found it hard to see a correlation between the two men. Ben was short, with cropped red hair and a hawkish nose. Silas was tall with long, dyed-green hair and a bulbous nose.

“Silas, Elizabeth,” said Ben. “Elizabeth, Silas.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said as he shook her hand. “I don’t suppose you know much about operating systems, do you?”
“A little. It’s been awhile since I’ve dabbled in that sort of thing.”

“We been working on a beta version of the new OS, but it now doesn’t want to ‘talk’ with the network.”

“Here, bro, is the stuff from the van. There should be the disc for version 2.4.4 in there. Maybe we can work off that until we can get 2.4.5 up to speed.”

“The thing is it was working fine yesterday. You know what I mean, Liz?”

“I do, and don’t call me Liz.” She looked over at the gutted insides of the chrome computer casing. “Is this what’s been giving you trouble?”

“Yeah,” replied Silas, not looking up from the box of junk.

“How about you put it back together, and I’ll take a swing at it?”

The two brothers looked at each other.

“Well,” started Ben.

“Did you guys get it working yet?” A man came up to the booth. The man wore a shirt and tie with his badge clipped to his breast pocket. The badge identified him as Kyle McManus.

“We’re working on it. Ben here has brought an expert, I guess.”

Elizabeth turned away from the computer and immediately recognized Kyle. They briefly embraced each other.

“Elizabeth, I haven’t seen you since the funeral,” said Kyle. “What have you been up to?”

“As if you didn’t know. Just look at you. You’re the spitting image of your father.”

Kyle grinned at her remark.

Ben and Silas huddled over by the box of parts.

“Say,” started Silas. “Isn’t she the one who spoke in front of Congress a few years ago? The one who protested the Human Augmentation Act?”

Ben glanced back at Elizabeth. “She could be. I didn’t really follow it like you did.”

“A lot of critics say that it would have passed if it wasn’t for her. They say that she singlehandedly halted the course of human evolution.”

“Critics? Don’t you mean pundits? And when have you given credence to what you hear on newscasts?”
Silas just shrugged.
“You’re just unhappy ‘cause you can’t plug your brain into a computer yet,” continued Ben.
“If I could, then I’d know what’s wrong with our prototype.” Silas started putting the computer back together. “They’re getting along like gangbusters.”

“The boss and Elizabeth, you mean?”

“Yeah, they’re like the best of friends, and yet we’ve never even heard of her before.”

“Maybe they haven’t seen each other in a long time,” said Ben.

“Look,” said Kyle. “I know you hate when I say this, but we’ve got an opening, actually plenty of them. Say the word, and you can have any of them.”

“I’m flattered, but you know how I feel about working for you,” replied Elizabeth.

“You’d be working with me.”

“Still, I don’t know.”

“You still don’t know? How long have you had to think about it?”

“It’s been ages. I’ve been travelling for a while with some old friends.”

“You’re a natural, just like your father was.”

“But my rep’s no good anymore.”

“I don’t care,” said Kyle. “I won’t take no for an answer this time.”

Elizabeth smiled. “You’re as stubborn as your father, you know.”

“I know.”

“How about if I fix your little problem, then I’ll consider it very, very hard?”

“Why not just say yes now?”

“It would be good work with my hands again,” admitted Elizabeth.

“As opposed to what?”
“Never mind.” Elizabeth turned to the two boys. “So, have you got this put together again?”

“Just about,” replied Silas. “There.” He replaced the panel on the side of the casing.

“Turn it on,” said Elizabeth.

“But,” started Silas.

“Do it,” said Kyle.

Silas pressed the button, and the computer dinged to life. The screen turned blue, but nothing else happened. The fans hummed unevenly from the back of the machine.

“See?” said Silas.

“Everyone, hold hands,” said Elizabeth. She took Kyle’s and Ben’s hands. Silas reluctantly took his brother’s other hand. Ben thought her hands would be soft, but her fingertips were coarse.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and bowed her head. Her hands’ grip tightened, and Ben thought she trembled slightly. Her rhythmic breathing was steady, but he swore she was going to faint.

Elizabeth Walker was trying to concentrate, but she was finding it difficult. She didn’t think it was possible that a simple thing like his hand in hers would be such a significant distraction. She had to admit that the whole thing was shamelessly theatrical, but she was going for mysterious, not practical.

But the data had a calming effect, washing over her. It was, as always, impersonal and empirical. The complete opposite of a woman’s heart which was full of passion and resolve. And it was Elizabeth’s heart that told her what she needed to do.
Face flushed, her eyes flashed opened, light reflecting on her dark irises. The knot of data unwound, and a loading window popped up on the blue screen. Silas looked uneasily impressed, while Ben was more confused than anything.

Elizabeth looked down to see her hand was still in Kyle’s. He smiled warmly at her, and she returned the smile.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing really,” Kyle replied. “Just not used to seeing you smile.”

“Maybe we should meet on less morbid circumstances.”

“Aren’t we doing that right now?”

“I do believe that we are,” said Elizabeth.

“I’ve been reminiscent lately. I don’t have too many regrets, but one of them was missing Sean’s funeral. The other was not getting you to work for my father’s company.”

“Don’t you mean your company?”

“I still have trouble thinking in those terms,” said Kyle. “Just like you had trouble accepting my offer.”

“You have to understand that back then I had other obligations.”

“That may be true, but it was hard to keep in touch with you when you dropped off the radar.”

“I traveled a lot. Well, I used to.”

“And now?”

“I don’t know what to do. I haven’t been like this in years. I’ve sunk my chances of being a millionaire when I decided to stand up for my beliefs.”

“You mean that whole thing with Congress?”

“That research was all based on experiments done illegally to animals and humans like me. It was the only thing I could do.”
“You acted off your conviction,” said Kyle. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I know you’ve explained your condition before, but I still have a hard time understanding it.”

“What’s to understand? I am what I am.”

“Words to live by,” said Kyle.

They shook hands, marking the start of something that would last a lifetime.

Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Today is Free Comic Book Day

It must be important if NPR is reporting on it.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Only Human Chapter 11: Half Gifts

Zoey was half expecting her home to swarming with police officers. There was nothing out of the ordinary, in fact, except for a familiar white car parked outside. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes a little. It was only a matter of time before she showed up. It was a long ride home, and Zoey was too tired to care. Quietly unlocking the door, Zoey stepped into the house.

She could hear voices coming from the family room and walked almost soundlessly towards them. There, sitting together like old friends, were her parents, Rick Daring, and Sara.

Sara sat poised and refined as always. Her short, dark hair flapped as her head turned; grey strands danced downward over her green eyes. She wore her modest white jumpsuit with the rolled up sleeves and leggings, revealing the dark tegarei that covered her body except for her head and fingertips.

Rick Daring, well dressed as ever, wore a dark navy suit with a striped shirt and a red tie. The suit did little to hide his broad shoulders and trim physique. On display was his trademark disarming smile and sparkling blue eyes.

“Hello, Zoey,” said Sara. “We were just talking about you.” Zoey’s parents immediately got up and greeted her with warm, affectionate hugs.

“I was just telling your parents about your apprenticeship with me over the last five years. It was wrong of me to ask you to keep it a secret, given my high-profile status.”

“That must have been what’s been bothering you these last couple days,” said Harold.

“To think that you were working at a high ranking corporation, and you let us think that you were slumming around,” said Alice.

“Really, Mother, I -”

“And I assure you that my credentials are sound, and my associate can back everything I’ve told you,” continued Sara. “Your daughter is a very creative and enthusiastic person, but as hardworking as she is, I insisted on giving her a break.”

“We had a previous engagement nearby,” said Daring. “So, we thought we would drop in, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, though we would have appreciated a little forewarning,” said Alice. “Now, we see where Elizabeth gets it from.”

Harold nudged Zoey. “Well, don’t you have anything to say to your boss?”

“Well,” started Zoey. “That is, this is a surprise, and I just got back myself from… From a trip, and I just need a moment, to put away my things and gather my thoughts.” Flustered, Zoey started backing away towards the stairs.

“Don’t mind them,” said Alice. “We can entertain them while you get dressed into something more appropriate. Dinner won’t be ready for another twenty minutes anyway.”

“Dinner?”

“Yes, it would be rude not to feed them, don’t you think?”

Zoey trudged up the stairs; her head still spinning from everything that’s happened to her in the last 24 hours. I’m going to have dinner with my parents and Sara? I think I prefer being Zeitgeist’s slave. How can my life become any more upside down? She walked into her bedroom and found a man standing in it.

The man was no stranger to her. His dark hair was slicked back, and a small stubble was growing on his youthful face. He wore a green shirt with a tan tie and an olive sweater vest over top. His name was Maximilian Sebastian Orwell Maddock Jr., but everyone just called him “Junior.”

“Oh, hey,” he said. “I wasn’t, you know, spying or anything. Sara told me to wait outside, but I just climbed in through your window. I wanted to see you, that you’re okay.”

Zoey rushed over and hugged Junior. She was trembling in his arms. “You okay?” he asked.

“God, I can’t even tell you what I’ve just been through,” she replied. “It all seemed so strange, like a fading dream.” She suddenly broke their embrace. “Just wait a moment, I have to do something. I’ll be right back.”

Zoey left her room and walked over to her parents’ room. Her parents were too distracted by their guests, and it was a perfect time for Zoey slip back the gun undetected.

She walked into her parents’ room, reaching for the gun in her backpack. Her heart started to race as she realized the gun wasn’t in the bag. She had it with her when she was escaping the underground facility. She had it when she ran into the two police officers.

Her mind tried to retrace her steps. Did she have it when she rode the elevator up? What if the police have it? What if they’re dusting it for prints, and then come and arrest her, or worse, her parents?

“Looking for this?” Zoey turned to see Sara framed in the doorway, handing Zoey her parents’ gun.

Zoey took the gun from Sara. “How did you get this?” she asked before the realization kicked in. “No! Don’t tell me!”

“Yes?”

“Don’t tell me that you were that police woman!”

“Yes, Daring and I. I’m afraid you dropped that when you were trying to tackle us.”

Zoey looked skeptically at Sara for a moment, before quietly replacing the gun where she had found it.

“Did you find your closure?” asked Sara.

“Thank you for coming all this way and lying to my parents, but I’m going to tell them the truth at dinner. I promised myself that I would.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I was helping.”

“I need a ride, that’s all. I’m not going back,” said Zoey. “I don’t need the kidnappings and the death threats anymore. I can’t handle it like you, Sara.”

“I’m not some adrenaline junkie. Daring and I do this, because we have to.”

“What’s to show for all the years we’ve been doing it? All of them are back on the streets again or worse, re-elected.”

“That doesn’t matter. I only care about the people who need our help. Someone has to help them.”

“That’s fine. That’s what you believe in, Sara. But I don’t think that’s what I believe in. The fact is I still don’t know what I believe in or what my life is for. Hours ago, I was pointing a gun at the man who ruined my life, and I don’t know if it made a difference at all.”

“Zeitgeist is in our custody now, Zoey. He’ll never bother you again.”

“Really? Where is he?”

“He’s in the truck of our car, armless and legless. If he turns evidence that will cripple the Cabal, he’ll spend the rest of his unnaturally long life on an isolated planet doing experiments on nonliving things.”

“He should be rotting in jail. He ransacked my brain, not to mention all the others he wronged. For Christ’s sake, he murdered my friends.”

“Zeitgeist has a trump card. His life is being prolonged by an unknown procedure. If Richard or I bring him to any civilized court, the first thing they will do is cut him open and discover the source of his supposed immortality.”

Sara’s green eyes burrowed deeply into Zoey as she continued, “This would seriously ruin the balance of life on any planet, causing catastrophic overpopulation, to name the least. We had to make a deal with him, so that no one else can find out about his process.”

“Why does this all sound so familiar? Why are you so pessimistic when it comes to other people? You don’t think they can be as saintly as you are?”

“Don’t trifle with me, Zoey,” said Sara, an edge to her voice. “I know what other people are capable of, because I have looked into the darkness of my own hearts. I know that other people would be tempted, because frankly I would be tempted.”

“Fair enough. But I don’t want to have anything more to do with any of this. I just need you to take me out there one more time.”

“To run away again?”

“No. Before I got dragged into all this again, I was helping Kintu, and now she probably thinks you got me killed in one of your hair-brained plans.”

“Hair-brained?” asked Sara. “That hurts, really it does. And Kintu knows me better than that. Right?”

Zoey didn’t reply.

“That thing on Rylon IV doesn’t count.” Sara sighed. “Then, what will you do afterwards?”

“Probably hitch a ride back here. I still don’t know what to do, who I am. I looked into the eyes of the devil himself, and I don’t know what I’m going to do, Sara.”

“I have faith in you. No matter what you decide.”

“Even if it ends in prostitution and drug smuggling?”

“Don’t make me bring your mother up here,” said Sara, fighting off a smile. Then, suddenly, the smile was gone. “Does Junior know?”

Junior sat on Zoey’s bed, quietly waiting for her return. His thoughts, once about his recent adventure with Daring and Sara, now focused on Zoey and the happiness he felt being with her. Being a linguist, he could tell her in a million different ways, but why did he hesitate?

“Max?” He turned to watch Zoey enter the room. She sat down next to him.

“Is everything all right?” he asked.

“Yes, well, no, probably not. It’s just so sudden, all of this. My head’s spinning. I feel like I was just put through a test, and I don’t know if I passed or failed.”

“It sounds like you’ve been around Sara too long. So much for getting away from all this. There’s nothing to worry about now. We got Zeitgeist. He won’t hurt anyone anymore.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Sara told me he’ll live a long but isolated life. Maybe I should have shot him when I had the chance.”

“Zoey, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Skip the sermon for a moment. That guy killed my friend and did a lot worse to me. Don’t I have the right to take his life after everything he did to me?”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. When I looked at him, on that slab, all my anger evaporated, and I was filled with sadness. I guess I pitied him. He thought of himself as this great figure, but he wasn’t even capable of the most basic human emotions, except greed.”

“Sara would be proud of you. We all are. Compassion is a rare treat to see these days.”

“Then, why do I feel so bad?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you made the wrong decision?”

“Oh, thanks for that! I thought you were suppose to make me feel better.”

Junior shrugged. “Sara’s the philosophical one. I’m just good with words.”

“Look, Max, I’m going back to Imitatia. Why not come back with me? Just for a month or so?”

“I thought you were coming back with us, to the Institute.”

“No, I left Kintu in the lurch, and I owe her to come back and finish what I started. Then, I’m probably coming back to Earth.”

“Here? Why?”

“Even after all I’ve been through, I don’t know what I want to do, but I don’t want to live the life you guys are living, from adventure to adventure. I think being here will help me figure things out, and, God help me, I love my parents and miss them terribly.”

“I understand, Zoey,” started Junior.

“I hear a ‘but’ coming up,” interrupted Zoey. She placed a finger to his lips. “So, why don’t we just leave it at that?”

“Elizabeth!” came her mother’s voice from the base of the stairs. “You’re keeping your guests waiting! It’s dinner time!”

Zoey looked at Junior’s forlorn face. “Are you sure you don’t want to join us? There’s always room for one more.”

“No, thanks. I think I’ll just slip out your window while you all are eating. See you around.”

“Goodbye.” Zoey’s chest swelled as she turned from him and made her way downstairs. She forced herself to take deep breaths as she slowly walked down step by step. It was the only thing keeping her from breaking down.

No, not now. It’s supposed to be a happy occasion.

Zoey smiled as she greeted Sara and Daring and led them to the dining room. They sat down at a round table with her parents, and they sat in silence as Alice said grace. Then, they passed the food around, and for a moment, Zoey forgot herself, smiled warmly, and spoke openly.

She told those gathered around her about the last five years of her life. She told her parents about Zeitgeist, Sara, the Brilliant 5, and all the sights and terrors she had experienced.

When she was finished, they were only empty plates and full stomachs. Zoey simply sat there and waited for her parents to say something.

Click here to read the final chapter

Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.