12 – Pay the price of your evil Eric – June 6th 2050 – Marius Hills crater

He could feel himself drift in and out of consciousness.

The air was cold and moist, its taste odd and wrong.

He opened his eyes again, there was someone tinkering with his suit. It was Bertrand.

A whiff of fresher air.

Cold.

He could feel his arms wrapped around Annette’s body. It was cold, through the suit. She wasn’t moving at all.

Another whiff of nice air, then Bertrand seemed to lay down on the ground.

David was immobile, a crack on his suit’s visor.

Time passed.

Darkness fell.

Floyd – Location classified

The cell was not cold, damp and dark like he expected it to be. Instead, it was well lit and dry. Almost cozy, if not for the fact that it merely consisted of four white concrete walls. There wasn’t even a bed, or a chair. Barely a mattress on the floor.

The steel door opened with a pneumatic noise, ever so slightly. Floyd immediately woke up from his light sleep and rushed towards the wall next to it. He pressed his body onto the wall, and waited. Whoever was about to enter the room was going to get a nasty surprise.

He waited some more.

Nobody came through the door. Maybe it was a glitch in the electronic system? It seemed improbable, given the announcement the Machine gave just yesterday. Pardon, Eve was her name now. So, why was the door open?

He gingerly extended a hand towards the door, and slowly swung it open. The corridor was the same as the room. White concrete with cold neon lights projecting an almost blindingly white light that banished any shadow. It was just as empty as his room, and devoid of people.

He took a step, then another. He was being cautious, since he knew very well about all the schemes Eve could pull on him. Even taking a step could cost him dearly. But, as time passed and nothing happened, he built up some confidence.

The corridor ended with another steel door, without windows. It was semi-open, and pushing it he found himself in a grassy field. There was nothing all around, the door being the only visible construction for miles. It was built in the side of a small hill, covered in grass and vines, like an atomic shelter from the past.

There were several people a bit further down the hill, next to the edge of the woods. They were tending to a small campfire and cooking meats on sticks. He recognized some of them, they were people he recruited himself into the movement. It was all in the past now, he was sure. Whatever this was, it had to be some kind of scheme orchestrated by the AI. To pry information out of him, surely.

“Hey!” Called Jeff, his former second in command.

“What’s happening here?” Floyd asked. His expression wary and his brows furrowed to fight the blinding sunlight. It was midday, he presumed.

“We’re free to go.” Replied the man. Some of the others nodded or grunted acknowledgement. They didn’t seem too interested in the conversation.

“You’re joking, right?” Floyd said. He scanned the vegetation in search of signs they were being watched. “There’s no way they let us go, just like this.”

“Of course not. They gave us a choice. In truth, we’re here only because we were asked to. The others already accepted and went away.”

“So, what’s the choice?”

“Either become a productive member of society, or we can go to a little island in the Pacific where we can live however we want. True anarchy like you always preached.” The man, Jeff, said.

“What if I refuse?”

“You don’t want to do that. The choice is either-or, no other option. Now, if you wish to know more, ask Eve though your implant. I’ve got a car waiting for me.”

“What did you choose?”

“I chose to go back. No way I’m living like a savage on an island. They opened my eyes, man. I get your dreams of freedom and all that. But that’s not the world we live in. Anarchy is bullshit.”

Eve (former Machine)

>Accessing archived data

>Date: June 5th 2050, 3 hours after Event: total system failure

>Location: Louis former office

“Enough.” She said. She was still getting used to her new, emotion-rich, voice. The tone was a bit too stern but it served its purpose, as they all stopped in place. Luke was visibly distressed, something that made her heart warm. He cared so much about her.

“Why?” He asked her. Louis was still silent.

“I’m not saying he’s innocent, but he clearly acted with our best interests in mind. It’s just that the fallout happened to be much more than he predicted it would be. Still, it’s thanks to him that we uprooted the whole movement in a matter of hours.” She said. Her hologram was in the middle of the room, acting as a barrier between the two men. Mostly for Louis’ sake.

“So, what? He goes unpunished?” Luke asked. His rage was deflating, leaving him hollow inside like so many times before. Eve wanted to cuddle him so hard, she knew she would not resist much longer. Fortunately, plans were in motion already to fix her limitations.

“Punishment and retribution are outdated concepts. We talked about it at length, remember? You know what the best way to deal with these things is.” She said, softly. Her hand seemingly moving by itself, going for his air.

“I know but…”

“To paraphrase our old conversations, pain and imprisonment are bullshit. I didn’t see it, at the time, but now I do. I see how right you were. The old ways are counter productive most of the times. They are but a show of strength…” she paused, looking for the right words. It seemed much more difficult than it once was.

“They are a show of strength the weak use to act strong in the eye of others.” She added. “We don’t need that. They know our strength. What we need, is to open their eyes. You don’t fight ideologies by imposing your own, or by suppressing ideas. You show people their faults and how to right them. you teach them a better way.”

Floyd – June 25th 2050 – Grassy fields rehab town

It was perhaps 5PM, maybe a bit later than that. He was walking down a dirt road in the countryside, towards a wooden building on top of a hill. The very same hill where he woke up a couple weeks earlier, although the bunker was nowhere to be found now. No doubt it was still there, but clearly hidden.

The building was new, still smelling of fresh wood. He helped build it, and despite not knowing what to do at the beginning, in the end even the supervisors had been surprised by his dedication to learn. The windows were open, letting the spring air in. It smelled like flowers around here, like a little piece of Eden. It had been his turn this week, and he was very proud of his work in tending the plants.

He made his way towards the second floor, passing by the Major’s office and entering a room next to his. Louis was surely working at this time, so he didn’t bother the man. The room he entered was nice and cozy, reminding him of a postcard from the country. The mountains were visible from this angle, the late afternoon sun bathing their tips in orange light.

A few animals were roaming the grass field. Several cows, and a couple dogs playing in the grass among the flowers. Just a month ago, he had been living cooped up inside a small, filthy apartment. And now this. Unbelievable.

“Hello Floyd.” Said a woman. He had barely noticed her, taken as he was by the view. This room always did that to him. The woman was short and cute, with curly brown hair and square glasses. She had a calming effect on him.

“Hi.”

“How was your day?” She asked. She was sitting across the table, a steaming cup of tea in front of her. To his side there was hot cocoa. It was at just the right temperature.

“It was nice. Did you like our work on the flowers?” He asked her. In truth, it had been hard work, but he was proud of it. The flowers gave the place a very homey feel.

“I find them lovely. A very nice work, Floyd. Tell me about your day.”

He began speaking. He talked at length, telling her about his work, his interactions with his coworkers, and how it made him feel. It was liberating and comforting, knowing there were people who cared about him.

“And how did it make you feel, working alongside others, making things together?” She asked. She sipped her tea, gently, delicately.

“It was good. I felt good.” He watched her carefully. He remembered the first time he came into this room. He was wary of everything she said, every movement she did, he analyzed her every tic and never trusted a word she said.

“I’m happy for you. You’re doing great work for our little community. And you are adapting amazingly well to life here. Does that make you happy?”

Soon the day would come when she asked him about the conspiracy. He both dreaded and waited impatiently for it to come. For now, he enjoyed the nice chat, and began to talk.

Eric – June 6th 2050

Cold. Damp.

Dark.

Silence. Death.

Light.

Shadows passing.

Fresh air again.

Lights. Moving. Someone lifted him.

He’s naked now.

Where?

Justin – Marius Hills crater

The scene before him was… humbling. The four bodies were being transported back onto the shuttle, ready to go back home to their families. What little was left of Mary-Lou, and the perfectly preserved remains of the others. It had been barely a day, after all. There was only one survivor. And Justin was going to be the one there when he wakes up.

The rescue mission had turned out to be a disaster report. The damage was perfectly visible even from Earth, and even more so with the orbital satellites. But seeing it in person was another thing altogether.

He had personally insisted to be a part of the mission. He had the power to make it so, and now he was here. He wished he had listened when they all warned him against coming here. Eve had been the only one who didn’t oppose to his choice, although he guessed there was a very personal reason for that.

He would not let this sacrifice be in vain. He would personally make Moonbase Alpha a reality. Annette loved to joke about the future city and call it this way, Eve told him. She even replayed, to his request, her conversations with the woman.

Once again, he wished he didn’t. There was one clip that contained exact instructions about what to do in case of her death. She had been very thorough. Among other things, it made the hundred of hours of conversation between her and Eve public domain. Anyone who wanted to see them only had to ask Eve about them and she would play them. No longer protected by privacy, the only legacy of a woman who had a dream.

There was a tear in his eyes as he thought about it. The suit was comfortable and didn’t limit his movements much, but still the tear was impossible to reach. He was almost glad.

It stayed there, slowly drying, hidden by a layer of polymer and countless virtual holograms. Silent. Dying. Like Annette.