Paris

CNN had, more than a year ago, reserved the entire roof deck of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral for the finale of Electoral 2072. It had been rebuilt with a majestic glass ceiling over a dark wooden floor. Today it should have been closed to tourists, even those who wandered in but the Multiverse decided who came in. Metal rails carefully positioned reminded guests fire had burnt twice this structure in the past fifty years. A thousand people were here in the surreal scene of what would be the Sixth Attraction. They had driven cars in streets between burning cinders in complete ease. The Multiverse was rolling out the red carpet. Paris was literally on fire. In the dark sky, rocks fell and a giant acid gas clouds were slowly covering larger parts of the sky.

This was, without any hesitation the end. Every guest was wearing a tuxedo and holding the rarest of Champagne. Everyone just spent three hours enjoying themselves and Sophie on mars was radiant with joy. She was unable to get her eyes off the singer setting up instruments recreated by Marilyn’s nanotechnology. Many who had wondered here had been allowed up. Emilio insisted many bring their children for this end of worlds event. Many joked they would be the surviving part of the human race in case Sophie decided a handful needed rescue.

On the stage was a podium for the award ceremony. Emilio would either be crowned President or Vice-President in minutes. Next to the podium was a large tube of glass filled with some fluid. It was obviously a new generation Rho chamber. The player would be dropped down in it. On its left stood a news desk where the two anchors were preparing themselves for this historic broadcast.

In Emilio’s surrounding paced his assistant Kaï who was busy organizing things. Francois Copland and all of the other members of the Scientific Committee were there. Patrick Martin stood like a body guard ready to jump at any intruder and his wife and daughter were amongst the guests. Emilio was wearing a large bathrobe over what appeared to be a wetsuit. Anybody who was anyone in this story had travelled to Paris and was here. This was Aurevoir Marilyn-style.

Above the stage and the tube were screens and images. For the moment the broadcast was held by Milly Wong reporting from mars. On the screen below her was a countdown clock, it read 13:12. It was impossible to describe the surreality of the situation.

“Mister President,” spoke the journalist from mars in a pen-shaped microphone to the audience down on earth. The sound was loud and everyone stopped to listen. Behind Milly stood a second large tube. Next to it, little robots were assembling something. “Doctor Shin refused to let Laurent enter what Marilyn calls the immersion chamber. She tried to beg Doctor Shin to let Laurent enter. In it, she explained the deformed body of Laurent would have been fully regenerated. Susie refused and rejected the computer’s offer. The computer explained this was the only way to make the game equal. You may not know down on earth but the band is here ready to play., Sophie was given Ronaldo’s flip phone and the young gifted Attractor mandated the Doctor to exercise best judgment. Said simply, we are ready.”

Marilyn’s voice added, “President this means you will both return the Rho neuronal patches. You can change and remove this wetsuit, we are not giving you this technology and not Laurent.” On the stage, the liquid in the tank began to drain. Emilio looked around wondering what to do. In the sky the end of life was getting closer. The red light was now lighting the entire sky above Paris.

Kaï suggested he change.

“No need, I don’t care,” said the President out loud. “I will keep these last minutes to say goodbye.”

He jumped on stage and grabbed a microphone. The Countdown was down to 11:12. “Everyone, can I get a moment,” the cameras around the world focused on him.

Emilio looked around, there was soft romantic music playing. With the hand he told producers to cut the music, “Sir, this is not from our system.”

Emilio turned to the screen above, “Marilyn, can I get some silence.”

The blond appeared on the screen and the same way, “this is not from me.”

They all looked up in the sky above. The fabric of life was unstable. The dark clouds began to fill with pink and purple clouds of death as waves and shaped that appeared to sync with music. As the song played, the structure was entering the upper atmosphere. The Multiverse was now in charge it seemed.

“It’s beginning darling. Hurry up with your last words. Talk louder then jump in. I might not control this much longer,” said Marilyn as if she was now strained.

The song was simple, a famous voice from the past, the French-Canadian singer, Celine Dion. It was her song named simply Fly. Something deep was happening in space, in the Multiverse.

Emilio spoke last words, “People of earth, I apologize. I wish we had better news but that is not the case. Kiss your loved ones and if we have to go, I guess this is the best way possible. We thank Liam for giving each of you decades, centuries of life.” Emilio was ready to add kind words to his lover but the Asian made a stern face telling him not to do so. He blew a kiss his way. As he got ready to jump into the tube, “Remember, this is not about us.”

Emilio jumped in the Rho chamber. In the sky death was approaching. In the room everyone was helping the children sit and connect to the system. People had purchased metal patches now forbidden. They could be stuck to the temple above the ear. As the bodies each received the patches, they went limp. One by one, every human connected to the system. The last were the staff from CNN on the desk.

Above, the Apocalypse fell.

On mars Sophie kissed her dad good luck. Behind her the band was ready to take its place on the stage and warm up.

“It is here,” said Milly to everyone.

“Not yet,” answered Sophie from feet away. She grabbed a chair and for the first time, she would actually watch with interest.

“Everyone connect in, that includes you,” the Attractor specifically spoke to Doctor Shin. “I need to be here alone with Marilyn. This is between us.”

“I cannot leave him,” she put her hand on his head with such love. Sophie knew this would need more. This fight will not need you.”

Susie refused to leave Laurent and put on her temple the metal patch Sophie was holding her way. “I cannot,” she whispered.

“Marilyn?”asked the Attractor. Marilyn immediately knew what to do. She pointed at the screen next to her. On it stood a short Korean man wearing preacher robes over a simple pair of jeans and large black shiny shoes. “Gwang Hae, your father left you too early. Please enjoy these last moments with him.”

Sophie extended her arm holding the disk to connect, “Laurent and I thank you, no one deserves you.” The doctor immediately lost her perfect composure, her eyes turned red and she immediately began to cry. There, on the screen behind the Attractor stood her father.

“Daddy,” she whispered as she put in the patch and her body went limp in Sophie’s arms. Everyone had a breaking point, a daughter’s father was one. She knew it. Sophie smiled. She loved these powers. The Attractor kissed her father’s forehead one last time and connected him in.

One by one people entered the digital world. Energy and feed flew in to power the digital reality. As she stood alone, she looked out above.

21:01:45 Paris time, November 21, 2072, the Apocalypse was 15 seconds from hitting the surface of earth.

Earth died.