Lago snarled at Lee, his red eyes glared with withering intensity. Lee looked back expressionless. His eyes were black and dead. Lago looked around for discarded multi-guns or weapons of any sort, but everything was buried under a thick layer of mud and rubble. The closest thing was an old worn brick. Lago bent down and picked it up. He felt better having something in his hand.

“The fighting is over Lago,” said Lee.

Lago took a deep breath and muttered, “Nothing is ever over.”

He looked at the brick in his hand. The years of flowing water had worn down the edges to a smooth inflection. He looked closer. There was a number stamped into the brick. 1854. He did not think of what the number might mean. He thought about his vast empire, his fleet of factory ships, his laboratories, his space shuttles and thousands of his employees. He thought about the Masama that had abandoned him and all his other assets around the world but most of all he thought about his vast array of weaponry. A thousand methods of killing at his disposal and here he was with a brick in his hand. He turned it over and thought about throwing it at Lee but knew it would be pointless.

Lago was desperately thinking of a way to gain the upper hand. He snapped out of his turbulent thoughts as a sudden loud groan came from behind him. His shaking fingers dropped the brick and it landed directly on the bone on top of his foot. “Aaah fuck!” He screamed, hopping on one foot, looking around and glaring at Raymond. It was the last pathetic indignation. A rake at the gates of hell.

Eventually, he focused on Lee again. “So, let me get this right, your plan is to infect humanity with the black shit inside you, without their knowledge? Extremely fucking devious, even I would be proud of that.”

“I don't intend to argue with or have a philosophical debate with you Lago but needless to say, it is the only way.”

“Only way to what, save the world?”

“It’s the next step up the evolutionary ladder Lago.”

“So, your plan is for everyone on Earth to be infected with the same artificial mind control brainwashing bullshit, then what? We all hold hands and be nice to each other?” Lago's voice was thick with venomous sarcasm.

“We will still be individuals, but we will be connected. We will have instant access to universal knowledge but most importantly the connection we will share will make us closer to our fellow man.”

“You want to be some kind of green Jesus? You don’t understand humans at all.” Lago spat.

Raymond unravelled himself from his painful embrace with a big pipe. He stood up shakily and inspected his body. Blood and mud dripped from his head and there was still a deafening scream from where his ear used to be. He could not believe he was alive. Almost drowned three times and choked to death twice. Lee and Lago were the last two standing. Odetta was lying spread-eagled on the floor, blood leaking from a hole in her head. Lance was in a crumpled bloody heap. There was no sign of Goran or Batac under the rubble. Raymond tried to move in their direction and instantly bolts of pain wracked his body. It felt like several broken ribs but luckily his arms and legs still worked. He stumbled forward, picking up a stray multi-gun buried in the rubble.

“You don’t think humanity should have a say in its own future?” Lago continued. “Are you just going to infect everyone by surreptitiously spiking their water? Have you ever heard of free will? You say you are doing this for humanity, but you are more underhand than I am!”

“Something has to change Lago, you know this. There are almost ten billion people on the planet. In another couple of years, there will be twelve. Food and water are already hard to find. Natural resources are running out. Given everything we know of our species; do you actually think we can find a solution on our own? Earth will become a barren desert where those with the power will fight over the remaining resources and everyone else will starve. To do nothing is insane; not acting is condemning our species to death. Something has to change.”

“And once we are all happily brainwashed, what difference will that make? We all start buying energy saving light bulbs? Is that your answer?”

“I said I don’t want a philosophical argument with you Lago but listen for a minute. There will be no selfishness, no greed; we will all look out for each other. We will be a global community. We already have the answers. It’s just a matter of unlocking the information. Space travel, space habitats, renewable energy and food for everyone. It can be done but we need to change, you need to change. We need to adapt to survive and evolve to find our place among the stars, and we need your help.”

Raymond painfully propped himself up against the wall still holding the auto-gun. The ringing in his ear had subsided slightly and he had been trying to listen to their conversation. He convulsed and vomited up dirty brown river water. The effort was excruciating, and he cried out in pain.

“Raymond, I can't thank you enough for what you have done,” said Lee “You have three broken ribs, a cracked sternum, you are missing an ear, but you will be ok. We will be finished here soon.”

“You make some nice speeches.” Lago ignored Raymond. “But I am way ahead of you. My orbital elevator will be the gateway to the solar system. One step away from space habitats and affordable space travel. My Moon mining operation will soon be harvesting helium 3, an unlimited clean energy source and my 3D printing empire can print enough food to feed the world’s population ten times over. Humanity does not need to be infected with your alien intelligence to survive, I am looking after them.”

Lee gave a sardonic smile. “Lago, not long ago I swore to hunt you down and kill you. I may have changed but I still recognize lies when I hear them. The only reason you are doing these things is for your own benefit. You crave power, control and wealth above all else. You want to control and profit from access to space. You want to control and profit from energy distribution and if your 3D printers can produce so much food why aren't you doing it already? I'm sorry but you are one of the biggest examples of why humanity needs my solution. You see the rest of the human race as your slaves, the Earth as a resource to plunder, you have no empathy.”

Lago smiled but did not offer any rebuttal.

“You are right about your empire having the potential to help humanity, your organization has the logistics and the global structure in place to make a difference.” Lee took a step closer to Lago. “BPI just needs a leader who can take it in a new direction that is not all about power and profit.” Lee moved closer still to Lago, close enough to touch. “Lago, you could be that person. You could be that leader if you accept my gift.”

“Get the fuck away from me!” spat Lago stumbling backward. “Gift? Is that what you call it? You want to infect me and all of humanity with your alien shit without our consent? You can fuck off.”

Lago backed away a few paces, he wished he had a weapon. Lee looked around and his eyes rested on the undamaged pumps and filters of the treatment plant and the clean reservoir beyond. He smiled contritely at Lago again.

“I would rather convince you than force you, but I will force you if I have to. Evolution will happen, humanity will embrace my IA, I am speeding up the process. Giving us all the greatest chance for survival and a vast improvement in everyone's quality of life. Trust me; it is the only way forward.”

“Trust you? I don't trust anyone!” yelled Lago. “You want to make us all the same, so we all think the same, the same happy thoughts. Sounds like the worst kind of brainwashing to me. I think you have forgotten what it is to be human. Everyone is different, everyone is an individual, and everyone makes mistakes. It’s the friction between us that defines us. Take the differences away and we might as well be mindless robots. You think you are fighting to save humanity well you are fucking wrong!” Lago was shouting, arms raised. “You have forgotten what it is to be human, I am the one trying to save humanity, and I know what it is to be human.” He banged his chest with a clenched fist. “I am more fucking human than anyone!” Lago screamed and rushed at Lee.

Lago collided with Lee and tried to knock him to the ground, but Lee took a few steps backward and cushioned the impact. He stood still, relaxed and expressionless as the larger figure of Lago tried to wrestle him down. Lago then withdrew a couple of steps and roared again as he launched a flurry of blows to Lee's stomach and midsection. Lee did not defend himself but stood sadly tolerant, absorbing the punches. The sound was like hands clapping in thick gloves. Lago stood back again, panting, then aimed a punch at Lee's face. Lee ignored Lago's desperation as a weak punch landed on his nose. He did not flinch; the blow had no effect whatsoever. Lago staggered backward, eyes wide with fury, clenched his fists and made to punch Lee again. This time Lee caught his fist in one hand and held it there until Lago fell to his knees, exhausted, defeated.

“Soon Lago, soon you will understand. Wait here for a moment, there’s something I have to do.”

Raymond watched Lee walk over to the raised reservoir at the back of the water treatment chamber. There were several large pools of water that had not been contaminated by the mud from the tunnel. They were fed from big metal pipes that wound around the gantries and ran along the ceiling. The reservoir was the last treatment stage before being pumped to millions of Washington residences. Raymond followed, doubled over in pain, one hand supporting his broken ribs, the other hand using the multi-gun as a crutch. Lee reached the edge of one of the reservoirs. The pool was tapered with raised steps to about waist high. He kneeled on the steps and bent over looking into the water. Raymond was now close enough to see his reflection in the water, a distorted silhouette in the bright lights above. Lee opened his mouth and there was blackness inside. The blackness filled his mouth until a thick treacle droplet took shape and began to fall towards the water below.

“Sorry Lee,” said Raymond as he opened fire with the helium gun.

Lee had no time to react as the freezing superfluid coated him and froze him solid. Raymond aimed for his head first and froze the globule of black matter into a solid pendulum suspended from his mouth. He continued spraying until his entire body was hard frozen, encased in crystals. After a time, Raymond stopped and tried to kick Lee's frozen body off the steps, but it was too solid. He knew better than to touch with his bare hands, he landed another couple of well-aimed kicks and Lee's statuesque form crashed to the floor still in its kneeling position.

“I couldn't let you do it.” He switched to the flamethrower and doused Lee's body in the fiery liquid propellant. His body steamed then blackened under the spray of intense heat. Raymond held the auto-gun rigid until Lee's body was burning on its own. He stopped and switched over to the helium again.

“We will find a way without you,” he said in a whisper.

Lee's body was unrecognizable. Features burnt away, blackened stumps where his feet and hands used to be. Raymond opened up with the flamethrower and repeated the process again and again until there was nothing left but black dust and charcoal. He continued to spray the remnant husks of Lee until the fuel ran out in his auto-gun. Then he stamped on the brittle black pieces with his wet boots until there was nothing left but a slew of black sludgy residue. Raymond bent down and studied the ashes. He sifted some through his fingers and let it fall to the ground. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the button. The letters had been worn off, all that was left was the red heart symbol. Raymond turned it over in his fingers before throwing it in the ashes.

“Goodbye Lee,” he said.

Raymond turned and faced Lago who was still crouching down on his knees. Confusion and relief played across his mud-streaked face. He gazed up at Raymond until he regained some of his arrogant composure and struggled to his feet. His features regained a familiar look of smug satisfaction and his mouth opened in a sneer as he looked at Lee's remains. He began to say something but stopped abruptly as Raymond held the auto-gun to his temple. Before Lago could even cry out Raymond pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang, but Lago stood, unharmed. The auto-gun had jammed; tendrils of smoke rose from its casing. Raymond lowered the weapon and the two men stood facing each other.