I spent the next six hours trying everything I could think of to connect to Zeus or Roknar via the old computer equipment I still had from a year ago. Try as I might, there were no connections to be found. No signal, no ports, nothing.

The problem with working with APRILs is that you can’t just plug a cable into one. For one thing, they are invisible to the human eye. I didn’t have a microscope or a vial of APRIL laying around to mess with.

I’ve relied on Zeus for so long I felt worthless and stupid. I had nearly four Ph.D.’s and sat at my computer that right now was just a calculator application. The silence in my home was complete. Nothing was running. Robbie had either powered down or was waiting for a command from my APRIL to perform a task.

My APRIL…Zeus. I sat on the floor with DJ and rubbed his belly. It’s hard to explain how utterly alone I felt. Every baby born in my time was injected with our own APRIL’s. My thoughts have never been my own before.

Oh, sure I’ve thought about things without being influenced by my APRIL, but this was the first time nobody answered me back. To have your mind become solitary for the first time was a shock.

At some point, I started to cry. I don’t know if it was because I was sitting on the floor playing with DJ or if I’d just given up, but I felt worthless. If my APRIL was gone, then any immortality hopes were gone as well.

I must have fallen asleep since I woke up with a fever and chills. DJ’s whining and dog breath finally woke me up. It took every ounce of energy I had to make my way to my bedroom and bed. Once under blankets, I fell into a state of slumber and wakefulness for an unknown time.

People got sick, but usually, a custom pill based on your DNA was administered, then, like magic, you got better. I was too weak to leave the bed, and the smell of urine confirmed my worse fears that I was going to die lying in urine.

If the fever and shivering weren’t bad enough a migraine headache so severe, I lost all sight. I considered suicide for the first time in my life but hadn’t the energy to lift my head, let alone find a way to accomplish the deed.

“Please, kill me, DJ,” a voice I hardly recognized said.

If face licks could kill me than I was well on my way to my welcomed death.

###

I felt…nothing.

I sighed with relief that I’d finally died. Unfortunately, movement from DJ which confirmed that I was still in bed and not in fact dead. I opened my eyes and for the first time since the test with Theia had my augmented vision restored.

Alive

I turned my head and looked at DJ. “DJ,” I thought.

Master

He gave me another bath which although I appreciated his attention, I needed a real bath badly. I got out of bed slowly but felt no pain or weakness. The smell and black sludge on my skin nearly made me throw up, but otherwise I was alive and well.

I walked into my old bedroom where I knew I could bathe and have the waste leave the mountain. I considered throwing my clothing away as well but decided to just wash them instead.

Choosing the hottest pool I dipped my toe in and decided it was cool enough not to turn me into a meal for something. I removed my nasty clothes and cringed at the black tar-like substance that seemed to have soaked through the cloth. I sniffed it and confirmed it wasn’t crap.

I jumped into the pool cannonball-style and sank below the water. I sat on the bottom for two minutes before the demand for air overruled my demand for cleanliness. I broke the surface and started scouring my skin until it was beet red.

My hair was crusted and needed a few more dunks before it loosened up enough for me to clean. I don’t know what the black substance was but it looked and felt like I had tar all over my skin and hair. It would have been easier to cut my hair than clean it but alas, I didn’t have scissors.

DJ didn’t jump into my tub but found the cooler one and played around in that pool. I’d heard that most dogs didn’t like water but DJ was always the exception. For as long as I remember, he bathed with me. Mom complained at first, she said, but eventually gave in and dealt with the wet dog smell I always seemed to have afterwards.

Thinking about my mom made me homesick and then brought my thoughts to Zeus. I almost didn’t want to find out if he lived but needed to know.

“Zeus? Zeus,” I barely whispered. “Please, Zeus. Respond.”

The augmented reality was active so I must have an APRIL interface. I tried to think about why it wouldn’t respond with a flood of technical diagrams flashed across my eyes. I was startled at first not so much with the diagrams but that I understood everything on them.

The schematics of the APRIL swam across from one section to another faster than thought as I analyzed and systematically eliminated various points of possible failure. In mere seconds, I’d determined that the only possibility left was that the APRILs were gone.

I hesitated but decided to try addressing Theia anyway.

“Theia,” I thought.

Sweet baby Jesus! You’re alive!

Theia’s excited voice sounded in my ear, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Theia, Zeus isn’t responding. What happened?”

Um.

“Please don’t give me the ‘Um’ defense. What happened.”

I may have underestimated the growth and effectiveness of the cells.

“And?”

And…Zeus’ knowledge and memories were probably transferred to your mind.

I opened my mouth and then closed it again. I closed my eyes and thought about the Explorer One’s schematics and was overwhelmed with the volume of information that flooded my mind.

It may be a little overwhelming.

“…It may be?”

Well, okay. I admit the information dump into my own mind was overwhelming. I can’t imagine what it did to your primitive brain.

“My,” I thought back to the pain and agony I experienced before I thankfully passed out, “primitive brain exploded, and I wished for death.”

Hmm. Sorry about that. On the bright side, you’re still alive.

“And where is Zeus?”

Um. It appears the little guys thought it was better to use your brain to store Zeus' information.

“My. Brain? What the hell does that mean? Where is Zeus!?”

Lost, I’m afraid. I’m sorry for your loss.

A hot flash of anger flashed inside my chest and I yelled to the room. “My best friend just died! No. Part of me died! I don’t have one memory before today where Zeus wasn’t part of my life. I don’t have…”

Hot tears trickled down my face into the water as I mourned the loss of my friend, my brother, my right hand. Theia didn’t say anything which was probably a blessing. I don’t know what I would’ve done and said if she tried to justify her actions or failure.

I sat in the hot tub for another hour before exiting and walked back to my bedroom. The silence was still there inside my head. I knew things I’d never known before but I still felt like I had no clue what just happened.

After dressing I walked over to the food processor and noticed it and all other electronics were still not working.

I sighed.

“Theia.”

There was a pause. You’ll still talk to me?

“Yes, why would you think otherwise?”

You’re very upset. I can feel it.

“Yes I’m upset. However, I don’t think you did this on purpose and I’ll deal with my loss over time. I still have to figure out how to survive and right now—right now you’re my only friend.”

A mixture of sadness and pride flooded my senses and I almost started to cry once again. I’m sorry about Zeus.

“I know. Theia, Robbie, and the food processor are not working. Can you explain to me why?”

I’m still trying to understand myself.

It’s never a good thing when your supercomputer intelligence tells you it has no idea why something doesn’t work.

I didn’t say I don’t know. I said I was still trying to figure it out.

“I didn’t say anything.”

You didn’t need to. I can feel your emotions. I know when you’re disappointed in me.

“I’m not…,” I blew out a sigh, “I’m not disappointed in you. I’m concerned that you don’t know what you did or what the consequences are.”

I did everything I said it would do, but it did a few more things than I expected.

“Okay. So it absorbed the knowledge of Zeus, and somehow I still have augmented vision.”

Um.

“For crying out loud, Theia. Enough with the ‘Umms’ already.”

I didn’t realize you have the abilities of your APRIL.

“Well, I don’t know if I have all the abilities but thus far I have an augmented reality interface and I can review the schematics of more information than I’d like.”

Hmm. Interesting.

I just about screamed in frustration. Theia didn’t say anything for a few minutes but before I speak again, she manifested into the room. She wore a revealing white toga with a golden crown and a smile to match.

“Hi.”

“It took me a while to figure out how to access your visual cortex. The changes were extensive. I’m surprised you survived,” Theia spoke aloud.

I snorted and ran my hand through my still wet hair. “If I would have had the strength I would have found something to kill myself with. It wasn’t pleasant.”

Her smile dimmed a little. “I’m certainly glad you didn’t.”

“Right. So what’s wrong with the electronics.”

“They are powered by will.”

I closed my eyes in frustration. I had no idea what she was talking about. “Will?”

“Yes. I programmed the cells to do what you want them to do. You just will it to happen, like—like taking a deep breath. You breath everyday without thought but when you want to take a deep breath you…”

“I do it.”

“Just Caden, you are smart.”

I held my hand up when she called me Just Caden. I didn’t tell her to stop calling me that since I knew she was teasing me again but it still bugged me.

Walking over to the food processor I thought about a Big Mac and the machine came to life and seconds later kicked out a warm burger. I picked it up and bit into it.

“Om muy gwad,” I said spraying food particles as I spoke, “`dith gwuld.”

Theia giggled and brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “I told you it was supposed to be an upgrade.”

I chewed for a few more seconds and swallowed before talking. “How? Why does it take better than before?”

“Because of you, silly.”

“Me?”

“You willed it to taste like a Big Mac.”

I chuckled. “Big Mac’s never taste this good.”

Her smiled beamed and almost looked like she wanted me to pat her head as she bounced up and down on her toes. “That’s because it made the best tasting Big Mac you’re mind told it too.”

I smiled and took another big bite from my burger and watched as the secret sauce dripped onto the floor and down my fingers. Five minutes later I was licking my fingers clean trying to savor every last drop of the burger. The soda and fries didn’t disappoint me either.

Honestly, I’d never step foot into another McDonalds again after eating this meal. I didn’t care that this was transformed pond algae. It was very tasty.