The Awakenistas and the Martian War: Awakenistas, #4

By Ian Eress

The Awakenistas and the Martian War is the final book in the Awakenistas series. On Earth, intrepid Vishal and his loyal friends prepare to deal with Urzur. Also, the group tries to make good on their philanthropic plans, but resistance against the Awakenistas grows. Naturally, the USSR and China with the help of Qeeravs, Atagans, and Earthlings is still recovering from the Thohnuth attacks.

Vishal and a small team travel to Mars first to set up a temporary base and build a Wormloop, connected wormholes, while the others take care of loose ends.

The whole fantastic story of the final dramatic battle for Mars as seen through the eyes of the Awakenistas and their powerful allies; the never revealed facts about Urzur's blunders and the sacrifice of many unsung heroes. A cautionary tale most historians are unfamiliar with. Live through the epic drama, incredible excitement, and tragedy of a hi-tech, high-stakes war.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ian Eress
• Release date: Sep 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393839408

Ian Eress

Born in the seventies. Average height. Black hair. Sometimes shaves. Black eyes. Nearsighted. Urban. MSc. vim > Emacs. Mac.

Book preview

1 URZUR: MARS

MARS

JUNE 28, 2019

Mars loomed large in the spacecraft’s viewport, there for historical reasons. With concern, the Uzur copy on the returning fleet’s flagship watched the red planet through electronic instruments. Already anomalous light spots were visible on the Martian rust-colored terrain: for instance, around Argyre (49.7°S 316.0°E), Hellas (42.4° S, 70.5° E), and Tharsis (0° N, 260° E). Earth telescopes also witnessed the transformation, but governments and the academic community suppressed the alarming news. Caused by self-replicating nanobots, the gray goo consumed the iron oxide on the surface and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Urzur, the superintelligent AI sent by far Thohnuth, waged war on China and the USSR until the Qeeravs unleashed their deadly molecular machines on Mars. Forcing her hand, she sounded the retreat with lots of unfinished business. The Universe is unfair, Urzur thought. But she had brought the mythical lupsofot with her: the only redeeming reason for her continuing her mission in the solar system. Her handler on Thohnuth, Lorub, was furious with indignation.

The lupsofot linked to high-dimensional beings allowed Urzur and her human supporters to travel back in time. So she hoped to use it again to her advantage on Mars. But it would be impossible if the Qeerav pest destroyed the red planet. This doomsday scenario was conceivable but also absurd.

Urzur experienced deja vu as she had done millions of times before. This air of haunting familiarity left her puzzled. What about this situation triggered it?

As an AI Urzur lacked body or voice. However, she simulated those when necessary but not when communicating with her robots. They used a special language: nothing more than a collection of bits and bytes.

Robot 701F279, on Mars, contacted Urzur to report.

#The situation is critical,# robot 701F279 said. #We fought the Qeerav menace without particle beams, but the nanomachines are too damn fast. They seem to predict our moves. We can't keep up with their replication rate.#

Robot 701F279 was selling himself short as robots tended to do. Urzur's projections convinced her that her robots on Mars delayed the spread of the Qeerav pestilence enough for her returning armada to finish them off. Urzur knew little about Qeerav technology, but it was clear they didn’t need the Sun for energy.

#I'll send the arriving regiments at once,# Urzur said. #As for particle beams, I doubt we'll require those. Have you seen any sign of the actual Qeerav ships?#

Robot 701F279 remained silent for a second which served no purpose other than to convey his feelings, whatever they were. Thohnuth robots and AIs possessed emotions: a product of their original programming and integrated into their core design. Often Urzur wondered about the reasoning behind this architecture, but the answer remained elusive.

#No, we saw nobody,# robot 701F279 said. #But fighting the nanocritters was enough of a challenge to distract us. The Qeeravs might be lurking in the neighborhood without us knowing.#

Makes sense, Urzur thought. If they hid their mothership for so long, they must be able to sneak close to us. I should have sneaked up on Qeeravstan too.

Urzur’s main mission wasn’t about warfare: she was supposed to collect rare-earth elements for Thohnuth’s defensive shield intended to protect Thohnuth from the Big Rip.

#Unacceptable!# Urzur said. #A certain portion of our force must be on the lookout for the Qeeravs at all times. Regardless of what happens on Mars.#

Another awkward pause in the conversation followed. Robot 701F279 was a veteran from the first batch of robots Urzur produced. Since the robots shared knowledge and were identical in most respects, Urzur's army lacked ranks. The octobots obeyed Urzur, but that didn't mean they liked every order.

#I'll take care of it,# robot 701F279 said. #The little buggers seem to be avoiding the polar caps, but they are all over Eridania, Sinus Sabaeus, and Syrtis Major.#

That was good to hear, and Urzur knew it already. If the nanobots stayed away from the polar ice, it meant the Qeeravs were bluffing. In contrast, Thohnuths never bluffed. They didn’t have to.

The damage to the Martian surface so far was superficial as if the Qeeravs had counted on the octobots intervening.

#The Qeeravs aren't as crazy as they want us to think they're,# Urzur said. #I bet their gray goo will avoid water. Maybe we ought to melt the ice.#

But the Qeeravs and Earthlings would notice, and that would complicate matters. Water would cover Mars. The gray goo probably avoided water in case the Qeeravs would need it one day.

#Oiwe!# robot 701F279 said. #Do you want to submerge our bases? Wouldn't that be counterproductive?#

Referring to female genitals was against the grain too. But it didn't bother Urzur. She was certain their equipment was waterproof and could handle the water pressure.

#Okay, better not risk it, for now,# Urzur said. #Are the preparations for the time machine complete?#

The high-dimensional beings had given a Street Guardian on Earth the designs for a bridge to the past. In fact, the guy had found lupsofot leading him to receive instructions upon discovery.

#Yes, they are,# robot 701F279 said. #Whenever the lupsofot is in place, we can start sending clones on timeops.#

The high-dimensional beings insisted only clones of Earthlings went back in time. Up to fifty years, so not beyond the seventies, and the humans were forbidden to bring anything with them. That didn't stop X-org, a criminal organization on Earth which trafficked drugs and weapons, from disrupting the worldlines to their advantage. But Urzur and X-org had a serious falling out again. This time neither party wanted to back down.

Drop-like robots left the spearhead of the fleet and spread around Mars. They opened sustained laser fire on the gray goo beneath them. At the same time, octobots on Amazonis ( 24.8° N, 196° E), Memnonia (15° S, 157.5° W), and Solis Lacus (26° S, 85° W) turned their attention to the Martian sky: clear and cloudless. But, of course, it was a late night at certain locations.

#I received reports of a vague object changing vector above Amazonis,# robot 701F279 said. #But it might be the result of Martian dust interfering with our sensors.#

The Qeeravs used optical camouflage relying on nanotechnology. Although imperfect it was hard to spot camouflaged objects. The gray goo was uncamouflaged, but its reproduction rate was high.

#Is the UFO within range of our weapons?# Urzur asked. #Shoot it down if you can.#

Targeting the craft with particle beams seems silly, Urzur thought. Need the pilot alive for questioning if there is one. In a dedicated facility, Urzur was producing antimatter with powerful lasers, but the stuff was too precious to waste.

#No, it's too small and far away,# robot 701F279 said. #Not a ship. The Qeeravs sent a reconnaissance probe to spy and report on our progress.#

What would they do when the Qeeravs discovered their goo was destroyed? Would they try again?

#Nevertheless, I'll organize a hunt,# Urzur said. #Good work. Monitor the skies for more Qeerav activity.#

A flash appeared where the UFO flew seconds ago. Later the octobots on sentry duty reported finding the remains of a probe. The materials' signature corresponded to Qeerav technology.

2 VISHAL: SAMAJA

EARTH

JUNE 29, 2019

In his comfortable AFB office, surrounded by IT, business, and finance books, Vishal drank his morning coffee and read from a Dell screen the most recent post on alienobserver.org: a new blog written by an unknown person—AnonymousObserver.

WAR GAMES?!

So we are supposed to believe the mainstream media's explanation about what happened in the Soviet Union and China. Both countries conducted nationwide war games that for inexplicable reasons resembled what an intelligent person would call an alien invasion. As if!

When such a coverup takes place, we must determine who will have the most to gain… or lose. Why did so many neighboring countries and even nations on different continents mobilize their armies? And have you noticed something strange about the scramjets of Rhodes Airlines?

Communists accepting an Australian billionaire to establish a monopoly in their country. Never! Except if Rhodes is a spy…

And so on. In the morning, Vishal had scanned several ebooks to form ideas about the Awakenistas Philanthropic Society. Vishal was the temporary president of the APS; they planned to have an election soon. Reading the Alien Observer blog post was his way to take a break.

#The meeting starts in five minutes,# Adam said through the neurodust. #Katie and I are setting up the VR phones. Can you get Juliana to join?#

Adam, a relaxed former trader, was the temporary treasurer of the APS and the AFB's CFO. The Society had received special goggles and contact lenses from Goblin which projected three-dimensional moving images to simulate a virtual environment. Because of Urzur, many Society members communicated using tiny chips in their brains. Juliana wasn't one of them.

Vishal walked over to the large hall, walls decorated with movie posters, where the AFB employees ate, played pool, and relaxed. Invitingly, the pinball machines flashed at Vishal. With his sensitive nose, he detected the simple lunch—bread, green salad, cheeses, ham, eggs, and so on—the catering company had left behind twenty meters away from him. Juliana was alone, in the process of removing darts from a dartboard.

Are you coming? Vishal asked in a deep voice, holding what was left of his coffee.

Juliana smiled like an unclouded sky which she did often. She was Brazilian, shorter than average, and used to be overweight but had lost a lot of weight in recent months.

Relax, Vishal, Juliana said. Five minutes left. They can't start without you, anyway.

Juliana misses the point, Vishal thought. I want this meeting to be perfect. It’ll set the tone for years to come. Vishal, a sinful individual, worried about his soul and hoped to atone through the APS.

Yeah, but we have a lot of ground to cover, Vishal said, waving his coffee cup. Have you prepared anything?

Juliana's smile froze. She put the darts on a brown wooden table. Vishal took a sip from his still lukewarm drink. As the smell and bitter taste overwhelmed his senses, he thought about adding alcohol. Just a drop.

Suggestions, you mean? Juliana asked with narrowed eyes. I got enough on my plate as it is. I'm organizing a martial arts web school; remember? And I got my AFB job.

In response, Vishal grinned and took another sip. According to her contract, Juliana was a software tester, but she did more than that if needed. Not that she was so eager to work, but the people in the AFB went through so much together that they couldn’t let each other down.

Just asking, Vishal said defensively. But if you've items, do tell. I guess the answer is no.

Juliana's eyes darted over Vishal's face and neighboring areas. No movie posters behind Vishal or anything of interest. Seconds later, Juliana smiled and fixed her cheerful gaze at Vishal.

I had something, but it's not worked out yet, Juliana said, looking down for a second. I'll tell you and the others when I'm done.

Yeah, right, Vishal thought. But I must give her the benefit of the doubt as good leaders do. And it’s true: she’s working two jobs not counting our extracurricular activities.

Okay, sure. No pressure, Vishal said, gesturing with his free hand. Shall we go now?

Juliana and Vishal strode out and entered the conference room where Katie and Adam were wearing millimeter-thick black goggles, grinning at invisible objects. Katie’s hair glinted gold. She was AFB's data scientist, a mix between a statistician and a software developer. Katie and Adam sported T-shirts with AFB printed on them. Although pointless as there were only four of them, Vishal had ordered the T-shirts out of a sense of pride.

Your beards are scary, Adam said phlegmatically. Hey, Katie, you chose the wrong body!

Adam and Vishal were clean-shaven. For as long as he remembered, Vishal had never seen Adam with a beard. Their friends didn’t mind having facial hair, but that wasn’t what Adam referred to.

I don't wanna be a lame character wearing a flimsy bikini, Katie said and laughed.

Quickly, Vishal donned the VR goggles. A welcome flash screen greeted him which segued into a 'Choose a Character' menu. He could be a dwarf, an orc, an elf, a hobbit, a wizard, or a warrior. Other options were available, but he didn't scroll all the way with his Qeerav ring—segments on it acted as buttons. Vishal chose to be a hobbit called Vishal the Vigilant.

Upon entering the VR chat room, the ruins of a large ancient Roman-like building emerged, parts of its stone pillars decorated with unfamiliar runes protruding through a tiled brownish floor covered with green vegetation. Creepy music, belonging to a horror movie, played in the background. Vishal’s friends were dressed as the characters he needed to choose from a minute ago. Some nursed huge bronze beer mugs, but as Vishal soon discovered to his amusement those were for show. Most laughed at Katie who had chosen a dwarf outfit. Juliana went for a sexy Amazon warrior costume, making her look taller than in reality.

Hi, guys, you look great, Vishal said with a wide hobbit grin. Are we waiting for someone?

In the sky, the pinkish clouds were spherical, unlike anything Vishal had seen before. From servers in Qeeravstan, the whole system ran on Qeerav technology. Qeeravstan was a self-governed region inside the USSR.

No, everyone is here, mate, Rhodes said while simulated Arabian horses with proud tail, brown American Quarter horses, and grey thick-maned Andalusians whinnied and trotted around them.

An Australian billionaire, Rhodes was the temporary secretary of the APS. He had blond wispy hair, tanned skin, and soft fuzz on his chin. Winged lilac tennis ball-sized animals called Timbomis from Qeerav flew around Goblin. Goblin was the Qeerav ambassador on Earth. Well, the Soviets had nicknamed him Goblin because they felt he resembled one.

Great, let's start then, Vishal said, hands on his hobbit hips. I sent you the items on the agenda, so I assume you understand what this meeting is about. As I told you in South Africa, the APS is a non-profit organization designed to help where governments, businesses, and NGOs fall short. I'm not saying we ought to do everything on our wishlist. And we should prioritize the ultimatum issued by Urzur. Which means an excursion to Mars. With that, I mean destroying her Mars bases and getting hold of the lupsofot.

Before leaving Earth, Urzur had threatened to eradicate Vishal and his friends' families up to several generations back using the time machine. A murmur followed Vishal's words. Most people in the meeting preferred not to be reminded of Urzur's threat.

We can talk about Urzur another time, Adam said lethargically. The Atagans are sending over antimatter through their wormhole, but it's dangerous. Let's go over the moral code drafts concerning APS members.

Trapped on a distant star system, the Atagans sent information through a wormhole ending in China. Sending matter or antimatter was riskier. Long ago, they located an antimatter-rich pocket in the galaxy.

I object to the name, Katie said, frowning. Can't we use something else?

Katie disliked the acronym, but they hadn’t committed to it yet. Vishal wasn’t too thrilled by the name either. It could have been worse. What if they had chosen for Awakenistas Social Society?

Naming shouldn't be our main concern, Rhodes said with an Australian accent. What we are aiming for is social capitalism but without bloody profit. I still have issues with UBI, and I'm against the attitude of not competing with other organizations. Unwise to rely on governments.

Well, Vishal agreed with Rhodes up to a point. 90% Amish communism and 10% hi-tech capitalism sounded right to Vishal. Rhodes was an ambitious transhumanist and wanted to solve every major issue with technology. Getting advanced technology from aliens was like a wet dream to him.

Major Uspensky, a former astronaut who had become a KGB agent, cleared his throat.

Don't call it capitalism, Major Uspensky said. Yes, money is needed but let's hope that's temporary. How about private socialism?

In Qeeravstan, an unofficial state where Goblin lived, the Soviets laughed and some of them waved their swords. For reasons unknown to Vishal, they had chosen to be orcs. Except for Anastasia who was dressed as an elf. Anastasia was a thirty-something red-haired programmer who had worked on the software of Soyuz rockets.

I don't poodoo care what we call it, Lari said, twirling his war hammer. More important is how we'll plan. Scrum or Kanban? I want to be a Scrum Master.

Lari, also calling from Qeeravstan, was dressed as a dwarf. The Fin was tall and had a small tuft on top of his blond hair. Lari, a former software developer in Vishal’s company, had started his own business together with his friend, Barry. Lari suffered from mild Tourette. A Finnish therapist had recommended he said words like ‘poodoo’.

Fine, Vishal said. Rhodes will be the business owner or whatever it is called in Kanban. I prefer Kanban because it's easier to grasp than Scrum in my opinion.

Are we gonna create private schools with free tuition? Juliana asked. Because if so, I want to work out how Yigael, Hiro, and my other instructors can take part.

Yigael was a Krav Maga instructor while Hiro taught Kyokushin Karate. In the past weeks, Juliana had contracted them for her web dojo. In the previous year, Juliana had done a short self-defense course with her friends. After that, she became hooked to martial arts.

Yes, I mentioned it in the email I sent, Vishal said impatiently. But I've given climate change and UBI a higher priority. Father Yates is spearheading the education initiative. I suggest you get together when it's convenient.

Father Yates, a former Street Guardian, worked in Queens before the Street Guardians chipped him. Vishal had never met him in person, but Father Yates was the only one who showed interest, so he got the job.

I don't agree with UBI, Rhodes said, squinting slightly. Why would we give free money out?

As a billionaire, Rhodes desired full control, but he also understood that people in third-world countries had serious needs. Vishal wasn’t that wealthy. He could still picture himself living on the streets.

For now, we'll only seek out people below the extreme poverty line, Vishal said, looking at Rhodes or at least his representation in the VR world. I hope you've no qualms about that.

Rhodes nodded and drank fake beer from his virtual mug.

And ze think tank? Professor Bosch asked with a German accent. Vishal, I like your idea of recruiting brainiacs as you called them. But intelligence tests—

Professor Bosch, an astrophysics professor at Berlin University, had been nagging about a think tank for several months. Which led Vishal to propose creating the APS. The professor like many at the APS looked decades younger than his real age because of a special mix of compounds that reversed aging. Vishal had no idea where Professor Bosch called from, but it was unimportant as the Awakenistas traveled faster than the average Earthling.

May I say something about that? Holloway asked. As some of you know, there was a period when I was a superstrong chess player. I defeated a grandmaster for fuck's sake. But it was all due to Urzur. So what I'm saying is: shouldn't we let AIs do the thinking?

Wilbur Holloway, dark-skinned with short black hair and tattoos, was homeless before the Street Guardians chipped him in New York. Months later, he dechipped himself with a self-made EMP generator in Australia.

Disguised as a giant, Chaxe aka Robbie Dobbie, Goblin's personal robot chuckled. Chaxe’s body  tracked and copied Goblin from an early age. They both stood about four feet tall in the real world. But they matched each other imperfectly.

Our government on Qeerav was run by superintelligent AIs, Goblin said, dressed as a hobbit. I'd advise against Wilbur's suggestion, but I can't comment on selecting through IQ tests. Except that I kinda was selected for the interstellar mission that way.

Goblin’s hollow-cheeked face appeared as if he needed sleep. And his hands were slumped against his body. He needs to see a doctor, thought Vishal.

Barry twirled his battle-ax until it bumped into his shiny knight's armor and said, D'accord, we should have a triangle formed by the think tank, AIs, and ourselves. Let's emphasize that giving fulfills a human need and find sponsors.

Barry was a lanky, black-haired Frenchman. In his former job, he provided user support for Vishal’s company. Vishal nodded.

Wait, Yolanda Santos said, tracking the Timbomis with her eyes. Isn't it easier to dechip billionaires? Then we don't need to explain what we're doing.

Santos was almost a twin of Juliana but her skin was lighter. She was dressed as a 16th-century barmaid. Vishal couldn't tell whether she had taken Synthadurg: a mild synthetic stimulant Chaxe produced.

Hmm, the geniuses we're looking for might be a security issue too, Adrian said, rubbing his dark-skinned chin. Why not stick to our circle of trust or expand it by dechipping as Yolanda suggested?

Santos raised a glass and beamed at Adrian, a Nigerian who worked as a system administrator for Vishal in the past. Like Juliana, Santos had a cheerful personality. In the background, horse hoofs rang like an annoying melody.

We lack the domain knowledge for certain projects, Jared said. I, myself, am  interested in the cosmetic sciences, but nobody cares.

Katie rolled her eyes; others looked away from Jared. Because of Urzur’s VR, Jared had turned into a sex addict. And he pined for a world where plastic surgery was dirt cheap. Jared, a Brittish IT consultant, worked for PerfControl before Urzur turned his life upside down.

Don't worry, Kevin said, smiling. We'll figure it out when we've time.

Katie's elbow poked into her husband’s ribs. But it was a virtual poke as Kevin was a mile away in the Eresseum office. Kevin was a nerd, but he wasn’t the only one in the APS.

The Brewers, ah, still fill our voice mails, Dr. Itai Itai said.

Have you tried asking nice but crazy people to deal with them? Fabienne, Barry’s girlfriend asked. I don’t know the right phrase. They must be mad enough to talk to the Brewers but polite.

The APS members continued talking for about an hour, but except for the dechipping of wealthy Street Guardians, nothing important was decided.

3 PRESIDENT CHANG: BA

YICHANG, CHINA

JUNE 30, 2019

The Three Gorges dam was near Yichang in western Hubei province. Only piles of rubble remained from the once-proud structure. Urzur's army had destroyed these and other dams, bridges, tunnels, and roads and left the Chinese with a major crisis. The total damage from the attacks was estimated at half a trillion US dollars.

A fruity smell filled the air while a lonesome red crane flew above. President Chang—in a business suit, General Shao Li—five and a half-foot tall, wearing his uniform, and the new host of Emperor Gluk sat in the main limousine of the presidential motorcade close to a temporary military base. In dark suits, bodyguards wearing sunglasses stood outside. Emperor Gluk’s pterodactyl-like body was on the wrecked by war planet, Atagan. He communicated to his Chinese host through a wormhole.

Without mercy, the golden sun blazed over the green hills. Yichang had hot and humid summers, so the poor AC worked overtime almost drowning the murmur of the crowd outside. President Chang and his entourage had visited dozens of locations in China to offer support and see with their own eyes the wide circles of devastation.

With a calm voice, a male newsreader on the radio said in Chinese, The government would like to remind you of your patriotic duty concerning keeping the current situation secret. Foreign nations and independent organizations have agreed on the best course of action which would require valiant sacrifices on our part, but we must prevent worldwide panic at all cost...

President Chang drummed his fingers on a plastic table.

Your Highness, your host is a captain in the PLA, so it'd be weird if I talk to him for too long, President Chang said in a deep, pleasant voice with crossed arms. Best for you to stay at a distance. I'll have two of my bodyguards accompany you.

No problem, Emperor Gluk said. See you later.

Emperor Gluk stepped out and walked without looking back. Quickly, two Chinese men wearing black suits followed him.

We've told the world that the Chinese and Soviet military performed war games which got out of hand, the newsreader said. If you've family outside China, please stick to this story...

Well, President Chang's relatives were all in China. It was an unwritten policy to take care of anybody living outside of China who could become a target of a kidnapping.

Surprising that people abroad agreed to our plan, General Shao Li said. I expected more pushback.

An alien invasion is more surprising, thought President Chang.

Yeah, they need us, we need them, President Chang said and tapped again on the plastic table. It's humanity and allies against Urzur now. Well, let's talk to the colonel.

In a large tent, fluffy-haired, wearing fatigues, and on the short side, Colonel Xu of the corps of engineers and his staff waited for the VIPs. The place was packed with huge detailed maps and comms equipment. President Chang checked he could see Emperor Gluk, who stood five meters from a roped-off section to which the Yichang police had herded the local press.

That can't go wrong, President Chang thought. But babysitting wasn’t in President Chang’s job description. And hard to say no to the absolute ruler of a planet.

Large flows flooded the area, Colonel Xu said while gesturing at a map. I want to say repairs of the dam are underway, but it'll take a while. At the moment, we're constructing four feet deep trench drains. We pour concrete in-situ and use pre-cast—

What about the robots and the concrete batching plants? President Chang asked.

The androids work inside and go camouflaged outside at night because of their alien appearance, Colonel Xu said. The secret material we received works better than wood, and the metallic foam is amazing too.

Qeeravs made the robots in question and also provided materials to the Chinese.

Fast-growing bamboo I'm told, President Chang said. A third-party is working on better robot bodies. Have you been repairing bridges and roads?

Yes, and tunnels, Colonel Xu said. An entrepreneur by the name of Chui Fu is building hydroponic farms, so as a byproduct he'll do construction work which helps us. He also  has alien robots...

Chui Fu was an acquaintance of Vishal. Actually, the AFB had invested in a startup of Chui Fu aiming to create mile-long Hyperloops for goods.

In a keen expectancy, Colonel Xu looked at President Chang. A sweet smile lit up Colonel Xu's face. I'm not telling you more than you need to know, President Chang thought.

Chui Fu works together with the third-party I mentioned, President Chang said. Are your transportation needs met?

I'd say yes, but I heard there is even better technology out there, Colonel Xu said.

That's classified, General Shao Li said, glancing at President Chang for a moment. You'll get what you need in the event of high urgency.

Colonel Xu's smile disappeared and turned into a slight frown.

We're building a concrete spillway, Colonel Xu said. But we're falling behind on schedule. And Chui Fu's nephew, Yan Lin, keeps pestering us about his coral farms.

Entrepreneurs want to take advantage of the water, President Chang said. People proposed to keep certain flooded areas untouched for various purposes.

In the distance, a Chinese woman—in her thirties, wearing a white T-shirt but without a press pass—was shouting at Emperor Gluk. President Chang frowned but continued with the briefing.

Captain, Captain, she shouted.

With a bored expression, Emperor Gluk walked over to her.

Captain, were you in President Chang's car? the woman asked. I'm with Yichang Gazette.

Yes, for two minutes, Emperor Gluk said with a tight-lipped smile. I'm training for… What's your name?

Why were you with the president during his previous press conference?

Who are you? Emperor Gluk asked.

I'm a journalist. Is it true the army uses robots at night? I heard some of them fly too.

Other members of the press made odd sounds.

She's a blogger, a man, also in his thirties but in possession of a press pass, behind the rope said. I took classes in Yichang University together with her before she dropped out.

The public has the right to know, the blogger said. Do you have teleportation devices?

Emperor Gluk stared at her as if she was made of glass.

What do you mean? Emperor Gluk asked, looking away.

A guy in an Internet chat room heard from a soldier the army can make matter vanish with a secret apparatus.

Emperor Gluk blinked and laughed like an evil villain in a spy movie. Laughing, he strolled away from the flag-waving crowd toward a hill.

Where are you going, Captain? the blogger yelled. Captain, Captain…, Captain.

Three hundred meters further, Emperor Gluk looked around him to make sure he was alone and called General Shao Li.

They know about the bridges, Emperor Gluk said. Someone in the army leaked information.

Your Highness, we'll talk later, General Shao Li whispered. What if a member of the public overhears you.

I'm alone, Emperor Gluk said. Anyway, the secret is out.

Please, let sleeping dogs lie, General Shao Li whispered. After the briefing, we'll deal with the leak.

4 UBAID BELKACEM: HOPITAL

ITALY

JULY 1, 2019

Pitch dark space and ecstatic shouts in Arabic; Ubaid Belkacem couldn't breathe as if someone put a plastic bag over his head. In desperation, he groped frantically around, hoping to find... His eyes stung, vision blurry, his heart pounded, and his throat burned, and no sound came from his mouth even though he tried to speak. Where was he?

Screaming with terror and covered with beads of sweat on his face, Ubaid Belkacem woke up to feel a soft pillow and mattress with crisp bed sheets underneath him. His head and neck hurt. And the whiteness of his room struck him. Except for the light blue bed covers everything was white: the ceiling, the floor, the walls, and the bed itself. He remembered he was in an Italian hospital.

A putrid smell. There was no TV which bothered Ubaid Belkacem. The bed and a small desk were the only objects in the room.

#Hey, bro, what's up?# Ubaid Belkacem's brother, Said, said using digital-telepathy. #Are you feeling better?#

Said was in Europe as a Street Guardian. In a nutshell, the Street Guardians was an organization of people with neurodust in their brain. Urzur controlled the microelectronics in their heads remotely.

#I am,# Ubaid Belkacem said. #I had a nightmare about what happened in the cave.#

#Oh, don't worry,# Said said happily. #You'll forget about it in a year or two. So the world is ignoring what happened in South Africa.#

The Street Guardians and X-org fought in South Africa over the lupsofot. And Urzur sent her octobots to help the Street Guardians.

#Denial,# Ubaid Belkacem said with conviction. #I went through that phase too.#

#Everything related to aliens is taboo now,# Said said and smirked. #They are even pulling sci-fi shows from TV.#

Said was into pirated movies. With pride, he told friends he could download any movie from special websites.

#I'm into historical dramas,# Ubaid Belkacem said. #You know that. What else is happening in our special organization?#

#Mrs. Caldwell disappeared,# Said said. #Urzur says we should choose someone to replace her. But nobody volunteered yet.#

#Why not?# Ubaid Belkacem asked.

#Urzur said she must perform surgery on the candidate. On Mars.#

The white door opened, and a young pretty nurse walked in. She was dressed in white and had long blond hair. All of a sudden, Ubaid Belkacem craved for chicken. That was a remnant from the time M3 captured and starved him.

#Unfortunately, I have to hang up now, bro,# Ubaid Belkacem said. #My Italian nurse is here in the room. Speak to you later when I’m alone.#

#Does she have soft hands?# Said asked and laughed. #A young goddess with secret desires?#

That’s your dream, Ubaid Belkacem thought.

Good morning, the nurse said. How are you today?

Fine, thanks for asking, Ubaid Belkacem said.

Can you receive visitors? the nurse asked. A police officer wants to talk to you.

This is bad, Ubaid Belkacem thought. I want to be left alone and get a full bucket with fried chicken.

No, my throat hurts, Ubaid Belkacem said. It burns like hell.

Okay, I'll tell him.

The Italian nurse closed the door softly behind her.

What do you mean? a loud and arrogant male voice asked in Italian. His doctor says he has no permanent damage and made a remarkable recovery. Verbatim.

Ubaid Belkacem's neurodust translated for him.

His throat—

Of course, the man said as if talking to a slow child. Call his [UNKNOWN] doctor. I'll wait here.

Because of the gas attack, Ubaid Belkacem’s neurodust malfunctioned now and then. Footsteps indicated the nurse left. Minutes later, the door opened. A man wearing an old blue suit, combing his messy hair entered the room. Ubaid Belkacem estimated him to be 1.65 meters tall.

I'm Vice ispettore Ricci. That means sub-inspector. I never got promoted, but that's neither here nor there. You're Ubaid Belkacem, right?

I'm not feeling well, Ubaid Belkacem said, fidgeting with his blanket.

Absolutely true otherwise he wouldn’t be in the hospital.

Sure, Vice ispettore Ricci said, his Italian accent getting stronger. The other guys are all dead. All of them. So consider yourself lucky. But we at the police are puzzled. Why did the M3 want you dead?

Ubaid Belkacem raised his eyebrows. Well, he assumed that his fellow Street Guardians were all over hospitals and received treatment. Said had mumbled not to worry about them. But he missed them in the neurodust chat channels. He thought they were unconscious or dechipped.

They all died... Ubaid Belkacem said with shock in his trembling voice. Are you sure?

Vice ispettore Ricci chuckled as if it was a great joke.

Of course, I am, Vice ispettore Ricci said. M3 pumped you full with sarin gas. The working theory is you inhaled the least amount from your group. Why is that?

Because I was the last one to crawl out of the tunnels, Ubaid Belkacem thought. Wait. Hassan was with me. I must mourn his death. All their deaths.

I haven't got the faintest idea, Ubaid Belkacem said; he really didn’t.

You must have had your mouth covered, Vice ispettore Ricci said.

No, that's not it, Ubaid Belkacem said.

Doesn't matter, Vice ispettore Ricci said, waving a bit. What is your connection to M3? The official documentation says you had a mining operation. But the technical guys are baffled about your equipment. They even asked University experts to help.

Some of the equipment came directly from Mars where Urzur’s robots made it.

Shouldn't I have a lawyer assist me? Ubaid Belkacem asked with a furrowed brow.

Ubaid Belkacem's black-haired doctor and the nurse burst into the room. Bearded, the doctor had a mustache and wore a white coat, white shirt, and a red striped tie. A stethoscope hung over his neck. Ubaid Belkacem estimated him to be at least six feet tall.

What are you doing here? the nurse asked in Italian. Thought you would wait.

Don't treat me like a [UNKNOWN] schoolboy, Vice ispettore Ricci said. People died. We must know why.

Please, the doctor said, glaring at the policeman. Watch your language.

Don't you want to know what happened? Vice ispettore Ricci asked in a calmer tone. What if M3 attacks this hospital?

Nervous because of the Italian translation, Ubaid Belkacem looked out of the barred window as if expecting to see an M3 terrorist.

Please get me a lawyer, Ubaid Belkacem said. A good one.

No need, Vice ispettore Ricci said, gesturing with his right hand. You aren't a suspect in our investigation. You've survivor guilt, but you did nothing wrong.

Oh, that's untrue, Ubaid Belkacem thought. But I can blame Urzur too.

After a shouting match in Italian, the Italians left the room.

Forty minutes later, Ubaid Belkacem slipped into a doze. He dreamt about an operation room with bright lights overhead. A surgeon and other medical personnel performed surgery on him while a casually-dressed man, with a pale face and a long red scar running through it, stood in a corner. Skilled hands made an incision in his windpipe.

Darkness. An instant later in dream time, Ubaid Belkacem relived his morning, but in the dream, he was unable to speak and communicated with handwritten notes.

5 MRS. CALDWELL: THOHNUTH

THOHNUTH

MAY 27, 2019

The pink lake water smelled, unlike anything Mrs. Caldwell had experienced before in the two sets of memories she possessed. She imagined the scent to be more appropriate for a soup kitchen in New York City. But the lukewarm water felt pleasant on her naked skin. The two moons reminded her of Mars. And the eight-foot-tall creature with a bird head on a raft was a Thohnuther. No question about it.

The last thing Mrs. Caldwell recollected was pleading to a disembodied voice in South Africa to bring her to Calvin. But Calvin wasn't her real husband. It's just that she had memories of him which Urzur got from the real Mrs. Caldwell.

The Thohnuther lacked recognizable genitals. His avian part lacked feathers, and Mrs. Caldwell's bionic nose picked up the fragrance of hair oil. His body was well-muscled and lean. Upon losing telepathic contact with Urzur and the other Street Guardians, Mrs. Caldwell's neurodust had gone into a minimal mode. She was depressed with a strong feeling of loss.

Qevlefer, the man said and waved. Ere Lorub. Qimir erax?

Lorub pointed to his chest and then at Mrs. Caldwell. Alas, the language databases Mrs. Caldwell used were on Mars, but she got the gist of what Lorub said.

I'm Mrs. Caldwell. Is this Thohnuth? I'm from Earth. Urzur?

As a sign of recognition, Lorub's bird eyes narrowed, and his beak opened which Mrs. Caldwell took to be a smile. Yellow butterflies, the size of large kites, formed a circle above Mrs. Caldwell's head. Lorub stared at them in wonder.

#Misea, a visitor from Earth has arrived,# Lorub said on a private telepathic channel.