Variance Page 20

  After several minutes of looking at nothing, Paul finally took in deep breaths. Emotions started to hit him. He felt blessed that his family was alive after all they had been through. He felt blessed to have made it to the last battle alive. He felt blessed to be anything but dead, underground, mourned by his kin. In a way, he felt blessed to have Siren as he watched her work on overdrive, programming, attempting to make changes to Variance.

  He knelt on the ground and wept.

  Engines of transport ships echoed against the mountain range. In the distance, large shipments and a new building approached them. The ships delivered the building next to the decrepit one, and drones installed all the furnishings and equipment in less than a minute. The drones entered the ships and flew away, blowing wind against him, Cyprian, and Siren.

  “It looks like we have enough to build two Infinity suits.” Siren walked into the new building.

  “Two Infinity suits?” Paul followed. The colorful trees in the distance slowly faded to gray. His equilibrium made him feel off balance, as if the world were swaying from side to side. She gave the new battle platform a name. She didn’t even ask me.

  “I believe I’m done with the … I’ve broken down the Kalliro suit’s … With the engine, I could rebuild another … fully functioning Infinity suits, ready before we need to depart.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “You’re delusional again, right?” She stepped forward. In a split second, she became Amy.

  “You are not her.” He rubbed his eyes.

  “Paul, it’s me. Is everything all right?” It was Amaryllis.

  “Wait. How?” He hugged her. “It’s really you.”

  “Paul?”

  “I missed you so much.” He hugged her tightly. He had needed that hug for a long time. He kissed her. The world felt real, normal, and right. He opened his eyes.

  Siren gasped as she touched her lips with her fingers. “You’re hallucinating. You’re seeing me as Amaryllis. I didn’t do—”

  He pushed her away at the shoulders. “Stop lying, Siren.”

  She crossed her arms with her hands on her shoulders. “I’m not lying. I do love you, but I am telling the truth. I am not manipulating you. You are suffering mentally. You need help, but that would cost us the final match.”

  “I have to keep going.” He turned away. “Do whatever you have to do, and hurry up. You can’t love me, Siren.”

  What was she thinking? Was she lying, or was he really losing it? He knew he had been hallucinating since the start of the championships, but the kiss had felt real. Every part of Amaryllis had felt real. Then again, Siren was powerful enough to replicate Amy down to the smallest detail. Why was she in love with him? What kind of fucked-up AI was she? A compassionate killing machine?

  He walked up to Cyprian and cleared his throat. “I will avenge your family. You don’t have to fight.”

  Cyprian responded, “Sldsjils jtlinwl saiawe lntal.”

  Paul closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. Say that one more time. Something is wrong with my hearing.”

  “I said I want to fight by your side. You’re all that I have left.” Cyprian wiped the tears from his face and sniffed. He had Nyle’s voice. “I don’t care if I die. Life in Forever Summer was like being dead, only your heart continued to pump. I feel alive now, so I want to help you secure a future for all of us. Yuwoiejtjw?”

  Paul placed his hand on Cyprian’s shoulder. Shifting from light to dark tones, Cyprian’s facial features melted like candle wax. The boy’s eyes filled with black liquid. Prism’s surface, normal with streaks of straight and colorful lines, appeared to dance above him. Flashes of Siren, Amaryllis, and Shadow appeared around him. He heard spectators cheering.

  To survive with his mental instability, he needed Cyprian and Ryan. He nodded with lips pressed tightly together and closed his eyes. “All right, let’s move out.”

  He hoped he could make it through the last battle.

  As they entered Forever Winter’s freezing blizzard environment, Paul blocked out the snow and his Visuals from his view. Cyprian flew by his side. The random patterns of snowflakes and the interface windows formed the faces of those who had died recently, even Kaiser.

  The hallucinations were worsening.

  “You will be all right.” Siren remained invisible and within the suit to avoid confusing Paul. She kept her code visibility to a minimum and continued programming the Infinity suits.

  “I can’t tell what’s real. How the hell am I supposed to function? I don’t even know how the new suit will work.” Nervousness filled his mind and made his heart palpitate.

  “Deep breaths. Your anxiety is at peak level, and it’s difficult to lower it. Cellular Infinity’s no longer responsive. In the meantime, stay strong. I will help you.” Something caught her attention.

  She stopped coding. “Paul, a nuclear explosion occurred in a city neighboring the arena.” She displayed a video of the explosion through the Divine Might news network.

  “Is it Ryan, or is it spectator terrorism?”

  “Doesn’t say. Just that the region is under high security and military control. The battle is still scheduled.”

  “I hope Ryan’s all right. These people are crazy. Is someone following us?” He reactivated the spherical display of snow, shifting his eyes quickly from one end to the other. “Cyprian appears to be okay.”

  A drawn-out, deep, demonic voice resonated in his mind: “Uaslwejkrel alskwejritn wle ekktj laieknt.”

  Paul punched the side of his head. “Go away.”

  “Owiejlwj wjlalldiewlwei amwel.”

  He punched harder and then placed his hands over his ears. “Siren, I don’t know if you can hear me or understand what I’m going through, but do something to make it stop!”

  Paul woke up behind a tall gate, lying on the floor. Nothing else appeared around him, not even inspectors or drones, except the two tall Infinity suits towering above him. Each sleek human-shaped figure had a semitransparent white surface, showing traces of flowing golden streams underneath. The solar plexus revealed a cockpit large enough for him to stand in. He sat up with a pounding headache.

  “Siren, what happened?”

  “I electrocuted your brain in specific lobes. Hopefully, that should help you through the battle.” She rebooted his Visuals. “We were lucky to have some delays to the start time, a result of the nuclear attack.”

  Cyprian’s cheeks bunched up. “Welcome back, Mr. Benedict. Siren told me she needed to put you out for as long as she could. I hope you’re feeling better, because we need to talk about a plan, right?”

  Paul rubbed his eyes and took a moment to himself. “All right. Let’s wait for the details. How do you feel? Are you ready?”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for a final championship battle.” Cyprian held his breath and released it slowly. “Maybe I should sit out.”

  Paul’s Visuals returned. Everything appeared normal. Everything appeared empty without the team crowding the bay, his communication interface, and panels on top of panels of their physical and mechanical health statuses. It was just Cyprian and him. He hoped Ryan would appear out of nowhere, ready to join the fight.

  “I know I offered to finish this on my own.” Paul sighed, puffing out his cheeks. “But I really need your help.” He hoped Cyprian would have a positive response.

  Cyprian blinked a few times and said, “I’ll die out here if I’m alone. I’d rather die by your side.” Paul knew he was fighting to hold back tears.

  Siren stood behind Cyprian and rested her hands on his shoulders. “We’re in this together, and we will do our best.”

  “Right.” Cyprian nodded with a smile and rubbed his eyes.

  Paul also placed a hand on Cyprian’s shoulder.

  Siren looked into Paul’s eyes. She looked bothe
red as she touched his hand.

  Paul broke eye contact and turned toward the gate. His battle interface showed violence all around the world, with the world population betting on the match and millions of spectators in the arena. Fires and clashes with the military erupted in multiple locations around the arena. All the team information appeared blank.

  Depression placed a heavy weight over Paul’s heart. He had lost his friends, buried people, and even indirectly killed people. Yet he knew the show must go on. Maybe the explosion had not been Ryan.

  A loud roar of cheering and fireworks erupted in the halls and behind the gate. He was not sure if he was ready to do anything.

  “Yes.” Siren jumped up out of the suit and hugged Paul. “It’s done. I did it. All of your interfaces will change for the better because of your condition. I know this will sound tricky, but your imagination is your strongest weapon. I will try to handle any stray thoughts or illusions. You two focus on the objective.”

  “We’ll be able to test it out?” Paul watched his interfaces reboot.

  “When the battle starts, I’ll pilot and show you how it works. After that, the suit’s all yours. I’ll support where needed.” Siren hugged Paul tightly, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head against his chest.

  The strands of her hair seemed real, down to the follicles and scalp. She smelled real, not of plastic. Her chest rose and collapsed as she breathed.

  Championship battle type: Death match plus (in order) drone, multiple beasts, terrain, and nuclear survival. Battle platforms: High-radiation warfare. Primary obstacle: Combatants. Time: Last team standing. Bonus: None. Restrictions: Mandatory annihilation of team. Killing beasts prohibited. Disarming or disabling combatants prohibited. Penalties: Death by terraformer execution. Reward: Team’s demands with no limitations.

  “It’s just us, Mr. Benedict.” Cyprian gulped. Sweat dripped down his brow. His heart rate increased as he entered his suit.

  Paul entered his suit. He looked up, behind, and all around them. Ryan was nowhere in sight. He reached out to Cyprian with his suit’s fist. “Bump my fist with yours, and then say, ‘Hot Potato.’”

  Cyprian bumped Paul’s fist. “Hot potato?”

  “It’s something my daughter and I do all the time, when something is awesome or to signify that we’re ready. This is going to be the most honorable battle in the history of mankind.” He turned around. He still felt as if someone were watching him.

  Siren spoke to him privately. “Plus, you have me. All of me.”

  Paul tried to ignore her last statement, regardless of its veracity. He hovered in the center of a spherical display that showed the bay around him. Siren blended into the suit.

  The countdown from ten seconds started. Siren sat on his lap, facing him with her arms wrapped around him.

  He closed his eyes. “It’s an honor to be fighting by your side, Cyprian. You possess a kind of bravery that is rare—bravery that is only found in men who give up everything and face death in order to change the universe for good.”

  Good Utopian. Good Utopian. He is a good Utopian. He opened his eyes, and Siren disappeared. Her sitting down on him had been just an illusion.

  “I’m not doing anything. I’m just focusing on what’s behind the wall.” Siren spoke through Audials, her specter out of sight. “Keep it under control, if you can help it.”

  Cyprian appeared better, energetic, and motivated. He replied with excitement, “It’s an honor to be fighting by your side, Mr. Benedict.”

  “Just call me Paul. We’re family now.”

  Cyprian nodded.

  The gates split in the middle in a blinding white line. Paul’s eyes adjusted and found hundreds of terraformers constructing a massive domed arena with an energy barrier. Only their gate opened; the rest remained closed.

  Paul hovered forward with Cyprian following. Crowds cheered with praise and contempt, throwing rocks and food and even firing guns at the energy field. A large black sphere with a textured and moving surface hovered in the middle of the calm arena environment.

  Siren pointed at the sphere. “Three thousand drones with several massive drones in the center.” She highlighted the tiny dots soaring off the sphere in the distance. Four small objects appeared above the mechanical mass.

  “Forever Winter champions. That’s our objective.” Paul wanted to go after them.

  Siren held him back. “Not yet. Let me test Infinity first.”

  Cyprian remained quiet and stared into the horizon.

  They hovered to a midpoint between the drones and the gate, over a clear ice field with a lush frozen forest below. Paul hovered forward. “Siren, recommend wedge formation?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cyprian, offset behind me. Get ready.”

  Cyprian hovered behind him to the right.

  Streams of drones flew off the sphere. Large openings around the sphere revealed massive drones. The hive fired their arsenal at full force. A drumming of whirs, muzzle blasts, and roaring rockets intensified in volume.

  “Enjoy the view, you two.” Siren’s specter appeared in front of Paul.

  The energy beams reached Paul first, followed by rail-gun projectiles and hypersonic missiles, with each volley only a half second apart. Somehow, the lasers reflected back to the sphere in a converged, concentrated beam of energy. Projectiles flew back toward the sphere and incoming drone formations. Missiles meters away from them exploded, only for the blast to appear around incoming formations. The bombardment fueled Siren’s attack. Drones exploded and fell out of the sky hundreds at a time.

  Holy shit.

  His mouth agape, Paul forgot to breathe. He looked at Cyprian, who also had an open mouth.

  “Now for the fun part.” Siren flew, and the suits followed.

  From their starting point over the ice, they instantly appeared in the middle of a cluster of attacking droids. Without moving limbs, the droids exploded. The explosions and parts vanished, and Paul’s team appeared somewhere else, destroying another formation.

  In a split second, they appeared inside the hive, with a trail of burning drones where they entered. All the metal around them clumped up into globes. Some clumps exploded, and the blast magically contained itself around the dead drones. Other globes collected and ate through the remaining drones like laser through paper. The scene reminded Paul of Leader Kynast’s death.

  After fifteen seconds of clearing, no other drone existed. The remnants littered the ice forest below them. The champions repositioned themselves far away from them.

  “Wow. That felt good.” Siren spun around gracefully with a sexy smile. “Need I say more?”

  She hovered through the suit and circled around him. “You know what else feels good?” Her hand crept up his thigh.

  Paul closed his eyes and shook his head.

  No more. Please, no more.

  He opened his eyes.

  Siren hovered in front of the suit. “Paul? Are you ready to pilot?” She appeared irritated.

  “I told her I was ready.” Cyprian teleported in different places around Paul.

  “Yes, yes, I’m ready.” He was ready—maybe.

  Siren pointed into the distance. “Good. Look behind you.”

  A hole opened in the arena’s dome, and a massive armored dragon stomped onto the ground. Large slabs of ice flew upward and all around the dragon. Its wings of energy crackled with lightning. Rail guns lined the armor all over the body. Liquid radiation dripped out of the snout with vapor exiting the nostrils. Its eyes glowed furiously with curtains of dissipating energy.

  Paul imagined the incoming flying ice fragments melting. Water splashed around them.

  A flight of ten giant armored eagles surrounded the dragon, and the dome sealed closed. The dragon’s eyes emitted a wide beam that burned a ditch into the ground below Paul and Cyprian a
nd worked its way upward.

  Paul highlighted an order of attack between all the eagles, with the dragon last. “Render them unconscious, and don’t kill. Here we go.”

  He teleported to one far end of the dragon as Cyprian appeared on the other. Paul appeared next to the head of one eagle, which failed to take notice of him. With a thud to the head, which was two times his body height, he teleported the unconscious giant bird onto the ground and moved on to the next bird.

  One by one, he collected a pile of eagles. The dragon ceased all action, unable to react and respond to Cyprian and his efforts. The dragon stood alone next to two piles of eagles several hundred meters away.

  “Wow.” Cyprian appeared livelier and wore a confident smile. He teleported to Paul and coughed heavily.

  “Are you all right?” Paul watched for blood.

  Cyprian wiped his mouth. There was no blood. “I’m fine. CI’s working hard to fight off the radiation. What’s next?”

  Paul highlighted a weak point around the dragon’s brain. “Shoot electricity here. Our ends will connect and put it to sleep.”

  The dragon fired rail guns all around its body as its wings swung toward them. They teleported to opposite ends of the dragon’s colossal armored head and shot lightning bolts through the armored plate joints, into the head. The dragon roared with radioactive energy beaming out of its eyes and mouth, only to cease activity and turn limp. Its body crashed into the ground in an echoing rumble and a rising cloud of snow.

  “We did it!” Cyprian said.

  Siren appeared in front of Paul in human form, grabbing the back of his neck and kissing him passionately with a wet tongue.

  Enough. He shook his head hard. Stop. Enough!

  Lily’s voice broke through. “Daddy?”

  Paul opened his eyes and found himself in space, facing the galaxy. An Azurian tree zoomed by him, heading toward Xameeshee, with Prism’s enormous diamond surface in the background. The ship crumbled inward and exploded in a blue light.