President Warner stood in front of the urinal. He was glad he had the room to himself for once, it would be the only break he would get between briefings. He had consumed far too much coffee in an effort to keep him awake.
Damn prostate. Damn kid. I should be golfing.
Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open, and his aide rushed in.
“Damnit, Jeffrey!” he admonished the help. “I told you, not while I’m in the bathroom!”
“Sorry, mister President,” he apologized.
“Well?” he growled as he zipped up his pants. “What do you want?”
“Sir, Blake Summers has been spotted outside the spatial distortion.”
About damn time, it’s been three days.
“Where?” Warner demanded. “Is he back under The Dome?”
“No, Mister President,” Jeffrey replied.
“Then he’s on the run,” he grinned. “The kid’s running scared.”
“Sir,” Jeffrey swallowed. “He’s on a livestream with that influencer.”
“He’s WHAT?!” the President roared.
“See for yourself, sir.” Jeffrey unlocked, made the video full-screen, then motioned to hand Warner his phone before he hesitated.
“What now?” the President barked.
“Your hands, sir,” the aide responded sheepishly.
Warner stomped over to the sink and made a show of washing his hands, and then snatched the phone from his aide.
The stream showed Blake in the backseat of some sort of aircraft, while he talked with the influencer. They both had large headphones over their ears.
That’s the second interview he’s done with her. Is she working for him? Good, he looks like shit.
Suddenly, the camera rotated and showed the view out the front windows of the helicopter. In the distance, you could see The Dome, and a small spec which hovered above it. The camera zoomed in, and you could clearly make out the triangular shape of the experimental craft.
Warner’s temper rose, and he glared at his aide. “How the hell did they get close enough to film this? I was told airspace was locked down!”
Jeffrey looked frightened. “I don’t know, sir.”
“Then find out,” he said through gritted teeth.
His aide scampered from the room, without his phone. Warner glanced back down at the video, just as the feed focused on two military helicopters. Suddenly, missiles launched and raced toward the camera.
What the hell are they doing?! Not while they’re live! The media’s going to eat me alive!
Warner burst out of the restroom and stomped down the hall. A moment later, he entered the briefing room early. The joint chiefs were already present, and greeted him the moment he entered.
Jeffrey scurried to his side.
“Who the hell gave the order to open fire during a livestream?” he demanded.
“Sir?” a four star general on his left looked confused. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”
“This,” he pointed to the phone.
The video was shaky, but you could clearly see another round of missiles headed towards the camera.
How did the first missiles not take them out?
“Well?” he demanded.
“I’ll look into it right away, sir,” the general responded as he took out his phone.
“Don’t just look into it!” he barked. “Get them to stop that shit, right now! It's all over the damn internet!”
The general’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced at his fellow joint chief. They exchanged a look and the other shook his head minutely.
Incompetent idiots! I need to fire the lot of them! They’re all against me!
When he looked at the phone again, the camera had returned its focus to Blake Summers.
What’s he saying?
The president fiddled with the phone and then shoved it at Jeffrey, who found the volume button for him. He raised it as high as it could go and heard, “When I negotiated with the President, he didn’t give a shit about the hostages. He told me their lives were a small price to pay. This is for you, Mr. President!”
You little shit!
After that damning statement, the kid ripped off his headset, and flipped him off. He then grabbed his spear, turned, and leapt from the helicopter without a parachute.
What the hell is this kid doing?
The President continued to watch as the camera followed his rapidly descending form. It zoomed in until both Blake and the prototype were in sight. A minute later, Blake reached the craft.
Let’s see how you like being burned alive.
There was no reason for the craft to move. The technology that allowed it to move projected a field which surrounded the drone. That field was impenetrable. Unfortunately, it also disrupted other aircraft for miles. The side effect was the only reason they had yet to mass produce the prototype.
Suddenly, Blake’s small figure appeared atop the craft with his spear raised.
What? How the hell did he do that?
The kid drove his spear into the aluminum shell, and the craft immediately lost power. His jaw dropped as the experimental drone fell from the sky.
Did he just destroy our best technology with a pointy stick in front of millions of people?! This is humiliating!
In a sudden burst of uncontrollable anger, President Warner roared, “I want that kid’s head! And everyone there with him!” and threw the phone across the room.
Jennifer was beyond annoyed. She, Bobby, and Marcus, their pilot, had been contained in Sheriff Slater’s jail cell for two hours. They were informed the hold was a temporary measure, and a military transport would soon arrive to transfer them to DC.
They better not put me on a plane. Blake said they’re all going to fall from the sky.
She looked through the bars to the small table across the building, their confiscated equipment lay in a heap. She wanted to know how the world reacted to her video. The small period she had before they forced her helicopter down and arrested her was not enough.
Has the President released a response yet?
Suddenly, the lights went out, one of the deputies shouted, and a message appeared before her eyes.
Welcome to the Collective!
Your species has been chosen by the Architect to join countless others on a path to power. As a member of the Collective, you will use nano to enhance your body, gain access to combat classifications, and harness power previously unknown. This will be necessary to overcome the challenges your planet will face in the future. You will be given directives to follow to show you the path. However, it is up to you to decide how you achieve it. Always remember, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
Blake was right about everything!
“Holy shit!” Bobby blurted. “Are you guys seeing this?”
“Yeah, but it’s not going away,” she complained as she tried to swipe the words from her eyes.
“Just ignore the voices,” Marcus advised them with a shrug and flapped his hands before his eyes. “It’s what I do. Works every time.”
Jennifer and Bobby exchanged a worried look.
A moment later, Bobby blurted, “Hot Damn! It actually does work.” He turned to Jennifer and said, “Think about ignoring the words, and they disappear.”
She followed his suggestion and was relieved when the text disappeared.
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“Well, if Blake’s right, it looks like we don’t have to worry about that flight to DC now.”
“Yeah, but we’re stuck in this cell, and Blake said monsters will start appearing. What if one shows up in here with us?”
“He said we have three days,” Bobby reminded her. “I’m sure the Sheriff will let us out now that Blake’s been proven right.”
“Are you serious?” Jennifer replied, dumbfounded. “Did you see the smirk on his face when those soldiers brought us here? The man’s an ass.”
“I’m sure Blake will show up to get us out of here.” Bobby tried to assure her. “He owes you, remember?”
Marcus smiled and showed them his teeth. “Did you see what that kid did? It was crazy! Jumped right out like he had wings, but he didn’t!”
It WAS crazy. I still can’t believe he did that.
“Oh, I have no doubt he could get us out of here,” she agreed. “But, how is he supposed to find us? For all he knows, we could be anywhere.”
“Again!” Esteves demanded with glee.
Jeremy rolled his eyes, but replayed the video.
For the last few hours, he and his team had watched Blake single-handedly destroy the UAP with a spear on repeat. Each time they saw Blake flip off the President, Esteves giggled like a schoolgirl. Despite the kid’s theatrics, Jeremy was glad he gave the order to leave the kid alone, as was his team.
The three had even told him how relieved they were when Scott Peters placed him in charge before he was recalled back to the Pentagon. They had spent that time running through scenarios repeatedly. His team could now be considered superhuman.
Suddenly, the screen went blank.
Captain Jeremy Jackson stared in confusion at his now dead phone. To add to his perplexity, the hum of the portable air conditioners ceased, and the fans cut off as well.
Esteves swore as he looked at the dark light fixtures. “Looks like that kid was right again. You think he’s really from the future?”
Jeremy checked his radio and confirmed it no longer functioned.
Lee snorted. “Of course not. He’s obviously working with the aliens. That’s why his guide is so accurate.”
“He wasn’t right about everything,” Jacobs disagreed. “The guide said there’s supposed to be a welcome message, and I haven’t seen shit.”
“We saw it three months ago,” Esteves reminded him. “Why would it show it to us twice?”
That’s a good point. I should head outside and see if they received a welcome message. They weren’t already infected like we were.
Jeremy was about to stand, when words suddenly appeared before his eyes.
A message from the Scion of Humanity:
“You guys see that?” Jacobs asked.
“Yep, that’s the welcome message,” Esteves responded. “You still don’t believe he’s from the future?”
The notification remained visible for three seconds before it was replaced by a video of the Earth taken from outer space. Before his eyes, the planet grew larger as their point of view zoomed in. Continents were revealed beneath the clouds, and suddenly North America filled his view.
It did not stop there.
Jeremy watched as the south-western United States was magnified. Faster and faster, the view shifted until it focused on the mountains north-east of Phoenix. The camera continued to zoom in until the small town of Pinetop was revealed, as was The Dome.
“Hey! That’s us!” Jacobs blurted when their temporary base became visible.
However, it soon disappeared as the view swept past the shimmer of The Dome, entered the small town, somehow passed through the roof of a large building, and focused on Blake Summers as he sat behind a wooden desk.
“He looks like shit,” Esteves remarked.
He does. I guess taking out that UAP wasn’t as easy as he made it look.
His armor was in tatters, his hair, while shorter than before, still looked horrendous, and his eyes had bags beneath them. The kid’s face had been washed, but Jeremy could still see dried blood caked over the leather jerkin.
“Shh,” Lee shushed his team member. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”
After a moment, Blake spoke, “Hello everyone, my name is Blake Summers. Most of you are frightened and confused by what just happened, and I pray you are in a safe location. The world as you know it is now gone.”
Blake glanced down and seemed to check some handwritten notes. “Except for a few minor exceptions, electricity itself has been eliminated. How is that possible? The welcome message you just received came from an alien artificial intelligence known as the Architect. It has seeded our world with its nanomachines. Every human has been infected, no exceptions.”
The kid straightened in his seat, and winced in obvious pain.
“The nanomachines seem to act in a symbiotic relationship with our bodies. They allow us to become stronger, tougher, heal faster, and give us access to magic. Yes, you heard that right, magic.” Blake smiled. “Some of you may have seen videos of me doing things not humanly possible. For those of you who choose to pursue combat classes, those feats and more are now possible.”
That’s what I’m talking about.
“However, you have to survive the apocalypse first. Hopefully, some of you have printed out the guide I released a few weeks ago. If you do not know what I am talking about, ask around until you find someone who has done so. It describes in detail how to grow strong and survive. For those without access to the guide, I will give these quick words of advice:”
“The Architect rewards the killing of monsters with a new currency called nano. You can use this currency to purchase skills to help you fight, attributes to make you stronger, and combat classes which give you access to magic.”
Blake coughed.
“If you notice, I mentioned monsters. In three days, they will begin to portal into the world. Nowhere is safe. They can appear inside your bedroom or closet just as easily as your backyard. I suggest you gather together in large groups and alternate sleeping, or you may never wake up. The exception to this is within a faction’s town’s borders. However, to create a faction and build your town, you must collect and spend over a billion nano.”
“In the meantime, try to avoid relying on firearms. The Architect will not reward you for any kills made with them, and after a few months, they will not be enough to defeat the higher level monsters which will appear. Bullets will bounce off their skin as they do mine.”
Blake straightened.
“Humanity as a whole must unite and grow stronger. Do not hide in bunkers and hope to be protected. Anything not made with the Architect’s assistance will crumble within months. The hordes of monsters will steadily grow stronger over the years until a decade from now when the Koza invade our world.”
He took a deep breath.
“How do I know all of this? Because I have already lived through it before. I’ve somehow traveled back in time to before Invasion day so I can warn you all of what will come. The Architect is intent on …”
Suddenly, a red, swirling portal appeared behind Blake. The teenager jerked in surprise and his head whipped around. Before he could react, he was sucked into the spatial distortion, and disappeared. A split second later, it, too, was gone.
The video ended, and Jeremy’s full vision was restored.
What the hell was that?
“Uh, what happened to the rest of the speech?” Esteves asked.
“I bet he said too much, and his boss didn’t like it.” Lee theorized. “Sucked him back to the home base to cuss him out.”
“Or,” Esteves disagreed. “He really is from the future, and the AI didn’t like what he had to say.”
Jeremy cleared his throat. “Either way, it lends credence to his words. We need to prepare for what’s to come."
Rajesh Kshetrapal lounged on the downstairs couch in the lobby of his dorm. His parents and sister were upstairs, within their rooms. Rajesh had been forced to post guards to ensure they remained confined, as it would be too dangerous for them to leave. As he had feared, after he explained what would happen and showed them proof, they panicked and wanted to flee.
He could not allow that.
Within minutes, his dorm building would soon be the only safe place for over a hundred miles. Thousands of people would seek shelter within it, and he would earn a fortune in nano from them. He could use that wealth to make himself and his loyal lieutenants more powerful.
He impatiently checked his watch.
I can still make my vision possible. It isn’t too late.
In the beginning, things had gone well. He had recruited loyal followers, outfitted them, and set them out to tackle scenarios. Rajesh quickly gained nano, and led his team to victory after victory. They accumulated hundreds of millions of nano and Rajesh was satisfied with their progress.
That idiot just HAD to go public. What the hell was he thinking? He almost ruined everything!
Immediately after they learned of Blake and his Dome, his followers began to rebel. They questioned the way Rajesh ran things, and asked why they needed him when Blake had freely released his guide.
He was forced to confiscate every copy his lieutenants found.
Luckily, he had been wise enough to limit their attributes. While they were stronger than the average human, Rajesh was much more powerful. He had maxed out his attributes long before, and wore the best nano-infused armor. Rajesh easily subdued the rebellious minions and only had to make an example out of one of them.
Unfortunately, after that point, some no longer worked as hard as they had before. He threatened further punishments if they failed to meet a quota, but they listed excuse after excuse as to why that mark was unreasonable.
As if they had not easily reached it before.
He was careful to take note of which followers were devoted, and which served only out of fear. Once Rajesh held an abundance of nano, he would reward those who remained loyal with increased strength and power.
If only that child hadn’t ruined things.
Rajesh was behind schedule. They had barely built the faction hall within the basement just the day before, and it would be at least another three days before it was upgraded to level two. That meant he could only recruit fifty people to his faction, the limit until it was upgraded. The taxes from those invites would not be enough for him to purchase an omni-class, his goal.
I may have to settle for a tri-class.
Rajesh hated to settle, but it was the pragmatic choice. When he set up his vision, he did not realize how difficult it would be to acquire ten achievements. He currently had seven, and while he knew he could gain the next three within a week or two, he was not certain it was worth the wait.
The first few weeks would be the most important, and he needed to be strong enough to accomplish his goals.
It’s decided. Once I have the nano, I will purchase a tri-class.
Suddenly, the lights went out, and the air conditioner quieted.
It’s starting.
Rajesh ignored the frightened cries of those around and removed his useless timepiece. He focused on Blake’s condition. He was a mess, and it showed.
Serves him right. All he had to do was remain hidden, and he would have been fine. He could be level five by now if he weren’t so sentimental.
After the first few sentences, Rajesh mostly ignored the speech. He already knew everything the child shared, and Blake’s voice began to grate on him. He was about to mute the feed, when suddenly a portal appeared behind Blake mid-speech, and the Scion disappeared.
What did you do? How did you screw this up as well?
Immediately, Rajesh ran multiple theories through his head for why the speech was cut short. Unfortunately, he did not have enough data. He could only surmise Blake had made an enemy of either the Architect, or someone else powerful enough to snatch him away.
“Boss,” one of his minions vied for his attention.
“What?” Rajesh snapped, annoyed at the interruption.
The fellow Indian stood by the large glass window, which wrapped around the lobby. He pointed to the sky and said, “You need to see this.”
Rajesh sighed, but humored his loyal follower. He stood and slowly walked toward the edge of the lobby. When he arrived, he followed Zahir’s extended finger to the helicopter above. Smoke rose from its engine as it plummeted to the ground.
A pity, but I do not see why this deserves my attention.
He was about to turn away and return to his seat, when he finally traced its trajectory. Rajesh backpedaled and ordered, “Get away from the windows!”
A few of his followers obeyed immediately. Unfortunately, most turned to stare at him in confusion.
Idiots!
Rajesh sprinted to the opposite side of the lobby. However, before he made it out the door, a massive explosion rocked him off his feet.
