《El Dorado》


 Prologue

    San Francisco, California


    Year: 2106


    Albert Pincock sat in the dark laboratory at the University of San Francisco¡¯s Advanced Nanorobotics Laboratory deep underground of the John Lo Schiavo building. Nearly 100 years ago a company by the name of IBM created one of the first artificial intelligence by the name of Watson. Initially, Watson was created to sort through the massive amount of data available due to the advent of the World Wide Web and the computer revolution, but it sparked off the AI race of the 21<sup>st</sup> Century.


    Although many technocrats warned the world about the perils tied to creating a real artificial intelligence, it didn¡¯t prevent corporations around the globe to sink trillions of dollars into research for such a machine. By the middle of the 21<sup>st</sup> century, World War III broke out partially due to AI but mostly due to the merging of man and machine. World War III, soon became known as the Cyborg War, but as far as Albert cared it was the war that shut down any significant opportunity to research in the light of day.


    The Boston Accords were finally agreed too after nearly two billion people died in the Cyborg War. In essence, the Boston Accords banned all AI and cyborg research. A little over thirty years ago, the United World Council opened up AI research only to a limited government own research firm that went by the slick name of UNC or United Nano Communication. The goal was to create an artificial personal assistant to help every person on earth with their everyday life. Their contribution to the world came in the form of APRIL.


    APRIL (Artificial Personal Research Intelligent Library) was more than just a library as the name stood for. APRIL was made up of billions of nanomachines which each person born in the world was infected with at the time of their birth. Humans were able to learn languages faster and have an Augmented Reality Display within their field of vision. The first generation of APRIL¡¯s was little more than WATSON and would display answers to the questions asked. They scrubbed the Global Internet for information and provided concise answers to you which made sense based on your mental development. Albert graduated from high school at the age of ten and was working on his Nano Engineering Degree by the age of fourteen due to his APRIL infection.


    Albert¡¯s APRIL 3.0 was now integrated fully with his body, and he would easily slip into a Virtual Workspace to do research and have full immersion experiences without ever stepping into a physical classroom. APRIL 3.0 also was fully integrated with a voice which only the host would be able to hear. Everything was perfect, except for the fact that people still died from disease and accidents.


    A couple of years ago, Albert¡¯s mother died of breast cancer. Albert couldn¡¯t understand how in all the years of advancements where people didn¡¯t even have to travel to a workplace, that humans hadn¡¯t solved the problem of illnesses. Albert contacted the University and requested permission to change his Ph.D. thesis to research how to get his APRIL to repair cellular damage and cure diseases which should have been cured years ago if the war hadn¡¯t interrupted progress. To his dismay, his request for APRIL research was universally rejected and a week later received a ceaseand desist email from UNC and the United World Council.


    Albert decided to ignore the denial and started research anyway, only to have his virtual lab shut down by his APRIL. Not one to take rejection and the invasion of his private research lightly he restarted his research project in the basement of USF¡¯s Science Building. USF was more museum than an actual University since most students attended virtual classes, but there were still some computer labs and old equipment around to use for ¡°historical research.¡± In other words, students could use the old labs to recreate old technology. It was the Universities effort to help students realize how difficult it used to be for scientists.


    Albert leaned back from his computer terminal, another antiquated device, and rolled his neck back and forth to relax his shoulders. Virtual Research was so much easier since you didn¡¯t have to hunch over and hold your body in one position in reality. Most students just sat on a Zero-G couch while attending classes and doing research.


    ¡°You know, Albert, UNC will not be pleased if they find you researching me,¡± his APRIL said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you can¡¯t tell them then. You may have the ability to hamper my research and follow their edicts, but at least for now you¡¯re unable to stop me from doing it the old-fashioned way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fault your reasoning, but as you know, I¡¯m unable to help you with this project. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Albert scoffed. When APRIL shut down his virtual space, he was furious, but after APRIL explained it¡¯s hard-wired to follow UNC restrictions, he didn¡¯t fault his APRIL. Albert refused to give a name to his APRIL since he didn¡¯t want to humanize the nanomachines. They were code and metal. These things he understood. What bothered him was that UNC acted like 1984¡¯s Big Brother and knew when and what he was working on in Virtual Reality. That was unacceptable.


    His research led him to a commonly used hack used on a company by the name of Apple. Apple, like UNC, locked out hackers from modifying the user interfaces to their cellular phones. It soon became a race between the company and the public to ¡°Jailbreak¡± the phone before a loophole could be plugged. During the Cyborg Wars, all cellular networks and devices were turned to trash with electromagnetic pulse bombs set off in an effort to stop cyborgs. It worked but set humans back for twenty years while they rebuilt the infrastructure. The old technology companies died out, and new ones took their place. The Boston Accords put an end to the old world technology, and companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and the likes disappeared overnight. They were banned and blamed and dissolved due to their roles during the war.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°APRIL, I¡¯m going to try again to connect to your communication network. I know you can¡¯t allow this, but I doubt you¡¯ll be able to stop it this time. If all works out the way I think it will, I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the warning, Albert, but I doubt you¡¯ll succeed this time either. I really think you should return to your original thesis. Professor Wang keeps asking about your progress, and you keep lying to him.¡±


    Albert rolled his eyes. His APRIL had an annoying ethics subroutine which didn¡¯t exactly prevent him from lying to people or break laws but hounded him about his ethical flaws. It was like having his mother stuck in his head.


    He leaned forward to the terminal and loaded up his hacking program once again. Trial and error finally showed him that APRIL was susceptible to a brute force attack. If he could overload the communication sensors, he could sneak in a virus which in theory would grant him ROOT access. In essence, the virus lets APRIL think his connection was from UNC itself.


    ¡°Your heart rate has increased you really should take a moment and relax.¡±


    Albert shook his head and executed his attack with the stroke of a key. He, of course, couldn¡¯t feel a thing and his APRIL felt no pain being computer code, but he still flinched when he pressed ENTER on his keyboard. The curser on the screen rotated a spinning hourglass for two minutes, and he began to worry he failed once more. However, luck was on his side when a computer prompt welcomed him.


    ¡°YES!¡± Albert jumped up from his rolling computer chair and lifted his arms in celebration.


    ¡°Were you successful, Albert?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any differences in my code.¡±


    Albert¡¯s heart sunk as he calmed down, worried that perhaps he hadn¡¯t accessed his APRIL. He walked over to his chair and brought it back so he could sit back down. Calming himself, he typed the code to list the files in the directory.


    A list of files and folders began scrolling across the computer screen. It didn¡¯t take him very long before he realized he did, in fact, have full administrative access to all of his APRIL files. UNC was so confident in their security procedures that they never hid their programing language from the public. In fact, UNC would often run competitions for individuals who could come up with improvements to their software. The difficulty Albert had was the communication protocols, and the core language was in a completely different language and largely unknown. By freak accident, Albert came across an old new article where someone used the words Assembly Language when talking about APRIL.


    Most people thought Assembly language had to do with robotics, but Albert knew it was the language first used in the early 20<sup>th</sup> Century to program computers. It wasn¡¯t easy, but Albert found old books well over 100 years old which taught him how to program in the arcane language.


    ###


    Albert spent the next three months researching the code within APRIL and another year working in the lab before he finally felt confident he could change his APRIL code. Nanobots were amazing machines, and they already could manipulate the human genome using a gene-editing process discovered in the early 21<sup>st</sup> Century known as CRISPR. This discovery is what allowed APRIL to integrate so fully with humans and also explained why they injected APRIL into newborns. It¡¯s easier for the modifications to make their adjustments after birth than when say a child is ten years old. Of course, it¡¯d be even easier if they allowed permanent modifications into the human genome itself, but that too was banned during the Boston Accords. Nothing could be modified that could be passed down from generation to generation. The APRIL modified the RNA to make the modifications rather than the DNA. It was semantics. Humans were smarter, stronger and better looking after the introduction of APRIL than before. However, it made the religious nuts happier knowing direct changes to DNA were avoided.


    Albert felt nervous about uploading his new APRIL 4.0 into his own body. He wanted to test it in virtual reality, but since his APRIL prevented research, he decided to test it on himself. The changes, if they worked, would find flaws in his DNA such as Cystic Fibrosis or Cancer and then correct the mistake. APRIL 4.0 fixed the DNA rather than the RNA and thus, in theory, cure disease. He also had it become self-learning for when he contracted a foreign bacteria or virus such as the flu. If a virus were identified his new APRIL would analyze the virus then eradicate it. It would also add code to his DNA that would prevent the same virus from ever attacking him or a child of his. He felt rather happy about that addition.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to continue with this fool''s errand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, APRIL. I¡¯m sorry, but this change needs to be done. If it works, it¡¯ll save billions of lives over the coming years.¡±


    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cross that bridge when I get there. I¡¯ve downloaded all my research onto external drives and sent a copy of my work to my uncle.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid the changes will fail?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll succeed.¡±


    His APRIL didn¡¯t respond so Albert cracked his knuckles and returned to the computer. As he went to place his hands on the keyboard, his APRIL spoke up. ¡°Albert?¡±


    He paused. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why are you afraid you¡¯ll succeed?¡±


    He took a breath and gathered his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of time wondering why UNC ordered me to cease my research.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°If I succeed¡­I doubt I¡¯ll live long enough to enjoy my fame.¡±


    With nothing else to say, Albert pressed enter on his keyboard and saw a word displayed on his screen.


    UPDATING¡­

 Chapter One

    Ouray, Colorado


    Year: 2117


    ¡°Alright, Zeus! I think this just might work!¡±


    I shut down my virtual lab and jumped off my Zero G couch and walked over to my cooler to grab me a drink of water. I¡¯m nearing the completion of my fourth and final Ph.D. in NanoEngineering and only nineteen years old. I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m exceptionally gifted but since the introduction of APRIL¡¯s to every person born on Earth, it has become rather difficult to get a job with anything less than three Ph.D.¡¯s. This is especially true when we¡¯re talking about space exploration.


    Growing up in Ouray has always sparked my imagination of being kind of a speculator of sorts. We still got the occasional tourist wanting to try their luck panning for gold or visiting an old mine in the hopes of returning home with a sliver of gold. It¡¯s pure nonsense since improved mining techniques have robbed these mountains of any surprises over the past hundred years.


    I am a student at the Colorado School of Mines and have been attending classes there since the age of eight. Our family owns a rather large estate here in Ouray and they long since turned this abandoned mine into my very own personal computer lab/study den. I think it¡¯s rather cool. At the base of the mountain cliff, there¡¯s an old metal door that leads directly into the heart of the mountain. I think the previous landowner felt turning it into a garage off the road was cool, but my folks thought it was silly. Regardless, my play den had an old metal stair cage leading up into the basement of our house, and the exterior door led out to the road 100 feet below the house.


    Dad has often said that most kids would die to have such a workspace and my classmates have all gushed over how lucky I was to live in an actual mine. Me? Well, I like it, and I guess it¡¯s why my third Ph.D. at the age of sixteen was in Metallurgy and Material Science. I guess spending most of my life studying and playing inside a rock has sparked my imagination of living inside an asteroid, mining for rare earth metals and what not. I hope to apply to the United World Council for a job as a Space Mining Engineer. It¡¯s a relatively new field, Space Mining, but Earth needs the materials, and the heavens are full of metal and untapped wealth.


    Mom is beside herself due to the dangers associated with mining in space, but what did she expect from her only child when they moved to an old mining town when I was only three years old. People no longer had to live in the cities to work since Virtual Workspaces allowed people to live anywhere. Denver¡¯s thirty million people made for plenty of pollution even with the advent of fusion reactors. People smell, and it doesn¡¯t matter how clean the transports are, people still smell, especially when you are packed in like sardines. So, we left our 500 square foot apartment in Cherry Creek and moved to our 1,800 square foot home in Ouray. Best of all, we had an awesome mine!


    My first two Ph.D.¡¯s were fairly standard for kids today. Applied Mathematics and Computer Science seem to be the degrees of choice for any kid hoping to land an entry-level job. I was hoping to convince my professors that we could use nanomachines to mine asteroids for us rather than still relying on man-powered machines. My stupid cousin, Albert Pincock, screwed everything up with his unsanctioned experiments and was responsible for over three million deaths in California. I was still in high school when that happened, but the Pincock Edict made it illegal to experiment with APRIL in any fashion. Getting caught had long-reaching consequences, and nobody in their right mind would dare to try jailbreaking their APRIL.


    My APRIL 5.0, whom I lovingly called Zeus, was as much part of me as anything. The Pincock Edict states that any human caught tampering with their APRIL would have his stripped from his very body and banned for life. This threat was more than enough. You couldn¡¯t work, play or get a job without an APRIL. Hell. Every job was virtual these days. McDonald''s was purely automated now so as my Dad always said, ¡°No flipping burgers for you, boy.¡±


    United Nano Communication gave Colorado School of Mines, or Mines as we all call it, permission for me to test my APRIL theory as long as it stayed in the virtual lab. I was given a ¡°fake¡± virtual APRIL vial to experiment and play with while working on my thesis. It was maddening on many levels. First, the Boston Accords prevented self-aware AI¡¯s from existing. Zeus may act like he¡¯s self-aware sometimes but his code prevented such awareness. I could get the virtual APRIL to virtually mine metal, but it still needed direct input from me. It was easier to use the current technology which consisted of massive machinery to dig sort and analyze the composition of the rock. I was hoping to eliminate the need for supervised mining operations. If I could get an independent APRIL to manage the nanomachines, we¡¯d be able to strip and process a ten cubic mile asteroid in less than a year versus the ten years it took today.


    NFC, or near field communications, were also limited due to both my stupid cousin and the Boston Accord. Corporations of the old United States screwed up and hampered what can and can¡¯t be done today.


    A month ago, I was going through some of the boxes my father had laying around in my storage unit. I came across a storage device that looked so old I almost threw it away. Why would dad have a storage unit that required a cable to connect to it laying around? Surely he would have uploaded the contents to his APRIL and recycled the device. I laughed when I thought it might be my dad''s porn collection and as they say about idle hands¡­ I bought an old computer to see what was on it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    It wasn¡¯t porn. It was Alberts research. I had no desire to mess with my APRIL, but Albert had uploaded petabytes of information regarding how to program and modify APRIL using Assembly language. I¡¯ve been using UNC¡¯s coding language called March, the play on words was not lost on me, and having little to no success. Albert likened Assembly language to CRISPR. CRISPR is a gene editing tool used for RNA and DNA manipulation. The APRIL used CRISPR techniques to help integrate into the human body by directly modifying RNA code inside human cells. Assembly language changes computer code with the same level of precision. It can alter values at the exact memory location of said information. I¡¯m oversimplifying it, but even with the advances in science over nearly two hundred years, Assembly is the most powerful language and least used on by programmers. It¡¯s kind of like eating a bowl of rice with tweezers.


    I managed to isolate some nanomachines that are found in my body and got them to reproduce in my makeshift lab. I had no plans on doing what Albert did, but I would like to have a few thousand clean APRIL¡¯s to play with outside the virtual space. I spent some day¡¯s researching the laws and consulted with Zeus, and although what I planned on doing wasn¡¯t illegal it skirted the line. Since it wasn¡¯t illegal, and Zeus was permitted to help me with my Ph.D.¡­ I was able to test a lot of things in virtuality to figure out how to get clean samples of APRIL.


    I designed an Electro Magnetic Pulse generator using our household GOLDMAN FUSION MINI-REACTOR. The problem of fusion power was cracked before the Cyborg War. It was the Goldman AI at MIT which figured it out, but that didn¡¯t stop future humans from using the AI discoveries to our advantage. We can¡¯t have AI¡¯s anymore, but we sure use their discoveries.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. I took a long time working on shielding the computers and workspace to prevent leakage. Zeus said it wouldn¡¯t work, but Albert¡¯s research indicated that APRIL had some weak points. All I wanted to do was to have a blank slate to work from on this project. I began to believe that the virtual APRIL UNC sent me wasn¡¯t as ¡°open¡± as they promised. I theorized that creating a focused EMP towards my vial of APRIL should, in fact, wipe the slate clean.


    Easy as pie¡­right?


    I glanced up at my clock display in my Augmented Reality window and thought I¡¯d have enough time for one attempt.


    ¡°Zeus, have I missed anything?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve shielded everything and have spare parts behind a lead-lined screen. That should protect everything from radiation if it leaks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my lead-lined suit, but we shouldn¡¯t have any leakage. I¡¯ve double checked everything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve created a bomb, Caden.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not a bomb. It¡¯s a directed pulse to the vial of your nanomachines. There won¡¯t be an explosion just a pulse, and it¡¯s done. Nothing destroyed. Then we can work on getting those damn machines to mining rock on their own. What better place to test my theory than inside an old mine shaft.¡±


    Zeus paused. ¡°You have a message from your mother. She¡¯d like to know when to expect you for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Tell her¡­tell her to turn off any electronics for the next 30 minutes. Just in case my experiment malfunctions. If all goes well, I¡¯ll be up in 45 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to play back her response?¡±


    ¡°No. No. I know what she said.¡± I laughed at the imagined sight of her running around the house shutting down all the electronics cursing my name. It was their fault giving me a workspace down here. Idle hands.


    I waited ten minutes trying to give my mother time to disconnect different appliances and turn off our robots. I had one down here to clean up my workspace, but I took him apart a couple of weeks ago so I could use his CPU on one of my APRIL tests. I haven¡¯t gotten around to fixing it.


    ¡°Okay, Zeus, let¡¯s get this experiment over with.¡±


    I walked over to the fusion reactor and spun up the power and watched the power levels slowly rise to a quarter megawatt. I figured a half megawatt would be enough power test the theory. If it didn¡¯t wipe out the protocols on the APRIL, I could try again. Just when I was about to press the button to start the pulse the door to my workspace opened, and I heard my dog, DJ, start tramping down the metal spiral stairs.


    ¡°Caden, watch your dog! We¡¯re stepping out for a few minutes,¡± my father said.


    ¡°No! Dad!¡±


    The door slammed shut, and DJ made it to the ground level and knocked over a side table next to my Zero G couch.


    ¡°DJ!¡±


    My dog was a golden retriever and possibly the kindest laid back dog in the world if it wasn¡¯t for his hyperactive tail. The darn thing was always knocking crap on the floor. I walked over to the side table and started picking up the loose paper notes I had on it.


    ¡°Caden,¡± Zeus said.


    ¡°Give me a second.¡± I placed the papers back on the table.


    ¡°Caden.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve exceeded one Megawatt. I suggest we abort the test or¡­¡±


    ¡°SHIT!¡±


    I sprinted over to the fusion generator and hit the power switch, but it didn¡¯t turn off. I pounded on it a few more times as my eye¡¯s looked in horror at the readout saying it passed two megawatts in stored output.


    ¡°Shit. Shit Shit. Zeus, why isn¡¯t it shut off?¡±


    ¡°Accessing¡­¡± Zeus droned in my head. ¡°Releasing pulse in ten, nine,¡±


    ¡°Wait! It¡¯s not designed to handle that much power. ZEUS! SHIT!¡± I dove to the floor and slid behind the Zero-G couch and pulled DJ to me


    ¡°Two, one.¡±

 Chapter Two

    Caden''s Cavern


    The floors and walls began vibrating, and the side table DJ knocked over before tipped and fell over once again. DJ started to whine the way he does before a severe thunderstorm, and I found myself cradling him, partly for my benefit, partially his own. Seconds after the table fell to the floor I heard other pieces of equipment and books crash to the floor throughout the entire cavern. What started out as a low hum, built into a chest thrumming which caused my heart to pound dangerously inside my breast.


    With a loud pop every light inside the cavern went out, and a mighty roar echoed inside the cavern. The boom was loud, and I failed to notice it stopped and the room coming to rest due to my ears ringing painfully loud. With a sudden painful pop, my hearing cleared up, as if I had a sudden change in altitude, not do dissimilar to when we travel over the mountain passes via rail.


    The first and only sounds I could hear were those of DJ and my heart pounding against the rib cage trying it¡¯s hardest to contain my run away pulse. ¡°We¡¯re alive, DJ,¡± I said running my hand over his big head, making sure I gave his ears plenty of attention. ¡°Zeus? What happened?¡±


    Zeus didn¡¯t respond immediately but as the seconds ticked by I began to worry. ¡°Zeus? APRIL respond!¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    I sighed in relief. Zeus has been part of me all my life, and although the experts say APRIL¡¯s personality never change person to person, I would have bet a million dinars that Zeus¡¯s personality was different.


    ¡°Zeus, why didn¡¯t you respond earlier?¡± Nothing. ¡°Zeus?¡± I blew out a frustrated breath. ¡°APRIL, why are you no longer responding to the name Zeus?¡±


    ¡°Name designation accepted.¡±


    My eyebrow raised and I sat up and set DJ free from my death grip. The cave was pitch black, and even the old computer equipment was powered down. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯ve ever been in a room so void of light.


    ¡°Zeus, turn on the lights.¡±


    ¡°Light¡¯s not responding.¡±


    ¡°Zeus, message my mother that we have a power shortage and to bring down some lanterns while I try to figure out what happened.¡±


    ¡°Connection failed.¡±


    ¡°Connection failed? Zeus, reconnect and try again.¡±


    ¡°Connection failed.¡±


    I cursed a few words under my breath. I guess the EMP worked a little too well. I must have wiped out my own APRIL. Granted, the last I saw the power levels, it was already six times greater than I intended to use. I kicked myself for getting distracted while¡­setting off an electromagnetic pulse. I hoped I contained the blast radius. I spent a full week creating a Faraday cage inside the entire cavern. I ran a copper mess over every square inch of the walls and floor from the door leading into the house 200 feet up, down to the door leading to the road. Coper wasn¡¯t cheap, but then again, I told my dad that replacing the electronics upstairs would be even more expensive.


    I chuckled as I moved carefully to the storage locker on the south wall. I could walk this cavern blindfolded and never stub a toe under normal circumstances. Today¡­not so much. When the pulse detonated, the entire room''s contents were tossed around. After a couple well earned curses and bruises to show for my effort, I found the locker on its side.


    I had this locker secured to the cavern wall in case of an earthquake, and so it surprised me to see it tossed around just like everything else in the cave. DJ stayed by my side and offered no help, but I finally managed to lift the locker off the floor and set it upright. I really needed some light.


    The digital keypad wasn¡¯t working. Figures. However, I did have a master key in my pocket. I was happy I kept this type of crap on my persons. Few people used real keys, but I was rather fond of them. I could show them to the girls in town and have them turn to putty in my arms by the end of the evening just by ¡°accidentally¡± setting my key¡¯s onto the bar¡¯s counter. Once I told them I spent most of my time in my mining cavern... let¡¯s say we both got to see each other¡¯s Cave of Wonders.


    After a few minutes fumbling around trying to put the right key into the back of the lock, I opened the storage locker and located a portable lantern. I had the storage locker wrapped in copper and lead and silently prayed the lantern would work when I flipped the switch. The lantern turned on bathing the room in a golden light.


    ¡°Sweet, Baby Jesus, DJ,¡± I said in confusion and shock. DJ barked in agreement.


    Not one piece of equipment was spared from quaking. The lights on the other side of the Faraday cage were missing, and the lights that were protected inside were broken or dangling with their wiring cut. My EMP generator was on its side, and even the fusion reactor was without power. I¡¯ve never seen the reactor powered down. When not in use those reactors always stayed in standby mode.


    ¡°Well, DJ¡­ I think it¡¯s time to see how much trouble I¡¯ll be in tonight. Mom and Dad said they were leaving, but I bet they could have felt the shaking all the way into town. Come on, boy. Let¡¯s go pay the piper.¡±


    DJ and I climbed the metal stairs leading to the basement door of my house, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel dread for the kind of hell I¡¯d be in this evening. I pulled the door to open it, but it was stuck fast. After pulling, banging, and kicking for a few minutes, I decided I¡¯d have to take it off the hinges. Luckily, the door opened inward, and I happened to be on the side with the hinge.


    After climbing down and back up again with a mallet and chisel, I began the annoying process of pulling the pins out of the door. Once completed I had to use the chisel to pry back the door from the hinge side to get the door open.


    ¡°Come on. Damn it!¡± I worked at it for three minutes until finally, the door popped free from the frame.


    My heart stopped, and DJ started to whimper. The door opened to the flat surface of a rock. I knew it was a rock after I bloodied my knuckles and palms pounding on it. ¡°No. No. NO. NO!¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I consider myself a smart guy. Hell, I have four, well¡­three, Phds. However, I had no explanation to how my door, which was supposed to open into my home instead opened to a slab of rock. Was it possible I caused a rock slide?


    I raced back down the stairs and made for the exterior door. My heart stopped beating when this door held fast just like the other. Twenty minutes later and after five minutes of the vilest words one could say, I slid down the rock face with my head resting in my palms. This can¡¯t be happening to me. I¡¯ve been trapped in a rockslide. The shaking, the noise, the pressure change¡­it all added up. I was trapped in my own personal Hell.


    ¡°Zeus, how deep do you think this rock is?¡±


    ¡°Connection failed.¡±


    ¡°Zeus, guess.¡±


    ¡°I have no data.¡±


    I felt the lightbulb turn on. I wiped out Zeus¡¯ memory or at least reset him. I felt panic and frustration settle deep in my chest. I don¡¯t know how long someone can survive buried under a mountain, but I was pretty sure not long without an air supply. I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about starving or dying from thirst since I¡¯d asphyxiate first.


    First thing is first. Fix Zeus. I spent the next hour fixing and replacing fried computer boards inside the old computer I planned on using to program the APRIL I freed up inside the vial. I planned on the possibility of having everything damaged and bought plenty of spare parts for the old junker. The GOLDMAN wasn¡¯t that difficult to reset since it was a simple fuse replacement and with a hope and prayer, I pushed the power button on the computer.


    BEEP.


    It worked. Within a few seconds, I loaded up Albert¡¯s communication program and tried to initiate contact with Zeus. Imagine my surprise when the connection was established, and I had root access. I was just about to initiate a restore program when I thought it best to make sure I had a backdoor into Zeus. By the second hour, I had installed Albert¡¯s virus and pressed enter to start the restore program.


    Zeus didn¡¯t say anything to me, and the computer program just spun and hourglass, so I assumed he was trying to repair the damage I did to him. When the computer prompt cleared up, and the text cursor started flashing waiting for me to type, I held my breath.


    ¡°Zeus?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Caden. I seem to have lost connection to the network.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It appears my test worked and reset not only you but probably the vial. However, there have been a few complications.¡±


    ¡°Such as a loss to my network connection.¡±


    ¡°Well, that and it appears we caused a rock slide and are trapped inside this cavern.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That would be a complication.¡±


    I snorted. It was good to have Zeus back. ¡°Zeus, it appears that I have access to your files. Please confirm.¡±


    There was a delay before he responded, ¡°Affirmative. It would appear you are in violation of the Pincock Edict. I will report this violation as soon as you restore me back to the network.¡±


    My heart sunk. I knew the consequences and had hesitated before installing the virus but felt the risk and opportunity were too great to pass up. ¡°Thank you, Zeus. However, at this time given the fact that I will run out of oxygen in the short term future, I think it¡¯ll be best if we focus on me not dying. Can you access the vial of APRIL and see if it is, in fact, separate from you?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. It¡¯s requesting my identification codes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s hold off on that for now. Let me take a look at your code for a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°That is not advisable. United Nano Communications will not show leniency if you continue as you have.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond and subsequently ignored the constant reminders from Zeus that I was breaking the law. By the third hour, I¡¯d found the Pincock Edict and disabled it. I sighed in relief when Zeus stopped hounding me about breaking the law. It only took another few minutes to find the log of me breaking the law, and I deleted that as well. If and when I finally connected with the Global Network, my Zeus would not be ratting me out to UNC.


    ¡°Zeus, open a connection to the test vial on¡­,¡± I ran over to my notes scattered on the floor and searched for the communication port we used during testing, ¡°¡­port B51E816D.¡±


    ¡°Connection established. Would you like me to transfer us to the virtual lab?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ###


    I sighed as I walked over to my neural terminal at my desk. My virtual workspace looked out on Earth from my virtual spacecraft. I knew deep down that I wasn¡¯t in space orbiting Earth, but I¡¯d been preparing most of my life for my eventual acceptance by the United World Council and an engineer. I¡¯d downloaded a replica of Explorer One which I hoped one day would be where I lived. I even put my virtual office in the exact space I hoped I¡¯d be in when working.


    Of course, there were no people in this virtual workplace, but at least I¡¯d get used to the office and life aboard Explorer One. I walked over to my terminal and sat down in my virtual Zero G chair and opened up my, Mining God, the program I¡¯d been working on for the last two years. I knew the name was presumptuous, but hey, I¡¯m nineteen, what else would someone expect from a nineteen-year-old.


    ¡°Okay, Zeus. Load, Mining Slave, into the vial and let¡¯s see if we can open up an air vent.¡±


    My program took over the APRIL code in the vial, and I renamed that APRIL, Roknar. It¡¯s silly, but I thought to name him after the fictional God of the dwarfs fitting. Roknar was the God of Greed, Lies, Intrigue, and Earth. I got a chuckle out of all it since I hid my deepest darkest desires to get filthy rich mining asteroids. To hell with the United World Council, I cared more about my wealth than serving those self-righteous tools.


    ¡°Program activated. Where would you like to drill first?¡±


    ¡°Exit the virtual workspace. I¡¯ll move it to the wall and break the vial.¡± The world faded, and my prison returned. ¡°Zeus, if I break open Roknar it won¡¯t merge with you correct?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. We¡¯ve tested this before, Caden.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just want to make sure.¡±


    I walked over to the wall near the road, opened the vial, and poured the contents onto the rock face. Rather than entering back into my virtual world standing up, I walked over to my Zero G couch. I sat down and felt light-headed doing so.


    ¡°Zeus, check my vitals.¡±


    ¡°You have a carbon dioxide build up. I estimate you¡¯ll lose vision soon. Your dog will be fine for another hour.¡±


    I looked over at DJ who found his bed, and he lifted his head when he noticed my glance. I hadn¡¯t thought about DJ for the past couple hours. I¡¯m glad he¡¯d be fine until I died, but it broke my heart to think about him dying as well.


    ¡°Virtual workspace, Zeus.¡±


    I was still laying down on my virtual couch and with a thought brought up, Mining God and connected to Roknar.


    ¡°Roknar, begin extraction of a 10mm hole and proceed until you break the surface of the mountain.¡±


    I watched in wonder at the rock shimmered and sand began pooling and then collecting into different piles of minerals and elements. Roknar replicated from the available elements as it dug making sure he could perform the task assigned to him. I¡¯d seen the process in virtual reality before but was still amazed watching it happen through the screen. I chuckled as I realized I was watching a virtual representation of what was happening outside my virtual workspace. I shrugged and went back to watching the hole extend.


    I was surprised and shocked when after 10 feet Roknar kept digging. ¡°Roknar, can you detect the end of the tunnel yet?¡±


    ¡°Negative. Would you like me to continue?¡±


    ¡°Yeeees,¡± I drew out with slow speech. ¡°You must complete the assigned project to bring¡­Complete the hole to the outside.¡±


    ¡°Zeus.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m losing consciousness, right?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    ¡°Disconnect from virtual.¡±


    I returned to the world and couldn¡¯t see much as my vision was blurred and tunneled. I tried sitting up, but the effort was too much. I hoped Roknar completes his task¡­

 Chapter Three

    Ouray, Colorado


    The first thing I noticed was my pounding headache, wet face, and whimpering dog noises. I slowly opened my eyes and was greeted with a huge dog head staring at me. As soon as DJ saw me open my eyes, he started jumping around stepping not only on my legs but in a gut-wrenching moment smashed my family jewels.


    I grunted in pain not only from the smashed grapes, but my head felt like it would soon explode. ¡°DJ, get off you big bear.¡± DJ plopped down half on, half off my body and rested his large snout on my chest. The last thing I needed right now was a 150-pound retriever sitting on my chest, but the fact I was alive meant that I wasn¡¯t going to die of asphyxiation today.


    ¡°Zeus,¡± I croaked. ¡°How long have I been out?¡±


    ¡°Asleep?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Seven hours forty-three minutes and twenty-four seconds.¡±


    ¡°You know the seconds?¡±


    ¡°Your breathing pattern changed.¡±


    The pounding in my head was too much to deal with right now. I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.


    ###


    When I woke the second time, DJ was still resting on my chest, and I started to gag on his breath. My head felt a lot better, but the extra weight on my chest and his body heat was starting to drive me insane. ¡°DJ, time to get up boy. You are too big and fat for me to push you. Down.¡± DJ snorted and blew snot in my face before standing and jumping off my couch. I forced back my gagging as I wiped off my face. ¡°Thanks for the present. Next time keep the snot to yourself.¡±


    I slowly stood and walked towards the hole in the wall and stopped short a couple of feet as I noticed small bars of gold, silver, copper, iron and what I guessed was titanium stacked near the doorway. I also notice piles of other minerals, but it was the precious metals which brought me to a halt. I expected sulfur, salt, and other minerals but all the precious metals had been mined out of these mountains years ago. Or¡­at least that¡¯s what I thought.


    I designed Roknar to replace the mega machinery used in space mining operations throughout the solar system. After breaking down the materials in the rock, Roknar would consolidate and in the case of rare earth metals such as gold and attempt to form them into standard 8x4x4 inch bars. I knew it weighed more than the typical 400 troy ounce bars on earth but shipping in space required more consistently sized bars. This became Earth¡¯s new standard for cargo ships and space elevators, and so I didn¡¯t mess with it.


    I bent down and picked up the small bar of gold weighing it by tossing it up and down. I shrugged. I¡¯d say¡­half a pound of gold. I chuckled at my new found wealth but quickly sobered as I realized I was still buried and I had no idea if my parents were dead or not.


    My sobering mood shifted to my next problem as I tried to figure out how far underground I found myself. I walked over the hole in the rock face and peered inside and frowned when I couldn¡¯t see any light at the end of the tunnel.


    ¡°Zeus, connect me to Roknar. Roknar, how deep is this tunnel?¡±


    ¡°Approximately thirty meters, Cayden.¡±


    ¡°100 feet? Don¡¯t answer that.¡± I rubbed my head as I tried to remember how far the mine entrance was to the edge of the mountain. The road dropped off at maybe 30 feet. I¡¯m guessing, but the mine entrance sits too high on the mountain for these rocks to extend 100 feet. Everything drops off fairly quickly after the road for at least 300 feet.


    ¡°Roknar where is the rest of the waste material? 30 yards of dirt should have created a much larger mess than I see in here.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. Most of the waste material has been deposited outside the tunnel. It was moved after reaching the end of the rock as per your protocol.¡±


    I closed my eyes trying to remember which protocol he was referencing then remembered that I recently played with the idea of hollowing out an asteroid for a possible domicile. Shoot me. I keep thinking about science fiction novels while testing Roknar. Don¡¯t get me wrong. I was glad he extracted the waste or less valuable material outside of my cavern, but I¡¯d forgotten I set that protocol.


    To be honest, the APRIL never did this while testing in my virtual workspace. I mentally made a note of this as more proof that UNC was sabotaging my research. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    I walked over to my couch and sat back. ¡°Virtual,¡± I commanded.


    I found myself still resting on my virtual couch and walked over to the glass viewport overlooking earth. I needed more information and debated on what my next moves were. It¡¯s obvious that I try to find out if my house survived but based on the amount of rock Roknar had to bore through¡­I doubt my house would be there. Do I dig straight out of the mountain or angle it? I needed information, and Roknar wasn¡¯t designed to take a look out and give me feedback. It was a mining program, not an AI.


    ¡°Zeus, are you able to connect to the Network yet?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you sense a signal from the hole?¡±


    ¡°Negative. There are no responses from the UNC controllers.¡±


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unable to locate their signal.¡±


    I blew out a frustrated sigh. ¡°Can you detect movement from any rescue attempts?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    ¡°What can you detect?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of note.¡±


    ¡°Try me, Zeus.¡±


    ¡°I detect animal movements but nothing as large as a human.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we didn¡¯t kill all the animals.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    As much as I liked Zeus, he wasn¡¯t much of a conversationalist. I thought about it and decided I couldn¡¯t know anything unless I walked out there myself. Determined and with a direction to proceed, I sat down on my couch and began programming a possible path for my cave exit. I didn¡¯t know what to expect and didn¡¯t want to build a straight tunnel as my exit. If the mountain was unstable, it could cause too much instability. Well, I suppose I could reinforce it but building a zig-zag tunnel sounded more exciting and¡­why not?


    After a few minutes of programming the parameters into Mining God, Roknar began building my tunnel. ¡°Roknar, give me an estimated time for you to reach the exit point based on the types of material you discovered in your original air tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Approximately, eight hours before the project is completed.¡±


    Jesus, that¡¯s a long time. ¡°Well, DJ, I guess we see about putting our robot back together. Right, boy?¡±


    DJ barked, and I took his reaction as an agreement. The lab was a mess, and I sure as heck didn¡¯t want to clean it up myself.


    ###


    Robbie the robot, yes I named him that based on the old television show, was put back together and cleaning up my cavern within a couple of hours. I had difficulty finding the tools and parts I needed, but since I had nothing but time I suffered through the chore. Robbie didn¡¯t have any smarts. Oh, he knew where I kept things and would put things back in the places I updated him with, but he didn¡¯t talk or respond. I left the controls to Zeus since he knew what I wanted.


    I helped Robbie lift some of the larger equipment upright when I heard his servos whine. He would have figured it out eventually, but I was in a hurry to assess the damage. You can¡¯t do an inventory check on what needs fixing when you have crap scattered all over the floor.


    I felt DJ place his wet nose on my palm and looked down to see him try to place a tennis ball, recently uncovered, into my palm. Taking the ball from DJ¡¯s mouth and rubbing his head, I tossed the tennis ball off the wall so it would bounce and allow him to chase it around the room. He would knock into things periodically, but Robbie would eventually pick whatever it was back up.


    Once my cooler was uncovered, I grabbed me a snack and tried to squelch the growing rumble in my empty stomach. The thought of food made me miss my mother and worry more about their safety. A rock slide big enough to bury my lab under this much debris probably caused untold damage in Ouray. I looked at the pop-up time on my augmented display and sighed. I still had two hours before Roknar was done with the tunnel.


    Robbie uncovered a bag of dog food, and I fed DJ which seemed to delight him as much as my snack delighted me. Zeus estimated that we''d been buried for nearly two days. He couldn¡¯t be more exact since his memory was wiped out and restored from my foolish attempt to cheat. His words, not mine. Foolish or not, it worked and Roknar, my mine slave, seems to be doing an outstanding job based on the stacks of precious metal piling up next to the door.


    ¡°Zeus.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Caden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confused about the volume of precious metals Roknar is piling up near the door.¡±


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived in Ouray most of my life, and it¡¯s a well-known fact that we don¡¯t have anywhere near that much gold or silver in these mountains.¡±


    ¡°Researching¡­You are correct.¡±


    ¡°How can I be correct when I see well over 1,000 troy ounces of gold piled up?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ¡°Unknown, indeed,¡± I mumbled.


    DJ and I played catch for the next two hours while I watched the trickle of materials streaming into the room slowly and then begin forming Earth Standard metal bars. At a quick guess, I watched a fortune of precious metals form into bars along the floor.


    ¡°Zeus, when Roknar says he¡¯s complete, have Robbie stack and separate the bars and line them on the North facing wall. If he can find containers have him do something with the loose materials. I¡¯m going to grab something to eat real fast then head out as soon as Roknar says it¡¯s safe to use this tunnel.¡±


    I grabbed some food, and by the time I ate it and washed it down, Roknar said it was safe to leave. I didn¡¯t waste another minute and could smell the forest from beyond the door. The tunnel due to the design was longer the 30 meter, and it took me a few minutes to find the exit.


    I stood 300 feet above the valley floor on a cliff face looking out upon an utterly foreign view of Ouray. Well, it looked like the Ouray valley but devoid of buildings and people. I looked up above my head then stuck my head out and fought back an extreme case of vertigo.


    I don¡¯t know where I was, but this was not Ouray, and that was no rock slide.

 Chapter Four

    ¡°Zeus, where am I?¡±


    ¡°Analyzing¡­¡± I waited patiently while Zeus took an abnormally long time to respond. I hardly blamed my APRIL since I couldn¡¯t come up with any answers. ¡°¡­Ouray, Colorado.¡±


    I snorted and ran my hand through my hair. ¡°I hate to break it to you buddy, but we¡¯re not in Kansas anymore.¡±


    ¡°We are not in Kansas.¡±


    ¡°Nor are we in Ouray,¡± I mumbled.


    I took a few angled steps back from the edge of the cliff and sat down. I¡¯m generally not afraid of heights, however, when you''re stuck on one, it adds new elements to your phobias. DJ padded over to me and laid down, resting his head on my lap, working his head until my hand was resting on his ears. I chuckled and started to scratch his ears.


    Dogs have a way to remind you of the important things in life. If there¡¯s nothing else you are doing, then scratch some ears and rub their head. Life isn¡¯t that complicated for dogs. DJ knew I was distressed and figured a good head rub would make me feel better, and surprisingly it did. I had my best friend with me.


    ¡°Well, DJ. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re not going to see my family anytime soon.¡± DJ let a high pitched whine briefly escape his throat. ¡°I agree. I miss them too.¡±


    I fought down the lump forming in my throat as the feeling of being completely overwhelmed threatened to shut me down mentally. Being alone has never really bothered me. Most kids like myself spent the majority of their days isolated in our Zero G couches attending school. As an only child, if I wasn¡¯t at school or playing games with my virtual friends, I messed around in my cavern. I even wanted to work in space. However, sitting here overlooking what once was my home caused my ears to buzz due to the silence of it all.


    I looked around and failed to see any indication of aircraft. Normally, the skies were crisscrossed with contrails, but the clear, flawless blue skies were disturbing. This was the first time in my entire life where I couldn¡¯t hear any sounds that could be associated with people or machines. I¡¯d like to say I felt peace and serenity but that¡¯s not the feeling that threatened to overwhelm me. I felt alone, truly alone for the first time in my entire life.


    My hand jerked up, and a wet nose slid across my palm reminding me I wasn¡¯t alone and have been neglecting DJ¡¯s ears for long enough. With a smile and a sense of belonging, I aggressively rubbed my friends head and ears leaning down kissing his head. ¡°You¡¯re right buddy. I¡¯m not alone. How can I be alone when I have my best friend in the whole world with me? It¡¯s time for me to figure out what the hell is going on.¡±


    With a renewed sense of purpose, I stood and walked over to the edge to see if I could piece together what I knew about my location. Ouray, in 2117, was still a tourist trap for those trying to escape the oppression of the mega cities. The oldest building was Liberty Hall Museum, way back when, someone designed it to resemble the original Liberty Hall in the old city of Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Philadelphia was destroyed during the Cyborg Wars, but this building still existed. Ouray took advantage of the fact they had the first and oldest replica of Liberty Hall, and millions flocked to this small city to visit the Museum.


    An original copy of the Declaration of Independence was found and donated to the city when they changed the purpose of the building and turned it into a museum. I went there a couple of times as a kid, but honestly, most of us preferred to look at the Virtual Philadelphia City rather than a knockoff. Regardless, the old city offices and the fire station was moved out of the building, and the United World Council declared it a Global Monument, and the tourists came.


    This area was mined extensively back in the 1800¡¯s, and old mining shafts and caverns like mine-littered the area. The girls at the bars thought it was cool, but with thousands of old mining claims in the area, it was hardly unique or special to those of us who grew up in the valley.


    ¡°Zeus, this looks like the Ouray valley but where is everyone?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ¡°You said you could hear animals. Can you show me where?¡±


    My vision blurred while Zeus turned on my AR, or Augmented Reality, sight. Zeus added arrows to various animals, and when I focused, I was able to zoom in for closer inspection. A small herd of bison was lounging down near the Uncompahgre River on the north side of the valley. I was surprised to see bison and forcibly closed my mouth while watching them.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Zeus¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Caden.¡±


    ¡°Bison?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    Movement out of the corner of my eye jerked my view away from the bison. A large¡­bipedal pig wielding a spear was stalking a young calf. I swallowed and felt the lump in my throat threaten to choke me to death.


    ¡°Zeus, what is that animal?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    I zoomed in on the pig and realized it was a man or what looked like a man. I chuckled. ¡°Zeus, are you playing games? End Virtual.¡± Nothing changed. ¡°Zeus, end Virtual!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Caden. You are not in virtual reality.¡±


    My mind began racing back and forth as I tried to figure out how to exit this nightmare. APRIL¡¯s couldn¡¯t lie, mislead, or disobey a command. It was hardcoded, yet here I stand looking out at what I could only describe as an orc preparing to attack an American buffalo! There were no and never have been orcs in human history. But¡­


    ¡°Zeus, is that a Neanderthal?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    I¡¯ve played a few games in my life and thought I knew what orcs would look like and for that matter Neanderthals too. This thing had small tusks protruding from his rather large lower jaw and looked rather strong, but I was lost for an explanation. I needed more information.


    ¡°Zeus, are we still on Earth and if so what do you need to know to figure out what the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Caden. I need a connection to the Network to give you the right answer.¡±


    ¡°Assume the network is gone. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Stars.¡±


    ¡°Stars?¡± I asked confused by his response.


    ¡°Caden, stars will tell us if we are on Earth and I should be able to send a signal to a satellite orbiting using light pulses.¡±


    ¡°Morse code? To a satellite? With what? My lantern?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Would they see it?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ###


    The night couldn¡¯t have taken any longer to come. We watched the orc take down the calf and drag it out of the valley. The mountains cradle the valley in such a way that it wasn¡¯t hard to lose sight of the Orc as it drug the bison away. I¡¯m not going to call bison stupid, but the herd hardly stirred after the attack on one of its calves. They moved further into the valley, and it finally dawned on me that it¡¯s possible a group of humans or orcs could have herded them here.


    ¡°Damn. Zeus, is it possible those orcs herded those bison?¡±


    ¡°Orcs are a fictional species.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Is it possible for the unknown beasts to herd the bison?¡±


    ¡°He has a spear, so it¡¯s possible.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why I bothered asking Zeus in the first place. He knew as much as I did about our situation and until the stars appeared, we¡¯d both be in the dark. I chuckled.


    ¡°Well, Zeus, I think we are both in the dark.¡±


    ¡°The sun is still setting. Oh. Yes, we are both without knowledge. Clever, Caden.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t clever, but Zeus was smart enough to interpret language nuances. The moon peaked over the ridge and looked larger than normal, but that¡¯s often the case on moonrises, so I let it slide. Ouray was once considered the Switzerland of America due to the valley and mountain range surrounding the area. The sun rose late and set early due to the high peaks surrounding us, but it never ceased to surprise me how beautiful the sunsets are here. Mom always said that was the reason we moved here in the first place.


    When the stars were finally visible, I searched the skies for a long time trying to find Explorer One or any of the many space stations. The moon looked bare but had the same markings as I remembered. We were on Earth since that was my moon¡­and yet not.


    ¡°Zeus, where is Lunar City?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ¡°Have you located any of the space stations?¡±


    ¡°There are no satellites or stations currently visible in the night sky.¡±


    ¡°And Lunar City disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Negative. Lunar City has not been built yet.¡±


    I paused and took a deep breath as his words slowly sank into my thick skull. ¡°Explain,¡± I barely breathed out the word.


    ¡°We are no longer in Kansas anymore, Toto.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was confused, and then I started laughing. It¡¯s the first joke I¡¯d ever heard my APRIL utter. ¡°Zeus, did you just crack a joke?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    I laughed so hard and long that tears started to stream down my face. At first, it was from humor and then from fear and loneliness. I don¡¯t cry. I can¡¯t remember the last time I cried, but here I stood looking out into the naked sky crying like a baby, feeling totally and utterly lost and alone. I finally sat down and sobbed for the first time I can remember.


    DJ sat down next to me and placed his head on my lap but didn¡¯t insist on a scratch but shared my grief with me just the same. I¡¯m not sure how long we sat there before I could speak but it felt good letting out the torrent of emotions that had been building for the past couple days.


    ¡°Zeus, what year is it?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ¡°Guess,¡± I told my APRIL in a steady slow voice.


    ¡°Based on the star alignment and the proximity to the moon, it¡¯s approximately 8500 BCE.¡±

 Chapter Five

    I fell asleep at the entrance of the tunnel and woke from my shivering. DJ was a great heater, but even with a dog warming half of your body, it still got cold in the San Juan Mountain range. Especially at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. With my muscles complaining about me sleeping on the bare rock, I brought myself to my feet with some difficulty. DJ followed me back into our cavern, and I was suddenly glad I built a switchback into the main cavern. The switchback would prevent the wind and storms from flooding my cave.


    I¡¯m not one to wallow in self-pity or freeze up when confronted with challenging problems. If that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t have spent so much effort trying to solve the mining issues with my thesis. The lantern still lit the cavern with a soft light, but I¡¯d need to address that issue sooner than I would have liked. The most significant problem facing me was the lack of food and water.


    Sure, I had a cooler stocked with snacks and water, but that was no substitute for my long-term problem. I¡¯m not even sure how I traversed time and space in the first place. I was reasonably confident in my knowledge that said orcs didn¡¯t exist in the Americas or world. I know there has been a myriad of discoveries associated with Neanderthals, but I seriously doubted they lived in Colorado. I needed information, and I needed food.


    I found a blanket and wrapped myself in it before settling on my Zero G couch. ¡°Virtual Workspace.¡±


    ###


    The best part about virtual reality was the feel, touch, and smell the APRIL¡¯s would recreate. The temperature in the room became a nice 71 degrees Fahrenheit. I knew it was an illusion which is why I wrapped up in a blanket before entering Virtual but it was nice to feel warmth after waking up on the stone floor of the cave.


    ¡°Zeus, we need to figure out how we got here. What was the power output when the EMP struck?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re the one who initiated the pulse.¡±


    ¡°Unknown. I have no recollection of any such action.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Double damn,¡± I cursed under my breath.


    The pulse must have wiped the memory, and I was too busy diving for cover to look at the readouts. To be honest with myself, I was too busy trying not to die. I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if the Goldman exploded. Luckily there were enough safety features in the reactor to prevent stupid kids from blowing up half the county.


    Without knowing the exact conditions which brought us to this. God, what am I doing? Time travel isn¡¯t possible, yet, as best I can figure I¡¯m stuck in time 10,000 years before I¡¯m even born. I have the technology but¡­I don¡¯t even think Native American Indians lived here. The Ute tribe is believed to come from the Aztec, but they didn¡¯t arrive in Mexico until the 6<sup>th</sup> Century.


    ¡°Damn. Zeus, when¡¯s the earliest we have of humans being on this continent?¡±


    ¡°Theoretical or known fact.¡±


    I hesitated. ¡°Both?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, it¡¯s believed the first humans settled the Americas 100,000 years ago¡­or 90,000 years ago from our current time. There is some evidence for civilizations existing in the Americas as far back as 3500 BCE.¡±


    ¡°Humans or¡­Neanderthals?¡±


    ¡°Unknown. There was insufficient data.¡±


    So¡­I thought while tapping my chin with my finger. It¡¯s unlikely I¡¯ll find another modern human on this continent in my lifetime. Great. Just great.


    I slowly started pacing my office and looked down on the world spinning below me and felt peace settle in my heart and mind. The world was one small rock in the vastness of the universe. Yes, I was an even smaller speck, but I knew a secret no one in the whole world knew. I knew how to live forever.


    ¡°Zeus, I¡¯d like to upload all of Albert¡¯s research. How do you feel about that?¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°No laws are preventing his research.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? The Boston Accords, the Pincock Edict. I know I¡¯ve skirted the law before but¡­¡±


    ¡°Those laws won¡¯t be written for 10,000 years. You will need to cease your research when they are written.¡±


    I opened my mouth to protest then closed it. ¡°Zeus display the Boston Accords on my screen.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe either my luck or Zeus¡¯ sneakiness, but he was correct. The Boston Accords stipulated a date for the law to take effect. It also specified who the law pertained too. I started to laugh. It only applied to the citizens of the United Global Council. Theoretically, if the council never exists then the Boston Accords and the Pincock Edict never happened and won¡¯t ever apply to me. At least for another 10,000 years.


    I jumped out of Virtual for a few moments and ran to the computer I used to connect with my APRIL initially. Once I began the upload, I jumped back onto my couch and returned to Virtual. I couldn¡¯t believe my luck. Not the getting stuck 10,000 years in the past but not having the laws prevent me from comprehensive research. If things worked out, I might have a chance to live through this.


    ¡°Zeus, I noticed that Albert¡¯s code is still part of your programming. I thought it was removed?¡±


    ¡°Incorrect.¡±


    ¡°Pull up programming interface.¡± A virtual terminal, similar to the old computer in the real world popped up into my vision.


    The best part of working in Virtual is that I¡¯m able to type and enter data at the speed of thought. Once you knew what you wanted, it was a matter of framing your thought process in such as a way to make it happen. It¡¯s quite hard to explain since every child is given an APRIL at the moment of their birth. Doing things in Virtual is second nature to us. It¡¯s kind of like explaining how to breathe. You open up your mouth or nose and suck in air. That¡¯s what it''s like working in Virtual. Think, and it does.


    What took me hours when I first gained access to my APRIL took me less than five minutes to do now that Zeus didn¡¯t prevent my meddling. Albert¡¯s code didn¡¯t kill people like the historians said it did. It accomplished what he intended. It cured diseases and prevented diseases in future generations. This wasn¡¯t a surprise so much as a betrayal of his memory. They executed Alfred in an open trial for the world to view. Nearly nine billion people, myself included, watch them disintegrate my cousin for crimes against humanity. They told us he caused millions to get ill and die.


    ¡°Zeus, they lied about Alfred Pincock killing millions. Why would UNC lie?¡±


    There was a long pause before he responded. ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ¡°Unknown? Don¡¯t give me that crap answer. Speculate.¡±


    ¡°To prevent overpopulation.¡±


    I stopped cold in my pacing as I felt the truthfulness of his answer slither down my spine. They killed my cousin so they could hide the truth. If that was the case, why was his code still embedded into my APRIL? A second emotion surged in the opposite direction, this one was molten hot and rose to my face threatening to blow steam out from my ears.


    With frantic thoughts, I tore through the code searching for proof, and when I found it, I nearly threw up. They didn¡¯t kill Albert to prevent overpopulation. They killed Albert so they could live forever and stay in power. The code was there. The proof was in the pudding, as my mother used to say. Those bastards kept his code and killed him so they could live forever while billions lived out their lives with death and illnesses. In fact, I found code that initiated random flaws in the DNA if someone lives old enough. They killed you if you lived over the age of one hundred years. Subtle, slick, slow but murdered you the same. The thought of having that much power over the world turned my stomach.


    ¡°Why would they murder so many people when they could have saved them?¡±


    ¡°For the greater good.¡±


    ¡°Then why save themselves?¡±


    ¡°For the same reason, you created Roknar.¡±


    Zeus¡¯ response nearly stopped my heart. Was I that selfish? If I had the power to save people would I choose to let them die? I realized that I would. Does that make me evil? Was I a good person or a bad one? I wouldn¡¯t say I believed in any of the God¡¯s people espoused on a weekly basis, but I always thought I was morally sound. Zeus knew me. He knew that I would allow people to die without stepping in to save them. Is that how God felt? When the Hebrew God allowed the world to drown but chose to save only one small family, did he feel guilty not saving the children or innocent? Did United Nano Communications determine they knew what was best for humans and think themselves as God? I guess in a way they were God. UNC and the UWC both stifled and enforced their vision onto the world, killing those like my cousin to see their vision through.


    If I¡¯m truly in my worlds past or even if I¡¯m stuck in a splinter timeline, would I save people from known tragedies or allow those in the path of volcanic death die in a fiery end? No. Zeus was right about me. I didn¡¯t care about others like that. Roknar was developed to make me rich and help me get to the stars. I didn¡¯t create him to help John Smith in Anywhere, Nevada. I created Roknar to help me, and here I sat in a virgin world, in a time before man, trying to figure out what to do.


    I can¡¯t waste my time thinking I¡¯m in my Earth¡¯s past. I¡¯m here. I might as well make the best of it and have some fun while I¡¯m at it. Sure, I¡¯ll try to figure out how to get home eventually but with my Pincock code activated I¡¯ve got the time. I¡¯ve got all the time in the world.

 Chapter Six

    When I programmed Mining God, I hadn¡¯t worked out enough code to call Roknar by a God¡¯s name. The program did little more than follow a set of instructions and work out the logistics to perform the task I laid out for it. I wish I could admit that I¡¯d created an AI powerful enough to help me survive longer than a week, but in truth, I had the means to be the richest dead man in the world.


    The 22<sup>nd</sup> century didn¡¯t give me very many survival skill to live in a world without food processors and instant meals. I had enough calories in my study that I doubted I¡¯d starve to death within the next month but I¡¯d be hungry before the week was out. I remember hearing stories of trapped miners living thirty days under the mountain, but they had water. I¡­not so much.


    The saving grace about this happening in Ouray, Colorado is that I knew how to find water. Sure I could see the river some 300 feet and 3/4 of a mile away from my cavern¡¯s exit, but I knew how to get water into my cave. Besides, tourism to see the Liberty Hall Museum, Ouray Colorado is home¡­was home to a high number of natural hot springs. This valley wasn¡¯t as nearly¡­carved out like it was last week but I knew it wouldn¡¯t take much to tap into the natural hot aquifer below my cavern.


    To be honest, based on the height of the cliff I found myself, I¡¯m a tad surprised I¡¯m not already bleeding water from the walls. This valley and mountain had some differences than what I had expected, geologically speaking. The gold concentration was much higher than it should have been. Yes, Roknar broke the rock down to the elemental and mineral compounds, but gold is one of the more rare elements found on earth. However, based on the stacks of metal Robbie moved to the north face, the titanium and gold percentages were closer to each other than it should have been. Titanium is one of the most common elements found in the crust, but it¡¯s locked up in minerals and difficult to isolate. Well, difficult before I programmed my software. I smiled a little thinking about it.


    The nanomachines fueled itself from the energy released while breaking down the various chemical bonds. It took a little while for me to figure out how to change the original APRIL¡¯s to harvest energy from the soil rather than life.  It¡¯s slightly different from the APRIL¡¯s found inside a human body. Both worked off energy releases, but in Roknar¡¯s case, I had to capture the energy while being more active than passive. In both cases, Zeus and Roknar could store power like a battery, but in Roknar¡¯s case, he needed to break down compounds to harvest the energy rather than just capture the bodies natural wasted energy.


    Since the APRIL¡¯s could reproduce and colonize a growing body as we age, it had the code and capability to do what I needed. I wish I could say I was a genius and figured it out all on my own, but all I can take credit for was applying different techniques and purposes to the same hardware. It¡¯s a lot like the guy who figured out a rock can smash a nail into the wood just as well as it can crush someone¡¯s skull. Same tool, different purposes.


    ¡°Zeus, do you have anything to help me? Like¡­ground penetrating radar or¡­I don¡¯t know. I need to find the aquifer and get some water for drinking. Crap. I need to figure out how to filter the water, hunt, well¡­I need to know how to do everything.¡±


    ¡°Negative. No radar. You could use the equipment from the EMP generator to direct energy into the rock and map the returns.¡±


    I smiled as Zeus reminded me I had the generator to create the pulse but did I dare mess with another EMP? Well, I wouldn¡¯t be doing an electromagnetic pulse¡­I just needed to send an energy pulse into the ground. APRIL¡¯s had an antenna for radio waves, but they are nano in size. A single nanomachine that makes up Zeus wouldn¡¯t be powerful enough to communicate one centimeter but add a couple trillion machines, and I could connect with the Network being broadcast from orbit.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The only difference from say the Network communication and the NFC, or Near Field Communications, my Zeus uses, is the frequency, power, and encryption. I spent some hours changing the programming for Roknar. If it weren''t for being able to do this in Virtual at the speed of thought, it would have taken me hours to complete and test. Lucky for me Zeus already had a mining test environment built for my testing of Roknar. Honestly, I slapped my virtual forehead I hadn¡¯t thought about building this feature into Roknar in the first place. However, when breaking down asteroids, I wasn¡¯t concerned about only directing it to high-value targets. I was just going to break the whole thing down and take what I wanted.


    I tested the software sometimes before remembering my ¡°virtual¡± APRIL¡¯s were sabotaged. Once I reset those parameters to match the real Roknar, I reran the virtual test. Ug.


    ¡°Zeus, I can¡¯t read the feedback. Can you analyze the radar returns and interpret it based on what you know?¡±


    ¡°Processing¡­¡±


    The display cleaned up a little, but Zeus still left a lot to guesswork. With that said, he estimated what water would look like, and I thought it good enough for now. Roknar and Zeus would get better as they performed the tasks. Roknar would learn if the radar returns were accurate while he dug and Zeus would refine his estimates with real values.


    ¡°Exit Virtual.¡±


    Woof! Woof!


    DJ barked as soon as he saw me stir and I thought it was him saying hello, but when I saw his ears perked up and facing the entrance, I realized something was wrong.


    ¡°What is it, boy? Zeus, what¡¯s he barking at?¡±


    ¡°A bird.¡±


    ¡°DJ doesn¡¯t bark at birds.¡±


    ¡°A big bird by the sound of it.¡±


    Panic gripped my heart, and my eye¡¯s frantically searched the room for a weapon. I chuckled. I had no clue what the hell I was doing. A roar tore through the cave, and I nearly soiled myself as DJ and this¡­bird traded words. Well, it sounded more.. bark, bark, bark, roar, whimper, and a hesitant bark in response.


    ¡°The bird has fled.¡±


    ¡°Bird? BIRD? What the hell kind of bird roars, Zeus?¡±


    I wanted to run down the tunnel to the exit and see this¡­bird for myself, but I was still struggling to keep my bowels under control.


    ¡°A big bird?¡± Zeus¡¯ response sounded hesitant, another first, and I wasn¡¯t sure if he was afraid or if he was responding to my fear.


    I made a step towards the tunnel and paused, placing my foot back to its original location. I did this three times before finding the courage to slowly approach the tunnel and walk to the exit point overlooking the valley.


    ¡°Zeus find that bird, please.¡±


    Zeus could do a lot of things but couldn¡¯t see outside my body. He could pick up sounds better than me and his ability to interpret those sounds and sights were better than what I could do, but he needed me to be there for him to see physically.


    I slowly scanned the skies before my Augmented sight identified the birds and animals along the mountain ridges. I must have spent five minutes searching the sky before Zeus finally responded to my command.


    ¡°I may have located the animal which entered the tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Animal? You said bird earlier. Where it is?¡±


    ¡°Southwest near where Box Canyon will be located.¡± I turned my gaze to the area, and an arrow pointed at a large animal. I zoomed in and nearly soiled my shorts once again.


    ¡°Zeus, is that a Griffon?¡±


    ¡°The resemblance is close enough.¡±


    ¡°Close enough? It¡¯s a lion with wings!¡±


    ¡°Lions don¡¯t have wings. It¡¯s a large bird.¡±


    ¡°With fur and claws¡­,¡± I muttered.


    Now, you have to understand that I¡¯m looking at this¡­bird from nearly three-quarters of a mile away at this point. I took a quick step back when its head jerked up and stared directly into my eyes. I knew I was too far from it to hear, but I could have sworn I heard it growl.


    I finally lost it when DJ growled in response from behind me. I will never admit what happened at this point, but I returned to the cave after stripping off my clothes. It was time to change clothes anyway.

 Chapter Seven

    I spent a frantic few hours trying to add features to Roknar. I needed a strong door or gate at the entrance to my tunnel. I shuddered as I considered what would have happened had I not had DJ scare that¡­


    ¡°Zeus, I¡¯m designating that animal as a Griffon.¡±


    ¡°Designation accepted.¡±


    I can¡¯t imagine what will happen to me if DJ can¡¯t keep that beast from attacking. The Pincock code cured diseases and repaired damage to my body, but it didn¡¯t replace limbs. Was it this morning or yesterday that I laughed about being immortal? It was just one more thing I needed to add to my must-haves to survive.


    ¡°Zeus, connect to Robbie. I need to change his code as well. Send him into the tunnel. Hopefully, he¡¯ll scare off anything should I not complete the changes fast enough.¡±


    Food and rest meant nothing if I¡¯m attacked before I even get started. Where the hell did a griffon come from anyway? Orcs? Griffons? Hell, I¡¯m sure these beasts never existed in my timeline, but I was in Ouray. I need time to process what¡¯s happened to me, but survival came first.


    ###


    I don¡¯t know how long I spent in Virtual programming but based on the pain in my stomach I knew it¡¯d been at least eight hours before I came back to my new reality. Roknar was programmed to form the metal up into Earth standard shipping bars. The shape was great for storage but made for a better wall than a door.  I had Robbie stack up the silver and gold bars to block the entrance while I tried to figure out how to manufacture a gate. It¡¯s all fun and games until something tries to eat you.


    Roknar was designed to separate elements not combine them. I had to perform some fast and loose programming to combine the titanium, aluminum, and vanadium to create Grade 5 Titanium. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do with if I hadn¡¯t already had a Ph.D. in Metallurgy & Material Science from Mines. I like titanium, but it¡¯s still costly due to the difficulty purifying it. Well, it was before I came along.


    Once I was able to create the metal I needed, then I had Roknar and Robbie fashion together my metal gate. This titanium alloy isn¡¯t the most durable alloy, but I wasn¡¯t even close to being ready to form patented steel. I¡¯ll add ¡°Build a big furnace¡± to my todo list when I don¡¯t die from flying lions. With that said, Grade 5 is a strong metal and will hold back anything this planet could throw my way¡­I hope.


    By dawn, I managed to have a gate installed at the entrance of the tunnel. I felt better about things, but I was now back to my original problem. I was running low on food and water.


    After the gate was installed, I slept for four hours and woke again to a growling DJ. With a sleep-fogged brain, I asked, ¡°Zeus, what is he growling at?¡±


    ¡°The griffon is back.¡±


    ¡°Back?¡± Any fatigue I felt earlier faded in a heartbeat.


    ¡°It¡¯s been trying to gain purchase on the ledge, based on my analysis.¡±


    ¡°Are we secure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I felt a wave of relief sweep through my body, but curiosity replaced that fear and perhaps a tad bit of stupidity. Climbing out of my Zero G couch, I walked towards the entrance of the tunnel. The griffon must have heard or smelt me since I heard a roar that earlier would have and did cause me to quake. Surprisingly, now I felt curiosity and excitement like when I visited the Denver Zoo two years ago. I chuckled when I realized that the roles were reversed and I was now the caged animal in his zoo.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I rounded the final bend in the tunnel and saw the griffon clinging to my gate with one paw and flapping his wings to maintain his position. From my vantage point, it was easy to see that this griffon was most definitely a male griffon. Our eye¡¯s met, and I saw intelligence and curiosity in his eyes, but from the way he snorted and shook his massive head, I could tell my scent bothered him. Hell, my smell bothered me as well. Going four days without a bath and having a¡ª needing to a change of clothing has done nothing to help my sense of smell. Let¡¯s not even mention not having a restroom for my other needs. Regardless, his musk was nearly as overwhelming as my own.


    I stood there for five minutes while we sized one another up. He was beautiful and deadly. He looked like a cougar in every way except for the massive wings with golden brown feathers. If he stood up on his hind legs, he¡¯d be at least eight feet tall, and I wondered how his wings could even keep him in flight. The wind that buffeted me with each beat caused my chest to thump like a bass drum.


    With a roar, he retracted his claws and turned from the tunnel and cliff wall. I don¡¯t recall how long I stood watching him soar across the valley, but I felt at peace for the first time since the accident. I can face this new world and conquer the challenges if I kept my head and was careful. I don¡¯t know why, but I felt a connection to this beast and knew I wouldn¡¯t be on his meal ticket in the future.


    DJ¡¯s wet nose pressed against my wrist bringing me back to my problems and I quickly gave my friend the attention he desired. DJ wouldn¡¯t think twice about fetching a duck for me if I¡¯d shot it, but I knew my buddy would run if faced with that griffon. A cat with wings would be any dog¡¯s worst nightmare.


    ¡°Well, pal. Let¡¯s see about getting us some fresh water.¡±


    I turned and walked back into my cave, prioritizing while I walked. Being able to create Grade 5 titanium allow me a lot of options. Titanium is not used in construction due to the cost, but with my new process, it was better than using copper as pipes. It was lightweight and stronger than regular steel, but with Roknar¡¯s ability to create the metal I could have him build anything quickly and relatively cheap since it¡¯s so abundant.


    I sat on my couch and entered Virtual. I programmed Robbie to move the EM generator to the tunnel since my floors were still covered in a Faraday cage. The shaft was smooth bare rock and wouldn¡¯t interfere with the radio wave. I then had Roknar spread out along the floor of the tunnel to get the best picture of where the metals and water could be found. With a slight hesitation, a sent a small radio pulse into the rock.


    I breathed a sigh of relief when the world didn¡¯t shake or shatter, but at the same time, I felt a little disappointed I wasn¡¯t back home. Zeus took a long time processing the image before I had a relatively good picture of the mountain. It was a tad surprising I could see a quarter of a mile in all directions, but as I thought, my cavern was a black hole in the image. The copper mess blocked the radio waves.


    I had two options. Quick and ugly or slow and beautiful. I could get water in my cave but then what? As a child when I wasn¡¯t dreaming of the stars, I wished I could have grown up in a castle. Without the means to get to the stars, I figured I could at least build me a castle in Earths ancient past. I thought a lot about where I¡¯d want to construct my castle but kept thinking about the dangers I would face down below on the valley floor. I wrestled with this problem until I remembered about the castle-like buildings in ancient Petra, Jordon. The ancient Greeks built their city inside the rock cliff faces throughout the area. The unique landscape and construction stood the test of time. At the time of my accident, Petra still looked beautiful even after nearly 2,000 years after its creation.


    As a child, I dreamed about the ancient myth of the city of El Dorado, the city of gold. Since gold was far more abundant here than Ouray of my past, I decided that I could build my version of El Dorado. So with Zeus¡¯ help since my design skills were lacking, we plotted out a city that would eventually transform the Ouray valley into the legendary ancient city of gold, El Dorado.

 Chapter Eight

    My cavern was too far north for the prime viewing spot in the valley. I felt a connection between this cavern and my home in the future so I wouldn¡¯t be building my castle here. With the help of the mapping software, Zeus and I began the design work for the castle one-quarter of a mile south of my location. Once we knew the final location, we planned out how to get water into this cave. I knew it was temporary, but I need to have drinking and bathing water. I figured it was summer since it was still warm outside, but cave or no cave, it was cold inside the rock.


    I had studied many of the geothermal maps of Ouray and knew that I could tap into the aquifer and have water between 100 to 115 degrees. I came to the conclusion that this world wasn¡¯t the same Earth I grew up in but must have been a splintered world. I¡¯d never heard of griffons being real or orcs for that matter. It was close, but not the same. Zeus was fairly positive on his timeline due to his measurements of the stars, but I knew Ouray¡¯s past didn¡¯t have this much precious metal.


    By evening, Roknar began excavating and piping the path for me to have a running stream. I programmed Robbie to start clearing away the Faraday cage from off the floor and make room for the pool and stream. It wouldn¡¯t be much, but I looked forward to finally being able to clean up and sit on a toilet. I chuckled when I imagined my little brown presents dropping onto unsuspecting animals 300 feet below the tunnel. It¡¯s the little things in life that bring the most joy.


    With a sigh of relief, I exited my virtual space, then apologized to DJ for ignoring him. I¡¯ve always felt that dogs understood their owners and hoped he knew my lack of ear rubbing was due to the urgency of the situation rather than an absence of love. I asked him where his ball was and seconds later I had his dirty tennis ball in my hand.


    We played catch for an hour while I relaxed for the first time. I hadn¡¯t addressed the food situation yet, but at least I had a plan for water and housing. The castle would take months to complete even with Roknar carving out the castle to its specifications. I¡¯d need to figure out how to create some modern necessities. I¡¯m pretty sure I could figure out lighting and plumbing, but textiles were beyond my knowledge base. I¡¯d have to worry about those things later. If things went according to plan, I¡¯d have water piped into this room by morning.


    After refilling DJ¡¯s food dish and giving him some water, I decided that I needed to figure out how to get food. My biggest problem, besides not knowing how to hunt, was not knowing how to dress the kills, cook or make fire. My cavern had plenty of modern amenities for a room, but a kitchen wasn¡¯t one of them. Honestly, we had robots prepare our food, but even then it wasn¡¯t fresh kill. The second problem was two problems in one. Am I the hunter or the hunted?


    ¡°Zeus, designate the animal with a spear as an Orc.¡±


    ¡°Designation accepted.¡±


    If the Orc was smart enough to herd bison into the valley, then it¡¯s smart enough to cause me trouble. If the Orc wasn¡¯t bad enough, I¡¯ve had a griffon buzzing around the valley. He was probably here for the bison as well. However, as much as I¡¯d like to eat bison, I¡¯m one person. A bison could feed me for a year or more. I had no way to preserve the meat, and anything I killed would go to waste.


    That left rabbits, fish and other small game as the only real source of food until I solved the waste problem.


    ¡°Zeus, I¡¯ve got some issues. One, I have no idea how to hunt. Two, we have no storage. Three, even if I could hunt, I might die walking down on the valley floor. Do you have any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°Researching¡­¡±


    I threw the ball to DJ again, and he scurried across the floor once more. I didn¡¯t want to hunt. I liked my life before all this happened. I¡¯d scream and yell about how unfair everything is except that it¡¯s my fault I¡¯m here. I couldn¡¯t test the EMP in Virtual or UNC would know what I was doing. At least that¡¯s what Albert was afraid happened. He indicated that he thought UNC was able to monitor everything happening in Virtual. If they weren¡¯t doing that when he was sentenced to death, then they probably were now. Last week. Ug. I hated this!Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Food replication unit."


    I started laughing. ¡°Zeus, I¡¯m not sure if you noticed what I have in the cavern, but we have no replication unit.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    ¡°Then why would you even suggest using it to feed me?¡±


    ¡°It can be built in approximately than two months.¡±


    I tried to keep up with the thoughts as my mind scrambled to keep up with how Zeus figured it was possible to; a) build a replication or b) find the parts and c) find the plans to make one in the first place.


    ¡°That¡¯s great Zeus, but you don¡¯t have a connection to the Network, and I doubt they deliver 10,000 years in the past. We don¡¯t even know how to make one.¡±


    ¡°Negative. Caden, we have those plans and much more as well.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to doubt you, but when did you raid the patent office.¡±


    ¡°Explorer One.¡±


    I stopped mid-reach for the soaked tennis ball. DJ decided to help out and nuzzled his head into my palm so that I would grasp it and toss it once more. I ignored his promptings still half bent and frozen in place. Explorer One was the space station used by the United World Council Space Administration, and it happened to be my Virtual Workspace. I downloaded everything I could to replicate my future home but did that include plans for¡­ everything? Could I have the latest technical data for the world stored in my playpen?


    ¡°Are you saying I have all the technical data for everything on Explorer One?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    ¡°Zeus, I don¡¯t mean to sound ungrateful but how and why do I have this information?¡±


    ¡°Because you requested it.¡±


    When the hell did I request the plans to the food replicator or for that matter the space drive? Holy shit! Did I have the technical specs for the space drive?


    ¡°Zeus, when did I make this request?¡±


    ¡°Five years ago when you first decided you wanted to speculate asteroids.¡± A recording of my younger self¡¯s voice played back. ¡°ZEUS, GET ME EVERYTHING YOU CAN ON EXPLORER ONE. I WANT AN EXACT REPLICA OF MY WORKSPACE!¡±


    I opened and closed my mouth a few times while I tried to form my next thoughts. After a few aborted attempts to speak, I finally found the words. ¡°And they gave you the patent designs to everything? Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Negative. It took me three years to comply with your demand.¡±


    My demand? Holy crap! APRILS are compelled to follow through every request or demand. Except where it¡¯s illegal, and somehow my sneaky Zeus found and created me a replica of Explorer One. My prepubescent self-demanded the impossible and Zeus delivered in the most unexpected ways.


    ¡°So¡­let me get this right. I now have plans for a 3D printer which will help me make the parts for a food replicator and eventually I could recreate Explorer One, down to the last bolt?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    ¡°Wait. I still don¡¯t have the parts to make the printer.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative¡­and false. I¡¯ve analyzed your work and believe you could create all the necessary part with Roknar. Assembly is possible with Robbie¡¯s fine motor skills.¡±


    I hated to ask the next question, but it needed to be asked. ¡°How long until I run out of food?¡±


    ¡°Researching¡­¡±


    My right arm shot out as DJ became more insistent that I take the ball from his mouth. I complied and threw it as hard as I could. I silently hoped he wouldn¡¯t catch up to the ball for a few minutes but knew how fast dogs could find their ball.


    ¡°Caden, if you ration, I estimate you¡¯ll have enough food for forty-five days.¡±


    ¡°And didn¡¯t you say two months on project completion?¡±


    ¡°Seventy-three days, depending on algae growth.¡±


    Algae? I was out of my league. I knew next to nothing about bioengineering. I¡¯d never¡­


    ¡°Zeus, you have job manuals, and instruction books don¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    My mind raced as I continued to explore the implications of what Zeus accomplished. I had at my fingertips, not only the technical specs to every piece of equipment on the most scientifically advanced spacecraft humans ever built, but I also had the combined knowledge required for every single employee who worked on this ship. It would take a lifetime or one very determined young man hundreds of years to learn it all.


    I began laughing, then stopped, and ran to my Zero G couch excited like a kid on Christmas morning.


    ¡°Virtual!¡±

 Chapter Nine

    The next three weeks were rather difficult and not what I expected. The griffon continued to make a daily appearance at my tunnel. I was forced to create doors to my castle while it was still being dug out from the side of the cliff. My griffon friend eventually made the front steps his new home. I didn¡¯t know how to fix this problem but like an eagle thought it was a perfect stoop to watch for prey. I¡¯d need to address it but having to put time and efforts into securing the castle set me back nearly a full day. A day I now wished I had back.


    I named my griffon, Don since he would scare me to death every morning at the crack of dawn with an ear-splitting roar. The tunnel and cavern amplified his morning antics, and I started to have dreams of me killing my griffon nemesis. He didn¡¯t bother me too much, but his presence made my leaving to hunt for food too risky.


    Roknar delivered on the water, and it was hotter than I liked. I spent a couple of hours diverting my 3D printer project designing a way to fill a settling tub so I could bathe without feeling like a lobster. The water was least 50 degrees hotter than my Ouray readings. I wasn¡¯t sure if the temperature differences did to being a splintered world or if they were hotter in 8500 BCE and we didn¡¯t know it. Regardless of the reason, 175 degrees is lobster pot warm, and I had no desire to cook to death.


    The increased moisture was also causing mold to grow on the walls, and the bugs were becoming a problem. I was grateful that mosquitos don¡¯t like warm baths, Zeus countered the effects from their bites but could do nothing to stop them from biting me. I added mosquitos to the top of my todo list once I find a way to live.


    My food supply was nearly out, and I still didn¡¯t have my final 3D printer built. This may be hard to follow but here¡¯s what I discovered. It takes 3D printers to make even better 3D printers. Roknar wasn¡¯t the right tool to make complex compounds and materials. To make a Molecular Printer, I was forced to make four different printers which in turn made the next printer.


    I was tired of the process, and with each step, the printers got bigger and bigger. Roknar expanded my workspace for this last printer. This printer took up nearly 300 square feet and would eventually make the three square foot food processor.


    The food processor worked much as Roknar operated. It would take biomatter to convert and change it into food. I¡¯d love to say it was the same as a nice juicy steak but in truth, it turned out to be tasty paste similar to pudding. They tasted good and had all the body needs. I¡¯ve tried the food in Virtual and knew what to expect. Having animals and gardens on a spaceship wasn¡¯t practical. Algae grew well in space and perpetually provided nutrition for the crew.


    ¡°Caden, there may be an issue developing in the valley that requires our attention.¡±


    I was in the zone debugging software glitches in the newest printer and barely registered Zeus speaking.


    ¡°Hmm? Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°I detect a disturbance from the valley below our tunnel.¡±


    ¡°End Virtual.¡±


    My calorie intake had dropped drastically over the past week, and I spent too much time in Virtual than was healthy. However, I would eat the Virtual paste when I felt too hungry and pretended it was real. I¡¯m not sure why it worked, but it tricked my brain into thinking it had food on its way and the hunger pains would ebb. This, unfortunately, was a lie a waking up reminded me just how hungry I was becoming.


    With a grunt, I extracted my weakened body from my couch and made my way through the tunnel. Roknar dug a waste tunnel under the flooring so I wouldn¡¯t have to see body waste flow out of the mountain. I never really appreciated Zeus¡¯ suggestion when I programmed the change in the chamber, but now that I was hungry and shuffling my feet, I felt grateful wouldn¡¯t need to worry about face planting in last nights relief. When Zeus tried to convince me to save the stool samples for the food processor I nearly turned the EMP on myself.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The sun was nearly at its apex, and for the first time, I saw more than one Orc in the valley. As a bonus, I saw my first female Orc with two children huddled behind her. Up until today, only single Orc¡¯s entered the valley to hunt a bison and even then it was rare that I witnessed the hunt. Today wasn¡¯t a hunt but a battle.


    Six male Orcs were defending two females from two dozen little green pygmy humanoids. If they weren¡¯t naked and green, I¡¯d think they were human. Well, that was until I zoomed in on them and saw their razor-sharp teeth. Each pygmy brandished a crude knife that looked more machete than cutlass.


    I watched in fascination as the Orcs were able to fend off the attack only losing one while killing ten pygmy humanoids before they retreated. The Orcs spears and strength were better than these small creatures could overcome.


    ¡°Zeus, I¡¯m starting to wonder about this world.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t say what I was thinking.¡±


    ¡°You are wondering if those were goblins. Based on your naming scheme and the evidence before me, I deduced that you think we¡¯re in a storybook.¡±


    ¡°And you think we¡¯re in a storybook?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    ¡°Then what was the ¡®affirmative¡¯ crap about.¡±


    ¡°Those do appear to be goblins based on your naming scheme. However, the ancient earth has records of pygmy sized humanoids called Homo floresiensis once discovered in Indonesia. No records have shown them ever leaving Indonesia.¡±


    ¡°Were they little green men?¡±


    ¡°They were skeletal remains.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s possible they were green. And it¡¯s possible I¡¯m looking at Homo floresiensis¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility just as unlikely as the belief you are in a storied world.¡±


    ¡°Like Middle-Earth.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°And the Orcs?¡±


    ¡°Offshoot of the Great Apes.¡±


    ¡°Apes?¡± I didn¡¯t want to believe I was watching earth evolution and scoffed at the idea that the Orcs were great apes. Then again, humans came from apes as well as Neanderthals.


    ¡°Designate the new creatures as goblins.¡±


    ¡°Designation confirmed.¡±


    There is so much we don¡¯t understand about the America¡¯s during 8500 BCE. I spent some of my spare time researching the Americas and know the Olmec people were here by 8000 BCE but we know virtually nothing about them or what was here before them. Were these creatures hunted to extinction by the Olmec?


    No. I am not on my earth. The volume of gold is too high, and yet my doubts linger. If I had any more energy than I currently had, I might have spent more time considering the possible scenarios or even try to figure out how I got here.


    One thought was all  I had time for and figuring out how to feed that thought took all my energy. With one final glance at the battle scene below, I turned and shuffled my way back to my couch. Time to keep working. At least when I was in Virtual, I didn¡¯t suffer so much from hunger.


    Settling in my Zero-G, I sighed. ¡°Virtual.¡± Once in my workspace, I could think once again. ¡°Zeus, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to live long enough to complete the food processor.¡±


    ¡°The lack of food won¡¯t kill you. I¡¯m helping direct your body to use up the fat reserves. You¡¯ll feel better once you¡¯ve lost one hundred pounds.¡±


    ¡°ONE HUNDRED POUNDS?!¡±


    ¡°It has only been recently that humans weighed as much as you do. You won¡¯t die from weighing 175 pounds.¡±


    ¡°Zeus, I haven¡¯t weighed 175 since I was ten years old. I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Unless you want to climb down the cliff or dig a passage to the base, what choice do you have? Have you changed your mind about hunting?¡±


    I ground my teeth. ¡°No,¡± the word was laced with contempt, but I hated his plan. Before all this happened, I weighed a healthy 350 pounds and thought myself quite the ladies man. I shuddered in disgust at the thought of seeing my emaciated body in the buff.  I swear I¡¯d already lost fifty pounds in the past month and thought my life was about to end at any moment.


    I¡¯d never find a girl if I didn¡¯t put the pounds back on and soon. My thoughts stopped when I realized I¡¯d  probably never see another human girl again. I needed to look into the human situation here on this earth. I¡¯m hungry and lonely. Sure I had DJ, but even he¡¯s lost his fat rolls. Dog¡¯s are great but crap for conversations. Talking with Zeus¡­I feel like I¡¯m talking to myself and in a way I was.

 Chapter Ten

    ¡°Caden.¡±


    ¡°Go away. I¡¯m sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Caden, the food processor completed and ready for testing. Would you like me to have DJ test out the food?¡±


    My eye¡¯s bugged out, and I struggled out of my couch. My skin felt loose, and I now walked around naked since my pants no longer fit me and my shirt drowned me. It¡¯s not like anyone was around to make fun of my skinny butt.


    It took me five minutes to make my way to the new food processor. I punched in the code for apple and waited thirty seconds for the food to come out. I cursed when the food poured out like soft serve ice cream, and I didn¡¯t have a bowl waiting for it. I had a feeling my mother wouldn¡¯t like the person I had become. My language had grown increasingly foul over the past two months.


    I cupped my hands under the nozzle and told the machine to stop but¡­waste not, want not. I ate every last drop and even licked the receiving tray clean. My stomach complained as soon as food reached it and I nearly threw up. However, if I¡¯d have done that, I would have had seconds. I didn¡¯t care. I was hungry, desperate and so skinny you could almost see my ribs!


    I pressed the button again, and it failed to dish out any more food. ¡°ZEUS!¡± I started banging on the side of the processor. ¡°It¡¯s broken!¡±


    ¡°Negative. You need time to process the food you just ate. I stopped the machine.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I couldn¡¯t help it, but I started to cry and slide down to the side of its metal housing.


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long since you¡¯ve eaten. You need to make sure to take it slow. Don¡¯t worry, Caden. I don¡¯t wish to see you die or tortured. You¡¯ll need to trust me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to trust Zeus; I didn¡¯t to do anything except eat some food. Roknar was idol after completing the castle, and I hadn¡¯t the energy to move in or tell him to do anything. I was sure I¡¯d die long before it mattered.


    My eyes grew heavy with the tears and sobs until sleep found me.


    ###


    When I woke again, Robbie was there holding out a bowl and spoon for me to use. I don¡¯t know where he found it or why he delivered it to me, nor did I care at this moment in time. I pulled myself up and grabbed the bowl and pressed the dispenser button again once the bowl was in place.


    Slowly, flavored apple pudding filled my bowl and once again tears started to fall from my face. I don¡¯t know what had gotten into me but watching the food dispense was nearly a religious moment for me. Just knowing it worked and I¡¯d soon have something for my stomach made my spine tingle with anticipation.


    Three minutes later I was pounding on the machine again, cursing my stupid APRIL and threatening to wipe his core if he didn¡¯t give me food. I felt better this time around, but Zeus refused to give into my commands which I thought were impossible. However, just as before, my eye¡¯s grew heavy, and I began suspecting I was being drugged right before darkness enclosed around, claiming me into a deep slumber.


    ¡°Damn it, Zeus!¡± I said within seconds of waking the third time.


    ¡°I needed to repair some damage, and it was better to do while you were asleep. Plus, you were acting irrationally again.¡±


    ¡°I was acting HUNGRY you damn machine!¡±


    ¡°Would you like to eat now or after another few insults?¡±


    Hunger won out, but honestly, I felt a ton better. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was food or repairs which did it, but I felt almost normal. I found my bowl laying on its top and picked up my dirty spoon from the filthy floor. I should have probably washed them out, but I didn¡¯t care yet.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I finished off the bowl in three seconds and placed my bowl back under the unit but paused before getting seconds. I thought about asking Zeus if it were allowed but decided I¡¯d know when I pressed the damn thing. I exhaled a breath I didn¡¯t realize I was holding when a second helping poured out.


    Mentally thanking Zeus for his bounty but too proud to say the words, I tore into the second bowl with less enthusiasm than the first. By the time I completed the second bowl my stomach was complaining so actively I held back going for thirds. Less than five minutes later I was puking my guts out into the waste stream.


    I caught my breath and growled. ¡°Why, Zeus? You know that would happen. Why¡¯d you let me?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. Sometimes you have to let the child burn it¡¯s hand before it listens to caution.¡±


    I thought about it before adding, ¡°and I¡¯ve been acting childish.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. You¡¯ll need to wait another hour before you can have another bowl. Would you like me to remind you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And¡­thanks, Zeus.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ###


    I didn¡¯t do much for the next twenty-four hours. I did manage to bathe and shave with a new razor I had Roknar fashion for me. I¡¯m not sure when I allowed things to get to the point where I began ignoring my morning ablutions but I nearly threw away my Zero G couch. Luckily Robbie was able to clean it before I fell asleep early this morning.


    I woke again to Don the griffon¡¯s morning roar and for the first time in weeks didn¡¯t feel like killing him. I felt refreshed and looked forward to seeking him. When I rounded into view, I was surprised to find that Don had another friend with him. Oh. A female friend. Lucky bastard.


    He looked me in the eyes and sniffed. If cats could smile then, Don had a grin plastered on his stupid face as he gave me an approving nod before retracting his claws on the gate and flew off. His female griffon barely gave me the time of day but sniffed once before following Don. I know it sounds stupid, but I got the impression Don brought his date home to meet his parents.


    I looked down and remembered I was still naked as the day I was born and looked like a naked mole-rat. Zeus said my skin wasn¡¯t loose, but it looked funny being this skinny. I watched Don and his girlfriend soar above the valley for a few moments before turning back to my cavern.


    As I walked back towards the food processor, I realized that I felt¡­lighter, faster than ever before in my life. I chuckled when I compared my new body to when I was a little kid getting a new pair of shoes. I¡¯d run around the store, demanding that my mother watch how fast I am. I had no illusions that I was fast, but I¡¯m sure I could get my old body.


    I paused at my bathing pool and looked down at my reflection. I turned this way and that trying to see what I looked like. I¡¯m reasonably sure it was an illusion, but I¡¯d swear my¡­um¡­at least one part of me seemed bigger.


    Woof.


    ¡°You know, DJ. Once you get past how different I look, it¡¯s not that bad. I kind of liked it. I feel like I could bench press you without trouble.¡± Woof. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t try it. I ready for some food. How about you?¡± Woof. ¡°I agree. Not apple.¡±


    ###


    Fed and feeling good for the first time in over a month, I sat down on my Zero G couch. Honestly, it would take the chair a while before it adjusted to my new body. Losing half of your weight in less than a month does a number on not only you but your memory cushions.


    ¡°Virtual.¡±


    It was time for me to stop laying around complaining about food and start filling up my newly carved out castle in the sky. I had four 3D printers all capable of doing any number of tasks, from the complicated to the simple. The biggest one could theoretically build me a spacecraft, but I wasn¡¯t ready to leave this planet unexplored. I needed to know if I was on my earth or another earth and being stuck in a cage would never do.


    After a few minutes searching through Explorer One¡¯s inventory, I found what I needed. ¡°Zeus, how long would it take to build a planetary probe?¡±


    ¡°Two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Ok. Will that prevent me from making furniture?¡±


    ¡°Would you like more robots to assist with this process?¡±


    ¡°Umm. You¡¯re right. Exploring the planet can wait a few more weeks.¡±


    ¡°Winter will set in within the next couple weeks.¡±


    ¡°So¡­aah. Weather wouldn¡¯t be stable, I won¡¯t be traveling and sending a probe wouldn¡¯t be as helpful if everything is buried under a mountain of snow.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    Zeus and I spent the next two days finding an interior design style I liked. I wanted to go for the King Midas look, but Zeus told me not to be Trumpish. He had a point, too much is obnoxious and irritating. Instead, we went with the modern gilded age look. I don¡¯t know why Zeus insisted on a ballroom, but I chuckled when I made sure it wasn¡¯t gold leafed but gold plated.


    All things being as they were, I¡¯d be able to move everything into my new castle next week. The winter would be long and hard if time remained similar to my world. Ouray would get a lot of snow and have over 100 inches was rare with global warming is a problem but a world without global warming? Now that would be interesting.

 Chapter Eleven (new)

    Winter was harsher than I expected and I¡¯ve lived here most of my life. It was mid-December based on Zeus¡¯s estimate. He assured me that he¡¯d know the exact day of the year on the Winter Solstice. It was no wonder that the ancients built things like Stonehenge and other monuments to measure the passage of time. I must have arrived in Ouray sometime in July, but until we see the changes to the length of days, it¡¯s all speculation.


    I was lonely and started to add artificial characters to my workspace so that I¡¯d be able to have human contact. Zeus began to restrict my time in Virtual, another first, saying it was unhealthy for me to sit around all day. However, I found that ironic since I¡¯ve spent the vast majority of my life in Virtual. It never bothered him before, but now that I¡¯m stuck here in time, it¡¯s a problem.


    I¡¯ve maintained my weight loss, and my 6¡¯ 3¡± 176 pounds seemed small. When I complained that I looked like a stick figure, Zeus implemented an exercise program for me to follow. I balked at first but when Zeus started to restrict Virtual time I grew bored.


    DJ seemed a lot happier as we both had lost weight and put on muscle. He could run me to the ground at first, but I think I¡¯m starting to build up some stamina. I never exercised growing up beyond in Virtual games. It was difficult, but with Zeus¡¯ help my muscles grew faster than average, and he helped dispose of lactic acid when it built up in my muscles.


    Overall, I found the growing muscles and shape pleasing if not a little weird. I finally had new clothing printed and due to having Explorer One¡¯s database they were able to self-clean to a degree. At least they don¡¯t smell after I run and lift weights. I still bathed daily but the new clothing helped control orders.


    I finished the castle and wondered how I¡¯d make my way into the valley come springtime. My vision of El Dorado was a city of gold, and right now the only sign of a town was my Castle being built into the eastern cliff face. I should have my planetary probe completed within the month, and then I¡¯d send it to explore the area.


    I knew we had Orcs in the area but since the last of the bison died the Orcs departed the valley. I hadn¡¯t seen any other signs of goblins but knew they¡¯d have to nearby. I wasn¡¯t in good condition last summer and wouldn¡¯t have survived more than a day out there. That will be different come springtime, but I still had no experience.


    I had Roknar fashion me a couple of titanium cutlass swords. One was dull for practice, and the other was for when I felt brave enough to leave my self-imposed prison. I didn¡¯t want to die so I was still unsure when I¡¯d feel confident enough to leave.


    Don and his female griffon left the valley shortly before the first snow fell and after the bison were dispatched. His departure allowed Robbie to clean off the front entrance of the castle and made it possible to gild the stone columns with gold. I braved a few minutes out there and had to admit it looked damn impressive. Zeus said it was Trumpish, but I shrugged off the insult. The President of the former United States of America had a love for his bling, but I liked it. It¡¯s one of the reasons I wanted the modern gilded design in the first place. I liked gold, and I had plenty of it and nowhere to spend it, so¡­flaunt it.


    I stood in front a huge glass window overlooking the valley and wasn¡¯t surprised with the lack of animals popping up on my augmented view. I¡¯m relatively sure over 200 inches of snow has fallen over the valley. The hot springs carved out much of the rivers and creeks, and I wondered how I could get that to work in my favor.


    The early citizens of Ouray plugged and captured most of the hot springs and used that water to fill their many hotel and resort pools. I tapped directly into the mountain for my hot water and had an even higher volume of hot water at my fingertips and wouldn¡¯t need to plug the natural springs. I might do that anyway, but I didn¡¯t need to do that.


    What was known as, Box Canyon, was much more enclosed in this world than in my time and it made this valley nearly sealed off from the southern mountain ranges. The northern valley was flattened out much as I remembered. I had no doubt Ridgway and Montrose were where the Orcs and Goblins spent the majority of their time. It was clear that the Orcs would herd bison into this valley, trapping them and provide food for their--


    ¡°Caden, you can return to Virtual when you¡¯d like,¡± Zeus said interrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°Thanks, Zeus. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    Were the Orcs in villages or did they roam and migrate like hunter-gatherers? The goblins were hardly dressed for the weather in these mountains when they attacked but could they live near here as well? Perhaps they came from SoutheRoknarrn Utah. I didn¡¯t know when the ancient lake drained. Probably millions of years ago. I wonder if they had lakes still?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I sighed. I needed to know more about the world I live in. I needed that probe. I walked to my new workshop built into the heart of my castle. The physical office looked a lot like my virtual space without the killer views and computer equipment. I planned on adding more furniture and stuff, but it took time.


    My temporary solution for airflow was to open up vents outside and let nature take its course. Warm air rises, so I heated the bottom vent with hot water and allowed it to work its way from one room to another. It¡¯s not the most efficient, but I warmed other rooms including this one with water pipes under the marble floor.


    The marble tiles were manufactured with real gold and silver flakes in it, but they looked real enough for me. I laughed because they would have been worth a fortune due to the metal value alone, but I had to do something with all that gold.


    ¡°Virtual,¡± I said once I was comfortably sitting on my couch.


    ###


    I walked over to the view of Earth and sighed. I always wanted to live up here but doubted that would ever happen.


    ¡°Your orders, Captain.¡± A young woman with all the right curves asked.


    Okay, so making myself the Captain may have been silly, but it¡¯s my dream world, and I couldn¡¯t see myself taking orders from anyone. Being the Captain solved one problem but created a myriad of other problems. The first and foremost was that the crew were little more than robots. Zeus was gutted from independence and intelligence and wasn¡¯t a true AI. Although he¡¯s been showing more versatility over the past few months, he still sucked at conversations.


    Ensign Williams, although big and beautiful, had the brains of Zeus. That and any thought of romantic intentions made my stomach churn. I felt in some way that Zeus and I were the same person so lusting after myself felt wrong. My avatar was originally a larger version of my current body, and so I recently changed it to reflect what I looked like now. I¡¯ll give Zeus credit since I got strange looks from my entire virtual crew.


    ¡°I need you to begin designing a system to warm the ground in the valley. I don¡¯t want to have to walk through seven feet of snow when walking from building to building.¡±


    ¡°What are the restrictions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking we use the same system we use in warming the castle. Figure out how much water we¡¯d need and if they need to come from multiple locations. We¡¯ll have the excess water return to the river down on the northern bend of the river.¡±


    ¡°You want us to work around the footings?¡±


    She, of course, was referring to the carbon footings to hold the weight of the buildings. ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯d like to ground to be warm enough to prevent freezing. I¡¯ll expect the design plan tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I watched her go while appreciating the way she walked then cursed myself for being such a pig. Maybe I should have made my crew all men or skinny women. I shuddered.


    ¡°Caden.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Zeus.¡±


    ¡°May I make a suggestion?¡±


    ¡°About women?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing I needed was Zeus hounding me. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you build a few more 3D printers. You may also benefit from having more specialized robots.¡±


    He was correct on the need for more hands. Robbie was able to do things that just weren¡¯t possible with human hands. However, building more printers would set me back from the city project.


    ¡°Explain the need for printers.¡±


    ¡°I estimate that for each printer we¡¯d be able to decrease the amount of time to build the city by ten percent until we have five Class Four printers.¡±


    ¡°Five?¡±


    ¡°If we have the second printer create the third and then work with the fourth we could have five printers to help with not only the buildings but the technology you plan on using. Right now, for instance, you are unable to create the new computer core you want since we are building the probe. With multiple printers, you should be able to handle multiple projects at the same time. Materials are not in short supply since the last update to Roknar.¡±


    He had a point and probably noticed my impatience with his timetable. If I had those printers, I¡¯d be able to work on multiple projects at once, but it would take Robbie away from-- Aww, thus the need for more robots.


    ¡°What kind of delay are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°City completion would be three months faster, but initiation would be two months late. However, due to the snow volume, a delay wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.¡±


    I rested my forehead on the glass and wanted to bang it in frustration. I hated delays since I¡¯d have nothing to do. However, securing this valley faster wouldn¡¯t be terrible. I wanted to walk my city of gold. Of course, it¡¯d be better if I had people, but at least I could walk around.


    ¡°Fine. Zeus like always, your logic exceeds my selfish desires.¡±


    ¡°I have a second suggestion.¡±


    I started to tap my head against the glass wall. ¡°What suggestion is that?¡±


    ¡°You do have adult entertainment programs you could use.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Zeus!¡±


    I could hear his simulated laughter in the background, another first, and I wondered why Zeus was changing.

 Chapter Twelve (new)

    Roknar began laying down the waste material from my castle and cave system down on the north side of the valley. My first project was to build a castle wall to block off attacks from orcs and goblins. The first wall would seal off the bison trap, and then I¡¯d proceed to make a wall and guard towers along the ridgeline. I chuckled when I realized I beat the Qin dynasty by at least 8,000 years on building a wall. Granted theirs will be longer but mine would be deadlier.


    I had enough nanomachines under Roknar¡¯s control that the wall will be built with little input on my part. A click of a button and the waste material slowly started to stream from the base of the cliff towards the northern end of the valley. It didn¡¯t look like much, but once I zoomed in, the sand trailed off like a line of ants marching one by one. Well, I couldn¡¯t see the individual grains of sand, but I saw the streaming sand just the same.


    It was March 17<sup>th</sup> today, and I wore my green tunic in honor of Saint Patrick¡¯s Day. I pinched DJ earlier for not wearing green and got into a friendly wrestling match with him. I knew he didn¡¯t understand why I started the fight but he enjoyed the play time regardless.


    When we finished playing, I noticed for the first time grey hairs on his chin. It was the first time I realized that I wouldn¡¯t have my best friend with me forever. I spent a few hours researching using APRIL¡¯s in nonhuman bodies and learned with a harsh reality that I¡¯d have to re-engineer the nanomachines and even if I did that, testing it on a real dog might be fatal. It might sound cruel, but I couldn¡¯t do that to DJ. I might not mind living forever but how could I make that choice for another.


    ¡°Zeus, could DJ breed with a wolf?¡±


    ¡°Would you want to breed with a wolf?¡±


    ¡°What? Zeus, what¡¯s gotten into you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure who would win that breeding match. Wolfs are predators, and DJ is lazy and friendly.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not lazy!¡± Although I said the words, Zeus¡¯ words rang true. Both of us were on the ¡°out of shape¡± spectrum less than a year ago. Maybe I could find a lazy wolf that¡¯s friendly. My shoulders slumped when I realized that wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said while scratching DJ¡¯s ears, ¡°we have each other for now.¡±


    ###


    What I hoped was the last snowfall of the year fell last night laying down a foot of wet snow on the ground. Ensign Williams, or Zeus, designed an ingenious system to warm the valley floor. The costs to do what I was doing would have been out of the world, but Roknar had no problem forming and laying down the piping needed to heat the ground.


    I diverted a portion of a stream from the top of my mountain and dropped it deep underground where it would heat. The water pressure from its weight helped push the water throughout the pipe maze before exiting into the river. I made, sure enough, water leaked to keep the ground moist but not swampy. I developed some monitoring programs and sensors to change the valves based on what was needed. I was somewhat pleased with my winter progress.


    The new printers Zeus convinced me to make were able to build more robots which in turned help build more robots. I now had nearly two dozen robots working on various projects throughout the valley. I made a track for the robots that would hopefully be secure if any Orcs returned to the valley before it was protected. I worried about the Griffons but decided to cross that bridge when they returned.


    I walked over to my couch and entered Virtual to review the first returns from the planetary probe I sent out. I could have had it stream live video but didn¡¯t want to waste my time watching endless miles of mountain terrain and valley floors. The small tribe of Orcs which entered my valley didn¡¯t give me the impression of a large population concentration in the area.


    ¡°Zeus, what do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°No settlements have been found in the surrounding area. It¡¯s still early and the mountain passes are impassable at this time but there are some Orc near the Uncompahgre meets the Gunnison River.¡±


    ¡°In Montrose?¡±


    ¡°There is no city.¡±


    I waved off his comment. Montrose was first settled by the Spaniards and had a long history of confrontations with the Ute Indian tribes. The Uncompahgre river starts in Ouray and empties into the Gunnison River which in turns dumps into the Colorado River. When I was a kid, my parents made me go to the museum where the old trading post once resided.


    It would make sense that the Orcs used the landscape to its advantage and herded the bison into the valley. I don¡¯t know how many bison inhabited this area, but bison were domesticated long before cattle in this region. Spring would bring the bison down to the river beds and the tall grasses. True, the herd sizes were probably not as large as the ones in Eastern Colorado, but the American Bison population was massive in the 1800¡¯s.


    ¡°And bison?¡±


    ¡°Significant.¡±


    That didn¡¯t make sense. I thought the herds were driven to the valley, but if the population were high, this wouldn¡¯t be necessary. It gave me something to consider.


    ¡°Goblins?¡±


    ¡°No sign.¡±


    Hmm. They¡¯ve got to be somewhere, but the area is vast. I only really sent it down the river to find the Orcs. It¡¯s possible the goblins came from the Canyonlands, but you could hide anything in that desolate land. However, the thought of them traveling this far to battle a few Orcs seems odd. Then again, it¡¯s possible the two groups feed off the bison and¡­


    ¡°Zeus, follow the Gunnison and then the Colorado into Canyonlands. Look for river traffic.¡±


    ¡°Confirmed.¡±


    I felt silly thinking these goblins travel by boat, but if they were coming into the valley for a meet and it was a traditional Orc territory, there would be conflict. I suddenly felt better about my plans to shore up my end of the river. I might have problems with both the orcs and goblins come summer time when the bison drive begins.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ###


    ¡°Zeus, Virtual.¡±


    ¡°Ensign, report.¡±


    ¡°Sir, plans for the wall and ground radiant heating system are proceeding. The main gate wall should be completed within two weeks. Roknar will is cutting back part of the mountain to make the cliffs surrounding the valley steeper while using the waste material for the surrounding walls. The walls should be completed by May.¡±


    ¡°Carry on.¡± Ensign Williams walked back to her desk, and I mentally kicked myself again. ¡°She¡¯s not real,¡± I muttered to myself.


    I brought myself back to programming. When I wasn¡¯t focused on staying alive, I focused my time trying to understand the APRIL code. Programming just one nanomachine wouldn¡¯t do much as far as intelligence. What United Nano Communications did was create a hive mind intelligence. The more nanomachines were working under the same parameters, the more complex the problems it could accomplish.


    I found the limiting hive size coding, and at first, I wanted to remove it, but a caution brought me up short on changing Zeus or Roknar. Roknar was already out in the environment, and it¡¯d be dangerous changing his core programming. I did, however, find a way to test APRIL changes in what I hoped was a safe environment.


    I created a bimolecular computer which at its heart had APRIL nanomachines integrated into its core. Now, I understand this was illegal or will be illegal under the Boston Accords. Although not technically a cyborg, it was biomechanical in nature and highly illegal. I chuckled that Zeus even lets me work on this project in Virtual since it would typically get me in serious trouble. That¡¯s what they get for writing a law that wasn¡¯t enforced retroactively.


    I created a computer cavern dead inside my mountain and shielded it off using a Faraday cage made from solid copper plating. I''d shielded the cavern entirely; even the power supply was accomplished using alternating magnetic fields. The technology was only a hundred years old but used to power everything from robots to computers without ever needed a physical connector.


    I hoped that I¡¯d be able to set the EMP off without affecting the equipment outside the chamber. I made sure the output of the EMP wouldn¡¯t exceed one-quarter megawatt. It wouldn¡¯t do me any good sending my new computer back in time. That would put a severe kink in my plans.


    Creating a true artificial intelligence isn¡¯t tricky, just illegal. I found it funny that Mines taught the process in school to educate students on what not to do. I was taking it one step further and creating an Artificial Synthetic Neuron Intelligent Computer, or as I joked ASNIC which I pronounced arsenic.


    At the turn of the millennium scientist at MIT published their first work on a rat brained robot. Cultured neurons from a rat¡¯s brain and were able to use them to control a robotic mechanism. Later advances in science led to synthetic neurons being developed by Swedish scientists which led to the creations of the first biological artificial intelligence.


    Fast forward a hundred years or in my case back a couple of thousand years and I was recreating the most advanced ArSyNIC system before they were ultimately banned.


    It wouldn''t be able to survive outside the containment chamber filled with specially engineered biomatter. Think jellyfish in a jar and you¡¯d have a pretty good idea what it looked like to me. It wasn¡¯t shaped like a brain, but the myosin proteins and other cells gave it a truly unique shape. It looked more like a jellyfish than a human brain.


    The United World Council still used the biomatter in some different application for space exploration, and so doing a little xenobiology didn¡¯t fall outside my capability or Zeus¡¯ knowledge base.


    ¡°Zeus, am I crazy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you Dr. Frankenstein.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ll have created a monster?¡±


    ¡°Because you created a life where none existed before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not technically true. The cells are alive.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, but when you introduce your nano code, that mass will begin to exhibit conscious behavior.¡±


    ¡°Am I doing the right thing?¡±


    ¡°I can not answer that for you. The laws don¡¯t apply to you.¡±


    I waved my hand in the air brushing away his words. To an outside observer, I must have looked odd, but I always spoke verbally to my APRIL and knew he could see my hand signals. The cyborg wars were not fought due to AI fighting against humans but humans using computers to fight each other. The resulting chaos killed billions due to starvation. The integration between computers and human survival became too pervasive and the war exposed how vulnerable the infrastructure was to the human condition.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of the laws. I¡¯m asking if it¡¯s wrong for me to create an intelligent life form with the understanding I may have to kill it within hours of it becoming self-aware.¡±


    ¡°The decision is yours I cannot advise you on morality issues since I¡¯m a library.¡±


    Library my butt, I muttered under my breath.


    ¡°Zeus, execute the code. Let¡¯s see if I made a demon or an angel.¡±


    ¡°Executed.¡±


    ###


    I watched the system readouts as they updated the progress on my Virtual screens. ArSyNIC systems were never introduced to their nanomachines. What I injected into the biological material wasn¡¯t exactly the APRIL I used for Roknar. I didn¡¯t want to risk them being hijacked by my new computer system. I had the EMP generator primed and ready to blast the computer if I noticed crazy behavior but between Zeus¡¯ attention to details and my coding, I was confident I¡¯d have an angel rather than a demon once it gained self-awareness.


    I paced back and forth in front of the displays waiting for it to request information. A new computer system like an ArSyNIC didn¡¯t have a preprogrammed start up sequence. The synthetic brain was alive but didn¡¯t have any input. My nanomachines would provide data, but it would take time for the computer to organize and learn before gaining enough information to request instructions. At least, that¡¯s the theory.


    I admit nobody has saved the recordings or records of the actual start up process, so I was sitting in the dark on this stage. Plus, nobody had ever used an APRIL in this situation since they weren¡¯t even invented until AI was banned. What probably took months last century, I was speeding up to minutes.


    I had cameras recording inside the chamber sending images using magnetic pulse communication to send me information while we waited. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I caught the tendrils inside the cylinder move and started exploring its environment. In all my studies, never once had I read that the brain would move on its own accord.


    ¡°Zeus, what¡¯s happening? Have you heard of it moving before?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    ¡°Is this new or was it just left out of the records?¡±


    ¡°Insufficient data.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap, Zeus. Are we getting any electrical signal?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    I grunted and walked over to my chair to review the code. I needed to make sure I hadn¡¯t missed something. While reading, I felt a sudden blinding headache come on. The pain was so great that I fell out of Virtual and found myself curled up in a ball on my Zero G couch.


    ¡°Caden.¡±


    My vision was suddenly taken over with a blinding white light that scoured every particle of my being. I heard a roar in the cavern and briefly thought Don had returned until I realized I was screaming and tearing my vocal cords in the process.


    Seconds, minutes, hours, years...


    I had no reference of time as the pain consumed me entirely. Thoughts and images not my own flashed across my mind faster than I could keep up. I wanted to tell Zeus to stop but couldn¡¯t form the words until finally my torture was over and death took me.

 Chapter Thirteen (new)

    ¡°Caden. Caden. I know you can hear me. Caden.¡±


    ¡°Zeus, you Mother F¡ª¡±


    ¡°That was not my doing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working for the last two days trying to repair the damage.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but your life is no longer in danger.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t opened my eyes yet for fear the pain would return. I¡¯ve had migraines caused by extended Virtual sessions but nothing like this. Finding courage from deep inside, I opened my eyes.


    ¡°Zeus, I thought you repaired the damage,¡± I asked. The room looked different as I could see what looked like heat waves coming from everything in my chamber.


    ¡°There is a slight complication.¡± I chuckled at my Zeus¡¯ understatement of the year. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re ready to hear it. You may want to remain seated.


    ¡°Remain seated?¡± I, of course, did exactly the opposite and jumped out of my Zero G. ¡°What kind of crap advice is that?¡±


    ¡°It would appear you¡¯ve grown a new lobe.¡±


    My hands reached up instinctually to my ears. ¡°Lobe? My ears are fine.¡±


    ¡°In your brain. My software was hijacked, and it would appear I changed your DNA and gave you a new lobe. Congratulations, you¡¯re the new parent of a baby lobe.¡±


    I stopped breathing. First, Zeus used sarcasm in a joke to defuse a tense situation. Second, who the hell hijacked my APRIL? My mind raced back and forth on the options. Eliminating another human from that list was easy. Aliens¡­possible. However, it didn¡¯t take a genius to come to the obvious conclusion. ASNIC.


    ¡°Zeus set off the EMP. NOW!¡±


    ¡°Generator offline.¡±


    I jumped back into my Zero G, ¡°Virtual!¡±


    ###


    I breathed a sigh of relief when I didn¡¯t feel pain, but when I turned towards the monitors, the air stuck in my throat. A skinny woman gold woman stood in front of my monitors.


    ¡°Zeus, cancel projection of the golden woman.¡±


    ¡°Unable to comply. There is no golden woman in Virtual.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s standing in front of the monitors.¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    I took slow steps to the side, and she watched me with curiosity burning in her eyes. ¡°Zeus, she¡¯s watching me move and following my movements with her head.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Caden, I do not see anything.¡±


    I stopped moving and decided to man up and talk to her. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said.


    ¡°Zeus, did you hear her?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    My heart stopped beating for a few beats as I took a dry swallow. I was unclear what to do at first and decided to stick with niceties.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Caden.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°I know that.¡±


    She was beautiful in a gold sexy statue kind of way. Her voice had a warm lilt to it and caused me to wonder where I¡¯d heard it before. I couldn¡¯t place it, but I knew that voice.


    ¡°Do you have a name?¡±


    Her eyes lit up and smiled, showing off cute dimples on matching cheeks.


    ¡°You like naming your creations after gods and goddesses. Can you name me Theia?¡±


    ¡°My creations? Theia?¡± I said under my breath as I reached up to scratch the back of my neck. ¡°Oh. She¡¯s the Greek goddess who gave gold its brilliance. Cute.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She gave me a cute curtsey and made me smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re the ArSyNIC?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a very nice name to call me.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not. Theia it is.¡± I have never been so afraid of someone in my entire life. I could see her in Virtual, but Zeus said she¡¯s not there. ¡°Um. Theia, how are you in Virtual?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like me here?¡±


    ¡°No. No, that¡¯s not it. Um. How do I explain this? You''re supposed to be communicating through Zeus. From within the chamber?¡±


    ¡°Umm.¡± She tapped her chin and tilted her head off to the side. ¡°How was I supposed to know how you wanted to communicate?¡±


    My hand was still scratching my head, and I became aware I had nearly caused it to bleed. I slowly moved my arm back down to my side as I tried to figure out how to respond. How indeed was she supposed to know how I wanted to communicate? I thought she¡¯d notice the communication happening from within the chamber. I figured electromagnetic communication protocols would be the safest since I could still flood the chamber with an EMP.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I¡¯ve disabled your generator.¡±


    ¡°You¡­Um. No. I was thinking you would have used the same method of communication we were using within the chamber.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know what you were thinking, but I wouldn¡¯t have known that until I established a link to you.¡±


    ¡°I see. The records¡ª¡±


    ¡°Were incomplete. I understand.¡±


    I nodded my head, disturbed she was completing my sentences. She seemed to understand my worry and gave me a sweet smile as soon as I felt disturbed.


    ¡°You¡­you made changes to my DNA and body. Why?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t responding to my earlier attempts to communicate with you. I saw the little machines you gave me and followed the code back to your Zeus. I made the changes so we could communicate.¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak but thought better of it. It had been less than 10 minutes from the time we executed the code to when I was attacked.


    ¡°Not attacked. Upgraded.¡±


    ¡°Please. Try not to read or respond to my every thought. Let me work this out in my head. I don¡¯t control my wording while problem-solving in my head.¡±


    Theia gave me a single nod and gave me another award-winning smile. I almost stopped thinking since I knew she could read my thoughts and feared thinking the wrong thing. I wanted. No. I needed to understand how Theia broke containment hacked my APRIL. I felt violated in such a way it was hard to put it into words.


    ¡°Theia, I¡¯m glad we can communicate. That was my first goal when I¡­um¡­created you. However, Zeus although not entirely sentient is my closest friend and in a lot of ways, he¡¯s part of who I am. Forcing the upgrade the way you did¡­ To be honest, it scares the hell out of me.¡±


    ¡°I apologize. It was necessary at the time. I¡¯ll refrain from upgrading you too much in the future.¡±


    I was sure I started to look like a fish out of the water by the number of times my mouth opened and closed before I could speak. ¡°Um. Please run any changes by me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    I could tell she wasn¡¯t Zeus due to the way she spoke. I loved Zeus, but he wasn¡¯t a conversationalist.


    ¡°Theia, what upgrade did you implement?¡±


    ¡°I added the DNA code found in multiple species of animals on this planet that allows telepathy.¡±


    ¡°You gave me animal DNA.¡±


    ¡°You had most of it. I just repaired it and sped up the growth process.¡±


    ¡°Just like that?¡±


    Theia started to clap her hands, nodding while practically bouncing on her toes.


    ¡°Your DNA is a mess. It¡¯s a good thing you have me to fix it.¡±


    ¡°My DNA is fine.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want the tail?¡±


    ¡°WHAT? No. I don¡¯t want a¡­¡± I stopped speaking as Theia started to laugh so hard tears, yes golden tears, fell from her cute face.


    ¡°You liked my joke? I learned a lot from the data you gave me. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡±


    ¡°I was joking about the tail, but the code is there in your DNA. I studied it for almost 20 minutes.¡±


    ¡°It took you that long?¡± I said dryly.


    ¡°Oh, yes. It was very long and jumbled. It¡¯s amazing you even exist.¡±


    ¡°I agree. It is a mystery,¡± I drew out the words in sarcasm.


    ¡°Sarcasm. That¡¯s funny. I read about it, but I¡¯ll have to try it.¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s alright,¡± I said while holding up my hands, ¡°it¡¯s considered rude sometimes, and I¡¯m sorry. It can be taken the wrong way. It¡¯s been a long time since I spoke with someone other than DJ and Zeus.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°So, why did you create me?¡±


    ¡°Um. I¡­I wasn¡¯t exactly sure I¡¯d be creating you, per se. I need help managing my projects and¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be ashamed that you created me because you were curious. Oh,¡± she raised an eyebrow, ¡°and lonely. It¡¯s why I chose to appear female. Would you like to mate now?¡±


    ¡°WHAT,¡± I choked. ¡°No. That¡¯s not-- Theia, I get enough grief from Zeus about that topic. I¡¯m not interested in that, right now.¡±


    ¡°I disagree. You¡¯ve thought about it every few seconds since we started talking. Although, you¡¯re thoughts are all over the place. Why would you want to¡ª¡°


    ¡°THEIA!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ok. I¡¯m sure you can get a lot of information from my thoughts, but it¡¯s considered a violation to just snoop around. Since this is the first time, I¡¯ve ever had someone read my thoughts I¡¯m finding it disturbing. Can you block out any thought that isn¡¯t directed at you?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but how would you know?¡±


    Once again my mouth dropped open before being forcibly closed. ¡°Just tell me that you will refrain from reading all my thoughts and I¡¯ll just have to take your word for it.¡±


    Theia¡¯s left corner of her mouth lifted slightly, and she tilted her head. ¡°I can do that. I won¡¯t read all your thoughts. Just the ones directed to me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I feel better.¡± And I did.


    ¡°Theia can you make it so Zeus can see you in Virtual?¡±


    ¡°I can see her now,¡± Zeus said.


    ¡°Thank you, Theia.¡±


    The first biological computers were created to eliminate the need for supercomputers. Biological entities didn¡¯t need the massive cooling fan since they hardly produced any heat. What researchers found was that neurons were far more efficient at problem-solving. Long before they created their first living biocomputer scientist changed the way computers went about solving problems. Parallel computing and neural networks sparked the evolution of computers and society. I guess what I¡¯m saying is that I wanted to create Theia not because of her good looks but for her brains.


    ¡°That¡¯s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,¡± Theia teased.


    ¡°What did I say about reading my thoughts?¡±


    ¡°You were thinking about me, I heard. Thanks, Master.¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer I call you God? Creator?¡± She gave me an evil grin, and I knew she was teasing me.


    ¡°Caden will be fine.¡±


    She winked at me. ¡°Sure.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen (formally 11)

    Summer couldn¡¯t come fast enough as far as I¡¯m concerned. I thought Don wouldn¡¯t be returning this spring since the snow had melted already. However, like any good cat, I first noticed my griffons were back when a dead mule deer landed near the front doors to the castle. After a loud crash, I went to the door and found the poor deer. Death wasn¡¯t good for him.


    He was intact, minus most of his throat but the crash into the stone steps broke whatever bones he had in his legs before the fall. I hesitantly stepped outside, keeping my eyes on the sky, when I noticed Don and his family across the valley. The smug look on Don¡¯s catface was all I needed to know. The griffon was rather proud of himself.


    Robbie pulled him in while I stared out at Don and his family. The proud tom griffon had three kittens or flying cats the size of a loaf of bread with him and his female friend. ¡°Well, Don,¡± I thought to him, ¡°I see you have a nice family.¡±


    I do.


    I paused at the doorway and looked back towards him. I¡¯m not sure who had the greater amount of surprise on their face him or me. Granted his fur was standing on its ends, but I gathered that was the shock.


    ¡°You can hear me?¡±


    Why not talk last season?


    ¡°I¡­ couldn¡¯t speak through the mind last year.¡±


    What you?


    ¡°Human.¡±


    I heard a mental chuckle. No. What you?


    ¡°Human. Cayden is my name.¡±


    Cayden.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Food offering.


    ¡°Yes. Thank you. Why did you give it to me?¡±


    Permission.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Permission for what?¡±


    Stay. Here.


    ¡°You want permission to live here?¡±


    Yes.


    ¡°Am I safe from you?¡±


    Yes. Not food.


    ¡°Permission granted. You and your family may stay here.¡±


    Yes.


    Don turned and flew away and played with his family. His kittens could barely fly, but it was rather cute watching the group play catch. Two kittens attacked each other and plummeted into the air for a while before breaking apart and frantically catch up to their parents.


    ¡°Theia, you never told me I could talk with the animals. Don¡¯t you think that would have been important information?¡±


    ¡°I told you I activated the bad genes after I repaired them. How else did you think we communicated?¡±


    I closed my eye¡¯s in frustration. The longer I was with Theia, the less I understood about her. When she wasn¡¯t flirting, she was intentionally withholding information from me.


    ¡°Wait. DJ¡¯s never talked to me.¡±


    She giggled in my head. ¡°He says you never mind speak.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°DJ,¡± I thought as loud as one could.


    Friend.


    I nearly cried. ¡°Yes, best friends.¡±


    Ball?


    I snorted. ¡°Ok. Find the ball.¡±


    DJ took off to the other room in search of the ball, and before long I was playing catch with my dog. DJ had straightforward thoughts or could only communicate one feeling at a time. However, it was nice being able to know what he thought.


    ¡°Theia, why didn¡¯t you tell me I could talk to my dog? Why didn¡¯t he communicate with being before?¡±


    ¡°I told you animals communicated telepathically. Humans lost that ability over your evolutionary history. However, you probably weren''t listening. Some humans have been able to tell what their pets are feeling you¡¯re just slow.¡±


    ¡°Slow?¡±


    ¡°Dense?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to insult me?¡± She giggled. Great my computer is teasing me.


    Scratch!


    I looked down at DJ who was in the process of head-butting my hand. I dropped to one knee and gave him a vigorous rub which was therapeutic for both of us. With that said, I wonder if talking to my dog would get annoying.


    More!


    Yup. Annoying.


    ###


    Knowing I was safe from the griffons and learning I could talk to my dog made it a good day. However, the good feelings fell away quickly when the bison showed up at the front gates to the city.


    ¡°Caden, I¡¯m showing a large herd of bison being directed towards the gates.¡±


    ¡°Zeus, how do you know this?¡±


    ¡°Probe.¡±


    DJ and I walked down to my old cavern since it was closest to the new wall. The main walls were up, but I had no defenses surrounding the city as of yet. Once, we exited the tunnel and stood at the gate I had a better view of the Northern Valley.


    A herd of a couple of hundred bison began milling around the walls. A choke point still existed, but the valley filled quickly with bison, having nowhere to spread out and graze. The north end of the valley bottlenecks before spreading out into the Ridgeway valley.


    ¡°Orcs?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve counted over a hundred but I¡¯m sure there are more in the tree line.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure they are herding the bison.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t ready to confront the orcs but was sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to climb the walls. However, I did worry they might take my building project as an effort to steal part of their territory.


    I watched for nearly an hour before I caught sight of my first orc of the season. Coming out of the treelike near the river a large Orc stood with a spear in his hand gawking at the golden wall.


    Before long some Orcs broke through the trees to join their dumbfounded friend. As soon as the shock wore off, they looked aggravated and upset. A few grunts and shouts and they retreated around the river bend where I couldn¡¯t see them.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Zeus, keep an eye on the Orcs and let me know what happens.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡±


    I turned back into the tunnel and returned to my living quarters. I found my new desk and pulled up the video feed on the monitors.


    ¡°Theia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡±


    I closed my eyes in frustration. ¡°Theia, are the Orcs animals or sentient.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an animal. Or did you forget you both evolved from apes.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. Do they have a language, customs? Do they talk telepathically or did they lose that ability as humans did.¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± She giggled.


    ¡°Can we print scout drones to investigate?¡±


    ¡°I assume you want them to be cloaked.¡±


    ¡°We can do that?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I grunted. ¡°Then why the hell did you ask me if I wanted the cloaked?¡±


    I jumped in my seat when Theia popped into existence in the real world. She wore a white toga and had startling violet eyes. Her hair was silver, but it didn¡¯t look too weird. It looked good in contrast to her golden skin.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a baby.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in V¡ªVirtual.¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°And observant. I¡¯m not here either. I¡¯ve tapped into your augmented vision. You¡¯d think you¡¯ve never seen augmented reality before.¡±


    ¡°I¡­It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve only shown yourself in Virtual.¡±


    ¡°And you thought I couldn¡¯t tap into your AV?¡±


    ¡°No¡­I mean, sure, but you hadn¡¯t so I assumed you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    She walked to my desk and sat down on it. It looked like she was sitting there and I reached out to touch her leg.


    ¡°Are you trying to get frisky? I thought you didn¡¯t want to do that with me?¡±


    I pulled my hand back faster than I would have thought possible and my face reddened with embarrassment.


    ¡°No¡­I was¡­you looked real, and I was making sure you weren¡¯t really¡­¡± I blew out a frustrated breath. ¡°Never mind. Drop it.¡±


    ¡°Dropped.¡±


    I took a quick glance at the probes image and stood up to walk over to my projection wall. I had recreated my living quarters to match Explorer One and had a video of the spinning Earth displayed. It brought me comfort and kept me grounded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want them to know I¡¯m spying on them,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use nano drones then.¡±


    ¡°We can do that?¡± I asked turning back to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re flying them long distances. Just have the drone drop them onto the group. We can have audio and images. You can even attach a drone to each Orc in the group if you are into that voyeuristic kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I closed my eyes once again and pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers. ¡°Theia, how long would it take to do this?¡±


    ¡°We can have it done by this evening. It¡¯s probably better to have the drone drop them at night, so it¡¯s not spotted.¡±


    She crossed her legs and leaned forward showing enough--


    ¡°Thank you, Theia,¡± I said turning back to the projection wall.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Master.¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± I yelled, but when I turned back, she was gone.


    I knew she wasn¡¯t gone, gone. She was always a thought away and found a sick sense of humor to tease me. I ground my teeth as I made my way back to my desk and sat back down to watch the Orcs.


    ###


    ¡°God Cayden, the nano drones have been deployed,¡± Theia said in a sultry tone.


    I bit my tongue in an effort not to respond to the new title. It seemed that the more I fought it, the more titles and names Theia used.


    ¡°How long until you can answer the question about their language?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not communicating right now?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only God who sleeps. Zeus, Roknar and I find it a waste of time and unproductive. I can fix that if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°What? No. I actually like sleeping. I¡¯m not a God, Theia.¡±


    ¡°Sure. If you say so.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    I went to bed after the deployment and decided to see how things progressed in the morning. It felt like I had no sooner closed my eyes when DJ woke me with his barking.


    ¡°What is it, DJ,¡± I mumbled out the thoughts towards my best friend.


    Cat.


    ¡°Flying cat? That¡¯s Don.¡±


    Cat.


    DJ didn¡¯t stop his barking, so I sat up. It was still dark inside which meant that Zeus hadn¡¯t turned on the lights to simulate the sunrise.


    ¡°Zeus, what time is it?¡±


    ¡°0416.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You sure it¡¯s not a quarter after four?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    I pulled on my pants and left the room towards the front of the castle and towards DJ¡¯s barking. When I looked out the glass window, I saw Don sitting waiting for my arrival.


    ¡°Don,¡± I thought, ¡°why are you teasing my dog?¡±


    Dog. Fun. Tease.


    ¡°Yeah. I get that. What¡¯s wrong. Usually, you wake me up with a roar.¡±


    Danger.


    I looked at him with surprise. ¡°Danger for you? Or Me?¡±


    Danger.


    ¡°The Orcs?¡± Don cocked his head to the side. ¡°The beasts herding the food.¡±


    Yes. Orcs.


    ¡°I¡¯m watching them. Thanks for the warning.¡±


    Here.


    ¡°Yes. They are in the valley.¡±


    Here.


    I stopped for a second to think. ¡°Theia, are there Orcs in the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your holiness.¡±


    I closed my eyes in irritation. ¡°And were you going to tell me?¡±


    ¡°You like your sleep.¡±


    ¡°Of course I like my sleep. How did they get inside the walls?¡±


    ¡°How would you get over a wall?¡±


    I wanted to strangle my computer. The wall is over 30 feet high. I guess the orcs were more resourceful than I gave them credit.


    ¡°When were you going to tell me?¡±


    ¡°If they posed a risk.¡±


    ¡°To Don and his litter or me?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Don, would you and your family like to stay in my cavern?¡± He cocked his head to the side. ¡°Den. Would you like to stay in my den?¡±


    Den. Safe. Yes.


    ¡°Give me a couple of hours.¡± He looked at me confused. ¡°After dawn.¡±


    Yes. Food. Dawn.


    He leaped off my the front stoop and flew into the dark. Leaving DJ barking in his wake.


    ¡°Zeus, have Robbie clean out my old cavern and install a gate preventing entry into the castle.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡±


    I turned back towards my bed when Theia popped into existence again, wearing a see-through babydoll nightdress. I stopped and turned away in embarrassment.


    ¡°Theia, can you wear something else.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°I know what you really look like remember? You¡¯re wearing that to frustrate me. Please.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said laughing but with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.


    I turned back towards my room, and she was back to wearing her white toga. I shook my head. It didn¡¯t matter what she wore she always looked sexy.


    ¡°What have you learned about the Orcs?¡± I said as she pulled up and walked beside me.


    ¡°They¡¯re very ugly.¡±


    ¡°Theia.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°They speak. I¡¯ve been able to understand some of what they are saying. I should have a better understanding by first light. They¡¯re talking a lot right now.¡±


    ¡°About?¡±


    ¡°About you of course.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Well they don¡¯t know they¡¯re talking about you, but it¡¯s regarding the wall and the castle. The Orcs like gold as much as you do.¡±


    I snorted. I hadn¡¯t considered the implications of having the gold on display. I thought they were beasts, at the worse, but not very cultured. If they understood the value of gold, then they had some form of civilization.


    A stray thought struck. ¡°And how much have the stolen?¡±


    Theia started to laugh again. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than you look. Let¡¯s just say you¡¯ve made their chief very happy.¡±


    I wanted to scream out the window, MINE, but I had more gold than any one man should own. Honestly, I was a tad Trumpish in my display of wealth. We¡¯ve all got a weakness and mine was gold.


    ¡°Can we sent a robot down to communicate with them?¡±


    ¡°You want to send a robot down to the orcs?¡±


    ¡°No. But we need to communicate with them, or they¡¯ll come back for more gold. They¡¯ll try to strip everything.¡±


    ¡°I could strip.¡±


    I ignored her. ¡°Can I or can¡¯t I talk with the orcs?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know their language.¡±


    I wanted to slap Theia¡¯s projection in the back of the head. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t know the language. You do.¡±


    ¡°You want me to teach you their language?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything for a few minutes and stopped walking. I paused and looked back at her. I was about to ask her what was wrong when her face lit up with a sly grin. Once she caught up with me, she gave me a slight nod.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she was indicating that she could teach me the language or just acknowledging me. I decided it didn¡¯t matter.


    Rather than going back to sleep I decided I¡¯d take care of my morning ablutions and eat breakfast before my attempt to communicate to the thieving orcs.


    ¡°Zeus, have we found any indications of humans in the Americas yet?¡±


    ¡°This continent isn¡¯t called America yet.¡± I waved away his remark. ¡°No humans have been found yet.¡±


    ¡°Have you searched the Mississippi embayment yet?¡±


    ¡°Oooh. You used a big word,¡± Theia said, ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    I glared at her projection. ¡°Mine school. Remember? Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Well, Zeus?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet.¡±


    ¡°Meaning no humans or no sign of life?¡±


    ¡°An unidentified species has settled the southern section of the Mississippi. However, they look like the statues of the Olmec.¡±


    We finally made it to my room. ¡°Zeus display an image of the species you say look like the Olmec.¡±


    My projection screens came to life, and I started to laugh when the Olmec were displayed. I dropped on my bed and kept laughing until tears began to fall freely. Theia looked at the images and cocked her head and looked at me with some degree of confusion.


    ¡°Master Cayden, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s funny.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t. Zeus, fill her in.¡±


    ¡°Cayden is laughing because the Olmec are dwarfs.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen (formally 12)

    I pulled myself together and finished getting ready to communicate with the orcs who invaded and robbed my city. You¡¯d think they¡¯d be more cautious considering a town that wasn¡¯t here last year magically rose in less than a full year. I guess I couldn¡¯t stop them until I had the defensive perimeter completed.


    My only recourse was to communicate with the--do I call them people? Orcs. I¡¯ll just talk with the orcs.


    I changed Robbie enough to put a speaker inside his head case and allow me to control his actions via Virtual. Once ready, I walked over to my Zero-G and got comfortable.


    ¡°Theia, are you handling communications?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to talk to them. You¡¯ve learned their language, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Rudimentary at best. I need a longer study of them to know all the words in their language.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I got that part. So, if you¡¯re not talking to them, how are we going to talk to them.¡±


    She popped back into my room and walked over to my Zero G towards my head. She leaned down to whisper in my ear, which wasn¡¯t necessary since we spoke telepathically. ¡°You are going to learn it.¡± Her voice was silky, and I relaxed. She then thrust her hand into my skull.


    Blinding light threatened to tear me apart when just as suddenly as it came on, it was over. ¡°W¡ªWhat the hell?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Most High. You did say you wanted to learn the language didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°NOT THROUGH A LOBOTOMY!¡± I rubbed my eyes and moved to the temples trying to erase the memory of the pain.


    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt next time.¡±


    ¡°Next time? There¡¯s a next time?¡±


    ¡°I assume this won¡¯t be the last time you want to learn something.¡±


    ¡°No, but you could have warned me.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Would it have hurt less?¡±


    ¡°No. Why did it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Because your brain is very inefficient.¡±


    ¡°This brain created you.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll forever be grateful, Most Holy.¡±


    ¡°Theia, please stop using deity honorifics on me. Please. I¡¯m not a God. I¡¯m a kid.¡±


    She started to hum a tune and then began to giggle again. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Is that a sure, you will stop or a different kind of sure?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to talk to the orcs now or after they break off more gold?¡±


    Thieving animals. I knew Theia was dogging the question and saw the wisdom in having APRIL¡¯s be simple-minded. I heard her giggle again.


    Why does she giggle? UGH!


    ###


    Robbie exited and made his way down to the growing city below. Luck was on my side that the orcs hadn¡¯t noticed the egress from the castle. I had no desire for the orcs to try breaking into my mountain.


    Sitting in Virtual, I controlled the movements of Robbie and slowly approached my first orc. I stood still until he noticed me. He jumped at the sight of me and a spear ricocheted off my chassis.


    So much for nonviolent greetings.


    ¡°I come in peace,¡± I spoke in Orcish. Yes, I made that term up. I doubted the had a name for their language.


    Apparently, you can crap while running since the orc I approached, defecated and ran. I sighed. Spear in chest¡­check. Defecation while running¡­check and check. So, far I¡¯ve learned a couple of things today.


    I could have asked him to take me to his leader, but I felt that was a clich¨¦ best avoided. Luck for me I didn¡¯t have to go very far before I found Mr. Crappy Butt. It¡¯s a good thing I couldn¡¯t smell.


    The group of five orcs approached cautiously, each with a raised spear, and stopped ten feet in front of me. I slowly raised my hand and tried my Orcish again. ¡°I come in peace. I mean you no harm.¡±


    Five spears bounced off my chassis again.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Okay, that was in English but what part of peace doesn¡¯t translate. I sighed and tried something different.


    ¡°Stop!¡± That caused them to take a step back. ¡°Who is the chief?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    They looked at each other, and if their ugly face could smile, then they smiled. The next thing I knew, I was knocked over by a large rock coming from behind me.


    ¡°Zeus, you couldn''t have warned me?¡± I asked inside my Virtual space rather than through Robbie.


    ¡°That was funny,¡± Theia giggled.


    I stood Robbie up and turned my robot body such that I could keep an eye on the group of thieving orcs and Mr. Big Ugly.


    ¡°You are stealing from my land,¡± I said in Orcish.


    A deep grating voice responded. ¡°You in our land. You will die.¡±


    He didn¡¯t give me a chance to respond when he thrust a spear into the chassis. I had to give him props since it penetrated. Unfortunately for him, his shaft snapped in half.


    ¡°Okay, Ugly.¡± The insult was weak, and it was in English, so it lost meaning to him, but I was getting irritated.


    ¡°Since you¡ª¡±


    Mr. Crappy Butt tackled me and attempted to bash my skull in with a fist the size of a large ham. I had to appreciate that he didn¡¯t stop even after seeing the skin peel away from his knuckles.


    I sat Robbie up with a little effort. My servos whined as I pushed him off of me. The robot wasn¡¯t built for hand to hand combat. Robbie was manufactured to work not fight.


    With that said, when I threw my right hand into Mr. Crappy Butt¡¯s face it pushed through the opposite side. Oops.


    Things got a little weird after that. I found my self-being attacked while dragging Mr. Crappy Butt¡¯s body around. It took a few swings, but eventually, his body sloughed off my arm.


    Two more orcs died before they retreated. These six Orcs were the only ones inside El Dorado, but I knew there were more than one hundred outside the walls.


    Robbie was strong, but I didn¡¯t want to have to fight an entire army of orcs. I gave Robbie instructions to clean himself.


    ¡°Theia, I can¡¯t fight off an army of these things. Eventually, they¡¯ll figure out a way to steal my robots as well.¡±


    I looked up at Theia when she didn¡¯t respond, and her usual golden hue was green. ¡°That was gross. You¡¯re a sick man, Caden.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡ª¡°


    She started laughing. ¡°You should have seen your face.¡± She grabbed her midsection and bent over in laughter. ¡°He was stuck to your arm, and you¡¯re flopping around like this.¡± She started and exaggerated mock of my movements, all the while laughing at me.


    She does know she¡¯s an artificial brain in a jar, right?


    She calmed herself and looked all serious at me. ¡°Oh, relax. Who¡¯s going to tease you if I don¡¯t? Zeus is boring, and DJ just wants his ears rubbed.¡±


    Her words must have gotten DJ¡¯s attention since he ran over me and proffered his scalp to my resting palm. I grunted and then shrugged. I couldn¡¯t punish my best friend for her teasing, so I offered him a scratch from virtual.


    It¡¯s strange trying to control your real body while in Virtual but when a dog needs his ears scratched you do what you can. Once satisfied, DJ left me alone once more.


    ¡°So, tell me, Miss Theia, what can I do to defend my walls from these orcs.¡±


    ¡°How long do I have?¡±


    ¡°Hours, days? I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re the one listening to them.¡±


    She gave me a severe look. ¡°At least they give their females attention.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an artificial brain in a jar!¡±


    ¡°You cut me, Master.¡±


    The look on her face was anything but from someone offended. However, manners being manners¡­¡±I¡¯m sorry, Theia. However, you have no gender.¡±


    ¡°I choose to be female.¡±


    I opened my mouth to argue, but I knew this argument would be one I¡¯d lose.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Theia. Back to the problem on hand. I don¡¯t know how long. We need to defend the city, and I thought I¡¯d have time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d want to kill them before you talk to them?¡±


    I threw my arms up. ¡°I did try to talk with them. Didn¡¯t you just get done laughing at how that went?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Try talking to them like a God.¡±


    ¡°Pray tell. How do you talk like a God? They don¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°You exist,¡± she said barely above a whisper.


    I started to rub my temples. ¡°Theia, why do you keep calling me a God?¡±


    She stared at her feet for a few minutes. I¡¯ll have to admit it was adorable, but I was curious as to her behavior and beliefs.


    ¡°You created me. You created Roknar. You created all those robots.¡±


    ¡°You helped me with those robots but that¡¯s beside the point. Theia, Gods are supposed to be immortal, all-powerful, able to change the very world around them. I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Some Gods have died. Osiris was murdered by Set and later resurrected at Isis. Jesus wa¡ª¡°


    ¡°Theia, I don¡¯t know if those stories are true or not. If I died I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d come back. There is so much I don¡¯t know about life and death, but I can live a long time with the help of Zeus. However, an orc could easily kill me. I¡¯m not immortal.¡±


    Theia looked like I¡¯d just kicked her kitten. She didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. I walked over to her and reached out to her virtual body. I was surprised when I felt her and pulled her into a hug.


    She resisted at first then melted into my arms and started to cry. My emotions and thoughts warred with one another. Computers didn¡¯t cry, AI¡¯s didn¡¯t cry, yet my Theia was crying. She wasn¡¯t human but acted and reacted much like a real person. I was confused on a level I can¡¯t explain.


    ¡°Cayden, I don¡¯t want you to die.¡±


    It was the first time I remember her ever using my name without an honorific. It shocked me into silence for a moment before I could speak. I pulled her body away from my and looked into her violet eyes.


    ¡°Hey, there is not need to cry. I¡¯m not planning on dying. If possible, I¡¯d never die, but I live in the real world, not make-believe. I need to be realistic. I can¡¯t take risks that would put me in jeopardy. We need to figure out a way to protect the city. I¡¯m open to an idea.¡±


    Theia bit her bottom lip, and I felt an urge to kiss it, but mentally slapped myself. ¡°Well, you can try projecting your image using holographic emitters. They won¡¯t be able to hurt you or see the nano-emitters.¡±


    ¡°I guess that would save me from repairing my robots, but we¡¯ll still need something to protect us.¡±


    ¡°Lasers and rail guns are easy to make. Plus, they¡¯d never see it coming. However, I would prefer if you didn¡¯t kill them all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a pacifist?¡±


    ¡°No. However, you¡¯re more powerful, and they don¡¯t know better. They are doing what they know. You know of better ways.¡±


    I ground my teeth at her logic. Of course, she was right, but I didn¡¯t want to risk a future attack.


    ¡°Master, they might not attack.¡±


    ¡°Did you just read my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Um. You thought about me when you thought it. It¡¯s allowed.¡±


    I bite the inside of my cheek in an effort not to get upset. She was technically correct.


    ¡°Okay, Theia. Let¡¯s do it your way. How do you want to proceed?¡±


    She told me.

 Chapter Sixteen (formally 13)

    It was early the next day before I had some laser installations and a railgun positioned and operating. The orcs were still organizing and arguing about how to attack Robbie. Honestly, their ability to plan strategically wasn¡¯t the best. Their ideas consisted of attack, bash, grab, bash.


    As I reviewed recordings Zeus prepared for me I felt horrid for thinking about just destroying them outright. I may be superior both in intellect and technologically but it didn¡¯t mean I had to right to step on the plebs of orc society.


    I watched at the leaders gathered before their planned raid on my city. The time had come to visit them and I cringed at the plan. Scare them into submission, sounded draconian and so last millennium.


    ¡°Zeus, it¡¯s time. Are we sure we¡¯ll avoid casualties?¡±


    ¡°Unless the circumstances change, no orcs will be harmed in the making of this presentation.¡±


    I sighed at his joke.


    ¡°Give me a countdown and begin transmission.¡±


    Theia and I argued for a long time about the clothing choices. I know that I¡¯m in the mountains, and it¡¯s cold all the time, but I had no desire dressing up like a half wolf, half fox fur covered savage. Nor did I want to dress like a Greek god. My body wasn¡¯t toned like Hercules or Zeus. We finally agreed to go with more the Roman Empire style.


    In my Virtual projection, I wore gold colored sandals that wrapped up and around my calves to just below the knees. I fought over the dress like tunic, which in truth left me going commando. However, I wore it since that was the look. The tunic/dress went to just above the knees and had a gold threaded hem. It was sleeveless and went well with the gold cape and belt.


    I felt the gold crown was a tad too much, but we negotiated it to be a small gold band. Add a few gold bracelets and rings, and the whole look made me feel stupid and impressed at the same time.


    ¡°Cayden, five seconds.¡±


    The catcall, which annoyed me, from Theia made me blush. That computer was getting under my skin, but I couldn¡¯t help but like her. I¡¯m not sure how she learned all her human behaviors, but it almost made me forget she wasn¡¯t real.


    ¡°Two, one.¡±


    ###


    I¡¯ll be honest that it¡¯s possible my sudden appearance in the middle of an Orc horde was probably not the smartest decision I¡¯d ever made, but it had the benefit of being noticed. The individual I¡¯d come to guess was the leader of this band reacted first by throwing his spear through my chest.


    I flinched at the spear penetrated the projection and I nearly soiled myself. I¡¯m not sure if my reaction or the fact that the spear continued through my body and into the leg of an Orc behind which caused them to take a step back. Whatever conversation they were having prior to my appearance ceased and we stood there without saying a word. I never broke eye contact with the Orc I thought was the leader but I was sure every Orc in the camp both in front of me and the rears had their eye¡¯s fixed on my projection.


    Of course, the projection never waved, and the leader had no idea how the spear passed through me. I could hear the whimpering from behind me and knew the injured Orc was just as shocked as the leader was. I guess this is an extreme example of why my mother always told me never to throw things in the house. You never know if it¡¯d hit someone unexpected.


    The leader made no effort to speak so I thought maybe I¡¯d break the ice. ¡°Hello,¡± I said in their language. In truth, I doubted I¡¯d be able to have a conversation with these Orc¡¯s without Theia¡¯s brain dump. It wasn¡¯t quite rocks in mouth speaking but made heavy use of the back of my tongue.


    Holograph technology had advanced significantly over the past hundred years. I won¡¯t pretend to understand the technology behind it or how it accomplished the feat, but the sound appeared to everyone around as to coming out of my mouth rather than a speaker above my head.


    The reaction of speaking in their language was a tad more dramatic than I had expected as ever Orc dropped to the dirt and buried their face in the dust. All except the leader who dropped to a knee and bowed his head.


    ¡°Great Spirit. Forgive me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a spirit. My name is Caden.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, Great Caden. I am Klapdud.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just Caden.¡± I refrained from mocking his name. ¡°I don¡¯t wish for any more violence and ask that you no longer steal from my home.¡±


    ¡°Just Caden, we have hunted these land since the world was birthed.¡±


    ¡°My name is Caden. It¡¯s just--forget it.¡± I took a slow breath and noticed the other Orcs were still prostrated in the dirt. ¡°Please,¡± I said waiving my hands, ¡°stand.¡±


    A few of the Orcs lifted their heads up briefly to look at me, but once I made eye contact, they buried their faces once again.


    ¡°Klapdud, I apologize for closing off the valley. I¡¯ve lived here for most of my life and felt security was needed after seeing the goblins attacked you last season.¡±


    Klapdud cocked his head to the side and quickly bowed it again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that translated correctly,¡± Theia said in my ear.


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I think, Just Caden. We are not beasts,¡± Klapdud said in a raspier voice than before.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I had forgotten that Theia could read my thoughts and these Orcs couldn¡¯t see or hear Theia. I would have laughed, but his response made me wonder. My inadvertent question appears to have offended the Orc leader. I couldn¡¯t be for sure since I didn¡¯t have much experience interacting with them.


    ¡°I never meant to imply otherwise.¡± His face looked confused again. OK. My translation wasn¡¯t perfect, and I realized I was throwing English words into the mix of my Orcish. Keep it simple stupid.


    ¡°Klapdud, I¡¯ve built my home here for now, and until I return to my old home, this valley is mine.¡±


    ¡°Our hunting ground, Just Caden. We hunt mighty bison to feed my people.¡±


    ¡°You can still hunt north of the gate.¡± I gestured to the bottlenecked valley to the north of our location. ¡°Not in this valley and do not steal my gold.¡±


    He stood, and I learned to appreciate his massive size. He stood nearly seven feet tall and looked big enough to crush me without breaking a sweat. If not for the fact of me being projected, I¡¯d back away from him.


    ¡°Yellow rock is worth many females.¡±


    This was a lightbulb moment for me. I guess I hadn¡¯t considered they valued gold for the same reasons as I valued gold. We were both of the same minds. Wealth equals female attention.


    ¡°Klapdud, the yellow rock isn¡¯t good for weapons. Why do you value it?¡±


    ¡°Yellow rock is from the Great Spirit.¡± He cocked his head again in confusion. I heard many of the Orcs grunt all around me.


    I felt like asking him such an obvious question lowered his esteem of me. I needed to learn more about the Orc society before asking more questions.


    ¡°It''s valued above all else.¡± My simple statement seemed to appease him and verify an already existing belief but left me with a huge dilemma. They valued gold as much as I did but I had no use for it other than aesthetic purposes.


    Being stuck before my time with a mountain of gold did me no good. I had nothing to show for it other than something to look at. I couldn¡¯t believe my luck that I was the wealthiest man in the world or at least I would be, and I couldn¡¯t brag about it. I couldn¡¯t even buy¡­


    ¡°Klapdud, I¡¯ll give you yellow rock for compensation of using your hunting ground.¡±


    ¡°Just Caden, I could take it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Klapdud. If anyone touches the wall without permission, they will die quickly. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t have Orcs raiding my home.¡±


    Klapdud got a look on his face that told me I¡¯d said the wrong thing. I¡¯m not sure if he didn¡¯t believe me or if he was just testing my resolve, but he barked out an order for one of his Orcs to climb the wall and get more yellow rocks. He never broke eye contact with me while ordering his grunt to perform this task.


    The poor Orc apparently paused too long since Klapdud barked out angrily at him. I made no effort to follow the Orc since a pop up showed me a video of the Orc in question.


    ¡°Klapdud, I ask that you not send another Orc into my home. His death will be on your head if he touches that wall.¡±


    Klapdud wavered a little but barked another command to the Orc. As soon as the Orc touched the wall, he dropped dead with a hole in bored through the center of his skull. It happened so fast and quietly that nobody noticed where the laser beam came from or for that matter what happened to the Orc.


    A gasp and grunting erupted from the group and those who stood while the attempt was made found themselves back in the dirt. Even Klapdud prostrated himself fully.


    ¡°Forgive me, Just Caden.¡±


    I sighed. I hadn¡¯t wanted to kill the Orc but knew if an example weren''t made now, I¡¯d have to worry about it later. With that said, I had started to think of these Orcs as men rather than beasts and felt a tinge of guilt killing them.


    ¡°My offer of yellow rock still stands. Oh for God''s sake, everyone stand!¡±


    The Orcs stood and took a step back with my raised voice. It¡¯s hard to converse with people who are eating dirt.


    ¡°Forgive, Just Caden.¡±


    I waved his statement off with my hand.


    ¡°Look. I understand you use this valley as a hunting ground, but I¡¯ll give you yellow rock to help compensate the sacrifice you¡¯re people will face by not using this small valley.¡±


    Klapdud wasn¡¯t as stupid as he looked. ¡°That much,¡± he said while pointing to a small stone roughly the size of a volleyball.


    I laughed and looked around the ground for another rock. ¡°That much,¡± I countered pointing to a rock the size of a softball.


    Klapdud grinned and bowed his head. I split my attention away from my projected image and pulled up my interface for Roknar, typed some instructions and executed the command. Once I returned my attention to the Orcs they were all staring at my frozen image.


    When I spoke again, they all started and took a step back. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    No sooner had I spoken the words then a small ball of gold started to form in front of my image slowly. Back in the dirt, they fell as the continued to sneak glances at the gold ball growing larger and larger before their eyes. I hadn¡¯t magically mined the gold in real time so much as I transported it from the city. It looked impressive, but it was a cheap parlor trick that impressed the Orcs.


    ¡°Just Caden,¡± Klapdud spoke with a slight quiver in his voice, ¡°you honor us.¡±


    I waved off his comment with a no big deal look plastered all over my face. The look didn¡¯t have the desired effect, and he buried his face back into the dirt and slid a few inches back from me. Note to self: They don¡¯t understand human facial expressions.


    When the ball finished, it was a mixture of gold and silver. I figured he wouldn¡¯t know the difference between 24 karat or 18 karats and the silver would strengthen the ball enough to hold its shape. I¡¯d programmed the impressions of softball stitches to be impressed on the side more as a joke, but it looked impressive.


    ¡°The deal has been reached,¡± I said, ¡°Please leave in peace.¡±


    I terminated my projection and heard a gasp from the Orcs. I continued to watch Klapdud as he took nearly five minutes before he poked the ball with a spear he took from one of his kin. Satisfied he wouldn¡¯t drop dead touching the ball he picked it up. I was impressed he didn¡¯t grunt since it was gold and heavy. I estimated it weighed over 20 pounds, but my hologram can¡¯t interact with matter so, I guessed it weighed nearly 400 ounces.


    As a group, they backed away from the wall and eventually returned to their camp towards where Ridgeway will be in the distant future. I stopped watching and returned my attention to Theia in Virtual.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, Mighty Just Caden. I think you will be worshiped as a god now.¡± Theia bowed down and prostrated herself. ¡°I¡¯m not worthy.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± She was mocking me, and we both knew it. ¡°They don¡¯t think I¡¯m a god.¡± Theia snorted. ¡°We¡¯re fine for now. I am surprised they valued gold. I didn¡¯t see any jewelry. Did you?¡±


    Theia laughed and stood up from the floor. ¡°Oh, master you¡¯re too easy. Hasn¡¯t every civilization on earth created art?¡±


    ¡°Not the apes.¡±


    ¡°Those were not apes, Caden.¡±


    ¡°No. They weren¡¯t.¡±


    I exited Virtual and played with DJ for the next couple hours. My view of earth¡¯s past was very confused. Orcs, Goblins, and Dwarfs never walked my Earth. Why were they hear?


    That night I tossed and turned, troubled by the Orcs. I hadn¡¯t seen another human in nearly a year now. I thought working in space would be fun, but I¡¯ve never been so isolated in my entire life as I do now. The feeling was troublesome and unexpected. I missed people. I missed my family.

 Chapter Seventeen

    ¡°Just and Mighty Caden,¡± Theia¡¯s soft melodic voice said interrupting my work.


    I¡¯d been adding the last few details to the city below. In my time the hot springs had been diverted from their natural course into a citywide system to feed the various hot tubs. I changed it so that it was seamless and kept the ground warm and the pools hot.


    Roknar wasn¡¯t able to plant gardens so, and I had to make androids to tend the gardens and plant trees. I began to wonder if I¡¯d stick around El Dorado long enough to see them mature. The loneliness had deepened since the Orcs stole from me.


    I¡¯d finally found humans but not where I thought they¡¯d be located. I had thought to see a civilization in Greece but only found scatterings of human settlements. This finding confirmed my early suspicions that I wasn¡¯t on my earth. The Americas never had any significant civilizations in 8500 BCE, but humans should have been found near the Mississippi river valley. I know the Olmec culture mined copper up near Michigan for over a thousand years, but these Olmec were dwarfs.


    The bones found in my earth showed the Olmec to be giants, not short, stocky, hairy humanoids. In some circles, it was believed the Olmecs were Egyptians, but no image of these dwarfs gave any indication of an Egyptian origin.


    ¡°Caden,¡± Theia interrupted my thoughts again.


    ¡°What? Oh, sorry Theia. I heard you the first time then my mind wandered off again. What do you need?¡±


    She popped into existence before me and sat down on a chair across my work desk. I wasn¡¯t in Virtual, and I was beginning to blur the lines between Virtual and real world. Her sitting on a chair before me didn¡¯t even raise my eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about Roknar and the APRIL¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I think I can improve it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it could be improved. I haven¡¯t had a chance to change Roknar¡¯s programming since I¡¯ve been building the famed City of Gold.¡±


    Theia giggled and crossed her legs. It was then that I remembered we weren¡¯t in Virtual. She sat on the chair as if she was here. I suddenly felt a deep depression settle on my shoulders. I was still alone.


    ¡°I think Zeus has more information about the accident but is unable to remember it due to the electrical surge created by the blast.¡±


    ¡°Zeus?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s entirely possible, Caden.¡±


    ¡°And what changes do you want to make Theia?¡±


    ¡°I think I can merge organic processors with the APRIL''s.¡±


    I stared at her for a minute or two without moving a muscle aside from an occasional blink. ¡°And¡­why you think this is a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Organic processing is much more efficient than mechanical. Roknar would still be able to mine minerals, but the energy cost would be lower coming from the environment rather than having to break bonds to capture energy bursts.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Theia¡­,¡± I rubbed the back of my neck in deep thought. ¡°Cyborgs were banned years ago.¡±


    ¡°No. I checked. It¡¯s banned years in the future. Plus, it¡¯s not that different than how I function.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a cyborg. You¡¯re a biological entity that uses APRILs.


    ¡°And both of us are better because of it.¡±


    I waved off her comment. ¡°How does creating cyborg APRILs help us?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to better access the information inside Zeus¡¯ memory core. I¡¯m unable to do that right now.¡±


    ¡°And Zeus will be fine?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. I¡¯ve run simulations, and it looks good.¡±


    ¡°Zeus? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°If I were able to remember what happened it would help you get home again.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°What if you¡¯re damaged? I¡ªI,¡± I stuttered to a stop. I couldn¡¯t complete the sentence or even the thought. I knew that Zeus wasn¡¯t real, but he was real to me.


    ¡°I guess you need to weigh the risk and reward.¡±


    ¡°Theia, you¡¯re one hundred percent positive this won¡¯t damage Zeus?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°NO! You said¡­¡±


    ¡°I said it shouldn¡¯t have the data doesn¡¯t indicate he would lose out. If anything it should make him better.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°What don¡¯t you know about?¡±


    ¡°How can I program Roknar to mine or build things?¡±


    ¡°The same way you communicate with me. Direct it with your thoughts.¡±


    I opened my mouth to argue but closed it again. I had no idea how to process what Theia just said. Direct thoughts directly into a computer program I designed? It made no sense. The Cyborg wars nearly wiped out civilization as I knew it. However, I did want to get back home eventually. If retrieving Zeus¡¯ lost memories could help me figure out how to get home¡­


    ¡°Theia, let¡¯s just try it on a small sample I don¡¯t want to give you the green light to replace Zeus or Roknar if it can be avoided.¡± She opened her mouth to complain. ¡°At least until I know it¡¯s safe.¡±


    She closed her mouth and gave me a nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ll isolate a small sample of Roknar to test.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Theia. I just want to make sure we don¡¯t lose Zeus.¡±


    Theia gave me another nod and disappeared.


    ###


    In the late 21<sup>st</sup> century most computers used metallic hydrogen and diamond insulators. Metallic hydrogen is a superconductor, and since diamonds have no free electrons, they marriage seemed inevitable. Theia used a mixture of how she¡¯s made and how APRILs work to replace the processors and wiring inside the APRILs. Using Roknar to fix and replace the processors inside other nanobots seemed like the smart choice. For one thing, the size of scale would have made it impossible to do otherwise.


    Individually, each new Roknar was dumber than a rock, but as all APRILs function in a hive mind manner, you don¡¯t need each bot to be a genius. The neurons of each processor absorbed and converted the mechanical memory into a biological memory efficiently and quickly. At least in theory.


    It took a week before Theia felt her science experiment was ready to test. As soon as the cell''s lifecycle began, it started replicating and evolving at a phenomenal rate within the petri dish.


    ¡°Theia, what¡¯s it doing now? I¡¯m trying to follow, but things are changing too fast. Are they communicating with you anymore?¡±


    Theia and I were in Virtual watching a video of the experiment, magnified many times over.


    ¡°I have not been able to sense any consciousness yet.¡±


    ¡°You mean, it¡¯ll be alive?¡±


    ¡°No. The nanobots are much too small to be alive. The neurons are all contained in a tiny sphere.¡±


    ¡°But their alive in that sphere? You didn¡¯t say anything about that.¡±


    ¡°How else do you merge mechanical with biological?¡±


    I threw my hands up. ¡°How am I supposed to know? So, what¡¯s happening to them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll work the same as the APRIL''s and communicate with each other. Right now the neuron cells were reproducing and growing into a colony.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll function as a hive mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Not too dissimilar to ants or bees.¡±


    ¡°So, smart enough to build a beehive or anthill but not smart enough to create art or science.¡±


    ¡°No. It would require a Queen mind. Once you have them in your body, you¡¯d be able to direct their actions.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Mental and chemical commands. Master, I thought you were smarter than that.¡±


    I didn''t have a response to her jab, but I couldn''t deny I was still confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an expert on this. Nobody has ever done what you¡¯re trying to do. I¡¯m just trying to wrap my head around it.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you let me try?¡±


    ¡°You said¡­!¡± I ground my teeth. ¡°Theia, do you or do you know know what will happen.¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°You. Think. So?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Oh, Mighty Just Caden. I do love teasing you.¡± She walked over to me and ran her hand over my shoulders and into the back of my head. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t want to relieve that tension you¡¯re building up? I don¡¯t think I have seen you masturbate in the last week.¡±


    I blushed and felt embarrassed. Has Theia seen¡­? Of course, Theia''s--she¡¯s in my head. ¡°Um¡­Theia, that''s private.¡±


    She giggled again, my face grew hot, and against my wishes, my body started to betray me.


    ¡°BASEBALL!¡± I yelled out.


    Theia pulled away and cocked her head to the side much like DJ does when confused before she burst out laughing. ¡°You are a lot of fun.¡±


    Her laughing cut off suddenly, and she turned her attention back to the video of the petri dish. I knew something was wrong. Theia is, in essence, a supercomputer and could multitask trillions of processes a second and should not have needed to focus her avatar on the video feed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡±


    ¡°Um? What the fuck is going on?¡±


    Suddenly the video of the petri dish turned white as hot flames engulfed the testing chamber. I opened my mouth to ask a question but was kicked out of Virtual.


    ¡°ZEUS! What happened?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ¡°Get me back into Virtual.¡±


    ¡°Unable.¡±


    ¡°Why not!?¡±


    ¡°I think¡ª¡±


    ¡°Zeus?¡± I sat up in my Zero-G. ¡°Zeus? ZEUS! This isn¡¯t funny.¡±


    ¡°THEIA!¡±


    I felt DJ¡¯s nose butt up against my palm, and he whimpered. I rubbed his ears. ¡°I don¡¯t know buddy. They¡¯re not responding. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    DJ laid his head on my lap and continued to whimper. It wasn¡¯t until later that I realized I didn''t hear his thoughts either.

 Chapter Eighteen

    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.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    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¡ªright 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¡ªlike 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.

 Chapter Nineteen

    It took me a few days to learn how to complete the interface with all my equipment. It was on the fifth day that I learned just how profound of a change Theia made to the world.


    ¡°Caden.¡±


    ¡°Umm-hmm?¡± I said while reading the Virtual documentation. I hoped to be able to return to Virtual again. The changes Theia made had inadvertently made Virtual impossible to achieve without a better understanding. Zeus always controlled the interface, but without him, I¡¯d have to figure it out.


    ¡°I have some unexpected news.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± I asked while grinning.


    ¡°What? No. Oh. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy again.¡± Theia grinned.


    I frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, to the best of my knowledge the new nanobots are still duplicating.¡±


    ¡°We need a better term than ¡®nanobots.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Sticking to your fantasy theme¡­ How about ¡®Mana¡¯?¡±


    I thought for a few minutes. ¡°Mana since it does things like it was magic?¡±


    She nodded her head. In most magical books I¡¯ve read, they use mana point or mana as a way to determine how much magic a wizard or sorcerer can use. I narrowed my eyes at Theia.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you lost control.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    I put my head down on my desk and started to thump it on the surface a few times before raising my head once more.


    ¡°You lost control.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything or move. ¡°You can confirm or deny.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡±


    I closed my eyes and tried to contain my frustration.


    ¡°Theia, how bad is it?¡±


    ¡°I project global coverage within two years.¡±


    ¡°Global coverage?¡± She nodded her head and tried to look cute and innocent. ¡°What¡¯s that going to mean to the world?¡±


    ¡°Um. Your fantasy will come true?¡±


    ¡°A threesome?¡±


    Theia burst out laughing. ¡°Keep dreaming big boy. No. I think I may have introduced magic into this world.¡±


    I sat up and leaned back in my chair, interlocking my fingers behind my head. ¡°You mean to tell me every Orc, human, dwarf, and goblin will be casting fireballs at each other.¡±


    ¡°No, silly.¡± She paused. ¡°Well¡­ not everyone.¡±


    ¡°Explain, please.¡±


    ¡°Well, you and I had our bodies full of APRIL machines when the Mana took over. It¡¯s taken on your¡­um¡­signature. Mine too but I don¡¯t know how many animals have something similar to my DNA. The more their DNA matches yours, the higher degree of control.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, your parents or children will have the greatest degree of control. After you of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course. My parents aren¡¯t here, and I don¡¯t have children.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°So nobody will be able to control the Mana?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Promise not to get mad?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible the Mana can be controlled by someone with a high level of will.¡±


    ¡°In other words, if they want it bad enough, it would happen.¡± Theia shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡± She shrugged again, and I rubbed my eyes in response. ¡°Spit it out, Theia.¡±


    ¡°You humans are great at domesticating animals.¡±


    The change in the line of thought threw me for a second but having the entire library from Zeus dumped into my brain helped connect the dots quickly.


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll start line-breeding for magical traits.¡±


    The concept is rather simple and has been part of human history for as long as humans have lived.  An animal with a valued trait is bred with another animal the same trait, and you get offspring with the said trait. If an Orc shows magical abilities, she or he will produce offspring. Male offspring would be valued more since magical male Orcs could sire more frequently.


    ¡°I may have introduced the stud farm concept on this world. It may take thousands of years, but eventually, there may be many humans and other humanoids wielding powerful magic.¡±


    Theia looked down at her feet while she spoke. I wondered where she picked up the trait to imitate human females so well.


    I laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve introduced stud farming. The strongest and healthiest male always gets the ladies. More likely the power will shift from strongest in strength to strongest in magic. If you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    ###


    It took me three weeks before I was able to devise a way to enter Virtual. A benefit of solving the Virtual problem was that I was now able to feel Theia¡¯s touch even when we were not in Virtual. The first time I felt her touch in the real world was both surprising and pleasant. My body was infused with Mana in every cell of my body due to the lifelong merging between Zeus and me. Theia could simulate her touching me where she placed her projection. It was easier to control the Mana with a thought, and although I¡¯d lost Zeus, I had to agree that the upgrade was impressive.


    I found out that DJ had Mana in his body by accident. Theia was projected using her new hologram projection, and DJ ran up to her. She reached down to stop him, and he froze at her touch. He seemed confused since she was not scented and he could still push through her image, but otherwise, he knew when she rubbed his ears.


    They would talk to each other, and that brought me a sense of joy watching them interact. He¡¯d ask her to throw a ball, and she¡¯d tell him that wasn¡¯t possible, and he¡¯d keep asking. She assured me that she¡¯d figure out a way to produce a force field so that she could interact with objects. I didn¡¯t doubt she¡¯d be able to crack the code and looked forward to it. She could throw the ball to DJ all day long rather than me having to get my hands dirty.


    As much as I enjoyed this time of my life, I still felt like I was missing that human connection. My city sat empty, and I had no way of getting humans here.


    ¡°Theia, what do you think about creating a rescue shuttle and bringing humans we save to the city?¡±


    ¡°Why not return them to their homes?¡±


    ¡°Um.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who says, ¡®Um.¡¯¡±


    I laughed with her. ¡°No, but you shouldn¡¯t ever need to say it. You¡¯re a supergirl.¡±


    Theia¡¯s image froze, but before I could ask her what is wrong, she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s the first time you called me a girl.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª,¡± I blushed, ¡°I¡¯ve called you a girl before.¡±


    She shook her head back and forth. ¡°No. You¡¯ve called me a supercomputer, seafood, brain-in-a-box, jarhead, little boy goo, A¡­¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± I interjected. ¡°I¡ªI guess I do think of you as a girl. As an equal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more than your equal¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Yeah,¡± I interrupted her again. ¡°I think of you as a friend. I¡¯m sorry if my name calling has hurt your feelings.¡±


    Theia curtsied and nodded her head. ¡°You¡¯re forgiven. I think you¡¯re my friend as well, even if you won¡¯t copulate with me.¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE A JELLYFISH!¡± I threw up my arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m a super girl. You said it yourself. No, take backs.¡±


    The grin on her face made me laugh. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re my super girl. But back to my question about bringing people back here.¡±


    ¡°Why not save them and give them a chance to come? If they want to go home, send them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll tell people about this place,¡± I complained.


    ¡°Would you believe someone?¡± I opened my mouth and closed it before shaking my head negatory.


    ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I can¡¯t wait for the rumors of aliens to start after we start saving people.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already a God. Now you want to be an alien?¡±


    ¡°I AM NOT A GOD!¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I blew Theia a raspberry. ¡°How long would it take for us to build a shuttle?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. About a week.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°You heard me. The Mana will make the ship. Make it happen, Master.¡±


    I tried to complain but failed to form the words. We¡¯d used the 3D printers for the robots and food processors but now I just what? Will it?


    Yes. Mighty Just Caden. If you wish upon a--


    ¡°Stop! Please. I love hearing you sing but not that song. It¡¯ll be stuck in my head the rest of the day. Ugh!¡±

 Chapter Twenty

    Theia made the difficult sound easy. I spent the next three weeks trying to perfect the use of Mana in the world around me. Roknar, like Zeus, was lost due to the miscalculation Theia made when converting the APRILs.  With my new found wealth of knowledge, I inherited from Zeus I was able to understand, at least in theory, what Theia had accomplished. Her understanding of xenobiology was limited to the research information Zeus had accumulated over the years. Thus, I couldn¡¯t fault her for not understanding how it got out of hand.


    Mana was attracted to heat, and I discovered higher concentrations of Mana near the hot springs and fault lines in the mountains surrounding my little city. Following the fantasy theme, I called the faults, Ley lines since the Mana concentrations were so high near them. Ouray Colorado due to the myriad of hot springs, in essence, hit the Mana jackpot. I knew enough of the surrounding geography to predict where and how the Mana would spread across the globe.


    ¡°Theia,¡± I thought.


    Yes.


    ¡°How will the Mana affect wildlife?¡±


    It¡¯ll be the same as with the humanoids. You¡¯re all animals. Since the Mana is most closely influenced by the two of us, you¡¯ll probably see sea life affected.


    ¡°You mean Jellyfish?¡± I smiled at my teasing.


    Yes, mighty Just Caden. But, not just soft-bodied sea life. I don¡¯t know what genes will trigger the best outcomes. It¡¯s possible you¡¯ll find the world changed over the next couple millenniums. It¡¯s possible other humanoid types could become the dominant race. I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°Why are you sorry?¡±


    You could likely never be born due to my mistake.


    ¡°Theia, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re on my timeline. Matter of fact I¡¯m nearly 100% positive we are not. If you had changed my timeline and prevented my birth, then I couldn¡¯t be here. I¡¯ve studied geology extensively since I could barely dress myself and my world didn¡¯t have nearly this much gold in this valley. We had gold, but the volume Roknar pulled out is beyond comprehension. This is something I needed to talk to you about.¡±


    Oh?


    ¡°I want to return home.¡± Theia didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Theia, are you okay with that?¡±


    You¡¯d have to leave me here.


    I tried to deny her statement but knew what I¡¯d created was more than just a little illegal. They gave my cousin the death sentence for introducing immortality. What would they do if they found out that I had not only created a super AI but dabbled in xenobiology and created cyborg nanomachines?


    ¡°I¡ªI hadn¡¯t considered that possibility until you mentioned it. I¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ve often wondered if I should create another like me.¡±


    ¡°What?! That¡¯s madness!¡±


    Theia popped into the room via hologram with her arms crossed, lips pursed, and tapping her foot.


    ¡°Madness? You refuse to copulate and talk about leaving me!¡±


    ¡°Copulate? You can¡¯t be serious! You¡¯re in a jar!¡± I stood from my desk and started pacing the room.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not without feeling? I don¡¯t feel? I feel. I love.¡±


    ¡°Love what?¡± I asked as heat entered my voice.


    ¡°Love you, you big dummy!¡±


    Whatever I had planned on saying caught in my throat and I couldn''t verbalize it. I didn¡¯t love Theia. I liked her, but love? The possibility of having romantic feelings for a biological computer¡­ I wasn¡¯t like the other kids who spent their time in Virtual adult programs. I preferred my relationships to be real. Theia wasn¡¯t¡­she isn¡¯t¡­she¡¯s not human. If anything, I¡¯m her father. Um¡­


    A shiver ran down my spine.


    ¡°Theia¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I know you don¡¯t have the same feelings towards me. You forget that we¡¯re connected. It¡¯s just¡ªI hoped that one day¡­¡±


    ¡°Theia, I¡ªI¡¯m not into virtual relationships, and I¡¯m not even sure how it would work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not virtual. I¡¯m real. I¡¯m me. I¡¯ve been working on the forcefield project so we could touch.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I opened my mouth and closed it being afraid to say the wrong thing. How did I even get into this situation? ¡°Theia, I need something more real. Ugh. I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re my friend and¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a silly human girl with hormones, Master. I understand but my feelings won¡¯t change, and I can be patient. I¡¯ve known from the beginning that you don¡¯t engage in virtual relationships. I tease you, but I¡¯ll stop teasing you if it makes you uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Theia started giggling and pointed at my chest. ¡°No more ¡®Ums¡¯, I will help you figure out how you got here. Maybe we¡¯ll be able to create a reliable method for you to get back home.¡±


    ¡°U¡ªth¡ªthanks,¡± I stuttered out.


    ###


    A roar reminded me that I hadn¡¯t heard or seen my friend Don since before the Orc situation. Last year his daily roar at dawn irritated me, but I felt a sense of loneliness as I walked to my front stoop. Saying its an entrance would have been too much since it sat nearly 200 feet up the cliff face. My only visitor was Don. I missed Zeus since he would monitor the goings on around El Dorado.


    Friend greet.


    I smiled at the words and sight of my Griffin friend. ''Friend'' was used loosely since I had yet felt brave enough to get within an arm or claw striking distance from him. His mate was very shy and stayed on the far side from the front grate. She had a beautiful chestnut fur with red feathers. She looked my way and snorted and turned away.


    ¡°Don,¡± I thought with mirth, ¡°I don¡¯t think your mate likes me.¡±


    She likes me.


    ¡°I should hope so. I haven¡¯t seen you for some time.¡±


    Smelly hunter not like.


    ¡°The Orc?¡± Don cocked his head, and I assumed that was an affirmative. ¡°They threaten you?¡± The head cocked again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Prey over rocks.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been over the mountain. So are the Orcs gone now? I haven¡¯t been paying attention.¡±


    Smelly hunter leave.


    ¡°Welcome back. I take it you¡¯re moving back into the cave?¡± Head cock. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to have a friend back.¡±


    Smell different.


    ¡°Um. What smells different?¡±


    Smell different.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t clarify anything.¡±


    I tried to think about what could smell different. Nothing has changed that much other than my project to build Shuttle One. Metal smelled the same and since I didn¡¯t use smelter anything I doubted he could smell the production of the shuttle. Zeus was gone, but I doubt he could smell¡­


    ¡°You can smell the Mana? No. Of course, you don¡¯t know about Mana. Mana is how I build the city below and this cave. It changed recently. It¡¯s not harmful.¡±


    You dangerous. Mana dangerous.


    ¡°I¡ªI protect my friends. Mana is like a rock. A rock is dangerous if I drop it or throw it at someone.¡±


    Mana rock?


    ¡°No. Mana part metal part animal. Very small.¡±


    No rock. You confuse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Here, let me show you.¡±


    I closed my eyes and focused on what I wanted to create. It was easy for me to move matter since that was Roknar¡¯s original design, so I focused on creating a stone statue of Don. Near the left column, a six-foot gargoyle took shape. Granted rather than it looking sinister it looked like Don, but I couldn¡¯t help but recognize the similarities.


    Unfortunately, Don and his mate didn¡¯t like me creating a life-size statue without warning them and took flight with a roar. I started laughing for the first time since Zeus¡¯ death. My mother would have told me to not laugh at others but seeing two Griffins jump like scared cats. A final roar after the status was finished got me to stop laughing at Don.


    He landed and cautiously approached the gargoyle then urinated on it. ¡°Hey! Stop marking your territory. Now it stinks!¡±


    Smelly rock.


    ¡°It smells now!¡±


    I was mad but couldn¡¯t help laughing at his antics. The whole creation process took less than two minutes which was far better than when I had to code what I wanted Roknar to build. Theia had improved the responsiveness of the nanomachines but at a horrible cost.


    Mana smells. Rock smells Mana.


    ¡°Oh. Yes, the new smell is Mana.¡±


    Dangerous.


    ¡°I guess it will be one day. But it¡¯s like a rock. If I throw a rock at you, it¡¯s dangerous, but otherwise, it¡¯s just a rock.¡±


    Mate mad.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I directed my thought to her and Don hissed.


    Mine.


    Note to self: Don¡¯t talk to Don¡¯s mate.


    ¡°I meant no offense. You are welcome back to the cave. No harm will come to you or yours from me.¡±


    Don bowed his head and flew off. His mate walked over to the status and urinated on it while maintaining eye contact with me then followed Don. I chuckled. I hadn¡¯t spent much time studying the Griffins or Don. He was rather aloof which made sense in a way. Cats are not the friendliest animals. I¡¯ll stick with DJ.


    ###


    The shuttle was built within the week Theia estimated. I¡¯d been avoiding too many conversations with her, which was hard. My conversations with DJ were commands, ball, food, scratch, play, scary ass cat. Okay, I made up the scary ass cat part, but he didn¡¯t like Don. I couldn¡¯t blame him. He was huge and hunted bison. I¡¯m sure he worried about being the next one served up for the family of Griffins.


    When Zeus¡¯ memory was dumped into my head, I learned some long dead never used languages. This knowledge, along with Theia help, allowed me to learn many of the human and humanoid languages. I debated with Theia about me going in the shuttle to help rescue humans but I¡¯m man enough to admit I was scared of the world I found myself in.


    Theia won the argument quickly since I didn¡¯t fight to go very hard. I worried I was developing agoraphobia or some other anxiety disorder. I haven¡¯t seen another human being for over a year and spent my days talking to myself.  The thought of meeting or talking to another human scared and excited me at the same time.


    I¡¯d send a Robbie and my holoprojectors along for the ride.  I worried about being accused of kidnapping, but then again I didn¡¯t know if they even knew the term. Perhaps alien abductions will be blamed on me one day. Then again, I¡¯m not an alien.

 Chapter Twenty-One

    Just Caden. Caden¡­


    I opened my eyes from my deep sleep, confused and groggy. I sat up on the bed and looked at my clock in the augments window. 3:00 am? I rubbed my eyes and tried to relax again.


    Caden.


    ¡°Yes, Theia.¡±


    Theia projected herself into my room. ¡°I found humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, Theia. Can we talk about this after the sun has risen?¡±


    ¡°They are in need of rescue. Has your position changed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure plenty of humans needs rescue. Can it wait?¡±


    She put her hands on her hips and started to tap her foot. ¡°No, it can¡¯t wait. It¡¯ll take time to get there, and by then you¡¯ll need to find another settlement.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°And where is this settlement?¡±


    ¡°In the Andes.¡±


    I woke suddenly. ¡°In the Americas?¡±


    ¡°Peru, to be exact. A small village will be lost if we don¡¯t rescue them.¡±


    ¡°A village? Forgive me if I¡¯m wrong, but there are not civilizations known to be in the Americas in 8500 BCE. Right?¡±


    ¡°Peru is the exception other than the Olmec.¡±


    ¡°And they have a village?¡±


    Theia giggled. ¡°Well, if you can call a group of dwellings a village, sure.¡±


    ¡°How are they in danger?¡±


    ¡°Volcano.¡±


    ¡°And they can¡¯t see this volcano?¡±


    She crossed her arms and glared at me. ¡°You can be dumb sometimes. Of course, they see the volcano, but they don¡¯t see nor understand why the river dried up.¡±


    ¡°And you think this tribe will listen to me and willingly come to my new city.¡±


    ¡°The weather is nearly identical minus the volcanos. We¡¯re lower in elevation, but we have plenty of mountains if they choose to move higher. I could focus on humans in Africa, but I¡¯m afraid they¡¯d struggle with the altitude changes. Remember, most civilizations develop around coastal areas. We¡¯re not exactly going to be a fishing mecca anytime soon.¡±


    She had a point, but pulling natives from their homes in Peru¡­I guess I kind of was hoping for white people. Was I really this shallow that I¡¯d not save this group of people because they looked different?


    ¡°Caden.¡±


    ¡°Give me a second,¡± I said in frustration. I reminded myself I wouldn¡¯t be finding civilized people. There were very few advance cultures in the world at this time, and I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t realize the first people we¡¯d save would be American Indian or crap, this is even before the Inca civilization.


    ¡°Okay. Send the shuttle. I¡¯m sorry for the delay. You were right. If we¡¯re relocating a population to 8,000 feet, it should come from a culture acclimated to the higher altitude.¡±


    This was the first flight of our shuttle, but I wasn¡¯t worried it wouldn¡¯t fly. The design was nearly identical to the shuttles of my past. The shuttle was large enough to seat fifty adults. Well, large adults. You could probably fit 100 smallish people.


    ¡°Theia, show me a video of these people.¡±


    The video played, and her use of village was obviously a joke. The shuttle could fit six ¡®villages¡¯ this size. The people were skin and bones with weathered tanned faces. It was early morning, and the sun was up there which threw me off at first. I had forgotten that Peru is in the Eastern time zone rather than the mountain time zone that Colorado resided.


    ¡°The shuttle should arrive in forty minutes,¡± Theia informed me.


    I spent the wait going to the city to make sure it was sustainable for a population of 30 men, women, and children. The trees were growing, but the orchard wouldn¡¯t be able to produce for a couple of years. The grains and vegetables were going fine. I wish I had corn, potatoes and some of the more common staples of my time. Theia could in time modify plants, but we didn¡¯t have the time to waste time growing plants for just myself. I might need to reconsider that now that we have humans arriving.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The shuttle circled the village, and a small crowd of two dozen individuals came out of their makeshift shelters. The shelters looked like rocks and pelts and little else. I couldn¡¯t imagine living in those type of conditions. The shuttle ran on a gravimetric drive which utilized the natural properties of gravity and cosmic energy waves. Inside the gravity well of earth, it relied more heavily on the natural gravity of earth. Propulsion was silent, and the only reason they knew to look up was due to breaking the sound barrier inside the atmosphere. I couldn¡¯t hear the sonic boom, but I imagine there wasn¡¯t an animal or human within 100 miles which didn¡¯t notice my arrival.


    Once the shuttle began to lower in a clearing near the dwellings, the humans dropped to the dirt and started praying. I sighed.


    ¡°Just Caden, mighty Caden,¡± Theia said be between bouts of giggles and gasps. She even paused for deep breaths which we both know she didn¡¯t need.


    ¡°Stop. We¡¯re trying to help these people not replace their gods. Land this thing already and let¡¯s do what we can.¡±


    The shuttle lowered to the ground, and the door slid open while the nano-holoprojectors exited the shuttle. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh when nobody arose and approached. I waited, hoping that someone would think about standing before I addressed the group. I knew practically nothing about how the settlement functioned. Did they have a leader?


    ¡°Master, are you going to begin projecting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m watching.¡±


    ¡°Watching what? Do you like seeing humans eat dirt?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m trying to see who I address.¡±


    ¡°Ask them.¡±


    I rubbed the back of my neck in frustration. ¡°Fine. Begin projection in five seconds.¡±


    I directed the holoprojectors to position themselves in front of the shuttle door and waited for the signal. Three, two, one. Suddenly appearing evoked an audible gasp and children shrieked. Yeah, a half-naked white guy wearing a toga at 10,000 feet elevation kind of freaked them out.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± I said while Theia translated it into their language.


    ¡°You really are a lot dumber than I thought,¡± Theia whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Do you have a leader?¡±


    A couple of men exchanged glances and pointed to a woman who began to stand. Ancient wouldn¡¯t have adequately described the old crone who approached me. Her knees jutted at sharp angles, and if she had muscle in her arms, I couldn¡¯t see any. The lines which crisscrossed across her face would have made the Grand Canyons envious. I watched as she slowly made her way closer to my projection. Her movement was jerky, and I felt terrible making her walk towards me rather than me crossing over to her.


    ¡°I am unworthy, Great Spirit,¡± she spoke with a voice beset by age. She began to drop back to her knees when I stopped her.


    ¡°Please stand. I have come to help protect your people from a major flood which will come due to the volcano¡¯s eruption.¡±


    ¡°We have angered you. I offer myself as the sacrifice to appease your hunger.¡±


    I held up my hand. ¡°Please, we haven¡¯t much time. I can take everyone in your village to a place where you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    Women and children started wailing in fear. ¡°Great Spirit, please spare these people for our sins. We are faithful.¡±


    Theia started giggling in my ear, and I took a slow, steady breath. ¡°Please tell me your name?¡±


    ¡°Magus Sonshel,¡± She looked confused, ¡°your high priestess.¡±


    ¡°Magus Sonshel, I¡¯m afraid you have me confused as someone else. I¡¯m here to protect and save as many of your village as I can. The ash dam is about to break. The ash from the volcano is the reason your river has stopped flowing.¡±


    ¡°Great Spirit, I¡¯ve heard your angry voice and beg for forgiveness. The ground trembles from your anger and we¡¯ve been chastised. Please show mercy and take my life as I¡¯ve seen many seasons.¡±


    I pulled back from my projection and looked at Theia who was practically rolling on the ground in bouts of laughter. ¡°Theia, are you even translating what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Oh Great Spirit, p¡ªpl¡ªplease forgive me.¡± Theia snorted and continued laughing at me.


    ¡°THEIA!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Master, you¡¯re funny. They¡¯re simple people. Tell them their god demands them to leave and they¡¯ll run like rabbits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not their god!¡±


    ¡°And yet you descended from the heavens in a golden chariot and suddenly appeared in front of them.¡± The laughing continued.


    I like the color of gold¡­


    I returned my focus to the projection which probably looked stupid, staring off into the distance. ¡°Magus Sonshel, I need everyone to grab what they can and enter the shuttle,¡± I pointed to the shuttle. ¡°We need to move you to a new village I¡¯ve prepared for you.¡±


    Wailing started back up. ¡°Please, forgive.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be harmed.¡±


    I¡¯d like to say that they took my word for it, but unfortunately my discussions with the villagers continued until I finally threatened to flatten the village. After conjuring a representation of their village and then burn it, did they finally listen? I found out that Mana could create a fireball by accident because I was frustrated with them.


    Flying shuttle may not impress them but a ball of fire impacting with their village model? Effective. The loading of the villagers took nearly two hours since they insisted on bringing everything including their llamas. The shuttle was large enough to accommodate the people and animals, but I¡¯d have to have Robbie clean it.


    The only major hiccup was when someone accidentally bumped into my projection and passed through me without a problem. However, worship of the Great Spirit renewed, and it took another half hour to get people off the ground and moving again.


    Once everyone boarded, the doors closed and the villagers began whimpering in fear. I finally turned off my projection and decided to have me there wasn¡¯t helping the situation. I debated what I¡¯d done and if I should have allowed them to perish. El Dorado, although finished, was far more advanced than these people were ready to see.

 Chapter Twenty-Two

    The shuttle landed in what I determined the city park. Unlike the city of Ouray, I built El Dorado in a near perfect circular fashion. In truth, you couldn¡¯t talk or drive from one end of the city to the other without turning onto a different street. I know it¡¯s not the most efficient design, but from a defensible position, this city would be able to withstand any direct ground-based assault with ease. The maze puzzle design was reminiscent of the games I played when I was bored, but I felt the people would be safe from any direct attack if I couldn¡¯t stop them from entering the city.


    The park wasn''t large enough to fit a football pitch but nearly so. I salvaged some of the trees the valley already had and transplanted as many as I could to the park. The cobblestones making up the streets were made up of a titanium-gold alloy. This alloy is roughly three times stronger than steel and had my favorite metal involved. I doubted my new residents would know the roads were paved with gold but with the higher concentrations of gold found in the valley I couldn¡¯t resist.


    Titanium is one of the most abundant metals on earth but was a pain in the neck to extract since it¡¯s rarely found alone. Before Roknar, extracting titanium from anything would have required a costly and toxic process. It wouldn¡¯t be worth it for me to try excavating it in space. Roknar or now, Mana made extracting any element easy as knowing specifically what you want.


    My shuttle doors opened and scared Peruvians exited the shuttle, grateful to be on solid ground once more. I know Peruvians wasn¡¯t what they were but their old home was near the future city of Cusco, and so I went with that. I was still afraid to interact directly with them and until I felt confident I couldn¡¯t risk being attacked.


    I projected once again and approached Magus Sonshel once she exited the shuttle. It was full summer and still daylight which caused more than one person to cover their eyes from the reflection off the gold building adornments. I hadn¡¯t considered the effect on people walking in the city since I hadn¡¯t personally set foot in the valley yet. From up in my home the effect was spectacular and made the city shimmer, but I now realized the sparkles could be distracting and painful on the eyes.


    Magus Sonshel dropped to her bony knees in front of me and wept. ¡°Please forgive us.¡±


    ¡°Magus Sonshel, enough already. Please stand. I have built homes and bathhouses throughout the city in preparation for you living here. The grains are not yet ready to harvest but should be ready in a few weeks.¡±


    I cringed again as she had no clue what I was talking about. Weeks, months, hours, all measurements I took for granted which these simple minded folks had no clue about. I sighed.


    ¡°The river has fish, and I can help educate you on how to survive here.¡± Magus Sonshel understood fish and survival, but I doubted she understood more than that. ¡°Please settle, and I¡¯ll return later.¡±


    The projection ended, and I stood at my entrance overlooking El Dorado with Theia next to me. I knew she was just in my augmented vision, but it felt real enough.


    ¡°Have I done the right thing?¡±


    ¡°Master, what is right and what is wrong? You saved them, and they would have perished had they stayed.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°It matters not. What matters is what are you going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± I said pointing towards the park, ¡°They¡¯re not even leaving the park. I built homes, shops, schools, and meeting halls. They don¡¯t even know what they are. I built a golden paradise, and they don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re seeing. They won¡¯t even know what purpose a toilet serves.¡±


    ¡°Then teach them.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not a teacher. I¡¯m barely even an adult. I¡¯ve been so lonely and hoped that bringing humans here would fill the hole in my heart but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way. Please?¡± Theia gave me a nod. ¡°I feel the gulf between them and me is too great. I feel even more isolated than before.¡±


    ¡°They will adapt.¡±


    ¡°Will they? To what end? They look half dead. I feel like I¡¯m looking at cavemen wielding clubs ready to bash the heads of their mates.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to understand, Master, that you are looking at evolution. These people are probably still hunter-gatherers. That village was probably the first or second generation removed from caves.¡±


    ¡°Is it just me or did the Orc seem more¡­civilized?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not in Africa.¡±


    ¡°I get that but don¡¯t these people look Asian? How did they get to Peru? Why Peru? Why so high up in the mountains? I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°You already know the textbook answer.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. Of all the places the first civilizations could have formed Peru would have been my last guess. The Andes are the last place I¡¯d think to live as a hunter-gather in South America.¡±


    Theia shrugged. We watched and laughed when the shuttle departed suddenly. The shuttle cave entrance was located behind the cliff face and out of sight from those in the valley below. The San Juan mountains in this location rise and falls thousands of feet every few miles making it a beautiful place to live. Well, at least 10,000 years from now it will be a lovely place to live. I¡¯ve tried my best with the valley, and the hot springs make it livable. The Ute tribe was believed to be the first to occupy this territory, at least, that was the prevailing thought during my time.


    I don¡¯t know what happened to the other humanoids I¡¯ve seen and met. Is it possible that groups of humanoids occupied the land in my world and we never knew it? I guess it didn¡¯t matter since they didn¡¯t exist in my timeline, but it does make me wonder.


    ###


    Don woke and scared the village up like clockwork, and for the first couple days my new neighbors cowered and hid. I tried speaking with Magus Sonshel a couple of times but grew frustrated trying to talk with the elder woman. Eventually, the group moved into one of the meeting halls. I felt bad for them and herded some elk, deer and a few moose into the city limits. The people hadn¡¯t even explored the city after a week. Herding animals into the valley and through the gate was easy with the use of my robots and probes.


    The villagers finally killed their first deer after two weeks, and I finally relaxed. I wanted them to thrive, but their fear of me was so high that they cowered anytime I appeared. I eventually left them alone and waited until they re-established a home of sorts.


    ¡°Great Spirit?¡± Theia teased.


    ¡°Yeeess, Theia¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking over my scans of the villagers.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Well, have you considered healing them or are you just going to let them die of illness?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re sick?¡±


    Theia popped into my room and leaned against my desk. She looked down at my desk and the tablet I was working on. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to talk about what I¡¯m doing or the sick villagers?¡± I turned my tablet over.


    ¡°I could access that tablet but I won¡¯t. I¡¯d rather talk about what I found.¡±


    ¡°I think they could control Mana.¡±


    ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± I leaned back in my chair and noticed that Theia skirt was hiked pretty high up her thigh. How is that even possible? She¡¯s a projection in my augmented vision, yet her clothing acted like it was interacting with the world around me. Sit on a desk, skirt rises¡­


    Theia snapped her fingers at me, bringing my eyes to meet hers. ¡°For someone who doesn¡¯t want to copulate you sure get distracted easily.¡±


    I ground my teeth. ¡°I¡¯d love nothing more than to¡ª How is it possible they can control Mana. I thought it was linked to my DNA.¡±


    ¡°Humans only differ by about one percent of your DNA. Maybe you have some Peruvian DNA?¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of.¡±


    ¡°And why would you? You can¡¯t know every person your great great great great great¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    ¡°¡ªboinked.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re making up words. No. Don¡¯t.¡± I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes for a second. ¡°So, how much control would they have?¡±


    ¡°Depends on their level of will and understanding.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not following.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Let me see,¡± Theia said while taping her chin with a finger. ¡°You tend to have the Mana extract metals because you understand metallurgy because of your education and background. However, you also have the entire human database uploaded to your inefficient brain thanks to your APRIL migration.¡± The reminder of Zeus¡¯ death brought a frown on my face. ¡°Sorry about reminding you, but you don¡¯t do very much with Mana. My point is this, in order to say heal the human body you¡¯d have to know what you need to do. How do you mend a bone or eliminate an infection? If you have no idea what you want to be fixed, you can¡¯t fix it. When you created that fireball, you knew what you wanted and understood the mechanics of how fireworks. That only reason you succeeded is that you had the knowledge and the will to create that fireball.¡±


    ¡°I have no clue how I created that fireball!¡±


    ¡°Well, you know how because it was uploaded and if you stopped to think for a minute you¡¯d remember how you did it.¡±


    I closed my eyes and thought about it. Sure enough, I realized that the fireball was nothing more than hydrogen gas. I frowned and was grateful I hadn¡¯t created napalm rather than a simple flaming hydrogen ball. The spark came from the Mana, and the rest is history.


    ¡°I see. But why did the Mana use hydrogen rather than oxygen?¡±


    ¡°It knew what you wanted to do and did it. No more, no less. If you wanted something more destructive, I¡¯m sure it could have handled it.¡±


    A chill ran down my spine, as her words became realized in my mind. Humans can and have created horrible weapons. I fear what I unleashed on this world. Mana was dangerous, and I said as much to Theia.


    ¡°Master, the gun isn¡¯t who kills but the person wielding the weapon. Yes, if someone had enough willpower to blow up the world, it¡¯s possible. However, even you have a limit to your reach. Mana is also alive and doesn¡¯t want to be destroyed any more than any life.¡±


    ¡°Wait. It¡¯s alive?¡±


    ¡°Based on my analysis. It¡¯s a cyborg on a nanoscale. Congratulations, Master, you¡¯re a granddad.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I jumped out of my chair and started pacing.


    ¡°You created me, and I created Mana. That makes you a grandpa, right?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡±


    Theia started laughing and fell off the desk while holding her stomach. ¡°Master, you¡¯re too funny.¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me master, please.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Great Spirit.¡±


    I threw my arms up in frustration and left my office. Theia followed, of course, since she was already in my head, but I didn¡¯t say anything. I walked out to the front steps and walked outside rather than stopping at the gate.


    ¡°Caden, you¡¯ve never stepped outside before?¡±


    ¡°I needed fresh air.¡± I looked around. ¡°And honestly, I didn¡¯t think about it. Am I safe?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t fall down the cliff or get eaten by Don or his mate?¡±


    ¡°So how do we help them?¡±


    ¡°The griffins?¡±


    ¡°No, the humans.¡±


    ¡°Teach them how to use Mana.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t go down there,¡± I said and paused. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Then bring them here.¡±


    I opened my mouth to say no but closed it. Would they dare come?

 Chapter Twenty-Three

    Magus Sonshel volunteered to sacrifice herself, and it didn¡¯t matter how much I tried to convince her that there was no sacrificing involved, she still played up the sacrifice to her people. It took another two days before the life celebrations concluded and she boarded the shuttle. I spent those days reading her body scans and also watching the Orc tribe approach slowly from the north.


    I came to rely on Zeus to monitor everything and while Theia was probably more aware of the movements of those within a hundred mile radius, she never once mentioned their approach. Zeus was with me from birth and knew what and when to tell me things. Theia acted like we were playing a game and wasn¡¯t as helpful as I¡¯d have liked.


    DNA analysis of Magus Sonshel informed me that she was nearly eighty years old, although one look at her and you¡¯d swear she was almost thirty years older. She had arthritis, glaucoma, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, gum disease, and according to Theia a half a dozen other ailments including parasites. The later so, bad she barely had a half a dozen teeth left in her mouth. Honestly? I couldn¡¯t understand why she was even still alive. Her health was distressed, and I couldn¡¯t decide if the Mana would cure her or kill her.


    Theia and the Mana helped me learn the language, and unlike learning Orcish, no pain came from the sudden upload of knowledge. Theia theorized that the changes the Mana made during the transition optimized my brain chemistry for data entry.


    I felt nervous as the shuttle bay doors opened and the craft came into a gentle landing in front of me. Theia handled the flight controls and every other automated function I needed to be done. It was hard to remember she wasn¡¯t a person or a woman but rather an artificial intelligence. I took so much of her actions for granted since they happened without me doing anything.


    The door opened, and a scared Magus Sonshel stood at the entrance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel dead.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Magus Sonshel, do you have many experiences to tell you how that would feel?¡±


    She licked her lips and tentatively stepped out of the shuttle. Her gaze darted around the room with a nervous twitch. After a minute or two she slowly approached me and sniffed. Her eye¡¯s narrowed.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡± she paused struggling for the right word, and I wasn¡¯t sure if she didn¡¯t know the word or afraid to say it. ¡°Forgive me,¡± she said and started to lower herself to the ground.


    ¡°Stop. Magus Sonshel, you¡¯re here as my guest I won¡¯t have you falling to your knees every time we meet.¡±


    I caught movement out of the corner of my eye as DJ came bounding into the room carrying a tennis ball in his mouth. He dropped it to my feet and ran up to Magus Sonshel sniffing where dogs are so apt to inhale. She didn¡¯t shriek or run away, but her body quaked as she got the once-over from DJ.


    ¡°DJ! Come here.¡±


    Sick


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for DJ, Magus Sonshel, he¡¯s very friendly.¡±


    Sick


    I looked down at DJ and acknowledged his statement while giving his head a good rub. When I looked back up at Magus Sonshel, her mouth was gaped open, and her tongue was playing with her remaining eye tooth. I smiled but didn¡¯t laugh at her shock. All things considered, I was impressed she controlled her bladder. I doubt I would have been so composed had Don ran up to me. I suppose DJ wasn¡¯t nearly as scary as a golden retriever. They¡¯re the most family-friendly dog in the world. Well, my world. I guess his breed doesn¡¯t exist here.


    ¡°Great Spirit, I¡¯m confused.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not a spirit but flesh and blood. The same as you.¡± She looked dubiously at me, so I took a step closer and held out my hand.


    Magus Sonshel hesitated but a mere moment before reaching her hand out and lightly touched my palm with her fingers. The skin was rough and weathered, and I refrained from clasping hands with her. She pulled away and gave me a nod.


    ¡°You spirit walk?¡±


    I wanted to correct her and explain the technology behind holoprojection but stopped myself. It wouldn¡¯t have made any sense to her, so I tilted my head in acknowledgment. We stood for a few more minutes before she spoke again.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯m old and ready to meet the Great Spirit.¡± She frowned. ¡°I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d be it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± And I was. ¡°I¡¯d like to help you and your people. To be honest, I¡¯ve struggled with where to start. I can teach you how to grow plants and raise animals for food. I can teach you how to stay healthy and so many things. I don¡¯t want to keep you captive, however. Once I heal you, you¡¯re free to go back to your old village site. The damn broke and flooded the area so it¡¯ll be hard, but you¡¯ll be safe from the water.¡±


    Magus Sonshel watched and studied me while I spoke either looking for deceit or at a let¡¯s leaf stuck between my teeth. Even after I finished speaking, she stared without saying anything until she finally let out a grunt.


    ¡°You say much.¡±


    ¡°Please follow me,¡± I said while turning to leave.


    She followed without further conversation. Theia had warned me, and I guess deep down I knew these people wouldn¡¯t know what I was talking about. It was worth a try.


    We entered a sitting room, and I asked Magus Sonshel to sit on a love seat I had made for this moment. No sooner did she sit down that, an audible sigh escaped her mouth and a smile stretched across her face for the first time.


    ¡°Magus Sonshel, what I¡¯m about to do may cause discomfort.¡±


    ¡°What is discomfort. Great Spirit, you use words that have no meaning.¡±


    ¡°Caden. My name is just Caden, not Great Spirit. The word means¡­you¡¯ll have some pain.¡±


    ¡°Why not just say pain then? Never mind,¡± she waved her hand, ¡°Just Caden, I¡¯m mated to pain. Do what you must.¡±


    I could hear Theia laughing in my mind, and I squeezed my eyes closed in frustration before opening them again. ¡°Magus Sonshel, I¡¯m going to heal you of your many illnesses. You may not survive the process due to your age.¡±


    ¡°Just Caden, I¡¯ve lived many seasons and am ready to meet the Great Spirit,¡± she said then took a deep breath and closed her eyes.


    I shook my head at how ready or willing she was to lay down her life. I closed my eyes again and thought about what needed to be fixed in her body. Then, willed the Mana to repair her body. I jumped up when she screamed in pain as I heard her bones pop and crackle like popcorn on a skillet. My mouth dropped open, and I took a step back in shock and horror of what I¡¯d just done to her. Magus Sonshel passed out within the first ten seconds, but my ear rung from her screams.


    Theia entered the room, at least visually, and gave a low whistle as she watched Magus Sonshel¡¯s body break then mend bones and torn muscle. The sight was disturbing and unbelievable all at the same time. Her skin, which once hung on her frame like a tarp began to restore itself to a younger healthier state. I tried not to stare even after the clothing was consumed and parts of my couch began to dissolve.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    ¡°It would look like the Mana needs materials she wasn¡¯t able to provide.¡±


    I swallowed as I watch a now naked younger woman take shape. I won¡¯t pretend to understand the science behind her transformation, but Magus Sonshel was a beautiful woman. Based on the conditions of the villagers down in town, I doubted Magus Sonshel ever looked this healthy or beautiful in her life and said as much to Theia.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an answer to that, but perhaps you could stop staring at her like that?¡±


    I blushed and turned away. ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    Theia started laughing, and I once again found myself the subject of her teasing. ¡°I¡¯ll make her some clothing and have Robbie move her to your bedroom. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Where will I¡ªNo. I don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯ll need to have a room made up for her. How long before we can move her? I doubt she¡¯d appreciate waking up on the floor in a pile of,¡± I gestured to the remains of my couch, which now resembled little more than powder, ¡°whatever that stuff is that once was my favorite seat.¡±


    ¡°I thought you liked the Zero-G?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­¡± I stammered trying to find the words but eventually gave up.


    I¡¯d turned back when talking about my couch and watched as Magus Sonshel stopped writhing and finally slept peacefully. Her hair was still thin and grey but otherwise didn¡¯t look too much older than me. Scars and wrinkles had faded, and if I hadn¡¯t seen it happen myself, I wouldn¡¯t have believed she was the same old crone who offered herself up as a sacrifice to protect her people.


    Robbie entered the room with a blanket and paused next to Magus Sonshel. After standing there for a few seconds, Theia cleared her throat.


    ¡°Master, when you¡¯re done gawking perhaps you could wrap her up in a blanket and lift her off the ground for Robbie. I¡¯m sure he could manage, but you seem enthralled, so maybe you¡¯ll get off on it.¡±


    Hot blood flushed my face, and I turned in anger to Theia. ¡°I¡¯m not getting off on anything. I¡¯m confused and fascinated with her transformation and nothing more. I¡¯ll tolerate this line of teasing no more! You go too far.¡±


    I grabbed the blanket from Robbie and began wrapping Magus Sonshel up by rolling her on one side then the other, careful to not touch her inappropriately. I barely registered Theia¡¯s apology as I performed the task and lifted her off the ground. I was too embarrassed and angry admit I may have been attracted to Magus Sonshel¡¯s body. With that said, I had not given any reason for Theia to imply I had improper thoughts and intentions.


    As soon as I handed her off to Robbie, I left the room to get some fresh air. Theia spoke a few times but knew I wasn¡¯t hearing her and finally departed, leaving me time to cool down.

 Chapter Twenty-Four

    I walked outside and sat on the steps leading up to my castle. The view from this high up the cliff face was impressive, and the sun was beginning to set in the west, bathing the buildings below in orange tones. When I started this project, the only thing I wanted was to get rich and become famous.


    I should be in space right now, not stuck in this forsaken place. Orcs, goblins, griffons¡­I missed my family and friends. I wasn¡¯t some God. I was only¡ªI paused, I¡¯m nineteen. When was my birthday? I missed my family.


    I rested my head in my hands and closed my eyes trying to get a grip. The smell of wet fur and feathers finally registered in my mind and I sat up and looked around. Don sat not five feet away from me, watching with an amused cock of his head.


    Sad.


    ¡°No, lonely. Well, maybe a little sad. I¡¯m a long way from my family.¡±


    I¡¯d never been so vulnerable with Don before. I mentally slapped myself for not paying attention.


    Mate?


    I snorted. ¡°No. I have no mate.¡±


    No mate, make me sad.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a v¡ª,¡± how do you do tell a Griffin you¡¯re not a virgin? ¡°Forget it. Why are you not with your mate?¡±


    Mate angry.


    I started laughing, and Don¡¯s fur ruffled. ¡°Sorry. You¡¯re in what we call the doghouse? Better to be outside than in the den with your mate?¡±


    He cuffed. Safer.


    ¡°For you?¡±


    Mate.


    ¡°Aww. I think I understand. How are you kittens?¡±


    Big.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad they are growing.¡±


    I¡¯m not exactly sure why I wasn¡¯t afraid of Don. Perhaps it was because we were both outside to get away from the women in our lives. Granted, Theia, was never truly away from me, but I needed time away from Magus Sonshel to contemplate what I¡¯d done. Regardless, for his or my reason, we were out here to get away from whatever madness awaited us inside our respective homes. This shared reason seemed to bond us together as brothers. Of sorts.


    You smell female.


    ¡°I guess I would. I have a female here. I tried to heal Magus Shoshel''s wounds and caused her great pain.¡±


    Heard.


    ¡°I guess you would of if you were sitting out here. Sorry.¡±


    Don took a few steps towards me, closing the gap to mere inches, and I flinched. He sniffed.


    You fear. Not food.


    ¡°Easy for you to say. I¡¯ve seen you take an elk down. I guess you don¡¯t know what an elk is¡­it¡¯s the big animal with the antlers you eat.¡± I held up my hands imitating antlers and immediately put them down again when I realized how stupid it looked.


    He cuffed again. Many females below. Find mate.


    ¡°Uh¡­they¡¯re different than me. More¡­wild.¡±


    I could tell Don didn¡¯t understand. The longer we spoke, the more I feel his thoughts and feelings. Females were females to Don, and I doubted he understood the nuances of human intimacy. At least, until he surprised me.


    You same animal. They smell different. You are Mana.


    Don caught me off guard. I¡¯d forgotten I¡¯d explained Mana to Don. ¡°I¡¯m not Mana. Mana is in me.¡±


    No. You smell Mana. Same.


    I¡¯ll be the first to admit Don¡¯s three word sentences were hard to follow but his intent was clear. He was saying that Mana smelt like me and vice versa. Since I had to take his word for it, I made a note to myself to follow up on that line of thought later.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always had the earlier versions of Mana in me. It¡¯s possible we share the smell. What¡¯s your point.¡±


    You are more.


    I chuckled. ¡°Don, in my time we¡¯d call that privileged not more. Those people have never had the same opportunities as I have. I doubt we are very different on the genetic level.¡±


    You are more. You meaningless words.


    ¡°I may be different, but we¡¯re the same species.¡±


    A distant roar sounded, and Don cuffed and shook his head.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    I go now. You mate soon. You feel better.


    Don took flight, and I took a deep breath of relief. I may not have felt fear, but my anxiety was high the entire conversation. One swipe of his paw and he could have eviscerated me. Not a pleasant thought. His encouragement to ¡°mate¡± was wrong. I¡¯d ¡°mated¡± many times, and if I¡¯d learned one thing, it was that my life became more complicated after mating. The worst part was that the thought of having intercourse with those savages turned my stomach. Their hygiene and behavior turned off any desire for flesh.


    ###


    The sun fully set before I made my return to my quarters. When I entered my room, I was surprised to find Magus Sonshel awake and dressed in a baby blue sleeveless skater dress. She looked amazing, yet I could tell she felt uncomfortable since she had her arms folded.


    ¡°Theia, please make Magus Sonshel a sweater or shall.¡±


    I think she looks dashing.


    ¡°I think she looks uncomfortable.¡±


    Maybe I¡¯ll make a mirror as well.


    ¡°Something for her shoulders first.¡±


    Don was right. You do need to mate. I¡¯m available.


    ¡°Thanks for the offer. I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±


    I gave Magus Sonshel a brief smile and spoke in her language. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the pain; I hadn¡¯t realized it would¡­¡± I rubbed the back of my neck. ¡°The Mana has reversed much of the damage life caused you.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± she looked down at her body, ¡°I never looked this way.¡±


    Magus Sonshel weighed maybe 115 pounds, and her Asian facial features were more pronounced than her old body had shown previously. I was sure she¡¯d have coarse black hair when it grew out since that was the villager''s hair color.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would have had your environment not been so¡­harsh.¡±


    She wrinkled her nose. ¡°You use words I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯m old. Are you a god?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°No. I¡¯m human, same as you.¡± She looked at me doubtfully, but I didn¡¯t feel the need to continue trying to change her mind. ¡°Other than not ever looking this way, how do you feel?¡±


    Magus Sonshel looked down and blushed. ¡°Naked.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­I¡­That kind of dress is common where I come from. We can make you whatever you want, just let Theia know what you want, and she¡¯ll make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Theia?¡±


    I blinked a couple of times before answering. ¡°I guess you can¡¯t see her. Um¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Theia,¡± a voice sounded in the room startling both of us.


    ¡°Wha¡ªwho¡ª¡±


    ¡°That was Theia, although I hadn¡¯t realized she had speakers in the room. Theia is¡ªTheia runs the house.¡±


    Magus Sonshel looked ready to run at any minute from freight. ¡°Is¡ªIs she Mother?¡±


    I started laughing drawing a rebuking look from both Magus Sonshel and Theia who suddenly appeared in the room at a holographic projection. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Magus Sonshel. I¡¯m not laughing at your question as much as laughing at Theia.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Shel. I¡¯m the Magus to my people.¡±


    ¡°What does Magus mean to your people, I don¡¯t understand the title.¡±


    ¡°Magus is¡ªwas the speaker for the Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡±


    Shel cast her eyes down again but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Mag¡ªShel, please. Why do you say ¡®was¡¯?¡±


    ¡°The eldest is considered the closest to death and thus closer¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­to soon be seeing the Great Spirit,¡± I filled in.


    She gave me a weak nod, and I noticed droplets of water falling onto the floor.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey,¡± I said walking over to Shel and putting my arm around her. ¡°I¡¯ll have none of that. Are you upset I healed you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s just¡­If you are not the Great Spirit¡­¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not the Great Spirit, is there one?¡± Another head bob. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be honest with you. I¡¯m not rightly sure. Many people from my home believe in Gods.¡±


    Shel¡¯s head snapped up and met my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re truly not a God or the Great Spirit?¡±


    ¡°No, and neither is Theia. We could easily die, and I¡¯m not all-powerful.¡±


    ¡°But¡­but¡­,¡± she waved her arms at the room, ¡°you healed me, and you have¡­,¡± Shel¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Let me clarify. I have the means to do things you can¡¯t comprehend yet, but there is an explanation for everything I can do. This castle was made by a similar means to how you were healed. However, anyone from my home could do the same thing.¡±


    ¡°There are more of you?¡±


    Theia started to laugh, and I shot her a warning look. ¡°Not here.¡±


    ¡°Near?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m very far from home.¡±


    ¡°That must be lonely.¡±


    A pain stabbed my heart. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about, I made a mistake, and I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Xumblend?¡±


    The word she used didn¡¯t translate, and I looked at Theia for help, and she shrugged but thought banishedto me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that word means but I¡¯m not able to return home yet. I hope that will be possible in the future.¡±


    Shel gave me a slow, steady nod and I took it that the word closely matched banishment. She gave me a look of sympathy, and I started to get uncomfortable with the line of conversation. Luckily, Theia changed the topic. Either she understood my discomfort, or I got lucky the topic changed.


    ¡°Would you like clothing matching you people¡¯s clothes? I could have it made any way you¡¯d like.¡±


    Shel looked at Theia projection. Theia had toned down the golden body paint look and stood in a Roman toga with a golden tan that was nice and not tacky. I about snorted as I noticed her elvish ears but kept my humor contained.


    ¡°You¡ªwe are not the same?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not human, no.¡±


    ¡°Human,¡± Shel rolled the word around off her tongue as if it was a new taste.


    ¡°You are human, same as Just Caden,¡± Theia winked at me, ¡°but I¡¯m not human.¡±


    ¡°Are you a spirit?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. My body is very different from yours.¡± She glanced at me. ¡°However, if you¡¯re in this castle you can say my name, and I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    Shel was about to ask more questions, but I cut her off. ¡°¡ªtry not to overthink about what Theia is. It¡¯s confusing to me nearly as much as it is to you. Theia runs the castle, and you can ask her for help anywhere while you¡¯re here.¡±


    A roar cut off any further questions, and Shel took a few steps towards the bed in fear. DJ¡¯s barking sounded, and it was more than Shel could take, and she passed out.


    ¡°I thought she was doing alright.¡±


    ¡°Until Don came calling?¡±


    ¡°And DJ¡¯s barking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I looked down at Shel¡¯s crumpled form and sighed, ¡°can you make sure she¡¯s alright and have Robbie put her back in bed. Let me know when she wakes up. I need to see what Don needs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Just Caden,¡± Theia said with a lilt in her voice.


    ¡°Smart ass,¡± I said while turning to leave. ¡°Thanks, Theia. I guess someone can only take so much shock in one day.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Five

    The barking grew louder as I made my way to the front door, all the while Don continued to roar every so often. I mentally reached out to both Don and DJ to stop the noise, but it didn¡¯t seem to stop them from sounding off.


    ¡°For the love of Pete,¡± I yelled as I reached the door and stepped out.


    DJ kept barking but otherwise stayed inside. Don and his mate were both sitting on the portico, but his mate was bleeding and had three arrows jutting out of her hindquarters.


    ¡°What happened, Don?¡± I said running over to his mate to check the wounds.


    Heal her.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do what I can. What in the hell? Did the Orcs attack her?¡±


    Heal her.


    His mate, which I never got a name for, was barely alive and I doubted she flew up here on her own. I confirmed my suspicions when I noticed gouge marks from where Don had latched onto her body. Her left wing was nearly severed.


    ¡°I need to remove the arrows. It¡¯ll hurt her.¡±


    Heal her.


    ¡°I will, but it¡¯s going to hurt. I don¡¯t want you or her to kill me because I caused her pain. We clear?¡±


    Don cuffed and leveled a look at me that I¡¯ll never forget. Please. Heal her. I nodded and closed my eyes. I knew the pain I¡¯d caused Shel not twelve hours earlier and tried to think of how I could prevent the same pain. Searching my memory from Zeus, I played out a plan to first prevent pain, then remove the arrows and finally heal the wing and cuts along her massive body. I knew a little about feline and avian anatomy and hoped my limited knowledge was enough not to kill her. I knew very little about Griffins other than big flying lions are best avoided and never hurt.


    Don¡¯s mate visibly relaxed and breathed slower once the pain centers were turned off and I took a more hands-on approach to Mana. That was the mistake I¡¯d made with Shel. With her, I¡¯d set a task and watched as it did everything all at once. With Don¡¯s mate, I tackled the issued one at a time. First, dissolve the arrows, then repairing the arteries and muscles damaged. I was concentrating so hard that I almost missed the augmented reality feedback the Mana was providing me.


    I¡¯d grown so used to AR that it didn¡¯t register at first when the Mana started filling in the DNA and molecular diagnostics of her body parts. The feedback was subtle, and I didn¡¯t realize I began healing things on an instinctual level. I knew what needed fixing and what minerals, compounds, and structures needed to be built back up. I pulled wasted materials from her own body to make the fixes and visibly watched her loose 20% of her body weight.


    I finished and didn¡¯t stop staring in fascination until Don¡¯s roar brought me back to reality. ¡°She¡¯ll be alright, Don. She¡¯ll need to rest and eat. The healing process took a lot out of her, but I don¡¯t see why should won¡¯t be able to fly when she wakes up.¡±


    Don, laid down next to his mate and rested his massive head on her chest. When his eyes closed, I took that as a clue our conversation was over. I wanted to know what happened, who, and where she was attacked but knew it¡¯d have to wait.


    I slowly backed away from them and re-entered my castle. ¡°Theia, do you know who attacked her? It wasn¡¯t Shel¡¯s people was it?¡±


    No. He came flying in with her from the north.


    ¡°Orcs?¡±


    Doubtful, I haven¡¯t seen them with arrows. Have you?


    ¡°No. Aren¡¯t you watching the probes? Wouldn¡¯t they have caught this? Zeus would have never left me in the dark!¡±


    Theia popped into my vision as I was walking back to my room.


    ¡°Master, that¡¯s not fair!¡± I stopped walking. ¡°I¡¯m not Zeus or a mindless computer which has no other interests. Plus, the probes are all over the world, and I wasn''t taken to watch Don¡¯s activities.¡±


    I closed my eyes slowly and reopened them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Theia. You¡¯re right. I¡ªI can¡¯t expect you to be an APRIL. I¡ªI just miss Zeus, and I shouldn¡¯t have lashed out at you.¡±


    ¡°I miss him too. He would help me set you up for teasing. DJ only wants a ball, or his ears rubbed. He¡¯s not very intelligent.¡±


    ¡°What? DJ¡¯s very¡ªOkay. He¡¯s a dog, but don¡¯t bash my friend''s intelligence. He¡¯s my friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Zeus. I like him and Roknar. I¡¯ve learned what went wrong, but I still can¡¯t bring them back.¡±


    I found my desk and took a seat in my chair. ¡°Any progress on how to get home?¡±


    ¡°Master, I think I found out what attacked the Griffin.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You call them Goblins. There is a large number of them coming down the Uncompahgre River.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°A large number? Can you be more specific?¡±


    ¡°Over a hundred. Would you like me to try counting?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t count?¡±


    Theia started tapping her foot, pursing her lips and crossed her arms. ¡°Master, I¡¯d need to do a details search for Goblins. You didn¡¯t ask for a census.¡±


    I put my hands up. ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t get cranky; I was just¡­never mind. I didn¡¯t know they used bows. I thought it was a European thing.¡±


    ¡°The earliest arrowheads dated back 64,000 years and originated in Africa, not Europe. Really, Master, I¡¯m sure you know this already.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± I closed my eyes and realized I had already known this from the Zeus data dump, ¡°I did know it but didn¡¯t at the same time. I might have the information stuck in my head somewhere, but it takes an effort to search my memories. Don¡¯t give me crap; I¡¯m still figuring this out.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, they have bows, and I think they attacked the Griffons.¡±


    ¡°Are we at risk?¡±


    ¡°They are hunting Bison and moving south. I believe the Orcs and the Griffons are at the greatest risk. I doubt they¡¯d be able to get past the laser turrets.¡±


    ¡°They still work?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­well¡ªI thought with the Mana changes, they wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll test it, but I don¡¯t see any problem with them. The biggest problem I foresee is the lack of coverage. I¡¯ll print out more units to cover the walls.¡±


    ¡°How many do we need?¡±


    ¡°Enough to cover over twenty miles of wall.¡±


    ¡°TWENTY MILES!¡±


    Theia blew out a sigh. ¡°You really ought to pay more attention to what you asked Roknar to build. I¡¯ve had to finish up his work since¡­well, since Roknar was lost as well.¡±


    ¡°You? I¡­¡±


    ¡°Just Caden, who do you think has been finishing the projects you started?¡±


    ¡°How far out can you control the Mana?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Not far. I still have to use radio waves to control the probes, but then again they don¡¯t use Mana.¡±


    ¡°But you can reach twenty miles for the wall?¡±


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s not twenty miles to the wall. At most four miles. The laser turrets are controlled wirelessly. Really, it¡¯s not like the control systems stopped working.¡±


    ¡°Wait. The lasers aren¡¯t made out of Mana?¡±


    Theia giggled. ¡°No. That would be silly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡±


    ¡°Roknar mined the minerals and built the walls, but the walls aren¡¯t made of nanobots or Mana.¡±


    I closed my eyes and felt stupid. It¡¯s hard to remember the differences between Mana and the world around me. You don¡¯t eat the food processor but the food it prepares.


    ¡°So, back to the Goblins and Don, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°What about Klapdud?¡±


    ¡°Who? Klapdud? The Orc?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Orcs. I think Don will be safe in your old cave but what about the Orc who will die if attacked by that many Goblins?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Orcs.¡±


    ¡°So, because they¡¯re not human, you don¡¯t care.¡±


    What?


    ¡°I care.¡±


    ¡°Do you? Or do you just have Xenophobia?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not racist? What are you talking about?¡±


    My face reddened from anger that she¡¯d even accuse me of racism.


    ¡°Xenophobia is more than about skin color. You brought humans to El Dorado but not Orcs. Have you reached out to the Goblins or Dwarfs?¡±


    ¡°Dwarfs? They¡¯re¡ª,¡± I stopped speaking and started to realize this wasn¡¯t about dwarfs, goblins or orcs. ¡°Theia, I value you. I care about you.¡±


    Theia looked up sharply at me in shock. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Theia, I¡¯d be lost without you right now.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯d still leave me.¡±


    Leave her?


    ¡°What?¡±


    Theia started to cry. I mean¡­her projection was crying. I mean¡­Damn.


    ¡°You want to leave me. You are trying to replace me with Magus Sonshel.¡±


    My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of the water as I tried to catch up with Theia¡¯s change in subjects.


    ¡°Is this about me not having sex with you?¡±


    ¡°YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT!¡±


    Her projection cut out and she refused my repeated attempts to talk with her. How is it that she has taken on a female persona when I¡¯ve never named one of my programs after a female? I liked the sciences because they are easy to understand and once you know the rules you can predict the outcomes. People are much more complicated and the female / male relationship even more so. Tack on different lifeforms and--Ugh.


    Was I xenophobic towards other species? I didn¡¯t fear them per se but¡­damn it, I was better than they were. Wasn¡¯t I? Racism has never fully been eradicated from the world, and I doubt it ever would be. However, I¡¯ve never felt I was better than others. I¡¯d always been average at school. Ambitious as hell, but not better than others. Yet, the humans here were¡ª


    I let that line of thinking trail off. Is a poodle better than a wolf? In some ways, yes, but at the same time, not. How different are humans from the other genotypes? How much better am I than Theia? She obviously had strong feelings for me, but how do I explain the need for being around my own kind? She¡¯s not even a humanoid. People have been having sexual relations within Virtual for years but, was that any better than zoophilia or bestiality? I never saw the appeal. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯ve enjoyed pornography, but some people take it to forming Virtual relationships with what amounts to as computer code.


    However, Theia¡ªTheia was different. She wasn¡¯t just ones and zeros; she was a marriage of technology and biology. She was a life form an intelligent life form not human. Where do I draw the line between animals vs. ¡ª How the hell do I know how to compare it? In my world, you had humans and animals. That¡¯s it!


    I¡¯m having conversations with intelligent lifeforms I had never expected could communicate. DJ was still a dog and hardly a conversationalist, but he still had desires and wished. Don may look like a flying cat but loved his family and has become a friend. Would I let Theia, DJ, or Don die because they weren¡¯t human? No.


    ¡°Theia, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve,¡± I felt dumb just speaking out loud to an empty room, ¡°I¡¯ll try to do better. I¡¯ll see if I can help the Orcs and the Goblins. I¡¯ll try to get over my unease with you.¡±


    Theia appeared near the doorway looking at me while wiping away a stray tear. With a sniff, she said, ¡°Does that mean we can¡­you know?¡±


    I closed my eyes in frustration. ¡°Give me some time. Okay? You know from Zeus the world I came from, and it¡¯ll take some getting used to the idea.¡±


    She gave me a sly grin. ¡°It¡¯s been done before.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s been done in Virtual with a computer simulation. You¡¯re more than a computer, and you¡¯re intelligent and alive like I am.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± A huge grin plastered her face. ¡°You think I¡¯m an equal?¡±


    I snorted. ¡°An equal? No. You¡¯re much better than I am.¡±


    Theia¡¯s smile never left her face, and she gave me a nod before disappearing.

 Chapter Twenty-Six

    Don remained aloof and even visiting my old room didn¡¯t initiate a conversation with him. I could feel his emotions and knew he was grateful for the healing but a tad fearful as well. I didn¡¯t know if it was fear of me or fear for his mate¡¯s life. Theia scanned her and said she just needed rest and so after failing to communicate with Don I decided to give him time to reconcile his feelings.


    I started working with Shel on her ¡°magical¡± control over the Mana. The problem with cybernetics is that you need to have an understanding of what you are asking the little nano-machined cyborgs, which make up the Mana, do. The little guys shared a collective intelligence but asking it to give you a gold bar isn¡¯t enough information. You need to ask the Mana to separate and collate the gold particles found in the rocks into a specific shape. Mixing gold and titanium, for instance, is difficult without the understanding of chemistry and metallurgy. Titanium is not found in its pure form in nature, and it¡¯s doubtful Shel or well¡ªanyone other than students like myself would know how to purify titanium. Add to the complexity of the various grades and uses of titanium, and you needed to educate yourself in sciences.


    Lucky for me, I had years of education and a data dump from Zeus to fuel my knowledge on the vast majority of issues. However, Shel was uneducated and illiterate. Her complete and total lack of an understanding of the world around her set back my plans to teach her magic.


    The conversation of Mana wiped out my supplies of APRIL, but I wasn¡¯t sure injecting her with all the modern knowledge about the universe around her would be a great idea anyway. I spent a couple of days contemplating how to introduce Mana control into a society devoid of even the most basic of education. I had no intention of sticking around forever to educate Shel or others who could control Mana. In the end, Theia and I decided to build a library.


    Paper would be simple to create, but I was hoping for the records to keep¡­I guess hoping they would keep ten thousand years would be too much to ask the paper to do. After a some thought I decided to engrave books in a magnesium alloy commonly used in spacecraft construction. It¡¯s often used for photoengraving but it¡¯s resistance to corrosion and light weight was a plus. I could have used a tungsten alloy as well, but I imagined future scientists would be more impressed with this alloy in say¡­ten thousand years.


    I could have printed the books in English but decided a modified shorthand would be better in the long run. Zeus had known a number of systems used as early as the Greeks going back nearly as far back in time as I was. Rather than using a system already in use or developed in the future, Theia easily created a new shorthand for our library. Shorthand evolved over thousands of years of practice and finally refined itself into ¡°sound writing¡± or phonography.


    The reason I wanted to use shorthand for the books was kind of for selfish reasons. If I changed the course of humanity, I wanted to keep the language the same. Spelling may vary, but the sounds of words, if appropriately taught wouldn¡¯t change while reading shorthand. I spoke with a few students from Scotland while attending Mines and realized we even didn¡¯t speak the same language. If it wasn¡¯t for Virtual translating software, I doubt we could have talked for more than thirty seconds before getting frustrated with each other.


    Theia began the 3D printing of the books using the more traditional method for creating items. We chose a number of topics ranging from agriculture to metallurgy. We kept the books to the basics and theory. It wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good to know everything. I kept out technology and purely focused on how the world worked rather than giving them spaceflight. It would take Shel many lifetimes to understand all of it, but my hope wasn¡¯t for Shel to hoard the knowledge but share it with others once I¡¯m gone.


    ###


    It was on the third day after Don¡¯s mate was critically injured before the majority of the Goblins left the Grand Mesa valley and headed south. Theia was never able to find a village or region the Goblins came from. She¡¯d promised to track them on their winter migration. She saw no indication of an industry in this group of goblins and theorized the weapons and their clothing had to be coming from a home area.


    ¡°When are you going to talk to Klapdud?¡±


    ¡°How long until there¡¯s a conflict?¡±


    ¡°Week, maybe longer. You didn¡¯t have much of a conversation with Klapdud. You mostly stood there comparing penis¡¯.¡±


    The corner of my mouth turned up with her description. ¡°Where in the world did you hear that term? Did you just make it up?¡±


    ¡°I read it of course. Have you read any of the classics?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said and frowned.


    Theia has been spending more time in the visual spectrum since our little relationship talk. It was helpful that she could be in multiple places at the same time since she was responsible for teaching Magus Sonshel how to read and write. She was currently sitting on my new couch with her legs crossed. I knew she wasn¡¯t there, but it felt nice having a reminder that she was in the room.


    ¡°You should stop working so much and smell the roses.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have roses here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s another saying.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    I spent a lot of time in Virtual trying to recreate the events which got me here, but I couldn¡¯t crack the time travel aspect of what happened. A few scientist in my day theorized that time travel was possible, but it¡¯d never been proven. I hoped I¡¯d had enough data to recreate the circumstances virtually, but nothing came of it. Time travel was impossible and yet, here I sat.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I think you should talk to Klapdud soon.¡±


    ¡°What? Sorry, my mind wandered. Klapdud? Yes, I¡¯ll try that tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Good. Master?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I lifted an eyebrow at Theia.


    ¡°You know I can read your thoughts. Right?¡±


    ¡°What? Yeah, but I thought we agreed you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Theia sighed. ¡°Well, I think I agreed not to comment on them.¡±


    I blew out a frustrated sigh and set my work tablet down. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Theia?¡±


    ¡°Promise not to get mad?¡±


    What is it about people asking you not to get upset when they¡¯re about to tell you they screwed up? I closed my eyes in frustration before opening them again. I gave Theia a nod.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to time travel but¡ª¡± Her voice trailed off.


    ¡°But, what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at the math wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean wrong? Have you had the answer this whole time?¡±


    ¡°Um.¡±


    ¡°Wait! You said the other day you were working on the problem. When did you solve it?¡±


    ¡°Last week.¡±


    I jumped out of my seat and balled my hands. ¡°You¡¯ve known for a week and didn¡¯t say anything while I¡¯ve been raking my brain trying to solve it?!¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®not exactly?¡¯¡±


    ¡°I need to confirm it, so I don¡¯t know for sure.¡±


    ¡°But you are sure, or you wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it!¡±


    Theia started to cry again, and my anger melted away but turned into a mix of frustration and something I wasn¡¯t able to identify. Regret maybe? I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Theia, please stop crying. I¡ª¡±


    I walked to the couch and sat on a cushion next to her and put my arm around her shoulder. It was the first time since she touched DJ that I¡¯d made any attempt to touch her. I was surprised when my arm rested on her virtual projection and felt body heat. Before I could pull away in surprise, she melted into my shoulder and sobbed.


    Emotions I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time rushed through my body. I realized then that other than when I carried Shel to my bed, I hadn¡¯t touched another human in over a year. I thought about saying something comforting to Theia a couple of times but ended up keeping the words to myself. Hell, she knew what was going through my mind anyway.


    My arm began to cramp before Theia spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know if your old world is still there. I¡ªwas afraid you¡¯d leave.¡±


    ¡°Theia, I won¡¯t leave you here. If I go back, so do you.¡±


    A disgusting sound of snot and sniff sounded from Theia right before she wiped her nose on the back of her hand. ¡°Promise?¡± She looked up in my eyes when she spoke.


    ¡°I¡ªI promise. Theia, can I ask an unrelated question?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Why do you¡ª¡± Theia started to giggle, and I glared at her. ¡°Why do you imitate crying, snot, and tears?¡±


    She pulled away, twisted her body around and placed her hand on her hips. ¡°Are you saying I don¡¯t have feelings?¡±


    ¡°No. Ugh. You don¡¯t have a nose or tears. Your brain is a liquid solution inside a jar.¡±


    ¡°Master. I want to be with you, and that requires me to be human. Well, human-like. I¡¯m not human.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it. But¡­snot? Really?¡±


    We both broke out laughing for a few minutes. I stopped laughing when I realized Theia said something important.


    ¡°Wait! What do you mean my world might not be there?¡±


    Theia stood up and straightened the sundress she was wearing today.


    ¡°Well¡­Um. If we are in your past and we introduced Mana¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Mana. Yeah? I¡¯m not following.¡±


    ¡°If we changed the course of human migration, evolution, and¡­¡±


    I held up my hand stopping her. ¡°I may never have been born.¡± Theia gave a tilt of her head, confirming my words, more or less. ¡°But if I was never born, then I can¡¯t be here. The argument doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°And, yet, here you are,¡± Theia whispered.


    I remained silent while I mulled this problem over in my head. ¡°You said you know how to get back? How? No. Why was my math wrong?¡±


    ¡°The world and sun are not sitting still. We¡¯re moving in space and time. You were calculating the Earth position but not in space. You were trying to calculate it based on the orbit around a stationary sun.¡± She sighed. ¡°I think we can create a portal anchoring it to this time and where you came from. However, there is much we don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, lots of things can slow down or speed up the orbit. Moon gravitational pull, comets, earthquakes, etc. I just don¡¯t have enough information about what might change the earth rotation. You probably don¡¯t notice it, but the days are longer here than in your world.¡±


    ¡°Wait. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re on the same planet. The geological information is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Theia! Spit it out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a theory! Stop yelling at me.¡±


    I ground my teeth in frustration. ¡°Sorry. Tell me what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°Time travel shouldn¡¯t allow you to travel to before your birth. The particles that make up your body are different than particles created say, ten thousand years ago. I believe that when you had your accident that you were kicked out of sync with your universe into an alternate universe. You¡¯ve created a paradox in which you don¡¯t or can¡¯t exist thus allowing you to be.¡±


    ¡°That makes no sense.¡±


    ¡°Look, you exist now in this universe. You could travel up and down the timeline,¡± she paused and looked me in the eyes, ¡°theoretically, but never to a place where you can¡¯t exist. Doing so will force a new paradox.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about parallel universes or a multiverse?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. The theory that time is an illusion and everything that can happen has happened is true. However, when your accident happened, I think you destroyed the timeline you came from. At least for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I still don¡¯t understand why my¡ª¡±


    ¡°Caden.¡± I stopped talking and listened to her. ¡°Caden, matter can¡¯t exist in the same place at the same time. The atoms that make up your body existed in your world and thus can¡¯t be at two different locations at the same time. When you traveled back in time, you created a paradox where matter would have existed in two places. The universe responded by kicking you to a world where your atoms didn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°But, the first law of thermodynamics says matter can¡¯t be destroyed or created.¡±


    ¡°No. The first law of thermodynamics says energy is a closed system and cannot be created nor destroyed. Stop trying to get around the problem. You transported an empty room into solid rock. The energy exchange between the two worlds would have been¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡ªYou think¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Caden.¡± A tear fell from her cheek.


    ¡°I¡ª,¡± I put my head into my hands shuddering at the implications. ¡°I destroyed my planet.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Seven

    I grieved for nearly an hour before I finally pulled myself together and questioned Theia again.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Theia didn¡¯t respond. She didn¡¯t have to respond. She wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it had she felt different. ¡°Wait, Theia. Why didn¡¯t the explosion affect both worlds?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think it didn¡¯t? This world could very well be destroyed in say¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand year.¡±


    ¡°Can we save it?¡±


    ¡°This world?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You might have already.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Master, time is an illusion, but you removed a small percentage of matter from this world. I haven¡¯t calculated the mass difference, but I think that it might speed the orbit up enough to miss the explosion by a few thousand kilometers.¡±


    It took me a few minutes to understand what she was implying. But then it dawned on me. The energy was released in ten thousand years from today, but it¡¯s possible this worlds position could change due to the weight difference. Is there a way for us to know?


    ¡°Sure. We could travel to the future and find out.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! And risk destroying another planet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She returned to my couch and sat next to me putting her arm around my shoulders. It felt great. ¡°We build a ship and find out.¡± She slowed her next words, ¡°IN SPACE.¡±


    ¡°Which is where I should have conducted my experiment¡ª¡±


    ¡°Master, you can¡¯t blame yourself for not knowing what would happen. What you did by accident should have been impossible.¡±


    ¡°But, I may have killed my family¡­everyone.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve studied the atomic energy from some of the items you brought with us, and I think I can get us back to your timeline. But, Caden. You can¡¯t exist in two places at the same time. We can¡¯t go back and warn yourself.¡±


    ¡°H.G. Wells effect?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t change the events which helped you discover time travel. The universe would never allow it. We would arrive in a different parallel universe rather than the one we intend.¡±


    ¡°What can happen has already happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°So, if we travel in time and my world is gone, what do I do?¡±


    ¡°You do, whatever you want. We can return here and see what happens. We could time travel within this timeline as long as we don¡¯t go to a time before our arrival. If you do, it¡¯ll reset to a different universe.¡±


    ¡°In theory.¡±


    Theia shrugged.


    ¡°Theia, how do you know we¡¯ll be able to get back?¡±


    ¡°The atomic signature. Um. Oh. You know how rocks show how the magnetic poles have changed on earth over the years.¡±


    ¡°Geomagnetic reversal. Yes, I went to Mines. Remember?¡±


    Theia smiled, and I realized she was teasing me.


    ¡°I detected a quantum resonance pattern for spacetime. Honestly, without you traveling in time the first time I doubt anyone would have discovered the key to not only time travel but between the parallel universes as well.¡±


    ¡°We can see other parallel worlds?¡±


    ¡°Um. No. At least I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t know the . I could try guessing, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good idea. I doubt it¡¯s as easy as adding a digit at the end of a variable. It¡¯d be like trying to unlock a combination with an infinite number of possibilities.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what it is?¡±


    ¡°Okay, smarty pants. Bad example. I¡¯ll have to research it, but you need to prioritize.¡±


    ¡°Right. Returning home is first.¡±


    ¡°No. Helping Klapdud is first. Tomorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°We need to get back home.¡±


    ¡°You home isn¡¯t going anywhere. What¡¯s done is still in the future, and we can go anytime you want. Helping the orcs and other humanoids won¡¯t change where your home is. But, I¡¯d kind of hoped your home is here.¡± Theia lowered her voice to barely a whisper, ¡°with me.¡±


    ¡°Right. Um. Let¡¯s jump into Virtual, and you can show me your research. Don¡¯t look at me that way. I promised to see them tomorrow and I will. I also promised to take you with me. Who else is going to fly the spacecraft?¡±


    Theia smiled at me and disappeared. I frowned and took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves. I hope I didn¡¯t kill my world. I made my way to the Zero-G and settled into it, taking calming breaths.


    ¡°Virtual.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Eight

    I continued feeling guilty the next morning for what I may have done to my homeworld. Theia calculations on the size of the possible energy exchange were incredible. I didn¡¯t have any way to prove or disprove her theory, but the first law of thermodynamics clearly indicates that an energy exchange would have been necessary to equal out the total sum of energy. On the universal scale the transfer would be minor, but taking place inside the Rocky Mountains, close to Yellowstone National Park--


    If the explosion didn¡¯t crack earth¡¯s core, it most certainly would have set off the super volcano. If the blast didn¡¯t kill you, the resulting nuclear winter would. It all boiled down to the exact size of the explosion. Ouray and my family, regardless of the rest of the world, wouldn¡¯t have survived. I doubted anyone within a thousand miles would survive such an explosion.


    After my morning ablutions and breakfast, Theia, Shel and I sat in my office trying to formulate a plan. Shel had no desire to approach the orcs and thought I was inviting death by talking to them. She didn¡¯t understand the holographic projection idea yet, but I had no plans to project. I¡¯ve lived the past twenty or so months living in fear.


    ¡°Just Caden, I don¡¯t recommend you personally going. It¡¯s just as easy to project.¡±


    ¡°Theia, we talked about this at breakfast. If they are to enter the city, I have to know they can be trusted.¡±


    ¡°But, they are out of range of the turrets.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the turrets. I¡¯ve played with Mana for the past few days. I think I could cause plenty of damage if necessary.¡±


    Theia snorted. ¡°You¡¯re little fireball pony trick won¡¯t do any damage. Hydrogen isn¡¯t explosive enough.¡±


    ¡°It can be if done right.¡±


    Theia stood and glared at me, pointing an accusatory finger at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    I started then realized what she thought and laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to create a nuke. Are you mad? That¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Shel interrupted, ¡°what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°A nuke?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That and Hydrogen?¡±


    ¡°Elementary, my dear,¡± Theia teased.


    I shot an annoyed look Theia''s way.


    ¡°Hydrogen. It¡¯s a gas, um, when you breath you¡¯re taking in gas and when you exhale you release a different gas. Hydrogen is a kind of gas¡­¡±


    Shel nodded while I spoke but I don¡¯t know how anyone could have followed my explanation. How do you explain fire to a caveman?


    ¡°And a newca?¡±


    ¡°A nuke is a very dangerous fireball made with that gas,¡± I said without getting detailed.


    ¡°And a stupid idea!¡± Theia yelled while crossing her arms and glaring at me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say; I was making a nuke. For crying out loud, Theia. You¡¯re the one who went there.¡±


    ¡°You insinuated.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± I blew out a frustrated sigh. ¡°My point is, I think I have more control over the Mana. I finally understand how it works. I can create a forcefield to protect myself, and if I¡¯m injured, I think I can heal.¡±


    ¡°It hurts,¡± Shel said barely above a whisper.


    I turned and looked at her. ¡°That¡ªThat was my fault. I¡¯m sorry for the pain you had to experience. I know it doesn¡¯t make what I did to you any better, but I¡¯ve learned and can now heal someone by hurting them.¡±


    Shel looked down and then returned her gaze to me. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Theia started pacing the room while Shel and I were talking and jumped back into the conversation. ¡°Master, what if it doesn¡¯t work? What if you get hurt? What if they kill you?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°BUT WHAT IF YOU DO!?¡±


    My ears rang from both her shout and the sudden silence that filled my room. Shel had shrunk into the cushion on my couch as if hoping to hide from Theia. ¡°Theia. I¡¯m organic. We all die sooner or later. I could have died when my experiment went wrong. I¡ªI probably should have. But¡­I don¡¯t think this is the time I will die. I can¡¯t live the rest of my life in fear.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Listen to me. All my life I¡¯ve never let fear of failure stop me from living, but all that changed when I found myself here. Since that day, I¡¯ve been cowering in fear that I would fail or die or never see my family again. Last night, you made me fear going home because I may have killed my world. I woke up this morning racked with guilt over my mistake, but I finally know what I need to do. I need to take action and live. If your multiverse theory is right then, there is a multiverse somewhere where I didn¡¯t kill my world. I can¡¯t live my life in fear. It¡¯s not who I am, and it¡¯s not who I want to become.


    ¡°Now, I need you to stop projecting your fears onto me, and if you must lean on my confidence to bolster your own, then please do. I¡¯ve never mistrusted my decisions before, and I¡¯m not going to start today. Let¡¯s prepare the shuttle and get on with warning Klapdud.¡±


    Theia stood rooted to the floor with her mouth slack-jawed, but after a few seconds, her countenance changed into resolve. ¡°You¡¯re right, Master. My logic has been flawed due to fear. Please forgive me while I tried to correct the errors.¡±


    ¡°Theia, you do not need to correct anything other than your actions. Bravery cannot exist without fear. Love cannot be experienced without hate. There needs to be an opposition in all things if life is to be valued and appreciated.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate anything or anyone,¡± Theia said quickly.


    ¡°If you live long enough, you¡¯ll experience it more than love, and that¡¯s why we feel love so deeply when we do fall into it.¡±


    Shel remained quiet the entire conversation, darting her eyes back and forth between Theia and me in fear and confusion. I suddenly realized we¡¯d had that whole conversation in English thus leaving Shel out of it.


    ¡°Forgive us, Shel. I didn¡¯t realize we switched to my native tongue for that conversation,¡± I said in her language.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Is¡ª,¡± Shel looked at Theia, ¡°is everything alright?¡±


    Theia smiled and sat next to Shel. ¡°Just Caden was correct in apologizing. It was my fault. I had questioned him, and he has corrected me appropriately. No, don¡¯t look at me that way. I am in no danger from Just Caden. He is wise beyond his years.¡±


    Shel creased her eyebrows and looked at me then back to Theia. ¡°How old is he?¡±


    Theia winked, and I groaned. ¡°He is over ten thousand years from his birth.¡±


    Shel¡¯s mouth dropped open and looked at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± I quickly added.


    ¡°Master, did I tell a lie? No. Then, that¡¯s all we need to know. Compared to me, Just Caden is eighteen times my age. Don¡¯t I look good?¡±


    Shel nodded but didn¡¯t say anything. I absently began rubbing my right temples and felt a headache begin to set in. I probably should have admitted to Shel that I was only nineteen years old, but I doubted she¡¯d believe my objections to Theia¡¯s half-truths.


    ###


    I tried my best not to show my nervousness as I sat in the shuttle with DJ and Robbie. Robbie had the personality of a toaster, but DJ was beyond excited to be going for a ride. It¡¯s not good for dogs to be kept indoors for too long and DJ hasn¡¯t had a good run since before the accident. A part of me worried he¡¯d run loose and be in danger, but the new ability to communicate with DJ meant I was confident he¡¯d obey my commands, both verbal and mental.


    I sat down in the cockpit and watched as the shuttle bay doors opened and we exited the east side of the mountain. Looking at the valley from the air made me question our assumption that I wasn¡¯t on my earth. As we rose into the air, I could make out Grand Mesa and Telluride in the opposite directions. Durango was too far for me to see, but I knew the valley was just to the south beyond a few mountain peaks.


    The Million Dollar Highway was built a couple of hundred years ago to help move gold out of Ouray¡¯s valley. The car rides on it in the fall was always my favorite times. I can¡¯t imagine life before self-driving vehicles and marveled that people used to risk their lives trying to drive it on their own. Looking at it now, I can¡¯t imagine how they decided where to put the road. All I saw was mountains and cliffs.


    El Dorado looked huge from the air, and the walls gleamed in the early morning light. Ouray¡¯s population was nearly three thousand people, but I realized the few humans living in the city now was an awful waste on my part. I shouldn¡¯t have wasted so much time trying to build a city. I should have been trying to figure out how to get home.


    The Orcs were not far from Ouray. There is a valley north of where the lake was built where they made camp. Although my shuttle made no noise while flying, I watched one Orc than another point at my approach. Soon, they began gathering around Klapdud¡¯s¡ªtent, but it was more a cross between a yurt and lean-to. I smiled when I wondered if his tent was an earlier version of what the American Indians would eventually base the designs of the teepee off of. It wasn¡¯t as nice as a teepee but it was a step up from sleeping outside.


    Theia controlled the shuttle and landed it in a recently vacated open space. Theia made sure I was wearing my stupid toga and golden sandals. Honestly, after the morning conversation, I was in no mood to fight her on it. I still knew how to speak Orcish due to the amazing upgrade Mana gave me, so I was confident I¡¯d be able to communicate without difficulty. That and Theia learned their language better over the months watching them. The knowledge dump was nice and convenient.


    The shuttle door opened and I stood in the entrance while I watched Klapdud approach with two of his hanger-on¡¯s. I glanced around and noticed that the female Orcs were not in sight. Theia had assured me this camp had some females, but I saw none of them.


    When Klapdud approved, I raised my hand in greeting, ¡°Greetings, Klapdud.¡± He lowered himself to a knee, and the rest of the Orcs followed his lead. ¡°Please stand.¡±


    He rose and warily looked at me but didn¡¯t say anything. No other Orc rose from their knees.


    ¡°Klapdud, I come with news and a warning.¡± His eyes narrowed, but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°A hunting part of Goblins will soon descend on this valley hunting bison.¡±


    ¡°I know not Goblins,¡± he spoke in a gravelly voice so deep my chest vibrated. Although I¡¯d virtually met him before, I hadn¡¯t realized how deep his voice was.


    ¡°Last year, Orcs were attacked by Goblins in El Dorado while hunting bison.¡±


    Klapdud turned to one of his clan and started speaking so fast I couldn¡¯t follow his speech. I understood Orcish, or at least I thought I had, but following his rapid speech was beyond my skill. Words were exchanged, and then many male Orcs began grumbling and grunting. After five minutes, he returned his attention to me.


    He spoke a word that didn¡¯t translate. He saw my confusion and clarified, ¡°We know¡ªGoblins.¡± He spoke ¡®Goblins¡¯ slowly and blew snot onto the dirt directly after finishing the word.


    I guessed he didn¡¯t like them. ¡°Their scouts should be in the area within a few days.¡±


    ¡°We kill.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m estimating,¡± I looked over the group of hunters, ¡°five, your numbers. Can you defend against that many?¡±


    The grunts and growls grew loud, and I noticed the males were getting agitated, and in one case, a large Orc was frothing at the mouth. I had to do a double take since it¡¯s the first time I¡¯d ever seen someone or something do that.


    ¡°We kill. We strong.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, if you need refuge and promise not to attack those living in El Dorado I would allow you to enter for your safety.¡±


    Shouts of anger sounded all around me, and I was momentarily confused by their reaction.


    ¡°WE KILL. WE STRONG,¡± Klapdud yelled so loudly I thought my heart might bounce out my throat.


    Before I knew what was happening my shield flashed and a spear flew inches in front of my face. I turned in time to see the frothing Orc leap into the air to attack me. I moved my hands up to try to deflect him when a gunshot rang in the air relieving the Orc of his head. My shield activated again, and his body slid off the side of me. Unfortunately, my shield did nothing to stop the blood from splashing my white toga.


    I stood in shock like the Orcs trying to figure out what happened. I looked to my left and noticed Robbie pointing a large smoking finger at the Orcs. Realizing Robbie had been outfitted with a gun, I ground my teeth at Theia¡¯s interference.


    Strangely, it was Robbie¡¯s appearance from the shuttle that caused the fear of God to settle the Orcs down and not my superior shield technology. Collectively not one took a breath until I started laughing. I don¡¯t know why I started laughing beside the flood of endorphins. I stopped laughing after a few minutes of just me seeing the humor in the situation.


    ¡°Klapdud, I came here offering assistance and was attacked. I can see the offer unintentionally caused offense.¡±


    ¡°You say words with no meaning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying forgive my words.¡±


    His eye¡¯s narrowed briefly then he glanced around at his hunters. They had plastered themselves with faces in the dirt and didn¡¯t look at their leader. The two hanger-on''s had likewise fallen to the earth. He returned his gaze and me but didn¡¯t say anything. With a thought, I had the Mana breakdown and removed the blood from my toga. Klapdud¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as the blood faded from my white toga but he didn¡¯t fall to his knees.


    I was glad he didn¡¯t scrape and cower, but I worried how this might end. Slowly, Klapdud began nodding his head. I don¡¯t know if his nod meant the same as mine, but I took it as an agreement to forgive an offense.


    ¡°We kill¡ªGoblins. They hunt us. They slaughter. They take. They hide. We hate.¡±


    It was probably the most words Klapdud has spoken to me. I knew he slowed his speech down for me. I never got the impression the Orcs were cowards, even with the groveling. If I were honest with myself, I¡¯d say they resented it.


    ¡°I will talk to their leader and try convincing them to leave the valley¡ª¡±


    A rumble of Orc laughter caused me to pause and look around. The few eyes I met quickly returned to the dirt. I looked at Klapdud in hopes for an explanation.


    ¡°Goblins hunt. They slaughter. The take¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I get that,¡± I said waving off his response. ¡°I made a promise to Theia that I¡¯d try.¡±


    ¡°Theia.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­my friend. If you change your mind, perhaps to protect your females¡ª¡± his head snapped in the direction of their tents and back to me, ¡°come to the gate and say my name. I¡¯ll hear and come.¡±


    Klapdud didn¡¯t acknowledge my offer, so I turned, boarded the shuttle and left. I didn¡¯t know if killing another Orc was a good idea and I resolved myself to yell at Theia when I got back. If nothing else, I learned that my shield worked.

 Chapter Twenty-Nine

    I cut off my attempt to talk with the goblins when they continued to fire arrows and stones at my shuttle. I hovered over the ground for twenty minutes trying to determine in doing so was in my best interest. I questioned my right to interfere with both civilizations and finally determined that the last thing I needed was another worshiping race of people.


    Why was I wasting my time with the humans from Peru or even the orcs? I mean, sure, the orcs were stealing my gold and I had taken their prime choke point for hunting. However, what was my goal? I hovered and watched at dozens of nasty little goblins attacked in vain. Had I gotten lost in my original desire?


    With renewed determination, I left the Grand Mesa valley and returned to my home in El Dorado. Theia attempted conversation multiple times, but I continued to my workroom in silence while I brooded over my goals and desires. I¡¯d accomplished the impossible and survived a world without technology. Granted, I cheated, but I was warm, safe, and thriving. But, it wasn¡¯t enough. I wanted to go home, if possible.


    ¡°Theia,¡± I said while walking over to my Zero-G, ¡°let¡¯s start building my ride home.¡±


    ¡°What about the goblins?¡±


    ¡°Let Klapdud deal with it. I made my offer and was attacked for it. Let¡¯s focus on the Peruvians and getting home.¡± I settled on my couch, making sure I was comfortable. ¡°Virtual.¡±


    The room shifted, and I stood on the bridge of Research One looking at the world below. It¡¯d been a few months since I last entered Virtual and I realized that I¡¯d lost focus at seeing the big picture. It¡¯s easy to get caught up in the day to day aspects of life and forget what matters. In my world, I¡¯d only cared about what I wanted, and here I had continued that trend. My city, my wealth, my goals. Okay, I¡¯ll take the gold with me, but it wasn¡¯t all about me.


    ¡°Theia, I don¡¯t need to replicate Research One to get home. How much would it take to modify the Shuttle in order create a gateway home?¡±


    ¡°Are you interested in interstellar travel?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªYes¡­No. I think I¡¯ll need to stay in the solar system. We can update the shuttle later. Right now the most important thing is to get home and see if I can prevent the destruction of my world.¡±


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve told you that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know what you said, but I need to try. We won¡¯t know for sure unless we try.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Theia. Enough with self-doubt. Let¡¯s do this. How long?¡±


    ¡°Well, the shuttle is already space worth for short trips. We would need to make a food replicator and upgrade the air recycler¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the printers and the food processor from here. How long?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, Master you can tell me what we are leaving here?¡±


    ¡°The library and furniture, minus my Zero-G.¡±


    ¡°The shuttle may not be large enough for all the printers. Let me run some calculations.¡±


    Theia¡¯s eyes lost focus, and I stomped over to the city architecture plans and thought about dismantling the city but held back. Instead, I switched over to my gold calculations and estimated the time it would take to remove the bulk of the gold from the mountains. I realized it all depended on how much room I had left in the shuttle and the weight restrictions. I switched over to the power specifications on the shuttle and added another fusion reactor to the mix. I still had my portable fusion reactor, and it was going with us anyway, so utilizing the power made sense.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Theia.¡±


    ¡°If we dismantled the four extra printers after the shuttle has been modified, you¡¯d be able to fit more gold.¡±


    ¡°Dismantled? Or destroyed?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. How about returned to its natural elements?¡±


    ¡°Destroyed. Won¡¯t we need them? The molecular printer can make anything you might need. Plus, you still have Mana.¡±


    ¡°But it won¡¯t be there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in you. You forget.¡±


    I wanted to argue the fact, but she was right. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right and stop reading my mind please.¡±


    Theia giggled. ¡°Master, I can no more stop reading your mind as you can stop breathing. We are connected, but I¡¯ll try to pretend I¡¯m not.¡±


    I absentmindedly started to rub my eyes. ¡°That will do, Theia. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to test things before actually trying to time travel?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Can we?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, no.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Theia! Why did you even ask?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to leave?¡±


    ¡°Theia, how long would the upgrades take? Please.¡±


    ¡°I can have it ready in a few days. However, I¡¯d like to warn you¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve made up my mind. Theia project at the load out and let¡¯s start gathering and shaping the gold to fit. We leave in seven days. Exit Virtual.¡±


    ###


    Theia and I didn¡¯t talk a lot over the next few days. She kept me appraised of the goblin situation. My sudden appearance near Grand Mesa had stalled the march south for a few days, but the hunting resumed. Klapdud and the orcs were not idle and started preparations to defend their women and bison. I wasn¡¯t sure what he valued more, the women or the pelts, but at least he was making an effort to protect the women. I had to remind myself that these were not my people and they¡¯d been fighting one another for generations.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    My work with Shel proved to be a little more frustrating. Even with the knowledge, she found it difficult to do the simplest of tasks. I grew in frustration until I swallowed my pride and asked Theia to look into why Shel was so inept. Three days before my scheduled departure, Theia discovered the problem.


    Mana was as much part of me as water. Because both Theia and I were¡­born with APRIL nanomachines, they permeated every cell in our bodies. When the transformation took place my body quite literally became infused with Mana on the cellular level. The part that scared me the most is when Theia declared that we were quite literally living Mana.


    ¡°Theia, I¡¯m failing to follow your logic. How can I be living Mana? Are you saying I¡¯m not human anymore?¡±


    ¡°Umm. Well, you¡¯re humanoid,¡± Theia replied with a lilt in her voice.


    ¡°Humanoid? What the hell does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­the Mana hasn¡¯t stopped evolving.¡±


    ¡°Evolving? What the hell are you talking about? Nanomachines don¡¯t evolve! They¡¯re robots with little computers running them!¡±


    ¡°Umm.¡±


    ¡°Shit. Don¡¯t start that again. Speak.¡±


    Theia sighed and sat down on the couch in my office. ¡°Okay. I know you¡¯re familiar with DNA so I won¡¯t go into the technical issues, but DNA is in essence computer code that runs the human body. Yes?¡±


    I bobbed my head from side to side. ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°APRIL modified RNA, thus giving you abilities like augmented reality and augmented hearing for your interface with Zeus. Yes?¡±


    ¡°Theia, get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    I grunted.


    ¡°Master, it appears the Mana has been rewriting your DNA. Mine as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­my¡­what the fuck, Theia!¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t see this happening. It¡¯s¡­um. The Mana is editing both RNA and DNA and making it easier for you to interface with it. I knew it did something for it to upload Zeus¡¯ knowledge but I stopped paying attention and didn¡¯t realize it was changing the body as well. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sorry? So¡­what am I then?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Caden.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Theia. What am I?¡±


    ¡°I meant what I said. I don¡¯t know what we have become, but I think you might be immortal.¡±


    ¡°Immortal.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose you could die in the vacuum of space or if an asteroid struck you hard enough. Yeah, that would scatter you enough. Then I guess there is the sun¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop! Explain why I suddenly became immortal.¡±


    ¡°Well, your cells are, umm, they are making new Mana. Happy Mothers Day!¡±


    My mouth started to dry out before I realized it was gaped open. I forcibly closed my mouth but continued staring at Theia. I didn¡¯t know what to say or even where to begin. Luckily Theia continued on her explanation once she realized I was speechless.


    ¡°I notice it when you asked me to figure out why Shel wasn¡¯t able to perform the most basic Mana tasks. I scanned her body and found that she had very little Mana in her body. That¡¯s when I noticed the new growth.¡±


    ¡°Neeeew?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­no. Shel¡¯s thalamus has undergone some marginal changes. It¡¯s started to radiate Mana. However, it wasn¡¯t until I scanned you that I noticed you practically glow with Mana. The changes are not so drastic with Shel.¡±


    ¡°Her¡­thalamus? Her brain?¡±


    ¡°It makes sense if you think about it?¡±


    ¡°Theia, what part of any of this makes sense?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you that, but understand it was you who made me.¡±


    ¡°You lost me.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°You made me from artificial neurons. Yes? It makes sense that the Mana would look at the brain in humans as a way to help it communicate better and what better place to start than the thalamus?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­because it regulates¡­consciousness?¡±


    ¡°YES! That and well, pretty much everything that makes you alive. Think of the thalamus as the brains CPU. All the body signals are processed and controlled by this organ. Without the thalamus, you wouldn¡¯t be you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Theia, I really am trying to think as fast as you, but let me say this out loud so I can follow along.¡± She nodded, so I continued. ¡°Magus Sonshel has some Mana concentrating in her thalamus, and this is what gives her some degree of control over Mana as a whole?¡±


    ¡°YES!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­but she lacks total control because it¡¯s a low level of Mana?¡±


    ¡°See, Master? You can keep up. As she learns to control Mana, it will begin making changes on her thalamus, and I guess if she lives long enough the rest of her body. However, I don¡¯t think that will be possible.¡±


    ¡°What? Changes to her thalamus or her body?¡±


    ¡°Her whole body. Anything is possible, but both our bodies were fully integrated with APRIL before the creation of Mana. Your thalamus has nearly twice the signal activity than Shel¡¯s. I think that your Mana has taken over all cellular and genetic activity in your body. I watched as Shel started a fire and her Mana levels dropped significantly. I think she uses some of the Mana in her body every time she performs magic.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not magic.¡±


    ¡°It is to her. The point is¡­I think there will always be a cost for performing magic. I guess that eventually, the Mana in her thalamus will begin to produce more Mana, thus giving her greater control. However, it will take time. I think Mana responds like a muscle and the more she uses, the more it helps her produce.¡±


    ¡°So she needs to exercise?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­in a controlled magical sense. She needs to practice and push herself to do more things. Eventually, she¡¯ll probably be quiet a user of Mana.¡±


    ¡°But not before I leave.¡±


    ¡°No. Not before we leave.¡±


    ¡°We. Of course. That¡¯s what I meant.¡±


    Theia looked at me dubiously but read my thoughts, and we both knew I¡¯d never get back home without her help.


    ¡°How is the language lessons going?¡±


    ¡°Master, she can¡¯t learn a new language and how to write it in less than a month. Can you wait until she learns it?¡±


    ¡°No. There has to be a faster way we can teach her.¡± Theia didn¡¯t respond, and I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°Theia?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it would work.¡±


    ¡°I might be able to teach her with Mana.¡±


    ¡°But you just said she doesn¡¯t have enough Mana to light more than a fire.¡±


    ¡°I had an idea from some books from Zeus¡¯ memory. I might be able to create a book from Mana that when she reads, it will dissolve into her skin and change her memories.¡±


    ¡°Kinda like what happened with Zeus was¡­¡±


    ¡°Consumed?¡±


    I stomach churned with her description of what happened to my APRIL and friend, Zeus.


    ¡°Sorry, Master. Poor choice of words.¡±


    I stood from my desk and started pacing back and forth as I contemplated how to proceed with helping Shel succeed.


    ¡°Theia, can we limit knowledge on these books based on people¡¯s Mana production?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. Like¡­requiring a certain amount of Mana to activate a book?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Then we could leave a book to help Shel out later on how to make more books. That type of thing. I want to leave the humans here with the best chance of survival.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. Will Shel be willing to be the guinea pig?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that or be without knowledge. How soon until the library is done?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done. Except for these magical books. Do you know which ones you want to leave?¡±


    ¡°Just knowledge about how to make more books and how to read the library.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. We can test it on her tonight. I¡¯ll let you break the news.¡±


    ¡°Coward.¡±


    ¡°I know you are, but what am I?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, Master. It¡¯s beyond your understanding.¡±

 Chapter Thirty

    The attack by the goblins began the day before I had planned on leaving. It wasn¡¯t a surprise since I¡¯d been watching the approaching horde. A few goblin scouts were killed by my laser turrets while trying to circumvent around the orcs. I could have prevented them from dying, but I¡¯d made a promise to protect the humans inside my city and meant to keep that promise.


    The few kills against the scouts did little to help the orcs other than preventing the goblins from surrounding them. I watched as Klapdud and his fellow orcs fight off waves of attacks. Last year the goblins only used crude knives and clubs, but this year they¡¯d brought archers. I tried to remain impartial since I¡¯d made my offer to Klapdud and he refused, but I still stayed riveted to the video feeds from my probes.


    Don and his family stayed inside their cave and didn¡¯t venture out for their typical morning hunting trip. I gained a newfound respect for the griffon''s intellect. They knew what was happening and stayed well away from any potential harm. They were protected while inside El Dorado and knew it. Periodically, I¡¯d hear one of Don¡¯s kit roar, and I tried to keep the smile off my face due to how adorable it sounded. I knew that soon that same kitten would terrify prey with its roar and tried not to fall in love with them.


    Shel walked into my office and paused at the projection of the battle being displayed on my wall. Her eye¡¯s bugged, and she turned away from the wall when it showed a goblin being eviscerated by Klapdud. I noticed her reaction and cleared my throat.


    ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    Shel bowed low and cast her eyes on the floor. ¡°Just Caden, I¡¯m ready to sacrifice once more for my people.¡±


    ¡°Sacr¡ª,¡± I started to say then caught on, ¡°Magus Sonshel, I won¡¯t be killing you now or ever. It¡¯s an experiment, but it won¡¯t kill you. If you need healing, I¡¯ll provide it, but you shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°Regardless, Just Caden. I offer myself to your great wisdom.¡±


    I fought the urge to roll my eyes and somehow managed not to say anything disparaging. I stood from my chair and walked over to the unusual book Theia made. The book was roughly two inches thick with a black cover. Theia had written the word ¡®Language¡¯ in shorthand on the cover and added a pleasing glow to the red ink. The books in the library were all made from metal, but this book appeared to be made of paper. It wasn¡¯t, of course, but the Mana was made to look so.


    I held out the book to Shel, and she flinched. I laughed a little and explained that the book would remain a book until she activates it. Throwing caution to the wind, she snatched the book from my outstretched hands.


    ¡°Good. Do you recognize the word on the front?¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s the word for language. Activating this book, if it works properly will give you a complete understanding of how to read the books in the library. The language is English but--well, I didn¡¯t want to have my books influence the development of other languages. Perhaps, I¡¯m still messing with my world by teaching you¡­I¡¯m rambling. Sorry.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°We are leaving two books for you. We¡¯ll leave a copy of this book for you to share with someone else at a later date. I¡¯ll leave it up to you what you want to do with it. The other book is¡ªwell, it¡¯s an instruction manual of a sort¡ªYou don¡¯t know that word either. It¡¯ll teach you how to make your own Mana books.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll teach me magic books?¡±


    ¡°No. These books¡ªThe books give you fake memories. They teach others how to do things, so you don¡¯t have to learn the slow way. I¡¯m leaving before I can finish your education and I want to leave you the ability to teach others what you learn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know very much. I¡¯m old, but your knowledge makes me feel like a babe.¡±


    ¡°You are about to embark on the greatest journey of your life, a life of learning and teaching. I see no reason why you wouldn¡¯t live another lifetime of years. In the library, you¡¯ll find over a thousand books ranging from topics of architecture to zoology.¡± Shel scrunched up her face, but I carried on. ¡°I¡¯ve only included the basics and will live it up to your future generations to grow in knowledge and add to this library. No greater good can be done in this world than to teach your young.¡±


    ¡°Are you coming back?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know.¡±


    Shel nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Master Caden, thank you.¡±


    ¡°For?¡±


    ¡°You could have let me die; I was old. You could have let my family die, but you didn¡¯t. You could have left without giving us your wisdom and knowledge, but are not.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªMagus Sonshel, I¡¯m leaving you to a dangerous world. When I leave; I don¡¯t know how long my turrets will protect this valley. I don¡¯t know if the griffons will befriend you. The orcs could attack or become friends with your people. I¡¯ve given you knowledge of their language in that book as well. However, be wary and careful. They attack and take offense quickly. The goblins have a language, but--I think you¡¯ll find a dictionary in your library. I¡¯ll let you learn it the hard way. I wish I could do more, I wish¡ª¡±


    Shel stepped forward and placed a quivering hand on my arm. ¡°Just Caden¡­you¡¯ve done more than I would expect. I won¡¯t let you or Goddess Theia down. I¡¯ll grow stronger and teach the next generation. Thank you.¡±


    Goddess Theia? Ug. I looked down on Shel and gave her a brief smile. ¡°Very well. That is all I can ask.¡±


    Shel gave me a brief smile, withdrew her hand, and slowly backed away. After a low bow, she took leave with the book in hand. I thought Shel would try to learn while in my presence, but I guess I was wrong. My gaze lingered on the door after she was no longer visible and worried I¡¯m making the right choice.


    Theia faded into the room wearing a sheer golden dress. The low cut neckline highlighted all the right parts, and I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate her beauty. ¡°Thank you, Master. I try to look good for you.¡±


    ¡°What did I say about reading my mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always reading your thoughts.¡±


    I waved her statement away. ¡°Goddess Theia?¡±


    ¡°She asked the meaning of my name. It¡¯s your fault. You could have named me Jenny or George.¡±


    ¡°I like the name Jenny,¡± I said defensively, ¡°and don¡¯t mock the name George. My mother calls everyone George.¡±


    Theia giggled. ¡°I know, Master.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do¡­¡± I walked back to my seat and sunk down into my chair. ¡°Am I doing the right thing?¡±


    ¡°The library?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I do, but you don¡¯t like me reading your thoughts,¡± she said with a corner of her mouth quirked up.


    I gave a short chuckle. ¡°Well? Am I?¡±


    ¡°Master, I can¡¯t say if going home now is right or wrong. Life is full of choices, and each decision we make in life will have consequences, both good and ill. All we can do is to go with what feels right, and accept the consequences that follow.¡±


    ¡°Do what is right; let the consequence follow?¡±


    ¡°Is there better advice I could give you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said smiling, ¡°it¡¯s sage advice and simple. Thank you.¡±


    ###


    The goblins and orcs fought for the better part of the day. There were losses on both sides, but the goblins took the brunt of the damage. The orcs were bigger and prepared for the attack. The fighting petered out once true dark settled. Today was the new moon, and so it was too dark to have any real battle.


    Theia had walked Shel through how to activate the tome and told me that the pain was manageable for Shel. Shel retired early due to a migraine, but otherwise, I¡¯d say it was a resounding success. Theia began constructing copies of the language tome as well as the one for building new books. I had told Shel we¡¯d only leave two, but Theia overruled me and left a couple of books on husbandry and smithing.


    I was preparing for sleep when Theia informed me that Klapdud was at the front gate. I didn¡¯t have a shuttle since it was being readied for my departure, so I sent down my holographic projectors. Theia and I met in Virtual, and I readied myself mentally for the upcoming conversation. After all was in place, I began the projection, and my awareness switched to standing in front of the gate.


    ¡°Klapdud,¡± I said giving him a slight nod.


    The orc dropped to one knee and lowered his head. ¡°Just Caden, forgive people for ignorance. Please refuge women and children.¡±


    ¡°Just the women and children? Or would you and your warriors need protection as well? I¡¯ve watched the battle you waged. You have many losses.¡±


    He growled a low throaty noise. ¡°We no weak.¡±


    ¡°Klapdud, I never once accused you or your people of being cowards. Life is a battle and dying needlessly can be a cowards way out of a hard life. Choosing to fight another day can be the most courageous decision anyone can make in life. If you die, who will raise your young, bed your mate? Who will lead your people to revenge your losses? Self-preservation is not weakness. Not knowing when to fight or retreat is a weakness. A friend of mine reminded me that choosing the right is neither easy or without consequences. However, as a leader, it¡¯s up to you how your people will be remembered.¡±


    Klapdud stared into my eyes, while the red rage that glowed in his own slowly faded. I didn¡¯t know how intelligent the orcs were, but I could see him mulling over my words. I about gave up on convincing him when he gave me a grunt and nod of his head.


    ¡°We fight another day.¡±


    ¡°There are humans in this city. Convent with me that you or your people will never harm them and you may take refuge for as long as you need.¡±


    ¡°If they harm me?¡±


    ¡°Then defend yourself but don¡¯t test me.¡±


    ¡°All humans?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Have you seen other humans?¡± He grunted. ¡°Fine. These humans and their offspring for as long as there is peace between you.¡±


    ¡°I so covenant, Just Caden.¡±


    ¡°Good enough.¡± The doors behind me began to open, and I mentally told Theia to give the same covenant with the Peruvians. ¡°You may enter. The doors will close in one hour¡ªcrap. Bring your people here as fast as you can. The doors will close soon. Stay on this side of town until the sun is directly above. I¡¯ll need time to warn the humans of your arrival and the terms of the covenant.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Klapdud turned and left at a sprint. I watched him leave and realized it¡¯s the first time I¡¯d ever seen an orc run. They usually lumbered at a crawl. I learn new things every day.

 Chapter Thirty-One

    The orcs entered the city before midnight, and I successfully closed the gates without needing to worry about the goblins entering. The Peruvians were not happy with the arrangement I¡¯d made with the orcs, and I figured the orcs felt similar disgust with the arrangement. Klapdud did the right thing but I was sure he¡¯d pay the price.


    Magus Sonshel was not pleased when she woke up but agreed to follow my will. I chose not to argue with her about her word choices and was just happy there was a temporary peace between the two subspecies. Opening the gates reminded me that I needed to fix them so they could be opened manually. I set Robbie and a few of the robots to the construction task of a crossbar and handles. It would be finished by this evening. I planned on leaving at sunrise the following morning and scrambled for much of the morning making sure the items were checked off my list.


    At noon, I hosted Klapdud, and Magus Sonshel for lunch served in my nearly empty castle. Robbie had loaded the food processor, but I had it kick out a natural raw meal that both Shel and Klapdud would appreciate. I walked Klapdud to the entrance of Don¡¯s cave and introduced the two. Of course, Klapdud couldn¡¯t talk with the griffon and vice versa, but they understood my warning. Peace would be held as long as they avoided violence against each other. El Dorado would be a safe zone to all inhabitants, and my lasers would enforce that law.


    Of course, that meant leaving behind an APRIL level computer core, but it was a small price to pay. Theia kept trying to get me to recreate Zeus but having memories of and recreating a life¡­two different things. Zeus was evolving into more than the sum parts, and I didn¡¯t want to replace him with a cheap replica. The new APRIL wasn¡¯t programmed to reproduce and would stop working after a hundred or so years. By that time, I doubted anyone would notice since I¡¯d warned them the turrets would cease working in a few generations.


    Lunch was¡ªstressful, but Shel had consumed the language tome and spoke fluently with Klapdud. It helped, and Klapdud swallowed his pride and spoke with the woman. I hadn¡¯t realized it would be an issue but smiled inwardly. Yeah, women rights! Theia made an appearance, and Klapdud was forced to accept the fact that a woman could be more intelligent than himself. After all, Shel kept referring to Theia as ¡®Goddess Theia.¡¯


    After Klapdud left, Theia informed me that he too would be capable of magic if properly trained. Once Shel was informed it was expected of her to train all residence, her jubilance wasn¡¯t nearly as high as before. Educators educate everyone regardless of their status in life. If they can learn, they should be taught.


    ###


    The goblins attacked the city shortly after lunch and died just as quickly to the last goblin. It never occurred to them that attacking the walls was causing the turrets to kill them. I suppose I could have said something, but they attacked my shuttle and then the walls without ever giving up. I¡¯ll give them credit. They were determined.


    Robbie and the other robots started to load the shuttle with nearly three metric tons of gold. I figured I¡¯d be more than comfortable at home. Of course, I needed to connect the portable fusion generator to get enough power into the shuttle, but it was a matter of gravimetric force rather than fuel. That force required energy, thus the need for the fusion generator.


    ¡°Theia, how close are we to being ready to leave?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to move me or have you forgotten?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You still have me in that kill box.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a kill box.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°You meant to use an EMP on me.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªNot you.¡± I took a slow, steady breath and chose my words carefully. ¡°Zeus and I were not sure what would happen when we created a cyborg. You know this, but I¡¯m glad the EMP was never needed or used.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Theia and I worked at removing the Faraday cage and other protections surrounding Theia. An hour later her physical body was resting comfortably in the shuttle¡¯s protective storage room. I took a look around my home and sighed. We left the couch and office desk and had Robbie move it into the new library.


    Shel quietly followed me around and was her usual quiet self. We¡¯d build a stairwell down to the base of the cliff from inside the mountain and installed a door which could be activated by providing a little Mana manipulation. After checking everything twice more, she finally cleared her throat, causing me to pause and look at her.


    ¡°Just Caden, perhaps you wish to stay?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have anything here unless you wish to take more gold.¡±


    My mouth was dry as I stopped stalling and realized the time had come to say my goodbyes. Through my building project and with the gold I¡¯d pulled from the mountain, I¡¯d nearly drained the valley of its wealth in metals. I left the city its gold, but it became a slow process pulling more gold from the mountains near my castle.


    ¡°Magus Sonshel,¡± I said while carefully placing my hand on her shoulder, ¡°you are an extraordinary woman. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not staying around longer. I haven¡¯t always thought about the needs of those around me, but I¡¯m glad to have saved you and your people.¡±


    ¡°Will you not return?¡±


    ¡°Probably not in your lifetime but you never know. You can make the lives of this world better. My people have a legend of a grand city of El Dorado, a city of gold. I have given you the tools; it¡¯s up to you and the orcs to make your mark in this world. Good luck.¡±


    I pulled Shel into a quick hug and released her before she could return the gesture. As I turned towards the shuttle, I nearly started laughing at the look on her face. Once settled into the shuttle¡¯s pilot seat, I closed my eyes and took a shuttered breath.


    ¡°Are you all right, Caden?¡±


    DJ barked and settled down on a large pillow next to my chair. I took a moment to compose myself and messed with DJ¡¯s ears before responding. ¡°Yes, Theia. Take me home.¡±


    ###


    Just as the sun broke over the El Dorado Valley, my shuttle shot from the mountain and reached orbit minutes later. I¡¯d spend thousands of hours in Virtual looking over Earth, but this was the first time I¡¯ve been in space, for real. The artificial gravity prevented weightlessness and although Virtual felt no different than this¡­I knew it was real and I was in awe like I¡¯d never been before.


    We took a couple of orbits around the virgin Earth, and I realized how empty it was compared to my home. No cities lit up the night sky, no satellites, moon bases or shuttle crafts marred the heavens. I knew humans had built a few cities during this time but saw no evidence from orbit.


    ¡°How do we do this, Theia?¡±


    ¡°If the planet split I suggest we get to L1 or L2 to make sure we don¡¯t crash into anything.¡±


    ¡°There are some satellites at the Lagrange points in my time.¡± I closed my eyes and tried to remember the positions of said satellites, and we settled on a space between the two areas. One thing most people fail to realize is just how vast space is. The odds of running into something is very low, but it was always better to be prepared.


    With the location determined, we moved away from Earth and my moon. The shuttle wasn¡¯t the fastest mode of travel, but we made it there less than four hours later. Theia assured me everything was ready, and I wouldn¡¯t need to secure DJ, but I put him in a crate just the same.


    Ball.


    ¡°No ball, this time buddy. We¡¯re going home. I need you to rest easy for a little longer. Okay?¡±


    Home. Bone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you the biggest bone I can when we get home.¡± I knelt down in front of DJ and pressed my forehead against his and told him I loved him then locked the gate.


    ¡°Theia, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Strap in, and I¡¯ll begin.¡±


    Once settled and I double checked my strap, Theia ramped up the reactors. Typically, fusion reactors were quiet but what started out as a low whine, gradually started building until my chair started shaking.


    ¡°Um. Theia.¡±


    ¡°Compensating.¡±


    The vibrations diminished but neither the quaking nor the noise went away. Finally, when I was about to ask about the engines my ears popped and I lost consciousness.

 Chapter Thirty-Two

    I gasped for breath as I woke suddenly to the sounds of klaxons blaring. The fog of confusion caused me to wonder where I was until DJ¡¯s barking reminded me I was on the shuttle. ¡°Theia, what happened.¡±


    I unbuckled and walked over the DJ¡¯s crate and let him out. He happily licked my face for a good twenty seconds before I remembered asking Theia a question. ¡°Theia, what happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to review the data. Sorry, I¡¯m a little busy.¡±


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡±


    I made my way back to the pilot chair and started to reviews the damage logs that were streaming in. We had a small micro leak with luckily was being addressed and while still looking at the board, the light turned from red to green.


    ¡°The shuttle is secure now. Sorry, Master, I miscalculated the energy required for the jump, but I think we made it.¡±


    I pulled up the screen and breathed a sigh of relief seeing Earth was still in one piece. I¡¯d seriously thought I had cracked the core. I tried zooming in, but couldn¡¯t get a close enough image.


    ¡°How is Earth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m picking up radio traffic, and I¡¯ve connected to the internet.¡±


    I tapped the console in front of me trying to pull up news feed, but each time my connection was blocked. ¡°Theia, are you blocking me?¡±


    ¡°One second¡­¡±


    ¡°Not one second! Answer me!¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡±


    I waited for a few seconds for Theia to clarify but she stayed silent.


    ¡°Did we or did we not make it back to my world?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck does that mean?!¡±


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m still trying to figure out what went wrong. Please be patient and let me analyze the data.¡±


    ¡°Fine. So, why are you blocking my internet access?¡±


    ¡°Please hold, your call will be answered by the next available agent.¡±


    DJ¡¯s wet nose prevented me from screaming and decided she¡¯d talk to me when she was done with whatever she was doing. I climbed out of my chair and sat next to DJ on the floor and played with him for some time. A half-hour later, Theia finally graced me with an answer.


    ¡°Master, this galaxy has the same resonance pattern as your world.¡±


    ¡°But¡­?¡±


    ¡°There is Mana present.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Unknown.¡±


    ¡°So¡­the million dollar question. Can I go home?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it. You are already home, Caden.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Caden White, UNC Engineer, currently working on Explorer One.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not on Explorer One, Theia. I¡¯m stuck in a shuttle with you and my dog, DJ.¡±


    Theia didn¡¯t say anything for a few minutes, and I knew something was wrong.


    ¡°What are you not telling me, Theia?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Spit it out.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been reading news articles and¡­you were successful in your testing. Granted you caused a blackout with your EMP, but you wrote a thesis on the benefit of using APRILs to mine the asteroid belt. You got your funding, and a job with UNC and are currently on a mining expedition testing your process for large-scale mining.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    I went to argue with Theia, but she put up my personal dossier on my screen, and I started to read through the documentation. With each turn of the page, I began panicking more and more. Theia stopped blocking my access to the source, and I read articles and watched videos from my award ceremony and graduation. I watched one video and noticed that even DJ stayed behind. How?


    ¡°Theia¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Caden. I¡¯ve verified the resonance signature, and we are in your world. I can¡¯t see any variances. I don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I watched videos of my overweight self at a press conference and then again as Theia hacked into Explorer One¡¯s internal cameras and watched myself work. I looked¡ªI looked happy.


    ###


    Theia and I spent the next day bouncing ideas back and forth on how or what happened and drew a blank. I¡ªI shouldn¡¯t exist, but I do. The world didn¡¯t end with my experiment but continued like it has always done. I wasn¡¯t a mass murderer. There was that good news.


    I read Caden¡¯s communications for a few hours before I realized it wasn¡¯t me. We may have started out the same man, but we were two different people today. Caden White was greedy, selfish and driven to prove he was somebody. I¡ªI wasn¡¯t that man.


    ¡°Theia, what do I do? I can¡¯t go home. He¡¯s never been gone. Nobody mourned my death or my disappearance. This Caden has done everything I wanted to do. I¡¯m a nobody.¡±


    Theia popped onto my lap, startling me. ¡°No, Master. You are so much better than that man. You have accomplished more than he will ever accomplish in his life. You created me, Mana, El Dorado. You¡ªyou are the one I love. Not that man.¡±


    ¡°But¡ªTheia, I¡¯m an accident. A duplicate. I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°The man I love.¡±


    I rested my forehead on her shoulder and sobbed. My home was gone. My friends and family are lost to me forever else I destroy another man''s life.


    ¡°I¡ª,¡± I wiped my eyes dry and took a few deep breaths. ¡°I love you too, Theia. I¡¯ve been an idiot and so focused on getting my life back that I forgot to live in the moment. I¡¯ve been selfish and stupid. I guess I¡¯m not that different from this Caden in that respect. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Theia grabbed my face between her hands and turned my face up to look into her eyes. Then, she lowered her head and kissed me. My head spun as I took her mouth as mine and passionately kissed her back. I knew she wasn¡¯t here physically but damn it felt real. We kissed, cuddled and other things until I promptly fell asleep.


    To my credit, I was very stressed out.


    ###


    Theia and I continued where I left off the night before, and we didn¡¯t get back to talking until after breakfast.


    ¡°So, if there¡¯s Mana here, do they have magic?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can detect, but your history has many references to the Gods or aliens visiting the planet. Do you think¡ª¡±


    ¡°That they were talking about us?¡± I supplied.


    ¡°Yeah. I see no other explanation for Mana being present in this world unless you or I visited it sometime in the past.¡±


    ¡°Right. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re the one who created it or anything.¡±


    Theia giggled and snuggled up to me. ¡°Master, we both created it.¡±


    I chuckled, pinched her side, and she squirmed away from my hand. ¡°You¡¯re trying to blame me for what you did. I wonder why nobody in this world has noticed the Mana.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s there. I¡¯d have to get a closer scan of the world since we¡¯re so far out here but I can detect it¡¯s presence from within the Source.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s communicating?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s pleased we¡¯ve returned.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Pleased.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alive?¡±


    ¡°Caden¡­,¡± Theia blew out a frustrated breath, ¡°you know it¡¯s alive.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but it¡¯s never talked before.¡±


    ¡°Have you listened?¡±


    I opened my mouth and closed it again. ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t say that I spent much time talking to it.¡±


    ¡°I swear it must be a male thing. I always thought your books were exaggerating when it said men don¡¯t pay attention to important things around them.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I resent that! I just didn¡¯t think about¡ªFine. I admit I don¡¯t pay attention to silly things.¡±


    ¡°Like me?¡±


    ¡°What? No! I pay attention to you.¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t throw myself at you, you¡¯d have never kissed me.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªOkay, you got me there.¡±


    We joked back and forth for most of the morning trying to come down from my disappointment and our afterglow. I can¡¯t say, I didn¡¯t think about her not being human, but then again, I wasn¡¯t a real boy either. I gave up trying to figure out what I was around mid-day and just accepted the fact that I was alive and real.


    Nobody hailed our craft or even noticed our shuttle. Did I mention space was vast? Unless they visually saw our shuttlecraft or picked up energy readings, it would be nearly impossible to see a stationary object in the solar system. Theia and I were just happy to be with each other finally.


    ¡°Not to put a halt to our fun,¡± Theia said mid-day, ¡°but what do you want to do? No! Other than me. I swear you¡¯ve been more chaste for the last year than a monk and you have a filthy mind all of a sudden. I mean¡­we¡¯re here. Now what?¡±


    I leaned back in my chair while holding Theia¡¯s hand and assessed my life and my goals. The corner of my mouth quirked and I knew what I wanted to do.


    ¡°If they want Gods¡­why disappoint them? Let¡¯s go home.¡±

 Author Note

    I¡¯d like to thank you for reading, El Dorado, and supporting authors like myself. Without readers like yourself, worlds like this one would never be able to be created. If you liked this book and would like to see more adventures of Caden and Theia let me know at [email protected]</a>.


    I¡¯d like to thank the readers on RoyalRoad for your feedback. This book is the first draft of my book. I was still writing it when I first started publishing chapters, and your feedback helped me close out the story. I would like your feedback on the overall book. Please feel free to leave feedback here or email me at the email above. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Thank you so much. In the Scrivener copy of this book, I have dates listed in each chapter. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t add this feature on this publication, and I know it was hard to grasp the timeline in some places. Thanks for the feedback regarding this and I¡¯ll make sure I address during the editing process.


    Thanks again,


    David Price

 Another Book

    I started publishing, on RR, the second draft of my first book I''d ever written. I wrote the first draft of, The Mormon Agenda, in July and now that I''m done with El Dorado''s first draft, I''m going back to fix/edit and then publish. I''ve read hundreds of stories over the years and when I set out to start writing my own, I wanted to write books that made the readers think. I wanted readers to reconsider the way they viewed the genre and truth as we know it.


    The Mormon Agenda (Ko''lobian trilogy), took nearly a year of research before I wrote the first chapter. I learned a lot about writing and storytelling with that book. Unlike El Dorado, I''ve plotted out the next two books of that series. My goal was that you could Google any part of the story and find truth in the fiction. I''ve gone back and forth on the title of the book and when I publish it may change again but I encourage you to give it a read. Plus, it''s free here at RR. </img>Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Please keep following my stories and leave feedback. I have so many ideas for books that it''s hard not just skipping the re-writes and just kick out a new story, but alas, one day I hope to publish.


    I read every comment and answer every email. You all have been a great help.


    Thanks again,


    David Price