‘Why did you wake me then?’
‘Many systems have failed. I was only able to wake you, Professor, due to your security clearance. Each facility cannot cope with the heat building outside. I am programmed to protect all life. However, I cannot make the… final choice.’
Despite the heat, Oracle’s words were like icicles stabbing my insides.
‘All I require is the code.’
‘Twelve billion people are in cryogenic stasis across the entire world.’ I shuddered. ‘Twelve billion people, Oracle.’
‘It is the…’ Oracle paused ‘… humane decision.’
‘They wouldn’t listen in time…’ I said, wringing my hands. ‘We told them. For generations we showed the evidence. Relentless red-tape, lies and falsehoods used to maintain control. Report after report, experiment after experiment…’
Oracle’s eye-clusters flexed and nodded solemnly while my fury blazed against our ancient society. I blamed everyone – from politicians to scientists to the public themselves. No one escaped my wrath. When I slumped, sweating and delirious into a chair, an idea – the idea – soothed my scolded mind.
‘I await your input,’ the A.I. said.
I remembered the woman’s face in stasis: the complacence etched upon her face, a chilling reflection of our ancient culture. ‘Can they learn, even now?’
‘Tell me the code and–’
‘Oracle,’ I said. ‘How long can the population survive within each facility? What resources do we have left in storage?’
‘Enough to sustain three generations – I estimate over two thirds will starve and die.’
‘The bare essentials,’ I said, my finger still circling the button. Not pressing it would be too easy, leaving the majority of humanity in an endless slumber, whereas giving Oracle the termination code was too difficult to consider.
‘Humanity will awaken to a living hell if you press it.’
‘And if I don’t?’ I retorted.
I gazed out at the once immaculate cities now in ruins, hollow remnants of the old world awaiting repopulation. Soon they would be humanity’s new home.
‘They must face the consequences.’ I sighed, caressing the button’s rigid surface. ‘I promised to wake them at the proper time.’
Although humanity would re-emerge to establish their Neo-Paradise the celebrations would soon turn to ashes. It was time for the leadership and populace to rebuild society, their time to try and undo the pain centuries of corruption and complacence had caused. The embers of a speech flickered across my tongue as I prepared to broadcast across the world.
I pushed the button.
the end About the author
Tim Gayda has been a passionate writer since first putting pen to paper as a young child. Over the years, he has enjoyed the challenge of writing fiction and transferring his imaginary worlds to the written word. After successfully getting his first short story printed, Tim now hopes to get more stories published in the future.
The Button was highly commended in the Fire and Ice competition.
ALL THE KING’S MEN
Katie Lewis
The Mechs said we’d be Paired for a while: me, to grow the genetic augmentations, and her to unlock them for the Supergrown. The first day was tests, to ensure we were compatible. They started the extraction and implementation process on the second. It was always bad for the Carriers. Indeed, when the Mechs went for their break, she was sweating, shivering and, notwithstanding the ban on music, singing at an increasingly loud volume. Even her curly red hair seemed limp.
‘Hey,’ she croaked when she saw me looking. ‘Th-this kinda sucks. F-Fancy distracting me?’ I hesitated. ‘Please?’
I walked towards her. ‘Someone,’ I said, ‘didn’t wash behind her ears today.’
She gasped as I pulled my memento from her ear. ‘You do magic?’
‘I used to.’ I reached for her other ear but she grabbed my hand, and promptly dropped it.
‘You’re freezing!’
I smirked. ‘Never touch a Donor before?’
‘You’re all like that?’
‘Keeps the augmentations stable.’
‘Huh.’ She hesitated, looking at my hand longingly. ‘Did me grabbing it hurt?’
‘I’m used to it.’ After a second, I held out my hand, ignoring the burning sensation as she took it.
‘Thanks.’ She sighed in relief. ‘I’m Ivy, by the way.’
‘Ellis.’
‘Ellis,’ she repeated, low voice melodic. A spasm wracked her. Fingers branded my flesh.
‘That song you sang,’ I said quickly. ‘What was it?’
‘Hu-Humpty Dumpty.’
‘What’s it mean?’
‘D-dunno. It’s from before.’ She took a breath. ‘It’s kkinda sad though. Everyone failing like that.’
‘At least they tried.’
‘True. B-But I always imagine the king’s men, having to decide he’s beyond saving and moving on.’ She licked her lips. ‘H-how d’you make a decision like that?’
‘Maybe they had others to save?’
‘Maybe.’ Blue eyes darkened for a second. Another spasm. ‘W-why do they have to torture us?’
I stilled, heart thumping. ‘That’s dangerous.’
‘S-sometimes, I don’t think I care. Supergrowns are monsters.’
‘I… maybe.’
She smiled. ‘You’re not as party-line as you pretend, are you?’ When I shrugged, she surprised me by bringing my hand to burning lips and kissing it. Blue eyes looked at me, feverish.
The door opened.
I made it on to my gurney in the nick of time.
We passed in the Exposure later. She smiled, which my minder noticed. Quickly, I said it was my fault: I’d pulled a funny face. It earned me a baton to the back. When I straightened, she’d gone.
‘That coulda gotten you a worse punishment you know.’
‘I know.’ I knew better than to rub my back.
Jeb grunted. ‘Don’t blame you. Pretty, that one.’
I looked at him sharply. ‘I’m not–’
‘Not accusing you. Just commenting.’
I said nothing.
The feeling of burning lips on flesh haunted me all night.
She coped better with the injections the next day but when the Mechs went for their break, she held her hand out. I took it; she smiled.
‘You,’ she croaked, ‘aren’t as mean as everyone says.’
I shrugged, though I felt uneasy.
‘Why’d you take the blame yesterday anyway?’
‘Jeb’s a softy,’ I said. ‘He’s been my minder for years.’
‘Lucky. Sara’s mean.’
‘I know.’
She seemed surprised. Then she laughed and tugged me forwards, this time to brush my cheek with her lips. It added to my dreams that night.
We continued that way for weeks – soft conversations in breaks of varying lengths, fingers entwined, heat brushing skin. I realised quickly that she was brash and open, to the point of danger. She was kind and cheerful but beneath her laughter, there was a deep well of bitterness. Sometimes, I thought she grasped for me simply to anchor herself.
I let her talk, but I was concerned at the statements she made. She felt especially strongly about the frequent Donor and Carrier arrests. Sometimes, she talked of escape.
People listen, I said, to explain my reluctance to discuss it. People tried to trick others.