Armageddon Read online

  That was as frustrating as it was suspicious. Omnius had explained that the nanites were a last resort, far too deadly to risk bringing back to Avilon. In theory, the miniature machines wouldn’t affect the ecosystems of the worlds they infected, killing only Sythians and Gors, and disassembling only their artificial creations. Yet that did nothing to limit the damage they would do to a world like Avilon that was almost entirely artificial. Worse yet, shared DNA between humans and Sythians left them at equal risk of extinction. So whoever or whatever delivered the nanites to their targets, they would not be returning to Avilon.

  It wasn’t the way he’d been trained to think of war, with torpedoes and beam weapons flashing bright against shields until hulls peeled open like mechanical flowers. Using a microscopic army to do all the work was somewhat less than satisfying, and not being able to watch the action was even worse. It was… hollow, Hoff decided. A hollow victory.

  There came a knock at the door, and a wave of light invaded Hoff’s sanctuary. He turned and saw his wife, Destra, standing in the open doorway.

  “Atton is here,” she said.

  Hoff’s dark eyebrows lifted. “He’s early.”

  “He says he has an important announcement to make.”

  “Oh?”

  “Dinner’s about to be served, so we should go sit down.”

  Hoff nodded, turning off the star map and brightening the windows in his office with another mental command. His ARCs responded by minimizing the associated displays from his periphery until they were out of sight.

  Hoff took Destra’s hand on his way out and walked with her down the hall. The glossy white walls to either side of them came to an end as they reached a spiral staircase to the main floor. They descended the stairs into a bright, open-concept living area with another wall of floor-to-ceiling windows running along the breadth of it. Hoff saw his seven-year-old daughter, Atta, standing there, admiring the view with his elder stepson, Atton.

  Hoff went to join them, and Destra let go of his hand, heading to the kitchen. Appetizing smells of roasted meat and vegetables wafted from that direction. Across the bar, Hoff saw the family drone, Ninety-nine, busy putting the final touches on their dinner. Skinny, silvery arms and the drone’s red, cyclopean eye gave the family servant a forbidding look that didn’t sit well with Hoff, but it wasn’t as though they had other models to choose from, and they were lucky to even have a drone. Ever since Omnius had sent the drones away to fight the Sythians and to work on New Avilon, they’d become a much rarer sight.

  Walking past a shiny black dining table, Hoff looked up to admire the crystal chandelier hanging above it. Prismatic shapes shattered the light, casting off sparkling rainbows in all directions. Hoff walked up beside his stepson, Atton, and nodded to the view. Gilded light poured from the Celestial Wall above, simulating a real sunset with a gradient of red and gold light. Just below that air traffic raced in orderly lines, the cars’ hulls gleaming in the fading light. Looking down, Hoff saw several more levels of air traffic flowing like rivers against the distant blue haze of the Styx. They were over a hundred and eighty floors above the surface of Avilon.

  “Nice view, isn’t it?” Hoff said.

  Atton turned to him with a wry grin. “Nice? This is as good as it gets.”

  Hoff nodded appreciatively. Soon the traffic would disappear entirely as light from the Celestial Wall dimmed to its natural blue haze and Sync approached. No one in Etheria needed to sleep after they’d been resurrected by Omnius, but they did need to Sync the data in their Lifelink implants with the databases in the Trees of Life.

  Omnius used the data from their Lifelinks to predict any mistakes they might make in the coming day. Armed with that information, He told his children what to do to maintain their perfect world. But Sync was also necessary to create backups, just in case someone died too suddenly to transfer. Death was a rare event, however. The only Etherians who died were those who dared to venture into the crime-ridden chaos of the Null Zone. Most chose to avoid the danger entirely rather than risk going through the pain of death and the expense of resurrection.

  “Your mother said you have an announcement to make?”

  Atton turned to him with a cryptic smile. “Two announcements, actually, but they’re related.”

  “He won’t tell me anything,” Atta pouted.

  Hoff arched an eyebrow at her. “Kind of like how you won’t tell your mother and I anything?”

  “That’s different. We’re not supposed to talk about The Choosing.”

  Atta would be turning eight soon, and that meant she had to go through her Choosing Ceremony to decide whether to become a Null or to resurrect in a new, Immortal body and stay in Etheria with her family forever.

  Hoff regarded Atta with a smile. She might not be allowed to say anything, but he already knew what she would choose. She wasn’t foolish enough to become a Null. The prospect of going to a boarding school for years just so that she could learn how to scrape out a living in a world of crime and shadows wasn’t appealing to most people, and Atta was too smart to fall for either the libertarian view that humans should be free, or the old Etherian view that there was a better life waiting beyond this one.

  Hoff turned from Atta to face his son. “Back to your news—should I be breaking out a bottle of Avilon’s finest?”

  Atton grinned. “Mom already has.”

  “Dinner is served,” a robotic voice said.

  Hoff turned to see his wife and Ninety-nine come in from the kitchen carrying silver platters piled high with food. It was a feast.

  Once they were all seated and Ninety-nine finished bustling around the table to pour wine, and red berry juice for Atta, Atton raised his glass from the foot of the table and clinked his fork against it to get their attention. Hoff eyed his stepson speculatively, waiting for the news.

  “As you know, I’ve been working on special assignment in the Null Zone,” Atton began.

  Hoff nodded.

  “What you don’t know, is the reason for that assignment.”

  Ninety-nine momentarily blocked Atton from view as he leaned over the table to begin serving the food. Hoff watched the drone spoon out an extra helping of meat for Atton. Ninety-nine was trained to know their preferences.

  Atton went on, “After we lost the battle in Dark Space, I came home feeling lost and wondering what to do with myself.”

  Hoff could relate to that. All of the Peacekeepers could.

  “It occurred to me that the only reason I chose to become an Etherian was to join the Peacekeepers and fight the Sythians. After that was taken away from me, I found myself longing for the things I’d given up to be here.”

  “What things?” Destra asked quickly, defensively.

  Hoff’s brow furrowed and he, too, began wondering what Atton meant by that.

  “Love, for one. I spent the night before The Choosing with a woman named Ceyla Corbin, a pilot from my old squadron. The next day she chose to become a Null, while I chose to go to Etheria.”

  Hoff began to suspect where this was going, but he didn’t understand. Relationships between Nulls and Etherians never worked. Only Etherians were allowed to cross the Styx, and their visits were limited. People couldn’t share a life together with a physical wall separating them.

  Atton went on, “I begged Omnius to give me another chance, to help me convince Ceyla that I’m still the same person I was before the Choosing. She believes that we have a soul and that it passes on when we die, or in my case, transfers to the body of an immortal clone. Because of that, she told me even before I ascended that she wouldn’t want to see me after I was resurrected. She’d already made up her mind that the real me would die during transfer, and all that would be left is a convincing copy. So, I made a deal with Omnius to win Ceyla’s heart without her realizing who I am. In exchange, I’ve been working undercover in the Null Zone to help prevent an organized Null rebellion.”

  “Go on,” Hoff said.

  “Well, Ceyla and I
have been dating for the past six months, and—”

  “No,” Destra said.

  “Mom, just listen.”

  Destra shook her head. “You can’t become a Null, Atton! For the love of a woman? What about us? What about Omnius? Etheria? Don’t throw away an eternity in paradise for a love that you could just as easily find with someone else—someone from the Uppers!”

  Hoff watched Atton’s green eyes flash and his features darken. “I’ve already made up my mind. Tomorrow, on our six-month anniversary, I’m going to ask Ceyla to marry me.”

  “I suppose you’ve come to ask for our blessing,” Destra said, sounding equal parts hurt and angry.

  “That would be nice to have, but no, I’ve come to share the good news with you, and to ask you all to come down and meet Ceyla in the Null Zone—assuming she agrees to marry me of course.”

  “Go down there?” Destra sounded frightened at the very thought of it.

  “We’ll meet somewhere safe,” Atton said.

  “There isn’t anywhere safe! That’s why we have a shield to keep them away from us!”

  Hoff raised his hands for quiet. As he lowered them, he found Destra’s knee under the table and he squeezed it just hard enough to convey a warning. “I’m curious, how did Omnius help you win this woman’s heart without her realizing who you are?”

  “That’s the other surprise I came to share. Brace yourselves; this might come as a shock…”

  Dinner sat steaming on their plates, rapidly cooling, but no one moved to touch their food. All eyes were on Atton, waiting for something unexpected to happen. Then, suddenly, Atton’s features shimmered and morphed from the green eyes, dark hair, and oval face of the boy they knew, to the face of a complete stranger. Golden eyes replaced green; brown hair replaced black; and gaunt cheeks and sharply-defined features replaced his boyish good looks. Atton’s new appearance was sinister, though Hoff supposed others might have said he looked dangerous.

  Beside him, Destra gasped, but Hoff smiled with sudden understanding. “A bio-synthetic suit.”

  Atton nodded. “Yes.” Even his voice was different. “Unfortunately, a bio-synthetic suit isn’t enough to fool someone who lives with you. That degree of intimacy leaves considerable room for failure, and I couldn’t afford for Ceyla to see through my disguise too soon.”

  “Atton, what did you do?” Destra asked, sounding horrified.

  “The face you saw a moment ago, the face of Atton, was the one projected by the suit. This one is real. It’s the face of Darin Thardris, the estranged grandson of Vladin Thardris.”

  “You transferred to another body?” Destra said.

  “Can I do that?” Atta asked.

  “No,” Hoff replied, his eyes narrowing on his daughter. “You’re already perfect the way you are.” To Atton he said, “Have you thought about what will happen when Ceyla finds out who you really are and that you’ve been lying to her all this time?”

  “I’m going to tell her tomorrow, before I propose. She’ll either accept me for who I really am… or not.”

  “She might need some time to think about it,” Hoff said.

  “Probably, but I’m prepared to wait as long as she needs.”

  “She might also say no,” he warned. “It’s a big deception.”

  Atton appeared to consider that. “I lied to be with her, not to hurt her. She’s smart enough to understand the difference.”

  Hoff sighed. Destra looked ready to say something more, but he squeezed her knee again. “Well, If you’re sure, then we’re sure, Atton. It might be premature to say, but—” Hoff raised his wine glass. “—congratulations.” Everyone else raised their glass for the toast—everyone except for Destra.

  “Thank you, Hoff. Mom? Are you okay?”

  Hoff saw her staring out the windows at nothing in particular, her lips pressed into a stubborn line. He knew that look.

  Atton frowned and rose from the table. “I think maybe I’d better come back another day.”

  “Destra, darling…” Hoff began.

  Then she rose from the table, too, and rounded on her son. “You’re a foolish, foolish boy! You expect me to be happy that you’re leaving us? You won’t even be able to visit us anymore!”

  “Hopefully Ceyla will agree to ascend to Etheria, and then we’ll all be together.”

  “Then why didn’t she do so sooner? You said it yourself, she believes we have a soul, and that hasn’t changed. Her beliefs will keep her where she is until she dies and leaves you a grieving widower.” Atton looked uncertain. “Have you considered what you’ll be giving up? Or the risk you’ll be taking with your life? If you choose to go to the Null Zone now, you’ll become a target. You won’t age, and you don’t look like them. You’re too perfect. Right now it’s suspicious, but once people get to know you, they’ll realize you don’t belong.”

  “I can look after myself.”

  “Let’s suppose you can. And that Ceyla can, and that everything works out just fine. Twenty years from now she’ll be looking old already, and you’ll still be young and handsome. How do you think that ends up? It ends up with you looking after an old crone.”

  “Love goes beyond the surface,” Atton insisted.

  “But not beyond death! There’s a reason marriage vows used to read till death do us part.”

  Atton smirked at that. “And now they read, until this contract expires. What does your marriage contract read, Mom? Ten years? Twenty? It’s the same thing.”

  “That’s none of your business, Atton. The point is, your marriage is doomed to failure one way or another, and in the meantime you’ll run the very real risk that someone kills you out of spite. Omnius won’t bring you back after that, not after you’ve chosen to become a Null and live apart from Him.”

  Atton threw his hands up. “Don’t you think I already know all of that? Omnius has already tried to change my mind.”

  Destra snorted. “So why didn’t you listen?”

  Hoff rose from the table now, too. “I think we should all agree to discuss this at another time. Atton, I’ll show you out. I’m sorry that your news wasn’t the cause for celebration you thought it would be, but…” Hoff glanced at his wife, and she turned her scowl on him. “Your mother is right.”

  “Thank you!” she replied.

  “But even though I don’t agree with your decision I still support it. If it’s what you really want, you have a right to make that choice. In fact, all of Avilon is built on that premise. The Null Zone wouldn’t even exist if not for Omnius saying the exact same thing to all of us—that we are allowed to choose to go our own way, even if that way is dangerous. If He allows for us to live apart from Him, then we should allow for you to live apart from us. We’ll visit you in the Null Zone. I can’t promise that it will be very often, but you will still get to see us.”

  Atton nodded. “Thank you. Mom…”

  Destra had her arms crossed over her chest, and she refused to reply.

  “She’ll come around.” Hoff crossed from the head of the table to the foot and wrapped an arm around Atton’s shoulders to guide him out. Once they reached the door and they had some privacy, Hoff whispered, “Be careful, Atton.”

  “I will. Dark Space wasn’t safe either. I know how to look after myself.”

  Hoff frowned. “No, it’s not that. It’s Omnius.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He gives us a choice to live free as Nulls, but I’m pretty sure he still has his ways of influencing people in the Null Zone. It’s in his best interests for the place to look dangerous and oppressive from up here.”

  Atton cocked his head curiously, and Hoff couldn’t help seeing the head of a stranger. Darin Thardris.

  “You have proof of something?” Atton asked.

  “Not everyone who lives in the Null Zone lives there because they believe we have a soul. Most of them just don’t trust Omnius, and they want to be free to make their own choices. So why is it that none of them have thought to
start cloning themselves and using Lifelinks to transfer to clones when they die? Or for that matter, why haven’t the Nulls figured out how to engineer their DNA for immortality the way Omnius does with Etherians and Celestials?”

  Atton shook his head. “All of that’s against the law in the Null Zone. The government is too religious to support those kinds of measures.”

  “Exactly! But it’s a democracy, isn’t it? Try asking Nulls what they think of those laws, and you’ll begin to wonder about a lot of things. Nulls aren’t as free as they think they are. Do you remember the battle in Dark Space?”

  “Yes.”

  “The Sythians shouldn’t have been able to see us coming. We were cloaked, but somehow they had developed scanners that could penetrate our cloaking shields. I think Omnius knew they could see us, and he didn’t tell us. I tried to warn the Grand Overseer that something was wrong with the way the Sythians were behaving, but he wouldn’t listen. It was almost as though he wanted to shut me up.”

  Atton’s glowing golden eyes seemed to flare suddenly brighter with Hoff’s treasonous words. “You could get into a lot of trouble for telling me all of that. It’s bad enough just to think it.”

  “I already am in trouble, Atton.”

  “Then telling me is making it worse.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself. There are too many things on Avilon that don’t make sense, and if you’re going to go live in the Null Zone, where Omnius has ways to conveniently silence dissenting voices, then you’d better have your eyes wide open.”

  “I appreciate the warning, but I think you’re jumping at shadows. You should have more faith. You’re a strategian. You should know better.”

  Hoff’s lip twitched at the rebuke, and he sighed. “Maybe you’re right. I hope you are. I’ll have to repent of my doubts tonight. Forget I said anything.”

  Atton grabbed both his shoulders and squeezed. “I don’t want you to get into any trouble on my account.”

  “Why are you in trouble, Dad?” a soft, girlish voice interrupted.

  Hoff turned to see Atta hiding behind a plant in the far corner of the foyer. She’d heard everything. Hoff’s eyes widened. “Atta! What are you doing here?”