2400 AD

The first drone, a craft that looked like and imitated a Bee, hovered directly in front of the entrance and waited for the command.

Krakat and his Android soldiers approached and stopped 500 meters from the entrance. Any closer and the bomb would probably kill them all. A second drone, similar in shape, followed and waited 200 meters behind the first.

Krakat turned his back on the drones the moment he said the word.

“Deploy.”

When the dust cleared, the first AIR bomb dented the doors. The second drone came forward and hovered in the same spot.

“Deploy.”

The second bomb increased the damage, but it was clear that no bomb could penetrate the twenty-foot concrete doorway. They would need a stronger force.

A force so great it would scare divinity itself.

A force so horrific that to contemplate its use would be unwise.

A force designed to pulverize anything and everything in a 3km radius. The black hole bomb. The stuff of nightmares and incredible beauty.

And Xenocon didn’t possess that force.

Krakat addressed Gideon with victory in his voice. “You need to ask yourself only one question. Do you want to be remembered as the man responsible for the deaths of four thousand people for the sake of saving two children?”

***

Gideon flinched. He stared menacingly at Krakat. His eyes deep with hate and loathing. The most important factor in this equation were the children. He had none of his own, but he too had been a child. He understood a child’s need for protection and unconditional love. Al the rest fell by the wayside. If he gave them up to Krakat and Xenocon, they would be dead within the year. Xenocon did not understand their power. If he refused Krakat’s demand, thousands of people will die. The children held the power to stop the destruction of the planet. He couldn’t afford to hand them over.

Krakat spoke. ’I haven’t got all day, Gideon. All it takes is one word from me and your facility will be just a memory.”

Gideon nudged Tumelo and took him aside. “Deploy the shield.”

“It will drain our energy source, sir,” Tumelo said. “Without cool air we won’t last a week.”

“We have back-up generators,” Nkoni said.

“Without electro energy, the generators won’t work,” Tumelo said.

“Deploy the shield, Tumelo,” Gideon repeated.

“Yes, sir.”

Gideon turned to Nkoni. “Get Terces and his force ready. Use the elevators. Deploy all of our drones. Strike them from behind. Hit back with the AIR bombs.”

Callum listened to these instructions and his thoughts went contrary to full-scale battle. Being a military man himself, he understood the power of negotiation. He also understood that negotiation could save time.

“There are three ways to deal with this,” he said. “Negotiation, diversion or The Black Hole bomb.”

Nkoni didn’t like the idea one bit. “You cannot negotiate with an Android. He has instructions. Krakat will destroy once we hand over the children. What kind of diversion are we talking about? The BHB will destroy the entire city”

Just as he uttered those words, a loud crack jarred the facility. The foundations trembled and elevators came tumbling down. Denizen was plunged into darkness and they could hear the screams of helpless fear. Steel columns and slabs of concrete cracked open, some broke away from the building and plunged 100 stories.

The back-up generators immediately came online.

Then the damage reports came in.

Vent Tower 18, 28, 32 and 43 were damaged and had stopped working.

The circadian system had been hit and was out of order.

The main waterline had cracked and water flooded the facility from the bottom.

No deaths or injuries were reported.

Gideon sent out all available technicians and engineers to the trouble spots to begin repairing the damage when the monitors came back to life.

All hell had broken loose on the surface.

Krakat had deployed an air bomb and the shield had protected the facility from major structural damage.

“Tumelo, shield resistance?”

“It’s down to 60% sir.”

“Callum, what kind of diversion are we talking about? We have to immobilize that black hole bomb.”

***

Suiderland’s face filled the screen. A face that sickened Gideon. Here was the face of a coward and murderer, but Callum’s plan might just work.

“You ready to hand over those kids, Gideon?” he asked with a victorious smile on his face.

Gideon didn’t smile. His face taut with tension.

“Are you really prepared to murder thousands of civilians for two children, Suiderland?” he asked.

“Absolutely. Their blood is on your hands. History will note that you were unable to protect them and soon, all of Denizen, worldwide, will be no more. The citizens of this world will annihilate you.”

Gideon turned to Callum. “There is no need for any of this. I’ll give you the children if you instruct Krakat to stand down.”

“Not going to happen.”

“You tell him to stand down. Send his troops packing. Remove the AIR bomb drones and the children are yours. We are preparing them as we speak. If you don’t comply, the children stay and we deploy every weapon we have available to rain down hell on your men.”

“Show me the children.”

Gideon turned to Tumelo and nodded.

The monitor showed Jacob and Thespian standing together, holding hands. They had been cleaned and dressed in white coveralls and helmets. They stood before the main entrance with an unarmed man behind them, waiting for instructions to open the door.

“Why are they wearing helmets? Take them off, “ Suiderland instructed.

“Impurities in the air. Callum, remove their helmets.”

Callum stepped forward and removed the helmets.

“Satisfied?”

“Just one other thing,” Suiderland smiled again. “You come with them.”

Gideon silently contemplated this horrific suggestion. Suiderland’s negotiation skills lacked honor, but Gideon had known this for a long time.

Nkoni and several others voiced their disagreement but Gideon knew that if he went with, he’d be saved somehow. Callum would see to that.

“Yes. I’ll come too.”

The monitor went dead.

A few moments later Tumelo pointed at the main screen. The AIR bomb turned and floated back to its holding station.

Krakat made a circle in the air with one finger and his Androids retreated.

***

Gideon prepared himself for the worst. He would never be allowed to return to Denizen 1. They would probably take his memories, use their machinery to give him another identity. Force him to work for them like before.

Alone in the elevator, he looked down on the facility and stood in awe of all they had achieved. From a humble crowd of twenty ex-Xenocon employees, to a Pyramid city with over 4000 inhabitants and every amenity available.

If anything, he would be remembered for this.

The entrance was the size of two football fields where aircraft and transportation bays had been built. It also served as the drone docking station.

He climbed into a hover-buggy, a two seater, open vehicle and headed for the entrance where he met with Callum and the children.

“It’s a small setback, Callum.”

“You sure our diversion worked?”

“He thinks these are the kids. I was a little worried when he insisted they remove their helmets, but all my fears drained away when he said he was satisfied.”

“He doesn’t know what they look like. I told you it would work.”

“Good thinking, now let’s get this over with. Tumelo, open the doors.”

The door clunked and hissed and slowly opened, then Gideon instructed Tumelo to put into play the anti-simulation program he had written many years back as a staff member of Xenocon.

The doors opened wide and suddenly, out of nowhere, a loud explosion filled the air and a wave of hot energy fell over the Androids. They dropped as one to the ground. Some battled to get up, then dropped again as a second wave hit them and they disappeared into the ether.

Callum shoved the children into the buggy and it sped off towards the main elevator to return them to their parents. He purposefully suggested using different children in case the plan backfired. Still, there was no excuse for his reasoning. Placing any child in this kind of danger was not the most honorable thing he’d done. But it was the most logical.

After pushing the children into the buggy, Callum turned to scream victoriously with Gideon, but Gideon wasn’t there. As the door closed he saw Gideon outside, walking towards Krakat.

Callum called out for Tumelo to stop the doors from closing, but Tumelo ignored him.

“Sorry, Callum. The boss wanted it this way.”

Callum paced about in a circle and waved his hands. “What way?”

“He told me...”

“Fuck what he told you, Tumelo. Open the fucking door!”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Gideon! Come in Gideon! What the hell is going on?”

Callum’s communicator crackled and Gideon’s voice came through, albeit feint.

“It’s the only way, Callum. There are too many lives at stake. Denizen 1 must survive. I’m just one man. If I don’t go, Suiderland’s Androids and weapons will return, stronger and more fearful than this time. I can’t risk that.”

“Jesus, Commander. Come back for fuck sake. We can deal with anything they throw at us. Just come back, please.”

But the communication line went dead and Callum knew that Gideon wasn’t there anymore.

Callum fell to his knees and hit the concrete floor with his fists. He couldn’t stop himself. He screamed out several times and it echoed throughout the great entrance.