The small, fast ship Jaldeja chose brought Katya and himself to Earth quickly, the trip
passing without a word between the two, lost in their own thoughts. Their only other
companions had been the dark shadows of planets that continued to orbit the bloated red
star, continuing their set courses even as it engulfed them.
Now, as they approach the planet at last, Kat feels a sensation of vertigo as they plummet
carelessly through the atmosphere. Passing over the darkness of the night side, they meet
oncoming dawn, red light and shadow exploding across the surface beneath them. Kat
feels herself pressed against her chair as the deceleration rockets fire, closing her eyes as
the surface rushes towards them. A jolt, then the weight that had been pressing her is
gone.
Breathing deeply, she listens as the door opens- a breeze blows in that smells of the sea-
listening closer, she can hear its eternal sound. She feels herself smiling- she doesn’t
want to but can’t help it. Soon, she knows, this part of her existence will be over. She
listens again to the endless oblivion of sound that belongs to the sea- getting up, she joins
Jal in the doorway. She can see the ocean now, waves to the horizon- over it the vast, red
sun whose image dances on the crest of the waves. Even if Jal didn’t succeed, the Earth
was going to die and humanity with it. Their Creator, it seemed, was finished with them,
and it only remained for the final equations to balance before it all ended.
Stepping out, Kat sees gentle rolling hills, clouds moving distantly on the horizon, sending
lightning between themselves and the ground below. Jal steps out after her, his body
producing the more complex chemicals he needs to breathe.
Then, over the hills, comes a scream- Kat isn’t sure- it might just be another harmony in
the wind. Jal’s expression takes on an unknowable, empty cast as he touches Katya’s
shoulder, motioning her to follow. Kat looks after him for a moment, his look giving her a
moment’s pause, then, glancing at the ocean, she follows the path he is making in the
damp, waist high grass.
The scream continues, now definitely the sound of someone in terror, several others
joining it in a chorus. Kat shifts her weapon from her back to her hands, glancing at Jal
whose pace is unhurried but determined.
Cresting the hill, a valley spreads out before them, a small village at its center. A narrow
river winds through the valley, running through a patchwork of fields until it flows through
the village, spreading out into a delta of streams before entering the sea. A great waterfall
marks the river’s entrance into the valley, curtains of mist moving slowly across the land,
catching the light of the sun.
Kat stands frozen, not noticing the first drops of rain, not moving even as it turns into a
torrent that moves in veils through the valley. Beyond the base of the hill, in the village
square, in the fields, outside many of the homes stand creatures that exist nowhere in her
knowledge or imagination. They all had different faces, bodies, differing types and
numbers of arms, eyes, tentacles, but she can tell they are the same by the utter lack of
expression or emotion as they go about their tasks- if they had any countenance at all, it
was one of detached eagerness, like an insect devouring its prey. Turing her head, she
sees that Jal’s expression looks the same.
One of the creatures drags a man out of a hut- he’s catatonic with fear until it begins to
dissect him with tentacles tipped with sharp metal, piercing several parts of his body at
once- then he struggles horribly as other biomachines move in to pin him down with
barbed tentacles. Other parts of his body are removed or partially removed, all of this done
with a graceful, fluidic motion.
Something begins emerging from the ground behind the creature performing the
dissection. The rain is still pouring, but the sun emerges from behind the clouds, bathing
all in its dull red light- light that is caught in the clear, flat surfaces of the object coming
from the ground- a crystal, whose tip is sharp and bright in the mist of rain. It continues to
grow until it’s only a few feet behind the biomachine, then thrusts forward suddenly to
impale it.
All semblance of sentience leaves the machine as it fights to free itself, tearing partially
away before weakening- feet pawing the ground, head moving side to side uncertainly
before becoming still.
Other biomachines nearby don’t react- they simply continue on their rampage, tossing the
limp body of the man aside as if they’ve grown tired of it. Others of their kind stand away,
their tentacles ending in rapidly changing arrays of telepathic sensors, recording it all. Kat
notices that some of the sensors are pointed toward them.
Kat then looks down at her weapons, a distant part of herself horrified that it hasn’t
occurred to her to use it. Raising the weapon, she feels it being forced down- Jal has
placed his hand on the barrel. Kat glares at him, but Jal only shakes his head sadly.
Stepping back, Katya draws her fist back, driving it deeply into Jal’s stomach, doubling him
over. Kat strikes him again in the face, feeling his nose break under her fist and knocking
him to the ground.
“Wait,” says Jal as Kat moves toward him again. “Look.”
Kat doesn’t turn until she hears a low groaning sound behind her- turning, she sees one of
the machines has been engulfed in rock and is slowly being crushed, it’s tentacles lashing
at the rock uselessly. The ground is moving like the sea, throwing Kat off her feet- all at
once the remaining biomachines are swallowed by the earth.
Overhead the sun begins to darken, a black disc moving slowly across its light. Turning,
Kat raises her fist again.
“No,” says Jal. “He’s waiting.” He pauses to spit out blood. “Waiting in that building over
there- help me up- there isn’t much time”.
Slowly, Kat unclenches her hand, holding it out in front of her. Jal grasps it, hauling himself
up. Together, the two of them make their way to the building.
The door is open and they see Siah leaning against one of the smooth white walls for
support. Tom and other priests lay at his feet covered in blood, open eyes staring at
nothing. It’s quiet now, with no sound but the rain falling and the sea. A wind starts to rise,
making a low moan through the open windows- looking out, Kat sees the sun’s light has
been become a sullen haze as its luminescence is blocked by the approaching planet.
Siah looks up as they approach. “It’s getting dark,” he says, walking toward the window.
Kat kneels down over Thomas, putting her hand on his cheek, withdrawing it when she
feels the cold, inert flesh.
Siah turns to watch her. “Yes, he’s dead. They all are, here and everywhere else on this
world- or they soon will be. I tried to stop them, but their terror was too strong. Katya, why
couldn’t you have stayed with me? What he’s done here wouldn’t have been possible
without you- I might have accomplished so much more with you here.”
Katya doesn’t answer, but looks out over the fields to the hills- dark shapes are gathering
there- more of Jal’s creations. They stand unmoving, antennae sprouting from their
exteriors, pointing toward the village.
Kat feels Jal standing beside her and moves away.
“They won’t come any closer,” he says. “They’re here to record what happens next.”
Siah looks upward to the planet spinning across the disc of the sun. “Those legions of
your mind that live there,” he says, looking up at it. There is a terrible red flash from the
sun that floods the entire landscape with light. The small group closes their eyes and turns
away.
Opening his eyes, Jal sees Siah regarding him sadly. “Those legions are dead now,” Siah
says plainly, “just as your soul is reflected in your world, mine is reflected in this one, even
beyond. The sun and the planets are my body and mind.
Jal looks back at Siah, smiling, and sits on the floor, leaning against the cool wall. He lets
out a ragged sigh, his eyes becoming moist. He looks up at Siah and Kat again, as if just
remembering they were there. He laughs. “I’m sorry,” he says, drying his eyes quickly. “I- I
just didn’t think it would turn out so well. It’s over, and I can-“ he stands up, looking out the
window. “- I can go now.” He laughs again. “You don’t get it, do you? Neither of you gets
it.” Looking out the window, he sees his machines, sensors still deployed.
“When your solar flare struck- everyone on my world was dead already. They were
genetically modified to die as soon as their world left it’s orbit- their souls made up the final
components of the weapon that will destroy the Steppe- its shockwave is approaching. My
world will collide with this one and all the minds that made the God of Man real will be
gone. Then the shock wave will hit, and the weakened God will die- the reality that
coalesced around it that imprisoned every age of humanity will die. You thought I was
coming to take your world- you don’t know me and never did- you’re not my nemesis- I’m
yours.”