The New Humans

Chapter 39

He sat with his back resting against the wall. His body was split in two from chest to navel, and he could see his innards. He was covered in blood, not only where he had been struck, but also on his arms, legs, feet, and hands.

He was dead. Not yet, of course, but soon; with all the blood he had lost, his brain would stop working. Mr. Feynman was immobilized, Crane leaning over to analyze him with the attention of a biologist.

Ash could no longer keep his eyes open. He felt increasingly cold and was overwhelmed by drowsiness. He tried as well as he could to remain vigilant, but after a few seconds he fainted. He was in darkness, in a place without sound or perceptions. Suddenly a light and then a voice: "Get up, Ash."

Where did that raspy voice come from? It was a voice that Ash recognized; but no, it couldn't be real.

Images of Rachel, Owen, and Herbert passed through his mind. Would they die too? No, Ash could not die; they still needed him. And anyhow, he didn't want to die; he still had so much to live for.

This thought alone gave him new energy. But these things were not possible. And why not though? How many impossible things had Ash seen and done up to then? When he opened his eyes again, his wounds had already healed. He moved his fingers as if to reawaken them from torpor and felt a new strength in his legs that allowed him to get to his feet.

He went to Crane without any fear. Crane became aware of him, and for the first time Ash had the impression that the man was amazed at something.

"What the . . . ?"

Crane took the rifle and tried to shoot again. Ash saw the jet of plasma coming at him, but with a rapid movement he crouched down and avoided it. Crane tried to strike him again, but the weapon was empty now. He pulled blades from his forearms and slashed at him, but Ash was able to avoid the first two thrusts.

Crane launched a violent blow at his chest. Instead of evading it, Ash grabbed both blades with his bare hands. Crane tried to push them against him, but Ash held the blades off without changing his expression. Blood dripped from his palms, but he felt no pain. He broke the blades and kicked Crane in the belly, landing him ten yards away.

Crane's eyes were wide. "I can't believe it. You have the same powers as Luther. You are immortal!"

He went on the attack again. He punched him, but Ash avoided him, causing him to crash against the golden wall. Ash replied with a blow that detached the shoulder of the enhancing suit. Crane attacked him like a fury with dozens of fast shots that Ash deflected with karate moves.

Ash backed away, not realizing he was at the edge of the precipice.

Crane tried to push him over, but Ash made a somersault jump right over him and landed on Mr. Feynman's head. Crane's eyes widened.

"Don't hurt him too much, Mr. Feynman."

Fire burst out of Mr. Feynman like a river in flood. Ash covered his eyes, a cry mingling with the roar of the flames.

When it had abated, Ash checked on what remained of Crane. Nothing? No, that was impossible; the jet must have pushed him down. He leaned over the precipice, but he couldn't find him. Crane couldn't have survived such a fall. Or could he?

All of a sudden, he started feeling tired. He collapsed to the ground, as if he had lost all the magical influx which had allowed him to fight Crane. He laid there, his head resting on the floor. Even if he'd wanted to, he would not have been able to stand up.

Then he heard light steps and found himself looking at the hem of a purplish red tunic.

"Well done, Ash," said a voice as if was coming out of an amplifier. It was Albert.

"Where did you come from?" Ash asked.

"This city has many secret passages that a human would never find," he said. "Although I must admit, for a human being, you're not bad at all."

"Thanks—even though I'm not exactly a human being," Ash said.

"I don't know, you're all the same to me. What makes a human being 'human?'"

Ash was too tired to start another philosophical discussion with a robot, and he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. "Congratulations on the timing anyway; you've been a great help."

"Even if I had arrived earlier, I would not have been able to help you," he said. "I'd give you a hand to sit up, but you know I can't."

Better that way. Ash wanted to lie still for a moment. "Crane was here for the vase with the ouroboros," he said.

"Yes, I know everything. The other savants and I have been keeping an eye on you since you came in. You did very well."

"Thanks," said Ash.

"Don't rest on your laurels," Albert told him. "You still have to save your friends. You only have thirty minutes."

Ash tried to rise, but he fell to the ground. "I can't—I can't do it."

"Of course you can," said Albert. "You're almost there. It's when you are just a step away from victory that you're most fatigued, and it's precisely at that moment that you need to make the most important effort."

"But I'll never arrive in time," said Ash.

"We'll give you a suit to help you."

Ash heard squeaking noises coming from the shadows. An enhancing suit without an operator emerged and walked forward until it stopped in front of Ash. It was vivid blue, without a scratch. It was holding a glue gun, and this too seemed just out of the factory.

Ash pushed himself with his arms and managed to lift his chest. Then he pushed with his legs and got to his feet but ended up falling onto the suit. It supported him, though, and helped him to remain standing. Ash walked around and opened the back with one click, like a window; he slipped his legs, arms and head inside it and instantly felt like the strongest man in the world.

"Have you ever fired a glue gun?" Albert asked.

"I practiced a little while ago," Ash said.

"Good luck, then." He then took the black ball out of a sleeve and gave it to him. "This is yours."

Ash smiled as he accepted the ball. Then he got Mr. Feynman up and ran to the exit with it. He arrived at the elevator and went through the entire tunnel to return to Earth. When the shuttle stopped, Ash found himself in the bunker where he'd started. In it were the bodies of the men who had fallen from the city of savants. It seemed to Ash that Crane was missing, but he took only a quick look around —there was no time to tarry.

He went out into the open sea. He could breathe underwater with the suit and swam at the speed of a shark.

He arrived at the Island of rats. He ran through the trash until he got to the blades. Why weren't they working? Ash remembered that one man had reattached the wires when they left. Maybe the men had killed his friends and his sister and left? He took the safety off the gun and sneaked over, but his haste made him move more quickly and loudly than was wise. He heard a female voice. Perhaps his sister was still alive. He rushed at it and leaned over with the gun pointed and shouted, "Hands up!"

Rachel, Owen, and Herbert were on their feet, free from the ropes and glue. Two handcuffed criminals were on the ground, and beside them, wearing enhancing suits, were five IDAN agents.

"Ash! Thank God you're alive!" Dad said.

Ash stood there for a moment confused. The only thing he was certain of was that everything was under control, and now he could pass out.