Caldwellawoketothesmellofhospitaldisinfectantandasearingheadache.Hismouthwasdryandhisheadfeltlikeitwasabouttoexplode.Everypartofhisbodyachedunbearably.Therewassomethinginhisnostrilsmakingithardtobreath.Hereachedoutandfelthisnostrils.Plastictubes.Drips.Hetriedtoopenhiseyesbuttheroomwastoobrightandthelightburnedintohisretinalikesunlightthroughamagnifyingglass.Hiseyeshurt.Therewasconstantthrobbingonthefront,backandsidesofhishead,likehisskullwasabouttodisintegrate.Hetriedtolifthisheadbutwashitwithpainsointensethathepassedout.
HedreamedofFouler.TheHYDRAmanhadetovisithimwiththeAmericangirl,thegirlcalledDianeJoplinandshehadsaidsomethingtohim,wishedthathegotbettersoon.FoulerhadcongratulatedhimonajobwelldoneandtoldhimaboutsomeassassinthathadbeenshotbyAgentJonesattheKeioPlazaHotel.TheassassinhadtriedtokillAgentJackman.Foulerhadpossessionoftheassassin’sremotemodule,whichhadallowedhimtoconnectremotelytothemajor-general’snetworkinBeijing.HewantedtotellFoulerthathehadseentheassassin,thefacethathadappearedbeforehimandLiJin,theghostintheclouds.
Caldwellhadattemptedtospeakinhisdreambuthecouldn’t.Hismouthopenedbutthewordswouldn’teout.MeiLinwastheretooinhisdreams.Shehadacastonherleg.Shesatonthesideofthebedandstaredathimforalongtime.Thenshebrushedhishairbackandkissedhimonhisforehead.ShesaidsomethingaboutthemneverbeingseparatedagainandCaldwellsmiledandeverythingwentblack,likesomebodyhadturnedthelightsout.
Thentherewerethenightmares,endlesshoursofgruesomeimages.TheOmnipotencechasingafterhim,dragonrobealightwithfire.Thenhehadwitnessedhisparents’carcrashinXian,thetwistedmetalofitcapturedingruesomeblackandwhiteimagesbelowthescreamingnewspaperheadlines.
AndKathadbeentheretooinhisdreams.Standingbesidethehospitalbedandlookingathimwiththosevacantblueeyesofhers.She’dheldhishandandtoldhimthateverythingwouldbeOKandshewasproudofhim.AndbehindherstoodMs.SevenLevin,AgentJonesandAgentJackman,thelatterwithhishandinasling.TheyhadsmiledathimandAgentJackmanhadsaid“you’retheman.”ButCaldwellhadn’tunderstoodwhattheymeant.TheyhadgoneawayandCaldwellhaddreamedagainofVirtualShanghaiandTheBund,thesolitaryfigureofLiJinrecedinginthedistance.AndLiJinhadstoodonthepavementonZhongshanLuandwavedathimandthenhehadvanished.
Caldwelldreamedanotherdream.Fouler,MeiLinandtheJoplingirlwerestandingbyhisbed.Nexttothemahospitaltrolleywithawhiteandsilvercylinderonit.Thecylinderlookedlikeanelaboratericecooker.AndFoulerhadsaidthatthiscylinderwasAkioInoue,theJapanesemanwhohadcreatedtheconsoles.AndCaldwellhadwatchedasahologramofthisInouehademergedfromthetopofthecylinderandstartedspeaking.Whathewassayingwasn’tmakingmuchsenseandseemedtobemorelikejumbledupthoughtsinInoue’sheadthanrealspeech.Itwasjustthesefragmentsofthoughtsspokenathighspeed,thewordsspillingoutinatorrent.Caldwelldidn’tunderstandawordtheJapanesemanwassayingbuthekepthearingsumimasenalotandhefiguredthatprobablymeantsorry.
InhisdreamsCaldwellsawhischildhoodforthefirsttimeandithadadistincttimeline.Hismotherwastherewithhim,thosesensitiveambereyesfullofaffection.Andtherehewasinhisfather’sdenplayingwithhisfather’sputersandhisfatheraskinghimwhathewantedtobewhenhegrewupandhehadsaidhewantedtobeaprogrammer.Hisfatherhadsmiledandtoldhimtogoandhavehisbathasitwasalmostbedtime.Hismotherhadwalkedinandgatheredhimup,smilingwiththoseamberorientaleyes.
Hewokeupstaringatablankceiling.Outsidetheopenwindowwasthesoundoftraffic,thedistanthumofacity.Shanghai?Alookofpaniccameoverhisface.MeiLinmovedquicklytowardshimandsatontheedgeofhishospitalbed.Hisheadachewasgoneandthethinginhisnosewasnolongertherebuthisbodyachedandhecouldfeeleveryboneinhisbody.HecouldremembereverythingthathappenedrightuptotheAItryingtokillhim.
“Ihadtheweirdestdream,”hesaid.“Youwereallinit,thatDianeJoplingirl,Kat,everyone.
“Thatwasn’tadreamCad.TheywereallhereinTokyo.”
“Tokyo?”
“Yes,youcollapsedinthatcontrolroominShanghaiandthewholeplacewasgoingtoblowsowebailedoutoftherewithjustsecondstospare.Thewholeplacewentupinsmoke.YouneededtreatmentbutFoulersuggestedwejustflystraighttoTokyo.You’vebeenoutforalmostthreedays.ItseemedtheAItriedtokillyouusingsomekindofinfrasoundtodestroyyourinternalorgans.Luckilywegotyououtofthereintime.Yousustainedonlymildinternalhemorrhaging.”
“Iremember.Itwasahorribleexperience.YousaidbackatthecontrolroominShanghaithatthemajor-generalwasdead.Whathappened?”
“OneofthePLAguardssuspectedsomethingwasamissandsurprisedmeinthefoyerofthemansion.Theensuingfracasattractedtheothers.IfoundmyselfinabitoftroubleandwasbeginningtothinkthatIwouldn’tmakeitoutalive.LuckilyAnthonyandVictorarrivedjustintimeandsavedmefrombeingoutnumbered.IhadcalledthemfromthePeaceHotelwhenwedroppedoffoutluggage.Therewasahugegunfightinthepound.Wemadeittothemainhospitalbuildingbutbythetimewegottherethemajor-generalandtheJapaneseYakuzahadbeenshotbyoneofthePLAmen.Themanshothimselfrightinfrontofourfaces,mumblingincoherently.Wefoundawirelessdetonatorinthemajor-general’shand.”
“Yes,Irememberyoushowingmethat.”
“Yes.”
“AndtheAI?”
“WethinktheAIwasdestroyedalongwitheverythingbutthereisnowaytobesure.Whenyouscreamedthewords‘HelloWorld’nobodyknewwhatthehellyouweretalkingabout.ButtheAIjustscreamedandthewholesystemwentdownasthoughithadbeenhitbyavirus.Andthesubjects,thelittledotsonthescreen?Theywererealpeople.TheylookedlikePLAsoldiers.Weweregoingtotrytosavethembutwhenthemajor-generaldetonatedthedevicewehadtogetoutoftherequick.”
“Realpeople?Permanentlyjackedin?”
“Yes,youwereright.Theywerehookeduptosomeelaborateintravenousfeedingsystemandwerejackedintothenetworkthroughabiologicalinterface.Theyhadbeenmodified.Theyalldiedintheexplosion,accordingtosecretPLAreports.”
“Theygavetheirlivesforthedreamofamadman.WeneedtomakesuretheAIdidn’tescapeintocyberspace.Itcouldcausealotofhavocthere.”
“Iknowbutwehavenowayofknowing.Let’sleavethatforwhenyouarefeelingbetter.Themostimportantthingisthatthenetworkisnomore.Themajor-generalisnomore.”
“Yeah,afterallthatexcitementIdon’tquitefeeluptoanotherencounterwiththeOmnipotence,”Caldwellsaidsmiling.Therewasadullthrobatthebackofhisheadbutotherwisehefeltfine.
“TheChinesegovernmentisonthecase.There’sbeenahugeuproaroverthisinBeijing.HeadshaverolledamongthePLA’stopbrass.AndfundingforallPLA-relatedprojectsisbeingcloselymonitored.ThepeoplecallingtheshotsatTsinghuaUniversitywerepubliclyreprimandedonnationalTV.Atop-levelinvestigationisunderway.AndFouler,intypicalfashion,hassecretlyofferedthemhishelp.Theyhaveyettogetbacktohim.”
“Whydoesn’tthatsurpriseme?Hebetternotelookingforme.Ihavehadenoughexcitementforalifetime.”
“Idon’tblameyou.”MeiLinsaidpensively.
“Iremembersomethingelse.Youkissedme.Wasthatadream?”Caldwellsaid,lookingdeepintoMeiLin’seyes.
“Itcouldhavebeen,”shesaid,blushingvisibly.HermesmerizingeyeshadtakenonthesamelooktheyhadsomanyyearsagoatthebusstopinHongKong.
“5200603.”
“What’sthat?”
“YourmessengernumberattheHongKongInternationalSchool.”
“Ohreally?Ihadforgotten.Youhaveyourmemoryback,Cad.Foulerkepthispromise.HealsoadmittedthatHYDRAhadwipedyourmemoriesofHongKongwhenyoufirstjoinedtheagency.Soyouhadnowayofrememberingme.”
“Iknewit.SonowyouknowwhyInevercontactedyou.Whereishenow?AndKat?”
“FoulertooktheJoplingirlbacktoBoston.Heseemstohavebeequiteattachedtoher.He’sneverhadanyfamilyyouknow.Growingsoftinhisoldage.KatwentshoppinginShibuyawithSevenLevin.ItappearsFoulerhasbeeherbenefactortoo.”
“Isee.Iknowwhathe’stryingtodo.Tryingtomakemestophatinghimforwhathedidtome.”
“IamnotsureIcanforgivehimforthat.Knowinghim,theremightbeanulteriormotivetoallthis,”MeiLinsaid,studyingCaldwell’sface.
“Yeah.Eitherway,Iamstillgoingtokickhisass.SoishegoingtoadopttheJoplingirl?”
“Noidea.Iguessheisjustactingasherguardian.Shecameintoalotofmoneyonherfather’sdeathandFoulerisconvincedthatherfather’slawyersmighttrytopullwooloverhereyes.”
“Lawyers.Thatfinespecimenofhumanity.Fouler’sactionsseemverysuspicious.”
“Yeah,Iknow.NotsureIreallytrusthimanymore,afterwhathedidtoyou.She’satoughonethatDianeJoplin.ApparentlyshecameallthewaytoTokyotoavengeherfather’sdeath.”
“Andtheconsoles?”
“Foulerhasthem.Inoue,theinventor,passedawayinhissleepthismorningbutnotbeforehisuploadedconsciousnessapologizedforcreatingtheconsolesinthefirstplace.NotthatitwashisfaultthatYamamototriedtousethemforsomethingcriminal.SoIguessthat’stheendofthat.OhyeahandIaskedhimoritaboutthepyramidthingtheconsoleturnedinto.”
“AndwhatdidInouesay?”
“Youaccidentallytriggeredtheunlockingmechanisminvirtualreality.There’saoneinamillionchanceoftheconsoleadoptingthatshapeandwhenitdoes,it’stheonlytimeyoucanopenthechassistoseewhat’sinside.”
“Ah,sowemissedourchance,”Caldwellsaiddistractedly,stillthinkingaboutFouler.
“Itwouldappearso.”
“Imaginethat,Foulergrowingaconscience.”
“Yes,it’snotFouler’sconscienceIamworriedabout,it’syours.”MayLinfixedhimwithanexpectantlookthatbroughtbackvividmemoriesofHongKongandtheNo.8bus.Andtherewereothermemoriestooallwaitingtobeaccessed,toberelived.
“Whatdoyoumean?”Caldwellaskedwithmockconcern.
Howareyougoingtomakeituptomeforallthoseyearsofneglect?”MeiLinwassmilingmischievously,adiscernableglintinhereyes.
“Wellhowaboutwestartrighthere,”Caldwellsaidashegatheredherintohisarms.Shecamewillingly,softskinmeldingwithhisachingflesh.Asheheldher,henoticedtheframedphotosofhisparentsonthebedsidetableandsmiled.Foulerwastryinghardbuthewasnotfooled.Notyet.Hismother’sorientaleyessmilingbackathim.
“Helloworld,”MeiLinmurmuredagainsthisneckasthetearswelledupinside.
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