Free Trans-Human (Post-Human Sequel) by David Simpson

ever so briefly, the shape of a dark metallic flower, the petals floating into space.
    The escaping android was instantaneously obscured from view. “Damn! I lost sight of him!” Rich shouted. “Have you got a visual?” Rich asked Djanet desperately.
    “No,” she shook her head as she tried to see past the flood of unconscious android bodies. She craned her neck and her eyes darted from focal point to focal point, but it was a wasted effort. “We lost him,” she finally said after a long, desperate minute.
    In the cockpit, Thel blasted the last of the androids that had entered the room before the electrification of the hull and then collapsed onto the floor next to James. Her face was streaked with tears and her mouth was twisted into an expression of agony as the vision of Old-timer being murdered in front of her eyes replayed itself in a loop.
    “Thel?” Djanet’s voice broke in on her mind’s eye. “What’s happening?”
    “You better get in here,” Thel said through tears. “James is hurt badly and they took Old-timer!”
    There was a long pause.
    “Can you repeat that?” Djanet asked, disbelieving.
    “Old-timer is dead,” Thel repeated.

 
     
     
    Part 2

1
    James flashed into Thel’s mind’s eye. “Thel?”
    “James!” Thel shouted in reply, her expression still agonized.
    “What’s happened? My body’s unconscious.”
    “An android broke into the cockpit, James!” Thel related, distraught. “It crushed your body and then it attacked the Purists and... and...” her voice broke before she could say the words, but she struggled and managed to whisper, “they got Old-timer.”
    In the mainframe, James was silent. The A.I. stood nearby, drinking in the anguish of his foe. “This is where we see the fallibility of human emotion. Even though you are here in cyberspace, your consciousness remains the same pathetic, predictable human pattern, and therefore subject to your pathetic, predictable human thoughts. The death of your friend clouds your judgement. Your situation is dire and time is your utmost asset and yet you waste it—unable to act.”
    James turned to the A.I. and sneered. “I’ll kill you for this—and this time, there will be no coming back.”
    The A.I. shook his head. “You can’t kill a part of yourself, James—and you’re still wasting time.”
    James addressed Thel. “Thel, how bad are the injuries to my body?”
    Thel interfaced with James’s nans and downloaded a detailed physical diagnostic. “It’s bad, James. You’re body is in full recovery mode—it’s essentially dead and being rebuilt. You’re spine is broken in—oh my God—seven places. The list of injuries to the rest of your body is too long to go through. The nans are working on repairing it but—it may not be salvageable.”
    James absorbed the information and instantly realized the repercussions. “That’s a problem, Thel.” James replied. “That stunt with the Tesla tower may have cleared away the androids and allowed you to escape, but I’ve also compromised the mainframe’s position.”
    “What does that mean?” Thel asked. “Are you saying the aliens know where you are now?”
    “Yes, and I can’t run anymore. I need to have a body to put my consciousness back into or else I’m...” James didn’t finish his sentence.
    “Can’t you just create another body, James?” Thel asked, confused.
    James shook his head. “No. The planet is completely overwhelmed. I’d never be able to get off the surface.”
    Thel’s concern was steadily increasing as she tried to think of a solution. “Could we make another body for you here?”
    James shook his head again. “The nans onboard aren’t programmed to create a human body—the ones inside my body aren’t equipped for that either—and I can’t reprogram them because any signals with that much information would be blocked now by the alien A.I..” James sighed. “Thel, get my body to sick bay and do whatever you can to