Obsidian

Chapter Ten

"Woods? Why bring his body all the way from Oakridge?" I asked the uni-host. "Don't you have locals or extensions located much closer?"

"I brought a familiar face here to give you one last plea, Davis Russell," the entity spoke via Woods. "As I mentioned at our last interaction, you can not stop the extraction of resources. It is futile to resist. I offered you a peaceful transition by allowing you to chronicle the last steps of this current human evolution."

"I told you, I just wanted to spend my last days with my loved ones."

The tentacle, like a puppet's string, shifted and caused Woods to move closer slightly, "Yet, you are here, far from home, attempting to stop the inevitable."

"Did you really think I would just let you kill everyone? I would serve eight billion people to you on a silver platter so you can take our planet's resources to your...your...?" I trailed off angrily, forgetting the word the uni-host referred to the others of his kind as when we were back in Oakridge.

"The Companion," Woods answered softly. "Davis Russell, I do remorse for causing you trauma. If I were to disperse right now and leave your habitat intact, another one of The Companion would eventually arrive to complete what I had started."

"Well, it doesn't seem that either of us will be backing down. Where does that leave us?"

Woods was silent a moment, the glowing behind the wall rhythmically pulsating while contemplating, then finally relaying its answer via Woods, "Davis Russell, I would like to reinstate the original offer. Come with us and document the stages of not only your species, and the planet's destruction, but also the valiant effort your people exuded, offering hope to the next kindred that finds your information many millennia down the line."

"No!" I heard Tori spurt out.

I looked back to see tears welling in her eyes as she knew I would heavily consider the offer to let her spend the remainder of her existence with Kyle. "And, if I say 'no'?"

"I would be forced to extinguish your fellow rebels and end your lifeforce as well, Davis Russell," the uni-host stated matter-of-factly.

"And, if I agree, then you will let my friends go and live their lives over the next four months?"

"Four months, two weeks, six days, and...eight hours and forty minutes, yes."

"Bossman, you can't do this, I won't let you," Carl said, honesty in every word.

"Me neither," Tori bellowed in agreement.

X didn't say anything but just nodded once my eyes fell in his direction.

"Listen," I started. "If I can save the next iteration of humanity, and give you all an extra four months to experience all the things you want in life, then I want to give you that gift."

Before anyone could say anything, I turned to speak to the uni-host, "May I have a moment to say my goodbyes?"

Woods' head nodded.

I walked up to Sebastian. I felt horrible for bringing the unbearable weight of knowing humanity was coming to an end, to his footsteps. I rested my hand on his shoulder and simply said gracias. I moved on to X. He looked down, bashful for knowing he would not resist my choice. I hugged him, "Thank you, man, truly. You gave us the chance we needed, depended on even. I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

X sniffled and wiped at his nose as I pulled back from our embrace. Next, I stepped up to Carl. The goofy, charming, wacky, and intelligent student that became an assistant, before becoming a friend, stood there looking somber.