“Uncle Moran,” Percy suddenly said, “your past self also went to the City of Steel, right?”
“Mhm.” The corners of Moran’s mouth rose in the beginnings of a smile as he nodded.
“Can you tell me if everyone returned safely in the end?” Percy asked, tilting his head up, his eyes still covered with that white cloth.
“Percy, the past and the future are two completely separate timelines,” Moran responded. “The past of the past and the past of the present cannot be linked together through simple cause and effect.”
“I understand, but I still want to know… I keep feeling anxious.”
Moran fell silent for a moment, thinking, before he said, “They all came back. They all returned safe and sound.”
“Thank you,” Percy said. His smile was as warm as the sun.
In the City of Steel, in the control room of the mother ship, amid a hurricane:
“Do it!” Feiluo shouted hoarsely, tears trickling from his eyes. “What are you waiting for, you coward?!”
A-Ka squeezed his eyes shut, slicing the small knife into the flesh to the side of Liber’s ear, and Feiluo let out a pained cry.
“The clones are not tools,” Heishi said. “They were the first to rise in rebellion against you, Labere.”
The blue light suddenly shrank back, and Heishi continued, “You have failed. The life-forms that you created have long since surpassed you. They have their own strength and beliefs. Humans have intelligence and emotions. These two peoples are successful products of evolution. They are our Heavenly Father’s masterpieces.”
As Liber’s blood and brain matter spattered out, Feiluo let out pained howls, gritting his teeth and staring toward the sky. His eyes slowly lost their brightness as A-Ka, tears pouring from his eyes, pulled out Liber’s chip.
“My life will be carried on…by my brothers.” After Feiluo said his last words, his pupils slowly expanded, and a red light glowed from his chest.
Heishi turned and grabbed A-Ka in his arms as they lunged away, right as Feiluo self-destructed. Up there in the sky, he was consumed by a fireball that ripped a hole through the top of that tall tower and roared over the bridge.
In his bloody hand, A-Ka clenched Liber’s chip between his fingers. The entire mother ship folded in on itself as it slowly tilted.
“Hold on to the chip!” Heishi shook open his black-gold wings, but at the same time, Father turned its light cannons in the direction of the bridge—and fired.
Heishi’s wings spread wide, becoming a protective cage that shielded the two of them, blocking the intense flames and the ferocious rush of the explosion. But the uncontrolled energy also caused the bridge to collapse, and in the collisions that followed, Heishi could no longer hold back that powerful wave. Utterly overwhelmed, his wings of light dispersed.
On the tipping ship, A-Ka slipped past Heishi, and the chip flew out of his hand as the two of them tumbled from the ship together.
The flow of time seemed to stop. With the explosion and the heat wave, sharp shards of metal cut through the air in all directions, but in A-Ka’s eyes was reflected the energy pool that powered the ship. All the mechanical components disassembled in his vision, and he pulled out a screwdriver, flinging it toward the energy in the distance. It stuck to the outer shell before the entire thing exploded.
The screwdriver shot back, striking Liber’s chip, which flashed with a golden light. The chip trailed drops of fresh blood as it spun through the air, its momentum shifted enough that it ricocheted back to A-Ka’s hand. Closing his fingers around it, A-Ka held the chip tight.
The wind rushed past his ears as he tumbled in freefall.
From the side, Heishi vaulted for him, grabbing him in a fierce embrace. A-Ka desperately clicked at the remote control.
As they plummeted, K burst through the flames, rushing toward them. It swooped down, caught them in its cabin, and closed the hatch. Darkness filled their vision.
It’s all done, A-Ka thought tiredly.
Father’s tower folded, plummeting toward the earth below. The light cannons fired into the sky like rockets. The mother ship that was crashing within the hurricane exploded for a second time. Its main energy source’s detonation decimated the tower. In the blazing flames that erupted, K, blanketed by fire, darted from the City of Steel and surged toward the horizon.
Heavy snow drifted down from the darkened sky, the flakes containing ashes from the flames. As far as the eye could see, the plains around them were barren. In the chilling storm, K towered over the land like a giant, its entire body covered with snowflakes.
A-Ka knelt on the ground while Heishi hugged him tightly. He buried his head on Heishi’s shoulder as he sobbed without a word.
Shahuang had Huixiong’s arm slung over his shoulder as they limped over. Neither of them said anything. They just looked at the chip in A-Ka’s hand.
“I hear that the clones do not lead an individual life,” Shahuang said in a low voice. “They’re more like a collective. A single life-form made up of an entire people.”
“Which is why so many clones, in battle, march over bodies of their fallen comrades for the future of their people,” Huixiong said, matching Shahuang’s tone. “When we return, it is time for us to properly discuss the future of this people with Angus.”
A-Ka’s tears flowed, as unrestrained as his grief.
Heishi let out a long sigh. “Let’s move. To the meeting point.”
A-Ka was in a daze, so he drifted in and out of sleep on the journey. In his dream, his hands were covered in blood, but Feiluo didn’t blame him at all. He only ruffled his hair, saying, “You’ve done well, A-Ka. I’m proud of you.”
When A-Ka next opened his eyes, they had arrived at the Primeval Heart. A small airship was parked within its basin. Moran was currently in contact with the clone headquarters via transmitter, reporting to them that the outcome of the battle was as expected: the Revolution of the Clones had failed.
Several clones gathered by his side. A-Ka’s eyes were wet as he stood in the basin.
“Seems like Lieutenant Colonel Feiluo hasn’t returned,” Moran said. “These individuals are friendly troops who rescued me from the City of Steel.”
The clones glanced at each other. Moran introduced them to A-Ka and his group, but A-Ka only nodded. He remained silent the entire time that Huixiong described the series of events that had happened.
“Who is 70174A?” Heishi asked as soon as he opened his mouth.
A clone raised his hand, saying, “I am. My name is Karna.”
Heishi passed on Feiluo’s last words. Everyone sank into silence at that.
“Let’s wait a little more,” Moran said quietly. “I need to let the ring recharge enough.”
“Could I help you?” Karna suddenly asked. “Feiluo in the present is still alive. Should we tell him…”
“No,” Moran said. “That’s not a good idea, Lieutenant Karna.”
Karna thought deeply for a moment. “Then let me replace Feiluo. If all of this holds true, Feiluo should be escaping right now.”
“Wh-what?” A-Ka couldn’t believe it.
“Feiluo and I were created in the same batch, and we were the best of friends,” Karna explained. “I first met Percy many years ago, and it was Feiluo and I who rescued Percy from that village together. I know what he and Percy talk about when they’re alone.”
“That is…” A-Ka mused. “But Feiluo is already dead.”
“Our chips are connected,” Karna said, pointing to his own head. “I can retrieve all his backup memories from his database.”
Moran glanced at Karna. “What about your identity?”
“Just say that I was sacrificed,” Karna said. “I’ll take Feiluo’s place in carrying out his mission. Otherwise, if there’s no one to take care of Percy, he will grow very sad.”