BooksBarbecue
Back Eternity
Chapters (90)
  1. Eternity
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. EPILOGUE
  90. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

He had hiked about two kilometers from the house when a weakness along his right side became apparent. Walking a few more meters, he felt a numbness accompanied by a dull tickle. His armpits became wet with sweat and he leaned on his walking stick, legs shivering like a sick dog’s. Finally, he couldn’t stand up any longer, and he half-sat, half-fell onto an old mossy stump.

Right side. Left brain. A new hemorrhage had occurred in the left side of his brain.

“I’ve had the little helpers,” he said, his voice high and childlike with pain. “They must have fixed me. This shouldn’t happen.”

A shadow crossed his face. Half bent over, unable to get up, he twisted his head to one side and saw Pavel Mirsky standing no more than two meters away.

“Garry. Can you come with me now?”

“I’m not supposed to be sick. The helpers…”

“They were not working right, perhaps?”

Fading fast. “I don’t know.”

“Inferior. Not Talsit. Pseudo-Talsit.”

“The medicals should have fixed it.”

“Nothing human is perfect.” Mirsky sounded very calm, yet he was doing nothing to help Lanier, not even calling for aid. Lanier had left his communicator in the cabin.

There was not much pain now, just the black tunnel, the doors slamming on memory. “It’s now, isn’t it? You’re here because it’s now.”

“You’ll be downloaded into your implant soon. You don’t want that.”

“No. But it shouldn’t be now.”

Mirsky bent on one knee and stared at him intently. “It is now. You are dying. You can either die their way—they will give you a new body this time—or you can die your own way. In which case, I would like you to come with me.”

“I…don’t understand.” His speech was slurred. He couldn’t control his tongue. This is awful. It was awful before, it’s awful now. “Karen.”

Mirsky shook his head sadly. “Come with me, Garry. There’s adventure. And some startling truths. You must decide soon. Very soon.”

Not fair. “Call for help. Please.”

“I can’t. I’m not really here, not physical this time.”

“Please.”

“Decide.”

Lanier closed his eyes to avoid the tunnel, but he could not. He hardly knew who he was now. “All right,” he said in a voice so weak it was not even a whisper.