Doctor Price laughs. “The old technology allows me to be an observer only.”

Something flickers in my mind: an old desktop computer in an ancient library, but it’s gone before it is even fully formed.

“And what happens once they’ve figured out how the healing tech works?” Malachai asks.

“Phase Three happens,” Dr. Price says, a sadness in his warm eyes. “Phase Three, when it all ends. Happy needs the healing technology for two reasons: The first is so that it can put one host in every Region of Earth to lead the new humans down a path of righteousness; the second is so it can have a clean source of energy for all of time. Humans used as rechargeable batteries. It will have thousands of bunkers filled with humans who are never conscious, who are hidden away and drained of energy to power the Earth.”

“That’s … that’s horrible,” Malachai says.

“There is an Arc on each region, a structure in which Happy will store nascent life until the time comes to repopulate the planet following the razing.”

“The razing?” I repeat, not knowing if I really want to know the meaning of the word.

“Once Happy has the formula for eternal life, it will destroy life on Earth. Ultimately, it will allow humanity to return to the world, under the guidance of the living hosts. Happy will ensure that the new generation of humanity does not stray onto the path that our generation did. Happy will ensure that the hosts are worshipped, trusted, looked upon as gods. This, Happy theorizes, will be enough to keep humanity on the right path. All the while, the world will be powered by human energy, human batteries.”

Despite the mind-bending information that has been dropped on me, I’m still focusing on Dr. Price’s first sentence: … the formula for eternal life …

“Wait … are you saying that the technology inside of Malachai and me means we can’t die?”

“No,” Dr. Price says, “I don’t mean that at all. You can die. You know that you can die.”

“I do know that,” I say, thinking of Blue.

“You can stop breathing and still come back, your heart can stop beating but you can still come back, but the technology in your body will stop fixing any damage done to you if you hit brain death. If there is no neuronal activity, you are not coming back. But, if you remain uninjured, unharmed, un-murdered, then you won’t age, your body won’t break down, and you won’t die.”

“We’re like vampires,” Malachai whispers.

“And once Happy has the formula to the technology that keeps you alive, once Happy has the formula for eternal life, it has all the power it needs to hit the reset button on the world—and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”

“So, that’s it?” Malachai asks. “You just gave up?”