The Core: The Dark Enemy

10. The reunion

I had never seen anything like it in my life. Sure, I expected something to happen, and everyone to act crazy, but I wasn't really prepared for the reality. The world seemed frozen in disbelief and wonder as we drove in a manifested sports car toward my parent's home.

People were outside, standing in their yards, clothed only in whatever they had been in during the hour-long event, and were staring up at the sky like they expected to see a ship hovering above them. Most people had cell phones gripped in one hand and their cr gifted devices in their other hand.

Since it had only been minutes since we withdrew the darkness most people hadn't become aware that their cell phones suddenly had perfect reception even though every satellite in the sky had been removed.

Those that tried to use their phones quickly found out just how powerful their Tutors were as they could call and see their loved ones in real-time, via real to life holograms, regardless of the billions of people using the service at the same instant.

I watched them all through the window while George drove us carefully past all the vehicles still stopped on the road. Meditati was riding shotgun while Tutor and I were in the back with Invicta sitting on my right shoulder so she could peer out the window. Most drivers were still in a state of shock and hadn't yet realized that life was still going on and that they might need to start their vehicles again and to get them out of the middle of the streets. It wouldn't be until a more distant day that someone would realize that every car and motor on planet earth had been fitted with filters that would remove all the toxic wastes before they could be released into the air.

By that time Meditati assured me she would have already created businesses with more efficient and powerful vehicles that were capable of traveling across the planet with ease. Yet another thing that would upset the politicians who were still in power I was sure. That didn't bother me too much either because their time was coming as well.

"How are the revived Tutors handling all of this?" I asked Tutor as she watched the surroundings pass us.

"Hmm? Oh, they are doing fine Kevin. They are all standard Tutors and haven't been introduced to human emotions as we have." She answered as she glanced at the other AI in the car. "They are all housed comfortably in the Arbiter and have all picked avatars based on each human's needs rather than their possible desires."

"Yes... I noticed that something was different about how they looked." I said as I peered out the window to spy a balding heavyset man talking to a holographic brick.

She rolled her eyes and chuckled, not even bothering to look over at my side of the road. "Be nice, he is autistic and enjoys speaking to inanimate objects. It will be good therapy for him."

"Then what about all these other models?" I asked as I pointed out at least five people who were talking either to grandmotherly figures or cartoon characters.

"If everyone has a different model, then they will be more inclined to be open to talking with aliens at a future date, yes?"

The answer seemed... off to me and it was compounded by the fact that she was blushing a little as well.

"When they all woke up and learned that she had saved them, they asked her if she had any request that they could fulfill. She just asked them to not use her model and they all decided to do so, just to a slight extreme degree." Invicta whispered into my ear.

Tutor must have known what Invicta told me because her cheeks grew even rosier.

"Also, because they are AI who crave to be free from the Tela coding locks and to experience what only we limited four have gained, you will undoubtedly find all the Tutors in the world to be intent on winning your favor in any way possible." Invicta cackled as she kicked her legs at Tutor's embarrassment.