He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter Sixty One - Author of Change

"What's going on? What is this place?"

The ship was a hubbub of activity, expressions of disbelief, tears of joy and amazement and gasps of relief. Someone had woken up!

Several months had passed since they had plugged in the boy, who was chosen to become their sacrifice in order to rescue the men and women trapped in the virtual environment that was the Alien Archive.  The A.I. had partially kept its end of the bargain and had released 56, 15 of which happened to be agents sent in to rescue the V.I.P's.  The A.I. had claimed that the other 11 would be released the moment it could enter it's host body; the boy Kyan.

Time had passed and the boy's monitored brainwave patterns had begun to weaken until the point they were erratic and the doctors on board were predicting brain death was simply a matter of time.  In fact they were waiting upon it.  Waiting for the moment that this child's soul left its body allowing the entry of the A.I. But once the A.I. was contained in the boy's paralysed shell, it would be trapped.  They would sever its connection to the Archive and then kill the body, thus destroying it. 

No one could have predicted that the expected brain death would not occur and though the brainwaves remained weak, they had stabilised.  What did this mean?  Had the A.I. already possessed the body? If so why had it not woken?  There was much speculation, some of the more rash team members wished to terminate the boy there and then in order that the A.I. never had the chance to enter the ship.  However, he was not chosen to be the Captain for no reason and refused their demands, even threatened to have them removed from this ship should they argue with him anymore.  He knew he should have not accepted fools with such close attachments to the victims!

Regardless of the limbo they had found themselves in, facts remained that 10 V.I.P's, 1 agent and 1 boy remained linked to the Archive.  So naturally the fact that one man had been released was huge news.

"Who is it?" The Captain asked his chosen second in command. 

"Archibald Towers, second son of Ernest Towers," the man replied and handed over the file on the man.  It included his current health and statistics which were unsurprisingly poor considering the time he had spent comatose.  His rehabilitation would be made effective immediately.

"Towers? The Luxury Space Liner group?" The Captain asked.  To experience a cruise upon one of their liners travelling through the stars to many exotic and beautiful planets also owned by the Towers group was on the bucket list of all the wealthy and elite.  To travel aboard, discover better than first class accommodations and enjoy food that put five star restaurants to shame was but a mere pipe dream for the likes of him.

The Second nodded.  "Archibald Towers is not the heir, but reputed to be a bit of a playboy.  However, he is doted upon by his parents, they will be ecstatic to here of his release."  The Captain nodded, they had not been able to keep the situation quiet for long after the other V.I.P's were released and though they had seemed initially 'successful' in the publics eye, the fact that they had been able to offer no new updates for the prolonged period meant that politicians and the media were now constantly breathing down his neck.  Recently there had even been a protest on the nearby planet of Sculatine, due to fear that the Archive would shift into their orbit and suck out their souls, they wished it to be destroyed! 

"Is he able to give a statement?" The Captain asked, hoping that his awakening would calm the situation for a bit and allow them more time.

"Not as yet," the man sighed.  "It seems that he is far more disoriented that when the others were released.  Very confused.  He denies he is Archibald Towers, says he is known as Han Huan.  His last memory is closing his eyes upon his deathbed after living to the ripe old age of 126."