​     Gramps smelled Adam too and figured he was on his way to the cauldron to find some way to climb up it to throw himself in. Gramps followed the scent and ran right into him, throwing them both off balance for a moment. "Oof!" Then, still invisible, they made their way past at least a dozen algrim on their way to the cauldron.

     Then, another Adam got in the way. 

​     The female Adam.

     "You may as well let me see you boys," she said. "I have a visual implant that can 'see' subtle heat signatures that the algrim are probably missing, although, I have to say, I'm not getting a clear sense of you." That comment was directed at Adam. "What did that bitch do to you, anyway?"

​     "She liberated me," Adam replied. "She liberated me from my fifteen  billion year mission in life, from our mission in life. You are an Adam, right?"

     "I'm not fifteen billion years old."

     "But you are an Adam. Adam what?"

     "Adam Adama."

     Adam laughed.

​     "Do you even know what an adama is?" she asked. "An adama is..."

​     "I know what an adama is. The god floaters of Polgrom. They were named after me."

     "Us. They were named after us. In my universe, they were named after me."

​     "Madam, you are not an adama."

​     "The Fours is coming to Domitika, and, when it's finished, Infini will no longer be able to dream."

​     "She'll find a way."

     "The Fours will get here eventually. It's just a matter of time. The Fours devours everything and leaves nothing behind."

     "We'll see."

​     "No. The reason I feel free to say all this to you is because what I'm saying is so inevitable." 

     "I wish I was in some kind of shape," Adam said. "I'd love to kick your ass right about now."

​     "Exactly what kind of shape are you in?  My implant..."

​     "Okay, fine. You want to see me?"

​     "Yes."

     "You want to see Adam Forwarder, the way Adam Forwarder looks right now?"

     "The answer is still yes."

​     "Fine."

​     A second passed, two. 

​     "Well?" Adam Adama asked. 

​     "Give me a second. I'm working up my nerve."

​     "That smackdown from Tindriss really got to you, huh?"

     No reply from the still invisible Adam Forwarder.

CONTINUE

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