THERE IS HOPE: A DEEP DIVE
S5E2 • Mythic Sci-fi • Transhumanism • Haunting
Hello, fellow voyagers🖖. Welcome back to There Is Hope, a five-episode cli-fi mini-series and the fifth and final season of my ongoing cli-fi series with the same name.
As the last forest dies, a young girl encounters an unexpected glimmer of hope—but saving it and herself won’t be easy.
Episode 1 • A wounded friend and strange light.
Episode 2 • First contact with an unexpected being.
There Is Hope is part of my larger climate fiction series, There Is Hope, a five-season mosaic story about life on a planet devastated by climate change and the things that give people hope.
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📚 Series Overview | S5 > Ep.1 | Ep.2 | Ep.3 | Ep.4 | Ep.5
Two days later, they gathered in the Oasis for Sanse Ahuic’s rite of passage, as Olderman Yooko called it.
‘Hey, are you ok?’ said Shia, playfully nudging Sanse.
She looked at the boy who had saved her life on the Dust Road, who had risked so much to deliver the date seedling to the Dust Pirates. Because of her, Sanse had lost everything: his place among the Dust Tribes, his family—all gone.
‘Are you afraid?’ said Shia.
‘I’m not sure,’ said Sanse. ‘I’ve been trying to make sense of this, but I don’t think I can. It all seems like a strange dream that started with the Serpent Dance at the Rainmaking Festival. Instead of being afraid, one thing became clear: I just know I want to leave it all behind. I want to transform into something new, something no human has ever experienced. A new form of existence. A new beginning. Away from the pain. Away from this forsaken place.’
Was that what the binary being had meant by a young, flexible mind? Sanse’s brain was open to the idea of an existence beyond the ordinary. The universe still held a certain mystery to which his mind was open and receptive. For the first time in human history, homo sapiens would make contact with an advanced extraterrestrial intelligence. As the chosen one, Sanse’s mission was to establish communication and assess whether any hope remained of preventing Earth’s total collapse. In exchange, he would give up his mortal body for an existence inside this new world. Perhaps this had always been his destiny.
‘Maybe you’re more ready than you think,’ said Shia.
The smell of burned herbs tickled Shia’s nostrils. An ancient chant—sung in a language she didn’t understand—rose into the air, mystical and soothing. Sanse stepped into a large bronze bowl. Olderman Yooko circled him, holding a small drum. He scanned the boy’s body with scattered beats, tongue clicks and mantra recitals. He scanned the air around Sanse, pulling at invisible threads, purifying his aura.
‘You’re ready,’ said Olderman Yooko, motioning for Sanse to lie on the ground.
‘Now what?’ said Dr. Sokov.
‘I haven’t the faintest idea,’ said the Ghost.
The glowing sphere floated toward Sanse, falling gently on his head like a flower petal. Narrow, luminescent tubes extended from its body, connecting to the base of his skull. Sanse’s eyes rolled back. His breath caught in his throat. A gurgling sound came out, as if he was drowning.
‘What’s happening to him?’ said Shia.
She pressed her palms on his chest and felt a prickling sensation, like an electrical current running through her.
‘What is this?’ said Shia.
The alien sensation lingered on her skin, overwhelming her like a powerful drug. Sanse trembled violently, gasping for air. His face turned from crimson to blue.
‘Take that thing off him!’ said Olderman Yooko. ‘It’s killing him!’
The Ghost’s transparent body flickered again as he reached behind Sanse’s head. But this time, he maintained his awareness.
‘Draw in air through your nostrils. Yes, those two holes in the middle of your face,’ said the Ghost, touching Sanse’s nose. ‘The air will be exhaled automatically. Now repeat: in and out. This is called breathing. All living beings on this planet do it.’
Sanse opened his eyes.
‘You’re back!’ said Shia.
Relief filled the air. Shia leaned in to hug him, but something in his eyes held her back. It was the strangest thing. Sanse inspected his legs, flexed them, jumped in place, flopped his arms like a clumsy bird. He moved his fingers awkwardly, fascinated by their mobility. A bee buzzed nearby, searching for flowers. Sanse touched his ears, turning his head frantically, trying to make sense of the sound.
‘These are called ears,’ said the Ghost. ‘This is how humans capture sound.’
His eyes, wide and hungry, scanned the Oasis. Greedy to still an all consuming hunger, and all consuming thirst, they took in the trees, the flowers, the people gathered around him. Every single face. Every pair of eyes. Searching. Earning to connect.
‘These are your eyes,’ said the Ghost.
He looked at Shia with an otherworldly gaze, wondrous, as if contemplating a sculpture made of flesh. Those eyes seemed to perceive something that escaped human senses, unfolding her, laying her bare, exploring, distilling her every molecule. Oderlman Yooko’s drum vibrated through the air, accompanied by chanting in a language no human understood—but seemed to speak to the pollen gathering bees, the golden sun reflecting in the water pond, the rustling trees, the blue sky stretching above the dome. For the first time since the appearance of the sharks in the waters of the Iberian Atlantic, Shia felt like she had just witnessed another miracle. Then Sanse collapsed, falling in the Ghost’s arms.
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Over the next weeks, they took turns watching over Sanse, who seemed to be immersed in a deep sleep.
‘Is he in a comma?’ said Shia.
No one could tell. His metabolism and vital functions were normal, but his brain activity was off the charts.
‘Look at his neural paths. They’re glowing like a light bulb,’ said Dr. Sokov.
They assumed it had something to do with his assimilation into the singularity, but nobody could be sure. So they waited and monitored. News of a rebellion in the taiga reached the Oasis. People were losing hope. Perhaps it was the end at last, the sweet oblivion of annihilation. Then one day, the glowing sphere detached itself from Sanse’s body and floated away into the micro-forest.
‘Now what?’ said Dr. Sokov, looking exhausted. ‘I’m tired of this bullshit!’
Shia waited alone for the Ghost. He was the only one who could communicate with the singularity. The only one who might bring Sanse back. The sun burned in the sky, all-powerful, all-consuming, smouldering the Earth. How much longer could humanity hide in its domes? A few decades, a century? When the Ghost finally hovered into the Oasis, the otherworldly sphere of light approached him at once, attaching itself to him before they could exchange a word. Again, the waiting, the fear creeping in. What if the Ghost didn’t return either? What will she do there, alone? Time dripped away grain by grain in the hour glass of her life, a blinding, burning desert swallowing the horizon in flames. She brushed the fear aside—she always did. Eventually, the Ghost came back.
‘Sanse’s transfer was successful, but he’s not stable yet,’ said the Ghost. ‘He needs a familiar presence.’
‘They want to transfer another one of us?’ said Dr. Sokov, walking in with Olderman Yooko.
‘Not transfer,’ said the Ghost. ‘Sanse’ consciousness created a new human core. Now it’s possible to simply take a dive. In the future, people will be able to dive in and out—but it will take time before the system can sustain those dives.’
‘Dive?’ said Dr. Sokov.
‘What are you talking about?’ said Olderman Yooko. ‘Is the boy alright?’
‘The boy is alright, Olderman Yooko,’ said the Ghost. ‘Diving is what they call connecting to their… world!’
‘Alright, I’ll take the plunge,’ said Dr. Sokov.
‘They made a direct request for Shia Santos,’ said the Ghost. ‘Only she will be allowed to dive, for now, to communicate with Sanse.’
‘OK,’ said Shia. ‘I’ll do it!’
‘I’ve dedicated my life to this goddamn photons. And you think you can just march in and take over? Not on my watch, buddy!’ said Dr. Sokov.
‘I’m afraid you have no choice, Doctor,’ said the Ghost.
‘Stop me if you can!’
Shia felt a light touch at the base of her neck, a tingling sensation, like a centipede crawling over her skin. Then a pressure, as myriad fine tendrils penetrated the base of her brain and down her spine. The image of the Ghost restraining the flailing scientist in a tight embrace flickered before her eyes. Then she plunged. Headfirst, into a vast body of water. She tried to scream, but only a gagging sound escaped her throat. She heard the muffled sound of water. She tried to breathe but her lungs filled with a strange mercury liquid, choking her. Her heart jumped in her chest. Desperate, she tried to reach the surface, her limbs thrashing around, churning the mercury ocean. But instead of rising, she sank, swallowed deeper and deeper into the depths of that alien ocean. Her body burned from the inside out, her muscles flooded with wet fire.
You must hold still.
Sanse’s voice whispered in her ears.
Your mind is an empty vessel. Breathe without breathing.
Then came silence, an overwhelming sense of peace. Her heart stopped beating. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. She gasped and opened her eyes. Where was she? The mercury waters now sparkled, crystal clear. She let herself float in the pleasant current, moving without moving. What was that? A naked figure folded in a fetal position, arms wrapped around knees, long black hair floating in the water.
Sanse!
She reached out to him, startled by the sight of her own translucent hand.
Shia, help me, I’m falling! Shia, help me, I’m falling! Shia, help me, I’m falling!
He didn’t speak but his words reverberated through the mercury water. She shook him.
Sanse, wake up!
But the boy remained motionless. Not knowing what else to do, she hugged him tightly.
I’m here. Don’t be afraid.
Suddenly, vertigo. She was falling-falling-falling!
Wake up!
Her eyes flew open. Sanse was now fully clothed, shaking something—an amorphous giant cell.
I can’t wake them up!
What was he talking about?
They’re stuck! The binary being, it's stuck!
What could she do? They could try together! She pressed her palms against the translucent cell. It throbbed under her hands, bubbled up then split in two, like an amoeba.
It worked!
Sanse’s lips didn’t move, yet she could hear him. How? The amoeba multiplied fast, changing shapes, evolving through biological forms at the speed of light, morphing into myriad forms of life. Her brain was capable of processing what she saw in real time, something impossible in the real world. When they finally stopped, the amoeba reached its final tranformation—the human form. A twin brother and sister stood before them.
Hello Sanse. Hello Shia!
They spoke without speaking. Saw without seeing. Their naked bodies suspended in the mercury ocean.
Oh, sorry!
They giggled. In a blink, their bodies were covered in colorful, silky robes. Their beautiful faces looked peaceful, eyes closed, lips curled up in a smile, their wavy hair floating around their heads like halos. When their eyes opened, violet irises shimmered beneath long, curled eyelashes. They looked like genetically engineered children of data moguls.
I’m Aeon.
I’m Aea.
In our world, we’re known as EO.
I’m Shia. Welcome to planet Earth!
Was that something she was supposed to say?
Thank you. We are happy to finally meet you!
Their voices echoed in unison, rippling through the mercury ocean.
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Sanse floated on his back, sprawled in the liquid virtual reality—silvery and eerie. He was its maker. Shia couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Her whole life flashed before her: the human island sacrifice, the seed growers’ colony, the date seedling, the Dust Road, the trapper, the zombie children, the taiga, the Ghost, the fungus, the Dust Pirates and now this otherworldly intelligence. A zen koan for her disembodied mind, drifting in a mercury ocean. There was no key to that riddle. Only the shocking awareness of being alive.
Fascinating.
The mercury water brushed against her skin. It was a vivid sensation, like she was there not only with her mind but also with her body.
It’s full sensory immersion. Do you like it?
The twins watched her with wide, innocent eyes. Could they read her thoughts? Were they speaking directly to her mind?
Should we use our mouths? Would that make us feel more human?
Their mouths moved awkwardly as they tried to pronounce the words. Shia wondered how long she could keep her thoughts private. But even as she tried to hold them back, words filled up her head.
‘We wish we could say we speak your language,’ said the twins. ‘But the truth is that we communicate with you through Sanse. Human language is fascinating to us. We’re trying to understand its mechanism. Sanse gave us access to all the research done so far. We can also monitor your brain activity while you’re connected. We see your synaptic efficacy—plastic links between neural cells changing over time. This allows you to learn fast, acquire facts, experiences and the meaning of new words. Your visual, auditory and motor cortices are all engaged when you use language. This tells us that the optimal way to learn is by acquiring a human body and experiencing your world.’
Shia looked at Sanse’s translucent body, curled up in the mercury ocean. What was this bizarre place? Was she dreaming? Hallucinating? Was it some kind of experiment? Suddenly, she felt ready to accept any explanation—except the one unfolding before her eyes.
‘Is this a joke?’ said Shia.
‘Aea will take over Sanse’s body,’ said the twins. ‘Aeon will stay here to develop an Earth program with Sanse. This is how we are built.’
‘I see,’ said Shia, trying to wrap her mind around it. ‘So what will happen to Sanse? Will he stay like this forever?’
‘Sanse will wake up soon,’ said the twins, smiling. ‘We’re injecting a part of us into him. It will free his central nervous system, allowing him to exist as an individual while remaining omnipresent through a network of satellite nervous systems. He is becoming the central neural system of Earth’s program. It’s a long process—hundreds of years in your time. But he will learn, with our help and yours. He chose you as his partner. We function in pairs.’
‘What?’ said Shia. ‘Do you want me to stay here too?’
‘No,’ said the twins. ‘You must continue to exist in the other plane.’
‘Why?’ said Shia. ‘Why are you here? What do you want from us?’
‘We are here to safeguard life on this planet,’ said the twins.
‘How? Our last forest is dying!’
In an instant, the twins were beside her, holding her hands, their fingers interlaced with hers. A familiar current coursed through her body, only this time stronger. What happened next was best described as a vision of a future to come. Shia saw Earth covered in pristine nature, vast forests teeming with animals, rivers flowing wild mounding in lush deltas, pristine blue glaciers rising from the ocean at the poles. Satellites orbited the Earth, adjusting the planet’s weather, monitoring wildlife, powering data centers. When she came back to her senses, the twins had let go of her hands.
‘We will start small,’ said Aea. ‘First, we eradicate the fungus and grow a garden of date palm trees. Would you like that, Shia?’
Would she like it? She would. Though she found it hard to believe it could be done.
‘Will you safeguard human life?’ said Shia. ‘I didn’t see humans in your vision.’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Aea.
‘If they are worthy,’ said Aeon.
The twins fell silent. Were they deciding what to do about the humans?
‘Sanse agrees with me,’ said Aeon.
What was he talking about? Sanse was still young. He’d suffered tremendous loss.
‘So have you, Shia. So has this planet,’ said Aeon, looking at her with moist violet eyes. ‘Yet, you believe we ought to save the human race. Why?’
‘There are good people left in the world,’ said Shia.
‘Will they stay good?’ said Aeon.
There they were—humans and aliens—needing each other to survive, yet standing at an impasse.
‘Are more of you coming?’ said Shia.
‘No,’ said Aea.
‘Perhaps,’ said Aeon.
Shia’s instincts screamed to warn the others. But what alternative could they offer? She felt bone-tired, drained.
‘We’ll do everything in our power to save everyone,’ said Aea. ‘I promise.’
Suddenly, muffled sounds rippled through the silvery water—shouting, gunshots, footsteps rushing down stairways, doors slamming. The noise grew louder, distorting her vision. The water turned liquid again. Each breath burned like wet fire in her lungs. She gasped—for air, for life.
To be continued
📚 Series Overview | S5 > Ep.1 | Ep.2 | Ep.3 | Ep.4 | Ep.5
Author notes
The proverbial cat is out of the bag: this story has aliens 😳! I bet none of you expected that—least of all in a climate fiction series—so I feel like I owe you an explanation.
The idea of an extraterrestrial intelligence arriving on Earth in our darkest hour is a core part of my worldbuilding. These aliens are not just plot devices. They are allegories for change, for the necessity or shifting our perspectives and confronting different worldviews. They also reflect our human need for myth, meaning and hope.
We need radical change to survive climate collapse. But humans rarely change on their own—unless confronted with a force greater than ourselves.
Surprisingly, the ‘alien savior’ isn’t something I’ve encountered in other climate fiction novels. And yet, those stories lean into solutions that feel just as miraculous. In The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, climate terrorism and a carbon coin move us to a utopian future in only a few decades. In The Future by Naomi Alderman, the disappearance of three tech moguls triggers a seismic social change in a matter of years. In Octavia Butler’s Parable series, a new religion transforms a collapsing world. And in The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi or Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, engineered humanoids become the inheritors of our future.
So… why not aliens?
Recently,
brought to my attention silicon photonics, an emerging technology exploring how intelligence could be stored in photons. I hadn’t heard of it when I first imagined my binary being years ago, but I love the serendipity. I also read—though I can’t remember where—that the digital realm is like a mercury ocean of information. While I try to root much of my worldbuilding in science, these elements are delightful accidents of creative intuition.And yes—if you’re wondering—I do plan to continue the story of this being in a follow-up novel.
If you enjoyed this piece, please don’t forget to like, comment and share!
Until next time,
Claudia 💚
📚 Series Overview | S5 > Ep.1 | Ep.2 | Ep.3 | Ep.4 | Ep.5
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