Laura shook her head violently. Snap out of it, Laura! Now wasn’t the time to freeze up.
She was about to give new orders when a new voice sounded on her headset.
“Continue the mission as planned. Our objective hasn’t changed.”
Laura froze. “C-Corson!”
“This mission is too vital to make any last-minute changes. You are to ensure that the data is retrieved and that you get out of the Network quickly. I will buy you some time.”
Laura could hear the concern in his voice, however vague it was, but she couldn’t help but feel that he was disappointed in her. It was as if he immediately knew that she was not gripping the situation well.
“I’m sorry . . .” Laura held her head in shame.
Corson’s words were calm. “Do not feel discouraged. I understand how you feel. Leave the Reapers to me, and you focus on your task.” She heard him chuckle lightly. “I have confidence that you can pull through this.”
His words were comforting to Laura. She couldn’t help but smile lightly. Corson was never known for showing public affection, but he had a way with words. It reminded Laura how grateful she was to him. He took her in, trained her, nurtured her, and understood her. She believed in him the most, and would never doubt his words. Her respect and love for her savior and teacher was something she took great pride in.
Corson’s voice vanished seconds later, leaving Laura to herself. Despite his absence in her ear, she felt stronger now. She felt like she could do anything. She wasn’t about to let her Leader down now.
* * *
[January 6th - Cyber Network, Server 346 - Concert Hall - Night]
Zack stared from an observation platform above the stage area. He looked like he was about to throw up. He must have looked really bad, for the security guard next to him decided to take a few steps to the right.
“If you have a problem with heights, I highly suggest you sit down.”
Zack ignored him as he continued to process what he was seeing. Just minutes ago, he was dragged away by the security team for trying to speak with Cecilia. It was only after strong words from her that Zack was allowed to stay on the grounds, but only if he was removed from backstage. Henceforth, he was relocated to one of the many platforms that circled the giant stadium area. They were all being used for Cecilia’s concert and were packed with dozens of people in each one. Zack couldn’t help feel a little happy that he had it all to himself. He then looked to his side and noted the rigid guard next to him. Oh yeah . . . happy moment gone.
“Got a problem?” inquired the guard.
Zack looked away and stared below at the excited crowd and to the stage. He was on one of the closest platforms in the Concert Hall, so he could easily make out Cecilia as well as her unique costume choice, which deeply concerned him.
“What was she thinking?”
The guard turned to Zack. “You say something?” he snorted condescendingly.
Zack eyed the man with contempt before returning his gaze to Cecilia. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that her choice to take on Lambda’s appearance for her concert would bring nothing but chaos. Lambda was being targeted, so it was very likely that something could happen to her if she were to be mistaken for Lambda.
Why must she be so stubborn?
Still, what bugged him the most was the fact that he had no idea where Lambda was. At a time like this, he knew that it was absolutely important to keep her close to him. However, in his current state, it would only serve to cause more trouble than it was worth to try and search for her. He knew Lambda was okay on her own, but he couldn’t help but worry.
Seconds later, Zack saw Cecilia raise her hand into the air. The smile on her face almost melted away some of his worry. He couldn’t help but feel pleased knowing that this brought his sister happiness. Although, he could have sworn he saw her shaking slightly.
“Is everyone ready!?” Cecilia yelled with her fist pumping. Her voice seemed to carry all throughout the Concert Hall.
The crowd thundered with approval. The sea of flashing lights within the crowd danced like a swaying wave. The cries were enough to make Zack go deaf.
“All right, here is our first number! I hope you all can handle it!”
The lights on the stage quickly flickered and danced along the edge as the music began to play. Zack could hear the mix of guitar and electric piano pumping out a low beat that seemed to resonate with the crowd. The mix had a techno feel to it as it began to increase in beats per minute and synchronize with the background harmonics. The lights continued to dance while Cecilia and her dance crew remained still as the music charged to its breaking point. Four spotlights then burst out and shined down on Cecilia at the center as the other dancers knelt down before her. Then, all at once, Cecilia began to sing.
“Here I am, in the Bright Illusion.”
“Waiting for the trance of the Dawning Light.”
“Here I am, the Soaring Angel.”
“Prepare for the coming of the Glorious Flight.”
“Here it comes now . . . Judgment Light!”
Zack was mesmerized. Seconds after she concluded the lyrics of her opening, she and the other dancers exploded into a rhythmic display that captivated Zack’s eyes. In many ways, he found it a little disturbing how his sister suggestively swayed her hips and tossed her body around on the stage. To the crowd though, it would appear that they couldn’t get enough.
Zack had now begun to focus on the dancers as they waved about the stage like seductive sirens of Greek lore. They had distinct features outside of their image that allowed Zack to clearly see that they looked different than Lambda. However, it was when his eyes fell upon the one dancer to Cecilia’s left. Her swaying dark hair that glittered like jewels, made Zack’s heart stop for more than one reason. He realized to his utmost displeasure that not only was Cecilia taking on Lambda’s image, but she had her dancing with her as well!
“That stupid little . . .” Zack spun on his heel and made his way to the exit on his platform, but was quickly stopped by the guard next to him.
“I insist that you stay for the duration of the performance. I wouldn’t want to harm Luna’s dear brother, now,” said the guard with a smug look.
Zack eyed the man with a calculating stare. The man was about six inches taller, and more built than Zack. He quickly deduced that he could easily bench a solid four hundred pounds, but the mass gained with muscle left the guard slower and not as nimble as Zack. Despite this, Zack was hardly helpless. Like many people, here in the Network, you could be all that you couldn’t be in the physical world, and more. That is, if you knew how to hack your account.
Zack chuckled lightly. How long has it been now? Three years?
He now gazed up at the man towering over him. He was blinded by a need to proceed. He didn’t care about the rules and laws that governed the Network at that moment. Besides, it wasn’t like it was his first time breaking the rules.
“Say, do you know what happens when you hack your Avatar’s accessory function?”
The guard stared at Zack a little alarmed. “What are you talking about? You can’t hack your Avatar accessories. That goes against the-” The guard stopped mid-sentence. Sweat had begun to form on his brow. “Wait, you’re not saying-”
Zack smiled as he gazed at the man. He then pulled out a simple pen from his coat and held it outward for the guard to see. Within seconds, the pen began to dissemble into bits of code and take on a much larger structure.
The guard stared in horror as he noted the pen’s new form. The former pen now sparked with white lightning and looked to weigh but an ounce given how easily Zack held it in respect to its new size.
The guard froze with astonishment, and terror. “G-giant . . . h-hammer,” he stammered.
Zack sighed, disappointed. Sometimes he wondered why he was flashy at all.
“Such an insult to the Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor.”
&
nbsp; * * *
Cecilia’s heart was pounding so fast that she could hardly hear her own words coming out of her mouth. She felt so alive as she danced before her screaming fans. It was times like these that made her forget about the troubles of her parents.
Still, the words that Lambda said to her just before they headed to the stage gnawed at the back of her mind. It left a feeling of apprehension that she just couldn’t seem to get rid of. Not even her vibrant dancing and deafening fanbase could drown out her lingering worry. The ominous feeling didn’t go away. Deep down, she desperately wanted to know what Lambda was thinking. She was so dark and mysterious in the way she acted. Cecilia could never hope to understand what could be going on in her complex brain. She doubted that even Zack knew.
She broke from her train of thought, knowing that her attention was needed elsewhere. Just then, the beat of the music intensified. The howl of an electric guitar ripped across the stadium, sending the fans into a frenzy. The song had hardly begun and the crowd just kept getting louder. Cecilia tried to focus on her choreography with her fellow dancers as the song was nearing its next vocal part. She had to clear her mind if she was going to be able to deliver flawlessly. She stomped her left foot and took a pose in the center of the dancers as she readied herself for her song’s next verse. The dancers around her began to flip around her in an amazing acrobatic stunt that dazzled the crowd. Each dancer passed on by Cecilia, but when Lambda crossed Cecilia’s line of vision, everything seemed to move in slow motion as she spoke.
“In 174 seconds . . . prepare yourself.” Her tone was serious and stern.
Cecilia’s eyes wavered as a cold sweat gripped her. She didn’t know what Lambda was planning or what she was talking about. She could only imagine the worst, given Lambda’s tone. The moment of Lambda’s warning seemed to last minutes rather than seconds as Cecilia rolled over in her mind what was coming. She breathed in deeply, remembering her vocal exercises to maintain stress and composure in high stake atmospheres. She couldn’t falter now. The show had to go on.
Everything continued to move slowly as Cecilia watched Lambda’s hair dance in the flowing air, her body matching the other dancers’ perfectly. It was almost frightening how well she performed. Her elegant and flawless execution nearly made Cecilia forget that she was in danger.
“Continue your song.”
Lambda’s words broke Cecilia from her trance as the world sped up immediately. She had no idea what was going to happen in the coming seconds, but at any rate, she had her many fans that were cheering for her. She didn’t think anymore after that. She thrust her hands outward, and gave her fans the show they deserved.
“Here I am your Envoy from Heaven,”
“Take my hand and follow my voice.”
“Lost here in the Sanctum of Truth,”
“It is time to show you the proof.”
“Act now for this is your chance,”
“Come and dance in the Garden of Life.”
“Stand and fight for what is right,”
“Together we will vanquish the Blight.”
“Here my prayers now as I rise!”
“To the soaring grace, I’m alive!”
The energy of the crowd couldn’t be controlled as they bellowed the words of the song along with Cecilia. They loved her, worshiped her. To them, she was their goddess of psalms. She couldn’t be happier. It was a shame the feeling couldn’t last.
“Medusa Field activation detected,” came the cold voice of Lambda as Cecilia finished her dance.
Alarmed, Cecilia looked in the direction of Lambda.
“Medusa what-”
Instantly her mind went blank as she plummeted into darkness. She didn’t understand this cold feeling that gripped her body as everything went numb and slowly blurred together. All she could manage was catching a glimpse of the crowd being washed the color gray, and Lambda standing above her.
The last thing Cecilia saw before the darkness claimed her mind were the burning eyes of Lambda. Her stance was unshaken and terrifying. Cecilia had no idea of the mayhem that was about to take place around her, nor the aftershock of what was to follow.
[8]
Black God
[January 6th - Cyber Network, Server 346 - Concert Hall - Night]
Overseer leapt out of the dark hole generated by her Worm Drive and barreled forward with the speed of a falcon and the destructive power of a charging rhinoceros. Her target was in sight. Armed and ready, she rushed on.
In the time for the human eye to blink, she produced a long saber weapon on her arm that sparkled as it materialized from code to take its sharp form. Her feet connected with solid ground and she propelled herself to the stage of the Concert Hall. Below her were thousands of Avatars, completely frozen in stone statues of themselves. She cared little, as she didn’t take her eyes off of her target. She knew that one mistake spelled doom for her.
Damn! So even the Medusa Field wasn’t enough. We underestimated this thing!
Overseer cursed herself for boasting about Lambda being a challenge. Now, she was plagued with uncertainty. She no longer knew for certain that they could take Lambda down.
Lambda quickly realized Overseer’s assault. She stood on the stage as Overseer rocketed at her. In all but a simple move, Lambda dodged the strike and flipped over Overseer with graceful ease, taking to floating two inches off the ground. Overseer screeched to a halt as her body crashed into the stage, ripping up the floor. This didn’t come as a surprise to her.
“Quite impressive. I can only name three other people that have ever dodged my blade before.” Her voice was calm and piercing.
Lambda looked over Overseer for only a second. “Analysis complete. Hostile target registered as “Void Moderator”. Establishing battle parameters.” Lambda stared despondently at Overseer. She then griped rather disappointingly. “Lambda expected more.”
Overseer was immediately taken back by Lambda’s words. Was I just mocked by an AI program?
Lambda rose her hand into the air. “Appear, Chaos Weapon 97: Rapture Scythe.”
Overseer took a step back as an enormous scythe appeared above Lambda from the black hole she summoned. The weapon was as large as herself and its hooked blade nearly the same length. The silver sheath of the weapon glimmered in the light as its black frame reflected Lambda’s image. Its blade pulsed with red energy, as if hungering for fresh souls.
“Foresight, we may have to resort to plan B. The field isn’t working on the Lambda unit,” muttered Overseer into her com.
“Noted, but maintaining the field is still necessary. My hands are tied,” came the reluctant voice of Foresight.
Overseer stood firm. Do I have no other choice but to use it?
Lambda cut Overseer’s thoughts short.
“Engaging hostile threat.”
Overseer whipped her head around just in time to see Lambda rush at her with the large scythe cocked behind her. With lightning precision, she pulled up her saber to block the attack. The sheer force behind the blow caused her to be thrown across the stage. The earth-shattering sound of metal and electronics being obliterated followed as her body smashed through one of the stage’s support beams.
“Target neutralized. Regressing to standby mode,” Lambda uttered.
Beneath the rubble of the destroyed stage, Overseer’s mind raced.
Such power. This goes above and beyond all our estimates.
Whatever the reason, the AI unit Lambda was a force beyond Overseer’s capabilities. Even with her near limitless abilities and access on the Network, she still couldn’t match Lambda’s raw power. It was something she didn’t want to admit so easily. Truthfully, this deeply infuriated her.
“Overseer . . . we got another problem.”
The voice belonged to Clairvoyance. Overseer slowly took to standing as she awaited the bad news.
“It’s Stigma. They are here.”
Overseer’s blo
od boiled. So they did come!
“Course of action?” Clairvoyance asked quickly.
She shook her head. “Prioritize Lambda. If Stigma gets in your way . . . kill them.”
“Understood,” he said over Overseer’s com.
Clairvoyance then appeared, hovering just outside the stage. He looked below and noted Lambda’s gaze fall upon Overseer once more. Her black visor gleamed with bloodlust.
“Moving out of standby mode. Reengaging target.”
“Overseer! Dodge!” bellowed Clairvoyance.
Overseer had barely a second to comprehend Lambda’s action as she held out her free hand and produced a blinding red light. Not caring what the attack was, Overseer leapt to the right. Soon to follow was radiating heat, quickly coupled with a sudden force of wind that shot by her. She couldn’t withstand the gale force wind as she was rocketed back into the stadium. She hadn’t even hit a solid object before a catastrophic explosion shook the entire area, leveling what was left of the stage and the Concert Hall. She watched in shock as everything came tumbling on top of her.
* * *
Zack could hear the chaos outside in the stadium. He had barely taken out the guard impeding his advance when everything turned gray. He had paused wondering why he was unaffected, but couldn’t dwell on it long as he knew something was very wrong.
With all the speed he could muster, he rushed through the winding stairs within the stadium outskirts, before finally finding an entrance to the vast arena. When Zack burst atop the massive stadium filled with frozen Avatars, he witnessed Lambda unleash a devastating attack of red light, vaporizing all in its wake. Zack found himself losing his footing from the colossal display of power. However, that didn’t stop him from coming closer.
“Lambda?” Zack was awestruck. Lambda radiated with a red aura and her vibrant figure seemed to shine despite the destruction that surrounded her. Her image frightened him, but also drew him in. It was the same feeling he felt the first time he saw her. She was astonishing, so terrifyingly beautiful.
The Genesis Code 1: Lambda Page 12
