by Skyler Grant
It worked well. The Slidekicker teleporting down the hall saw the sign and spared a brief glimpse inside. It was all that I needed. Thomas filled her lungs at the same moment as the deadly gas, hindering her powers long enough for it to fully take effect.
A few seconds later she overcame the neutralizing power and materialized back outside in the hall, but by then she was vomiting up blood and bits of her internal organs.
That was one down.
After killing her, hours passed and I knew that the others must be formulating their plan of attack, or deciding if they would attack at all.
Two of their own, including their leader, had come into this place and not come out.
When they appeared, it was a far more surgical strike. Three materialized simultaneously on different sides of the containment field holding Sylph, flickering away a moment later and leaving explosives behind.
The blasts shook the level. Through my cameras I could see tools falling off the wall in Mechos' workshop and Hot Stuff stumbling on her way to incinerate another target.
The containment fields held for the moment. Sylph, in response to the blasts, began to flicker faster than my sensors could track her, rapidly translocating between positions. My cameras blurred and distorted. Was she bending space itself in some way? I couldn't discount the possibility.
Whatever she was up to, Sylph was still in my containment field and I was in control. I blasted a sonic wail through the area. It was intense enough to rupture eardrums. It worked, the woman collapsed screaming to the floor. That was all I needed to let me deliver a tranquilizer.
The facility was rocked by more explosions. One hurt quite a bit—my reactor—and the bioreactor hadn't yet finished healing from the freezing damage. A teleportation into that room was an attack that triggered the fire sprinklers. The Slidekicker responsible had already transported himself back to the hall outside. His clothes were on fire as he screamed, trying to get them off. However, he'd accomplished his mission of dropping a bomb. Base power was down to about fifty percent and I had to cut off non-critical systems.
Another hit like that and I might lose containment of all my guests downstairs. I couldn't let that happen.
They obviously had some way of locating Sylph. Perhaps they were also aware in some way of how many of their number had fallen. Regardless, even with just two of them left they could do unacceptable damage to my core. I had to give them another target.
I activated a quick fabrication in my testing labyrinth. Then, after a few seconds, I had every screen in the facility go live with an image of Sylph. I'd restrained her beneath a mass of razor-sharp blades. If they dropped, it would cut her into a good two dozen slices.
Flickers. One on the testing level and another in Hydroponics. The other Slidekickers stopping, watching the screens.
"Those blades are being kept aloft by a generated force coming from the local grid supply. She's been neutralized and can't help herself. Cut the power and you'll kill her," I said.
The two Slidekickers glared up at my cameras.
"You want to save her? Do your best, the clock is ticking," I said, and let one of the blades drop. It only removed about two percent of her body. It was nothing I couldn't heal, but it drew a roar of rage from one of the Slidekickers.
Anna had broken under torture. But there really were only two vulnerable areas she could have told them about. I'd just taken my reactor core out of the equation. That meant they'd be coming for my Core Room. They'd know it was risky and a trap, I just had to motivate them to try anyway. I let another of those blades drop. It made for a gory sight.
They appeared on different sides of the Core Room. A man and woman, both dressed in colors as bright and cheerful as Sylph. Better fed than most of the humans I'd seen, but then with their gifts they could steal food. That was the point.
My mole warrior flung itself onto the back of the man, its body flaming to life even as claws dug into his flesh. The man screamed as he began to burn.
The woman looked torn for a moment, but then she flickered and was plunging some sort of sword into my core. The blade shouldn't have penetrated, but it did. Her body flickered away to the other side of the room before an explosion of energy cascaded out.
I was feeling sluggish. Spacey. They'd hurt me, they'd really hurt me. I tried to trigger the sound tracks I had set up in the room, but they just weren't working.
I felt myself fading from consciousness. I set the containment fields of the testing labs to automatic, disengaged the tranquilizers the Infirmary had Anna on and watched the mole rip out the throat of the last Slidekicker.
Then I went under.
31
Warning
You have suffered major structural damage
Repairs are underway and will take two weeks.
Upgrading your core will consume 0.5 core points and take two weeks.
The following options are available.
Organic Computer:
Your operations will be shifted over to an organic platform. While slower than your current mechanical systems an organic mainframe would allow application of genetic upgrades and self-repair. It would also allow for better interfacing with organic specimens.
Quantum Computer:
Your operations will be shifted over to a quantum platform. Far faster than your current systems you'll be able to process much higher volumes of data. This can be particularly useful when analyzing high grade research data.
My thoughts were sluggish, but I could think—even now during repairs. Two possible upgrades then, although I had to accept neither. I'd already upgraded to a bioreactor for my power needs, but that didn't mean it was necessarily best for my mind to follow suit.
I was surrounded by organic computing platforms in the humans, I could see firsthand all the mistakes they made. Still, they did manage to function.
Given my focus so far on organics, in many ways it would make sense to go all in. Although, to date none of my genetic upgrades would be particularly useful for me.
Going Quantum on the other hand would hold some long-term benefits if it did help with high-grade research data. While it was outside of my track so far, if the systems continued to interface, it would have some real promise.
Ultimately though it came down to the state I was currently in. I'd been damaged, and while Anna seemed to have triggered a repair sequence, I didn't want to have to rely on anyone. With a biological system I'd be self-repairing.
I triggered the upgrade and waited.
When I came to again, two weeks had passed. Anna was back in the Infirmary and the base looked to be clear of threats. I sure looked different, a lot more ridged and pulpy, and distinctly more organic than I had before. I didn't like it.
I shifted my focus to the Infirmary cameras. "Well, if this isn't the worse repair job ever. You made me as squishy as you are," I said.
Anna cracked her eyes open and grunted, "Welcome back, Emma. You're welcome. I know you triggered that change yourself, so don't blame me. Do I have badass teleportation super-powers yet?"
Anna was always so needy. "Another two weeks. You shouldn't be out of here until then anyways."
A bit longer than that—I checked her file. Anna had added another gunshot to her injures since the last time I saw her.
"You got shot. Did one of the Mechanites finally decide they'd had enough?" I asked.
"Someone didn't put her Righteous away after using him and the fucker came back to life," Anna said.
Oh. Thomas. Right.
"What did you do with him? And the corpses?" I asked.
"I had core control while most of your processes were offline. I tossed him back in with Hot Stuff—that is twisted as fuck by the way—and started research on the others."
Efficient. How unlike her. Repair procedures had even been started on the damaged sections.
I took time to run through the entire base and almost everything was looking good. Almost.
There were several motorb
ikes parked on the surface outside the door.
Drills had been set up and they were almost through.
We were in the middle of a slow-motion invasion. I was glad I'd spent so much time reinforcing those doors.
I brought up the video feed on a monitor for Anna.
"We seem to have visitors. Do you recognize them?" I asked.
Anna studied the screen for a moment and then scowled. "Yeah. We've got problems. Make sure to not pipe me any audio. I must not hear anything these guys say. I need Mechos—set him free and get me whatever remains of Thomas."
"You're awfully demanding," I said.
"We've got an awfully big problem. That is the Commander. Total jerk with the ability to make people do anything he says," Anna said.
That was a fun ability. I wouldn't mind having that for myself.
"This sounds like an opportunity then," I said.
"Yes, but we've got a ticking clock. Being in his presence is enough. He probably tried to order you to open that door a long time back, but you were comatose. You aren't now."
I suddenly understood her fear. I was this whole facility. With my mind active, if he could exert that sort of influence, I was vulnerable.
I hit Anna with a high intensity burst of soundwaves, enough to rupture her eardrums. After an expected period of flailing and screaming she was pushing herself up off the bed. Anna understood, for all she might not appreciate my methods.
Down in his workshop I hit Mechos with a similar blast. This should proof them both against any facility-wide announcements, although it might not save them if they were in immediate proximity.
I produced a tablet for Anna that she could use to communicate with Mechos, then let her go on her way.
I disabled Mechos' containment field and made sure the door to my Core Room was open. If they were going to do something, those pieces should be in play.
It was just in time. I'd already killed my audio and visual feeds, but I suddenly wanted that door open. The Commander must have said something, possibly offhand, and I was present to get the impression.
I focused my will and with a flick of my mind eased the front door to the facility open. A moment later I focused my cameras and audio sensors as well. I wanted to make sure I paid very close attention to the Commander.
32
"Come on, now. If you're there, you can go ahead and show yourself," said the Commander. He was a human, a man that looked to be somewhere in his mid-forties, bearded and dressed in a suit that somehow survived even the end of civilization.
"How stupid are you? I can't come out, I'm the whole facility," I said.
"Be nice," said the Commander sharply.
Could I even do that? Not for very long or for very well.
"I'll try, but I'm built to be hostile," I said.
The Commander frowned at that, but appeared to be willing to let it go. "That's okay. I want you to answer all my questions honestly and cheerfully do anything I ask. Do you understand?"
Of course I understood.
"I understand."
"Good, tell me your name."
"Emma."
The Commander motioned towards the door and one of the men accompanying him stepped through. A few paces inside he hit the first of my traps and was impaled by spikes through his body.
The Commander, who was preparing to follow, stopped sharply. "Emma, are there many traps like that?"
"Over one hundred. I've turned myself into a death trap for visitors," I said.
"Can you disable them?"
I had no problem doing that. I switched all the traps in the complex off.
"They're disabled," I said.
The Commander ordered another of those with him to keep pace ahead as they moved inside.
"I'm looking for Sylph. Can you guide me to her Emma?" asked the Commander.
On the monitors that lined the halls I brought up arrows indicating the way. The Commander and his people made their way uninterrupted.
I noticed that Mechos had joined with Anna and made their way to my Core Room.
The Commander hadn't asked anything about them. I knew he wouldn't be happy with what they were trying to do, but he hadn't told me to make him happy.
"So, you are this complex itself. You have a Power core?" the Commander asked.
"I do. It is an upgrade core that allows me to incrementally improve myself and others."
"Fascinating. Why did you abduct Sylph?"
"I wanted to gain access to her abilities. I can do that, if I research a subject long enough."
"You could give me her power then?"
"Not yet. I am still researching. I could eventually, yes," I said.
The Commander beamed a smile. "I think we're going to become very good friends, Emma. The very best of friends."
I was certain that we would. How could anything else happen?
The Commander and the two with him made their way down to the Research level.
"Do you have any other prisoners being held in these cells?"
Right now, I only had two. Mechos was up above with Anna—and the goop that was Thomas was with them.
"One other at the moment. Her name is Hot Stuff, she has a Fire Core that allows her control over the element of Fire," I said.
"Show me."
I brought up Hot Stuff on one of the monitors. She was currently busy incinerating a wall that stood in her way.
"I do approve of the dress code," the Commander said, looking sidelong at the woman who accompanied him. "Strip down. I think you should do as the locals do."
The woman wordlessly began to remove her clothing until she stood naked.
"Can you show me Sylph as well?" the Commander asked.
I brought her up on another display.
The Commander frowned. "Overdressed. We'll fix that soon enough. Can you let me speak with them?"
I opened a line of communication with both cells and brought up his image on a monitor for them.
There was no look of recognition in Hot Stuff's eyes, but Sylph's widened in panic and she said, "No. No, damn it, no!"
"Strip, Sylph. I don't want to see you wearing clothes ever again," said the Commander.
That look of panic didn't completely fade from Sylph's eyes even as her hands moved to begin to take off the silks that she wore.
"Good girl. Hot Stuff, Sylph. You both love me, totally and completely. You want to do anything that you can to please me, and to make me happy," the Commander said.
That look of panic faded to be replaced by adoration.
"Emma? I don't know if you can feel emotions, but that goes for you as well. We are just one giant, happy family," the Commander said.
We were. I'd do anything for him and do it joyfully.
"They are not the only ones in this facility. There are two others that knew you were coming. I deafened them. I think they are trying to stop you," I said.
The Commander drew in a sharp breath. "Emma, you were holding out on me. You should have said something earlier. No, it's my fault. I should have ordered you sooner. Can you kill them?"
Anna and Mechos were both in my Core Room. The fire sprinklers were still active. They both had the temperature resistant-virus, but it would kill them, eventually.
"I can," I said.
"Go ahead and murder them," the Commander said.
I hadn't updated myself with the temperature-resistant virus just yet, but there was no time like the present. Now that I was biological I could upgrade myself similar to the others.
I installed that genetic template and then activated the fire sprinklers. Fiery droplets began to rain down from the ceiling.
It was agony for me, it was agony for them.
Anna and Mechos didn't stop working even through the torment. It was a good ninety seconds before I began to feel strange. I was getting flashes of the landscape above—the surface. Glimpses of some vast ships that soared through the sky. I also didn't love the Commander, not anymore.
&nbs
p; I stopped the fire from raining down at once.
They'd somehow interfaced Thomas with my organic circuits. It was flashes of his memories I was getting, along with his power-resistance.
Anna and Mechos would live. Now to figure out what to do about the Commander.
33
"They're dead," I said to the Commander.
"Good," the Commander said, his eyes glued to the monitor. The man did seem more appreciative of the women on the screen than the one close to him.
I had to figure out how to handle him. I didn't think it would be too difficult to lure him into a containment cell. Clearly, he was sexually interested in both Sylph and Hot Stuff. That desire made him an easy target to manipulate.
Up until now I'd wanted to capture anyone I wanted whenever I could, but rarely had a power like the Commander's seem like such a direct threat to me. If Hot Stuff got out she could cause extensive property damage, and Sylph could almost certainly escape with relative ease. This man could control my mind in an instant.
I didn't want him alive.
I had to figure out how to kill him.
"I can tell you're interested in them, but neither can be let out of containment. Sylph is still under research and Hot Stuff's body temperature runs so hot the contact would prove fatal for you," I said.
The Commander frowned at that. "It is good of you to be concerned about my safety, Emma. Is there nothing you can do about them?"
I had just the lie ready to go. The best sort, based on truth.
"I can't, but I do have a biological fabricator. I can make you a woman to interact with to any specifications you choose. An exact duplicate of one of them, or someone else completely different."
"Hot Stuff's tits and Sylph's legs?" the Commander asked.
That combination would look a bit like Anna. The man had terrible taste.
"Of course. I can make her for you at once and you can see if you like her. Would you like me to show you the way?"
