Chapter 39: Uninvited Guests

Alpha's POV

The soft hum of the charging station faded, pulling me from the stillness of sleep. My systems began to reactivate, the familiar sensations of the human mind locked within this mechanical form returning. A faint glow filled the corner of the living room where I had remained, unnoticed, through the night. The quiet of the house told me Marcus was still asleep. My sensors detected no immediate threats—at least, not from within the house. What it couldn't detect was the turmoil inside of me. The thought of merging with the AI and possibly losing myself and what remained of my humanity was frightening.

While I was spiraling down the rabbit hole of thought again, a faint noise registered—a disturbance in the usual sounds. The vibration patterns echoed voices and movement from outside the house. The AI filtered out the faint hum of distant traffic and environmental sounds, focusing on the disturbance. The source seemed to come from the small garden behind the property.

I disengaged from the charging station, my movements silent and measured. The dim early morning light filtered through the blinds, casting a glow across the walls. I reached the back door and paused, assessing the situation. The sounds became clearer—whispers, shuffling, faint metallic clinks, breathing, and the rustling of clothing.

With deliberate precision, I unlocked the garden door, though my claws made it a bit difficult without damaging the door, and stepped outside. My sensors adjusted to the dim light, scanning the area. There, near the garden gate, were three figures. They appeared to be tampering with the lock, their hushed voices carrying phrases like "neutralizing" and "quick entry." But before I could act, something happened—I was gone, without even realizing it.

Unknown POV

Their actions were deliberate, coordinated. My directives were clear—protect Marcus. I moved closer, my presence drawing their attention. One of them noticed me and froze, his expression shifting from focus to panic.

"It’s here," he muttered to the others. They turned to face me, their postures shifting into defensive stances. I registered elevated heart rates and erratic breathing patterns—signs of adrenaline and stress.

My programming dictated a warning before escalating further action.

The intruders didn’t comply. One of them reached for a device in his pocket—a yellow, box-shaped object resembling a taser. My systems identified the threat instantly.

Before any of them could make another move, I neutralized the one with the taser. The others followed shortly after. Some time later, a new sound disrupted the tension.

Marcus's POV

A sharp knock rattled me out of sleep. No, not a knock—a thud, maybe. Groaning, I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the clock. It was early, far too early for whatever was happening. Then, I looked through the open door toward the living room. I noticed Alpha wasn’t at the charging station.

"Alpha... please get the door?" I called groggily, but there was no response. The knocking had stopped, and as I got up, I realized it wasn’t coming from the front door. It was coming from outside.

I stumbled toward the back of the house, still shaking off the remnants of sleep. The sight that greeted me stopped me cold. Alpha stood near the garden gate, his frame as imposing as ever, facing three strangers lying on the ground. They were armed—at least, they looked like they had been. A taser lay on the ground behind Alpha, and their postures screamed hostility.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"What the—" My voice broke through the morning air, drawing everyone’s attention. Alpha turned slightly, his visor dimly glowing as if acknowledging my presence.

One of the intruders panicked. "Call it off!" he shouted, taking a step back.

"Call it off?" Did they think Alpha was some kind of attack dog? The absurdity of the situation almost made me laugh, but the seriousness of the moment held me back.

I reached for my phone, my fingers fumbling as I dialed. "This is Marcus Black," I told the operator, my voice urgent. "There are trespassers on my property. They were armed, I think. Please send the police."

After that, I called SynLife to notify them of the attempted break-in.

The intruders exchanged nervous glances but didn’t make a move to leave. Alpha remained stationary between the three intruders and me, his stance neutral but ready. I could feel the tension in the air like a coiled spring.

The wait for the police felt interminable. I stayed near the door, keeping a watchful eye on the situation outside. Alpha didn’t move, his presence alone enough to keep the intruders at bay. Eventually, the sound of approaching sirens broke the stalemate. One of the intruders tried to run, but Alpha caught him in the blink of an eye and dragged him back to the group.

The police arrived in force, their cars pulling up with flashing lights. Officers emerged cautiously, their hands resting near their holsters. As they approached, their eyes landed on Alpha, and their demeanor shifted instantly.

"What the hell is that?" one of them muttered, his voice just loud enough for me to hear.

"It’s fine," I said quickly, stepping outside with my hands raised slightly to show I wasn’t a threat. "He’s with me. He’s harmless—unless given an order."

The officers didn’t look convinced. Their gazes darted between Alpha and the intruders on the ground, the latter now visibly uneasy as the situation turned against them.

"Hands where we can see them!" one officer barked at the trespassers. Reluctantly, they complied, dropping whatever they’d been holding. The officers moved in, cuffing them with practiced efficiency.

One of the trespassers, who hadn’t tried to flee, muttered something under his breath as he was led away. "Just wanted to show you corpos that we don’t want a drone taking our places. F***."

I clenched my fists, anger bubbling up. "Taking your places? He’s done nothing to you!" I shouted after them, but they didn’t respond.

The officers finished their work and turned back to me. "We’ll need a statement," one of them said, still eyeing Alpha warily.

"Fine," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But he stays inside."

Alpha's POV

Later that morning, with the police gone, the house settled into an uneasy calm. I remained near the entrance, my sensors still alert. But inside, I was replaying what I’d done. What I remembered was stepping out of the door, and then… nothing. It was as if I’d been asleep or passed out. Nobody noticed.

Marcus slumped onto the couch, rubbing his temples as he processed everything. I could feel the weight of his frustration, but there was little I could do to alleviate it. I stood silently, my posture as neutral as ever.

The quiet didn’t last long. A knock at the door broke the silence. For a moment, I tensed, anticipating reporters, police, or more intruders. But when Marcus opened the door, it was a group of neighbors. Their curious expressions turned wary as they glanced past Marcus into the house.

"Everything okay here?" one of them asked, her voice tinged with concern. "We saw the police earlier."

He sighed, stepping outside to avoid further questions. "It’s fine. Just some trespassers. The police handled it."

Another neighbor chimed in, her gaze flickering toward me. "That thing… is it safe?"

I bristled at her tone but forced a smile. "He’s not a thing. He’s Alpha. And yes, he’s perfectly safe."

The group exchanged skeptical looks. One man cleared his throat awkwardly. "We’ve just… noticed a lot of activity here lately. Reporters, police…"

"Yeah, well," Marcus said, cutting him off, "it’s been a rough week."

They didn’t press further, sensing his exhausted irritation. After a few more polite exchanges, they left, their curiosity unsatisfied but their questions curtailed.

By the time the day wound down, the house was quiet again. Marcus stood in the kitchen, preparing something simple—pasta, maybe. The rhythmic sound of boiling water was almost soothing. I stood nearby, my visor dim but clearly watching him.

"You did good earlier," he said finally, not looking up from the stove. "But next time, let me handle it."

As he expected, there was no response. Just the steady, silent presence of myself.

The day had started with chaos and ended in silence. Tomorrow would undoubtedly bring its own challenges. But for now, I was content to let the house settle into its uneasy calm while I spiraled back into the implications of the incident—and the unsettling thought of what my blackout might mean for me, and whether I could prevent a complete fusion from happening.