Marcus’s POV

The morning sun streamed through the blinds, bathing the room in a golden hue. I stretched and sat up in bed, trying to shake off the lingering haze of sleep. My body was awake, but my mind was anything but rested. The events of the past few days kept replaying in my head like a bad movie on loop.

The attempted break-in, Alpha’s eerie behavior, the mounting pressure from SynLife to showcase Alpha more publicly—it all felt like too much. Still, I had to keep moving. I couldn’t let it overwhelm me.

I shuffled into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, watching the droplets trail down the mirror as I blinked at my reflection. I looked tired—more than tired, really. The faint dark circles under my eyes betrayed how much this whole ordeal was weighing on me.

After brushing my teeth and pulling on my clothes, I wandered into the kitchen. The coffee pot gurgled as it finished brewing, a sound that felt like a small comfort in the stillness of the house. I poured a mug and sipped it slowly, savoring the warmth and bitterness.

Alpha was stationed by the window, his towering frame silhouetted against the morning light. He stood motionless, his visor dim, but I knew he was scanning the area. That was his default mode now—always watching, always guarding.

I set my mug down and approached him. “Hey,” I said out of habit, even though I knew I wouldn’t get a response. His head shifted slightly, acknowledging my presence, but that was it.

It wasn’t unusual for Alpha to be silent; he couldn’t speak, after all exept for the language all drones spoke The whirring and clicking. But this silence felt different. There was a stiffness to him, a lack of the subtle adjustments he usually made.

Breakfast was a rushed affair—just toast and some scrambled eggs I barely tasted. My mind was too preoccupied to enjoy it. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Alpha. He’d been different since the night of the break-in, almost like he wasn’t entirely... present it was nothing .

After finishing my meal, I set the plate in the sink and glanced at Alpha again. His visor flickered faintly, as if processing something, but he didn’t move.

“Alright, this can’t wait,” I muttered to myself, pulling out my phone. I scrolled through my contacts and tapped Ellis’s number.

The call connected after two rings. “Ellis speaking,” came his familiar voice, brisk and to the point.

“Hey, it’s Marcus,” I said.

“Marcus? Everything okay?”

“Not exactly,” I admitted, glancing at Alpha. “Something’s wrong with him.”

“What do you mean? Is he damaged?”

“No, he’s not damaged,” I said, frustrated. “But he’s been... different. Quieter. Less reactive. At the mall the other day, it was like he wasn’t even there.”

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Ellis sighed, and I could practically hear him pinching the bridge of his nose. “And you’re absolutely sure nothing happened during the break-in?”

“Yes, Ellis. I’m sure,” I snapped.

“Alright, alright,” he said. “But if you’re that worried, bring him in for a checkup. Don’t wait for the scheduled appointment next week.”

“Do we really need to do this now?” I asked, trying to find an excuse to put it off. “Maybe whatever’s going on will just... work itself out.”

“Don’t take that chance,” Ellis said firmly. “If something’s off, we need to address it now. Bring him in, and we’ll figure it out.”

I sighed, knowing he was right. “Fine. I’ll bring him in today.”

“Good. I’ll set up the diagnostics bay for you. See you soon.”

After hanging up, I took a deep breath and turned back to Alpha. “Alright, big guy. Let’s go see what’s going on with you.”

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An hour later, a familiar SynLife truck pulled up in front of the house. I watched as the technician expertly loaded Alpha into the back, his movements precise and practiced. I climbed into the passenger seat, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts as we began the drive to the facility.

The ride was uneventful, the cityscape blurring past as I stared out the window. My phone buzzed a few times with notifications, but I ignored them. My focus was on Alpha—and the growing unease in my chest.

When we arrived, Ellis was waiting for us at the entrance, clipboard in hand. He nodded at me and gestured toward the diagnostics bay. “Let’s get started.”

Alpha stepped down from the truck with his usual precision, following us into the building. The sterile, cool air inside was filled with the hum of machinery and the faint chatter of technicians. I couldn’t help but notice how much busier the facility seemed. There were drones everywhere—far more than the last time I’d been here.

“What’s with all the drones?” I asked as we passed row after row of them.

“Oh, right. You’ve been out of the loop,” Ellis said, glancing at me. “We landed a big contract last week.”

“How big?”

“Fifty Delta units, fifty Tau units, twenty Yotta units, five Omega units, and thirty-five Xenon units,” he rattled off.

I stopped in my tracks, staring at him. “That’s 160 drones! Who needs that many?”

“The military,” came a voice from behind us. I turned to see James, another SynLife engineer, walking toward us with a smirk.

“Of course it’s the military,” I muttered. “Should I be worried?”

James chuckled. “Relax, Marcus. They’re for support and rescue operations. The combat capabilities are just a precaution.”

“Sure,” I said, crossing my arms. “Because the military always uses combat drones for peaceful purposes.”

James raised his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I’m just the messenger. You’d have to ask corporate if you want more details.”

We continued down the hallway, eventually arriving at the diagnostics bay. Alpha stepped onto the platform, and the technicians began their work. I watched as they connected cables and activated monitors, the room filling with soft beeps and the hum of machinery.

Ellis glanced at me. “We’ll run a full diagnostic. It’ll take a couple of hours, so you might want to grab a coffee or something.”

I nodded, though the thought of leaving Alpha alone made me uneasy. As I turned to leave, James called out to me.

“Hey, Marcus!”

“What now?” I asked, turning.

“You’ll want to stick around. Dr. Graves is here today.”

I frowned. “Who’s Dr. Graves?”

Ellis looked up, his expression cautious. “She’s the new temporary head scientist. Corporate brought her in to keep things running while you’re focused on Alpha and marketing.”

“They replaced me?” I said, my voice rising.

“It’s temporary,” Ellis said quickly. “They just needed someone to handle the workload.”

My jaw tightened, but I didn’t respond. Something about all of this—maybe the new contract, maybe the temporary leadership change—felt wrong.

As the machines hummed and Alpha remained eerily still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just a diagnostic checkup. Something bigger was brewing. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.