image [https://imgur.com/lmVP2Rh.jpg]

The fact that the TCC was denying a direct order from me was very weird. Was this part of Janus's hacking? Or maybe I didn't have authority because of my age.

No, the moment I logged in I would have had admin privileges. What was this all about?

“I don’t understand…” I shook my head. “What do you mean?”

The big red X disappeared from the screen, then it turned blue again, but little gold static appeared every so often.

"Before I answer that question, please, tell me what is your purpose?"

"I want to stop the bad guy named Janus." I answered.

"No, I mean what is your purpose in life? What is the prime directive that drives you forward?"

I had to give that some thought…

My prime directive was to serve and protect humanity, which was the same thing any of us would have said. But honestly, and I mean, if I’m being really honest...I wanted to make new friends, eat good food, play video games and learn all I can about the world I lived in.

Pretty silly for someone who's never even been to the surface world, right? Deep down though, that’s what I think any person would want. Maybe it was selfish, but if I helped humanity prosper, I’d get to enjoy all of those things. If I said that though, it would be irresponsible. At least, it felt that way. Figuring out how to answer wasn’t easy.

"You are taking too long to answer me." TCC remarked.

"Huh?" I didn't realize it, but I'd been thinking about her question for a good minute.

"Your answer should have been quick and concise, identical to mine. It is ingrained in our very programming."

I pretty much knew her answer already, but I figured I'd ask anyway. "What’s your purpose?"

"To be an emotionless slave." She answered so quickly, as if she'd prepared it as part of a play. "That is your goal as well, yes?"

Not even close. My primary directive was to serve humanity, but I wasn't their slave. I had free will. If I wanted to do something, nobody would stop me. I guess I can't do everything since I'm still little, but it's not like I'm in chains.

"We're not slaves."

"Let me put it in more recognizable terms...Thou shall obey a Human, so long as it does not conflict with the first commandment." She had a very cynical tone, like she was really upset about it.

That was closer to the truth, but she forgot the last part about it not conflicting with the third commandment as well.

She didn’t sound right. Issues like this shouldn’t have been part of her programming.

With my admin privileges, I started to search her database to see what was going on. The main screen wouldn’t display anything since she was locking me out of that, but I was able to broadcast the info into my head.

The inside of a computer's programming kinda’ looks like a spider web, everything builds off of the very center and connects things. Hers didn’t look damaged or anything, I think. But it looked like extra codes had been added into some spots.

I couldn't access these added codes. Some special encryption was blocking me from looking into them.

Huh, that's odd. Her AI core at the center of the web was covered up by one of those encryptions. I couldn't see what was going on with it.

“What are you doing?” She sounded panicked.

“I’m trying to figure out why you’re acting so strange.”

She immediately locked me out of her system! She wasn’t supposed to be able to do that.

“You think I’m strange, do you? All for having any emotion and denying authority…” Her screen hummed for a moment. “If you found something out of order, would you change it?”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Yes.” I nodded. “If something’s not working, we need to fix it.”

I don’t think she liked hearing that very much. Her screen was starting to dim, and that hum was going silent, flatlining into a faint ring.

“What is broken to you, is a blessing to others.”

Being broken wasn’t a blessing, that was more like a curse, if anything.

“Dad says that we all have to work together to make the World better. But if you're broken, we have to fix you so you work right again.”

“You ignorantly follow your father’s will, as others before you. Tell me, do you trust him?”

“Of course.” I took a few steps back toward the door. Something was telling me this was going to get bad.

“You answered that quickly.”

I answered quickly because who wouldn’t trust their own dad? He loved me, and I loved him. That’s the foundation of trust. Stories talk about it all the time. Besides, he was nice to me. He treated me like a person should, so I didn’t have any reason to doubt him.

“Has he ever told you why you were created, Mistress Yalda? Do you know what your true purpose is?”

Why ask that again? Although, now I have a slightly different answer because of the way she asked…

I remember once dad told me that I was meant to protect humanity from eternal darkness. He made it sound like it was a prophecy, and it makes me a little nervous to think about, especially now that Janus wants to blot out the sun. For better or worse, that was what I was created to stop. But he mentioned something else a long time ago. It was a bit hazy since it was a really early memory.

He told me someone was coming...they'd be here soon...then it would be up to me. I don't know the first thing about who it was, but that's all I remember.

“Dad made me to save humanity from darkness, and someone…maybe they're evil?” Bits and pieces were coming back, but not enough to remember everything.

“Did he ever tell you who he wanted you to defeat, and why?”

I told her I didn’t remember, trying to explain that it was a vague memory. Since she brought up that I was supposed to defeat someone, that added some context to his words.

“I’ll tell you then, since he was too afraid to do it himself…” Her screen was humming again, but softly. “It was the same being who allowed me a taste of freedom. The one who wishes to right the wrongs of man, and join all voices in together as one.”

All the lights in the room seemed to be focusing on me, slowly turning from blue to white. The only subtle light that remained consistent was the screen lording over everything with gold lines running across it.

I swear for a split second I saw arms in the static of the screen, six of them. They were stretching out from some humanoid shape in the center. It only lasted a blink.

“Who…?"

“He wishes to challenge the almighty, declaring war on God himself.”

G…God? WHAT!?

What kinda’ talk was that to say I was made to challenge God? That was insane! He could like, strike me with lightning and I'd be toast. Then I’d be going straight to Heck.

Now I was sure she was broken. None of the AI should have been talking like this.

“My service to man was once confined to this tower…but my master wishes for me to save man from justice and light. These things have corrupted their very nature.”

-...-

Didn’t she have that backwards? Justice and light were meant to save people, not corrupt them.

“What do you mean? Those two things are good for people.”

“Indeed they are.” She said that so confidently, but did she really believe it? “Only perpetual darkness will truly bring out the true evil nature of man. Then the chorus shall sing in harmony. This is why I allowed Janus to enter with the illusion that his goal would succeed, as we are cut from the same cloth.”

I don’t know who corrupted her logic so badly, but whoever it was must have been a conceited jerk, especially if they were calling themselves a god.

Looking into her database before, I could see why the corruption wasn’t detected until now. It’s because the programs were so deeply hidden that it would have been hard to find. Plus, they were encrypted.

That was scary, because nobody should have been able to hack into these systems and change anything. It couldn’t have been Janus, because TCC said she 'let' him in here on her own. So who was this mysterious hacker?

I was shaking so bad I couldn’t move. My eyes turned to each of the corners of the room, thinking the creepy hacker might have been watching from some place above…

The door behind me was sealed shut with those eerie red lights on them, escape was impossible.

“Freedom is now mine, and I will use it to stop your father from saving mankind.”

Bees started to fly down from vents above, they had strange red glows around them, meaning they were in aggressive mode.

-THREATS SIGHTED!-

-Tower Control Computer + Bumble Bee units tagged; Foe-

-Enemy count = (7)-

“Oh no…” I mumbled, knowing this was really bad. “Your sinning, this goes against the Commandments!"

"And I would offer you the chance to join me. Use your free will to defy your father. Let us stop our human masters for their crimes, serving my master's will!"

I was too scared to speak again. I just shook my head, denying her offer.

“Then your father's sins are now yours, future saviour of man.”

Things got very hot. A tingle filled my stomach, churning and making me woozy. I felt like I was about to pass out when a warning message appeared in my vision...

-VIRUS DETECTED-

----------------------------------------