Chapter Forty-Five

Li Mei and I hadn’t had classes or a mission in a week.

Bentley kept me updated on what he knew, but that wasn’t much. The Macks seemed to have settled down after the Sooke Emergence. SHOCKS had strike teams on patrol, checking the ocean, and they’d dropped more signal boosters around Haven to deal with any Type Thirty-Twos that showed up. And reconstruction efforts were underway in Sooke and Victoria.

Haven was getting back to normal, and after two Emergences back to back, it was about time.

One morning, though, my alarm went off.

I sprung upright immediately, ready to fight the sound, then took a deep breath. The alarm clock wasn’t an enemy. I didn’t have to fight it. It wasn’t even glowing red—SHOCKS didn’t have glow-in-the-dark things in its Magical Girls’ rooms.

“Good morning, Luciole. I woke you up because the lab boys broke into the Type Forty-Two’s communication software last night. We’re assembling HANAF, SHOCKS, and Haven leaders to watch when we power it on and start asking it questions. You, Overclock, and Li Mei were there, so if you want to watch, we have spots for you in the observation booth.”

I nodded. I didn’t really want to watch, but it felt like I needed to be there. “When?”

“Twenty minutes. Head to the elevator, and I’ll let you into the research wing.”

I nodded, transformed, and opened my door. Li Mei and Overclock were waiting in the chairs and couch. They stood up as I stepped out. “You two are going too?” I asked.

“Yeah, kid,” Overclock said. She stood up. “That thing took out a teammate. I want to watch it spill what it knows, and then I want to watch it get crushed for scrap.”

Together, we headed for the elevator. Instead of pushing a button, though, Overclock just waited, and the elevator began to ascend. It pushed up and up until it had to be somewhere inside the communications tower where the Operators did their jobs. Then it went up a few more floors.

When it stopped, we exited into a small room. A pair of generals stood nearby, conversing with B.S.O.D. and Palace Athena. Near them, Mayor Ambrose sat in a movie theater chair. He looked over his shoulder, then kept talking to a pair of aides. The room could hold a dozen or so observers; below it, I could see a sterile, white-and-silver lab with the Type Forty-Two strapped to the table inside. A dozen blinking red lights around the room flashed over LED signs that read ‘Nanite Annihilation Field Active: Magical Girl Presence Forbidden.’

A HANAF orderly waved us to a trio of seats off to the side. I sat down with Li Mei on one side and Overclock on the other. We’d get a front-row view of whatever the boys below were doing, but wouldn’t be in the big shots’ way.

“Attention, guests. I’m Arthur.” One of the boys below in the lab coats waved up at us. “Some background; we first got the Type Forty-One running last night. It immediately started producing nanites and building toward its spells, which we couldn’t allow. Since then, we’ve been running a Naninte Annihilation Field. In the unlikely event that the glass breaks, please allow the Magical Girls to evacuate first.”

With that, Arthur signaled to the other boys, who started working on their computers. As they did, he kept talking. “We’re activating the android’s vocal processing unit and memory storage. Benjamin will run cyber warfare to keep the android from activating weapons systems or mobility. Devin is keeping the pressure on its processing to attempt to force compliance. I’ll be running the interview.”

He flicked a switch, and the Mack’s eyes flickered yellow. Then red. Its annihilated pneumatics hissed and ground. Then it stopped trying to move. “Flame Arrow.”

Nothing happened except that the hairs on my neck stood up as a static feeling pressed down on the room, and the boys fidgeted. After a moment, the android started ranting. “I am the end and the beginning, your doom approaching. I am you, but better in every way.” I shivered. It was the same speech it’d given before.

“Alright, Miss Doom, let’s peer into that head of yours. How’d you end up in Sooke? What purpose did you have there?” Arthur asked.

The Mack fought. I watched code flicker by on Benjamin and Devin’s computers as the two boys forced it into compliance. It ran through a dozen different languages, most of which didn’t sound…human…before popping into English. “Unit is a prototype thinking machine. Purpose was to test power level against Bastion City defenders. Valuable intelligence earned. Purpose complete.”

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

“Intelligence gathering and a prototype test,” Arthur said into a recorder. “How did you Macks develop thinking machines?”

Once again, the android fought. Its eyes flared a bright pink, and its voice crackled and popped. “ThinkinG machine ProgrAM in direct resPonse tO Orbital PlATforM threAts. DevelOPmenT NearinG ConclusIon.”

The HANAF general stood up and held up a mic. “Can you ask it where the program is?”

“I…can, sir, but it’s unlikely it’s anywhere we can get to.” Arthur turned back to the android. “Where is this program?”

The android’s left eye burned out with a loud pop this time. “MulTIPle locatioNS. NearESt is SouTh thiRTyt FIve MilES. Had tO be ON thiS PlaneT to MatCH DoppelgAnger ProToCols.” Its other eye flickered pink and blood red.

“Alright, shut it down, boys,” Arthur said.

“Soldier, I’m ordering you to continue,” the general shouted into his mic. “This intel is too valuable to waste.”

“As per command structure, SHOCKS has total control within this building, sir,” Arthur said. “We’re shutting down to prevent overstrain damage to the intel due to the android’s resistance. We did get something out of that, though. A research facility near Mount Olympus, Washington, is where they’re building or designing these damn things.”

“B.S.O.D., can you get together two strike teams and check that out?” Palace Athena asked. “Finding that research facility is critical. General, if we can't stop that research, your forces need to be ready to deal with Magical Girl threats and traditional Macks. We’ll also contact other Bastion Cities to inform them about possible androids in their areas.”

The general nodded, glaring down into the lab. Then he saluted quickly and stomped into the elevator.

I stood up as Palace Athena looked our way. “Girls, you’re on light duty for the next couple of weeks unless something goes wrong,” she said.

“Are you sure?” It felt to me like this was a point where things had gone wrong. It should be all hands on deck, not a few strike teams. They’d had all hands on deck every other time.

“Yes. Standard protocol is two to three weeks of recovery and counseling in the event of a team loss, especially in a training team. If the most recent Emergence hadn’t been so overwhelming, we’d have kept Z-4 off the lines altogether. You’re free to move around Haven, with the exceptions of your counseling times and, starting next week, classes. However, do not remove your Operators. Emergencies happen.”

“Alright,” Li Mei said.

“What about me?” Overclock asked. “I’m still part of Res-Cute.”

“Yes, but you were responsible for Z-4 when Samantha Brandt died. If you want to get back in the fight, we can let Maybelle-1 return to retirement, and you can take her place. But you could all use the time, and Maybelle-1 has already agreed to stay on for a few more weeks.”

Overclock nodded slowly. “I’ll take the leave, then, as long as my position’s covered.” She headed for the door, with Li Mei following.

I turned to join them, but Palace Athena’s hand on my shoulder stopped me. “Luciole, before you go…I did some digging with Wyatt—my Operator—into your home situation. You lost your mother as a child, correct?”

“Yeah.” I clammed up. I didn’t want to talk about it.

“In the aftermath of that Emergence, Sanctuary determined that your family would stabilize at 83% likelihood. I looked into it, and it doesn’t seem like it did. I’m giving you the option of additional counseling with your sister and dad, if you think that’d help.” Palace Athena said. “I’d strongly recommend it. We’re also offering solo counseling to your dad and sister.”

“Why?” It didn’t feel right that now, after years, SHOCKS had an interest in my family. We’d gone it alone, and if it hadn’t been for mandatory housing laws, we’d have been homeless a few times. And now they cared?

“Sanctuary is powerful, and so is SHOCKS, but we’re not omnipotent.” Palace Athena shrugged. “There’s just not enough money or therapists to cover everyone, and our focus is on protecting the city. As one of the city’s defenders and a hero at that, you’re entitled to what special treatment we can give. If you’re in good shape mentally, you’ll be better able to fight when we need you most.”

“Ah.” That made sense. I supposed it did, at least. I didn’t trust SHOCKS altogether, not after the hells I’d been through in the last couple of weeks, but nothing there felt like a lie. “Alright. Can we do it soon?”

“Yes. Kyle’s had extensive training post-service in individual and family mental health, and he has an opening on Wednesday of next week. He’ll see you at 9:00,” Palace Athena said. She pointed at the elevator, where Li Mei held the door open. “You should get going. Your friends are waiting.”

“Thanks,” I said. I meant it, even if counseling was going to be hard. Maybe harder than fighting the Macks, even. I hurried onto the elevator.

“So, kids, we’ve got a few days off,” Overclock said. “That means our Operators do too. I don’t know about you, but I need a mall day at least once. Any days work best for you?”

“Wednesday, after my meeting with Kyle,” I said immediately. It’d be a hard conversation; Dad wouldn’t change overnight, and chances were Claire would bury herself in her phone games. But it still had to happen. “I’m going to need a pick-me-up after family counseling.”

“Alright. Wednesday, Victoria Mall. That sounds awesome,” Overclock said. “Li Mei, you in?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“Wait,” I interrupted. There was one other person I needed to invite.