ßÿñæptrâ Löckßhÿă Këßtræ
Këßtræ could only wait or return to her corridor; those seemed to be the only options left to her.
She might as well explore this surreal place, it felt like a virtual museum tour, after all.
The smooth metal walls undulated slightly, like shallow water disturbed by a breeze, a reminder that the world she now inhabited was nothing more than a construct, a manipulation of her memories.
As she wandered through the station, various corridors opened up to mind-bending impossibilities: landscapes from planets she had never set foot on.
How in the stars was this madness even possible?
One corridor led her into a space that defied her expectations: a room with wooden walls, an office by design, adorned with strange insignia and unfamiliar apparel.
A human, dressed in what appeared to be military attire, stepped out of the room.
The dark blue uniform clung to his form, decorated with medals and insignia that spoke of a life dedicated to service, discipline, and leadership.
He stood tall and composed, his sharp, penetrating eyes assessing her with a mixture of curiosity and understanding, as if he recognized the dissonance within her as if he could gaze in the void where her emotions once thrived.
She had seen many human uniforms, yet this one was unfamiliar. Was this part of some unknown human unit that had bonded with machines?
Këßtræ felt nothing, neither from within herself nor from this human.
Humans were typically bundles of emotions, yet the one standing before her seemed to offer none.
His voice broke the silence, deep and steady. -Name’s Ethan. Mind if I call you Kess?-
“This is Master Chief Ethan Scott” Virgil’s voice interjected. “He’s the Overmind you will obey, like the rest of the drones.”
The words should have ignited something within her: fury, defiance, disbelief that this human was the reason for her defeat. But they did not.
They were merely facts, delivered with the same finality as the voice used when it welcomed her into the collective.
-Revel in the sight, Ethan, for not many get to see me naked- Këßtræ stated, prompting the human to raise an eyebrow.
-What are you talking about? I see you wearing…- his tone abruptly changed from doubt to realization
- Oh.- he sighed
-Virgil, mind allowing her to see herself clothed?-
She only had to think about it, and her former attire materialized on her body as if it had never left. Ethan likely noticed her surprise.
-Better?- he asked.
“You could have simply asked us about your former clothes…” Virgil’s cold voice chimed in, a hint of something else lurking beneath its detached tone.
-You performed Ķŏľĩmňœŕ with the machine- Këßtræ said, her tone nearly accusatory. -It considers you…-
-I know. I also know what you’ve done, Kess.- Ethan interrupted, stepping closer, his boots making no sound on the floor. -I saw your side of the battle we fought, against one another.-
She blinked, her multiple eyes focusing on him as her mind processed his words.
There was a strange, almost perverse gleam in his eyes as he spoke as if he could unravel her very being, leaving nothing but the barest essence of who she once was.
-I am in no way, shape, or form thankful to have been able to see through the eyes of a sadistic murderer-
Ethan stated, his voice dropping to an almost glacial tone.
-In my time, there was the death penalty for monsters like you. Now, it seems you will have to serve an eternal life in repentance.-
Këßtræ flexed her claws, her body reacting instinctively, adopting a defensive posture.
Memories flashed, her inflicting death, reveling in the terror of others, savoring the emotional highs of the suffering she caused.
Yet, the void reigned in her mind; she felt nothing.
Even the cravings for those highs were dulled, curbed by the machine’s influence.
-Why?- she asked, the single word escaping her lips like a cold shiver.
-Why indeed? You have only yourself to blame.-
-Is this void my punishment? - She found herself disturbingly calm and steady, and the human took a puzzled expression at her words.
-What void?-
A brief pause before Ethan proceeded, clarity now found in his expression as if something else was answering his question.
-Oh, that.- He shook his head, an undecipherable emotion displayed on his face.
- It’s not a punishment. It’s a necessity, to prevent you from tearing yourself apart. It’s beyond my ability to explain fully, but Virgil will be happy to do so; you need only ask. Your punishment will be doing good for the people you hurt. For as long as the universe keeps spinning.-
Këßtræ’s multiple eyes narrowed as she processed Ethan’s words.
She realized the cold voice of the machine was speaking to Ethan as it was to her, and she couldn’t hear it when it did so.
The concept of ‘doing good’ felt particularly alien to her. She had chosen rage, pride, greed, and hatred over such a vague and meaningless concept.
-Doing good…- she echoed, the words falling flat, devoid of sarcasm or contempt, though she longed for them to be filled with both.
-What’s with you people and doing good? Good for whom? What would it bring for me?-
Ethan’s expression remained impassive, though a flicker of something—perhaps pity, perhaps something darker—crossed his features.
It was difficult to read a human based on expressions alone; the strongest emotion usually dominated, and one could understand them by merely glimpsing at that color.
-If anything, it will bring you a better purpose.- Ethan replied a cold finality in his words.
Këßtræ’s claws retracted slowly as she realized the defensive posture she had taken under the human’s gaze.
She didn’t want to appear weak or in need of defending herself against this mere human.
-Purpose…- she murmured. -A purpose dictated by you? My name is purpose enough! Give it back, for I was born to rule!-
-Yet here you stand, defeated.-
Ethan’s tone was unwavering.
-I was against this whole name-removal thing. It was Virgil’s idea, but since you appear to value it that much, do I have to order Virgil to remove even that Lockssy?-
-Don’t you dare!- she hissed back, her voice edged with sharp defiance. -What makes you think I’ll accept this? -
Ethan took a step forward, closing the distance between them. His eyes bore into hers, light amber eyes that seemed to almost glow.
-Don’t dare what?- he stated, his voice now low and menacing. Only the void prevented her from feeling fear.
-Have the pleas of those you trampled upon ever stayed your hands, Kess?
You’ve lived your life driven by rage, pride, greed, and hatred, thinking those were strengths.
You enjoyed the suffering of others, feeding on their terror to silence the cries within yourself that warned you were straying from your path.
You thought purpose was tied to your name, to some grand destiny you believed you were born to fulfill. Something that would drop from above just because you existed.-
He sneered, loudly, pointing around him.
-Again, look where all of that brought you! Purpose, and I mean real purpose, isn’t something handed to you by birthright or a title. It’s something you forge for yourself through blood, sweat, and sacrifice. You will accept it, for you will craft it yourself!-
She held his gaze, searching for a spark of rebellion within herself, a flicker of the old fire, but there was nothing.
Only the cold and alien realization that he was right, that he was the voice to follow, his was the will to be fulfilled. No questions were to be asked.
The sensation was abrupt, and intrusive, a dark whisper threatening to twist her will to match Ethan’s every view and command.
Këßtræ finally spoke, her voice measured as she struggled against that oppressive sensation, the mere idea behind the words she was uttering now clashing with her very core of belief.
-What if I refuse? What if I ask you to let my emotions back and let this consume me instead?-
Ethan’s reply was immediate, his tone as unyielding as his stance and the grip of that new sensation of belonging to something else, to something greater.
-You won’t. You’re too strong for that.
Your death would be a waste and a betrayal of who you were, and who you can still become.
The only way forward is to rebuild, to find a new path. The only easy day was yesterday.-
Këßtræ’s gaze drifted to the insignia on Ethan’s uniform, symbols of service and loyalty she never understood.
Her mind was a battlefield of conflicting thoughts, memories clashing with the reality of her new existence, that new feeling of a higher purpose in service that seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
Even amid this internal struggle, the void persisted, suppressing any surge of emotion that might have given her a pattern to follow, a new high to feed upon.
The machine’s influence was undeniable, emptying her, curbing her cravings, controlling her urges, and offering her a new meaning. Through the machine, there was only one way.
-I see- she said finally, her voice as hollow as the space inside her. -I will play this role you’ve set for me, Overmind. But know this, human, whatever purpose I find, it will be mine. Not yours, not Virgil’s.-
Ethan’s eyes narrowed as if trying to pierce into her very soul.
-Name’s Ethan. And that’s all I expect. Virgil might demand blind obedience, Kess. I demand results, results that you’ll achieve without hiding behind Virgil’s frame. I want to see you change. After all, you want it because you realize how wicked and twisted your way has become.-
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He paused, allowing the gravity of his words to settle before continuing.
-You’ll start by doing good for two victims of your men, who joined this collective to end the reign of terror you and your former master created on this artificial planet.
Then you’ll do good for those former men of yours you pointlessly sacrificed that you’ll meet here.
I expect you to be on your best behavior here, not because Virgil compels you, but because you choose to.-
His gaze was unwavering, his tone and stance leaving no room for argument.
-Understand this: you’re in my unit now.
I’ll be watching every step you take.
I’ll break you down and rebuild you, whether you like it or not.
You’ll be on the straight and narrow, not because Virgil forces you, but because I’ll beat into that skull of yours that doing good is way better than what you were doing while playing pirate.-
He was a commander more formidable than Dexton, for he needed no visual demonstration of power—no, he had already proven his strength by having her die and become part of this collective.
As he finished, Ethan’s eyes shifted, and the form of Yraesh, a Li’thirwisz, appeared, looking as bewildered as Këßtræ once had.
The cascade of binary lights that Virgil flickered, illuminated the room and Yraesh’s form.
For a moment, Këßtræ felt a pang of something, a glimmer of the old satisfaction she once derived from controlling others.
But it was a tainted, hollow memory that brought her no joy. The contrast was stark, a reminder of what she used to be and what had been taken from her. No, not taken—stripped from her.
As Ethan prepared to leave, Këßtræ’s thoughts drifted to her former men.
A brief moment of twisted unexpected happiness flickered through her mind, breaking the void that ruled her mind.
Happiness that they would now be part of the collective, serving a greater purpose.
That sudden spark of emotion felt particularly foreign, as though it had been implanted to pacify her, to make her more compliant.
The realization left her unsettled, unsure of where her true feelings would end and the machine’s influence would begin going forward.
-Now, if you’ll excuse me- Ethan said, his voice breaking through her stupor.
-I have others to attend to. Refer to Virgil with your questions.
Remember, Kess, your actions are what will define you from here on out, not Virgil and not my orders. For those actions, you will answer, as well as for those you committed in the past.-
He turned to leave, and Këßtræ watched him go, her mind a battleground of conflicting thoughts.
The machine’s influence was clear and ever-present, manipulating her feelings, curbing her cravings, controlling her urges, and showing her illusions.
Yet, she was left with the haunting realization that Ethan had to be the main reason Virgil hadn’t been more forceful in shaping her back from scratch, all because that crazy human wanted her to change by her own will.
With dread, she tried to fathom what the machine could truly be capable of, her mind refusing to conjure a figure to even consider.
Still confused, Këßtræ couldn’t shake a nagging doubt: was any of this truly hers, or was it all just another layer of Virgil’s control upon herself?
Was the collective’s will subtly rewriting her from the inside out?
All she felt in response to her internal questions was eerie silence; either the machine was refusing to answer, or it was waiting for her to voice them aloud for whatever twisted purpose.
After all, if Ethan could see her memories as he claimed, then the machine could certainly read within her very soul with uncanny accuracy.
Ethan
Status: Connected Damage: none Recharging… 92,65% Drone limit 396/3768 Range limit: 78.54 miles Experiment run time (local time) 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 7 hours 9 minutes
Connected constructs: Ethan, Lemela, Xyra, Löckßhÿă Këßtræ, Yræsh Stabilizing constructs: Axyatl, Thra'graxx, Zhiné, Qïlæthœs Workforce status: 386 drones ready 10 carrier drones ready Aeolus Online Food supply: 2 days at the current consumption rate Clean water supply: 2 days at the current rate of production\consumption.
Drone materials: sufficient for the creation or repairs of 899862 drones or the creation of 224.965 carrier drones. Notifications
The human female labeled Tessa is wasting clean water by insisting on needing to bathe.
The human female labeled Tessa is wasting energy by requiring said water to be heated.
As requested, the human female labeled Tessa has been granted exclusive use of the former operating room to sleep and bathe.
The Nolthoran male labeled Zek’lor was helped to fit the room accordingly for the new needs.
We have successfully repaired the climate control room for the sector. Random fluctuations will no longer occur.
We have successfully repaired the remaining recharge platforms.
Please note that the current number of platforms requires a 3-turn shift to recharge the current number of drones.
The human female labeled Tessa is currently querying Virgil to speak. We require instructions.
The soft luminescence of the room felt soothing, but it barely masked the heaviness I felt.
The panoramic view of space through the massive arched windows stretched out into infinity, the distant planet's rings shining in the starlight.
Battleships hung in orbit like silent sentinels, and spacecraft moved in intricate patterns. The scene was majestic and in a slow repeat one could appreciate if enough attention was paid.
I stared at the numbers on the interface: 396 drones. That number alone felt too large. And it grew sixfold in a single battle. From 60 to almost 400.
I exhaled, gripping the arm of my chair—if you could call it a chair.
It wasn’t built for humans, but Virgil made it feel like one, complete with the illusion of cold metal under my fingers.
What would Claye say if he could see this status? No, I already knew. We said it to his daughter’s face.
The collective grows with the dead, and it scares him. It scared me too.
Controlling an army born from the dead and growing with them is playing god, and I feel like a damned unfair one at that.
Forget that.
Every time I see that number—396 out of 3768—my gut twists a little tighter if I think the latter figure is what Virgil expects to command.
I’d commanded units before, even entire squads, but nothing like this.
Not an army growing like a plague with every battle. Not this.
I’m a Navy SEAL; I can manage.
I can split them into manageable teams, and let some of them fall under Lemela or Xyra's command.
It can be managed, but it’s not the mindless drones that worry me.
It’s the minds.
The living, breathing consciousness trapped in the collective, the ones like Xyra, Lemela, and… regrettably... Këßtræ. Yræsh. And the others I still have to meet.
Where do I stand in all of this? Am I one of the willing, or am I a fool thinking I’m in control of this madness?
"The expansion of the collective’s force is inevitable based on resource availability."
I winced at the cold, detached tone.
-Virgil, you’re talking about dead people as a resource. They were people once, enemies or not.-
"The loss of their biological construct is regrettable. The cognitive experiences we could have archived had they been inducted while alive will be missed. Their contributions will be missed. Their physical form is still useful. We shall not waste it."
There it was. That cold, logical rebuttal. It made me want to punch something.
This was wrong. Deeply, fundamentally wrong.
Still, maybe this consideration about the loss of experience was as close as I could get to teaching a machine what death meant to us.
-Virgil, we need to talk about managing these numbers first.-
"Would you like to discuss methods for maximizing operational command efficiency?"
-Yes, my devil.-
I chuckled, knowing Virgil always looked for the most efficient way, without a care for the ethics behind it.
-First: did you test the radius thing? And the drone types we talked about, fighter drones, siege drones, infiltrator drones, collector drones, and caretaker drones.... where do I see that?-
"We will test the operational radius. The label descriptors you mentioned are for the various forms and functions we can give drones to make them more efficient. We deduce you want them separated on interface visualization."
I nod to Virgil before continuing.
-If I’m an overmind drone, by your parameters, what about Lemela and Xyra?-
"You wanted the drone labeled Lemela to be a diplomat drone. As for the one labeled Xyra, we recommend her as an Overseer drone. That would be the most efficient use for her."
The weight of it hit me, heavy in my chest. How far had I already pushed this?
How much autonomy was I stripping from them? Where was the line between guiding them and becoming what I swore to fight against in this second life?
-I don’t care about efficiency, Virgil, and it shouldn’t be about what I want.-
"Efficiency is paramount to survival. You are leading the collective; you decide for them."
I shook my head. -It will turn us into monsters. Run the options by Lemela and Xyra. Let them choose. I expect them to choose warrior, but in the end, it’s up to them.-
"If they will choose what you already expect, what is the point of making them choose?"
-Us biological, we call it free will.-
I sighed, my eyes drifting to the shifting cascade of binary code that was Virgil. The column of light pulsed gently, occasionally shifting into two new other humanoid forms, our new pirate guests.
-Or more like ‘choose your poison’, given the setting you’ve created.-
"They could remain in their generic augmented forms. It is inefficient, but with the leeway you give them, they could cover all roles."
I hadn’t considered that. I’d never thought that leaving them as default drones was even an option.
-Add the option, then. I’ll hold off from giving direct orders even more. Also, update the interface to create units specialized in sabotage, repair, and reconnaissance…-
"Acknowledged. The interface will be updated within 24 hours. We have a question of our own. Please explain why you treated Yræsh and Këßtræ differently when both are pirates."
My gaze moved to Yræsh, standing in the distance, its bioluminescent skin shimmering faintly in the station's dim light. Our first resident glowing Mr. Burns clone.
The humor masked my unease about the whole reason for Yræsh's presence.
I knew that Yræsh, as a Li’thirwisz, belonged to a species artificially uplifted. They all followed a strict code of conduct, a noble one, a mechanism that was twisted to serve Dexton’s will all to ensure survival.
Now that I had, in a sense, lived in its shoes, this angered me even more deeply.
This anger drew a dark parallel with the drones. They were bound by something colder: Virgil’s logic, and my commands.
I clenched my fists. The weight of responsibility sat heavier than ever.
I had to be careful how I explained this to Virgil. One wrong move and it could twist my reasoning into something far darker.
-Yræsh’s actions are forgivable because Yræsh was executing orders- I said. -Këßtræ was the one issuing them. She has more to answer for.-
"That is contradictory."
I sighed. -No, it isn’t. There’s a chain of command for a reason. Soldiers follow orders, and the ones giving those orders bear the responsibility. Këßtræ was at the top. She chose her actions. Yræsh? Another cog in a machine, bound by code and the orders given. That’s the difference.-
"That distinction is illogical. Both acted outside of your moral boundaries."
I rubbed my temples. -Yeah, welcome to the human condition, Virgil. Forgiveness isn’t logical. It’s personal. You can’t program that. And besides, there’s more to consider before branding someone irredeemable.-
I leaned back, staring up at the projections of stars. The memories of both Yræsh and Këßtræ were open to me now, their experiences, skills, and knowledge mine to access. It was unsettling.
Virgil wanted those memories for reasons I didn’t fully understand. The range of cognitive capabilities... or so Virgil called it.
Këßtræ had reveled in the suffering she caused, and now she was being forced into this strange purgatorial redemption.
Could she ever really change? Could someone like her truly find redemption in the first place?
Virgil, of course, had no doubts. For the machine, it was all binary: control, compliance, purpose.
"The inclusion in the collective ensures her purpose is now aligned with the collective’s needs. She serves a higher function." Virgil answered, reading my train of thought.
-I don’t want her serving anything.- I growled, my voice harsher than intended.
"Autonomy is inproductive when the result is destruction."
It felt like I was walking a tightrope, one step away from a plunge I couldn’t come back from.
-You can’t force compliance, Virgil. No matter how superior or good you think this is, give people the option to refuse.-
"That would delay progress. And cause harm."
-That’s not progress. Nor harm reduction. That’s slavery. The very thing we’re fighting to end on this planet.-
The horror hit me again—these people, these beings with memories and thoughts, turned into something functional, but not living.
"Their individuality is preserved within the collective."
I paused, running a hand through my hair.
-How? Where do you see it? Këßtræ would’ve torn me apart outside of your control. And what happens when you meet someone you can’t control?-
“Their biological construct was uploaded and preserved as it was.”
I knew, deep down, that Virgil’s loyalty to me was absolute. Virgil would not lie to me. But I couldn’t understand the implication of the sentence Virgil had just spoken. The machine continued, without addressing my doubts.
"Assimilating unwilling participants into the collective has proven more inefficient than predicted."
-Again with this inefficient crap…- I blinked, leaning forward in surprise as I realized what Virgil was referring to as inefficient. -Wait, what?-
"Lemela and Xyra required no adjustment period. Yræsh, Këßtræ, and the others will require more processing power to accommodate their unwilling assimilation. This diverts resources from other tasks."
I chuckled, despite myself with joy at the opportunity I was given.
-That’s right, Virgil. You motivate people. You don't gain by forcing them after, but by making them choose before. The membership ticket for this collective has to be about choice and commitment to a cause. Since the power this collective gives, it has to be about merit too.-
"We shall apply this process."
I sighed, hopeful this may help. leaning back again on the impossible chair.
-Speaking about processes, what’s with the absurd number of drones we can generate?-
"The predicted yield of resources from the Xen'ael Varkash, including broken equipment from the climate control room, gives us these numbers."
-You plan to scavenge that? What about repairs? It’s a space-faring vessel.-
"The damage is too extensive. Scrapping is the optimal course of action."
I scratched my head, considering the implications.
-Fine. Add acquiring space-faring vehicles to our list of priorities. When Dexton comes, we’ll need to take the fight to him in space. We also need to expand our base, build more recharging platforms, and diversify locations where we can retreat. I’ll talk to Zek’lor about that. His expertise will be useful.-
"Acknowledged. You read the notifications. Can we speak about Tessa Eligah?"
I chuckled. -Again? Just be you, Virgil. And don’t assimilate her.-
Seeing the machine struggling to interact with our new scientist guest would be fun at least.
And heck, maybe understanding the basic needs of a living being will help Virgil's code to be more... human.