Ah, the Red Amor Gala.
The classic gathering of noble people in a Space Station high above the common scum was every aspiring corporate climber’s dream to attend. This singular event could cause anyone to make connections and branch out beyond their usual station, or even meet like minded people to break out of their corporation’s shackles. In the end, it merely was a big group of rich socialites and business tycoons belonging to several countries. These people would then gather and hold private summits that would fix their future generations for the next coupld of decades. The Red Amor Gala was surprisingly private, but as society progressed, they went public.
The top of the top used to be only allowed and obviously any details were suppressed to the point of obscurity. The Gala was like a drop of water in the ocean; few rich people had any idea it existed. Not even Cruise could attend in the early events. The media could not reach any Space Station the event was held in. Even Black Wolf Company’s Layer Zero execs were originally only allowed in, but now they no longer attended and have recently sent lackeys in for tech demonstrations. Even the Iris Corporation and Flower Company, a rising tech giant, were allowed in now. It actually was Flower Company’s turn to host this time, and since they were new they had something to prove.
This time, they chose to host it in the Texas Entertainment Palace Space Station high in orbit supposedly over the state of, well, you guessed it— Texas, wherever that was.
Hazel Iris was the one who drew the short end of the straw and had to attend this time around. Of course, her rotten luck had zero bounds. She agreed to go due to the fact that a certain person was here. An individual who she’s had an eye on since her early days in school, but could not touch or talk to in public. That man was named Eric Lykos. Hazel had been impressed with him and his work, even if he was technically on the bad guy’s team. She believed that he was secretly in contact with Claire, but since she was too shy to actually talk to the man she had no idea what they were up to.
And now that she’s gone, Hazel would never be able to know.
She sighed dejectedly and rested next to the out of place large fish tank on the outskirts of the main dance floor. Hazel alternated between the fish tank and the stargazing bay, but never in the center though her body had plenty of dance experience. Feeling self-aware as if the news of her pacing would break out, she stopped and counted the fishies for now. Someone at some point handed her a glass of wine, but since she could not drink it anyways as her android self, she lost that somewhere else. No one knew that the Iris Corporation was literal light-years ahead of everyone, so no one knew what she was. Her ears suddenly perked up when an announcement happened, coupled with the crowd gathering to their seats with great interest.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, We are now announcing our esteemed guest Black Wolf Company’s very own Eric Lykos.”
Oh! Eeeee! Her mind screeched in excitement. The man she was interested in was going to take the stage. She fanned herself and her custom built “cool down” protocol activated. Shut it, Hazel thought to herself. He doesn’t even know you. Maintain your cool demeanor and ultimate ladylike behavior! She did not even notice the product Mister Lykos was speaking about.
A new Strain of Nano-technology? How unoriginal, she suddenly lost interest. The massive hologram of the Nanite’s model floated above the stage for all to see. Everyone clapped, realizing it was not actually a hologram but the Swarm itself forming even more complex patterns and other machines. Eric looked at her way up next to her fish tank briefly, making her heart flutter. Did he just look at me? Before Hazel could scream internally again, two alerts suddenly forced themselves in her face.
— Unknown alien lifeform detected. —
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Uh, what? Hazel squinted at the notification. What’s that have to do with—
— MULTIPLE HOSTILES INBOUND —
She nearly swore aloud. Everything was happening too quickly. Hazel didn’t even get to watch Eric for too long! On her eye’s map, she detected the alien lifeform approaching her exact position rapidly. Where were the hostiles then? Her eyes shifted back to the stage and then the crowd. A man was looking right at her, moving quickly. A scream suddenly broke out at another point in the crowd. A woman was breaking into hysterics and as the crowd dispersed, Hazel could see the woman clearly.
She was dissolving into red mist, from flesh to bone before everyone’s eyes.
The Swarm that Eric had began to rampage, probably because of a malfunction in its program. Of course. She could not scoff at how typical that Company of idiot puppies’ standards were. She glanced at the fish tank, which was also slowly turning red. Horror seized her for a split second. She had to get out of here, or she’d eventually turn to paste too. More screaming ensued, but when Hazel turned to leave the man was upon her. What is this guy’s problem? She attempted to break free of his grasp amidst the screams.
“Let go, or I’ll kill you!” She warned the man. The man did not let her go. Hazel noticed something strapped to his side. That… sword? She saw that before, could it be that this was the alien appearing again? She swiped at him, unleashing quite a few vicious punches at him.
Strangely enough, the man seemed far more trained than her, but only blocked and did not counter. She found herself getting pushed back from his advance, even if she was utilizing all the martial art forms in her programs to desperately get away. The exits were the other way, fool! And definitely not because she wanted to see if Eric was okay among the people turning inside out in the crowd below! The man kept pushing at her, eventually catching her fist and scooping her up.
“Alien abductions are illegal, you freak!” Hazel roared, unleashing a hidden blade of her own from her fingers. She plunged it in the man’s shoulder, but he grunted in pain and kept sprinting.
Blood started to stain the man’s suit, but Hazel noticed that he was actually headed to the emergency pods further away from the chaos. The initial exits began to lockdown as quarantine the rogue Swarm particles. The people were trapped and getting eaten. The ensuing cacophony and chaos was haunting, but there was nothing Hazel could do. The beast holding her drew his sword swiftly despite the wound she stabbed into him, yelling something strange and slicing a neat hole in the exit door. The escape pods to Earth were right there. Dozens of questions ran through Hazel’s mind, boiling down to just a few. Why? Why was this strange alien man here? And why was he not putting her on his alien ship? Could it be that he was helping her escape?
She suddenly felt herself getting thrown like a football through the hole. Okay, she sighed as she skid across the ground into a pod’s opening.
“Ouch,” she sat up with a fake groan. “Maybe you should learn to rescue with a bit more glamour, mister alien.”
She noticed that the man did not follow her, but was instead standing there motioning her to hurry up in the pod.
“Sir alien? You’re not coming?”
He shook his head silently, indicating that while he did not know what she was saying he knew her intentions. A simple gesture of his sword caused her to look back. There was only one pod. Hazel felt guilty.
“You do realize what I am, right?” She tried to explain that she was just a robot. While she was really expensive she could get replaced. As she approached him she bumped into something invisible. A force field? She marveled and placed a hand on it. The energy was unknown and alien. The man smiled weakly, urging her to get out of this station. Explosions were ringing out in the main hall and debris was beginning to float from the gravity stabilizers becoming weaker. Immense guilt suddenly consumed her, but the man was slowly becoming consumed by the Swarm. Surprisingly his force field remained. A tear suddenly splotched on her wrist. “Okay, fine.”
She hung her head and got into the escape pod. The emergency pod began its countdown and launch protocols back to earth, but Hazel began to sob uncontrollably for some reason. Why was she even capable of crying in this machine? Why did she feel guilty that the alien apparently sacrificed himself for her? Why did he have a sword? They were questions she would definitely turn her attention to when she gets back to her office. That alien man quickly took her thoughts away from Eric Lykos. Especially that she owes him now. Iris Corporation doesn’t leave debts unpaid.