Oh. I couldn’t do this.
We marched through the mansion’s front door and entered a red hall. I liked the smell of metal, but smelling it here dragged my bad memories to the surface. I thought of the burning pain I had experienced when I’d lost my arm. I felt the spike that had pierced my heart when I had been was powerless to save Laura. A simple smell was all it took to unnerve me? We were doomed.
As the red hall faded to green, we passed other hallways of alternating colors. Glaring us down from each of them were the very beings we had come here to see: AI. Kilos, Megas, and Gigas kept poking their heads out, only to recoil in shock. Yeah, it was weird to see humans on Epsilon, but it was also weird to be on Epsilon! Nobody was at ease here.
“Holy crap, these guys are huge.” Anderson stepped closer to me as he eyed every last AI we passed. They’re like Frost’s bots, but way fruitier.”
Beth pointed at a Mega. “You, tell Lord Exo that we’re on our way to see him. Let him know that I’ve finally completed my mission. The Alpha is here.”
“Alpha…” repeated the Mega. “Understood, Beta.”
Numerous other AI whispered my Hybrid name as we walked by. It felt like I was in a haunted house. I avoided them like the plague. Even if we weren’t fighting, the gaze of an AI sent shivers down my spine.
“Someone’s popular,” is what I think Kaela said. It was hard to understand her over her chattering teeth.
That must have been the first time that Kaela had seen AI since they had blown up her home. Dylan had gone through the exact same thing, but he was probably too out of it to be scared. Lucky him.
“So these are the unstoppable Aggressive Intellectuals,” Nessa said, scowling. “I appreciate their designs. Perhaps I can incorporate them into my weapon ideas.”
We entered a room that made my knees buckle. Everything was green, including the circular steps that led to an elevator. This was where it had all happened. I looked around and saw two other hallways. One of them must have been the one that we had taken the last time: the one that Rebecca had collapsed in.
Nessa gripped my hand. “You’re okay. Whatever happened last time won’t happen today.”
How did she even know I was freaking out? I guess she was psychic now. I took a deep breath, calming my shaky knees. She was right. She had to be.
“Let’s just keep moving,” I said. “We’re going in the elevator, right?”
“Correct.” Beth approached it and held up her wrist. She tapped a few buttons on it. The elevator dinged and opened up a second later. It made sense that her suit could mimic the way AI interacted with their tech. “After you, bro.”
Beth had called me that the previous month too. She’d said it while she’d been stalling for Exo. Was she messing with me?
We all headed into the elevator. Surge grimaced as he pushed a struggling Dylan in. It was a miracle that he hadn’t bolted toward the Implantation Room already. Good thing he didn’t know where it was.
The elevator was so wide that I could have fitted a cruiser into it. It was definitely made for AI, and it even stank like them. I’d need to pick a new favorite scent soon.
“Prepare yourselves. You’re about to be in the presence of greatness.” Beth put her hair into a bun and assembled her helmet.
“Talking about the red AI?” Surge asked. “Last time I was here, I had to unload everything my arm blaster had to get Wander and Rebecca out of there. He probably won’t be happy to see me again.”
“What?” Beth exclaimed. “How did a pitiful blaster overpower Lord Exo?!”
“It didn’t. I just aimed at his eyes.”
I was glad he pointed that out because I’d been wondering the same thing. I glanced at Laura and found her staring at the floor. What did she think of Exo? Could he be more than an arm-destroyer?
The elevator dinged, and I jumped. Its doors slid apart, revealing a red room. Of course. Beth made a tiny noise of excitement. She straightened her helmet, despite it being part of her suit, and stepped out. I followed, but my feet dragged like they were made of lead.
Beeping machines lined the red walls. A series of multicolored lights blinked on each of them as if typing in Morse code. Morning rays bathed the room through huge windows in the back. This planet was in the same time zone as any First Division planet…despite not being part of the First Division. A single desk sat in front of the windows. At it sat a gigantic red AI. A copper AI stood beside it.
“Lord Exo, General Peta, I have returned with the Alpha, the Gamma, and their allies.” Beth knelt down like a knight addressing her king. “They have matters they’d like to discuss with you.”
“Alpha. We meet again,” Exo said, completely ignoring Beth. His electronic voice was as deep and menacing as it had been the last time. He got up and walked around his desk. While he stood silhouetted against the sunlight, his golden eyes cut through the shadows. “I apologize for how our last encounter ended.”
My right arm burned like I’d thrown it in a campfire. I gripped my shoulder and looked away from Exo. How could I meet the gaze of someone who haunted my nightmares? The copper one, General Peta, wasn’t much better. At least Exo was keeping his distance. Peta was stomping up to us like we were long lost friends. Kaela’s whimpers filled the air as he got closer.
“There you are!” Peta’s silver eyes were fixated on Laura. His voice was gruff like that of a hardened pirate from a Hollywood movie. “Must have been one hell of a mission if it took over a day with no updates.”
“Your concern isn’t touching.” Laura glared at Peta but didn’t step back or act defensively. She wasn’t scared of him, just annoyed. “I’m sure Beth would have reported in, but we were a little busy. Obviously.”
Peta chuckled again. “Always with that sharp tongue of yours. I sent Kilos to that worthless planet to investigate, but all they found were little critters.”
“What? You didn’t hurt them, did you?” I snapped.
Peta’s silver eyes met my hazel ones then he burst into laughter. “Well, hello to you too, Alpha. Didn’t see you down there. No, contrary to the hogwash that your species feeds you, we don’t go around slaughtering things for no reason. And apologies for taking this lass from you, but you’ll be happy to know that she’s flourished under our tutelage.”
“Hey”—Laura socked Peta’s chest, creating a resounding clang—“knock it off. We brought everyone here to discuss stuff. Turn off Jerk Mode for five seconds so we can talk.”
Peta chuckled as he placed all four of his hands on his hips. “You may have a point here. We’ve got the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma all in one room. There’s plenty to talk about.”
Laura had punched an AI, and he had just laughed it off. Why was an AI being nicer than Laura’s parents had ever been? Reality had gotten screwed up, and I didn’t think it’d ever be the same.
I took a deep breath and forced myself to look Exo in his glowing eyes. He stomped out of the shadows. He was red from head to…weird AI feet. His face was far more expressive than all the other AI faces. His was basically a human face made of metal. His eyes swept over all of us. My hand crackled. The second he tried anything, I’d be ready.
“I guess this is our first formal meeting, leader to leader,” I said as I eyed his body for potential weak spots. “I’m Wander Locke, and there are some things I’d like to discuss, but I don’t feel comfortable doing it with robots who want to destroy humanity.”
“That’s not our goal,” Exo said. “It never has been. I never wished to become enemies with mankind.”
That is absolute bull, but I can’t let him know I think that. If I do, it’ll probably start a screaming match.
I motioned to Dylan. “When you put him in your stupid acceleration chamber, you ruined his mind. All he thinks about is getting Implanted. Fix him, and we can talk.”
Exo gazed at Dylan, whose own eyes widened in response. Surge had a firm grip on his arm, preventing him from doing anything he’d regret. I assumed it was the only thing stopping him from begging Exo for Implantation. The floor shook as Exo stomped toward Dylan. Kaela whimpered and backed away even further. Laura smiled as she hugged her in an attempt to ease her mind.
“This guy’s like ten times bigger than the other bots,” Anderson whispered through his clenched teeth. “He could wipe out a whole squad with his pinky, but he’s never even shown up to a fight before. Why?”
“Do you feel like asking him that?” Nessa glared at Anderson.
Anderson flinched. “Not…really.”
“Then shut up. We’ve got enough questions to ask.”
Exo’s finger hovered in front of Dylan’s face. Dylan lurched forward and chomped the metal digit. Then he groaned and shook his head. Biting metal seemed like a pretty awful idea. It hadn’t even affected Exo.
“Never before has a Hybrid candidate held such a lust for power,” Exo said. “I’m unsure what would become of this child if we went through the process.”
“Is Implanting him the only thing we can do to help him?” Surge asked.
Exo gazed at Surge. “You’re the human who attacked me and took the Alpha away last time. Are you looking to do that again?”
“Depends on whether or not you’re willing to cooperate.” Surge narrowed his eyes. “Can you help Dylan or not?”
“Show some respect, bloodbag!” Peta stomped up to Surge, who held eye contact the whole time. “That’s Lord Exo you’re speaking with. He rules over every AI in the galaxy. He’s the most powerful, most intelligent, most—”
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“Peta, stand down,” Exo commanded. Peta released a frustrated huff, but he did take a few steps back. I appreciated that. Maybe Kaela’s whimpers would die down now. “I’ve never tried to heal acceleration before, but perhaps I could attempt to. Implanting him would be a much more effective cure, but I understand your apprehension.”
“No! Implant me!” Dylan tried to yank his arm free of Surge’s grasp, but he wasn’t going anywhere. “Please. All I’ve ever wanted is power. You can make that happen. You can make me as powerful as Wander.”
I felt like I was seeing Dylan’s true colors here. Had he always wanted power this badly? He’d never given off that vibe before. Maybe it was the acceleration talking.
“Why do you desire power, human child?” Exo crouched down like he was speaking to a literal child. Well, he was over four hundred years old. We were all kids to him.
Dylan’s beady eyes grew a little. “No one in this galaxy knows how to use power. Including you! You’re so powerful, but you stay here and command from the shadows like a coward!”
“Dylan!” Kaela lurched forward and seized his other arm. “Stop talking before you get shot in the—”
“Frost is an idiot too. Back on Jupiter, she bombed the place to get rid of you. She didn’t care about the consequences. Her recklessness spread fires that consumed my home. My house burned down with my family inside, and I was the only one who got out in time. If Frost had been more careful, I wouldn’t have had to suffer…and she would have had one less enemy.”
My stomach dropped. A fire that had burned down his house and killed his family? That sounded like my story. I didn’t think the fire itself had finished off my parents, but it had been a factor. Kaela frowned and released his arm. I was sure she already knew his story, but it was still tragic.
“Understood.” Exo gazed directly at the elevator. “The Implantation Room then. If you require power, you shall have it. Let this be proof of my noble intentions.”
We all stepped aside to make a path for Exo. He stomped ahead, rumbling the floor so much that I could have sworn the planet had just experienced a quake. Exo lowered his head to the elevator. His golden eyes flashed for a second and the elevator zoomed open.
“So far, so good, right?” Kaela whispered.
“Don’t you dare drop your guard.” Nessa’s grip tightened on her wheels. “Everything may seem calm, but every second we spend on this planet is dangerous.”
“You bloodbags are safe unless Lord Exo says otherwise,” Peta said, reminding me that he was still in the room. He followed Exo into the elevator. Stuffing the two biggest AI into one elevator left little room for us. It was going to be a cramped ride. “Don’t worry, kiddos, nothing’s going to hurt you here. Not with us AI here to protect you.”
Peta cackled to himself, singlehandedly filling the room with his obnoxious laughter. My forehead burned with anger. Exo may have been the calm, honest one, but Peta couldn’t get enough of himself. That reminded me of Alhabor’s love of the war and made me just as sick. I stomached that sickness and followed the demons into the elevator.
I hadn’t liked elevators in a while. But, after this experience, I would hate them until the day I died. My shoulders cried out in pain due to the tight space. If it were possible for AI to breathe, I’d be feeling Exo’s breath trailing down my neck. Imagining that gave me the urge to throw away my brain.
It was so hard not to sigh in relief when the elevator opened again. Exo led the march down the green hallway. The AI that we’d passed earlier were still hanging around, and, when they saw Exo, they knelt down and began to hum. It wasn’t the humming that humans did for musical purposes. Theirs sounded like the humming that computers did when they went into overdrive. AI were so much weirder than we had given them credit for.
“Why am I even here?” Kaela hugged herself as she stared at the floor. “These are way too many AI. I don’t care if they’re not attacking us. My stomach’s going nuts.”
“Hey, don’t worry about them.” Laura gripped one of Kaela’s hands. “If any of them even reaches for you, I’ll burn a hole through its head.”
She conjured up a tiny fireball in her hand to demonstrate. Kaela smiled at the miniature star. It was funny how it brought her reassurance, while it gave me anxiety.
We reached the silver hallway and the silver door. Seeing them brought back terrible memories. Exo opened the door with flashing eyes, just like he had the elevator. He motioned toward the inside with all four of his arms. I had just realized that he had three more arms than I did. It may not have been intentional, but I still felt insulted.
The Implantation Room had red lighting, giving it a sinister atmosphere. The walls were lined with wires that led to a series of chambers in the back. Screens and keyboards monitored the chambers. The room’s air was stale, like the door hadn’t been opened in years. It was insane that this planet had air at all.
“My chamber!” Dylan lurched for one of the chambers, but Surge was still holding on to him. “Let me in!”
“In a moment,” Exo said. “We’re just waiting for—ah, precisely on time.”
The door behind us slid open once more as a Tera floated in. Teras were tall purple AI with orange eyes. Purple cloaks covered their slim bodies. They weren’t built to fight like the other AI, so they probably wore cloaks to hide that. This Tera was carrying a clear container that glowed red like it was holding a tiny Sun.
Tera held the container up to Exo as she bowed her head. “The Delta Implants, my lord.”
Her voice was electronic like the others’. However, unlike the other AI, she had a female voice. It made me think she had been created to be a virtual assistant—like something out of a movie.
“These guys only exist to bring you Implants?” I asked in mock awe. “What an important duty. You feel honored, Tera?”
Tera growled as she swiveled her head toward me. “Alpha. It’s inconceivable that a pest like you was allowed back here.”
The last time I’d been there, I’d had an argument with a whole room of these jerks. It had been the least traumatic thing that had happened on that trip, mostly because it had been so fun to mess with them.
“Thank you, Tera. You may go now.” Exo took the container from her hands and stomped toward one of the monitors.
The Tera bowed again, shot me a dirty look, and floated out of the room. Exo shoved the container into a slot behind a monitor. Red lines lit up on the container as the monitor flashed. Exo tapped away on the keyboard, causing text to flood the screen. The middle chamber in the back of the room lit up. A horn blared as the clear liquid was drained from the chamber.
“There’s no need for you to be accelerated again,” Exo said. “We shall skip that, which should speed up this process. Simply enter the chamber, and I will begin the Implantation.”
“Feel honored, bloodbag,” Peta said as he folded all four arms. “The Delta Implants are some of the most unique ones we have.”
“What about mine?” I kind of said. It was more like the words just escaped my lips. “Last time we saw each other, you said that you wanted unity between humans and AI. You said I’d help with that—what does any of that mean?”
Exo raised his head. “It’s not a simple explanation. First, you must realize that the Implants were not our creation. They were conceived of by Omen Frost. He created them for the purpose of evolving humans. That’s why I intend to use them to give us common ground.”
My friends gasped. Surge’s wide eyes held the most shock. I was sure Exo had just confirmed a theory he’d had. The stuff about common ground had flown over everyone’s heads. The tidbit about Omen Frost creating Implants? That was what we were focusing on.
“Omen…of course.” Surge shook his head. “Margaret had to have gotten her ‘ambition’ from someone. Did he devise the Implants before or after he created all of you?”
My heart skipped a beat. Neither Exo nor Peta reacted to that, but I was sure the literal gears were turning in their heads. Ever since I discovered that the AI had been made on Earth, it had seemed obvious that Omen Frost had created them. What other human could have been capable of creating advanced lifeforms such as these guys?
“Omen Frost made the AI?” Kaela spoke slowly as if she didn’t believe what she was saying. “I guess with a name like ‘AI,’ it was pretty obvious. Man, is every Frost crazy? Did her ancestors also create nukes or something?”
Exo cleared his nonexistent throat. “We should continue the Implantation. Please.”
Had we just stumbled upon a sensitive topic for the lord of all AI? I wasn’t invested in respecting this monster’s privacy, but I agreed that we should get a move on, especially because Dylan was done being restrained.
“Power!” Dylan’s space suit opened up, allowing him to slip out and sprint for the chamber in the back. He was wearing a black shirt with black and green shorts. He smacked into the chamber’s glass wall and stumbled back while the resulting sound resonated. “Open it!”
Surge looked down at the empty space suit and let go of its arm. He sighed as though he’d just decided to accept this madness.
Exo tapped the keyboard, and the chamber opened with a hiss. Dylan jumped into it and tugged on the door in an attempt to pull it shut. Exo hit the button again, causing the door to swing shut on its own.
“Lord Exo, are you absolutely sure about entrusting the Delta set to him?” Beth asked.
“As you know, Beta, each Hybrid must be compatible with their Implants. If they are not, the discord that ensues will tear them apart. According to the readings on this monitor, the Delta Implants are the perfect fit for this young man’s sense of ambition. They’ll teach him a valuable lesson about his pursuit for power.”
So they had a matchmaking machine? A few “readings” determined which Hybrid got which set of Implants? Did Frost have a machine that decided I should be the Alpha? I imagined they had used the machine to determine that my grandpa was Alpha material so…I didn’t want to think about it anymore.
The tubes and wires glowed red as the monitor flashed. Multiple lights of alternating colors flashed on the chamber. The Implantation was about to begin. Exo stepped away from the monitor as his eyes blinked. But text continued to appear on the screen as if he were still typing. Basically, he had gone hands-free. What was the point of the keyboard then?
Dylan’s chamber flashed red as needles lurched out and stabbed his skin. He grimaced, but, if he was screaming, I couldn’t hear it through the walls of his chamber. The needles retreated back into the wall just as Dylan doubled over. I was guessing the actual Implantation part was over. That had been fast, but it made sense for advanced technology to be quick.
“Now his body will recognize the changes and adapt to them,” Beth whispered to me. “If it can’t, he’ll die.”
That was awfully blunt. I was glad that I had managed to survive the process and that Laura and Beth had too. Even the Humanity’s Oath members had survived. What had Omen Frost been planning to achieve with technology like this? Had he wanted an army of super soldiers? Now I understood why Frost had Implanted me. She must have already known what the Implants were because of her ancestor. Was that why she wanted to defeat the AI so badly? Because her ancestor had made them?
I understood where she was coming from, but she was going about it the wrong way. Now, because of the Frost family, the galaxy was locked in a war between them and their own creations because…I didn’t know. I still didn’t understand what had started any of this. Omen had made the AI, and they had obviously rebelled against him. Why?!
“What’s your deal?” I clenched my fist as I glared at Exo. “You claim to want unity, but you’ve spent centuries slaughtering humans. I don’t get it. You know, we found plans for your crazy cannon on Earth. I bet you were working on it right under Omen’s nose. You planned to wipe out humanity from the start.”
That must have been a lot of info for my friends to take in. Then again, I’d been holding it in for a while.
In response to my accusation, Peta did what he did best: he laughed. He threw his head back and laughed like I had just finished a comedy routine. Exo’s eyes flashed as he peered into the back of Peta’s head. Peta glanced back at him as his laughter slowed to a stop. The silence that followed was awkward beyond words.
“You misunderstand, Alpha,” Exo said. “Yes, the Planetary Devastation Cannon is currently in our possession, but we were not the ones who initially fired it. We had no reason to cause such grave injury to our birthplace. The cannon was fired by Omen Frost himself after he used us to create it.”
I felt like I’d just been punched in the gut. Exo had to be lying; AI must have been notorious liars. If he was telling the truth, it meant that the greatest tragedy in human history hadn’t even been caused by the AI. It had been the handiwork of a Frost. Why would he have done that? I could have asked, but how deep did this go?
“AGH!” Dylan thrashed around in his chamber as red light radiated out of it. I could hardly see him anymore.
“What’s happening?” Kaela asked.
“He’s either becoming a Hybrid or dying,” Laura said. When she saw the shock on Kaela’s face, Laura nervously shrugged. “I mean, he’s probably not dying. It doesn’t look like this when you’re dying. I think.”
Surge gritted his teeth. “I didn’t bring one of my kids here just to watch him die, Exo!”
“I would hope not.” Exo watched the glowing chamber. “Seems that we were right to be wary of the Delta Implants, General Peta. Not many Implantations produce this grand a spectacle.”
I shielded my eyes as the crimson light grew brighter. Summoning my helmet, I peered through my tinted visor. Dylan fell to his knees and held his head. Heat was eating away at my suit, begging to be let in. It was coming from his chamber. I backed away since heat was the last thing I wanted more of.
My brain tingled as I began to sense him: the new Hybrid that lay underneath all that light. I’d sensed things before, but this was sensory overload. I felt the same irritation I got when someone scraped a plate with a fork. Clenching my fist, I waited for it to stop. Then the light pooled together into one massive point…and exploded.