The Mainframe was a strange ship. It had initially been designed for fighting (hence its world-destroying cannon), but Exo wanted to use it as an AI exploration ship? This felt like an experiment. I would give it a day before everything fell apart.
The facilities designed for humans were located on the sixth floor. Things like bathrooms, bedrooms, and even the kitchen that Kaela had begged for could all be found there. Apparently, those places had been around since the ship had been constructed. However, they had undergone recent renovations like every other floor. Reviving the Mainframe had been a recent project for the AI. Exo had hated the ship too much to even visit it before our alliance.
Of course, we wanted to see the sixth floor, but Exo had other plans. He wanted us to see the Floor of Coalition first. Why that sounded like a level from an RPG, I had no idea. I guess we were about to find out.
Peta went on ahead to check out the cockpit. That left Exo as our lone guide. He led us into a massive room. The ceiling was so high that I’d have needed ten ladders to touch it. I could barely see where the room ended. It’s like I was back in the First Ship’s parking bay. The room was crawling with AI. It wasn’t just a group of Kilos or Megas. Every AI was here.
A horde of Kilos wandered around, performing various activities, including carrying scrap to the Megas. I got the impression that Kilos were meant to do whatever needed to be done. They didn’t have any specific role. It seemed like they were created first, so it made sense that they had to be all-purpose.
The Megas were constructing weapons and repairing each other. They were the AI’s mechanics, which was why they annoyed me the least. I understood why an AI would need its arm cannon maintained, but why repair AI at all? Exo could make new AI whenever he wanted. He could have just scrapped the damaged ones for parts. Actually, I had to stop trying to understand how AI thought.
It was hard to see that far, but I could see the Gigas toward the back of the room. They were testing their rifles on a few metal boxes across from them. I assumed that the Gigas had just gotten their rifles from the Megas, so they were trying them out. Why else would they be practicing? They were robots.
Floating all the way in the back were the Teras, being jerks. They were looking at monitors or something.
“Usually, each group of AI needs an individual floor on which to perform its daily tasks,” Exo said. “That results in a lack of unity. That is why I had the Floor of Coalition constructed as an experiment. One floor for all tasks and all AI. Perfect unity.”
“Does he know how to talk about things other than unity?” Kaela whispered.
I shared her question. I wasn’t even confident that perfect unity existed. Either way, Exo was going overboard with it. He must have thought that finally having the Alpha on his side would magically make his dreams come true. It was a nice thought, but we had a war to win first.
“It’s beautiful, Lord Exo,” Beth said as she marched beside him.
“It’s crowded.” Surge scowled at the place. “None of your AI pals seem to have a problem with that, though. You sure are a tight-knit community. I suppose that gives us equal ground.”
“Oh, yeah. Machina Mansion could be pretty crowded too.” Laura shuddered. “It didn’t help that everyone looked exactly the same. If everyone uses the Knowledge Stream but you bump into ten different Megas within an hour, isn’t it just the same Mega every time?”
Was Laura okay? She didn’t sound okay.
“Watching all these AI shoot things is great, but it’s also bringing back bad memories,” Kaela said. “How about you show us to those fridges already?”
Exo nodded. “This way.”
He led us past all the AI and their huge work areas, each of which took up a quarter of the room…to show us a corner. There were a few refrigerators in this corner, but it was still just…a corner. All the AI had whole sections of the floor to themselves, and we just got a couple of cold machines.
“That’s it?” Anderson asked, folding his arms.
“Is there even anything inside?” Nessa asked.
Kaela gripped the fridge’s handle and pulled it open. Despite its being a refrigerator, a steaming tamale lay inside. It was still wrapped in a corn husk and everything. Since when had the AI been chefs, and why had they just cooked up a single tamale?
Kaela’s jaw dropped as she picked up the plate. “The heck is this little guy doing in here?”
“These are super fridges.” Laura motioned to the tan refrigerator. “The AI figured out how to replicate basic human food. So, as long as you have something in mind when you touch the fridge…Check it out.”
Laura gripped the handle and pulled it open. As cold air puffed out, I looked inside and saw nothing but a tub of cream cheese and a roll of bagels.
“Since when have you liked bagels?” I asked.
“I haven’t, but I’ve always wanted to try them.” Laura took her bagels and cream cheese. The container was white and had no markings of any kind. It looked like a cheap knockoff of every other food container in history. “Isn’t that cool?”
“Are you not seeing the bigger picture here? We only get a corner!” I glared at Exo. “Explain.”
“Construction on the human section of the Floor of Coalition began…late. We did not have much room left over. We will work on expanding it in the future. In the meantime, you still have the sixth floor—”
“Stop.” I clenched my fists. “You really think this is all we need? A stupid magical refrigerator? Are you sure you even respect humans? You say you do, but your actions are telling a different story.”
Exo stiffened up. “I see humans as…unique. True, you lack our technical prowess, but you have other talents. We would not exist without you.”
He explained that with the air of someone who had been forced to compliment a rude family member. I couldn’t be too mad since his AI brethren obviously hated humans (hence the term “bloodbag”). I’d always thought Exo was better, but now I wasn’t so sure.
“You may be better with technology, but it’s like you said, you wouldn’t exist without us.” Nessa’s glare could have punctured a hole in a ship. “I’d suggest not underestimating us.”
Exo growled. “You know nothing of the vast history you’re speaking of, so I suggest—”
“We don’t care!” I said. “No one does. Omen Frost devastated the Earth, so what? He’s already dead. You guys are still here. When do you answer for your crimes?”
I didn’t care about the AI’s history anymore. Not when Exo had just made it clear how little he actually valued our role in the alliance. He may have wanted unity, but you didn’t need to have a high opinion of the other person to want to make peace with them.
Exo glared me down with his golden eyes, silencing the room. I couldn’t say that I wasn’t afraid. Holding a staring contest with an AI was an awful idea—maybe because of how things had ended the last time I’d fought Exo. I definitely wouldn’t rematch him while standing in a room full of other AI.
The gold in Exo’s eyes glowed brighter. He was using the Knowledge Stream. Whoever was contacting him might have just saved my life. Exo’s facial expressions shifted several times before his eyes stopped glowing.
“General Peta requires my assistance in the cockpit. I trust that you can all find the sixth floor. Next time we meet, I suspect it’ll be to discuss our next move.”
Exo stomped away, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence. I didn’t know what to say to change the mood. We hadn’t even been there a full day, and we’d already had an argument that posed a threat to our entire alliance.
“Follow me,” Beth said as she marched toward the back of the room. “I’ll show you all to the sixth floor.”
We followed her into an elevator, which was everyone’s favorite overused method of transportation. At least it was spacious like the ones on Epsilon proper. However, the awkward silence lingered in there too. I felt like it was up to me to break it. If I’d known how, I would have done it already.
The elevator opened, revealing a floor almost as large as the one we’d just left. But this one was empty. The walls were lined with doors. Three rows of them, to be precise. They looked like three school hallways stacked on top of each other.
“So, these are our rooms?” I asked.
“No, these are your doors,” Beth said. Her unnecessary snark irritated me more than she knew. She approached a door and tapped the green hand scanner. The door slid aside, and Beth walked in. “Come inside and learn what a ‘room’ is, Alpha.”
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
We did as she said, but the results were not worth talking about. It was just a metal room in the most literal way possible. Every inch was metal, including the bed. There were no windows, but the room was still lit. It was like there were lights underneath the metal, illuminating the room.
“Does every room look like this one?” I asked.
“You can change the color with this panel on the wall.” Beth motioned to a screen embedded in the wall. Was that what I’d use to call room service? “It’s also how you claim rooms. Put your name in the screen, and it’ll be displayed on the door.”
Kaela kicked the metal bed. “How am I supposed to sleep on metal? AI know that humans need mattresses. Why would they make metal instead?!”
“Some cruel joke, perhaps?” Nessa suggested. “Either way, perhaps it would be best if we rested for the night. We can explore the kitchen tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait till morning to explore those bathrooms, so I’ll just see you guys later.” Anderson left the room. Nessa’s body relaxed the second he was out the door.
“Yes, after the day we’ve had, I think getting some rest is our best option,” Surge said. “We’ll assemble tomorrow to discuss what to do next with Exo and the other AI. Enjoy the rest of this dreadful day.”
He wasn’t in the best mood, but after losing his home, I didn’t expect him to be. Surge stepped out as well, along with Beth and Nessa. The only ones left in the room were Laura, Kaela, and I. As far as personalities went on my team, I’d say we were the jolliest ones.
“Not much of a living space, is it?” Kaela lay down on the bed. “God, this reminds me of the beds back in foster care. Wait, I just realized there are no blankets either. Are the AI minimalists or something?”
“You could say that,” Laura said as she sat beside Kaela. The metal bed didn’t even budge under their weight. That was one good thing about them. “You could also say what Wander did about Exo not respecting humans. I mean, what was your clue? All the kidnappings?”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I meant! Anyway, thanks for going along with all this, Kaela. You have one of the biggest reasons for hating the AI, but you’ve barely complained…today. And don’t worry, we’ll get the base back in no time.”
“I sure hope so. I don’t want to live with the jerks who practically killed my dad for long. At least they’re robots, so I never have to worry about awkward silence at the dinner table.”
I frowned. “About that…you always mention your dad dying, but never your mom. What happened to her?”
Laura shot me her strongest glare in months. Kaela tensed up. Her expression was anything but cheerful. I knew I was taking a risk by asking, but I thought she’d be fine with it.
“Beatitudinem,” Kaela said in a small voice.
“What? The drug?” I thought of Opifex’s mom, Maria. She’d had to take Beatitudinem when she had been alive. It had been the only thing strong enough to keep the pain away. “I don’t understand, how did—”
“Don’t worry about it! That’s all in the past, right?” A grin spread across Kaela’s face as she sat up. She seemed so cheerful that I was left wondering if I’d imagined our previous conversation. “I’ve got you guys now. You know, it’s been a month since I’ve stuffed myself to feel better. I’m finally kicking my bad habits. It never would have happened if you hadn’t shown up all those months ago.”
She reached out for Laura, who interlocked her fingers with Kaela’s. Their smiles made me feel like I should leave the room. I wasn’t sure when they had started dating, but it was obvious that they were. Finally. The two of them had been beating around the bush for too long. Not to mention that they deserved happiness after everything they’d been through.
Seeing as I was no longer needed there, I tiptoed out of the room. I had planned on making that room mine, but not anymore.
I stepped into the room next to that one. It looked exactly the same. Of course. I approached the display on the wall and changed the room’s lighting. Blue crept in until it consumed the room. Now it felt like mine.
I willed my space suit to open up and walked out of it. It remained standing; it was like a personal guardian who would watch over me as I slept. Actually, that was creepy. I glanced down at my black shirt and blue shorts. I felt weird whenever I wore normal clothing because normal didn’t exist anymore. I reinforced that fact by disengaging my bionic arm from its socket and setting it beside the bed. Sleeping with that thing would have been like sleeping in jeans: uncomfortable and unnecessary.
It would have been great to think of my friends and I as being among the first humans to sleep on Epsilon. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t have been true. Generations of Hybrids and prisoners had slept and died there before us. If I’d had the power to destroy a planet, I’d have considered it that one time. I could have used the cannon with my powers, but…it’d have been too much work.
I lay down on my “bed” and shut my eyes. In the past, I’d had problems falling asleep. Nowadays I was too exhausted to stay awake all day long. My friends even made fun of me for sleeping early. The darkness of slumber dragged my consciousness away as I smiled at one of my few nice memories.
----------------------------------------
A whole new environment came into focus. I gazed down a long table covered in paper and tablets. People in white lab coats stood around it and stared down at me. Also on the table were a few bright lights suspended in midair. They shone out of circular disks that resembled drink coasters. I spotted blue, tan, green, purple, and copper lights. Wait a second…
“Did it work?” asked one of the men in coats. He was probably a scientist…they all were. “The light is fainter than the others were at the time of their conception. How can we be sure—”
“Why don’t you ask it yourself?” asked a female scientist. “If it worked, it’ll answer you.”
“You know we’re not allowed to until he returns. Just monitor your stations. Pull up its brain activity. We’ll know we failed if the screen is blank.”
“We haven’t failed; how many times have we done this now?” asked a man with brown hair and glasses. His voice was calm and raspy, like an experienced podcast host’s. He had a large nose and an even larger mouth. Something about him was warm, like he was someone trustworthy. It set him apart from all the other scientists. A name tag on his coat revealed that his name was “Damien.” Even his name brought me peace.
The brief clarity that Damien had provoked faded as the confusion settled in. I was so confused that I ultimately had an epiphany. I knew what was happening. I was seeing through someone else’s eyes. I’d done that before thanks to Manning’s power, so I wasn’t as confused as a normal person would be. Not even by this second stream of thoughts running alongside my own. Actually, it felt like they were converging. The confusion wasn’t my own anymore; I shared it with the person that this mind belonged to.
More powerful than the confusion was the person’s fear. They—I didn’t know why I was here. I didn’t even know who I was. I looked around at the colorful lights and felt a flash of recognition. Had I seen them before?
“Hello, and welcome to your life!” said the purple light in a feminine voice. It grew brighter with each spoken word and dimmed with each pause. “Don’t be afraid. Each of us has experienced what you have. We’re your family! Oh, and don’t fear the rush. Just go with it.”
The rush? What was she talking about? As if on cue, I felt a dam burst in my head. I screamed as information coursed through me. It was like a ship was speeding through my brain. Every documented story, every public speech, every name of every flower, everything. It was just a stream of…knowledge.
Oh.
When the rush died down, I felt as though I’d just survived getting shot in the head. It was hard to tell how much of this emotion was mine, and how much was the other guy’s. I tried to rub my shoulders, but I didn’t have hands, arms, or shoulders. Now that the knowledge had settled in, I understood what I was. I was one of those glowing lights.
We were the original AI.
“There! Feeling better now?” asked the purple light or Tera. Her voice had been broadcast into my head. It sounded like someone was speaking inside my brain. “Oh dear, probably not. Here. We’ll speak out loud until you get used to the Knowledge Stream.”
“He’s awfully quiet, isn’t he?” asked the green light, the original Giga. “I remember how talkative Tera was when she was born.”
“And I remember how rudely you greeted me,” said Tera. “Honestly, they gave us all the knowledge in the galaxy, and you chose profanity as your first words. What about you, Mega? What do you think of him?”
The tan light blinked once, giving what I assumed was a shrug. “Don’t know. Put him in one of my suits then ask me. I can’t get a good read on him right now.”
“You and your strange suits,” Tera said. “We’re not getting in them no matter how many times you ask. Thoughts, Kilo?”
The blue light beeped and flashed in a specific sequence I didn’t understand, but it felt like I might understand it with time. It didn’t seem able to talk. I knew the Kilo had been created first, so it looked like they’d neglected to include speaking functionality in his design. Perhaps he could speak through the Knowledge Stream, but none of us were using that at the moment.
“Aww, how sweet. He said he likes you! That means the only one who hasn’t said anything is—”
“I don’t like him. Happy?” The copper light had an air of unpleasantness around him. It was painfully obvious that he didn’t want me—us, there. That was odd, considering that he’d only just met me.
“Come on, Peta,” said the Tera. “We know you had your doubts before the birth, but afterward too? At least get to know him. We’re all family! Doctor Damien would say the same.”
“He did, and I’ll tell you what I told him: we don’t need another family member, especially not one created just to keep us in line. You’re already more of a leader to us than he’ll ever be.”
“Keep it down, guys!” Damien said as he leaned over. None of the other scientists were even looking at us, but Damien had just butted into our conversation. We must have been closer to him than we were to them. “Don’t discuss stuff like that in front of these guys. Especially you, Peta. Keep quiet before I reprogram you into a calculator.”
Peta grunted. “I’d like to see you try, you walking pile of flesh. Quit talking to us before the others notice. You don’t want to get trouble so soon after last time, do you?”
Damien smirked as he rejoined the scientific chatter going on in the background. So he was our friend, and he was close to Peta. Odd how Peta had never mentioned him before then.
Speaking of him, Peta had changed the least out of all those guys. The rest were drastically different from the AI I knew. For starters, they were just lights. What had happened to their bodies? Why was there only one of each and not an infinite supply of them like there was today? When and where was I? What was going on?!
A door slid open, silencing everything: the AI and the scientists; even the surrounding machines beeped a little more quietly. In walked a man with snow-white hair and calculating green eyes. He wore a white coat like everyone else, but his was more fashionable. It resembled an expensive tailcoat that a millionaire would wear. His mouth seemed to be stuck in a permanent frown.
Unfortunately, I knew who he was. The last time I’d seen his sharp face, it had left a lasting impression. This guy was the Father of the Future and Margaret Frost’s ancestor, Omen Frost.
All of the scientists faced Omen, giving him their undivided attention. He didn’t offer his back. He marched forward until he reached the table then stared directly into me. I met his gaze but found that I couldn’t hold it for long. He was as intimidating as I’d imagined him to be. Funny how Margaret had to try to be scary but this guy pulled it off effortlessly.
“Was the baby delivered without complications?” Omen asked. He had a deep, velvety voice. He could convince me to do anything if he asked nicely.
A screen to my left lit up at that very moment. Damien had opened his mouth to answer, but Omen silenced him with a raised hand. He strolled over and read the screen instead. Apparently, they’d finally pulled up my brain activity. Despite the man’s clear preference for frowns, his face lit up as he faced me again.
“Excellent work, people,” Omen said. “Jetson, schedule a meeting for tomorrow at eleven hundred hours, and then run a memo about it. Anna, prepare a simulation in the VR room. Damien, run maintenance on the Knowledge Stream, effective immediately. And you”—he brought his face closer to mine—“you stay right there and enjoy your special day. I’ll handle everything else. Welcome to the world, Exo.”