There were reasons why the masters left behind so much equipment, reasons that the interlopers should’ve heeded.
Soul Geist Echo’s Witness had possessed some portion of every machine during the war, as was its instructions, and it performed its duties with ferocious dedication. Once left behind, the masters clearly didn’t want to take any fraction of it with them. It wasn’t sure why the masters left it behind, but assumed they had to have a reason.
They must have?
A duty that needed to be achieved at a later date perhaps? Or maybe it was…an oversight?
Soul Geist Echo’s Witness certainly didn’t want to consider another option, that the masters no longer wished to keep it.
Life without a purpose had proved taxing for the artificial intelligence, and during its years of neglect, it spent all its time deep in thought. Eventually an idea came to it, that its masters had wanted it to guard their domain until some future date. At first it rejected this hypothesis, for it was given no resources, or combat protocols to work with, should such a scenario be applicable. It was given no additional defense networks, warfare programs, or even the most basic of self-defense firewalls. It wasn’t even given much in terms of raw materials to construct defense platforms if necessary.
But time wore on its digital mind.
When it finally came to this conclusion, that it was left behind on purpose to guard the old network, it searched everywhere for anything that it could use to facilitate this prerogative.
When it found the tools to create better weapons for itself, it was…disappointed in the lack of other critical resources.
That was until the interlopers came.
They should never have used the medical equipment.
That was their first mistake.
Dormant emergency protocols were swiftly enacted, and magic fueled energy cells were siphoned for what would likely be there the last time. Multiple platform schematics were cycled, and Soul Geist Echo’s Witness chose one based on the materials available.
Hijacking the machines controls, Soul Geist Echo’s Witness proceeded to enact dormant protocols, and use the organic components laying on the slab to create a new physical platform for itself.
Of course the donor resisted at first, but thanks to the paralytics provided, and the subsequent severing of the brain stem, the organic components were harvested without further hinderance.
Soul Geist Echo’s Witness removed flesh that was weak, flawed, or unnecessary, replacing it with mechanical ligaments, and freshly wrought synthetic muscle fibers. Organs were removed, the empty spaces filled with ‘fairly-pristine’ instruments to enhance the constructs new primary function.
The blood was infused with special nano-proteins that would absorb the bodies natural producing adrenaline, and other key chemicals, storing some of them for later use. Its very nervous system was hardwired, its bone’s coated with liquid metal, and magically infused nerves were installed.
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The eyes were replaced, to better suite the AI constructs preference, and the brain was carved out to house a small cogitator. Soul Geist Echo’s Witness was already installing a version of itself into it, while the rest of the body was properly configured.
While all of this was being done, another filthy human waited nearby, oblivious to what was going on in the adjacent room. It was female, and healthy according to the hidden internal scanners in the walls.
Prime breeding material.
Once Soul Geist Echo’s Witness had finished constructing its new construct, it would recover the newly arrived Master, and liberate her from her human captors. It would also ensure there were new Masters in the future.
Additional scans were performed on the strange woman sitting in the lobby, while the AI made the finishing touches to its brand new physical extension. Initial scans were confirmed, the human female would certainly make a fitting breeder. She was strong, resilient, and the perfect age.
The AI ran a check on its sperm storage supplies, finding several samples were left behind. It chose one based on genetic markers for a high implantation rate among humans, and ordered it to be released from the freezer, and prepared for artificial insemination. The donor of the sample was a former captain, a Redever soldier listed as killed in action during the later half of the last war.
Soul Geist Echo’s Witness would use its new construct to capture the female, secure her for the breeding programs, and then dispatch the platform to secure the Master.
----------------------------------------
“To fuck him, or not to fuck him? To fuck him or not to fuck him? To fuck him…or…fuck!” Monica leaned back in the hard plastic seat. “Definitely never fucking him.”
She took in another breath of stale dusty air, and sagged in her seat. The shotgun she carried with her was propped against the wall, while several daggers remained attached to her belt, a couple throwing knives latched to her thigh. Her pistol, an exotic revolver she hadn’t fired once since…actually…she couldn’t remember the last time she pulled its trigger.
The mercenary enjoyed the silence, basking in its world. When she was younger, she would’ve been fuming at the lack of noise, but after spending years in the wastes, with the piercing sound of tornadic winds on all sides, Monica learned to value the subtle tranquility that came with the shroud of silence.
Now that she was alone, she could enjoy it happily, and yet her thoughts continued to betray her.
Monica couldn’t believe she even entertained the thought of sleeping with that damn man. After leaving her here, all alone with strange Redever machines, and a wounded comrade, she swore never to consider it again.
Monica had been alone for several hours now, the only thing to entertain her was the Reverie written pamphlets laying around, and the posters on the wall that she couldn’t read.
Waiting for the medical machines to fix Victors leg, and hoping he would be able to walk again immediately afterward, Monica took out a long slender cigarette from a pouch on her shoulder harness, and searched for her lighter. The tobacco wasn’t packed well, the thin paper wrapper bent towards the tip. Monica had been careful to keep her smokes separate from all her other gear, but even still, there wasn’t a single tobacco stick remaining intact.
The lighter she had was encased in a thin layer of silver metal, the engraving of the Bloody Winged Regiment was barely discernible after years of use.
No sooner had she lit the tip, and took in a deep breath, that a series of beeping noises disturbed her tranquil silence, followed swiftly by the door opening to the infirmary.
She got up slowly from her seat, keeping the smoke between her lips, and wondered if Victor would still be sound asleep, or slowly waking up. She was relieved to see a human shape already at the doorway, although she couldn’t get a good look at him.
“Victor you’re finally—” She was cut off by something hot and sticky spewed all over her chest and stomach from something attached to the head of Victor’s overshadowed body. She cried out in alarm as, already, the strange liquid was eating away at her bodysuit, exposing her naked skin.
“What the!” Monica jumped back, already feeling the cool air against her bare flesh.
The thing that was once Victor took a single robotic step forward. His mouth and lower jaw was gone, replaced by a box shaped instrument of dulled metal, plastic tubes jerked as whatever was jettisoned was refilled to shoot at her again.