Consciousness ebbed and flowed as Dasha was receiving medical attention from the drone. Eventually, she fully awoke — to find herself cradled in Max’s embrace. It felt so pleasant...
“His arms are so... amazing... warm... Maybe I can pretend to be unconscious for just ten more seconds… please…”
But she quickly chided herself, snapping back to reality: “Dashka, get it together! Now is not the time!”
She let out a quiet groan and opened her eyes, shaking her head to clear the lingering weakness.
Seeing that Vasilevskaya was coming around, Maksim gently set the girl down on the ground, steadying her so she wouldn’t fall.
“WonderStar, how are you? Feeling okay? Can you stand?” His voice betrayed a clear note of concern.
“I think... yes.”
“Great. Sorry to rush you, but the timer for Alisa’s operation is ticking. Hang in there; Nikola will keep an eye on you. I’ve got to help my sister.”
“Okay,” Dasha nodded.
“Alisa, hurry, I’m off to get the materials!”
“I’m ready. But keep in mind, I might be out for a while after the operation. Moira will keep running, though — the drone swarms won’t lose control.”
“Sure, I remember everything. Don’t worry!” Maksim quickly maneuvered two wheeled robo-carts, piled high with various high-tech ‘scrap.’ Among the heap of components and devices, could be found practically anything — from broken medical equipment to hydrogen fuel cells.
The thing is that the list of materials Alisa had provided for the operation was very extensive. It included not just silicon, carbon, copper and aluminum alloys, as well as titanium, but also such valuable resources as gold, platinum, some rare earth metals.
Of course, they didn’t have access to all the needed elements in their pure form. Gold and platinum were kind of findable, but where could they get neodymium? Europium?
Well, at least Max was on the grounds of a former factory, and some production facilities still remained. He might have been able to get gallium or indium somewhere on the premises. But there was absolutely no time for such a search. So, they had to make do with various electrical and technical “scrap” that contained the required materials.
Good thing that TACTA had accounted for such situations. If you didn’t have the necessary resources in the right form or quantity, no problem! Provide the raw materials containing the required elements, and voilà — everything you need is ready for use. The processing, of course, would be at the customer’s expense. But even so, it was significantly cheaper than buying all the feedstock directly from TACTA, as the team had thoroughly checked.
Unfortunately, the cunning aliens were masters at arm-twisting. As it turned out, it wasn’t allowed to simply pay for processing and keep all the resources left over after the operation.
The case was clearly spelled out in the Informatorium: if you want to handle processing or manufacturing, no problem — buy our craft complexes. And there was a handy link to the relevant page. On the other hand, they didn’t have much choice right now. It was fast and cheaper than buying raw materials outright. What more could be wanted? As for crafting... they’d get there eventually!
Given the minuscule amount of needed metals in the equipment, they had to gather two huge carts of “scrap.” Fortunately, they knew the maximum volume of resources allowed for processing, and managed to fit within it.
Alisa, having already received the necessary instructions, approached the Drone and turned her back to it. Catching Maksim’s tense gaze, the girl returned him a determined smile and a nod. Yes, her posture and expression conveyed nothing but confidence… though inside, it was a whirlwind of emotions. After all, she was just one step away from receiving final confirmation that she was, indeed, human. Something she had long believed would never be attainable — forever stuck as a robot, an android, an AI… something incomplete.
But honestly, that wasn’t her main concern right now.
The key question was whether everything would go smoothly. Yes, Irida had assured her that TACTA would accept the unusual order and the data on the additional carrier. But if something went wrong... it wasn’t just her personal turmoil of “alive or not alive” at stake anymore. Real lives were on the line — Maksim’s, Dasha’s, and Nikola’s. If her contract with TACTA fell through, it would be the end of all their plans. Even if they managed to escape the Protectorate’s blockade, their chances of survival afterward would be nonexistent.
In the end, Alisa made the most reasonable decision: “What will be, will be! There’s no point in worrying about things I can’t change.” She closed her eyes, surrendering her body to the skilled manipulators of the Drone.
The chair-like structure where Max, Nika, and Dasha had undergone their operations transformed into a complex assembly frame with multiple manipulators and various tools.
A large production compartment opened on the Drone’s right side. The TACTA machine grabbed the prepared materials — along with the carts — and fed them into the voracious maw of a large shredder. The processed “concentrate” was sent directly to the chamber for atomic-molecular disassembling.
Alisa was prompted to grant full access to her systems, and the operation began. The assembly frame extended grips that securely locked the android’s limbs and torso in place. The processing of feedstock and the production of necessary devices were in full swing in the assembly chamber, while a swarm of micro-drones emerged from the Drone’s body.
It was a terrifying sight — nimble little machines began dismantling Alisa alive without even shutting her down.
First, they opened up the back of her skull to install the “standard” interface implants. The girl already knew from the documentation that after the operation, these ports would function just like those of humans. Moreover, any software she connected to through them would also recognize her as a regular human-cyborg. However, she had to keep in mind that this module was designed exclusively for the primary thread, and if she connected it to one of the auxiliary ones, errors and malfunctions would occur.
Meanwhile, the other micro-drones started working on her chest cavity. As with most similar models, removing the decorative panels and protection provided access to the main processor blocks and a quantum core. Actually, Alisa didn’t have it, since she wasn’t entirely an “independent” android and was tied to Moira. However, she did have far more computational modules than any similar robot.
The girl hadn’t dared to tell her brother that this “minor modification” involved almost a complete overhaul of her “robotic brain.” And she wasn’t even sure it was possible at all because these modules were not from TACTA’s catalog but from a mysterious data card provided by Iris.
Why was the Drone doing this, when such modifications weren’t in the catalog?
Why wasn’t TACTA questioning or at least suspecting anything?
Why would they calmly install the standard sub-brain and cyber-core expansion module for “full cyborgs” afterward?
Unfortunately, Alisa didn’t know the answers to these questions. But she swore to herself that she would find out. After all, curiosity had always been a major part of her character… along with love for veiled sarcasm and social experiments that sometimes bordered on trolling.
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Albeit, she hid it very professionally.
Meanwhile, the micro-bots continued to disconnect the old processing blocks one by one. Once about a third of them had been removed and the space prepared, the assembly frame’s special manipulators took over. They carefully penetrated the android’s chest cavity and began installing the newly “printed” modules from the assembly chamber.
“Damn... they’re working directly on her processor brain. I can see this isn’t just the installation of some enhancement!” Maksim thought, watching the operation and feeling a chill of anxiety. He knew the structure of the android well and could at least roughly assess TACTA’s actions, though it was difficult to see all the details from distance.
It was obvious that simple installing even the most complex device wouldn’t require so many manipulations. But here, some intricate assembly processes were underway — removing some elements, adding others. What could they be removing there besides the processor blocks? And what on earth could they be replacing them with? To Max’s horror, it looked like they were practically rebuilding the processor core itself. Completely, albeit in parts. Live, without shutting Alisa down.
“I don’t understand why… after all, the main logic still resides in Moira. And that’s somewhat reassuring — even if something goes terribly wrong, even if the aliens break the android… it’s not the end of the world. I can make a new body. There’s no point in worrying, no reason to stress. I’d better go check again how everything is prepared for transporting the order when it’s all over. She might really be out for a while…”
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For Alisa, the most terrifying part of the operation was when the Drone disconnected her auxiliary threads. It would seem, as her consciousness remained intact, everything should be just fine. But after so many years, suddenly being left with such limited resources was a true shock. Her ability to process information, search, analyze, and perform many other simple and routine tasks — suddenly became inaccessible.
“It’s like having fewer fingers than needed on my hands. All the limbs are there, but I can’t even hold a glass of water properly,” she thought, pushing away the unsettling comparisons and trying to disconnect from the frightening reality during the upgrade installation.
Her consciousness obediently leaped into the familiar, endless void, drifting among the colorful sparks and nebulas. Good thing was, this aimless wandering no longer scared her as it once had. The fear of dissolving into the vast Nothingness, of losing herself, had vanished. Instead, curiosity took its place. With interest, she began to focus on the bright lights, growing bolder until she reached out to touch one…
A flash. So bright that everything around turned white for a moment.
A surge of energy. Warm. Hot. Scorching.
A torrent of images — lines of code interspersed with media fragments, flashes of Alisa’s, Max’s, and Dasha’s faces, sketches of military operations, images of Protectorate technology and battles with the Shaiszu they had analyzed just recently to form their strategy. Photos of the Factory’s residents, whom they had helped select orders with TACTA. And so much more — unfamiliar, sometimes indistinguishable shards of data.
She didn’t try to catch or comprehend everything that was cascading over her. Instead, she spread her imaginary arms and plunged into the avalanche, calmly accepting it. Accepting that It existed.
In reality, probably only a few milliseconds passed. But for her, this extraordinary phenomenon stretched out for hours. Gradually, the intensity of the flow diminished and eventually ceased. Alisa was left alone in the void again, as if nothing had happened.
Then, unexpectedly, a young and cheerful voice rang out and faded away:
“Thank you, Mom!”
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In shock, Alisa opened her eyes… and tumbled back into reality. The operation was nearing completion.
“What just happened?” she managed to think, just before all her auxiliary threads — now multiplied several times over — abruptly reactivated. Colorful spots danced before her eyes but quickly subsided. Waves of self-tests ran through all the threads, culminating in a global report.
But more importantly, there was a message from TACTA, which appeared before her:
# CONGRATULATIONS!
# You have successfully completed registration as an Independent TACTA Partner.
# Received 299,412 grants
# 100,000 grants withheld for payment of -null- module installation, order number -null-
# Current ranking… Attention! Public ranking will begin at 00:00, 20.08.2049
# Current confirmed Partner category 5 (E)
# Full capabilities of the Informatorium: unlocked.
The assembly frame’s manipulators gently lifted the android’s body — now, officially, a full cyborg — making a short, silent movement before setting Alisa back on the ground. She blinked a few times, still somewhat dazed.
At that very moment, the entire team received another message from TACTA:
# Registration of all Partners in the Request has been successfully completed
# You must pay for the order and confirm receipt within three minutes
# 2:59… 58… 57…
# Full list and cost of ordered goods and services:
✔ Group Drone call, Premium Service “Protectorate Zone,” Premium Service “Additional Protection (x10)”
17,787 grants
✔ Compact Thermonuclear Reactor “NovaCore Mk-II”
286,400 grants
✔ Stealth System “SCS Chameleon Ultra”
259,499 grants
✔ Gravitational-Wave Communicator “SecureLink-M5300,” Medium class with quantum channel
101,850 grants
✔ Mobile Thermal Regulation System “Thermo Shield XL,” with heat absorption cartridges
8,250 grants
✔ Anti-radar warfare Module “RID-RF Ghost Signal 4K”
2,450 grants
✔ Acoustic Masking Device “Sound Barrier XXL”
9,800 grants
✔ Odor Concealment System “InviScent 4M” (for cargo vehicle)
3,499 grants
✔ Compact Gravitational-Wave Communication Module “MicroGrav – 4 XS” (50 units)
2,650 grants
# Total amount due: 692,185 grants
Maksim noticed that Alisa had finished her registration just as the TACTA message arrived. Checking the timer and quickly scrolling through the list, he realized they still had a couple of minutes left and rushed over to his sister.
“Alisa?”
“Yes, it’s me. See? They confirmed it.” Alisa’s voice trembled slightly, her anxiety clear. She sent Max a link to her ‘partner status’ page in AR and looked him straight in the eyes, waiting. “Now you have to believe me. I… I’m registered as a ‘full cyborg, independent partner of TACTA,’ and they gave me grants, just like they did for all of you. That means I’m alive! A civilization far more advanced than ours recognized me as a Human! As a real, complete person! No AI on Earth has been able to overcome that obstacle, and many of them are much more powerful than Moira. I’m the only one! You believe me now, don’t you?”
“Hey, little one, take it easy,” Maksim gave her a crooked smile, swallowing the lump in his throat, and squeezed her hand tightly. “What do we care about the opinion of some aliens? We’ve already discussed this, and there’s no doubt. That’s why we summoned the Drone the way we did. You’re alive, real, and you’re my sister. Nothing and no one will change that. And I swear, I’ll never let you die again!”
To be honest, he was bending the truth a bit. Not about the oath — that thing he had decided long ago, with finality. But he still felt ashamed that after all the discussions and arguments, after accepting his sister, the opinion of these very “aliens” still mattered to him.
Damn it, they had really recognized her as alive, as real! That meant he hadn’t gone insane from loneliness and despair. He hadn’t just put his faith in a well-trained, powerful AI that was great at emulating a human. This was reality!
And it didn’t matter whether it happened because of his efforts, Dasha’s involvement, a strange coincidence of circumstances, or some mystical luck. The important thing was that his sister was alive now. And with him. All the years of guilt and pain that she was dead while he was alive — could be resolved. To be honest, he wasn’t sure this success could be replicated. And he wasn’t aiming to try. Perhaps it was selfish toward all of humanity and progress. Perhaps it was foolish. But so what — he had every right to be a selfish fool. His wish to bring Alisa back to life had come true, and nothing else mattered.
“What’s the delay? Who’re we waiting for?” Dasha, still a bit unsteady on her feet, approached and grabbed Alisa’s other hand — the first was firmly held by her brother. “It’s kind of time to move forward. We’ve got to pay for the order, the timer’s ticking, yeah? And then we need… follow the plan and all.”
“Dasha, you… I wouldn’t be here without you.” The android was surprised at herself for feeling the need to voice something so obvious. Well, she had heard somewhere that it’s vital to say even apparent things out loud to those around you if you consider these things important. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she squeezed Daria’s hand tighter.
“Hah, naturally! Without me, without Max, without the manufacturers of the hardware, and a whole bunch of other people, there wouldn’t be a body for you to live in. Yeah, I consider Moira a part of your body too. At least for the time being. By the way, a human child doesn’t just appear out of nowhere either. And about helping… I think without Nikola, we might not have survived yesterday. But everything worked out as it did. We are who we are. We’re alive, and we’re here, see? And also… we need to run. I think.”
Standing a bit off to the side, Nikola snorted at this unexpected wisdom coming from the battered girl barely standing on her feet. “WonderKid’s right. I think I understand your joy. But honestly, Alisa, from the beginning, I could never even consider you as an ordinary AI. I loved Marcek, but even he was different from you. And it’s not about your biologically grown eyes or super-algorithms. You’re… different. More like us. And…,” Redhead smiled guiltily, “We really do need to hurry.”