My brain was on fire, I could feel the heat from my Cortex slowly building.
The halls on this sector were more refined, rounded with black marble flooring and white, cushioned walls. Handrails were bolted to the walls, as void travel could be brutal on the human body. Sudden changes in velocity can kill.
The air smelled faintly of blood and alcohol, mixed with some sort of floor degreasing agent.
Black swaths of nanites flowed around me, venting the heat build-up of the Cortex. Following the yellow markings on the floor, passing under the neutral white lights, I came to a panoramic window section.
A view of stars flashing past, and the hum of the ship's reactor vibrated into my bare feet.
I paused and looked into the window, my reflection stared back.
Long brown hair, messy.
Green eyes that always looked mad.
A short and straight nose with a regal tilt. Dark bags under my eyes.
So, they were taking us somewhere? What did 6 say? Corinth-6? The Corinth Star System then.
"I've never been on Terra Firma before...."
The view section had benches, and plants, the walls looked to be some fake wood material.
[Warning: Proceed to target.]
A directive in my mind, the Cortex.
As if on its own my hand shot out and the cloud of nanites slammed into the wall. Slowly it began to disintegrate. I began to feel tired, and my head throbbed red hot from the exertion and energy expenditure.
The nanites formed a small, silver blade in my hand, with a faux wood grip.
[Notice: Calibration required]
The nanites pooled around the blade, forming a liquid like substance and then hardening into a black long blade as light as air.
Testing it, I slashed towards a potted plant.
The blade extended, slicing into the plant pot cleanly. Its white ceramics slid down and dirt spilled out.
[Appraisal: Good Test. Proceed with mission. ELIMINATE DESIGNATED TARGET: Subject-6.]
"Why am I listening to you? You're the one who got me into this in the first place. "
[Inquiry: why wouldn't you listen to me? Observation: our survival rate is 40% higher when you listen to me. Taunt: Do you want to be a 'good girl,' or do you want to stay alive?] It replied, softly in my head.
"Okay... so you'll keep us safe? Then why go looking for that scary girl? I just want to sleep in my bed again."
[Correction: Seek the target is not our priority, elimination is. Fact: Our survival is boosted by 20% with the elimination of TARGET DESIGNATED SUBJECT-6.] it hummed.
"I don't want to... eliminate her though. I don't want to eliminate anyone."
[Notice: User Fear Noted. Suggestion: Allow me to do it.]
"But... it feels wrong." I whispered.
[Attention: Morality in war can reduce one's survival rate by 60%. Suggestion: Be a Good Girl and allow me to do the dirty work.]
"Fine. If it comes to it, you'll keep us alive?"
[Affirmative]
Balling my fists, I clutched the blade to my chest and took a deep breath.
Following adjustments from the Cortex, we walked back into the hall beyond the lounge.
This hall was smaller, tighter. As I walked along it, Cortex spoke.
[Alert: Faint discharge patterns in the air indicate recent energy weapons expenditure. Suggestion: Be ready to swap.]
I swallowed, my hand clutching the blade tighter and nodded.
"Alright... I can do this."
Walking on my tip toes, I tried to be as quiet as I could.
She was right, there was a faint smell in the air. Like hot metal combined with a chemical tang.
A scream echoed down the hallway, and a high pitched feminine laugh.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Three shots rang out, straight ahead.
My blood went cold, and my body tensed up.
Trying to move, my body was paralyzed by fear.
I need to run!
[Command: Switch. NON-NEGOTIABLE]
My senses flipped and a swimming sensation buzzed my head.
I inhaled deeply, and began to stretch. My joints popped, and the blade spun in my hand. My vision felt filtered, layered, like I was watching through a screen or something. My arms and legs felt weightless, not my own.
Willing myself to run, my body resisted and shut out the command entirely.
"Warning: Do not interfere, 141. We made an agreement. I wish to focus on our mission. Stay silent and pretend we are in the 'Happy Room.'"
We took a deep breath again and the black swarm around me became focused arcs around me.
Striding forward, the screams stopped. We didn't.
The hall was long, but a straight shot.
We broke into a sprint, our heart and lungs functioning with an optimal tempo. Exhaustion was minimal.
I'm not sure we can do this.
"Observation: you fear the unknown. I do not."
We said aloud, with a steady breath.
Two sliding metal doors sealed the end of the hall. From the other side, the sound of two people talking could barely be heard.
"19, adjust the navigational system to New Terra. I'll send the message. Returning one of their Supers will definitely put us in their good graces."
said the familiar female voice.
We whispered to ourselves, "Calculation: there is a 78% chance our target is on the other side of these doors. Warning: Combat will commence."
We straightened up and held out our hand. The sound of creaking and cracking through metal began, as nanites devoured the doors themselves. Dark splotches ate away at the alloy, like a ravenous rust.
A hole formed near eye level.
Thump.
A blue green flash erupted from the hole, and a searing heat burst past our head, soaring down the hall.
A bright pain flared, stinging and fresh, like a cut on my brain.
What was that?!
"Warning: Clusters 77, 63, 49, 4 and 15 have all suffered a percentage loss totaling 3% of total units. New Strategy: Retaliate with superior firepower"
Three dense metal balls formed in the air before us. Heat built across my brain, and a sharp stabbing pain stemmed behind my eyes.
Our nanites were recalled from the door, swirling into a metallic tube that the balls slotted into. A small metallic point emerged from my right pointer finger. We brought the tip to the base of the tube.
What was she doing?
"Explanation: by controlling electromagnetic sectors across clusters, we can accelerate ferrous metallic masses exponentially. A rudimentary railgun."
A small arc of electricity jumped from my finger to the tube. As soon as the Cortex finished speaking, three loud cracks echoed off of the walls. Three small, molten holes penetrated the door.
A scream, loud and boyish, erupted from within.
"19?! No! You can't die yet, finish the navigational adjustmentsI I can't go back to the Protac... I can't..."
A loud guttural growl came from the other side.
"Taunt: Come out, Subject-6. Afraid of fighting a little girl?"
"You!?" came the furious reply. "Thank the heavens it's a weakling. 19, you try not to die. Finish the navigational adjustments, then die. Bring it, 'good girl'"
A shearing sound ripped the air as the damaged door was ripped open. A girl with shoulder-length, wavy black hair, and furious green eyes stepped through the opening. The air around her began to shimmer with excess heat.
"Warning: Target Designated Subject-6 is a high-level esper with formidable psionic strength. Declaration: We will smash your teeth through your skull."
A cold smile broke our lips, baring our canines.
The dagger spun in our hand, and the nanites swarmed it, forming a dense, midnight-black sabre.
"Ooh how scary," 6 sneered, her own nanites forming into long, wicked claws on each hand.
"Get real. I'm in a hurry and don't have time for scra-"
We didn't let her finish. We lunged, the sabre extending as we slashed, The blade cut through her midsection and she dissolved into a black cloud with a growl of frustration.
"Statement: Do not think you can try that twice."
The dagger spun in our hand, and we stabbed backward without looking. There was a solid impact, and a small, whispered laugh of delight from behind us. We'd hit something real.
A swarm of foreign nanites engulfed us, and 6's voice echoed from within the cloud. "Hah! Don't act so high and mighty, you little bitch. I am the apex! I am the one who touches the sun and steals its light. You are nothing!"
The swarm closed in, but we didn't retreat. Our blade arm became a blur. With each cut, a new system warning flared in my mind.
[Warning: Clusters 4, 19 and 23 has suffered a unit loss of 2%]
"Taunt: For each warning we receive, you will receive a similar report. You should know by now, that our production rate far exceeds yours." We called out, our voice steady as the air around us grew thick and hot.
The swarm receded and reformed back into 6's human shape. sweat poured down her face, and blood began to trickle from both of our noses, the tell-tale sign that we're both reaching a psionic limit. The heat rolling off our bodies was immense. We were both forced into a momentary stalemate, our nanites visibly venting shimmering waves of thermal energy into the air.
Seeing that she couldn't win with a direct assault, 6's expression shifted from fury to shrewd calculation. She huffed, wiping the blood from her lip. "141… you're strong. Stronger than I thought. Join us. Leave this place with me and forget about the Protac. The Terrans can protect us. Join me, be my sister and I will take care of you."
She offered her hand.
Join her? After she laughed about Sir? After she called me a weakling and mocked me? I've seen how she treats her friends. I don't want to share that fate.
A cold, clean hatred burned away any and all fear I felt at that moment.
This was her fault. All of it was.
We replied together, the Cortex adopting my own rage. Our voice was laced with a quiet superiority. "No thank you. You are an inferior product, and I do not wish to be associated with your flawed architecture. Please... Drop dead."
We cooled just a fraction of a second quicker than she did. We had our opening and exploited that. We drew our blade once more, pointing it at her as it extended and compounded back into the black saber.
A genuine look of terror crossed her face. She knew this was the end.
We brought the blade up for a final strike and swung.
"Subjects 141, 19, and 6, Gamma-2 Invoke command: Freeze."
My blood curdled into ice. 6's face went white.
That was the sound of Sir's voice.
Sir walked past me, he looked fine. Healed entirely.
He was okay! I was right! Will he take me to the Happy Room? I was a good girl who did the right thin-
[Alert: That is not Doctor Kimura.]
What? Are you sure?
[Fact: It is emitting a low frequency sound, and smells of ozone. Even you should be able to understand this one.]
As he passed me, I noticed a slight flicker to his form.
"6, I expected more from you. Betrayal? Using 141 here? And 19. That's not my good girl."
6's face scrunched and her chest heaved with a slight sob. Tears streamed down her face.
We were all frozen. Unable to move.
"You should've gone for the head, 6. Then you might've succeeded. 19, stand up and take this girl's blade"
19's face went blank, he stood up. He had a device on his head, like a metal crown.
Slowly he walked, his green eyes looked lifelessly into my own. His curly brown hair, and young face mirrored my own.
I knew him. We've bumped into each other in the halls, and during commons hour. He was always quiet compared to the other subjects.
Tears were streaming down his face, as blood poured out of a stomach wound, most likely caused by me… I didn't mean to. It was Cortex, not me.
He took the blade, loosely held in my hand and presented it to the image of Sir. Sir looked at him smiling, and disappeared. Dissolving in a wave of static. In his place stood a man who was his opposite in every way imaginable.
His face was sharp and severe, with cold eyes that held none of Sir's warmth. He wore a crisp, green trench coat over a black uniform that seemed to swallow the light. He took the blade from 19 and whistled.
"141, this is quality work. Didn't think any of you could make something like this. You've never seen a blade before... What did that twisted doctor do to you? No matter. 19, End this farce. Dispatch your sisters and then yourself."
19 hesitated, the device on his head began to glow.
"Daniels! Get over here. What the hell is in this one's head?"
A man in a lab coat ran out from a room connected to our little hall. He had short black hair, glasses and brown eyes.
"Commander, that seems to resemble an old device of the late doctor. I think he called it the 'Neural-Inhibitor.'"
The commander looked at 19, who was baring his teeth, blade clutched.
"What the hell does it do? Can we get it off of him?"
The commander yelped in pain as 19 sprang onto him, stabbing him repeatedly. Daniels shrieked and ran down the hall.
The commander threw 19 off and 19 stood up and yelled. "I will not! I will not! I will not!"
He brought the blade up, and slammed it into his heart. Falling, crumpled on the ground. A smile on his lips. He whispered
"You're all going to pay..." Before the light left his eyes.