39 Devastation
Reality stays its breath for a moment. A ripple in space tears minutely in order to eject a small piece of matter from its confines. The next moment, gravity grabs hold of the cargo and propels it to its destination.
"I NEED HELP!!" Sia screamed as she falls face first into the frozen rusted gate.
CONFIRM THE AUTHORIZATION OF COMMAND
Sia lies still for several moments and then moans. She spits out the dirt in her mouth. The cold metal is both a comfort and an annoying temperature. She feels like she has been laying in a sauna for several hours. She licks her chapped lips and blinks at the bright atmosphere.
CONFIRM THE AUTHORIZATION OF COMMAND
Sia hears the device speaking to her, but the words don't make sense to her.
'Why is it asking me that?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several days ago…
The exclusive scientist locker room filled with sounds of water splashing on the tiled bathroom floor. Sia filled her water bottle at the broken sink and poured it over her head. She wet the corner of an old moth bitten towel she found in a locker and wiped at her armpits. The temperature had not risen since she had been hiding at the building. She found a bottle of hand soap, but she didn't dare strip down in that temperature. It seemed to be gradually getting colder each day that passed. Sia feared the possibility to become hypothermic or catching pneumonia.
After she wiped under her clothing a few times, she buttoned and zipped ups all her layers, and pulled out a knife. Packing all the clothing she found into her backpack would be a waste of space, so Sia had decided to rip some of the stitches on a few of the clothing items and tie them into winter wear. She was in desperate need of a scarf, hat, and gloves.
The knife was not very sharp, but after cutting a few places, Sia could step down on a corner of a garment and pull the rest of it apart.
Riiiiiip
She set down three strips of torn fabric. Even that short bit of labor made her feel more tired than usual. Her current diet of water and hope made her feel vulnerable and empty inside.
She looked at a blank wall and allowed her mind to wander. She nibbled at her lower lip.
"Mmm…tsk, "Sia spit out a piece of skin she tore off her lip and tapped at the tender area.
The spot didn't heal as usual. The device was conserving its energy.
'Gotta control ourselves…that's how people die in the wild. No self-control. Self-control.'
Sia slumped in the blue armchair and sighed.
"Remember that rule you have where you take control over me while I'm in danger?"
AFFIRMATIVE
DANGER TO SUBJECT 001 INDICATES TO SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER TO UTILITZE ADMINISTRATIVE ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM
"Yeah, so can you change that to me having to verbally authorize you to do that?"
SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER PRIORITY #1: ENSURE SUBJECT 001 STATUS REMAIN STABLE UNLESS COMMANDED OTHERWISE
"Yes. I know!" Sia shouted, "And I'm commanding you otherwise aren't I?"
…
AFFIRMATIVE
"You aren't mine. All these priorities are for Apex…set up by whoever that is. I thought you were a godsend. I thought you were…" Sia coughed and sat up against the blue chair to look at the chipped ceiling.
"You're too good to be true. I'm leaving myself open to be taken over by that person whenever they want. If I need your help I will ask, alright?"
AFFIRMATIVE
"You will ask for authorization and until I give it… Don't take over my body. You can add enhancements at your discretion, but don't…don't push me into Immersive mode unless I'm on the verge of death. If I'm critically injured I want control as fast as possible. Don't leave me in there. I'm handing you over the moment Apex gives me the details. I'm no thief. Never that."
There was silence for several moments. Sia held her breath as she waited for the device to respond.
DEFAULT MODE MODIFIED
PRESETS SAVED
Her eyes welled up with tears, "Thanks, Puter."
…
"I know you have my back, but…we. I'm not your owner. This is just temporary. I'll be rescued, and I'll give you back, and then we can just forget all of this. Everything."
…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mmmmmm…," Sia barely sits up before she vomits onto the ground beside her.
She closes her eyes and grabs at her nose to stop the puke from rushing out of her nose as well. She expects it to be mostly clear fluid from all the water she had drunk. Opening her eyes reveals that she has heaved up red chunks of material onto the dirt.
Her heart quickens as she retches once more and gags on a thick piece of …
"Uurrrg…, " She keels forward and plants her hands in the mess as she convulses," Uuuurg….gaaaaah."
Finally, the flesh, blood and tiny pieces of shattered bones are evacuated out of her system.
"What is happening to me?"
COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF W.E.SCU PROGRAM INCLUDE:
VOMITING
NAUSEA
SLEEP DEPRIVATION
SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS
DIARRHEA
"But what…"
Sia's mind fills with flashes of pictures that paint a gruesome picture.
"Oh my gawd. Oh my gawd," her breathes speed up and looks down at the vomit covering her hands.
She can pick out all the white shards in the crimson sludge. She picks up one of the shards and pulls it up to her eyes.
"Is this bone?"
AFFIRMATIVE
"Did I die? Did I die here?"
NEGATIVE
She looks around the entrance of the shipping container port and can see the metal stairs and empty vehicles. The ground around the rusted staircase is untouched and stark white. The sun is high in the sky and the only sound she can pick out are the wind's soft pants.
She rubs her sticky palms on snow and rises from the wrecked gate.
"If…this is before…" She mutters as she walks back to the white van.
She sees it half submerged in snow and opens the passenger door. Her knees fold on the seat and she bent against the seat to gaze into the back. There it is. Her crowbar. It lays tucked right behind the back of the driver's seat. Waiting for some poor fool to remember it and lift it out of the shadows.
'I was dead. I know I was…'
She sits there with the cold breeze caressing her back. She sniffles and allows tears to trail down her face. She doesn't know if she is mourning her chance at rest or afraid of the memories and what they signify.
After several minutes, she wipes at her face with her inner arm and addresses the device, "If we leave this place and just drive off to the next area…how long will I live?"
APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS
Sia takes deep breathes before she grips her knees and says, "I do. I need your help."
S.I.D 2.0 ACCESSING ADMINISTRATIVE ACCESS OF SUBJECT 001
CONTACTING ORIGIN…
ANALYZING ENERGY LEVELS
18%
HYDRONE BOOST AVAILABLE
RECYCLING HYDRONE
ANALYZING ENERGY LEVELS
98%
Sia's body leans forward and grasps the crowbar before setting it down on the passenger seat and returning to the entrance gate.
ENHANCING UPPER EXTREMITIES BY 40% FOR 8 SECONDS
It grabs the metal frame and pulls it out of the way. Afterward, it returns to the semi-submerged van and begins to clear away snow. As swipes at slush and compact pieces of snow, it monitors the sounds and sulphuric levels around it.
When it finally has the front of the vehicle freed from the frosty prison, it gets back inside the vehicle and drives into the shipping container port.
Navigating to the container that contained the rice was simple. With a few turns, it identifies the numbers for the shipment.
Sia's body opens the driver door with a crowbar in its right hand. It sniffs a few times as it walks to the front of the vehicle. It hops on top of the hood and walks up to the top of the van before leaping up to the storage container. With a twirl of the crowbar, it grips the top of the storage container and uses Sia's left hand to open one side of the doors. The panel swings open and the device blinks a few times to adjust Sia's eyes to the inside of the container.
No expression of triumph is produced on Sia's face. It calmly grabs a few of the oxygen sealed pales and drops them to the roof of the car. In a few minutes, It leaps down to the roof and opens the side of the van to move the rice inside.
A pitter pat of feet can be heard dashing towards the van. Sia's sight is blocked by the van, but the device can hear and smell the incoming animal.
MUSTELA ERMINEA DETECTED
JUMPER PROTOCOL RUNNING
J44S2v1V4l.Stay ENABLED
BACKUP SERVICES DEACTIVATED
NANO INFIRMARY PROTOCOL NULLIFIED
ENHANCING LOWER EXTREMITIES BY 70% FOR 40 SECONDS
The ermine leaps over the van, plants all four paws on the storage container above, and dives for Sia's body. Sia's body vanishes and the ermine meets the ground head-on.
It pushes off the ground and bumps its sides on the van and the storage container as it slides through the tight space to chase the small human. The van rocks as it thrusts off the back of the car and accelerates its speed.
Sia's body runs for the open transportation area near the guard's tower and the ermine follows.
The device stops her body in its tracks and turns while swinging the crowbar. The ermine flips over her body out of reach of the crowbar and pushes off the metal stairs to rush at Sia's body from behind.
JUMPER PROTOCOL
FLICKER MODE ACTIVATED
Sia's form disappears from the spot for one moment.
The ermine snarls as it phases through its prey. It passes by the empty spot and Sia's body appears again. The ermine swipes its tail at the materialized form. The black tipped tail connects with the left side of Sia's face.
Her body doesn't flinch at the impact. It drives forward and stabs the crowbar into the ermines open trilling mouth. The ermine's claws come up. They swing at Sia's head but only graze it.
Before the animal can even try to close its' jaws the crowbar rams deep into its mouth and through the back of its skull. Then the device maneuvers the body into a backward flip to dodge the rest of the violent death shutters.
35
36
37
38
39
40
POWER UP NEGATED
ORIGIN CONTACTED
COMMUNICATION CHANNEL OPENING
S.I.D to APEX
'Sid… how is Sia doing? Did she escape those men?'
AFFIRMATIVE
SUBJECT 001 CONTINUED TO THE LOCATION CHOSEN BY APEX
'Is she okay?'
THE VESSEL HAS SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES FROM CLOSE COMBAT
THE RIGHT PINNA OF THE EAR HAS BEEN REMOVED
ALONG WITH SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE OCULUS SINISTER
BUT THE VESSEL IS STILL VIABLE
'Are her energy levels high enough heal those injuries?'
WITH TIME
OTHER OBJECTIVES MUST BE FULFILLED BEFORE
FURTHER ACTION IS TAKEN
'What do you mean? Are there more dangers around her? Flee the area before contacting me!'
NEGATIVE
THE VESSEL IS VIABLE
APEX CAN OVERRIDE SUBJECT 001'S CONSCIOUSNESS
ENERGY LEVELS ARE STABLE
COGNIZANT AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED BEFORE TRANSFER
CONFIRM REQUEST
"I NEED HELP!!" Sia screamed as she falls face first into the frozen rusted gate.
CONFIRM THE AUTHORIZATION OF COMMAND
Sia lies still for several moments and then moans. She spits out the dirt in her mouth. The cold metal is both a comfort and an annoying temperature. She feels like she has been laying in a sauna for several hours. She licks her chapped lips and blinks at the bright atmosphere.
CONFIRM THE AUTHORIZATION OF COMMAND
Sia hears the device speaking to her, but the words don't make sense to her.
'Why is it asking me that?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several days ago…
The exclusive scientist locker room filled with sounds of water splashing on the tiled bathroom floor. Sia filled her water bottle at the broken sink and poured it over her head. She wet the corner of an old moth bitten towel she found in a locker and wiped at her armpits. The temperature had not risen since she had been hiding at the building. She found a bottle of hand soap, but she didn't dare strip down in that temperature. It seemed to be gradually getting colder each day that passed. Sia feared the possibility to become hypothermic or catching pneumonia.
After she wiped under her clothing a few times, she buttoned and zipped ups all her layers, and pulled out a knife. Packing all the clothing she found into her backpack would be a waste of space, so Sia had decided to rip some of the stitches on a few of the clothing items and tie them into winter wear. She was in desperate need of a scarf, hat, and gloves.
The knife was not very sharp, but after cutting a few places, Sia could step down on a corner of a garment and pull the rest of it apart.
Riiiiiip
She set down three strips of torn fabric. Even that short bit of labor made her feel more tired than usual. Her current diet of water and hope made her feel vulnerable and empty inside.
She looked at a blank wall and allowed her mind to wander. She nibbled at her lower lip.
"Mmm…tsk, "Sia spit out a piece of skin she tore off her lip and tapped at the tender area.
The spot didn't heal as usual. The device was conserving its energy.
'Gotta control ourselves…that's how people die in the wild. No self-control. Self-control.'
Sia slumped in the blue armchair and sighed.
"Remember that rule you have where you take control over me while I'm in danger?"
AFFIRMATIVE
DANGER TO SUBJECT 001 INDICATES TO SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER TO UTILITZE ADMINISTRATIVE ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM
"Yeah, so can you change that to me having to verbally authorize you to do that?"
SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER PRIORITY #1: ENSURE SUBJECT 001 STATUS REMAIN STABLE UNLESS COMMANDED OTHERWISE
"Yes. I know!" Sia shouted, "And I'm commanding you otherwise aren't I?"
…
AFFIRMATIVE
"You aren't mine. All these priorities are for Apex…set up by whoever that is. I thought you were a godsend. I thought you were…" Sia coughed and sat up against the blue chair to look at the chipped ceiling.
"You're too good to be true. I'm leaving myself open to be taken over by that person whenever they want. If I need your help I will ask, alright?"
AFFIRMATIVE
"You will ask for authorization and until I give it… Don't take over my body. You can add enhancements at your discretion, but don't…don't push me into Immersive mode unless I'm on the verge of death. If I'm critically injured I want control as fast as possible. Don't leave me in there. I'm handing you over the moment Apex gives me the details. I'm no thief. Never that."
There was silence for several moments. Sia held her breath as she waited for the device to respond.
DEFAULT MODE MODIFIED
PRESETS SAVED
Her eyes welled up with tears, "Thanks, Puter."
…
"I know you have my back, but…we. I'm not your owner. This is just temporary. I'll be rescued, and I'll give you back, and then we can just forget all of this. Everything."
…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mmmmmm…," Sia barely sits up before she vomits onto the ground beside her.
She closes her eyes and grabs at her nose to stop the puke from rushing out of her nose as well. She expects it to be mostly clear fluid from all the water she had drunk. Opening her eyes reveals that she has heaved up red chunks of material onto the dirt.
Her heart quickens as she retches once more and gags on a thick piece of …
"Uurrrg…, " She keels forward and plants her hands in the mess as she convulses," Uuuurg….gaaaaah."
Finally, the flesh, blood and tiny pieces of shattered bones are evacuated out of her system.
"What is happening to me?"
COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF W.E.SCU PROGRAM INCLUDE:
VOMITING
NAUSEA
SLEEP DEPRIVATION
SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS
DIARRHEA
"But what…"
Sia's mind fills with flashes of pictures that paint a gruesome picture.
"Oh my gawd. Oh my gawd," her breathes speed up and looks down at the vomit covering her hands.
She can pick out all the white shards in the crimson sludge. She picks up one of the shards and pulls it up to her eyes.
"Is this bone?"
AFFIRMATIVE
"Did I die? Did I die here?"
NEGATIVE
She looks around the entrance of the shipping container port and can see the metal stairs and empty vehicles. The ground around the rusted staircase is untouched and stark white. The sun is high in the sky and the only sound she can pick out are the wind's soft pants.
She rubs her sticky palms on snow and rises from the wrecked gate.
"If…this is before…" She mutters as she walks back to the white van.
She sees it half submerged in snow and opens the passenger door. Her knees fold on the seat and she bent against the seat to gaze into the back. There it is. Her crowbar. It lays tucked right behind the back of the driver's seat. Waiting for some poor fool to remember it and lift it out of the shadows.
'I was dead. I know I was…'
She sits there with the cold breeze caressing her back. She sniffles and allows tears to trail down her face. She doesn't know if she is mourning her chance at rest or afraid of the memories and what they signify.
After several minutes, she wipes at her face with her inner arm and addresses the device, "If we leave this place and just drive off to the next area…how long will I live?"
APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS
Sia takes deep breathes before she grips her knees and says, "I do. I need your help."
S.I.D 2.0 ACCESSING ADMINISTRATIVE ACCESS OF SUBJECT 001
CONTACTING ORIGIN…
ANALYZING ENERGY LEVELS
18%
HYDRONE BOOST AVAILABLE
RECYCLING HYDRONE
ANALYZING ENERGY LEVELS
98%
Sia's body leans forward and grasps the crowbar before setting it down on the passenger seat and returning to the entrance gate.
ENHANCING UPPER EXTREMITIES BY 40% FOR 8 SECONDS
It grabs the metal frame and pulls it out of the way. Afterward, it returns to the semi-submerged van and begins to clear away snow. As swipes at slush and compact pieces of snow, it monitors the sounds and sulphuric levels around it.
When it finally has the front of the vehicle freed from the frosty prison, it gets back inside the vehicle and drives into the shipping container port.
Navigating to the container that contained the rice was simple. With a few turns, it identifies the numbers for the shipment.
Sia's body opens the driver door with a crowbar in its right hand. It sniffs a few times as it walks to the front of the vehicle. It hops on top of the hood and walks up to the top of the van before leaping up to the storage container. With a twirl of the crowbar, it grips the top of the storage container and uses Sia's left hand to open one side of the doors. The panel swings open and the device blinks a few times to adjust Sia's eyes to the inside of the container.
No expression of triumph is produced on Sia's face. It calmly grabs a few of the oxygen sealed pales and drops them to the roof of the car. In a few minutes, It leaps down to the roof and opens the side of the van to move the rice inside.
A pitter pat of feet can be heard dashing towards the van. Sia's sight is blocked by the van, but the device can hear and smell the incoming animal.
MUSTELA ERMINEA DETECTED
JUMPER PROTOCOL RUNNING
J44S2v1V4l.Stay ENABLED
BACKUP SERVICES DEACTIVATED
NANO INFIRMARY PROTOCOL NULLIFIED
ENHANCING LOWER EXTREMITIES BY 70% FOR 40 SECONDS
The ermine leaps over the van, plants all four paws on the storage container above, and dives for Sia's body. Sia's body vanishes and the ermine meets the ground head-on.
It pushes off the ground and bumps its sides on the van and the storage container as it slides through the tight space to chase the small human. The van rocks as it thrusts off the back of the car and accelerates its speed.
Sia's body runs for the open transportation area near the guard's tower and the ermine follows.
The device stops her body in its tracks and turns while swinging the crowbar. The ermine flips over her body out of reach of the crowbar and pushes off the metal stairs to rush at Sia's body from behind.
JUMPER PROTOCOL
FLICKER MODE ACTIVATED
Sia's form disappears from the spot for one moment.
The ermine snarls as it phases through its prey. It passes by the empty spot and Sia's body appears again. The ermine swipes its tail at the materialized form. The black tipped tail connects with the left side of Sia's face.
Her body doesn't flinch at the impact. It drives forward and stabs the crowbar into the ermines open trilling mouth. The ermine's claws come up. They swing at Sia's head but only graze it.
Before the animal can even try to close its' jaws the crowbar rams deep into its mouth and through the back of its skull. Then the device maneuvers the body into a backward flip to dodge the rest of the violent death shutters.
35
36
37
38
39
40
POWER UP NEGATED
ORIGIN CONTACTED
COMMUNICATION CHANNEL OPENING
S.I.D to APEX
'Sid… how is Sia doing? Did she escape those men?'
AFFIRMATIVE
SUBJECT 001 CONTINUED TO THE LOCATION CHOSEN BY APEX
'Is she okay?'
THE VESSEL HAS SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES FROM CLOSE COMBAT
THE RIGHT PINNA OF THE EAR HAS BEEN REMOVED
ALONG WITH SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE OCULUS SINISTER
BUT THE VESSEL IS STILL VIABLE
'Are her energy levels high enough heal those injuries?'
WITH TIME
OTHER OBJECTIVES MUST BE FULFILLED BEFORE
FURTHER ACTION IS TAKEN
'What do you mean? Are there more dangers around her? Flee the area before contacting me!'
NEGATIVE
THE VESSEL IS VIABLE
APEX CAN OVERRIDE SUBJECT 001'S CONSCIOUSNESS
ENERGY LEVELS ARE STABLE
COGNIZANT AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED BEFORE TRANSFER
CONFIRM REQUEST
RECENTLY UPDATES
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