Margret was a little surprised by Karen’s call. Her relationship with Karen and Richard went back quite far, and she knew them from the years they attended the same university. She always knew Karen as an odd person at times, but there was something a little off in how she spoke. Just vaguely, she felt like Karen was distracted.
“Karen, what is it?” she asked with a little concern.
Karen was quick to respond. “First off, what has the Director told you about the current situation?”
Margret was a little perplexed by the question. “As much as you, I would imagine. The Director is currently in a meeting with the Board regarding possible countermeasures in bringing in the Lambda unit. What are you getting at?”
Karen moved to the point. “Lambda has fallen into the hands of my son. Something just doesn’t feel right. I need you to find out how, and why.”
Now Margret was confused. “I’m no genius, Karen. I’m just the Head of Communications and Data Security-” She stopped, fully processing Karen’s words. “Did you say your son has Lambda!?”
“So you didn’t know,” she replied curtly. “Listen to me, Margret, there is something very sour surrounding Lambda. I’ve felt this way since we built it. Zack’s involvement now only makes me wonder more.”
Margret’s voice seem to grow quiet. “What do you mean, and why are you telling me this now?”
Karen brushed her hair behind her ear. “Because you have a right to know and because you are a friend.”
Margret seemed genuinely surprised by Karen’s words. “Are you okay? Did something else happen that I don’t know of?”
Karen ignored her question. “I told you my concern in confidence, Margret. I’m leaving this place soon, and I want you to be on my side. Can I trust you?”
Margret huffed with pride. “Of course you can trust me, but what are you planning to do?”
Karen rubbed the back of her neck. She felt so stiff. “I can’t say for sure, but I felt it was only fair that you knew first before things became too complicated. You’d best tread lightly. The shadows that lurk around Project Lambda are not to be taken lightly.”
“Wait, Karen, what do you-”
Karen ended the call. She cracked her neck and began to march off down the white halls of the research plant. Her hard eyes never blinked as she powered her way toward her next move. She only spoke briefly, quoting Walter Scott. Her terse words echoed through the vacant halls like dark sirens.
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”
* * *
Margret was still in a daze as she listened to the dead space of the call that had just ended abruptly. She was still trying to sort out everything she had just heard, but couldn’t really grasp the gravity of what she was told. One question plagued her mind as she thought of the words of warning left by Karen.
“Just what exactly is Project Lambda’s purpose?”
She knew its specs, its design, but not its reason for existing. To what end was such a powerful AI unit developed? Military might? A new line of God Mods? The questions only continued to pile up as Margret racked her brain to find an answer. Karen had hit a cord within her. It had spurred her dark desire to know anything that she couldn’t answer. Karen was right to confide in her, for Margret’s connections ran deep through her many years of covert communications and sensitive data handling.
She smirked. “So, I’m being looked down upon. If the Director thinks he can write me out, he is sadly mistaken.”
She let a small laugh slip through her curled lips “Don’t worry, Karen. You can count on me to find the dirty laundry. The shadows that surround Project Lambda only get my juices going more.”
She switched off her Com-Linker and pulled out her tablet. The device sprung to life as she grazed her finger along the screen. She tapped a small folder labeled Contacts that began to generate a massive list of names. Before the list could even finish loading, Margret was prompted to key in a six digit passcode as well as identify herself through voice recognition.
“Margret Powers,” she said strongly.
“Voice recognition match. Welcome back, Margret,” echoed a stale voice over her tablet speakers.
Margret scrolled down the massive list before her, stopping about halfway down the list. She tapped the selected contact and pulled up the number registered in her database for the individual. She then clicked her Com-Liner once more and dialed quickly.
“What dirty secrets are you hiding, Lambda?”
* * *
[January 6th - Cyber Network, Server 346 - Concert Hall - Night]
Zack was trapped within the compounds of the giant Concert Hall that was to be used for Cecilia’s big performance. He was lucky enough to get access to the backstage, but was forced by security to stay much farther away than he had wished. He couldn’t help but worry when Cecilia left his line of sight.
The amount of people running around preparing for the show was incredible. Never in his life had he seen so many people doing so many things at once. The vast amount of work and preparations that went into this event made Zack understand why Cecilia didn’t want to cancel the concert, but only to an extent. In addition, the dull roar of thousands of Account Holders just beyond the Hall made Zack feel tense. Lambda’s erect posture didn’t make the feeling of stiffness any better.
Zack let out a deep sigh. “She doesn’t get it at all. What if Stigma shows up now?”
“They have no way of taking your sister in the Network. Her physical body doesn’t exist here. With so many acting bodies, it will be difficult for Stigma to make a move,” Lambda stated. Her words were meant to be reassuring, but they sounded too forced to Zack to have any nurturing effect.
Zack groaned. “That doesn’t make me feel better. If Stigma is unsuccessful here, where do you think they will move on to?” Zack felt a little irritated. He cursed himself for not forcing Cecilia to understand the plight they were in.
“If Stigma fails here, they would have to completely regroup and expand their operations to bring your sister within their grasp. The likelihood of that happening is just under four percent. Their rate of success to hack Cecilia’s account is just under thirty four percent. Lambda has concluded that your sister has a high chance of remaining undetected by Stigma.”
Zack rolled his eyes. “Is there any way you can speak like a normal person?”
Lambda stared blankly at Zack. “Is there a problem with Lambda’s speech parameters?”
Zack palmed his face. “I doubt you would understand.”
The comment caused a small ping in Lambda’s chest area. She found it unsettling as she couldn’t explain what the cause was.
“Lambda would like to inquire on the proper procedure in speaking your language.” Her tone seemed a little forceful. This caught Zack’s attention, but fell flat given what was on his mind.
“Trifling matters such as how you insist on speaking in the third person can wait until we know that Cecilia is safe,” Zack said with a dismissing wave of his hand as he finally found Cecilia within the mess of people running around the large Concert Hall. He wanted to touch base with Cecilia and find out where she was staying outside of the Network. At the least, if all else failed, he could regroup with her before Stigma made their move.
“Just stay here while I go and speak to Cecilia. Try not to stand out so much,” Zack said back to Lambda. In truth, he knew he was asking the impossible.
Lambda obeyed Zack’s words, but couldn’t shake the uncomfortable sensation residing in her. It seemed strange, almost like her body couldn’t decide if it was cold or hot. It didn’t make any sense. She was built from complex code matrixes in the Network, yet she felt these peculiar occurrences. The only thing she could conclude was that these expressions her body was generating were the direct result of human contact.
“Lambda doesn’t comprehend . . . human beings are so strange,” she muttered out loud.
> Without warning, a large hand came down on Lambda’s shoulder. Her head spun around as she stared up at one of the security guards. Her crimson eyes widened as she instantly accessed the threat.
“Threat level zero. Disengaging,” she stated flatly.
The security guard found Lambda’s words rather unsettling, but paid it little mind.
“Weren’t you listening during the meeting? This isn’t the place you are supposed to be.”
Lambda stared at the man, confused. She then remembered Zack saying to make sure that if anyone asked her, to show them the backstage pass that Cecilia gave Zack and Lambda. She then generated the card from her hand and held it out to the security guard.
“Lambda was ordered to wait here. I have pass.” The way she spoke made it seem like her lines were rehearsed poorly.
The guard scratched his head. “I don’t have time for this now, all dancers are to report to the prep stage. Luna will be joining you soon.”
Lambda looked up at the guard. “There appears to be a misunderstanding. Lambda isn’t a dancer.”
The guard now looked agitated. “Huh? Luna instructed all the dancers to customize their Avatar to what you have on now. How are you not a dancer?” The guard rolled his eyes as he pointed to the prep stage. “Just go over there and wait for your instructions. We go live shortly.” He walked away exasperated.
Lambda’s gaze drifted toward Zack. She noted he was trying to speak to Cecilia, but two guards were making it very difficult for him. Lambda felt compelled to head over to aid Zack in his endeavor.
She didn’t get too far, as a sudden electrifying force came over her body, nearly paralyzing her. The strong flash that sprung through Lambda’s body almost made her arch backwards. It was her body’s way of warning her of an imminent threat in close proximity. Immediately, she was alert. Quickly she dove to her internal mainframe and computed her most optimal route.
There was something strange, though. As Lambda raced through the possible outcomes and scenarios she computed, she felt a sinking sensation. The only word she could pull from the English dictionary that fit her description of how she felt right now was: worry. What was the source of this abnormality? The two biological humans that she had come to know had managed to make some sort of imprint on her code. Lambda felt confused by this. It left her body with a strange tingling that would come and go. She couldn’t place the reason as to why her body would for some reason pace back and forth. The act itself seemed so foreign and pointless. Yet, she did it anyway.
Logic and reason don’t compute. Possible error?
She came to a conclusion just moments later. She struggled with the concept of humans and how they felt for another of their species. Slightly, she saw the meaning in the act. Regardless, at that moment, Lambda wanted to help Zack and Cecilia.
She was about to advance toward Zack’s location upon making her decision, but was interrupted when several girls rushed in her direction. Slightly alarmed by the arrival of these people, Lambda took to a defensive stance.
“Whoa, there, save that for the show,” one of the dancers said playfully. “Didn’t you hear? All dancers are to be on the prep stage right now. Come on, we don’t want to keep Luna waiting,” the girl said as she grabbed Lambda’s wrist.
Completely lost, Lambda found herself being pulled by the strange girl dressed just like her. Aside from her hair being a lavender color, she looked almost just like Lambda.
Lambda was running through the scenario and seven hundred possible routes it could take as this girl pulled her along like a lost lamb. She quickly concluded that the alteration occurring didn’t jeopardize her long-term goal. She allowed the girl to guide her while pondering to herself.
Humans are such strange creatures.
* * *
[January 6th - Cyber Network, Server 346 - Unmarked Skyscraper - Night]
Overseer zoomed in with her bifocals mounted in her helmet to get a better view of the mass of people below. The sheer number of people that had uploaded to the server for the concert event was beyond her estimates. It was starting to become a problem. She gazed below from the 32nd story of an adjacent building to the Concert Hall.
“Foresight, what is the server count?”
Foresight’s voice sounded in her ear. “Just over thirty-four thousand. The server limit will be reached shortly.”
“What is the probability of the Medusa Field working with this many accounts present?”
Foresight paused for a moment, quickly running some numbers.
“The Medusa Field has a ninety-seven percent chance of full operation. Still, is this really the best option?”
Overseer dismissed his worries. “The field will hold the Lambda unit long enough for us to make our move. There is no other option that ends with us bringing it down in one piece.”
“There is always the Thanatos Tech,” Foresight said, albeit a little hesitantly.
Overseer responded rigidly. “That device is designed to kill AI programs, not incapacitate them. I doubt even our commander would want that.”
“Just saying that it is an option if things get out of hand. We can always shoot to maim, not kill,” replied Foresight objectively.
Overseer took note of his point. The main question was how they were going to get Lambda in their grasp once the Medusa Field was activated. They would have limited time to get the job done with the server reaching its maximum upload point. She was confident in her ability, but couldn’t predict what the Lambda unit would do in response to their attack. Trapping the Lambda unit in the field was one thing, but forcing a Stasis Lock was going to be a tall order if they were to bring Lambda in with minimal damage.
“With max server load, what is the time limit on the Medusa Field?” Overseer asked firmly.
Overseer heard Foresight over her Com-Linker run some quick numbers again before he returned with a reply.
“About ten minutes, give or take. There has never been a Medusa Field tested while a server was near its max upload limit, so there is no way to be sure about the numbers.”
“I see,” Overseer concluded. It was going to boil down to a game of chance. Still, she couldn’t help but feel excited. It wasn’t every day that you got to bring down something that could effectively obliterate an entire city’s mainframe with so much as a wish and a thought.
Seconds later, a new voice sounded in Overseer’s ear. It was Clairvoyance.
“I have an incoming message for you, Overseer.”
Overseer continued to scan the ground below as more and more people appeared. She seemed a little annoyed.
“I told you to ignore any and all transmissions during the mission unless it is our commander-”
“It’s Dead Eye.” Clairvoyance’s voice was flat and seemed to echo in Overseer’s ear. She didn’t waste any more time after that, patching the call through.
“This is Overseer, what is-”
“Working hard, I see. I’d expect nothing less from my underlings.” His voice was unnaturally happy. It was disquieting.
“How are your preparations in bringing in the Lambda unit coming?” he added, sounding highly amused.
Overseer shook off the chill running up her arm. “We are almost done with-”
“Sorry, lost interest in what you were going to say.” The man snickered eerily. “Anyway, I’m changing up the game.” The sudden change in his tone made Overseer’s skin crawl. It was now dark and quiet, but with a hint of laughter lingering at the end.
Overseer shook her head. “What new elements should we be aware of?”
“I’m sending in a new player. He has already been given his task, but I want you to be aware of his presence when he makes his appearance.” His words were overflowing with enthusiasm.
Overseer’s back straightened. “Another Void Reaper? What purpose-”
“My little war god has his orders. As for you three, your objective remains the same, but do try and mak
e sure that no harm comes to the boy,” he hissed.
Overseer was confused now. “What do you mean? Isn’t the goal to detain the Lambda unit?”
“Correct. Though your priority is Lambda, you are to make sure that no harm comes to the boy, and keep him separated from the Lambda unit. Do I make myself clear?”
Now, Overseer was concerned. “Sir, if I may speak freely-”
“You will do no such thing!” He was adamant. He then lowered his voice and spoke a little more calmly. “Just do as I say, and everything will go smoothly.”
Overseer tried to probe for some answers. “What do you want the boy for?”
Dead Eye hissed on the line. His laughter was strange, strange to the point of unnatural.
“The boy is far more interesting. You have no idea just how interesting.”
Overseer didn’t follow Dead Eye’s logic. “Should I make contact with this new player of yours as to ensure that they don’t screw up our plan to take down the Lambda unit?”
Dead Eye laughed darkly. “No need. He knows what he must do. He also asks fewer questions,” he purred with an evil lick of his tongue.
Overseer shook her head in irritation. “Will there be any other changes to the mission?”
From the other end, it sounded like Dead Eye bit down on something hard as Overseer heard a loud cracking noise over the line. She rolled her eyes, knowing what he was eating.
“The addition of our new player will be the only change.” He paused for a moment, for dramatic effect. “Oh, and if you see any members from Stigma, be sure to kill them.”
Overseer’s head jerked up. “Stigma is here?!”
Dead Eye cackled. “There is a ninety-one percent chance that they will appear here during the concert, and I also predict that the Black God himself has a seventy-three percent chance of making a grand appearance.” His level of enthusiasm was growing again. “It should be quite a show, don’t you think?”
Overseer’s blood boiled. “Where are you getting your information?”
The Genesis Code 1: Lambda Page 10