No! Not now!
“End of the line. Do be so kind to relinquish your prisoner and we may spare you,” boldly stated the masked entity in violet.
The girl tightened her grip on Zack’s arm. Zack couldn’t believe the strength. He was completely helpless against a girl that had such a slender build. She wasn’t as tall as him, but able to completely keep him from making any movements. The blade across Zack’s neck was just an added measure to ensure her pursuer wouldn’t try anything rash.
“You’re running out of time, Laura Richter. Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
Zack winced as the girl’s grip intensified. He could hear the hard breathing of the girl as well as the loud heartbeat at his back.
“If you value the life of this kid, then you won’t try anything!” bellowed Laura.
The violet figure chuckled. “Please, don’t flatter us.”
Zack’s eyes grew with terror. Us!?
A sudden blast of green light ripped through the tranquil setting and smashed at the feet of Zack. Both Laura and himself were thrown several feet in opposite directions as the walkway bits crumbled around them. Zack’s ears rung uncontrollably as he struggled to find his bearings. He felt so discombobulated to the point where he seemed to think that this was an out-of-body experience.
The pressure around the violet soldier intensified. “You better have a good explanation for taking out my target, Foresight.”
Zack turned to see in the direction of the masked warrior. There was now a total of three demons in violet. The two additions looked to be male, sporting much larger frames and broad shoulders. Zack could barely make out anything else from his blurred vision.
“Forgive me, Overseer, but Clairvoyance and I were given explicit orders from our High King. A new variable has appeared.”
“What?! How can that be when the target was within my grasp?!” shot Overseer.
Zack could hear most of the words from the two. The one female in violet sounded livid. This struck Zack as odd. Still, as much as that was intriguing he knew he had to get away from them. However, he couldn’t find the strength in his legs or arms to propel him to standing. He glanced down at his wrist with growing anxiety.
The upload is in its final phase. She will enter in just under four minutes!
Zack turned away from the two masked hostiles and tried to make a full effort to stand. As he did, he noticed the girl that had held him hostage lying all but twenty feet away. Her blonde hair was spread across the grassy gardens that lined the Common Zone. She appeared to be unconscious as she laid motionless on the ground. She seemed so helpless in her state. It was hard to believe that she was the target of these two dark entities.
“What do you mean this server has been removed from the Central Mainframe?!”
Zack heard the heated words of Overseer and froze.
“Dead Eye didn’t give an explanation. We were ordered to make sure that all standard accounts were no longer linked to the server, while the remaining “flagged” accounts-”
“The only time a server is removed from the Central Mainframe is when a Class SS Corruption is detected. Last I checked, the Null Death Killer had no such capabilities!”
Zack’s head was spinning. The Null Deaths? They can’t mean- Zack looked over to the defenseless girl lying on the ground again. She is the one who has been killing all those CEO executives?!
“Orders are orders Overseer. Your target has already been dealt with, so for the time-”
“I don’t care! I will not be robbed of my-”
The sky blackened and a sudden rush of wind passed over the area. The trees swayed painfully in the harsh wind as claps of thunder could be heard overhead.
“Wait, so a Class SS Corruption has appeared?!” exclaimed Overseer with surprise.
Zack arched his head up as best he could. It took almost his entire strength to look up at the tormented sky. The swirling blackness of the clouds radiated with intense energy and pulsed with life. It was a terrifying display of power.
“What in the world is going on?” he choked out.
Lightning powered its way through the sky and struck the area in which everyone was standing. The massive bolt sent waves of energy all along the ground and devastated the lush and beautiful vegetation by roasting it to dust, but not before exploding in a frightening glare of pure white energy.
Zack could barely comprehend as he felt his whole body thrown through the air. He was so numb from the last time his body was tossed that he barely felt the bone-crushing feeling of his body smashing into raw earth. With endurance he never thought he had, Zack remained conscious, just long enough to see a figure rise in the center of the lightning’s wrath. He couldn’t see his face, but heard the words uttered ominously by the unknown entity.
“The Black God descends.”
[13]
Memory
[January 7th 2025 - (Present Day) - Babel HQ - Holding Facility - Night]
Dead Eye whistled joyfully as he threw another confectionery delicacy into his mouth. The fast bite of his teeth crushed the unsuspecting sugar cube with extreme force and pleasure. He savored the flavor as it rolled around in his mouth, an experience he revered as bliss. It was divine and true in his eye, but so very demonic to the onlooker. He was about to place another piece on the tip of his tongue, but stopped. He then smiled widely and peered down at a tray full of surgical knives. He recalled the urgent call from Simon just moments after Ares’ close encounter with Lambda.
“There has been a leak,” Simon had said darkly.
Dead Eye at the time was too entranced with the game of tag going on with Ares and his Void Reapers to notice Simon’s grave tone.
“A leak? In what?” he laughed.
Simon’s voice grew rigid. “We received reports of a certain individual probing for information regarding the Lambda project.”
Dead Eye didn’t pay it much mind. “So let them dig. There isn’t anything that can find its way back to-”
“They are asking about the boy.” Simon’s words were fierce.
Dead Eye froze. His attention was quickly focused. “What did they find?”
“Enough. Luckily, we were able to cut off the source. We just need you to tie up the loose ends.”
Dead Eye frowned. “I’m a bit busy. Can’t you get one of the others?”
“I’m afraid you are the closest High King. One of your tasks as such is to protect the Twelve’s interests. Besides . . .” Dead Eye could hear Simon laugh lightly. “I was under the impression you enjoyed prying information out of people, no?”
Now, Dead Eye cogitated while running his finger along one of his knives, reflecting on the words of Simon. He couldn’t help but laugh to himself.
Just like sweet candy, delicious! He snickered.
He turned to his right. “For shame, I nearly forgot what I was doing. Silly me,” he said recovering from his own twisted thoughts.
Dead Eye placed a bag of candy down on the tray in front of him and picked up the largest surgical knife. His eye widened with madness as he pulled out one of the candies from the bag and pressed the blade on the tiny square. The blade instantly sliced the candy without any effort at all. Smiling fiercely, Dead Eye turned his head ever so slightly behind him.
“Would you like a piece, Marcus Fault?”
The man behind Dead Eye was strapped to a metal table. His arms and legs were bolted down with iron cuffs. The steel stuck to his sweating skin as he stared in terror before the fiend holding his life in a tight grasp.
Dead Eye smiled playfully. “Come now Marcus, we are both men who pride themselves on knowledge and information. This can all be resolved quite easily, that I can assure you.”
Marcus didn’t believe a word. Dead Eye’s tone suggested he was enjoying this far too much. The man’s sickening eye bulged with excitement as he popped another piece of candy into his mouth. He found the entire action revo
lting. Every fiber of his being wanted to get as far away from this man as possible.
He cursed under his breath. I should have covered my tracks more!
Dead Eye broke Marcus’ internal dread.
“Not one for conversation, huh?” He shrugged. “The CIA trained you well,” Dead Eye said with a sly grin. He put down the blade he was holding and walked past the tray of torture devices as he came closer alongside Marcus.
“I suppose this method is probably a waste for a veteran like yourself. Perhaps direct threats would prove more effective, wouldn’t you agree?”
Marcus stared hard at Dead Eye. He spoke no words, though he found it difficult to mask the fear he felt swelling up in his chest.
Dead Eye’s expression slacked. His sickly grin was now replaced with a look of boredom.
“You people are always so hard to talk to.” Dead Eye reached up and pressed a button on his wrist. The table in which Marcus was strapped to rose to a standing position, followed by a large light turning on above that illuminated the dark room.
“Babel allows me to take certain liberties here. Given your recent probing, you have been brought here as you have proven to be a high risk factor given the sensitive nature of the information you found,” he cooed fiendishly.
Marcus continued to sweat. Frankly, he couldn’t believe how fast Babel found out about his digging. He had barely gotten into his car after his meeting with Margret before he was snatched. He had been apprehensive since the very moment he learned of the name Rachiel and most of the information surrounding Project Lambda. Something just didn’t sit right with him. His instincts were telling him then to dig no further, yet he persisted. Now, his ignorance and pride was on the brink of possibly costing him his life.
Dead Eye tittered. “You will be free to go, after I ascertain that you haven’t shared this information with anyone else. I’m afraid what you snooped into is an interest I must protect,” he sneered.
Marcus felt his sweat turn cold as he tried to hide his worry. He couldn’t allow him to find out that Margret knew everything he was able to find as well. However, the only way he was going to save face, was to ensure that Dead Eye thought he was the only person that knew what he learned. It was the only way to save Margret.
“Your silence isn’t very amusing anymore,” Dead Eye groaned.
Marcus remained dead silent. He wouldn’t say a word. She was safe, as long as he kept his mouth shut.
Dead Eye approached Marcus slowly with his hands in his pockets now. His uniform rustled as he fidgeted his hands anxiously. The look on his face was now of intrigue.
“Shall we play a game, then?”
Marcus stared blankly, ignoring the creeping fear he felt.
Dead Eye pursed his lips. “So boring . . . anyway,” he said as he directed the attention to his hands by rustling them in his pockets once more. “What will you choose, left or right?”
Marcus remained stiff and mute.
Dead Eye sighed heavily. “Left it is!” He pulled his left hand up and revealed a small blue ball. Perplexed, Marcus gave way and spoke.
“I don’t want any.”
Dead Eye’s mouth formed a fiendish sneer. “Maybe not you, but how about your client, Margret Powers?”
Marcus’ heart skipped a beat. How can he know?!
As if reading Marcus’ mind, Dead Eye leaned in close and hissed.
“A little shadow at my shoulder told me.”
* * *
[January 7th - Abingdon, Virginia - County Park - Night]
Zack felt so tired. It felt like he hadn’t slept in days. His mind was a torrent of scenarios and calculations that didn’t make sense to him anymore. His fatigue was literally making him feel sick.
I’m only human . . .
Zack’s gaze fell to Lambda. She sat next to him with her arms hugging her knees. She seemed to be staring deeply at the shimmering water, reflecting the dawning sun. He found her strong gaze matched with her feminine stance bewitching, but also beautiful.
He recalled the words they exchanged not too long ago and couldn’t help but smile.
Lambda’s eyes wandered and noticed Zack’s stare. A strange, hazy sensation came over her that made her body tingle. She quickly averted her eyes. She didn’t understand how her face felt so inflamed.
“Perhaps a power nap could focus my thoughts better,” he said, exasperated.
There was no use faking it. He was exhausted. His vision was starting to blur, and he felt lightheaded. In his current state, Zack was useless. He wasn’t going to save his sister the way he was now.
Zack turned to Lambda, but found no other words to say.
Lambda simply nodded in agreement to Zack’s idea, but kept her face mostly hidden in her knees. Unknown to Zack, Lambda had barely heard him. For her, ever since their conversation, it felt like she had unlocked something inside her and it was all she could think about. It was like a dam had burst within her and she was being overrun with so many different feelings. Her body was reacting more strongly now, causing her physical being to project and display all emotional inputs and outputs. It was almost like she was being upgraded. Although, at the same time it felt like she was being overloaded.
“Say, Zack . . . do I seem different to you?” Lambda asked rather precariously.
Zack noted her lack of speech in the third person. He didn’t realize it made him smile.
“Honestly,” he said casually as he fell back on the cool grass. “Compared to when I first met you, you’ve really thawed out.”
Lambda looked in Zack’s direction. Her face lost the flaming sensation from before and she seemed to have gathered the will to survey Zack’s calm face. She had never seen him so tranquil and content, which in its self alarmed her, given their current state. Everything leading up to this point had Zack on edge all the time. He hardly smiled at all. To see him just lie next to her felt so unreal.
“Zack, don’t you think this is unwise? There are many variables that we should con-”
“Fatigue is a mortal’s enemy, Lambda.”
Zack felt his words were too harsh and followed up quickly.
“Don’t worry. I just need to rest my eyes. After that, I should be raring to go,” he added briskly, but with a unsure grin.
Lambda listened intently to Zack’s words. He made a solid point, despite the given plight they faced. She was indeed a program, and as such, she didn’t have to worry about sleep and fatigue. She was designed to never need such things. She was the perfect AI program. It made her a little frustrated that she didn’t fully consider Zack’s position.
“Sorry, I guess I don’t fully understand the human body’s limitations,” Lambda muttered.
Zack rolled onto his side and faced Lambda. “You understand very well. Your ability to know and learn is unparalleled. Without knowing it, you are trying to deny your core programming and allow yourself to embrace these new changes you are experiencing. That part of you makes you more human than you think.”
Lambda’s eyes grew as she stared down at Zack. Her red eyes glowed with a sense of realization and happiness. She could feel it within her chest. A warm feeling; a nurturing feeling. There was something in how Zack’s words touched her, and how his expression looked. Instantly, she knew this feeling was different than the others thus far.
What is this? Could this possibly be the feeling of happiness? No, that isn’t right . . .
Happiness felt different. It was similar, but yet different all together. How could such an emotion exist? It puzzled her. She knew Zack’s words made her pleased, even happy. Why couldn’t she fully grasp it’s meaning?
“Zack . . .” Lambda held a hand to her chest. “Why do I know how to feel?”
A little taken aback by the question. Zack scratched his head as he searched for an answer. He was nearly asleep as he carried the conversation. Still, Lambda’s question rang true in his mind.
“You feel . . . be
cause you were given the freedom to learn.”
Lambda found the answer confusing. “If so, why?”
Zack didn’t have an answer for her. The purpose of her creation was a mystery to him. All he knew was that Lambda reminded him of the AI he created.
It was at that point that an odd cord was struck inside Zack. He couldn’t control himself as he answered Lambda’s question without realizing it.
“Because you are Rachiel . . . “ Zack trailed off awkwardly.
Zack’s eyes burst open the second he came to realize he spoke out loud. He turned hesitantly to Lambda, unsure how to cover up what he said. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.
Lambda’s body looked to turn solid as her eyes burned stark mad. Zack’s bewildered look didn’t bother her at that moment. She only focused on how Zack called her this Rachiel. She had felt similar sensations within her when she heard the name in passing. The feelings were in the form of pricks in her chest, like needles. However, it was different this time. The more she thought about Rachiel and what it meant to Zack, the more her body burned. She couldn’t place it, but hearing this name irritated her.
Zack finally managed to get out a word. “L-Lambda?”
Lambda’s stormy stare suddenly softened, as if she just broke out of a trance. “Yes?”
Zack felt concerned, worry now covering his face.
“Is something wrong?” Lambda asked innocently, unaware of the expression she wore just seconds before.
Zack fumbled for words. “N-no, it’s nothing. I guess I really must be tired,” he managed with a weary laugh.
Lambda broke eye contact and stared at the ground.
“I see . . . then perhaps, could you answer one last question for me?”
As Lambda asked, Zack noted her clenched fists. They were shaking slightly, as if she was trying not to make it obvious. She even had a wavering tone that made Zack uneasy.
The Genesis Code 1: Lambda Page 20