Charles growled under his breath. He hadn’t thought that Margret would pull a stunt like this.
She must of learned the true intent of Babel coming for her.
Even so, for Margret to execute a plan to escape like this so quickly, she had to have help, and he already knew two prime candidates with the skills and knowledge to pull such a scheme off. However, he didn’t get a chance to act on that thought as one of the Tech Agents below hollered to Charles.
“Director! We have a problem! The Epsilon unit, it’s . . . “ the man trailed off.
Charles didn’t like the hysterical look in the man’s eyes.
“Well?! Was it damaged during the meltdown?! Speak!” he roared.
The man scrambled on his keyboard and pulled open an large monitor above that loomed over Charles’ head.
Charles eyes bulged. “No . . . Number 5 is . . . activating!?”
* * *
The vast darkness of cyberspace pulsed with dark lightning. Within this vacant plain, a lone figure hovered motionlessly in the darkness. Its slender figure was curled up into a ball, and its long hair waved into the empty void of space.
Black lightning shot across the motionless figure and illuminated its facial features. Its lifeless form remained dead as an ominous presence began to resonate at its core.
Its chest began to glow hot red, spreading in lines down the body of the figure. Its clawed hands of crimson began to twitch as its eyes slowly opened. The figure began to unfold from its cocoon-like position. Once straight, the figure threw its arms outward, creating a flash of orange light. The light pierced the darkness like the sun and gave birth to a stunning sight.
Eight blades the color of a scorching inferno darted out at angles, connecting to the entity glowing red with power. They radiated with intense beauty, but burned with destructive purpose as they glittered majestically in the abyss.
The figure rose its head. Its scarlet hair danced to a silent symphony while its golden eyes pulsed with new life. It peered into oblivion, its eyes possessed. They scorched with a purpose now lost and forgotten. The roaring flame still burned within, unaware of its ultimate goal and wish.
In its awakened state, it managed to utter two phrases.
“Project Epsilon . . . reboot engaged,” it stated flatly.
Its eyes then inflamed, while keeping a blank expression.
“Primary mission objective, destroy Combat AI unit Lambda.”
[17]
Recollection
[January 7th - Abingdon, Virgina - Stigma’s Underground Facility - Day]
Zack was lost in the darkness of his mind. He felt like something was slowly choking him in the vast void of blackness. It felt so real, yet he knew that it was a dream. The blackness churned and spun as if trying to snuff out his life, yet Zack struggled to free himself from this deathly sensation as he was having trouble breathing in his nightmare. He knew he had to wake up, but didn’t understand why he couldn’t. It almost felt like his brain was being picked apart.
“Zackary~” came a soothing voice. The warm tone fell over Zack’s ears and slowly began to melt away the pain of suffocating. He could breathe easier now, but the darkness still grinded and pulsed, wanting to devour him.
Whose voice is that? Zack thought as his mind sought the answer.
Warm light braced his back as the darkness around him began to melt away. He hadn’t even turned around to face the dawning light when two arms gently wrapped around him. The radiating warmth from this entity brought life into Zack and rejuvenated his body. He almost was lost in the enveloping light before the entity spoke again.
“I’m so glad that you are well,” hummed the tranquil voice.
Zack’s heart stopped as the words whispered into his ear. He knew instantly who now held him close.
“Rachiel?!”
He wanted to see her face, but he couldn’t move his body. He could only look straight down at the small hands of the person he lost. Despite knowing he was trapped in this strange dream, it warmed his heart to be able to hear her voice again.
“All is well, Zack. I’m here and always will protect you. I love you,” she said.
Zack held back tears as he tried to make the moment last. The warmth and light made him feel so calm and relaxed. Now, he didn’t want this dream to end. He wanted to stay here for as long as his body and mind permitted it.
This is a fake.
Zack’s eyes sprung open. The dark words that entered his mind were not his own, nor were they Rachiel’s. The voice was feminine, yet so hostile. The comfort he once felt quickly began to decay as the warm light embracing his back slowly began to wane.
“Rachiel! Don’t go-”
There is only room for one. There cannot be two.
Zack’s chest began to ache and it felt like his head was about to split in half as a surge of pain rushed over him. The light was now gone, allowing the darkness to swallow him once more.
This is a test.
An image of Lambda suddenly appeared before Zack. The image jittered and jerked as it suffered from interference and static. The look on her face was terrifying. She peered down at Zack with soulless eyes. Her expression was that of a cold blooded killer.
Lambda’s image sparked as she spoke. “There is only room for one . . .”
Zack’s head continued to throb with pain as he was forced to stare up at the lifeless Lambda. It reminded him of how she first appeared before him. When he thought about that, he just couldn’t accept what he saw before him now. He refused to believe that the way Lambda looked in this nightmare was how he perceived her in his mind.
“This . . . is wrong,” Zack choked out.
Lambda’s image bent and swirled with distortion as it continued to leer down on Zack. He couldn’t grasp what all of this meant as he held his head in pain. None of this made any sense. It all seemed so real in his mind, but why this was happening eluded him like creeping shadows.
Lambda’s image flashed, creating a blast of white light. Zack felt no pain from this blast and continued to stare. He had to blink several times, as he could see small sparks of black energy hidden in the light. The small bursts of electrical current were surrounding a small, black hole. It throbbed almost like an organ. When he tried to peer closer-
The black hole widened and produced a black hand that dashed towards Zack, grabbing his face. The sudden act left him wanting to scream in panic as the large hand held his face tightly. He struggled with all his might, but nothing he did could release him from the grasp of the dark hand.
This isn’t real! Wake up! Wake up! he screamed to himself.
He could feel his strength fading as he slowly lost the will to fight. The hand only clenched his face tighter, absorbing Zack’s will to retaliate. He could feel his eyes rolling back into his head as his mind started to go blank. As his mind drifted into darkness, he swore he heard laughter.
Zack rocketed to an upright position. He heaved in and out, trying to catch his breath. He was covered in sweat from head to toe as he shook his head, trying to forget the terrible nightmare he just had. He wasn’t entirely sure that he wasn’t still dreaming.
Is that what they call a night terror? It felt so real.
Zack was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t even realized Lambda was standing next to him. She seemed startled, looking to be frozen in an odd pose. Her flushed face and bizarre manner made Zack forget for a moment his nightmarish experience within his own mind, as well as his given location.
“You alright?” he said a little wearily.
Lambda stood in attention and nodded quickly. Her flushed face only intensified.
Zack didn’t seem convinced. She seemed to be acting strange. It looked like she was embarrassed. Over what, he couldn’t ascertain.
Meanwhile, in the mind of Lambda, her thoughts couldn’t be more jumbled. The only thing that she kept processing over and over again was a scene from an anim
ated movie dating far back to the twentieth century. She stumbled upon it only by chance as she sat and watched Zack sleep. She found it worrisome how much he was sweating and breathing hard, so naturally she thought that there was something she could do. However, when she did a search in her data logs, key words being “how to wake a sleeping person gently”, she stumbled upon the movie clip. At first she dismissed the idea without even thinking. However, she couldn’t help but want to try it, reflecting on the moment they shared while Zack was asleep. Still, she couldn’t help but be curious the more she gave it thought. That being said, just the thought made her entire body feel like it was floating as she thought about the very thing she needed to do. All things considered, against her better judgment, she decided to go through with it.
She had never known her face could boil as hot as it did when she moved close to Zack. Had Zack not woken up so quickly, she might have been found out. Even now, as Zack eyed Lambda suspiciously, she could only quiver in embarrassment as she recalled the title of the movie from which she had learned about the scene.
Sleeping Beauty.
The charming scene they shared quickly dissolved as Zack became aware of his surroundings. It didn’t take him long to quickly note key fundamental changes to the location he had been in when he lost consciousness. He wasn’t at the county park anymore. Now, he was in a white tiled room that looked like some sort of quarantine facility.
He didn’t waste much time thinking about it after that. Putting aside thoughts of his nightmare and Lambda, he burst out of the bed he was in, more alert than he had ever been.
“Where am I, Lambda?!” he shouted. New purpose drove his actions. Zack didn’t like the situation one bit. Just what had happened when he was unconscious?
Lambda lost her flushed face quickly and stared at the floor in shame. The look in her eyes seemed so defeated that it made Zack feel bad for shouting.
“I-I’m sorry . . . I failed as your guardian.”
Zack found Lambda’s tone uncharacteristically down. She appeared so broken, but he didn’t understand why she was so bent out of shape.
“What happened, Lambda? Where are we?” Zack asked with great gravity, but with enough assurance to not sound so harsh.
Lambda lifted her head slowly. She didn’t make eye contact as she quickly rattled off the events that had transpired during Zack’s blackout.
No . . . that means we lost . . .
“Zack,” Lambda inquired softly as she sat down in a chair next to Zack’s bed.
Zack turned his head to face her. Lambda still refused to make eye contact as she stared at her knees, as if she was being scolded. She wanted to ask Zack a question. It had been on her mind ever since her encounter with Corson. The meaning behind his dark words. She didn’t understand the depth of what he was trying to say. Zack was the only one she could ask. He was the only one she trusted, the only one she cared about.
“Am I . . . weak?” she said with hesitation. She seemed to shrink before Zack as she heard her question repeat over and over in her head. She was worried what he might say. What if he agreed that she was weak? What would she do then? She didn’t understand, but she was afraid of the possible truth, the fact that Zack may not feel safe around her or even not trust her.
And why would he?
The voice in Lambda’s head echoed maliciously.
No . . . why “wouldn’t” he trust me?! Lambda screamed at the dark voice within her mind. It was the same voice that tore at her insides when she first heard of Rachiel. It was back, and more ruthless.
A dreaded laugh echoed in her head. You brought him nothing but misfortune. How can he ever trust you?
Lambda held her hands to her head. She couldn’t stop shivering. Her own mind was turning against her as she fought to arrive at the truth. Her logic was becoming a plague, eroding her hopes and dreams into dust.
You’re wrong. He chose to come with me. He must-
All humans are attracted to what is dangerous and unknown. He has merely been hypnotized by your alluring presence, purred the dark voice. It even sounded like her.
Lambda shook her head violently. You’re wrong! He cares about me!
The dreaded laugh sounded again, echoing stronger than before.
That is a delusion that you created. What you feel is fake. You are a program. You are nothing to him.
Something happened inside Lambda at that moment. She didn’t know what it was, but the pain in her chest was greater than ever before. She didn’t understand this pain. Was it the fear of losing something precious? Did she hold Zack that high? Did she see Zack as something more than just a person of interest? She couldn’t begin to grasp the severity behind her own questions as she covered her face.
That’s when she felt it—a warm sensation from her ocular sockets, moist, but warm. It flowed like a small stream down her cheeks, dripping off of her face. The simulated water pouring out of her eyes vanished once leaving her chin. Her body was producing and emulating the human effect of tears. This development was impossible. Not even Lambda understood how she was doing it.
Zack had begun to reach out to Lambda as he grew more and more concerned by her silence and body language, but when he saw the tears running down her face, he froze.
What . . . what is this?
Zack stared in disbelief. He couldn’t even begin to put into words what he saw. He had already forgotten what she had asked him to begin with. He couldn’t believe the incredible evolution he was beholding.
She . . . she’s evolving!
Zack’s moment of discovery was cut short as the door to his room swooshed open. Zack turned quick to see who stood just outside the door. Who he saw standing there was no surprise.
“Corson,” he said while glaring furiously.
Corson entered the room silently. Laura, Nerine, and Peter followed behind him, filing in like some sort of elite escort.
At that point, Zack was beginning to wonder why he wasn’t cuffed or restrained, but seeing as he was left with Lambda alone in the room with no real security force, it made it alarmingly clear to Zack that Corson felt that he was already in complete control.
“Have you enjoyed this little run of yours?” Corson uttered rigidly.
Zack’s glare didn’t cease. He glanced to Lambda and noted that she was no longer shedding tears. Now her face was full of contempt. It would appear that anger was a more powerful emotion for her.
“I believe Corson asked you a question-”
Corson held his hand up, silencing Laura. “I was speaking rhetorically,” Corson said flatly.
Nerine and Peter had to hold back laughs as Laura’s face turned a deep shade of red.
“I have a question for you, then,” shot Zack. “Now what? You won, right? What is your angle from here?”
Corson’s eyes widened. Zack didn’t know if it was out of anger or pleasure at first, but he soon found out.
“Angle? The angle never changed. You just got in the way!” He was heated. “I warned you, boy, from the start. Now, it is only by my grace I allow you to live.” He was absolutely livid.
Lambda sprung to standing. “Touch him and I will kill you.” Her eyes flashed a dark crimson.
Nerine and Peter’s eyes shuttered with surprise as they felt the murderous intent coming from Lambda. They didn’t want to say it, but allowing the AI to roam freely without restraint was a bad idea. However, Corson seemed to think that he had this thing on a leash. It was rather hard to swallow after staring into the vermilion eyes of a merciless killing machine.
Corson shrugged off Lambda’s threat. “You both will obey me, or I’m afraid you may force me to take drastic measures.”
Zack didn’t like where this was going. “I hope . . . for your sake, that you aren’t referring to what I think you are,” he said through gritted teeth.
Corson stared at him with dark eyes. His monstrous form towered over him. Zack forgot just how terrifying he co
uld be.
“Play by my rules . . . and your sister gets to see another sunset.”
Zack lost control. He had barely thought out anything before his feet hit the cold tile and dashed at Corson with all his might in a blind fury. He pulled back his right fist and threw it at Corson with all his might. He wanted nothing more than to see that stupid mask shatter over his fist.
Corson only shrugged. “Useless.” With effortless ease, Zack’s fist was stopped cold by Corson’s open palm. He then clenched down on Zack’s fist and applied intense pressure to his hand. In seconds, Zack was on the floor reeling in pain.
“To think my whole operation was nearly ruined because of a weak brat like you,” Corson shot with a enraged stare.
Lambda had enough. “Release him now!” she bellowed.
Corson relinquished his grip out of pity. He then grabbed Zack by the collar of his shirt and threw him at Lambda with all the grace of a discarded free weight.
“I’m a busy man and I trust you now understand where you stand. Thanks to your interference, everything has been behind schedule.” He leered with growing resentment.
Zack found Corson’s words irritating. He spoke like he was some god, knowing all and seeing all. Zack wasn’t stupid, and he hated being talked to like he was.
With the aid of Lambda, he rose to his feet. His intense stare rivaled that of Corson himself.
“So . . . what is so important that you need to threaten the life of my sister to get Lambda and I to obey you?”
All of them looked to Corson. His eyes thinned with intrigue as he mulled over Zack’s question. He then leaned closer to Zack, his eyes blazing.
“Rather than tell you . . . I will let you see it with your own eyes,” he said slyly.
Zack scowled. He didn’t like the tone in Corson’s voice.
“What do you mean?” Zack asked, unsure of himself.
The Genesis Code 1: Lambda Page 27