“Well given the ‘extinction events’ and the Demon war, they certainly kept their bases covered,” Micah said.
“But all the work the Director did for the people back on Earth,” Raphael began, “They must’ve had some degree of trust in him.”
That’s when I saw the solution. One way to safely remove the Director was to install a new AI core to manage the system. The way it was designed, the network could not stand alone. All the built-in protocols and data only made up a modular support structure, an empty vessel. There needed to be a brain, or the semblance of one, to ‘direct’ everything. I was unsure of how to proceed, but a familiar, robotic voice gave me clarity.
“I think I can help,” Mark said.
It could work. Mark’s AI had evolved significantly over the past year or so. It’s true he was written within the simulation itself, but that wouldn't be an problem. Unless a programmer was writing in binary, they were always working on a virtual machine over layers and layers of translations that converts human-readable code into bits. This was analogous to Mark’s design, except that the translation hierarchy would be two-fold: one here in the simulation, and another in the real world computer that powered it. Regardless, he was more than capable of managing the virtual world and the Charon itself.
“So we make Mark the Director,” Isaac confirmed.
“It’s a new core, so he’ll have all the original permissions. He can stop the Demons, wake the Hollows, and pull everyone else from the simulation!” Aaron exclaimed.
“Deus ex machina, anyone?” Raphael said.
“Shut up, Raph, we’re trying to save the world,” Rachel snapped.
With this problem addressed, I was disappointed to hear Cora bring up another issue.
“During the data transfer, we’ll have to bring all the building’s systems offline,” she said, examining the console. “This includes the processes dedicated to defense.”
“How long?” Micah asked.
“Well, it’s several hundred terabytes of data,” Cora answered. “I’d estimate about two hours.”
“So the Demons overrunning the city…nothing’s gonna stop them from getting in?” Isaac confirmed.
“Nothing except us,” Rachel declared.
“Well, I don’t know about you guys but I’m down to kill some Demons,” Aelia said.
“Me too,” Lynn agreed.
“Me three,” Micah added.
“Count me in, friends.”
“They’re trying to help us, you know,” Isaac said sheepishly.
“If they destroy this core, we’ll all be stuck here forever,” Micah responded.
“I know, I’m just saying…go easy on them?”
It was settled. Cora would oversee Mark’s installation while we made our last stand. We decided a good spot to defend from was the platform high above us. It was unlikely the Swarm or any Minotaurs and Sirens would make their way up 160 floors any time soon, even without reality-bending traps. Our primary threats were Titans and Dragons, who were much more easily targeted from high ground.
Before we made our way up, I saw Cora take off her shield bracelet and hand it to Aaron.
“You’ll need this more than I,” she said. “Stay safe OK?”
“I will, friend,” he answered.
He hesitated a moment before leaning forward and giving her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled to herself before turning back to the console, just as we stepped into the elevator.
Exiting onto the roof, we were met by a rush of cool wind. The sun was just beginning to climb over the horizon to the east, casting an orange glow over the sky. The air was fresh and smelled of concrete after a long rain. It was such an incredible relief to be outdoors again. The others had only spent hours in the Sanctuary but for me it felt like days. On all sides, we looked down into the city below, our vision limited by a blanket of gray fog. The city itself was mostly devoid of Demons, but to the east, towards the desert, we could see thousands of tiny figures were anxiously shuffling about. Wailing Sirens and stamping Minotaurs stood out over the Swarm. Among them, the massive legs of half a dozen Titans rose from the ground, their torsos hidden by the wall of fog. Several Dragons circled overhead; from here they looked like birds, but that illusion was destroyed when we heard their distant roaring.
I saw all of this through what seemed like a thin layer of water. The view was visible, but it wasn’t clear, as if a sheer veil was blanketed over the building. This was no doubt a side effect of the force field surrounding the Sanctuary. Outnumbered by several thousand, there was no winning this fight. All we could hope to do was keep them at bay long enough for Mark to come back online.
“OK TEAM,” Micah called out.
So mesmerized in fear by the army ahead, we were startled by her outburst.
“The ground units are not a threat at the moment, agreed?”
We nodded hesitantly.
“Given their distance, they’ll be here within 20-30 minutes of the defenses going down,” Aaron estimated. “I also count six Titans and a couple dozen Dragons.”
“And how many of the rest?” Rachel asked facetiously. "Bet you can’t - “
“1,738 in the Swarm, 420 Sirens, and 69 Minotaurs,” he answered without skipping a beat.
“Titans and Dragons are the primary threat,” Micah observed. “Without the force field, this is just a big glass box to them.”
“Agreed,” I said. “The others aren’t getting up here any time soon.”
Rachel chuckled. “Can you imagine? A Minotaur squeezing its way into an elevator and pressing a button?”
“Sense of humor just like I remember,” Aelia said. “Leave one of the Titans to me.”
“I’ll take another,” Lynn said, letting out a deep growl while still in human form.
“And one just for me,” Rachel said, brandishing her Orb.
“I think I can take one of them,” I said with somewhat faked confidence. “I want to try something.”
“Friends, aim for the back of their necks,” Aaron informed. “It’s unprotected, and if you cut deep enough you can sever the spinal column.”
“Hey guys!” Isaac called out from behind us. He’d climbed higher up the scaffolding to a smaller platform above. There was a white sheet covering something that, when pulled off by Isaac, revealed a massive artillery gun. It was a sleek black color with a long barrel and seat for a gunner.
“That’ll work,” Raphael said.
We decided Aaron would be the best shot with such a long-range weapon. He handed his airgun to Jared, and took his place in the gunner’s seat.
“I’ll circle around and provide cover fire,” Jared said. “Would’ve loved some more airborne help but this’ll have to do.”
“The rest of us will do the same from here,” Micah finished.
With our responsibilities settled, we turned back to our enemies and made final preparations. Rachel flattened her Orb into a circular board on the ground. She stepped into the middle and as she did so, the metal began to encapsulate her lower legs, securing her onto the surface. She then floated several feet in the air. Quickly developing a sense of balance on the Orb, she began to fly around, twirling and tilting as she did so, She ended the demonstration with a hover just a few feet off the ground.
In response, Aelia started a small fire just beneath each of her boots, which quickly turned a brilliant blue color. Shen then began to levitate, the flames burning downward and propelling her into the air. By intensifying the fire on either foot, she could yaw left or right, giving her a wide range of movement.
“Touche,” Rachel said.
That’s when looked up and saw the shield begin to tear open as Cora initiated the transfer. At first it was just a small hole at the top, but it expanded and travelled downwards, lowering the defenses along the way. When it was completely disabled, the blurry layer was gone, and I could see the Demons with complete and utter clarity. Most of the lights in the building shut off, casting a dark shadow over the
surrounding area, and the green beacon ceased to shine.
Realizing the defenses were down, the monsters got louder and wilder. The Swarm began to move towards the Sanctuary. Sirens limped among them, slowly following their charge. Minotaurs bellowed and roared, crushing their way through. The Dragons took off from nearby rooftops and looped around, heading straight for our position. And though the Titan’s movements were relatively slow, they each covered an enormous amount of distance with a single step, sending clouds of sand into the air with each one. As they stepped out of the fog, their nightmarish faces were revealed, and I’ll never forget those dark, empty eyes.
“Round 1…start!” Rachel shouted.
And with that, she sprung herself into the air. I was a little concerned about what she’d use to attack the Titan, given that her Orb was aiding her flight. But my fears were put to rest when she made a rising motion using both hands and a dozen cars launched themselves into the air, rushing alongside her directly towards the Titan’s head.
Next, Aelia sprinted ahead and leapt off the building, continuing to run in mid-air as the flame launched her forward and upward. She climbed higher and higher, meeting the next Titan at eye-level. She then began her assault by attacking the Demon with massive bursts of flame whilst maneuvering swiftly around its head.
Soon after, Lynn jumped off the platform, disappearing over the side of building in human form and reappearing as a Dragon, flying up towards another Titan. Jared transported the others to one of the lower platforms, and Aaron began to fire upon the horde advancing towards us, leaving me to deal with the last Titan.
This universe exists in three dimensions of space and one of time. If I had control over one dimension, could I possibly have control of them all? After all, my dreams were simply a result of my subconscious mind travelling through the space-time dimensions of this simulation; I knew that now. But I wondered if I could do the same thing while I was fully conscious. I shut my eyes and concentrated. As I imagined the burning flames come to a standstill, the noise around me faded away. Then, I tried something I’d never attempted before. I imagined myself moving around the fire, observing it from all angles. I made a complete rotation, then stopped. It was surprisingly easy, but for some reason I’d never thought to try it. When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t on the rooftop anymore. I was in the middle of the air, standing on an invisible surface several feet in front of where I’d just been.
Then I looked ahead to see a spectacular battle, frozen in time. Rachel was floating inside a tornado of cars, wires, rubble, and street signs. Aelia’s Titan was blocking a ball of fire with its arm as she prepared another blast that had just begun to erupt from her hand. Lynn was just about to dive for her Titan’s neck, and the others below firing at the oncoming horde, a burst of yellow emanating from each of their guns.
I looked at the last Titan, still standing near the back of the Demon army. I shut my eyes again, and imagined the fire moving further and further away. When I opened them, I stumbled backward on the invisible floor. I was standing just in front of the giant Demon, looking right into those abyssal eyes. Suddenly, I felt a painful pressure in my chest, as if I’d been holding my breath for too long. I realized I was, ironically, running out of time. I quickly ran around to the back of the Titan’s neck and took out my Void Knife. I took a deep breath, then cut deep into the Demon’s flesh. Then I slashed again. Then again. Then again. I could see the blood as it stained my knife, but it didn’t flow as time wouldn't allow it. I reached a point where I couldn’t breath, and was forced to quickly leap onto a nearby rooftop. Gasping for air, I released my hold of time. The roaring and snarling came rushing back louder than before. The putrid air was suffocating and this windy elevation didn’t help.
When I looked up at the Titan, it was choking and clawing at the back of its neck. The gash was now pouring with blood. After a few moments, its arms dropped limp, and the Demon fell to its knees, shaking the ground. It looked at the sky one last time, then with a final crash, fell dead against the side of a building.
Too tired to move, I slumped down near the edge of the roof and looked over the battlefield. Aelia was fighting the Titan now covered in patches of fire. I could tell its movement were getting slower, weakened by the pain. It finally made the mistake of reaching forward to grab her with both hands, leaving its face vulnerable. Aelia, who was visible as just a tiny figure next to the massive beast, blinded the monster with quick blast of flame, and flew over its head. Before it could turn, she moved her hand in an arc, leading a bright trail of fire. It curved through the air like a whip and wrapped around the Titan’s throat. Still stunned and blinded, the Demon could do nothing as Aelia made a fist and pulled back, causing the flames to completely burn through the throat and sever its head. Both parts fell with a crash. Aelia floated there for a moment before flying off to help the others.
Rachel was bombarding her Titan with anything heavy she could find. However, it clearly wouldn't be hurt so easily. Every time she flew around to try and flank it, the Titan would either cover its neck or turn with her and counterattack. I wanted so desperately to help, knowing how easy it would be. But I was so exhausted from my last jump, I wasn’t sure I’d even have the energy to go back if things went bad.
Rachel must’ve been quite irritated that two Titans were killed but she was still fighting. I wasn’t sure why, but all of a sudden she abandoned the Titan and disappeared into the streets below. The Demon pursued her for a only a moment before turning its attention back towards the Sanctuary. This was worrying, but I was slightly relieved to feel my strength returning.
With Aelia’s help, Lynn took down her Titan with relative ease. They collectively turned their attention to the last one, which Rachel had apparently given up on. As they approached, the telekinetic suddenly appeared out of the fog, flying straight at the last Titan. We thought she was suicidal. That is, until we saw the truck. It was massive, bigger than the Titan’s head. A large, gray cylinder was latched onto the tractor portion, swaying in the wind. The vehicle followed Rachel into the sky, accelerating incredibly fast. When she and the truck were level with the Titan’s head, she stopped and put her hands together, facing the vehicle as if she was pulling it with a rope. She then began to rotate, causing the truck to revolve around her. She spun it around several times, gaining speed with each circle. Finally, she released the invisible rope and the truck soared straight at the Titan’s head. That’s when I saw a thin streak of light jump from Aelia’s position towards the truck as it was in mid-flight. Upon collision, it released a blinding, earsplitting explosion.
I felt the wave of heat from here, and ducked to avoid any falling debris. Several Dragons were engulfed in the fireball, falling to the ground as their wings burned away. The blast expanded outward, surrounding the Titan upper body and sending a massive cloud of black smoke into the sky. The sounds of Demon forces were drowned out by the blast, and I struggled to regain my senses. When the flames finally cleared, I finally saw the Titan, or rather what was left of it. Its head, arms, and much of its torso were gone, nothing but bits of flesh scattered over the battlefield. The legs stood in place for a few moments before falling over with a loud thud, sending a large cloud of dust into the air.
With my strength finally back, I jumped back to the roof of the Sanctuary. To my surprise, it wasn’t nearly as draining as the first time.
“Whoa, where were you?” Isaac asked.
“You know, that building, this building,” I answered, trying to control my breathing.
The others came back as well.
“Did you see that?!” Rachel said excitedly.
“Yeah, ever heard of friendly fire?” Jared answered, out of breath. Luckily, those on the lower rooftop had escaped the fallout of the explosion.
Lynn roared as she flew in, shifting into a human upon landing.
“We did good, but what about the rest of the baddies?” Aelia said, referring to the thousands of Demons that were still charging towards u
s. If they reached the foundations of the this building, they had the potential to completely tear it apart.
Aaron jumped down from the turret, and Jared returned his airgun. “We need to get down there and hold them off!”
“But for how long?” Aeyla asked.
I just need a little more time. Cora’s voice resounded in our heads.
“That’s ‘scientist’ for ‘I don’t know but probably a while,’” I said. “Let’s go.”
We made our way down to ground level. Jared carried Micah, Lynn carried Aaron and Isaac on her back in Dragon form, and Rachel offered Raphael a ride on her Orb. We all touched down on the street, near the banks of the lake in front of Sanctuary. Buildings towered behind us, and ahead was a huge, sandy expanse. Cars, rubble, and smaller structures were piled up before us. But the Demons were gradually breaking through these barriers, flooding into the city.
Their cries got louder as they approached. I felt anxious and no small degree of fear. But even more than that I was exhilarated. Maybe it was the fact that we’d just taken on four Titans without a casualty, but I was feeling rather confident. I found myself thinking that this really had to be the worst backup plan ever programmed by the simulation’s creators. The Demons would just attack indiscriminately. They were so uncontrollable that they would threaten other programs - namely, us - that we're trying to achieve the same essential goal as they were. Though I suppose what we were trying to achieve now was a bit beyond the protocol's initial expectations. After all, a computer can’t choose to save more humans when it’s been programmed to save just enough. We, on the other hand, wouldn’t leave our fellow Neogens and Parents trapped in this broken world.
After about a minute, the Demons were finally within range. And so, with our hearts racing and hands shaking, we began our assault.
“Round 2…start!” Rachel shouted.
Gunfire and roars filled the air. Mists of red began to erupt from the front lines of the army. Bullets mowed down the Swarm as it advanced with waves of monsters replacing each other one after another. Two Minotaurs crushed their way to the front and began their charge. One of them headed right for Aelia, who stepped forward to meet it. She extended her arm, and when the beast was just seconds away from trampling her, she snapped her fingers and it exploded into a cloud of ash, fire, and blood.
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