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Authors: Damian Shishkin
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to his helpless foe.
Quickly, Aen let loose a blast of superheated energy and directed it towards the assassin caught in the air. Layer by layer his flesh, muscle, and then bone peeled away as it screamed in agony. In just a few seconds, nothing but ash remained suspended in the air where a sentient being once was. Aen was now alone precisely where he wanted to be, and wasted no more time to get ready for the next phase.
From his back, he slung down the portable holo-link and set it up as quickly as possible. He then produced a portable fusion generator - an octagon shaped device about eight inches in diameter - and linked it to the device. This would give him a few hours of power to work with without linking to the Guild system which was on the fritz from the EMP. It would also keep him untraceable as the second he went live he would become the most sought after man in the Empire. Then he produced an AI core, which was contained in a small power matrix of its own and clicked the activation button to engage its services. Instantly, the orange sphere appeared and began to survey its surroundings.
“ Whatever has happened and why are we in the Guild temple ?” it asked immediately.
“You are called Caretaker, are you not?” he asked the machine. His voice heavily disguised by the helmet’s electronic filters.
“I am, and who may I ask are you and how did you acquire my core matrix from the Empress?”
“Check your newly uploaded directives; you will find that for the time being you are to do exactly what I ask of you. Iana has ‘loaned’ you to me for the moment and we have little time for further discussions.”
Caretaker went quiet as it did a file search. Once it found the new files it read them, then read them three more times in disbelief that they were real. Afterwards it ran authentication programs to make sure the files were not faked, which they were not. All this was done in a few seconds and it let out a sigh of disbelief.
“ What are your orders ?” it asked with a drone of annoyance.
“Link this holo-device to the network and dial in under the preloaded prefix. I need the shading to be in red; distort the real time settings and bounce any trace programs to be run on the signal across the network in its entirety. Then, set up a live feed from one of the satellites above to show live images of the temple and play them on my mark. Do not question any of the words I say during the transmission and do not attempt to disrupt the signal once it is live.”
Aen began to search the room and found what he sought; a hooded robe to further conceal himself and also add to the dramatic effect he was after. He watched as the AI went to work and wondered how often he had watched this same thing; he had read the files extensively about the time spent with the construct but still remembered nothing. In fact, he knew everything he could about his former self but none of it came from within. Most of it came from the detailed files of this AI.
“ We are live and on mute with the Council session .” It chimed in. “ I find it odd and somewhat astonishing that it is the feed channel used by the Prophets. How did you acquire this device ?”
“They gave it to me.” Aen replied as he donned the robe and pulled the hood over his helmet.
“ And might it be too much to ask what it is you hope to accomplish ?” it asked.
“If everything goes well, I will be declaring war on the Empire.”
—
Lyarran Vessel: Dark Light; Imperial Shipyards of Thsin
This meeting was unlike any of the others she had attended; everything about it felt off. From the absence of Bryx to the general feeling of the room and now the holo-link from the Prophets being active, Lyxia felt totally off kilter with everything. It wasn’t uncommon for the Prophets to ‘dial in’ and listen to the proceedings, but the view was usually of the ocean lapping at the shore on an unknown beach in the cosmos. But this was a room she didn’t
Quickly, Aen let loose a blast of superheated energy and directed it towards the assassin caught in the air. Layer by layer his flesh, muscle, and then bone peeled away as it screamed in agony. In just a few seconds, nothing but ash remained suspended in the air where a sentient being once was. Aen was now alone precisely where he wanted to be, and wasted no more time to get ready for the next phase.
From his back, he slung down the portable holo-link and set it up as quickly as possible. He then produced a portable fusion generator - an octagon shaped device about eight inches in diameter - and linked it to the device. This would give him a few hours of power to work with without linking to the Guild system which was on the fritz from the EMP. It would also keep him untraceable as the second he went live he would become the most sought after man in the Empire. Then he produced an AI core, which was contained in a small power matrix of its own and clicked the activation button to engage its services. Instantly, the orange sphere appeared and began to survey its surroundings.
“ Whatever has happened and why are we in the Guild temple ?” it asked immediately.
“You are called Caretaker, are you not?” he asked the machine. His voice heavily disguised by the helmet’s electronic filters.
“I am, and who may I ask are you and how did you acquire my core matrix from the Empress?”
“Check your newly uploaded directives; you will find that for the time being you are to do exactly what I ask of you. Iana has ‘loaned’ you to me for the moment and we have little time for further discussions.”
Caretaker went quiet as it did a file search. Once it found the new files it read them, then read them three more times in disbelief that they were real. Afterwards it ran authentication programs to make sure the files were not faked, which they were not. All this was done in a few seconds and it let out a sigh of disbelief.
“ What are your orders ?” it asked with a drone of annoyance.
“Link this holo-device to the network and dial in under the preloaded prefix. I need the shading to be in red; distort the real time settings and bounce any trace programs to be run on the signal across the network in its entirety. Then, set up a live feed from one of the satellites above to show live images of the temple and play them on my mark. Do not question any of the words I say during the transmission and do not attempt to disrupt the signal once it is live.”
Aen began to search the room and found what he sought; a hooded robe to further conceal himself and also add to the dramatic effect he was after. He watched as the AI went to work and wondered how often he had watched this same thing; he had read the files extensively about the time spent with the construct but still remembered nothing. In fact, he knew everything he could about his former self but none of it came from within. Most of it came from the detailed files of this AI.
“ We are live and on mute with the Council session .” It chimed in. “ I find it odd and somewhat astonishing that it is the feed channel used by the Prophets. How did you acquire this device ?”
“They gave it to me.” Aen replied as he donned the robe and pulled the hood over his helmet.
“ And might it be too much to ask what it is you hope to accomplish ?” it asked.
“If everything goes well, I will be declaring war on the Empire.”
—
Lyarran Vessel: Dark Light; Imperial Shipyards of Thsin
This meeting was unlike any of the others she had attended; everything about it felt off. From the absence of Bryx to the general feeling of the room and now the holo-link from the Prophets being active, Lyxia felt totally off kilter with everything. It wasn’t uncommon for the Prophets to ‘dial in’ and listen to the proceedings, but the view was usually of the ocean lapping at the shore on an unknown beach in the cosmos. But this was a room she didn’t
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