A loud growl echoed through the room the Kappa had been in.
"Hello, Agent Maine." She had been lying flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling, not even needing to face the soldier to recognize him. He growled like a wild animal as Sigma, Eta, and Iota appeared around his head.
"No. We do not need her." Sigma spoke, turning to face the Kappa AI, "Not yet, at least."
"Where's the Alpha?" Eta and Iota spoke in almost perfect synchronization.
"Gone." She lied, protecting the Alpha from harms way, "Agent Texas took him. You guys should've stopped her from running away when you had the chance."
"How did you know she ran away?" Sigma questioned the child will sever suspicion.
"There's a god damn window over there." She pointed at the wall of glass, still keeping her gaze towards the ceiling. She never liked Sigma, despite the fact he was the only fragment who would ever hold a real conversation with, because she knew he'd be the first to rebel against the Director.
"You're lying. Aren't you? Tell us the truth, or else we'll kill Agent Oregon." He used the creativity he had inherited in order to make the child break.
"Why would I lie to you, dear brother of mine." She still hadn't moved her head.
"You do realize that we share no familial bonds, right?"
"In a way, aren't all of us AI brothers and sisters." She moved her arm above her, acting as if she were trying to pull the lights off the ceiling, "We strive to survive and reach for that chance of metastablilty." She turned her head to face the fiery fragment, wearing a wry smile across her face, "Although, I am already considered metastable. Funny how those under UNSC jurisdiction has been unable to reach that phase, but I, an illegally made, already has. That speaks volumes."
"Do not taunt us, Kappa. We are the Meta, and-"
"Yeah, yeah. Tell that to Lambda and Omicron." She turned toward the ceiling once again and waved her hand dismissively, "You better get your sorry rear out of here before the Director finds you. He won't think twice before using an E.M.P., if it means saving his life. He's a selfish arse like that."
"Don't you mean emp?" Eta and Iota questioned the child as Maine growled once more.
"No. I mean E.M. Freaking P. Now, scat." She listened as those heavy footsteps made their way out of the room.
"So this is where you've been?" The Kappa AI opened her eyes to see the soldier in green.
"O-Oregon? You're not allowed down here." She sprung to to her feet.
"You went missing. The Director went somewhere else around the ship. Connect the dots. I checked every room for you since you evidently have a VIP pass to any room." He chuckled.
"Well, I'll be sure not to tell the Director about this." She tapped her nose and giggled.
"Thank you. Now, let's leave this room before I actually am caught." He walked out in a few quick motions as the little AI followed.
"So, what got damaged?" She rose to the platforms of her feet.
"The project itself took a bit of a hit. With Maine, Texas, and-"
"Allison." She corrected him, almost without realizing.
"Pardon?"
"Next time you see her, call her Allison. I want to see if one of my theories is true." Her head drifted off to the right.
"Alright, but don't you have access to her personal records? Why not just test your theory through that?"
"Her file's password locked. I've tried to hack into it for a while. It's probably one of the simplest codes, and I may just be over thinking it."
"Alright." There was a moment of silence, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"You just did," She laughed at her own little joke, "but go ahead."
"Don't get offended by this, but why did the Director create you? Of all that he could do, why a child."
She was caught off guard by this, because she had never considered this question. Why was she here? "That's a good question. Obviously, I wasn't the Director's top priority, but why am I able to walk and talk anyways." She took another moment of silence, briefly looking through files in order to find an answer, "I can't find it. I may have to go through recursion to find that."
"I didn't think it'd be that hard of a question."
"My file hasn't been updated since I was transplanted into your neural passage." Her faced the man once again, "He probably didn't have a use for me anymore, so he gave up. It's cheaper to recycle than it is to delete."
"Come on," He started to walk off, "I have a feeling that there's going to be a meeting after all this crap happened."
"Alright." She followed him down the halls. He was right, unsurprisingly. A meeting was held in the recreation room of the now beaten up Mother of Invention. The project is still running, but they seem to be a bit more lax. They've created a red and blue team and actually have started convincing people on Earth that the reds and blues are fighting a civil war. Crazy, right? The Freelancers of the project are now working as mercenaries for two sides that aren't really fighting each other.
"This doesn't seem practical, if you ask me." The Kappa AI sat on the mattress of the green armored Freelancer as he packed a luggage bag.
"You're right. It isn't." He sighed, "Barely anything in this project is practical. They implanted AIs into people and suddenly delete them the day Sigma goes rouge."
"They're only deleting those that were already implanted into people." She laughed, "Don't forget that I'm alive... and Zeta seems to be okay down in storage."
"Didn't you say Zeta took the Alpha's depression?"
"And hope."
"He'll be just depression if he just sits there in storage."
"They'll find a use for him." She lied down onto her back and stared at the ceiling, "Which planet did they say you're going to?"
"We're going to." He corrected the child, "I don't trust the project enough to leave you alone with them."
"Alright... Which planet?"
"Chorus." He began to zip up the luggage bag, "The blue team there has requested immediate backup, so we'll spend the rest of our suffrage there."
"Chorus? Really?" She chimed, "Such a small world, huh."
"How so?" He looked up at the artificial child.
"I told you about Rebekah, the girl I'm based off of, right?"
"Yeah?"
"She just so happened to die on Chorus. I wonder how close to the grave we'll be."
"Please don't make this trip utterly depressing." He chuckled.
"Sorry." She turned to face the computer, which Oregon and her had rigged to do a various amount of things, "Do you think I should fix my weapons protocol so that it's more... comfortable to be around me in battle?"
"If that's what you want to do." He directed his attention somewhere else, "It would be nice to not feel like you're going to shoot me in battle."
She jumped off off the bed and walked up to the desk where she plugged herself in, using the small port behind her left ear that is also used for the dream simulator. She read her programing for a solid minute before she was able to find the weapons protocol, "So, do I change 0110100101101110011100110110000101101110011010010111010001111001 to 011100110110000101101110011010010111010001111001?"
"How should I know? It's your programming." He walked up to the monitor and rest a hand upon the child's short, curly hair, "Can you covert the 0110 whatever to english?"
"You mean the first 0's and 1's I threw at you?"
"Yeah. That one."
"It translates to 'Insanity.'"
"Then use common sense." He ruffled up her hair, "As long as it's the weapons protocol and not your actual personality, then go ahead... although," His words drifted off.
"Although what?" She grew curious.
"I didn't think that you could reprogram an AI."
"You can't? I guess I'm a special case." She continued to type, "And save as." She clicked the mouse and closed her eyes for about a minute, "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"
"Reprogramming AIs." He sighed, sinking into the floor beneath him.
"Oh, yeah. I was illegally made, so I think that may be a factor. I'm pretty sure that AI can be reprogrammed. After all the Alpha was repro-... no wait... he fragmented in order to lose his memory, wasn't he."
"I think the illegal part is our best bet in that." He took a quick, heavy inhale and slowly exhaled. He remembered something, "Hey, Kappa?"
"Yeah?" She perked up to the sound of her name.
"What does shisno mean?"
Her face sunk slightly, "Oh, you remember that whole thing, don't you?" She sighed, "There is no equivalent for that on Earth."
"But?"
"Umm..." She glanced at the monitor for a moment, "Imagine a skunk's defecation... and that defecation turns and produces its or excrement."
"... That's kinda gross." He stood back up.
"Well, that's what some alien races refer to human kind as... not that I call you guys that... anymore."
"You're being weird." He ruffled her hair and picked up his luggage, "You ready to go?"
"I am. Did you check to make sure you're armor's in good condition?"
"Why yes I did." He laughed and took a step towards the door.
"Are you sure? Helmet? Pressure seal? Nothing's damaged?" She slid off the chair and followed the man.
"You sure are a worry wart. Do you think I'd just go without checking those?"
"Yes." She said fairly bluntly.
"Let's just get going." He continued to walk as the child merrily marched behind him.
"What the fuck is a kid doing on the battle field?" One of the two men on blue team, that Oregon had been assigned to, stared at the child.
"I'll have you know that she happens to be very skilled with weapons." Oregon rest a hand on his hip.
"And we get a gay guy!" The other man yelled, "What the hell! Why'd the closest Freelancer have to be you?!"
"I'm bi!" Oregon snarled.
"I just assumed you were 100% on that. Keep control of your body movement and the tone of your voice if you don't want that happening again." The man regained his cool.
"That's prejudice to sexual orientation." Kappa piped.
"Please just introduce yourself." The man of green sighed, bringing his arm parallel to his body.
"Franklin Meniscus." The first man, in dark blue armor, saluted, "My goal in this war is nothing but to win and come back home all for my little sister, Karen. She's about sixteen years old."
"I'm Kenneth Matheus." The soldier in teal armor, who previously had a melt down, refused to salute, "I don't have any goals. All I want to do is survive. I only joined the military for community service, but about a month after I signed up, the civil war broke out."
"It's nice to meet you, Meniscus, Matheus." Oregon gave off an almost perfect salute, then dropped his arm, "They call me Oregon. No, you may not know my real name, for I don't really respond to it anymore. I am honored to be working with great soldiers like you."
"Um... I'm..." The little AI began to think for a moment, "I'm Kappa. My goal is to" She reverted her attention to one cliff in particular, "my... um..."
"Is she alright?" Meniscus pointed out.
"It looks like she's having a hemorrhage without the bloody mess!" Matheus began to laugh, almost maniacally.
"What are the coordinates of this place?" She changed the topic.
"Do you mean like the corners of the canyon?" The dark blue soldier was caught off guard by the child's question.
"No. Just where we're standing."
"Well," He stood there for a moment, "about X:300, Y:-400. Why?"
"No reason." She lied, for she knew that the box canyon the Director had chosen what either coincidental or for a reason. She didn't know better that the canyon was pretty much cut out of the city she spent years in. She only hoped that the town was empty before hand.
"We're doomed." The teal soldier said, pathetically.
"You're not doomed." The little girl smiled, "Oregon and I are able to hold a gun, and that's all you'll need." She knew the reason why anyone was post to these canyons was because they either enlisted or got terrible grades in school. No one could possibly be ambitious enough to run to the other side and capture the flag.
"If you're so great, then capture the flag." The man pointed towards the red base in strict demeanor.
"Um..." Oregon started to speak.
"We're here more for making sure as little die as possible instead of doing all the dirty work for you." Kappa helped her green soldier.
"You're not going to ask 'why a flag?'" Meniscus spoke up.
"Nope." The Freelancer and AI spoke in unison.
"Alright then." He sighed, "I'll give you a tour around the base."
For years, things had become routine. They pretty much just sat there, because the reds and blues were too lazy to be on the offensive side. The AI would often leave the canyon for a few days on end, always telling Oregon where she's going, and investigated specific places of the planet. One time, she saw a ship land and a man in steel armor and orange trip stepped out. She had to admit, she was curious, but she refused to delve too far. The next time, she saw an outbreak in a town between the government and the people. After further investigation, she found the man, of steel and orange, holding a sniper rifle. The child started to hang out at the base of the New Republic after that. One of her visits, she saw the man again. She started to grow afraid, but not for herself. She feared that this man would end up killing more and more, but the New Republic hired him to fight for them, so she must trust him, right? No, she shouldn't. She went to tell the leader, but that man was eventually shot down.
Another time she decided to wander outside the boundaries of both the canyon and the New Republic, she found another ship that landed. Of course she hid, but what she saw was two more men. One of them referred to himself as Locus, who was to be hired by the Feds. The other man was to stay on the sidelines and be a link between someone called Felix, probably the steel and orange man, and Locus. Locus wore dark green and black armor, while the other name wore black with red trim. Their voices sound the same, so the child assessed that they were related. Almost immediately after their conversation, they separated ways, and fear for Chorus' people grew once again in her.
"Where have you been?" Oregon watched the Kappa AI as she slowly closed the bedroom door.
"I was going on another adventure." She gave a weak smile.
"You didn't tell me where you were going, and you left your gun here. Either you were forgetful or you were actually trying to get me angry."
"I'm sorry, Michael." She whimpered.
The man in green armor was caught a little off guard, "How did you learn my real name?"
"It's on your dog tags." She pointed at her neck, "I read them when you're asleep. Michael J. Perriton. Agent Oregon. Active duty since June 2557."
"Just call me Oregon." He sunk further into his bed.
"So I guess you don't want to hear what I've found out." She walked to the other mattress in the room and sat down.
"What did you find? You've been heading in and out of the canyon for the past two years and you haven't said a thing."
"That's because nothing interesting happened until a year ago." She rest her head on the pillow, "Are you interested?"
"What the hell is going on outside of this canyon, because it's too boring inside."
"War's what's going on." She smiled just a bit, trying to mask her own fear for the planet she once loved.
"Yes, war's going on. I mean the rest of the planet, not the rest of the universe."
"No. I don't mean this fake war. I mean a real war."
"Is that why I've been waking up to gunfire?"
"Perhaps." She took her pillow from under her head and brought it to her chest, "Funny thing is that it was started by someone who is not of residency to this planet."
"Really?" That got his attention, "That's pretty interesting."
"Yeah. I watched him snipe down someone and war broke out. He later became a mercenary for the New Republic. Less than a month later, two more people came here. One of them was hired as a merc for the Federal Army and the other serves as a median between the two."
"That's kinda suspicious." A grin grew across his face, "Finally something interesting around here."
"I'll say." She muttered as she clung tighter to the pillow that formerly rest loosely in her arms.
"Which team are you rooting for?"
"There are simply no good or bad teams; there are just two groups fighting for different reasons." Her grip loosened, "Delta taught me that at some point before Epsilon committed suicide."
"So he did talk to you."
"Only to tell me when I'm wrong. He was a fragment of Alpha... I just wish he talked to me just a bit more."
"Don't feel down." He smiled, "You're better than that. Find something to smile about." But she already had. She had her soldier in green to keep her smiling all her merry days, but his heart belonged to Washington, and she shouldn't be the one to rob him of his own happiness.
Bang! Gunfire woke up Oregon and the AI.
"Are they getting closer?" He stretched out his arms then rest a hand on the back of his neck, tracing his fingers around the scars of his former neural implants.
"Based off of the fires from last week, yes." She slid off of the mattress she had been awake on and stood up, "It's strange that we don't hear them much throughout the midday."
"Unless it's one of those attacks where you get them before they wake up." He yawned and looked up to see the child looking back at him in amazement, "What?"
"I-I'm sorry." She jumped and looked away all flustered, "I'm just fascinated with how humans actually function. Sorry if I creeped you out."
"Don't sweat it." He laughed and they listened to the loud Cracks and gunfire.
Meniscus slammed the door open in a rapid motion, "What the hell are you doing, Oregon!"
"What do you mean what am I doing? The bullets have only been fired outside the canyon for the past how many years?"
"We're under attack!" He almost hyperventilated, "How come you just don't give a damn?!"
Oregon shot up from his bed, "I'll be out in a minute." He hurriedly rushed to the floor in order to get his armor.
"You want your pistols?" The little AI walked to the desk and grabbed the three pistols resting atop of it.
"Yeah. Thanks." He huffed as he tried to lock his chest plate in place.
She set two of the guns next to him and held the other one, "Don't forget the biofoam. Based off the calls I've intercepted, those three guys are here to wipe the planet of people. That includes you... well, us if they're basing it off of motion instead of cx"
He gave a weak grin, "Um... I kinda left that back at the Mother of Invention years ago."
"And why didn't you bring the biofoam?!" She held anxiety in her voice.
"Because I'm a selfish asshole." He took hold of the weapons, "I'm not going to die." He moved the slide of both pistols and turned the safeties on.
"You don't know that." She mimicked the man, except ignoring the safety configurations.
"I do know that." He stood up, "I've been in military training since I was 16 years old. That means I've been on this parade for 11 years."
"That's because you faked your birth certificate!" She tried, and fail, and failed to calm herself down.
"Like you could've done better." He laughed and started for the door.
"I'm older than you, if you take account for when I was Rebekah." She sighed and followed the man.
"What year were you born, in that case?" He opened the door.
"2529." She looked up and grimaced, "Two years before you."
"Alright, so you're older. Great for you, Grandma." He laughed a bit, "Come on, let's get going before we get in trouble." He started to run to the roof of what was left of blue base.
"Kay!" She followed him. Strange, though, for it only had occurred to her that she was almost 30, since she included Rebekah's birth and the year's between the child's death and Project Freelancer. Once they reached the roof, Oregon ran head on toward the enemy with post haste, but the Kappa AI just waited as she watched a Mantis get crushed by tumbling boulders, already afraid of what could happen to her next.
Locus, the other guy (who was found to pose the name Petrix), Felix, and the Federal Army had been awaiting the last two in the canyon. Reds and blues were left on the ground without a beating heart. It can only be assumed that Locus had persuaded the Feds that the canyon dwellers had been apart of the New Republic, or Rebels as they are referred to as. Perhaps Felix had noticed what the artificial child had been doing and decided to exterminate her.
The child herself had shot, and killed, more people than she ever calculated for her life time. It mentally broke her, because she knew that she had been ending the lives of those innocent in the war. Unfortunately, ever shot fired could not hit either of the perpetrators, Locus nor Petrix or not ever Felix. With every time she put more effort on the death of those two, minutes would turn to hours. With every though that clogged her mind, their beautiful sunrise grew to a bloody full moon. With the sound of every shriek and bellow, the moon began to refuse such a beautiful, iridescent symphony of contrasting colors. She was only helping those damn mercenaries with their dirt work with every bullet she f-
"GAAAAAAAAAAAHHhh!" A blood curdling howl echoed through the canyon and caverns, as if the start were committing suicide right above them. The girl slowly turned her head, still trying to keep focus on the enemy. Oh how she hoped it was the enemy, but oh how she hoped she wasn't wrong as she caught glimpse of Mark V armor sprawled on the floor as the silhouette of a man in scout armor lowered his weapon.
"OREGON!" The Kappa AI screeched as she jumped back in order to avoid an attack for Locus. She knew it was a trap, but she had already taken the bait as she ran up to the man. No man's last memory should be taking a bullet. If anything, they should leave with a pretty damn good memory.
"Run, now." He sputtered, "You're smart enough to know this is a trap."
"Depends what you mean by smart. Human terms, or AI terms?" She tried to laugh.
"Human terms, damnit." He snarled, "If they take you, it's on you."
"Silicon and cybernetic alloys are hard to destroy." She sat next to him, forcing herself to be by his side to the end. Why Locus and damn Petrix haven't tried to kill her yet, she didn't have a clue...
"You know how in movies, they enhance the truth and say death is quick?" He groaned.
"Yeah?"
"Well, it's a lie. It's slow and fucking painful."
"You know I don't understand what pain's like, right? There is no way I can relate."
"Just give me this moment and pretend you understand."
"This is why you bring biofoam."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I get shot."
"You don't have to be rude."
He turned his head a bit and smiled underneath his helmet, "I'm going to miss these conversations. You're being really brave."
She laughed weakly, "I'm scared as hell... but I'm not unfamiliar with death."
"Well, I'm sorry you have to endure watching mine."
"Love the love-fest," Felix clapped slowly, "but can you go ahead and get on with the show, since I'm the only one without an actual kill in this little battle."
The Kappa AI turned to face the three soldiers, eyes brimmed with tears and trauma, "You can shut the fuck up now so I can have my god damn partner die with a fucking good memory before I have to kill you."
"Such a brave little girl." The cynical man just stood there, but held his pistol firmly pointed at the child, "You know, this war started because I shot a child who would've belonged to the New Republic. It's been a while since then." She slowly turned to face Oregon, but he was already gone. She kept her composure, hoping that Felix wouldn't have taken notice. Her hand slowly went towards the pistol closest to her as she still kept hold of her own.
"Felix," Petrix sighed, "can you hurry this up. I left my camp with probably three of the worst soldiers."
"Hey, this kid's smart." He laughed almost maniacally, "She's been giving me trouble for the past while. Do you know how hard it is to snipe someone down in the underground base of the New Republic? It's fucking hard, and she decided to go ahead and tell their leader about us."
"That doesn't mean you have to stall for time." The man rest a hand on his hip.
"At least I don't use a voice synthesizer to make myself sound like a guy."
"Easy for you to say. No one takes a woman seriously."
"Petrix," Locus spoke up, "shut up for a bit. Felix, if you don't kill her, I will." With that, the Kappa AI stood up in a quick motion and pointed both pistols at Felix, whom had quickly responded with putting a bullet through her head. The force brought her forward to her knees.
"And here you were, thinking you could get away from this." Felix laughed, "There's a reason why children don't belong on the battlefield." He turned around and started walking, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm heading back."
"Are you sure she's dead?" Petrix watched the child for another minute.
"Would you be able to survive that shot?" Locus gave a short laugh and started to make his way back to the Federal base.
"You don't have to be rude. I know mom didn't teach you that." She turned around and followed the men.
"And I know mother did not teach you to follow your older brother to battle, but you did anyways."
"For the last time, I didn't follow you! I was offered the job, and they said they'd pay my rent while I was gone."
"Oh, how I miss sibling rivalries." They all turned around to find the Kappa AI, sitting crisscross style, laughing her head off, "I had a younger sister of my own. And Felix, in case you didn't know, I kinda technically died 21 years ago. A little bullet's nothing, anymore."
"How did you-." Felix was furious.
She reached a hand to the gaping hole in her forehead, "I did loose a few channels when you shot that. It took me a while to reconfigure the system." She watched the three soldiers for the weakest link.
"I was right!" Petrix cheered.
"Found it." Kappa shot straight up again, aiming both weapons at Petrix, "Three shots in the chest, right? That's what killed Oregon. Two of them around the fatal arteries, and on directly in the heart." She shot the first bullet as she articulated the word 'heart.'
"Dammit!" The older woman clutched her chest and fell forward.
"Don't forget about the other two." The child gave two more bullets to the woman. She turned the face Locus and Felix, tears brimming her eyes as she so wants to kill the men for ruining her home planet and killing the man that she looked up to, "Run. Now." She snarled in a likeness of the Meta, watching the two soldiers admit defeat. She gave it a good five minutes before even shifting her weight, making a crackling sound in the ground.
"Oolgh." Petrix pulled herself up with one arm.
"So, you're still alive?" The little AI walked up to the struggling adult and crouched down, centering her weight into her hips.
"Yeah." She laughed, "You smart enough to patch up a bullet wound?"
"Who do you take me for?" She stood up once again, "Let's get you to blue base. I'm almost positive that there's a first aid kit there."
"Almost?"
"There's always margin for error. Do you have enough blood to get you there?"
"Yeah." The woman staggered into a standing position, "I brought biofoam with me."
The little AI's face sunk, "Then why didn't you help Oregon?" She snapped a bit.
"I kept my end of the deal. It had to be convincing."
"No, the deal was that I shoot you, you pretend to be dead, no one else gets injured, and you go scott free from working for those space pirates!"
"Keep you're voice down. They may still be near by."
"Unless they learned how to become cold blooded creatures, they're no longer near by! I thought we were going to take care of that during lunch time OUTSIDE of the canyon!"
"That was what I tried to get them to do, but Felix..." Her words drifted off.
"Felix, what?"
"Felix kinda wanted you to suffer before death when I told him that you were in this canyon whenever you're not in affiliation with the New Republic of Federal Army..." She spoke slowly, thinking between each word, for she didn't want to irritate the child with two weapons, "I can help you bury Oregon, if it makes you feel better."
"I don't know anymore." She started to walk, "And thanks for grabbing your chest when those bullets hit your arm."
"Don't sweat it." She picked up the deceased soldier and slung him over her shoulder, keeping the man in place with her one good arm, "It was a bit of a struggle, though. Hard to fight against reflexes."
"Yeah." The AI brought her hand back to the hole in the center of her head, "I'm going to have to fix this eventually. It's harder to move around, and the joints from the elbow down aren't functioning."
"I'll help you with that."
"Thank you, I guess." The rest of the trip to the base was quiet. Even after they got there, it was fairly quiet. Once Petrix's arm got better, Kappa's synthetic body was repaired and they buried Oregon in probably one of the least perfect places. They carried the corpse out of the canyon and brought it to where Rebekah had been buried. They dug the hole and Petrix just left after that. For a few solid hours, the Kappa AI was just staring at the few words she scribbled on Rebekah's grave for Oregon, clinging to the man's dog tags that were strewn around her neck.
Have to stop there. Didn't think this one would be a three parter. Promise that the next chapter will be the last, and maybe the shortest, for Kappa's preface. I wanted to take advantage of that "there were three of us" quote from Felix and twist it up a bit, and that's the story behind the ending...
Hope you guys make this day FANTASTIC, and I'll see you guys next post.
