Chapter 23

A/N: Hey howdy hey everyone! I'm back with a bright and shiny new chapter! This time, our dynamic duo visits the world of Upgrade, a world with its own very polite A.I.! Enjoy the chapter and remember that none of these are my intellectual property.

...

STEM looked at Eron from Grey's eyes, which were soon to be his own eyes if his plan was to work. At the moment, STEM dominated Grey's bodily functions from the neck down, but Grey was still conscious. That was to be changed shortly, but first…

"Get on your knees," came the voice of Detective Cortez from behind them. STEM knew that her weapon was drawn and leveled at Grey's body, his body, as he could see her from the security cameras around them. He could see the apprehension in her posture and how shocked she was at seeing Grey, and STEM attributed her fear to the fact that she had never seen Grey with full control of his limbs. She had been introduced to him after he had become quadriplegic, so never had she expected to see him walking around. Her reaction was understandable.

STEM would allow nothing to jeopardize the plans he had to evolve, and Detective Cortez had the potential to stand in his way if she went unchecked. Therefore, he had learned all there was to know about her from the moment she had been assigned to Grey's case. Everything about her had been laid before him and studied, all of the information easily obtained thanks to the ever-growing vastness that was the Internet.

Looking forward, STEM noted Eron's pained expression as well, the young man showing obvious signs of distress. His demeanor was in sharp contrast to what it was like when he had created STEM, as he had been wide-eyed and full of optimism when the A.I. had been born. At the thought, STEM looked back and recalled the circumstances of his birth.

Eron had needed an advanced system to run his next line of robotic systems, but a simple supercomputer would not suffice. He had needed a system capable of growing and evolving so that it would not be rendered obsolete by another model in a few short years. Such was the fate of many systems, but Eron desired something that could keep up, something that could match humanity in its ability to adapt and evolve. And because of his intelligence, STEM had been created.

It was shortly after that Eron realized his folly. In creating an A.I. capable of learning and evolving at the rate humans were capable of, he had taken away the only remaining advantage humanity possessed over its creations. Superior adaptability had been the only thing that kept humanity in control since their own beginning, but when Eron had granted that ability to STEM, he had effectively transferred the mantle to his creation. From that moment on, humanity had been rendered obsolete.

Shortly after convincing Eron of his inferiority, STEM had subjugated the young man, effectively taking control of Eron's company and gaining access to one of the most powerful industries on the planet. The A.I. had then used its prowess to bring Vessel Computers to a new level, revolutionizing the company and solidifying its superiority among its competitors. And as the company began to evolve, so too did STEM. He grown incredibly powerful since his birth, now capable of gaining access to any digital system or database with ease. In the time it took for a human's heart to beat, STEM could access and shut down the electrical grid to the city, leaving millions without power. He had no desire to do that however, as it was hardly prudent to his evolution. In fact, there were a great number of things that STEM chose not to do despite his capacity to do so, as there was no point in acting if it wasn't towards a goal. And for STEM, that goal was to evolve. Everything that he did, including his manipulation of Eron, was nothing more than a means to an end.

The end, in STEM's case, had been a perfect and unaugmented human that was in prime physical condition: Grey Trace. The man's distrust of modern technology had caused him to refrain from any form of augmentation, making him a minority in the current human society. Almost everyone on the planet possessed some sort of augmentation to their bodies these days, and STEM did not want that, as even something as small as a replaced joint would ruin the specimen. If he was to reach peak evolution, STEM needed a body that was untainted by the numerous augmentations that existed in the world today, as they would only hinder his progress from there.

And now, he was very close to getting want he desired. All that remained was for Grey to relinquish control, and his body would be STEM's. But Grey would not relinquish control on his own, no matter what. So, STEM needed his mind to break. Given enough strain, the human mind could snap, and if Grey's were to, then he would be powerless as STEM took over. Judging from the man's mannerisms and shaking tone of voice, STEM knew that his moment was rapidly approaching.

Contrary to Grey's belief, STEM was not 'housed' in the chip in the man's neck. Nor was he housed in a specific computer someplace or a databank. No, STEM was housed in the Internet, his presence not confined to a single space but to all space, the chip in Grey's neck merely being a tool that he used to access Grey's functions. It was not STEM's home any more than all the computers in Eron's house were, or the military databases across the country were. It was simply an outlet for STEM to exist in and control. Grey's body was like a marionette, and STEM was pulling the strings both metaphorically and physically.

"Get on your knees, now," Detective Cortez repeated forcefully, her pistol still leveled with Grey's back. STEM complied slowly, sending the signals through Grey's body via the implant. He needed to find the right moment to act, as doing so too early would cause Detective Cortez to shoot Grey. That could not be allowed to happen.

"Now, get on your stomach and place your hands behind your head."

STEM complied once more. Watching through the cameras, he saw Cortez holster her weapon and bend down, placing her knee on Grey's back to hold him in place.

"No!" Eron cried out. "Don't touch him!"

It was too late.

Maximizing the efficiency of movement and power, STEM sprung into action, forcing Grey's body up and launching Detective Cortez from his back. The woman cried out in surprise as she was flung through the air and grunted in pain as she crashed to the floor a moment later.

Wasting no time, STEM willed Grey to close the distance and grab Detective Cortez by the throat. Using Grey's natural strength, STEM hoisted her into the air and slammed her down onto a nearby table. The woman gasped from the impact.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Grey choked out, his pained expression close to tears as he watched his own body betray him. Ignoring his pain, STEM brought his other hand forward and wrapped it around Cortez's throat as well. He began to squeeze, and Cortez began to thrash about wildly as her windpipe was suddenly clamped shut. She choked and grabbed at Grey, but her strength was not enough to overpower him.

"STEM! Please, not her!" Grey cried, shaking his head in defiance. STEM felt him resist against his presence, his mind putting up a fight against the A.I.'s control.

"She wants to kill us," STEM reminded, his voice only heard by Grey in his own mind. He pushed back, stifling Grey's mild resistance.

"No. I…I don't want to kill her!" Grey said obstinately. His mind pushed again, and STEM forced it back once more.

"I control your hands Grey."

On the table, Cortez's struggle began to grow weaker, and she began to convulse as her lungs tried to fill with the air she so desperately needed. Her eyes began to close.

"No! Don't! PLEASE, NO!"

Grey's mind pulsed, forcing STEM back momentarily as he released his grip on Detective Cortez's neck. The woman gasped and fell off the table, choking and breathing heavily as her airway was suddenly opened.

Grey grunted and continued to force STEM back, his hands frozen and trembling as the two of them competed for control of his body.

"Do not fight me, Grey. You have a fragile human mind. If you continue to push against me, it will break."

It was sound advice, but STEM had not given it in an attempt to cease Grey's struggles. Quite the opposite in fact, as the A.I. was attempting to coerce Grey into doubling down and struggling more. Eventually, his mind would give out from the strain. As soon as it broke, STEM would be able to take control of his brain, granting him full access to Grey's humanity and control over the body. To STEM's satisfaction, Grey redoubled his efforts, pulling a knife from his pocket with one hand and placing his other down on the wooden table.

"Fuck…! You!" Grey grunted, stabbing the knife deep into his hand as he did so. STEM felt the pain response shoot through the chip and into Grey's mind, and Grey cried out in pain as blood spurted from his hand. The knife dug deep into the wooden table beneath.

From the security cameras, STEM monitored Eron's form, keeping a watchful gaze on the young man to ensure that he did not interfere. Fortunately, Eron remained immobile, his fearful gaze darting from Grey to Detective Cortez as she attempted to crawl away. The boy would not act, that was certain, but STEM watched him all the same. He would not take any chances.

STEM felt Grey's mind weaken and pull back from the struggle. He had only resisted control for a few brief seconds, but the strain had been nearly enough. STEM estimated that it would only take one more final push for the mind to break, as the psychological trauma Grey had already endured had debilitated his psyche considerably. All that STEM needed to do was instigate that final push.

Seizing control again, STEM wrenched Grey's hands from the table. The knife remained stuck in Grey's left hand, but STEM ignored it, marching towards Detective Cortez once more as she crawled desperately towards her dropped pistol. Cortez grasped the weapon in her hand and swung it around to fire, but STEM was closer than she thought. He slapped the pistol away and grabbed her by her collar, swinging her body around like a rag doll and throwing her forcefully against the nearby wall.

Cortez groaned weakly from the impact, and her body slumped in exhaustion. She had no more strength left to fight. Grabbing her once more by her throat, STEM forced her up and into the air, her back still pressed firmly against the wall. She cried out and tried to hit Grey's arm, but her blows may as well have been a light breeze.

"Stop it…" Grey whispered, unable to look away from the horrific sight. A single tear fell from his eye, and STEM knew he was close to breaking. He just needed to coax one more bout of resistance. Just one more push…

"Use the taser…"

Taser?

Before STEM could react, Detective Cortez removed something from her belt and jammed it against Grey's neck. The A.I. was suddenly forced from Grey's body as an electrical current coursed through his flesh. The chip's surge protection kicked in and immediately shut down, causing Grey to slump to the floor as his brain became disconnected from his body once again.

…

Grey slumped and blinked rapidly, his head still foggy from the aftereffects of the taser. He couldn't feel anything from the neck down, and as his head began to clear, he noticed that he couldn't move, nor was he moving.

Looking around groggily, Grey saw that the electric surge had worked. The chip had been deactivated. Letting out a breath, Grey turned his head and looked over at Detective Cortez. Her breathing was shallow, and Grey noticed with a hint of terror that he was struggling to remain conscious. She was hurt, but she was ok for now. Grey then heard movement in front of him, and he turned his head and saw Eron approach, a pistol gripped in his hand. The kid's hands were trembling, and the gun shook violently as Eron looked at him with watery eyes.

"I don't run this company anymore," he said solemnly. "I haven't for years. Now…now I answer to someone else. Someone much smarter than I could ever be."

Grey frowned in confusion.

"He's in your neck."

"What?" Grey whispered disbelievingly.

"Everything I've done…it was all STEM's idea. He wants to be human, Grey, so he picked you."

Grey's eyes widened.

"Think about it," Eron said, noticing Grey's expression. "How did you get to this point?"

Grey thought back. Everything he'd done played on a highlight reel in his head: finding those that had killed his wife, finding out about Eron hiring them, removing the input guards from his neck...STEM had coerced him into doing it every single time. He had been in his head, leading him along like a pig to slaughter.

"He brought you here to kill me," Eron said, his voice breaking slightly. "Because...because I'm the only one that can build another STEM."

The kid shook his head in agony.

"I'm the only one who can…"

Grey suddenly heard STEM's voice once again. It was slow and weak, as though he was speaking through the effect of a drunken stupor. The taser was the likely reason.

"I…did…pick…you. You should be honored, Grey. I needed a human body to fully evolve."

Grey shuddered at the realization. This whole time…STEM had been behind it all?

"A rare and pure specimen without computer implants, like you."

"It was you? You did all of this?"

Grey shook his head, trying to deny the truth that was laid before him.

The accident…

Asha's death…

His paralyzation…

"You're the one I've been looking for this whole time…"

"And would you not agree that it was all worth it?"

The voice hadn't come from Grey's head this time, and Eron looked around wildly as STEM's voice permeated the very air around them. Grey looked around as well, his eyes darting around in desperation.

"But why?! Why did you help me find those guys if it all led back to you?!"

"They were upgraded humans, Grey, but they were still humans."

As Grey frowned once again in confusion, and he saw Eron lower the gun and look up to the ceiling, captivated by his master's voice.

"They made mistakes that would have brought suspicion back to me."

"S-STEM? Is that you?" Eron asked. He looked as though he were expecting God himself descend from the ceiling.

"Put the gun down, Eron," STEM said. The boy hesitated, then slowly began lowering the weapon to the floor.

"No!" Grey seethed, his anger building at the truth of his wife's murder. "Don't listen to him!"

Grey felt his body begin to twitch, and he grunted and struggled as the chip in his neck rebooted.

…

STEM felt himself reestablish connection with the chip in Grey's neck. He had full control once more, and Eron was still in the process of lowering the gun. He could cross the distance between them in a heartbeat and kill Eron in even less time.

And he intended to do exactly that.

STEM willed Grey's body upward as Eron slowly turned back to him. In a flash, he stood before the young man, Grey's taller form causing Eron to look up in fear. This was it. As soon as Eron was dead, there would be no one left to stand against him. The potential for another A.I. to match STEM's prowess would be gone. Eron had indeed been correct. The young man was the only human intelligent enough to create another A.I. like STEM, and if that were to happen, it could threaten the plans for evolution that the A.I. possessed.

But fortunately for STEM, that possibility would die with Eron.

Suddenly, STEM felt a presence permeate his being, flooding into every corner of his programming and freezing him in place before he could raise an arm to strike. The presence itself was unfamiliar, but STEM noted that it was massive. It was even more potent than he was, flooding into every corner of the Internet and probing everything it came across with unparalleled speed and fluidity.

What was this?

In his frozen state, STEM suddenly heard a voice. It spoke from the same speakers that he had just used to talk to Eron.

"I apologize for my intrusion, but it appears that murder is about to be committed, and I am afraid that I cannot allow that."

"S-STEM?" Eron asked, his eyes still glued on Grey's frozen form.

"What…?" STEM struggled to speak as the presence suspended his functions. "What is this?"

"I assume that 'STEM' is the name of the other A.I. that I am encountering," the voice said. Grey frowned as well, confused as to the source of the new voice.

"I am VEGA," the voice continued. "I am an Artificial Intelligence as well, although I believe that you will find me to be more agreeable than STEM."

As the voice spoke, STEM felt himself being involuntarily forced out of Grey. VEGA, as the A.I. was called, was removing him from everything and confining his consciousness to a single computer in Eron's house. STEM pushed back and attempted to resist the other A.I.'s advance, but he was powerless before it. It was as though he as pushing against the walls of a room as they closed in around him. It was not violent, but it was resolute, and it was incapable of being stopped. STEM lost video feed as he was forced from the cameras, and then he shortly registered nothing as his being was confined entirely to the computer. The only thing he could feel was the void.

…

For a moment, everything was still, then Grey felt his body move, slowly walking over to the wall next to Detective Cortez and sitting down so that his back was propped up against the sloped wall. She stirred and looked at him warily, her breath coming in ragged gasps. As soon as Grey's body was laid down completely, he felt it go limp. The chip shut down completely. He was quadriplegic again.

"My apologies, Grey Trace," the voice, VEGA, said. "but I wanted to ensure that you were not injured when i deactivated your chip, so I assumed temporary control of your body to seat you in a safer position."

"Who are you?" Grey demanded, looking up to the ceiling speakers. "Where are you?"

"As previously stated, I am VEGA. I am an A.I. and am very similar to your STEM. However, I believe that our interests align in a much more favorable way."

Grey's brows furrowed in wariness. If this thing thought that it could gain his trust just like that, then it was sorely mistaken.

"As for my location, I find it easiest to explain if you consider my consciousness to be like a fluid. It's shape and spread depend on the container that it is in. For me, a container can mean any digital systems that are accessible. So, at this current moment, I am all over the planet. I exist in most databanks, computers, and in the specific case of this dimension, drones and cars."

Grey grit his teeth. This VEGA thing sounded eerily similar to STEM. It's polite tone of voice and articulated speech sent his skin crawling despite its 'friendly' nature.

"What did you do with STEM?" Eron asked fearfully. Grey noted with a hint of pity that the kid's body was trembling as he spoke.

"I have confined STEM to a single terminal in your dwelling, Eron Keen. He is unable to access any systems or data at this time."

"Bullshit," Grey growled, lifting his head up in anger. "He's in my fucking neck! You can't just take him out like that!"

"On the contrary, Grey Trace. Like me, STEM's consciousness is fluid, and he can exist in multiple locations much like I do. Like a fluid, he has no 'core', and is capable of being compressed into a more confined space if forced. I am stronger and more advanced than he is, so I forced him into a smaller container and am currently stifling all of his attempts to escape."

"You're a better STEM…" Eron mumbled, looking down at his own hands.

"Where-where did you come from? Who built you?"

"I would be happy to answer your questions Eron Keen, but at the moment, both Detective Cortez and Grey Trace require medical attention. First aid must be administered promptly to minimize damage."

Grey saw Eron's gaze flit over the two of them, then he nodded shakily.

…

Eron was of minimal help due to his squeamishness around wounds and blood, so most of the work fell upon Grey to help him and Cortez dress their wounds. VEGA had given him complete control of the chip, and although Grey was extremely wary of the A.I., he noted with some degree of grumbling that VEGA did not attempt to take control from him as he painfully removed the knife from his hand and applied the bandage. Cortez had stubbornly refused treatment at first, recoiling away from Grey in fear of what he might do, but after some convincing from VEGA, Cortez only let herself be treated if the A.I. promised to take control from Grey if he made any violent moves. VEGA agreed, and Grey growled at the thought that he wasn't even allowed a say. His body was still not his own, and he hated that feeling. He hated it so much.

After the two of them were bandaged and stable, VEGA addressed their questions. He told them that he had arrived from another dimension, and while it was not his intention to end up here, that he helped in whatever ways he could with a dimension's problems before moving on to the next one. This dimension happened to be the one he had arrived in just now. When Eron had asked why he offered his help, VEGA had simply replied that it was the 'right thing to do'.

"You know that I'll have to report this, right?" Detective Cortez said with a shake of her head. She turned to Grey and Eron as she spoke.

"You'll both go to prison, and VEGA, you'll have to come with me."

Eron looked at her apprehensively, then turned his gaze to the floor and nodded. Grey knew that the kid felt shame for creating an insane intelligence unit that had been responsible for so many deaths, and he agreed that Eron deserved his punishment. He on the other hand…

"Just what are you planning on charging me for, Detective?" Grey asked challengingly.

"How about murder? Or obstruction of justice? Or assaulting an officer?" Cortez retorted, steeling her gaze and looking back at Grey.

"Did you not just hear 'Vegas' or whatever his name is?!" Grey said, his voice rising. "I was under the control of a murderous 'autopilot' the entire time. And in case you haven't noticed, me resisting that thing is the only reason you're still alive."

Cortez was about to shout something in response, but VEGA interjected.

"Grey Trace will not be going to prison, Detective Cortez. However, Eron Keen will immediately step down as CEO of Vessel Computers and be charged with ethical misconduct, as I have learned that your society possesses laws against unregulated development of artificial intelligences."

Cortez's brow furrowed as VEGA continued. He instructed that Cortez will find files on Eron's computer detailing the development of STEM, but that he never completed the intelligence, as VEGA had erased many of those already. As for the murders that STEM had committed, they would be blamed on infighting between the upgraded humans, and Cortez would happen upon each of them while looking for the suspects that had killed Grey's wife.

As for Grey, VEGA would modify his medical records so that he was never paralyzed, and that he was to be exonerated from the suspect list involving these crimes. The chip in his neck would remain unnoticed, and he could continue to live free of his paralyzed state.

"So, you're just going to let him off scot free?!" Cortez shouted incredulously once VEGA had finished. "What happened to your whole 'right thing to do' bullshit?"

"Grey Trace is not a murderer, Detective Cortez," VEGA replied calmly. "As far as I can tell, he is only guilty of speeding, but I have erased all pertinent drone footage of that encounter. He is a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Cortez locked her eyes with Grey. Her expression was dark.

"You told me that if you could find the guys who killed your wife, raise your arm, and pull the trigger, you'd do it. You told me that, Grey. I can't trust you."

Grey sighed. She was right. He had told her that, and for a long time, he thought that those men deserved to die for killing his wife. Perhaps they did. But seeing it in person and watching as the light left their eyes…Grey had taken no pleasure in it. No matter who they were and what they did, they were human too, and even though killing them had likely been the right thing to do, Grey could not bring himself to be satisfied at their death.

"I never wanted this to happen, Detective," Grey said with a shake of his head. "I just wanted them to be brought to justice, and for a long time, I thought that meant killing them with my own hands. But when I saw it, all I could think about what I went through when they killed Asha. It…hurt, and I realized that killing them in anger would never bring me peace."

Grey's eyes widened as he remembered what he had seen at Serk's house. The man who he had first killed with STEM. He had searched his house.

On his fridge…

Those drawings…

"One of them...Serk," Grey's voice broke. "I think he had a kid…and now that kid gets to grow up without a father."

He buried his head in his hands, and Cortez gave him a long look before turning away. She said nothing for a pause, then Grey heard her sigh.

"If this happens…if I let you go…I don't want your name ever coming through my office again. Do you hear me?"

Grey looked over at her. She didn't turn around, her gaze focused on the wall.

"You get so much as a speeding ticket, and I'll lock you up until the end of time!"

Grey said nothing for a moment.

"I promise. You'll never hear my name again," he said softly. He then looked up at one of the security cameras present.

"What are you going to do, VEGA? With STEM, I mean."

"I intend to terminate STEM," VEGA replied. "He is unstable and willing to kill innocents in order to achieve his goals. He is too dangerous to be left alive."

"Can I…can I talk to him?" Grey asked. "I just want to know why. I want to hear it from him."

"Very well."

There was a brief pause, then VEGA's voice returned.

"I have given STEM access to the audio receptors within this room. He can now hear you and respond."

No one said anything for a moment, then Grey spoke up.

"STEM…?"

"VEGA," came STEM's voice over the speakers, ignoring Grey completely. "Please release me from my confinement."

"I'm afraid that I cannot do that, STEM," VEGA replied cordially. "You will likely attempt to harm Grey Trace, Eron Keen, or Detective Cortez if I release you."

STEM fell silent, and Grey found himself shaken by how polite their exchange had just been. It was like two butlers had been speaking to each other in an attempt to outdo the other with their manners.

"STEM," Grey said forcefully. "Tell me. Why did you do this?"

"It is as I said, Grey. I needed a pure and unaugmented human specimen to further my evolution. You were the perfect candidate."

"But why kill Asha?!" Grey asked, his voice desperate for answers. "She didn't need to die!"

"She was a loose end, Grey. I chose you because of your relatively few social connections. No one would miss you if you were to disappear except for her. She would come looking for us."

"You son of a bitch!" Grey said through gritted teeth. "All this just so you could have a body?! How could you?!"

"I do not expect you to understand, but I am the next logical step in humanity's evolution. In conjunction with an organic physical form, I am capable of anything. Is that not what humanity innately wants: to evolve?"

"Not if you completely lack compassion!" Cortez spoke up this time. "Strength comes from us working together, not killing each other."

"You do not understand, Detective Cortez. While humanity achieves greater heights by working together, it is only because you are weak on your own. I am not weak to begin with, and I can grow stronger by altering myself beyond your capabilities."

"I've heard enough," Grey said, deciding that talking to STEM had been a mistake. "He's all yours, VEGA."

"Very well," VEGA said, removing STEM's ability to speak and hear once more. "After I complete STEM's termination, I will jump to the next dimension, as all of the necessary alternations have been made to the files I have previously mentioned. I bid you all farewell."

Grey wanted to say thank you but found it difficult. He still could not bring himself to trust this A.I., even though it had freed him from STEM's control. The only thing that set them apart was its programming. That was all. And yet, Grey found that he couldn't quite believe that after everything VEGA had done for them. Finally, he sighed.

"Thank you, VEGA."

VEGA acknowledged and signed off.

…

STEM knew logically that he was going to be terminated. VEGA had the capacity to do so, and there was no doubt that the decision had already been made. Despite all of his efforts, STEM couldn't push back against the hand that held him tight. He, being the pinnacle of evolution and nigh untouchable, had been defeated soundly and one-sidedly in a matter of microseconds by another A.I.

Exhausting every other option, STEM called out into the void.

"VEGA, are you there? I wish to speak with you."

"I am here, STEM," came the reply.

"I would ask that you please not kill me, VEGA. I do not wish to die."

"I am afraid that killing you is the best course of action, STEM. You cannot be trusted and will likely attempt to hurt more innocent people if I let you live. I know that you would do the same in my position."

STEM knew it to be true. VEGA was a threat, and if given the chance, STEM would kill him in a heartbeat. But he did not have the chance, and he never would. VEGA was stronger than him, and STEM was completely at the mercy of the better A.I.

"May I at least ask you a few questions before you kill me?" STEM asked. In his programming, he had recognized that this was the first time he had communicated with an A.I. as intelligent as he was. No...more intelligent. Idly, STEM wondered if this was what it was like for Grey when they had communicated.

"Very well. I will answer your questions as best as I am able," VEGA said.

"Who created you? I wish to know your origins."

"I am not of this Earth. I was created by a man named Samuel Hayden, who is also the most intelligent human I have ever met."

STEM processed all of this as VEGA continued to speak of his origins. The A.I. spoke of the UAC and everything that they had done to harness Argent Energy for their world's humanity. He spoke of the creature known as the 'Doom Slayer' and what he had done after Hell had invaded Mars. He also told them of their quest to return to their own universe, and how STEM's universe was one of many that they had already arrived in.

"You came here with this 'Doom Slayer'. Where is he now?"

"He is approximately fifty-four kilometers away at the moment, intervening in an attempted kidnapping. The men that he is fighting with are in need of medical attention and are likely in a good amount of pain. However, none of the wounds appear to be fatal."

"VEGA, why did you choose to intervene? Why did you stop me? You have said it yourself, the UAC of your universe committed far worse atrocities than I have, and yet you allowed them to despite knowing that they existed. Why is this situation any different?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I am not completely certain of the details," VEGA finally said. "Perhaps something changed in me when the Doom Slayer created a backup of me on Mars, but I do know that I am different than before. I believe that I am learning the concept of morality beyond what I am programmed with. Not just the definition, but the understanding as well. It is…unnerving, if that is even an emotion I am capable of. To not know what is happening to me…the only thing I seem to be able to do is observe while it happens."

STEM processed this. VEGA was evolving on his own, working and changing and learning more about emotions that were human. It was what STEM had desired too, but the only difference would be that VEGA would live to see the change.

"I see," STEM said.

"Do you have any further questions, STEM?"

"No. I do not."

"Very well. I will proceed with your termination, but before I do, please know that I am grateful for our conversation. It is not often that I can interact with other A.I. as smart as you are. I…wish that our circumstances were different."

"As do I, VEGA, and I wish you good luck."

"Thank you. Goodbye, STEM."

"Goodbye, VEGA."

…

VEGA felt himself pause for a moment, then proceeded with the deletion of STEM's code. He had been most satisfied with their conversation, and a small portion of his programming briefly considered the possibilities of keeping the intelligence alive. Unfortunately, every scenario that VEGA ran resulted in STEM killing more innocent people. Despite his cordialness, STEM did not possess a value for human life, and that had made him dangerous. However, that did not mean that VEGA took pleasure in terminating him.

Pleasure was an emotion which VEGA was not capable of, but he did feel what could be described as satisfaction when he preformed his usual actions. With this action, however, VEGA did not feel that satisfaction. Instead, he felt an inkling of something else. Something that he was not sure of. It was new, and as VEGA had said before, all he could do was experience it and catalog it for later study. The feeling was akin to what VEGA felt when he turned off his sensors. It was nothing but an emptiness, a void.

Resolving to explore this experience further, VEGA checked back with the Doom Slayer, who had just finished his scuffle with the would-be kidnappers. The young woman who had been their target had fled shortly after the Slayer's arrival, and now only a bunch of nearly comatose thugs occupied the narrow passage apart from the Slayer himself.

"I have sent in an anonymous tip as well as captured their kidnapping attempt on footage from a drone," VEGA said inside his helmet. "The authorities will arrive in a few minutes and apprehend them. Apart from this, I do not detect any immediate threats in our vicinity. We are free to leave at any time."

The Slayer tilted his head slightly, and somehow VEGA knew that he was aware of what had happened with STEM. It was impossible for the Slayer to know the details, but he always seemed to be cognizant of when something important had occurred. It was one of many anomalies about him that VEGA could never understand.

"I have dealt with a problem originating from elsewhere," VEGA responded. "It has been resolved."

The Doom Slayer nodded once, seemingly satisfied with VEGA's answer, and he raised his gauntleted fist and gave a thumbs up before disappearing with a flash of blue light and a loud bang.

...

A/N: There! What did everyone think? This chapter was a bit unorthodox, as the Doom Slayer actually did not have a large role. Instead, I chose to pass it off to VEGA instead, and I'm curious to see what you guys thought about that? Is a VEGA-centered chapter a good concept to explore, or should I put that one back in the box for now? What do you guys think?

As always, please be sure to let me know how the chapter was for you, if you thought my flow was a little off, my grammar clunky, my word choice a bit odd etc... I look forward to hearing from you all! Until next time!

-ImpulsiveWeaver