Church's Crusade #24: A tale of the past

"You all know that each Freelancer was partnered with an AI,' said Penny, 'What you probably hadn't heard is that the AI's were not always accepted."

Church looked up quickly, "Accepted?"

"What I mean is that the AI's were not always compatible with the Freelancer's mind. If the AI's didn't fit the profile, then the mind rejected it. The first generation of AI's were very simple programs meant primarily to help with system hacking and to give advice on targets and difficult situations. However, they had almost no actual personality of their own and the mind rejected them in almost every case."

"Almost every case?' enquired Anna.

"There was one who had just enough of a personality to be accepted. His designation was Gamma and was assigned to-"

"Freelancer Wyoming,' cut in Church.

Penny nodded, "That's right. Anyway, it soon became apparent that the first generation AI's were largely a failure. The Freelancer Programme was nearly scrapped at that point however one of the programmers finally figured out that what was really needed was an AI with a personality, a mind of its own. So they began to work on a new generation of AI's."

"So they just reused the old designation? What was the old Omega like?"

"There was no 'old' Omega. The programmers seemed to have some sort of taboo against using that designation originally. Something about Omega meaning 'resistance'. Anyway the programmers started working on the second generation AI's. These were somewhat more human in their personalities and perceptions, which is understandable since when they created each one the programmers did a cranial scan and combined it with the most compatible first generation AI. York's AI, Delta was one of them, as is Sigma,' she looked over to the corner to where Sigma was smoking a transparent cigarette, 'However, one operative would not accept any AI combination they tried. A young Freelancer who represented the state of Nevada."

"Tex."

"Yes. In any ordinary case they would have replaced Tex. However, she was the best operative in the program. Not to mention the programmers found the whole thing very intriguing. Think about it. A mind in so much conflict that they will reject even portions of their own psyche."

"Psyche?"

"I'm a psychologist in my spare time. Anyway after exhausting all other possibilities, it was concluded that what was required was not an AI that would work as a partner to it's assigned operative, but one that would completely dominate the operative's mind."

"So they created Omega."

"Yes. The perfect overall operative. However they did something else as well. I don't know who it was that came up with the idea originally, but soon it was being debated by the heads of the Freelancer Programme. They had made certain…support systems for the Freelancers."

Anna looked up, frowning, "What sort of support systems?"

Penny sighed, "If you must know…missiles, long range chemical weapons, that sort of thing. So anyway they made the weapons and put them within a massive facility. This could be activated by anyone who had the right codes if necessary. But just as a precaution they put some emergency deactivation codes into the data that made up Omega. After all, who better to look after them than the most deadly operative in known history?"

"So let me get this straight. Omega had codes built into him, that if someone ever started using those weapons could have saved thousands of people? Did he know about them?"

"No, they were coded in at a sub-conscious level."
"And let me guess, some guy is trying to get hold of these weapons and you're trying to get hold of the codes to stop him before he does?"

Penny looked surprised, but also slightly impressed, "How did you know that?"

Anna laughed, "You'd be surprised at how often that happens around here."

"Well if I can't find Omega, do you know where I can find someone who has been possessed by him?"

Silence greeted this statement. Then Church smiled and said, "You know what, I think we might be able to help you there…"

Several minutes had passed. Penny looked up at them, "So let me see if I'm understanding this right. Almost every person in this canyon was possessed by Omega at some point."

"Yup, although he preferred the name O'Mally at that point."

"How did it affect you guys?"

"Well with most people it was just a huge increase in violent behaviour. But there were some variations. Caboose started making all sorts of threats to everyone and when O'Mally was removed he became a lot stupider and had a tendency to go berserk. Doc became sort of schizophrenic."

"And you?"

"Me? Oh I wasn't affected at all."

Penny looked surprised again, "How is that possible?"

"Fucked if I know. Maybe it's because I've been a ghost for so long."

"There's no such thing as ghosts."

"Tell that to my body over their,' said Anna's voice.

Penny looked at Anna in confusion, "Anna?"

"No, Church,' said Church before stepping out of Anna's body and walking calmly back to his. Anna shivered and glared at him, "Could you not do that. It makes me really uncomfortable."

"Sorry."

Church turned back to look at Penny's wide open mouth, "So, what do you need a formerly possessed individual for?"

Penny realised that she looked stupid and replied, "Well O'Mally will have left…what would you call it? a data foot print. If I can get hold of the helmet of someone who had him inside their head then Sig and myself can do a sort of digital resurrection. Then we can get the codes from him and be on our way."

Church nodded, "Okay, we can get started on that just as soon as the rest of the team gets back."

"Gets back? From where?"

"Well Doc went to higher ground to get a better signal for his next medical journal transmission, so he should be back soon. Paul is off in the rift scavenging more metal and weapons components. Rourke…were not sure where he went, but he said he would be back before 1800 hours. And Tucker and Sister, well we haven't seen them for a few days now, but we figure we should be able to hear them if we get close. So all things considered it shouldn't take more than a week."

"A week! I don't have a week. I need to get this done now!"

Church held up his hands in a gesture of supplication, "Easy. There's no reason to rush…unless of course there's something you have forgotten to tell us."

Penny looked at them calmly, "No, I've told you everything. I just want to get this done and-"

"You might as well tell them Penny."

Everyone looked around to where Sig was sitting, idly looking at the simulated scratches on his armour, "Your keeping the secret just for the sake of having a secret. Not a good move."

Penny glared at Sig then sighed, "Alright, there is one thing I didn't tell you…"

The characters Church, Caboose, Tucker, Simmons, Sarge, Grif, Sister, Donut and Doc are owned by Rooster Teeth Productions.