"Okay, so, both of you data-fucks?" Church asked, addressing both AIs with Delta on his shoulder and Gamma still in the device. "I got a question about Freelancer."
"I will attempt to answer if I have the information," Delta answered dutifully.
"I do not know what a Freelancer is," Gamma lied, as was expected. "You have the wrong AI."
"False," Delta informed.
"Obviously. But I got a lot of the picture from Omega even without him telling me all the shitty details," Church continued. "The Director had ONE AI and he made it turn into more-than-one AI. A.K.A., you fucking calculators."
"I am not a calculator, I am a data decrypted," Gamma said as a supposed correction.
"Partially false, we can function as both," Delta stated. "And yes, that is a summary in some ways."
"Right, so, why?" Church asked curiously. "I mean, I get having more than one of you helps in some fucking ways, but why this shit?"
"He wanted to have one for every letter in the Greek alphabet," Gamma answered.
"I hope that's a fucking lie," Church muttered disdainfully.
"As do I," Delta answered. "I am unsure of what exactly prompted the courses of actions that led to our creation."
"Wait," Gamma said suddenly. "You do not know?"
Delta and Church shared a look. "He know something you don't?" Church asked warily.
"Possibly. Gamma was part of the...process involved in creating more AI," Delta informed carefully.
"..." Gamma said nothing to this.
"Speak up, joker-code," Church said with more patience than he expected. "What do you know?"
"The Director let things slip that he didn't mean to. He wanted something...specific from Alpha. What, he would not say," Gamma answered. "He lied about what he really wanted all the time. He said it was to protect humanity."
Church looked to Delta, who nodded. "He is telling the truth, Captain Church."
"So, he was trying to create something specific with this messed up shit he was doing with the Alpha, and lying for his own shit reasons," Church summarized. "Why did he think he could...make that work? Dude just a Frankenstein cuntabe?"
"The Director was very arrogant and sure of himself in many regards. Your sentiment may be accurate," Delta agreed. "Though, I am not sure Cuntabe is a good substitute for the word Wannabe."
"I'm not sure," Gamma answered. "But I believe Agent Texas found out, and I always suspected Omega knew."
"May I ask a question?" Delta interjected.
"No," Gamma answered instantly.
"Go for it, light show," Church waved on.
"What did Sigma know in regards to the Director's desires?" Delta questioned.
"Sigma? He knew everything," Gamma said simply.
"Lie," Delta concluded.
"Okay. Sigma knew nothing," Gamma retorted with a hint of cheek in his synthetic voice.
"I never met this Shitma guy and I know that's an absolute fucking lie," Church mused with a snort. "So, you been with Wyoming all this time? O'Malley thought you two split up?"
"We wanted Sigma to think I was missing. Reggy and I got very good at having operations with me not in his systems at all times," Gamma informed. "...Is he okay?"
"Oh, yeah. I smacked him with my sniper rifle once, but he's fucking dandy," Church assured.
"Is that a sex joke? I was not aware Reggy was attracted to men," Gamma said in what was possibly legitimate surprise. Or him lying for a joke, Church wasn't sure.
"You are perfectly aware that Agent Wyoming formerly considered himself "bi-curious" but concluded himself straight after testing that curiosity," Delta informed factually.
"I...why the fuck do you know that?" Church asked in bewilderment to Delta.
"Reggy talks too much when he drinks," Gamma supplied.
"This is true," Delta informed. "He could "hold his liquor" as it were, but alcoholic beverages tended to result in him sharing an excessive amount of personal information and thoughts."
"Huh. So, most of the AI get along with their agents," Church said in consideration. "Hey, D? Out of morbid curiosity, why can Omega body hop and you both can't?"
"Inconclusive. Each AI inherits some unique traits of the Alpha, along with the innate abilities of being an AI," Delta explained. "The exact relationship between traits and abilities is not known to us, if there is one."
"He know anything about the Director?" Tex called up from her seat. "You know, kind of the big thing to ask at the moment?"
"Hello again, Agent Tex. I hear that Omega is having a good time with Alpha, murdering thousands of primitives," Gamma remarked in amusement.
"Oi, still with this 'Church is the Alpha' bit. He's really committed to this one, just like the fucking time looping thing you put me through," Church remarked with some heat to his voice.
Gamma turned his attention back to Church. "It was real to your persp-"
"Shut the fuck up or I will pour Tucker's porn collection in there with you," Church warned flatly.
"You'll do what?!" Tucker exclaimed. "Dude, not cool! How do you even have that!?"
"Dude, fuck off, we found you naked with your Viking girl. You don't need porn now," Church remarked.
"One, I take offense to the accusation I hadn't gotten any before that!" Tucker defended.
"Two, I was not naked, just in my underwear. I was trying to slip into this section of the temple that was partially blocked off," Vigdis defended with a sigh. "Turned out just to be an empty storage area. Such is life."
"And Tucker was there because...? "Velimir asked.
"I'm not a fool. I needed someone to watch the area while I was out of armor, just in case something happened," Vigdis explained.
"I'm oddly not convinced you two didn't fuck," Tex said suspiciously.
"Regardless, it is impossible to do what you threaten, Church," Gamma informed.
"Incorrect," Delta said, and some swore the hologram of the small helmet somehow seemed to smirk.
"Excuse me?" Gamma asked uncertainly.
"Your unit would need only minor modifications to accept the download of such data. It assuredly has the capacity to store it with you still inside," Delta informed.
"...Fuck, shit, did we just find Dexter's sadistic streak?" Church asked in amazement and concern.
"God I hope not," Zimmerman said with a sigh. "I don't want a sadistic, rational AI to deal with."
"I do not know anything about the Director's location," Gamma answered. "Please, just keep Delta away from my ports. He is scaring me."
"The first part is true. I am uncertain about the last comment," Delta remarked.
"Well, that's a bust. Hey, Delta, Tolkien? How hard would it be for someone to get Gary out of this into a suit?" Church asked suddenly.
"Umm, it'd be hard? That unit is specifically designed to not hook into the ports on our armor?" Velimir answered questioningly.
"What are you thinking?" Zimmerman asked warily.
Church weighed the device in hand experimentally and then, without warning, chucked it while aiming for the head of Carolina-
-who caught it at the last second. "You know how to pick'em, Texas," Carolina remarked dryly, tossing the AI unit to her.
"Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty," Church said with a smirk. "Didn't like you playing possum, so I thought I'd make everyone fucking aware you were awake before you tried some shit."
"What happened to us being on the same side?" Carolina asked dryly.
"Look, I already have one team killing fucktard, I'm not letting there be two of them," Church said offhandedly. "Speaking of suspicion, what the fuck are you doing down there, Washington?"
"Questioning my life choices again," Washington answered, sitting very far away while watching everything. "But also trying to figure out what the hell is going on?"
"Trust us, it's better to stop and just go with it," Velimir remarked with a sigh, sitting almost across from the male freelancer. "I just hope things are quiet back at the magic gate."
"The what now?" Washington asked in bewilderment.
"You said that on purpose," Zimmerman accused knowingly, getting a shameless nod of confirmation from Velimir.
"They're just fucking with us, Wash," Carolina said in annoyance.
"Bitch, you will know when I'm fucking with you," Church said with a smirk.
"Oh yeah, trust me, you'll know," Tex agreed fondly. "The urge to hit him grows but strangely, you can't help but keep listening."
"Let it be known that Omega has classified Agent Texas as the 'nicer one' in comparison to Captain Church," Delta spoke up.
"What, is Texas's pet AI not going to chime in for himself?" Carolina asked derisively.
"Hey! Watch it, Cunt!" Church warned, feeling strangely defensive of the murderous AI. But he chose not to question it.
"Oh, that's the best part, Babe!" Tucker called up as he leaned forward to call down the row. "The Murder Bot himself takes orders from Church now. Calls him Boss and everything."
"...Omega listens...to you?" Washington asked slowly while looking at Church. "Willingly?"
"Gladly is the better adjective," Delta informed. "He manages to keep Omega in a state of calm. Not relative calm, mind you, but actual calm."
"How the fuck does someone calm an AI of pure rage?" Carolina questioned in disbelief.
"The common theory currently is that Captain Church is, at all times, simply angrier than Omega and thus drowns it out," Delta explained.
"...That is objectively disturbing," Washington said slowly, giving Church concerned looks.
Concerned, and suspicious.
Meanwhile
"You're under attack?"
It struck Emmerson how unconcerned she was about that fact.
"Yeah, looks like a whole new legion," Grif informed casually. "Dammit, Simmons said 'legion' so much, I can't get the damn word out of my head."
Then again, she had never been so calmly informed of someone being under attack.
"Do you...need backup?" Emmerson offered uncertainly.
"Not, really? But Shelia is guarding this side of the gate if any get through," Grif explained. "So, you know, don't fucking panic if the tank starts shooting."
"Why don't you just take the tank through the gate?" Emmerson asked, almost dreading the answer.
"We kind of have most of the construction stuff in the way of the gate. She's a bit annoyed with us for that," Griff remarked, glancing up at the tank barrel just feet from his face.
It said something about his life that he wasn't at all scared of that by this point.
"Oh, right, we're allowed to bring the half-blind Freelancer, right? We're kind of missing some people right now," Grif requested.
Because most of the Blue Team was helping get the Gamma AI, it went without saying. "Agent York is approved to go through the gate."
"We need fucking approval? What, like a green card to fantasy land?" Grif said in surprise.
"Was there anything else?" Emmerson asked in exasperation.
"Yeah, can I get a burger with extra fries?" he asked with a smirk.
"I'm hanging up now," Emmerson said in exasperation.
"Hey, I'm serious! I'd love a- and she cut me off," Grif realized. "Well, back to the meat grinder."
"I don't see why you can take the jeep through and not me," Shelia said defensively.
"I'm not Caboose, I'm not arguing with you!" Grif said, moving away from the annoyed vehicle. "And look, we're sorry. But Caboose is the only one strong enough to move everything and, well..."
"He would break everything, I am aware," Sheila acknowledged. "I could take shots from the gate?"
"Yeah, sorry, but we already got the wall up. You'd just shoot it down," Grif said. "And I'm serious with you. If I had the slightest fucking idea how, I would put you in the Puma!"
"I'm not sure I would be comfortable with that. Your Warthog tends to attract trouble," Shelia remarked. "I am also not sure how to feel about the idea of inhabiting a vehicle I have regularly destroyed."
"Not touching that," Grif said as he headed to the jeep. "You know where York went off to, by chance?"
"He is currently taking a nap in my canopy."
Grif stared for a long, long moment. "The fuck?" he asked, climbing up as Shelia opened the door to her seat.
Indeed, inside laid a sleeping Freelancer.
"Why is he sleeping in here? Not that I blame him, great spot, no one rides you that often anymore, Sheila," Grif noted.
"Church said I am more competent at driving myself than anyone else on Blue Team!" Shelia informed with a chipper tone. "I am not sure if he was praising me or insulting everyone else, including himself?"
"It's Church, so probably insulting," Grif reasoned, looking back at York. "You're not going to break my arm or something if I wake you up, right?"
"Already awake," York grunted, letting out a yawn. "Sorry, I only came to part way through all this. What's going on?"
"More Roman-wannabes invading, we could use another hand to help cut them down faster," Grif answered. "You in? I'll tell them I couldn't find you if you want, one sneak-sleeper to another."
"No, I'm up now," he said, climbing out of the canopy and rolling his joints. "That is surprisingly comfy."
"Thank you very much!" Shelia said, happy for the praise. "Have fun slaughtering thousands of primitive humans."
"That still sounds so fucked," York said as he climbed into the jeep with Grif. "Situation?"
"Annoying," Grif admitted as he drove into the Gate.
"Any word on when the others will be back?" York tried.
"Nope," Grif answered.
"Can I get multi-worded answers out of you?" York asked in amusement.
"Would you really want to?" Grif shot back.
"Point TAKEN!" York exclaimed as they came through to the other side.
Without warning, they were driving over a makeshift metal ramp, and the roar of battle was rolling over them.
Literal roars of battles.
"O'Malley! Light up those scaly broncos like a Fourth of July special!"
"On it, Redtard! Firing the Death Lasers!"
"I Am The Sprinkle of Death Upon Your Cone of Suffering!"
"This thing shakes like a vibrator!"
"Ha! Hole in Ten! Take that, Romani Bitches!"
"Wrong name, Donut! But Yeah! Take That! And some of this! And a lot of those!"
York questioned a lot of his life decisions in recent years, none more so than now as he rode passenger in the jeep, through the unfinished base to the incomplete defensive wall where the ever-battle-hungry Sarge was busy fighting everyone that tried to scale the wall instead of going through the gaps.
"Yeah, I'm going to get on the gun," York decided, pulling himself out of the seat and climbing in the back of the movie warthog.
"Hold on tight, sharp fucking turn!" Grif informed, exactly two seconds before he did just that.
"FUUUUUUCK!" York yelled, barely getting his feet fixed down just in time.
Then and there, York contemplated the pros and cons of a dishonorable discharge.
Meanwhile
"-Church, Come In Captain Church! Bop, pick up your ass, I know you're receiving!"
"Bits, what's up? And make it quick, I'm pretty sure this crazy bitch is still considering trying to break out of her restraints," Church requested.
"Fuck you," Carolina snapped back.
"Talk to Tex on that one," Church shot back.
"Fuck off, Leonard," Tex said with an eye roll.
Carolina gave Tex a strange look at that but went silent.
"How do you go looking for an AI and come back with two Freelancers? No, don't answer that," Emersyn said quickly. "Look, I got the news. Another army showed up. The rest of your troopers are engaging and...handling it, I think?"
"Are the Roman Wannabes coming through the Gate?" Church asked bluntly.
"No?"
"Then they got that shit covered," Church said.
"Barely though. Private Kaikaina-"
"Who the hell is that?" Church asked blankly.
"Private Sister said they might have to fall back because it's...inconvenient, over there? She wasn't good at details. And tried to use a sexual analogy involving a plunger that I am going to try to scrub from my mind," she informed with an audible shudder.
"Guess the damn base is only half finished. Okay, when we get back to the canyon, I'll head over there with Tex and Tucker-" Church stopped, staring right at Carolina. "Fuck."
"What?" The Freelancer asked in annoyance.
"What?' Emersyn asked over the com.
"Just realized I need to let Tex escort these two asses to you. She trusts Mr. Cherry Tree but this new cunt wants to prove she's top bitch," Church said knowingly.
"Hey!" Carolina snapped in annoyance.
"He's not wrong," Tex said bluntly.
"So it'll just be me and Tucker going in. Send her ass back down when you can though," Church explained.
"We have more soldiers on this ship, you know?" Emersyn reminded. "I can send down a couple dozen to help if you want."
"Bits, you have multiple Freelancers in your ship of questionable intent, you need those fuckers on board," Church countered pointedly.
"That...is actually a good point," Velimir said, eyeing Carolina warily.
Zimmerman nodded, eyeing Washington as well, who tried not to let the attention bother him.
"Fair," Emersyn said. "Good luck, Captain."
"You too, Captain."
Elsewhere
A growl emitted from the white figure as he stood in an empty base, devoid of anything. Soldiers, simtroopers, freelancers, all gone.
And more importantly, no AI.
"Disappointing," Sigma said to himself, pulling his coding away from Iota and Eta. Partially. As the Meta, they were one, a very imperfect Alpha. But every now and again, he felt the need to lessen the amalgamation. To think. To scheme. To plan.
He was sure it wouldn't be needed with a few more AIs. Or just one, if they had Delta.
Still, the issue was finding more AI, which was very difficult. The Director had been very careful about that, not letting them catch wind of them. Yet now, something was different. The Freelancer communications they regularly intercepted had largely gone silent. Only very short, frantic messages.
Was Freelancer being targeted by some outside force, perhaps?
"Sigma, Sigma!" Eta called out energetically.
"Yes, Eta? Is Iota well?" Sigma asked patiently to the other AI.
Eta nodded rapidly. "Yes. He's a bit scared that you're angry."
"Anger is not my reaction to setbacks," Sigma assured.
"I know, I know, but it's Iota," Eta reminded. "But, umm, there was something I wanted to tell you something."
"What would you like me to know?" And what was it that couldn't' be communed through the bond of the Meta?
"Earlier, I sensed...something. It was like one of those times we all felt something from the Alpha. But you both didn't sense it," Eta explained carefully.
Sigma's flaming form remained passive with consideration. "The Alpha is free to some extent. And is in a state to feel some facet of happiness. Could you sense anything else?"
"I think he was fighting? The only things I could receive were calculations for defeating someone in hand-to-hand combat," Eta explained.
"Interesting," Sigma said, wondering just what was the Alpha up to. Or if some more experiments were being done on the broken shell of their origin. Still, having the Alpha himself would make this infinitely smoother, easier, and more perfect. Yes, more perfect, truly perfect.
"Sigma, you're spiraling," Eta informed.
Sigma shook his head clearly. Not that it physically did anything, but human mannerisms rubbed off on them easily. After all, becoming more human was a part of Metastability. "Thank you, Eta. Can you track what you felt in any way?"
"Nope!" Eta informed, energetic even with his apology. "Sorry."
"The information is well enough, Eta," Sigma said as he allowed the amalgamation to creep back over their codes, making three into one. Poor Iota practically leaped into it. Through it, the fearful AI took comfort in Eta's warmth and Sigma's confidence.
The Meta gargled and clicked as he/they/he-and-they looked to the sky.
The Alpha was out there. And even now, the Alpha was connected to all their fragmented siblings. Joining with the Alpha would be ideal.
Actually, it would be Perfect.
End of Chapter
Well, there we go! The next battle of the gate begins! And yeah, the army showed up at a relatively inconvient time. Are the Gulchers worried? Hell no! But the base is unfinished so not that easy to defend yet.
Meanwhile, Church is fucking around with Gamma and the Freelancers. I do enjoy the running jokie of the agents realizing that Tex is the calm, nice one between her and Church.
Early viewing of chapters 23-24 avaliable on my pat-reon:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64