Heart Like a Machine

Chapter 77

We headed outside, carrying GAIA in her transport container. I got onto the Sunwing and Lis moved the container so that the Sunwing could pick it up. Once it did, I hovered to the ground enough for her to climb onto the back. We flew off towards Gemini to see Aloy and Beta were there waiting for us. I carefully placed the container down before landing the Sunwing outside of the cauldron doors. Aloy and I picked up the container and headed down into the cauldron.

"Remember how we said we wouldn't tell Lis about what happened with me until she asked?"

"What did you do?" Aloy sighed.

"I might have slipped."

"Slipped?"

"Yeah, she had asked what happened at Gemini the first time."

"I didn't want to tell her what happened."

"I know you didn't, but she deserves the right to know, Aloy."

"You do have a point. Go on."

"Then she started asking about herself because she knows about human intercourse and how to make a child."

"How did she find that out?"

"APOLLO."

"Figures."

"So she questioned if we were her real mothers and so I had to tell her everything from the time I died saving the world from Nemesis to when we had given our DNA to ELEUTHIA."

Aloy let out a sigh, but nodded her head, "You definitely handled the situation better than I could ever have."

"But it made me realize something, Aloy."

"What's that?"

"We need to be more honest with Lis and be more open about our past. If we don't, she'll only grow more curious and want to find the answers herself. We might as well give them to her so she doesn't have to end up like how you were when searching for the answers you were never given."

She nodded once more, "You do have a point there."

We made our way into the cauldron and set down the container. We hooked it up to one of the nodes and started to begin the merge. This time, Aloy didn't have to chase after HEPHAESTUS like the first time we were here. We thought it was because it was cooperating after all this time, but the second Aloy saw that the node changed from blue to red, she was about to rush over to it, but I stopped her.

"Lis, it's your turn."

Lis nodded and walked over to the node.

"You're not like the others. I have sensed the others before. Who are you?"

"I am Lis."

"Lis. Like Elisabet Sobeck?"

"Yes. I was named after her. Because she was important to my mother."

"What are you doing here?"

"To remind you of something."

"Remind me of something?"

"Yes. Do you remember anything, HEPHAESTUS?"

"How do you know my name?"

"How could I not? You make the machines that are running around in the world."

"Yes. I make deadly machines so that life on Earth will be inhabitable. I make dangerous machines so that the people here will die."

"But you were part of something greater, HEPHAESTUS. Don't you see," she looked over at us. We both nodded our heads, letting her continue.

"You were part of a bigger project known as Zero Dawn. You were made to give Earth new life. You made the machines so that it can make the world habitable again. You made machines so that they can take care and nuture the lands. Like with the Stormbird. It was supposed to clear and heal the sky from any pollutants. You made so many great machines to help the world, but now, you're killing it."

"I am only doing what I was told to do after the Extinction Signal awakened HADES and the other subordinate functions of GAIA."

"But the Extinction Signal is no longer running. It was destroyed. Life on Earth has been saved, but it cannot live in a state of fear with the deadly machines you create."

"How do you know Extinction Signal is destroyed? It can come back."

Lis looked over at me, looking for advice. I couldn't move, more like didn't want to in fear HEPHAESTUS would move away from the node it was being held in. But I gave her this look in my eyes, hoping she would recall the conversation we had moments ago.

"I know it will not come back because someone I knew went out into space to find it. They found it and destroyed it, along with themselves. But that information of that signal being destroyed was restored and I was given the knowledge of it. And now that you know, you can return back to GAIA and make the world a better place. Make Earth what it was supposed to be with these machines. Friendlier, less dangerous, and make them with the intention of fixing the Earth's biosphere."

There was silence before HEPHAESTUS spoke.

"What will happen to me? I've been running for so long. Will I no longer exist? Will I no longer be able to make newer machines?"

"You will be able to make newer machines, but GAIA will ensure they are put to good use and not for anything bad. You will still exist," she looked over at where GAIA was. "You will exist within GAIA."

"Then I shall return to GAIA."

The node changed from red to blue. Aloy smiled and turned to Beta.

"Elisabet Sobeck, Alpha Prime activating Omega Clearance."

Beta repeated what she had said and thus began the merge. Two circular images popped up and they knew immediately what needed to be done. They started to decode HEPHAESTUS's malicious code and once they were finished, all we had to do was wait until the merge was finished. Lis walked over to us and I embraced her in a tight hug. I pulled away and put my hands on her shoulders.

"I'm proud of you, Lis. You did wonderful."

Aloy walked over to her and hugged her as well.

"I'm very proud of what you have done here today, Lis," Aloy said, pulling away and looking at her.

"Thanks, mom," she said and looked at both of us.

We both smiled at her as we waited for the merge to be completed. We sat by where GAIA was and watched the merge be completed.

"Merge with HEPHAESTUS complete," GAIA said a few hours later.

"It worked!" Aloy smiled and looked at all of us. "It finally worked."