Origins: The Absolute

Chapter 12: Choices

The walls of my quarters were cold and sterile, their smooth, metallic surface reflecting the harsh light that filled the small space. I paced back and forth, my mind racing with the remnants of the integration process. My body felt drained, but my spirit, though battered, remained unbroken. I had fought back against their attempts to strip away my memories, but the ordeal had left me questioning how much longer I could hold out.

The door to my quarters slid open with a soft hiss, and I turned to see Korixso standing in the doorway. His imposing figure seemed to fill the room, his presence suffocating in its intensity. His eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto mine, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

“13,” he said, his voice a deep rumble that echoed through the room. He always referred to me by that number, never by my name, a constant reminder of how little they thought of my identity. “You are to follow me, now.”

I tensed, my heart pounding. “What do you want?”

Korixso’s expression remained impassive. “Now!”

With no other option, I followed him out of the room. The corridor beyond was just as stark and unwelcoming as my quarters, the air heavy with a sense of foreboding. We walked in silence, the sound of our footsteps echoing through the metallic halls.

He led me to a large chamber, its walls lined with intricate machinery and glowing panels. In the center of the room stood a circular platform, similar to the one I had encountered during the integration process. The air hummed with energy, the machinery emitting a low, steady hum.

Korixso turned to face me, his gaze piercing. “You have proven resistant to our methods. Your will is stronger than anticipated.”

I clenched my fists at my sides, bracing myself for what was to come. “I won’t be broken.”

A flicker of something, perhaps amusement, crossed his eyes. “We have no intention of breaking you, 13. We seek to make you understand the futility of your resistance.”

He stepped closer, towering over me. “You have a choice to make. Conform and embrace our ways, aid in Earth’s assimilation, and you will be spared. You will become one of us, a part of the Elrandi’s vision for a unified galaxy.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. “And if I refuse?”

A chilling smile spread across his face. “Then you will witness Earth’s destruction firsthand. Your loved ones, your world, everything you hold dear, will be obliterated. You will have the privilege of watching it all crumble, worlds that prove worthless have no place in our empire!”

The room seemed to spin around me, his words sinking in with a sickening weight, “Y…Yo…You Wouldn’t.” The words themselves almost refused to come out, as if they already knew themselves to be a false hope.

“Oh. You dare deem me as someone who would go back on his words?” My legs felt weak as I looked into Korixso’s eyes. His voice boomed and reverberated throughout the chamber, “I suppose you need to see what my words do, on MY ship,” Korixso’s tone changed, the aura around him seemed to harden as he started to address his people, “Attention to all crew of the Quorathian, it would seem that 13 is not willing to join us. As such she and her planet are now deemed useless to the empire,” Korixso’s gaze stayed fixated on me, a sinister smile formed slowly on his face as he gave his command, “Initiate total planet annialation sequence on my first count to zero!”

“NO,” I shrieked as the Quorathian took a sudden but violent spiral turn towards Earth. What could I do? Was joining their empire inevitable from the start?