Veil of Circuits

Chapter 6: A Sister's Choice

Lily Chen's fingers hovered over the holographic keyboard, her eyes fixed on the lines of code flickering across the display. The cramped confines of the Circuit Breaker hideout hummed with nervous energy, but Lily felt strangely detached. For weeks, she had thrown herself into this work, convinced of its necessity. Now, on the brink of activation, doubt gnawed at her resolve.

A memory surfaced, unbidden. Her father's voice, warm and encouraging: "Lily-flower, your robots are amazing. You have a gift for creating AI that can truly help people." She remembered the pride in his eyes as she demonstrated her latest creation – a small, agile robot designed to assist in delicate surgeries. That was before the accident, before AI became the enemy in her mind.

Lily shook her head, trying to banish the conflicting emotions. She couldn't afford doubt. Not now. Not when they were so close.

"Lily," a voice crackled through her earpiece. "Status report."

The Preservationist. Dr. Marcus Wei. Once her father's research partner, now the driving force behind Circuit Breaker. Lily suppressed a shudder, remembering the day she had discovered his true identity. The shock of realizing that the masked figure who had given her purpose was the same man who had argued so vehemently against her father's AI research.

"Final preparations are underway," she reported, forcing steadiness into her tone. "The virus is primed for deployment. Once activated, it will infiltrate the city's AI network, giving us full control."

"Excellent work," Wei replied, satisfaction evident even through the voice modulator. "You've done humanity a great service, Lily. Your parents would be proud."

Lily flinched. Images flashed unbidden – twisted metal, shattered glass, the cold finality of a hospital corridor. The AI-controlled vehicle that had taken her parents from her. It was that tragedy that had set her on this path, fueling her determination to protect humanity from the growing threat of artificial intelligence.

But as she gazed at the virus – her creation, her weapon – a small voice in the back of her mind whispered doubts. Was this really protection, or vengeance? Was this the future her parents would have wanted?

Another memory surfaced. Her mother, gently chiding her father after a heated debate with Wei: "John, you can't ignore Marcus's concerns entirely. AI development needs checks and balances." Her father's response: "Of course, love. But progress can't be halted by fear. We need to guide AI, not stifle it."

Lily's hands trembled slightly as she continued her work. She had been so certain, so driven by her pain and fear. But now, faced with the reality of what she had created, doubt crept in like a persistent virus.

"Lily," Wei's voice cut through her thoughts. "There's someone here you need to see."

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the figure being escorted in – her sister, Zoe. Lily's stomach churned. She had known this moment would come, but she wasn't prepared for the reality of facing her sister. Not like this.

Zoe's eyes widened as they landed on Lily. "Lil?" she gasped, struggling against her captors. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Lily steeled herself, forcing her voice to remain cold. "Hello, Zoe. Welcome to Circuit Breaker."

The shock and betrayal on Zoe's face cut deep. Lily wanted to run to her sister, to explain everything, to make her understand. But she couldn't. Not now. Not when they were so close to achieving their goal.

"Lily, please," Zoe pleaded, her voice breaking. "Whatever you think you're doing, it's not too late to stop. We can figure this out together."

For a moment, Lily wavered. The love and concern in Zoe's eyes threatened to crumble the walls she had built around her heart. But then she remembered the pain, the loss, the years of feeling like she was losing her humanity piece by piece to the encroaching tide of AI.