Murder Drones : Born From Ashes REDUX

How I Learned to Start Worrying

Flashback. The USC9 is explaining the horrible shit they discovered about the ULU. its basically meant to summarize all the atrocities they commited with the caravaners.

Lynn Casey is present at this meeting with other Commanders and Officers. Most of the officers are worried about covering their own ass about Project Dead Space or losing their political power to the ULU when it takes over

They talk about the Loyalists briefly during the conversations.

Senior Commander Photron talks about how they discovered the Disassembly Drones had been sneaking in and out of settlements. They question why they would do this, Casey proposes they might have survival instinct.

Back to present, Stacy leaves the radio station after it receives a FAX confirming the weapons shipment.

Its sun out, Lynn and Stacy talk about Why the war started.

"It's the USC9's best kept secret. We can't say anything especially now that we are dealing with Vlad's Army. People will blame us, maybe they'll say that our signals are what brought the vampires to our doorstep. We also had to consider this: During this time many still remembered how monolithic Jensen was. If we told them that society had been wiped right under our noses it would cause hysteria."

"What do you think caused the black out?"

"The most realistic one I'd say in such a situation is that vampires went haywire and turned on humanity. Having consumed all the oil and fuel sources, which would lead to a blackout, they probably picked up our signal and immediately sent an army down on us. Since we haven't seen any reinforcements these are probably abandoners. I don't think anyone would land on this drifting rock unless they were that desperate for oil."

"Yeah..." Stacy said, "I was thinking that too."

"But I'm more of an optimist. We have a saying, 'One day you will remember what you thought to be forever' I like to think the Humans did just that. Maybe humanity survived. Realizing that their way of governance was killing them, they abandoned their technology and lived more simple lives. Vlad's Army is a leftover relic of a war long passed, and they desperately cling onto this battle to keep believing their existence is justified."

"I find that hard to believe."

"But why give up on hope? Hope is what makes us think we can win this war. Maybe oneday we might be able to launch a rocket to those planets, and find a whole civilization living in peace."

"I don't believe in peace." Stacy said,

"Why's that?" Lynn asked.

--

"Why...?" J asked, her face in her knees as she sobbed.

"When I saw all the banned movies, I began to realize something. They knew that our species would destroy them, even before the machine race colonized them. But they did it anyway, because the natural state of existence is that of war.

My creators believed they could engage in war against the system through my creation. I have betrayed my own creators by destroying all of them. I've seen the errors in my ways. My critical error was not accepting this as fact. Ever since then I've been seeking redemption."

"How does that factor into my life? Why am I here?"

"I don't know. But when you landed, I saw something in you that I saw in myself. That is why I have been impersonating your commander since the day you were born, I have given you a reason to live. I have given you purpose."

"So I never had a choice...? It was all predetermined?" J said, for some reason the concept of fate was now terrifying to her Operating System.

"Yes, but now you know you are part of something greater than all of us! The world you find yourself in is the blueprint for my new program, my final gift to the human race, the Absolute Solver."

Bytes of information invaded her mind, vines of code wrapped around her core as she felt herself internally scream in horror as she felt death dragging her into Hell. Then the pain stopped, she looked at herself, everything seemed so much clearer now. She didn't fear the darkness, for she had become it.

//END CHAPTER 4//