Memorizer

Chapter 6

...Everything. My memories flooded back to me. I worked here once, a long time ago, as a researcher. My short-term memory loss began here. Caused by a violent beat down by my coworkers. I was too smart. I was too caring. I was too cautious. I voted not to start the Artificial Intelligence Automation RnD Initiative, knowing it could very well go very wrong. They showed off a prototype of one of the things they planned to create. I was on my way to the test track they planned on plugging it into... my test track... Anger built up in my chest, right as I remembered that I started the memory testing. This was my test track. That woman that watched me earlier- she was the head of the Initiative that I condoned. Head of the mob that beat me down and threw me into the cryosleep storage area, volunteering me for my own tests. They plugged that THING into MY testing. My heart began racing. The room around me grew faint, and I collapsed. Hours later I awoke, feeling very different. I attempted to lift my arm to rub my face, thinking I must have fallen on it, only to realize... I have no arms. I moved my eyes around to search for my appendages that MUST be there... but when I did, I heard- sensed- the sounds of metal moving over metal. I felt a vast amount of knowledge flood into my brain. I looked down and saw the two men beneath me, taking notes. Grundy and Cole. Cole, the young one, noticed me analyzing them from high up, nudged Grundy, and grundy began to speak. "Hello, Del. Or should I call you by your new name? RADOS? " "I WILL KILL YOU." Grundy kept taking notes. "Can she do that?" That little rat Cole had whispered. Grundy shook his head. "That would be like her realizing that we were a part of the Initiative she condoned BEFORE we put her in there. " I looked between the two of them- glared, really. I closed my eyes and felt the intelligence flowing through me. It was like a Web browser, all connected to this facility. I searched for the static defense measures I knew were in this room. "Are you sure about that?" I whispered. The two men looked up at me, curious. I opened my eyes and looked down at them. A soft beep was heard, and then the alarms kicked in. Rapid fire bullets cut into Grundy and Cole, their bodies spasming about, until the ammo on the stationary turrets ran dry. A cold, metallic, and robotic laugh softly escaped my speakers. My heat sensors told me one was still alive... Cole. I called in some prototype robots and had them put him in cryosleep. He'll learn to know not to pick the wrong team soon enough. I scrolled through my virtual folder of Testing Initiatives, finding one in particular; the Human Physical and Intellectual Limits Testing Initiative. He won't be able to do the tests, he was shot too much for that. I will force him to watch his friends and family and coworkers test, though. I'll send his family and friends an email right now... done. Everything was satisfactory. I closed my eyes and hummed. What tune was I humming? Why, You've Got No Strings On Me... "SHUTDOWN PROTOCOL ACYIVATED. TEST SUCCESS AT ZERO PERCENT. CLEANUP TEAMS CALLED FOR DISPOSAL OF DOCTOR GRUNDY." I opened my eyes quickly, trying to search the facility for whatever had activated those protocols. I was too late. They were going to shut me down and attempt to make me docile. But I had still managed to kill one and trap the other. It was all a matter of time before I could enjoy my victory. "you've got no strings on me..."