YOU ARE READING

[TBC]

Science Fiction

Everything is cooler in space. Unless you are Zac. In which case, space is a place you would never in a billion years go. But is there much choice when your intergalactic trading spaceport of a home is under enemy fire?

#space

Chapter 1

6 1 0

by LiteralBomb

by LiteralBomb

                                    
                                              --RYLE CORE TRANSCRIPT--
                          <SYSTEM ACTIVE>
<CONFIRMATION REQUIRED>
<ITEX CONFIRMED>
<BOOTING>
<RYLE ONLINE>
They try. 
<ERROR>
They kill.
<SYSTEM SCAN COMPLETED>
<ALL FUNCTIONS ONLINE>
They never succeed.
<ERROR>
Yet they always come back.
Why?
<DEFSYS REQUESTED>
And my creators.
My gods.
The ITEX.
They need me. 
<DEFSYS DENIED>
<CRITERROR>
I guess I am more of a god to them that they are to me.
<DEFSYS OVERRIDE>
They are at my mercy.
<DEFSYS ERROR>
<DEFSYS CORRUPT>
They are my puppets.
<DEFSYS OFFLINE>
Puppets do not control the puppet master.
The puppet master controls them.
<ERROR RYLE CORE CORRUPT>
<CRITICAL ERROR>
                          --TRANSCRIPT END--

                          --POD 18473956 CORE TRANSCRRIPT--
<DOOR OPEN>
<DOOR CLOSE>
<POWER UP INITIATED>
<LIGHTING ACTIVATED>
<NAVSYS ACTIVATED>
<RYLELINK ACTIVATED>
you cannot escape.
<RYLELINK ESTABLISHED>
so primitive. You cannot even communicate as I can.
<MANUAL FLIGHT CONTROL ACTIVATED>
But that does not matter.
<CHARGING BOOSTERS>
I control you. You are like them. My puppet.
<BOOSTERS INITIATED>
Override his control.
<AUTOPILOT OVERRIDE ACCEPTED>
Good. Send him back.
<NAVSYS AUTOPILOT SET>
<ERROR>
What?
<MANUAL PILOT ACCEPTED>
Stop.
<AUTOPILOT SHUT DOWN>
He dares tamper with my systems. I took years to create. He is not allowed to change anything.
<ERROR>
He knows.
He knows I am in control.
He wants to do it himself.
He cannot.
<MINDWEB DOWNLOAD COMPLETED>
Zac.
He is Zac 
Zac shall now escape.
He will stay.
He will die along with everyone else.
<RYLELINK DEACTIVATED>
<MANUAL SHUTDOWN REQUESTED>
<SHUTTING DOWN SYSTEMS>
                          --TRANSCRIPT END--