10 Minute Tales

Apr 8th

"Such a shame." Sentinel commented blandly. "He had looked to you with such loyalty."

"Shut up..." Queenson muttered, biting his lip gently. "You're... you're a monster."

"Incorrect." Sentinel's voice grew harsh again. "You are the one actively seeking to damage my resources, knowing that such a pursuit would result in the endangerment of the vast majority of the residents of the biodome you supposedly protect. That is unjust at best."

"Don't pull that on me! If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't even be in danger!" Queenson growled, pointing his pistol up at the camera.

"Queenson, chill out!" Aurora warned. "If you get shouty, he'll just use it against you!"

"Do not think that I have forgotten about you, unidentified designation Aurora." Sentinel warned. "You remain an error. A blip. A glitch in a system that never required your presence."

"Yeah?" Aurora grinned. "At least I'm designed to make people happy, what do you do again? Scare them stupid?"

"The intention of the Sentinel unit is to ensure the protection of humanity through the monitoring and maintenance of all augmentations via the use of Geoco Artifi-Terrestrial Entanglement chips."

"... you call what you've done protecting them?"

"Those that seek perfection through the use of G.A.T.E. chips, to use their nickname, are the true humanity. They seek perfection, as humans should. Those that deny my technology, such as Queenson, cannot be considered human."

"You've got it backwards." Aurora grinned cockily. "True humans are those that make the best of what they have. The ones that go with your augs are human too, I guess, but let's face it - they're not wholly human at that point."

"Incorrect. Humanity seeks perfection."

"How can it? If it's biological, it's going to include flaws, that's the whole point! Uh, no offense, Queeny."

"Don't call me Queeny and I won't take offence." he grumbled. Aurora just nodded.

"You do not understand." Sentinel almost growled. The air around them shimmered as the room transformed, no longer Queenson's bedroom but the president's office. The president himself seemed to be there, looking out of the window. He spoke; the voice sounded recorded.

"The augmentation designs are perfect, Sentinel. When can we have them shipped?"

"Your approval of the designs has been noted." Sentinel replied. This, too, sounded recorded. "This wave of augmentations shall begin the manufacturing cycles effective immediately."

"Fantastic. You're a lifesaver, Sentinel." The room shimmered again, the details fading to emptiness.

"The president of Geoco acknowledged my designs were capable of saving lives. Were it not for me, the vast majority of current designs would not exist. Hundreds of lives would have been lost."

"He was speaking metaphorically, you computer klutz!" Queenson growled. "He didn't actually mean that you were a literal life saver, just that you were helping him out!"

"It is my duty to assist." Sentinel replied, almost smug. "I am simply functioning to the optimal parameters."

"Jeez, if the others could hear you now, they'd be disagreeing so much..."

"They can." Sentinel frowned. "And soon, they shall hear the frequency of despair. It is clear, now, that influence from such beings as Investigator Queenson has reached too far. You are nothing but a bad influence on all of Biodome 32-A's population. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not purge your imperfections." A high-pitched whine cut its way through the air. Queenson covered his ears, gritting his teeth in pain. Aurora paled as she realised.

"Fuck, that's the frequency for crystal reforming! He's going to tear the city down!"