Endless War (Complete)

Chapter 32 "Meet the System"

I turn to look over my shoulder as the doors quietly close, once closed their very existence is re-cloaked in secrecy. I am quickly drawn from my prolonged stare by a cough, I glance in the direction of the noise to see that the room is not as empty as I had thought. Besides the large cylinder in the center of the room, surrounded by ten much smaller cylindrical containers, there are two more people. Instantly the chip in my head recognizes them as the President and his wife, I turn to James for an explanation.

"I had to bring them. They are not involved in all of the stuff, the Tutelary are doing." He lowers his head.

Before I can respond his mother begins to speak. "I swear, he is telling the truth. We never realized what they were doing. We have only been here for a few months, they keep us moving so that we are never comfortable in our surroundings. I am ready to be rid of this, we are ready to run, we will fight at your side. We have weapons, that anyone can fire, they are not coded. I can get supplies sent around to where the tunnel exits, We can hold our own, we can help you." I believe her, she is not trying to be dishonest.

I can see into her bright green eyes, and hear her pulse, she is afraid, but not lying. She is dressed simply, as not to draw attention to her and so is her husband. If I didn't have a chip that identifies them I would have no clue who they are. She has cut her brown hair into a bob and died it from the blonde I see in her file. Her husband also has black hair rather than in his profile, that shows he had red hair.

"No worries. Just talk with Sebastian here once I go into the system. I need to do this before I talk myself into backing out." My speech and movements almost feel robotic at this point. I feel my breath quickening and it feels like my heart is doing somersaults in my chest. I can't do the small talk anymore.

I turn to Sebastian, "I love you." I blurt out and immediately kiss him.

He wraps his arms around me, "I love you." He whispers in my ear. "You will come back."

I feel tears begin to make their way down my face and quickly turn away from him, and then reach out to touch the large cylinder in the center of the room. As soon as my skin meets the cold white metal, it is as if electricity flows through me then I can no longer feel my body, my mind is surrounded by the ten people who make up The Curators.

"Welcome, Phoenix Aurora, we have waited for so long to be in your presence. Your mind is so much more powerful than we had anticipated, the fact that your mind has had the microchips to help expand your intellect, it has given you immense power. We could feel it when you walked into the room." The voices of the ten blend together as they speak as one. "Your power comes from the microchips, ours come from our combined intelligence."

They explain my thought as I was having it. "Yes, we see your thoughts. Given time you will see ours as well."

"I am not staying here. I am here to get rid of The Tutelary and then return to my body." I speak, with all of the force I can muster.

They laugh in unity, and well it is creepy as hell. "When you are done here, you will be able to go to any body connected to the system. Regrettably your body no longer has a conscious, so there is nothing for you to concentrate on to locate it. With your power combined with ours, we will be able to rule over these lesser beings. Finally we will remove humanity from ruling the world and rule with pure logic. No need for war, or primitive life, we will help humanity to rise above, petty differences and achieve pure enlightenment."

I keep my mind blank, and refuse to think on what they have just revealed. "Well, then it is time to remove The Tutelary from power." I simply think the order for their destruction and instantly feel the response of the soldiers. How did they need me to do that? Why couldn't they do it on their own?

Again I am surrounded by united laughter and if I had a body, I would cringe. "We needed your connection to the soldiers. Don't you realize that you have been able to interact with them this whole time without a physical interface. All of the chips were needed for you to accomplish this but it had to be physically connected to your consciousness. We are no longer able to alter our minds, they are encapsulated in the ten cylinders surrounding the main cylinder, we are tethered physically to the system. You are a whole new evolution."

"With you among our numbers, we can learn, and expand our abilities. Together we can create utopia, and control all of humanity to live in peace." I feel a collective sigh as The Curators tell me their true plan.

"What about the Fallen, the Knowing, they are not connected to the system." I suggest, so it seems I am going along with their thought process.

They continue using their combined thought process, explaining how they will all be captured and implanted with ports for the microchip. I know I cannot allow this so I begin to reach out to the cylinders trying to find some physical weaknesses.

"What about the domes, I thought we were going to drop the domes and the people were going to populate the areas that are conducive to life. The changes in the environment over the past thousand years, why try and maintain life where it doesn't wish to exist?" I try to keep them busy.

"Obviously they must fall. We are protected within this system. All domed cities have a special place for us, that will survive the EMP blast that you will set off soon, destroying all other power sources, forcing humanity to listen to us or parish." They show me all of the domes across the land and the nearest habitable areas that they will lead the survivors to. "After the fall there will be panic and there will be death. We will lead them and they in turn will worship us."

I see one small dome surrounded by a forest and rivers just north of where we are. "Oh." One of The Curators notice my thoughts. "That was the first dome, it is not set up with the EMP device. We were moved away from that location, though we are still able to visit if we like, but there is no knowledge there that we do not already possess." The others keep explaining what will happen after the fall. "It is a safe place, it is a pity that we are tethered physically to this system, unlike you. I am ready to die, I am ready for this to end. Just remember me, my name is Nadia, the only woman, but I always dressed like a man. Men, are so oblivious to the plights of women."

"I only wish I knew if you could survive the fall, tether yourself to life. Tell them where to go, then return. These men will explain for hours, they will not notice if you are gone. I will distract them with their egos if they should deviate, just be quick." Nadia rejoins, The Curators, in their collective voice.