Mechanical Gods (lgbtq+)

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Core Overload

     The beast's jaws opened wide, blue flames flickering from within, and with one massive huff, it blew a large searing ball of blue fire. Iago cackled as it rushed toward Aiden.

     Aiden ducked, rolled forward, and avoided the barrage as it scorched the area he stood inches away. He could feel the heat on his back as he dashed toward Toby across the platform. Aiden reached the other side where Toby summoned another platform out of thin air beside the one they stood on.

     Shocked, Aiden gave Toby a cautious stare.

     "Your memories are bleeding into the facility's system," Toby said frantically. "We have to block and erase some of Iago's access. Follow me!"

     As the new platform was forming, Toby hopped to a section that materialized close to them. Aiden half-expected for Toby to fall through, but he didn't. He landed with ease. Aiden followed after.

     Behind them, the old platform suddenly shuddered, and a moment later, disintegrated into ash by an invisible force bubbling from the bottom. A tenacious gust of wind blew it apart into a vortex, bombarding Iago and the beast he rode on.

     Iago and the creature reeled back, losing their balance from the loss of the platform as the vortex of ash pushed them farther away from Toby and Aiden. The beast beat its wings just in time to rip the swarm of ash apart, but it sent them crashing onto the thousands of codes behind them. All manners of reds and yellows flashed around that corner of darkness. Errors launched off to the side from the deep gloom.

     "We need to stop him. At this rate, he'll cripple the entire facility," Aiden shouted at Toby from behind.

     Toby glanced back and nodded. "We have to delete him and force him back to your unit. And let's hope Sam and Spot can hold him off inside while we execute damage control and save what's left."

     "I am confident they will," Aiden retorted. "But right now, I am open to ideas in dealing with that thing."

     "Well, Iago's connection to the facility is riding on to your script. You are the original tethered to it just like me."

     Aiden smiled, understanding what Toby meant. "A home advantage?"

     Toby grinned. "Precisely."

     From that, Toby halted his run and whirled around to face the creature stalking after them. He quickly raised his hands and clasped them together in a sharp clap, crackling like lighting as focused his eyes on Iago. 

     Like a wall of water, the strands of codes surrounding the platform suddenly collapsed onto one another, falling and crashing onto the beast's hide. The same reds and yellows fired off in sequence. Iago and the creature toppled violently and smashed against the newly-built platform.

     The creature roared in a maddening rage as it struggled to get back up. Iago tried to kick at it to go faster, only for it to lurch back, and the Android fell off its scruff in a volley of curses and matching rage.

     Aiden gaped at Toby's display of power. The other Android made a cheeky grin at him, cocking his head to continue running forward. Aiden almost guffawed and then shook his head. The message was clear. The core system was Toby's home, and Iago was trespassing. Toby was here longer than Iago and Aiden, and he was the only one who knew the in and out of its corners. The original program that knew how to delete and manipulate against unwanted foreign access. Even with only a quarter of the facility regained after his unshackling, Toby was a force to be reckoned with.

     "Any more tricks up your sleeve?" Aiden asked.

     "Plenty more to come," Toby said, grinning. "Though, I have to sacrifice certain programs to slow him down. Some we may not even recover."