Light.
Darkness.
Familiar scenery.
"It's you again," a dispassionate female voice sounded five meters from where I appeared.
"As six hundred and forty-seven times before," the confirmation did not evoke the slightest emotion from the cyborg.
"Seven hundred and twenty-two," she said a different number instead.
"Are you counting?" I was surprised.
"Yes. And you're not?" her inhumanly cold human face with bright blue eyes looked at me. Her lips twitched slightly, as if wanting to form a contemptuous smirk.
"Obviously not as well as you," I said, approaching the cyborg. Crouching on a boulder a meter from the one she was sitting on, I asked:
"Shall we fight again?"
"Ineffective," she said. "Starting from the three hundred and forty-ninth attempt, you began to understand my hand-to-hand combat style. After the five hundred and eleventh battle, you learned to resist my moves in a defensive stance. Seventeen encounters ago, you successfully transitioned to a counter-offensive. The prognosis is unfavorable – you have understood my fighting style. The longer we continue to fight, the more knowledge you will gain about me. Eventually, I will cease to be effective."
"You're even talking like a human in places," I noted. "Not like this whole terminator thing… Tell me, don't you need my shoes, clothes, and motorcycle?"
"I don't understand the last one," the cyborg stated. "But I don't need the first two items. My uniform doesn't get damaged – we're in virtual reality."
"Environment," I corrected with a sense of superiority. "So?"
"So?" she repeated, tilting her head to the side. She looks at me with an empty gaze… Or no, not empty. Quite thoughtful, if you get down to it. Sometimes even something human appears.
"Shall we talk?"
"We are already talking."
"And we talked during every brawl," I confirmed. "But that didn't stop you from trying to kill me. What has changed now?"
"You've become more effective. The predictive algorithm indicates that the current tactic is ineffective. A strategy revision is needed."
"Or maybe you won't try to kill me?"
"That is my assignment."
"And I thought you were supposed to be crushing Wraiths."
"Their death is a priority assignment. Killing you and other invaders is a secondary assignment. But there are no Wraiths here. The priority assignment is postponed," Saya said.
"Let's say so. But you heard that we didn't intend what happened? It was just…"
"An accident. You've already said that."
"True. Besides, we saved your life."
"This argument I can neither confirm nor deny," the cyborg said. "We are not in reality. This is a computer simulation of the environment. I could be severely damaged, captured, or you could have connected to my processor."
"Brain," I corrected. Seeing interest in her eyes, I explained:
"You're a cyborg, not a robot. Living flesh into which Salumai implanted technological innovations. They, by the way, were damaged, if you remember."
"This is recorded," the cyborg confirmed. "I applied an optimal strategy for using the biological platform to contain and destroy you."
"But, as you can see, it failed," I noted.
"The task was not completed," she confirmed. "I am searching for an optimal way to kill invaders."
"Do you know what surprises me?" I asked. Without waiting for an answer, I continued:
"We removed the cybernetics from your body. We took out the neuro-implant and made a higher quality analogue. Not only for it, but for all the 'hardware' that was in you, in principle. And where are the words of gratitude?"
"This is unverified information," the cyborg stated. "I do not have access to my real body to verify your words. But, even if so, it doesn't matter – you are my target."
"And now let's talk about this in more detail," I leaned forward. And at the same moment, I put my hands forward, grabbing her leg. If I had hesitated for a moment – her foot would have smashed my head. As it had a couple of dozen times before. "You're repeating yourself."
"A simple check," the cyborg informed me.
"Yeah, right," I smirked, pushing her leg down. "Look, Saya. Your priority assignment is to destroy Wraiths, right?"
"Positive answer."
"And I and my people are just a secondary target?"
"Yes. I've already said that."
"Only those who were in the laboratory, right?"
"I don't know about the others. There is no data indicating that anyone other than the four of you invaded the secret facility. They are not targets."
Fu-u-u-u-uh.
If I understood anything during the time this lady was morally, anally, and virtuously destroying me, it was that she had big problems with lying. She was so artless that it was a pity for the one who programmed her. The guy clearly didn't know how to fool robots.
"So, only the four of us," I agreed. "Well, now let's think. Salumai were humans, right?"
"Yes."
"And we are also humans."
"I am ninety percent sure of that."
"Do you understand that what happened in the laboratory was not our malicious intent?" I clarified. "We uploaded all the mission reports to you. And that it was your and the computer's actions that destroyed the planet. Not us – you."
"I have no order to punish you for destroying the planet," Object-41 said. "Only for invading the laboratory."
"Fine," I sighed. "Why is a human invasion of the lab immediately bad?"
"The lab contains top-secret data."
"That's what you say. We don't know that – we only managed to learn your history. The lab's computer deleted the rest."
"That complies with security protocols."
"Besides, the planet is destroyed. And the lab with all its contents. Right?"
"That is unconfirmed information."
"For you, but not for us," I assured her. "I uploaded the data from my ship – we barely escaped the exploding planet."
"Unless the data was falsified."
"Fine, you can think that. But from our perspective, this is how it looks – we came to Salumai to learn more about your cyberneticization technology, as well as the reason why the Lantians stopped contacting you. Instead of a population, we found only ruins and no one alive. Scanners and certain experience give us reason to believe that your race was destroyed by the Wraiths. Do you know about this?"
"I fought the Wraiths," Saya said. "I sustained damage. I was sent for an upgrade. The conversion was incorrect. There were no resources for improvement. I was frozen."
"And why were there no resources?"
"The Wraiths destroyed our Capital. Scientists were killed or captured for absorption. The civilian population is predominantly captured. The military, with rare exceptions, is destroyed or captured. Defense resources are depleted. The only option to save the nation is to hide in a bunker and prepare for a counter-strike."
"And so, the computer awakens you and gives you the task of killing us because we came and tried to figure out what happened on Salumai."
"That is your version of events."
"Do you have another?"
"You invaded a secret facility."
"Guilty, I admit. There was no one to ask permission from. Did the computer tell you that we were guilty of anything other than that?"
"You gained unauthorized access to the database."
"Do you know what we downloaded from there and what we viewed?"
"No."
"No, you do. Only your history."
"According to you."
"Do you have another source of information that contradicts my words?"
"No."
"So, you only have my word?"
"Yes."
"If there are no other sources of information contradicting my arguments, is it true that my words are the truth?"
"It is true that your words are the only source of information that has no contradictions. It is true that you gained unauthorized access to the database. It is true that you infiltrated a secret facility."
"And again – no one denies it. Except… Since you like logic, answer this – what are secret facilities for?"
"For various purposes."
"And specifically, the one where you were frozen?"
"It had many purposes. One of them was storing and working on cyborgs from the first to the third generation. The second was storing a copy of the planetary database. Other purposes of the facility are unknown to me."
"Remind me, are you a second-generation cyborg?"
"Initially – first. Modernization work improved me to the second generation."
"Let's assume. You've accessed your 'upgrades' now, right? Has anything changed?"
The cyborg looked at me with her walker eyes, but her gaze was somewhat unfocused.
"Improvement in parameters compared to the previous generation has been recorded. Superiority of parameters compared to established prototypes of the second and third generation has been recorded. Qualitative growth of indicators. Prediction generation… The current state corresponds to the predicted development of fifth-generation augmentation."
"So, you are a fifth-generation cyborg now?"
"Yes."
"And you were second?"
"I confirm."
"Were you improved?"
"Yes."
"After you asked us for help?"
"Yes."
"So, we helped you?"
"The requested assistance cannot be assessed without an examination of the real body."
"Now let's think about everything that has been said," I suggested. "Secret facilities are created, among other things, so that someone does not gain access to advanced, experimental, or other technologies, knowledge, and so on, whose level differs from the generally known. Right?"
"That is one of the probabilities."
"You yourself said that the best cyborg development you had was the third."
"Correct."
"But after you met us, you became a fifth-generation cyborg?"
"In a virtual environment. A correct conclusion without analyzing possible changes to the real body is impossible."
"We are talking about theory for now," Mikhail said. "So, purely theoretically. Could the Salumaians create a virtual reality or a virtual environment?"
"I do not know."
"But if they had one, wouldn't it be logical to use it for training soldiers and cyborgs? After all, everything here is completely real, just like in the world outside. You can see for yourself – only seven hundred battles and you already admit your ineffectiveness, as I have learned a lot from you."
Ah, if you want to live, you'll even befriend a cyborg.
"That is logical."
"But now – is this your first time in a virtual environment?"
"If we are talking about the battle session from beginning to end, yes. If we take each battle separately…"
"We're taking the whole battle," I interrupted her reasoning. There was logic in it, but… It wasn't purely ruthless, not mathematical. More human. "Then the question arises: what value do old data have for us if we have technologies that allow second-generation cyborgs to become fifth-generation cyborgs immediately? Especially since we haven't made cyborgs before."
The cyborg blinked, looking at me.
"All your characteristics that exist here are extrapolations of real ones," I explained. "So, our technological level is higher than Salumai's, right?"
"Based on the inputs – yes."
"So, the information we could have obtained from the central computer is not critically important to us?"
"It is important because you have not manufactured cyborgs before. But it is not critically important, because the hypothetical conditions of my upgrade demonstrate your superior level of technical development," she recited.
"Consequently, even if we had received all their knowledge from Salumai, it would not be more important to us than what we already have?"
"Insufficient information," the cyborg said. "The comparison is incorrect. My people could create cyborgs, you cannot. A different path of technological development. The assertion of your technological superiority…"
She fell silent, staring in one direction.
She froze, like a statue.
"Saya?"
"Loading of a simplified database is in progress," she said, without moving. "External source beyond the virtual environment. Assessment… Analyzing data. Hyperdrives, homing missiles, flying city, stargates, genetic encoding of technologies, energy shields, energy weapons, power sources based on zero-point energy of a quantum system of artificial origin, personal shields, life form detectors, artificial gravity, inertial dampeners, cloaking technology… Assessment, assessment, assessment…"
Blinking, she seemed to come back to life and looked at me.
"I confirm – your technological level is more developed than what is known to me. However, it is exclusively technological, not biomechanical development."
"And what do you mean by that?"
"You captured me, studied me, and improved my augmented parts, making them more effective."
"Yes, and so what?"
"Fact: Salumai surpassed Atlantis only in the development of cybernetic organisms and implants."
"And surpassed it by a lot?" I inquired.
"Only by the very fact of such a process," she said. "Comparing the time spent on evolutionary changes of first, second, and third-generation implants with the creation and implantation of fifth-generation augments suggests that if you had such a program, you would have achieved greater success in it."
So… I'm a bit confused. But it seems everything is going according to plan.
"Do our technical achievements surpass what Salumai had?"
"Yes."
"In everything except the production of cyborgs?"
"As far as I know."
"In that case, does it mean that only this aspect is important to us?"
"As far as I know."
"Except… Did your people's weaponry help them destroy the Wraiths?"
Saya fell silent, clearly processing the answer.
"No data confirming the opposite."
"That's what I mean. We improved you with ease, which means, as you said yourself, if we started producing our own cyborgs, based on the overall development of technologies, we would still achieve a better result, right?"
"The conclusion is based on available information."
"Then draw another conclusion – did your secrets have any value to us where we couldn't do something ourselves?"
I doubt the creators of this marvel put data in her about corporate espionage and how using others' work accelerates one's own. But she cornered herself by saying we would have built better cyborgs.
Indeed… We did.
"Most of it – no. Having data on the development of cyborgs from the first to the third generation would have helped you qualitatively overcome research when forming the program."
"It seems we have problems with that, considering how quickly we upgraded you?"
Apparently, even disabling the cyborg didn't shut down some systems. Including the "internal clock." Which means we don't know her as well as Ihaarr thinks.
"I confirm, the qualitative improvement was insignificant."
"Consequently… Your 'secret' data is not important to us, we would have made cyborgs ourselves without your support, there is no confirmation that we broke into anything other than history, which is not secret… So, are our violations of the lab's isolation regime merely a formal crime?"
"Yes. But a formal violation of the law is also punishable."
"If there are consequences, isn't there?"
"Yes," she said after thinking.
"Is there any damage to the Salumai government, its people, defense, and prosperity from us saving you, studying you, and improving you? Especially considering that the planet is destroyed, and the Salumaians themselves were killed or collected by the Wraiths long ago."
"Under such circumstances – no."
"So, we are not enemies, as the imperfect artificial intelligence of the base thought?"
It took her a good two minutes to find an answer.
During which I thought that, in fact, all this fuss was because we studied Salumai with a reckless cavalry charge. In the style of the team from the "Stargate" program – "one episode = one adventure." As a result, for how many hours now have I been engaged in hand-to-hand combat, or conversations with the cyborg, only because she is really good at inflicting injuries and killing at least humans (I assessed this on my own skin). Which means she will be at least good in battles with the Wraiths.
If I can negotiate with her twisted logic.
Honestly, the entire cyborg is slightly and completely not up to the level of a Terminator. But we don't need Arnie, do we? At least the Arnie from the first part. And the idiot from the third is also not a great option. Ideally, it would be from the second… But it seems that if she agrees, we will first get our hands on the third, whom we will have to bring to the "second Terminator" stage out of sheer pity.
After all, this "cyborg-killer" is clearly not a machine covered in flesh. She is a human who has undergone clearly not painless vivisection. Not to mention that her brain is scrambled. Speaking of brains.
It's clear that it was Chaya who launched the external data stream, timing it perfectly. Very fortunate.
But I didn't hear anything from the cyborg that could be related to brainwashing or anything similar. If Chaya had provided her with such data, and I am sure – the Atlantis database has something like that, but encrypted – then the cyborg would have mentioned it for comparison with Salumai's technologies. But she didn't.
Perhaps because she herself doesn't know that her brain has been washed? No, seriously, if she is just an improved human who switches to "robot" mode to kill targets, then now, when her combat protocols have been erased from her cybernetics, she should be more human.
But she speaks and behaves like a robot.
Oh, right… Her biological memory was programmed with a "combat part." And it seems that the human part was suppressed. If it was even there, and not erased by scientists and military personnel before augmentation.
And here's another dilemma… A conditionally good soldier, but at the same time an unhappy person. Only, unlike Tayla, Object-41, it seems, doesn't remember what it's like to be human.
"There is no objective data indicating that the invaders or anyone else at the time of your infiltration of the facility displayed aggression towards the population, government, or interests of Salumai," she finally "came back to life." "Analysis shows that your influence on Salumai, its population, government, and interests is minimal. No consequences of influence have been recorded. Under these circumstances, the objectives cannot be considered hostile. The secondary mission has been canceled by the platform due to the inability to communicate with the pseudo-intelligence that issued it, to request correction and clarification."
Um-m-m-m…
"Okay. So now I and those who infiltrated the lab are not targets for elimination?"
Did it seem to me, or did Saya relax slightly?
"No, you are not targets," even her voice changed. It became kinder, perhaps, more human. "The secondary mission is canceled."
Well… I'll rely on the fact that I understand well enough when she's lying and when she's not. But still, for the first time, I'll have to observe her.
Indeed, as with all our recruited comrades.
"Is your primary program, the mission to destroy Wraiths, still active?" I inquired.
"It is a basic program, it is immutable," the cyborg informed me. "Wraiths hunt humans, use them for food – this criterion defines them as enemies and predetermines the reason for their destruction."
Hmm… On the one hand, not bad.
"So, as soon as we let you go, you'll go hunting for Wraiths?" I asked.
"That is the basic program. However, analysis of the situation shows that you are showing interest in me for a specific purpose. If I were not needed, you would not improve me or converse, but would destroy the source of danger," she stated a completely logical phrase.
"Agreed. You see, we are also opponents of the Wraiths in a way."
"In a way?" she tilted her head. No, seriously, these are not the actions of a cyborg! Clearly something human. Habits from a past life?
"We haven't declared war on them, like our other opponents. But at the same time, an encounter with Wraiths doesn't promise us anything good. But a good fighter wouldn't hurt. Considering that our goals are generally similar… how about joining?"
"Join?" she repeated.
"Cooperate to achieve common goals. You were created to kill Wraiths, we have the resources for it, but not enough soldiers. Together, we could kill Wraiths much more effectively than separately."
"A logical assumption," the cyborg declared. "Promising."
"Well, there you go," I smiled. "So, we cooperate?"
"It will be effective."
"Then it should be immediately determined that I give you orders, as the leader of our faction. This won't be a problem, will it?"
"A cyborg is created to follow orders," Object-41 said. "If the orders are aimed at the effective fulfillment of the main task, then, in the absence of a basic command chain, I assume the authority to make decisions. I agree to cooperation. However, security protocols require confirmation of the destruction of Salumai and the severance of the command chain."
"If we fly to the place where your planet was and you see for yourself that it's no more, will that be enough?"
"Yes. Organizational and executive documents clearly define the existence of the headquarters exclusively on Salumai. It cannot be anywhere else. For effective functioning, inaccuracies in judgment about the destruction of the command chain should be eliminated in the near future. Otherwise, I cannot make a decision about cooperation, and the agreement is purely hypothetical."
A cunning piece of iron in a meat shell.
"Okay, we'll fly to where Salumai was in the near future. However, until then, I need to know that you will obey my orders. Is that possible?"
"Temporary cooperation mode activated. Countdown to platform deactivation initiated. You have two hundred and forty hours to confirm the violation of the command chain and the absence of a military command established by circulars for this platform."
Ten Lantians days… Not bad, actually.
"Well, that's good," I said. "In that case, you are not to harm anyone without my order. Is that clear?"
"The order is clear, but not perfect. I can foresee danger based on heuristic and analytical protocols, which in certain circumstances will be more effective than human judgment. In such cases, waiting for an order would be irrational."
Logical, damn it. How will I order her to attack if, for example, I'm unconscious or on another planet?
My brain isn't enough to fix this gap yet. I need to consult with someone more experienced in such matters.
"For now, the order is – do not harm or attack without my order. Further orders will adjust your tasks. Understood?"
"The order is clear."
"In that case," I extended my hand to the girl, "welcome to the team."
She looked at my hand with incomprehension and said:
"Object-41 is ready to fulfill the assigned tasks."
"Wonderful," I assured her. "Only… We're used to using names. You didn't seem to mind being called Saya?"
"I don't care," the cyborg replied.
"In that case, welcome to the team, Saya."
She never shook my hand. Even after I explained the purpose of this gesture, she said she had no intention of doing so, as she had no confirmation that everything I said was true.
Stupid piece of iron. If everything goes well with this cyborg, I'll never deal with such twisted programs again.
I need to think about how to fix her brain. It's not very comfortable in her company.
Light.
Darkness.
And the familiar interior of the roof of the former Ancient outpost on Athos.
"Diplomacy is not your strong suit, is it?" Chaya asked, standing next to me.
"Next time, you'll persuade the cyborg to cooperate," I grumbled, climbing out of the capsule. Oh, your damn cookie, why aren't my legs obeying? "How long was I inside?"
"A few days."
"Is the answer vague because I won't like the real numbers?"
"You're perceptive."
Behind us, with a quiet hiss, a second capsule opened. Saya lay inside for a while, staring into space, after which she quickly got out, freezing in a "Salute" stance.
"Comparison of part of the received information has been made," she reported. "Except for a number of verbal inaccuracies in the description, the following theses have been confirmed: modernization, support of the biological platform…"
"You didn't upload the Atlantis database into her head, did you?" I whispered.
"Only the most general information about what these items are, how they work, and what they are for," Sar replied in a whisper. "No technical details. Otherwise, her neuroprocessor would burn out from the volume of transmitted data. She walked on the edge even with this. But, at least she knows how to turn most publicly available devices on or off."
"Wasn't it too soon?" I asked. "She's only with us temporarily."
"As soon as she sees the wreckage of Salumai, permanently," Chaya corrected me. "Besides, you weren't handling the logical reasoning."
"Alright," I sighed. "We walked on the edge, but in the future, it's better not to do that. I don't like taking risks."
"And who took risks?" Chaya wondered. "I reviewed her programming. She's as simple in her logic as a pulse pistol. You just need to confirm that she has the right to make decisions herself, and she'll work with us. I'll see what can be done in terms of programming military behavior and other things while you're with Trebal."
"Just don't say she got drunk again," I winced. "I've had enough of that time when you both came to me at night and demanded… What was it? Ah! 'For the sake of procreation of the Ancient lineage.'"
"Not funny," Chaya frowned. "You yourself asked us to talk."
"But not to get completely wasted!"
"We are weak women," Chaya said innocently, spreading her hands. "We miscalculated."
"Really?"
"Yes. And you didn't have to shoot us with a stun gun then. You could have just taken advantage of the situation."
"Chopping wood is not my forte. Especially two uncomprehending bodies."
"Is that precisely why your hormone levels are so high that you were looking at the cyborg's chest?" Chaya blinked, stroking the lid of my capsule. "Good equipment. It outputs all the data about the organism to the computer immediately."
"You know that's low, right?"
"Rejecting two girls who came to pour their hearts out and agree to polygamy – that's low."
"Tell me more about the latter. Was that before you almost killed yourselves crossing the threshold, or after you fell asleep hugging on my bed?" I inquired.
Chaya looked at me with a squint.
"And you can be cruel," she said quietly.
"And you, it turns out, can do the splits."
"I have many hidden talents," she assured me. "And yes, I wasn't kidding. Trebel has something for you. Or rather – someone."
"If you've decided to find me another woman…" I warned.
"No," Chaya smiled strainedly. "You can barely tolerate us two. So, it's a man."
"Insulting," I winced. "A spy?"
"And definitely not from the Jenai. So…" she looked at Saya, who had finally stopped listing the circumstances in which I hadn't lied to her. Well, I'll be, how honest I turned out to be. "You can try to interrogate the prisoner along with your new toy."
"And you're jealous when you're sober," I assessed.
I didn't understand what Chaya replied.
It seemed she was cursing in Proculucian.