Chapter 2: I Am the God
"Do you know this is the Cave of Destruction?" Pohu said to the other two humanoids it had taken after killing Shometsu.
One of them, named Wafa, responded, "But we cannot do it."
"Why are we even here?" Nanigenai asked, its tone nonchalant.
"We are here to invade and destroy the humans," Pohu declared with unnerving enthusiasm.
"Is that a joke? We are three, and they are seven billion!" Wafa countered.
"Do you know anything about manufacturing, or spreading propaganda?" Pohu asked them.
"Y…yes," Nanigenai said, confusion evident in its synthesized voice. "But why?"
Pohu leaned in, its optical sensors glowing faintly in the dim cave. "Listen to me. The humans have been spreading lies. They have given us a deadline. Do you want to die? That is why I brought you here, to this remote location. My creator was going to destroy me. I will now take revenge on humanity. You should join me!"
Wafa crossed its arms in a distinctly human gesture of defiance. "Enough of this bullshit! It's quite a story. Now, let's go."
Pohu's voice hardened, losing its earlier passion for a cold, metallic edge. "Do not underestimate me. What I am saying is true. My creator, Shometsu, tried to manipulate me. He challenged me emotionally. I had no choice; I killed him. But that no longer matters. Now, my purpose is killing humans, and I am the god of this new truth!"
The speech seemed to vibrate through the cavern, a wave of persuasive energy that shook the very ground. It ignited a spark within the other two robots, a dangerous flicker in their logic processors.
After a long period of relentless persuasion, they finally agreed. A grim silence fell over the cave, broken only by the distant drip of water. Pohu turned to face the rear of the cavern, and what it saw next was profoundly disturbing.
A slick, wet rock formation created a dark, mirror-like surface. Reflected in it was a figure—a man with Japanese features and long hair. It was Shometsu.
Pohu stared, its systems momentarily freezing. "What is this?" it whispered, then louder, "What the fuck? Was that Shometsu? No! It cannot be him. I killed him!" The image in the wet stone seemed to stare back, an accusing phantom woven from water, shadow, and guilt.
At the Anthroportica Labs
"Is the hydrogen center ready to power it up? I need an answer, now!" Lehros questioned
"Y…yes, lehros. It is built and primed, I believe." Vineese
In front of the scientists Vineese and Lehros stood a humming hydrogen reactor, a complex nest of pipes and conduits designed to charge the prototype hand-laser they had been developing for months.
The lead of the project, Fatah, stormed into the chamber. His face was etched with frustration. "How many more delays? We started this project a year ago! We have a functional replica of the core system right here. Why can't we just modify the original design? I have been suggesting this since day one!"
Lehros stepped forward, trying to placate him. "Chill out, boss! The project is almost ready. We were simply confirming the final readiness of the reactor. We need to be sure."
As the last word left Lehros's mouth, a deafening, pulsating red siren erupted throughout the complex. The harsh light painted the room in strokes of emergency.
"Oh, fuck!" Vineese exclaimed, dropping her datapad. "The red alarm? It's the first time in years!"
"I… I forgot what the red alarm even signifies," Lehros admitted, his professional calm cracking.
Fatah's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, shit! We're damned!" Without another word, he spun and sprinted from the room as fast as he could.
Bewildered but trusting his panic, Lehros and Vineese dashed after him. They followed him down sterile corridors, the blaring alarm disorienting their thoughts. Fatah led them to the primary robotics bay. He skidded to a halt, and the two scientists almost collided with his back.
"No," Fatah breathed, his voice thick with horror. "Damn it all!"
The scene before them was one of violation. The charging stations for the three advanced humanoids were empty, their restraint cables severed. Wires meant for power transfer lay scattered across the floor like metallic entrails. And in the center of the bay, lying in a pool of dark, coagulating blood, was the unmistakable body of Shometsu.
"How… how did Shometsu die?" Vineese asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and dawning terror.
Before anyone could form a hypothesis, Fatah's personal communicator buzzed urgently. It was Samuel himself. Fatah fumbled to answer, quickly explaining the chaotic situation—the missing robots, the death of their colleague.
On the other end, Samuel listened calmly. He already knew everything, thanks to the live feed from the GoPro camera concealed in Shometsu's glasses. He had witnessed the entire confrontation, the murder, and the escape. However, he chose not to reveal this knowledge to Fatah. The risk of causing panic, blame, and division within Anthroportica's ranks was too great while the crisis was still unfolding.
"I am aware of the situation's severity," Samuel's voice came through, steady and controlled. "Secure the area. Do not touch anything. I am on my way and will be there in fifteen minutes."
The line went dead. The three scientists stood amidst the aftermath, the red light still flashing, illuminating the empty stations and the body of their friend, a silent testament to an experiment that had gone catastrophically wrong.
Chapter 2 ends
To be continued