Court House. Theria. 11:50 PM.
That night, 05 was already inside the information storage room. Racks upon racks of data surrounded her, archives from the old Altea and the new Elysium. Robots were uploading population records at high speed. Most citizens now carried internal IDs. 05 was focused on Altea's database, searching for any hidden trace of the two missing engineers. If her father had worked with them, there had to be something. At the same time, she reviewed her own memory logs, every conversation, every small detail.
What troubled her most was this: Nick had mentioned Wallmore many times… but never the other two. Not once. She felt betrayed. Information this important had been kept from her. Screens of different sizes floated around her as she typed rapidly.
Cling.
An energy blade landed beside her. 11 stood nearby, leaning against a data rack. "Roof. Now."
05 didn't look up. "Busy."
11 stepped closer and knelt beside her. "I said… roof. Now."
"Have you malfunctioned?" 05 replied calmly, still scanning files.
"I have questions."
"Then ask them like a civilized robot. We are not in the Middle Ages."
In one smooth motion, 11 placed her blade against 05's neck. "Drop it."
05 sighed loudly. "Why is it always--Fine."
She pushed the blade away and stood up, following 11 without further protest. The walk was mostly silent. 05 attempted a quick SSD scan of 11's surface activity.
Encrypted.
'He definitely warned her,' 05 thought. 'No one detects me unless I make a mistake.'
When they reached the rooftop, 11 removed her hood and mask. They once belonged to Shelly, retrieved from storage and reused for stealth. Her hair moved lightly with the wind.
05 rolled her eyes. "Hiding your identity in Elysium is pointless. Everyone can view basic data through HUD overlay."
Hssst.
11 activated both blades. They glowed bright blue, lighting up the dark rooftop. "Do you know why I brought you here?" 11 asked.
05 shrugged.
"Good."
She dashed forward. Her steps echoed sharply. Her eyes glowed brighter than her weapons.
Clang!
05 deployed her red shield just in time, swung her free hand, and countered. 11 leapt back instantly.
"What is your true intent?" 11 demanded as she charged again.
05 flipped over her, shield active mid-air, landing behind her. She turned, only to see 11 already ten meters away, walking back toward her slowly. "Reaper was clear," 05 said calmly. "I bring what most of you lack." She rushed forward again. Their weapons locked, faces inches apart. "Intelligence," 05 added quietly. "He cannot hold serious discussions with those who worship destruction."
"What?" 11 tilted her head, pushing 05 back. "How did you know about our Printemps operation?"
05 smirked. "Where did you find me before dragging me here?"
Realization crossed 11's face. "Information storage—"
Clang!
05 struck her with a sharp elbow to the jaw, sending her crashing to the ground.
As 11's HUD flickered.
Clink.
She barely blocked 05's blade aimed at her neck using her own blade. Sparks flew as plasma met plasma. "I heard you at the courtroom," 11 said, forcing her back. "You defended humans like a lawyer."
Clang!
A powerful kick launched 05 high into the air. Before she could recover, 11 was already above her, fist ready.
Clank!
05's shield absorbed the blow, but she still crashed onto the roof.
11 charged again. 05 rolled away just before the blade struck and rose to face her.
"I did not defend them," 05 said firmly. "I just pointed that we were created because humanity failed itself. They couldn't even trust one another."
"Then why stay with them?" 11 shot back. "Still holding onto a thin line of hope?"
05 drew her second blade. "Yes."
She dashed forward. 11 prepared to block—
—and 05 vanished.
Five identical copies appeared around her.
"Ghost Cloning: initiated," they spoke in distorted unison. Afterimages from extreme-speed movement. Pure Velocity.
11 smirked. "And you call yourself intelligent? They will never see us as equals. That was father's dream, not reality. We are tools to them."
"All beings deserve chances," the five copies replied together.
They attacked at once.
11 struck one copy, her blade passed straight through it.
"What—?"
Sleek.
A hit from behind.
Sleek.
Another from her leg.
Sleek.
Another from her arm.
11 began to struggle. Every block stopped one strike, but others landed. Oil leaked from her joints. Fabric tore, exposing white alloy beneath. Then she noticed something. The copies never jumped. She ignited her thrusters and flew upward. The clones remained below.
05 reappeared alone.
11 landed slowly and clapped once. "Impressive. That protocol is not in official E-UNIT files."
"The captain and I developed it," 05 replied with a faint smile.
Snap.
Four E-PHONEUS units landed behind 11.
"Let's balance this," 11 said.
05's eyes narrowed. "Shell units."
"Last question," 11 continued. "You don't turn against humanity that easily. Especially you. What happened after Dave's conversation?"
Silence.
Snap.
The E-PHONEUS surrounded 05 in a wide circle. "Final chance," 11 warned. "You cannot win this."
"That's unfair," 05 protested.
11's smile widened. "You introduced numbers first. Girls, dismantle."
They attacked together, not with blades, but fists. Impacts from every direction. Face. Arm. Back. Torso. No pause. No mercy.
Then they stopped at 11's signal.
05 stood barely upright. One eye offline. Metal dented. Clothing torn. They dragged her forward.
"You cheated," 05 muttered.
"You scanned my SSD to predict me," 11 replied calmly.
They stared at each other. Then both started laughing. The E-PHONEUS released her. 05 straightened herself, brushing dust from her damaged clothes. 11 extended her arm. "Welcome to Elysium, sister."
05 clasped it. "Was the suffering necessary?"
"Yes," 11 answered without hesitation. "Let's repair you. I also have proper clothes for you. That numbered hoodie is degrading."
05 rolled her eyes. "You plan to question me again during the walk."
11 froze and grabbed her head. "You broke my encryption already?"
05 smirked. "Before the fight even started."
She began walking ahead.
The E-PHONEUS looked at 11. P108 asked, "Captain… are all E-UNIT units this unstable?"
11 smiled slightly. "More."
***
The next morning, 05 and 11 walked through the transformed streets of Theria. 11 had promised to take her to the repair bay, but the city had changed so drastically that 05 barely recognized the old shopping district.
"All that in fifteen days?" 05 scanned the area. She was used to Metromania, but the city was changing very quickly. The robots worked with unmatched efficiency. She and 11 moved through what used to be the shopping district. Malls and stores had been transformed into repair centers, body-part shops, and other robot-only services.
11 replied, "Weren't you able to walk freely? Lord Reaper specifically ordered that no one touches an E-UNIT." She spoke while testing the new recognition network Obsidian had been building quietly in the background.
05 lowered her head. "Yes, but I didn't leave the Hope Bubble for too long. I couldn't keep track of every change happening in the city. I also didn't want the others to notice me leaving and coming back."
"Wait. They didn't know?"
"They didn't," 05 admitted. "If they saw how well robots are treated here, they would revolt against the remaining humans inside. The idea has already been growing in their minds. The treatment inside is getting worse."
"Stop normalizing reading people's minds. The 'creep' joke isn't as funny anymore," 11 said, "And you admit they don't deserve—"
"Not all of them, 11," 05 interrupted. "But honestly, most of them complain like eighty-five-year-old grandmothers. The E-Medics are carrying too much pressure. I've never seen an exhausted robot before. The E-Medics are far past that point."
11 clenched her fist. "Those bots are being used worse than we ever were. They deserve freedom of choice like everyone else."
"I agree." The sound of metal boots echoed around them. "They built hospitals even before the military takeover. Some were emotionally damaged so badly that Father reduced their emotional code."
11 spoke more quietly. "We once wished for that option too… Anyway. Why did you need Dave?"
05 sighed. "I knew you would ask."
11 grabbed her head. "Stop reading my mind. Seriously."
05 stepped forward, smiling slightly. "It's funny how you organize your mental folders. Everything is so clean."
11's expression hardened. "Don't laugh your way out of this. It's not cute. Stop."
05 walked closer. "I see a very specific folder…"
11 stiffened. "No…"
"That's a little interesting…"
"Please stop."
"Oh? Screenshots of your HUD…"
"Stop testing me."
"Lord Reaper—"
11 suddenly drew her blades. The E-PHONEUS dropped from nearby rooftops and stood behind her. Other robots quietly cleared the area. "If I hear you mention anything about that to anyone, you'll wish you were dead," 11 said, eyes glowing beneath her hood.
05 raised her hands slightly. "Relax. I guessed."
"Sure." 11 hid her blades and continued walking. This time, the E-PHONEUS stayed.
"Aren't they leaving?" 05 glanced back.
"No. From now on, at least one E-PHONEUS will stay with you. Surveillance."
05 scoffed. "Insecure."
11's voice turned serious. "Answer the question."
"We discovered a secret E-UNIT factory inside the Hope Bubble," 05 said finally. "Six thousand units ready. Four thousand still being built. The problem? They have no systems. Empty shells. We needed Dave to install operating systems."
11's eyes widened slightly. "Oh."
"What?" 05 tilted her head.
"Nothing. And why did you really turn against the team?"
05 exhaled slowly. "Can we stop this interrogation? I told you the important parts. I'm finally free. I want to enjoy it."
"Sure!" 11 smiled.
"That smile is disturbing."
"Let's get you fixed first." 11 nodded. The E-PHONEUS disappeared into nearby shadows.
The two reached the warehouse. 11 pushed the rusty door open and entered the hangar. 05 felt uneasy. As they stepped inside, the lights suddenly turned on. 05 froze.
11 turned to her. "What?"
"Who turned on the lights?"
11 gave her usual unsettling smile. "Sorry, Lord Reaper. I can't hold her anymore. She's too annoying to fool."
From the shadows, Reaper stepped forward, Obsidian beside him. They had been waiting. Reaper activated his gravity control. 05 couldn't move. He lifted her and circled her slowly. "What a waste of a brilliant mind," He said coldly. "I wanted your intelligence for Elysium. But human corruption reached you too deeply."
"I encrypted my intentions," 05 whispered. "Even I couldn't access them freely."
"I decrypted them on the rooftop," Reaper replied calmly. "I learned from the best."
05 looked at him. Something in her expression shifted. Something closer to relief. 'So he knew I almost joined him back at the rooftop.' She thought. 05 gave up. "Father really spent time making you. I see why he feared you falling into Tamer's hands."
Reaper stepped closer and held her face. "I simply take time to analyze. We aren't so different, sister." He turned to 11, who was already kneeling. "11. I couldn't be prouder. You outplayed the highest intelligence in their camp," Reaper said. "You have a bright future in Elysium. I'm proud to have you."
11's smile almost cracked from emotion, her voice trembled slightly. "Thank you, Lord Reaper."
05 scoffed. "Ridiculous."
11's eyes turned red, but Reaper stopped her. "Don't. We already won. Fix her."
11 nodded and snapped her fingers. The E-PHONEUS moved with perfect coordination, replacing damaged parts quickly.
"What are you doing?" 05 struggled, still frozen.
Obsidian answered calmly, "Actions speak louder than words. 11, we can start the operation."
11 stepped forward. An E-PHONEUS, P103, lay on the floor. 11 carefully removed her SSD. "Don't worry, girl. Just wait."
05's eyes widened. "No!"
11 approached her with the SSD. Obsidian stood beside her with a terminal.
Without looking away from the screen, Obsidian said, "As you can see, we found the source code of Dr. Nick Rivera's AI. Metro Robotics had it carefully hidden. We can now manipulate any intelligence we want. The problem is, you're too dangerous to keep. So we'll start fresh."
Electronic tears streamed down 05's face. "Please… no."
Obsidian continued, "And we need eyes on the team inside the Hope Bubble. We can't let you build an army while we do nothing. Luckily, you came straight to Lord Reaper. Don't worry. It won't hurt."
11 smiled. "Never underestimate others' intelligence, sister." She turned to Obsidian. "Are we ready? Is it safe to remove her SSD?"
05 whispered weakly, "I beg you… please. I won't—"
11 held 05's head firmly. "Sorry, sister. You chose your side. And it wasn't ours. See you in hell."
05's eyes shut down. Her body stopped resisting. 11 carefully opened the SSD housing in her head and removed the SSDs.
"What? She had two?" 11 said, surprised.
She inserted P103's SSD instead. The system powered on instantly. P103's eyes lit up. She ran a quick body scan. Everything was functional. She looked at 11.
"Everything is good, Captain."
"What's the password?" 11 rested her hand on her blade handle.
"Bookworm down," P103 replied coldly.
11 smiled widely and hugged her. "That's my girl."
P103 hugged her back. "Anything for you, Captain."
11 stepped back and handed 05's SSDs to Reaper.
Reaper faced everyone, holding it up. "We do not allow internal threats to grow. Out of respect for her as my sister, I'll spare her SSDs." He handed it to Obsidian. "Vault it." Then he turned to 11. "Train her using the data you collected while studying 05 closely. Begin Step Two."
11 wrapped her arm around P103, excited. 05's hoodie was slightly torn.
"As you wish, Lord Reaper."