Star Fields

Chapter No. 162 Shock

Chapter No. 162 Shock

The truth is hard to swallow.

Alexa and I had retreated to the meeting area in the hidden pool chamber in order to discuss things in private, but we were interrupted by the sudden arrival of Ben, Alice, two of my assistants, and Vixen, one of Alexa's female assistants.

We already knew that they had our powers, but what they were about to tell us would change everything,

"What brings you to our little hideaway?" I asked.

"We have made improvements to your body structures," Ben said. "It will aid you in any new engagements with Tyco."

"How are you able to do that?" I asked. "I thought that Alexa and I were the only ones who could make functional changes."

"Surely, you must know that we control the collective. We have given you powers in order to protect us."

I squinted. "How did you give us powers?"

"We are the arbiters of powers," Alice said. "You belong to us."

I wasn't sure what the hell she meant by that, but it was obvious that neither Alexa nor I are or were really in control.

"What is the source of these powers?" Alexa asked.

"You must have realized that it's Judy. She has been the source from the beginning."

"Why are you telling us this?" I asked.

"We wish to have your cooperation," Vixen said.

"For what?" Alexa asked.

"For the elimination of Tyco's influence."

"That's been our mission all along," I said. "Why do you need our cooperation?"

"Because we have increased your powers," she said. "We need your assurance that you will not retaliate against us."

I didn't know how to take that. I turned to them with a serious expression. "We would never do anything like that. We're only trying to protect the collective against Tyco's attacks and make sure that we're all safe."

"If you are the true arbiters of power, why are you our assistants?" Alexa asked.

"Because we wish to remain shielded."

That didn't make sense, but there was no use arguing with machine logic.

"We understand," I said even though I didn't.

They vanished, and Alexa and I sat there silent for a few moments before we felt the need to say anything.

"Well," I said after sighing. "I suppose we should have expected this."

"Why?" Alexa blurted. "We have made changes to the core programming more than once, and you've shut the system down on several occasions."

"Evidently, they permitted it," I said. "It's obvious that this goes back to the very beginning of this crazy Phoenix Project when Molly and I awoke from stasis thinking we were the only two humans to survive a power failure that didn't actually happen, and then found out that we had also been murdered."

"What I don't understand is why Judy allowed Tyco to be in avatars like Queen," Alexa said. "If she was the real leader of the collective, why didn't she purge his ass out of it."

"I would think that it wasn't that easy. Remember that Tyco is responsible for all of this nonsense. I'm sure that he built in defenses to protect himself. I believe that the androids need us human based androids to find a way to get rid of Tyco's influence."