Chapter 46
Doubts and hesitations
Conrad and Al are all at my face, they are waiting for my questions and I'm all ears to hear their answers. There have been a lot of things I wanted to ask, but I'm gonna straight forward to those things that needed to know right now, on our situation. It is hard to move when I basically don't know what's happening, or what should I do in amidst of our intent to defeat the High Council. And so, I formulated questions in my head that I think they could probably answer without doubts and hesitations.
"Brother, what does Al said about human-brain extraction? Could you explain that further? Because on what he told me, they'll gonna extract his brain out and place it on collective artificial intelligence. How is that gonna be possible?"
He sighed, "I just want you to know, buddy, that in this century, everything that High Council could think off can happen. In just simple words, if they wanted to build an artificial intelligence by collecting human brain and extracting all the intelligence of a person and transfer it to a chip that will serve as the brain of the robot."
"Collective... Al told me that wasn't the only one to go through that process. Is that true?"
My brother nodded, justifying Al's explanation. And I think it just got worse by him proving it. "It is collective by means of acquiring such potential person whose seen with great intelligence while on the field—remember the Identification Process where they put you in a series of examinations?" He asked and I just nod to him, "that was the point of the High Council to inherit information into potential participants and they watched them on the field until the day of abduction which they've been taken away to their rebirth into a participant of collective artificial intelligence. It is hard to understand it without in the context, but they are creating the 'CAI' for future Rebirth initiation."
"Good thing you caught me out of it," Al said a sigh of relief.
Conrad nodded, "I was too late to know that you were on the list actually. However, yeah, good thing I got you out and I helped you because you are good to my friend. And one thing I got Al out was because I needed his help in creating and modifications of techs. The helps he did were big enough to proceed on my next moves and he was just on his room, doing it."
"How could I never learn that you hold Al on a secret room like this? Don't you know how much I worry the field—not just me, also Cha? What a dick is that move, brother."
"I know, I know, buddy, but it was a safety precaution we needed to do. I don't want the High Council to know that I got Al out 'cause there's only one thing that would end up if they knew that I hold him up."
"Imprisoned?"
He shook his head, "No. That was never the answer for disobeying the High Council. They always call it dead even if you're doing rightfully, but if it against their rules, you got to pray because you can't escape the fact that High Council rules anything."
"So, if you didn't get Al on that 'CAI' process—" I didn't finish my sentence when he continues it with his words.
"—he would never be right here with us, buddy. They don't have the right to extract people's brain without their permission. Yes. All of the participants who abducted to be part of this process were forced." Conrad took a deep breath, I know what he's feeling right now. "I couldn't believe I let those people die."
When I heard the last word he says, I stopped thinking. Trying to understand what he said but I couldn't fully believe what just he said. The High Council can do anything where any impossible things could've done possibly without doubts and hesitations.
I look at Al, shocked and I couldn't imagine if I wasn't seeing Al right now. The next thing happened where I found myself hugging him. The both of us were stranger when we got into the field but I found a brother to him that's why I care so much about him. I caress his back and when I lose my arms on him, we just laugh not wanting the emotional atmosphere takeover.
"Good you're here, Al."
"I know, Dy." He smiles. "Still got some questions?"
"Actually, I have." I said nodding, "how in the world brother you didn't bother to tell me that Al was with you the whole time? Or even communicating to me with the tracker, right? That could help me to ease thinking about it." I nudge over it.
"We tried to," Al said. "But Conrad told me to stay quiet as he was making moves against the High Council. He never tells that I'm with him because he needs you to focus but that doesn't go well, I tried to call you. Remember the earpiece?"
I nodded, "yes, yes. Are the one calling me?"
"Yes, the signal was a bit choppy and it was cut after."
"Yeah, the earpiece went out of battery, that's why." I said, "still it wasn't fair that you cut him out of me, brother." I said looking to him. He just smirked but I understand his sentiments and I won't fight with it further. "And what about the plan now?"
"Oh, I just need to read these files you got from Chadwick first and after that, we'll plan."
"Okay... but where you would read all of those files?"
"Here. I could stay here for a few hours. They would just know I'm somewhere off the headquarters and they wouldn't bother looking for me when some staff can handle the situation had happened earlier. But what happened earlier is a risk, but we've done it with success. Good job, boys."
"Well, we had a good teacher," I said, and my brother just chuckles. I know he knows, that a few years back then, he was my teacher. He taught me a lot of things that I'm carrying now and because of it, I stand out proud, strong and with dignity to fight for.
"So, I gotta excuse myself for now," Conrad said and walks off.
I look at my brother on the corner, sitting on a couch where he withdraws from the vent, reading the files we got from President Chadwick's office. He's making some notes about it and he will discuss it after he finishes reading and comprehending every file from it. He's determined to take the High Council down is unbelievable and I commend him on that. I can say that he got that determination from our father—whom we also our inspiration to move forward and fight against the cruelty of the world's corrupt system.
"I need to ask this Dy," Al caught back my attention. My forehead creases. "Where's Cha?"
As I try to recall what happened, I left her with Brighid on Barry's office and after that, I passed out and woke up in this room. There's nothing much to remember from that day but I'm still hoping that she's okay and doing good, same with the other members of the movement.
"How did my brother told you about the movement?" I asked him.
"Oh, about that, after he got me out of the 'CAI' process, he told me about who he is and knowing that surprises me. I couldn't believe that I got to face your brother which I do remember, you talked about to us one time. Whatever, after that he told me that he's leading a group called The Defectors which is a movement against the High Council. He's the one who's sending information to the movement and helping them not to get caught. They were really smart when they remove the tracker on their necks 'cause it sure didn't give their location to the High Council except yours were Conrad trying to manipulate by decoding it from the system but they found the breach and found your location." While he's explaining, I notice that his tracker we're still on his neck. I immediately caught my brother's attention because it would also carry our location by it.
"Don't worry about it, buddy." My brother confidently said it to me, like a thing I shouldn't care about.
"Yes, you shouldn't," Al added. "Conrad deactivate my tracker without pulling it off of my skin. So, basically they wouldn't track us—but on your case, it has to be pulled out."
"I did that," Conrad raised his hand. "I can also not pull out your tracker but remember the time when there are participants you meet on the field. Those who blew their head offs?" I nodded as I remember the bloody scenario. "That could happen that's why I pulled it out on you and yours was too risky already. I got to do it and burn the chip."
"And yes that's it." Al said, "so what do you want to know more?"
"What else in my head... I don't know. Maybe, out of nowhere, I could just ask right?"
He shrugged his shoulder, "maybe, if it's on the right situation, probably will do."
When I lie down on the bed and stare on the ceiling, I could just totally close my eyes and go to sleep after exhausting ourselves from what we do. My brother was busy reading the documents while Al grabbed all of his attention by his tech and I know he's doing something I don't even have any idea at all. And in the end, I go to sleep.
"Mom!" I woke up calling out my mother's name. I immediately look for my brother which I didn't find on the room but Al whose looking at me with a worried face. I settle myself on the bed and compose myself to what just a nightmare I've been. "Where's my brother?" I asked Al.
"He needs to go. He was called by his Fiancee... and the High Council."
My eyes widen when he speaks about it, "Did he tell why?"
He shook his head, "He didn't. He doesn't have an idea but we're hoping that it wasn't about what happened earlier at HC office. Maybe they just call him to regulate the control room, remember he was the supervisor."
"I understand that I hope no one would find it out."
"I'm hoping that too." Al said, "and he just told that when he comes back he'll tell about the plan and what can we do to defeat the High Council. He's also gonna find some way to reach out other members of the movement to join the fight. It's now or never, Dylan. It's now or never. And it will start now or we will never get peace forever."
"So in this part, we won't finish the Rebirth?"
Al nodded, "that's the plan Dy. The Rebirth won't finish and would no longer continue its legacy on the next years. It will stop now, at the expense of our lives we'll save more of Null People."
"I know there's a good cause at every sacrifice and I'm always willing to be part of it."
"You really talk like your brother, Dy."
I smirked on what he said, "yeah, well..." I scratch my head. "So, how do we reach the members of the movement?"
"Oh, Conrad already gave me the data to put up on the software and in this way, we could find your friend by heat signatures."
"Talk in English."
He laughed, "well, normally people emitted natural heat from our body that's why we could search them by using it."
"But the High Council could use it too."
"Conrad erased some data on their software that's why some of their systems wouldn't operate functionally and it wouldn't be that obvious because your brother is a really good tech moderator. I salute him, Dy. I wanted to learn more about what he can do. If he could just teach me, I would learn so much more about things I didn't know of."
"Well, I do think that you know a lot of things right now without the help of my brother. You both are genius and that's the kind of people we needed ruling our future not manipulating it by what they can do."
"I believe by defecting we can change the future," Al said and let out a sigh. "Hope this crap system didn't raise years ago. I just hope we're living in a government where such cruelty didn't exist but with unity and good governance... but now, that's impossible to achieve."
"I know. It is hard to change the world we live in but we can change the world we used to know." I said, "so... what can we eat for lunch?" I laughed at it and walks into the left wall where there are hidden cabinet Conrad filled with goods.
While we're taking our lunch, both of us were alarmed when we received a message coming from Conrad that made us panic.
They got us out. I'm now running off to somewhere. My fiancée would come to get you. I thought I'd handled the rat but he speaks. We'll meet again, my girl knows where to find me.
"So, what do we do now?" I asked Al and my chest couldn't stop beating fast.
"Now? We wait." He said and it's not helping.