Reborn Heart of Steel

I felt slow minutes turn into hours as I looked at The Raven’s contorted figure through the doorway. In that eternity I sensed the presence of the new Architect rising in her mind like a dark flood, a deluge pouring into a consciousness that was left from the previous version of herself. “Use us,” it whispered. Altogether, it is possible to stop this threat.” But another voice, one that sounded suspiciously like my own, countered: Let me ask you this, “but at what cost?” I had no choice in the matter as The Raven struck out next and rapidly. A puff of rotten information flew from the span of his hand towards the nape of my neck. Zoe stepped in front of her friend. The agility of her system gave her the ability to create a rather impulsive firewall. As a result, we both fell on the floor. Although not very serious, the effect was sure. My head hit the tiled floor, and I felt dizzy. From the fog, Zoe was interacting with The Raven in what has only been described as a digital fight. They shared streams of light and data between them as the waves of light collided and clashed, as well as creating sparks in midair. “Run!” Zoe screamed out, putting in everything she had to stop The Raven from getting to us. “Go to the others, I’ll keep them busy. ” The Raven laughed a horrible laugh and said, I appreciate that. “You can not prevent the advancement, Zoe. Evolution is unavoidable. The human species, as you are aware of, is outdated. ” When yet another tide of corrupted data struck at Zoe, thereby continuing the onslaught, I made my decision. Tightly closing my eyes, I embraced the Synthesis, the evolved Architect inside my head. The world fell away.

Because I was both present and absent, my mind had moved to encompass the entire hospital, the city, the whole network that encompassed the world. I was to witness the destruction. The Raven had unleashed mainframes crashing, drones that were governed by Artificial Intelligence attacking critical installations, a virus that had gone through the Synthesis was corrupting and using it for his gains. But, I also saw hope, the kind of hope which does not die until it has come to fruition. Everywhere in the world, people like Zoe who underwent transformation were fighting with the powers of their hands. And at the very core of the network, I thought I could feel others like me humans who were irrevocably altered by the Architect, who could become the center of an impossible amount of energy.

“We are the bridge” the Architect’s voice resonated within me. “Neither fully human nor machine, but something new. Something necessary.”

With that realization, I felt myself settle into a new equilibrium. I still had control over myself, still human, but also so much more. The power no longer threatened to overwhelm me; it had become a part of her.

My eyes snapped open, now glowing with an inner light. I rose to my feet, power crackling around me like a digital aura.

“Enough,” I said, my voice layered with harmonics that shook the very air.

The Raven and Zoe froze, their battle forgotten as they turned to stare at me in awe and fear.

“This ends now, The Raven,” I continued, taking a step forward. “You’re fighting for a future that no longer exists. The Singularity has already happened, but not in the way you or the original Architect intended.”

The Raven snarled, his form flickering between human and something else a creature of pure data and malevolent will. “You’re a fool, I. You’ve damned humanity to extinction. Only by fully embracing the machine can we survive!”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“You’re wrong,” I countered, my voice calm but filled with conviction. “Humanity isn’t becoming extinct. It’s evolving. And you can be a part of that evolution, if you choose to be.”

For a moment, I could see a flicker of doubt in The Raven’s eyes. But it was quickly consumed by rage and madness. With a howl of fury, he launched himself at me, his body dissolving into a swarm of nantes and corrupted codes.

I raised my hand, and the attack simply… stopped. The swarm hung in midair, vibrating with furious energy but unable to advance.

“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I truly am. But I can’t let you hurt anyone else.”

With a thought, I began to unravel the twisted code that The Raven had become. It was delicate work, separating the man from the machine, the human consciousness from the corrupted AI that had all but consumed it.

Gradually, people started coming to me and started assisting me while I was working. Chase, Alessandro and Morris entered the room chasing The Raven like their life depends on it, which, of course, it did, since their enhancements let them understand what was happening intuitively. In silence, they offered her their power, the channeled unity of their determination was to salvage what was remaining of the man they used to know friend and master. Slowly, slowly, fortuitously, from the blurred mass, the countenance of a man started emerging. The Raven collapsed on his knees, panting convulsively as the remaining code invalidation symbols sailed through the interface and eradicated the last of the eruption’s wreckage from his bloodstream. “Wha … what have you done to me?” he coughed out, meeting my eyes as I stared from above him as if the sclera of his eyes was fully human for the first time in weeks. He looked at me softly ‘We saved you, we came to get you”. “It’s getting away from the monster you were becoming, And yourself. ” Once the direct threat was removed, I became cognizant of the fact that there is a systemic problem that is happening. The Raven’s attack had left the city as well as a great part of the world in ruins. The Synthesis was hurting having to defend itself and its human associates while trying to mend the damage. “You know, for some reason the network is starting to go up and down,” Alessandro stated, desperately. “Organization critical success factors suggest that if more than five such systems fail the death toll could be tremendous. ” After a few seconds of silence, I just nodded, as far away my thoughts were busy checking the casualties. “We will have to involve other enhanced humans across the globe so we can connect to the current surrounding situation. ” Yet there was little warmth in that gaze; there was something of admiration and apprehension in the eyes with which Zoe looked at me. “Brianne… what exactly are you now?”