TO CUT A TURNING TAIL

44). The Final Move (insights)

Except for Jon and Connell, everyone is standing in a pristine white room with six bulged compartments. Kamaya is standing on an elevated stage, surrounded by a floating leaf that happens to have a red blinking light, all with a smile. Everyone else is standing likewise. Lovi has one hand covering her stomach and the other in the air, touching a string that comes from the roots after the floor. 

"Why do you usually stand like that?" Samantha wonders openly. "I never really stand like that" Lovi answers innocently. "Actually, you DO," says Acker. "Nobody is asking for an opinion" intervenes Larriel. "A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge, is what you call an opinion. Mine is not an opinion at all. I see it, it becomes a fact", Acker states glibly. Considering how Larriel became uninterested in the conversations now, they all leave it baselessly right there.

They've been teleported to a large, gazette-like tunnel that's as white as an elephant's brushed teeth. Nothing more than a couple of golden frames that are hollow on the inside. It has a lot of directions connected to the walls in orange in a variety of fonts such as Bugatti and Geraldine, among others. At the end of the corridor, orange arrows tell them on which side to go. Geraldine fonts direct people to move to the left. Despite the corridor's gleaming white walls, the space is muted, with fewer lights and no direct sunlight. The arrows, points, and Geraldine fonts intimidate them with the corridor's whatnots.

Jon is somewhat traumatized but he has no significant reaction, just that he seems to be shunned from the insides. He doesn't know what to talk about anymore, is it regret or what? He never focused on anything with much attention and now that he knows it wasn't a defect he was born with, but something he was made with. How is it different as to why Zenith is any different from Hook? Wait, Zenith and Hook are not different, but how should that affect him? He is not at fault of any sort, his feelings for Hook are similar to those for Zenith. And his task is not to kill Zenith, but to stop him. Now if he starts to wonder how to stop Hook's cynical behaviour, there only seems to be one way, just like Doctor Strange once quoted. And that is? Well, to finish this mission. Ah, he just wishes no one has to be sacrificed like Marubi, and for that, he is blessed to know that Kaila is with them. 

So, now he just wants to maintain his calm and observe Hook. Does she carry on the feelings of regret, does she have the audacity to accept her mistake? If not, even that shouldn't matter, because all that Jon has with Zenith is to stop him from not doing something to humans the way Hook Mary did for them. Hook Mary has surely learned her lesson. Jon can bet on that. But then there's the fact that he is not a homo sapien, does that matter though? Or does it not? He looks at his friends. And then over the fact that he loves combat, surely if he was a human, he won't do such a thing as combat.

 Again, this is something that contradicts the matter that even the Kargzaans and Zenith are humans, but then why did they do such a feeble thing? How does it matter? He should stop pondering. It's all because of Hook Marry that this is happening. What has she done of him! 

Now he's curious about how humans live and what they go through! Wait, Hook Mary is a human, isn't she? Then he will only be able to ask her. Jon comes to a halt for a moment as he mulls over these thoughts, oh shit! That's why Marubi's body was requested to be returned! So that people could revive him..... and then he thinks gloomily that he couldn't even do that. 

Ah, maybe this life isn't so bad after all, even though he misses out on facts, he thinks it's a good job, and he's the one given the chance to safeguard humanity from inhuman beings who are very intriguing. He gushes, interrupted by a pat on the back.

 "Hey, that contemplation was meant to clear your doubts, are they cleared?" It's the woman from the elevator, the malfunctioned robot who nearly shot him in the face! Rather than showing some enthusiasm, he bleakly says, "yeah, pretty much. I don't know... did you hear me referring to Hook as a cynic?". The robot's eyes widen, "what?" she asks in perplexity. "Oh yeah, that was all in my mind. I'm sorry, get lost now". 

They both are still standing in the corridor; the robot lady is probably waiting for Jon to bid adieu so she can walk away with demeanor. After some contemplation, Jon asks, "why were feelings instilled in us? I mean, you're a robot. You never went rogue; you sure did malfunction but don't you think even with feelings someone can go rogue?" he asks. "I'm just wondering. You know, catharsis and all. I want to have one before I leave for another important mission, which isn't what other humans do as well. Don't tell me there is a way to reach life's ultimate control through a mission as well. Bet that's not what Anbu would have had wanted". No wonder Jon is being melodramatic at the moment, he is at the BRIM. The edge from which you either fall or learn to stand firm in order to survive. This is the final move.

Bemused, she just sputters what might prudently be the best answer to warm Jon's psychology. "Umm, I don't know what it is, but yeah, if you get psyched because of the feelings, then you can be controlled by the chips inside, the AI. So, it's double case authentication for the ones who survey you. Something like that. But I'll just tell you one thing, Mary Hook was right in her place. Weren't we shown about a world where robots took over because of how they developed the feeling of envy over time? Because of her, you have experienced things, the way she leaned Shridgaar into you to let you understand fear. And fight it, because even as an AI we tend to understand feelings so we can co-operate with humans, in such a case, we tend to develop several other sorts of feelings as well. Then these feelings go on to trouble us for the rest of our lives. You see where I'm going right?" 

Jon looks at her the way an offended protagonist should and says in a naturally hurt voice, "that wasn't for us to learn about fear, that was.... for us to learn about fear. But not in the way you're talking. It was so we could get trained and be more confident. Which are trivial synonyms for fear. The fear I thought Shridgaar is for is to learn how to control those disturbing emotions.  Fear would be something like losing Kamya or Larriel. I developed fear now, fear of something like what happened to Marubi re-occurring.

 You know when you put a bullet down my throat and I didn't even know I can be revived, I didn't fear. But now I have sort of developed it. But you can relax, I'm going on this mission and eliminate the fear beforehand. I have had my introspection and understanding now. I am ready to accept whatever happens, just like those thousand ancestors (the first generation of humans, 500 years back) would have. I'll use my energy better than ever. Understand every algorithm and take all the fights by myself. And hey, you know how I eliminated my fright? Because once this mission is over, I know there is no reviving the casualties. Hook won't waste more energy now, would she? So, if any casualty occurs, at least they'd be free of this burden. And if they live, I just hope I do as well."

Till now, he was acting all brave, but suddenly a tear falls down his eye. "Yeah, either we all die, or we all live." He starts to scurry away, before Jon can leave, the lady shouts in his ear, "was the catharsis beneficial?" like a crow. Jon gets angsty, he waveringly shouts, "no!". He stops at the threshold of this blue room that he had been in, and points his finger at the lady, "and hey," he gags, probably he wants to say something profound, but he ends up sputtering, "don't point a gun at anyone ever again. I am standing at a crossroads, eager to know which possibility will come true when we arrive there. Please, if you want this mission to go smoothly, subline the emotions I just suffered. Use the chip. And otherwise, I'd try my best to accept the outcome." "I'd surely try" the lady promises.

As Jon walks out of the room, he gets teleported to the white corridor where his squad is chattering. Everyone including Connell is present there, looking at them, he feels nothing. No veil of fear covering him, he puts his left hand in the pocket and classily walks to them and impudently spells in an Australian accent, "what's up chucks? Oh, well I forgot you're the Johnson's and not the chucks. Hehe"

*****
On the other hand, Kaila and Hook have finished their conversation. A sober smile adorning their faces, "ok, since you wish so. I'd subline their emotions. Except for the ones required. I'd control them for this mission. But I hope it doesn't make me wrong". "Trust me it doesn't. There is the only possibility when them having feral emotions works for us." "For the sake of the mission" exhales Hook. "For the sake of the mission".