Chapter 2: Ray Dawn
Ray Dawn and Grieselda rounded a corner, arrived at the entrance to the hidden chamber.
He remained cautious and controlled Lancer in first. The droid took the lead and went through the door. He gestured at Grieselda to follow. She didn’t argue this time, followed behind Lancer and let him trail last.
Ray Dawn wasn’t one for the front lines. Bloody work that, duking it out at close range, especially with another cybermage. Damn dangerous even with his mech suit for added protection. Fortunately he had Guardian and Lancer to occupy the front lines. Well, just Lancer this time. He eyed Grieselda’s back.
‘She can take Guardian’s place since she’s so fucking eager for a fight.’
He took a long breath and sighed wearily.
There’d be no need for such an inconvenience if they’d just give him more droids in the first place.
He’d repeatedly told Rafinya two droids was two too few but they wouldn’t authorize him anymore despite his ability to control over a dozen droids without mind wiping.
They crossed a short passage which blossomed into a humongous warehouse like space. The expansive chamber was systematically split into numerous rows of floor to ceiling racks stacked with what looked like droids. They were modelled in all shapes and sizes. Some heavy and bulk, some lean and edged, some weren’t even humanoid with octopus like tentacles. Lined onto racks that stretched into an endless darkness.
‘Amazing.’
Ray Dawn exhaled, his shoulders sagged and a hint of joy took root in his lazy eye.
The place was a cybermage’s wet dream.
‘The open minded ones anyway.’
Grieselda gestured a trembling hand at the collection, a horrified expression streaking her face. “Are they what I think they are?”
“Hmm. Intelligent robots, androids. Relics from the old empire.”
The androids where all stamped on the chest with the red sun flag of the old empire.
‘Real androids. Not these empty shells the federation gives us.’
“This isn’t right,” Grieselda hissed. “All these things here, does the federation not learn its lesson?”
“Don’t be so alarmed. The Mutiny Strain destroyed all traces of their AI programming.”
Grieselda glanced over her shoulder, brows knitted tight. “Even so, why would they store such things?”
‘Inquisitive, she might yet have a future in my unit.’ Ray Dawn sighed, real quiet. ‘If only she could be more open minded and more importantly just blindly follow orders. Is that too much to ask? No, she has to challenge my calls. Since when have mages grown so openly insubordinate?’
He shook his head inwardly.
‘At least pretend to obedient like I do.’
Ray Dawn strolled down the row, skewed eyes admiring the empire machines from beneath his tinted visor. “They say technology reached astronomical heights under the Machine Tyrant. They say with the fall of the old empire, a great many technologies were lost and the world regressed. They say the Machine Tyrant was greedy with its secrets so all its creations were encrypted and could not be reverse engineered.” He gestured at the shelved machines. “Clearly the federation hasn’t given up their attempts at obtaining these secrets.”
Grieselda frowned.
‘She does not like the sound of that.’
“Or,” Ray Dawn said theatrically. “They just keep them as trophies.”
Her frown deepened and his wit went unappreciated.
YOU ARE READING
Cyber Mage
Science FictionVeiss is the heir to a cult hacker group despite not being a believer himself. He eagerly awaits the day he can take his rightful place on the throne. (Perhaps too eagerly to wait.) What seemed like another simple undercover assignment to root out d...
