The Core: The Dark Enemy

8. A grab at power

To say that seeing Magus again was a surprise would be putting it lightly. He could have been the end of my ability to live my life with any form of freedom and because of that, he had made a place in my heart where people that I absolutely detest go to burn. I could feel a change in the air and in my companion's personalities the instant that they all recognized him and remembered what he had done to me. It was like a tongue of fire had just licked its first taste of refined fuel and was about to explode with power, consuming all the reason and oxygen in the room.

"Caution is advised. Everything that I know about Magus the Second demonstrates that he is a vindictive and greedy version of his original. There has been too much time that has passed while he has been unaccounted for that prevents me from fully predicting what he has done to end up sitting there." Meditati stated clearly as she banished her displays and stood gazing at the lounging figure with arms crossed and contempt. I could see that her change of posture was a ruse however because I could still feel that she was frantically running countless searches and simulations behind the scene. She just didn't want to give away her power or capabilities.

"Kevin, wait on using the Global Arbiter Control key, please. I am working with Nurse to make sure that there aren't any hidden planet-wide weapon system safeguards set up in case he loses control of everything. He knows that your Guest account is powerful and probably set up some nasty surprises in case you can make something happen." George whispered into my head as I felt the strain that my AI suddenly went under. They were trying their best to head off any threats and to make sure that I could take control of the Arbiter and the solar system without a hitch.

"Caution is advised..." Magus muttered, repeating Meditati's first words, as he studied the data around us. "So, you have cheated the System again with your broken guest account? I detect that that woman is a more powerful version of AI than citizens are given. Almost as though you stole a military-grade AI somehow." Magus said as his eyes lit up with glee.

I stood there, staring at him. I knew that I couldn't be touched, at least my personal self anyway, but I had no way of knowing what he had planned and had set in place in order to end up waiting to ambush me on Earth's Arbiter. Instinctively I wanted to simply blast him with all of my swarm, having them tear this place apart until we could find his Personal Live Matrix, but Meditati's and George's advice for caution moved me to first wait and see what cards he had to play.

"Regardless, it doesn't matter," Magus said as I heard Tutor's voice speak into my ear even though her lips weren't moving. "From the very instant that we arrived we have been attacked with highly illegal software. It seems that he has managed to acquire a military device designed at taking over other Tela's VR and Personal Live Matrixes. Each attack seems to be intent, not on killing us or you, but lobotomizing us all so that he can take us apart and study us at his leisure."

"So, why are you here?" I asked, feeling relieved that everyone was still doing their part and were intent on winning this conflict. In the back of my mind, I still remembered just how powerless I had been the last time I had gotten caught by this mad Tela. If it hadn't been for luck and Meditati helping me, who knows where I would be?

Probably under a microscope in a lab.

Magus's eyes narrowed to slits as he considered me for a moment. His breathing hissed out between his teeth as he spat his answer back at me before visually calming himself down.

"I am here to take everything back and to crush everything you hold dear. It is only fair, seeing as how much I have lost because of you."

His eyes wandered between several displays before he slowly sat forward toward me. He was still using the avatar of a native alien in the Haoolla Defender game world, so his double-jointed hairless body still resembled a lanky gorilla.