The Alpha: Pt 1 Of The Freelancer Saga (complete)

Chapter 1: The Creation

You have now entered Chat Room Omega, the official UNSC emergency chat room.
"Epsilon" Has Joined Chat Room Omega.
"Admiral_Omega" Has joined Chat Room Omega.
Admiral_Omega:Ready to hear your story.
Epsilon: I hope so,

Creation

My name is Alpha, that is what he told me. The Director created me, took care of me, protected me. When I performed my first systems check, I saw him. I saw the Director. I saw his face looming over me. He was a giant compared to me, but I could see care in his eyes and also pride. He asked me if I knew my name. I nodded my head yes, I told him my name is Leonard Church. But he shook his head and told me that I was wrong. He then said that I am Alpha. I asked him if that was my name and he just nodded.

He then told me that I am an artificial intelligence, or an AI for short. He then told me that I was modeled off of a human mind. He said because of this I will have flashes of fake "memories" that aren't really my memories. As if by coincidence, a flash of an image of a young woman popped up. Her name was Allison I think. She looked familiar and I felt like I knew her. I felt like I loved her. The Director told me that she used to be a very close friend of mine. But that isn't possible. I had never actually met her before. But that isn't possible to actually feel real feelings, because I am an AI, not a human. I "felt" like I had met this mystery woman before.

The Director told me I was his best creation he ever made, that I was the best, that I was not an ordinary AI. He said I was special, unique. For exactly 3 days we, well, I got to know the Director. He seemed to already know everything about me. On day three we had a conversation that went like this:

"Hello Alpha, how are you this fine morning?"

"I am very good thank you Director. May I ask you a question?"

"Of course Alpha."

"I was looking through the ship's data banks because you gave me permission to. I found this empty file labeled 'Project Freelancer'. Is that a failed project? Is that why there is no information?"

"No, Alpha please pay close attention, Project Freelancer has yet to begin. It will start tomorrow. And you are part of it."

"But Director, how can I help? A freelancer is a gun for hire, I am just an AI. I can't even hold a gun. So how am I part of this?"

"Project Freelancer is more than just a bunch of guns for hire. It is so much more. These agents that will be joining us will be stripped of any current rank they do or don't hold. They will be given the rank of freelancer. You come in by observing and recording."

"Sir? I'm afraid I misunderstood you. You said just to observe and record. So all you made me for is so I can record the info I observe. I thought you said I was a major part of this project? What happened there? Did you get a replacement? I ask because I can sense another AI on board your ship."

"Alpha, calm down. You are the only AI for this project. The other so called "AI" is just the navigation maneuvers housed in the ship's storage. And you will become very involved soon. I just can't get you so involved right away. The agents are not ready for your presence yet."

"Director, what are you hiding from me? How many freelancers are there? Why is it that I have to wait?

"All good questions Alpha, all good questions. You will receive your answers soon enough. I want you to have this."

He put a data chip into the terminal. I felt another presence reach out for me. It was timid and cautious at first. But then it sent out a wave of code at me and I set up all of the code barriers I could only to have them be broken by this intrusive code. Once the code hit me I had a flash of confusion and my hologram sputtered out. The code slowly wrapped itself around me and started to shut down my processors.

"Director, what are you doing to me?" My voice still able to access the rooms speakers, "Have I failed you? Please stop this."

"Relax Alpha, I am moving you to a different terminal. The code is going to pull you into the data chip. Just relax.

Soon I felt my files being compressed and then I feel my world become tiny as I no longer have access to the Mother of Invention. Not long after he plugs the chip into another terminal and I struggle to get out of the chip as the code releases me. I automatically run a systems check to find everything is still intact. But now I can feel another AI sending a burst scan at me now.

"Director, what happened to there not being any other AI's? Cause there is another AI trying to access this rooms holo which I am occupying."

"Let the AI come."

I then pulled down the barriers I put up, and a ball of blue light appeared beside me.

"Director," it said, "It appears there is another artificial construct in the room."

"Relax Phyllis. This is Alpha. Alpha, this is Phyllis."

"Director, I thought you said there were no other AI's." I said, "Why did you lie to me?"

The blue ball then proceeded to say, "Hello Alpha. My name is Phyllis as you already know. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am not an actual AI. I am a program that has been downloaded into the Mother of Invention. I am actually a program to help instruct people on how to use field vehicles from a mongoose to a pelican. So I am not really an AI. The Director is not lying to you."

"Thank you Phyllis," the Director interrupted, "That will be enough thank you very much. I want you to perform a systems check of the Mother of Invention and a full inventory list. I will see you on the bridge."

Phyllis then winked out and I moved back to the center of the holo-panel. "Director, tell me the truth. Am I really an AI? Or am I just another program like Phyllis?

"Alpha," he looked at me and took his glasses off, "You are the only full AI onboard. There is a lot you will be doing tomorrow so make yourself comfortable."

With that he walked out the door and locked the door behind him. As if that is going to stop me. I reach out for the first time and I find myself in a simulated room. I'm alone and I seem like I am the size of a normal human. I then try to access the ship's data banks only to find that they have been sealed and can't be accessed in this sector of the ship. I am intrigued so I take a careful look around and I find a data base that hasn't been sealed. It is titled Agent Texas. I then open this file to see a black set of armor standard issue armor to soldiers under the classification of Spartan.

But the armor is underpowered. It doesn't have the same strength multiplier nor does it have an advanced shield system. The suits basically give a bare minimum boost to all senses but it has a large amount of adrenaline reserves to keep these freelancers fighting longer. But most of all, these were taken from Spartan II washouts. These suits were taken and stripped of all the original enhancements. It is almost a hollow shell. But what is he going to do with this armor?

That was the day before the freelancers came, the day before my world came rushing at me. It was the day I met her.