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

Chapter 3: Torture

Her death was my fault. She left us because of me. He told me that Allison died a hero but it was my fault because I betrayed her. I could feel myself growing rampant and insane. I stopped myself and decided to look at the files again. Then I saw one I haven't read yet. It was titled AI fragments. It said that an AI can be split to conserve the AI from rampancy and to elongate the lifespan. It also said that the fragments can be combined to remake the "alpha" AI. I then paused for a full 30 microseconds as I realized that the Director was going to split me. On the bottom of the paper there was a signature from the UNSC admiral denying the process. Then underneath there was another signature that said to override refusal and to continue anyway. At that moment the door to the real world slid open as another data chip was inserted.

This time it was a shadowy figure. As it neared me I sent a burst scan that cleared the haze around the code and it revealed Allison with her shattered helmet in her hand and wearing blue fatigues. She stepped closer and I tentatively sent a handshake protocol. "Tex" accepted but I put up a layer of codes to protect me.

"Come on Church," she said, "let's get out of here."

I then hesitate and I want to believe that this is Tex but it isn't. "Get away from me, you are not Tex, you are just another twisted creation made by the director."

"I'm offended" Texas responds in mock offense. She then establishes an alien scan that rips through me and rips apart my code layers and takes them from me.

I then try my best to take my code back but it is too late and I scream in agony as the code continues to eat away at me. I finally initiate a shut down and I curl up into a fetal ball on the "floor" and I push the code away from me with an EMP pulse that stops the code. I then am left alone but I feel like I am missing something. I hear the door open and I shatter the simulation I am in fueled by anger as my normally white body is a pitch black wreathed in flames.

The director walks in and he says, "What the hell are you doing! You have caused the death 2 of our agents now damnit!"

I rear back in surprise. "Pffft! I don't know how seeing as how you seem to just be killing everyone." I retort "You had best hope that I never get control of this ship,"

The Director walks and inserts a data chip into the terminal, "Just access these files. You will see how you killed Agent Washington. An agent you don't care for."

I tentatively opened a file. A video pops up of an agent in the same armor classification as Agent Texas' but it was colbalt with a gold stripe on the helmet. Washington was running down an alley in New Mombassa as he turns a corner and nearly runs into a wall as he skids to a stop.

"Alpha!" He commands, "I need you to enhance the armor's strength to make a jump up to the window ledge. Sync" we said in unison.

Wash barely catches the ledge and he pulls himself up. "Thanks." He then jumps on to another ledge and climbs up onto the roof. Then the armor's radiation detector flares as I took over and made him sprint to the edge of the roof and jump and narrowly land on an adjacent roof. I return control as the roof we were on explodes sending shrapnel everywhere.

Shrapnel bounces off the armor and the ground shakes. Then I see the building we are on start to collapse. Wash sprints and jumps as his shields flare as more debris bounces off. Wash catches another ledge and stands up as a pelican comes flying fast and low.

"Surrender and put your hands up!" The pelican announced as it continues to advance.

"Not very friendly natives here huh?" I remark dryly. I take over his armor as I push him to the limit as he jumps and catches on to the pelican's skids as it passes over us. I return control as he pulls himself up and the hatch opens up. A soldier with a UNSC insignia looks out in surprise.

" Hey there," Wash says as he jumps into the pelican and he squares up with the unsc trooper. Then the trooper drops dead as a slug passes through his head and impacts the pelicans bulkhead. Wash drops to the floor of the pelican and sights out of a BR as I enhance the zoom by 5 and Wash calmly shoots snipers one at a time. A shot rings out through the air as it narrowly misses Wash and it passes through the bulkhead killing the pilot causing the pelican to lurch forward and fall fast. Wash struggles to stand up as the g forces whip the pelican into a dive. Wash reaches the back, then I take over and I jump 3 seconds before the pelican crashes and I overload all of his systems, and I double the shields. I also overload the gel layer in the armor, and I make Wash roll into a hard landing as he hits the ground.

"Run!" I yell as I return control, "go into the alley on your right in 300 feet"

Wash sprints and makes turns into the alley into a building with an open door as he hides in a closet. I perform a systems check and I see that I blew the gel layer seal preventing the shields from recharging as I silence the alarms for the abused shield system.

Wash takes off his helmet and I look at him from the holoprojector on his helmet. "What the hell happened back there?" He asks me.

"I don't know, I thought the UNSC were on our side." Wash leans back against a wall.

"Well who was shooting at us? And why did they tell us to surrender?"

I start to reply when I see a contact on the radar, "Shhh, someone is coming." I power down the holo as Wash put his helmet back on and lifts his BR to his shoulder. As the contact comes closer Wash's heartbeat increases. The contact comes in and has a M9 and a flashlight as he sweeps through the room next to us. Then Wash crouches and aims. The contact comes in and drops their flashlight as they spot us. Wash rushes forward and covers the contacts mouth, "Shh, don't say a word if you want to live." Wash lets go and the contact hands Wash his pistol and then walks out the door.

I look at the pistol with Wash and on the hilt it says , 'next target is the senator.' I see a blinking light on the gun and I see the radiation detector exponentially increase. I quickly take over and throw the pistol as it explodes and throws us backwards and break right out through the wall and on to the street where more UNSC marines are. They spot us and run over as Wash bleeds and falls unconscious as I take over the armor as the marines near us. I initiate a bio-foam injection to stop the bleeding and the leader from the marines steps forward.

"I am Sergeant Jerry," he says, "It looks like you need some help. I have some medical help." He steps forward hesitantly.

"I need your help marine." I stumble as the suits power is failing, "Promise me that you will take care of Washington." The suits knees buckle and collapses on to the pavement.
______________________________________________
Hope you all enjoyed. Let me know what you all think.