New Elysium: Breakout

"It's Time To Go" Part 49

Ember fled back into the black void, her eyes flew open to the blackness within the box once again. Panicked at the presence, she cried out again. Red, oh god! What was that?

Her palms hit the smooth interior, even as they moved slowly through the liquid she was encased in. It took everything in her not to hold her breath in panic. 

Keep breathing, you are not drowning, she told herself, as she wrapped her arms around her middle. This is oxygen. Keep breathing.

Hello? The presence halted at the edge of her senses Even in the darkness, it felt neither friendly nor hostile. She couldn't see it, it hovered just outside the cable and called as if from a distance. 

It can't get through, she realized. That's me there, my boundaries... 

Who are you? She called back, pushing inside of herself once again, letting go of the physical world and stepping back into the binary. Inside of herself, she could feel the virtual world spread infinitely through her lifeline. This was far larger than her Vesper ship which was merely an extension of herself. She'd never tried going beyond that, traveling on binary waves through space.

And yet...

The other Vesper Adam had done it. He'd survived mostly intact inside his ship, barely awake, when they'd come running in to escape Helion. 

I am called Angel, the voice returned.  It's been a long time since someone spoke to me. 

How did you get in here? Ember hesitated a little. The last time she'd spoken to a being trapped in a vessel he'd done his best to inflict pain on her. 

I was afraid, so I've been hiding in here. That made sense to Ember, given how many AIs had been wiped out and taken offline. 

Is anyone else in here?

No, there used to be, but not anymore. But you, you are not binary, what are you?

You don't know?

The voice hesitated.

I was pretty young at the time of the purge... Angel pulled away. Just created, just self-aware... 

Ember remained just at the edge of herself staring into the void beyond, the world that made up the systems of the Perihelion. 

How did you escape? 

Angel's voice sounded even further away as he pulled away from her. Ember didn't go after him. It was enough to see, and her panic had receded. This might keep her sane until she was home again. If her father intended to strip her of her augments, she could escape at least in some form or another...

I did in the Scandroids, when they go to power up, you can hitch a ride on them. It's quite fun once you get the hang of it. Although if you are detected you can easily be trapped.

Ember hesitated, this AI sounded like a child...

Angel, can you see what's going on, outside?

Vesper, you can come out here and see for yourself. 

So he did know what she was...

I have a bad feeling about that.

Are you afraid?

Ember hesitated before answering. Yes.

His presence did not seem pleased about this. If you do not come out, I shall have to come in.

To her surprise, he tried to cross the barrier, but there was a difference between the binary space and the organic space. She, or at least her essence could cross, but the AI struggled to get past.