“Hopefully, I can destroy the virus in her ICM and input an automated command for her to do the same to the others,” Caiden responded.
Eddi kept Caiden’s pistol pressed against R.Dash’s breast plate. Beads of sweat began to form on Pierce’s forehead as he held his gun toward the androids.
“What did I get myself into? Kid, how long is this gonna take?” Pierce asked impatiently.
“I’m doin’ my best. Hold on to your panties,” Caiden replied.
He managed to access to the kernel of the ICM. The menu screen popped up from his holo-watch. “Hmm, so this is what’s inside these guys’ brains. Pretty intelligent design. It looks like this is open source software. No wonder!” Caiden said.
“No wonder what? We don’t have the time for you to wonder about shit! These guys are on our ass!” Pierce said.
Caiden sifted through the backlogs. He came across thousands of error reports, kernel panics, forced reboots, safe mode restarts, and attempted system purges. He located a strange file. Unlocking it opened a series of automated commands written in gibberish code. The code’s characters were constantly changing symbols in random pattern, like an evolving puzzle. Caiden began to decrypt the jumbling codes. He had fully deciphered the command behind the coding; steal, kidnap, and destroy for the sake of the android revolution. What in the hell? Caiden thought to himself. He copied his findings and sent them to his private servers back at Home-base. He wanted to conduct a deeper investigation, but now wasn’t the time.
Once the details were decrypted and fully uploaded to a safe place on his servers, he dismantled the commands of the virus and the trigger for the virus. He then isolated what was left of it in a separate part of R.Dash’s ICM memory log. He did it so that she could analyze it for herself, as a way for her to learn how to protect against this type of thing in the future. As soon as Caiden had finished, he unplugged the cable from the port and gently laid her down on the concrete as she rebooted. The androids began to move forward. Caiden turned his attention to the soon-to-be melee and readied himself. Just as they were about to attack, the androids stopped in their tracks.
“Stand down, my fellow androids,” R.Dash said as she stood up. Her eyes were glowing blue, like Eddi’s. She freed Vantz from his magnetic handcuffs. Unsure of what to make of everything, Vantz sat still, eyes wide in confusion, body frozen in hesitation. “I can only expect that you’d be that way. Worry not my Hybrid friend. You’re safe now,” R.Dash assured him.
Vantz then looked to Caiden for confirmation and Caiden gave him a subtle nod of approval. “Okay, okay. It’s cool,” Vantz said as he abruptly stood up, dusted himself off and walked toward Caiden and the others.
Vantz snapped. “You mother fuckers!” Vantz yelled as he suddenly rushed R.Dash in a fit of blind rage. He was stopped and held back by Caiden.
“Vantz! Relax man! It’s over!” Caiden yelled as he and Eddi held Vantz back.
The rush of anger put the virus affected androids on edge. If it weren’t for R.Dash, then Pierce, Caiden, Vantz, and Eddi would have been killed right then and there. R.Dash paid the scuffle no mind as she stepped in front of the androids. Her eyes began blinking a myriad of colors in rapid succession.
“What’s going on now?” Pierce asked nervously.
“She’s restoring them,” Eddi said.
Soon after, the large group of androids got into formation, placing their hands at their sides and bringing their feet to shoulder width apart. Their red eyes dimmed; they were rebooting.
“Is this?” Caiden asked.
“Yes, I’ve successfully transferred the formula you created in me to dismantle the virus to them.” R.Dash said. After a few seconds, their eyes glowed blue.
“They’re back!” Eddi exclaimed.
Many of the androids were confused. Caiden was truly fascinated by their behavior. Like Eddi, they seemed to have possessed many human qualities strangely enough.
“I must, first and foremost, apologize for the atrocities we have committed against your friend, Mr—” R.Dash said.
“Caiden. And it’s okay, really. This asshole is lucky to be in one piece, right?” Caiden said as he nudged Vantz with his elbow. Vantz gave him the faintest of smiles, showing his skepticism and contempt toward his former captors.
“And especially you, my dear Hybrid friend. We, androids, would never consider you an enemy. I am deeply sorry for our regrettable actions. You see, after a visit to one of our terminals none of us have been the same. I felt like a prisoner in my own mind. I knew what we were doing was terribly wrong. But I, no, we were somehow locked away. That virus, it prevented us from assuming control of our own bodies. Who knows what would have come of us had we stayed stuck under the spell of such a deplorable thing,” R.Dash said. Her voice, almost as silky as Wizard’s, was hard to deny. Not only could Vantz hear the humanity and humility, but also the sincerity. She offered him a genuine handshake to assure him she was being truthful.
“I guess I’m still here, so sure, whatever.” Vantz cautiously accepted the handshake.
“Ah, good. Now that the soft shit is over, can we please get outta this dingy warehouse? Dash, how do you guys live like this?” Pierce joked.
“You’re one to talk. It’s not like Lotus is the gold standard of luxury either,” Caiden shot back as they proceeded to head out of the warehouse.
“Hey, watch it, kid,” Pierce replied.
Once outside, Caiden lifted his head toward the dark sky and closed his eyes as the cool air whipped around him. His tense muscles began to relax. He was content; all ended well.
“Mr. Caiden? I want to thank you from the depths of my spirit once more, for freeing all of us from the bondage of that nasty virus. You have our eternal gratitude,” R.Dash humbly said.
“No worries.
