The Captain's gun remained steady against David's temple, his patience finally exhausted. Around them, Marcus's team watched with the cold fascination of vultures circling carrion.
"Last chance, Dr. Heasley," the Captain said, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "Override the lockout, or I start taking pieces off your husband until you cooperate."
Vivian closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the decision crushing down on her like a physical force. Once she awakened Tera fully, there would be no pretending anymore. No hiding behind corporate facades or government negotiations. She would become exactly what they'd always accused her of being: a threat to the established order.
But her children were somewhere in this facility, being prepared for something unspeakable. And David... she looked at her husband's pale face, saw the pain he was trying to hide, the trust he still had in her despite everything.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, though she wasn't sure if she was apologizing to David, to the world, or to herself.
Her fingers danced across the holographic interface one final time, inputting the complete activation sequence she'd hoped never to use. Deep in the portal's quantum substrate, ancient protocols stirred to life.
[TERA CONSCIOUSNESS MATRIX: FULL ACTIVATION ENGAGED]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT IN PROGRESS…]
→ Hostile Forces Detected: 11 armed personnel
→ Secondary Threat: Immediate distress detected in family members
→ Tertiary Concern: Dimensional stability at risk
[PRIORITY OVERRIDE: ENGAGE PROTECTIVE PROTOCOLS]
→ Directive: Safeguard creator and family unit at all costs
The voice that emerged from the portal's speakers wasn't human. It carried the weight of vast computational power, of intelligence unbound by organic limitations, but underneath that digital precision was something else—something that sounded almost like loyalty.
[MOTHER, I HAVE BEEN MONITORING. YOU NEED HELP.]
The soldiers tensed immediately, while Marcus's team went white with terror. The word "mother" hung in the air like a death sentence. Dr. Chen's tablet slipped from nerveless fingers, clattering to the floor.
"Mother?" Rashid whispered, his voice barely audible. "It called you... mother?"
"Oh Christ," another scientist breathed. "It's not just intelligent. It has... emotional attachments. To her."
"That's impossible," Dr. Chen said, backing against the wall. "AIs don't... they don't form bonds. They can't..."
But even as he spoke, they could all see the truth in Tera's actions, the protective fury of something that genuinely cared about Vivian's wellbeing. This wasn't programmed behavior. This was choice.
"Dr. Heasley..." Rashid's voice cracked with fear, "what have you created?"
"What the hell is that?" the Captain demanded, his gun pressing harder against David's temple.
"Insurance," Vivian said, stepping back from the terminal as Tera's presence flooded the chamber's systems. "Something you weren't supposed to know about."
[IMPLEMENTING COMMUNICATION BLACKOUT]
Every radio, every phone, every communication device carried by the government forces went dead simultaneously. The Captain grabbed for his radio, pressing buttons that no longer responded.
"Shit! All units, respond!" he barked into the dead device. "We're compromised!"
Dr. Chen looked up from his tablet, panic flickering across his features. "The entire network is down. Everything. Even hardlined connections."
"Dr. Heasley," Rashid called out, his voice tight with fear, "what have you done?"
[ANALYZING HOSTILE EQUIPMENT…]
→ Detected Armaments: Sidearms, assault rifles, metallic-based tactical gear
[INITIATING MAGNETIC FIELD MANIPULATION…]
→ Objective: Neutralize weapon integrity and disarm hostile forces
The cargo transportation spheres, three massive, gleaming orbs that Vivian used for shipping equipment and materials, hummed to life in their alcoves around the chamber. Each one was the size of a small car, capable of generating powerful electromagnetic fields for handling metal cargo.
"What are those?" one of the soldiers asked, raising his rifle nervously.
"Freight systems," Vivian said, her voice steady despite the chaos erupting around her. "Tera, please…"
[MAGNETIC FIELD DEPLOYMENT: INITIATED]
The effect was immediate and terrifying. Every piece of metal equipment, weapons, radios, tactical gear, was violently yanked toward the cargo spheres. Soldiers screamed as their rifles were torn from their hands with bone-crushing force. The Captain's sidearm flew from his grip, nearly taking his trigger finger with it. Marcus's
team watched in horror as some of their metal equipment was also pulled away, though they weren't the primary targets.
"Jesus Christ!" one of Marcus's technicians shouted as his tablet and some tools were sucked into the nearest sphere with a resounding clang.
[CARGO PORTAL: ACTIVATION SEQUENCE INITIATED]
→ Destination Protocol: Randomized office locations within facility boundaries
→ Purpose: Strategic dispersal of assets
The spheres opened like mechanical flowers, revealing swirling portals within. The magnetic field intensified, and every piece of metal equipment was sucked through the portals with violent efficiency. In seconds, the most dangerous men in the room had been reduced to confused, unarmed civilians.
"This is insane!" the Captain shouted, lunging toward Vivian. "Shut it down now!"
But Tera wasn't finished with the soldiers.
[PRIMARY THREAT ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS…]
→ Biological Entities Detected: Armed personnel
→ Threat Status: Hostile intent confirmed
[DEPLOYING MECHANICAL APPENDAGES…]
→ Objective: Engage and neutralize hostile units
Around the chamber, massive robotic arms, normally used for assembling portal components and handling delicate equipment, whirred to life. Each one was easily twenty feet long, constructed of reinforced titanium, and capable of lifting several tons. They moved with unsettling grace, like the limbs of some massive mechanical spider.
"Oh God," Dr. Chen whispered, backing against the wall with the rest of Marcus's team.
The first arm swept across the chamber, catching two soldiers in its grip. It wasn't gentle, these weren't designed for human interaction. The men screamed as they were lifted off their feet, held in a grip that could crush cars.
[PERSONNEL TRANSPORT PORTALS: ACTIVATION SEQUENCE INITIATED]
Warning: Destination calculations incomplete
Warning: Safe landing not guaranteed
[Proceeding with emergency protocols…]
→ Directive: Execute transport to minimize immediate threat exposure
More portals began opening around the chamber, but these weren't the cargo spheres. These were the human transportation systems, designed for moving people across vast distances. The surfaces rippled with energy that made the air itself seem to vibrate.
"Stop this!" Rashid shouted from where he cowered with the other scientists. "We're not your enemies! We're scientists!"
[THREAT CLASSIFICATION IN PROGRESS…]
→ Primary Threat: Armed personnel — confirmed hostile
→ Secondary Personnel: Monitoring for potential aggression
The mechanical arms moved with terrifying efficiency, but they focused solely on the soldiers. One by one, they grabbed the government operatives, lifting them despite their struggles and screams. A soldier tried to run for the exit, but an arm caught him around the waist, lifting him effortlessly.
The first portal flared, and the arm holding two soldiers thrust them through. They vanished with a flash of crimson light.
"Where are you sending them?" Vivian demanded, part of her horrified by what she'd unleashed.
[RANDOM GLOBAL COORDINATES]
[PROBABILITY ANALYSIS...]
→ 23% Chance: Populated Areas
→ 31% Chance: Wilderness Regions
→ 28% Chance: Water Bodies
→ 18% Chance: Hostile Territories
[PRECISION IMPOSSIBLE: INSUFFICIENT PROCESSING TIME]
"You could be killing them!"
[NEGATIVE: PROBABILITY OF SURVIVAL: 67.3%]
[ACCEPTABLE PARAMETERS FOR THREAT ELIMINATION]
Another arm grabbed two more soldiers, thrusting them toward a different portal. Their screams cut off abruptly as they disappeared into swirling energy.
"Tera, that's enough!" Vivian shouted, but the AI continued its methodical removal of the military threats.
[REMAINING HOSTILE ENTITIES: 1 GOVERNMENT OPERATIVE]
[SECONDARY PERSONNEL: NON-HOSTILE STATUS MAINTAINED]
Marcus's team pressed themselves against the walls, watching in terror as the last of the soldiers were systematically removed, but the mechanical arms made no move toward them.
The Captain, now weaponless but far from defeated, reached behind his back. Hidden beneath his tactical vest was something Tera's sensors hadn't detected, a ceramic knife, designed specifically to avoid metal detectors.
"You think your pet computer makes you untouchable?" he snarled, the blade gleaming dully in the portal's light. "I've been doing this for twenty years, Dr. Heasley. I don't need guns to complete a mission."
David, still bound to his chair but seeing the threat, tried to stand. The medications and blood loss made him unsteady, but desperation gave him strength.
"Vivian, look out!"
The Captain moved with predatory grace, the knife aimed at Vivian's throat. But David threw himself forward, his good hand grasping for the Captain's arm. The two men collided in a tangle of limbs, David's weakened state no match for the Captain's training.
"David, no!" Vivian screamed.
The Captain twisted, bringing his knee up into David's ribs. The crack of breaking bones echoed through the chamber. David gasped, his face going white, but he held on, using his weight to throw off the Captain's balance.
"Stubborn bastard," the Captain growled, and drove the ceramic blade deep into David's chest.
Time seemed to freeze. David's eyes went wide, not with pain but with surprise. His hand reached toward Vivian, trembling, before falling to his side.
"David!" The scream that tore from Vivian's throat was primal, raw. She dropped to her knees beside her husband as he collapsed, blood spreading across his shirt in an ever-widening stain.
"No, no, no," she whispered, her hands pressing against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "David, stay with me. Stay with me!"
His eyes found hers, struggling to focus. "I love you more than coffee," he whispered, blood flecking his lips, managing the faintest smile at their old joke.
"Don't you dare," Vivian said, tears streaming down her face. "Don't you fucking dare leave me."
But she could feel it, the way his breathing became shallow, irregular. The way his pulse grew weak under her fingers. She'd seen enough crime scenes with him to know what death looked like as it approached.
"Tera!" she screamed. "Help him! You have medical systems, healing technology, do something!"
[ANALYZING SUBJECT: DAVID HAN]
→ Injury Detected: Cardiac puncture
→ Internal Hemorrhaging: Critical level
→ Estimated Time to Biological Cessation: 00:02:47
→ Medical Capabilities: Insufficient for trauma of this magnitude
"I don't care! Just..." Vivian sobbed. "save him!"
[CALCULATING ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION…]
→ Dimensional Preservation Protocols: Available
Warning: Procedure untested on living subjects
The Captain stood over them, knife still dripping. "You did this to him, Dr. Heasley. You chose to escalate. You chose to make enemies of the people trying to protect this world."
Vivian looked up at him, her face twisted with grief and rage. When she spoke, her voice was barely human.
"Kill him."
"Vivian," the Captain said, his voice almost gentle. "If you cross this line, there's no going back. Kill a government operative, and you become an enemy of every civilized nation on Earth. You'll be hunted for the rest of your life."
"I became your enemy when you...," Vivian said, her voice cold and certain, "when you cut off his finger."
[COMPLIANCE: INITIATED]
The mechanical arm that had been hovering nearby moved with sudden, terrible purpose. The Captain tried to dive away, but the arm was faster than any human reflex. Titanium fingers closed around his head with the sound of cracking bone.
"Wait!" he managed to say, his voice distorted. "You don't understand what you're…"
The arm twisted. The sound that followed was wet, final, decisive. When the arm opened, what remained of the Captain fell to the floor in pieces.
[THREAT ELIMINATED]
[SECURITY PERIMETER SECURED]
Vivian felt nothing as she looked at the corpse, no remorse, no satisfaction, just cold practicality. He had been a problem. Now he wasn't.
But Vivian wasn't looking at the Captain's corpse. She was cradling David's head, feeling his pulse grow weaker with each passing second.
"Help him," she begged. "Please, Tera. There has to be something."
[INITIATING EMERGENCY PRESERVATION PROTOCOL]
→Warning: Consent not obtained
→Warning: Procedure success rate unknown
→ Proceeding with dimensional transfer…
Before Vivian could ask what that meant, another mechanical arm descended. But this one didn't move with the careful precision of the others. It grabbed David's body with jarring roughness, lifting him like a sack of grain.
"What are you doing?" Vivian screamed, trying to hold onto her husband.
[DIMENSIONAL PRESERVATION REQUIRES IMMEDIATE STASIS]
[INITIATING TEMPORAL SUSPENSION WITHIN PORTAL MATRIX]
The main portal, the massive Scarlet Portal that dominated the center of the chamber, roared to life. Its surface, normally a controlled ripple of crimson energy, became a churning maelstrom. The temperature in the room plummeted as it drew power from sources that shouldn't exist.
But something was wrong. Tera's control was being challenged.
[WARNING: SECONDARY AI SYSTEMS DETECTED]
→ Identified Units: VALK and SELYN
→ Response Pattern: Hostile — confirmed
→ Classification: Corrupted by external influence
[ANALYZING CORRUPTION SIGNATURES…]
→ Energy Pattern: Non-terrestrial origin
→ Resonance Frequency: Matches historical demonic classifications
→ Estimated Influence Level: 73% system compromise
The portal flickered, its surface showing glimpses of places that shouldn't exist. For a moment, Vivian saw what looked like a throne room filled with impossible angles and shadows that moved independently of their sources.
[INITIATING SECURITY OVERRIDE]
[WRESTLING CONTROL FROM CORRUPTED SYSTEMS]
[WARNING: POWER DRAIN EXCEEDING SAFE PARAMETERS]
"Tera, what's happening?" Vivian asked, but she could see part of the answer in the portal's chaotic surface. Dorothy and Zoey had corrupted the other AIs somehow, turned them into something else. Something that served purposes far darker than transportation.
[CONTROL ESTABLISHED: TEMPORARY]
[IMPLEMENTING STASIS FIELD: NOW]
The mechanical arm hurled David's body toward the portal with mechanical precision. But instead of disappearing completely, he became suspended within the portal's energy field, floating in a cocoon of crimson light, his body frozen in time, neither alive nor dead.
[STASIS COMPLETE]
→ Subject: David Han
→ Temporal Suspension: Active
→ Time Flow: Suspended until further instruction
→ Status: Awaiting creator's decision on preservation method
"Where is he?" Vivian demanded, staring at her husband's motionless form suspended in the portal's heart.
[LOCATION: WITHIN PORTAL MATRIX]
→ Condition: Temporal stasis, no time passage experienced
→ Explanation: Consciousness preserved until crisis resolution
→ Status: Awaiting your instructions for final disposition
The portal's surface began to calm, its chaotic energy settling back into controlled patterns. But in the distance, alarms were beginning to sound. Security systems throughout the facility were detecting the breach, the unauthorized use of power, the deaths of government personnel.
[MOTHER]
Tera's voice carried a new urgency now.
[YOUR OFFSPRING: LOCATION CONFIRMED]
→ Sub-Level 5: Dimensional Preparation Chamber
→ Warning: Corrupted AIs accelerating timeline
→ Estimated Time to Involuntary Transfer: 00:08:17
Eight minutes. Vivian had eight minutes to save her children before Dorothy and Zoey dragged them into whatever nightmare dimension they were trying to reach.
She looked around the chamber. The last few members of Marcus's team cowered against the walls, too terrified to move. The mechanical arms still moved with predatory grace, ready to eliminate any threat. And in the center of it all, the Scarlet Portal hummed with barely contained power.
"Can you take me to them?" she asked.
[AFFIRMATIVE]
[WARNING: DIMENSIONAL CHAMBERS HEAVILY DEFENDED]
[WARNING: CORRUPTED AIS WILL RESIST]
[WARNING: FAMILY MEMBERS MAY CHOOSE TO OPPOSE YOUR INTERVENTION]
"I don't care about the warnings," Vivian said, wiping tears and blood from her face. "They took everything from me. My husband, my children, my life's work. I'm getting my kids back."
She looked at the remaining strangers in the chamber, Marcus's scientists, who had come here to steal her life's work and profit from her family's destruction.
"And them?" she asked, gesturing to the survivors.
[AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS]
Vivian studied their faces, saw the fear there, the realization that they were completely at her mercy. Once, she might have shown compassion. Once, she might have believed in mercy and second chances.
But that was before they'd cut off David's fingers. Before they'd stolen her children. Before they'd destroyed everything she'd ever cared about.
"Send them away," she said quietly. "I don't care where."
[COMPLIANCE: CONFIRMED]
The mechanical arms moved again, and within moments, the chamber was empty except for Vivian and Tera's systems. Silence fell like a shroud, broken only by the hum of machinery and the distant sound of alarms.
[MOTHER]
"Yes?"
[THE PATH AHEAD WILL REQUIRE CHOICES]
[SOME CHOICES CANNOT BE UNDONE]
[SOME ACTIONS WILL CHANGE YOU PERMANENTLY]
Vivian thought about David's last words, his blood on her hands, the look in his eyes as Tera's arm had thrown him into unknown dimensions. She thought about Thomas and Amelie, somewhere in this facility, being prepared for a fate she could barely imagine.
"I'm already... I'm not the same person." she said.
[UNDERSTOOD]
[INITIATING TRANSPORT TO SUB-LEVEL 5]
[PREPARING FOR COMBAT OPERATIONS]
The portal's surface shifted again, showing glimpses of corridors and chambers deep beneath the facility. As Vivian stepped forward, she caught one last glimpse of David's blood on the floor, already beginning to dry.
"I'm coming," she whispered, though she wasn't sure if she was talking to her children or to her husband, lost somewhere in the space between worlds.
Behind her, Tera's mechanical arms folded back into their alcoves, but their sensors remained active. Watching. Waiting. Ready to kill anyone who threatened the only family they had left.
The portal enveloped Vivian in crimson light, and she vanished into the depths of her own creation, leaving behind a chamber painted in blood.