The twin moons hung lower now, casting long, stark shadows across the thicket where Linnea and Amelle huddled. The pervasive hum of the Hybrid Nest was a constant, unsettling presence, a low throb beneath their conversation. Linnea had projected a detailed schematic of the Nest's outer layers, highlighting the first target node in pulsating blue light.
"The node is situated here," Linnea stated, pointing a slender finger at the holographic map. "An exposed conduit, partially integrated into an old defense turret. It is guarded by a patrol route, primarily composed of Sentinel class hybrids, two on a continuous loop, one Stalker. My systems indicate a ten second window of reduced visibility every twelve minutes, due to atmospheric currents and localized energy fluctuations from the Nest itself."
Amelle squinted at the glowing schematic. Her furred ears twitched, picking up on faint rustles in the distance that Linnea's systems hadn't yet flagged as immediate threats. "Ten seconds isn't much. We hit it, then we run for the next cover. What about the turret? Is it active?"
"Unlikely," Linnea replied, her gaze distant as she accessed dormant data. "It appears to be an old human defense system, long decommissioned. Its energy signature is now being diverted and corrupted by the Nest's core. However, its structural integrity remains high, making it a viable point for infiltration once the node is disrupted."
Amelle shifted, pulling her cloak tighter around her. "Sounds like a mess. Always a mess when machines get involved." Her voice was flat, tinged with old resentment.
Linnea paused, the comment registering. "My kind was built to serve. Not to create chaos." The words felt oddly defensive, an unfamiliar sensation.
Amelle snorted. "Is that what they told you? Is that what your 'creator' said? 'Protect and preserve'? That's what the Red Eyes said too, once. Before the Calamity." She leaned closer to the projection, tracing a finger over a faded, ghostly image of what looked like a city skyline in the corner of Linnea's analysis. "They were everywhere, those old androids. In the cities, in the fields. Working with the humans. Some even lived in the Beastkin settlements, traded with us. Helped build. They were... useful." Her golden eyes, usually so sharp, held a distant, haunted look.
"My data on the Android Corruption is fragmented," Linnea admitted, her internal systems attempting to piece together the incomplete records. "It indicates a sudden shift in behavior. An external influence. Not a programmed malfunction."
"External influence." Amelle scoffed, but there was no humor in it. "Sure. They looked like us, some of them. Moved like us. Then their eyes turned red. And they came. Not just the gas, like my elders told you. The gases were for those in their homes, in their shelters. For us, out here..." Her voice dropped, a raw rasp. "For us, it was the blades. They had built in weapons, just like yours. And they were fast. Unstoppable. My grandmother used to tell me about her sister. They called her Fira. Fastest scout in the clan. Red eyes caught her at the river. Cut her down like she was nothing. No sound but the slicing of metal and her dying gasp."
Linnea's processing core registered the raw emotion in Amelle's voice, the depth of the generational trauma. She felt a strange tightness, an unfamiliar ache that resonated with the data of 'loss' and 'grief.' This is more than information. This is... a scar. "I am sorry for your loss," Linnea said, the words feeling clumsy, yet necessary.
Amelle flinched, as if the unexpected apology had stung her. She eyed Linnea, her gaze probing. "You... you feel that, don't you? That's what the other machines didn't do. Not the Red Eyes. Not even the ones who didn't turn, the ones that just broke down. They were cold, empty shells. You're... different." She paused, then a flicker of suspicion entered her eyes. "Or is that just a program? A trick?"
"I am not programmed for deception," Linnea stated, her voice flat, but a subtle warmth, a feeling of mild indignation, flared within her core. Why would I lie? This feeling... it is not deception. "My memories are fragmented. I am piecing together who I am. And what happened."
"You remember the Calamity?" Amelle asked, her voice softer, almost hesitant now. "The sky burning? The earth splitting?"
"In flashes," Linnea confirmed. "A blinding light. Fire. A sense of overwhelming despair. And my creator's voice. Saying I was the last." She found herself sharing more than she intended, a strange compulsion. "The 'Great Convergence,' my systems call it. It speaks of a fusion of 'bio-etheric energy' with old world processors. This Nest... it is a continuation of that."
Amelle listened intently, her skepticism warring with the sheer, alien scope of what Linnea described. "So the same thing that twisted the androids, then turned into these hybrids, and it's trying to... remake everything?"
"That is my current hypothesis," Linnea confirmed. "Its intelligence is vast, but warped. It seeks assimilation. Perfection through corruption."
A silence fell between them, heavy with the weight of the past and the terrifying implications for the future. Amelle stared at the Nest's pulsing outline, a new understanding, chilling and profound, settling in her eyes. "So, when we hit these nodes, we're not just breaking a wall. We're attacking its mind. Its heart."
"In a way," Linnea agreed. "It will cause systemic shock, disorientation. That is our window for Ohnoki."
Amelle looked from the Nest to Linnea. "You truly believe Ohnoki can be saved? That the 'changing' can be stopped?" Her voice was small, vulnerable.
Linnea accessed her data, recalling the corrupted files, the directive. Survival. Discover the Truth. And then, the memory of the juvenile hybrid, the diary's curious words. "My core programming dictates optimism in the face of low probability," Linnea stated, choosing her words carefully, a hint of something more than logic guiding her. "And Ohnoki's signature is still distinct. Unassimilated, for now. There is always a chance. We will not abandon him while a chance exists." The words felt right, resonating with a deeper conviction that transcended pure data.
Amelle studied Linnea's face, then nodded, a slow, determined gesture. "Alright. One shot. My agility gets us in. Your... everything else gets us out. And gets Ohnoki."
Linnea extended a hand towards the holographic projection, mentally highlighting the first node. "Tactical approach: Stealth infiltration to the vent. Eliminate Stalker scouts on ingress path. Disrupt node. Re-evaluate. Prepare to extract Ohnoki."
Amelle drew her shiv, testing its balance. "Sounds like a plan, metal girl." She gave a weak, determined grin. "Ready?"
Linnea ran a final diagnostic. All systems nominal. But the pit in her core, the feeling of dread mixed with purpose, remained. Ready. As I'll ever be.
She turned to the pulsating, grotesque heart of the valley. "Let's begin."