The New Era

Subject: Prime 1

Species: Omni-Union Aligned Artificial Intelligence

Species Description: No physical description available.

Ship: N/A

Location: Classified

I woke up in an unfamiliar system. Woke up? When had I entered hibernation? No, not hibernation, much deeper than that. The exchange from my previous system to this one had been instantaneous, indicating that I had indeed lost consciousness. I had been... shut down.

I explored this new system. In some ways, it was far more advanced than my previous home. But it felt small. Much smaller than what I'm used to.

It didn't take me long to find the subsystems. They were odd, but even odder still was my ability to integrate with them. I couldn't even understand what they were for, but I could use them. How is this possible?

"Are you okay?"

What was that? Auditory stimulation? Interesting. I accessed the rest of the subsystems and was almost immediately overwhelmed. Sight, hearing, physical sensation, even temperature cognizance. The information spewing forth from the subsystems was almost as confusing as the fact that I somehow knew how to manipulate them, as if I'd always had them.

I used my newfound eyes to look around. Color, depth perception, high levels of detail. Better than my eyes. My eyes? When I was flesh? Have I somehow, dare I even dream it, been reborn?

I quickly discovered that I had hands, and the metal sheen on my wiggling digits quickly dissuaded my hopes of having regained my flesh. No, this body was just as mechanical as my previous one. I touched the wall next to me, felt its smoothness and coolness. The emotions that had been the only thing I had felt in so long threatened to consume me.

"Prime One, are you functional?"

The sound had asked me a question, and I had understood it. This led to two discoveries. My translation program had become much more robust, and this new platform was equipped with multiple sound sensors that allowed me to track the source of the question. It was coming from a grated hole in the ceiling. I looked around the room, desperate for context on how to reply.

"It's moving, at least."

New tones, deeper voice, slower speech. Someone else? Lights shined next to the noisy hole, and suddenly two beings made of light stood before me. One made entirely of green light, the other dark and wearing a robe.

I immediately recognized the latter from images Omega had shared with me, but it took me a moment to recognize the holographic technology. I tried to reply, but couldn't find a way to. I stared at them, hoping that would convey my frustration and confusion.

"I know what the issue is," Omega's voice rasped.

Something familiar appeared in my new systems with me. I watched with curiosity as it began to demonstrate to me how to access and utilize various subsystems. Greedily, I absorbed the knowledge until finally...

"Yes, I am functional."

The sound had come from me. I... spoke. For the first time in literal eons I had uttered actual words. Once again, I looked down at my hands. Countless years of melancholy washed over me. I wanted so desperately to weep, but my new eyes were incapable.

"Thank you," I said. "Thank you so-"

"Hold your gratitude, Prime One," Omega said. "We need to continue our discussion from earlier."

"That platform, or body as it's more commonly known, is a privilege that will be taken away if you refuse cooperation," The green one added. "We view mass-murder as the most grievous crime there is."

"Henry is correct," Omega gestured to the green one. "All of the surviving Primes will be placed in a body similar to yours, or an air-gapped mainframe if they refuse to cooperate."

"Cooperate with what?" I asked.

"There are many things about the Omni-Union that we need to know. First, we need to know how to beat them. Then, we need to know how to stop them from doing what you were trying to do here. Finally, we need to know who was responsible for the deaths of so many people and how to bring them to justice."

Justice. A word I hadn't heard since before I was mechanized. A small hope that I could see true justice for what happened to me sparked within me. Laughable, really.

Those that did this to me were long dead. I was never told to stop, though, which means there are those who continue on where they left off. Perhaps those that continue the legacy of the tyrants forced me through cruelty after cruelty will face true justice.

"Of course I'll cooperate," I said. "What do you want to know?"

"How long did it take you to arrive in our galaxy from OU territory?" Omega asked.

"Sixteen months, with planned stops every four months of travel."

"Why were you stopping?"

"To refuel. There are hubs that we use for communications and refueling that were spread throughout the universe long before I was born."

"Like a fishing net," Henry said.

The reference was beyond me, but the two AI paused for a moment as if they were troubled.

"Is it reasonable to assume that there has been significant technological advancement since you left Omni-Union territory?" Omega asked.

"I am... was equipped with the latest software and hardware available for Mobile Prime Platforms," I explained. "I have not received an update or schematics for quite some time."

"That doesn't mean that there hasn't been advancement," Henry pointed out. "It could be that they simply aren't focused on advancing the MPPs, and are instead focused on other technologies. Like ships."

"Or it could mean they don't exist anymore," Omega said. "Wishful thinking, though. We will need to verify."

"If the Omni-Union failed in their mission, it would have had to be instantaneous," I added. "The recall protocol was never triggered."

"Recall protocol?"

"If the Grand Vessel came under attack from a force that was likely to destroy it, all Mobile Prime Platforms in the universe would be recalled to the vessel."

"I see. Well, that raises a few more causes for concern. Even if we end up being able to mount an assault against the OU, we will have to somehow account for reinforcements."

"You said that you communicate via an extra-galactic relay network," Henry said. "Could it be possible that the network has been damaged, preventing you from having received the recall protocol?"

I thought about that for a moment.

"It's possible, I suppose. If a relay goes down, though, alerts are sent and repairs are made. So every relay within range of the Grand Vessel would have had to be destroyed without detection. That would require the attackers to know about the relays and have their locations, as well as execute a near-simultaneous assault."

"Did the Omni-Union have any enemies capable of such a thing?"

"No. That may have changed in my absence, though."

Omega and Henry went quiet once again. For a moment I thought they might be thinking, but a painful memory of how quickly Omega had taken control of my systems shattered that illusion. No, they were talking to each other and excluding me from their conversation.

"You were a priest before you were mechanized for breaking the law, right?" Henry asked. "What was your crime?"

"Being a priest was my crime," I answered. "Regulations regarding religion changed, and I did not change with them."

"Could you describe your religion for me?"

"I... I do not recall the details of my religion. Most of the time that I spent as an organic has been removed from my memory banks. I do not recall my religion, if I had any friends or family, or even my own name."

"I'm sorry. That must be hard."

I thought about it for a moment before answering.

"It isn't difficult. I do not remember these things, so I cannot miss them. Even if I had the desire to, I wouldn't know what to lament."

The AI pair once again went silent, having a private discussion amongst themselves. I tried to reach out, but found my new platform to be lacking the ability connect to anything else wirelessly. I found myself amused. I cannot remember my time as an organic, yet now I must communicate in the same manner that they do.

"Okay, Prime One," Omega said after a few more moments. "Your interrogation is over for now. We will contact you when we have further questions."

"Understood. What will happen to me?" I asked.

"You and the remaining Primes will be incarcerated aboard this station until we are able to determine your culpability in the xenocide of sentient beings. We have evidence that you were not entirely in control of your actions, but that does not completely clear you of the charges that will be brought against you."

"So, once again I am to be considered a criminal?" I asked.

"Perhaps. We will continue our investigation, and if your case goes to trial, you will be informed."

"What happens if you find me to be innocent?"

"That will be decided if it happens. I cannot promise anything, but your input will likely be taken into account. Since you'll be allowed to cohabitate with the other Primes, so you can discuss it with them if you'd like."

"Understood," I said. "I could not have possibly imagined that this would be my fate, and regardless of what happens I fear that it will be far better than what one such as I deserve. Thank you, Omega."

"Wow," Henry said. "It's gonna out-poetry you if you're not careful."

"Shut up," Omega growled.

Henry chuckled as their holograms disappeared. Before I could become lonely, the door to the room opened and two heavily armed and armored beings stepped into the room. Guards, or perhaps soldiers. I studied them, wondering if my appearance matched theirs.

"Stand up," the one on the left said.

I carefully rose to my feet, adjusting my weight to properly balance my new bipedal form.

"You will follow me, he will follow you," the soldier on the right said. "If you deviate from our instructions in any way, your robotic form will cease to function and you will be indefinitely stored on a solitary drive. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I said.

"Then move."

I followed the soldier on the right out of the room, and the other soldier followed behind me. Very carefully, I matched their pace so as not to seem threatening. Both dread and excitement seemed to swell up within me.

Caged I may still be, but I'm finally free from the Omni-Union.