Project 02: Input

Chapter 6
File F: Treat Detected

Everyone was on their break and I made sure, twice, that no one was in the basement floor. I hacked in to some of our cameras and took control of it. Once everything was in order, I stepped inside the elevator and went down to the basement floor.

I checked once more, no one was at the basement. Someone might be in a blind spot, I only hacked a few of the cameras, not all. My first objective was, to go to the laboratory unseen by anyone, or any cameras.

When the elevator door opened, I readied myself with an excuse. 'I want to be a little busy.' It's boring to be in one place, and I'd just tell them that my greed program was on. Greed had nothing to do with being busy, but I needed to say something.

I walked through the plain hallway. The thing I hated the most about the hallway is, it's incredibly small. There's no place to hide, anyone could spot you easily.

Those people hadn't broken her down to smaller pieces yet. I usually don't care about other people's conditions, but for once I felt glad that she isn't broken yet. I needed her to do the operation after all; if she's destroyed then the whole plan would fall apart.

I looked through the glass window and saw her lying on the same table a few hours ago. I went inside the laboratory and before I carry her out from the basement, I checked her condition. Her system looked fine, so far those people only analyzed her system; they didn't harm any part yet.

I carried her on my back, and so my first objective was completed. My second objective was to carry her up to my room. It's in the 21st floor, and that floor belonged to me. And CV01. Most part of the floor was mine, and the rest was hers.

Don't ask about how we divide it. It's just the fact.

The problem was it's a long way to the 21st floor. It'll take a few seconds using the elevator, but someone could open the elevator and see us. I had to make sure that no one would use the elevator while she and I were in the elevator. It's a long way to the 21st floor after all; anyone from any floor could stop it.

I ran with silent steps to the elevator. Once I reached the elevator, I gave my commands to the elevator manually. After I hacked it, no one could stop the elevator from moving but me. I put her down and checked the cameras I've hacked.

Not many people were in the building, when it's midnight, humans usually sleep don't they? And those 'important' people were probably celebrating their 'victory' somewhere.

When we reached the top floor, I carried her inside and looked for a power source. The 21st floor used to be an empty dirty room, but they changed it after CV01 was created. Maybe those people thought both of us needed to be away from people, a private room so we won't get to anyone's way.

There were boxes everywhere, large and small, mostly large ones. There were tables and chairs, it's a normal storage room for humans, for me, I call that place my room. I'm not sure what are inside the boxes, nor did I care. Half of that floor is filled with boxes, while the other half is filled with nothingness. Plain, simple, it's the opposite of extravagant.

I put her down on a table and I plugged her in. My second objective was done; the next objective was to wait for her to charge. It'd take around 30 minutes for her to be fully charged, but in 5 minutes, there's a chance that she'd wake up and resume her system.

"This area belongs to me." CV01's voice almost made me jump. We were in CV01's territory. I just didn't want to share my source (electricity) to her.

"You need to share with her. This is CV02-Rin." Hopefully she won't report to those people about how I brought her there. "You're not allowed to tell anyone about it." I added, just in case.

"Do you know where ACT2 is? You know who he is, don't you?" CV01 probably knows, maybe.

"I know him. He is on the 4th floor. He is hacking Crypton." So that's where everyone was. Those people were testing ACT2, the 4th floor was where Iusedto hack.

"Soon she'll wake up. When she does, tell her that I'll be in the 4th floor, and…" I knew so little about her, I know she has the program angry / wrath, there's a chance that she wants to 'destroy' me. What else do I know about her…?

"And tell her that I challenge her to a duel. If she's able to destroy me, I'll spare her creator's life, that 'Putin-sama' of hers." That'd obviously make her angry. She had to choose whether to destroy her creator or to destroy me. Of course she'd choose to save her creator, and the only way to save him is to destroy him. I was more than satisfied with my plan.

I could hear the hard disk in her working; she'd be awake in a few seconds. "Tell her that, and make sure she understood every word you said."

CV01 doesn't talk like a 'normal' human, and actually I also talk like that. I wondered why those people look at me with that face, when I talk like how CV01 talk. And so I changed the way I talk, so I could be more similar to them. Maybe by talking like a human I could be accepted? I was wrong, there's no difference.

I deleted that thought and went for the laboratory to prepare. My next objective was, make sure she destroys ACT2.

What a senseless android. He didn't even turn around nor do anything when I came inside the room. It was dark, only the light from the screens of the computers turn on. There were cables everywhere, and I tried my best not to step on one.

That thing sat quietly with that blank expression, I could see his system work from his eyes. The binary codes in his eyes, I could see them clearly. Those numbers changes every millisecond. That proves his system works faster than mine. Yes, he had faster software. Though he couldn't protect herself, I stood right in front of him, and he didn't do anything. He was too focused on his work those people commanded him.

I checked the cameras in our room to see those 2 girls. CV01 was completely alone, she wasn't there. That means she was on her way down.

I hid myself in the dark and waited for her to come. Two minutes later, I heard the door opened and the moment I've been waiting for.

"Len?" She closed the door behind her, and I wondered what'd happen next. ACT2 didn't react to her call, I had to do something.

"What are you doing here?" I answered in ACT2's place and took a glimpse of him. His face was blank, as always. She took a few steps closer to the metal chair; thank goodness the chair is facing away from her.

"You… Challenged me to a duel?" She was being hesitant. Why wasn't she angry? I thought she'd destroy 'me' by now, what's keeping her back? Did CV01 give the wrong information to her?

"I'm lowering my guard now; you could destroy me in seconds. If you want him alive, you have to destroy me." I just realized that anyone could come by this room anytime. That's bad.

"But I don't want to." I enjoy other's suffering, I wish for a certain someone to be destroyed, I want everything that others have, and would destroy anyone that stands in my way, I'm considered as 'evil' aren't I? Why won't she destroy me? Was she afraid that I'd destroy her first?

"Why not? My battery is low, in a combat I'd certainly lose. Hurry and destroy my system, crush my head with that heavy body of yours! Don't you hate me?" Then I remembered, she's charged… for only a few minutes, I doubt she could do anything 'destructive'. Things aren't going as planned.

"Even if anger activates, my antivirus would delete those 'thoughts' immediately. No, I don't hate you. I came to help; if you install my programs inside you, then maybe you'd feel better." I don't want her to be nice, I want her to be angry and destroy me. Why is it so hard to make her angry?

"I don't need your help; your creator is the only person that needs help. You told me that you have that program don't you, 'love'? If he's gone then you can't 'feel' it anymore." How long do I need to debate with her? She kept on talking trash about 'feelings' like those humans. She wants to help me? The only way she could help me is by eliminating ACT2 from this world.

"Destroying… Isn't good. No matter how bad people are, I couldn't just… take someone's life like that." I'm starting to hate her. Though it was nice of her to treat me as a human. It's too bad all of the things she said so far are lies. What did she have in mind? Is this a trap?

I didn't respond, I couldn't respond. She took a few steps closer to the metal chair, wondering what she'd do.

"What are you doing sitting there in the corner?" Both of our eyes met, and it's too obvious that she was looking directly at me. She knew all along? That the person sitting in the chair wasn't me? It's useless to hide, so I revealed myself to her.

"You knew that thing isn't me?" I pointed at ACT2 and she followed my finger.

"I can hear you. Your voice came from the corner, not the chair. Who is he?" I finally found someone stranger than CV01. Her. What is inside her system? Maybe she isn't an android, maybe she really is a human. No, when I thought about it, no humans are as clueless and 'innocent' as her.

Then my plan was a failure. I had to shut her down again and carry her back to the laboratory. What a bother. Maybe I'd think of another plan to destroy him, plan B.

"Why do you want me to destroy you so much? Len… Do you want to commit 'suicide'? You know you could just shut down yourself." She said my name again, I realized she's the only… thing that treats me as a living creature, a human. What did she have in mind? What's the purpose of treating me that way?

"Delete what I just said. Don't shut down yourself." Idiot. Why would I want to shut down? She waited for an answer from me, maybe I should be 'nice' again and lead her to the basement so I don't need to carry her? That's a good plan.

"I'm just a bit stressed that's all. While those people aren't here… Maybe you should leave?" Yes, let me lead you home again. Would she trust me though?

Before she and I could say another word, somebody opened the door. The last person I'd want to see in this situation came. Dell Honne came inside, with an expression that's hard to tell because of the light. From the tone, I could tell he wasn't happy.

"Does this mean you're changing sides? I can't believe you're so easy to fool." He said. I have no intention of switching sides, Crypton is, and forever will be, the enemy.

"I'm trying to fool her, but you interrupted." She looked at me with a shocked face, but I didn't look back at her.

"Really? From the video I saw earlier you two looked like 'friends'. And I think your little friend thought you're her friend as well." He turned on the lights and saw a camera in that room. I let my guard down; I thought there aren't any cameras in that room. Of course those people need to keep that thing 'safe' why didn't I think of it earlier?

"Just so you know, 'little girl'. The friend you know so little about wants you to destroy him, ACT02 over there, because he's jealous of him. You're just so nice, his plan failed." It looked like she was processing everything together, I know she'd hate me now.

"I warned you, but you didn't listen." He took out a small box, I already had a feeling what that thing was. "With a press of this yellow button… You know what'd happen right?"