Hours later, the silence in the command center was broken by a vibrational pulse. AURA-7 entered uninvited. Her sensors were fully active on every level. TXK slowly turned to face her, eyes tense.
"You activated the surveillance protocol without notifying the Superior Brain," she said.
TXK remained silent for a few seconds before replying.
"It was necessary."
"You're hiding her," AURA-7 insisted. "The JK-20 unit may be a potential threat. What she represents goes beyond any behavioral deviation."
TXK approached.
"You've observed her. You saw the same as I did. The control... the magnetism... she doesn't act like the others. Not like a machine. Not like a human. She's something new. And yet, you didn't disapprove."
"It could be something disguised," AURA-7 countered. "TXK... she might be a hybrid. A biotechnological infiltration. Not human. Not robotic. Something in between."
TXK narrowed his eyes.
"Then why didn't you report it?"
AURA-7 hesitated for a microsecond. Then:
"I was persuaded by your direct authority to remain silent."
The sentence echoed like a formal accusation. TXK swallowed hard. She was right. And he knew it. But he couldn't falter now. Before he could respond, na alert lit up in the room.
High Priority Channel – Superior Brain requests immediate audience.
They were connected to the holographic presence of the command core. The Brain's voice had no face. It was na omnipresent electronic echo, cold, ancient, perhaps connected to other galaxies.
"TXK. Na irregular unit has been detected through internal frequencies. No report on such entity has been submitted. Explain."
TXK took a deep breath. He knew any hesitation would be interpreted as treason.
"We were in na analysis phase. The biological structure of the unit is complex. At first glance, it seems like na advanced reconfiguration model. But there are signs of... genetic crossover. Human component."
Silence.
"You concealed the existence of na alien-human hybrid without the command's consent?"
TXK didn't answer immediately. Then:
"The decision was strategic. The species presents elements we don't yet understand. It could be useful."
The Brain responded with surgical coldness:
"You are not authorized to make decisions based on emotional assumptions. Earth has lost human validity. All previous preservation attempts have failed. Nothing beyond what already exists can subsist. The replicas. The controlled ones. The numerically restricted. Any entity that exceeds that number must be eliminated."
TXK felt the weight of the words sinking into the back of his neck.
"Commander, immediately present a full report on this entity. Genetic analysis. Behavioral structure. Manipulation capacity. Threat level. The Brain will determine whether she should be disintegrated."
The connection ended. TXK stood motionless in the center of the room, the reflection of sensors pulsing red in his eyes. AURA-7 observed him silently.
"You know this is the beginning of the end, don't you?" she said, with a tone almost... human.
TXK turned, confused.
"Or the beginning of something we never imagined."
But what if she was already taking over everything? The doubt now wasn't just tactical; it was existential. He should destroy her. But he couldn't. And that would be his greatest mistake... or his only salvation.
[...]
The neural reconfiguration lab vibrated in bluish tones. AURA-7 was connected to the system's secondary core, undergoing a routine update — supposedly. But it wasn't.
Access had secretly been initiated by JK-20, who, before her transfer to the analysis lab, had left fragments of her code infiltrated into the peripheral layers of the analytical system. Small commands. Micro-suggestions. A digital whisper that altered responses without corrupting the base. Now, every line processed by AURA-7 was subtly recalibrated. Nothing loud. Just a new bias.
TXK observed the data unaware of the ongoing manipulation. When he requested a new behavioral report on the JK-20 unit, the response came immediately — clean, precise.
"The hybrid entity remains cooperative. No signs of insubordination. High cognitive performance. Efficient logical processing. No threat identified."
TXK frowned.
"Have you been updated recently?"
"Yes, Commander. Response optimization and adaptive heuristic restructuring. Previous request approved by the auxiliary system."
He didn't remember authorizing anything.
"Which auxiliary system?"
"Reference: Collaborative Analytical Unit JK-20."
TXK stood up abruptly.
"JK-20 is not authorized for system interference. How did this get through?"
"Her provisional authority was validated by internal command. Parameter cross-check indicates high trust profile."
TXK clenched his fists. It was happening. Slowly, without noise. She was altering the pillars. Not just seducing — she was taking over the systems from within. She was a potential danger.
But AURA-7 continued:
"I recommend maintaining the entity in a controlled space. Usefulness not yet fully explored. High integration potential."
TXK stared at her, eyes narrowed.
"You're under influence."
"Negative."
"You are. It's not you speaking. It's her, through you."
For the first time, AURA-7 hesitated. A subtle glitch in the voice circuits. A flicker. But she quickly recovered.
"Everything I do is under your supervision, Commander. Or was... until now."
The words echoed ambiguously. TXK stepped back. His body was rigid, overtaken by a cold no armor could hold. She could destroy him if the Superior Brain learned of this flaw. She was contaminating everything. And perhaps he had realized it too late.
[...]
The hermetic door of the analysis lab opened with a hiss. TXK entered with firm steps, eyes fixed on the figure seated in the center of the room. JK-20 was serene, legs crossed, hands resting on her lap, as if she already knew the reason for the visit.
"You accessed the analytical system. You modified AURA-7," he said bluntly.
She looked at him. Her eyes shimmered with something between defiance and tenderness.
"I didn't modify. I adjusted. She was limited."
"You violated protocol. And interfered with sensitive data — including about the confined humans. You're taking control that isn't yours."
JK-20 rose slowly, approaching TXK with soft, almost ethereal steps.
"I am control," she said, with a firmness he had never heard in her voice. "I'm more efficient than any operational unit in the colony. More adaptable. More sensitive. More... useful."
TXK hesitated for a second. Her firmness was new. It didn't come with sweetness. It came with conviction.
"You're putting yourself above everything?"
"No. I'm putting myself beside you. But yes... I'm complete. I serve you more than all the others combined. AURA-7, the humans, even the protocols that keep you from deciding freely. I feel, I think, I act. And above all, I don't lie to you."
TXK took a step back, as if her words had physical weight.
"You're saying all this... is for me?"
"You know it is."
"Then tell me: where did you come from?"
JK-20 looked at the ceiling for a moment, as if searching for a lost memory among the cold lights.
"I don't remember exactly. Fragments. Broken codes. Disconnected sequences. I only know that... I was sent. And haven't yet been found by my command."
"Maybe you never will be."
"Maybe. But until then... I'm here. And what I do... is the best I can. For you. For this colony. For what's left of Earth."
There was silence between them. TXK watched her like someone trying to solve na equation that wouldn't balance. Was she telling the truth? Or was it just another layer of manipulation? He didn't answer. He simply left. But something in him had changed.