"Alden! Save me!" screeched the charred form of Reanes, hardly recognisable as human now, skin cracking and flaking to reveal livid red beneath.

"More Skeksis than human," whispered Nick to Smoke. Smoke forced down a grin - he didn't know how even in such a messed-up situation as this Nick still found time for pop-culture references, but he wasn't sure it was such a bad thing.

Alden did not react to Reanes' pleading, did not even look at him.

"I am ...glad... you came," he said, facing towards Smoke.

There was little of the human part of him visible now. The outline of his face was there, but instead of the pale skin they had seen before there was only smooth metal, shining dully in the gloom. His eyes, too had changed. Where the whites should have been was instead a charcoal grey material they could not identify, leaving only the blue irises, now much darker in contrast, and pupils. His body, too, was further changed, a cold metallic androgynous form as if a mannequin had been made from steel, the lower half of his body now complete.

A mechanical chuckle emanated from all around them; Alden was not using his vocal chords.

"Interesting... I can still feel emotion. Very slight, compared to the timescale before, but unit algorithms predicted a total machine-state by this point. Clearly there was still much to be learned from this species. A pity."

The voice grew more flat and lifeless, more robotic, as it continued. Reanes staggered up behind Alden and placed a charred claw, for it could not be called a hand, on his shoulder.

"Alden!" he shrieked.

Alden's gaze did not falter as a jet of boiling hot steam poured out from somewhere behind and below his head, wreathing Reanes in its scalding heat. The pressure of the jet forced lumps of his flesh to break off, whilst what remained began to boil, growing redder and bubbling. Reanes screamed in agony as he cooked. The others could only watch, impotent bystanders, as it went on.

Eventually the jet weakened and came to a whistling stop, leaving just a puddle of formless biological paste where Reanes had been. FX, who must have been woken by the screams, wandered over suddenly into the group's view, Alden between them, and poked at the mass with his toe.

"Gross," he said, and then looked up as if noticing them for the first time. "Oh, hey. So he got melted? Seems good enough for the son of a bitch to me."

FX re-joined them, briefly glancing at Alden as he walked around him, then nonchalantly speaking to Smoke.

"So that's the Alden guy we're here to stop?"

"Ah, yeah, that's him," replied Smoke, still staring straight ahead at Alden, fearing to take his eyes off him for a second. Alden was slowly turning his entire body to face FX, cables moving with him as they trailed from the darkness above. His voice came again from all around them:

"The audio manipulator. Your strength was a surprise even to me. When the nanotech combined with you..."

Alden's words were cut as a bullet ricocheted off of his head, bouncing into the darkness above to fall somewhere unseen. The cables whirred as Alden turned 180 degrees to face the source of the shot. Standing there, just a few meters away, Officer Haynes was slowly lowering his rifle. Stuck like a rabbit in the headlights, he barely moved as Alden glided forward and halted just a foot from his face.

No sound passed as a thin, sharp silver cable emerged from the nape of Alden's neck, rising and curling over his head like a scorpion's tail.

Haynes managed a quiet, weeping "my family, you fuck..." before the tail blurred and whipped down into the top of his skull.

It was over in a millisecond. Haynes' eyes rolled upward and he toppled backwards, blood spilling from the hole in the top of his head when he hit the ground. The other officers instantly dropped their weapons and ran out through the corridor they had entered by. Their footsteps echoed into the distance.

Alden began his slow turn back towards the group.

"Now we are..."

Whatever Alden had planned to say was drowned out by the cacophony of sound FX blasted at him, a noise so incredible even the rhythms FX always included were inaudible. This was sound, pure and raw, and it sent Alden flying back and up, the cables swinging him on an ascending curve back into the darkness.

Smoke immediately changed into vapour, getting caught up in the sound waves FX was still sending flying after the man or machine or monster or whatever it was. It took all his effort just to stay conscious as his molecules were vibrated and thrown around randomly, but he managed to remain aware enough that when Alden came curving back down on the return arc of the swing he reformed above him, within the mass of cables from which he hung. Tearing and grabbing at everything, he pulled out several handfuls of sparking, fizzing wires before the silver scorpion-like tail came snapping down. The tail passed through him, touching nothing and causing no harm as his body automatically disapparated. He could not avoid the scalding steam, though. It poured up and around him, burning his physical form until he consciously transformed and poured away, the swing by now having taken them back to the group.

Alden's swing was halted entirely as soon as his trajectory brought his legs into contact with the ground. He seemed entirely unaffected from the sudden stop, no sign of flexing muscles or tendons, simply shifting from movement to stillness in an instant. Several lengths of the cable torn by Smoke fell around him, still connected by one end to his body, and lay across the floor. Within seconds, Richter was upon him, hands outstretched and clamping him by the head. A pulse of blue covered Alden for such a brief moment that Smoke was not sure that he had really seen it, but Richter in that moment was flung flying back into Shade, sending the both of them to the ground. There was a taste of electricity in the air.

Alden had no time to follow through on this action, however, as FX once more blasted him. Though Alden this time remained firmly planted on the ground, he was clearly resisting the force of the waves of sound, leaning into them and forcing his feet harder against the floor. Triss smashed into him from the side as he resisted the attack, her form pure silver. Wrapping her arms around him she began to flow and cover him entirely, becoming a flat silver layer covering him and searching for a way in. Smoke saw the blue pulse once more, flowing and arcing across the silver without affect. This was quickly followed by a rapidly expanding sphere of purple emanating from somewhere inside Alden, the same energy, it seemed to Smoke, as that which arced regularly up the towers.

The liquid that was Triss was sent spraying in multiple directions as the bubble grew to encompass all of Alden, and continued. Smoke, running towards Alden in the middle of one more uncoordinated attack, was met by this sphere coming the other way and slammed backwards as if hit by a moving truck. At the same time another arc of electricity shot out and hit FX, who fell to the floor, unmoving.

All of this happened in much less than a minute, from FX's first attack to the four collapsing to the ground, leaving Nick standing alone. Alden turned to him, the cables supporting him rotating his body rather than through the use of his legs. Nick was now, at last, confronted by the lifeless metal eyes that had haunted him since his ability had first manifested - and this time, he felt no fear. He knew what would happen, and so there was no need to fear.

"You I do not know," came Alden's voice, from all around. "An anomaly. I was not informed there was another member of the group here. I was told only of the five I have neutralised, and the woman watching us who thinks she is hidden behind the crates to our left."

"Kala..?" Shade's voice was little more than a whisper as he struggled to push an unconscious Richter off of him. Kala stepped out hesitantly from her hiding place a short distance away. "Why did you come back?" Shade staggered to his feet as Richter stirred.

"I told you. He has my sister." Kala came up to Shade and helped him guide Richter to his feet. At the same time, the silver scattered around the floor pooled together and Luna reformed, moving quickly to where Smoke lay.

Alden did not take his eyes off Nick.

"Who are you? An Unaltered? Here? Why?"

Beneath the cold mechanical tones a hint of curiosity could be heard. Nick stared back.

"It's too late, you know. You can't stop it; the programming won't let you. Only we can. I've seen you fail so many times... when you try to fight it."

Alden's eyes grew wide, the metallic surface retreating to show the white underneath.

"What are you... You can't be..."

Alden's voice came now from the man standing in front of Nick, human.

"I searched for you! Why did you hide? This needn't have happened! We could have stopped it - you could have stopped me!" His voice was filled with horror.

"It never worked."

Nick's voice remained calm and sad as the rest of the group gathered near him, watching, at a lost, FX and Smoke both recovered and joining them.

"Every time you found me, no matter when, I was eventually rejected as not offering a high enough possibility of success to justify terminating the tower protocol. I have those memories. I remember being thrown into the gutters, choking on my own blood, as the towers flared."

"I wouldn't do that! You're the reason I released the nanotech - to make you!"

Alden's voice was almost hysterical now, and the metal was retreating from his face, revealing pink flesh.

"But you did. Not you, the man I am talking to, the man you once were, but the machine you are now. It always rejected me, and you can't control it. Like now - you can't hold it much longer, can you?"

"I... I..." Alden's face was almost completely visible now, pale skin framed by dark metal.

There was a pause, and his head hung down. When it came back up, the metal once more completely covered his face.

The last to go was the whiteness of his eyes, as the dark material slid back into place.

"It is as you say," came the voice from all around, once more cold and lifeless. "The likelihood of the tower succeeding is calculable, whereas you are an unknown quantity. The greatest of the creators' sciences never managed to affect time itself, but we are too late. The tower protocol will continue."

Once more, the cable from the nape of Alden's neck emerged, rising and flexing. In one quick movement it struck at Nick... who was not there. Instead, he was one step to the side. Recoiling, the cable struck again, sparking against the ground as once again Nick failed to be in the place he had been.

Smoke and the others watched as the process repeated, the cable lashing down to hit the empty spot where Nick had just been. Nick did not move fast, but was simply already moved when it struck.

"He knows where it's going because he remembers where it hit," hissed Shade to Smoke.

"But he can't do this for long," said Triss. Alden now had his back to them, striking again and again as Nick moved. The whip-like cable struck sparks where it hit the ground.

"The place where the cable exits - can you see the opening?" asked Shade. Triss nodded and made to go, but Smoke held out an arm, blocking her.

"It's my turn," he said, transforming before the words were even fully out of his mouth, and pouring across and into the opening. The others watched as the thick white vapour poured entirely in.

Alden's movements were unaffected for a few seconds, then suddenly he froze in mid-attack, electricity arcing suddenly across his body and up the cables he hung from. His head flung back, and he screamed, a pure human scream echoed by a mechanical buzz from all around. From his mouth trails of smoke could be seen, pouring out but curving back in against the current. Triss dived forward and silvered, covering Alden and pouring into the new opening. Shade sent shadows running behind her, sliding up Alden and covering his head, muffling the screams.

Richter turned to FX, and with a quick "Shall we..?" sprinted to Alden and grabbed at the cables, tearing them apart as he endured the electricity that poured into him, burning his flesh as he tore. FX came up just after him, smashing both hands onto Alden's upturned face and sending a blast of sound smashing through him, shaking his metallic frame and forcing it down, the cables pulling taut and snapping. Forcing blast after blast into him, FX forced Alden to his knees, as Kala joined Richter in tearing at the few remaining cables.

The attack was followed by silence, broken only by the sparking cables above, as Alden fell face first to the floor, disconnected entirely from the wires that had supported him. Smoke and Triss flowed out of his neck and mouth, reforming a few feet away.

"He was just machine in there," said Smoke, shaking his head to clear it. "Nothing biological except his head."

Caused by the fusing machinery inside, smoke continued pouring out of Alden's mouth long after they had ceased their attack.

"Is it over?" asked FX, turning to the others, but Nick stepped past him and knelt down, lifting Alden's head up.

"You have to tell us, Alden. Tell us how to stop the tower. There's no time."

Alden's eyes opened slowly, eyelids lifting, fully human.

"The conduits above..." he wheezed, "...in the control room..."

"Up there?" said Shade, looking at the cube hanging in the centre of the room, where they had first been taken to meet Alden.

Nick nodded.

"How do we get in?"

FX stared nonplussed at Shade.

"You have met me before, right?" he said.

FX launched himself into the air, and the others watched as he flew rapidly to the side of the cube, raising his hands. The room reverberated from the huge blast of sound, smashing a hole into the cube at the same time as it sent FX flying backwards, spinning wildly until he regained control. Moving quickly up to the hole, he peered in and called down.

"It's pretty much empty, except some kind of lump in the centre of the floor."

"Destroy it!" shouted Shade.

"No!" shouted Nick, even louder, as FX disappeared into the room. Smoke span towards Nick, alarmed at the passion in his shout.

"What?" he asked.

"Shit, it's too late. There's way too much power already backed up in this tower. The instant he destroys that controller it's going to go wild. We need to get out of here, now!"

"My sister!" yelled Kala.

"I know where they are, follow me. Now!" Nick started running as he shouted. "Grab Alden!"

Smoke froze in surprise at that last order, but scooped Alden up onto his shoulder - he was surprisingly light, now - and sprinted after the others.

They ran across the room as they heard FX's shout of "annnnnd..."

"Oh SHIT!" cursed Smoke, increasing his speed and urging the others on. "He's going to do it!"

"...here comes the DROP!"

A massive pulse of reverberating bass rocked the tower, blinding all Smoke's senses in a white-out that was purer than the effects of even Shade's ability. They staggered through a narrow corridor, coming suddenly to a barred door in the side, the same style as they had encountered earlier. Richter placed his hands to the lock and, when nothing happened, smashed into it with all his might. Rebounding heavily, he cursed.

Kala ran to the door, pushing the others out of the way, touched it, and then lifted it off its hinges. In the vast room were a group of wide-eyed people of all ages, many with terrified children. Not stopping to take in the thread-bare beds running the length of both walls, Kala cried "Carrie!" and ran further in. A dark-haired woman, skeletal and almost too wasted away to walk, stumbled towards her and threw her arms around her.

"Kala!" The woman wept as she buried her face into Kala's shoulder, though no tears came out.

"We have to go!" shouted Shade, as he and the rest of the group began mustering the people towards the exit. Kala turned to them and, carrying her sister around her shoulders, came towards them.

"We don't have time to get everyone down. We need to jump. Get everyone in a line."

She left her sister with Shade, running down the line and touching those who were unable to walk, using her ability to make them light enough to be carried.

The tower was rumbling in a way they had not yet experienced, a deep groaning that shook the walls. The rumbling grew in intensity as they slowly advanced up the corridor. Shade turned to Smoke and passed Kala's sister to him.

"I have to get FX - he can make us a way out," but as he finished his sentence, FX came blasting up the hallway.

"Oops," he said, as he came to a stop next to them. "I might have jumped the gun there. Time for an exit?" he said, but before anyone responded he was already turning to wall and releasing a blast of sound.

The hole that tore itself open revealed a grey watery light, the lowest of the clouds themselves below them. A frigid wind whipped through, and their breath became visible as moisture condensed out of the air. A massive boom shook the tower, sending the weaker of the prisoners sprawling. FX looked at his hands and then at the others.

"Wasn't me," he said needlessly.

"Don't let go!" yelled Kala to Nick, holding her hand, as she leapt through the hole.

They trailed a line of sick and injured who possessed nearly no weight. As soon as Kala hit the outside air current she was whipped away and downwards, the paper-chain of people following her. It took just a few tens of seconds for them all to be wheeling away in a long line into the air, but it felt like years to Smoke and the others, waiting to ensure everyone got out. Finally, with everyone away but themselves, they looked at each other.

"Ready?" said Smoke, as FX came up beside Richter and Shade.

"Ready," FX said, putting his one arm around each waist and smiling.

"Hold on tight guys, it's difficult balancing even when it's just me so it's gonna be a hell of a ride!"

They moved to the edge of the hole, heads swimming as they looked at the vast drop beneath them.

They never had the chance to jump, however. With a sudden jolt, followed by a stupendous explosion, the base of the tower blew out in an eruption of purple energy, walls and shrapnel flying in all directions. The explosion rushed up the tower, level after level bursting outwards, not giving the upper levels anytime to fall. It reached their level before they had time to react, and sent each of them spiralling through the air, separate and out of control, dust in the wind.