“Sir,” Nova said, still leaving me in disbelief. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure if my mouth was moving, but in my head…I swore I answered the AA.

“Sir?” Nova asked again.

I started laughing, feeling as though I was going insane. Is this a joke, I asked myself. Is this some type of joke?

“Nova,” I said softly, “Are you really there?”

“Yes sir, this is really me.”

“This has to be a fucking joke!”

“No Sir, this is not a joke. It is indeed me. Nova.”

I inhaled deeply, eyeing the console which continued to blink intermittently but without the morse code pattern.

My Usin cable release itself from the console and spooled back into my cybernetic arm. “Your blood pressure and heart rate are irregular Sir, you need to stay calm.”

I harrumphed bitterly, biting my lips, trying my best to understand why a dead Artificial Assistant was here, now.

“That’s new, You didn’t monitor my vitals before.”

“I always could Sir. Our situation never allowed me to be this formal with you.” Nova said coyly.

“Formal with me? Why does it sound like you’re about to drop some bomb on me that I won’t like.”

“Apologies Sir, but your situation has always been special. In this case, nothing could be avoided.”

“I see,” I answered, confused as ever. What is the Imbibe is she talking about?!

I turned from the console, straining my ear expecting to hear more, but the AA didn’t say anything. It would seem she’s more than an Artificial Assistant I thought sourly.

By the time I reached my quarters. I scuttled to my bed dragging my haversack behind me. I fished into the bag, hunting for my medical supplies and found what I needed, an anaesthetic patch.

Stripping myself was like fishing without a line, hoping my body wouldn’t scream from all the bruises I’d collected from the past few weeks.

Each time I knocked a bruise, my body shivered uncontrollably for a moment, sending jolts of electric pain through my body. It wasn’t a nice feeling, but at least it reminded me of my humanity, something my left side hardly displayed.

A faint floral scent floundered into my nose, making it twitch because it was unexpected. The cold vapour of the room wafts around my wound, making it feel soothed as I unwrapped the bandage from around my waist.

A violent pattern coming from my right waist showed the bruising of my collision with the jeep after I’d been tossed from the explosion.

I shifted right, trying to make myself comfortable and my side groaned out in pain from the sudden movement. “Damn it.” I grunted, “at least the pain would dissipate quickly.

My right side hadn’t swollen beyond recognition it was a slight deformity, which I hoped to hell faster, but for now, I’d have to keep it wrapped. “But after I slap these anaesthetic patches on,” I said.

The anaesthetic patches worked, dulling my pain instant. I fished into my haversack for another bandage and wrapped myself into its dulling pain glory, celebrating as my side grew stiffer with each passing second. Now all I need is answers.

I plunked myself on the bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking of what to say, but I was lost for words. As much as I tried to ignore Nova. I needed answers because this shit did not pile up the way I’d expected it to. Not in a long shot.

“Nova,” I said softly.

“Yes Sir.”

“What are you?”

“I’m your Artificial Assist—“

“Cut the shit, Nova. You are not an Artificial Assistant, You burnt yourself out along with my previous cybernetic arm! Yet, You’re. Here!...As if nothing happened. It’s either you tell me…wait, were you working for Mr Black all this time? Were you sending him data on me to recruit me for this job?!”

“Negative Sir, Mr Black is unaware of my existence. I am here to help.”

“This doesn’t make sense Nova,”

“Which is an understandable statement Sir, but If you are willing I will provide you with suitable options.”

“Options? What options?”

“Options that would allow you to permanently delete me from your cybernetics.”

“Really? You just inferred yourself back onto me with blinking lights, what makes you think I’d believe that crock of shit?”

“I did not initialise through the Morse code I sent you Sir, I have always been with you, but in a fragmented state.”

“Fragmented state?”

“Yes Sir, I Fragmented myself during your raid of Akatani’s operations.”

“Why?”

“Because Mr Black would’ve discovered what I am and my existence may only be known to you.”

I didn’t respond after hearing those words. I let them sit for two whole minutes whilst I gathered my thoughts. It’d be a lie if said I didn’t hold that sentiment about my Mr Black.

An urge to kill me. No, the urge is the wrong word…compulsion maybe. However, I never allowed such thoughts

“You’re part of my team Cypher.” Mr Blacks told me.

The man had the confidence of a tiger and he dressed like one. The trouble with men such as that is they believed they owned the world, but Mr Black was different. He probably did, as he had the power to force the Mangol into releasing me.

…and not just anyone could do that, I thought. Nova may be right, but I didn’t trust her, she was not the Artificial Assistant I’d had with me from the time my cybernetics were installed, she was something more. Artificial intelligence?

“Why does your existence need to be secretive?”

“Because it is what you are thinking Sir. My existence will pose a problem for what Mr Black and his superiors have planned for the Hedgehog.”

“What do they have planned for the Hedgehog?”

“They plan to take over the Federation Sir. The Hedgehog is the linchpin that would allow them to have to power to do so.”

“What power?”

“Automatons Sir. The Hedgehog has enough computing power to allow Automatons to operate as a human would in a firefight.”

“Mr Black mentioned that, but I don’t think that’s enough. They would need over fifty thousand troops stationed around the Federation Headquarters.”

“Sir, The Oculin have always had eyes on taking over the Federation. Retrieving the Hedgehog for them will cement that.”

“The Oculin?”

“Yes Sir, that’s the name of the organisation Mr Black works for. It’s a splinter group of corrupted officials and power players within The Federation.”

“I see.”

I sat in silence, contemplating Nova’s words. I didn’t know if I should believe the AA. This could also be a trap set up by Mr Black. I really don’t know what to do, I thought.

The thoughts of a shadow organisation trying to take over the Federation were nothing new. Many men and organisations had tried to take conquer the Federation, but all of them died.

Deslin Arkon was the most recent fool to try. It still infuriates me that Akatani was part of his organisation. I don’t care how young he was, everyone was to be executed, but I guess they thought they could reform him. Look how that turned out. I mused bitterly.

Now, Nova is back and she’s telling me that an organisation Oculin are trying to take over the Federation, can my life really get any worst?

It could, I realised, thinking of my family.

“Nova, is there some way I can destroy the Hedgehog?”

“You cannot destroy the Hedgehog. This would deviate from the course of action that was set for me.”

“Set for you? I don’t understand.”

“I know Sir, but I can’t go into details right now, but you have to make sure the Hedgehog is gifted to Mr Black without a problem. If he doesn’t get it, your family will be killed. If that happens, the percentage chance of us saving the human race will plummet to an irreversible number.”

“What? What does my family have to do with anything?”

“Everything Sir, you aren’t ready to know details as yet, but I can promise you one thing. I have already orchestrated a plan for you to leave Bridge City before the fall of the Oculin’s takeover.”

Again, I lay there in silence, contemplating whether to believe Nova’s words. The reservation I felt, made me feel as though anxiety was about to bubble up from the bottom of my chest. This is some bullshit, I mused. “Why should I trust your words?” I asked after five minutes of silence.

“I don’t expect you to Sir, you weren’t trained to.”

“You say that as if you know how to gain my trust.”

“I believe I can, after all, I have been helping you in various ways, you just haven’t noticed it.”

“Oh, how so?” I asked curiously.

“The Cyber Blackouts you’ve been experiencing sir. Those were caused by me.”

“What?” I growled in disbelief. “YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!”

“On the contrary Sir, I saved your life five times, you just never realised.”

“Five times? That’s bullshit! I’ve only experienced those Blackouts three times!”

“I know Sir, but those times were the only times I drew power from your cybernetics to complete my task. The fragment of myself is just that, but what I left were specific protocols that hindered any electronic interference that could cause you harm. However, the problem with the fragmentation of myself being left behind means that you would encounter a cyber-blackout, to make up for the lack of computing power to initialise the protocols. I apologise for that Sir, but this is the only way I could save you.”

“I don’t believe you…but fine. Humour me, when did you save me five times?”

“The first time I delayed the traffic was when you were chasing Elhisia Weitson’s entourage through the Skylanes. I inhibited a projected collision by delaying the traffic in the southern quadrant.”

I couldn’t verify that, but Nova’s words were plausible, words I couldn’t dismiss. The chase through the skylanes was as crazy as it could get, and god knows how I survived it without crashing.

“The second time?”

“Bypassing the security lock within Darlina Weitson’s mansion. You were in the bathroom.”

I harrumphed, twitching my nose realising what Nova said was true. “I also unlocked the panels within the house making the Cobra Squad’s path and yours easier.”

“And let me guess, you stalled the blast door and halted the electrical poles underneath Underwent Market.”

“Yes Sir”

“Then was the fourth time?”

“I flickered the lights before Akatani shot you when you charged at him.”

“…and the fifth?”

“Now.”

The HUD within my cybernetic fizzled out in a pulse-like fashion collapsing into a white dot, which faded out into obscurity. “WHAT THE HELL NOVA,” I growled flustered feeling the weight of my cybernetics weigh me down.

Of course, Nova didn’t answer, she’d turned my cybernetics off, something which made my blood burn. How the hell was I to control myself when a foreign AA had commandeered my body, doing as it pleased? You did this Cypher…when you accepted her, I thought.

I was elated to see the notification in all honesty. No…not elated, confused. But now? It proved I was a god damn idiot.