The Genesis Code 1: Lambda (47 page)

Corson moved to speak, but Zack cut in. Frankly, it was more of a reflex then anything. He had no idea what he was going to say to the people before him. He knew that he couldn’t make them see that Lambda was different. Very simply, he just wanted to stand up for her because he cared.

“Call me mad, call me foolish, call me whatever you like, but I will say this: the AI before you is no monster. She has evolved beyond a simple program. She can feel just like you and I. I don’t expect you to understand or agree at all. All I’m saying is that this person—yes, this
person—
” Zack added forcefully while pointing toward Lambda. “Is not the abomination you think she is. She is-”

Zack’s head snapped back as a rock smashed into his forehead. The sudden impact made him quickly lose his balance and crash on the ground. The pain was red hot, blazing with an unholy sting thought to only be associated with acid.

Cecilia gasped. She instinctively rushed out from behind Nerine to help Zack; however, she was quickly shut out by the advancement of Lambda.

“Zack!” Lambda screamed, rushing to assist Zack as he cradled his head. She could see the blood coming from the wound made by the rock. She couldn’t stop herself from shaking helplessly as her eyes quivered, on the brink of meltdown.

The Elders seemed to be just as surprised. They turned to the people behind them. The harsh whispers were unsettling.

Corson remained completely composed as he scanned the crowd. “Was that necessary?” He peered with piercing eyes to the group before them. The entire crowd, including the Elders, instantly grew silent as fear slowly crept around them like the white mist of wandering apparitions.

Corson continued to stare with his dreadful eyes. A couple of seconds later, someone finally cracked from the edge of the crowd.

“H-he has been possessed b-by that monster! It has warped his mind! If he kept on talking, he could have infected us all!” wailed the man. His entire body was shaking. He looked like he was about to have a seizure.

Corson was about to single the man out, but was cut off by Lambda rising up with Zack. Upon him seeing the look in Lambda’s eyes, he felt his body go stiff. Never had he seen eyes so full of bloodlust.
      

Still in pain, Zack could feel Lambda’s grip tighten as she held him up. His vision was blurry from the hit and he had this annoying ringing in his ear. The only solace in the pain was that it was a chilly night and the cold breeze that rolled over him was nurturing to his wound. That still didn’t bring him any real relief.

Zack then felt Lambda ease off his support and take to standing in front of him. Her hair swayed lightly from the weak gusts as she firmly stood before the crowd of people, her head just barely blocking Zack’s.

“Tell me, what do you feel right now?” Lambda said calmly. Her eyes radiated vermilion, pulsing like the wild eyes of a predator.

The crowd was frozen. Not a soul said a word. Even Corson and the others didn’t make a sound. They could feel the intense fury coming from Lambda. She was like an unstable reactor— one wrong move, and all was lost.

Lambda didn’t let the crowd answer her question. “Allow me to tell you what
I’m
feeling.” She placed her hand over her chest, never once blinking or breaking her stare with the people.

“I feel
wrath
.” Her words echoed as she continued. “Is this the emotion you share towards me, or perhaps . . . you feel something else?”

The ringing in Zack’s ears had stopped and he could hear clearly what Lambda was saying. She was consumed with fury. He had to do something before she made things even worse. Even with not being the target of her rage, the presence she was giving off was paralyzing.

Lambda took a step forward, causing the entire crowd to pull back. She began to slowly raise her arm, holding her hand out. Upon her arm leveling with her eyes a small light began to emit from her palm. It appeared faint at first, but the light quickly began to grow and expand as it took on the form of a small ball of red energy.

Lambda stared menacingly into the crowd. “You have no problem striking an unarmed person, but when a real threat appears, you cower away like wounded animals. Is it fear that stops you, or is it your own helplessness and weakness that grounds you?”

Zack wasn’t sure what to do as he eyed Lambda carefully. He felt intense hostility; yet something was different then the times before. It seemed like Lambda had more control over herself. However, one misstep and she could go off like a cannon. He knew this, Corson knew it, everyone knew it. They could only stand and pray that whatever Lambda was trying to do didn’t end in a bloodbath.

A woman spoke up. “S-see! It’s just a cold, soulless monster like all the other God Mods! You don’t know what fear is! How could you?! You’re just a machine!” the woman shrieked.

The ball in Lambda’s hand began to spark with black lightning and pulse like a beating heart. Her eyes never once blinked as she glared into the crowd.

“Just a machine, you say? Answer me then. How many of these God Mods have you spoken to? How many engaged you with actual words? How many showed you any type of feeling other than coldness and brutality?”

The crowd was silent—not from fear this time, but from a dreaded realization. However, no one in the crowd wanted to believe that Lambda was any different. Zack could see it in their eyes, and knew that this was a battle that couldn’
t be won.

“T-this is just a trick! You’re probably Babel’s newest model! You here to oppress us just like the rest!” a man yelled. The man could barely stand on his own legs after Lambda’s gaze fell upon him.

“Such ignorant fools you are.” Her voice was livid.

Zack saw the dam breaking. He couldn’t stand by any longer. He had to intervene now.

“Lambda, that’s enough. These people are just a product of Babel’s oppression. They don’t know any better. They have been too scared to know anything else.”

Lambda turned to Zack, her eyes still glowing beat red. “So, being cowards is an excuse to harm innocent bystanders?” Her words were like acid.

Zack felt the sting of Lambda’s words, but pressed forward, determined to bring Lambda back to her senses.

“You’re narrowing your field of vision too much. You don’t see the big picture here. These people have been hurt-”

“I have a question for the boy,” spoke the third Elder. His stature and body language suggested he was a proud and strong man in his late forties as he stepped out to the front of the people. His furrowed expression and narrowed eyes also showed that he was not a victim of scare tactics as much as the rest of the crowd. Zack saw a strange sense of familiarity in the man’s face, but couldn’t quite place it. The observation quickly lost focus as time never gave Zack much leniency.

Lambda’s attention fell to the man. The ball in her hand continued to pulse widely.

“What would you care to ask?” she replied with growing hostility.

The man stood his ground firmly. “Why do you stand with that creature?” he said directly.

Taken back, Zack’s mouth hung agape. He didn’t know why he suddenly couldn’t form a sentence. It wasn’t like he didn’t know why he stood by Lambda. However, when he thought about it, it felt unclear in his own mind.

Zack looked to the man who patiently waited for his answer. He shook his head violently.

I stand by her because . . .

Zack looked to Lambda now. As he gazed upon her rigid stance, he saw past the hostility, the anger, and saw what first drew him to her . . . those eyes. Her eyes of scarlet mayhem, filled with chaotic silence and hypnotic superiority. It was those eyes Zack first saw that sucked him in and urged him to dig deeper into what Lambda was, who she was. All this time, he had seen her as many things. He saw her as a guardian, an achievement, a cyber maiden of death. All these things he once thought, but never once did he think what he truly felt.

She is a girl before she is a program.

Zack’s expression changed then. He gazed upon the man looking down on him, waiting for an answer to his question. Zack reached over and grabbed Lambda’s hand while glaring at the man intensely.

“Do you have an answer, boy?” His words were forthcoming.

Zack’s eye twitched. “I stand by this girl because she is irreplaceable to me!”

The man seemed surprised by Zack’s response, but even more surprised with the sudden change in Lambda’s demeanor. The glowing ball in her hand vanished, and her eyes looked to have ceased their red glow. Now, she simply stared at Zack’s hand tightly grasping her own. Instead of her eyes glowing, her face was quickly turning bright red.

Lambda didn’t know what to think now. Her entire head felt like a cinder-block in a dryer. On the inside, she was going critical. Her chest was beating like a snare drum and her face felt hotter than the sun.

Wh-what is this?!
she exclaimed in her head as she stared down at Zack’s hand, tightly holding her own. All she could hear now was Zack’s words repeating in her head in an endless loop. She felt like she was about to explode.

Zack noted her contorted expression. “Lambda?” he asked harmlessly.

Lambda barely could form words. “L-le-lelele . . .” she stuttered.

Zack leaned closer, trying to understand her. “You okay?” he asked, now seeming unsure.

No one expected what followed.

“L-let go!” With an alarming shove, Lambda palmed Zack right in the chest and sent him flying back twenty feet. The act in itself shocked everyone, including Corson who simply stared at Zack’s limp body with eyes full of utter surprise.

Zack recovered quickly utterly livid. “W-what the hell was that for!?” Zack bellowed as he coughed several times due to the impact he sustained to his chest.

Lambda stared in utter bewilderment. Her eyes traveled to Corson and Nerine, to the perplexed Elder that spoke to Zack, and to the crowd of people behind him. Their faces were no longer plagued with fear, but rather complete confusion.

Lambda blinked in disbelief. The stares from all around were alarmingly piercing. She couldn’t take it anymore. She did the only thing that came to mind: she retreated.

With a deafening boom, Lambda rocketed into the air and dashed across the night sky into the forest beyond the clearing in which Zack and everyone stood.

Everyone stared in silence at the vapor trail of red sparks arching toward the woods. Zack was utterly shell-shocked by Lambda’s reaction.

Upon the dust settling from Lambda’s hasty exit, the same man from before stepped forward, directing his gaze to Corson.

“Looks like you’ve got your hands full. I hope this operation of yours brings the freedom you so lovingly like to preach,” the man uttered harshly.

Corson crossed his arms. “It
will
succeed. The people of this place don’t need to worry,” he replied reassuringly.

The man’s eyes probed mercilessly. “My son is in your hands, as is everyone here. I won’t forgive you if anything happens to him or the people of this Limit Zone.”

The man turned face and walked into the crowd, followed by the other two Elders. Several people were reluctant to move at first, but soon followed as there was nothing else left to be said. Zack could see that the fear they held when they saw Lambda had not left them.

Zack punched the ground, irritated. “Things just keep getting better.”

“Your sarcasm needs work,” Corson joked as he gestured to Cecilia to help her brother. He could tell she was reluctant, but desperately wanted to help him.

Cecilia rushed Zack and hugged him tightly. Zack could hear her sobbing lightly on his shoulder as he slowly rose to his feet. He did his best to mask the pain in his chest from Lambda’s little outburst.

“I’m okay,” he said gently as he stroked Cecilia’s messy hair.

She continued to bury her face into Zack’s chest as she clung to him. “I-I’m sorry,” she whimpered.

Zack seemed surprised, but merely let it roll off. “It’s fine. This will all be over soon, I promise,” he said, trying to sound reassuring.

For a brief moment, the two just embraced each other. Both forgot where they were, as they were just glad they were both okay.

Corson’s words brought them back to reality as he no longer could stomach the display of sibling affection before him.

“Okay, enough of your touching reunion-”

“Corson,” spoke up Nerine. “We need to begin our preparations. Peter should be about ready now,” she said with warning.

Corson looked to Nerine. He growled under his breath, knowing what her intent was.

He shook his head. “Get the Python’s navigation program up and running on this end. We have a bird to guide,” he added with a subtle laugh.

Nerine’s familiar smile returned to her face. “Finally, I get to see what role my handiwork has to play in this plan of yours,” she replied with a wink.

Zack stared almost alarmed in the sudden shift in the aura that radiated around her. Apparently, she would shine like the sun when she had a purpose, regardless of her mood.

“Boy,” Corson said more sternly. “I trust you can get your
girlfriend
back here soon?” he added with a snide tone and a flicker in his eyes.

Zack scowled. “Cute, real cute,” he replied rather curtly. He then released Cecilia from their embrace and looked her in the eyes.

“I will be right back. They won’t hurt you.” Zack looked to Corson, a glare burning a hole in his head. “They
can’t
hurt you.” He quickly turned and blitzed off in the direction of the vapor trail left by Lambda without another word. Luckily, he could tell she didn’t fly too far into the woods. Still, he had no idea what he was going to say when he actually got to her. That alone was worrying him more than anything right now.

Cecilia watched Zack until he hit the edge of the trees and vanished within the forest.

“Y-you aren’t going to hurt him r-right?” she whimpered.

Corson loomed over her, slowly extending his hand towards her. Cecilia cringed, as she no longer had someone to cling to, but was surprised when Corson’s hand gently ruffled her hair.

“I don’t plan to, child. So long as he follows my orders, no harm will come to either of you.”