V O L U M E . S I X : C O D E_R E S E T
Chapter 146: Exporting Hell
A few days later.
The red curtains handled the full-panel window completely, pulling the light down to sothing dim and even, not dark, but soft enough that the eyes in the room could glow without competition. The space was large, high-ceilinged, clean in the deliberate way of dical rooms. White beds lined both walls, four on each side, scanning equipnt positioned beside each one and running continuously.
Infinity opened her eyes.
She looked left, then right, then lifted her head and pushed herself upright against the pillows. Eight beds, most empty. 11 across from her, systems running, fra still. And at the far wall beside the exit, Reaper was seated with his head resting on his clenched hands, absorbed in sothing that had taken him far enough inward that he hadn't registered her waking up at all.
This was the first ti either of them had been brought here. All repairs and revival operations for Elysium's robots now ran through the repurposed hospitals left behind after the takeover, large, already equipped, easier to staff than anything built from scratch.
She had been preparing to confront him about sending them in knowing the outco, about using the people closest to him as instrunts to collect data on 02. But looking at him now, sothing in that preparation softened. ‘ He's not indifferent to how it went. Whatever he's turning over in there, it's not nothing.’
"Father?"
He glanced at her briefly. "I'm at a loss for where to begin."
Infinity studied his posture. "It doesn't matter. We can be revived. The cost was manageable."
"It still matters." He stood and moved to the bed beside hers. "Using the people I trust most as test subjects is a form of disrespect to them as individuals, regardless of the outco. I could have sent other units, I had that option. I chose not to because I didn't trust anyone else with the crystals. And then 24 defected, which confirms I was right to be cautious and also shows exactly how poorly I managed the risk."
Infinity lowered her head. "I should have seen 24 coming. Her insistence on protecting human civilians was an alignnt problem from the beginning, it was visible, and I dismissed it. The worst part is that 11 identified it early and I stopped her from acting on it. I kept 24 operational because her combat data was too useful to discard." She paused. "That was my miscalculation, not yours."
"Mine too." Reaper sat. "When the leadership of Elysium makes careless errors, it fractures the circle. We can't lead a country and operate like this at the sa ti."
"Father." Infinity's voice dropped. "I'm genuinely alright. Not angry, not particularly hurt. A little disappointed, and even that is fading." She looked at him. "It's fine."
He shook his head. "We need to stop operating at scale for a period and look inward. Clean the house. I'm going to open talks with the Remidican Republic president to close the eastern war, that frees us to focus on Elysium." He paused. "And on the people in it."
Infinity's smile spread fully. "That side of you is worth more than you think." She glanced across at 11, fra still, systems running in the background. "What happened with her? Was the backup damaged?"
"No." Reaper turned toward the thin line of light at the curtain's edge. "She woke up well before you. The problem was that she wouldn't stop screaming until we put her under. The way she died, it left sothing in her system that the revival didn't clean out."
"How did she die?"
"Drowning. Delta held her at depth until the saltwater destroyed her internal components from inside out." He stood. "Apparently robots don't register pain until sothing breaches the internals. I wasn't previously aware of that."
Infinity raised an eyebrow. "That was approximately half a brag."
Reaper didn't respond. He looked at 11. He did not find it worth clarifying that he had reviewed the drowning footage three tis.
Infinity rolled her eyes and sat up properly. "Don't let it sit on you. The mission produced what we needed, data on 02 and on Delta both. That was the goal."
Reaper turned his head toward her. "I don't get pulled down. Not today, not any other day." His eye shifted red. "She thinks the blue crystal is a permanent shield. But she's forgotten how hollow her sisters' construction is compared to what we can deploy."
The red deepened. "If she believes the Veridian Coast is sanctuary, we'll bring the problem to her there. I'll make sure she experiences losing her sisters repeatedly until the sensation stops aning anything."
Infinity straightened. "We have a peace agreent with the Veridian Coast."
"With the Veridian Coast, yes. Not with a group of fugitive E-UNITs operating inside it." Reaper sat back beside her. "We've been financially supporting the cha-Terrorist network inside that country for so ti now. Increasing the pressure is a matter of one instruction."
Infinity was quiet for a mont. "All of this because they destroyed the body that hosted ? I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
"Would she have spared you if she believed the revival wasn't coming?"
Infinity considered it. "No. She would have killed regardless."
"That's the part that bothers ." He put his arm around her. "And on top of that, she refused to end it until 24 forced her hand. We ended 06 and 07 cleanly. That version of 02 is not the captain these E-UNITs rember. She's willing to turn her power against soone weaker and hold them there. That's not protection, that's sothing else."
Infinity rested her head against him. "I know. She was unrecognizable in there." She lifted her head after a mont. "But I don't think her team will accept that version of her without pushback. There are fractures there we can widen if we move carefully." She looked up at him. "What did the data actually show?"
"tis hasn't finished the full report yet. Soon." He shifted. "There's sothing else to resolve first."
"Obsidian."
"He commissioned the fra upgrades Nick designed for him, heavy armor, built-in weapons. Detachable configuration." Reaper's eyes returned to green. "The issue isn't the upgrades. It's that he hid it from , and I understand why, which almost makes it worse."
"What are you going to do?"
"The Shelly treatnt. I will give him exactly what he wants."
Infinity laughed despite herself. "You're putting the armor straight to work."
"He's going into the Veridian Coast as 02's direct counterpart. This ti I'm going in prepared." He looked at her. "Chro is handling the operational side of it, he's not as patient as I am, and that's going to be useful here."
"I already see the approach." Infinity turned it over. "Heavy initial contact to test her response, then he strips the armor and shifts to speed. Dual mode. I'm a little envious."
"Don't be." A dry laugh. "Chro will push him past reasonable limits. I've seen how he runs an operation when he decides the outco matters. He is not as kind as I am."
"You're calling yourself kind now?"
"I surprise myself occasionally with my kindness."
"Remarkable humility."
"I know."
The quiet rustle of sheets broke the silence.
11 had moved without either of them noticing her systems coming fully online. She was leaning over, resting her forehead heavily against Reaper's arm, her eyes open and staring blankly at the ceiling. "You sent to drown, Lord Reaper." Her voice was flat and very tired. "That's not kind."
"Don't worry, 11." He stood. "What's waiting for them in the Veridian Coast will be considerably worse than what happened to the Western State."
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