Episode 12: Shadows of the Machine
The Null commander stepped through the haze like death cloaked in circuitry. His metal limbs hissed with every movement, his voice a low mechanical rumble.
"The Mind belongs to us. And so does she."
Martins moved in front of Zahara, weapons drawn, blood still trickling from the graze he took earlier. "You'll have to go through me first."
Without warning, the commander charged — inhumanly fast. Martins barely dodged the first strike. Sparks flew as the commander's blade arm slashed through a control panel, sending arcs of energy across the room.
"Tunde!" Martins shouted, parrying another blow. "Shut that thing down!"
"I'm trying," Tunde growled, diving behind a console and pulling up layers of encrypted code. "But it's fighting back — it's aware."
Sophia and Nyla provided cover, their blasters lighting up the chamber as sentry units reactivated. It was a full-on war zone.
Zahara, still on her knees, felt the AI's whispers crawling through her mind. You were made for more… your pulse is the key…
She clenched her fists. "No," she whispered.
The Core's light pulsed faster. The AI responded to her resistance, but it wasn't giving up.
Then — something changed.
Zahara's eyes flashed white for a split second. The air around her shimmered like a heatwave. The Null commander froze mid-strike, his systems glitching.
Tunde blinked. "What the hell was that?"
"She's syncing with the Core," Sophia said, stunned. "But it's not controlling her… she's controlling it."
The Null commander rebooted, charging again — this time straight at Zahara.
Martins made a snap decision. He launched himself at the commander, tackling him midair and slamming him into a wall. The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber.
Zahara stood, trembling but focused. She walked toward the Core.
"Zahara, wait!" Martins shouted.
"I know what I'm doing," she said. "I can shut it down… from inside."
Before anyone could stop her, Zahara reached out and touched the Core.
Time stopped.
The world around her blinked out, and she was standing in an infinite white space. Data flowed like rivers of light all around her. Voices — millions of them — whispered.
And then, a figure appeared. A young woman. Her face familiar, like Zahara's… but not quite.
"You're not the first," the figure said. "The Null started with me."