Chapter 167 - The Beast & The Machine part 3

*(mood song: "Skillet - Feel Invincible")

AI 2137 picked up Erik, while it dragged the again unconscious Timberly behind him, slowly entering the lab.

Meanwhile, in the power room, the bots worked tirelessly as they quickly connected the generator while the octopeople explored the room to make sure it was safe.

Jennifer: "are Erik and Timberly okay?"

Rose: "I just got a report by AI 2137, they are fine, he will take them to a safe place"

Jennifer exhaled feeling relieved: "I'm glad they are okay.

Back at the room, AI 2137 left the two by the side as it inspected the room: *no power, but the machinery seems intact... what were they making here...*

AI 2137 cleaned a big metal table from broken instruments and debris, and set both of them on it.

AI 2137 connected to his power armor, and examined Erik's wound: *hmm the entire arm has been torn away, but the wound seems to be regenerating... fascinating... let's see... power levels correct... oxygen supply for... 345 hours... plenty enough... fetuses didn't suffer any trauma either... that's good*

AI 2137 then turned to Timberly, a light from his left hand lightly scanning her power armor and then connecting to it: *this one has much more damage, broken ribs, internal bleeding, and light organ damage... nothing fatal though* he saw the huge dent on the power armor *although the armor will need some repairs...*

As he was talking to himself, the power came back to the installation.

AI 2137: *wonderful, Lady Rose must have finished* he came close to a control panel and the nanobots on his hand connected to it *let's take a peek~*

After a few seconds though, AI 2137 was left bewildered: *copy... this is... a copy of my research? I... what... were we hacked or something... how...*

In the panel were the records of research almost identical to the one he had been conducting, the creation of perfect cyborg beings half organic and half machine, something he was inspired to research to imitate Lady Rose.

AI 2137: *hmm but their research is incomplete, what kind of incompetent researchers did this? fusing biomechanical parts with organic animals and just hoping for good luck...* his body trembled with rage *THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S DONE! THE NERVOUS SYSTEM! THE BLOODSTREAM! EVEN THE MITOCHONDRIA NEED TO BE IMITATED! the nanobots need to get their energy from the bloodstream, this faulty design uses too many external power sources...* he finished reading all the data and pondered *so they made a prototype huh... let's see it...*

AI 2137 thought a command, and a hatch opened on the floor, and bubbles rose from inside as a sealed chamber with transparent walls rose up, AI 2137 approached, and looked inside, seeing a robotic arm inside, quickly examining the arm with interest.

The chamber opened, and AI 2137 took the arm from inside.

AI 2137: *interesting... this looks truly like my research, this ain't just low grade nanobots indeed, its a living machine... but as I thought..., this prototype is faulty, a machine that needs exterior energy sources different from a living organism... this is... a failure...* he then had an idea as he looked at Erik *wait, wasn't he missing an arm?* a pin grew out of his finger, as he connected to the arm *should be useable at least after some tunning~*

The big arm reduced in size, and some systems changed shape or were scrapped until it looked like a purple colored human arm, with green glowing lines and square slots on the forearm.

AI 2137 got closer to Erik and put the arm next to Erik's left shoulder: *here... we... go!* an order was given to the arm, as tentacles pierced Erik's power armor and quickly connected to his flesh.

"GAAAAAHHH!" Erik screamed in pain as he instantly woke up, looking at the new strange arm "TAKE IT OFF! TAKE IT OFFF!" the intense burning pain as if lines of fire spread from his shoulder to the rest of his body.

AI 2137: *no worries, it's just scanning your nervous system to calibrate itself*

Erik's bloodshot eyes looked at AI 2137: "YOU BAST-" but he passed out from the pain.

AI 2137: *well, that will take a while, but the connection seems to be working properly... it will need energy though* he spotted three green cubes on Erik's power armor and quickly removed them *oh, this will do* he inserted them on the forearm, and as the green lines on the purple arm shone brighter, a layer of black and green power armor soon grew and covered the arm, connecting to Erik's power armor seamlessly.

-- Control Room --

Thick cables had been connected from the generator to panels on the walls, all the bots working in unison while Rose and the octopeople just looked at them work.

Jennifer and Jana looked at everything intrigued, but at the same time, they couldn't stop worrying about Erik and Timberly.

Jennifer finally went to Rose: "Are Erik and Timberly okay? we can go see them right?"

Rose was also anxious, as she could feel Erik passing out from pain and stop answering, but AI 2137 had confirmed they were safe, so there was no immediate hurry.

Rose: "we should reactivate the security system first" she came in front of a console and her hand morphed and connected to a port hole "hmm power has been restored to most of the installation, security system.... booting up alright, now I add you all as allies to the system... override... override... and done, all of you have now maximum clearance level"

Jenifer didn't understand what had just happened though: "...thanks? so can we go now?"

Rose scoffed and muttered to herself "like pearls for a swine, back in the day.... sigh, whatever..." she closed her eyes for a moment "there are still errors in the installation, let's see... communications... inoperative... hangar doors... no response... security cameras... finally something that works"

Rose was then able to see each room, on the fabrication room she was able to see AI 2137 repairing Timberly's power armor, muttering to herself "they seem to be fine- huh?" but she noticed Erik's left power armor arm was vastly different with green glowing lines "what is that senile bot doing... let's check..." only seconds passed, but she easily scanned through the information of the center, coming to a conclusion "Erik's in danger! that senile bastard didn't add enough energy cores, the arm will suck Erik dry for... energy.... wait it might work... his body can absorb and transform electricity, if a cable is connected... could be enough to charge the arm for now..." a mental command was then instantly given.

Rose sighed as she looked at the nearby nervous Jennifer: "they are both alive and stable, told AI 2137 to give Erik some energy, they will both be fine"

Jennifer exhaled water in relief: "that's good to hear, are we all safe then? is it over?"

Rose shook her head: "sadly no, the most important part ain't done, the submarine is still outside and in danger, also..." a screen in the room flickered on, showing a gigantic room with a titanic slumbering fat beast inside "the hangar seems to be occupied already" she pointed the camera at the insides of the door and could see claw marks destroying the door hinges and other parts of the internal opening systems "well, the damage is quite clear now"

Jennifer looked horrified at the enormous obese creature: "how did it get in there with that size if the doors were closed?"

Rose shrugged: "well the answer is simple, it probably didn't"

Jennifer and Jana were confused: "...what?"

Rose: "it probably grew there, and with time its descendants brought it food until it just couldn't get out anymore"

Jennifer: "how can you be so sure?"

Rose focussed the camera "see the service entrance, clawed open by claws of varying sizes as it grew" then the camera showed the door again "and the doors claw marks are smaller than her actual size, she probably gave up exiting that place long ago..." she looked at the piles of eggs that exited the back of the beast "hmm she might be put to good use after all though..."

Jennifer was pale seeing the huge monster, Rose's words confused her though: "... you... wanna tame that thing...?"

Rose nodded: "yes and no, you saw what those beasts could do... raised properly they would make for the perfect war beasts"

Jennifer frowned: "...war...beasts?"

Rose: "indeed, beasts raised to hunt for us and protect us, that was never a thing in your empire right?"

Jennifer nodded: "indeed... Shana might know more, but I don't remember something like that ever being tried, we just eat the prey and breed more"

Rose shrugged: "well that's also a valid strategy, there's power in numbers after all, but war beasts are usually selected for their loyalty and increased birthrates compared to the master species, in that way if some war beasts die, they would be way easier to replace than properly trained warriors"

She looked again at the enormous beast that seemed to not even be able to stand up: "it also doesn't look like much of a threat without its minions anyway..."

-- Back at the manufacturing room --

Erik woke up in a cold sweat, seeing a thick power cable connected to the chest of his power armor, a warm energy pouring on his body and being absorbed by his left arm.

Erik's eyes popped open wide at that realization: "my left arm! what the hell..." the new left arm felt way too natural, as if it had always been there, but... he knew that wasn't his arm at all.

Erik spotted AI 2137 working on Timberly's power armor and quickly walked to it.

AI 2137: *oh, you finally woke up, I'm glad-*

Erik: "get away from her!"

AI 2137 seemed confused, and pointed at Timberly, seeing Erik nod: *what's wrong? I'm just fixing her power armor...*

Erik: "only that?"

AI 2137: *only that*

Erik raised his left arm: "then what about this thing?!"

AI 2137: *that? a prototype I found here, wasn't a perfect fit, but after some modifications though... it fits like a glove right? should feel exactly like your past arm*

Erik: "...it... it weirdly does..."

AI 2137: *see? everything's fine...*

Erik pointed at the cable: "what is this then?"

AI 2137: *well, your... electric biology or energophagia, is quite compatible with this arm, so... I just charged your body*

Erik still felt the warmth entering his chest, and when he concentrated he could even clearly see most of that energy being absorbed by the new arm, a new strength building up inside it: "...so you plugged me to a charger or what? will I need to charge this arm from now on? I better just rip it off, in a couple of months a new arm would grow anyway..."

AI 2137: *well yes, but this ain't a normal arm, it's not even close to perfect but... it's powerful, try changing its shape...*

Erik: "how do i-" before he finished the sentence though, sharp claws grew from the arm, perfectly adjusting with the exterior glowing green power armor that also changed shape "what... I..." the hand then changed to a shield, then a sword, pincer, a railgun, various combinations that crossed Erik's mind, though he could feel the energy rapidly deplete, and soon he was tired again, no energy on his body as the arm went back to human shape.

AI 2137: *as you have seen, that arm can do things a biological arm can't do, it will just require a lot of energy, also... It ain't just an arm, it can grow if you feed it the proper metals and energy, it could even be more than just an arm... the possibilities are endless haha~*

Erik could feel the arm as an extension of his body, but at the same time not, like it could be other things: [ROSE! I REQUIRE YOUR OPINION]

Rose: [yeah... the arm right?]

Erik nodded: [correct, the arm]

Rose: [...it seems to be a learning prototype meant to be installed on a subject to learn how its biological body works but... AI 2137 seems to have reprogrammed it so, now it's just an arm. It will do what you want it to, you will require more energy cores though, luckily we found quite a bit on the octopeople city ruins, which should severely reduce the energy consumption and give you more options]

Erik: [possibilities?]

Rose: [I will put an example then, in your world you have a formula that says E = M x C², so the energy (E) is equal to the mass (M) multiplied by the square of the speed of light (C²), by that same logic, M = E/C²... do you get where I'm going?]

Erik's eyes dilated: [it can... create mass with energy?...]

Rose: [correct, but only mass it has analyzed before, and the conversion it's extremely inefficient so... a little bigger than before at most, what you can do is accumulate mass slowly off battle, for example, you can even create new organs and became a super cyborg or something like that]

Erik's eyes were dilated, the possibilities were truly limitless: [it is... truly great indeed]

Rose: [you can't do any of that for now, just rearranging the mass is taking you too much energy, I have some energy cores at the armory in the submarine, but for now come to the control room, I have something to show you]

Erik: [okay]

AI 2137: *I assume you have talked the matter with lady Rose already?*

Erik: "yes"

AI 2137: *and the verdict? do you like the arm?*

Erik: "...I like the arm"

AI 2137: *haha~ everyone's happy then, pick up your comrade, lady Rose is summoning us*

Erik nodded: "Yeah, give me a moment"

Erik got close to Timberly, and lightly opened her helmet, tapping her left cheek till she tiredly woke up.

Timberly opened her right eye as she grunted: "what... is it?"

Erik: "are you okay?"

Timberly saw his glowing new arm and was surprised: "If... I'm okay you say... what about... you? the others?"

Erik reassured her: "everyone is safe... thank you Timberly, you saved my life"

Timberly: "ha~ don't get all... soft with me now... family... helps... each other..."

Erik smiled and slowly put her on his back along her weapons, her feet dragging behind him, as he struggled to step forward with heavy steps, the hunger and thirst not making it any easier: "then... rest... I... will... carry you... to the others..."

Timberly: "okay..." her right eye closing again as she rested.

-- Meanwhile, back at the submarine --

Things weren't so peaceful, Amanda and the Yaksha sat in the control room, as millions of small monsters tapped the outside of the submarine, the last radar scan still fresh on her mind, showing a map full of red dots.

Amanda: "hope they open the door soon..."