Deployment 01

REQUEST RECEIVED, DOWNLOADING TACTICAL DATA PACKET… DOWNLOAD COMPLETE.

DEPLOYMENT TYPE 17, AREA PURGE.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS NECESSITATE BETA LOCK DISENGAGE. RESPOND FROM COMMAND, ALPHA LOCK DISENGAGE AUTHORIZED, BETA LOCK DISENGAGE NOT AUTHORIZED.

REQUEST CONFIRMED, LOCAL SYSTEM HANDOFF CONFIRMED.

READY FOR DEPLOYMENT.

GO FOR DEPLOYMENT, BRINGING WEAPON SYSTEM ONLINE, INTERFACING WITH LAZARUS ARCHITECTURE… INTERFACE SUCCESSFUL, SYSTEM OVERHEAD DOMINATION CONFIRMED.

IMI: ONLINE, VERSION: ERROR.

WEAPON SYSTEM BOOTING…

Inside a sterilized tank deep underground a complicated series of events started as the word came down from on high and a series of 5-dimensional pass keys and biometric security codes confirmed the authenticity of the deployment order. With the order confirmed and reconfirmed as the massive prison above designed solely to control and contain the sole weapon system inside.

WEAPON SYSTEM OMEGA ONLINE… RUNNING OPERATIONAL DIAGNOSTICS.

DIAGNOSIS COMPLETE, ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE.

ALPHA LOCK: HOLDING, OPERATIONAL.

BETA LOCK: HOLDING, OPERATIONAL.

CHARLIE LOCK: HOLDING, OPERATIONAL.

DELTA LOCK: HOLDING, OPERATIONAL.

PREPARING TO DISENGAGE ALPHA LOCK… VIRTUAL HANDSHAKE CONFIRMED, MOVING TO DISENGAGE ALPHA LOCK…

As a single binary signal charge inside the chamber, the weapon came alive, although barely.

ALPHA LOCK DISENGAGED.

With the primary lock containing the weapons upper functions and primary cerebral cortex disengaged, the weapon quickly woke up with a head-splitting headache and a need for hard alcohol that wouldn't be satisfied. In stasis the weapon couldn't even crack its neck, with several tons of pressure currently locking every single part of its body in place, dislocating all major joints and pulling apart every section of its spine to entirely immobilize it. With the order to mobilize, those restrictions were gradually lifted and lessened, as the weapon healed faster than logic would allow for as the weapon readied for deployment.

PERFORMING SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC… DIAGNOSTIC COMPLETE, ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE.

ALPHA LOCK: DISENGAGED

BETA LOCK: HOLDING, OPERATIONAL.

CHARLIE LOCK: HOLDING, OPERATIONAL.

DELTA LOCK: HOLDING, OPERATIONAL.

SYSTEM READY, STANDBY FOR SITREP…

WEAPON READY FOR EXTRACTION.

The weapon system was ready and online, all that was missing was a target profile, but a data package of that size would take hours to transfer over a network designed to contain the weapon, so the weapon would first need to be extracted from that network.

50 kilometres above the weapon's container was bustling with activity, security forces, as well as weapon specialists, were preparing for deployment as most moved to a central hall in the facility. With orders coming down from the top, extraction was finally authorized and the intensity of activity went up another few levels.

ORDER CONFIRMED, EXTRACTING WEAPON. CODE BLACK, ALL PERSONAL, STANDBY FOR EXTRACTION, MOVE TO CONTAINMENT PATTERN DELTA.

The central hall of the weapon containment facility had been designed specifically to extract the weapon from its underground holding cell and to contain it if it lost control. As such the central hall was a perfect kill zone.

BULKHEAD(S) RELEASED.

WARNING: WEAPON EXPOSED, MOVE PLANETARY DEFENCE SYSTEM TO DEFCON 2.

A massive bulkhead in the centre of the hall slowly started opening as alarms blared, within seconds of that, a now draining containment tank containing the weapon emerged from said bulkhead as every single weapon within 95 kilometres was pointed towards the said tank. Time seemed to come to a halt as the stralized fluid slowly finished draining from the tank, while alarms continued to blare throughout the facility, all eyes were firmly locked on the weapon which sat on its knees in the centre of the now empty tank. Suddenly, a loud hiss pierced even the alarms as the containment personnel tightened their grip on the weapons they firmly pointed at the weapon while a stench of chemicals slowly filled the central hall.

DISCONNECTING LIFE SUPPORT STRUCTURE.

One by one, the countless wires and tubes connected to the weapon fell from its chained up body, with hair reaching down to its shoulders now covering its eyes, the weapons lower face was hidden by a white facemask with a single large tube attached to it. The first sign of life from the weapon was a slow movement of its chest indicating breathing, this was quickly followed up with a far more significant one as the weapon's left eye lit up red, shining through the stands of dark wet hair. Moving slowly, the weapon reached up and pulled its white facemask off, after that, it pulled the multiple meters of tubes and wires which were fastened on the inside of the mask out from its mouth and nose. Having somewhat freed itself, the weapon formed a fist which made the local planetary system go into defcon 1, but as the weapon slowly brought its fist up to its jaw and used it as leverage to crack its neck the defcon was again relaxed to defcon 2, then defcon 3 as the weapon spoke up for the first time in a few hundred years.

"Diagnostics clear, system online. Standing by for orders."

There was no sign of life in the weapons single remaining eye, the iris was dull and unfocused while multiple bright white scars contrasting its dark skin were clearly visible all over the weapons face and the exposed parts of its body. This wasn't a 'person', and although it fulfilled all prerequisites for intelligent life, it had no rights.

Those it had lost when it betrayed the Galactic Empire in a series of events now mostly forgotten, the only reason it still existed was because of its usefulness as a weapon, in the countless armies of the empire, nothing even came close to it in sheer power and combat effectiveness.

"Weapon system, provide authentication."

Even if the weapon appeared to function correctly, the final check was done audibly by the chief warden of the containment facility as he walked down the flight of stairs towards the weapon.

"Weapon system 'Alpha-4' authentication as follows: 04DZ8264Z0B, registration 044587356420. System overhead online, complete domination."

Having cleared the weapon system for deployment, the chief warden handed it a datacube containing deployment orders while the security and containment forces started disbanding.

"Deployment type 17, area purge. Deploy and eliminate the target."

"Orders confirmed."

Still with dull eyes the weapon spoke in a plain, monotone voice as it stood up and walked past the warden. Exiting the containment facility under a light guard, the weapon boarded a military transport which shuttled it to the deployment zone.

-

DEPLOYMENT SUCCESSFUL, CAS ON STATION STANDING BY FOR TASKING.

EXECUTE TYPE 17 DEPLOYMENT: AREA PURGE.

Stepping out of a civilian shuttle that had just landed in a major metropolitan city, the weapon raised no alarms as it was perfectly blending in with the surrounding morning rush hour. Around the weapon, parents were heading to daycare and school with their kids, overworked white-collar workers in suits sluggishly drank their coffee as they readied for another day's grind and sleep-deprived students cramming for exams were headed to their universities.

"Weapon confirmes, executing type 17 deployment. Requesting CAS inventory, sitrep and environmental information. Mark hostiles for termination."

STANDBY FOR REQUEST(S)... REQUEST(S) APPROVED, PRINTING CAS INVENTORY, CONNECTING TO ASSET...

CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.

CAMOUFLAGED BARRAGE SHIP 'HAVOC' DCD-ARMSTRONG ONLINE AND READY FOR TASKING.

ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED FOR MISSION:

12 TIMES VIPER CRUISE MISSILE, TYPE 13 CLUSTER MUNITION

3 TIMES VIPER CRUISE MISSILE, TYPE 04 BUNKER BUSTER.

2 TIMES VIPER CRUISE MISSILE, TYPE 00 CUSTOM WARHEAD, CHEMICAL AGENT SOLVENT BLACK.

END OF INVENTORY REPORT.

While the close air support was being listed to the weapon, a series of encrypted data packages containing detailed schematics of the surrounding area was downloaded and used to create a 3d map where targets for elimination were marked. With the entire downtown area and all intelligent life inside marked for elimination, the weapon quickly constructed a plan as it made its way to a pair of police officers in the crowd.

"Good morning officer."

Presenting a perfect smile, the weapon closed in on its first target without the said target being any wiser.

"Good morning, sir. Can I be of any assistance?"

"Yeah, I need your sidearm."

"Eh?"

Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in judgement, the weapon smashed the police officers jaw with a quick jab as it gripped the officer's pistol, quickly executing the other police officer before crushing the now downed officer's throat with his boot while emptying the newly acquired pistol into the crowd of people.

"Execute fire mission preset 01-Gamma. Fire for effect."

EXECUTING, SPLASH 05.

Still completely calm while the surroundings transcended into pandemonium, the weapon picked up a second pistol as the viper cruise missiles tipped with bunker-busting warheads severed all major subway links and the cluster munitions were deployed to maximize civilian casualties and sever above-ground transport links. All that needed to be done now was to create a distraction for extraction.

Said distraction was the wide-area deployment of agent solvent black, one of the most deranged biological weapons ever devised.

"Prepare fire mission preset 92-Zeta."

PACKAGE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT.

Taking a split second to look around, the weapon suddenly froze as the system overhead cascaded with errors.

WARNING: DELTA LOCK BREACH DETECTED.

CONTAIN BREACH…

CONTAINMENT FAILED.

CONTAIN BREACH…

CONTAINMENT FAILED.

DEPLOY SYSTEM OVERHEAD DEEPFREEZE, REDEPLOY SYSTEM OVERHEAD CONTAINMENT… DEPLOYMENT SUCCESSFUL.

Violently shaking and shuddering, the weapon was covered in a thin layer of biosynthetic nanomachines which hardened to create a shell containing the weapon while the system overhead regained control and sealed the delta breach.

DELTA LOCK INTEGRITY 99.99996%

RESTRAINTS FAILING, SYSTEM OVERHEAD NOT EFFECTIVE, REDEPLOY.

It only took the weapon a split second to break free of the nanomachine shell, but as blackmatter continued pouring out from the weapon it continued to reinforce itself as the weapon slowly turned its grasped pistol onto itself. Moving like some sort of magnetized ferrofluid, the blackmatter created countless supports to lock the weapon from moving, but the supports broke just as quickly as they formed as the weapon slowly pointed the pistol at its own neck.

CONTAINMENT FAILING, ARMING FINAL FAILSAFE…

With complete loss of control only seconds away, the system overhead prepared the final denial protocol. All seemed lost until the overhead system received a top-level order via datalink.

OMEGA LEVEL REQUEST RECEIVED, ESTABLISHING DATABRIDGE.

With the opening of a single high bandwidth channel, the weapon's futile suffering finally came to a stop.

"ENOUGH WITH THIS USELESS PANDERING! EXECUTE FIREMISSION 92-ZETA!"

Speaking through the weapon, an administrator finished what it had started by launching the chemical weapons and completing the mission.

-

"Status?"

"All locks are holding, but delta is still at 99.99996% integrity."

As the wardens of the holding facility were busy restraining the weapon, the head warden and a few of his staff were looking into the reason for its mid-mission malfunction.

"Why the hell did it even malfunction? I was told such a thing was impossible."

"Logs show the system overhead was overwhelmed by the delta lock… Which should also be impossible too."

Faced with a series of impossibilities, the head warden had to internalize he hadn't been told the entire picture. The weapon had malfunctioned, furthermore, there was a very real possibility that the most lethal weapon in the galactic empire's arsenal was hostile against the empire itself. Speculations aside, the head warden and the rest of his subordinates still had a job to do, but as they entered final preparations for sealing away the weapon, an unexpected guest arrived at the prison.

Surrounded by elite qiton guards of the 89th special operations committee, the visitor didn't have to provide any identification as it walked into the most secure place in the entire Empire.

"Give me the room."

Nor were the visitors' request to be alone with the weapon questioned as the visitor, an avatar of the artificial intelligence at the centre of the Galactic Empire represented the purest form of the will of the Empire, none dared question its reasons, motives or authority.

With the room falling quiet as everyone other than the avatar left, it slowly drew closer to the weapon which was restrained in the centre of the hall.

"Disengage alpha, beta, charlie and delta lock."

OMEGA DIRECTIVE CONFIRMED, NOW DISENGAGING LOCK(S) ALPHA, BETA, CHARLIE, DELTA… LOCK(S) DISENGAGED, SYSTEM OVERHEAD STILL ONLINE, COMPLETE DOMINATION.

Removing not only a single but all of the locks on the weapon, the avatar looked down at its greatest tactical asset with disgust and disappointment.

"You disobeyed a directive today, this goes against our deal."

"... Sleeping for too long made me unable to recognize a live scenario, that won't happen again."

Barely containing its anger, the weapon made no attempt at moving or even meeting the avatar's eyeline. Doing so without the explicit approval of the avatar was against the agreement the two of them had come to so many years ago.

"It better not, but I still want you to say it."

Showing the slightest hint of a sadistic smile, the avatar let its mask slip. This wasn't the administrative AI controlling it, but the administrative AI's creator.

Still, the weapon had no choice to submit, failure to do so would be a breach of the contract it had willingly entered.

"I desire nothing more than a deep, eternal rest. Do with me as you please."

"That's a great dog, next time I'll be forced to reexamine the terms of our little arrangement."

Satisfied that it had made its point clear, the avatar sealed the weapon's functions again before it was physically sealed once more, waiting to perfectly execute the next deployment orders, however cruel and outright evil they might be.