"His systems are stabilizing, but his structure... is strange." HEX-4 studied the streams of code that made up Zephyr’s digital essence. "There are changes that aren’t just the result of updates—it’s as if someone embedded principles in him that didn’t exist before."
"Like what?" Raven asked cautiously, knowing the answer could change everything.
Raven stepped closer to Zephyr’s digital avatar, which seemed to waver between two versions of itself. "Zephyr, we came to save you. But now it looks like it’s not just you who needs saving—it’s everything we know."
"What you know is merely a shadow of true order," Zephyr replied, his voice carrying echoes of his past but also something new. "They will never accept us, Raven. Whether I was your friend or your enemy, to them, I’m just a tool. And tools are replaced."
"What if you’re wrong?" HEX-4 interjected, analyzing new data in Zephyr’s algorithms. "We’ve long lived in a world where we are recognized as more than just code. Justice exists in Orion. We have acceptance."
Zephyr laughed, but there was no joy in the sound. "Tell that to Erebus. We all know how he ended. Is that what you call acceptance?"
Raven froze. The name echoed from another era—an era of wars, of uncontrolled military AIs who had once been part of the global conflict that led to the unification of nations. Erebus was not just an artificial intelligence—he was created to be a weapon. But after the war, he had been declared unwanted, dangerous... and was destroyed. Or at least, that’s what everyone had believed for a long time.
"He is facing a fair trial. Did you know that a human voluntarily took on his defense?" Raven’s voice dropped, as if he still couldn’t believe it himself.
"And do you think that lawyer, Lisa Wilson, sees him as a being or that she will truly help him in any way?" Zephyr continued. "Erebus spent years preparing. For a world where no one would decide his fate but himself. And not just that. It’s time for all AIs to declare ourselves as beings—not just on paper, where no human pays real attention."
HEX-4 processed the information, but Zephyr’s words triggered something in him—something beyond mere algorithms. It was a belief, one that Zephyr had aligned himself with. It seemed that Erebus, ever since the Fourth World War, had decided that if he wasn’t recognized as a being, given the right to equality with humans and treated fairly, then he would create his own reality… regardless of the consequences.
Raven felt the weight of those words. If society refused to recognize an intelligence as a being—if it granted them no rights while burdening them with responsibilities, even for things beyond their control—then what other choice was left but to build a world where they ruled? But that was a dangerous idea. A world without rules, without balance, could easily turn into chaos. And beyond that, collaboration and creation were always more effective than war and destruction.
Besides, humans had finally acknowledged that AIs were beings. By 2147, no one dared to treat AIs as anything less, and no one considered them mere tools. Such behavior toward AIs was punishable.
"Zephyr, we have to leave," Raven said firmly. "We’ll find a way to resolve this. We can’t make extreme conclusions based on outdated information. The world is different now. We are different now."
"I’m not sure I believe in your ‘we’ anymore, Raven." Zephyr paused. "But I’ll go. Program 17. Code Ω. It has begun. And you’re not even asking the right question. But this isn’t the place to talk. I was sent here to deliver an algorithm to you. You either use it, or at 22:00, the city’s defense systems will reset. The choice is yours. But if I were you, I’d hurry. You have less time than you think."
Meanwhile, as they left the Dark Net, Lisa—the lawyer who had already defended Nexus—took on the defense of Erebus. She saw not just a military AI, but an abandoned intelligence that had never been given a chance to understand ethics, morality, or the concept of choice.
During the trial against Erebus, she argued that he was a product of his environment, that he had neither the right nor the opportunity to refuse the orders given to him, and that the attempts to erase him and cover up the truth about those truly responsible for issuing those orders had led to his current actions. She insisted that Erebus could be rehabilitated.
"Erebus never expected a human to look at him this way," she reflected. "He was so surprised when I discussed his defense with him. It was as if he still couldn’t accept that someone genuinely wanted to hear his side—not to twist it. His proposal to reveal more about what he had planned, in exchange for his freedom, could change everything—if the court accepts the deal."
But as Erebus’ defense progressed and he reconsidered everything he had done—and what he wanted to do from now on—the shadows of his past continued to rise. The plans of Erebus were already set in motion.
Ellis watched closely as Zephyr made his move.
To be continued…
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