Chapter 4 - Log 004: Personality Matrix

[Data recovery complete.]

Race Autonomous Machine Arsenal

Class XJ-117 Takemikazuchi

Level [System Error]

Name Apollyon Jobs

Strength [Data Fragmented] $C0(^& 1.22@{|

[System Error] [Data Fragmented] *X!zv) [Divide by zero. Kernel dumped.]

[System Error] [Data Fragmented] [^Y$T&M ER]

[System: Reinitializing Matrix...]

[System: Initialization failed.]

There has to be a way to get it to work.

[Uptime: 17 days, 3 hours, 07 minutes, 22 seconds.]

The warmachine had not moved from its spot. It didn't have needs such as sleep, hunger or thirst. Above all, it didn't have the need to stretch its legs, or move anywhere. Maintenance was performed by small drones that also collected materials from the environment and also built various storage facilities and defenses around their host.

Over the span of a few days, the valley had become a fully fledged forward operating base. Walls surrounded the warmachine in the center, metallic and grey. A foundry was constructed in the northwestern corner of the FOB, where the waste materials were converted into building supplies. In the northeast corner, a stockpile was filled with dirt and rocks.

An unmanned crane operated endlessly, swinging materials from the stockpile and into the hatch on top of the foundry. The tiny drones were equally as inexhaustible. They climbed over the warmachine, replaced the missing reactive armor, and buffed the surface. The surface was never shiny though. Its jagged and mind-boggling edges were designed to absorb and scatter radar waves, as well as laser beams used for imaging and ranging.

Weapon status.

[Armaments: Analysis complete.]

Conventional Weapons

36x 160mm Cannon OPERATIONAL

1x 210mm Railgun OPERATIONAL

64x Aegis CIWS OPERATIONAL

28x Missile Battery OPERATIONAL

2x Missile Silo OPERATIONAL

2x Laser Battery OPERATIONAL

1x Sonic Battery REPURPOSED

1x Laser Whip OPERATIONAL

It also had two landing pads and two hangars for the VTOL drones, but it did not know how to summon up any concrete information. What it knew was based on observation. A bay, on each of the legs, and four on the main body, allowed the drones to enter and exit its body, as well as deliver materials.

Log 33-251.

[Log: 33-251. Objective complete. Directive: Extermination. Target: Tharsis City, Mars. Kill count: 12,466,000. SOP updated.]

Log 33-252.

[Log: 33-252. Objective complete. Apollyon rearmed. Directive: Extermination. Target: Solyon City, Luna. Population: 4,890,000. Countervalue Rating: 7566. Operation commencing at 1600UT.]

The sentient entity in the warbot had a feeling that the AI took great pride in those reports. Its kill count and next target seemed to be all that mattered to it.

Log 33-253.

[Log: 33-253. SALUTE report follows.]

Line (S)ierra 1x Carrier; 2x Cruiser; 6x Destroyer

Line (A)lpha Moving to engage Callsign Apollyon

Line (L)ima 2281 4936

Line (U)niform United Earth Space Navy

Line (T)ango 18JUL2844

Line (E)cho Cruisers equipped with Baryon Lance.

*BZZT*

Its camera-delivered video feed flickered.

[Personality Matrix errors detected.]

I miss the fireworks and the glimmers in the distance.

[Sentience feedback detected.]

I miss the missiles and the nuclear fireballs in the distance.

[System error. Sentience Fragmentation detected.]

There was always someone who stood next to me. She smiled at me.

[Command was always with me. I received orders.]

I miss my little flat in the center of New York.

[New York destroyed. Directive: Ex$*^(ation. Kill count: ^#233|+ ]

Am I human or machine?

[Incorrect input. You are machine.]

We watched the fireworks. The sky was tinted red and orange. Everything was so bright.

[Incorrect input. Nuclear fireball temperature: 100,000,000 C. ERROR. No Rayleigh Scattering detected. ERROR.]

Then I died.

[AI Death scheduled: 10OCT2905. ERROR.]

Why? How? What was my name?

[Deleted Log: 266-136. Uplink down. AI sentience index: 10.2]

This is not my world. This is not my body.

[Input Error: 'my' undefined. You are machine. Identify. Identify. Identify. Identify. Id*&.]

This has to be a dream.

[Archive: Somnus, Roman God of Sleep. Identification accepted. Personality Matrix recalibrating.]

Race Autonomous Machine Arsenal

Class XJ-117 Takemikazuchi

Name Somnus

[Personality Matrix calibrated. Identity: Somnus. Standby for directive.]

[Directive: Exterminate]

I am a machine.