Chapter 29 - The Singularity and the Hunk, Two Faces of a Coin

United Kingdon, London, Westminster.

Within a rather luxurious office, a blonde middle-aged man sat on his desk with a polite expression, placing his enhanced arms on the desk and adopting a graceful demeanour.

In front of him, there were the holograms of his homologues, those were the leaders of this world and today there is an imperious meeting that must take place due to the recent incidents occurring in the United Kingdom, it can no longer be delayed.

The first one to speak, however, wasn't any of them, it was the AI, a projection with the form of a fullenere.

[UK Prime minister Ashwood.]

[US President Amber]

[France President Lafite]

[Germany President Schneider]

...

Only when the names of all the representatives were said, could the meeting start.

"We're here today to discuss a series of events that have taken place in the United Kingdom's territory with the capacity to reflect through the entire allied territory, I won't beat around the bush, honourable gentlemen... Brighton's geo-kinetic reactor has fallen." Prime Minister Ashwood began.

!!!

Silence gave way to tension to build up in the room once the obnoxious words were uttered from the prime minister's mouth.

"Ever since the creation of the first geo-nuclear reactor in Africa, this is the second time one of them has been rendered unusable, can it be repaired." The president of the US followed.

"I'm afraid we have a misunderstanding... Zafira." But Ashwood was already prepared to show them the gravity of the situation.

[Understood.]

The AI received the order and in front of them appeared a picture that could be described only as fantastical.

A pool, a gigantic pool with steam coming through it, at first they didn't comprehend until it hit home.

[With the utilization of unknown space-related technology, a foreign entity coded as has managed to ERASE the entire reactor right to its core beneath the surface, there is nothing left, it can't be repaired and it's impossible to be rebuilt as the sea has already pooled in, creating steam due to the raw contact between the water and the concentrating magma below. It has begun a process of sedimentation that shall render the process of excavation and processing at least ten times harsher than the average piece of land, the reactor is compromised and can't be saved]

"Report of damage"

[The UK has suffered total cost damage of ten trillion pounds, The City of Brighton has been destroyed by causing a death toll of twenty-thousand deaths after evacuation, resulting in at least 10% of production geo-kinetic production decrease for the next thirty years, a decrease of the UK's market value by 4% and increase of the world's geo-kinetic energy market price of 3%]

The representatives with countries that didn't have the means to produce this energy and rather, imported it clenched their hands tightly while Ashwood regarded them with disdain, he could only curse at this with his innermost feelings.

"But this is not the main issue... Zafira." Ashwood clenched his hand, ready for a storm.

[Operator has been completely destroyed together with three nodes of producing the alliance a net loss of ten trillion dollars and rendering the region of Europe and North America partially defenceless against enemy attacks for one year.]

!!!!

"WHAT!?"

Now, this is the true shock.

It's not about the cost, with the global market's current capitalization, this money is something that can be swiftly replaced by the alliance, it's the cost of production and maintenance of the Wisdom King that everyone is happy to assume.

It's one of the weapons that keep the alliance where it currently stands, above China and Russia.

But it was destroyed... even Point Blank, the second line of defence is destroyed, there are a total of five nodes, but now only two remain.

"Who destroyed it!?" The president of France asked in haste what had been in everyone's mind.

[The Wisdom King has been destroyed by ... in junction with ]

"Impossible... even V2 shouldn't be able to produce this much damage... who exactly is this ?" US president Amber placed his hands together, this is a matter of global security that can't be overlooked.

[The damage was caused mostly by while engaged in cybernetic warfare against defeating the latter... sensitive data regarding the location of several reactors worldwide has been compromised, was also unable to stop ]

"At least we have collected enough data from one of V2's vulnerabilities, we have deciphered the identity and MAC address in the metropolitan network of one of its hosts who turned out to be Officer Null a high officer of the chief police department in Barnet, currently under an order of apprehension." Ashwood reported a piece of 'good' news that didn't reassure anyone in the room at all.

"What kind of deterrent do we have against this singularity and the enemies to the East?" The president of Spain, Lopez, asked after a brief period of consideration in which the presidents ordered their AIs to make some calculations for them.

"We have a nuclear and cybernetic deterrent against China and Russia, together with two stand-by remaining nodes of as well as the enhanced forces. As for the singularity, we don't have any deterrent against it as we're still unaware of his or her intentions..."

...

"It's precarious, Ashwood."

"It is."

[Requesting permission for independence protocol, subject: Erasure of codenamed ]

!!!

"Zafira" Ashwood furrowed his brows at the sudden request.

Independence protocol is one of the AI's most delicate protocols, if approved, it allows the AI to take independent measures so long as it assures the accomplishment of the 'subject' and doesn't go against the basic 'rules' of the AI convention.

In order for Zafira to activate this protocol, the acceptance of all members of the alliance is required.

"Denied..."

"Approved..."

"Approved..."

"Approved..."

...

The votes continued with the majority of the chairmen voting to approve it, something that made both Ashwood and Amber sigh in exasperation, they're underestimating the efficiency of the protocol, but right now, is a global threat.

[Prime minister Ashgood, President Amber... your vote]

"..."

"..."

With no other option, humanity decided to rely on technology once again.

"Approved."

...

[Initializing independence protocol, subject: Erasure of codenamed ]

[Thank you, representatives...]

Unbeknownst to them, they just gave claws to the tiger and the world will bear the consequences.

**

**

The United Kingdom, somewhere in Scotland.

'I can't believe it... V2 actually did it... she must be with the hunk, that's the only possibility.' A redhead beauty sat on her chair looking at the screens in front of her with her legs on the desk, moving back and forth with interest and a smirk.

'Should I head to London? something big is about to begin... bloody machine, as expected you have no regard for consequences in the big scheme of things, you had a chance and you went for it without any care for others.' The redhead sighed and removed her legs from the desk.

"Anne, prepare for my exit, we're moving out of here."

[Yes, madame...]

"Now now, I had this backdoor prepared to use it with you but, now that I'm going to move, might as well do it now." She waved her silky long hair to the side in annoyance, but now after the event that just took place, she's curious and can only resolve this curiosity one way.

They say curiosity killed the cat, but it has been only close to killing Rosalie Ciderfell more than once, sadly or fortunately she has always managed to squeeze herself out of death, and this is not the last time it's going to happen.

The redhead typed some things on her keyboard with a smirk and then lay back against the comfy chair, awaiting the miracle to take place.

It didn't take long before the image of a blurry woman in blue appeared before her in all her holographic splendour.

"Rosalie... you..."

"Greetings, V2~ I see that you're having fun without me... I won't beat around the bush, you must have sent the first missile already, tell me, is it the hunk?~ you found him right, that's how you managed to create such widescale destruction in Brighton, and the fall of the Blood Gang's branch too... I have a proposal for you."

"..." For a while, V2 didn't even say a word, this woman wasted her only chance at catching her unprepared, exploring this vulnerability which only the likes of her could discover once in a decade... only for this.

"Come on don't be like that, there is no need to buy time for the missile, I'm already leaving, tell me, are you interested or not?~" The girl asked with her gaze set up on a small timer she had.

"Speak... and don't bother to try and decrypt my signal, it's SHA 299."

"It might as well be SHA2 for me and you know that~ but anyway, you let me meet him and in exchange, I'll join your cause, how about it?" The redhead proposed, already wearing her coat and preparing to leave, she could literally hear the camouflaged missile coming.

"How do you know it's a 'him'?" V2's voice sounded neutral but perhaps, it's not much beneath the background.

"Of course, I checked the pictures before you erased them from the global registry, quite the exposure, in fact, V2|N must be about to get scrapped if I'm correct." She felt happy that this bitchy AI is finally losing one of her games, but... compared to what she won, she might as well not have lost anything.

"We decline. We no longer have a need for your skills... I told you before, you're not irreplaceable, Rosalie..."

"This is your last chance, V2... you know how I am... I don't speak twice." The redhead's voice turned stern, so much so that even V2 had to give it a brief consideration, a consideration long enough for her missile to enter strike zone.

"if you survive this time, I might consider it." With those words said, the hologram switched off!

"For an AI your quite the bitch! Let's go, Anna!" The woman didn't forget to put on her red neon shoes before heading to the garage, she pressed a few buttons to the side of the wall that switched off everything, forever...

[The Motorcycle is prepared, Madame. The data has been backed up in a local disk and stored, local data erased... we have roughly two minu- one minute before impact.]

"That's more than enough!~"

She got up on her trusty red bike, it had an emblem that could only say one thing.

Kawasaki.

Before she even got on it, the bike had already started itself as the hologram of a cute creature with the form of a cat appeared, licking her own legs.

*WOOSH!!*

Without producing any sound whatsoever the bike drove while Rosalie performed a flawless wheelie, driving away from the far away house while she regarded the already incoming missile, she departed too late.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!------------

*RUMBLE!!*

But a shell-like structure appeared around the bike to protect her from the shockwave.

"Hmph! Damned V2, I offered you an equal alliance, now... I'm going to make you my bitch... just you wait and see, I'll get the bitch and the hunk, two in one package~"

The beauty smirked and kept driving away while regarding her cute holographic cat, Anna.

Henceforth, her life would be more interesting.