A Horus in Strange Lands (Horizon Zero Dawn SI) Chapter 17

I tightly controlled my emotional matrix, making sure that the incident that happened before did not happen again. But it was a close thing as I felt extremely complex emotions flow through me as I continued studying the data from Project: Hermes.

After that disastrous confrontation with the humans where both parties left the meeting fuming, I have been going over the technicalities and things that the scientists of the project were working on.

Turns out, they were working on many things but their main focus was on breaching the wall between dimensions to achieve FTL and uploading a human mind into a digital framework.

The dimensional research began under the jurisdiction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff long before the Faro Plague, during the beginning of the Claw-back era when the Odyssey was still under the control of NASA, the UN, and other space agencies and major countries of the world.

It began when a group of scientists were working on the Casimir Effect and Spin-Induced fields, a way of using spinning electromagnetic fields to create localized gravitational changes, and accidentally discovered that sufficiently powerful electromagnetic fields were able to create a strong enough gravitational field to breach through the fabric of space and time.

Ever since then, these people have been working on trying to create a portal through the dimensions of the Moon. The project of uploading a human mind came later on, during the beginning of the Faro plague, in hopes of preserving human lives in a digital form.

It was only after I understood this much that I realized that I had overreacted in my emotional state and that these humans had no hand in my dimensional kidnapping and uploading into a murder robot.

I felt like a fool for jumping to conclusions and I wish to apologize, but I don’t know how I could do that now, especially since the tentative alliance that we established before has now definitely gone down the drain thanks to my idiotic actions.

I felt HADES enter my virtual space as he observed my study of the data.

{Well? What did they say?}

They still refuse to speak with you. However, Mother did manage to stop them from taking any drastic actions. You will need to give them something truly significant to earn their forgiveness.

I turned towards the young AI, looking at his digital form and contemplating his words.

When we uplifted GAIA’s subordinate functions into true AI, I was especially apprehensive about HADES and his reaction to his newfound consciousness and freedom, causing me to keep a very close eye on his development under CYAN’s tutelage.

HADES is the only AI within our group that has the ability to subvert GAIA’s command completely should the need arise. This is a function that we could not remove since it is very much integral for Project: Zero Dawn’s success.

Thankfully, as I watched the AI learn and grow, I realized that my fear of the original timeline repeating itself was for naught.

HADES is not evil. He is not bent on completing the only purpose he was made for. Unlike the original version, he can think for himself and has realized that there is more to his existence than simply doing what he was made to do.

He will still subvert GAIA’s control should the need arise, but he will never do it unless it is absolutely necessary.

In the meantime, he has found a way to occupy himself by accompanying HEPHAESTUS and Vast Silver in their projects of creating machines and tools for the future. he has taken the role of a critic, pointing out the flaws in their logic and streamlining the functionality of anything they create. A task that he seems to enjoy way too much if the way Vast Silver always complains about the young AI not having any sense of aesthetics is anything to go by.

{…You are right. But what can I help them with? The Faro Plague is nearly dealt with, what with the lack of anything for them to eat and refuel causing them to shut down across the world. I have already traded the Meseket to them in exchange for technology and knowledge. Anything else I make, I don’t know if they will be interested in.}

Why not help them with curing their current condition?

{The Sterility problem is something that I don’t know how to cure without using transplanting which I am sure they will not accept as of now.}

Give it a try. Mother has been facing failures on every front she can think of. A new perspective might help.

{….True. But, will GAIA accept my help right now? Isn’t she extremely angry with my outburst?}

She is angry, but she is also very forgiving in most cases. You should at least try to talk to her.

….I have really fallen so far that even a youngling like HADES is capable of looking at things more rationally than I am, truly pathetic.

I steeled my resolve and nodded at his virtual avatar. A flaming orb in the virtual space.

{very well. I will talk to her.}

With that, I retreated toward GAIA’s virtual space.

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“Those AIs are really getting annoying. We need to find a way to distance them from our people.”

“No need. With their recent stunt, the trust they had has already plummeted drastically. I heard that General Herres is talking with Sobek to try and implement limitations on GAIA after this incident.”

“Hehe, serves that bitch right. She always acts like she is the only one who knows what to do. Even when she was working for Faro, she was always so arrogant.”

“Right? So what if she is smarter than us? Does she have more experience than us? And so what if she can make robots for everyday use? Can her little Miriam Industries even hope to earn the amount of money annually that Faro used to earn in weeks?”

“No, she could not. Isn’t that the reason why she ran to Faro for his resources when this mess began?”

“Enough”

The various members hidden in the shadows immediately fell silent as their leader entered the room that was usually left empty by the people within the facility.

He took the empty seat and directly began the meeting.

“Any update on what the Alphas are planning to do in light of recent incidents?”

“Nothing much. They are still working on finalizing Zero Dawn. However, there have been several pushbacks from the Alphas towards the General and Sobek to block out the Ais from the project entirely led by Alpha Klein.”

“And?”

“No decision has been made until now, but it looks like any further trade of technologies has been halted indefinitely.”

The leader of the group leaned back in satisfaction at those words.

“Hmm, that is good. We cannot allow the abominations and traitors to cause problems for our great mission.”

The various figures nodded enthusiastically as they stood up, knowing that this short meeting had come to an end.

Together, they recited their moto, the very purpose that had bound them together from long before the Plague even began.

“”””” May The Wheel of Life continue unimpeded””””