A Trace of Metal

I was called to my settlement after it was subjected to an especially brutal attack by Sentinel forces.

INCOMING MESSAGE EMERGENCY SETTLEMENT COMMS

The transmission was cut off before the message could be completed, but the fragmented hologram that flickered on my starship communicator was a citizen of the planetary settlement of which I was the Overseer. They were clearly in great distress.

Just moments after the Sentinel assault had been defeated, my Administration Terminal received an anomalous broadcast from an external source.

It was Iteration: Tethys.

-{{ This terminal is fascinating! It's recorded all sorts of data - about you AND these settlers. I can see they've been - ahem - well, that is not the point. I have shut down your little majordomo for now. Robots cannot be trusted, not with what I have to tell you. }}-

-{{ Anyone with their eyes open could see a Sentinel spike of that magnitude, even if they weren't spying on you. What happened? Did they leave any interesting tidbits behind? See what you can find - then come to the Anomaly. I have to know more! }}-

Searching the debris for clues, I recovered the intact shell of a Sentinel drone.

I met with Tethys at the Anomaly, as they had requested. They erupted in a flurry of paranoia and excitement.

-{{ Deceit! Imposters! Betrayal! Suspicion! They have eyes everywhere, Traveller. Eyes everywhere! }}-

When I revealed the undamaged drone shell, they grew quiet. They held the shell in their hands, gently turning it over and over with a softness I had not anticipated.

-{{ Forgive me, Traveller. They have chased me for so long, but I have never seen one so close...

Perhaps this one is our key. I could restore it, remap its mind - our own link to their infernal hive! }}-

In preparation for Tethys' restoration of the drone, I gathered a number of exotic components from the other inhabitants of the Anomaly.

Some were enthused by my mission. Iteration: Mercury was quick to express their approval.

-{{ These drones are not the malicious force some imagine them to be, Portal-Adept! I believe the Sentinels to be a vital, life-preserving function of the cosmos. I am heartened that Tethys begins to see sense! }}-

Others seemed more sceptical. Iteration: Gemini was particularly concerned.

-{{ Tethys is doing what to a Sentinel drone?!

I will help you, but please, keep safe. }}-

Tethys took the damaged sentinel shell and my components. With them, the strange metallic being was reconstructed.

-{{ It's alive! Or I'm fairly confident it would be, if it weren't for Polo's suppression fields. Its system readout just keeps repeating the word ‘glass’.

You'll have to take it away from here for a field test. }}-

[ The Sentry ] was operating with limited functionality.

-{{ FAULT DETECTED... REVERTING!

CORE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS: AVAILABLE. HIGHER PROCESSING: DISABLED

- kzzkktzz - fix - kzzkktzz - of the - kzzkktzz - glass glass glass glass glass glass }}-

It seemed that further repairs were required. Referencing a Sentinel Pillar, [ The Sentry ] locked on to a set of coordinates.

-{{ Local update signal acquired. Sentinel Pillar node detected. Coordinates locked. Awaiting networking proximity. }}-

My Exosuit began integrating directly with the Sentinel Pillar terminal, its AI flooding with data. I saw flashes of schematics… glass structures… language files…

The terminal transferred data to my Exosuit - a set of Sentinel Hardframe schematics. But suddenly, I heard an alarm begin to sound. New words swam forth upon the screen.

-{{ Local anomaly detected! Category: [ DRONE IMPOSTER ] ... Attempt network reconstitution? }}-

The terminal attempted to broadcast data to [ The Sentry ]. But something was wrong. I heard the voice in my Exosuit, but none of the words made sense...

I investigated [ The Sentry ] to find out what had occurred.

-{{ REMOTE MEMORY FLASH COMPLETE ... Program Deploy: [ THE SENTRY ] ... Vocalisation ESTABLISHED Initialising Traveller-idiolect ...

GREETINGS. Hello. Hi.

You wear MECHANICAL suit. Living CLOTHES with A voice. Yes?

Must upgrade. Hardframe? SUIT. Synonym: minotaur. Yes! now You WEAR them. }}-

No sooner had I integrated the stolen Hardframe technology with my Minotaur than [ The Sentry ] alerted me to a problem back at my settlement.

-{{ OH. Bad BAD negative. The hive has DISRUPTED your settlement.

The settlers are FRAGMENTED. See them? }}-

My citizens had grown understandably curious. They noted the sudden and traumatic appearance of the Sentinel hardframes, and that the Overseer appeared to now be accompanied by a rogue drone.

They had lived in fear of the Sentinels their entire lives, and now hoped for peace. They prepared an expedition of their own, to assist in the search for answers.

-{{ Vo... V0... vocalisation BAD. Help? ME/you? }}-

[ The Sentry ]'s vocalisation unit had been improved by the upgrade received at the Sentinel Pillar, but they still struggled to express themself. They supplied another set of coordinates worthy of investigation.

The factory's terminal looked just like any other. Another anonymous facility, another meaningless screen of data.

But the numbers that scrolled past called out to me. I found my hand upon the panel. A needle extended from the glove of my suit. I did not know I had a needle in my suit; I did not move my arm.

Wave after wave of numbers filled the terminal screen, patterns swirling as my Exosuit communed with the data. At last, it halted upon a prompt I understood:

-{{ GLASS ARCHIVE: [ BREACHED ] ... BOUNDARY STATUS: [ OPEN ] ... Download Hardframe blueprints? }}-

The factory was a portal, an anonymous node no more. Through this window, my Exosuit retrieved another set of Sentinel Hardframe schematics from whatever world of data lay beneath.

There was no need to feel afraid.

-{{ NETWORK STATUS: [ Additional entity registered: LAYLAPS || The Sentry || Deactivated Unit #4927G ] ... Neural upgrade noted/available. Proceed? }}-

[ The Sentry ]'s communication had been further improved by the neural upgrade, but they addressed me strangely...

-{{ NETWORK PURGE COMPLETE... Restoring basal cognitive layer...

Feeling better! Feel fresh! Greetings, Telamon! }}-

The settlers returned from their Sentinel Facility mission. They had been successful, returning with another Hardframe schematic, but did not seem quite themselves. There were mutterings about 'the water', swirling rumours that were difficult to understand...

[ The Sentry ] broadcasted a vocalisation signal.

-{}-

I did not have an answer to satisfy them.

-{}-

Laylaps advised that the Minotaur would need a mind to flourish.

-{{ Obtain the BRAIN of a WALKER. Bring it to your ANOMALY. Bring it to TETHYS-NOT-TELAMON. }}-

When I returned to the Anomaly, Tethys did their best to appear aloof and unconcerned.

-{{ Still alive, I see! That is a good start. }}-

However, it was clear to me they were struggling to contain their excitement. Before I could reply, they exploded with questions.

-{{ Did it work, Traveller? Tell me! Did the drone live? Where has it led you? What have you learned? }}-

They were surprised by what I told them.

-{}-

Their excitement returned when I revealed the pristine Walker brain.

-{{ So, we want this to go in your Minotaur? I like how you think, Traveller! Bring the heavy armaments to the fight against the Sentinels! }}-

Laylaps had been right. Tethys knew precisely how to modify this brain.

-{{ There's a few vulnerabilities in these things... should be a simple enough job to bypass a few circuits... }}-

However, it seemed the hack was only half the process. A final step remained before the brain would be fully disconnected from the Sentinel network.

-{{ There! Done! I've done the hard part for you and rewired the brain.

But Traveller... this brain... it won't be enough. It needs something else. Something... crimson. I don't... well...

Look, you'll find out soon enough. The signature I've encoded in the brain will draw its attention. Head out into space. You'll know what to do. }}-

Communication relay locked: A T L A S

The Atlas beacon drifted through space, impossibly silent and impossibly loud. It knew I was there.

"Alien Text"

Its words rang a crimson echo in my ears, the terrible music stirring something within the brain...

Drone Broadcast Detected Embedded Callsign: [ LAYLAPS ]

Laylaps was delighted by the transformation of the Minotaur.

-{{ There! Minotaur is not robot-MACHINE any more. It is FRIEND! Or not-Friend. They can CHOOSE! }}-

Lights chittered again within Laylaps' shell, a hesitating, halting pattern. They appeared to be considering something of importance.

-{{ I will prove we are FRIENDS. Erase me from the PILLAR records. Attack the HIVE. Attack the SENTINELS with my BLESSING!

We are a TEAM! }}-

Once again I found myself at a terminal to the Sentinel's glassy archive. Once again, I was passive in the face of this hostile interface.

Laylaps had requested a total severance. I would make it so.

-{{ Severance Packet: [ BROADCAST ] ... Remote Response... [ CONFIRMED ]

! ! ! ! . . . ! ! ! !

[ ENTITY ERASED ] }}-

As Laylaps severed themself completely from the hivemind, I saw flashes of light, images of a world where everything was like glass. And I finally understood.

This was my fate. The inevitable after... it was just an archive, the completion of data...

-{{ This does not HAVE to be your destiny any MORE, Telamon-NOT-Telamon. It doesn't have to BE the end. It won't BE.

We have died once. We won't die AGAIN. We will have such fun! We will save THE worlds. Our chance OF failure IS practically NULL.

We have all done so WELL! }}