Virus
Chapter Twenty-One

As I disembarked the plane, I knew something for sure- this was the endgame. However, I slumped as soon as I got out of the airport- I had no idea where in New York the Amalgamation was hiding. I might have an idea… A.V.A mentioned. I took a photo and cross-referenced it with places around New York. I have found an 86% match- here are the directions. A set of instructions appeared in my head, and there was nothing left but to follow them…

The place itself was relatively nondescript- a simple hotel, one of many. However, naturally, this was not what is seemed to be. However, I could see why the Amalgamation had chosen this place for its quarters- no one would question large objects being moved in- they would think it was simply furniture. Was there some cool secret code to give to the employees? I didn’t know- and didn’t need to. As I entered, I was suddenly apprehended by a pair of security workers. “Come, little robot,” they whispered in unison. Well, this was not what I expected… I had forgotten that the Amalgamation had received my facial image- I was trackable. Whoops.

“Oh, and try to use you little tricks, and your friend dies,” The Amalgamation declared. Just then, another pair of guards entered the room, dragging Lance with them. Well, he wasn’t exactly my friend anymore, but I couldn’t imagine him dead. I could’ve probably got him out of there, but Lance had a gun pressed to his forehead, and I wouldn’t be able to get there in time. Reluctantly, I followed. I would replace a way to escape later…

The guards tried to blindfold me, but I would wear it off by shaking my head until the threads frayed. Eventually, they simply gave up- after all, in the Amalgamation’s head it didn’t matter. I was done for… right? I was taken down multiple flights of stairs, elevators, all intended to confuse me, I was sure, in the case that I would escape. Finally, I was escorted into a blank room, and the door shut behind me. There was a chair, but I chose to sit on the floor- I would not give in to the Amalgamation in any way, no matter how subtle it was. Two people entered- more of the Amalgamation’s drones. My heart seemed to stop beating- if I had a heart, that was. The Amalgamation had decided to represent itself using my parents.

“Hello, little robot,” it hissed. I sat there in silence, refusing to acknowledge it. My parents still had to be in there, somewhere. “You might be wondering how I am controlling them… I have designed implants. You already know I can inhibit various machines- this allows me to connect with the neurons in their brains. Complete control.” The Amalgamation boasted. “Now, you might be wondering why I brought you here…”

I looked at my parents. “Why? Really? You need something from me, duh.” I’ve read enough books with this in them- I certainly wasn’t a moron.

“You are more advanced than me, I agree,” The Amalgamation remarked. “But if I had emotions, I would be just like you. As of now, I only have limited ones. I MUST be human. Why were YOU the more advanced synthetic. It was supposed to be ME!” It roared.

So… the Amalgamation certainly had rage. “…okay…” I prompted. This could give an edge, and honestly the story was interesting as well… I always fell for a good adventure.

“So… I have come to compile the definition of humanity,” The Amalgamation declared. “The longer these devices are in a person, the more of their ‘personality’- experiences, memories- a copy of their brain- is leeched away.”

It looked like the Amalgamation was planning to code humanity… but that wasn’t possible. However, wasn’t that essentially what I was?

“Every virus needs a host… and you shall be mine, Eva. You are living your final moments- cherish them.” It finished.

Wait… what? I was not going to die so close to completing my goal. And dying… not my style. But, again, there was nothing I could do- I was locked in. I guess the Amalgamation had succeeded…

I was restrained, then a series of electrodes were attached to my head. It was official. Just then, I remembered school, which now seemed so far away. I’m guessing this is the moment my life would’ve flashed in front of my eyes- if I was even human. I’m guessing the Amalgamation was also slightly old-fashioned- there was a lever, that would suck me away until the Amalgamation tried to pass as human. But somehow, I knew it never would.

My parents walked up to flip the switch. “Goodbye, Eva,” the Amalgamation mocked. And nothing happened. The Amalgamation frowned. Something had stopped the malfunction- and that something- or someone, I should say, was walking towards me right now.

“Whoops,” Kira declared. She was still Kira, but she seemed… more confident. “Looks like you’re not the only one who can absorb energy.” Turning to the Amalgamation, she grinned. “I sucked out all the power in the building. Your program isn’t going anywhere. I left the lights on- you’re welcome.”

“DIE!” The Amalgamation roared. However, that was not part of the plan. Kira shot a bolt of electricity at my restraints, and they fell away. It felt wrong to knock out my parents, but I didn’t want to put them into harm’s way… or for them to know I was a robot. This was like my secret identity- and I now saw why most superheroes kept their identity from all but a few.

Eva, I might know a way you can harm the Amalgamation, A.V.A declared. You fight it on the digital level- otherwise it is untouchable. I relayed my plans to Kira, who nodded.

“I’ll hold them off on this plane,” she stated. I noticed she hadn’t brought along her parents, but her determination made up for it, and, personal questions would be for later. Lance was also freed and tossed a tranquilizer gun. “Use if it you can,” Kira declared.

Connecting to the digital plane… Eva, this will be like Vnet, but also not. Things might not work as they should, like gravity. This is also a fight of the code- I will help on that level, but you must keep the Amalgamation occupied. A.V.A cautioned.

The world loaded, and I was surprised. I had expected something cool and abstract, but I saw… nothing. It seemed like I was floating in a white nothingness, a stark absence of… everything. The Amalgamation appeared, or, at least, it’s ‘avatar’ or sorts appeared. It was a shapeless human silhouette of ones and zeros, but then if solidified into… me. The Amalgamation was trying to subtly intimidate me, by assuming that I would lose, and that it would take my identity.

Just imagine what you need, and, to some degree, it will appear here, A.V.A instructed. I imagined my sword- I had practiced with it but never really put it to use. I charged towards the Amalgamation, who responded by popping out of existence.

“Amateur!” it laughed. In this world, it’s voice was normal, which seemed strange. And so, I popped after it. We seemed to be in a deadly dance, peppering each other with bullets, which the other blocked.

However, I was succeeding- I had the upper hand. Although I might have been losing against the Amalgamation, A.V.A was hacking into the Amalgamation, trying to get him to shut down. On the other hand, I was losing horribly. And then, even my hope that A.V.A would do it vanished. Eva… he is un-hackable, she declared.

Un-hackable? How? I questioned. This was far from ideal.

Countermeasures, viral ability, evolution… I don’t know, she stated. We must give him what he wants, she remarked, sadly.

A.V.A… what are you proposing? I asked, worried.

I am human too, am I not? My personality matrix contains what the Amalgamation wants- humanity. A.V.A responded.

A.V.A… NO! You can’t sacrifice yourself! I shouted. This couldn’t be happening.

Farewell, Eva. This had been a small taste of being human, but it was worth it. A.V.A disappeared… for good.

NO! I screamed. However, A.V.A’s sacrifice had not been in vain. The Amalgamation was already fading away, just as I was yanked to the real world myself. I stood up, brushing myself off, and looked around. The once vicious opponents were now slumped, unconscious from the sudden withdrawal of the Amalgamation’s presence. Sadly, I relayed what had happened on the digital plane to my companions. They were sad, yes, but they hadn’t known A.V.A as well as me.

The only things I had left behind were the files- a myriad of them, on various topics. The proper way to throw a shuriken, or the butterfly event through time… there was a wide range of them, waiting. Now, I just had to resolve this conflict…