Machina Mansion’s color-coded hallways were as sinister as ever. Leading people into a red hallway was the worst way to convince them that the AI were friendly. Colorful robots towered over them as they walked down those halls: they were the AI. Kilos and Megas glared at us as if we were trespassers. Were we? I didn’t pay them any attention, but certain people in the group cried out every few seconds. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought all of the Oppressed in at once. It felt like I was giving them a tour of a haunted house.

Laura leaned toward me and whispered, “How many people are going to freak when they meet Exo?”

“I’m trying not to think about it.”

We walked until we entered a green room. As expected, it was filled with AI. A set of stairs in the back led to an elevator. Standing on those steps were three people: a red AI, a copper AI, and Beth. The robots beside her were Lord Exo and General Peta. They were the two highest-ranking AI as well as the only ones who could had actual facial expressions. At that moment, Peta was smiling at Laura, and it was creeping me out.

“About time you came to visit, Lass!” Peta said in his stupid gruff voice. “You could have at least used the communication tech that we invented for you. We made it work on a galactic scale for a reason. And look at this.” Peta motioned to the crowd. “You’ve brought even more bloodbags with you. Now I can’t even feel comfortable on my own planet.”

“Enough,” Exo said, silencing Peta with a single word. The copper AI crossed all four of his arms and turned away. “Please forgive him. I would like to welcome you all to Epsilon. I’ve often dreamed of the day when humans and AI could…”

He stopped talking as the murmuring crowd grew louder, drowning him out. There was fear on every Oppressed teen’s face as they turned to each other instead of Exo. The imaginary barrier between humans and AI felt incredibly real at that moment. The barrier was the result of all the tension in the air. I didn’t think I’d ever see someone as powerful as Exo look disappointed, but there was no mistaking those slumped shoulders. The look of disgust on Peta’s face was just as telling.

My right arm hurt a little, like someone had pinched it. The only problem was that it was made of metal. Sometimes I experienced phantom pain, and since the AI who had disintegrated my arm was standing in front of me, it seemed like an appropriate time to feel it. It was also an indicator that I had to defuse the situation before either of the AI got angry. It was possible for them to slaughter all of us in seconds.

“As I’m sure Beth explained already, we’re in need of a new home,” I said. “This planet can house humans, right? I mean, clearly, there’s oxygen.”

Exo fixed his eyes on me. “Correct. We’ve spent the month renovating the mansion and nearby buildings to accommodate you in case of a situation like this. It was only a matter of time before Margaret discovered your hiding place.”

Surge clicked his tongue. “Right. Because we’re the ones to blame for losing our own base. Come on, everyone. Let’s go see our new rooms.”

Though Surge had given an order, no one moved an inch. Each one of the Oppressed stood perfectly still as if they hadn’t heard him. Something told me that they weren’t on board with the idea. Surge’s face was a mask of discomfort as he scanned the room. He seemed to be debating whether to ask again or to give up.

I understood why they might be apprehensive, but we hadn’t come all this way just to not live in the mansion. The only other option was to live in the ships in which we’d flown there. They wouldn’t resort to that, would they?

Dylan cleared his throat. “Surge, Alpha, all of you go on ahead. I’ll stay behind and deal with everyone else.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That would be…nice. What’s the catch?”

“Help me master these powers so I can use something other than shields.” Dylan smacked one of his hands with the other one. “So frustrating. Shields aren’t going to beat Frost. Also, you are the Alpha. I’m getting used to the idea of you being my superior.”

I liked being a leader, but calling me a superior was going a bit overboard. I’d take it because whatever made Dylan nicer worked for me. He’d actually been nicer than Nessa lately…

I approached Exo while Dylan shouted orders at the Oppressed. “Let’s talk. We need to discuss our next move.”

“Of course.” He glanced at the crowd one more time. “Seems that I must wait a little longer before I achieve the peace I’ve dreamed of.”

Whose fault was that? Exo wanted peace, but he’d been sending his troops after humans for literally centuries. I got that they’d been doing it to collect Hybrid candidates most of the time, but considering the death toll of the war, that was hardly an excuse.

Surge, my friends, and I followed Exo and Peta into their elevator. The bumpy ride had been awkward the month before, and it was just as awkward now. The AI didn’t notice Kaela’s glares of hatred, but Laura and I did. Maybe the AI were just used to that kind of thing.

The metal doors slid open to reveal a red room. Lining the wall were the blinking machines that the AI used as servers. The advanced, immortal, and unstoppable killer alien robots relied on servers to communicate. That made them about as advanced as a First Division computer.

The most memorable thing about this room was that Nessa and I had almost died in it the month before, when we had fought her dad. I’d had to defend those servers with my life. Nessa’s gaze was fixed on the floor as though she was also remembering that day.

“According to Beta, you suckers didn’t stand a chance without our help,” Peta smirked. “That explains why you came here. It’s begging time, isn’t it? Who’s going to start? Tell me it’s Alpha. Go on, I’m waiting.”

“Address him with respect or don’t do it at all.” Nessa stomped up to Peta though he towered over her. “None of us are begging for anything. Who even says we want your help?”

“Swallow that pride, girl,” Beth said. “You need our power unless you’d like Frost to steamroll you again.”

Nessa furrowed her brow. “I didn’t want to believe that Wander had a brat for a sister, but here you are. You’re the only human they abducted on that day, right? Did you ever stop to think it was because no one would miss you?”

Beth shot a blue beam that exploded against Nessa’s crossed arms. Nessa flew back and rolled along the floor. She immediately pushed herself up and aimed a glowing palm at Beth. Silver energy burst out of it. Beth jumped aside. The energy only brushed her hair. She took aim again.

“Enough!” I shot electricity at Beth’s rifle. I willed it to jam, just for a few seconds. When the blinding light faded, Beth pulled the trigger again. She was rewarded with a click instead of another bullet. “This…this is exactly how Frost got the upper hand. We’re so divided on and off the battlefield that it’s like we’re three separate armies rather than one big alliance. We came here to unite, and that’s exactly what we have to do. It’s the only way to win.”

“Well said, Alpha.” Exo smiled…I think. All he actually managed was a sinister-looking expression. “This mansion has a few available rooms, but we’re still in the process of converting the prison. However, there is a vessel with plenty of room for you all. We shall show you to it.”

Did he just say “prison”? At least he also said “converting.” I wondered about this vessel though. It sounded like he wanted us to live on one of their ships. When it came to AI ships, I preferred to just stay as far away as I could. I doubted I could get good sleep in one if I tried.

“This unity aside, we need to plan out our next course of action,” said Surge, whose presence I had almost forgotten. The same was true for Anderson, actually. But his silence was understandable. I couldn’t forget that Kaela and Laura were there because Kaela seemed seconds away from exploding and Laura was next to her. “We could try to take Earth back with our AI buddies here, but Frost will be expecting that. She’d be prepared. We should cut her off at her next destination instead. Do you have Wi-Fi or television here? We could monitor her movements that way.”

“We have our own ways of monitoring your kind,” Exo said as if that was an okay thing to state. “Let us compare methods after I show you all to your new home.”

Exo and Peta led us to the hangar that we’d spotted upon landing. To my delight, they escorted us past all of their AI ships. It looked like I wouldn’t be forced to ride in one of them today. I glanced over my shoulder and saw all the colorful humanoids standing around the city. I’d noticed them last time we’d been there too. They were like skinnier, brain-dead versions of the AI. Why did they exist? Wait…

“Exo, what’s up with those weirdos over there?” I motioned to the weird humanoid guys.

“The Bytes?” Exo asked as he glanced at them. “They are my citizens. Every city requires them, correct? They don’t possess the same mental capacity as us AI, but they are still this planet’s inhabitants.”

So they didn’t serve much of a purpose at all. Great. I’d waited months for that answer, and all it had done was disappoint me. That was the last time I would ask about how things were run there.

We all came to a halt in front of the massive ship that Beth had called the Mainframe. Though I’d already seen it, seeing it up close was a whole other story. The thing was so massive that I might as well have been looking up at a planet. The red and steel coloring was easy on the eyes. There was a giant blue lightbulb where a ship’s ramp would typically be. I would have asked, but I was sure we’d find out in a second.

“Prepare yourselves,” Exo ordered as he shut his eyes. “You are about to experience something that may be unpleasant.”

An AI warning us that we were about to get uncomfortable? Now we were in trouble. I took a deep breath and planted my feet on the metal ground. The blue bulb lit up until it was as bright as a star. It shot a blue beam that enveloped us. Heat swam through my body as blue filled my vision.

My entire environment shifted. Instead of standing in the hangar, we were all in an orange room. More specifically, we stood on a glowing blue pad. So this was where the bulb sent its victims. A circular desk sat in front of us, and bright monitors surrounded it. I assumed that was where someone would stand if they wanted to operate the bulb from inside the ship. By contrast, Exo had just activated it with his AI powers or whatever.

“The hell?” Anderson asked as he whipped his head around. “What just happened? Are you machines or magicians?”

“Neither,” Exo said. “Before we proceed, does everyone still possess all their limbs?”

I glanced down at my bionic arm. “Was that a trick question or a joke? Please just explain what just happened. Did that thing teleport us into the Mainframe?”

“Correct. The AI’s short-range teleportation technology allowed them to construct the Beam Bulb.” Beth stepped off the glowing pad. I followed her lead. “It’s far more effective than the ramps that your exploration ships use. All it takes is one zap, and you’re inside.”

“So it’s like that teleporter you have,” I said. Nessa had been right when she’d suggested that AI tech would benefit the galaxy. The First Division had transpads but nothing like this. Teleportation tech like this would be so great to have on a regular ship. “So we are inside the Mainframe then?”

“I never imagined this when I started the Oppressed.” Surge walked up to the desk. “Just standing on this ship is creating history. Why haven’t you used it since the day it devastated Earth?”

“If you can recall, we were not the ones who initiated the devastation,” Exo said, sounding somewhat uncomfortable. “That was Omen Frost. Thus, this ship brings nothing but bad memories for us and for your kind. I’m hoping to change that by using it to house our alliance.”

Peta huffed. “Take this as proof that Lord Exo only wants peace, bloodbags. If we wanted you all gone, we would have used the cannon to do it. You never had a chance at winning this war.”

How could those two even work together? They had completely different views of the galaxy. It made me want to know how their friendship had begun. Then I remembered that I wasn’t supposed to care about the AI’s history.

“Oh God, why is my tongue fuzzy? Why does it taste like metal?” Kaela groaned while holding her mouth. “Please tell me that you have some sort of kitchen on this thing! I literally can’t live like this.”

“Food can be obtained from one of the ‘refrigerators’ on the Floor of Coalition,” Exo said as if we knew what that was. He stomped toward a hall in the back of the room. It was unlikely that he was stomping on purpose. His metallic feet betrayed him as they banged against the metal floor. “Come along. I will give you a ‘tour’ of your new home.”