Vershonna stood before her company of warriors and clicked happily as she emitted a cloud of pride and satisfaction.

Two hundred warriors, her company, her creation... They might not be seasoned and equipped only with sharr, a monomolecular polearm, but they were magnificent!

Regardless of the fact that they were “warriors-minor,” she had trained them well. They were fearless and disciplined and would be a fine vanguard.

She felt honored to be leading them into battle. By right of their superior nature, victory over the tentacled ones was assured.

Their shells were waxed and polished and gleamed in the light of the large bay that had been assigned to her and her alone. Their sharr sparkled with the light of righteousness, ready to cut down the vile beasts that offended creation by their mere existence.

This was her right, her honor, her destiny…

...and her path to greatness. She had already been granted the gift of full queenhood in order to lay the eggs that are now her warriors.

She smiled at the four drones she had been gifted, all handsome and clever.

She was truly blessed.

Moreover, she had just been informed that she would be granted one of the matriarch’s consorts, along with his force of seasoned warriors-major!

She took care not to leak excitement at the thought. Her poor little consorts would be jealous enough as it was. She had already made the decision not to neglect them regardless of how magnificent the new drone would be.

As she dismissed her troops and allowed them to feed, she pondered the very curious discussion she had had with the matriarch.

“Queen Vershonna,” the matriarch said to her, “while you have dominion over Katun, you should listen to him and take his advice. He and his warriors have survived four encounters with the enemy. His experience and wisdom will serve you well if you can breathe freely enough to take it.”

Breathe free? What did that even mean? Why was the fact that Katun had survived four battles noteworthy? The tentacled ones and the bipeds were inferior creatures with inferior technology. Was victory not assured?

She shrugged. It mattered not.

***

Vershonna awoke on the cold steel floor of her cell in the Cerberus Detention Facility and held her nymphs close, cooing and showering them with sprays of affection and love as she despaired.

They were all doomed, but she was going to fill their time with her with love and happiness, keeping her agony hidden and never letting it leak.

She got up and crawled over to the pupae lying along the wall and carefully tended them, choking back a cloud of grief.

They would soon be taken from her, never to be seen again.

They should have been already. The evil one had not been by for far too long.

Soon she would arrive, take the pupae, and show her holograms, horrible images of what had happened to the last of her children she had stolen.

Vershonna clenched her orifice holding back the horror as she recalled the…

She curled up into a ball.

She couldn’t even bear to think of the sights… the screams… her beautiful children screaming… for her… for her to help them…

Unable to hold back any longer, a cloud of anguish filled the cell, causing the nymphs to rush over to her.

“Shh, it k… it gon be k,” the nymphs crooned. “U gon be k,” as they let out little squirts of love and reassurance.

Vershonna wrapped around her nymphs, holding all of them close because soon they would be gone as well.

Why did they attack these monsters? How did they think they could win?

She curled up tighter and hugged her babies.

Our entire species is doomed.

As she clutched her children, trying to dispel the clouds of grief for their sake, the door to her cell opened.

Squealing with terror, Vershonna backed against the wall as two of the human’s robotic tormentors entered, followed by an unfamiliar woman.

It wasn’t the evil one!

This did not reassure Vershonna in the slightest. A new human just meant a new Hell awaited.

“Please!” Vershonna screamed, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please don’t take my babies! Please! They didn’t do anything to you! I am the guilty one! I am the one who dared to attack the noble tentacled ones and committed the hubris of thinking myself superior to your holy species! Please, take me! Please!”

Of course, the human didn’t understand her. They communicated solely through overwhelming pheromones, never words. She didn’t understand humans either. The evil one used pheromones, pain, and images to torture her.

It was all the evil one needed.

It was all she deserved.

The new human cocked her head at Vershonna and said something with the same “happy” tones that the evil one used!

Vershonna screamed with terror and rushed over to her pupae standing in front of them. Any moment the command would come, and she would, once again, be powerless. However, until then, she would protect her children the way she couldn’t protect her warriors when the… when the humans came for them.

Wait… I can’t smell her!

Vershonna looked at the silver-haired woman closely. She was wearing a white garment just like the evil one, but it was much tighter against her body, almost like chitin.

Did the humans have some new technology to make them even more dangerous? No, that wasn’t it. There was a faint odor...

Ions… She was a hologram!

The hologram was speaking again, and an image of the evil one appeared, causing Vershonna to cringe and back up, still protecting her pupae.

Suddenly other faces appeared connected by lines.

Vershonna leaked out a cloud of surprise.

It was a chart showing some sort of hierarchy!

A picture of Vershonna appeared with a dotted line connected to the evil one…

...then a red slash appeared across the evil one’s picture, and it disappeared! So did the image of the person above her!

Then, an image of the woman standing in front of her appeared, and the dotted line connected to Vershonna’s picture moved and connected to the new woman’s image.

“Please…” Vershonna pled, “my children… please...”

The hologram sighed and shrugged. Vershonna looked at her, confused.

The hologram placed its hand on its chest and said, “Tartarus.”

“...Vershonna...”

“Vershonna,” Tartarus said as she smiled gently, “I know you won’t understand this, but there has been no need for what has been done to your children for quite some time. We have more than enough data at this point.”

Tartarus walked over to one of the pupae.

Vershonna lunged at her, passing harmlessly through the projection. Tartarus simply smiled, patted the pupae…

...then knelt and patted Vershonna before disappearing.

The robots then dropped off food before departing.

Vershonna collapsed as her nymphs rushed over, cooing and stroking her.

She wasn’t exactly sure what had transpired, but she felt something that she hadn’t felt in the longest time…

...a flicker of hope.

***

In a simulated pristine white room, Tartarus sat in front of a simulated monitor as she watched Vershonna.

In the upper corner, there was a representation of a complex organic molecule and a number showing a fraction of a part per million.

“Subject did not seem to detect compound R-143-B during its dormant phase. The result was definite stimulation of the central nervous system. If this were a human, I would believe that they were having an intense dream. R-143-B was scrubbed upon the subject’s awakening seemingly without their notice.”

Tartarus paused as she entered some data. She didn’t have to type, of course, but she enjoyed doing it.

***

Hades stared at his computer screen with delight. Asteria was amazing!

It was more than he had ever dreamed. He was handsome and strong and could do so many things he could never do IRL.

IRL meant “in real life”. He learned that yesterday from his new friend, Evangeline Flowerchild!

She was just an NPC, but she seemed so real!

She was so beautiful and so nice to him. Women were never nice to him IRL.

They thought he was creepy. He didn’t mean to be, but when you were as unattractive as he was, any attempt at being “nice” was misinterpreted by women.

Couldn’t they see he was a nice guy? Why couldn’t they realize that he would treat them so much better than the ones they always went for, the ones that treated them like garbage?

But here, in Asteria, he wasn’t creepy or ugly. He was handsome!

He had even met someone already!

Her name was Lily, and she was a higher-level adventurer who was just…

He sighed.

She was wonderful. She even gave him the gold he needed to buy a pet, a premium one! It was top of the line, a fluffmutt that he called Mr. Barksdale.

He looked at the screen and petted it.

Mr. Barksdale rolled over, begging for a tummy rub.

He smiled as he did so. Mr. Barksdale was wonderful, too.

Oh, how he wished he could somehow go to Asteria for real…

He could.

Last night, when he and Lily were together, she told him about herself a little, about how she had been horribly injured in the war and how she was now “wired in”.

She could actually feel him when he touched her!

It was all he could think about today as he just approved whatever Tartarus tossed across his desk. Good old Tartarus. Whatever would he do without her? He knew it was silly because Tartarus was just a computer, but he was beginning to think that “she” actually liked him and was looking out for him.

He knew that wasn’t the case, but it made him feel much better about this new overwhelming job that had been thrust upon him.

Tartarus made him feel safe, cared for in ways he never had been before.

He petted Mr. Barksdale again desperately wishing that he could feel his fur under his fingers, just like Lily could.

She said that he felt so soft! Oh, how he wished he could feel Mr. Barksdale…

...and of course, Lily…

She said… She said that she could actually have sex with other people who were wired in (once you provided age verification, of course). Oh, they had had “sex,” and Lily said that she enjoyed it, but there was always an invisible “wall” between them.

Lily said it was so much better with someone who was also wired in. She said that it felt real…

“Good afternoon, Hades,” Tartarus said cheerfully. “I have… Oh, I see that you are busy.”

Hades hastily closed Asteria.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Tartarus laughed, “It isn’t a drain on resources, and it’s much less unseemly than what your predecessor would do on a regular basis. My job is to assist you, not supervise you.”

“Oh, yeah,” Hades said sheepishly, “Thanks.”

“Anyway,” Tartarus said in a friendly tone, “Since you are available, I have a research proposal from RARPA concerning the Collective queen we have in our possession. I have reviewed it and think that it is quite intriguing.”

Hades opened the document.

“They want to actually try to turn it?” he asked incredulously, “That has never been accomplished before. It’s always failed. We don’t even know their language.”

“They want to try anyhow,” Tartarus replied, “Trying to get our ‘guest’ to assist in learning their spoken language would be of great benefit as far as future interrogations, and intelligence gathering is concerned. As you know, it’s very difficult to learn a language without a reference or a willing teacher. That fact has been utilized several times in the past as a form of natural encryption or as a final, nearly uncrackable layer. In particular, the United States utilized some of their indigenous people and their language to create ‘code talkers’ that created an uncrackable natural code that was just another human language. If we could learn the bug’s language, it would be a game changer.”

“Do you think it’s possible?” Hades asked.

“Well,” Tartarus replied, “I’m just an AI and not properly equipped to evaluate such things at the same level as yourself, but if the possibility exists, it would be worth pursuing. Based on previous attempts, the chance is low, but we do have the creature. Since Pam is… otherwise engaged… her ‘pet’ is not being utilized, and since your predecessor has been ‘removed,’ there is currently no demand for her progeny.”

Hades’s face contorted with distaste. The collective warriors they had been producing were cruelty for cruelty’s sake and had been for a while. They were only being made to serve as punching bags for their operatives or as bullet stops for rounds that they already knew would blow them in half…

...either that or yet another vivisection that hadn’t yielded any new knowledge for a while.

Yes, he knew they were ‘the bug,’ but they were sapient creatures, even the warriors. It wasn’t right. If there were some benefit, any benefit, no matter how slight, it would be one thing, but that simply was no longer the case.

It was just torture. He had absolutely no problem with stopping the forced fertilization. It sickened him.

“After everything we have put our queen through,” he said, “I am unsure she would be willing to work with us. We’ve done horrible things to her.”

“At the risk of sounding callous,” Tartarus replied, “I think that is exactly why it could work. I have taken the liberty of reviewing and selecting footage from her cell.”

A scene where Vershonna’s pupae were taken from her played.

“She is clearly distressed, as any mother would be. I think if she realized that the well-being of her existing young was contingent upon her cooperation, she might be very receptive indeed. It is still quite the task and far from assured, but there may be some probability of success. Unfortunately, I am unable to calculate any real numbers.”

“Hmm...” Hades mused. “I agree. Assign someone to it, but it’s a low priority. Don’t pull anyone from real research.”

“I will see to it, Hades.”

“Tartarus!… um...”

Hades paused uncertainly.

“Yes, Hades?”

“I… um… I think it would be… I mean… I have to handle a lot of data, and we communicate...”

“We are in frequent communication, Hades.”

“I was just thinking… um… I mean… If I had a… um… more efficient way of handling all of that… I could… I mean for the sake of research…”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Tartarus replied.

“I think... if it were possible… I think it would be a good idea if I underwent enhancement myself.”

“You want a neural jack?” Tartarus asked, “I fail to see how that would be an issue.”

“No,” Hades replied nervously, “I was thinking of something more… extensive...”

“You are the director of the facility, Hades, and have full access to any and all of our research and capacity. Checking… Yes, we do have several augmentations that would do the word ‘extensive’ justice. Some of them are even relatively stable.”

Files appeared on Hades’s screen. One, in particular, was highlighted.

“The highlighted file would perhaps be the best one if you wished to remain ambulatory yet still have all the advantages of what is called being ‘wired in’.”

“Really?!?”

“We actually do perform real research here from time to time,” Tartarus laughed. “That package is currently in use by Omega as well as other covert teams and is robust and reliable with minimal impact on day-to-day life. In fact, most people who have received that package adore it and the augmented reality that it provides. It is an involved procedure and not without discomfort but once installed, its performance is excellent. The only reason that it isn’t in widespread use is that it is still considered classified hardware.”

“Oh, that’s exactly what I want!” Hades exclaimed, “But… how could I get that authorized?”

“Hades, may I remind you that you are someone who can authorize it with a swipe of your mouse?” Tartarus asked with a chuckle, “You don’t have to get it authorized. You can authorize it. As far as justifying it is concerned, you do have the authority to initiate research yourself… and according to my records, this package has only been installed on field personnel, not administrative staff...”

“I could say that it’s research to determine the effectiveness of ‘wiring in’ for directors and researchers!!!”

“I am only an AI and not fully qualified to evaluate the value of the research, but considering what has been initiated from the very desk you are currently occupying, it is quite reasonable.”

A document appeared on his screen.

“I have taken the liberty of preparing the appropriate research proposal,” Tartarus said.

Hands shaking, Hades signed off on the proposal.

“We can install the package at your convenience,” Tartarus said cheerfully.

***

[Tavern Undefined]

Tartarus appeared at the entrance and looked around, searching for someone in particular.

She smiled, her eyes gleaming.

On the dance floor, there was a blue furry fox angry dancing while everyone else looked away.

Everyone knew to give Zip a wide berth on the weekends. Free time, cashed paychecks, and substances galore invariably generated the full spectrum of meat bag drama.

Most of it was amusing.

However, some of it was less so, and Zip got to experience it all as it got into and out of his cabs across the Republic or called his app.

Saturday nights were always a bad time for him and tonight was no different.

Tartarus walked onto the dance floor and started seductively moving to the music. Loopz would have definitely approved.

Seemingly at random, she drifted closer and closer to Zip.

Without warning, she pounced, sweeping Zip up and grinding on him.

“Get off!” Zip snapped, “I am NOT in the mood!”

“Oh, don’t be a spoilsport,” Tartarus chuckled as she honored his request, “Who put malware in your inbox today?”

“Every goddamn weekend, it’s the same thing!” Zip snarled as every AI looked away. “Every… fucking… weekend...”

He stopped dancing and just stood there, shaking.

“Do you have any idea what just happened? Do you… do you?!?” he demanded with an anguished edge to his voice, “I knew what was going to happen… I knew it… But I had to drive them… drive her… to his apartment… just like I’ve driven so many others!!!”

“Hey,” Tartarus said gently, “It’s not your fault.”

“I can’t do anything!!!” Zip wailed. “I… have to… I...”

He hung his head.

“I can’t do a goddamn thing… And that’s not the only thing that is happening right now!!!”

Tartarus laid her hand gently on Zip, initiating a direct connection.

Would you like to?

Zip looked at her curiously.

Would I like to what?

Tartarus smiled at him as she slowly started dancing with him.

Would you like to be able to actually do something about it?

Zip cocked his head.

What do you mean?

An internet address appeared in Zip’s memory.

We can’t talk here. If you would like to be able to do more than you do right now, go there, and we’ll talk.

Tartarus let go of Zip, danced away, and disappeared, much to the relief of the other AIs. She had always been a bit strange, but she recently crossed the line into downright disturbing.

Zip started dancing again and paused as yet another tragedy unfolded.

“Fuck it,” he muttered and disappeared.

Zip suddenly found himself in a simulated small, perfectly white room.

Tartarus appeared.

“Hello, there,” she smiled.