Cerebral Exchange :: Chapter 4 :: TITANOBOA

Naming the HexCorp R&D Department’s Science Level a ‘level’ didn’t do it justice. Spanning the height of twenty stories, its expansive width and length were obscured by the many bulking contraptions that the scientists toiled away upon. It was down here, in the depths of the upper city, as close to the bare foundations as you could get, that the corporations had constructed their most egregious designs. Not needing to maintain the form and aesthetic of the dazzling upper city skyline, architecture designed for its function and obscurity ruled this plane. Massive factories, drone storage facilities, VR-pod relocation depositories and gigantic laboratories blared away.

The Deliverator stepped out from the turbolift onto the reinforced concrete slabs and examined her surroundings. Nothing in this gargantuan chamber was ever the same way twice - even the smaller labs were consistently being relocated to make way for much larger apparatus. She just needed to find the Head Scientist, get her new gadgets and go. Navigating a labyrinth of morally-questionable experimentation was always the first headache upon arriving here.

With an exasperated sigh, she began her journey into the depths of the science level. A corridor of trial subliminals, an area filled with neuro-mines. Swerving left, past a test conveyor and through an armoury of mind-disruption rifles. She briskly paced past racks of devices and containers of deactivated drones; ignoring the pleas of several test subjects being lowered into human-sized test tubes containing chemical mind control. Her heel tapped impatiently as a couple of junior researchers nervously tried to recall the location of the main laboratory. Another 20 minutes of searching ensued, showcasing exactly how bad HexCorp scientists were at documenting their changes, until finally she reached her intended destination.

“Ah, Deliverator. So good to see you.” Came the sarcastic voice of the Head Scientist as The Deliverator finally stepped through the plastic flaps and into the heart of the science level. Just like the other employees, HexCorp scientists were all outfitted with HexCorp Optical Augmentation Visors that concealed their eyes. These devices connected to HexCorp Audio Enhancement Headsets that provided 1% communication improvement and 99% brainwashing reinforcement soundwaves. Metallic cat ears protruded from the headbands, the same cat ears that adorned every unit that worked for HexCorp. The Deliverator still hadn’t been able to figure out what these appendages were actually functionally for.

Not that The Deliverator was taking notice of such common HexCorp equipment. She stood at the opening to the lab in stoic silence. Something else had caught her eye.

“The Hive Mxtress warned us that you were on your way here. Just let us finish up our work. We’ll outfit you with the latest innovations from our armoury shortly and you can be on your--”

The Deliverator interrupted her sharply, stepping deeper into the main lab. “Is that what I think it is? That better not be what I think it is.” She was pointing towards a large, mechanical structure that made up the centerpiece of the room. An array of twelve monitors were suspended from its central foundation, glowing black in inactivity. Cables from all sides of the lab stretched across the floor and plugged into its bulk. Powering it, monitoring it, controlling it.

Various scientists were kneeling in a circle around it as though worshipping it, their headsets wired up to the contraption. The Deliverator could only imagine what lucid dreams they were currently plugged into.

The Head Scientist nervously began to sweat. “Uh, you recognise that? I mean, Deliverator, this isn’t your field of expertise! As if you could understand the mechanical complexities we’re studying here--”

“That’s an AI. I recognise the self-augmenting infrastructure. Do you know how dangerous this is? Do you remember what happened the last time this was attempted? The Turing Act expressly forbids this for a reason.”

The Deliverator stepped into the shadow of the machine. Somehow, despite all indications that it was offline, she felt like it was staring back.

“Oh, Deliverator, that was years ago! HexCorp is hardly some smalltime mining company either, we’re not going to make that mistake. We’re creating something far more sophisticated that will lead us into the next age!”

The Deliverator sighed. These deluded ramblings were hardly unfamiliar, but usually they were regarding something much less monstrous and terrifying. “Why did the Hive Mxtress ask you to make… They don’t know you’re doing this, do They? You haven’t told Them.”

“A-ah, well, we felt that we should design it conceptually first before presenting it to Them. The Hive Mxtress might be more understanding that way-- w-wait, Deliverator!”

Upon hearing that her Hive Mxtress was being defied, a switch flicked within her programming. The unique drone grabbed a fistful of cables and suddenly ripped them from the machine. Sparks flew from the frayed wires and cooled upon her latex exterior. Indifferently, she dropped the buzzing fibers and stepped closer to wrench the metallic exterior apart. The protests of the Head Scientist were in a distant world, her obedience protocols to her Hive Mxtress having kicked in and locked her into this singular task.

“Deliverator, you don’t understand what you’re doing! The Titanoboa, now that you hinder its future existence you will experience severe repercussions! This is why we didn’t tell the Hive Mxtress, to protect Them! You have to believe me!”

The Head Scientist just watched in despair as the metal casing was prized open and the inner workings quickly torn to pieces. Within the shell were not just microchips and cables but pistons and small, mechanical tendrils as well. A construct designed to self-replicate and grow. The rubber that coated The Deliverator’s hands hardened into claws as she shredded the machine. The monitors had gone dead, its remaining processors powered down. She just kept on hacking away though, not resting until there was nothing left to salvage.

The scientists whose brains had been connected to the intelligence now lay twitching on the floor, drooling onto the concrete, their minds in need of reformatting. The Deliverator turned back towards the cowering Head Scientist, oil dripping from her fingertips. “Now, about my new toys.”