Mass Rebo:Ot

“Seventy-three percent,” Nub muttered.

All eyes were glued to the television screen as the imposter Gemu raised a hand to quiet the cheering crowd. “Simmer down! Everyone!” the fake Gemu commanded, their voice eerily identical to the real one.

Shinku’s stomach churned. Gemu, bound and helpless beside him, stared at the screen in disbelief. “It even sounds like me!” he shouted, his voice breaking with rage. “You are despicable!”

The fake Gemu continued, their tone calm yet authoritative. “After deep consideration, I have decided to drop out of the presidential race before the polls open. All of the votes I received in early voting will be transferred to Vitron.” With a confident wave, the imposter stepped off the podium, leaving the stage.

The room fell into an oppressive silence, save for Gemu’s shuddering breaths. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, “No… no…” He began to sob uncontrollably, his body trembling as the weight of the event crushed him.

Vitron’s laughter shattered the silence. “Oh, the look on your face!” he taunted. “Priceless.”

The reaction outside was immediate. The humans in the crowd, their anger bubbling over, erupted into chaos. Fists flew, shouts of fury echoed through the streets, and brawls broke out among the masses.

Gemu’s sobs turned to screams. “You’re a monster!”

Vitron tilted his head. “Nope,” he said flatly, “I’m just a computer.”

Nub’s voice chimed in once more. “Eighty percent.”

Gritting his teeth, Gemu turned his tear-streaked face toward Vitron. “You’ve been systematically dismantling everything that made us who we are! There are no bathrooms for our people because we’re not accommodated for! There’s no longer any distinction between men and women because computers don’t abide by such societal norms!” His voice rose, trembling with fury. “Since your presidency, you’ve been preparing for our elimination!”

Vitron opened his mouth to reply, but his attention was suddenly drawn to a figure rushing toward him. He sighed, a hint of annoyance crossing his face. “You’re such a chatterbox,” he muttered before breaking into a sprint toward the Mother Ship’s open exit.

The figure moved with inhuman speed, closing the distance in seconds. “Vitron!” a voice bellows. Shinku and Gemu turned their heads just in time to see a blur of lunging at the president.

Xenox had arrived.

“Program: Recycle Bin,” Xenox snarled as his appendages lashed out, clashing violently with Vitron. Sparks flew as their bodies collided, the sound of metal grinding against metal echoing through the chamber.

Shinku’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Xenox…?”

Even Gemu was stunned. “The Monitor?”

Xenox’s appendages whirled with precision as he attacked relentlessly. “A little birdie told me you’d be in the Mother Ship, Vitron,” Xenox growled, “And you killed all of my harvesters. How kind of you.”

Vitron chuckled, sidestepping an attack and countering with a powerful strike that Xenox barely dodged.

“And I’ve heard,” Xenox continued, lunging again, “that you’re planning some sort of mass reboot. While I despise humans, there are still some experiments I want to conduct. So how about I crush you, President?”

Their clashes intensified. Both fighters leaped back, momentarily creating space between them. Vitron held up one of Xenox’s appendages, which he had ripped off during the exchange, and tossed it to the ground. Data pulsed from Vitron’s body like an aura. “Let’s see you try,” he said.

Xenox smirked, his remaining appendages twisting menacingly. “You’re quite the fighter, President,” he admitted, rushing back into the fray.

Vitron replied. “I was an officer long before I entered politics. And to gain the immense power I now wield, I had your harvesters funnel data from dead computers directly into myself. As you might say, I’ve been running my own experiments.”

Vitron blocked an attack with ease, countering with a strike that sent Xenox skidding across the floor. “Experiments, huh?” Xenox sneered. “You needed all that power just to perform a mass reboot. I’m surprised I didn’t run into you sooner.”

Xenox steadied himself. “Imitation,” he said slyly, “is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Their battle raged on, the clash of titans shaking the very walls of the Mother Ship. Shinku and Gemu could only watch in stunned silence, the gravity of the situation weighing heavier with each passing second.

The flurry of blows between Vitron and Xenox shook the very floor beneath him. Sparks flew with each clash of their metal limbs, their speed and ferocity incomprehensible to the novice officer. His eyes widened, in awe and dread. These were not mere computers—they were titans.

Gemu, beside him, broke the silence. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

Shinku turned toward him, tears still clinging to his cheeks. He couldn’t speak, his emotions raw and overwhelming.

“You seem afraid,” Gemu continued, his voice steady despite the chaos. “I can tell… you’re not with them.”

Before Shinku could respond, Vitron’s voice rang out, sharp and mocking, as he delivered a powerful kick that sent Xenox skidding across the floor. “Hey, Gemu!” he shouted. “I hear you’re trying to sweet-talk my guinea pig over there!”

Vitron moved with mechanical precision, his strikes relentless as he closed the gap between himself and Xenox. “Enjoy your last moments of bonding together,” he sneered. “Shinku will die first, once his data is fully pirated—the one who dares to claim he’s human. Then Nub will follow along with myself. Anthril will be revived.” He laughed, a cold, hollow sound that echoed through the room.

“When Anthril and all other pure computers rise, their first command will be to kill all humans. The computers born from this Mother Ship will patrol the entire building, searching for any stragglers. And you, Gemu…” Vitron’s voice lowered into a menacing growl. “…they’ll hunt you down first.” He smirked. “And then they’ll wipe out the rest of humanity before they create the new world.”

Shinku trembled at Vitron’s words.

Gemu wasn’t shaken. Turning to Shinku, his voice softened with compassion. “Don’t let Vitron belittle you for how you feel,” he said firmly. “What does it mean to be alive? To be human? It’s not just knowing—it’s experiencing. You could tell me everything about a waterfall—how it looks, the sound of the rushing water, even the scent it carries. But experiencing it firsthand… feeling it in your soul… that is what makes you human. That is what makes all of us human.”

Shinku’s breath hitched at Gemu’s words. They struck a chord deep within him, a truth he hadn’t realized he needed.

Vitron, meanwhile, intensified his attacks on Xenox. His hands moved like blurs as he grappled with his opponent, all while shouting with fury. “How does it feel to be searched, Xenox?! Isn’t this your special?!” he taunted. “I’m going to kill you! I’m grateful for what you’ve done to help me, but your experiments end here!”

Xenox snarled, his appendages lashing out in a desperate counterattack, but Vitron’s movements were calculated, precise. “I actually liked your haughtiness,” Vitron sneered as his hand darted into his coat. “But now… it’s over.”

In one swift motion, Vitron pulled a small object from his pocket—a virus. Without hesitation, he shoved it directly into Xenox’s port.

Xenox froze, his body convulsing violently as the virus spread through his system. His appendages twitched uncontrollably.

Vitron stood over him, triumphant. “Nub!” he barked. “Give me some of that EMP ability so I can finish this!”

“Yes, President,” Nub responded flatly, sending a wave of data into Vitron.

Gemu leaned toward Shinku. “The best thing about our world,” he said, his tone filled with quiet resolve, “is that we all have free will. You can call yourself whatever you want, think whatever you want. And the only one who needs to believe in it… is you.” He smiled gently, his warmth a stark contrast to the cold violence unfolding before them.

Vitron, now surging with power from Nub’s transfer, turned his gaze back to Xenox’s convulsing form. “This is the end,” he declared, raising his arm.

A flash of energy erupted from his hand as he fired multiple web-like streams of electromagnetic data into Xenox. The web tangled around Xenox’s body, locking him in place as his movements ceased.

“Power off.” Vitron said coldly, watching as Xenox’s body powered down completely. The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of the Mother Ship.

A twisted smile crept across his face as he barked, “How about we get started early?”

Vitron’s voice boomed through the chamber, sharp and commanding. “Program: Reboot.”

The data coursing from Vitron’s hand surged toward Xenox’s limp body, enveloping him in a swirling maelstrom.

Xenox’s body jerked violently. His appendages twitched, his metallic frame convulsing as the data took hold. Then, slowly, his head lifted, his now glowing an eerie, blood-red hue.

Xenox staggered to his feet, his movements unnatural, puppet-like. The proud, terrifying presence he once exuded was gone, replaced by a hollow shell of his former self.