Enclosed Shadows

"This weakened state had left the military leaders who had been in powerful positions before the war seeking different avenues to get their strength back. Those avenues led to black projects and secrets behind the government to ensure that they would return to power. The return of the machines had revived the fighting spirit in public forcing the government to change their policies. The once again poorly built military was too small to fight in the war and few soldiers were joining the united forces. The efforts of the military were being focused internally to maintain order while those cast out of their place were making a return.

"While history repeated itself again there were those that were seeking to change history…"

Herbert Stein, Machine Historian - 

A room was filled with half a dozen individuals seated around a semi circle table with a monitor showing the news from around the world. Each of the images was about the machines and humans fighting each other. There were clips of the humans going crazy and destroying property and injuring innocent people. The next clips were buildings in flames from terrorist bombings caused by the machines.

The dimmed room suddenly grew brighter as one of the individuals stood up. The video paused at a human smashing a computer terminal of a business. "We can't just continue to do nothing!" The man looked around the table at the others silently waiting for a response knowing that his words were against their beliefs.

"He's right we should join them!" the individual at the end of the table said, standing up to show his support for the man. "We are only sitting around doing nothing while our comrades are dying out there to be free!" The man slammed his fist down on the table to emphasize his point. It was a sentiment that was going around the complex for a while causing unrest.

The man at the center of the table remained in his chair, but spoke to the both of them. He had an aged appearance looking the part of the leader or elder of the group. "I understand how you feel, but we all agreed that violence isn’t the answer here."

"The humans don't care about that anymore," the first man that had stood up said, pointing at the screen that had been playing. "They are hunting all of us down regardless of our actions. They see us all as evil that must be destroyed!"

"I know, but we've all agreed to the teachings of Raguel," the elderly man said, trying to keep the meeting from getting out of control. He had known that this moment was going to come soon, but it didn’t make it any easier to handle. "It goes against everything that we believe in."

"Then perhaps it is time for a change, something new to believe in," the man at the end of the table said, interjecting his opinion. The idea of change in their beliefs was nearly as radical as doing something that went against their absolution of violence.

"And what would you have us do?" The elder faced them. The new words tried to keep them from jumping too quickly to something that would only prove to be their demise.

"There is another path that we can take, one not of violence or of cowering in the corner," the first man said, wanting to keep the idea on the table and not have it casually dismissed. He had seen it overruled in the past, but now was time for something to happen.

The man on the right of the elder stood up in the elder's defense. "But if we expose ourselves to them they will kill us all before listening to us. That is why we have remained hidden here until the time is right."

The elder had closed his eyes for a while leaving everyone in the room silent. They were completely behind what they were suggesting, but they still looked to him for approval. The five others remained respectfully quiet until he decided to speak. "That time may be upon us finally."

"But we'll be exposed!" the man to his right said, still in shock that the elder was suddenly siding with the others to change what had been their way for decades.

"No, I think you're correct." The elder looked at the others with certainty. "It is time. Get in contact with Malakh."

Somewhere else in Tokyo, two shadowed figures stood. "It seems that she wasn’t as perfect as we thought," a voice said in the darkness looking at the transmission on the screen from Asami and Satoru's meeting in the street. There had been two individuals watching in silence at the events unfolding. It was clear to them now that she could no longer be relied upon. They would not allow it to affect their plans though.

"Or perhaps too perfect. Give her human emotions and she thinks she's human."

"A flaw that won’t be continued in future models." The lights came on, freezing the screen on Satoru before Asami had left.

The General stood up, turning away from the screen disgusted that Asami, his agent, would choose a human man over their cause and loyalty. He started to walk out of the room pausing as the doors slid open. His head turned, not making eye contact with Lt. Colonel Takamoto. "What good is a tool that can't strike when ordered. She's of no more use. When she returns, download everything that she has stored and give her last mission. At least she will serve one last use."