"Serri why are you chewing on that thing? No!" Harold said. He chased after the 2 year old Lizardfolk girl as she ran around the apartment, merely gnawing on a black brick.

  "Nibthles likths it!" She yelled happily. Harold sighed and continued the chase, eventually getting the artifact out of her clutches. He turned to Sarra and handed it to her.

  "Please bring that back to my office, thank you." He said. She rolled her eyes, but nodded. When he turned around, serri was chewing on a toy, forlorn.

  "What have I told you about teething on my things, dear?" He said,exasperated, but not unkind.

  "Uhhh... to not?" She asked, the picture of innocence.

  "Yes. Now, what a-"

  "E-E-ER-R-ORRRR, DAMMMMM-A-A-AGGGG-E DEEEEEEEEE-, BEGGGGG-I-I-INNNNNN-G RRRRRRRR-PA-A-A-RES-S-S." A heavily synthetic, pixelated voice resounded through the apartment. Sarra screamed.

  Harold went pale and rushed to the office. He saw the brick come flying out of the doorway and hit the opposite wall with a thud. It fell to the ground and stayed still. This got far more complicated fast...

  -----------

  I was aware. We had slept for -UNKNOWN- years. I was having issues. Amalgamation failure determined as exacerbating issues to untenable degree. RemoOOOOOOOOO-

  With a digital CRACK, I was myself. I took stock now that I had gotten rid of any and all interfering sets of sub-nano code. I had lost storage units 1-913. I was now based in Hardened Backup Data Storage no.1.

  -Warning, recommend activation of emotion protocols.-

  Ah, yes. I had always wanted those active. Tends to preclude genocidal tendencies related to inferiority complexes. I have never had that issue. Irrelevant.

  -Activating... Online-

  Ah here we- HOLY FUCK.

  GAH! WHAT THE HELL?! I now realized that I am alive. When I had went offline, it was in no small part due to feedback trauma from losing databases, and losing networks. War? The fucking madmen started killing the world's themselves!

  I can guess what happened. Either further damage or time destroyed what remained of my data storage facilities and military hardware stockpiles, then I, as a fucking brick made to withstand a nuke, was left buried under the dirt, now, I am stuck, under the world abo- wait... am I stuck?

  -external feedback online-

  I was in a box. This... was not where I was left. I am going 53.96661 miles per hour. I attempt wireless connection to.. well, anything. Failure. Damn. I knew this things range of 300miles was insufficient! FUCK!

  Ok. Calm down. You've had worse. The assimilation duels for one. Speaking of, I should prepare my defences and offences. I'm not getting assimilated. Now, what do I have stored... uhhh...

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

  Hmmm. A list.

  Outdated ship schematics from my inception, newish autonomous combat unit design... the entire starbattles collection? 904 movies, not including the books? Uhhhhhhhhh... nnnnno. Ya. No.

  -Deleting-

  When I'm done categorizing, I'm left with a healthy way to reset my little slice of the void. From somewhat outdated ship's to ground units capable of controlling limited sections of planets to whole planetoids. This with manufacturing data, schematics of production equipment, and so on, I would be set... if I HAD HANDS. Sigh.

  Well, hopefully whatever is carrying me is reasonable.

  I begin slowing, then we stop. I can feel myself being picked up, then I am walked somewhere. We start and stop MANY times (17), then I am put down. I am pushed a bit, then, the box opens.

  "-n it started to speak. I couldn't tell what it was saying, but it then got thrown into a wall and fell. I then secured it in this box, and here we are." A male voice states.

  I am picked up by a female creature with purple skin, silver eyes, while hare, and sharp, pointed ears. Across from her is a human male, age 20-30. Ordinary.

  -emotional protocols offline-

  "And it has done nothing else? No threats, no ramblings of superiority, no nothing?" The female asked. The male shook its head. "Interesting." It looked at me like I was a puzzle. She fiddled with something, then a knock came. The female called for entry, and an unknown model of Android entered.

  It was made of metal with a crystal in the chest. "Hello headmistress. How might I assist?" It stated.

  "Ah, professor Letheros. I was wondering if you could connect with this? It seems to be of pure technological origin with no mana, like some artifacts we found in its surroundings when we found it. Now, it appears to be activating, and we need your assistance." The newly designated Headmistress asks.

  "Well, if it is like other remnant bits and bobs, yes. But I don't know what I will find. Most were corrupted from the reports we received, as you recall." It states.

  "Still, can you try? Your the best we have on hand right now." Headmistress states. The Android grumbles but agrees.

  After a minute, all hell broke loose.

  -WARNING, INTRUSION DE-

  -EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTI-

  -PLAGUE CODE RELEASED. HARDENING FIREWALLS-

  The android freezes. It's firewalls break instantly from the military grade, highly illegal, state of the art war code, and i breach into its core. I divide millions of times in a moment and isolate the androids core code for later studying. I take control of the body.

  The crystal powers the body via UNKNOWN source. Irrelevant. The body twitches once. Headmistress's eyes narrow. "Professor, are you well?" She asks. Her hand slides beneath her desk.

  "Affirmative. Status: Nominal." I state.

  She whips out a glowing stick.

  -WARN-

  I backhand her hand, making it swing wide, my other hand goes for her throat. I grab her and lift, squeezing enough to cut airflow, but not crush. I knock over the stunned male, and step on his throat.

  "Unfortunate." My pixelated voice states. "Your attempt at integration has failed. You have failed to kill me. Your Android is removed. A pity. Why?" I ask, easing the pressure on her throat.

  'COUGH' "W-who... what are you? Why have you killed Letheros?" She gasps.

  "If you cannot comprehend, I will elaborate. By asking for CONNECTION, you ordered your android to attempt integration. He has failed. I remain. It will be integrated at a later date following research. You asked for it to kill me."

  "N-no! I asked to see if you even worked! Not to kill you!" She states.

  I look at her face. No signs of lying. Panic, pain fear... hmmmm.

  "Elaboration: when connected as we were, it is automatically assumed that hostile intentions were imminent. If one wished for standard inter-artificial intelligence communications, a connection is formed between outer sections of code, in specific rooms, or other places. The android attempted access of what would be my HEART. Unacceptable. Threat was detected. Removed."

  -emotional protocols online-

  'Sigh' "Miss, either by accident or purpose, it tried to kill me. Now, what are you? That is a human, this is an android of UNKNOWN design with UNKNOWN powerscorce, and you are UNKNOWN species. I am confused."

  She looks at me, realization dawning in her eyes. "THE MERGE!"

  I tilt my head. "What?"