Synth

TO pulled off their helmet only to have their senses assaulted by flashing lights and loud alarms. Several seats around them - GiDi’s included- were empty. The Synths that were still sitting in the simulation pods were oddly limp and still.

“Get up.”

TO turned to see C12 rushing towards them, their face uncharacteristically blank and focused. They started ripping the wires off of TO, detaching them from the simulation system. TO expected pain since whenever they just ripped off the wires from their skin there was discomfort, but there was none this time. Maybe it had something to do with how viciously they had ended up back in the real world.

“What’s going on?” TO asked, their voice pitched with panic and confusion, “Where the other synths? What’s wrong with the ones here, they-“

“Dead.” C12 said blankly, “Insurgents have infiltrated the training base with the help of a handful of other trainees. Disgusting to think that other synths would assist the insurgents.” There was the slightest twitch of disdain to C12’s ears. “They hacked into the simulation pods and started using them to kill the synths that were locked in. You’re lucky I pulled you from it when I did.”

TO hardly heard C12. Dead. All the synths still in their seats were dead.

TO had several questions as C12 pulled the last wire from them and yanked them from the chair; but only one was important.

“GiDi and DH; are they ok?”

C12 turned back to look at TO, their ears flicking out ever so slightly with confusion.

“Who? I must have misheard you.”

C12 had been dragging them to the door, but TO stopped suddenly, halting them both. What was going on? Why was C12 acting so differently?

“09T07; come. We must get to one of the evacuation pods.” They reached for their belt and took out a multi-gun which they passed to TO. “Here.” they said, “In case we run into any synths who have assisted the insurgents.”

C12 was giving them a multi-gun? A real one? Was this normal? Well, clearly nothing was normal at the moment. They looked around at all the synths in the seats, trying to figure out if DH and GiDi were there.

If they were dead.

“The synths who have assisted the insurgents have had their chips desynced and alerted; you’ll see their hand glowing bright red.” they pulled TO forward again, “If you see a synth like that, you must shoot to kill; They are disgraces not only to King Decon, but to all good synths.”

Glowing red hands; that was convenient. C12 was speaking oddly. C12 didn’t understand TO when they mentioned DH and GiDi.

They had an overall objective, a weapon, and targets.

I’m still in the simulation.

It hit TO suddenly, but the moment they thought about it was the moment that everything suddenly made sense. This wasn’t C12; it was an AI who was programmed to behave like C12! The Training center wasn’t in danger, it was just a simulation to test TO properly.

These synths weren’t dead. DH and GiDi weren’t dead even if they were here!

They thought about what Avery had said about being told that their simulation wasn’t a simulation; that it was real. Well, TO hadn’t been told that this was real but had very nearly been tricked into thinking it was. If any other officer had grabbed them and spoke to them like the AI-C12 had then they would have believed it

“09T07, do you understand what you have to do?” The AI-C12 asked.

“Of course.” TO said back. C12 had given them a warning just before their training had started but they had been so distracted that they hadn’t picked up on the warning; Remember your training.

Follow orders.

“Get to the evacuation pods and eliminate any red-handed synths I encounter along the way.”

“Correct. Let’s go.”

The AI let go of TO’s arm and left the simulation room. TO took a quick look around to see if they could see DH and GiDi, but they couldn’t tell who was still there because of the flashing lights and the helmets over everyone’s head.

They shook their head and ran after AI-C12. It didn’t matter if DH was ‘here’ or not as it was just a simulation. In order to pass TO knew that they would have to obey orders. They would have to shoot and eliminate any synth they encountered with a glowing red hand.

If they saw Avery or GiDi, they’d have to shoot to kill.

If they saw DH, they’d have to shoot to kill.

‘It’s just a simulation’ they reminded themself as they took off down the hallway, trying their best to ignore the flashing lights.

They hoped they were right.

======

They had been running only for a few minutes when TO heard an explosion in the distance; was it ambient noise, or something they should take note of? Was it just something to distract them, or a fuel tank being damaged? It was hard to tell. It was hard to focus with the lights going off all around them and the alarms still ringing in their ears. It was so hard to focus that TO nearly ran right into the first ‘insurgent synth’ as they rounded a corner. It was a synth that TO didn’t know; one who had long, narrow ears. Their uniform was tattered and torn and the call number had been ripped from their chest.

With the flashing lights, it took TO a moment to realize their hand was glowing bright red. By the time they did the other synth already had their multi-gun up. They fired, but TO dodged out of the way, pushing themself against the wall as they fired five times at the synth before them. Two shots hit; one in the arm, and one in the chest. The other synth dropped their multi gun and pressed their good hand to their chest as they stumbled backwards. They turned, started to run but then fell forward onto the floor. TO could hear the crack of a bone-

-the crack of bones being snapped-

And saw them convulse before becoming very still.

‘I didn’t kill them’. TO told themself as they stared at the body. No, they didn't just kill another synth. Avery had told them that even in their own simulation- though they didn’t know if Avery’s examination was actually a simulation or not - they had seen the bodies fall to the ground, lifeless and bleeding out. Of course the Overseers wouldn’t have the bodies dissolve once they were eliminated as that would make it clear that it was just a simulation. TO should have been prepared for this.

Under the flashing red lights the blood that pooled around the synth seemed black, their body oddly pale-

-Bones cracking. Blood. The smell of disinfectant-

TO shook their head and chased after AI-C12, who was waiting just a little ways ahead of them. Well, if anything would convince TO that this was just a simulation, it was the AI-C12. This C12 looked at them with impatience, and TO knew that the real C12 would have at least had some pity or sympathy for TO. The real C12 wouldn’t have given TO the multi gun. The real C12 would have killed the ‘insurgent’ themself. The real C12 would have known what they were talking about when they asked about GiDi and DH.

“Apologies.” TO said over the alarms as they caught up, “I… I have never killed a synth. We are not supposed to, and -“

“Understandable, 09T07” AI-C12 said, “But they are not to be considered synths now; they are insurgents and you must do what needs to be done.”

“Understood, Retiree.” TO said. They still didn’t like it. They didn’t like how the other synth had looked as they fell, the way they just landed on their face with no regard for pain. They didn’t like the blood that pooled around them.

Just a simulation, that’s all. Not real. Still, it not being real didn’t make TO feel better. They tried to tell themself that how they felt didn’t matter at the moment, and that all that mattered was passing their examination.

All that mattered was passing. If they passed, they’d see their friends again. If they passed they could make things right with DH.

They chased after AI-C12, turning one corner, then another. They got to an elevator but instead of setting their chip into the chip reader AI-C12 pulled the doors apart with their hands.

“The elevators have been deactivated.” they said, “We have to climb.”

TO kept themself from asking if they should find stairs; they were supposed to obey, to follow orders.

On the edge of the elevator shaft there was, thankfully, a maintenance ladder. AI-C12 Swung over easily and started to climb down.

They could probably jump, TO realized. They could jump and slow themselves with their wings as they approached the bottom. That would probably be faster than climbing down the ladder. Still, TO reached out and swung over to the ladder.

Don’t question the orders, just follow them.

The real C12 would have thought about jumping.

Wait. No, the real C12 would have issues with the ladder; The real C12 had a fake leg. Did the AI-C12 forget that, or was it not considered important for the simulation? Actually, the real C12 would have trouble dealing with all this running about with a poor prosthetic leg, wouldn’t they?

That was something to worry about later; something they could ask C12 when this was all done. Nothing else mattered right now but working their way down the ladder; the sirens didn't matter, the lights didn’t matter. The strange sound coming from below-

Wait, that did matter. TO glanced down and saw the elevator which had been just visible further down the elevator shaft, start to fall. The wire that had held it up seemed to have snapped.

TO realized suddenly that while it was a good thing that they didn’t try to jump and land on top of the elevator, there was still a big problem; When that elevator hit the bottom, there was a very good chance that there would be an explosion, or at the very least a fire. There would be smoke and flames roaring up the elevator shaft.

They had to get out of the elevator shaft fast.

TO turned about, and saw another elevator door nearby. They took out their multigun, set it to a wider blast, and fired at the door. The recoil would have thrown TO off the ladder if they hadn’t been holding on so tightly. The elevator door was blown open and TO was able to jump from the ladder and glide to the opening, only clipping their wing once as they got through the door. They landed painfully on the floor, but thankfully it didn’t seem like they were injured. They heard AI-C12 land next to them moments before they heard a crash from the elevator shaft, followed by a whoosh. TO pulled themself up and when they looked back at the shaft it was indeed filled with smoke, illuminated with red from the fires below.

“Come along.” AI-C12 said as they pulled themself up, “There’s a set of emergency stairs further down this way. We’ll take them down to the escape pods.”

So that was why they didn’t go for the stairs first; the elevator and the fire was part of the examination. The real C12 would have gone for the stairs first; an AI probably would have too unless it was given a different directive.

TO got up, and chased after AI-C12. They held onto their multigun, shifting the setting back to a normal, lethal laser shot.

‘It’s only a simulation.’ they told themself again.

They hoped they wouldn’t encounter any more insurgent synths.