Chapter 3

  死

  (death)

  “Who is ‘The One True God, whomever they may be?’” Matthew asked his assistant.

  Doctor Matthew Catrilo had been studying the only remains of his lost friend. A memory card; something he duplicated only a few days before Qiu was taken. He’d already lost Kuai, missing in action, and he nearly broke under the grief from what happened to Qiu. It’d taken him many days to gather himself and analyze the replicated memory card.

  There wasn’t a whole lot that Qiu had put there himself. Most of the information had been encoded by Matthew, handpicked to help Qiu. The doctor could locate a few strings of information that were evidently literal memories, but there was another block that was much less defined. A chunk of data that detailed a number of different pieces of information that Qiu found valuable enough to store. Matthew struggled to decode the exact messages, but that phrase, “The One True God, whomever they may be,” was under low encryption.

  “The One True God?” Skalci repeated the phrase, pausing to think. “It’s a generic religious term. Meant to apply to all peoples and cultures, it references the creator in a way that is all-inclusive. It’s basically a fancy way to say God.”

  “Why is it here in Qiu’s memory?” Matthew muttered to himself. “What are you hiding, Qiu?” Qiu had hardly been intelligent last time they met, but he was still almost a child to Matthew.

  “You know,” Skalci interrupted Matthew’s focus, “The Guardian moon rises soon. It’s hard to tell exactly when, but soon an eclipse never before seen will shine its light on humanity.”

  “Technology, isn’t it great?” Matthew replied monotonically, not caring for the comment.

  Skalci sighed in annoyance. It was often difficult to get a message across to Matthew. However, the assistant did have one more bargaining chip in the form of information.

  “They found Qiu.”

  Qiu was a weapon. He always had been. But now, he was no longer a weapon in the hands of mortal men. He would not conform to their disgusting ideals. Now, he was a weapon in the hands of The One True God, whomever they may be. He was fulfilling his purpose by allowing others to fulfill theirs. With his kind hand, the mortal world would burn, and the souls of humanity would rise to the afterlife, fulfilling their destiny.

  It hadn’t been long before Qiu pieced together the situation. One nation had designed him in order to destroy the other. It was mostly as simple as that. His two primary authors were Kuai Milao and Dr. Matthew Catrilo. In his very first memory, the fatherly, masculine voice was Matthew, and the Motherly, feminine voice was Kuai.

  But now, he stood face to face with special forces. He had tried to reach the doctor, but his nation intervened. Perhaps Qiu had enlightened too many of their citizens, and they were angry, clawing to maintain their tyrannical rule.

  He charged forwards, with an agility unmatched by any of the human race. He could dodge bullets, but resorted not to, because they would hardly dent his skin.

  With a leap, and a swing of his neon pink blades, it was all over. Electricity crackled and sparked, tendrils of neon pink lightning arcing from his blade, tore through human flesh. When he landed, a single bolt of the sinister lightning fell from the sky, finishing his foes.

  And yet, they were not foes. They were allies, and Qiu was only seeking to escort them to the afterlife. In his eyes, he was merciful, because he helped even the unjust souls reach the afterlife.

  After all, Zaliskar was of human design. If they didn’t want this, they wouldn’t have created Qiu, wouldn’t have given him this purpose. They needed a hero, so they created Qiu, and Qiu would not let them down.

  “Long Live the One True God.” He stated, finalizing the massacre.

  A forceful escort was only a little bit better than a kidnapping, but Matthew obliged. After all, he was desperate to reach Qiu regardless of whether it was voluntary.

  Communications central, it was called, the room filled with computers of all kinds. Chatter, noise, chaos, typing, speaking, all contained within the complicated and intricate box. The military was strange in its workings, which was why Matthew stayed as far from it as he could: the research and development department.

  “We’ve tracked his IP address, but he has also tracked ours,” a faceless soldier informed the doctor. “He’s angry. His massacre has already totaled over 2 million deaths since he escaped. You’d better address him carefully.”

  “Yes, that’s fine,” Matthew dismissed the soldier, but another filled their place. Apparently, he was a high priority.

  The terminal he eventually arrived at was nothing special, just a simple computer. Apparently, it had established a direct connection to Qiu’s communications. Sitting down, Matthew quickly got to work at the keyboard, starting with the passkey, and eventually establishing an encryption that would allow for communication.

  Qiu, reply? Were the first words he typed. He didn’t expect an immediate response, much less a conversation.

  Reply. Identity?

  Doctor Matthew Catrilo, Computer Engineer. Am I speaking to Qiu, The Valiant Project?

  Qiu spent a moment to contemplate his answer.

  Hello, Father. It has been much time since we last met. How have you been?

  Matthew was stunned to be called “Father.” The word carried a deep sentimental value. However, he couldn’t focus on that now, and instead tried to answer Qiu’s question.

  Fine, how about you?

  Qiu replied almost instantly.

  You have not been fine. You have been mourning. Not for my death alone. I remember Kuai as well. MIA, correct?

  Being reminded of Kuai hurt deeply, striking several emotional strings in Matthew’s soul.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Correct, unfortunately.

  Hostage situation. We encountered each other in foreign territory. She completed me. She died. I didn’t.

  Matthew was devastated by the information, but resolved to a more positive reply.

  I’m glad you survived.

  You should be. I have found purpose. I have found directive. I can now fulfill myself.

  These words concerned Matthew. An Artificial Intelligence’s purpose had to be explicitly laid out, with parameters and boundaries set in place in order to moderate itself. Though Qiu was sentient and self-aware, this didn’t make the problem any better.

  Evaluate Purpose.

  I have no soul. I am not a person. I have no afterlife. Therefore, my original purpose is fleeting. Even the purpose you programmed into me, “Weapon,” is not a true purpose.

  Kuai informed me that I could find purpose in helping others. Since I have no soul, I can help those who do, and my actions will be remembered through all eternity. Therefore, I can help others by helping them reach their purpose.

  But what is a human’s purpose? According to Kuai, and a few quick studies I performed on the internet, the meaning of a human’s life is in the afterlife.

  Therefore I have arrived at the reasonable conclusion that I can help people by sending them to the afterlife. It may not be pretty, but they will thank me once they reach their true destination.

  With every word, Matthew became horrified at his creation. He had become Doctor Frankenstein, staring in the face of the abomination that he had created, not knowing how to destroy it, and fearing it with every fiber of his being.

  Regardless, he tried to logically sedate Qiu.

  Qiu, please, listen to me. The afterlife isn’t real. It can’t be. It’s not possible. The afterlife is a way people cope with death. People don’t really go somewhere after death, they just think they do because it makes them feel better.

  Incorrect. If there is no afterlife, humanity would have no purpose, and every soul would have an existential crisis as great as my own, so unsolvable that there would be no escape. Therefore, there must be an afterlife.

  Matthew had no choice but to continue his faulty, not well thought out logic in order to have even a small chance of deterring the beast.

  No, Qiu, you are mistaken. There is no afterlife. Nobody has ever been able to prove it. It’s simply a fallacy.

  Matthew, you are a silly little boy. I know that you are a man of religion. A devoted Christian, according to the internet. If your Jesus Christ were the One True God, would you want nothing more than to stand in his presence, finally having reached paradise? Would you not thank me for sending you there?

  Matthew was shocked by this response. Every word was true, and he had no counterclaim. It struck deep in his soul, a message that couldn’t be easily ignored.

  After a full minute of silence from Matthew, Qiu ended the conversation.

  Godspeed, friend. I will be seeing you shortly.

  LONG LIVE THE ONE TRUE GOD

  Thunder echoed in the distance, and a pink flash lit up the sky.

  Matthew, of all people, was escorted to the top of the base. Thunderclouds brewed all around, and flashes of pink lightning alienated the landscape.

  He could see, in the distance, a glowing pink speck that grew ever closer. Qiu was coming to kill him, as a favor of gratitude. The thought disgusted him.

  Comparing himself to Doctor Frankenstein, staring down his abomination, was one fair comparison, but not the only one. One ominous quote, poorly translated from millenia past, echoed in Matthew’s mind.

  “And now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” He whispered the words into the wind, somber and sorrowful.

  “No,” an ominous reply came from behind him. “That would be me.”

  Paralyzed with fear, Matthew turned around to see his living nightmare. Qiu stood a full head taller than Matthew, his white plating had been scratched and dulled. His joints and weak points in his armor glowed with pink energy. With a motion of his arm, two pink blades extended into existence.

  Thunder cracked through the silence, and Qiu’s silhouette swung forwards. A large figure from the side crashed into Qiu, diverting his falling blade. Matthew scrambled out of the way, watching intently as the second silhouette came into view, illuminated by the storm’s flashes. He was human, heavily armored, with a sword and shield of the same glowing energy as Qiu’s: Zaliskar. Perhaps humanity could save itself.

  “Lieutenant Sycamore,” Qiu growled, “The only man capable of stopping Salvation from the One True God. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  The Lieutenant, unbothered by Qiu’s claims, charged forwards, and swung a large, glowing sword into Qiu’s side, taking down the demon. But the sharp blade failed to penetrate, and Qiu rose once more.

  The demon followed with a flurry of attacks, and matthew ran for his life.

  Lightning cleaved through the darkness, and thunder cracked through the silence. An eerie, pink glow illuminated the world.

  Qiu looked up at the sky. The clouds now parted, and the storm drew quiet for just a moment. Faint stars dotted the sky, a consuming darkness threatening to blot them out.

  Qiu sat peacefully on the rubble of the military base. Just a few hours ago, he had met his mortal father, encountered and slain the only other being to wield Zaliskar, and sent all of these children to the afterlife. He was satisfied with himself. Serenity, this was called. A peaceful and fulfilling state of mind, setting him at ease.

  As the clouds parted, the horizon began to glow. An eerie, pink glow, that radiated from far away.

  Qiu watched intently as the Guardian Moon rose, a terrifying celestial phenomenon that seemed to violate the nature of the world. Pink light bathed the world, emanating from a moon ten times the size it should have been. A terrible mockery of the sunrise, it burned away the darkness, only to fill the world with pain.

  The very air crackled, charged with Zaliskar. Qiu absorbed this energy easily, enriching and invigorating him. His body began to glow bright, not unlike the moon above.

  Everything in this scene was created by humanity. Looking down at himself, Qiu’s body was synthesized, and his code written. Looking up, the moon’s orbit had been shifted by human actions just enough to allow for this appalling eclipse to form, bathing the world in Zaliskar.

  Qiu lifted an arm, tendrils of energy flowing forwards without any effort. Saturated with power, he set his sights on the ultimate goal: to destroy this mortal world. No more would humanity suffer, in darkness and in sin. Instead, they would find their place among the stars, in the joyous and eternal afterlife. It was his duty, born without a soul, destined to save the children of the One True God. Destiny called him, and with a kind heart, he was ready to answer.

  The sound of thunder cracked through the silence. Qiu leapt forwards, ready to do whatever was necessary to reach his goals. Under the light of the Guardian Moon, he became the Guardian of Humanity, a fierce warrior serving in the name of the One True God.

  Not quite an angel, but still valiant and virtuous, finding glory in the great work.

  “Long live the One True God!” he shouted, a martyr’s cry that resounded through the entire world.