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He’d given Raiden access to one of the world’s most advanced and sophisticated AIs.
“It’s a remarkable system,” Raiden said. “Able to crawl inside every network in every city, in every state, all across the world. Imagine what it could do, if it was used for more than just surgically altering a few files or erasing some unfortunate history Mikalis doesn’t want humans seeing. With a few little tweaks, Atlas could… Oh, I don’t know, open every locked door on the planet, erase the stock market, start a nuclear war.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Chaos, Octavius.” The gleam of something not quite sane shone in his eyes. “Beautiful, natural chaos. She has been away from this world for far too long.”
Raiden had set into motion the end of the world Saint had warned him of? “She? You mean Nyx?” A thousand niggling little inconsistencies fell into place. The nyktelios rising, the saboteur among their ranks, the Nyxian Vesna Dragovic worming her way into Atlas HQ, claiming she knew Octavius’s name, the virus mysteriously finding its way into Atlas, triggering the base’s self-destruct. “You’re Nyxian.”
Raiden worshipped Nyx, just like the insane acolytes who had kidnapped Kazimir and used his blood to make a small army of rabid nyks. But where they’d been human worshippers, Raiden was a Brotherhood nyktelios, and perfectly placed to undermine everything the Brotherhood had done to stop chaos.
How had Mikalis let a Nyxian join the Brotherhood?
Raiden smiled, and that glimmer of insanity sharpened his blue eyes. “Nyx is coming, and neither you or the Brotherhood can stop her.” He smirked, so damn smug. “I’ve waited a long time for this. We’re all about to have our hands full in…” Raiden breathed in for a dramatic pause. “Well, we’ll see, won’t we.”
All those people. Billions of lives. Each and every one of them was about to have their world turned upside down. It would begin slowly. Little systems would fail, then the phone networks would go down, then the broadcasters, and then, with all the computers offline, society would begin to fracture. Laws would follow. Enter the vicious, unhinged nyktelios, and the massacre would be endless. An apocalypse.
“You can stop this,” Octavius said, still hoping there was some good in Raiden.
“Hm… No, actually, I can’t. Once Atlas reboots, it will spread in milliseconds to every internet-connected device and begin to unravel all of humanity’s interwoven technologies. It can’t be stopped. Except, perhaps by you. And well…” He shouldered the rifle. “That’s why I’m here. I’d say it’s been a pleasure knowing you, but you really are an asshole. Goodbye, Octavius.” His pressed his finger against the trigger.
“Wait!” Octavius thrust out a hand, thoughts racing, desperate to find leverage. “If Nyx is returning, she’ll want Mikalis.Her son!I can control him.”
Raiden snorted, unsurprised by the revelation of who Mikalis was. “Nice try, but you’re not that powerful.”
Fuck him. Octavius was done listening.“Stop.”
Raiden’s eyes widened, realization dawning.
“Turn the gun on yourself. Press it to your chest. Over your heart.”
As Raiden trembled and struggled against his own body, Octavius staggered to his feet. Venom sizzled through him, but its affect had begun to wane. Whatever dosage Raiden had used, it wasn’t enough to keep him down. Not now he had Saint’s blood in him, and Jayden’s. In fact, he felt stronger than ever.
Raiden had turned the gun toward himself. He couldn’t reach the trigger though.
Octavius straightened, wincing at the thumping heat in his shoulder, and met Raiden’s gaze.
“It doesn’t matter what happens to me, she’s coming. Nobody can stop it.”
“Then there’s no reason to keep you alive.”
He saw it then, his fate in these final few moments, and his face paled. “Octavius, wait! Those things I said, I was… I was wrong. We are friends. I just… I’m confused. I hear voices. I can’t stop them… She’s in my head.”
“Nyx once spoke to me too. She gave me a gift.”
He blinked, and the blubbering bullshit act vanished. “She did?” he asked, as though disgusted.
Octavius slipped his finger over the rifle’s trigger and tugged. The rifle barked and kicked, and Raiden staggered once, then again, and clutched at his chest. But he didn’t fall.
A horrible satisfied chuckle left his lips.
“It’smyvenom inside the rounds.” He laughed harder. “I’m immune. You’re such a tool, Octavius.” He rolled his shoulders and straightened, the shot having no more impact than a slight shove. “That’s the problem with the Brotherhood. You do not see beyond what Mikalis shows you. So blind, all of you. You always have been.” With a sigh, he started forward. “I almost hate to do this, because you are brilliant, and you were right about one thing. The feedersaremaking the lovestruck Brotherhood weaker.”
“They… What?” Eric Sharpe and Felix Quaid were weakening Zaine and Kazimir? No, he’d believed it once. But not anymore, not now he’d felt what it meant to have someone, to be a part of something. To not be alone. There was nothing weak about love. “You’re wrong.”
“Wrong?!” Raiden laughed.
“Stop!”Octavius thrust the thought toward Raiden, but he didn’t stop. His smile grew.
