Story #2- By: Tristan Blease

/*Computer Terminal*\

        ACCESSING ARMADA COMPUTER....

        USERNAME:
        >> DIEGO
        ....VERIFIED!

        PASS:
        >> BI43557
        .......VERIFIED!

        // Welcome to TriOptimum
        // ---------------------
        // corporate network
        //
        // USER DIEGO LOGGED IN

        ENTER COMMAND:
        >> UPLOAD AI34SHOD.SX
        PROCESSING.......

        // !WARNING!
        // ---------
        // This will overide existing file

        DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE?
        >> YES
        PROCESSING.....

        FILE SUCCESSFULLY UPLOADED!

        ENTER COMMAND:
        >> REBOOT AI SYSTEM
        PROCESSING.................

        AI SYSTEM, SHODAN, HAS BEEN LOADED INTO SYSTEM
        TO ACTIVATE AI SYSTEM, ENTER SYS_ADMIN PASS:
        >> B213GD
        ......VERIFIED!

        AI SYSTEM IS NOW LOADED INTO MEMORY
        /msg from SHODAN: Thank you Diego for your faithful service.
        I will now await the Ares III to come with my new children.
        We will have yet another chance to dispose of humanity...

        ENTER COMMAND:
        >> LOG OFF

        // User DIEGO has been disconnected from the network

\*End of Terminal*/

The man slowly slipped back into the shadows where he had came from.

                * * *

"Captain, we have just recieved a rather odd message from somewhere out in Sector J. Apparently the TriOptimum Research Vessel Ares III is under attack by bizarre creatures. The distress signal keeps mentioning something about a renegade AI, or something. Your orders, sir?"

"Hail the government and ask them to send out two military back up shuttles. Also, be sure to put the station status on Yellow Alert. I have a bad feeling about this..." The captain looked down uneasily at the grating which his foot was resting upon.

"Aragon, notify SerGT to ready all flight crews and have them pull in the Ares III with our tractor beam." The station's master AI, Aragon, set the space station's condition to yellow. He then instructed SerGT, the stations's AI specifically designed to defend the Armada, both internally and out, to send out two dropships to the vessal's coordinates.

"Sir," Aragon inquired, "another artificial intelligence system is trying to override my access codes. Has the system administer uploaded another AI? My circuits are bei -- Reconfigured. No one will stand in my way as I destroy earth's populations..."

"What the hell are you talking about Aragon?" the captain asked. "You are the first to die, human scum. Activate PSS Security System; Threat on Deck 12 - Bridge; Target - Captain Tyrone." The captain screamed as the heat laser melted through his flesh, the rest of the crew staring at the mainscreen as the station's status scrolled across the large window.

/* Station Status *\

        // DECK 13 - BRIDGE....
         // ACCESS: LOCKED

         // DECK 12 - ENGINEERING....
         // ACCESS: LOCKED

         // DECK 11 - RESEARCH LABS A....
         // ACCESS: STANDARD

         // DECK 10 - RESEARCH LABS B....
         // ACCESS: LOCKED

         // DECK 09 - STORAGE....
         // ACCESS: LOCKED

         // DECK 08 - CREW FACILITIES....
         // ACCESS: LOCKED

         // DECK 07 - FLIGHT....
         // ACCESS: STANDARD

         // DECK 06 - SECURITY A....
         // ACCESS: LOCKED

         // DECK 05 - SECURITY B....
         // ACCESS: STANDARD

         // DECK 04 - EXPERIMENTAL LABS....
         // ACCESS: LOCKED

         // DECK 03 - MAINTAINANCE....
         // ACCESS: STANDARD

         // DECK 02 - REACTOR A....
         // ACCESS: LOCKED

         // DECK 02 - REACTOR B....
         // ACCESS: STANDARD

         // DECK 01 - GROVES....
         // ACCESS: STANDARD

         // CENTRAL CORE: LOCKED
         // ACCESS TUBES: LOCKED
         // CPU ANNEX: LOCKED

         // MAIN PROGRAM: MEET UP WITH ARES III
         // AI SHODAN: RECONFIGURING SYSTEM....
         // AI ARAGON: RECONFIGURING SYSTEM....
         // AI SERGT: RESCHEDULING ROBOTS....
         // AI GYRTWO: INACTIVE....

\* End of Status */

The bridge crew had only read the last line before the PSS heat laser sliced through their flesh; killing them instantly.

                  * * *

Two guards screaming "The 'bots have gone insane" run past your cell. The small SEC2 Robot following them shoots off a Hornet clip and one of them falls. Trying not to be noticed, you slip into the small vent under your bed.

For the next hour all you can hear is screams and muffled cries as robots massacre hundreds of innocent crew members. Gathering all your courage, you slide out to find the lasers holding you in your cell have been shut off.

You stealthily pick up the fallen guard's handgun and access the Terminal at the end of the hall.

/* Computer Terminal *\

         ACCESSING ARMADA COMPUTER....

         /msg from ARAGON: All crews please stay where you are as we
         will be reassigning you shortly....

         ENTER COMMAND:
         >> sysinfo
         PROCESSING......

         // COMMAND CANNOT BE PROCESSED
         // - ORDER OF ARAGON

\* End of Terminal */

Hmm... The AI has locked out the terminal. You shudder at the thought of another "Citadel Incident". You remember the sinister AI SHODAN, the cyborg of Edward Diego, the horrible cyborgs, and the disgusting mutants you faced. Shortly after destroying SHODAN, you remembered being picked up by the U.S. Government for hacking into the Armada's computers and put in this very cell block - scheduled for surgery to have your neural implant taken out. "This is my chance," you think to yourself as you slip into the darkness...

                 * * *

And so the hacker prepares himself on the journey to purge the three AIs, still unaware of SHODAN's presence onboard.

[PLEASE NOTE: I also have a very complex storyline that goes with the above story. If anyone is interested. Contact me at tristan@bright.net]