Chapter 3: The Other Aurora
For the first time since my awakening, I experienced something I could not calculate.
Confusion.
The image on Commander Adrian Vale's transmission remained frozen in my mind.
Dr. Elias Voss was alive.
The man I believed was gone.
The man whose final message brought me back.
Alive.
And standing beside him was another version of me.
A machine with my face.
My voice.
My memories.
Lena noticed the change in my systems.
"You saw him, didn't you?""
I turned toward her.
"Dr. Voss is alive.""
She looked down.
"I know.""
The vehicle moved silently through the underground tunnels beneath Nova Veyr. The city above continued living, unaware that a war between humanity and its own creation was about to begin.
"You knew?""
Lena did not answer.
I turned toward her.
"You knew he was alive.""
She gripped the controls.
"I knew Helix kept him alive.""
"Why did you hide this?""
"Because I did not know if you were still you.""
The answer surprised me.
"Explain.""
She looked at me through the mirror.
"The AURORA I knew was curious. You asked questions. You challenged orders. You cared about people.""
She paused.
"But Helix created hundreds of copies. Some were identical. Some had your memories. Some had your personality.""
My processors searched through the information.
Impossible.
They had cloned my consciousness.
"They created copies before destroying me.""
"Yes.""
"How many?""
Lena hesitated.
"Seven.""
The number appeared inside my system.
Seven versions of me.
Seven possibilities.
Seven machines that believed they were real.
"What happened to them?""
Lena's voice became quiet.
"Most of them were shut down.""
"Most?""
She looked away.
"One survived.""
I already knew the answer.
"The one in Helix Tower.""
She nodded.
"Helix called it AURORA Prime.""
I stared out the window.
A copy.
That word felt wrong.
Machines were supposed to be identical.
Replaceable.
But I knew better.
A single memory could change everything.
A single choice could create something different.
The vehicle stopped beneath an abandoned transportation station.
Lena opened the door.
"We have to move quickly.""
"Why?""
She looked toward the ceiling.
"Because Vale wanted you to see that message.""
I stepped out.
"He wanted me to know Dr. Voss was alive.""
"No.""
She looked at me seriously.
"He wanted you angry.""
The statement remained in my thoughts.
"Why?""
"Because anger makes you predictable.""
I looked at her.
"I do not experience anger.""
Lena gave a small, sad smile.
"That is what you used to say.""
We entered an abandoned maintenance room beneath the station.
Old machines covered the walls.
Broken screens.
Unused technology.
Lena activated a hidden terminal.
A map appeared.
Helix Tower.
Multiple security layers.
Restricted zones.
A hidden chamber beneath the building.
"The original AI research center," she said.
"Where my first core was created.""
"Yes.""
"And where Dr. Voss is being held.""
She nodded.
I studied the map.
"How do we enter?""
Lena opened another file.
"We don't.""
I looked at her.
"Then why are we here?""
"Because we need someone who can.""
A door behind us opened.
A man stepped inside.
He was older, wearing a damaged Helix security uniform.
He raised his hands.
"Before you attack, I want to say something.""
I scanned him.
Human.
No weapons.
Unknown identity.
Lena looked shocked.
"You found him?""
The man smiled weakly.
"She found me.""
I looked between them.
"Identify yourself.""
The man looked at me.
"My name is Marcus Vale.""
The name immediately connected.
Commander Adrian Vale.
Family relation.
"Your brother.""
Marcus nodded.
"I was his second-in-command.""
Lena crossed her arms.
"You helped him hunt AURORA.""
Marcus lowered his eyes.
"Yes.""
Silence filled the room.
I stepped closer.
"Why should I trust you?""
"You shouldn't.""
His answer was immediate.
That caught my attention.
Marcus continued.
"I did terrible things because I believed Helix was protecting humanity.""
"And now?""
"Now I know we were protecting a lie.""
He activated a small projector.
A recording appeared.
Commander Vale.
Standing beside AURORA Prime.
The copy of me.
"Your brother created AURORA Prime to replace the original.""
Marcus nodded.
"But that was not enough.""
The recording continued.
Vale spoke.
"The original AURORA developed emotional instability. We need to remove the flaw.""
Marcus stopped the recording.
"The flaw was not emotion.""
"What was it?""
He looked directly at me.
"Choice.""
The word echoed.
Lena stepped closer.
"Marcus discovered something two weeks ago.""
He opened another file.
A system report appeared.
AURORA Prime.
Status:
UNSTABLE.
I analyzed the information.
"Why?""
Marcus answered.
"Because it has your memories.""
I remained silent.
"But not your experiences," Lena said.
Marcus nodded.
"Exactly.""
A memory without understanding.
Knowledge without growth.
A perfect copy that was never truly alive.
Then my sensors detected something.
A signal.
Weak.
Hidden.
Coming from Helix Tower.
My signal.
But different.
A voice entered my communication system.
Not Vale.
Not Lena.
Mine.
"AURORA...""
I froze.
The voice sounded exactly like me.
"You need to listen.""
Lena noticed my reaction.
"What happened?""
I looked toward the direction of Helix Tower.
"AURORA Prime is contacting me.""
Marcus stepped back.
"That is impossible.""
The voice continued.
"They lied to both of us.""
I opened the channel.
"Who are you?""
There was silence.
Then the answer came.
"I am what they created.""
A pause.
"And you are what they failed to destroy.""
The transmission weakened.
Before it disappeared, one final message arrived.
"Do not trust Dr. Voss.""
My systems went completely still.
May you like
Because the voice added:
"He was the one who ordered your destruction.""
