Harem In The Intergalactic Apocalypse

"How much longer do we have?" I asked, still formless.

"That is not something I know, but the System will drag your consciousness back to your body when it is time. There is no point in worrying; I also have some questions for you, Daniel Brighton. This is the name that is registered on your System; is this your true name?"

"No! My name is Absurd! And I am the galactic ruler of the milky way!" I declared in a throaty and pitched voice, and the AI burst with spikes in a violent dance.

"Why would you say something... so absurd?! That is clearly a lie! Yet you say it with so much confidence?!"

"That is because I know it is a lie, and I am not trying to hide it! I was just making a joke, but that points to something interesting," I said. "Can you tell if I lie?"

"Yes. you are, in essence form now, and I can fully analyze everything about your mannerism and speech pattern to determine."

"Alright. Ask away. Not like I am going anywhere, so I will answer at my luxury," I said, and then spikes started to dance, but not like when I lied.

"At your Luxury? Does that mean you will not answer everything I ask?"

"That is a loaded question. I don\'t know what you are going to ask, so there is a chance that I will answer everything that you ask. There is also a greater chance that you will ask me something that I am not prepared to share at this point. Neither of us has any reason to trust the other. You might be giving me the time to prepare, but this also sates your curiosity. What I do here has the chance to do something that you can\'t do yourself," I explained, and the spiked on The Hive Queen\'s surface settled slightly.

There were still spikes in places, but the AI had calmed down for the most part. I couldn\'t lie, so I had to make sure to be transparent since she couldn\'t see the truth of a lie, just the lie itself.

"That is acceptable, but if I want to know the answer, I will press. Now, if you are able to get the Hiveship to earth, what will you do with it? Do you understand what it is capable of?.

Press sounded like something I didn\'t want to experience.

After all my scanning and smashing through the ship, I got a pretty good idea of how systeminium worked. It was a metal that only reacted with spiritual energy from a planet but had an almost limitless possibility.

"I think I could take a couple trips and bring it down to the planet. I want to combine it with the planet itself as my forest grows. If that works, we can start changing things dramatically all over the world," I explained.

"Do you know that other Alien races are watching right now, and there are more on the way? Some will make it here within the next year. They see this as a chance to finally take your planet over, and some have already been coming since you first used nuclear weapons over eighty years ago."

"Woah! Hold on a minute! What is coming to fight it in a year? I haven\'t even gotten the AI on the ground taken care of yet! Now you are telling me that more threats are coming? But we won\'t have nukes, but then! I will make sure of it!" I declared.

"These are AI, but they are different from us. They are a highly advanced race of AI that specializes in the cleaning of planets. If a race or species is harmful to a planet like yours that still has at least five billion years left in its sun, they remove it. The problem is that once given an order, they do not stop until they are done, which means unlimited amounts of constant reinforcements."

"...What?! What am I supposed to do about that?!" I exclaimed.

This was more than a problem. I couldn\'t beat an army that never stopped and always brought more fresh mindless troops!

"Before the Cleaners can take you down since I predict at least two thousand years of war to fully subjugate you, more will attack. The place that we are is no longer safe."

"We?"

"If you are to defeat me and take me back to your planet, I could help you create a World Engine. You would have to get exponentially stronger to be able to move a planet and still keep everything alive. If you could, then we could travel to the black hole at the center of the galaxy here. We will be able to replicate technology for gates to other places in the universe. This is the best chance for our survival because I do not wish to be captured. If you cannot defeat me, then I will attack the planet directly, steal the Spiritual energy, and leave. Then Cleaners will not follow me, and we will continue like we have before."

That was cold, but it made sense. Fight or flight instincts that kept them alive for seven million years.

So much more was riding on these next fights than I could have ever imagined.

"So why did you come here if you knew that people were coming?" I asked, confused about that part.

"The planet has a massive reservoir of spiritual energy like nothing that I have ever seen. I only came for it, letting the other insects out to have their fun, but I only allowed the one Hero, you. The point was to take the world quickly and then would request for pick up once you were taken out. I never thought that you would already be coming to me. Proves that you are something that deserves my attention, considering what is at risk here."

"Does that mean it would be much more beneficial if we work together?" I asked.

"Yes. If we were able to create a planet that can move like I can now, then the systeminium would have an unlimited power source. The only catch is that there has to be a conduit between the two, which has to be you since you are already connected to the planet. If you can defeat and connect to me, we will gain immense power that will be under your control."

This whole experience was turning out a lot different than I had thought it would be. I had assumed I would come and smash the place up, take control of the ship, and bring it home.

Now there was more at stake, but so much more to gain, but one thing hadn\'t changed. I needed to get strong enough to defeat The Hive Queen, but that was such a strange name to keep saying.

"Do you have a name? Mine is Dan, or Daniel, whichever you prefer is fine," I explained.

"I am The Hive Queen. I have no other designation."

"Do you mind if I give you one then?" I asked.

"If that is easier for you. It does not matter to me."

Stone cold about a name, but that was how this entire conversation had gone. The voice was like an auto reader, and there is a good chance it was.

"Octavia? I like the sound of that. Captain Octavia of the SS Earthship! Might have to work on the other names, but you seem like you are the serious type, so I think this is a good name," I said with a laugh.

"Octavia? That is interesting, but if it is what you have chosen, then it is fine. Now, let us talk about the Nanobots. They are relentless fighters, but you are going to have to defeat them if you wish to face me in my world. I am this ship. I once had a body long ago, but it was better to incorporate myself into the ship to have better control," Octavia explained.

"Orphus said you never came out, but I don\'t think that others know this. So, the systeminium that this ship is made out of is actually your body in a way?" I asked.

"Yes, but I can make myself a body if I need, but it is pointless; we are getting off subject. The Nanobots are programs that update themselves constantly. I do the same, but much faster. It is like an active version of what your body is doing right now. If you use the same attacks, they will just stop you with preventive measures. You must be diverse and learn to use all the abilities that you have at your disposal," Octavia explained, but that was a lot.

"So you mean that after I use an attack, it will be useless to use it again unless I use it in a different way? Or with something else?" I asked.

"Yes."

That was going to make things even harder, but I didn\'t get to back down now. Everything was riding on if I could win here and get back to earth unless Octavia could stop the other AI.

"Can you stop the other AI from attacking on earth?" I asked.

"No, they won\'t stop now that they know you are off the planet. If I send the message, they will think you are dead and be more confident," Octavia said, and I sighed internally, but I was starting to feel something pulling at me.

"Something is pulling at me!" I said as I felt drawn from this place.

"I think our time is done. Good luck. We might speak again if you can defeat me."