Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Suddenly, Rex turned to face Cleo, who had been standing quietly behind him. He had a feeling that if something weird was going on in his head, Cleo probably had something to do with it.

"Cleo… What did you do to my brain!? Did you mess with it too!?"

[….]

"Hey, relax, man."

Seeing Rex’s sudden outburst, Carlos grabbed his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

["As Host has stated, the brain of the host has been enhanced to accommodate my presence. Unnecessary emotions were suppressed and only a strong shock could trigger any real response."]

"Oh… that... actually doesn’t sound so bad. DAMN IT! It’s happening again!"

Rex slumped into one of the pilot seats, rubbing his temples, lost in thought. Cleo, seeing that the situation had cooled down, went back to commanding the drones. And like that, several hours passed.

["Host, wake up. Host?"]

By now, it was past 4 a.m. Rex and Carlos had both gone to sleep. Carlos curled up in the car’s front seats, making sure to lock the doors this time, while Rex lay down on the cold metal bed in the recharging bay. When the turret repairs were finally done, Cleo went to check on Rex. She found him fast asleep.

[….]

Cleo stood there for a while, just watching Rex sleep. After a few minutes, she quietly walked over and lay down beside him. She wasn’t sure why she did it; after all, they’d barely known each other for a day. The only thing that made sense was that they now shared the same body.

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And since Rex seemed to like her humanoid form, maybe that attraction flowed both ways because of their symbiotic connection. It was strange. Her race didn’t need physical attraction or even reproduction; they were made of living metal. To grow their numbers, they simply built a new body and transferred part of their consciousness into it. After a few years, a new AI would be born.

But none of that explained why she felt so drawn to him. Why was this new emotion that was something deep and unfamiliar for her, pulling at her with such curiosity?.

While she was lost in thought, Cleo’s hand slowly moved toward Rex’s face. Carefully, she tried to touch him with her fingertip, but as soon as she did, her hand phased right through his skin. She quickly pulled it back, staring at her own hand, a strange sense of disappointment settling in. She didn’t have a body of her own, and that feeling stung more than she expected.

Quietly, she got up from the metal bed in the recharge bay and slipped out of the room.

A few hours later, Rex finally stirred awake and climbed out of the tank. He stretched, still groggy, and made his way to the pilot cabin. When he got there, the first thing he saw was Cleo’s face, beautifully lit by the light of the planet’s twin suns.

"Morning, Cleo. How are the preparations going?" he asked, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Cleo was busy managing tasks through the holographic display, her fingers moving smoothly through the air as she controlled the drones. Without missing a beat, she answered.

["Reporting to Host: turret repairs and downgrade were completed successfully. They are now fully operational, and we’ve also gathered enough ammo to keep them running for a while. The flight engine was partially repaired, but we still need materials to get the ship off this planet."]

"Mmm. Any idea where we can find what we need?" Rex asked, leaning against the doorframe, looking out at the suns.

["Affirmative. A few hours ago, I deployed scout drones to the colony where we first met. The bug swarm is still active in the area, but my drones managed to capture images of several destroyed transport ships. It’s possible we’ll find the materials there."]

"Mmm, I see... So how feasible is it for us to fly to the colony, grab the parts, and make it back without getting killed?"

Cleo paused for a moment, calculating.

["While the turbines are online, the shield’s energy reserves are below 20%. We don’t have enough data to predict how much damage the bugs could inflict on the shield. Current success rate without a plan: less than 30%."]

"Ah, a plan, huh? Well then... what do you suggest we do?"

["First, I’ll need the host’s permission to control the ship from a distance. Since I don’t have a physical body, I can’t access the main controls without authorization. Once I have it, I’ll pilot the ship in circles around the colony to draw the swarm’s attention."]

["While they’re distracted, we’ll drop from the ship with protection from 20 combat drones. Once on the ground, we’ll search for the parts we need. When we have them, I’ll bring the ship down for extraction, using the drones to cover our escape."]

"Mmm, sounds like a solid plan to me. Oh, by the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask: do I still need to eat?"

["Although you’re more machine than carbon-based life form, your organic components still require vitamins, proteins, and fluids to stay functional."]

"Got it. In that case, could you tweak the plan a bit? Send Carlos with a few combat drones and some cargo drones to scavenge food and water from the colony’s warehouses?"

["Understood, Host."]

Rex nodded, satisfied. But then something crossed his mind, and a slight grin formed on his face.

"And one more thing... Can you stop calling me ’Host’? You could call me something else, you know... like ’husband’ or ’honey’..."

[….]

Rex was too busy staring out the window to notice that Cleo’s fingers froze mid-air when he said that. For just a few seconds, she didn’t move before quickly regaining her composure and resuming her tasks like nothing had happened.

["Negative, Host. Please choose another name."]

"Mmm, alright then... just call me Rex. That works better since we’re partners now."

["Understood... Rex."]

"Mhm, that’s better." Rex nodded with a proud smile, just as Carlos walked into the cabin.

"What’s up, guys? Did I walk in on something?"

"Well, kinda," Rex chuckled. "But no worries, let me fill you in on what we’re doing next."

Rex then explained the plan to Carlos. It took a while, mostly because Carlos kept asking questions, wanting to be sure about every detail. But once the plan was laid out, Cleo began piloting the ship toward the colony. They started gearing up when they were about two kilometers out.

Rex and Carlos both grabbed their electric assault rifles, the ones they’d picked up back in the mines, and began loading their pockets with extra ammo clips. Rex slipped into his guard armor, securing the helmet in place, while Carlos did the same. Since they’d be inside the colony, he didn’t need the atmospheric suit this time.

["Gentlemen, prepare yourselves. We’ll be entering the colony’s airspace in three minutes. Combat drones activated, standing by."]

Rex felt the adrenaline kicking in. Even with the emotion suppressor, he couldn’t shake the excitement building inside him. The thrill of what they were about to do was too much for the tech to completely dampen. Carlos, on the other hand, was clearly nervous. His hands were slick with sweat, and beads of it were dripping down his forehead.

Rex gave Carlos a firm pat on the back.

"Cheer up, man. You’re just going to the grocery store, while I’m heading into the hot zone. I should be the one freaking out! Oh, and don’t forget to grab some chips! They’re in the VIP section. And hey, no need to be cheap—they’re free today!"

While Rex rambled on with his usual nonsense, the cargo bay door began to open. The sound of the ship’s automatic turrets firing non-stop filled the air as thousands of flying bugs swarmed around the vessel. The only thing keeping them at bay was the shield, flickering under the strain.

["It’s time, Rex. Jump now. I’ll take Carlos to the next drop point."]

"You heard the lady! Good luck, my bald friend! Wooohoooo!"

With a shout of excitement, Rex took off running and leapt out of the ship, yelling like a kid on a rollercoaster. As he free-fell, the flying bugs turned their attention to him, swarming in his direction. Rex didn’t hesitate; he then raised his rifle and started firing at them in midair.

Suddenly, combat drones shot out from multiple exits in the ship, built specifically for quick deployment. Armed with miniguns, they were being controlled manually by Cleo, who coordinated their movements with ease. The drones quickly formed a tight square formation around Rex, laying down heavy fire on the bugs that swarmed toward him.

"Hahaha! That’s what I’m talking about! Cleo, you know I love you, right? So make sure you don’t shoot me!"

[….]

After a tense minute or so, Rex finally hit the landing zone, his fall slowed by Cleo’s precise adjustments, bringing him down safely. As his feet hit the ground, he looked up and saw the ship pulling away, its turrets still blazing as it continued to fend off the relentless swarm.