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By Root 631 0

blessed these offspring of his with all his finest qualities. They closely resembled humans, but all their physical attributes were artificially enhanced. They were fast, strong, with mathematically precise reaction times. While they could still feel pain, their resistance was stronger than any human. But most importantly of all, while their bodies were still predominantly human, their minds were dominated by the liquid machinery that permeated their brains. The Silveratis planning and reasoning were way beyond human capabilities. They were children after his own artificial heart, one foot in their own internal worlds of data. While they were not telepathic, they could communicate through the smallest gesture, with the familiarity of brothers. And they would be a family loyal to their father, subservience hardwired into their programming. They would be an army that would never falter, servants who would never hesitate.

With the Silverati at his side, and Endpoint under his control, now was the time to expand, to step beyond his comfortable home and into the wider universe.

How long until full power? Silver asked impatiently. He paced the Hypertunnel chamber like a caged beast waiting for an opportunity to escape. Rich opportunities for conquest lay just out of his reach. The freedom he had been denied for so long. No more easy victories, no more casual manipulations. The Hypertunnel was his door to a universe of challenges and enemies. Out there, conquests would be hard won, power would have to be seized through strength and strategy.

The Hypertunnel should be operational within the hour, said one of his Silverati. Silver nodded for him to proceed with his work.

The Hypertunnel equipment was ugly concentric rings of blocky nodes and transmitters protruding from one wall of the chamber. Together they produced the interlocking energy fields that allowed the Hypertunnel to form and be contained. On the opposite side of the room were the banks of computers and generators necessary to power the device. Silverati moved across this area, checking and rechecking the equipment, performing maintenance where necessary. They were swift and efficient in their work, as their creator intended them to be.

Ironically, their creator was not currently capable of that kind of focus. He paced the wide area between the inactive Hypertunnel and the control area, hungry for his freedom.

Two Silverati guarded the rogue humans. They stood in front of the heavilybolted door, weapons raised. If there was any sign of a breakout, they were instructed to shoot on sight. One of these Silverati was called Joshua Kent.

Kent had been a computer technician in his previous life, before he had been put into suspension. He had been caring and considerate, an inoffensive person who meant no harm. A warm man among the cold machines. He had loved, but had never really been loved back. On some level he had known that his failure in such personal matters had been due to his sheer lack of will he had never pushed himself forward, never held himself high, never shown the confidence himself that inspired confidence in others.

Now Kent was Silverati, and he had that confidence. His weak body had been made strong there was a tension beneath his skin, muscles straining and capable of anything. Whereas before the world had swept passed him, now it registered as painfully slow to his enhanced senses. Whereas before he had stuttered and shuddered through life, now he could stand in perfect stillness, absorbed in his own internal thought processes yet having a complete overview of the world around him.

All the qualities his human self wished for, Kent now had. Ironically, though, his human ambitions, his desires for recognition and affection, were gone now. He wanted nothing more than to be. To exist, to be a Silverati, to follow Silver; these were enough to fulfil his life. To be a Silverati was far greater than being human. Where humans crawled, Silverati walked confidently. There was nothing beyond their capability. They knew this with the confidence