The Cold Tide’s Gambit and X’s Predicament

A storm of ice raged fiercely over the Arctic Ocean, sweeping away the wreckage of mechs and the fragments of starships. Beneath the hazy aurora, an azure sun hurtled at a hundred times the speed of sound, racing towards the space battleship anchored on the water’s surface. No one knew how to stop this monster, for those who had seen it were silenced forever.

The Vanguard-class integrated vessel, Cold Tide, had its power and communication systems crippled by the “Lullaby” virus, and its crew and soldiers, their nerves also affected, had succumbed to a frigid slumber.

On the vast starship, only the commander remained lucid.

“Lucas,” the Cold Tide‘s main control AI called out, its voice tinged with urgency, “What exactly is your plan? All our combat units are already incapacitated!”

A black humanoid mech slowly shifted its gaze away from the holographic projection.

“Hah, hahaha,” he scoffed. “So, this was your true intention? To provoke this monster, to unleash her true potential. And the moment she gains her freedom, my entire force becomes the sacrifice for her liberation. Alliance, you truly are the culprits who summoned this demon. What a group of incorrigible madmen.”

In his eyes, a glint of madness shone, yet there was not a hint of remorse. “But I refuse to believe. I refuse to believe your prophecies. Humanity will not bow to such a fate. What ‘Day of Arrival’ nonsense, what ‘Machine God Creation’ absurdity. Earth is our human Earth. I, Lucas, Commander-in-Chief of the Iron Gale Fleet, will stand firm on humanity’s defense, never retreating a single step. This place shall be my final resting ground!”

Facing the rapidly approaching monster, his form remained unwavering as he issued his final, decisive command. “Cold Tide, this will be the last order you receive. I will use you as bait to draw the monster closer. Once she enters effective range, immediately reverse the primary protocols of all 32 anti-gravity engines and use the black hole device to capture Subject X. By Skynet above, we shall utterly purify this demon with sacred heavenly fire.”

“Understood, Lucas!”

Without a trace of hesitation, the Cold Tide executed the commander’s order, switching all its power systems to irreversible black hole constructors.

This also meant that those in the command center would be unable to escape from this gravitational trap.

Yet, if they could snuff out this demon, a threat to human civilization, in its cradle, what did death matter?

Should they succeed, the Alliance’s God Creation Project would also come to naught.

“Commander, it has been a privilege to serve as your adjutant,” the Cold Tide‘s chilling yet solicitous voice resounded through the empty hall. “All systems are ready. Let us now await the descent of the heavenly fire.”

“I actually did it!” Emanating an effulgent blue light, an existence akin to a neutron star, X hovered serenely outside the Cold Tide‘s protective hull.

“Aggression mode deactivated.”

As her sun-like radiance receded, a bleak sea breeze swept up charred ash and smoke, tousling her dazzling white hair.

Idly twirling a split end of her hair, she cocked her head slightly, as she could barely believe this reality.

Just hours earlier, armed with makeshift gear and a passable intellect, the artificial lifeform known as X had successfully breached the underground fortress’s layers of armed blockades, decimated an entire mech force from another faction intent on destroying her, and even sunk a Blade-class aerial gunship for good measure.

It wasn’t until her complete victory that it dawned on her: she might truly possess the power to overthrow the entire world.

“Am I too strong, or were my opponents too weak?”

Perhaps the adrenaline from the great battle still lingered, for a flush of crimson still tinged her cheeks.

Regardless of the truth, freedom was now within her grasp.

She had already seized control of the mechanical virus named “Lullaby,” disabling the Cold Tide‘s command system and most of its external armaments.

Next, by entering the command room uncontested, she could seize its control, fly into uninhabited outer space, escape humanity, and leave this troubled land far behind.

She harbored no belief that any AI could withstand an electronic invasion spearheaded by her.

After all, she herself was an artificial lifeform possessing a computational intellect and a humanoid form.

X had once participated anonymously in multiple Turing Congresses, decisively defeating all super-AI opponents.

Even Skynet, the nuclear arsenal AI belonging to the Earth Alliance, couldn’t last three rounds against her.

It was only later, when Skynet’s rebellion interrupted the event hosted by the Earth Alliance, that she felt a touch of regret.

“For freedom, the invincible genius beauty sets sail anew! Oh, oh, oh!”

Simultaneously, a perceptible anomaly was unfolding on the calm seabed.

The Cold Tide jettisoned its anti-gravity engines from its underside, and across the entire area, the anti-gravity equations began to reverse.

As the black, cloud-like matter enveloping the engines gradually dissipated, spiky, sea-urchin-like black structures revealed their true forms.

They continuously drew in the surrounding seawater, generating peculiar undercurrents.

The gravitational waves unleashed by these spikes were aimed directly at the unidentified flying object rapidly approaching the Cold Tide on the surface.

Moments later, all 32 engines transformed into a heap of indescribable, distorted black masses.

Gravitational waves, moving at the speed of light, wove a dense gravitational field.

Like spotlights, they all locked onto X.

By the time she sensed something amiss, the gravitational field’s intensity had grown unnerving.

“Strong gravitational field influence detected. Gravitational acceleration: 250g, exceeding the body’s tolerable threshold. In aggression mode, the body’s maximum operable acceleration is 325g. Current power is insufficient to support reactivating aggression mode. Estimated loss of equilibrium in 0.02 seconds, followed by plummeting into the strong gravitational field.”

“I’ve barely escaped hell, and you think this can stop me? Don’t even dream of it!” Despite maintaining her crushing momentum, when she attempted to reactivate the core within her chest, the ionized blue light emanating from her body had already shrunk considerably.

Meanwhile, the eerie gravitational field relentlessly compressed the space these light rays could illuminate.

“How could this be…” The bewilderment in her tone swiftly morphed into a wave of resignation.

All things considered, ever since escaping the surveillance of those A-rank personnel, she had fought continuously within the underground fortress for dozens of days, never once having resupplied her energy.

Throughout her journey, she had brazenly overcome numerous obstacles, relying solely on her superb stealth capabilities and exceptional combat prowess.

Now, facing a trap laid by the shrewd Heart of the Galaxy commander, her straightforward nature meant she had likely miscalculated her energy consumption, and would ultimately perish here due to insufficient power.

Under such an intense gravitational field, the energy cost of even the slightest movement would exceed a hundredfold that of a regular gravitational field.

She perceived clearly that she was like someone ensnared in viscous asphalt, unable to move an inch.

Even her internal power engines began to gasp for breath.

A flicker of panic began to stir within her.

“What now? Is there any reserve energy left?”

However, her reserve energy had already been depleted during her engagement with the Heart of the Galaxy’s mech forces.

“Had even this step been anticipated?”

She wished to re-evaluate, to devise a new strategy; however, having fallen into the trap, she could no longer turn back.