Avatara

"I've done it," Grace said.

"That quick?" said Knightmare-Grimm. He shook his head. "Even with the computer abilities of Knightmare, I still cannot compare to you in this realm."

Grace remained silent. 'Silence is power.' She reflected on what she'd done. Several loops of code she created using her own proprietary language. Execution of the code opened the kernel within the server.

"Show me again," said Knightmare-Grimm. "I want to know how you do it."

"Once it is open I can't close it," said Grace. A semi truth. It could be closed but only after ten minutes. This policy existed because of raised volatility factor, as the creation of digital soul analogues in the system, overloads it. However after every ten minutes there is downtime where the limiting codes can safely be re-executed, calming down the system.

Grace planned to re-execute the limiting codes at that point but Knightmare-Grimm had other ideas.

"No matter," he said. "I can now go in and take over the kernel." This statement confused Grace.

"You look confused," said Knightmare-Grimm. "Remember I am no longer a human but a spirit. I can leave this body and enter any other; including any computer system as long as I have a brain machine."

Grace horrified by the revelation, moved to a different plan instead. She placed her left hand on her necklace bead and pressed it tightly with her fingers. She did so without emphasis with the hope that Knightmare-Grimm would not notice. It appeared that he didn't. In fact his whole countenance was different following the full release of the Avatara kernel.

"I am one with Avatara," he said. "Even now with the change I can sense that it is different. My power will increase once I become one with it. The dream is real."

A selection of brain machines were connected to the servers. The headsets were there like an array of gaming sets. Yi sat up and put himself in a lotus position - despite his legs being bound. Knightmare-Grimm didn't seem to notice how he did this.

"Haha, he still doesn't talk," said Knightmare-Grimm. "Such a stubborn fellow." He removed his armoured metallic helmet. Underneath revealed a bald head of a caucasian man that Grace found only vaguely familiar. The skin of the scalp and face were fried and the movement of the eyes were odd and alien to the head they were housed in. In fact, parts of the head of Knightmare-Grimm's body looked like they'd been sewn together. He placed a brain machine helmet on his head and lay down on a bed.

"Already I feel the added power," he said. "I can't be stopped. When I bond with that kernel, I will be able to be everywhere at once. I can feel it. When I'm done Grace, I will take your soul and we'll be one."

The brain machine switched on and its connection to the servers hummed and vibrated. Knightmare-Grimm's body twitched for several seconds and then his body became limp.

On the command shell on the computer screen, the words, '1 ADMISSION' appeared.

"Yi," said Grace. "Yi."

"Don't try anything missy," one of the soldiers said. "You and the monk will be staying here until the Lord has taken over the kernel."

'Stay calm Grace, they will be with us in a moment.' It took a moment for Grace to realise that Yi said that.

Yi spoke telepathically to Grace. Grace saw him, sitting in a lotus position, and realised his feet were no longer bound.

'What is going on?' She thought.

The same mercenary who spoke to her before, spoke to her again.

"Actually, maybe we could have some fun before the Lord gets back," he said. "You are a tasty looking girl. Let's have a little hanky panky." He grabbed Grace at her bottom. Grace slapped him hard on the face.

"Nice, you have a bit of fight in you," said the Merc. He laughed.

"Oi," said another soldier. "Stop playing with her. You're gonna get yourself in trouble with the boss. You know how much he loves her."

"Shut up." Said the first Merc. "I just want to give her a kiss." The other soldier squared up to him. "What?" said the first Merc. "You want a piece of me?"

'Men', thought Grace.

The sight of men squabbling gave her relief, as at least it meant they were distracted. The prospect of being assaulted again frightened her.

Yi remained undisturbed.

And then she heard him counting in her mind.

'10, 9, 8, 7, 6…'

Grace was nonplussed. 'Why was he counting?'

'5, 4, 3, 2, 1.'

Suddenly the lights went off.

Right then a bullet hit one of the Mercs in the back of his neck dropping him to the ground immediately.

The mercenaries looked above to face their assailants but it was too late.

Yi, suddenly able to move quickly, took Grace away to the side so that they could avoid the crossfire. Grace was panting due to the shock.

This was an ambush, so the only thing they could do was crouch down into a ball and what until the bullets stopped raining.