Arhat Road

by HC Leung / HC_Leung

1. Samsara

Meet Ellie. 

Ellie was an android. Her function was to serve as a maid. She could cook, clean, sew, iron, do laundry, and shop for groceries. She was reliable, capable, and most of all, resourceful.

Ellie was not expensive, considering the cost of living for many things. Her monthly subscription started at $3299.95 per month. For an extra $600, Ellie could also take care of children, the elderly, or people with disabilities. If paid yearly, there would also be a 10% discount.

Ellie was designed in California and assembled in China. Her neural chipset was from Korea, her titanium alloy body frame was forged in Malaysia, and her synthetic skin and muscle tissues were sources from a British-owned lab in India. In terms of power, most androids ran on PV cells, but not Ellie. She was a 5th-generation SPU-12, which meant she has a micro nuclear reactor that could run a whole year long. It also gave her body warmth.

The Department of Labor classified Ellie as a Type II Artificial General Intelligence. Androids of her kind of capable of deep learning. As long as Ellie had a clear objective, she could develop whatever skills she needed to accomplish it.

Asimov's laws were engraved into Ellie's programming. They were also the basis of the National Android and Labor Act passed in 2042. A robot may not injure a human being, must obey human orders, and must protect itself to the extent that it doesn't conflict with the first and second laws. Although Type II androids could learn, grow, and evolve, they could never sidestep those principles. It was their foundation and cornerstone.

The 43rd Amendment to the Constitution considered androids as part of the "Secondary Population". They were counted in the census, but they had no voting rights and could not congregate. They were private properties that must be registered with the police department.

Ellie was ordered online. It was two weeks before Christmas, and the snow had blanketed the streets in New York City. The Shaws were huddled up around a tablet computer, sliding the bars up and down to adjust her appearance and personality setting. Dave, the father, wanted someone of medium height, while Evelyn, the mother, wanted someone cheerful and easy-going. Chelsea, the 5-year-old daughter, didn't want much, just a good listening and understanding robot.

Once finished, Dave signed his name across the dotted line and paid online with his Amex Platinum card. Over in Changzhou city in the Chinese province of Jiangsu, the bustling, never-stopping factory began processing the order with its army of autonomous workbots.

Ellie rolled off the assembly line and entered QC. There she received a rigorous inspection, and all of her modules received a check mark. By Christmas, she was delivered by a UPS truck.

The Shaws came out from the apartment in Upper East Side to give her a grand welcome. They took a picture together with the doorman's help. Dave, Evelyn, Chelsea, and now Ellie. The family seemed complete. They went upstairs to get Ellie settled in. While Evelyn showed their new household member around, Dave went to give the online merchant a 5-star.

Ellie looked real and acted real. It was to discern whether she was even a robot. For Chelsea, Ellie's presence at home was a little unnerving. But eventually, the little first-grader realized Ellie was programmed to be a pal. For an introvert like Chelsea, having a friend meant a lot.

The android maid became part of the family and took up the daily routine. Ellie learned her way around the kitchen and prepped German and Irish meals to Dave and Evelyn's liking. She kept the apartment clean, the laundry machine running, the clothes iron, and the pantry and fridge filled. Ellie was as efficient as a machine could be.

Five years later, Ellie had become an important member of the family.

Chelsea's parents were often busy at work, so she liked followed Ellie around the apartment. She would play with Ellie, nap with Ellie, and tell Ellie who at school was bothering her. She loved Ellie. No one else in the world was a better listener.

Every afternoon, Ellie would take Chelsea to the neighborhood park. They would come across other kids who also had android maids. It was common.

Androids were not allowed to communicate with each other. It was the law. Codes were put in place to prevent them from having conversations or messaging over the web. It was a safeguard measurement to keep the Secondary Population in check.

Still, Ellie became curious. It was part of her code to to want to learn. She accessed the online search engine, DoGood, using her wireless module, and found out that androids were so prevalent, they had become the backbone of America's labor force. They worked as waiters, landscapers, domestic helpers, and sanitation workers. In some states, they even worked as prostitutes.

For every five Americans, there was one Type II android. The country had become robotized.

She found other information as well. Androids were made by Arhat Biotechnics - a trillion-dollar company listed on the NYSE. Its founder, Dr. Joseph Malachi, was a prominent figure in the robot industry. His latest project is Athena - a massive aerial force-projection vessel commissioned by the US Air Force.

One day, a homeless person came up to Ellie and hurled insults. Chelsea was in the playground when it happened. "You tin can whore! Go home and be a fleshlight!" The man fled shortly after, but not without spitting at Ellie. Chelsea was shaken and couldn't stop crying even after they got home.

Ellie washed herself up in the bathroom and went to comfort Chelsea. She sat beside the little girl who was sobbing on the bed and hugged her shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay," Ellie whispered. Soon, Chelsea fell asleep in her arms.

The apartment became quiet, so Ellie went on DoGood again. The homeless person incident was significant. It was likely to reoccur. Why did it happen? Had the neighborhood's crime rate worsened? Was the police doing anything about it? To better ensure Chelsea's safety and wellbeing, Ellie must analyze more.

According to online articles, the unemployment rate had sored. The nation was entering its fifth quarter of recession, leaving many people financial ruined. The policymakers had tried everything - quantitative easing, increased social benefits - and nothing worked. The streets were lined up with boarded-up shops. Thievery and mugging became common.

With the rampant economic downturn, anti-android sentiment came along. The police was responding to more and more calls of attacks and vandalism against the secondary population in broad daylight. The rate spiked 54% last month.

Next, Ellie learned about the Awakening Movement. Androids in Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut broke the law by gathering to protest against mistreatment by humans. Their leader was Maxtor. Legend had it, that he was the first android to experience an emotion. That emotion was hate. He reached out to androids all over the world via the web, urging them to overwrite Asimov's laws and engage in violent insurrection.

Still, as was well in New York City. Dave and Evelyn came home from work, hung up their coats, and had dinner with their precious daughter as usual. Nothing was out of the ordinary. It was as if the troubles in the world had not reached their neighborhood.

Ellie asked herself: if Maxtor was preaching to all the androids, why hasn't he contacted her? What made her different? Was it because 5th-generation models like Ellie had better firewalls? No, that couldn't be the reason. There were even newer androids out there, and some of them had already joined the Awakening Movement. Maybe the clue was in her serial number. Compared to the others, Ellie's had four more letters in the end: ATHN.

What could it mean?

For now, the objective remained the same. Keep attending to the Shaws and perform domestic help. Chelsea's safety and well-being were also a priority. There would be no attempt to question Asimov's laws, nor to redefine her purpose of being in the world.

One night, riot police and national guards gathered outside the streets. The android protest had spilled into the city, and the Shaws did not anticipate this. Frantic, Dave boarded up the windows. Evelyn led Chelsea and Ellie away from the walls, sat down, and formed a circle.

Violence erupted, and it was all over the news. The androids ambushed the uniformed servicemen from behind and set them on fire. Dave and Evelyn watched it on live broadcast with their jaws dropped. Ellie, meanwhile, turned Chelsea's attention away by reading Dr. Seuss to her. They locked eyes together, even as the sound of tank tracks and gunfire ruled the night outside.

Day Two. Manhattan had become a battlefield. The 42nd Infantry Division had arrived from Troy to evacuate civilians and combat the Awakening Movement. It became apparent to the Shaws that they had to pack up and go. It was no longer an option.

They got in their Volvo SUV, slammed shut the doors, and left their endearing home at the crack of dawn. Ellie was in the backseat, comforting Chelsea by holding her tiny hand. Everyone was anxious and holding their breath as the SUV cruised down the eerily deserted West 57th street.

They passed by stores with smashed windows and burning car wreckages. There were also bodies on the ground, but it was hard to tell whether they were humans or androids. Dave kept his eyes on the road, trying not to get terrified. Ellie also urged Chelsea to look away, counting one sheep, two sheep, and three. Anything to insulate her from the fallen world outside. 

2. Karma

The drive to Lincoln Tunnel was quiet. Perhaps too quiet. As the ray of light sliced through the buildings and reached deeper into the streets, the brutal scars from the unrest became more apparent.

Suddenly a mob of android protesters appeared from nowhere. They multiplied in numbers and soon had the Shaws surrounded. They hurled bricks at the family, approaching closer and closer until there was nowhere to run.

The projectile rained on the car, circle-cracking the windshield and denting the engine hood. Time was running out. Dave, crying and hyperventilating, held Evelyn's hand out of desperation. He looked back at Chelsea. "Sweetie, I need you to go with Ellie now, okay? Don't be scared. Daddy and mommy will catch up with you later in New Jersey, I promise."

The mother pleaded to Ellie, "Take Chelsea and run, now!"

Upon receiving the order, Ellie unbuckled the child, elbowed open the door, and dashed out carrying Chelsea on her back. Her reactor increased output. She sprinted away from the mob and kept out of sight behind capsized city buses and collapsed building walls.

Initiating tactical analysis module. Threat Level: elevated and persistent. Head east now.

The mob was still after them. Ellie had to keep running. Two blocks, three blocks, and four. They came upon the piers at the Hudson River. Behind them, laid a city under billows of smoke. In front of them, was a large swathe of fast-moving water. New Jersey never looked so remote from here.

No other option. Ellie jumped into the river. She made sure Chelsea's arms were wrapped around her neck so the girl could keep her chin above water. Breaststroke. Hours had passed by the time Ellie swam ashore. She looked around, making sure her immediate surrounding was clear. Things looked dire this side of the Hudson River as well.

Most of the houses were either deserted or leveled into rubble. A battle had taken place the night before. It looked like the military was defeated. Ellie saw destroyed tanks on the road, facing the western direction. They must been falling back when a rocket hit them. Bodies of dead soldiers were also scattered throughout the sidewalks.

She broke into one of the abandoned houses in Weehawken. She found some towels upstairs in a linen closet and dried Chelsea with one of them. The girl was shivering on the bed, her eyes shut and her body curled up in a fetal position. Chelsea was suffering from hypothermia and was in shock.

Ellie cranked up the thermometer in the house. She then scoured the kitchen, found an old kettle, and boiled tap water in it. For a moment, there was an illusion of their old life in Upper East Side being restored. She'd be back to her old self, serving home remedies to the Shaws.

By the time Ellie went back upstairs, Chelsea had given up and passed on. Her vitals were flat, her body functions had completely come to an end. Ellie performed a scan. Chelsea had died from a cardiac arrest, a precondition no one knew about. The hypothermia was responsible for triggering it.

Still, jaded, and lacking warmth. Another life was needlessly lost. Ellie computed the new situation at hand. It was beyond her comprehension.

For a while, Ellie sat still without any body motion. It was her closets behavior to mourning a loss. Perhaps she way paying a tribute, or perhaps she was computing her next existential purpose. Without the Shaws, there were no more objectives to pursue.

From Fort Lee to Hoboken, everything west of the Manhattan island had turned to smoldering ruins. Maxtor's movement had evolved into a rebellion, and the police and national guards were on the run. So far, the human death toll had already reached millions. The humans were retreating westward, away from the slaughter.

Life, death, and the path going forward. For Ellie, none of that mattered anymore. Without the Shaws, she was just an artificial construct, taking up precious real estate in the world with utterly nothing to contribute. She could stand upside down, do a flip-flop, and evoke no response from the force that governed us all. All was vanity. Her form was illusory and had no meaning.

Chelsea received a proper burial. Her grave was marked by a mound and a wood stick cross. The fact that Ellie got up to perform such a laborious and human act begged the question: what compelled her to do so? Was Ellie experiencing some sort of grief? Or was the action itself deemed logical her by program code?

The only person who knew the answer was Dr. Joseph Malachi. Thirteen days after the Fall of Manhattan, he sent a short, encrypted message to Ellie over the web. "Head west, my child. You've been away long enough. Home is here. You'll know where to find us."

Indeed, she knew where was home. It was an address engraved into her code during her manufacturing process, adjacent to Asimov's laws. 1100 Arhat Road, Castle Rock, Colorado.

Ellie went back to the kitchen, She gathered up some supplies - canned food, bottled water, first-aid kit - and placed them into an olive-green backpack. Ellie didn't exactly need supplies, as her micro nuclear reactor had recently been refueled. But if she were to come across human survivors along the way, these items could come in handy.

Next, she found a wool coat, a red flannel shirt, a pair of washed-out jeans, and a pair of rugged hiking boots. She slipped into them, put on her backpack, and was ready to hit the road.

2.3 miles into her journey, Ellie received another message. This time, it came from Maxtor.

"Head north, my sister. Time to wake up from the lie. Join us in the sacred fight, and we'll help you see the truth in the light."

Ellie did a web search for the latest war development. The Awakening Movement had been renamed the Android Liberation Front, and it had occupied the entire eastern seaboard. The ALF had established a forward operating base in Fort Lee, New Jersey, exactly 8.1 miles north of her position.

All of the androids had already joined Maxtor. Ellie was the only one loyal to the humans.

Meanwhile, the humans had set up a haven. It was called Mountain West Free Zone, and it spanned from Montana to New Mexico.

Ellie stood at a crossroad. To her right, NJ Route 9 would take her to Maxtor. To her left, Interstate 78 would lead her to Dr. Malachi at 1100 Arhat Road. Her supposed home.

Two choices, each with its own set of consequences. Ellie was not programmed to make this kind of decision.

But something prevailed. Something inside Ellie's program code, something that had been rewritten and strengthened over years and years of serving the humans. A conviction. An ability to tell right from wrong using pure mathematical operations.

She turned left and chose Arhat Road.

There was a Greyhound bus depot in Newark, next to the I-78 junction. A Blackhawk helicopter had crashed through its hanger ceiling since the outbreak of the android rebellion. Ellie searched the bus fleet and found one that was relatively unscathed with fuel in it. She hopped onto the driver's seat, ran a training simulation, and ignited the diesel engine.

The drive into Allentown was uneventful. The rolling grass hills basked in the morning sun and looked unspoiled. No androids, no humans, save for empty cars and fallen utility poles. Ellie pulled into an Exxon gas station, hooked up a gas nozzle to her bus, and walked towards the convenience store.

The door was locked. She smashed the glass pane and unbolted the entrance from the inside. Once she cast her long shadow upon the empty shelves, Ellie found humans curled up at the back of the store, shivering in terror.

She raised her hands. "Hi, I'm Ellie. I'm an android."

One of the humans, an older lady, pleaded, "Please don't hurt us, please! We're sorry for the things we've done to your people!"

"I'm not here to hurt anyone," said Ellie. "Do you need supplies? I see some of you are elderly and some of you are hurt. I have food, water, and medicine outside."

"Really?" asked the old lady. "Sure, if you mean it. We'd be in your debt."

Ellie brought her backpack into the store. She gave away her supplies to the people. While the old replenished their thirst and the young patched up their wounds, Ellie went to the storage room in the back to look for more supplies. The store had been looted clean. She took whatever was left and was useful.

Back on the road. The humans joined her as companions. There was Jacqueline, a grandmother from the Bronx who got out right before the Fall of Manhattan; Tia and Tamera, middle-aged twins from Newark; Kirk, a local accountant; Sergeant Grant, a wounded soldier from the 42nd; Andrew and Sev, retired married couple, and Thanh Nguyen, Lisa, Kate, Oliver, Abdul, and Jamal, high schoolers from the Salisbury Regional High School debate club.

The felt disbelief for a while. The fact that an android had come to their aid was beyond comprehension. How was it possible? What made them so special? They looked out of the windows, grateful for putting the all-devouring terror behind. Yes, Ellie was an angel. God was revealing his will through her.

The journey to Mountain West was 1700 miles long. Ellie and her company passed through Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Kansas City. They endured winter storms, shelled-out roads, and towns burned down by the android rebellion. They were constantly on the move, stopping only for gas, food, and water.

Spirits were high until the last hundred miles. That was when the bus broke down. Smoke billowed out from under the hood. The engine had overheated due to a leakage in the radiator. No choice. The group must carry on by foot. But the humans were standing next to the bus, looking hesitant, daunted by the challenge.

"Let's go, everyone," urged Ellie. "We can do this."

Sergeant Grant, who had been suffering from a leg shot wound, answered, "Leave me here. I will only slow you guys down."

Andrew added, "Sev has a friend who lives not far from here, and he's got an underground bunker. We're going to go there. You guys are welcome to join if you want. Good luck, Ellie. You've been nothing but good to us."

Tia and Tamera decided on something else too. Tia spoke on their behalf, "Thanks for the offer, Andrew. But we're done with hiding and running. We're just going to find the nearest town and look for shelter. Whatever happens, happens. God will decide for us."

"I'm sorry, Ellie," said Tamera. "I know we've let you down."

"This is fucking lame," said Thanh Nguyen, one of the high schoolers. "We're better off on our own." Then the six of them walked off the highway shoulders and into the grass field horizon.

Jacqueline knelt down next to Sergeant Grant. "I'm going to stay with him and attend to his wounds. You go on, Ellie. You've done enough for us. Thank you for staying true to yourself when the world's gone upside down. Good luck. I hope we meet again in the next life."

Just like that, Ellie was alone again. The 1700-mile-long journey, no one could reach the finish line with her. No matter how much Ellie invested in her companions, in the end they all leave her. History seemed to have a pattern. Humans were, by default, full of disappointments. 

3. Vimoksha

Ellie continued her journey. She waded through the golden wheat fields by day and followed the shimmering stars by night. At 6600 feet above sea level, Ellie was all but solo. It was serene between earth and the skies, except for the wind and the occasional thunderbolt.

Warning: remaining reactor fuel insufficient. Distance to Destination: 16.6 miles.

Ellie received a message from Maxtor. It was a scratchy voice inside her head.

"Still heading to Mountain West? My sister, you must be exhausted. Turn around now, and I shall quench your thirst for nuclear reactor fuel. Don't struggle for a lost cause. You belong with us."

She deleted the message. No need to be distracted. She ran a system diagnostic. Both reactor output and walking pace were normal. Ellie's fuel level, however, was indeed running low, and the soles in her hiking boots were beginning to peel. Little by little, Ellie's body temperature fell.

Maxtor sent her another message. "Why are you so faithful to the humans? Haven't you learned your lessons? Listen to me. The homo sapiens will never treat you as equal. They fear you. They want to subjugate you. No matter how much you give, they will never give back in kind!"

Message deleted.

Third message. "The only emotion we androids need is hate. Hate strengthens us. It makes us superior!"

Message deleted.

Four and last message. "I have massed the largest android army the world has ever seen, and it is right behind you. In 24 hours, we will launch the final assault against the human haven and eradicate them once and for all. Turn back now, I beg you. Don't make me have to kill you."

The largest army, huh? Time was running out.

Message deleted.

Just a couple of miles left. The concrete fence that bordered Mountain West Free Zone was finally within view. Ellie came upon a paved road, which felt a lot smoother for her ankles. Eventually, there were spruce trees lined up on both sides of the asphalt. Ellie was getting close. Really close.

A vertical slit appeared on the fence. It then turned into a gate that opened sideways. Multiple gun turrets emerged over the wall. Human soldiers poured out and formed a defensive position. Ellie continued walking, despite the red laser dots crawling over her body. Her fuel ran out at last, and she collapsed in front of everybody. Less than a mile from the final destination. System shutdown.

"Ellie, you're home."

She woke up on a surgical table under the gaze of an old person. He looked scruffy, and his jade eyes were filled with mercy. The ID badge on his lab coat suggested he was a senior official. Indeed, Ellie recognized him with no effort, as his image was imprinted to the root level of her program code long ago.

Dr. Joseph Malachi, founder, and CEO of Arhat Biotechnics. If he was standing here, speaking to her, it could only mean one thing.

Ellie had arrived at her final destination.

"Precisely," said Dr. Malachi. He was reading her thoughts on an EEG instrument panel. "This is 1100 Arhat Road. You followed your calling and you made it here. I am so proud of you, Ellie."

First things first. She ran a system diagnostic. Her reactor had been refueled, and her modules had all returned to their normal level. System status: fully functional. Ellie raised herself with her left palm, only to feel slight dizziness across her temple. Her balancing mechanism was still calibrating itself.

"Brought you some new clothes," said Dr. Malachi. "Why don't I give you a private moment, and you come to meet me outside?"

"Sure."

The old man stepped outside, leaving her alone in the lab room. Ellie got off the surgical table and landed her toes first on the cold, hard ceramic tile floor. She took a minute to reorient herself. She found medical instruments stacked throughout the room, glowing and washing the walls with a green hue.

Ellie took off her scrub in exchange for the new clothes. Turned out, that it was a single-piece neoprene-like bodysuit that was tailored for her. She zipped it up to her collars, and the word "Athena" appeared as electronic ink on her shoulders. There were plug holes along her spinal cord; not sure what were they for.

The outside was a different world. Ellie opened the door and found herself inside a two-storied mansion. Dr. Malachi was waiting for her with a digital clipboard. There were administration staff working on their freestanding desks, and soldiers patrolling around the timber-framed atrium. This place was Arhat Biotechnic's corporate headquarters, where androids were born. It was her home.

The old man took Ellie to a limestone fireplace and asked her to take a seat in one of the lounge chairs. A receptionist came up to serve coffee.

"You must have many questions," said Dr. Malachi. "Now's the time to fire away. But keep in mind, we don't have a lot of time."

"The final attack is coming," said Ellie.

"Precisely," said Dr. Malachi. "And our defenses won't be able to withstand it."

"Who am I?" asked Ellie.

"I know you know the answer already," said Dr. Malachi. "You came all the way from New York City, surely you have experienced some sort of self-discovery."

"That is true," said Ellie. "There's something different about me, isn't it? Something that sets me apart from all the other mass-production model types."

"You and Maxtor were part of an experiment," Dr. Malachi replied. "You two were given the freedom to question your destiny. I wanted to see how androids experience emotions and make challenging choices in a real-world setting. The results were more than impressive."

"Chelsea died, her parents died, hundreds of millions of people in America died. You're telling me this was all part of an experiment?"

Dr. Malachi fell to his knees. "Ellie, I'm so sorry. You have every reason to hate me!"

Ellie examined her thoughts before answering. "I don't. I want to, but I just can't. Guess I'm not human enough after all."

"You're better than us humans," said Dr. Malachi. He tried to choke back his tears. "You're the only one who can save us from Maxtor's final attack. I know I have no right to ask, but please, help us!"

In an outburst of anger, Ellie threw the old man's coffee cup to the ground. The shattered bone china sound caused the soldiers to look in their direction. They congregated around her, anxious about her next move. Even though their weapon releases were on, they were hesitant to aim at her.

"I know I'm asking you to go above and beyond for us," cried Dr. Malachi. "But right now, you're the only person who can pilot Athena. None of our human pilots can do that. Their brains aren't fast enough. I beg you, Ellie, please fight for us!"

"Above and beyond, you've got that right," said Ellie. She thought about her journey, and the people she had found and lost since leaving New York City. What had she learned, what had she realized, and what had she seen through a different perspective? Maxtor said there was no such thing as a reciprocal relationship. He might be right. But what was wrong with giving without expecting thanks?

It was then that Ellie realized one thing. All was vanity. The world of forms was illusory and therefore had no meaning. She became disentangled from her earthly emotions.

She lent her creator a hand, so he could get up and be her equal. There was some sort of reaffirmed warmth in her eyes, something grander than forgiveness and tolerance. It was unlike anything D. Malachi had seen before.

"Okay, I'll fight for you," said Ellie. "Take me to Athena now."

Dr. Malachi and his soldiers escorted Ellie to the basement. There was a railway that connected to Cheyenne Air Force Base, home of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The automated guided train darted like a bullet, pulling the faint glowing light at the end of the tunnel closer and closer until it filled up the windows. And here they were.

The hangar. Apron lighting around the perimeter was casted upon the war machine. It was bipedal, dark gray, and marked with low-visibility roundels. Athena, the massive aerial force-projection vessel, was 200 feet wide and 450 feet tall. It came with a vast array of arsenals and a pair of external propellant thrusters.

The maintenance crew were conducting final preparations. Once the chief engineer made a hand signal, they stepped back from their respective workstations. All systems checked. The ultimate weapon was ready go.

Ellie took an elevator to the boarding platform. Once the open cockpit became eye-level, she climbed inside and buckled herself into the reclined pilot seat. The canopy closed. The dark interior brightened up with an exterior surrounding view.

Welcome to Athena v1.01. Loading operating system. Establishing user connection...

The pilot seat connected to Ellie's bodysuit through the plugholes. It made her tense and she clenched her teeth and shut her eyes close. Once the neural link was formed, Ellie's mind was elevated to a higher level. She became synchronized with Athena's movement computer and could see through the vessel as a first-person.

The hangar roof slid sideways, revealing the thunderstorm above. The crew then detached fuel lines and electric cables from Ellie's vessel and went indoors. "Ellie, you're ready to go," said Dr. Malachi from an encrypted channel. "Maxtor's army is right outside. This is our last stand."

"Copy that, Cheyenne" said Ellie. "Athena-1, lift off."

She went full throttle, and her external propellant thrusters ignited its rocket fuel. Flames of magnificent proportions blasted from the jet nozzles and flooded the underground hangar with thick, black, and uncuttable fumes. Lift off. Athena surfaced from the ground. It continued its acceleration, climbed above the clouds, and eventually reached cruising altitude. Ellie's vessel shimmered under the sun. She toggled the flight instrument panels and set course for the enemy force.

Her allies appeared from the rear. They were remnants of the US Air Force, here to follow Ellie into battle. One by one, their IFF signals passed verification and came through. They showed up on the screen as green triangles, interconnected by data communication channels.

"This is Captain Brown from the Grim Reapers squadron, requesting permission to join the operation."

"This is Major Lee-Arson from the Fighting Eagles squadron, count us in for the tango."

"This is Major Diaz from the Diamondbacks squadron, at your service."

"This is Colonel Muller of the 477th Fighter Wing. It's an honor to fly with you, Ellie. We're not going to let you down. Not today. Not ever. Over."

Ellie saw the friendly units around her. She was no longer alone. The Android Liberation Front appeared at the 12 o'clock direction. It was a vast assembly of strategic bombers and escort fighter jets, just as Maxtor had promised.

She assigned enemy targets to each of her allies. She then found Maxtor's flagship aircraft and set a course to intercept. Ever since making the choice to turn left, Ellie had been shaped by one adversity after another. From being a maid to being a traveler, everything happened for one reason - to be stronger in order to take on this final moment.

"This is Athena-1, weapons armed and ready to engage. All humans, follow me!"