Ready to read chapter 10 of Dragon’s Fall: Book Three? This chapter gives you a glimpse into the cyborgs’ motivations, but it needs improvements. It’s only the second draft, after all. As you read this, consider which parts could be fixed or changed. Hell, you can even tell me which parts are great! Feel free to dish out all your feedback, good and bad, so I can improve this story.

If you haven’t read the first nine chapters, start HERE and keep reading the following posts in date and chapter order.

10
MEGA Plans

The adaptor extended from Ambrose’s metallic finger. He touched the interface and the nanites configured to the proper shape. Within moments, the adaptor was completely immersed in the emitter’s computer.

Data scrolled over Ambrose’s vision. He browsed the information and wired it to other essential personnel working on the device.

Within moments, several MEGAs responded with all the possible errors they’d found.

Ambrose froze as his internal processor tried to make sense of these issues. He would have simulated a frown if anyone other than other MEGAs had been watching.

The probability that the scientists on Thendi had made these mistakes calculated at less than five-point-two-three percent. The analysis figured a twenty-one-point-seven-six percent chance the errors had been made by the unskilled Toradon workers. The most likely scenario—someone had purposely altered the emitters specifications.

Ambrose eye-clicked through his database and opened the list of everyone who had been working on the emitter since it came aboard the Dragon. The list comprised of several Toradons, a handful of Cooperative officers, and the emperor’s youngest son.

Ambrose accessed another file and pulled up the information his team had taken from the Dragon’s computers. According to these files, nearly all the captured Cooperative officers had a science or engineering background. He cross-referenced them with information he had from Cooperative systems.

He blinked. Most files didn’t match. He checked the Dragon’s file again. Someone had altered their records. No wonder the emperor couldn’t get this device fixed.

He transmitted information to Brian.

Ambrose-$563#: Compare PE issues with known intellectual skills of workers and calculate who may be responsible for intentional impairment.

Seconds passed.

Brian-%78769G:  Data on Prince Jori Mizuki insufficient but reliability coefficient indicates he most likely caused intentional impairment.

Ambrose-$563#:  Detail probability of all parties, listing top three candidates only.

Brian-%78769G:  Prince Jori Mizuki – 43.51%; Chief Sammual Simmonds of Odyssey – 21.87%; Toradon worker designation Malkai – 16.94%.

Ambrose’s eyebrows reflexively shot up. How did a mere ten-year-old child know so much about the technology of the emitter?

Ambrose-$563#:  Basis of reliability coefficient?

Brian-%78769G:  Content of Prince Jori Mizuki’s tablet and primary control over 71.08% percent of PE activities.

Ambrose cocked his head. Even though investigating the motivation of the young prince wasn’t necessary, he indulged in his natural human curiosity.

Both the young princes had spent time on a Cooperative ship called the Odyssey. Comparing the names of the captured Cooperative officers on the Dragon with the crew members of that ship matched six people. Interesting.

Did they coerce the young prince into helping them escape, or had he done it willingly? Ambrose didn’t have enough information to calculate a reliable probability, but taking the likelihood of sabotage into account, he suspected they had somehow corrupted the boy against his own family.

Did they corrupt Prince Terkeshi Mizuki as well? He should investigate further. Such knowledge would provide him with ideas on how to convert him.

Ambrose moved the information and his speculations to a special file. MEGA-Man will want to know about this, along with all the other things observed about the Toradons. The more information the MEGA-Man had, the better he’d be at forecasting events and manipulating things in his favor.

Ambrose smiled. That was why he was really here. Getting a foothold in Toradon culture provided a whole new set of variables for the MEGA-Man to analyze. Ambrose’s abilities were vast, but the MEGA-Man was practically a god with all his knowledge and power. With Ambrose’s help, the MEGA-Man would have more information that would enable him to better predict future events—thereby expanding his all-knowing capabilities.

A warm sensation coursed through Ambrose’s body. It was the one emotion he allowed himself to feel. Most emotions were prohibitive to his ability to serve MEGA-Man. The adoration he held, however, served as the foundation for his existence.

The day he’d met MEGA-Man had been the best in his life. Some had cringed at the sight of his emaciated human body connected to an array of tubes and wires, but Ambrose had fallen to his knees and dropped his head to the floor in obeisance. To live for over two hundred years with access to all that information!

Even if MEGA-Man’s body died, he’d already reached digital immortality. No one else in the entire universe had done that. As the big M’s devoted disciple, Ambrose hoped he’d be next.

He would have smiled if it wasn’t such a human expression. Instead, he used his internal computer to run various diagnostics on the emitter and create a supply list. He then wired the information to Brian.

Ambrose-$563#:  Create an optimal project timeline for the PE.

Brian froze in the middle of his current task. Ambrose admired the man’s ability to complete complex analyses in a short time, but he had one flaw—he couldn’t perform more than one multiplex problem at a time.

After a short while, Brian replied with a proposed timeline. Ambrose assessed it. Fixing this device would take a little more time than expected, but it should be complete soon enough to please the emperor.

Brian queried him.

Brian-%78769G:  Why is M giving the militant emperor such a powerful weapon?

Ambrose-$563#:  He has a plan that includes the newly enhanced Toradon soldiers.

Brian-%78769G:  Are they now a part of the Great Commune?

Ambrose-$563#:  Not yet. They will be as soon as the emperor becomes more disposed toward having enhanced soldiers.

Brian returned to his work, presumably perceiving how this tied to MEGA-Man’s master plan. Ambrose suppressed the human emotion that came with being an integral part of it. Ultimately overturning the galactic agreement that prohibited enhanced humans from attaining positions of power made him giddy. Soon, mankind would be allowed to evolve.