Chapter 29: The Beast in the Machine

 

The medical bay of the Prometheus was a stark, blinding white. It smelled of ozone and sterilized air—a scent that made Scarlett’s stomach turn. In the center of the room, a glass cylinder hummed with a low, rhythmic vibration. Inside, Caleb floated in a suspension of blue nutrient fluid, his broken body wired to a dozen silver tubes.

“Subject 001-Alpha critical damage detected,” the AI’s voice echoed, cold and devoid of empathy. “Initiating ‘Chimera Protocol’. Re-sequencing genetic structure for combat optimization.”

“Wait, re-sequencing?” Scarlett slammed her hand against the control panel. “No! Just heal the wounds! Do not alter his DNA!”

“Negative, Navigator. The subject’s primary function is war. The damage to his biological shell requires a system reboot. Suppressing higher brain functions to accelerate regeneration.”

Inside the tank, Caleb’s eyes snapped open. But they weren't gold anymore. They were a flat, lifeless silver—the color of a machine.

He didn't scream. He thrashed.

The reinforced glass, designed to withstand deep-space pressure, began to crack under his fists. Caleb’s muscles swelled, his veins turning black as the ship’s nanobots flooded his system, trying to override his humanity with pure, predatory instinct.

“Kill... Verify... Destroy...” A mechanical growl tore from his throat, muffled by the fluid.

“Stop the procedure!” Scarlett screamed, channeling her spiritual energy into the console. “You’re erasing him!”

“Safety protocols disengaged. Subject is unstable.”

With a deafening shatter, the glass tank exploded. Blue fluid and shards of glass washed over the floor. Caleb landed on his hands and knees, coughing up liquid. When he looked up, Scarlett froze.

He didn't recognize her.

The man who had held the line against an army for her was gone. In his place was a weapon. He stood up, towering over her, his aura radiating a cold, killing intent that froze the very air in her lungs.

“Target identified,” Caleb’s voice was a distorted, metallic rasp. “Magical signature detected. Threat level: High. Eliminate.”

He lunged.

Scarlett didn't dodge. She couldn't. He was too fast. Caleb’s hand clamped around her throat, lifting her off the ground and slamming her against the metal wall. The impact knocked the breath out of her, stars dancing in her vision.

“Caleb...” she wheezed, clawing at his iron grip. “It’s me... look at me!”

His silver eyes drilled into hers, devoid of any recognition. His grip tightened, cutting off her air. He was going to kill her. The AI had turned the King into a monster.

Scarlett’s vision began to fade. She could feel her soul tether fraying. She had two choices: use the Stellar Navigator to blast him with the ship’s defense system, or...

Risk everything.

She let go of his arm. Instead of fighting, she reached up and placed her palms gently on his face. She didn't use an attack spell. She used the Soul-Binding Mantra—the forbidden technique that linked her life force directly to his.

“If you are a weapon, Caleb,” she whispered into his mind, her voice breaking with tears, “then I am your trigger. Come back to me!”

She poured her own soul-fire into him. Not to burn, but to ignite the one thing the AI couldn't replicate: his love for her.

The effect was instantaneous. Caleb roared in agony, dropping her. He stumbled back, clutching his head as golden light began to war with the silver in his eyes. He smashed his fist into the metal wall, denting it deeply.

“Get... out!” he roared, his voice fluctuating between the machine and the man. “Scarlett... run! I can't... hold it!”

“I’m not running!” Scarlett gasped, sliding down the wall but refusing to look away. “You are Caleb Blackwood! You are the King of the North! You are NOT a lab rat!”

Caleb fell to his knees, shaking violently. The black veins on his skin receded, the silver fading from his irises until molten gold finally flooded back. He looked at his hands, then at Scarlett, gasping on the floor with bruises already forming on her neck—bruises he had put there.

The horror on his face was absolute.

“Scarlett...” He crawled toward her, but stopped inches away, afraid to touch her. “I... I tried to...”

“You didn't,” Scarlett rasped, reaching out to grab his trembling hand and placing it on her heart. “The machine tried. But you stopped it.”

Caleb let out a shuddering breath, pulling her into his arms and burying his face in her neck. He was shaking uncontrollably. The invincible Alpha, the bio-weapon, was weeping.

“What am I?” he whispered, his voice broken. “If my ancestors were just scientists... if my blood is just an experiment... do I even have a soul?”

Scarlett held him tight, feeling the ship’s hum beneath them. “You have the only soul that matters, Caleb. And now we know the truth. The Order of the Black Sun doesn't want to destroy the Lycans. They want to control the Weapon. They want you.”

The AI’s voice returned, softer this time. “Subject stabilized. Emotional override successful. Welcome back, Commander.”

Scarlett looked up at the ceiling, her eyes hard. They had survived the battle, but the war had just changed completely. Caleb wasn't just a King anymore; he was the most dangerous object in the universe, and everyone was coming to claim him.