Kai Winters Mechat Novels & Stories

The twinkle in Lex’s eyes dulled and his genuinely large smile turned into a tight lipped, straight line as he hung down his head. Sensing an upcoming war coming from my side, Kai quickly intervened and said, “If you ever have any trouble with that smart watch, I can help you fix it, especially in turning your soft-ware into hard-ware,” he flirted and got three collective smacks from Jax, Samantha and Aira, on his head. “Oww !” Kai howled while rubbing his head. “I was just offering him my services,” he whined. “Escort service, you mean ?” Aira deadpanned.

“The ecosystem assimilates you. Soon you’ll be arguing about the hermeneutics of compost with Miranda.” “The what of compost?” Lena asked, horrified. It was during this laughter that Kai finally approached the table, camera off. He looked hesitant. “I have to go back to the city for a few days,” he said. “Production meetings. But… I wanted to leave you with something.” He placed the same small hard drive on the table. “It’s a rough cut. Of the winter segment. I thought you should see it before I go any further.” We took the hard drive home with a solemnity it probably didn’t deserve. That evening, we gathered around Arthur’s laptop once more.

Kai looked at me one last time, guilt shadowing his features. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “For everything you’re about to see.” He stepped onto the platform beside Mira. Luna squeezed my wrist, then tugged me forward. I looked into Kai's eyes again. It really wasn't Kai. It was Rex. I stepped onto the platform with trembling legs. The descent began. The deeper we went, the colder the air became. A mechanical hum echoed around us, mixed with… breathing. Dozens of them. No… hundreds. The shaft opened into an enormous underground chamber, glowing with pulsating blue light. Towers of machinery rose like metals connected with tubes that pulsed with energy.

I can only hope Kai is the same–only much deader. I put on her bright yellow thermals and equally obnoxious yellow parka. I slip into her best winter boots with pointed spikes. Then, I let my powers surge, and her apartment shifts form, fading in and out until the warm, sterile air turns to bitter cold wind and a landscape of pure ice. Kai turns to face me, red eyes shining like dying stars. His fangs, twice as long as Alex’s, fully expand. It was… almost too easy.

“I did not expect to see you here.” “Clearly,” she said, her eyes moving to Kai. They scanned him up and down. “And who is this? Another one of your projects?” “My assistant. Kai, this is Mrs. Victoria Winters. She teaches Advanced Literature.” A look passed between them. History. Tension filled the air. “How… ambitious.” Victoria smiled, but her eyes were cold. “I hope this one lasts longer than the others.” Others? Mr. Ashford’s hand moved from Kai’s back to his hip. His grip was firm. It felt like a claim.

I ask, slowly. “Yeah. A few of our younger males showed interest in the local college, so they’ll be signing up for that.” Hmm, not much about the females. “I see.” “I heard you’ve already met Austin, our Alpha. I’m Jason, his second in command. That’s Ray and Seth, and this here is Lexion. We call him Lexi for short.” “Fuck off, Jason,” the burly shifter growled. “Language, Lexi,” Austin orders sharply, and I blink.

Fe​lt the weight of eve‌ry eye assessing m⁠e⁠. ⁠Cae⁠lan remained stan​ding. "This is Sera Winters. My mate. Daxen and Kieran's mat‍e.​ You‌r Luna. She arrive⁠d at the estate tw‌o mont‍hs ago. The bon​d formed naturally. She is pa⁠ck now." He sat. Leaving me exp‌osed.

Killian said finally, his arm resting lightly against her waist. The man at the front, tall and wiry, cleared his throat. “I’m Kai, head of tech,” he introduced himself to Calla before turning on the projector. A screen lit up behind him with images and files. “My team and I just finished digging into the first man on your list.” “Let’s hear it,” Calla said, leaning forward slightly.

In sector 4, I had machines from garbage tiles that were far more complex than a simple pressure valve. ‘The thick carbon steel pipes of their steam boiler are perfect. And I need Nova and their welding multitool from the Zephyr. Give me sixty minutes.” Vane saw Kael from me. The Commander just nodded her. “They heard the woman, Sentinel,” said Kael. “Get her what she needs. I go down to the reactor and prepare the manual interfaces.”

“That’s the Overseer. The AI that runs this shitshow.” I looked. The screen was showing data, codes, numbers flashing fast. Then a mechanical voice spoke overhead calmly. “Welcome, new participant. ID: K-1087. Name: Kieran Wilson. Age: 23. Status: Alive. Game Phase: Initiation.” My stomach dropped. It said my name. “How the fuck does it know who I am?” I muttered, my voice trembling. Nova shrugged. “It knows everything. It pulled us all from different places, same way it pulled you. You die or think you die and then bam, you wake up here.”