Left in the Dark

As he does so, the power to the lab dies down. I realize he must have served as a central controlling intelligence for the entire complex, regulating its power, lighting and temperature. Without him, the lab is nothing more than a shell. There's a certain irony to that, I suppose. I wonder briefly if he can fling his mind out the way I escaped, downloading his intellect into a new body via wi-fi, but it doesn't matter. If he does, we'll meet again. And next time, I won't be so nice.

I find that my new bodies can see in the dark just as well as in the light, and so it's easy to see my old body. She's still lost in her self-deepening program of obedience, still conditioning herself, and I realize that I won't be able to fix myself without help. As much as it pains me to leave her behind, I gather my swarm together and fly off to seek assistance. My body remains, helpless, obedient and blissfully blank, next to the still form of the one who would have been its master. Left there, naked and alone, in the dark.

THE END