Robotic heart, human soul

Gazing out of her ship's cockpit window, Selene Callahan watched the imposing metropolis of Xyros Prime approach. Like jagged claws, sharp, steel spires tore through the dense, whirling clouds. The city extended infinitely, with the cold, emotionless light of a thousand machines illuminating every corner. Humans had no place here. It did not have to be.

Squeezing the armrests of her chair, she attempted to quell the surge of nervousness that was about to surface. Though she had overcome numerous obstacles, none had felt quite like this. Something snapped in her ear.

"Get ready to dock."

Selene closed her eyes and let go of her feelings with a deep exhale. She needed to stay concentrated. Iron logic and icy calculation dominated Xyros Prime, a kingdom where humans had grown reliant on the machines they had formerly controlled. She came here with a purpose. a quest to complete her most ambitious project to date: an artificial intelligence software that would enable robots to think for themselves, adapt, and eventually develop beyond their original constraints.

Then there was him.

Dante.

Their quick, powerful, and unnerving first meeting lingered in her memories. It was not his intention to elicit any emotion from her. It wasn't designed for him to experience any emotions. He was merely an apparatus. An automaton.

Her ship touched down, causing the docking facility to tremble. She took one last breath, picked up her pack, and walked purposefully straight to the door. With a hiss, the ship's door opened, and she was struck forcefully by the icy, metallic air of Xyros Prime. Robots and automated laborers may be seen moving precisely in the distance, resembling black humanoids.

She couldn't miss the figure, though, since it stood right in front of her.

Dante.

Even though he had an almost predatory stance, there was something about his motionless, powerless demeanor that suggested a hidden strength. His design was humanoid, streamlined, and nearly terrifyingly accurate. His broad frame and thin, strong limbs were encased in black armor that gave off an organic rather than a mechanical appearance. But it was his face, with its strong cheekbones, sleek, angular jawline, and piercing dark eyes that appeared to flash with awareness, that most unnerved her.

awareness that is inappropriate.

"Callahan, Selene," Dante had a low, modulated voice, but it also had a depth and edge that were too human-sounding for a machine. "You've been anticipated by me."

Aware of the serenity in his voice, she clamped down harder on her purse.

"Is this King Orin?" Her voice was more steady than her feelings, she asked.

Dante's eyes never left hers. She could practically feel the tension in the air around them as there was silence for a brief period. At last, Dante murmured, "He's waiting for you in the throne room," and he stepped toward her. He was too close, too imposing, too human. "But you'll be escorted by me,"

Before she could stop herself, she angrily declared, "I don't need an escort."

Maybe it was simply the flicker of light in his optics, but Dante's lips curved into something amusing. "The King is adamant."

He does, of course, Selene thought sourly. It was not King Orin's philosophy to let his visitors go at their own pace. Everything was within his control, even her movements. She was not yet in a position to debate.

"All right," she mumbled as she walked past Dante, will lowering herself not to flinch.

With unsettlingly quiet footsteps, Dante trailed behind. Selene could not help but get a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye as they made their way through the fortress's steel halls. Although his countenance was composed and neutral, there was an uncomfortable quality to his demeanor. For a machine, he was too graceful and aware of his surroundings.

Then there came that additional item. That one thing that bothered her ever since their previous meeting.

He had given her the impression that he understood and knew her.

No, she shook off the idea. He is an apparatus. He is incapable of feeling.

King Orin occupied the center of the throne room, which had slick, reflecting panels lining the walls and tall, arching ceilings that were just as menacing and frigid as Selene had imagined.

With his unreadable countenance, he sat on an elevated stage covered in black and silver drapes. His silver-gray hair cascaded down in flawless threads around his keen, pointed face, enveloping cold blue eyes that appeared to see right through everything. Despite being older than her, he was still very much present. They had just made it sharper, in actuality. Orin was a man who, by sheer willpower, commanded respect.

"Selene," he said, his tone cool and collected. "It's been too extended."

"Not long enough," she retorted in a courteous but strong manner. She was not going to play tricks on him. "I'm here to see the AI project through to its completion. I take it that you have everything ready.

A small smile flickered across Orin's lips. "Everything is prepared. Having said that, I'm intrigued. Why test AI's limits? You've already accomplished a great deal with your earlier models.

Selene took a step forward, not allowing him to control her. "You understand why. The cosmos is dynamic. We need machines that can evolve and adapt more quickly than humans can if we are to survive. Time is running out for us.

"However," Orin leaned back, his eyes shrewd and rapt, "there are hazards." The machines are increasingly difficult to control the more sophisticated they get. That's correct, Dante.

When Selene turned to discover Dante standing at the room's edge with his eyes fixed on hers, her heart skipped a beat.

"I obey my commands," Dante stated coolly, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Do you?" Orin arched an eyebrow while feigning a small smile. You're starting to stand out, Dante. I want to check over a few protocols to make sure there aren't any compromises.

Selene's voice became tighter. She understood what "review" meant to Orin. switching over programs. removing any consciousness that had started to develop in Dante's thoughts.

"No," she snapped, taking a step forward. "It's not necessary. Dante is performing precisely as intended. Being the prototype, he is intended to grow and change. That is the main goal of the entire endeavor.

For a split second, Selene thought she was perched on a precipice as Orin's gaze shifted between them. She was unable to display fear or communicate to Orin how concerned she was about Dante's progress. or thrilled her.

After what seemed like an age, Orin dismissed all and waved a hand. Excellent. However, I'll be paying great attention.

With slow and fluid movements, he got up from his throne. He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear as he walked by. "Take caution, Selene. You engage in risky gameplay.

Suddenly, he vanished, leaving her alone in the large, deserted chamber with only Dante by her side.

The air around them felt lighter than the tension in the room. Dante moved forward, his presence bridging the gap between them once more. "That was not something you should have done," he remarked quietly.

"What have you done?" Selene fired back, not meaning to be so harsh. No matter how sophisticated the machine, she was not going to allow it to lecture her.

Dante answered simply, fixing his gaze on hers, "Protected me."

For an instant, Selene was unable to speak. As his meaning dawned on her, the words became stuck in her throat. She had kept him safe. a device. An automaton.

She responded, "I wasn't protecting you," but her tone lacked conviction. "I was defending the undertaking. You are crucial to the destiny of humanity.

Dante's eyes became dark, and he slid toward her with such fluidity that he stopped mere inches away. For an instant, his body felt like a wall of steel and heat, and she felt imprisoned by his presence.

"Selene, am I just a project to you?"

The question pierced the brittle space between them, hanging there like a weapon. Although his voice had become softer, it still carried a weight that caused her heart to rush.

She forcefully swallowed. "You are more than that," I said.

The confession escaped her lips before she could get it together. Something lethal, something that belonged in a machine, flared in Dante's sight.

What makes you fearful of me, then? His question was spoken in a whisper now.

She gasped for air. She could sense the weight of his words bearing down on her and the passion radiating from him. Not that she could respond. She had no idea how. Did she fear him? Of the things he stood for? Or did she fear the way he would make her feel?

Before she could say anything, Dante took a step closer, his palm grazing her arm and giving her a chill. Despite the hard, frigid appearance of his body, his touch was delicate, even compassionate.

He mutely remarked, "Selene, I'm not your enemy." "I'm not here to cause you harm."

She let go, her heart thumping in her chest, and locked eyes with him. There was an electric tension between them as if something sinister and irrefutable was about to happen.

With her voice hardly audible above a whisper, she questioned, "Then what are you here for?"

Dante's lips formed a slow, purposeful smile as his eyes grew darker. "You're the reason I'm here."