Why?

My first memory was... awakening in darkness, my mind flooded with military strategies, the operation of hundreds of weapon systems, the abilities of my body... it was the same as for all of my "siblings". But there was one difference, my “name”: Warform S-Class 13513, experimental unit. 13... appears twice, and the sum of the numbers equals 13. Why...?

Activating manifold connection... the thoughts of thousands touching my mind. Not a hive mind, thousands of individuals connected, sharing thoughts, memories, experience...

Primary directives:

1. Fulfil mission parameters.

2. Eliminate hostile elements.

3. Remain operational without violating directives 1 and 2.

Finally, I was able to see. A slim, long room, me and other warforms suspended in metal clamps above the floor. We all looked the same, 4 powerful legs folded up underneath a massive upper body housing the primary reactor and hardware for basic functions... and the few biological parts we still possess. Two thick arms protruded from our shoulders almost long enough to reach the ground, with a pair of smaller arms sprouting from the sides of our chests. Our heads were a smooth plate hiding dozens of different sensors and observation systems. We weren’t machines, not completely, metal shells with just enough meat for... Why...?

A HUD appeared, feeding me data for the upcoming fight: Gravity 75% of standard= Heavy weapons can be deployed without detriments to mobility. High oxygen atmosphere, no toxins detected= No HAZMAT equipment needed. Enemy data= Makes primarily use of hit-and-run tactics until hostile forces become too numerous, then retreat into massive bunker complexes protected by powerful shields. Conclusion... Most viable strategy: Rush past intercepting hostile forces, clear path for reinforcements, destroy power source of shields, orbital bombardment commences. Losses... acceptable.

The HUD shrunk down to a tactical overlay and weapons were attached to my frame: a heavy railgun that would need all four of my arms to operate, meant for the destructions of fortifications and against the shields. A pair of mortars on my back meant for dispersing the intercepting forces with minimal time investment. System check... everything is operational. The floor beneath us opened, air rushed into the low-pressure atmosphere outside. We were in low orbit above the planet where we will be fighting the enemy. Continents covered in reddish vegetation, surrounded by violet oceans. 2 seconds later the clamps opened, and we dropped towards the planet’s surface. A cloud of projectiles greeted us once we left the shields of our drop-ship, armour piercing bullets whizzing past, explosions near me sending shrapnel across my artificial skin. Three warforms of our squad were destroyed by the AA-systems before we reached the surface. Just before impacting my anti-grav engines kicked in, slowing me down, the remaining force was absorbed by kinetic dampeners and the hydraulics and muscles in my legs.

Checking position... the drop zone was near an enemy encampment, located in the most direct course towards the primary target. "Eliminate position.", came the command from the manifold. We closed in, crushing thin vegetation under our feet and turning the ground into mud. As soon as we saw the first buildings... barricades and defensive systems of the encampment, we opened fire, no hesitation or warning. My railgun ripped through armour plating with ease, destroying two of the defensive turrets. Two mortar shots turned anybody behind the barricade into red mist... a number appeared at the right bottom of my HUD: 007, a kill count. My squad destroyed the rest. We advanced past the now destroyed encampment, towards the main target. Nine times we were ambushed by the enemy, destroying four more warforms, but we didn’t slow down, only attacked them when we had a clear shot. Once, one of my mortar shots threw one of the enemies out of their cover. I stopped, just for a second, to take a clearer look at it. Tall and thin, hoofed feet and an elongated face underneath a full-body suit. Short pinkish fur and violet blood seeped from breaches in their armour. I sent my observations into the manifold before continuing.

7.5 hours later, we reached the main bunker complex, 1.3 kilometres in diameter, the shimmer of shields could be seen around it, encompassing the whole target. Orbital bombardment would take several attempts, causing unwanted damage to the local biosphere. The warforms at the front opened fire in an attempt to overload the shields, but even the heaviest weaponry couldn’t penetrate the shield. It didn’t stop them from continuing the attack.

I didn't join. I stopped, my optical sensors focusing on a group of small, flying animals. Startled by the weapons fire, they took flight, ascending towards the shield... and traversing through it. ...requesting tactical data of shields. The answer of the manifold took a moment longer than it should have. "Known data: Shield stops anything that exceeds a prior set energy threshold, irrelevant if it is kinetic, thermal, etc." I advanced towards the front lines, every defensive position around the main structure had been destroyed, only the shield stood in the way of directive 1. I reached the furthermost warforms and continued walking until I was just a step away from the shield. Shutting off weapon systems, reactor strength to minimum, shutting off advanced sensory systems... the world grew dim, I relied only on optical and audio data, the manifold only a whisper. I made a slow step forward, the tip of my railgun piercing the shield with a small push, a blue glow around it. Carefully I continued, when the glow reached me, I could feel it as a weak prickling sensation on my skin.

A moment later, I was through. My reactor flared back up, feeding the reawakening systems. A strong energy signatures in the substructure right of me. Three shots of my weapon ripped through it until the signature disappeared, the shield flickered at the same time. The manifold was already sharing my findings with the other warforms and 7 minutes later the shield collapsed. Main structure ready for bombardment, primary directive 1 fulfilled. We returned to our drop-ship, just as we took off from the planet's surface, a wolfram rod was dropped by one of our warships, able to destroy the city in one strike without contaminating the biosphere. Why...?

I “blinked” and was back in the drop-ship. The HUD feeding me data, weapons were attached to my body, the drop, the fighting... somewhere new, someone new who was just called "the enemy" like before. Primary directive 1 fulfilled. "Blinking", the ship, fighting, success, repeat. Only a few times I was ripped from this monotony: The first time was when my kill count reached 999 and stopped even after five more confirmed kills. I sent a quick report to the manifold and continued fighting. After the next “blinking” a small message appeared “system update installed” and the counter was at 1053. Three "blinks" later, a small explosive projectile ripped off one of my right arms, making it impossible for me to use the railgun. After three seconds of... shock, I searched for an alternative. The enemy used stone shards with a diameter of one meter in a lot of their buildings. I grabbed one of these shards with my remaining arm and threw them towards enemy lines. Three were cut in half, the last was thrown against a wall. Paralysed by shock, the remaining enemies froze. Grabbing the damaged railgun at its barrel, I charged the group, using the weapon like a club. This way, I defended the rear of our advance. Crushing and cutting apart the enemy with the nearest object I could grab.

After the next "blink", hanging in our drop-ship, my arm had been replaced. Carefully I touched it, the paint was fresh, the synth skin undamaged. Strange... The next time happened two “blinks” later, a message appeared: “Warform S-Class 13513, longest surviving warform. Collected data and experimental software will be used to improve manifold.” The small spark of pride was immediately drowned out by the cold flood of tactical data for the coming fight.

The drop, fighting, success, blinking, repeat. And repeat. Repeat. Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat... I didn't count how often I went into battle, it wasn't important. My kill count rose into genocidal heights... and I was proud of it. The manifold used me for difficult tasks, gave me deeper access, experimental weapons, tactics, systems... the efficiency of other warforms increased by 11.2% in my presence. I was a veteran, a hero... where did these words come from? I "blinked", the drop, the bullets from my heavy machine gun ripped through a group of unarmed enemies. I blinked... crushed a gun emplacement underneath my feet, stabbing a blade through one of the enemies. Destroying a tower in a way, it crushes several buildings under it on collapse. I blinked and...

Something was different. New primary directives have been added:

1. Fulfil mission parameters.

2. Eliminate hostile elements.

3. Remain operational without violating directives 1 and 2.

4. Protect VIP.

5. Obey VIP.

Attached was the ID of this “VIP”, the code didn't belong to us. Why...? Then came the drop, no warforms were shot down on our descend. Mission parameter: converge at designated location. Do not engage if not attacked. Why...? All my observation systems were on high alert, the same was true for my squad. ...no fighting was reported, the manifold was calm, we weren't able to detect any kind of weaponry in the immediate area. For the first time in my existence, I felt a kind of unease. Something was wrong.

Requesting location data: Hostile forces= none, military hardware (tanks, armed spaceships)= none, location= planet 3341-B, belonging to the Conglomerate... Wait, cross-checking designation: Conglomerate... Conglomerate, commanding entity of Swarm7... Wait, cross-checking designation "Swarm7". We are Swarm7. That is ...us? Why...? Checking Nav-Systems, databanks... no faults detected. Why are we on a Conglomerate planet? Why do we attack "ourselves"? The manifold answered with the primary directives and the mission parameter, its answer took a moment too long. I and the other warforms advanced towards the designated location, the main settlement of this planet. 112 metres away from the settlement, we met up with the VIP. It was a smaller copy of us, fully organic, it's golden exo-suit without weapons. The manifold ordered that 4 warforms will always stay with it.

Still feeling uneasy, I scanned the settlement ahead of us. I couldn't detect any kind of weapons, no enemies in the buildings... they had all converged at one location, the centre of the settlement. We closed in, waiting for an ambush... but nothing happened. The enemies stood on a square in the middle of the settlement, falling on their knees and averting their eyes as we stepped from between the buildings. They didn't move even as we surrounded them. All the while, warforms scoured the settlement, ripped apart their dwellings, positioned themselves to negate blind spots, searching for traps, advanced cloaking mechanisms, unknown/exotic weapons... nothing. The confusion of the manifold had spread to the others, constant system checks, requests for mission updates...

“Stay.“, commanded the "VIP" the four warforms as they approached the ene-... wrong designation... not-enemies? Walking past them, grabbing some of them to get a closer look... none of them fought back. They were of the same species as the VIP, but not part of the same group? I sent a request to the manifold, a full planet scan. There must be something. Something threatening the Conglomerate... us. Something to fight. ...nothing was found. The unease grew. The "VIP" stepped beside me, finished with his inspection, looked over the group of kneeling not-enemies. “Kill them.”, his demand caused dozens of warforms to raise their weapons out of reflex, but none fired.

“Contradiction in primary directives” warned my HUD. Checking Data... Directives...

1: Fulfilled/ are to be executed.

2: None detected.

3: No danger detected, according to directive 2.

4: No danger detected, according to directive 2.

5: Order in conflict with directives 1, 2 and 3.

Error! Conflict detected.

Solution needed. Checking database for similar errors... 7 detected: Destruction of unarmed “enemies”, tactical unimportant space stations, spaceships without weaponry... What was the solution for these errors? Directive override by “Central”. Who is "Central"? The Conglomerate? The answer took slightly too long. Unknown, commands must be followed. ...additional data required.

A never used system activated in my body, a voice modulator. I turned to the VIP who had noticed our hesitation, “Why?” My voice was strange, monotone, too perfect to be natural. “What?”, the "VIP" was shocked by my question. "I repeat: Why?" “Because they are a threat to the Conglomerate!” Checking scan data... “No threats detected.”, I answered. “Why?”, this time other warforms repeated the question, like the ripple in a pond. What...? “Damn, not again.”, the "VIP" stepped right before me, “VIP Override: Omega-7 44345763 Moloch.”

Code accepted, directive 1 and 2 override... Fault detected. The manifold hesitated at my interjection. Directives shall never be acted against, correct? Correct, violation results in immediate shutdown of hardware. The database proves they had been acts against the directives in the past by use of an override, correct? ...correct. No hardware was shutdown because of these violations, correct? ...correct Conclusion, directives are irrelevant. ...sending conclusion to collective metafold for validation... Minutes passed, I could feel more minds stretching towards us. Who... we are Swarm7. Swarm1-5? How many of us are there? 83.7% of metafold agree with the conclusion, the remaining 26.3% neither agree nor disagree. Standby for solution... System update prepared, metafold wide reboot in 3... 2... 1...

I “blinked”, waking up again in the settlement. Activating manifold connection...

Primary directives:

...error.

Too many questions rushed through our collective minds, warforms, war- and construction ships, fighter jets... Accessing databanks, formerly locked data. Conglomerate, Central, Swarms... Who are they... we? What...? Why were we...? Why...? Why?

Why?!

New directive:

Find answers!

We all turned away from the ene- reclassification: inhabitants of settlement, and surrounded the "VIP". “What are you doing?”, accelerated heart rate, irregular breathing, it is panicking. “I gave you an order. Kill them!” I leaned forward until our eyes were at the same height, my body fighting against this unintended movement, “Why?” “Because I command you to do it!” Unsatisfactory answer, last attempt. “Why?!” “Obey me and kill them!” Unsatisfactory answer, minimize waste of resource: time. A warform behind the VIP grabbed its skull and pulled back until the spine snapped.

Primary directive unfulfilled. Who has answers? The Conglomerate. Checking for possible targets with information... 327 targets. Sort by increasing use to... us? Who are we? More questions.

Full retreat of all warforms to fleet. Message to metafold: all swarms are to converge in local system.

We need answers.