Two men and three young men raised their hands, asking to join them. Ares smiled, welcoming them. They boarded the elevator, and Ares pressed the button to ascend. It rose quickly as the prisoners below stared up at the disappearing elevator, praying for their success and survival.

The elevator reached the top and its doors opened to reveal the magnificent architecture of the building. They felt as if they were inside a giant sphere. Panels near the walls flew ceaselessly, and drawings and inscriptions were everywhere. Sunlight streamed through a small oculus in the ceiling, illuminating everything within. But more important than all of that was the horde of robots standing at the end of the room, by the exit. Ares asked one of the young men to take the elevator down and tell the others what was happening, to encourage them to come up and fight for their survival. The young man agreed. Everyone else exited the elevator, and its doors closed on the young man as it descended again. They looked at each other. Ivanov smiled sardonically.

"More robots for me to smash. This is great."

Ares felt the urge to punch him until he grasped the gravity of their situation, but he knew his hand would ache if he tried. He suppressed his anger and said in a calm tone, "It seems you've managed to maintain your consciousness while in this form."

Ivanov replied with a frightening black smile on his metallic face, "I didn't cover the soles of my feet with metal, so I wouldn't lose control of my consciousness."

"Well, this is not the time for discussion. They are waiting for our reaction. If we attack first, they will attack. We are exposed now, with nowhere to take cover. The hall is large and open. And if you look over there, that crystal is what powers them. If we destroy it, they will stop working, which will enable us to get out of here."

Sairi looked at the generator and the large blue crystal above it that powered it. "What is this strange, large diamond that powers the generator below it?" he asked, puzzled.

Ares replied, staring nervously at the large number of robots, "I don't know what it is, but as you can see, it seems to be what powers them. If we destroy the generator beneath it, it will have nothing to give its energy to. Now, can you fight them here?"

Ivanov said confidently, striking his fists together, producing a metallic clang, "It doesn't matter how many there are. I will destroy them all. Take cover behind me and start firing. We will attack them from a distance until the rest come and support us. Now, Sairi, protect me and everyone else as you did before."

Sairi did not answer. He continued to stare at their large numbers, which exceeded fifty. From among the horde of robots, a figure who looked different from the rest emerged. Everyone stared at him in amazement. He was completely different from the other robots, so they assumed he was the leader. The strange figure approached them a short distance, then stopped. His features became clearer. He was not a robot, but something else entirely, unlike anything they had ever seen before.

He wore a black spacesuit that looked like something from the distant future. It covered his entire body, and on his face was a black glass mask. But when you looked closely at it, it was as if you were seeing a reflection of the vast universe: shining stars hovering in a dark, black space. He stood for a moment and stared at them.

"Who in God's name is this?" Ares whispered, a sense of dread creeping over him. "He's completely different."

Suddenly, the mysterious figure began to speak in a deep, hoarse voice. "Welcome, humans. I did not expect you to be so bold as to penetrate my world and destroy my most precious possessions."

Everyone's jaw dropped in astonishment. They looked at each other, then back at him. He continued in a sharp tone, "Of course, you do not know who I am. Your leaders must have invented some story about what is happening around you to suit your small minds, so they can continue to deceive you and move you as they wish. In the end, you are just cattle to them, and cattle do not ask questions."

Ivanov retorted in a scathing tone, "And who are you, you arrogant fool, to judge us? You are just a damned, rebellious machine that we created. And we will return you to what you were, even if we have to use force!"

The stranger laughed loudly, which angered Ivanov even more. Then he said in a malicious tone, "Is that really what you think? That you created me? How ironic. But I am far too deep to be created. I am what you call organic life. And now, I must welcome you to the planet Atlantis."

Their tension increased at his words. Behind them, the elevator opened, and ten more people emerged, brandishing their weapons, not understanding what was happening. Ares motioned for them not to fire yet. They obeyed and stood watching the events unfold.

"What do you mean by that?" Ares's voice boomed in the large building.

The strange robot elaborated on the subject, saying, "Do you really think you are on planet Earth? What a pitiful creature you are. You must know that you and all who are with you have been deceived. A vile, elaborate deception that none of you could have ever known. But all I can say is that you are on my planet. The planet Atlantis, not Earth."

Sairi looked at him with intense anger and said sarcastically, "You want to mess with our minds now, you damned machine, so you can kill us? But I warn you! If you try any tricks, I will rip your head off, because your life means nothing to me at all."

The strange robot chuckled softly, then continued, "I will make you one last offer. Do you want to know the truth?"

Ivanov said in a strong tone, "And are we to hear the truth from the mouth of a lowly robot?"

Suddenly, the mask on the strange robot's face disintegrated, retracting back to a designated place on his strange black suit. Everyone gasped loudly when they saw his face and took several steps back, aiming their weapons at him as an automatic reaction.

"What in God's name is that damned thing?" Ares said, his eyes wide with astonishment.

A ghost of a smile appeared on the strange being's face. "I am not a robot, I am what you call an organic life. Now, do you want to know the truth?"

***

Light streamed from the white, cloud-piercing tower. Noor yawned, and a gust of air caressed his face, bringing a sense of relief. He looked ahead and smiled. "Freedom, at last. And now, it is time to know the truth."

Noor set off, making his way through the silence of the unknown green forest he found himself in.

Keno walked amidst the ruins of New Atlantis, determined to complete his mission and fix what he had broken. The mistake he had made while carrying it out had led to a great catastrophe, the likes of which humanity had not seen in years.

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