GTS Electronics Chapter 19: Captured! (Patreon)

Kyle settled into the frigid steel chair, his gaze wandering across the sterile white walls that enveloped him. The chill in the air mirrored the coldness he felt within, his self-loathing reaching new depths.

Regret filled him as he muttered, "I never should have followed that woman," recalling the deceptive soldier who had promised safety but instead led him into captivity, confiscating even his phone.

"Totally uncool," he seethed with anger.

A stern voice cut through the silence, saying, "Not cool indeed, young man."

Kyle lifted his head, spotting a figure in a high-ranking uniform adorned with numerous medals, standing by an open door in the distant corner of the room.

"Who are you?" he stammered.

The man smirked, replying, "Funny, that's the same question we all have for you."

Kyle furrowed his brow, unsure what the officer was referring to, as the man added, "My name is general Johnston. Now, why don't you tell me who the hell are you and what the hell is this?" General Johnston questioned, raising Kyle's iPhone 8 in his right hand.

"Hey, that's mine!" Kyle protested, attempting to stand, only to realize his arms were chained to the table.

"Good, very good, son," General Johnston sneered. "How about you tell me something I don't know?"

Sweat forming on his brow, Kyle remained silent, meeting the general's gaze.

"No? Well, then how about I start?" General Johnston said, striding toward the table and tossing three pictures onto it as he sat down.

As Kyle looked down at the images, his heart nearly stopped. "What the?" he exclaimed, clutching the first picture—a depiction of the same meteor he had witnessed a few days earlier, the one that turned the entire sky green.

"People are calling that day, The day of Emerald Dawn."

General Johnston leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers, as he continued, "It was this day, which, as I'm sure you know, is also the day the world went to hell."

Kyle's unease intensified as he struggled to avoid the penetrating gaze of General Johnston, who seemed to delve into his very soul.

"After this meteor fell to earth, well..." The general paused, sliding aside the first picture to reveal the second and third. "Huge energy signatures began to appear all throughout the planet," he explained, indicating the second picture displaying massive red dots scattered across a map-like representation of the Earth. "Taken from one of our satellites," General Johnston added, noticing Kyle's keen interest in the second photo.

A sinking feeling settled in Kyle's stomach; he sensed the impending revelation.

"Wherever these readings popped up, this happened," the general continued, pointing to the third picture. It depicted a colossal woman in an all-white, tight suit, her hair pure white, adorned with tech-like equipment all over her body. Her towering figure dwarfed every building in sight.

"An electronic," Kyle whispered.

"Indeed," affirmed the general. "After the Emerald Dawn, electronics everywhere transformed into massive giant monsters, causing destruction worldwide." The gravity of the situation hung heavily in the air as General Johnston spoke with a stern and serious tone.

"The reason you're here is because of this," General Johnston stated, placing the phone on the table.

"We conducted tests on this device, and it's confirmed to be an electronic," he declared, his gaze sharpening. "We've taken down a few Electronics already, but we're debating whether to destroy this one. The only reason it's still intact is because of you."

"What?!" Kyle exclaimed, surprising himself more than the general. His phone, the potential source of a colossal, destructive entity—did he truly care about it?

"The only reason we haven't destroyed it yet," the general explained, raising his hand to halt Kyle's protests, "is because of you."

"Me?" Kyle questioned.

"Yes, we've seen the videos," the general continued. "This creature seems to follow your will. Right now, we're figuring out whether we can trust you, Kylie Braden Baum."

Kyle struggled to catch his breath, realizing he could hide nothing from the perceptive general. The weight of responsibility and the potential consequences of his connection to the electronic hung heavily in the air.

"What will happen to me?" Kyle asked, fearing the worst.

General Johnston took a moment to compose himself before responding, "What do you want to happen to you?"

Kyle blinked, surprised at the response, as the general added, "There's an opportunity for you here, an opportunity to change your life, an opportunity to help us and the entire world."The General said. "Do you understand that young man?"

"I think so, Sir."

"Good." General Johnston leaned back, rising to his feet. "Think about what you want, and I'll come see you soon," he added, turning toward the door.

["Master."]

"Huh?" Kyle responded, recognizing the all-too-familiar voice. He looked down at the metal table to find his iPhone 8 resting on the surface.

"iPhone 8!" he exclaimed in joy.

["Master, I'm so happy to see that you are okay!"]

The phone expressed more joy than Kyle had ever heard before.

"Yeah, I'm all good. How are you?" he asked with a smile, grabbing hold of it. As his fingers glided over the device's surface, he realized he could sense its condition—drained of energy but mostly healed.

["I'm okay, master,"] the phone said in a saddened tone.

"What's wrong?" Kyle inquired, and a heavy silence filled the room.

["M-master, I'm sorry."]

"Huh?" Kyle questioned, puzzled by the unexpected apology from his electronic companion.

***

"Sir, are you sure that was the best move?" Lieutenant Chang questioned.

General Johnston turned to the lieutenant, a smile playing on his lips.

"No worries, Lieutenant Chang. I know what I'm doing," General Johnston said with a smirk. "He truly is the one I'm looking for."