Around the end of 2025, the third world war started. Tensions that had been brewing for decades erupted, and the world was suddenly engulfed in flames, only for it to be doused soon after. Unfortunately, that was far from the good news people were waiting for.
A new enemy emerged, forcing all sides to cooperate. They called them Calamities—strange entities with no set shape or form that bring death and chaos to every place they go. The bizarre monstrosities were ruthless and unforgiving. Humanity was quickly driven to a corner, with more than 50% wiped out in a single month. All hope died at the same time, and those who survived were left to wait for their inevitable demise.
At their most desperate moment, a savior rose from among them. A mysterious man with unrivaled wisdom, boundless intellect, and undying resolve to reclaim peace and freedom. Taking on the name Odin, he gathered the survivors and searched for a way to fight back. After many desperate battles and millions of lives lost, he was finally able to create weapons that could push back against their greatest enemy: the Valkyries.
The Valkyries were androids equipped with a technology that allowed them to survive battles against the monstrous entities and use weapons that made most guns look like useless toys. Their highly advanced AI allowed them to fight on a level only heard of in myths, and when you add to that their striking appearance, the name they earned starts to make sense. They were powerful robots with human appearance, operated by a highly advanced AI, and that was it.
Decades of pop culture have cemented the idea as a prelude to an apocalypse, but that couldn't possibly happen. The idea of an AI gaining sentience and questioning its existence was utterly ridiculous. That was the opinion of most accomplished scientists, and Sam was no different. Nevertheless, that didn't help him when he came face to face with what could only be described as the start to one of those stories he dismissed as nothing more than the work of very imaginative minds.
"What're you saying, Zero Five?" He asked, noticing the dryness of his throat as he swallowed. How long did it take him to respond? Somehow, it felt like he had been frozen for quite a while.
"Well, since we do look like humans, and our behaviors aren't so different..." The beautiful android said, her gaze going down once more. "I've been wondering if we are sometimes mistaken for people…"
"... I see…"
Odin was a genius, but he was also a man. A very weird man. When he created the central processing units -the supercomputer hosting the Valkyrie AI- for some reason, he decided that the weapon it'd be planted into had to closely resemble humans. Not only that, but all of them had to be gorgeous women as well. No one expected things to turn out the way they did, yet no one could complain. Since he was the only one capable of creating said weapons, the genius was allowed to make the final choice on how they looked, and he refused to budge when it came to this exact point.
Creating the world's most powerful supercomputers, all so he could give life to an army of attractive female androids. Many liked to pretend that there was more to it than meets the eye, but Odin's true intentions weren't that difficult to guess. Still, no matter how human they appeared to be, the Valkyries will always be weapons made from silicon and alloy.
"Listen, Zero Five." Sam rubbed his temples. "Never talk about such things again, understood?"
"Huh? But... why?"
The surprise she showed was one more thing Sam didn't expect to see on her.
"Well, if people were to hear that, they might think something is amiss with your AI model, which would cause all of us some really big trouble."
Sam had a feeling that they had already crossed the point of no return. Even if the humanoid weapon never brought up the topic again, the doubts would undoubtedly follow him for the rest of his days. Why did she have to start acting weird now of all times? Or could it be that this was just normal for her? Did he fail to grasp her personality in the year he had been working on her?
'Maybe she was the shy character all along?' He thought, not wanting to believe that he was witnessing the start of another apocalypse. 'Yeah, that has to be it.'
For a long time, Sam was under the impression that the pony-tailed Valkyrie was the cool, silent beauty, but she might have been the weird type who always kept silent, hiding her true nature until she was comfortable enough around someone before opening up.
"As for whether you're mistaken for human or not, I don't think that will ever happen." With a perfect poker face, he looked her up and down one before meeting her eyes. "After all, no woman is as beautiful as you are. Those unable to see the difference are simply delusional."
"I… see…" His answer must not have been what she expected, going by the subtle way her eyes widened. She seemed to contemplate it for a moment before bowing her head. "Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Now, if you'll excuse me."
She turned around and quickly strode to the exit, her long ponytail fluttering behind her. Sam was able to catch a glimpse of her face just as she passed through the door. Her cheeks were a bit red. That in itself wasn't anything strange, but when he considered the chances of it being the result of his previous comment, he felt a part of excitement.
'Goddamn it...'
The Valkyries were all extremely attractive females, purposefully designed to stir the demons inside every man's heart. Sam had the rare opportunity of working with them, getting closer than most people ever will. Though he had enjoyed it at first, it soon turned out to be a nightmare. It should have been obvious from the start that just looking would never be enough.
Robots or not, Sam found himself wanting to do things to the humanoid weapons. He wanted to feel their softness. He wanted to savor their touch. He wanted to play with their succulent breasts and dig his fingers into their bouncy behinds. He wanted to spread their legs and pump them full of his seed, ravage them until his heart is finally satisfied, but alas, his desire was destined to go unfulfilled.
The Valkyries were all extremely attractive women, true, but they were the most valuable military equipment humanity possessed as well. Their appearance didn't change that fact, and if anyone were to try to use them as nothing more than state-of-the-art sex dolls, they'd quickly find themselves erased from the world.
One could argue that everything would be fine as long as no one found out. The lab had no cameras, and besides the technician, barely anyone interacted with the humanoid weapons. It was very likely that they would get destroyed in battle before any secret affairs were discovered, but those were just the words of temptation that only lead to ruin.
Sam knew as much because of his job. He was a major in the field of nanotechnology, and his main role was to operate the machines used to examine the Valkyries and perform the necessary repairs. The examinations are performed daily, and the results are sent directly to the Human United Resistance's headquarters, along with the data from the machines. Everything from the smallest scratch to what substance the weapons came into contact with is recorded, and if anything out of the ordinary is detected, an investigation would be launched to find the reason behind it.
Before he took the job, Sam was warned to never do as much as touch the Valkyries. He heard rumors about someone with the same job taking advantage of his position to enjoy himself. Though he only touched the weapons a few times, thinking the evidence could be easily erased, the fact that he did it appeared in the examination results, which led him to the military court. Some say the man had committed suicide while in prison, while others claim Odin used his influence to get him killed for daring to defile his creations.
There were many variations to that story, and though its validity is questionable, Sam was smart enough not to test his luck. He was also smart enough to know his limits and that the day his restraints would break was approaching. It is for that same reason that he yearns for the day he would be relieved from his duty, pulling him away from the forbidden fruit before he could savor its sweet poison. The end of the Calamities was still far by the most optimistic of estimates, so his only hope was a transfer. That was unlikely to happen anytime soon, so what choice did he have but to suffer in silence and hope the machines don't tempt him into doing something he would regret.