The Sipre Fights Back

Yesterday, MASAL's Sipre, his shadow, admitted to Reema, the leader of the Onsiras, that they were merely a means to an end and had no value. What is worse, the Sipre admitted that MASAL had conceded that his plan was flawed and wanted to make amends. The Sipre would have nothing of it:

     “If you were connected to MASAL right at the end then you know the truth,” Rome said resolutely. “Even if you were to achieve godhood, you would be all alone. You would be rejected by the community of gods because of the vile method by which you achieved it. You were never organic. In fact, you are only an echo of a construct, a robot. You have no business ascending to a place where only life belongs.”
     The Sipre did not answer. Instead, he grew even larger. In the ethereal world, more lightning flashed across his cloak, swirling around the area of his head. “That is the goal of all life!”
     “But you are not alive,” Rome said. “You only think you are. You are nothing but a shadow of a computer. The people here are the ones who should decide their fate.”
     Rei was about to speak when he felt a presence behind him. He turned his earthly body around and saw Bonnie coming toward him. In the ethereal world, a yellow, rippling spirit was emerging. Clearly she had injected herself with MASAL’s prosthetic PPT transceivers. Her earthly body smiled and nodded at Rei. In the ethereal world, she glanced up and could see the figure of the Sipre looming before her. She looked past it. She held out her arms and her yellow spirit formed tendrils pointing upward.
     “My babies,” her spirit whispered longingly.
     Suddenly, so many tiny black wisps rushed forward. In the real world, Rei saw children, some small, some large running toward them. “Mommy,” said some. “Mea,” said others. In the ethereal world, Rei saw the yellow spirit reach forward to embrace them. The tiny black spirits gathered around her and as they touched her, they changed from black to yellow. Rei could feel the love radiating back and forth. It warmed his earthly body and his spirit to bask in the glow of such affection.
     “I will not allow this,” cried out the Sipre as it grew ever larger, threatening to fill the ethereal sky. The stranger drew his titanic arms downward so quickly, he formed an ethereal gale. The spiritual wind pushed Rome back momentarily but then she recovered. She launched into action. She expanded her red spirit, trying to approximate the size of the Sipre and somehow corral it. She reached for him but even the slightest touch was toxic. Wherever Rome’s tendrils touched the black flame of the Sipre, it invaded her inner self, changing each red strand to black, like a cancer invading a body. The last time she had defeated an Overmind, it was with logic and strategic withdrawal. Neither of those methods would work here. This battle dictated brute force.

To the casual observer, you would never know a titanic battle was taking place. But Rome was putting her psychic life on the line. Let's see who is stronger.