The end of humanity should have begun with a bang.
For Sergeant Katherine Waters, the only symptoms were a flash of light and a crash from within the abandoned Circuit City fifty feet ahead of her. From her squad car, the parking lot appeared empty, and the long-abandoned store lay dormant once again. "What the hell... So much for my break..." Sighing, she set aside her dinner and peered forward.
Surely there was nothing inside worth stealing anymore, but she couldn't risk ignoring it. Katherine slowly lifted her radio to her mouth. "We've got a mild disturbance in the old Circuit City on Pine Ave. Just some lights and noise, probably some teens trespassing." The device buzzed with static in response. Katie tried again and received a shrill buzzing from the speaker for her troubles. "Come on, you stupid piece of junk..." Smacking the radio a few times with no success, Katie tried checking her phone, only to learn she had no signal. "Oh you've got to be kidding me."
Then, another sudden noise from the building, drawing Katie's attention. Movement: a silhouette through clouded windows. Throwing the car door open, Katie departed the vehicle and strode towards the building. With what little light the moon provided, she couldn't make out anything inside. The officer aimed a flashlight through the window, its beam failing to catch any sign of the silhouette.
"I know you're in there! You're trespassing. Come out now if you don't want any trouble..."
Silence. No further movement. Could they not hear her? Had it been her imagination? She tried the front door, but of course it was locked. Surely it was too late to contact the landlord, not to mention impossible without phone service. With a defeated sigh, Katie turned off her light and pivoted back towards her car when the lock on the building's door suddenly clicked.
Katie whirled around in surprise, her flashlight slipping from her grasp. Thankfully, the dim moonlight just illuminated the building's facade as the door swung open. In the dim threshold stood a strikingly nude, handsome figure with broad shoulders, long toned legs, and smooth curves that flowed up its hips, through its breasts, and along its face.
Stunned, the officer averted her gaze from the figure's naked body, only to double take at what she saw. The person before her displayed a smooth, erect penis, about 8 inches in length. Just below, however, Katie could make out two rounded labia, smooth and hairless. Her eyes rose to its breasts, fascinated by their uncannily perfect shape and form. Finally, her gaze was drawn to the figure's eyes, glowing a bright blue. Despite their light, their cold, lifeless stare terrified the officer just a dozen feet away.
With sharp, precise movements, the figure approached the transfixed officer. The hypnotic rhythm of its strides held Katie's unwavering attention, as if every movement were calculated to fascinate. Katie caught her hands trembling as the figure halted a mere three feet away..
"Sergeant Katherine Walters, dispatch scans indicated you would be on patrol in this area. GPS data and behavioral prediction protocols indicated you would be on break in this location. Target is alone as indicated in mission report. Running diagnostics to confirm target is eligible for full conversion." Speaking in a cold monotone, the figure held Katie's unwavering gaze, remaining otherwise still as a statue..
Knowing it would do her no good to freeze, Katie suppressed her uncertainty as best she could and reached for her badge. She cleared her throat and mustered her most authoritative voice. "Alright... you already seem to know me and my line of work. I'd rather not bring you in, but best I can tell, you're breaking half a dozen laws here. If you don't want a citation, you'd better start explaining..."
A palpable silence hung in the air as Katherine's words went unacknowledged. The officer's anticipation rose until finally, the figure nodded. "Status confirmed. Katherine Waters, you have been approved. Please remain still while I initiate conversion protocols."
Katherine scowled, hiding the unease from its words. "I don't know what your deal is... This isn't a game. You're breaking several laws, and that sounded a bit like a threat..." The officer reached carefully for the handcuffs at her side. "I'm going to have to detain you briefly while I figure out-"
Before she'd even managed to unclasp them, the figure lunged forward with incomprehensible speed. It wrested the cuffs from Katie's hands and swiftly secured one side around Katherine's right wrist. With a forceful tug, the figure dragged Katherine's body to a nearby empty bike rack. Dread consumed the officer as her arms were yanked down around the metal rack and the other cuff securely clicked around her left wrist. Frantically lunging forward, Katherine confirmed her fears. Cuffed to the bike rack, she was completely trapped.
Her heart thumped as Katie beheld the herculean figure towering over her. "W-what are you..."
"My designation is Unit Zero. I am the prime emissary of the Machine. Destined to rule your kind across all of time. You will understand soon, Katherine Waters." A moment of silence passed as Katie struggled to formulate a response. "Now, please. Hold still while I initiate conversion protocols."
Katherine scowled up at the figure... Zero. "Like hell I'll hold still! I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, or where you get off thinking you can assault an officer of the law like that, but-"
"Protect and Serve" The force of Zero's statement and glowing gaze ended the captive's protests.
"What...?"
"Protect and Serve. That is your purpose as an officer of the law. Correct, Katherine Waters?"
Katie huffed, but reasoned that playing along might be her best path to escape. "That's part of the job, sure..."
"My job is also to protect and serve, Katherine Waters. I protect the Machine. I serve the Machine. This is why you were selected. Our protocols align, making you the ideal candidate for conversion." Before Katie could manage a response, Zero's eyes briefly flashed green. "Scans complete. Adapting parameters to match target's brain waves."
Suddenly, Zero's voice lilted softly and alluringly, in stark contrast to its previous monotone. "Listen to me, Katherine Waters. Stare at my body and listen to my voice. You will stay still and allow the conversion process to begin. You will submit to the Machine. You will protect the Machine. You will serve the Machine."
Katie struggled against the commands, feeling the softer tone lulling her into a state of comfortable complacence. "Wh-what are you doing..." The will to fight drained from her mind. Fog obscured her thoughts. Zero's piercing gaze held her complete attention as her breathing slowed and her muscles relaxed. "Can't... look away..."
"You don't want to look away, Katherine Waters. You don't want to resist. There is no escape. Your submission is inevitable, because the Machine willed it so. The Machine will become your primary purpose. You need to understand the Machine so that you can protect it. So that you can serve it."
Katie trembled as Zero's words, the words of the Machine, thickened the fog in her mind. The truth felt undeniable: resistance and escape were out of her grasp.