I can’t believe it. Tyrannis is giving me a solo mission. Even better, it’s to where I was born, The Assembly Line. I’ve been there many times, but I’ve never seen all of it. Now I get to, because my mission is to map the facility.

I remember motion detectors were everywhere. They’re so sensitive a loose wire can set off the defenses. Whenever I was there I’d have to announce myself to the Guardian before dropping off parts for new soldiers.

I tried to talk to him but he never answered. He took the parts and went underground. He’d never build new soldiers. Eventually, Tyrannis stopped sending me.

I wish I could talk to the Guardian. I want to find out what he thinks, learn what he knows, and learn why he won’t build more of us. Maybe he wants this war to end so he can share with us the Secret of Life and we can create more of us to do something other than fight. I don’t know. I wish he’d at least speak to me. If he reveals the Secret, Tyrannis might put himself in his debt.

Tyrannis craves The Secret of Life. He says it will save our race. When Tyrannis emphasizes this I realize why we’re fighting the Centurions and why he can be so cruel. He’s desperate. He wants us to survive and he can only achieve that by learning the Secret of Life.

When I fulfill this mission, maybe we’ll be one step closer to learning the Secret of Life. Then maybe Tyrannis will look at me differently. At least enough that he’ll stop kicking me when he’s mad.