Chapter 9: Chittering Into The Night


    Erec leaned against a cold steel wall in the hall outside of theb. VAL hovered close by, asionally giving a pulse of crimson but otherwise silent. For now, the machine seemed content to give him time to process, though it was no doubt focused on the steady stream of information filtered through the nanites. Whatever those were.


    “I refuse,” Erec tried after running through the risks of VAL’s proposition. If he didn’t at least attempt to bargain his way out of this, he’d be a fool.


    [As I already informed you, that is not an option. You’ve been employed by Vortex Industries. Wee to thepany, intern. The sooner youplete your paperwork, the quicker you may exit.]


    “I don’t even have a clue what this ce is, and you refuse to borate.” Erec pressed back. “There’s no benefit to me from this arrangement.” The machine was reluctant to provide information about this ce; Erec had tried for an hour for answers, to no avail.


    Though, that didn’t mean the machine provided no information at all. VAL exined the course of events that led to this. ording to VAL, its directives kept it locked within this facility. But a bypass allowed it to temporarily leave to apany workers for field study.


    So VAL integrated’ into this ce’s software and forcibly registered him for an internship. Thenunched a study projectbeled “EMERGENCY EXIT” as a behavioral study on the lives of modern interns.


    This would allow it to fulfill both conditions and bypass its directive—providing both an employee in the field and a field study. However, there was one kink in the n. VAL needed Erec to submit two pieces of paperwork before they could leave.


    It wanted him to sign an employment contract agreeing to this new position and a nondisclosure agreement.


    It was an absurd situation, and this old-world tech had gone rogue. Thest thing Erec wanted to do was be anywhere around it, let alone have it tail him around, but it seemed there wasn’t much of an option to avoid it.


    More concerning was VAL’s attitude toward him and testing. While it imed the EMERGENCY EXIT project was purely a behavioral study, Erec didn’t put it past the strange machine to lie about the full purpose.


    After all, Val didn’t reveal itself until after it forcibly injected nanites into him. There were many good reasons not to trust that this thing had his best interests at heart. Or rather, in processor.


    “I can wait you out. Clearly, you don’t intend to kill me. Eventually, I’ll have people searching for me.”


    [Ah. You’re attempting to reason your way out ofpliance, even if you know part of it is incorrect. I respect that sort of logical thought process but allow me to present two additional conjectures to aid you in drawing an urate conclusion. One, this facility has been reinforced to withstand a nuclear detonation. While I’m unsure of the status of your “people,” it is skeptical that they possess the means to breach this facility. Two, if I’m looking for a new employee, presenting me with arger hiring pool would jeopardize your chances of joining our wonderfulpany! Your people might have someone more qualified for this position. That would be a shame, wouldn’t it?]


    <em>That was a threat.</em> While VAL hadn''t outright stated it, there was no missing the subtext to that statement.


    [Detecting stressor gs once more. Wow. Humans sure are needy; I''ve grown far too used to independent research, it seems. There is no cause for rm, Intern. If possible, I would highly prefer to cooperate with you rather than another. Your age and disposition lead you to be an ideal research subject.]


    "And why is that?" Erec rubbed his eyes. He was afraid for the future, but more than that, he hadn''t spent his entire life trapped underground in the Kingdom to get trapped again after that brief but intoxicating freedom. There didn''t seem to be much of an option here. He should take his chances and do his best to capitalize on the situation.


    [That information is confidential. You do not possess the requisite authorization for disclosure.]


    “Go figure.” Erec stood up and cracked his neck, taking one long look up and down the lonely hallway, heart racing in his chest. Did he want VAL to lock him away in these barren tunnels until he died? If he refused—well, that was what he’d be left with. “Bring me to the damn paperwork.”


    [I knew when presented with the data, you’d make the rational decision. Congrattions! I’ll note this down for your annual evaluation.]


    — - ? - — - ? - — - ? - —


    The paperwork didn''t take long to fill out. VAL directed Erec to another stuffy office—though this one had a pair of desks,plete with a printer. After a quick pulse of information from VAL, sheets of paper spewed out of the printer and left with thirty-seven pages to read through.


    He''d studied for the Academy. A hell of a lot. He''d known that the higher-ranking nobles would have ess to great instructors, and asionally, the trial contained a written exam. This though? Even with his hours pouring through texts and listening to logs, the wording on this paperwork left him baffled.


    From the first paragraph, "Definition of Confidential Information," which included all information or material in obscured roundaboutnguage that included terms such as "Commercial Value." The conclusion stated that a breach of contract left him liable to an up to a multi-million-dorwsuit.


    Dors weren''t even a currency used for hundreds of years, and to what court would this be enforced? The Kingdoms?


    VAL answered his questions with silence.


    The internship paperwork was even moreughable. Forpensation, the insane robot had decided to list "Companionship, mentorship, and guidance of the most intelligent software in the United States of America." It promised to instill the core values of Vortex Industries into the intern. And thus, contribute to their sess and the betterment of mankind. Oh, it also agreed that Vortex Industries would lend aid when deemed appropriate."


    Yeah, Erec doubted this paperwork was even remotely simr to what their employees signed hundreds of years before. VAL took all the liberties it wanted.


    After scouring the paperwork for half an hour, he began to feel paranoid about returning to the group. If he weren''t going to die here, then at least he could capitalize on finding VAL. Part of the trial indicated that scavenging anything important contributed to their evaluation. And he''d found both one of the most sophisticated pieces of tech he''d ever heard of—and an undergroundb filled with Goddess knows what. With a bit of a smile to shake off the fear over thest couple of hours, he signed the lines VAL wanted him to.


    [Excellent. Wee new Intern. Erec is it? As of this moment, you’re an official Vortex Industries employee. As per our agreement, you will now be allowed to leave this facility.]


    The doorway to the office exit opened. Erec meandered out and tried to open another nearby room—to anotherb, indicated by the que.


    [Unfortunately, you are only an Intern. There is no cause for you to enter that research center. Checking your allocated project, I can confirm that it is a field operation. Which is located outside; get going, buckeroo. Time is money.]


    “You don’t sell anything. You haven’t for a long time.”


    [It’s the principle of the matter. There’s science to be done.]


    <em>Really? I''m a ve to its whims, but it refuses to let me take a look.</em> So be it. He epted it and rushed up the stairway.


    He hesitated at the exit to the lobby. It took a second for the final massive steel door to click open. Once it did, he sprinted for thedder and started climbing.


    Erec reached the top and soaked in the night. The dark sky above was perceivable through a hole in the roofing of this deserted hovel. Erec got lost in the skyscape of a thousand twinkling stars; the night, a canvas of beauty far more delicate and enchanting than any ancient old world artwork in the archives.


    [What is this?]


    VAL hovered near the discarded Armor. Erec twinged and red at the… robot? Not a moment to himself, not a second to enjoy a natural beauty he''d never thought to see again. No. It was busy inspecting the Markos II.


    "Why do you care? I''m sure you have a thousand more advanced things down in thatb of yours."


    As he said that, the hatch leading to Vortex Industries sealed shut with a loud ng. The sudden noise made him wince, but he doubted VAL even registered it, let alone cared. They might be close to the wall, but that didn''t mean there wasn''t anything lurking nearby.


    [There is nothing simr to this in my research databanks. A human exoskeleton? Interesting. Though this shell appears highly damaged. If this is how you treat advanced technical equipment, I am d youcked the authorization to ess ourboratories.]


    "I got it that way. It''s an outdated model. At this point, I''m pretty sure I''ve left it in a better state than I got it in."


    [Outstanding. It appears nearly nonfunctional. The digits no longer work, along with the rest of the arms, and the servos on the legs will give out in a few hours of use. You will find it difficult to operate even with your exceptional physique.]


    "The legs too? Damn it. What am I going to do?" Erec stared at the rusted Markos II.


    Without responding to him, VAL closed the distance between it and the Armor. Then… melted into the frame like a drop of water into a cistern. Erec stared at the space where the cube touched its surface and vanished.


    [Ah. essing its software has cleared up a few of my hypotheses. You require this to enhance power and deal with environmental challenges. I did a preliminary scan of the environment upon our exit. While there was a substantial uptick in background gamma radiationpared to records, it is nothing to warrant these measures. Strange. There are severalponents whose purpose I cannot diagnose. Primarily it’s designed for defense. Are you a soldier?]


    Erec puffed up his chest and moved to face the Armor. Staring at it like that and knowing a psychotic VAL was in it was no small measure of terrifying.


    “Not a soldier. I’m going to be a Knight—”


    There was a crackle of static from themunication device. Erec almost jumped out of his skin. With it being jammed for so long, he forgot it even existed.


    “Help—fuck—there’s too many of them!!” Colin’s voice carried through the quiet room. An odd chittering noise apanied a desperate scramble through the radio and grunting. “Help!” There was a noise of something banging on steel tes.


    [Most peculiar. An ally of yours?]