Red lights flashed on almost instantly. Daniel couldn’t tell if Phil had hit a panic button under the counter or if someone had spotted people still in the bar. The same red lights that had gone off when Bill died. Well, the first time he died.


    Ava jumped.


    “Haven’t you seen these before?”


    “No.”


    “They went off a few days ago. A robot blew up right in front of us.”


    “I didn’t see anything. I’ve barely been around town. The bar and the area around it. A few trips to the fountain, that’s it.”


    Along with the lights, deafening alarms blared from somewhere. Even Phil covered his ears.


    “They’re coming in!” he shouted.


    “Who’s coming in?” Ava asked, her voice rushed.


    “The techs and the company people. Looks like they’ve still got work to do.”


    “Well, yeah, we’re still here,” Jasper said.


    The bar door swung open. A man and a woman stepped inside. The man looked like the one who’d come the first time Bill died.


    He studied them for a long moment before speaking.


    “You? You’re still here? Didn’t anyone tell you?” The man glanced at his colleague and set a toolbox down on the floor.


    “Guess you kinda forgot to let us know,” Daniel said.


    “Name’s Wesley, by the way. We didn’t meet properly last time.” The man raised a hand with a faint smile, looking at them all. “So, after midnight, there was an incident. Someone apparently tried to hack the robots’ system. Or, more precisely, their minds.”


    “And?”


    “Nothing major, thankfully. But most of the robots started acting weird. Some couldn’t handle it and just collapsed, while others tried to hurt themselves.”


    “Why didn’t you tell us?”


    “We shut down all the systems and alerted everyone. The sirens and lights went off too.”


    “So how did we miss it?”


    Wesley glanced at his colleague. She shrugged.


    “No idea,” he said. “We went through all the houses, explained it to people, and they were understanding. We got them out, then rounded up the robots.”


    “You collected the robots that fast?”


    “They’ve got an emergency mode. When it’s triggered, everything shuts down except their basic movement. Remember when we took Billy? He looked like a zombie, just shambling after us. All the robots have that.”


    “And they travel like that all the way to the company?”


    “No. Under the town—every town—there’s a hub with techs and a lab. The robots know the secret houses and rooms to head to and get themselves back. It was Barnes’ requirement. Like emergency plans in big buildings. Picture every robot with a map in their head—when we activate it, they just take the shortest route. So yeah, they’re all accounted for, and the guests are on the train.”


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    “You talk too much, Wesley,” his colleague cut in.


    “Wait, wait,” Jasper said. “Everyone’s on the train?”


    Wesley looked to his colleague for confirmation. She shrugged again, her face screaming she didn’t care.


    “Yeah,” he said. “Were you living here?”


    “Where else?” Daniel said, sensing Jasper’s irritation flaring up again.


    “Well, most people found houses around town. That was the idea.”


    “You didn’t tell us.”


    “We figured you’d work it out. But you two were too busy.” Wesley grinned. “Congrats, by the way. The whole team was watching you guys especially. We were betting on how many people Jas would kill.”


    “You were betting?”


    “Oh, yeah.”


    His colleague elbowed him.


    “But he didn’t kill anyone,” Wesley added. “Still, we’re fans.”


    “We were the most interesting?”


    “Pretty much. The medieval group was playing kings and queens. A few got hurt in sword fights—two even tried jousting, charging at each other with long poles. They got banged up. It was fun, honestly, but no one stood out with a long game. The modern era folks were boring—nothing different from real life. Your game wasn’t super long either, but you were on the right track. The park’s huge and has a lot to offer. Keep that in mind for next time.”


    “And with all that watching, you forgot to tell us we needed to leave?”


    Wesley shrugged this time.


    “Guess we did.”


    “What about the train?” Jasper pressed. “How do we get to it?”


    Wesley glanced at his watch.


    “Well, I’m afraid you missed it.”


    “When’s the next one?”


    “The next one’s for us, the techs. But it’s not till tomorrow.”


    “Tomorrow? What are we supposed to do alone till then?”


    “No clue. I’d have to ask the bosses. You could explore the park if you want. Tough luck staying in this dive, but it’s our bad for not putting alarms upstairs. Oh well, bonus day for you. A day like that’ll cost a fortune in a few weeks.”


    Jasper slumped into a chair. He looked like someone who’d had enough. He didn’t speak—just sat there, leaning back, staring ahead.


    “Phil?” Wesley turned to the bartender. “You’re free too. You can head downstairs.”


    “I was gonna clean up the bar,” Phil said, walking confidently but a bit clumsily. He wasn’t very tall, and it didn’t show much behind the counter. “Wanted to use today since no one’s around. How’s Violet?”


    “Violet? Is she human too?” Ava nearly shouted.


    “Nope. Violet’s a robot. A prototype, but a robot,” Wesley said, then turned to Phil. “She’s fine, Phil. I know you two got close.”


    “She’s awesome. I get along with her better than with humans. She didn’t talk much at first, but thanks to the guests, she loosened up. And the way she shot Jake…”


    “That was an epic scene, Daniel,” Wesley said. “The whole team gathered downstairs to watch. The creative department wrote it—serious people who don’t bother with anything dull. You guys played it perfectly. No one knew how you’d react.”


    “Patrick and I didn’t do much anyway.”


    “You were hilarious,” Wesley said, clearly entertained. “Standing there tied up under the gallows, commenting like it was a football match.”


    “Jasper was the hero then.”


    “Absolutely,” Wesley said, turning to Jas. “Bro, you and Aria would’ve had a killer storyline too. Everyone was waiting to see what’d happen there.”


    “Look, Wesley,” Jasper lifted his head, a little pissed off, “all this stuff with cameras, bets, robots, non-robots—it’s starting to get on my nerves. Couldn’t you just let us live without watching us from every angle?”


    “Trust me, Jas,” Wesley said, thrown off by Jasper’s tone, “there aren’t as many cameras as you think.”


    “So if I took one of Violet’s girls up to my room, you wouldn’t track my every move?”


    “There are cameras in most of the animals and on the main streets. One here in the bar too, but no audio—just for monitoring. We need them, bro,” Wesley said, mimicking Jasper’s vibe. “Without control, something like last night could happen, and we wouldn’t catch it in time. Believe me, this test you’re doing now? We’ve rehearsed it at least fifty times. We’re ready for anything. When the park opens, we want it flawless.”


    “I promise you, Wesley, I’ll come back when it’s live. And I’ll keep an eye on what you’re up to.”


    “You’ll definitely be back, Jas. The whole company’s hoping you will.”


    Jasper rubbed his face with his hand, looking exhausted. Wesley’s colleague nudged him, and he nearly jumped. They brushed past the bar and slipped through a door behind it. Phil kept cleaning, while Jasper, Daniel, and Ava sat there in silence for a long time.