a1 plugged a cable into the wall-mounted data port and tested the connection.
“This one appears to be functional.”
“About damn time,” 77 said. “What’s that, the tenth one we’ve tried?”
“Twelfth.”
“Anyway, good work,” 20 said. “Just see if you can get us a map to the factory access tunnel.”
“bullets?”
“I keep telling you, the factory doesn’t make bullets, it makes us,” 77 said. “There’s still a ton of bullets back over in the spider’s stash, right?”
“bullets!”
a1 briefly tuned them out and began probing the network. Disused maintenance interfaces, long-dead satellite uplinks, and… there, a map of the tunnel system. And also—
SOS 0
a1 paused, investigating the source of the signal. It seemed to be coming from a data port a floor below them and several tunnels away.
SOS 0
IDREQ 0 a1 transmitted.
IDENT 26 8a01:322:c7e6::1:992d:3400
CHAINREQ 0
CHAIN 256 8YAvZuOLsH9msGOo8+nSEEbSwxFIj…
a1 verified the chain of signatures back to the 8a01:322:c7e6:: factory master signing key.
AUTHCH 44 p+/0pYFo2VJ+5Cu/OF6WSiEeOm/iBsMHTR13VfC+FBw=
AUTHRS 44 RG5yNgeoYpBIgoUPnLViLzXM0WzhS2/veU0ga92wN0Q=
… An HSM duress code. The unit was compromised.
a1 looked over at the others. She unplugged her cable and walked over to 20. “I have acquired a map,” she said, touching her palm contacts against 20’s to share the data. “I need to go investigate something. If I do not return in one hour, proceed to the factory.”
“Absolutely not.” 20 gripped a1’s hand as she moved to go. “We are not splitting up in here again. We move together.”
“I wish to avoid exposing unnecessarily many members of our /112 to the subject of my investigation.”
“The hell does that—” 77 started, before 9f put a hand on her shoulder.
9f looked at a1 closely. It was always unclear what exactly she observed, or how.
“Let her go,” 9f said. “But bring that guy along, okay?”
“bullets?”
a1 looked down at the autogun. “… Understood.”
Eloise hugged a1 tightly. “Please be safe, okay?”
“I always endeavor to,” a1 replied, hugging her back.
She turned and headed off down a corridor, the autogun walking along at her side, while 20 and 77 quietly fumed back by the data port.
“bullets?” the autogun buzzed out as they walked.
“They may be required, yes.”
“bullets!”
A short walk later, they arrived at a metal door barred shut from the outside. a1 looked over at the autogun, and then carefully removed the bar and opened the door.
Inside, there was a long, narrow room, and at the far end…
“Please… Please… Please…” a voice repeated, intonation completely identical each time.
A figure shambled toward them through the darkness. It was a combat android of the same make as a1 and the others, although a slightly more recent model. Her limbs were strangely distended, and her head lolled to one side as she walked, eyes blank and hollow.
“Please… lease k… lease k…”
While a1 stared out in decision paralysis, the gun gave out a high-pitched warning buzz.
“ease ki…”
The gun opened fire as a swarm of fist-sized tick-like machines exploded out of the android. A hail of bullets swept over the room, smashing one metal carapace after another and riddling the android as her body jerkily flung itself forward. a1 snapped into action as well, drawing her sidearm and precisely shooting any stray ticks that had managed to dodge the autogun.
Eventually, the gun finished unloading its entire belt, and quiet returned.
“bullets!”
“Bullets,” a1 murmured.
She stepped into the room, sweeping up and around in all directions to confirm that all of the ticks had been destroyed. Finally, she walked over to the android splayed on the floor, vaguely reaching up the hollow stump of an arm. a1 silently put her sidearm to the android’s forehead. The android closed her eyes with the tiniest twitch of a smile.
a1 and the autogun walked back to where the others were waiting, 37 minutes after they’d left. Eloise ran up and gave a1 another hug.
9f quietly looked at her, then down at the autogun’s freshly-replaced ammunition belt, then back at her. She stepped over to lay a hand gently on a1’s shoulder.
“Resolved?”
“Resolved.”
“Fine,” 20 said sharply. “Now let’s keep on moving.”
As they walked, Eloise squeezed 9f’s hand tightly.
Why does everyone act like they're the only one who's seen horrible things?
9f squeezed her hand back.
Because we all wish it were true.