Their first venture forth into this new and strange area was met with equal amounts of intrigue and apprehension. For why, they couldn't pin it on, but both human and gynoid felt a sense of suspicion over this new area; as if what they had passed would not carry the same complications and purpose as over that thinly connecting bridge.
Though it was to some thankful degree that whatever their minds were collectively trying to analyse, it would not be interrupted by any dangers or hazards on their path through this particular room, since it appeared there was none. It took but a quick scan from the machine to study and determine all the important details this room was showing her; that is, only one for them to bear focus onto.
From across the twice-bending pathway Haydee could identify the position of the exit out; a door unchained from them, as she could readily spot through the metal grating that made up a bordering wall. Though her walk was tentative, she did not slow a second down as she made note of what was placed in this otherwise uneventful room. Same as on the bridge that preceded this room, metal railings coloured a shade of shamrock littered this room in a few inconsequential spots, namely to keep behind some more of those silent pipes. Though with that, she did notice that unlike the kind from before, all the pipes that ran up or along this room were not a splash of alabaster, but were instead deeply covered in pear-like paint; very much the same colouring as the railings, of even that keycard she let Dale utilise.
Speaking of Dale, she made sure to keep track of his own whereabouts as she looked behind herself. As she was glad to see, Dale was calmly following on behind, looking both left and right as he too seemed invested in what this place had to offer. Though she had to look at him through the meshed shadows that lit up only parts of his face at a time, she was glad to see him looking in decent spirits. Though not exactly sporting a solid smile over his face, the human seemed content with the situation at hand, quietly going through without a muttering over any unimportant matters. This was fine with her, as she had already made up her notions for Dale's safe passage, so him not fretting over any instances would ensure a smoother passage for them both.
So turning a look back ahead, Haydee made not a moment longer be wasted on nothing as they pressed forth, and exited through, to what they were believing, the new uncharted realm.
Hmm. . . Now this was more of what she was expecting to appear: The single exit, far off to the complete opposite side of herself; was obviously not going to let them pass without issue, as indeed, this door was blocked off by the elicited shadows of a meshed grating with the shade of a midnight tone.
She already knew what she needed to do, and near-instantly did the robotic one pause her stretch of movement as she studied the area in its entirety. From above, she could spot two balconies, both adjoined to opposing walls, and from here she could spot both had buttons by their side, ready to be pressed by and such push of arms. Yet, from what she could see, the height of either was too above either to jump, even if she gave the human a helping hand, and she could not spot any other alternative to reaching the ledges, whether by climbable gratings or any other such advantages application. Now, with what had been presented to her, she mildly began to wonder just what kind of solution this room had in mind for her. . .
*Click*
And as if contrived coincidence was a plausible reality, right then and there did a sudden noise from behind herself tick into her inorganic ears, as it forced her focus to immediately be gained onto that mechanical signal. Before she could even swivel her head around to spot what made such a cacophony in this otherwise silent world her whole body went on guard as something suddenly began to ascend from within this lifeless room.
With piercing attention and aimed precision the ready model reached for her pistol while her concentration was directed fully onto; a green platform gradually escalated upwards from the floor. Taking a second to note it wasn't a hazard that occupied within these four walls, the gynoid leisurely untensed from her stance as she garnered all her attention towards that moving platform that suddenly jerked awake. Baring a deep green colouring, the platform that started to descend down, as it reached the height of the right-side ledge, she noted, was not particularly large or impressive for its size, she could stand on it easily, though without any excess wiggle-room to spare. More so, around the sides of this platform was a glow of a bright blue light, emanating out from all sides like some basic LED bulbs, giving her clear direction as to what was helping it move so freely.
Yet with her eyes fixated onto that spotlight, she never had forgotten the curt ring that resounded from behind her body, and with a turn did she spot the figure of the human looking. . . a little bit shocked for wear. It wasn't his expression that garnered her interest, however, but rather his body, more precisely, his foot, and what it seemed to be standing on.
"Did. . . I do tha-" Before his sentence was fully finished a simply lift up of his foot hollered out another click from underneath, rising a pause from both before the gynoid made a swift spin back around to her original position: just in time to watch as the platform that had abruptly been hovering in place descend back into the floor.
As she stared back down towards the place that was under Dale's foot, recognizing the black and yellow border that housed the otherwise undistinguished square, the pieces began to form the solution in no time at all; even without them all here, the puzzle had already taken the discernible picture they needed.
She clapped once, ensuring his attention was fully directed onto her as she had already made a strut forward, and swerving past him the Haydee confidently planted both of her down down onto the square were assuredly, a clicking noise was made seconds before the platform regained its ascent upwards onto the pre-destined path. As she suspected; the way forward was not a one-person job, as the requirement of two participants was needed if she wanted to keep going. Luckily for her, such a precondition was already well met. With a point, she aimed not her own attention, but the humans own, over towards somewhere in particular.
Dale looked and saw what she was spotlighting on, his eyes following the trail of the floating platform as he saw it go all the way up to the ledge before making its curt trip back down. Turning back around, he spoke out the question of "You want me to go up there?", and gained a firm nod in reply.
In truth, he had already assumed the answer before he made his inquiry, yet he still felt compelled to fully know it from Haydee's own request. Before she even asked him to move, he had guessed what was needed for them to do; he just didn't expect her to let himself handle it.
Unexpected or not, however, he saw no reason to ever let her down. So with his brow furrowed, just a smidge, the human nodded back before letting out a determined call of "I'll do it." And thus; he turned and made his way to that hovering square without further delay. As he stood, waiting for the platform to descend to his level, he mildly let his mind wander to why Haydee allowed him to be the one to open their way forward. Was it because she sought him the better option to complete this task, or was it simply down to her wanting him to be the one to do it? Either case, the machine instructed him on what to do, and when the platform finally hovered down to his position, he immediately jumped on and to quickly feel his weight ascend into the heavens above.
At level with the ledge, Dale immediately made a petite jump forward onto the ledge as his fixation was kept to the only noticeable thing that was kept up here; a single button. Seeing this as the only option there was he pressed the red-shining mechanism, and swivelled around just in time to watch as another of the floating platforms appear before him and hover around; this time rather than make escalation, its route was horizontal, and it was making a beeline towards that second balcony.
He knew exactly what to do, and standing right to the ledge, Dale stood his ground and waited those silent seconds until the platform returned from its leisurely stride from the otherledge and came toddling back to him. He bided his time, knowing not to leap forward with a casual flare, but better to pause his feet until the platform came as close to him as possible, mere feet from the edge of the balcony just before its hovering directed its velocity in the other direction - and thus was when he made a sprint and bound.
"Woah-woah." A little slip in balance as his weight shifted a little bit too forward, but otherwise went fine, save for perhaps his arms flaring around a tad too much. To that, he felt some cherishment that the only one that perchance had seen him didn't seem like the kind to mock - though from the side of that particular one in question, it wasn't mockery she felt when she noticed him slip, but an edge of dread as she noted just how fatal a fall like that would be to him. To herself as she still stood her ground on the activating mechanism, she wondered if it should have been her that went up to the balconies. . .
But wonders were but a fleeting reflection, as not even a moment later had passed before Dale made a jump from the hovering square and onto the second ledge, making but a quick trip over to the button and pressing it without a remark for its placement. With a buzz of activity later, the grating for the door slid out, leaving it now open for the two as the human smiled for his accomplishment. To his relief, his way down was not a return back the way he came up, but from a third platform that now ascended up to his height from the side. He didn't even wait for its pathway to be fully revealed, as the male jumped onto the floating square without delay as he let him take a trip right back down to the floor, and finally step onto the safe, flat ground.
Only when his second foot was firmly planted onto the earth did Haydee finally move away from the activation pad, not caring to see the rest of platforms descend back into their hidey-holes as she strut right up to the human in an almost hurried manner. Though he never noticed how hurried she may be deemed, he still saw her approach nonetheless, nonchalantly stating "That went well, I'd say.", as if completely forgoing just how dangerously high up he truly was.
Still, the job was done, and he deserved a thanks for it, so with a light ruffle of his hair, Haydee continued her march forward as they both trekked off to the exit.
Within the first few steps, Haydee could discern, before she even fully examined from left to right, there was a lot to take in here. Straightforward pathways and linear routes were no longer ideals she could take relief in knowing will come true; this room did not give her any reprieve from explicated solutions. However; even with all these overwhelming facts complicating her true resolution, she knew better than to give in to such consternation and instead she should, and did, list through all that was prevalent in this plain.
Firstly, this room did not just hold one simple exit outward, but instead it was holding three other doors for them to possibly traverse through. Going not only north from her south, but also east and west, she quickly assumed figuring out the true way through was only a matter of thorough investigation. That was better said than done, it should not be disregarded, as each of these four doors was separated by a deep dark descent to the abyss below, and though not spaced so daringly apart, a simple hop across was not easily achievable, because as she saw, each of these balcony was lined with walls of shadowing grating, with each having just one small open section to allow access through.
Yet how to get there was a little tricky to decipher. Besides the balconies, the only other sections within this bottomless room were two tall pillars; reaching up from the shadows below and stopping parallel to the height her own boots were standing on, and three more of those green floating platforms, hovering in place as they remained stationary. Though these were periodically spaced out, none seemed to be placed in any position that would allow her an easy jump across; as even the closest door to herself, the one who's northern faced position was kept in tandem with its open section facing her own, was at a distance to long to jump even with the help of the human beside her. No, as this left her with the sneaking suspicion that the way to go onward was with the only interactive feature that existed for them to utilize; the single jade button placed right beside the opening. So with no plausible second option to take; Haydee pressed the button and watched what unfolded before her:
Right in front, spaced perfectly between her own opening and the one due north, did Haydee see the rising of a floating platform surface from the deep depths of the shadows from below, the green a highlight among the otherwise black as it pushed through without hassle and paused only when upon the same height as the rest of the breaching ground. It stood still, hovering as unmoving as the pillars that poised either side, and it let her know it was ready to be crossed, or at least, stand upon without fear. For her to stand upon, that is.
Turning back around, her frame focused its forward onto the body of the human, as he had remained silent, perhaps likely in contemplation like she was, but otherwise restrained from unnecessary actions. He looked straight back, his own attention mainly on her, which allowed her to easily grasp his engrossment upon herself as her hand reached outwards in motion; first to point to him, then the same finger dived down as its end reached to the floor below.
"If you need me to stay here, I will." He nodded without retaliation, which she knew was a good sign from him, as she'd prefer to work alongside a cooperative companion. So nodding back, the gynoid made a swift turn around to the entrance as she stood right on the edge, staring forward to the platform that was just a hop, skip and a jump away. And all she would need to do now was make a bound. . .
"Be careful." The sudden call was as tentative as it was unexpected, the machine only tilting her head to give but a brief look back to the man that announced it, a little tinge of concern painted his face while he otherwise stood his ground as he promised. Seeing him speak nothing more; she pushed forward with all her might and leaped!
With a slam, her body shook as it hit the hovering shape; the First Law of Motion kept her fall from being soft as her weight crashed into the side of the platform with a heavy bash. Yet her body did not falter with its grab, as immediately after Haydee shifted her body forward and climbed up the platform to stand straight upon the short square. Now that a pathway had been opened up; her next step was where to go next.
Not that she hadn't already assumed which way would be the most viable option in the first palace. Before her legs were even thinking the thought to vault over the depths, Haydee had already noticed the important details present for each of the exits out; to her west, the door that separated the here from out there was sealed off by a thick dark border, one for which she could not spot any plausible opening switch for, while up north, though carrying the obstacle in the same vein of manner, actually did seem to hold a way to possibly unlock and progress onward: three green switches lined up along the northern wall at spaced points. However, as she could estimate, none were at a distance adjacent enough for them both to press at the same time, so again she quickly summarized this was not the immediate way to go on.
That left only one other option; East. The only other door here that was not hindered by any blockage or wall. That, she knew, was the route they best try to take, and the one she had already prepared her body to make a jump towards:
And that way was onto the left side pillar.
Her sense of direction were not off, it should be said, as the gynoid had already saw the quandary this room was given them both: Once that button of emerald shine had been pressed, it was not only the centre platform that moved, but the three previous viridescent platforms that she noted had just as immediately dived back down, into the deep void far below. It was not simply an unlocking mechanism she had pressed, but one that switched the placement of these specific platforms each time it was called; as one set arose, so did the others fall, and vice versa. To that, she was glad she had left the human in place, right where he needed to be.
She clapped, her noise echoing these silent walls. So with his attention gained she firmly pointed out with her finger - not onto his chest - but what was before his own front. "You want me to press the button!" He called out to her, his eyes darting straight back onto her the moment he saw what she was focusing on. She gave only a singular nod in return as a response, the sole movement was all that he needed as confirmation as he activated the button, letting the Haydee give but a bye to the centre platform as it descended far below, not that she needed it now, because in opposite mirrored fall those three other platform rose up from the grey clouds underneath and jumped right back into the scene like nothing changed. And with her way clear, Haydee made a leap for the one up her north.
The final thing that Haydee noticed about this room, was there for up on the NorthWest corner of her original placement, was a lone button placed chest height upon the west side wall, staying just above an inert platform for its own. As she had seen; though the door to the East side was perfectly clear, the entrance to the balcony was not as easy to reach. Facing the corner on the NorthEast side, it stood at a placement just out of reach for Dale to make a safe bound towards. With it the way it was, Haydee could tell that a straight shot forward was not the way to the solution, but instead a diversion was for how to proceed onward. Thus, she faced the button before she made a jump and landed on the platform hugging the side, standing back up straight as she confronted the mechanism; and pressed without trepidation.
She could hear it, before she even turned back around to face her handiwork, she heard the sound of the platforms making a move, both from afar, and also, to her apprehension, close by. She turned, and her focus entirely on point, was glad to see in the far off opposite corner, right by the East section, a new platform had risen from the depths. Great, that was what she had hoped for. What was undeniably less of that, though, was that button was tied to more than just one other platform. Those three others, interconnected simultaneously, had also sunken down below, cutting her access off to the way there.
Not that she saw that as any permanent problem, of course, as she already knew what to do next. With a simple tilt of her head, she saw, even when distorted by the few meshed gratings trying to hinge her view, the human had not at all left her out of his own focus. Though by how much he could see back she couldn't guess, his eyes twitching about what he was trying to see was constricted, but that could not hope to hinder her plan at all, as an easy solution was already found.
She clapped her hands just once. And it took just a mere two seconds after for her to see the shine of green rise from the darkness below.
Though she had no face, she was sure she would have smiled upon the sight of the quadratic automation rising up for her. It was content for her to know she had a person as fair as him traveling with her, and as she made her first jump across, she lightly began to feel satisfied she had made the right decisions. From there; she jumped back onto that first pillar, then onto the centre green platform, Haydee seeing the button she had pressed had only affected the widgets going around the outside. She stopped right then and there, turning back to the silent human as she gave a nod in thanks, the little smile he wore right after she saw to be the perfect response she could have been given.
But she was not here to give infinite praise to the lonely other, so with a swift turn away, Haydee made a leap towards the second pillar to this room; the first jump that was for only their way forward.
Their; as in them both. Because as Haydee made her first stand onto the second column, she made a turn to the entrance and resounded to the sole human the signal of duo clapping. "I'll be right behind you." His peppy voice a welcoming sonance from the otherwise dead echoes, and as she watched him flawlessly make a leap onto the centre platform, she turned away to her own route.
Within only a moment and three jumps for her later, Haydee landed down onto the east side balcony with a stomp of her two boots, eyeing the unlocked door with tenacious intent as she took a few cautious steps towards the exit out.
Not that she immediately went, however, as she had not at all forgotten the one trailing behind her. With her out the clear, she made sure to give room for when Dale made his impending bounce onto here, giving him the space needed for an easy jump. As it were, he was just a singular platform behind her own, and with her out the clear it was not even a moment after that Dale made the final leap of his own, and landed down onto the same balcony as her.
"I think I'm getting the hang of these platforms." He stated as he straightened his spine, taking a quick second glance back to eye those afloat quad-sided devices. Whether he was making a light-hearted quip or making a confession she could not guess, but she didn't need to, as when he looked back at her she instantly turned towards the door and readied them both to their way through.
Though she still did wonder what the other exits did hide, she knew better than to focus hard onto them, as her only focus was on the way onward, and thusly, her focus became primed with action, and they both exited on.
From a ground that was more void than floor, to one that needed another layer to contain all the footing. That was Haydee's first thoughts upon entering into the new room. More square in shape than the previous rectangular borders, the gynoid let her eyes scan around as she took in all this room had to offer.
In an almost mockery fashion, the room also had four more exits, each able to be pertained to the points on a compass. And again, many were locked up tight, though thankfully not all in the same fashion as said previous room. From right across her, East to her supposedly positioned West, the door leading out was blocked by yet another darkened grating. Though unlike before, this room was pertaining to a keycard switch right to its side. That noted, such uniqueness cannot be said for the one due north, as that way was also blocked off, this time without any indication for how to unlock. In a strange middleground from these two, the third, south way door was accompanied by three buttons closeby, but in a skewed break from normality this particular door was found way up high, closer to the ceiling than anywhere close to the floor, and as such a placement she assumed was not a viable option for her too meet.
To all this, as it seemed, for the way to unlock perhaps any of the ways out pertained towards the main focus of this room; that is, all that was in the centre. From above their heads; a square line that went all the way around the room, a mezzanine stood proud before them. Leaving a wide open for the centre, it looked to be almost crowding round the very interesting main piece that was inside this room. On the open floor, smack dab in the middle of it all, were a set of short grey blocks arranged almost haphazardly around square indentation upon the floor. How. . . bizarre of a sight.
Odd or not, whatever it was here for was not merely random coincidence, as everything that this place had thrown at her held some purpose for its existence, and she sought no reason to believe otherwise, so refusing to give hesitation Haydee made a walk towards them with an attentive graze.
With slow steps, the gynoid slowly encircled these pillars as she carefully inspected each and every one. They were not simply large, but tall, towering over even her height. . . But by just a bit, no less. As she investigated closely, she noted how none seemed to hold any visible difference between them, all looking completely the same to one another, the quadruple set holding little, if any, visible differences. But it wasn't the blocks alone that she gave an inspection to, as it was also the floor itself that she analysed. All these blocks were standing on a dip in the otherwise flat floor, not to any major degree, but enough to halt any shuffling trying to get over. Adding to that, there was a pattern here too, more square shapes, grey lines along a darker background. . . this was a grid before her, one that all these blocks were pertaining to.
This certainly could not have been a fortuity.
As she looked, as she gauged, as she determined what these are meant to mean, she slowly pried her eyes off from the ground and up the length of those solid blocks that covered a chunk of this specific flooring. From here, she slowly was brought to the realization just how exactly this all was connectively tied. And without a word, Haydee took a step back, got behind the nearest solid block, and began to push her weight onto it.
"Haydee, why are you-" The timid human began to speak out, only for his inquiry to be cut off short the moment he saw Haydee's frame slowly heave the tall, thick piece of material out of her way. Her arms stretched, her figure moved, and the rectangular prism carved its way forward across the grid before it slid to a stop.
It was heavy, Haydee noted, such a solid box was something that only she could have shifted from its resting place, and even then it took most of her might to simply move it at all, yet it was moved nonetheless from one section of the patterned grid, to the next, what she saw as she took a grand step back to admire what she had done.
Which seemed to accomplish very little. No reaction given, no audible or visual clues to tell of what she had accomplished. It was practically as if the only motion that had been consummated was the fact these blocks could be moved. Her eyes searched left and right as she took in the full picture being presented, and believed that perhaps; they needed to be moved. But to what degree; how far and which way? These were not questions that could be answered so readily.
At least, if she knew, she could take some solace in knowing she was not the only befuddled one around here. Nearer by the door, standing by his own, Dale did not focus on getting closer to this set of blocks, but instead his attention was garnered onto something even more flat on the ground than those boxes. As painted upon the flooring not simply by, but focused around the centre segment were a few lines coloured that familiar shade of grene. From how they looked, they did not hold as much of a regular arrangement, rather, they went parallel and bisected into the dipped section at unusual intervals.
While Haydee still tapped on her chin, the human silently moved around behind her and took a look from a different angle; and sure enough he saw from behind the gynoid more of those green lines stretching out from the area, yet coming down from below, as opposed to the other from the side. To add onto to that, even inside the centre section did more of those lines seem to abide. The way it was all structured, asymmetrical and without course for order, it looked less like any shape, and more like a hidden image.
Dale quickly turned right behind him, not for a cause of shock, but instead to stare at what was behind him; as up by that entresol was there a hanging tile of grating: the kind he could manoeuvre with, and one that was connected to the entire encircle of opening flooring. Like a flash of a blaze did it appear to his mind.
"Haydee, I think I know how we can solve this."
With a spin, the gynoid turned to face the spoken human with clear focus as she awaited the explanation for his outburst. Though she hadn't expected him to be able to figure it out before her, she knew better than to diminish the ideas of others, so with a tilt of her head she let him know she was ready to listen.
"I think I need to get up there." She looked to his point, and saw that climbable grating from the Southway attached to the encompassing mezzanine. How that would help, she could only infer for, but if he postulated that this would benefit them then she was open to any effort. With a strut forward the gynoid moved to where she knew she was needed; under the hanging grating. Feeling already accustomed to this the next position she angled her knees forward and cupped her hands in front of her as she readied for the human to make a move up off her.
He looked hesitant, when she lowered her stance. Strange, she deemed, it was his idea to get up here, why is he suddenly starting to gain feelings of skepticism? He still came forward, with thankful reprise, but as he stared down to her hand, he couldn't bring himself to press forth without strongly ushering the inquiry of "Sorry, I have to do this again." A trivial matter, she internally paraphrased, as she remembered the previous repeat for this motion. Does he still think it a significant issue? It never affected her the past time, so why recite it again. She could not easily ask him this, but she never did need to, as they quickly managed in tandem to pull themselves upwards and propel the male's figure to the needed height, with Dale immediately clinging onto the grating and pulling his frame up it.
By the time she turned back around to face him, he was already effortlessly putting one food over the other and ascending up the reticulation without a moment's pause. "I believe the way we may need to solve this puzzle is with those lines on the floor." She turned at his conjecture, and sure enough she looked over to those green lines that trailed all along the otherwise pristine floor. It was not as if she hadn't noticed any of them, belay the thought, she had easily spotted those straight borders before she even finished her original stride up to the blocks. But even with such an uneven patterning, some even going off only to stop inside the centre of the minor depression, she had yet to figure out the connection it had with the blocks at large. Unless, perhaps, there was something she evidently was missing.
To that, it seemed would held true the moment Dale jumped from off the grates and fully onto the mezzanine; because only a moment later, with the human's eyes scanning the area like some vain attempt to copy Haydee's own, did Dale's attempt in deciphering be shown as fruitful.
"There! I think I see it now!" He shouted enthusiastically as a single finger of his pointed back towards that centralized area. "On top of each of those blocks are more of those green channels, like on the floor. They look like they're meant to be arranged in a certain way, to line up alongside those that are planted underfoot." As she listened while her focus was stared at the towering pillars, the gynoid began to nod her head in agreement with what he was stating. "I think we need to place those columns in the correct spot if we want to open a door." She thought that made sense; there was indeed something important about these obelisks, it was just the angle for her that was off, not the way she was thinking. With that all said, she knew exactly what needed to be done.
"If I can remember the placement," the human idly let himself trail off as he stared with picturing focus towards the pillars, "then we could move those together into the right spot. Though how do I remember them all when I get down. . . " His wandering sentence, lingering in his perched place, burst out of frame like a bubble when he saw the gynoid stand right beside one of those blocks while she looked right up to him in diligent patience. She wasn't just standing there like a lame statue, but rather, her arms were raised and placed open-palm onto the nearest column, as if ready to begin pushing right at the moment.
"Hold, I'll be down in just a second!" But to his surprise, the gynoid shook her head after a resounding clap before he could make a turn back to those grates. Stopping before he could even start, the human rightly blinked as he tried to understand what she was meaning. "You want me to stay up here. . . so I can direct you down there?"
But of course! How else would he be able to help her if he wasn't from up there? Why would he think otherwise, it's not as if them working together was anything strange by now. She would not have gotten to this point without Dale's interactions and unequivocal support, and likewise neither would have he, as both of them had needed each other to pass forward to this room. Why would he believe there was a different option? It couldn't be simply because he didn't want to direct her.
Yet in actuality, that wasn't far from the truth. Standing up high, looking down from above at a distance, Dale froze up as he didn't feel assured about what he needed to do. It was him that was needed to direct and guide, to manage this operation to guide the other with what was meant to be accomplished, and honestly; he was almost afraid. Not because he didn't want to direct her; but because he was fearing he would lead her wrong.
What if something went askew, his guess incorrect or it will lead to a failure that may actively cause problems for her. He didn't want that, not for her. True, he hadn't known her for that particularly long, but still, that was no reason to be the cause of misfortune for someone how has shown no anger or contempt over.
No, no, that was no way to think, she wanted him to lead her, at least just for this. He shouldn't have such thoughts, not when she so willingly trusted him: He should also trust her much the same; and if she trusted his judgement, then he should swiftly trust hers, even if her judgment was trusting his undetermined judgement. It was not his place to let her down, not after being so appreciative, he should show it back, to not be difficult but to be compliant, especially when it helped them both. Now with a bit of will in his mind, with a stern look, a brow furrowed and a straightened spine, the human looked down with awaiting focus as she finally began his first of multiple commands towards the machine:
"I think you need to move that one forward a space. . . if you want to, I mean, that is, of course." With a nod, the gynoid pressed forward with all her might into the column. While it took a few seconds, the pillar eventually gave way to her unyielding strength and could not resist anymore, and thus the pillar moved a square forward.
"Now I think it-you need to move it up one space away from me - not that I demand you should." As instructed, Haydee moved her body around to face the request side and formally pushed the block the way informed, gritting her boots to the floor as she would not bow to the weight.
"It looks like that is meant to stay there. Now if you'd kindly - if you don't have any objections at all and you're free to state any and all of them - locate the block closest to you and push it left by one space." She moved without a single sign of reluctance for her part as she robotically followed his request and swiftly got behind the stated column and gave no grievances when she pushed it forward.
"Now. . . I think I may need to look at it from a different angle." Dale told before she watched him move off to the eastern side of the room before continuing on with his appeals to her. "Right I can see it a bit better now. If you would - like to - move to the block that's closer behind you, it looks like it's meant to go a space closer to my side and to the left." Taking a step away from the pushed pillar, Haydee turned her attention onto the one designated by the human and with a grip, moved the obelisk a step to the room's East, close to his side as instructed, before her frame spun onto the second placement and with a heave, moved the third and penultimate post into its proper position.
"Umm, the uh. . . other left, I mean." She stared blankly to the human, as he in turn stared away to anything but her, eyes darting at moment towards herself only to quickly reclaim their position to anything else. Did he mean right? If he meant that, why ask her to go left?
The most logical answer was he had forgotten which way meant which. Or maybe the other of not realizing the real way it was meant to go made much more sense. Still, it mattered little in the long run, and without a retort in the gynoid calmly made her way to the otherside of the pillar and pushed it, once as it was the way it was meant to go, and a second time to make up for it moving in the opposite direction. Though it moved without any occurrence for hassle, she was sure she heard a whispering stutter of apologies coming from the man.
"For the," he looked to pause so to gulp down a breath of air, "f-final column, it looks like it needs to be pushed one step le - my left, and another step towards my direction." She nodded, and with reprise the machine stood behind as requested, moved it one space in the direction as first asked, then with just a second long look to the hopefully final push, the gynoid slammed her whole frame into the pillar and got it moving rightly in the correct direction with the hitherto quickest of heaves.
And thus, when all was said and done both the robot and human admired the accomplished work before them as they took a grand look at the picture at whole and waited for the rise of the endowment that was meant to be forthcoming. The sound, movement, or any kind of audible clue that would infer to them a job well completed.
Seconds later, nothing seemed to change.
". . . Did I get it wro-" And just before the last word could leave his mouth a loud and sudden beep shook him startled body as not only did a large audible beep echo around these walls, but to the shock of both, those heavy solid blocks that once towered over them both suddenly began to melt into the floor. Accompanied by the sounds of heavy machinery grinding into something, the two watched as those once large columns became nothing more than footstools as they continued to sink into the ground, and stop only when the high flat tops had become part of the very floor itself. And before either could think of a remark to what they just witnessed, those lines that were aligned on the floor began to radiate a bright fluorite green. Not just the ground, but the lines, and only the lines, on the flat tops of the blocks were all glowing a striking shade of fern, brightening up the otherwise bleach-white tiles with an almost eerie glow.
"Huh. . . well that's something to see. . . " Dale mindlessly mumbled under his breath as they both took a good moment to stare at the lightly illuminating glow that emanated from the middle. Still, the barricade was now longer halting their access, so any lingering thought to continue and admire their work was now a deemably meaningless action. With a call of twin claps, the gynoid gave her indisputable signal as she awaited his rejoinder.
He gave no verbal answer, but still he hurried, almost rushed back over towards the grate with haste. Ready to return, what stopped his action of taking the trip back down was not a mental blockage over how he was currently feeling, although there was minor hesitance to join right by her side, but rather what stopped his course was the sight of those lightened up borders; now looking a little different than before.
As it seemed; what caused him not to notice the sight before him was not a dip in focus or change in thoughts, but rather a simple angle of observation that made him do a double take towards the centre area. Standing right in front, looking down from above, the human could now see it wasn't just some ill-defined connecting borders that made up this puzzle, but rather with how they were drawn those shining lines looked to be spelling out. . . a monogram?
"F L. . . " He whispered in disbelief and bewilderment. Not just for it spelling out actual letters, but also the lingering monogram served to only make him wonder for what was being alluded to.
He couldn't think of an answer, but a quick shake of his head brought him back to reality as he quickly remembered there was someone waiting for him. Even if the persistent question for what the monogram was still there, he knew better to dawdle over such matters and quickly after the human climbed down from the mezzanine and caught up to the robot without any further delay. And without anything more said than a proud nod from the machine, the duo swerved past the centre area and up to the northern door, ready to press onward.
With the feminine machine not noticing the human's hand having a try to reach for hers, only for it to immediately decline back when close.
Well. . . For all they had been through, seeing the return of both the deep descent and those green suspended platforms did not at all rock the gynoids concept on reality when she first took stride in. Though her moments with them were not long, she had already felt accustomed to their presence being on their unnamed route.
What was decidedly less conventional for her to see, however, was a room filled with nearly nothing but those hovering devices, and multiple numbers of them too. She knew she could not hope to count them on both her hands in any short time, not she believed she needed to, but still, the sheer amount that floated around this room without a single stretch to move closer to any dimension did leave her a little bit on the dumbstruck side.
Not enough for her to not remember what she needed to do, perish that idea, as shocked or not the gynoid refused to waste time gawking at the amount of platforms before her and instead she turned her attention onto how to proceed. Thankfully, this room was noticeably more linear than the previous kinds, as far on the opposite side of this rectangular-sized room was the only exit out. Though not as simple as an exit as she would have wished, the blockage of shadowy mesh denied any respite from a smooth leaving, so instead her eyesight let trail all around to see what else this place had to offer.
There were only two other things this room had left to interest them; two buttons, standing at chest height wedged into the sides of these walls. The first, off into the distance, was found on her left side of the exit out, while the second stood on her right side, actually right beside the balcony they both were at. She made no attempt to reach for it, however, as she knew better than to make sudden judgment, especially when it comes to these kinds of platforms. For what purpose were they here for, exactly? They did not make a move on their own, nor did she see any possible factor that would change that. They were arranged pretty close to one another, a simple jump was all it would take to move from one to the next, and more importantly they weren't sparse apart even by any of the ends. So to what end was the challenge here for them?
Regardless, standing here and thinking over plausible solutions, though a reasonable idea in of itself, meant little in the long run if there wasn't an action accompanying it, and with her mind drawing a blank as to what else there was here for them, the gynoid knew better than to stand idle and not find a solution. Her mind was made up, and with a spin to her right Haydee moved to the edge of the balcony, and took a bound forward onto the platform right by the button.
Her boots clumped down onto the hovering square. At floor height and barely a distance apart her bounce was more akin to a pace, even though the distance between them both was more than a singular step. Still, though, she was standing right beside the button at any rate, so without any further postponement she was ready to turn her whole attention towards the activation mechanism and -
It was then that something caught her vision and froze any motion to move. Because facing her left side, the side with the long chain of jade-shaded squares, she began to notice that those other platforms, all of them, were suddenly starting to rise up to the ceiling. Without warning, without clue, the machine saw that they were all beginning to strangely ascend upwards, yet for why and how she could not pinpoint. . .
"Haydee!" And it was right about in that moment, when the gynoid's form swivelled in one full hundred and eighty degrees to stare behind to the one who called, that it finally dawned on the machine to what was really happening here:
The other platforms were not going up; it was hers that was going down. Into the deep abyss.
"Quickly: grab my hand!" The human called out as he swiftly ran towards the edge in a hurry, holding out his arm for her to hold before she was dropped into the awaiting void. She already knew to move, her body tensing up as she prepared to make move and back to safe land, and with a single step forward to gain her momentum, the gynoid leaped to backed to security with a reach of her own hand.
Valiant, she would call it, him reaching out his own hand to grasp, though entirely unneeded. The jump was not too far a distance, and her arms were still long and strong enough to make the leap, so without further delay the machine pulled her up back up the ledge while the human crouched nearby only simply watched her haul her frame without any acknowledgement for his help. Slowly sinking his arms back as he tried not to say anymore, the human stood up straight and joined her in standing around and giving what they had witnessed more thought.
She saw it quite the conundrum; though she could stand on the platform, she doubted she may have enough time to both activate the button and grapple back to safety. There was a chance it could work, but rushing into it could likely lead to accidental disaster. More so, it was not the only button that resided in this room, so there was also the fact she may have to press both, and how to get exactly there was no walk in the proverbial park either. To wit, all of the escapades she had faced had some way to complete it, so just where was the conclusion she had to draw. . .
"Eh. . . Haydee." Before a finger could even once tap to her chin, the gynoid made a focus onto the caller of her name. "I'm not sure if this helps or anything, but after you jumped onto that platform I saw one of the others at the far end began to ascend in turn." He pointed outward, and as she followed his trajectory she noticed where he was directing her attention to was at the farthest end of the room; on the opposite side of hers. "Right over there, I think the one right beneath where that other button is placed." And no other had been moved, only the one at the complete opposite side of these boundaries? That got her mind racing for the answer, and with a stronger understanding of this place now encased in her CPU, she made no moves over than the rotation of her head as she repeated her observations.
As she inspected this layout further, she began to see an interesting pattern emerge with the platforms. All of them were arranged in a symmetrical shape, in both side by side and north and south, so it seemed this room has a focus on mirrored manoeuvring. To add on further to this, the array of platforms that were arranged on either side of the balconies marched along in a single file, but those that filled up the direct space between her sides entryway and the other instead had two platforms lined up side-by-side in every row, being so close it was like they're paired up together. With all this figured out, it still left her with the question for how they were meant to proceed; since if they tried to leave on one side it would lead to it descending down against its far side partner. . . unless, perhaps, the middle kind were already paired up with a neighbouring platform.
If that was held true; then she had already figured out her plan of action.
So when she turned to the human, she was glad his attention was aimed at her; so it was a lot quicker for him to watch her as she pointed his own attention towards herself, then to him, and to his surprise she held up two of her fingers his way, before they both pointed right past him and onto the nearest two middle platform from forward their way.
"You want us both to jump to those platforms?" She nodded. "Then I'll follow your lead." No retort or hesitant remark, only compliance, and that made it easy to lead him to the front, as they quickly stood side-by-side one another.
"Just tell me when to jump, and I shall. I trust you." She nodded, holding up her hand for him to see as she ensured his attention was fully on her appendage; where she folded over both her thumb and smaller finger, leaving just three of her fingers for him to see.
Then two, one second later. He quickly figured out this meaning.
Then one, and almost in perfect synchrony both crouched a little in preparation.
Then none; and with a wave of her hand sweeping out of his sight, he knew what he needed to do. Because like the burst fire of a twin-barrelled shotgun, both shot forward with a heave and made a leap forwards! Their arc was not long, but they still readied their body for the impending drop, and though it may have only taken a second, the small twinge of dread came to them both as the bottomless pit opened up under their feet. Yet that pang did not grow in either, as immediately after both of them slammed their respective feet into the platforms as their weight collided with the hovering surface.
And to the relief of both; the platforms did not budge even an inch. Her belief materialized with positive support as very much as she expected, these two did not move. At least when both were being stood on. With that expectation out of the way, she peeled her eyes forward to the next pair of squares a skip away. In repeated motion, her right hand came to her side and the immediate return of "Ready!" was all she needed to begin her countdown.
Three fingers. Two. One.
Jump.
They leaped, and promptly landed again. A little smoother of a landing this time, the two getting a better feel for manoeuvring, Dale especially, it seemed, as before she can even wipe her arm out again she heard the human sprout out a call of "I'm ready again." She did not need to be retold, and her arm came out with three fingers pointing to nothing at all.
Then two. Then down to one. Then a hop in tandem as they made a bound to the next pair. With every additional vault they made, the gynoid began to see how peculiarly in sync they both were starting to become.
Though; another repeating of the syncing moment would have to wait, as her hand did not raise in front of this time but instead, it gave a point to him, then onto the platform across his right shoulder, as it directed him where to go next.
"I already got it." She tilted her head to his statement. "You want us both to leap onto the sides and make consecutively timed jumps so we can simultaneous press the buttons and open the exit."
. . . Yes, pretty much what her plan was in its entirety. When did he figure it out on his own?
She supposed it was down to her giving unintentional clues to her plan as a whole. He was shown to be quite bright in some places, so him filling in the blanks that have been mostly set doesn't seem too far of a stretch for him. So with a nod in confirmation, Haydee turned ninety on her heels and faced the platform over to her right. She had understood earlier on that here was the middle ground for the platforms, for which, as they moved in a mirrored tandem, would only make it logical that the only two platforms they both can get on would be the middle set as well. To that end, she was ready to move.
More than he was, apparently, as before her first jump away from him started, the human called out to her with a loaded question.
"If we're facing away from each other, then how would we communicate on when to-"
The clap that came his way did not come only in a verbal form, as she made sure her arms went off to the side so he could see what she had designated for him.
It was only likely that she would need to find a way to communicate with more than just visual clues. It was also only logical that he may ask that question as well, as she was sure, the human could be quite the inquisitive one at times, and no less, had already proven to think things ahead much like herself.
As he was the one that nodded this time, he turned his attention to his own platform while she did the same to her own. Though they couldn't see, both felt just as ready as the other as they prepared for the inevitable jump ahead. Frame crouched, muscles tensing, they waited on the machine's mark.
With a swing of her arms, the clap rebounded off the walls and into his ears; and without even a nod of understanding to give, he made a jump, and so did she. A second's worth of jumping matched well alongside the second's worth of his heart skipping a beat, as the singular moment of peering into the ending dark below was thankfully diminished when his fitting, and vision, landed back onto the hard cushion that is a shamrock platform. Steadying himself before he checked back, he leaned over his shoulder to smile a little at seeing the gynoid not only having jumped on her side as well, but also looking back towards him with her blank face. He didn't nod or wave to say hello, as he believed, he saw it now as unnecessary to waste time over trivial greetings, at least when no problem has occurred; so when he saw her hands reach forward to boom another noise, his attention was already regained on the forward way; towards that button not a distance too far.
The sounds of hands hitting one another suddenly breached his ears, and without a second longer he made his expected leap, in time with her, to have both land on the shaky ground of the aerial tiles. It took just a moment longer for Dale to hear that noise again before he made yet another leap towards the next square forward; a look down of colours that swapped between black and green as the human did nothing but only pay attention forward, maintaining the perceived assumption that so was his mechanical companion.
Which, despite all expectation to be holding true, wasn't completely so. Between every jump they made, Haydee always turned her head around for just a moment to ensure he was ready. Out of his range or knowledge, Haydee made sure that after every jump she would turn his way in case he was struggling. Not out of a lack of trust, just in case something accidental had happened that she may need to react on. Thankfully though, her unease did not come alongside real happenstance, as on the final jump to their respective buttons the human had gone by as smoothly as herself. Though it wasn't the only time an end was made, she was still feeling the sense of good spirits that her apprehension did not hold a light to.
"Ready on your command!" The oblivious human shouted to her from across his side, his hand already aiming for the button while he awaited her call. For this, she sought it most reasonable to continue using the same methods they had been utilizing, familiarity was very much an easily understood narrative, so with her back turned and her hands coming close, her focus was primed to her button while she readied her audible command.
The clap was issued. And within the next second the activation of both buttons arrived in perfect tandem as the two pressed down firmly onto the devices. The loud trill that followed came like the introductory note of a melody as the black obstruction quickly hurried away from the door and out of their sight; no longer a problem for them now. With it gone, they knew it was time to head back, needing to return in tandem before they both could progress; even though that exit resided just a jump away from her. The exit can be right beside her for all she cared, she refused to let leave without the human.
So with a resounding clap that echoed all the way to the other side, the gynoid and human jumped forward in synchronized leaps as they began their trek back to formality. A clap again, a jump, and a lingering thought for Haydee to why she would ever think to leave him behind. He's far too useful and kind to let be without a protector seeing to his safety. A third clap, and subsequently after both made a turn towards each other as their sights were aimed for each other than the pair of platforms they needed to pass onto. To this, the gynoid believed she saw the edges of the humans lips curl up a lip at her sight, right before she signalled the jump that called for their adjoining.
Barely an inch of the platforms dipped either way as they both landed smoothly onto the hovering squares, finally back to being alongside each either that they'd much rather prefer. "I'm guessing it's time we keep moving forward?" She nodded to his inquiry, having both turn back forward to face the next exit. Unlike the previous moments, her hands did not arc round to ready a clapping motion, but this time her stance reverted back to holding out three fingers for him to see, as they prepared for the next paired leap forward.
Not down to her seeing this as the nicer way, more simply because she felt it more secure for him to be ready for the time to move as opposed to simply signalling him so suddenly. That was what her processing facilities were telling her, and with a countdown clocking in perfect seconds upon when the final finger retreated back they both made a bound forward.
It did not take even a moment for her to start again, so sure he was more than ready; and to her credit, he already was, even before her hand arced over to his side. So with a short countdown, that made a second synchronized leap forward and landed without trouble.
With the third and final jump about to commence, the human that was standing right beside her was slowly thinking to himself, even with his main attention on the door out of here, that he felt far more secure and safe when she was standing right by his side. Though without a gun held firmly in her grasp, simply staying right by her side made him feel, even when considering his mind was still a fluster with trepidation and anxiety over his lost memories, like this world isn't as scary as he first likened it to be.
The final jump was made, and with silent praise for their feet to be touching solid footing they took only a moment to give praise over their accomplishment before they turned to each other. Without thinking it twice, the gynoid made a move to ruffle his hair, and the human eagerly accepted it without delay as he sought no reason to deny her appraisal. He was happy to help in any way, and with that done, they both turned together in facing the unlocked way out. With nothing left to specify or evaluate about, Haydee led the way forward as they left within seconds of facing their way out. He was glad he did not disappoint her this time.
Well; at least there was no dark chasm for them to inadvertently slip and fall into. That positive remark said, there was still too much darkness here for her personal liking; because obscuring most of her vision was the pestering walls of metal grating, blocking off both her main access through and her sight as it left them with nothing but the only visible access going to their left. Unlike the other meshed walls of before, leaving her in shrouded yet still viable perception for what was behind it, the walls that were before her now were a lot more thicker with the grating, allowing only the most hunched of guesses over what may be lurking behind in the shadows.
But vague guesses were not something they should dwell over for now, as they was still a way forward - the left side that ran along the walls till it turned a corner upwards - and with just the smallest double-check the human was at her side, the gynoid made haste forward as her heels clicked along the tiles to turn the corner around-
And spot a recognizable malicious machine waiting patiently for her arrival at the end of this corridor. Its piercing red lenses glared into her wiring as soon as her presence became known, and even without a face to make expressions she instantly knew it was focusing its cruel intent at her way - a truth near-immediately realized, since it suddenly began its merciless walk towards them.
And it didn't take her organic companion to scream an exclamation of shock and horror to tell her to withdraw her firearm immediately as her hand already reached down to its holster and grasp the grip with perfect hold. Her body reacted instantaneously, not only swerving her weapon up to aim, but also her body swerved itself to cover the human's front as she readied her weapon in place, finger on the trigger and with her sights locked she began to pull it back and -
With a boom that felt to shake their entire encompassment, a sudden explosion of dust, flame and meta, suddenly arose into existence before their very eyes, spreading out to every corner as the piercing light shone on them both. The heat blasted their way close enough for them to feel the warmth spread through the air as all the two could do was shield themselves in a vain attempt to survive such an explosion.
Yet by some miracle, the detonation that just occurred before them was not anywhere near close enough to cause either of them even minimal damage, because as they quickly found; the only incident that occurred for them was a shaken mind and stilled limbs, as she swiftly forced her mind and focus back to the way in front to examine and fathom just what exactly happened.
"Did. . . you do that, Haydee?" The shocked human tentatively spoke while he tried not let his anxiety override his senses. The only response she could feel to give was a lethargic shake of her head, as she swiftly turned back around to the front to survey what had suddenly materialized then disappeared within only an entire moment.
As she quickly noted; what was once a dangerous and deadly automation was now reduced to little more than harmless debris as nothing from its frame was left standing; only burnt circuitry and broken armour laid before her gave signal to what it used to be. Yet it was only what she knew, not what she needed to know, and what she saw essential above anything else right now is figuring out the cause of that blast.
Her mind was a natural recording machine, what she had seen from first waking up was as clear then as it was now, so in taking a rewind of her memories she looked back to just before the Walker blew up to check what she must have missed. With her sight having set onto the body of the marching machine, she hadn't noticed back then that laying down in the middle of the corridor, silent and almost innocuous, was a small dark circle emanating a light red glow on its centre. That itself was suspicious, but considering the eruption came only when the malevolent foe had advanced right over it. . . she had already determined what that object was meant to be.
And rightly after, became on guard for what she believed would become the inevitable if they did not stray from this path.
Taking in her priorities first, she turned her to take a good look at the human and how he seemed to be. With the explosion having gotten so close, she knew it was highly likely that this human would be feeling distraught, even after nothing had affected either, since he was, quite bluntly, the more frightened of the two. Not to disregard him as a whole, but she knew it true that he was far less sturdy and strong as she was. But harsh words of truth or not, taking a good look at him over she found that he was neither cuddling up into a corner nor physically shaking like a vibrating mechanism, instead at most he seemed fairly shaky yet still standing.
That being correct or incorrect, she did not forget how he acted upon the first sighting of the cloned automation, and standing firm she held at her hand for him to take. To her surprise, however, he actually rejected the offer, instead letting out a stutterd explanation. "I'm fine, just a little surprised, but thank you." Reeling her palm back in, she let her focus leave from the quiet human and back to the way forward, ready to restart their tread, only for this time her firearm out and ready, and thus they both were off.
With her weapon primed, the gynoid kept her hands as firm as her focus as she gradually strut her body forward. Dale was not far behind, keeping to her back as the machine led the way forward, over the debris of the deserved carcass without so much as a second glance and aiming for the corner of the corridor as it lead inward into -
She stopped, halted her entire frame in one spot and quickly pushed her arm off to the side to ensure Dale did the same. His pause came right before he could have bumped into her as he jerked back, making space before he quickly asked her why the sudden halt. Using the same arm that was used to stop said questioner, the gynoid quickly swerved her arm back to front while a single finger pointed to one spot, and with his gaze trying to follow hers he quickly found what she was trying to refer to:
Up just around the corner, on the far-side stony wall, Dale saw hiding almost suspiciously out of sight the appearance of a dark grey circle attached to the side of the wall, one that did little more than make a tiny scarlet glow for its display of existence. Making no move of its own, no noise rebounding out to anywhere, the human looked back to her with a confused look in hopes she would reveal her purpose; a reveal met with the view of her handgun aiming straight forward with righteously deadly intent.
So all he could now was take a step back and let her be: because in one single second after he watched as not only a bullet shot out with a virulent roar, but the near immediate sight of another small explosion rocked his perception as he nearly fell onto his back by the surprise of it all. Barely a moment had gone on by as the gynoid paid the blast no more heed and instead carried on forward like nothing was different. Though still in shock, he still made sure to trail behind her as she moved along without delay.
Though he knew to not always question her actions, his jumbling mind was beginning to fluster with questions of what was going on, why these explosions kept coming and why she kept firing at them? To what was happening here, to why did that machine explode before their eyes? And just when she investigated around the next corner, hers and following after his perception spied another of those devices lined between two pillars, the moment her firearm repeated the motion of lining up her aim towards the device it finally dawned on him what these devices actually were:
An explosive device designated to destroy personal or vehicles upon their presence of detonation.
"Those are proximity mines." He barely reacted to the kaboom that followed, the bright light and loud sound having little effect on the spaced human as he barely even seemed to react to Haydee's movement either, as she casually made strides towards progression.
"Why do I remember something like that? Why can't I remember anything else?" She stopped upon the hearing of the inquiry and turned towards the one who spoke, to her wonder, seeing his attention was not actually aimed towards herself but to. . . seemingly nothing at all.
"Mines? I don't get it, what did that have to do with my previous life? What's with these gasps in my memory, I can remember things, all kinds of things just not. . . my own history. . . why?" His eyes blinked wide when he noticed the presence of another having entered his peripheral vision, and turning his vision up to the sight he saw the frame of the gynoid looking to him with a tilted head. She seemed confused, what he quickly gathered, and with a minor shake of his head he properly faced her way and gave her the deserving answer.
"S-Sorry, just mumbling over useless things. We. . . we should press forth. Standing around can't do us any good, especially not with those. . . mines laying so haphazardly around." Though still a little befuddled by what he had been doing, Haydee sought it best to agree with his statement and return back to their trek, and so as if nothing had came about, back to their march they went.
Upon nearing the end of this corridor Haydee was given the decision to make a left or right turn. Seeing little reason for the way right to hold any such major deviations, the gynoid kept her weapon primed and the human behind as she sneaked towards the end of the pillar, snaked her head out to inspect and with a raise of her gun turned the corner to meet-
Nothing but a dead end, with no presence of any mines, machines or useful materials in sight. Moving away from the dead end, she aimed her sights onto the way left and began cautious steps, quickly seeing there was both a way forward, and an opening to her right, of which she gave strong attention to as she made sure with every step there was a peek around the corner to spot any such hazard.
A concept that was quickly shown to be highly effective, as seconds after the gynoid immediately paused and halted both herself and the human when she spotted something lurking right around the corner. Though only with the smallest of details, Haydee still was able to determine another of those mines were hiding around the bend, and in a disadvantageous placement for them no less; with it huddled up on the other side of the pillar, barely enough of it peaked through for her to detonate remotely, and with the wall in the way, she could not hope to get any good vantage point to destroy the device from afar.
That left her with only one other viable option, and that was to try the unbreaching path. To how in getting past here she could not solve the answer to, but at least a solution should still be found, so with a push of her arm, Haydee ensured the human was hugging the wall along with her as she made sure both kept distance when they traversed past it.
With cautious steps, the pair kept their concentration aimed for any more of those incidental explosive boxes as they turned the corner left, away from the other branch out this maze and then a turn to the right, here the first resurgence of the stone wall blocked their path instead of the metal gratings. Though this did not gain any form of palatable thought to either as there appeared to be no other way to get around that previous mine from this end. Leaving their way to be continued on with this route, Haydee took a fair step back to keep distance from the side while she slowly investigated around the bend - and to immediately after hold her palm out to signal for him to keep back.
Dale didn't even need to ask to what was the cause for alarm, and by her orders he made a space away from the direction her attention was garnered to while she in turn took a few steps back herself nesting her frame into the crook of the grating-meets-wall corner and aimed up her sights.
Neither the gunfire nor the explosion that followed startled the human, this occurrence now feeling as common as it was concerning as the human tried not to think too deeply on this reveal. Instead, he only waited patiently for her signal to continue following as they returned to their trail without delay.
As they walked by, their passage leading a way back around the direction they had come, Dale noted the open vent passage hovering high off the floor as they walked past it. Though he thought to speak up, taking a glance at the backside of the machine recalled his attempt to speak as he quickly assumed she had ignored it for a reason. With the end of the corridor in sight, the route turning into what he guess was the middle of this room for them, he chose not to waste her time with unnecessary questions as and instead follow her along, making sure to give her space as she spied around the corner in case of any hazards or any more of those. . . senselessly cruel mechanoids.
To his relief, the second after Haydee investigated around the corner she made a placid walk forward, giving him rise to feel safe and follow behind as he turned the corner she was just at and looked inside to. . . See. . .
An unfortunately unpleasant sight.
Though there was no blood, no skin that was once able to render or organs to let hang out the torn torso, the decimation he immediately noticed upon his first look inside still made his skin crawl with frigid shivers. Because lying in, or should it be around, this enclosure the human had his eyes fixated onto the multiple, ripped-off body parts of what he assumed was a once whole machine. True, it technically hadn't been the first time he had seen the obliterate body of a machine, the shattered body of that Walking automaton still afresh in his mind, but here, as he studied what parts were still examinable, body parts he could at least assume for what was once hands, feet and torso and the like, the sight did not give him jitters or fear, but only melancholy for the inorganic carcass. Bizarre as it was to confess, random as it were to admit to anyone; there was something offly familiar looking about these littered appendages that made his whole body tense and curl, as if somehow, deep inside his foggy mind, this was bringing out emotions he did not know their purpose for.
Supposedly, either because she had no true skin to crawl, or the metaphor was just purely that, Haydee remained unaffected by the sight of the dead machine while her boots clomped all over them. Even with the corpse being more similar to herself than the human, the gynoid never looked to be as bothered, if at all, by the remains as her focus was purely garnered onto more pressing matters; which as they now appeared to be, were seemingly only about what was currently held in the possession of a butchered off arm.
Picking up the whole appendage off the floor without a single sign of remorse for the dead automation, Haydee carefully inspected the object that this machine thought to still grasp onto even in death. To her moderate interest, the not one, but four objects that were currently residing in the rigor mortis-encased hand of the deceased looked to be in fact mines, the very same ones that were presented to her by this room. Yet unlike the others, these did not give off any minor scarlet light at all, and neither did they seem to have exploded beforehand. They must be inactive, Haydee quickly summarized, and to why they were here became an easily understood implication as she realized how they can be of use.
Holding onto the mines in her own firm grip, Haydee brushed away the broken arm without casual flair, shaking the inert hand as she let its grip loosen, and thus dropped unceremoniously on the floor with an indecent flop, before she made one final observation to this pack of explosives before promptly pulling her arms back and placing them inside her own bag. With her plan ready to be set in motion, the gynoid made not a moment be wasted longer in this cadaverous enclosure as she turned back to the opening and made a beeline for it. Her focus waned so thoroughly on the progress, she never noticed the tentative steps, or the remorseful look, that was bare on the human's face.
But heavy thoughts or not, the human still quickly joined her side as he followed her back around the way they came, until she rightfully stopped before that branching off point. Taking another long good look towards where she perceived the hidden mine was located, Haydee prepared to enact her plan in motion as she reached around and pulled out just one of the mines as her eyesight was aimed towards the pillar opposite that armed side. As she could quickly gather, this pillar that was unarmed was slightly more closer to the wall than the other kind, a minor discrepancy towards reason for most to assume, quite surely, but to her it made it perfect for what she had planned.
So with watchful and cautious steps, the gynoid made a slow advancement around and beside the unarmed pillar, knowing to take her time as she enacted her strategy even when she was hugging the wall from the other side. And with gentle poise thereafter, Haydee carefully bent her wrists to the side as she carefully and slowly, trying not to make any apace movements in case the worst can happen, placed the mine onto the pillar and let it stick, before her lone finger trailed over the activation button placed right over the black middle section; and pressed down without a lingering afterthought.
She knew that the instant after the proximity mine had been activated, she would have little time to run and get good ground. So with an ejection of her placement so fast Dale could only blink from the sight, the Haydee swiftly made a sprint right forwards; back to where she was standing and observing just a moment prior. So quick did her legs take her; Dale nearly tripped on his own feet as the gynoid moved so suddenly it was as if she had teleported to right before her in the near literal blink of an eye.
From his own angle, to see the larger character sprint right towards him, only to suddenly stop when she was barely an inch by where he just stood, well; the blank expression she was giving him did not help in feeling less befuddled from the shock that travelled up and down him. Shock that went entirely unnoticed by the gynoid, being he made no noise otherwise, she thought not onto any bewilderment he was feeling and instead turned and pulled her pistol up to where the newly laid mine was, and readied her aim.
Making a side-note to when the mine became ready for detention, a simple amber glow turned into the hazardous red a length of 4.23 seconds after activation, the Haydee did not waste time to say goodbye to her newly captured tool as she fired her shot, turning the once solid circle into a flurry of dust and flames, and in sequential turn, the hidden mine that laid from out her aim subsequently detonated rightly after. The matter was over in a second, but her plan went by smoothly, and with the matter resolved she knew not to wait a second longer as she picked up her pace and began her stroll forward and around, turning the corner and making her way through.
"That was some. . . smart planning you did there, Haydee." She overheard the human complement, and with a small swivel of her head the gynoid looked his way and nodded in confirmation that she had heard it. Simple as it was to complete, it did feel nice whenever he gave praise to her. Why did it feel nice, she did not know, but she theorized it was likely an innate drive built in to ensure she kept up with her intelligent strategies and reconstructive procedures. She doubted he knew that was the case, the human suffering too greatly from memory loss to remember much of anything, yet still, a commendation was found emphatically productive nonetheless.
An esteem she found was correctly given towards an astute mind, as the gynoid promptly stopped the tracks of both when she noticed not the only the exit out of here, the door finally located, but also a space given around the corner, of which, with careful inspection, Haydee saw the tell-tale signs of a red light burning out from behind a pillar. She instantly knew the plan to enact, and with a gentle push to signify a standing back, Haydee slowly made her tentative steps towards the door as she hugged the stone wall. As she had guessed, there was indeed another mine placed up on the pillar facing the exit's way, and in a reputation it was not placed in an easily shot spot. Course, what to do now was not at all difficult to decipher, she would say not even wary of anymore wanting praise, because Haydee swiftly pulled out another mine from her backpack, readied its placement in the correct spot, and with just a single tap on the activation button made a stride away to give distance from the blast radius, and promptly took aim and fired.
Not even needing to wait until the first blasts dust dissipated Haydee trekked on forward, Dale in tow, and with a turn around made a simple beeline towards the unchained exit and entered through.
After this room was completed, Haydee felt all the more assured that for all the problems that looked to come their way; it would not be enough to stop her from completing her goals.
First step in, and though cautious observations were made as per the norm, they quickly let their guard be lowered, or at least unclenched, when they saw nothing of danger looked to be anywhere present in this room. From where they first stood, they could see the room was spread outward more widely than this more cramped corridor they had found themselves in. Of note to tell, Haydee could not see anything of important note of focus to think of, as encompassing both their sides were more of those green-tinted pipes, safe from the two's accidentally placed footing by sturdy grating that were part of the flat floor. To their front, for little reason she could decipher, were two separate instances of the stone walls sandwiching inwards. Not enough to stop either from moving forward, if anything, they looked more like arches along the tiled straightway than an obstacle worth solving - and if that's all they were, Haydee sought no reason to stay and look any longer as she made a beeline towards the opening.
Under and through the 'arches' they went, alongside the quick observation there truly wasn't anything of worth between the spaces of the two, and only a quick pace was made as she passed right out them both and made a closer stride towards the way forward.
But her perception had not actively been diminished in the slightest, because with but a few steps out the second entryway Haydee's entire frame stood rigid when she saw something of truly worthwhile note coming up to her left. Standing at chest high onto the rock border was what appeared to be a button glowing a deep, low red. Though; only seemingly from what she could peer at, since laying all over its circular top was a metallic growth of some description, one that made no light of its own, a fine comparative to the buttons also inert composure.
"Hmm?" She could hear the human mumble from behind, also seemingly confused yet intrigued by what was on offer here. Taking a stare up and down, the only thing that Haydee can find worth detailing, besides the three stretches it made to enclose the sides of the button, was the small symbol it had right in its centre: Of a circle and three enlarging waves.
No such symbol was recorded in her database, thus meaning she was having no luck in deciphering its message, and no doubt, as she looked back, he too was not coming up with any answer either, as he only gave a light shrug to what its purpose was for. Seeing as its purpose was of little use to them, at least, for now perhaps, Haydee stopped trying to fixate on it any longer and instead turned back to forward, urging the human along with her as they both quickly turned heel and entered out into the more open place of this room. As she believed; to what end that was for would only matter once they needed to.
Turning to her left side, she noticed quite a number of things; a storage box situated right nearby the wall, a wall-depression for a passage so thin she figured only Dale could squeeze through, another vent nearer an entryway but with a much wider berth, and a long line of grating that separated her from the side that housed those notable sights. But the final piece that placed this all together was the locked door that ensured their way in was met with discouragement. Trying not to feel so miffed at seeing but one more of the many blocked exists that halted their progression, the Haydee instead turned to look around more to this newly occupied room; and to her distaste she found very little else in his rooms to give guidance for their endeavour. Unless those caged pipes will come waddling out and give them a hand up, she sought that the only way to keep on going was through the only optional route for them; a rusted vent cover that led to a presumably different room.
With no other choice on hand, Haydee made a simple beeline towards that dirtied cover with haste. "What do you think is behind there, Haydee?" She heard the human calmly question. For that degree; it could only be left on speculation at best, sure, it seems to act as a jointed pathway, if the two vent way passages are to be believed, but for what may be in that box she couldn't even begin to fathom over. Though she was sure the way in would be found, and quite soon, she left to optimistic value, but said way was not found yet, and she'd rather keep her focus pertained onto what can be currently accomplished.
With a sharp glare aimed towards that rusting piece of metallic barrier, the gynoid smoothly lifted up her right leg without so much as a tip in her balance, and a crescent drop the boot slammed down hard into the already dented vent covering, shattering through with little resistance or instance of problem. The loud crash that followed did not shock the human, as even when it rang into his ears all his attention went to his eyes while he gawked at seeing Haydee's immersion flexibility. For when she turned back after having learnt down and to pull out and throw away the dented cover she found the human to be focusing over onto that locked area.
As she had wordlessly stated, there was little reason to fixate on that closed off space, the time for having been found in was for a different time. Instead, they should look only to the way forward, and with a clap that jolted his attention back to her, she pointed his fixation onto that vent cover. Like a dart he moved on her command, crawling into the space without a word in form his side, and with a more composed move Haydee smoothly followed.
Crawling back out the either side, Haydee stood her legs up straight as she quickly took it all in before her. Not that there was much to take in, however, since it appeared forthwith that ninety percent of this room turned out to be little more than empty space. With a quick search around, Haydee found the only two places that were not the bottomless pit where the small balcony both her and her companion were standing carefully on, and another balcony which, despite going along the same wall as this one, where to her discretion found to be separated by them by a tall, unclimbable grate. Interestingly, she saw that the second balcony off to the corner not only held the only other footing in this room, but this pairing of similarities was accompanied by another vent opening over its side. No doubt, this was their next step, but the trek was an unfortunately now-common abstruse one.
"Brr. . . Haydee, do you feel a breeze?" The human's statement of inquiry interrupted her attempt to pause and consider her options, and though such a call was made meaningless to her, her body was not developed to detect small shifts in wind pressure, seeing him slowly peel away from the edge with his shaking arms hugging her chest, did give her rise to let her mind pause and instead take his place by the end. Scurrying him to keep behind, Haydee stood right by the ledge while she took a moment to detect any changes she could find. Though she could not detect changes in air currents like he did, her complex visor saw more than just colour and distance, thermal imaging was an already established ability, and through that she could see this room was noticeably more cooler than previous areas, a persistent draft an acceptable theory fro this bottomless pit, and with a good look upwards she found that, well. . .
It appeared 'ninety percent' may be a bit of an understatement. With a stare that went on far longer than she thought was needed, Haydee rapidly found that this room, unlike all those previous, did not appear to hold a ceiling of any kind. The walls ascending never ended, and so far up they went that the tiles were swiftly covered in thick mires of shadows. All this before, and a breeze that existed from Dale's statement. . . She started to believe this may be a ventilation shaft.
No matter, this changes nothing, as it still left her without much of a clue of how to proceed as when she first walked in. With all this being presented to her in full, her finger began to tap her chin while her eyes lazily studied around this empty room. . . an empty room that rather interestingly just became a little bit less barren. Trailing along like a finger gently grazing over supple skin, her eyes dragged along and around the edge of this room when she noticed a stretch of dipping come from the otherwise smoothened structure. Starting right from the edge on her side, Haydee watched as a small inclination in the wall, small in both size and with how far it went, went along the outstretched of the walls, staying on course with a level plane, as it trailed all the way along until it met its end; which just so happened to be the edge of that other balcony.
'Just so happened' was one word to call it. There were certainly better words to help explain its existence, but such moments of creating quips should be wasted on those better suited, and her specialities were concentrated for a much more useful response. Seeing where it went, the gynoid quickly theorized the next plan of action that needed to be undertaken, and how it can be accomplished, especially when factoring in they both likely had to pass. As she gave the ledge-like trail a second look, she quickly noted the shaft lacked any more sunken in spaces, which in turn reminded her of the other occupants of this room's way of cliffside traversal. Though she perhaps lacked the complete knowledge of his entire ability set, she did begin to wonder how well he would fare with traversing along this. At the very least she knew she herself would find no such problem with manoeuvring along these lines. . . even with a large weight attached to her.
The figurative light bulb popped above her head as she now understood completely how her operation shall be henceforth undertaken. Promptly, she turned right around to the human, and taking a moment to notice he was still cowering to conserve his warmth, clapped her hands twice to signal his need for approach. He turned on her command, shivering lightly but not letting it hinder him, and quickly gaining his position right to her with but a comment of a stuttered forthcoming. Seeing the advent imminent, it was by his last step that the gynoid suddenly turned her back to face away, not seeing the bemused face he was growing when she got down to her knees, and finishing off her shift in stance she tapped her own back a few times to signal his venture upon.
"Wait. . . do you want me to. . . what, get on you?" She nodded in response, knowing that he could see when she couldn't. It might have been useful for her to have seen, however, as she might have bared witness to his sclera suddenly widening like ceramic plates.
"Wh-wh-wh-wait! I mean why-for what purpose, how would that solve anything?" Misguidedly seeing where he drew that conclusion from, Haydee nonchalantly let her arm swing around to show him the trail of climbing ledges, and quickly returned that patting of her back, trying to help his predicament of puzzlement.
"S-Surely there's another means - I mean, I could try and climb on these gratings and spin around on them to jump over. S-sure, it might not work but maybe we could at least try - And I might be a bit too heavy for piggybacking anyway - oh, perhaps I can just wait right here and - " The sudden clap that came was such a pother it silenced him swiftly, and the creator of said noise, with only moving her hand, firmly pointed to her backside to almost demand his position be on top of her.
"I guess you've. . . already made up your mind, then?" She had done that the moment she figured out her plan to pass onward. Other plans may be viable, but Haydee could not see any other solution better suited besides this one. Despite the position they may be in, this route was the fastest and clearest she could think of, and above it all she figured it the safest one - after all; what place would be safer for the likes of him then sitting right behind her. She'd prefer he was nearby whenever possible, or at least when not in any foreseen danger, and his weight had not been an issue before . If anything, giving his height and shape, he may be more leaning more on the underweight side.
So with a hopefully final nod to signal her remark, Dale finally conceded his opposition, visually agreeing to do as the gynoid requested. Starting him off with a few more tentative taps, She listened and waited as she felt her figure shuffle under his tentative weight. She did not jolt when she saw two arms wrap around her front, coming around her shoulders to secure his grasp for the inevitable rush of gravity that will surely follow.
"Is this way fine?" She didn't look, but she still knew he was attempting to keep a distance for the proverbial sense of personal space. Such human formalities meant little to her, and a simple hold like this would not suffice to her liking, too easy to unknot and come loose, so taking an intuitive stance the gynoid swung both her arms back to grab hold of where his legs were, and slowly guided them via physical force to swing over and keep his thighs locked onto her torso, as if silently telling him to squeeze into her sides for safety.
". . . I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be." The stammered tone was lost on the machine, instead she did but a final check his body was securely wrapped around hers, both the half heartedly-fused two finally began to make leeway as Haydee slowly turned and began slipping down the ledge.
"Can you. . . please warm me if I'm starting to choke you at all." She had no lungs, she cannot be choked. What a random thing to plead about. Nevertheless, Haydee moved on, and only a moment later the two were found left swinging over the space of a depressing pit. She could feel Dale's muscles tighten both over her neck and her torso, a natural response, she figured as much as she'd two would have chosen a safer solution if given one, but since such ideas were but a pipe dream in these pipe-ridden lands, Haydee only waited till his body stopped tensing before she began her shimmy along and foreseen around.
First turn of the corner that came, and Haydee moved on without a hitch in sight, her hands taking their first moment away from the balcony and now into the lengthened recess. Different it was to see, in regards to traversal she saw little physical difference with how it changed from the tiled porch, and continued forth with no cause to pause herself.
Though she didn't want to take the risk of holding with one hand, she still drew a conclusion of being concerned when she noticed the humans arms began to shake right in front of her face. She could still feel their firm grip, so she gave rise to believe he was still held on firmly enough, feeling assured he would not slip down. With a little trip back into her memory, she remembered the human's comments and stances when he said there was a breeze, and a quick scan showed his arms were at a temperature a little lower than normal, so with a mental shrug she only assumed he was getting chilled as she continue her slow shimmy along.
Ironically, that neither of those were the complete truth. He was scared, both undeniably and understandably, and he was getting colder, this chill breeze making his hairs stand on end, but these combined were not even half the reason why Dale was feeling strong agitation. No; the real reason why the human was getting these jitters, for a fact Haydee could not decipher as her vision was turned the other way, was simply down to how the human was hanging wrapped around her figure: with his arms around her shoulders, and his legs were tightly squeezed to her torso, this in turn left his lower portion, his pelvic area, the holding sector for his sacred treasure; to hang down and be pressed up against her rear.
He could say nothing more, not a comment about his grip, nor even a mention about how he was feeling. With every single side step Haydee made as she continued along with her shimmying, Dale could feel his groin swerve left to right over her cheeks as he tried to do anything but let it keep ongoing. Now; not an entirely unpleasant experience by its lonesome, but knowing who's backside it was for his groin to be pressing onto denied any and all chances to feel even the most minor wrinkle of pleasure in Dale. Haydee, on her end, did not appear to have noticed this incident at all, which actively made Dale all the more anxious, because this ensured he would continue to be pressed up against her in this way for much longer than he wished. Any chances to speak, to correct their mistake were caught in his throat as he felt too abashed to confess, meaning all the human could feel to do was to keep himself secured on Haydee and not let his mind think too hard onto what was going on hidden from their view.
And no, trying to wriggle into a better position was not a viable answer. He tried, and it only happened to force them even closer.
Yet; the absolute worst part about this all, however, was despite his concurrent thoughts of how uncomfortable he was feeling, he had to admit it was also rather comfortable, even in an awkward sense. Haydee undeniably seemed all-machine, yet the lower parts of her body; her legs, thighs and - ahem - seating placement, did not feel metallic or cold in the slightest. It felt surprisingly warm and supple, almost human, he felt to muse before breathing himself for thinking that right now of all places.
It was a struggle, to say the least, but thankfully not a long one, as even when the seconds felt like minutes, the trip around was still brief, and the movement of Haydee turning a corner and making a beeline down towards the second ledge was a beholden to this room's small perimeter. Dale could even let out a bated breath as he knew they wouldn't be adjoined in this way for much longer.
With a final turn that came after a few less bungling seconds later, Haydee's position became well situated right under the second ledge. An almost welcoming sight, in Dale's mind, as he still felt his own position was a little too close for either of their liking, so when the gynoid made her move to start heaving them both upwards, Dale finally felt he could relax and -
And feel his pressing inguen be forced even more into her posterior when his weight had to be slumped onto her backside. As she pulled them both up, Dale's mass became evermore forced onto her as she crawled back up on solid ground, but the moment he could finally, finally, have his soles touch actual floor he almost jerked out his back as he immediately stood right up and instantaneously trotted away to give her the space he believed she rightfully deserved.
Not that she would have cared for. Rather, the only annoyance she had felt was that it had taken longer than she would have wished, as she had preferred not to waste time with such a paltry manoeuvre. That wished upon or not, they both had managed to get to the otherwise without harm or injury, so that was perfectly fine to her regards while she stood right back with ease. Staring directly ahead, to that unblocked venting, she knew exactly to where it would lead, and how to proceed. Turning back to Dale, she noticed that once again his back was to her, and his arms wrapped around his torso as he looked to be hunched over. For why, she should deem after, as with a clap she got his attention quickly while she stood by the open passage.
Strangely, he didn't right around this time, but more just craned his neck to look at her. In the least, he did question what she wanted of him as he swiftly saw that vent, and nodding rather vigorously the human shuffled over to go inside. . . shuffled, as he did so in an almost limping manner his back crouched forward as he kept his arms still under his chest while he sufficiently crawled into the vent.
He must be suffering from a strong reaction to this cold, Haydee made a note, and more hurriedly she ushered him in before following behind, hoping to get out of this freezing room as soon as needed.
He came out first, and making a little space forward for her behalf Haydee soon followed. She felt some reassurance upon her first venture outwards that she didn't need to stop and take the area all in, no time to waste, so rather her delayed focus was done simply to see what should be accomplished earliest. Though she wasn't entirely sure of everything before her, she did see that the nearest action towards herself was the green button situated right beside the door, shining out its faint emerald glow as it illuminated against the shadows of the meshing.
Being that it was the closest to her, Haydee figured this should be her first interaction, and a stride and press, Haydee felt no doubt to see when the grating jittered and disappeared, leaving both the grating now bare for them to pass, and. . .
"Did you hear something faint then, Haydee?" The human communicated an observation to him, and hearing a second opinion helped somewhat, it seemed neither of them knew what else may have just occurred some distance away. Still, by all accounts, neither also noticed no change come before their visions, so the reason for which should be left enigmatic until discovered.
Now the area was had opened, they could pass through freely, though such optimism had to presently wait, being there were a couple of other matters to attend to first. Spying forward, the gynoid looked between both the storage box, the tiny gap between the top and the main body enough indication to know it to not require a key, and the dirtied vent cover, the rusted, collapsing frame enough indication to know that wouldn't need much of a key either. As it appeared, the open box was slightly closer, and more so the steps they had to take to get here seemed largely to deter those that desired what this room was kept hidden, so there appeared to be only the one main reason why this room was as shut off as it was.
Her decision was made, and with the human following behind Haydee smoothly sauntered her frame towards that unindicated container, sizing it down while she studied it's blank appearance, and firmly placing the underside of her fingers over the bottom of the lid, Haydee pushed open the box with a causal flare as she let gravity do the rest of its course. Now open wide she peered her attention into this large box, to graciously find:
Just one thing in here.
But something very different indeed.
She pulled it out, into the open air and light, and with the curious eyes of the human darting between both her and this object, Haydee inspected this miscellaneous thing with investigative tracing. It wasn't particularly big, shorter than her arm, yet keeping the similar shape of a semi-misshapen cylinder. On one side it housed a rounded end, a black hemisphere against the bleak grey body, while the other ended in a flat top, yet not with a sudden halt, but rather a small red bump peeked upwards: one that housed a carving of a very familiar looking symbol. . .
What more, along the length of the main chassis ridges were popping up, going along one length up nearby that flat red lump. Her fingers curved around to feel its body, and she found, with increasing interest, her fingertips sat nicely between those bumps, while her thumb, having to reach around, also had a seat for itself, flat atop that scarlet side. With how it began to felt, how it looked, it seemed almost as if it were something she had to hold and press down on.
So she did.
A press of that button, a click of sounded acknowledgement, and-
Nothing happened.
"Do you know what that is, Haydee?" The human's sudden pop-up of a question only helped to further rebut the sight of her having accomplished little. In return, the gynoid only shrugged a gesture of defeat as she declared she knew as much of this as this as he did. She did let her arm swing over to show the human a better look, but even he shook his head in trounce admittance. So to what end was this here for?
That question must be answered at a different time, she assumed, and putting it away Haydee pried her eyes from the now empty container and to the final interactive obstacle behind her. Staring it down, Haydee did not give a second longer to kick her leg forward and crunch in that pathetically weak metal, and tear it out as she peered inside. "Do you want me to go inside?" She shook her head in return, to his mild surprise. A peer in had her quickly find that the small route inside led to her left, and no doubt, its end had already been noticed; back in the room with those explosive annoyances.
With this completed, she knew all that needed to be seen in this place had been seen, as far as she was concerned, so with a wave for Dale to follow Haydee made her steps back through the way she came and attempted to not only return but to also figure out exactly what her next plan of action is needed to take.
Well, at least able to attempt one of these choices. Because when she made her first swivel through the open archway and entered that short hallway she had first come through, her boots stopped in their tracks when she realized this pathway was no longer unobstructed. As blocking her preferred uninterruption of movement, halting their progress to get going, was now a mesh blockade appearing on the nearest stone 'archway' toward herself, the dark showed that exists behind a mocking gesture to any idea of a smooth withdrawal.
At the very least, this explained the existence of why they were there. Not that this really helped either in any form, since it didn't change the fact that they were still stuck. Stuck, and without a present way to open it back up, Haydee knew to let her focus drift over to the only thing of note she remembered about this hallway; that strange button with the unknown object attached. And to her interest, when her vision looked over to her right, she had found that the button in question was affected to some degree as well; as it glowed a bright solid green between the spaces that attached item would allow.
The button was the key, she was sure, but what she was still left in the dark with was what that strange device over it meant. Did it disallow her from pressing it, and if so, what was the way to unlock it then? There had to be an answer somewhere, pertaining to a different device or lever that would heed their progress and help their course run onward. If only there was a clue of some kind. . . Perhaps; with a similar symbol to the one on the blockage itself, as she remembered perfectly.
Reaching back around and into her backpack, the gynoid carefully pulled out perhaps one such clue from her storage and gave strong inspection to its perchance curious existence, leaving it open for the human beside her to inspect, and shortly after, grow an understanding to why it was found here in the first place.
As she knew she remembered correctly, that bizarre symbol found in the middle of that blocking cast did not hold only one appearance, as the exact same symbol was found on the scarlet end of this metal stick. . .
"Hey, um. . . Haydee? Why is it now glowing?" The call of the human's concerned question gave the machine a reason to double take, blink it was physically possible, and take a second take on the stick as a hole as she began to see that on the underside of this item was a dim white glow sparking out from within the black dome; the very same glow that, for just a few seconds longer, also started to originate from that very same blocking shape coveting the working button.
Then like nothing had ever happened, both of the lights immediately stopped shining in paired reaction, the glows simply ceasing while no other response was given to either of their termination, giving rise to them both thoughts over what this all simply meant.
Little. Or at least, quite rightly without taking any actions herself. She saw it unlikely good tidings would just be delivered to her on a silver platter, as rather, with past experience being remembered everything that was accomplished was done so by them taking the intuitive and figuring out either the best course of action, or an experimental yet educated plan. If these ideas still held true, then even the most chance of possibilities could yield a fruitful outcome, and when Haydee stared down towards this item held in her hands, her thumb already was slowly hovering over that red circular input when a tiny idea was formed in her head.
And without given to restraint, the gynoid pushed down as it gave way like the button it was.
The unmistakable sound of grating sliding away entered both of their ears as that looked just in time so see the nearby blockage jut away into the wall, leaving the way through bare to pass on. That said, any such reason to cheer in glee was immediately downplayed seeing the secondary archway was closed off from them. Still, completely open passage or not, what she had just witnessed was more than telling of what was needed for her to do, and with a quick second press that affirmed her suspicions, Haydee pressed down a third time to open up the nearest blockade first, before she made steps into the small plot of two exists.
This remote still in hand, Haydee turned and ushered the human to follow, with the way now understood, she sought no reason to continue lingering. A difference than to what the human was thinking of, however, as it seemed Dale's was peered heavily towards that encrusted button by the side, and even when he saw her wave to follow, his own eyes kept lingering onto that mechanism even when he was standing beside her. When she pressed the button down on the button again, the exit returned in unmasked sight, luring Haydee to make a beeline towards it as she was ready to pass on through.
And very much would have too, if not for the lack of the sensation of a human beside her. Turning around to make sense of exactly why, she saw that the human had not budged at all when the way had been cleanly opened, but instead his focus was pertained back over to where that distant button was, his eyes not once shifting away until they carefully studied back over onto herself, mere seconds before she would have clapped her hands.
"Haydee. . ." His voice low and tentative, not worried, but speaking in a softer than usual tone. "I know this is strange to ask, but can you change the blockades around again. I think I have an idea about something." An idea for what exactly? The way forward was already met, the parameters had already been accomplished, what was there more to do?
Something, apparently, as the human's mind was pertaining to some idea with enough of a realistic dynamic to make him physically pause and think. Though she preferred not to waste time humoring any, this one has proven to have more than enough intelligence to be her working partner, so if he has a thought in his mind, she saw no reason to deny his suggestions, in the least.
With a resounding click onto her remote, the blockages changed sides, separating herself from the human and leaving him to the mercy of the otherside, while also leaving it, as she raised suspicion for, easy for him to get closer to that curious mechanism off to the side.
Her suspicions seemed to ring true, as near moments after that his body stood right before that unique button, as she watched from behind the meshing. Completely unable to do anything more than watch, Haydee tried not to press down on the button nor demand he come right back as she could only stop even her twitches by reminding herself no danger was present at all in that far place. Instead her attention should be aimed purely at staring at the human's, seeing his movement as his hands came out and placed over that button, and watching without noise as he looked to begin to. . . pull at the button?
With a sudden jolt that seemed to surprise the gynoid as much as the human in question, that strange abnormality that was once clinging onto the button came off the button without high resistance, separating the two with ease while Haydee, still concentrating onto the human was sure she heard him whisper under his breaths the sentence of "I guessed as much."
He then turned back to her. "Haydee, this can come off, and I think it's supposed to be used for more than just this room." His tone was a lot more peppy this time, paired up well with his energy as he waved the component up high. His high enthusiasm was seeming to be getting infectious, and so was his smarts, as the gynoid was nodding along with him as she began to make note over what this can be used for. Pride, she believed, was the feeling she was getting right now as it was aimed solely towards this human, and with good reason too, as she felt to be getting more jubilant over the idea their progression was now looking a lot more easy for them both.
"I can crawl back through with that small vent passage that leads to that mine room. Shall I meet you there?" And suddenly all her high spirits was immediately poured out of her. Why does he need to go back around that way, surely he could come this way. . . Wait no of course he cannot, the way was blocked and she had the remote. The only other way he could re-join her side was by going back around but that would only mean he had to leave her presence. Be alone, with no-one to protect him. . . She couldn't let that happen.
Yet she also must, since no matter how hard she pursued the notion he should not be left isolated in this dangerous land, it did not appear they could do such a thing if they needed to bring the remote trigger with them. And as he very well stated, that component was something they very well may need to have if they desired an exit out. Logically trying to give into a side, trying to figure out which idea worked out best, her frazzling mind finally came to a solid conclusion thankfully before she blew a fuse; they should meet up, as even though they must be separated, she knew she had spotted no danger for him on that route.
With a slightly jarring nod, Haydee rather carefully agreed to his plan of action, believing that this was the better way even if she didn't want to. And with focused attention she watched as the human turned and left, disappearing out into the other room and leaving her, for the first time in a while, feeling rather alone.
Yet she must not dawdle, nothing good can happen if she just waits around for nothing, and with a pull of her own body away from the meshing Haydee reered herself towards the exit with only some lingering thoughts occupying her digitalised brain.
How bizarre; since when did doing something not wanting to come before needing to. She was hoping she wasn't coming down with some bug.
Stepping in, Haydee gave no pause to her velocity as she carried on forward, the stomping of her boots was the only audible reaction being created within this now lonely, silent room. Silent was quite the understatement, she thought it should be called, as without the noise of the human striding alongside her, this whole area felt to be going inwards into negative values with regards to sound design. So calm and lifeless, desolate and lacking joy, this room had completely dropped all her interest with its existence.
And the only one that could change that was that human. She knew she could not follow him, nor could she much try to, her personal wants do not go beyond her needs, yet it still worried her all the same. Even now, as her steps made a leeway into where the human would appear from, a notion that gave small relief, she still knew her anxious worries were not without some sense of insight over what may be, and not just what is known. That vent passage was a foreign place, an unknown anomality, and her guesses were the only viable source to determine what truly may be beyond there. It was from this that she felt the need to rush over to that vent passage at this very moment. . .
A new sound suddenly came. A sudden yet also all too familiar one, one whose click into the gynoid's mind began to alleviate her worries when the sound was coming closer. The more she listened, the more she realized how much it made for a nice audio change against the otherwise dull bleach walls and echoed stomps of her own boots. It was rather endearing, in an odd way, likely because his scampering simply meant he was not too far, and that was anything but an unpleasant thought. And within seconds after in waiting Haydee spotted the pacifying sight of the one such human barrelling down, a smile on his face as he looked eager to return to her side. And she was more than welcoming for him.
"Here, Haydee." Just as he was planted face-to-face with her the human opened up arm and ushered forward the important device for her to take in both her outstretched hands. "Got it for you, as requested." Still with her arms both reaching forward, the gynoid made a look down to that component held in his little hand, and with a more lethargic than usual reach, Haydee took the trigger in both her hands, slowly cursing down her elbows as she slowly held the item for her very first time.
It wasn't particularly heavy or thick, but it seemed solid enough, as the use for it, while still needing some time to think over, was clear in her mind that this was an important detail she would be needing. So putting it back away into her bag, Haydee proceeded to then give her fullest attention to the human as he so rightfully deserved, ruffling his hair in that cute way he seemed to enjoy pleasantly.
"I'm happy you. . . appreciated my idea." Well why wouldn't she? True, she had already self-stated that she had better desired him to never leave her presence, yet still, it was for a beneficial reason for them both; as with this trigger and remote now in their hands it seemed all the more feasible they can now progress onward without much delay.
All the more, now that they were back together, they could now continue on hand-in-hand, metaphorically speaking obviously, and with a wave from the gynoid Dale followed on behind as they made a strong stride away, back towards the way they came.
And this time without worries there was an explosive hiding around every corner.
Going back through that balancing room was not an issue, the simple repeats of one, two, three and Jump! held no moments of fear as their tandem timed vaults felt as dangerous to them as a few childish skips, that is to say, this room no longer gave either that creeping feeling of mortal dread trying to seep into their core.
Such thoughts were carried over as tethered back into that mezzanine room, not there was a danger here in the first place, yet still the furthering thought they could find reprise within these completed rooms helped to quench any unnecessary drips of melancholy.
"The way is still not open." Dale murmured behind her as they returned into this branching room. With that way now a dead end, it left it pretty clear that if they held the need to continue onwards, they must return to the nearest branching room, this balcony area the most acceptable outcome to the gynoid. Her vision trailed over from his remark, and indeed, that keycard-locked door was as closed as beforehand. With that one written out, it left only one more door for them to observe and mull over; the one high up on the farthest-side wall.
Standing by with Dale right by her side Haydee looked up to the barricaded door as her mind began to race through with what was needed for them to do. The main issue at hand was for herself in getting on up there, since there was only one way that could be accomplished. Alas, her original designs disallowed her from climbing up in such a way, and unless she found another way to climb up it seemed pointless to study it any longer. Dawdling alongside this train of thought, the second question that needed to be answered was exactly what next course of action be undertaken, a.k.a. must it become unlocked? There were three buttons placed all along that side of the wall up the mezzanine, and they were sporadically placed so that only one can be pressed by either at the same time, leaving them with an extra button neither could press.
Course, she quite swiftly remembered there was an extra option that can be utilized.
And who remarked that it was needed exactly here in the first place.
If those three buttons were a clue for something, then she saw it as such a dead giveaway that she'd only feel bad if someone had been proud in making this. The way next seemed perfectly crystal clear to her, and she understood that a little more backtracking was now essential for them. With a gain of the human's attention, the machine ushered the human to follow as she directed his focus over to the door on the east side.
"I think I know what you're getting at, Haydee." He spoke within a sheer second after noticing where she was pointing to, letting his smile shine when he spoke how he was following her train of thought. Good, she believed, as him being on the same page meant less time trying to explain her plan, and thus Haydee led the way, as they returned back to that third room in this area.
The room was as unchanged as the two first made steps inside, silent and stagnant in the same vain of when first entered in all that way on back. That was what Haydee had hoped, with the platforms still floating high above the abyss it meant an easy act of traversal for when they began their hops around.
Haydee went first, not entirely unexpected by the human, though not that he thought to mind on it too much, as she made the first bounce off from the balcony and to the nearest green square. Dale followed suit right after, hopping over to the next available platform as soon as Haydee departed towards the nearest spacing. With this set of partnered leaps leading the way, it didn't take long before Haydee set her foot onto the centre platform; where she was but one more jump from the northern terrace. Leading on, Haydee took a few steps in to allow the human's entrance also before she looked around the small enclosure.
Exactly how she remembered it; three buttons, all spaced so far apart she would have needed three separate hands to press them all down in time. Of course, this was her main reflection when she had first studied this place as a whole, indicative for its original moment, sure, but nothing more than a blatantly needless statement now that she has understood the true actions that must be needed.
Knowing what to do, Haydee gave clear direction to the human as she pointed over to the button on the far end. Nodding without a single drop of doubt from her instruction, Dale scampered over towards that farther mechanism while she directed her own attention to the button right beside the door. Swinging her arms back around herself, the gynoid deftly pulled out both the Remote and the Trigger as she held both in her hands. Studying the Trigger's shape and size, the gynoid remembered back onto how the device looked when it was clung onto that button before as she readied it herself in her hands. Carefully placing it on, symbol side facing out, she herself faced away before she walked on over to the final button and readied the remote in her fingers.
"I'm ready on your mark, Haydee. I'll go when you give me the signal." The buoyant claim helped to ready Haydee's drive to progression as she prepared for her subsequent actions with practical efficiency; with one hand over the button she had the other stretched out while the Remote was prepared in her grasp, setting in full view for the human to see. With her hands busy, she felt a mild reassurance upon seeing Dale's focus pertained over her side, as if he already knew of this predicament and awaited her own solution.
She nodded to this, and without trying to waste time any longer, Haydee pressed firmly down onto the remote, and immediately after in perfect tandem did the two other buttons getting promptly pushed with little effort. Not even a second of quiet went on by as the immediate rush of beeping filled their ears, pairing well with the whipping away of meshed cover. Taking a step back as they both looked towards the now unlocked door, Haydee gave a second nod of approval to the human before she reeled over and plucked off that Trigger, placing both that and it's paired device back into the backpack before taking a look towards that other part of the pairing she was in.
Ushering him along, Dale took his side behind her as they walked on forward without a single necessary sentence spoken.
Stepping forth, Haydee did not take well to the sight of the way blocked before her. Not an upfront obstruction, but with the way turning off to the right it did not give Haydee confidence over what may be lurking behind. Readying her hand by her holster just in case, she kept the human back with her other arm as she calmly swerved around the corner and quickly observed what dangers were there:
Of which; there was indeed a robot waiting for her turn. Thorough in thankfully reprise, not an operating automotive that was lying away, but instead the body that was laid down before her was nothing more than a mere downgraded model of herself, strewed across the floor as no doubt some other had gotten to her first. Though with this machine not a present danger to either, that thought of her cause of ceased function still kept the operating Haydee on edge as she quickly took in the notion that such cause of annihilation is likely still lurking around here. "Haydee; what do you. . .see . . ?" The way his words were slowly cut off was not registering in Haydee's mind as she instead garnered all her attention only onto the way forward.
With the room leading off to her left, Haydee hugged that side wall while she gave the human a firm push to keep back, using her other hand to slowly take hold of her firearms grip. "H. . . Haydee, why does that look like-" She held up a finger to silence his sudden question, stealth not an option she's prefer to lose as she began to slowly peek her head around the corner.
Upon seeing the sight of another machine, one not lying helpless on the tiled floor, the gynoid made sure to give an immediate pause to study what she needed. It was no friendly machine that awaited her presence off towards the farther side, the automation blocked her attempt to pass on through to the exit out, though to her surprise, she found it was only the back of the machine that faced her, this Walker's attention not at all garnered to whatever may come this way.
It seemed almost perfect for her to swiftly take down; a rise of her pistol, and a few bullets fired out, the machine would be quickly shot down within the matter of one moment. How fortuitous for them; an easy way for them to pass as it needed but the most simple of execution. . . too easy, in fact.
Now; Haydee was not of a pessimistic mind by her built-in nature, but she knew by now keeping sceptical was never a bad reflection to have. And if these 'trails' were anything to go by, it did not hurt to take a second to stop and think before she acted, to pause and recheck both with what she could see: and what may be hidden. Because standing adjacent from where her opening was facing: a pillar reached up high and tall. Made of many individual pipes, all leading to someplace she sought to not ever give focus for, the wide berth it had seemed more than long enough to hide something of interest behind - something that may not be there to spell good tidings for them.
Though it was a risk to take, leaving it was a risk all the same, as Haydee let her vision sway between both the pillar and the disinterested machine. She knew it was a gamble, the notion to not finish the machine but instead peer around the pillar corner, but all the same - the danger of something known would hold little strength over something of the unknown. She must risk it, even if it results in nothing, there was still worth in checking every conceivable chance out.
So in drawing her pistol out into the open air, she motioned for the human to stay put, to stay in the shadow out of sight, while she herself took tentative steps into the open light while her vision was kept secured onto that dangerous machine. The boots she wore were far from silent, even when her steps were careful, they still stomped onto the floor with heavy slams; which lead to Haydee cursing their weight with every step as she carefully let herself become exposed to the light that shone only from above the centre. By some miracle, or perhaps this machine lacking the capabilities to sense vibrations, it did not sense her presence when she first stepped out into the open.
Good chance or not, Haydee did not let her guard down with even a flinch as she still kept her gun aimed and ready for the off chance it did turn around. Prying her eyes from its repeated veering between the pillar and the ignorant automation, Haydee gave a single check towards the human in question, feeling glad he was agreeing with her signal, before her steps took backwards as she was prepared to face around the corner.
From behind the shadows with the human, her body was now slowly morphing into the shadows of the pillar, her heels clicking on the tiles draped in darkness as that malicious machine was too slowly coming out her view. And just within the singular moment the robot disappeared from her sight so did she let her vision disappear from the side of this column of pipes as she spun around on her boots and tilted all her attention over to the shadowed side of the pillar-
Just in time to spot a figure draped in the shadows from the dimly lit section suddenly racing forwards at blinding speeds - its singular shining lens being aimed right towards its target; herself.
She was barely given time to even react, to even analyse the situation that was suddenly thrust upon her, and her body practically moved on its own with the charging silhouette came in too close, but with thankful circumstances that lead her to have her pistol already drawn the gynoid aimed her firearm up and fired true upon this looming figure.
Three shots, one hitting its torso, but her aim was fruitfully lucky in this moment as the next shot blasted into its head, shattering its mono-lens with ease and upon the final shot, exploded its head into a mess of burnt wires and dented metal. Only a second later passed before the mechanical creation dropped hard onto the floor, leaving the danger be-
"Haydee! Watch out from behind!" The scared scream of the human snapped her concentration away from the newly-deceased remains and back around to the open light - in the nick of time to see the once-disregarding Walker not only making a stride toward herself; but also to pause and swivel on its legs to take a look at the human that called for her attention.
She didn't even give this one time to decide its own next course of action as her barrel was already and fired: four clean shots, into its head and never given a nanosecond to stop until she witnessed its head explode into a fiery blast of obliterated components.
And just like, as sudden as the danger appeared it dissolved into absolute nothingness, as it always became. Though a jolt to her systems, it did not leave any lasting impressions on the gynoid as she readily placed away her weapon, now that the danger had passed, though she did quickly remember to also immediately observe the human and ensure no lasting fear was lingering over him. A split-second check-up by her sensors gathered the human was not in any state of disrepair: heart-beat normal, body temperature mild, and besides his calm breathing he didn't suffer any physical injury either. That understandable sense of fear carrying over after the hazard had passed was not found in him, as he looked none the scared, instead he seemed more. . . despondent, for some peculiar unknown reason.
Now that the danger was dealt with, the gynoid felt confident enough to finally take a gander at this room in proper inspection. There were two doors here, one going up north, the other going up along the western wall where he was standing, both locked up tight. Thankfully, as it looked two be, both of these exits had their source of unlocking found in this room; one right by the northern door, four buttons to be exact, and another button found to her east past the pillar and located within a meshed grating enclosure, much a similar vain to where the Remote was found.
Two options for the Haydee to decide on, as it were, and both could be completed at their own pace now there was no lingering pressure upon them now. Looking back and forth, between the two sections, Haydee decided to complete the one curtained behind the meshing first, since its placement was farthest from the two doors in the first place.
Her mind made up, she knew already it cannot be completed on its own, and turning to the human she was more than ready to ushering him along with her; yet before she could even attempt to do so, she paused any resemblance of catching his attention when she noticed right away he had silently moved closer her way; but not actively towards herself.
Instead, the human was now standing before the carcass of her weaker model as he looked down to it in silent focus, as if giving it more than necessary scrutiny. She first assumed, when the human slowly bent down to his knee and touched against the cold, inactive body, he was checking her for advantageous assests, but such assumptions were immediately shown to become rather mistaken when her ears pricked up the melancholic musing of "Poor thing." directed only onto the corpse in question.
"She didn't deserve this fate."
Tilting her head, Haydee was trying to understand why the human had said such a thing to this unmoving lumber. Sure, in the least, she could figure that perhaps this one didn't deserve her unexpected cessation, it was likely as innocent to this situation as she was, but she was just one among many others, her waste of animation barely worth a passing glance for, so why was he treating it with such commiseration? With how the human wore his sorrowful expressions, his slumped figure, lethargic movements, her recognition sensors and software were stating he was showing signs of mild distress and sadness over this wasted body. But to why that was she was unable to cleanly figure out. The only possible explanation she could find, as stretched of a clarification it would be deemed, was that the human did in fact feel genuine anguish, a belief of empathy no matter how small, towards this broken robot.
But that did not make any logical sense at all.
It was just a dead robot, a machine not unlike herself, not an actual person to feel sorrowful over their demise. . . right?
R. . . Regardless of this outcome, the Haydee model had already passed some time ago, and it was of neither any use nor subsequence to their personal journey, so a delay should not be formed to wonder over trivial matters. With a double clap of her hands, the gynoid gave the double-echoed signal for him to follow behind in her attempt to reel him away from the deceased machine. Though it quickly worked, the human starting to stand back, it was a far lower pace as she imagined it; his legs pulled her back up, but only slowly so, more akin to him being pulled rather than by his own two feet, and even then did he do so without once looking up at her, his eyes never left the sight of the model, including as soon as she gave her signal, as if he moved with the same robotic functions as she did.
It was only when the human was finally stepping closer to herself than the downgraded version did her stopping pertaining to the not-on and focused more onto herself, and by default their progress, as she led him forward towards that mesh area.
Walking past the pillar, Haydee made a momentary pause as she remembered the near-assault she had faced just moments prior by one still unknown figure, and regarding that it would always be useful to know your enemy, Haydee took the moment to glance down and examine that otherwise unidentified figure:
Though obliterated with its head, Haydee could still identify that this none deceased machine was strangely similar in shape to the Walkers she had passed, as even under the veil of shadows the white and black body and frame was still clear enough for her to see. But taken note of, the gynoid could still see notable differences between this one and the other that led motionless in this room. Though this ones figure and shape was very much similar, this machine was prominently much more thinner and compacted than its commonly seen cousin, and its own head was not built into its frame with the mentioned counterpart, but instead was attached to the top of the torso by a thin 'neck' keeping it upright. However, the most striking feature this machine had was not its shape or body, but rather its arms; because rather than two thick ends that could pertain to crushing an opponent, this machine instead was sporting two long, thin salient blades jutting outwards, with a possible intent to slash and cut.
"I think that machine was the one that killed her." The sudden remark of the human clutched her attention away. "There was a large gash in her back, some. . . white stuff had been oozing out of her. Her cause of death looked to have been done via laceration." He did not speak matter-of-factly as he explained the situation to her, even if it may be labelled true, as instead he spoke in a sombre, quiet tone.
She didn't feel any sense to check his statement, the machine's cause of ceased function was a feckless truth to them, yet it was from his words that rose a feeling of gloom from his sympathy. Even when wandered away, his mind still persisted onto that inoperative gynoid despite having little reason, like he was stating she had some worth before her demise. True, she would have had her uses, older model or not she was not without her own usefulness, but she was just one among many, hidden in a faceless crowd and as expandable as the next in line. Could Dale truly be seeing that each individual has their own specific worth?
No: that would be. . . Senseless thinking. For every one there were a dozen already made and ready, the only waste that would come was the waste of unusable resources. It was a dangerous thought to carry, one that held no water, she must simply have been. . . reaching into nothing for a worthless answer. Not a smart move to keep repeating if a problematic time may arise. She felt not to linger for this any longer, and with a wide arc turning into a firm grasp, Haydee forcefully continued him forward to instead focus on the only important thing for them; their progression.
Reluctant to turn away or not, Dale still pried his eyes away from the inactive machines and back onto the way forward as he now looked forward onto where Haydee was conducting him to see. Taking a strong look at the meshed section himself, it did not take very little time for him to understand why she demanded his presence be alongside herself. The meshed wall was completely closed off, save for a small square section high off from the floor. Too high to jump, and with the meshed wall not being the climbable kind, it led to a situation where only both of their respective abilities were needed if they needed to get to that button.
Haydee already understood the situation before he even could, as the gynoid already made a move to stand under the small opening and lower her stance to ready Dale's ascent upwards. And quickly following behind, the human made a move of his own as he proceeded to get right in front of her, grasp one foot on his bowed hands, and proceed to go through the same event as they already did within a matter of no time at all.
That's good, the human no longer gave a sceptical look nor a fumbling sentence towards this method, only complete comprehension to their tasks at hand without giving a pause for untrue subtext, instead now all she had to do was take a spin around and watch as the human climbed down to the otherside without fail, press the button on the side and watch as a peculiarly door-sized section of the mesh beside her peel away to allow obvious exit out.
And nodding in appreciation to him as he calmly sauntered on back out, she continued her conducting for them both to walk away now that button had been activated, and take a glance over to where their next stop will be, with him barely noticing she was leading him around the other side of the pillar.
Now back in the light, Haydee took a moment to see which door had been unlocked. As she expected, it was the door clinging onto the west side wall that was no longer bearing a meshed blockage, the one further up still unchanged. She thought there was little reason to try and unlock both before continuing to one room, as if she needed to return she could do so without any suspicion over oppugnant circumstances.
Leaving that complex activity for this moment, Haydee calmly ushered him to follow as they quickly entered into the unlocked room.
In the very least, it certainly wouldn't take long for them to find a reason to return back. Small and cramped, bathed more in shadows thanin the light, Haydee's observations of this confined area took only a matter of seconds as she inspected all that this dead end of a room had to offer.
There were no enemies in this particularly claustrophobic location, thankfully, nor any conundrums that needed to be solved, nor even much action that needed to be undertaken to get by. Instead, all this short room had to offer in its entirety was but the single interactive object that was presented with the centre of this pipe-laden enclosure: a lone crate, open for them to freely inspect.
. . . She still felt unsure she should let all her guard down just yet, to the least, a dark surprise was not a possibility she felt too far from reality, but at the least, she still gathered herself forward to inspect what may be hidden inside the box. It looked much the same as the kind they discovered from before, grey and lifeless, though she largely suspected it did not contain the exact same item as before, she had no reason to confirm otherwise until she opened it up and looked inside; so promptly she did.
A heave up, and reach in after, and not a moment later did Haydee pull out the singular item held within and show it to the human with shared bewilderment. It was no remote, that was easy to tell, it wasn't even a device of any kind either, but rather, this looked to be an innate container she was holding in her hands. Giving a glance to the human, who returned one with a near-equally blank expression himself, Haydee looked down to the box in her hands with an inspecting glare as she read the simpler, bold words highlighted at the top of the quickly-presumed lid: "Medical Vials".
Her curiosity was far from satiated; reading those two simple words did little more except increase her desire to understand this odd object held in her grasp. A tiny inspection told her how to open this simple box - it required no key or prising tool, just the smallest effort of prying via her own automated fingers - so in one smooth unclasping of the lid the tiny box opened up for her to see.
Snuggled tightly inside, Haydee looked with deep concentration onto the three identical vials stationed within, three pink tubes, unreactive to her presence as they were kept safely held between the soft foam. Besides these rosy-hued tubes, the only other parts that were found within consisted of a small looking needle, with a screw-on base, and a small sheet of seemingly important instructions. Though she did think to take it out and gather information about it more cleanly, simply reading what was on this side of the parchment told her enough for what this item was specifically meant for:
Quick-Fix Medkit. Designed for immediate attention on non-critical injuries or sustained lacerations.
Warning: Gel does not fix all major damages, and does not affect biological, genetic or pathogen-based problems. This gel is designed for only small or simple bruises or wounds, and should not be seen as a cure-all for all trauma. If injury is found highly severe, seek medical attention from professional help immediately.
She quickly hoped that these were nothing more than a precaution for them both, and not an item they would need to repeatedly rely on, if even once. No matter how many more of these that they could find; it won't work on truly the most critical of wounds. That was what she was certain on. That was what she was beginning to fear may happen in the near future. . .
No she - she was not going to let that happen to either while she was still awake and kicking. She had promised she would keep him safe until his arrival upon a secure location, were ever that is based, and she would not leave him behind until she feels it fit for him, and so closing the lid and stuffing it into her backpack, the gynoid quietly reminded herself not to dwell on hazardous uncertainties before she turned and ushered them both to return to the room prior, now that all was said and done in here.
And shortly thereafter, they left this shadow of a place.
Stepping back inside this previously treacherous region, the first move the gynoid made was not a step in any specified direction, but an overhaul with the human's vision, conducting his focus not wain over to that other way and instead be forced to look upon the final action they must take; the second door. Still locked as expected, she didn't waste a second staring with dark detest for the blockage as instead she saw it more suited to focus her energy onto what does unlock this door; and that appeared to be the interesting console stationed right beside it.
Stepping forward with readied intent, Haydee looked up and down the interactive contraption. Four buttons, as stated before, all at chest height for her; yet there was a little more to it than what was first lightly observed. Above these buttons were four small displays, all aligned parallel to the buttons below while they remained inactive.
Not necessarily bizarre, yet this didn't help her progress forward as the door remained locked still. With no other solution coming to her, Haydee made haste as she promptly stood before the buttons, and raising her hand, smoothly pressed down with tentative yet firm pressure onto the leftmost button.
A curt, almost murmur of a buzz quickly followed right after, and pulling up her vision to stare at the perceived change above, found that the, and only the, leftmost screen was lit up, showing very little to see save for its display of a singular 'I' written on.
The sole letter stood bright and stable, fixed to the screen adjacent below the recently activated button. Though something had happened, it wasn't an unlock that had come, and the single character did little more than leave her with more questions than answers.
But there were still three more buttons to press, three more sources of activations that could yet yield the true answer to this random conundrum that was before her, and taking a focus onto the next display along, the gynoid reached out and pressed down onto the next button along. A curt buzz, and then what came onto the display was not one but two letters this time; an 'I V' - right before both it and the first display blinked back into nonexistence, disappearing before both their eyes as Haydee noticed the human stand quietly beside her.
She turned, and received only a disheartened shrug in return by the crestfallen one as his slow gesture did not aid a clue for her. So turning back, the gynoid stared at the displays once more, tapping her chin in thought as she was trying to piece together what it all meant.
Two subsequent symbols, two similar yet currently unspecified characters that must be holding a reason currently blanketed from her sight. To what was its meaning? To what was it leading onto? And to how does she figure out the way to open it up - short of, as it seems, simple yet droning trail and error, if the buttons were meant to be pressed in a certain way. If this was the case, then to what were these letters appearing above meant to represent.
Unless, that is, these were not actually letters in the first place.
Reaching forward, the still thinking machine pressed down onto the third button along, ignoring the sound that followed along with the display blinking back into nihility as the short time she given to witness the display in action was more than enough for to both read what was shown upon, but also to finalize her understanding of how this quandary was meant to be deciphered.
She knew she didn't even have to check the fourth and final button to fully decipher what she needed to do. And raising her hand once again, Haydee immediately pressed forward and pressed down onto the buttons without a second more of delay.
First the leftmost button, than the third going right, than the farthest right button, and finally, when Haydee clicked the final button second to the left, did not only all four display shine out the symbols without blinking back off, but a sudden digital cry came to signal the awaken and subsequent removal of the barricade that hindered their progress out.
Haydee did not need to look to check the door had opened up for them; that familiar cry of accomplishment had already settled into her mind as a wail of triumph. A thought only slightly shared on the human, as when the gynoid took a few steps back, it finally let the human see in full view the displays in full - and what was written upon them:
I IV II III
He was unable to understand what this was alluding to, the letters a vague idea to him at best, but nonetheless, seeing this as the answer to unlock the way onward the human could only smile and let cheer to the gynoid for her solo achievement.
"That was very quick of you, Haydee. You're very smart." The gynoid paid his compliment little mind, though she knew it felt positive to get praise regardless, she sought this as but a simplistic and basic stumper of an obstacle to overcome. One she was sure even the human could figure out in little time, if he so wanted to.
Still, the flattery was welcomed all the same and with a singular pat on the humans head as acknowledgment towards the applause meant for her way. Primitive or not, being designated as intelligent was not something she would desire to label as false in its absolute realism, and urging him along to the open door, the both moved past the quick puzzle as she pushed him into the next room with now risen spirits.
Or at least, what she hoped were true for the human. She quickly urged him on along as not to jinx that thought.
Moving on, the gynoid felt relieved to see there were no hazards of any kind cluttering up this empty room. No enemies, or. . . distinguished remains that were derived from an enemy presence, but only a wide berth in this bright, easy to distinguish room. Now; it wasn't all easy and open, as a strong glance left quickly reminded her this place was not so simple; a large portion of this room was encased behind a solid dark grating with a raised flooring. Going all the way from one side of the room to the other, all the way up to the ceiling, it was clear there was no possible way past through this grating and onto the other side were two doors stood behind.
Thankfully, though, such a blockage seemed only a minor setback at most, as those two were not the only doors leading out, as there was both a third and fourth way that seemed to lead to a room going up north. However, bizarrely enough, neither exits were that of a true door; but instead consisted of an elevated venting, locked up also with a button out of her reach, and an open window, but one too small and high for her to have hopes in getting through. With all this checked out, it obviously meant there was only one plausible way they could get on by:
And she was not happy with the obvious outcome.
But no other choice was presented to him, and with a garner of the other one's attention, the gynoid reluctantly pointed to where she needed him to be. He understood her insistence without fail, and with a nod carried forward with her she swiftly readied her stance below the small opening. With a hand on her shoulder to begin the course that followed was momentary as Dale was lifted up to take a hold on the opening's ledge, and began to pull himself in. . .
Only to promptly stop when he felt a grasp holding onto his ankle. With his weight now bearing over the window edge, Dale paused for a moment to look and give a confused glance to the machine holding him in place. Asking what she was doing seemed the logical first step for him, but such an action never came to pass as before the human could speak up the gynoid pulled up her free hand to make a sudden gesture towards him; of a figure of its entire underside facing his way.
"You want me to stop?" She nodded to his diligent understanding , stopping her head tilts to gesture something else; all her fingers twisted into her palm, while her thumb pointed outward; towards the direction of the unseen room behind her, and finishing with a little jerking back and forth. The grip on him did not let up even once, which in turn denied the primary thought she wanted him to move on quickly. Rather, as it seemed to him, it was more like she wanted him to observe the inside without actively moving in?
"You want me to see what's in there first?" She nodded again, and with a cautious freeing of her grasp on him she stood still and watched as he leaned into the window before replying as appealed: "I see: a lot of pipes and ledges. . . Some grates I could climb. . . that vent by the side looks to be coming in here. . . nothing much else - oh wait, I see a button I can press. That looks helpful, do you want me to press it for you?" His question came alongside his head popping back in her line of sight, and his withdrawal of the lean inside was met with a slow nod in return.
"All right. I don't know exactly what I need to do, but I'll try to return as soon as I can. I promise." She believed him. As much as she was frazzled with the thought of what circumstances may or may not appear, the room seemed as safe as it could likely be for him, and she had no choice but to believe he would stick to his promise. He needed her safety, and she needed. . . his services. For both of them to escape.
And that was the last thought she was having before he clambered on into that other room, and this, his body was no longer occupying the same room as her.
It was cold, empty, and lifeless save for himself, the mind of this human quickly noticed as he hung on the other side of the window. Without Haydee close by it wasn't. . . Scary, per say, he saw no major hazards as he looked around his surroundings, but rather more. . . confined, even with a room as big and tall as this was. It was technically not the first time they had been separated, but now inside a large place all be his lonesome, all he could think about was returning back to the machines side as fast as he could.
No, such thoughts only clouded his already foggy mind, such revelations served nothing but to make him all the more fearful over little. And the more anxious he would become, the less he would be doing. He was not asked to come this way to mull over thoughts, he came to do a job for the robot. And do it he shall, for her sake.
His mind regaining better focus now, Dale slowly looks all around himself to survey and see how his next step must be undertaken. As he remembered, there was an open button not too far from himself, and though he had zero reason to know what its purpose was for, it certainly must be helpful in some manner. Being the nearest thing he could see that was hopefully useful to himself, the human started to trail his eyes around as he plotted for what route he would need to undertake. Seeing a plausible route be drawn for him, with a final glance around to double check it was logically doable, this human readied his body for his first true move.
From below his gripped figure there was another ledge for him, and with a manageable move Dale let his grip loosen as he fell down for just a second before his fingers grabbed the lower ledge. With his body now lowered down, he started to shuffle his body across the wall, taking it step by step along the length of this room, before coming to a firm halt. And with a second glance down, Dale simply lowered his frame down and let go, his seemingly dangerous descent not lasting even a singular second longer before his sole hit solid footing.
Not the floor, but it was a large pipe that his open toes had wiggled on; the metalwork feeling neither too cold or that warm under his feet. Though a mildly pleasant feeling, at least more so than the otherwise whitewashed algid tiles he was now used to, he didn't let it distract him from completing the promise he had made to the female as he quickly scampered onward and promptly lowered his body onto the flat floor below.
There was little to see that lied on floor level, and though the vent that was on his right seemed to lead back into Haydee's room of residence its lock was kept tight shut, at least until the way to open was found, if there was one. Knowing better than to dwell, Dale swiftly forced his focus to aim up towards the nearest spot of interest, that activation mechanism taunting him from high up a wide ledge, before he regained his steps to completion.
The balcony of that button was too high up to jump and grab onto, even when not including the railings that went most of the way around, though an observant glance quickly revealed how that would be readily bypassed without issue. From closer to the corner on his side was a pair of more of those large pipes, inactive they seemed, he knew the use was not what would be travelling through their channel, but rather how the outside had already deemed the use for him. Swiftly taking himself forward, the human took swift footing onto the top of the over-and-under pipes as he climbed on up before he made a turn to the wall of the balcony, and with a kick jumped up the edge and grabbed the side with ease. All that was needed for him to do now was uniformly shimmy along the ledge as he immediately did, before he could finally stop right when those green-shaded railings ended and lift up his body to lastly stand up on the balcony.
Now higher up, Dale paused for just a moment to take a grander look at this room in its entirety: Peering around with at a better angle he could see clearly two other new points of interest in this room, the first being a much more smaller sill, way up high, and second being another rim placed on the leftmost wall, with to his own regard, looking to have another button with it as well. Along with that, he saw the route up there rather uncomplex, as a line of climbable gratings lined the way to it starting from the side of this very balcony. How easy. . .
But that could be left to another time, at least, what he will hope for, considering the promise he made had not been forgotten. So with a final remark of seeing the way out here right across from where he was standing, locked up with a blockade, Dale transitioned his attention away from this room as a whole and back onto what he had had stated the plausible solution to help the machine, that button right in front of the wall - which immediately after was pressed firmly down.
A buzz swiftly followed, and with a lean outwards, it was to his delight to see that of all possibilities that could have arisen; it was the grating to the vent cover that had been unlocked for him. With that, it meant both a way back for him; and a way forward for his mechanical companion. And with this notion clinging to his mind Dale made haste as he scampered back around and down, practically leaping to the vent with enthusiasm as he clambered in and quickly crawled on through.
She did not move.
Not once, ever since she let him go on his lonesome, did she make a single step in any direction, nor a flinch of any kind, save for perhaps the single, specific step back her body took to gain a better view of the window above before the final image of the human disappeared behind the wall and into the foreign land.
She did not move, as she sought little logical reason to do so; twitching and pacing in impatience would not help in any kind of sense. Rather, the only thing she was doing, besides keeping her vision locked onto that unreachable opening, was to keep her attention focused via her audible sensors. Though a little silent from her placement, the human's low weight and lack of hard-hitting footing kept it hard for her to make out any loud stomps he would be making, she unwaveringly pooled all the attention she could muster into listening to the sounds from beyond. Muffled they may be, she was still able to pick up on the audible clues of the human shuffling and stepping around, landing on hard surfaces before his bare feet made those little tiny pats across the tiles, before regaining they heaving pulls up after onto contemplated ledges and the like. Not appallingly silent, if any, not hearing any screams and shouts had become a more positive outlook she was able gain, considering what it likely meant otherwise, yet still, she could not see or understand his personal route, and thus she could not give instructions, offer useful suggestions, or simply studying the room herself so she could propose better directions on what was the safer option for him.
All this coming together like this rattled her mind in ways that would cause an earthquake to arise if it affected her body in the same aspect. Well, more of a human metaphorical exaggeration than truly logical in value, but the thought was still there in that every second felt to last longer than the last. But to why, she could only draw conclusions on. Conclusions with consistent reasoning, she still sought him alive if at least one of them were desiring to make it out, but conclusions that were steadily breaking down by the emotional distraught her head was slowly spiralling around with.
She did not know what she should be feeling by all this. . . worried. . . anxious. . . scared. . . Were these the normal cautionary states to be holding when the only person she could require help from is situated in a place she couldn't aid in any plausible way? Was this how she should be feeling. . .
"Haydee!" It was a good thing her internal hardware was screwed and locked in place inside her body, otherwise her Power Supply Unit would have jumped out the chest cavity. Trying not to jerk her whole body around like she was a rotating platform the gynoid more calmly looked to her right to find, to her elation, the human she was longingly waiting for now appearing from the other side of the venting, fluttering his hand as if completely oblivious to the inner thoughts of the machine.
"I can open the vent from this side." He didn't wait for a response of any kind as he swiftly pressed the button that was out of her own personal influence; and made it so she could finally feel relaxed now that his presence was by hers. Seeing the human in the open and not behind a blockage of any kind - be they wall or meshing - lifted a weight off her shoulders, a weight she didn't even know was on her person. Though she questioned if such invisible matter could exist in the first place, she turned her main thoughts onto both the now-opened passageway and the human beckoning her to come with him.
She felt no desire to be informed twice, and with a nod Haydee climbed in as Dale made an eager crawl away to make room for his new 'vent buddy', before leading the way beyond and back to the once-concealed area; though not before the human piped up with a random admittance of feeling.
"I'm glad that you're. . . nearby with me again."
She felt very much the same too.
Even though it was Dale that stepped out the passage first, Haydee felt no hesitance with letting him take stride around the floor as she observed this room for herself. Dale neither told a lie nor withheld any truth when he spoke of what was laying within here, so she felt no cause for concern for him. Instead, the pause she made was purely done for herself, as she took in the crucial sights that needed to be discovered for them.
While there was little on the ground floor, save for the pipes that jutter about with no concern for others, it was above her head where all the essential points of interest were found. Various balconies dotted high along the walls, at a height so tall she knew it was hardly likely a simple reach was all that they needed. Though with a stronger look, it seemed it wasn't her that was needed to reach them at all, as a few strings of those climbing grates were plastered along both the walls and ceilings, letting it be easy for her to determine which one among them is better suited for such a task. Besides all that, at the farther side she could see the door leading out and back into the room before, and onto the other side of the fencing.
But before that can be done, it needed to be unlocked, and to that end, where might the answer be laid for them?
"Hey Haydee; there's a button hidden up there." He pointed up to one of the ledges. "If you want, do you need me to go up there and press it for you?" Looking to her right, she saw that there was a line of those specific grating snaking up towards that ledge in question. Though she could not see it from her angle, she readily believed in Dale's statement without opposition from her end. From her own angle, she could not spot any other plausible way they could progress onward, with the nearest idea being that already activated button on the right side ledge, so to dismiss any random ado Haydee nodded to his plan and let him work on his own.
Smiling to her admission, Dale immediately set himself off as he repeated the same route as before, climbing up and around the railings to bring himself up to that ledge. But unlike the time passed, his attention was not garnered away to that button over to his right side, but now over to his left, where snaking up was a series of those circular-holed platings that were leading up towards a tiny balcony. He did not need to be administered for what is needed of him, the way was clear for him, in both the figurative and literal sense, so with only a quick stretch of his shoulder blades the human dashed forward and lept to the grating, sticking to the closest one like glue before he began his facile trek up, around, and soon after off, as Dale effortlessly reached off from the plating and stepped foot onto the aloft porch.
Though it was perfectly clear to him just what exactly he needed to do up here, it was his only real reason to actually be here in the first place, it wasn't the button attached to the wall that garnered his immediate attention, but instead it was the floor where his eyes had lingered. Staying back and able to do little more than watch, Haydee silently observed the human as she noticed him reach down to the floor and back up, looking to be holding something in his grip as if he picked a hidden object up, before his eyes pertained back towards the reason he came to here in the first place.
When the button was pressed, the gynoid right after nearly whipped back out her firearm as the sound of large mechanical movements ripped straight into her right-side inorganic canal. But before she could fully whip out her deadly tool and fire shots to the sudden existence her pause pause when she noticed it was not a machine of malevolent presence that appeared before her; but instead, drooping down from the top of the open ledge, was two tiny pillars of interconnected links keeping them together.
A ladder. It was a ladder that suddenly had been activated right before her.
"Did that do anything, Haydee?" The call of one human echoed around these solid silent walls as the vision of him peering off the edge came about right the moment after the newly-appeared ladder sunk its ends into the tiled floor. Looking back up to meet with the attention of the inquired other she softly threw out her hand to garner his attention away to the ladder positioned beside her.
Seeing its existence be explained to what the button was used for, Dale shouted out to her he would come down immediately. Nodding in approval, Haydee no longer sought to watch the humans return via sticking to the wall as rather her attention was now fixated onto those unexpected ladders. She held no need to look it over before making a move of any kind, she already knew both why they were needed here, and to how to approach them, ladder manoeuvring was already learnt in her system, so with the first grab of the chest-height rung Haydee smoothly ascended up the ladder and take her first steps onto this ledge, just in time to meet Dale as his appearance ensured she was not alone on this balcony.
"Here." The sudden announcement was voiced before she could conduct any next plan of action. "I found this up there. I thought you might like it." Looking down to his hands to where his focus was pertained, she eagerly accepted the 'gift' with glee as she quickly knew to what end it was for: For what may or may not come; she believed their could never be enough pistol ammo to protect them both from vengeful foes, so another full round of bullets was more than accepted by her.
With a sudden quick swipe of her hand, Haydee pulled out the firearm from her holster, able to do so without any sense of danger about herself, and in one clean motion whipped out the magazine and replaced it with the fresh filled one. She could feel the slight change in weight, the increased heft an indication of a fully ready weapon, and that made her pleased to know she had more power on her person. Such a feat could not have been accomplished by herself, and she did not forget who it was that gave her this feeling of perceived pride for the human.
The little chuckle he made when she ruffled his hair in thanks told her he seemed just as pleased as she was.
"I knew you'd like it." She did indeed, and placing her weapon back away she listened well to him as he garnered his focus away from the gynoid and instead back towards this room as a whole. "Anyway, now that was done I guess we need to figure out what we have to do now." He began tapping at his chin. "We're both up here now; but how does that help us. . . " Such symbolism were paused when the hand of a machine suddenly gripped onto his shoulder and reaped his idle focus away. Meeting the faceplate of the robot in question, she watched as her right arm, and that only, lashed out to her upper left with a point of her thumb, where with a trail over with his perception looked up to see a series of climbable gratings going up and around the ceiling, starting at a high height.
"Oh, right." He gave out a short, low chuckle. "I hadn't noticed those, did I?" Apparently not, she lazily figured. "I guess it was stupid for me to be asking you that. I must have always been a bit of an airhead, before all this, I. . . reckon." She wouldn't go as far as to state that, being she never assumed him to also be observing every corner of a newly entered room. If anything that job had been silently tasked onto her, so he shouldn't feel the need to affront his own being.
But that was of little importance as for now, and with a hopefully final point in the right direction Haydee moved and stood over to be underneath the gratings that are on up high. Readying herself with a crouch, she ushered him to her as she got into the correct position. Dale did not need to be told what to do, as without a word from him of this situation he quickly came to her and made his first step on her open palms. With a lift up, Dale ascended towards the ceiling as he made a grab for the gratings before pulling his body up to firmly stick himself to the meshed plating's. Taking a step back, Haydee knew she could do little more than watch as the human climbed up the wall and to the ceiling, where he proceeded to begin his trek to the other side.
The trip was eventually short, though the feeling of fear over how high he was did rear its linger affliction, it too never lasted for long as it were only moments later that Dale was able to drop down to a footing that didn't cause him any injury, as he stepped onto the short balcony opposite her way to press down on the button seemingly up there.
Her concept was shown to be the absolute truth, as within seconds of planting his foot down to the balcony the sudden unmistakable call of a moving barrier echoed to her ears, and as she suspected with an educated guess, the blockage that prevented her from entering the other side of the grating in the room prior had now been swept away by the actions of her helpful companion.
"What did that do? Did it open up the door for us?" She nodded with a leisurely energy towards the human, before ushering him back with a wave of her hand. He nodded in return, and as he began his route back, so did she make a move of her own as she looked forward to the unlocked exit. It was not situated on ground level, but instead it too, like the rest of the important landscape here, was fixed onto a short ledge off the ground. The only way to reach said footing was via a leap across from her own placement. Wasting no time for it, Haydee quickly sprung forward and jumped, leaping across the gap and descending in an arc as her arms shot forward to grasp the edge. She steadied herself when she landed, and with a swift pull she brought her body upwards and properly stood up, making a move towards the newly opened exit
. . . and stopped, turning on her heels as she awaited the presence of the human to return to her side. Looking up, she watched - without making a flinch - the sight of him slowly coming down off the wall and landing with a firm stomp. As light and thin as he looked, it still surprised her to see just how easily and quickly he could safely drop from such a height without so much as taking recoil from the height. Perhaps the human's more spongy form provided a better natural suspension then her mechanical own?
Maybe, but such matters could be calculated, theorized and expanded upon by someone else, for now, she concentrated on bringing him to safety, and after the leap he made to step foot on the same side she was, she calmly led him finally out.
Now on the other side of the fencing, Haydee knew to hold no reasoning for staring to the empty, previously seen way and instead have herself fixate on the only thing left of interest that this room seemed to hold; the final door.
Which was locked. Obviously.
Not that she was too surprised. Instead what was surprising her more was not that it was locked; but rather what looked to be the odd way to unlock said gateway: It was not a mere button on the wall that would be removing the metal barrier, not was it a keycard reader that detailed they could search around for, but instead for the gynoid what looked to be the way to unlock this entryway and pass on through was garnered by them solving the strange keypad stationed right beside it.
It being so close to its accompaniment was always a boon, but that meant little when she was unsure to what end it was meant to be unlocked. Studying the keypad further, she saw it held not merely one, but ten whole small square buttons on its surface, each one with a different singular number etched onto each one. While the ascending numerical buttons were odd in of itself, her confusion only furthered when she looked up from the numbered keypad and saw what appeared to be the concomitant problem that this keypad was here to solve.
Which, as it turned out, turned out to be a large plaque imprinted on the wall above; one which has etched onto it a series of some of the most confusing, complex and downright baffling equations the likes she has ever had to understand. If they were even equations in the actual first place: As what could be called equations consisted of a set of randomized polynomials and factoring, mixed with varied uses of algebra and integer exponation, all somehow tied together in a string of lettering that she realized completely stumped even a calculator of a mind like her.
There were just so many odd spaces and ends, so many varying types of equations that did not match, so many instances of backtracking and disregarded uses of binomials the machine felt like her mind was going to short circuit if she stared at it any longer. Just what was any of this meant to mean, just what did the equation(s) have to do with the keypad at all; and just how could it ever be hoped to be solved?
"Oh! I get it."
The sudden exclamation of immediate understanding erupted right from her side, freezing the gynoid in place as she had to do a double take of disbelief in what the human had stating. Surely, by all accounts, had she misheard exactly what the human had eluded to? And surely not, there was little possible way this human, who was currently taking a step towards the keypad in question, could have so quickly decipher the meaning and answer from this onslaught of riddling calculus -
Fours numbers typed into the keypad later; and the sound of positive completion followed straight after as the barrier darted away, the obvious statement being their way was now unlocked.
Did. . . that just happen before her optics?
Haydee was not able to verbally communicate via words her thoughts to the human, but as it turned out her prolonged stared seemed more than satisfactory, as with a look back towards the silent machine the human offered a smile as he answered her unspoken answer.
"Oh, that? The uh. . . the numbers just clicked into my head is all. Lucky guess with the calculus formula, I suppose." He explained, rather bashfully so as if what he had done was embarrassing for himself. How on this physical plane of existence does he believe what he had done was in any way a shameful act.
Taking a glance away from the human and back onto that formula she took a moment to let pause and reread through this formula a second time, in hopes a repeated look would herald an understanding to the answer she was unable to decipher herself.
. . . Well, that made sense now, if you just take out that part and. . . rearrange over there - no over. . . there? Right? That must match up there if an answer must be found? That must make sense, surely?
"Shall we go, Haydee?" The highly oblivious human called out to her with the intent for them both to continue their match onward, and not to stay behind and dawdle with looking at all-ready solved formulas. With a nod, she let him know of her agreement as she pushed on forward for them both, hopping away as she headed towards the unlocked exit.
Though not before taking another second glance away, onto the keypad in question as it proudly showed the solved formula in bright digital numbers:
0 4 5 1
"That was very quick of you, Haydee. You're very smart."
The gynoid began to believe such a comment was starting to be tinted with a sense of irony woven into its structure.
Within the single second-long moment of barging on in, within the short moment before a full scan of the hallway could even be employed to aid them, Haydee's firearm was near immediately wrenched out its holster, and within a second later it was primed and aiming forwards with deadly intent. In the short second that were, Dale was forcibly pressed back, keeping away, and secured from what both quickly saw was on their forward. All this shock, fear and alarm, did not come with completely un-justification; all because in front, at a distance not too far, two standing bodies of machines, the same kinds with deadly blades as their arms and barbarous nature as their mindset, had presented themselves to the two in full as they faced the pair inside this enclosed, cramped corridor, ready for the charge forward and strike.
Yet no step was made, and neither was any bullet fired either, because as the gynoid quickly found out presently after, there wasn't an immediate present danger that awaited them right here and now: Though the two machines stared the pair down with their individual scarlet lens, neither their legs took stride towards them nor did their arms brace themselves for deadly sever, since as the odd pair of companionship quickly noticed, they could not be reached.
As between each of the individual machines and the organic/inorganic duo was a large barrier of merciful metallic design, keeping the Slashers inside their small cell's as they otherwise would be guarding their way forward.
Seeing there was little reason to fear for the robots presented physical threat, Haydee felt safe in taking a casual pause to better scan this room to what it fully held for them, letting her firearm down in the same manner as she did the humans self-appointed enclosure.
As stated, there were two of the bladed machines towards the farther end of this narrowed corridor, kept locked inside a small cage of both stone and metal. Between the two holding cells stood a meshed grating, blocking their way on through to the farther part of the room, where the gynoid could see two different open exits for them to pass on onto; one heading straight forward, and another bearing off to the right.
The right which left in both honest surprise, and noteworthy intrigue; because drawing all the way along that side of the wall, between her end and up to the closed grate, were a series of consecutive squared windows allowing, albeit dimmed, vision into the contents of the room inside. Though very little could be fully summarized, the area behind rather dimly lit, through the shadows and low light she was able to pick out certain details of not just non-organic nature, but the kind which could only come about with human abundance; of swivel chairs and wooden tables, desks that huddled both around the walls and into the centre, and what looked to be personal computers, machines for human interaction and information sharing, dotting atop the various furniture inside that closely emplacement.
All these details together could only mean one thing: human civilization was abound in that room. And if human civilisation was abound; than human life coexistence should be guaranteed. By the moment this striking thought landed in her head; her resolve to help the human only strengthened with fever further as she quickly began to believe a safe haven for the human may very well be found; and the time with the human may very well be coming to their inevitable end.
That idea was perfectly sound. . . correct?
Regardless, she needed to get on pass at any rate, and upon that thought, she made note of the final important detail in this room; the singular button on her leftmost side. No doubt, she could already tell to what end its purpose was for, and lowering down her pistol Haydee took the first steps towards that nearby button and reached forward ready to activate the anticipated-
"Haydee: Wait!" Inches before her fingers could make contact with the interactive circle the sudden call of her protected human raised a freeze in all her endoskeletal components before she turned her head around to stare at the one in question. Looking back, she quickly found his body frozen stiff as well while his eyes were opened wide, that she knew of two common feelings of dread, so quickly standing up straight she ensured all her attention was visually garnered to his consideration. "What about. . . them?" His twitchy point was formed after a slow rise of his arm, aiming past her own self and towards where the door, and no doubt highly likely, to those two malicious machines currently trapped behind a metal grating.
At first, she dismissed the idea of him being just overly yet understandable scared over all present mortal hazards, yet it was upon her second glance towards the robots, and more importantly, the gratings that held them back, did she realize what he may be alluding to.
"Do you think. . . will they come out as well?"
That was a perfectly reasonable inquiry to make, especially when considering all their moments taken beforehand: little was ever there for no reason, and it seemed highly unlikely the two machines were there for purely decoration purposes. And more on pondering all that needed to be pondered on, there was little here that stated the button would only activate the one grate.
Was it worth taking such a risk? To put it all on luck, and hope such a danger was dismissed for a quicker and easier route? No, she had come too far to lose it all now. She could not take any chances, no matter how diminutive they are presented to be.
So with a foremost nod alluding to her agreed uncertainty, the gynoid slowly pulled back up her pistol as she took a turn towards where the machines were held. . . only to pause when she remembered something important about these particular machines; they were weak, but there were fast. There was also no guarantee all her shots would hit their mark in time. Even if she began backing away immediately after or perhaps using her Remote, there was little certification it was flawless, far from it, possibly. The only gun she had on her person was the pistol in hand, so trying a different firearm seemed an inconceivable idea to her.
Yet who said it the gun was the only weapon she had? When that question was struck, the gynoids arm had already begun to rummage into her backpack.
"You have an idea, Haydee?" That call that came could not have occurred at a better equated time, because just when the sentence was spoken, Haydee's arm had already pulled out of her bag, where immediately after did the answer to his question came with visual clarification: Two dark circles held betwixt her nimble inorganic fingers.
"Mines?" She nodded, shortly before she witnessed his face lit up in elation. "Oh I get it all now?" She nodded again to his louder remark. And with a wave of her other hand she ushered him to stand back, which he complied to with without stated rebuttal.
Now that the human was at a safe enough distance, Haydee quickly ushered herself in the opposite way as she set her plan into action. Firstly, she stood feet before the nearest cell, seeing eyeing down the monocle machine with her own expressionless face. For the first time, she was able to get up and close to one of these wicked creations without having fear of death quickly approaching. It was almost as if she was mocking it, the tall machine staring down the immobilized machine even as it still looked more than ready to slice her to pieces. She could move, do as she wished, while this machine could only stand up and pitifully watch, now knowing how short its demise really was. Pitiful, of not for there being no reason to feel such empathy for an unthinkable automation.
Haydee slowly let her vision escape from the sight of this derisive drudge and instead focused on the floor, where she cleanly placed down a mine right in front of the cell's grating, as if to ridiculed its moment of escape. And moving away without even giving a second glance back, she did the same to the other holding chamber while not bothering to even look at the other machine's existence.
With the two mines set, all Haydee had to do now was take her steps back towards the button face their way, and with perhaps a little more force used then necessary, slammed her fist into the button as the inevitable came into fruition.
The gratings opened up - all three, their way now unlocked, but so did the chambers of the Slashers as the moment the cages were unbarred so did they act in turn as the first steps forward were made with quick sprints.
And then like perfect motion, the twin booms that followed bounced off the walls like a duet of wicked relief - blasting around the room in echoes as it tore the metal ones to shreds and sunders before her very hidden eyes, wires sparked out with the last cells of electricity it held while the fires burnt and melted any weak implants these machine may have held. The pressure of the explosions she could barely feel, but the concluding sounds of glass crackling and shattering into tiny pieces away to the otherside stole her enough of how effective her plan had gone.
"That was brilliant, Haydee!" The humans praise almost sounded like it had been mixed with equal part laugh, and indeed, she too felt pleased to effectively remove such dangerous beings with as little energy as she truly needed. True, she had used up the last of her mines, but they had not gone to waste as she silently gave thanks to helping them both. Though she felt enjoyment from his praise, they should not dally, especially with regards to how close they were with meeting what very well may be a hopefully end goal, and with a push ushered him onward he fell behind as they quickly darted past the obliterated enemies and to the side-bearing door, where Haydee hoped to find if not people, then perhaps some inkling to where the remnants of humanity can be found for him.
Upon her first hope filled steps inside; it was clear to her that the only human life that will exist in this dark room will come from the introduction of the human trailing shortly behind herself. This room was dark, of which there was no doubt of before she even stepped foot inside, but she refused to let that quench her hope for a meeting of other humans. Perhaps naivety of the reality of the situation, or maybe idle wishing in the strangest of ideas they were simply hiding, but a quick scan of the entire contents of this room told her she was more than simply late to meet any idle others.
Passing forward, she ignored the crunch of the shattered glass cracking underneath her tough-soled boots to focus on to the nearest desk beside her, the quick swipe of her fingers along the countertop, seeing the accumulated dust be disturbed as she looked at her now dirtied finger, confirmed her suspicion that human presence was not only meagre, but that none others had entered here in quite a long time. Too long for any to have lived in here to help either of them. In the very least, as she continued to stare at the deathly quiet room, she was thankful the only dead around were the lined up computers making no noise of their unavailable own.
Pressing onward, she refused to give into the obvious choice to simply sigh and turn around and instead give a full inspection in hopes that somewhere there could be a clue to help the human. "What an odd place, Haydee." His curious voice piped up as she continued to look all around for anything of intrinsic value. "What do you think it is here for?" Hard to determine, of some genuine purpose she was sure of, but there was little here to suggest a lean in any viable idea. Some ideas did come, of research, or as fortification from the machines about, but with no human having lived in here for an estimated lengthened amount of times past such a conclusion was hardly decisive, let only important.
"It looks. . . very strange to me. Very odd and. . . different, in a neutral way." He began to take his own steps forward into that shadowed land himself, eyes darting all around to try and make sense of this all. "It. . . kinda reminds me of-AARGH!"
The moment she heard the yelp of pain, the short scream that bounded off the walls to seek her ears as their destination, Haydee stopped all attempts to search around for suspicious matters and immediately whirl around at the balls of her feet to look behind and see the cause of such a painfilled howl. It took just the instant after for her to see the problem being presented to her in its distressing entirety: drips of dark red was leaking to the floor, hisses of tensed anguish were accompanied by a recoil as his foot jerked from the ground to keep away from what lied on top, and the obvious, distressing sight of the human trembling in plain suffering instantly froze up her own body like it were tainted in ice as she couldn't stop the shivering her body was making.
This did not last long, however, as the moment the machine regained full control of her mechanical functions she shot her entire being forward without singular hesitation, sprinting straight to the humans side before his tainted whimpers were paused long enough for her to be seen. And without a word of her presence, without even a clap of announcement to signify her ubieties the gynoid immediately arched her arms around his back, scooping him up off the ground before he could gain a chance to fall over and acquire perhaps even more injury, and whipped his body up to carry him away, feeling his body shake from the sudden interruption.
With a firm sweep of a arm, with passionate force more vehement than could be suspected were needed, Haydee's robotic appendage threw dust, old papers, and expensive computers alike away to any place that was not here as she made clear room for her living cargo, snapping her leg forward also to kick away a short wheeled chair as she knocked away all that she could. With both hands firmly back on her haul, the gynoid slowly lowered his body down onto the table with valuable care, having him place his rear onto the less-than clean countertop. Feeling he was upright and secured, and trying not to get distracted by the continued wails of pitched pule, she calmly let her arms go, taking a step back herself while her hands gently drifted downward and onto the ankles of the human as she carefully lifted up the harmed foot, and inspected the damage with tentative touches and daedal observation.
Her sensors told her the laceration depth was only to 3mm. No muscle or nerve damage was detected. It was painful, no doubt, but not truly damaging. However, as she watched Dale wince in pain, it made her feel unpleasant, like her circuits were being twisted and tangled. With feather-like contact she gently stroked along Dale's ankle, to let him know she had things under control, and reassure him. Taking a moment to pause from the bloodied underside, Haydee whirled her head around to take a good look at the area in front of the door, but the sight only made her insides twist further, as she quickly knew where the blame for this injury could be tied back to; and it felt to contort her coils all the more.
"It's. . . really not as bad as it seems, Haydee. Honest" Dale whispered through the grit of his teeth, and though Haydee was far from perfect with human interactions and communication, it was very clear to her he was lying. For her sake, or quite likely his own, to grin and bear it or to not want them to dally for prolonged reasons, all this didn't mean anything when an injury was sustained. Shaking her head slowly, she denied him the chance to sweep this problem away like it inanimate dirt. Rather, the best thing that needed to be undertaken urgently was to stop the bleeding and bandage the area sufficiently before they could make any foolish attempt with the thought of moving on further. A foot injury would only impede them both, and more so, she would see herself demanding he walk it off.
It was there and then did she instantly get reminded of a certain item they had collected from a time not too long ago, one that's use looked to be appropriate for the very problematic moment that was now. With an inhuman twist of her arm, Haydee reached around to pull out the once-opened box from her backpack and present it to them both, allowing him to see what it was she had brought out, before flicking off the lid and looking at the contents inside.
It wasn't the gel that her fingers had grasped first. Instead, it was the instruction sheet that she calmly yet quickly whipped out first as she deftly looked through to properly understand the full properties of this medkit, and how to best employ them. Swiftly finding the section that she needed promptly, Haydee quickly learned for the correct way to apply this gel was by simply rubbing it onto the affected area with smooth and delicate application, giving only light pressure so it would heal the cuts and grazes that caused the human the agony that had befallen him. For deeper injuries, such as broken bones as exemplified by the pamphlet, the needle is used to apply a more rooted problem. She made sure to remember that for any later use, with hopes that no such occurrence would ever occur, before she took out of the gels and spread about on her open fingertips.
With a repeated hold of the humans foot, followed up by slow rubs on his ankle to continue her reassurance everything would go by fine, Haydee gently began the starting process of applying it to the tiny lacerations on his sole, starting by gently letting the gel flow onto her fingertips before she aimed them towards his sliced sole. She felt him recoil a might the moment the touch came, and though a heavy formed inside her stomach, she continued forward with the process while also continuing to give reassurance grazes with her grasping fingers, hope this will help him endure it. "It. . . feels a little cold, Haydee." He hissed, though not out in pain, but rather a matter-of-fact statement as he tried not to reject the gynoid's caring advancements. If anything else, he was pleasantly surprised by her gentleness, because for what looked to be a machine far stronger than he'll ever hope to be, the only touches she was making felt like she was treating stained glass.
To the gynoids' own surprise, she could only look forward and watch as the still bleeding wounds closed almost immediately after the gel had been applied, practically seeming as if it were stitching itself back together, so well not even a scar was forming. With just moments after beginning the application, the wounds from glass lacerations were all quickly closed up, no longer letting even a drop of blood leak any longer. With a few reaffirming squeezes to the one up top, Haydee finally felt able to stare up to the human face to face to let him know she was done.
Though he couldn't tell, only guess, Dale was sure she was silently asking him how he was feeling right now. "It feels a little fuzzy now, Haydee." She listened intently. "Kinda strange, almost like my foot is falling asleep - but it does feel a lot better now, I can't even feel any pain at all." He quickly added on. She nodded, feeling fairer in knowing he no longer was injured, and with only a second glance longer onto the still bloody foot, she gave a final squeeze of his ankle before she began to stand back up.
"Thank you, Haydee." She paused halfway, looking back up to the humans face to see him shyly smile at her. It returned; that warmth he created with but the movements of his muscle structure seeped into her as she stared at the positive expression he was beaming. It was almost as if it itself was physically warm, as seeing that grin slowly made her internal temperature was by a fraction. Odd, unrealistic, but that was what it felt to be doing.
But that lingering idea should be left to the wayside for the moment, as they were still more pressing matters to attend to now. So standing fully up, Haydee made sure his focus was only on her as she started making silent instructions with her hand; First a point to him, then a presentation of her open palm, then another point, this one aiming down to the floor.
"You want me to stay here and not move?"
She nodded, as even though the injury was no more, she still thought it best for him to rest for a moment. His foot would likely still need a minute or two to get back to proper use, or at least it was fair to assume so, and beside all that she believed she was not done, as the pressing matter in question was cleaning away the old blood over his sole. Trusting his compliance, Haydee reminded herself it was okay to leave his side for the moment as she turned away and began a search around.
To her dismay, the only things she could find lying about were dead electrical appliances and old papers for purposes that were only useful for what may be Aeons' past. Nothing here was of important note, just seemingly random notes of research for unknown or simply random factors, nothing that would help him, including any notes of were human abundance could be found. Just lines of papers and graphs for someone else's examination. 'Floating Mines' and 'how they can be bounced off walls' may sound both interesting and possibly useful notes for future reference, but for the moment of immediate caution they could have been chipped bricks with how useless they were to her.
Refusing to give into dismay and believe there was truly nothing of use in this space, she pushed forward past depressive ideals and began to search further around and along the tables, swiping away the excess dust as she slapped away all the old papers and bland notes - only to then pause the moment she spied something both non-paper in design, but electronic, and still working too. Within seconds of seeing the shape and display upon did Haydee recognize what this pocket-sized device was used for, and remembering the very same kind as before, her curiosity did not dawdle as she picked it up, and scanned through the text that was written upon:
Journal entry, 3-29-2186.
I did it. I activated Hadie for the very first time today! It went better than I ever could have expected! It was a basic test, to see how well she moves and what I need to tweak, but that initial test is beyond promising! She was able to walk easily enough, follow simple directions. I'm excited! Now, I know there's much to be improved, but I am working on a more modular design, so parts can be upgraded and swapped as needed. She is just a basic skeleton right now, bare steel, and doesn't look feminine save for the wider hips, but it proves my concept!
Next, I will need to work more on her AI.
Journal entry, 4-11-2186.
I hate Tuesdays. As if having to deal with Caleb was bad enough, that damn dog of my neighbors chased me up a tree again! That dog is always running around, causing trouble, I hardly ever see it in their own yard, and not to mention the thing's ugly as sin. At least I managed to get away. Still have the scars from years ago. "Man's best friend" my ass.
But, on the plus side, it's been nice, rainy and cool of late. I went rock-climbing for some fun. Was nice to not have any jerks to deal with. But, it WOULD be nice to have someone to share those peaceful moments with. Maybe I can make Hadie able to climb? Her balance gyros seem to be able to handle basic standing and movement, so, maybe if I make a secondary movement program for her? Something to try, no doubt. I will need to give her stronger servos for her ankles, though.
Journal entry, 4-20-2186.
I have been working on designs for an outer skin for Haydee. She's just a bare skeleton at the moment, so I am working on designs for a skin/casing to protect her internals, and maybe make her a little more human. Would be nice if I could make parts from silicone, but that's really expensive, and I don't know anyone who does that kind of thing locally. But, I maybe might be able to make a firm foam work, and an outer skin of vac-formed plastic. I'll have to tinker with some designs until I find one that works.
But, back on track, Hadie herself is coming along wonderfully. I added to her AI, and she now seems even more alive. She is curious about everything! That's good.
Journal entry, 4-26-2186.
This week has been kind of shit, to be honest. Had to deal with Caleb and his goons again. God I hate that guy. But, I managed to get an A+ in the physics class. And no shock, Caleb flunked and had to stay after class. Took it out on everyone else, though. Will that idiot never learn?
But, back to it, Hadie is coming along very well. I tested her movement in the backyard, and she's decently nimble for a machine of her type. She is able to climb over obstacles, and even do small hops over ones knee-height. I'm really excited. If this keeps up, I should be able to take her out in a few weeks, if I can keep this progress up.
Journal entry, 5-1-2186.
I took Hadie out for the very first time with me today. She did amazingly well. We got a lot of stares, no surprise, but she did well, followed me, followed the commands I gave when needed. We had no issues. I couldn't expect a better first trial run.
Journal entry, 5-5-2186.
Hadie is really coming alive. That may sound odd, given how, well, she is clearly not human, but she has that feeling. At least to me.
To make things easier, I gave her a one-way faceplate. Her visual sensors are housed behind it. I took the design from a helmet design for things like hover-bike racers. Gives her a little more of an aerodynamic look.
I also have noticed she seems very alert and aware. I got her the best audio sensors I could find and afford. And even though she cannot talk, I really feel that she genuinely listens when I sit and talk with her. That could just be confirmation bias, or my own issues making me see what I want to. But it DID feel nice to sit and talk with someone, and not have them laugh, make fun of me or sneer. Little victories.
Journal entry, 5-10-2186.
Something amazing happened today.
I took Haydee with me to where I go rock-climbing. I wanted to show her around, and what the world is like. She's almost cute with how she seemed to be looking around at everything, trying to take it all in. I demonstrated about rock-climbing, and I guess some of the rocks were cracked, but they gave way. It wasn't that far, maybe 10 feet, but Hadie caught me. She caught me. I still can't believe it.
Now, I KNOW I didn't program that into her. I'm still floored. Even moreso, because she has been hanging around very close to me ever since.
I need to take a closer look at her program and AI.
Journal entry, 5-20-2186.
I am in tears, and tears of joy, for once.
I have been testing Hadie on a mental level for the past ten days. She solves puzzles with amazing astuteness. She solved a Rubik's Cube in one minute even! Considering she has never even seen one before, that's amazing. Every test and puzzle I gave, she seemed to relish in. I can hardly believe what I am seeing, but the proof is all right in front of me. I'm excited like a little kid. I'm so proud of her."
She did not know what this was leading up to. It undeniably appeared to be connected to the one found prior, with the flow of the Journals Timestamps, the steps, and the return of that Caleb individual, one who still she found herself twitching by his continually labelled existence, but such connections meant little if she had yet to find a reason to what they had to do with their own journey. Still, in the very least, at least this meant it was not some random confined story, so in the very least there was at least some reasoning as to why continue to find any.
But this helped her very little with her current matters, both with physically and knowledgeable means, and placing it back down to the dirty top she moved away and continued her search for any viable cleaning material. The tables had not granted her any useful pieces of material, but she would not be dispirited until after she had searched through every nook and cranny of this room to find anything that would aid him. There was more to this room than elongated tables, such as by the rows of filing cabinets farther side of the wall, though a quick search through she found little more than what they were named after.
Pen, pencils, and papers overfilling beige file holders, nothing of inherent value to her, and shutting the final one, she turned her attention to the final cabinet that occupied this room; a cupboard, really, if a more suitable name was to be given. So with both hands firmly grasping the handle, hope still laden within her, Haydee calmly shoved it open to find inside. . .
Not a roll, but something of rather important value nonetheless. With a sudden loud clap to gain the attention of the other, having not seen his own attention had not left his sights once, she swivelled her body over and pulled around her arm to let him see it for himself
"A green card?" He stated as he studied the familiar item from where he sat. "Hmm, I know that may be useful to us." Indeed, but for a time of moments pass, and filing the emerald Keycard away for such the moment she concentrated back on concurrent events. She continued her rifling through the randomized miscellaneous matter, swiping away the completely useless objects and rummaging past all the pens and pencils and the very like, but the longer she did the longer she sought to believe maybe they're truly wasn't anything of present value that she wished to find for him - that is, all the way up until her vision her finally focused on something of plausibly innate value huddled away in a cramped corner.
And taking it out, rubbing off the accumulated dust to gain a clearer view, it was with calm elation she had finally found something in the same category of what she was hoping to perchance find: a small, but unopened pack of tissues. These weren't no bandages, as she would have preferred, but these still held more worth than anything else she had come across, and thus shutting the drawers close, she turned away and made stride back to the human waiting patiently for her return. Ripping open the packet and taking a tissue out, Haydee let the packet drop onto the countertop before she knelt back down and grabbed the humans still bloodied foot with her other hand to garner all her directed attention onto the drying liquid that was still oozed upon.
With deftly gentle touches, Haydee's hand swiped all around his sole as she began her moment of cleaning. It was quiet, she had no problem with that, in fact a lack of distractions would only provide a boon to her insistence on continued progress, but with her mind only concentrating on his sole, on the blood she was wiping away, this provided her with nothing but agitated thoughts over the subject matter at hand. Even from the beginning, when she first noticed his bleeding injury, it upset her in ways she could hardly explain, especially as they were more so than suspected.
Being giving time to allow such thinking to occur, only to pause when she dropped the now dampened tissue and reached over for a fresh one, it occurred to her this was due to the human in question having been thus far very helpful and affable, a human like him didn't deserve to be hurt like this. She knew nothing of his existence, his background, or to why he was here in the first place, yet this changed little with how amiable she saw him as. Though some possibilities were drawn up, with some plausible ideas that range from a slave to even a prisoner or criminal, she rejected them all henceforth as he in no way behaves furtive to any degree, along with lacking any bar code or scar that would indicate a checkered past.
Though this rejection of assessments still did little to help her understand his own reasoning for belonging here in the first place, and the more she thought on it, the less she believed it was for insidious intention. One such as him seemed as harmless and peaceful as they could likely come, so she couldn't fathom the idea he was here for some shrouded purpose. With the last drop of blood now cleaned, and the third and final tissue dropped unceremoniously onto the ground before them, Haydee stood up as she urged him to stand on his own.
His first step down was a little wobbly, his balance askew as his foot was likely still weaning from the lingering ache, and taking a step back she gave him space to -
The sound of crackling under her boot almost forced her internals to jump out and become interestingly-new externals as her whole body instantly froze to the sound of something crunching underneath. With a slow drawl, creeping dread rising along her back, the shocked gynoid slowly turned her attention all the way down to her foot where lying underneath her boot -
Was a single piece of paper. Just that, nothing else. Nothing dangerous or precarious, just a single document, clear to her when she spun around her heel to gain a better understanding of the white sheet underneath. Her internals stayed inside from now, and leaning down, she roughly picked up the piece of paper and stared out in the open shadowed light and read what was on this erroneously unhazardous material.
"Work on the Advanced Movement Combat Boot is coming along nicely. We have solved some issues with the thrust nozzles, and now can achieve much stronger thrust. Thus far, thrust duration is sadly limited, but we are confident we can overcome these limitations in time.
Tests showed an individual weighing two-hundred pounds was able to triple their jumping height, and distance increased by an average factor of five. Impressive, but we can do better. The new shock-absorbing polymer allows a fall from up to thirty feet without harm. When paired with the new nozzles and boosters, in theory, a fall from almost any height could be negated. More testing is required.
-R&D7"
Less testing is required, she preferred to state, as the less of this rather meaningless mixture of paragraphs and charts the better, she saw fit. And throwing it back onto the floor, she let it slide away and not into her field of view now that she held no use for it. Mind herself, it did begin to give remembrance of-
"Haydee, your hands!" Any additional thoughts were paused for an unforeseeable future as the gynoid looked over to the human, where he was presently stopping his own regain of balancing as he pointed at herself with clear fretfulness. Seeing what he was alluding to, the machine looked down onto her hands, her palms and knuckles, as she tried to wrap to why his own fixation had suddenly landed onto them.
"You have some blood on them. Here, I'll help you." Was that the reason? Sure, it dirtied her fingers to a minor degree, but the dried liquid pertained no botheration to her progression, and it was not even her own internal fluid in the first place. She didn't see any reason as to why he was acting so fearful of this notion. "I'll wipe it off for you." With a tissue held in one hand, the other free, but reaching forward as if to hold another, the obsessed human looked to be waiting for her own action to occur now.
Swiftly, she began to deny such a reaction should develop, or even give need to, as it did not affect her in any such way -
"Please."
. . .
"You already did so much for me. Please, let me do this, as at least the most minimal of thanks I can give you." He. . . seemed to be getting upset. For why? It was only a little bit of excess fluid, fluid that was not even her own, so it should barely even be considered an afterthought with its existence. Surely, the human didn't see this circumstance as his own fault, he never intended nor knew of the broken piece littering the floor below, so it was never as if she could even blame him for it. It could not have been guilt that drove him to the need of cleaning another, so she flatly denied there being a logical reason for doing so.
Yet. . . she started to see the idea of getting cleaned by him. . . agreeable. Rather. . . not gratifying, that didn't make sense, more like. . . refreshing, as random as that word can feel. She supposed, quickly after, that the best summarization for this use of the adjective was that there was no harm in keeping clean, and the sooner it was done the sooner they could move on.
Finally relenting to her pleads, the gynoid reached out both her palms to let him gently hold her hands open, feeling his fingers softly grasp her own, to let him go about his hopefully quick cleaning. It shouldn't take long to any extent, cleaning wouldn't rise any prolonged problems for either, and she would prefer him not to take his time as he softly began to dab the tissue over her fingers; slow, methodical. . . gentle touches.
She had expected him to be a little rough with his cleaning, rubbing into her complex frame with 'elbow grease' as it were human called to forcefully wipe away his own fluids, but. . . every single touch that he made as he dabble the tissue into her folds and wipe away the excess liquid was done so with flecks so tender, she could barely even recognise they were there. Not once did he appear to rush the process, but not out of seeming expertise, but more like he was treating her very body with care. . .
"I think I got it all off."
That was. . . faster than she believed it would have taken. Examining her hands closer, she wondered if they actually looked cleaner than they were before. Not a single speck of red was coating their surface, even within the folds of her undersides, and flexing her fingers she was sure they felt warmer so how.
Still, whatever the real case, he had done something nice on her behalf, and she had somewhere inexplicably promised to reward his kind behaviour with physical comfort, and taking her newly cleaned hand away she lightly began stroking his hair, ruffling through as she heard his chortles, waving along the sides as she could just barely feel the hairs brush against her, those thin, fuzzy lengths that hustled between her fingers.
Had they always curled inwards at the tip like that?
Feeling his head move suddenly, Dale looked off from her side and towards the door nearby, pointing with vehement energy as he hurriedly pronounced. "We-we should probably get on moving. Yeah, onward we must go!" Did his voice squeak at the end? Regardless, he spoke the genuine truth with his statement, and nodding in agreement, she knew their time in this unlabelled room was already up. The only option left was to leave, alongside this human as he was already starting his own trip forward-
Her hand shot to stop him, grasping at his shoulder with firm hold as her effort resulted in his foot stopping halfway there. Turning to her, he curiously asked "What's wrong, Haydee?" as her halt ensured he didn't take another step.
Which was fine for her end, as with a point of her other hand, the human quickly realized why she made him stop his walk: the glass nearby the only door out was still there, with droplets of blood surrounding some broken shards as no doubt both knew what this helped to exemplify. "Oh right." He stated bashfully. "Can't be doing that again, can I." She could think of five good reasons as to why not to do that.
"So how do I," he slurred as he scratched at his curly hair, "how do we get past that now? Should I just. . . hop over?"
No; that would be risky, and more importantly she had already thought up a better move than any relying degree of to chance:
Without a sense of caution from any source, Dale quickly found his weight being lifted off the floor as two strong hands had suddenly reached around and hurled him off the floor. No longer was he standing upright, but instead the human quickly found himself seated over the strength of a specific gynoid's mechanical arms. Looking up from his now sudden position, the hauled one could only look at the machine's head in disbelief as he felt her body shift forward, no doubt towards the exit with him held like shipment.
And upon the realization of exactly how she was going to get him across, the living cargo could do nothing more; then let out a hearty laugh.
"You know something Haydee, you really are quite special."
She stopped, for the briefest of moments to look down at him, before looking back and carrying on her way as she re-listened to the words the human had used to describe her.
Of all things; 'Special' was certainly not one she'd ever think to use on herself. Special indicated a difference, it held robust meanings over something one had strong ties to, something perhaps unique from anything else. That was not her; she was a model, a duplicate among many others, her existence, from her frame and hardware down to her mental processing, was exactly the same of hundreds others, and hundreds right after. She was a reproduction where there was only one prototype, and it surely wouldn't have been herself. His words did not have meaning, they couldn't have, her awakening came upon a rack of other identical units, so. . . why did it make her feel warm inside.
The sudden crackle of glass underfoot snapped her attention out of her supposed daydream, bringing her back into reality to have her concentrate on the concurrent matter and do anything but drop her freight as she calmly continued forward over the crunching shards underneath, and to the door, as she reached out to leave.
Taking just one last step out, no longer within the confines of that vacant place, she felt strong relief Dale had now left that hazard of a room and back out to this hallway, where the deceased remains of vengeful machines awaited them. Feeling it safe for him again, Haydee gently lowered his form towards the floor to let his feet catch the foot of the tiles.
"Thank you again, Haydee." She nodded to his gratitude, taking a step back to let him stand by himself as turned and faced the final door out. Though he seemed ready to leave himself, he didn't start any steps towards their nearby destination as instead he turned back to the gynoid with a bashful expression.
"I'm. . . really sorry I had to make you do that for me. All of it." Oh no - no no no no no. The swift shakes of her head did not communicate her feelings over who the fault was to be placed upon. She could not blame, not just for a logical sense, but in she found an impasse in even trying to blame him. If one were to even try and hit a golden mean, the fault could only be blamed on those decimated remains being still behind their position. They forced her hand, not him. Was he. . .really trying to pin the blame on himself, even now? She instantly reached out, and with a gentle grasp wrapped her fingers around his cranium and just. . . left them there. Not ruffle or pat, her body did not tell her to do this, but instead, only light, gentle rubs from her fingertips, reminiscent of strokes past to make him realises it was reassurance she was giving him, not guilt. To her elation, it seemed to work, as the frown he had been wearing slowly melted away with every stroke, and upon seeing him sufficiently delighted enough she let him without a cause for concern.
"I guess you. . . must feel better not having to lift me anymore?" Well. . . they would move on quicker - she does move more quickly and easier herself, not to mention better focused, without him being held in both her arms. Plus, with her hands free, it would technically mean she would be much better suited to protect them both as opposed to that separate notion. Most of her interactions would become void if she had to keep him so wrapped up around her appendages.
But still, holding him so close was not an. . . unenjoyable feeling. He was soft, and warm, and highly congenial even to the less than traditional actions. Compared to everything else here; cold, dead and apathetic, the human was heated, alive and caring. Having a companion by her side had shown itself it well to be noticeably highly needed, yet with how he was, how he acted and what he was like, she couldn't disagree with the thought that even with the more lukewarm moments she had with him, his companionship was not something she would every try to disdain from. At least. . . until it was properly time to.
When that time eventually comes, she would eagerly let him be, as it was his nature to stay with his own kind, and her her own, but until that time, when it will, she saw no reason to not keep him beside her at any and all times. For his own safety, of course. That must have certainly be the. . . only crucial reason.
So with an usher, Haydee urged him along, guiding him forward as they prepared themselves for whatever may come next. It may not matter how short or long their time beside one another may last, as in the least, she would know she did so with strong memories and gathered experience that she was now sure would become beneficial to her own unspoken foreordains.
With that final truth thought, the pair marched on.