Within the first steps into this new and different land, she felt no surprise with seeing the simplicity of anything stay unchanged: Bleach-washed walls, encamped echoes that were only brought into life by purely themselves, and a line of meshed, barring grating that halted their progression through until they found yet another obvious repurposed activating mechanism to let them on through.
However, that wasn't to say there weren't some things of value in this particular room that caused them both to halt their steps and stare at with either genuine shock or mild intrigue,; since upon their first scan through, it was undeniably to argue that would be found untrue. Firstly, with the more subdued curiosity that two had garnered, both could see through the holes of the meshing something of obvious interest lying on a pedestal, in a centre a few steps down after the meshing. What little to see, and little there appeared to be, mattered when they gained a fairer look after having sorted out their blockaded progression.
But secondly, and for the much more shocking and near-outrageous moment that was presented to them, was just how BIG this room had looked to be, or at least when past the meshed barrier. Not just exclusively wide, but ridiculously tall, a good five stories tall worth in fact, if Haydee's estimation were (certainly) correct. And the reason why did not go unnoticed by the two either, as jutting out from the ground and trailing along the walls were a series of walkways, ledges and gaps for what appeared to be complicated traversal, surrounded - thankfully - on both sides by escorting railings. The sheer size of it all formed a figurative shadow over the two, the encompassing magnitude that it looked to dwarf even the high-bearing room Haydee had Dale enter through first.
Yet trying to remain undaunted by the sheer eminence, Haydee pressed forward with the rest of her scan to determine the other important factors this room has presented for them, discovering the simple door coming on to their own left side. Unlocked, though such claims of adding the suffix 'thankfully enough' were somewhat mitigated by the knowledge said exit was found way up high at the end of that long twisting rollercoaster of a trail, no less.
That said, their exit had been found, and even if the process towards such would take longer than preferably warranted, she knew it still needed to be done, and done without delay, lest it take even longer. Her focus now leaning away, she regained herself back onto the first matter at hand, the closed away door that blocked their way on through. It never took long for her to recognize the solution to such a problem, as bearing over onto their right side was the obvious recognized sight of a vented opening, one that visibly whisked around to the other side at a height and shrinkage so small it was clear Dale had to leave her. . . side. . .
Oh.
"I can squeeze through that easily." The sudden outburst of an overly enthusiastic human ripped her attention away from the venting and towards the lifeform in question as he quickly made a dash to the opening, standing under it seconds later to wait the commencement from the gynoid: who, despite all other times was more than ready to lift him up, could barely feel to even take a step as she was filled with apprehension over such a course.
What if he got stuck? What if he tripped and fell? What if there's a diabolic foe waiting just out of their sight, ready to charge over and turn him into human mincemeat? Such probabilities, though rather meagre, where still plausible to happen, and in each case she would be left unable to aid him from uncertain injury - unable to help him, to keep him safe and sweep away such dangers she herself could handle without trouble. Surely, surely there was a second option to take, a different way for them to handle with reduced hazards for him to handle? There must have been, it didn't make sense for them to come all the way this far, only to be stopped in their tracks and-
"Haydee?" She snapped back to reality with fixation on the speaker. "Is. . . something wrong? Do you. . . see another way we can get by this?" There was none - as much as she wished, it was clear, no matter how much she tried to deny it: this way was the only feasible manner they could go if they wished to commence with progression. She had to relent, as she knew it as she saw this to be unquestionably true without any other options presented to fall back on. Though she still hesitated, she knew better than thinking waiting will aid them in any way, so she marched forward nonetheless, knowing she had a position to take.
But not before a sudden clap of attention was directed to the human as she was just mere feet away from both himself and the space below the venting. "What is it, Haydee? Is something wrong?" Not wrong, per say, but there was something that can certainly be fixed. Bending her arms down in physical response, when she reached out to slowly bring something out of its holster, held not around it's handle but sided against her open palm, and be presented to the human with innocuous gifting, it took but a few seconds before Dale was able to understand her intended message.
She did not know human eyes could bulge like that.
"Oh, er. . . n-no-no, I'll-I'll be fine thank you." His words came out stuttered, yet almost frantically so as he quickly waved his hands to her. "I-I mean that I. . . it's only around to the other side. I think I'll be fine - See: no danger at all over there." He motioned with odd vehemence towards the outside of the grating. "Besides I-the gun is more. . . suited, for you. I-I'll just be shooting it wildly and stupidly, you know: wasting all the bullets and making everything worse for you, it'll be better if you keep it. It's. . . in better hands with you."
Well. . . she knows how to perfectly aim with it, that was undeniably true. And if she had to guess, the human's lack of memory would also mean a lack of known experience with such a weapon - if he even had any to begin with, which was also a possibility in of itself. And above all, he wasn't entirely wrong with there being no seen danger before them, even if such a possibility should not be written off so eagerly. She had to acknowledge it, his logic was sound, impartial to her own sound preferences.
She couldn't force it on him either way, so she relented, nodding so he could witness her agreement. With that motion recognized and settled, she drawled the pistol back into its holster, and away from this debate that had been resolved - but not before she let linger one little motion with her hand, silently reminding him that he was free to borrow such a tool if he comes to need to: There may very well be a moment that he does.
"Let's hope that I. . . don't get the chance to need to." He turned away staring back up to the ventilation above his head as Haydee stashed away her firearm as quickly as she could before she came on forward and got into position. He responded in perfect reply, and taking his own steps forward his foot came onto her hands, his hands rested on her shoulder, and the imperative steps were taken in quick order as he swiftly dragged his body up and through the open vents.
The seconds that came felt to dawdle for longer than they should have. Even as she listened intently to the sounds of his shuffling as he scurried along the short venting, this barely helped her calm down as the fears of him getting stuck, hurt, or potentially even worse through matters she had yet to decipher neither boiled nor froze over, only continued to stay scorching for the time being.
Even when she finally saw his legs kick out the opening over the other side barely settled her broiling, as the unease of him being where she cannot keep him alongside her ensured frantic worries could not be sedated. Though this was after their agreed debate had come to its rightful conclusion, she still began to wonder if there was a benefit of her trying to put her pistol through the wire of the meshing, just in the slightest case it will help keep him covered.
It was only when Dale quickly shuffled on over and pressed the unlocking mechanism confirmed to be situated right by the door did Haydee finally find some rising amount of peace. Immediately she ran back to the humans side, petting him with energetic zeal before they both turned away in tandem so they could look down past the steps below and take a better, more clearer stare to the rather distinctive and off-ly inanimate detail found with this rooms centre.
With their bodies heading down to gain an even clearly observation, they took in the strange symbol imprinted onto the dark circle: To Haydee, this white impression against the black background appeared to be some footwear of some kind; a flat underneath, a slight rise on one side, while the other reached up high like a tower, the second rise joining up not closer to the end as well. Underneath all that, there was what appeared to be an arrow pointing up below that symbol in question; an indication, but to what, and to why?
And how does it disclose to this room as a whole?
"What do you. . . think. . . this is relating to, Haydee?" She only gave him a blank look in return; though, not as if she could give him any other one if she wanted to, yet still, the fact remained she hadn't a clue by what it was trying to allude to. "Does it have something to do with that trail?" Taking a look away, her vision followed along the twisted ascending pathway that resided in this domain, starting from where it began from off the floor, she saw not only all the turns as it snake around above them, but also the long gaps, the high jumps and falls, the kinds with way too much distance for her to be able to take by her own means. And even besides all that, what caught her off guard was more of those similar symbols painted onto the walls that trailed along with the coils of the path; more of that exact same symbol as before. "I know it must relate to something, but to what end I can barely speculate." She agreed, thinking hard on it herself.
All this together was alluding to but one conclusion; that this circle that was before them was an important fixture for the completion of this very room. But by exactly how; neither she, nor the human could fully work out; it was implying towards some conclusion, some that they can't seem to figure out by simply standing here and mulling over the fewest pieces of this puzzle. . .
Well. . . it looked like a floor pad to her, so-
She stepped forward, earning a "Hmm?" from the human she was leaving behind as she let her own footwear stomp onward onto the circle without an inkling of hesitation residing within her. Almost urgently; she felt a slight, tiny yet noticeable drop in elevation the moment she first put weight onto this circle. Her intrigue only furthered upon her inspection down, because slowly trailing around the white ring of the black round, a thin light was looping around her still frame. She didn't make a move at all, only a patient interim as she waited out for any incident that may appear.
"Haydee. . . " More patiently than her male companion. "Do you know what is going on-"
With a shuttered clash of metal the sudden appearance of two clamps appeared from underneath the gynoid's own footing as she could feel the cold grasp of steel wrap its stoic hold onto her calves. She could not move, as much as she twitched, as much as heaved, her legs could not escape the grab of the mechanical clamps. The human screamed her name, as she was unsurprised for, since no matter how hard he called her name, or even when he grasped her own arm to help pull her free, the grasp of the clamps did not budge even with his pitiful help.
She saw movement from out the corner of her vision, as around her frame, around the frame of the circular plate, a thin framework arose from behind and around her, of more of that unpolished metal, this time one that didn't try and hold her down, but surround her figure as a thin, coloured light slowly began to trail up her body, casually highlighting against her white sheet of coating like it was its business to, as if it was looking. . . searching about her.
She believed she figured it out what it was trying to do now.
"Hold on just. . . just stay there; I'll think of something to help get you out!-" With a shot of her arm, an open palm came up to be directed against the panicked one. Like the finest medicine, his worries slowly began to die down when he noticed her calm demeanour, his tensed expression dimming down by her soothing stance. He gave but a silent nod to her signal standing back to give space as the gynoid did nothing but let the light wash over her.
A sudden sound came seconds later, a moment before a new set of clamps, more thick and bulkier than the kind before, leaped around to wrap around even more of her legs, going up past her knees this time, as she could, feel movement going on inside the border the wrapped around her lower half. But before she can think over more question to its, and by extension this entire scenario's, purpose, a hologram flashed right before her eyes, of a basic background and colour, but one with just the words of UPGRADE IN PROGRESS being glared in front of her visor.
The question of UPGRADE to what end was not able to be asked in full by her, because just suddenly she could feel the hands of tiny machinery starting to pick into her legs. It was no pain that was being caused, no more scans this time either, as she could feel that underneath the border plating of some nondescript intention was being pushed onto her. Onto her legs, feet and even her soles, something of unknown design was slowly forming around her legs, encasing her calves for enigmatic reasons, and leaving the Haydee to do little more than stand by to see where this was all leading up to; including from what was now uploading into her digital mind.
UPGRADE COMPLETE. BOOST DISTANCE INCREASED. THANK YOU. The message changed before her eyes, just in time to feel all the pressure that was digging into her inorganic skin retract away, leaving her with no other feeling than something strange yet not unpleasant stay immobile around her legs. The message faded, reduced to nothing as the framework that once surrounded her back and sides slowly slid back down to the floor to once again be hidden away.
A hiss of air was blasted, seconds before the large encasing clamps lifted around and away, back to how it was before; with the main exception being to what was now wrapped around Haydee's legs: A pair of large boots. Not just normal boots, however. They were white, with thick, black soles to cushion against the tiles. They were clearly made of some kind of hard material. Large disks sat on the sides where the ankles were, and a large cuff of some sort shrouded the front and back. The boots were tall, reaching up to the knee, with a segment that looked to be knee guards at the very top, and fine seams ran down the sides. At the back of the calf, just below the knee, was an angled port of some kind. There was one at the back of the heel as well. The boots gleamed, like enamelled metal, crafted to the finest standard.
They were clearly far more than ordinary footwear. Or at least, that was what she thought as she examined them all over with twirls on her heels. "Those look amazing Haydee." They actually felt amazing too; inside these boots, she could feel her toes were cushioned with a soft padding, surprisingly nice, especially when compared to her older boots. Continuing to examine it further, she noted how dark the soles of the boots were in contrast to the pure white sheen of the plating's. From where she stood, they looked to be of dense rubber. There was more here, however, than just soles and kneecaps, as aligned with her Achilles were a pair of circular gyre on either side of both her boots, their purpose silent to her. But the biggest mystery of all here was the strange exhaust port on the back of her legs, underneath her knees, that existed without clarity. Perhaps: the other important detail added to her would elucidate her inquiries.
"They look perfect on you." They. . . kind of did. They looked tougher, more resilient, even more comfortable against her inorganic skin. And the white plating/black sole combo, seemed to fit well against her one near-pure black-white body. "Well, how do they feel? Come, take a walk, they'll help you get used." Not a bad thought from the human, her body would still need to adjust to this new set of external hardware that had been technically forced upon her. Shouldn't take her long, though, but in the least, she could do it for the human's sake; as it were, he seemed to be far more excited than her about these. How bizarre, yet rather endearing, in a way.
And adhering to his resourceful request, the gynoid raised up her foot from the floor, keeping her balance steady, before she tilted her frame forward; and slammed it down to the ground. To her surprise; she found her stomp was very light. Almost bouncy, like their was some in-built suspension. From this single step alone, the gynoid could instantly tell her steps would hardly hit at all, which in turn would allow for easier running. Ready to test further now, Haydee began with her other step, taking her foot off the plate as she edged forward and-
Beep.
Unbeknownst to either until it let itself be known, as soon as her foot left the circular indent that loud ring of activation was resounded off the walls, surprising them both before they could collect themselves and react to the sliding mesh booming. This left only the minimum amount of time to turn around and spot what was happening a distance away - just in time to watch as the meshed entryway closed before their eyes, and no doubt, was quickly locked. It was instantly clear what this meant for them.
"Well. . . it looks like we've only got one choice now, it seems." She agreed with her organic friend, staring up to that door that was laid on up high, before her vision went on down through the long, winding trail that led up to that exit, and finishing up by the ledge that was the nearest to ground level. "Besides that, how do those boots work for you, Haydee? Do they feel uncomfortable at all?" She shook her head, taking short steps around to nowhere while the human watched with a grin, one that only lengthened when the gynoid bended her knees and made a jump up straight forward, landing with ease as she felt the suspension kick in at the last second.
"I guess they are working fine for you, then?" She agreed to his testament. "Though, I do wonder, to any end, why they were here for. I mean. . . they must mean something, they can't just be given to you because they look good; though. . . not that it looks to be a bad thing." His attention pertained only towards her footwear, and though she couldn't communicate it, she also believed there was more to these boots than a fashion item.
But such a moment must come in its own due time, and for the moment, their concentration should be waned to their attempt of exiting, as silently stated by the gynoid with a point of her finger. Upon the sight of the trails beginning, Dale did not question her more, rather, he let his enthusiasm be garnered towards their way out, just as she instructed. "Right! On your lead, Haydee." And leading him away, they moved on over, her new boots taking her frame over towards their undeniable first step to the exit.
She couldn't guess how difficult the entire route would end up being, but if it were anything like the beginning that was before them; she was perturbed for how long it may take them. It was not complex, their first step, by any stretch of the means, nor could it be called hazardous or interminable. After all, it was but a high ledge they saw before then. However, such clarity could not be underestimated so soon, as it was the trail from the floor to the ceiling that made them take an urge of contempt over this impasse. It was high, too high to simply jump up to and grab. . . at least; for the gynoid.
"Hold on, I think I can do it!" The human beside her suddenly shouted aloud. He ran ahead by himself, kicking his heels as he he leaped up high before slamming his feet onto the wall; and keeping his momentum going made a reach up - cleaning grabbing the hem of the ledge, even if Haydee quickly felt a surge of worry with how close he seemed to make it. A heave up, and he was already standing high above the ground from her - not that he in any second forgot about her, since instantly after he immediately turned around and ducked right back low as he reached out an arm for her.
"Take my hand. I'll help pull you up."
A generous offer, but to his immediate surprise: she had no intention to; a bewildering thought that was exemplified alongside the bewildering look the human made as she denied his courteous aide. Not right away, but only after Haydee took the second to pause, to look and examine the symbols that were found painted onto the wall: A boot, the very same design as before, and an arrow pointing upwards, but this time not from below the sole, but stationed right alongside it, like it were an equal partner.
This alone might not have made complete sense to most people, but those most people did not fully understand the extent the footwear had implanted in its entirety; including with the human that was right before her. With a motion for him to back away with a few flicks of her wrists, Dale did what was commanded as he took a few confused yet receptive steps away, allowing Haydee to stare up and down the impasse to take it all in for the very last time; until her newly-kitted legs made their move: A sprint, Haydee kicking her legs with her sprint as she dashed forward with a rushing charge.
Then came the jump of her two feet. Her two knees bent down alongside her assault as her momentum did not decrease in the slightest; the arc of her body's weight was flung forward. With a sudden straightening of her legs, her body did too as she made her leap up; all which left the human to do nothing more than observe, and ruminate that he should try and catch her, as he already figured out her height was just not enough.
But suddenly, with the burning intensity of a dying giant star and the accompanying sound of compressed air ejected like a raging torpedo, the sudden flash of azure flame erupted from beneath the gynoid's feet. Dale could only take a jolt backwards and watch as that burst of fire and pressure not only shook through him suddenly; but also propel the user of such a blaze so far up she was easily able to grab the edge of the rim pull her body forward, finishing with a full spin of her arcing body land and crashing stomps on to the same floor the still surprised human was on.
Slowly, with cautious movements, the machine straightened herself up, unbending her knees and ensuring her footing was secured as she uncoiled her back, and turned her head; to see the human slowly lose his shocked expressions and replace it with a wide beam.
"That was incredible!" He clapped to her, his voice an ardent cheer as he was unable to tear his eyes away from those plated footwear, as if mesmerized by their mere presence alone. "Just. . . wow! That's what they can do? They're amazing!" She could not dismiss how infectious his enthusiasm was, his grin a smile wider than she thought possible, almost to an exaggerated degree.
"They would be so useful." Well. . . perhaps not too exaggerated - after all, these were pretty prodigious boots, and she was proud to have them on. With their jet burst function, she could already see it having great uses, for distance, traversal and even last-second saving either from a potential drop into an abyss. Though the time for that last thought she'd much prefer not arise, this pair of heavy boots would still prove themselves useful in the future endeavours, no doubt. She had already come to the conclusion that their dual closure, or even just the humans, was still always from them, so in the least, gaining this set of propulsion-based footwear should provide them with the necessary advantages that were needed for safe departing.
And departing that could only be done if they kept on going and not dally around so she could be fed compliments, so with an usher, Haydee urged him along with her. "Of course! Right behind you, as always." She received in turn, the appropriate response she knew she'd be getting before they both moved off.
Course; not to say the human wasn't still rather enthralled by the simple sight of her walking in front of him. Tap, tap, tap, her walk was as normal as it ever had been, but still seeing it be done so with the use of jet-thrust footwear for every step seemed to fascinate him to his very core.
So hypnotized he were, he nearly tripped on his own feet as they suddenly stopped their stride, in turn causing the human to stand back up straight and see now there was an invisible set of eyes looming over him. It was a good thing then, in this instance, that she had no optics he could see, lest he feel too awkward under her gaze.
The robot in question neither cared nor noticed his sneaking enchantment as instead her only attention was pertained to the way in front, easily stated by the point out she was showing. Looking in the direction, he didn't need to be told anymore from it as he understood her reason for halting; a stretch of gap was separating this side from the one that led forward out. It was long, but not too far, as he was sure he might have been able to reach it if he leaped at the last second. Though, such calculations were only an estimation at best. Thankfully, it appeared there was more here than a simple chasm.
From the other side, there was a button on the side, likely to aid them in some certain way. But on this side, rather than be a interaction for them to utilize, there instead what was pertained to the wall was a symbol instead; consisting of that boot figure yet again, with not one, but two arrows, from left to right one facing up and one facing left, with the boot figure coming on sequence after.
Haydee gave a pause for him to halt, then a point of her own, aiming down to the floor below. Without ambiguity, he nodded, not only because it meant she already knew how to proceed, but also, if his guess was correct, it would mean he would get to stay back and have front row placement to see her new boots in action yet again.
And it did not take long at all for it to happen either, as rightly after the human confirmation of her commands did Haydee take her few steps back, bend her knees to be ready for a running start, and like a shot of her firearm ran, jumped from the ledge, and to the human's bubbling excitement, fired a burst of her jets that restarted her upwards momentum to grant her safe land on the other side without a string of a hitch.
Now back to solid land, Haydee took a second pressure her heel into the tiles, feeling how the boots supplemented her landing without sustaining sprain. Though she couldn't see, it was clear there were shock absorbers built into these boots, ones that helped to ensure a strong, adroit landing every time. Combining this with this footwear already supplementing her legs to better run and jump as it were, it was without hesitation she could state she could now survive greater heights without fear of injury.
But enough of praise for her armament, there were still more important tasks to better remember, one of which was the human still locked over the other side, though one that was thankfully not in the least bit worried about it, if his smile and wave tow her direction was any indication. Beside that, there was still the matter of that button by the side that was ready for a pressing, and taking her attention to it she headed straight for its body.
Back to the other side, upon Haydee's immediate look away the human knocked himself back into the real world before he gave a trailed look up and down the length of the rift before he steeled himself ready. Haydee had made her move, and it was only far for him to do the same; so with clumsily-copied sprinting position from the human's body, the human readied himself to quickly follow along and-
Beep.
Just as he was ready to make a courageous run of his own, the sudden appearance of a set of flooring popped out from the other side to race on over, and connect to his.
. . . Now realizing he was still in his readied position, the disconcerted organism slowly unwound his twisted position to stand right back up straight and stare forward with quiet observation. "I. . . guess that works too." He broke the silence with a low whisper, taking a look up to the gynoid standing by the button as she stood patiently for his return to her. "Right then - y-yeah, this way is the safer and quicker option." Trying not to wonder how it was he was speaking that too, the human swiftly ran over, across the bridge with disjointed enthusiasm to join the gynoids' side.
With a nod from her, Haydee ushered him back along to continue with their trek up and around this twisted path. It did not take long after for them to come to another impasse, another gap, but this one significantly longer than the one before. Feeling less like a gap that was before them, and more like a canyon separating their traversal, Dale did not even think to attempt a jump across of his own. There were better ways to act impressively, and suicidal manoeuvres were certainly not one of them.
In a similar vein as before, there was another sign by the side above the railings, again consisting of arrows and a boot. What changed this time was that the combination of up-facing then left-facing arrows was repeated twice on the sign, before the symbol of a boot stood engraved by the side. And in almost perfectly similar fashion as before, another button was pertained on the other side. She knew what needed to be done, and turning to the human behind her she motioned-
"I'll wait for you." Her fingers didn't even have time to set up their first directed statement before the human had responded to her planned proposal. "I'll follow when you can let me." She nodded, knowing little more needed to be spoken now as she turned to face the lengthened chasm. No doubt, as she sized it up, it was surely the longest stretch of rift they had come across, at least without an interval in between. That would not stop her, however, nor would she let it try to.
Thus, as she took to her running stance, Haydee was ready to deny there any chance to be halted in question as she made her move; her stomps hitting the pathway before their inevitable jump, a leap for pure advancement, and then the sight of her boots kicking in and jet boosting her forward. . . but that still made her come up short, the ledge still a far away off - and Dale could it see unfold before his very eyes.
"Haydee! You're-" But without warning, a sudden re-flash of azure breached his eyes as the noise of escaping gas whooshed into his ears, stopping his voice short as he stared in wonderment to the second blast of air that helped propel her not only farther over but with enough air to safely land by the edge with easy landing.
She wasted no time immediately after turning towards that nearby button and pressing onto, creating a duplication of the floor reaching out to take a hold of the side. Dale did not hesitate as soon as the bridge trolleyed on over, immediately making a sprint forward to reclaim his position by the gynoids side - though not before his vision burned into the boots yet again, this time with a newly refreshed state of awe aimed directly at her footwear.
"I didn't know they could do all that! Just how many times can that be done?" Upon his question, the gynoid simply held out two fingers for him to see.
"Just two, ahhh. . . still, though, they are incredible regardless. Oooh, I cannot wait to see them do it again." Well, it shouldn't be very long for that to happen, she mused, as not too far off there as indeed another gap for her to likely traverse over with this set of unique equipment.
Standing by the edge, Haydee made careful note of how changed the challenge had presented to them. More gaps; but this time with more than just a line forward. Rather, with how it looked, it appeared to be a turn: In the far off distance was not the sight of the next side, but rather that of a small balcony, not tiny, but still rather short in stature. Between that balcony, however, was another gap, one that did become their next area of pathway; yet one that also happened to be facing towards the left-hand side. While a simple jump, turn, and jump seemed on first look the obvious system of advancement, she knew better than to simply think that, and with a head-spin the machine looked over to the sign awaiting her attention.
Unlike those before, this sign brought in a new symbol for her to examine; a drawing that resembles, according to her database, that of a stopwatch. Though it came alongside a boot, and two arrows pointing up, it was the stopwatch herself that not only gave rise to think, but quickly after did she not need to conclude on it any longer.
Ten seconds. That was the number the stopwatch was referring to. A number for seconds the gynoid already knew their meaning for. Though the human couldn't see it himself for any clarification, on the HUD in Haydee's vision, from what allowed her to see this world, there was a counter in the corner that stood at a firm zero, one that only came into existence the moment her new boots were upgraded onto her. Though largely remaining still for most of its existence, it was only when Haydee had made her jumps, had boosted her jets to allow her reach new distances, did a countdown suddenly appear, beginning at ten seconds, counting down as soon, as she importantly noted, her soles touched solid ground.
She knew what this meant, so with confirmation the human would stay back and wait, Haydee began her run, her jump, and the two consecutive boosts that came there after allowed her easy access towards that balcony that was at a distance before, as she turned on her heels the moment she landed down.
But it was not then that she moved. Instead, she patiently waited. The seconds counting down on her HUD, Haydee made not a move until when, and only when, the numbers reduced down back to zero did the gynoid move again, jump off the side and boosting her jets to properly her up and forward so she could safely land down to the proper side of the pathway. Once done, she pressed the button on the side, and the human came running back over as soon as the bridge was connected.
"I think I'm starting to like these trails." The human happily announced. "The more that come, the more we get to see the boots in action." And beside that, the more she could better understand both the applications and limitations of this set of equipment, the more they could carry on forward with higher advantages. To that end, she nodded in agreement with the human before they carried on over to the next likely confrontation that had to conquer.
This time, there was no sign on either side to give indication for what must be accomplished. No varied symbols of cryptic explanation to be deciphered, to give summary for how their next step must be done, lest they fall down the chasm below. That said, as they looked at the challenge in question, it took neither long to figure out exactly what must be accomplished, nor really, any fright of a deathly fall; being there was no chasm for them to fall down through.
Not a gap, but what impeded their progress onward was in fact a tall stretch of wall. Going so high up, with no grating or other kind of gap to catch, the ledge that gave them the minimal length to grab could not be obtained even if she were to boost Dale up herself.
Course, it was not him that needed boosting, after all.
"It's a good thing your jets could propel you twice, Haydee." The human remarked as he stared up to the highest point of the border, knowing full well it was not he that was meant to climb up high. It was for her, and knowing that the gynoid who was already taking a few steps forward, judging the distance silently before there was a bend of the knees and-
Though he had already gotten used to their existence now, Dale still was in awe of the sight of them blasting Haydee's body upwards upon her silent command, driving her frame across the parallel wall and sending her flying with direct control until her arms came upwards after the last release of air and grabbed hard onto the ledge. Even a moment didn't last as long as Haydee did as she spun her figure around and landed hard onto the solid surface and pressed the button that would allow the human access up as well.
A ladder barrelled down from the edge above, hitting the floor with a metallic crash that echoed around. Knowing it was his turn, he quickly took off himself, climbing up the ladder with haste to swiftly take his position back alongside Haydee's own. With that done, they moved on towards the next dilemma they must face and overcome.
From going up high; to going down low. Their necks were bent to an angle once again; yet not to face up to the sky it was, but now their vision was sinking to the ground below as they both peered off the edge to where their next destination may land.
Now, Dale wasn't so sure he had acrophobia before he lost his memories, or if that carried on over either, but seeing how far down it went from the angle of up high, did start to leave a drudge of anxiety burrowing through him. As he took a step back so as not to think too hard on any such unfortunate drop, Haydee did the same, but not out of some hidden pit of fear, but rather to take a look to the side and read the emblems printed onto the signs surface.
Boots again, and more arrows, though ones not aimed towards the side this time. Rather, these kinds appeared below the singular-presented footwear; in a sequence of one going down, one going up, and the final one aiming back down. That gave her an immediate thought over something, silently bouncing around on the floor with minimal, yet sufficient dynamism. She understood it now.
With a pause of retelling the human she would be by his side again shortly, Haydee stepped to the edge of the balcony as she stared down to the path below, feeling no fear on this sheer drop as she gave just one final placid bounce on her heels, before a true bounce was made as she body jumped down to below. Dale had to catch himself to run to the edge in time to watch the Haydee fall gracefully and fearlessly down the sheer drop, not a single part of her quivering when the ground was coming up fast and -
Woosh! Her jets kicked in, the short blast of air slammed out and downwards, firing off her propulsions as they opposed against the forces of gravity they were lulling her down. She did not mean to fly back up, rather, her speed rapidly accelerated once again as their force was only short; but it was enough for when the ground finally came, she stomped them down hard.
Despite the fall, the drop that could have caused major damage to her, the gynoid did not take even a single sprain from the descent the moment her soles came crashing down. The suspension these boots had been installed with were an incredible feat of engineering, they were what allowed her to survive the drop, as even if not a full descent, that did not diminish what useful and life-saving roles these may be giving them.
But with it down now, Haydee straightened up her back, turned and recessed to the button on the side, activating a set of ladders on this side now as the human quickly followed on down. "Incredible, Haydee!" The human enthusiastically cheered before his feet even touched the same plain she was on. "If they can do that, it means you no longer have to fear any of those dark falls any longer." Well, a little more optimistic than realistic his statement were, but it was baked in possibilities all the same. Showing agreement she directed him to keep on moving with her, of which he gave no defiance for, as they continued along this twisted path towards their next section.
No sign, nor no symbols, but neither she felt were needed for this particular time as she had already studied its shape. A gap, and a ledge; a combination of two scenarios she had already faced separately. Combined together, what could have made for a stronger threat accomplished little than for her to, metaphorically, laugh at.
She didn't even try and think anything else over now, her body already rocketing forward with a sprint, a huge jump, and with two sequenced blasts of her boots her body soared forward to allow her the easy trip of grabbing the ledge and barrelling back up to solid ground.
"Go, Haydee!" The energetic encouragement was shouted from behind her right before her soles stomped back onto firm terrain. A simple press of a button later, and both a ridge AND a ladder came out, an almost remarkable continuation of combinations, allowing Dale the connection required to come back.
With him in tow, she moved on to the next, and as it appeared to be, final dilemma that had to be cleared. From this long yet singular stretch of gap, both of the pair could spot the unlocked door just a moment away, atop a balcony that heralded their way out. Course, it was not without its own predicament that prevented easy passing through. It was far, too far for even her double jumps to commit a secured act towards, so she knew their progression must be done via a different way; via, as it were, the two platforms that were aligned between the two sides.
Leaning more towards their side than the exit, these two silent platforms stood a distance apart from one another, yet in parallel form, neither more closer to either side than the other. What's more, any such thought to use them as a stepping stone was immediately scrapped when she noticed there was a sealed off barrier all the way surrounding both of them two, leaving the only unsealed entrance the breach facing their way. But all that was not what Haydee had laid her first attention; instead, it was the two buttons each of these podiums had.
There was no sign for her to examine and conclude to what end she had to do; but without doubt in her mind did she, with some reluctance; know what needed to be done. Her first move was suddenly made, a resounding clap, then her second was a point, a focus of direction pertained to one of those enraptured balconies.
The third didn't need to be explained to he how was watching, as the moment the pair of eyes locked onto the target her projection was aimed towards, the understanding was made verbally clear:
"You need me over there?" She nodded for his clarification. "I'll do it then."
She didn't know, but deep down within himself the rising sense of gallantry was building, having been ready from moments of time before, prepared, abiding it's time for when its presence needed to come into fruition. Now, now that he was wanted, needed, he believed it was finally time for him to take centre stage and fulfil his perceived role as the aid and companion to the gynoids' virulent voyage. Finally time; to do what must be needed and prove he was useful to her.
"OK!" He shouted with virility as he stared to where Haydee had directed him, his chest puffed up while his laid bent, ready for the fight that shall commence for them. "I'll go right after you!"
She pointed towards the platform once again.
"Oh you. . . want me to go first?" She nodded. She was the one with the Boosting Boots, after all. "Right then. Shouldn't be too hard for me." A pat on his own leg, and Dale took right off, making a firm but approximated jump that, even for the distance that it was, was still within his reach as he grabbed at the edge, before dragging his body back up.
Haydee made no move herself until the human remounted his feet on solid ground and was able to turn her way to indicate he was all fine. Seeing his confirmation, the machine turned herself to the other balcony on here, judging the distance before she made a sprint and jump of her very own, flying high and blasting her boots to give the boost needed to safely arrive on to the other platform without so much as a skid on her landing.
With her body now here, she stared forward, holding her hand up to hover over the button and keeping it there as she turned her attention now over to the other side: where the human was doing the same, hand over his own button, and his eyes pertaining, not to her, but her own hand. She knew what this was meant, the attentive human not letting her down, and turning her focus back to her button, she knew what was coming as she pushed it down.
And when so did he out of her sight, the glorious call of a loud Beep. did not go unnoticed by either as it suddenly followed with the movement of tiles, of a pathway being extended for them jutted out the sides to not only connect the pairs smaller platforms together, but also clear a route that extended out from the exits platform also. And to finish, the gratings that faced each on their own platforms sides had suddenly given way, removing the dark meshing and allowing them to now see each other in unglossed glory.
They stepped forward, and upon their return of being back alongside one another, the human beamed a fair one as he happily stated with honest enthusiasm "Hello again." She nodded, ruffling his hair as she wondered why the sudden use of repeated greeting was spoken so abruptly. It mattered not, in the long run, and ushering him along, they turned and made a move forward across the floor extensions before coming to a halt on the unlocked door before them.
Though ready to move, Dale made just one pause, a turn back, and a stare to the backdrop before them as he thought about all that had to be done here. Haydee's boots were still connected to her, a positive thought that rebounded around Dale's still awed head, which could only mean to him that to whatever was meant to come next, they must surely be ready for it now.
They moved on forward.
Upon seeing what was before them; neither moved an inch. Not a nudge, a twitch, or in the human's case, a sprayed breath, was brought forth by them as the pair felt no inkling to do anything more than stop any ambulation's and stare with anxious observation to the sight ahead of them; of which they exactly did.
For introductory purposes, the room itself was rather simple. Even when not comparing it to the large, twisted and complicated matters that the room before had forced them to traverse, this room was by far more cramped, simple and straightforward with its pathway. No multiple exits were presented in here, only an opening straight through the corridor in front, albeit that ended with a drop down instead of a doorway, and a small stretch of gap pertaining off to one side for unknown reasons. Besides all these, it left just one, but a very important, matter that needed to be observed and noted; one that caused Haydee's arm to slowly reach up her side and barrier off the human from any prevention of moving forward.
Because all around these rooms, all hovering high off the ground, and beeping out bright lights while they continued to float one spot, were a number of squared objects haphazardly existing all around these walls. Though silent, and barely moving an inch themselves save for the suspicious hovering, Haydee did not dare to utter a reach anywhere close to them before she could figure out what they exactly were.
"I don't think those are balloons." Certainly not, and she wasn't wanting to find out if they were easy to pop either. Though if not bags sealed off tight and filled with helium, to what end where they? The area itself had little else that would identify their purpose, no written instructions nor any other physical identities that would establish what their purpose was for. They were on their own here.
Seeing little do more than look at them, Haydee took her time studying one of these many squared orbs over for any indication. They were all darkly coloured, matte black, if not outright grey, and the only colour that came was the crimson LED lights blinking into existence every few seconds for each separate one. Silent it was, it was the only part of these ambiguous devices that gave insight into them being. . . active? If they were, and they were anything like what she had seen before, then she knew better than to try anything reckless or stupid.
But that did leave her with not knowing just how to proceed onward. They were too many to try and scurry around without getting too dangerously close, even hanging off the ledge wasn't an option as that too was blocked off by too many of these supposed gadgets, so there were at an impasse without any hope of getting around, with either them finding out they were utterly harmless, or until these floating appliances were gone from their route. . .
But what if she could remove them?
Moving her arm around, the gynoid quickly whipped out her firearm and presented its existence in front, glancing from the pistol to one of those hovering things, and back to her handgun.
This. . . was not the smartest or safest idea she had thought up, by far, this was risky, dangerous, and above all rash to any degree of strategic planning; yet for as she was concerned it seemed perhaps the only logical choice to make, at least when acting with heavy caution. It was worth a chance, and a better one when compared to a jovial stroll on by; she could not help Dale if she was dead.
Retracting her arm from the barrier for the human, the gynoid quickly pointed to him, before pointing to the door. "You want me to go back in?" She nodded. "Does that mean you have thought up a plan?" The momentary breach of a beam was promptly dissolved the moment her pistol was waved as her explanation of the answer. "Oh you're. . . going to use that, then." Indeed, it was risky, but if her plan went ahead with perfect results it would clear the room for them, she saw as a possibility. But first, she needed him out of here, a factor she sought to complete first before all else.
"All right, if you want me to." He speech slower than usual, somewhat fitting, as his body also moved in an off motion towards the exit. He was almost out, and safe from harm, but the second before he actually walked out he momentarily paused to inquire one sudden yet unnecessary sentence:
"Just. . . would it be easier for you if I stayed? I could help, in any way I can." No. All precautionary parameters should be met before attempting this risky manoeuvre, and Dale being in a safer location was among them. For what she would attempt, she could not do so while he was alongside her. Even if she wished she could; the matter is his life would be in better situations if he was behind the door. And this truth was not lost on him either.
"I see." He no longer tried to look at her, instead, his pertained all his attention towards the exit without further delay;
"Just. . . please be safe, for what you're going to do." She nodded. She had no intention to let herself come to ruin here, nor him, as he knew not to waste time any longer.
Dale exited the room, while Haydee did not.
Turning back around, she still felt her mind linger on Dale being safe out of her view, but the running reminder it was more a benefit to his life than not, combined with her knowing there was no danger behind that door, did enough for her to stare up at one of those floating things with resolution stuck inside her mind. It was quiet now, silent, dead, nothing in here living, a thought that still picked at her computer brain every time she was forced to feel it, but she would not let it slow her down, and with a raise of her pistol, she aimed down the sights towards her target; one of those such hovering horrors, but one at the farthest end. It was small, barely a passing orb in her sight, but she took the few seconds in lying up her shot, ensuring that she needed only one bullet to finish the job, just the one chance as it floated between the sights of two closer objects, reminding her she has but one chance to get it all right.
Then she fired. The bullet whizzed forward, at .29 miles per second, blasting away with righteous intent as it drew a beeline towards where her target was; hurtling past the first device, then the second, until finally; the projectile broke forward and collided into the far-off object as the first sight of sparks began to fly-
And Haydee had already opened the door.
Though he waited patiently on her request, he still felt a little discouraged with him having to stay back for her. Not just for not being by her side, but for also from fear she was doing something enigmatically dangerous out of his sight. He had already made assumptions for what her plan was, and though he held doubts it would work, he believed in her enough to patiently wait it out. For the least of thoughts, he already had known she would not take long no matter the outcome; it was a simple task, after all, so he sought it best to stand a few steps back from the door to await the return of his metallic Samaritan.
Which, as he quickly found out, was not long at all; as for just a number of seconds after exiting through, so few it barely made up half a minute, did the door swing open, and his favoured machine body came bursting through-
Before he could elate a cheer his entire body was roughly slammed into with the force of a charging gynoid, arms unexpectedly wrapped around his form with the grip of a famished Boa Constrictor, and what force had freshly tried flinging him away reversed its direction to now pull him back, around, and to finally be given pause as his chest was pulled into her own when her back slammed into the wall, to then-
Kaboom! Boom! Boom! Boom!-
Endless screams of explosions rocketed out that room in a carnival of clamour from cascading detonations. The human's inability to move via the constricting grasp forced him to be able to do little more than sit where he was shoved and listen to the sounds of multiple outbursts of flame and expulsions resonate into his ears like the howls of a dying banshee.
Sudden and unbearable pain convulsed into his skull as the vociferous wails deafened his canals, sending shockwaves of uncontrollable ache strike through him while he felt the immense pressure of vibrations rock him to his core. The pain made it feel like minutes, but in reality, those discharges came and went within but a mere moment, of curt seconds that numbered below the double digits, and peace finally returned as it once was.
At least; for the gynoid it was. Her assumptions, and by extension his too, were correct in believing those mysterious shapes were an explosive of some kind, similar to the mines, but ones that hovered in place, rather. Such ideas seemed frivolous now, being she knew they were all obliterated in that set of consecutive detonations, because it meant none could not be in there way; no longer a blockage but simple shrapnel lying harmlessly over the floor, if even that. The way clear, for them, the gynoid calmly pulled herself and the human back onto their normal feet and released him from her grasp, no longer needed to be held down and free to move emancipate.
But to the human however; his idea of normal was still yet to reappear. Because now that he was free, he was able to finally clasp his palms over his ears as they were still ringing with echoed shrieks. Though any such pain he gained was trivial and ephemeral in the long run, the ringing already dying down as, thankfully, most of it was contained within the confines of that room, encompassing the brunt of the sound. Still, his hands were shaking and the hunched form his back took did not go unnoticed by the cautionary robot.
She didn't believe he was in any kind of pain; though her actions were sudden, and the danger extensive, nor burst of pressure or intense flame seemed to have touched either of them, and there was little to no chance any shards of sharp metal could have splintered out and ricochet into his body. Besides all this visually she detected no kind of change in his physiology that would suggest anything otherwise. So to why was he hunching over like that, his back to her as he spoke little of his current predicament?
Fatigued, perhaps? Or maybe his back was being forced to stick in such a slouched position.
That would do them no good. It must be remedied immediately if they are to continue on forthwith. And if it was his spine that was causing such an, albeit minor, problem to him, then she sought it best to redress from the source. So with a sole finger coming out, she bent it forward, aimed it down - and slowly began to run the tip down his side.
"I'm up!" He crackly exclaimed as he stood back up tall, his back straightened out as a reaction to her touch but a second after she started. He quivered his frame, but only out of the shock of feeling a sensitive area rubbed gently so, and turning his head around he looked to the perpetrator of the non-consensual touching; who simply tilted her head, for the reason of seeing him no longer slumping over, before turning away to continue their progression.
Well. . . he no longer felt as exhausted as he was before. So. . . that was something to garner a positive reflection over. If he must. Shuffling his shoulders, and trying not to remember that lingering touch she had laid on his backbone, he gave but the shyest of "Thank you." to the gynoid as he followed on behind, and before returned into that explosively contrasting room.
As rightly expected, upon returning in not a single of those detonation orbs remained intact, not even a single scrap of shrapnel was left behind as all had been obliterated by her fiery fury. The only remnants left of their supposed existence was the minuscule scorch marks on the tiles only above where they once were, a reminder of the danger they possess no longer.
Now removed, this room became as barren and bare as physically possible; no threats, conundrums or hazards to overcome, just a simple stretch of hallway they both had to walk by. Almost like a breath of fresh air, as the human saying goes, when compared to all the tricks and traps they had endured since first entering to this place together. That was not to diminish the original problems of the room, but rather to note how basic this room let itself become now there was no danger to be had. Only a simple walk on by towards where the exit had been laid, a lack of discourse for them both.
"Aww, shucks honestly." Well, logically at least. "I thought at least this room would have something for you to utilize your boosting boots again. Bit of a disappointment, if you ask me." Perhaps not, but such a time would come in its own pace, she believed to be a likely possibility in their supposed trails. When that moment comes, and Dale was there to witness it all, for sure, she could see him drop his jaw, metaphorically, upon their essential activation.
But that times was not now, it was for a later date, and if she wanted to ensure that particular times comes then she would need to focus on the moment of now, the moment of them reaching the other side of the room, of which came when they stood at the end of the ledge that faced down. It was a long drop to the ground below, an ending from the thinly spaced shaft that raised up to their level. And due to it, the exit they were searching could not be seen, though neither doubted it wasn't there in the first place, as it looked to carry on after the drop. Getting down wasn't an issue to be discussed by both, as the two easily spotted the ladder that climbed all the way down from their height, but the issue that should be debated over was to who goes down first.
It was too obscure to see beyond the shaft, as all that could be accounted for right now was the beginning of some pipes jutting out and going behind. This led her to the conclusion that anything, known problems or new, could be residing from beyond their sight. If this were to be the case, than it would only makes sense the first own to descend would be h-
"I'll go down first." Stopping her train of thought, the gynoid swiftly turned to the direction of the outspoken; who after first realizing he was being watched, suddenly switched his dried demeanour to one of self-surprise. "Uh-What I mean to say was, if I go down first, I could check it out for you, so it would be easier for you." She tilted her head to show her bewilderment to what purpose that was for. "That is, I mean, that. . . if. . . there was a problem to be had, then you could easily jump down over me and solve it, like what you're better at doing - in spades - than me. P-plus, you have those boots, so a jump from a higher height than me wouldn't be as much of a problem if you were in my shoes - er - bare feet."
That was a judiciously thought-out explanation. She would be able to act quickly if a threat was found and would have reduced time in prepping her weapon if such an occurrence were to come. Though this didn't alleviate the fear that him going first would effectively make him the leading target, much of his plan was largely sound, and to that end, it was not as if he couldn't climb back up if there was a persistent threat, and switch places with herself.
It made more sense than not, so to that end the gynoid nodded for her amenability about his plan, taking a step back to allow the needed access for his descent. The little pit of joy kept the humans spirits up as he silently tried to ignore the sheer drop below while he began his clamber down, taking it step by step as he kept his focus pertained to the room below.
As each step of the ladder was made, so too was the sight of the room below becoming clearer and clearer, his vision slowly but surely getting a better understanding of the layout with every drop of his body while he remembered to look at any and all problems. He was scared, not to any heavy degree, but he still felt the chill of terror creep along his spine as the room became clearer for him. But feared or not, he did not let his unease stop him from completing his task for the machine; he made a promise to her, and so long as he believed she would protect him from anything, or at least hoped she would, then he refused to speak any of it otherwise.
So it was only on the final descending step down, when he could finally see all that the room had to offer, did he finally stop his traversal and give pause for a few seconds as he surveyed all that this room had to offer.
"I can see only pipes and conduits down here, along with a door, but no enemies. . . or those explosive thingies either. The coast is clear for you to come down now." Her tense statured slowly dissipated, no longer ready to reach for her firearm and kick her legs now as she instead retained her focus onto the ladder that awaited her lowering. Now confirmed it was safe to move, the gynoid turned around and slowly began lowering her frame down step by step, one after the other, leaving little more to be done by the human, save for turning up to her and speaking a single remark of:
"It seems there thankfully was nothing for us to have fea-"
He may not have known if it was day or night in the world of outside, but that certainly didn't stop him from seeing the full moon descend down in its fullest glory.
Quickly did the human dart his head away to look at anything that wasn't the cheeky pair taking far too long in coming down his way, even if it was quite the view. He knew better than to stare, and doing his best to avert his gaze from the pair of rolling hills he patiently but shakily took his own steps downward, taking a footing onto the ground, and immediately scamper away to give space as he forced his eyes to not take another eyeful but better to stare at the cold and silent pipes that didn't remind him of any crevices.
The gynoid knew nothing of us all, thankfully so, as her personal descent down was silent and uneventful, and only when she dropped off the ladder and took a look at the small room before her did she let her servo's rattle with assessments. From left to right were entire arms of pipes and conduits going in and coming out in seemingly every place, not hiding beyond any gratings or such like and doing little more than carrying and rebounding vibrations off the walls. Beside that, the unlocked door remained still and silent on the other side, sitting still and awaiting their eventual commence.
If she had to make a conclusion, it appeared to her this was meant to be an access room; or in the least, was once an access room if that forgotten civilization room could be a lead onto. Yet to why it was here mattered to little more than mere speculation for historical remembrance, and with this way clear, they moved on towards their next exit.
Well; she moved onward, because after only a few steps forward, the halfway point between the ladder and the exit, did it become apparent only she was making strides to the exit. The human, as she stopped and searched behind, was in fact not even trying to make a beeline to the entryway but instead standing still as he looked to be half-heartedly examining those useless pipelines. With gruff impatience the gynoid slapped her hands together and snapped his attention in half like a brick, bringing his focus back onto the gynoid who in turn silently ushered him to come along and not dawdle on any longer.
With a scrunched up expression the human nodded in understanding, briskly walking towards with her as she commenced her continuous stride, albeit with his eyes still trying to take forceful stares to the elongated columns that this place had detailed. Still, he complied with their gradual progression, and thus they proceeded to their next room.
Though honestly; this had been the third time he had looked away from their progression to nothing in particular. If she wasn't so sure it was merely a human's lower attention span she would be convinced there was some coincidence to be found here.
No enemies or hazards to speak, a thought that was not taken alongside uneventful in her mind, but better stated, safer for both. That was not to say there was minimal here to give a prolonged study over, as there was indeed, but such identities seemed far more innocuous and safer than previous areas for them.
The room itself seemed to divulge into a L shaped pathway, bearing into strict left at the end of their beeline forward, likely where an exit would be located if their should be one. But the want of getting there was stopped short by the appearance of an open metallic doorway camped out halfway to the end; where above a lone green light shined out. It's position was right where they needed to pass on through, the door encompassing their otherwise uneventful pathway, so any such line in being given additional routes an impossibility.
So to what end was this existing here for? That was an answer she felt she knew would be answered upon their continued traversal, and with one foot after the other, she led him forward as they knew they couldn't turn back, her body on sceptical standby as the began to pass on through the open doorway-
Buzzz.
A door slammed shut right before them, snapping right before with such abrupt force the human nearly tripped backwards on his own feet with how close the door had shut to them. Haydee acted with better grace, stopping her feet from attempting a step forward as she stared with silent thought about the closed off section presented inches from her own face.
"You er. . . you okay there Haydee?" The question came from behind her, and with but a nod that was produced without a swift spin of her neck Haydee slowly began to take steps back; with her vision and body still concentrated towards the door in front as her legs carried her backwards. Backwards; past the gate and-
The door retracted, disappearing away from their sight while Haydee was able to just catch glimpses of the light above changing from a indistinguishable red back to the soft green. With a garner to her side, to look upon the human who only gave a simplistic glance back, she returned her attention onto the bordering way up front with a second examination. As it was, this way was not as innocuous as first grasped.
Though not an immediate danger, this detector of some kind, of likely motion or metal, halted any such attempt to pass on forward with wanting ease. It was clear that going straight through was not the option they could take, nor was going back. Of course; it was not as if she hadn't known about a possible third option that could be undertaken. Bearing onto her other side, having not gone unnoticed by the perceptive automation, was a series of those inquisitive climbable grates that kept appearing before them as suspicious yet regardless necessary transmits. Taking a paused stare along the gratings track, of how they went up, above, and beyond, the course of actions that needed to be accomplished could not be undertaken by the likes of her; but rather, the likes of her organic companion, the only one capable of accomplish such a task, if she believed the help was found beyond the other side.
With a clap of her hands that boomed off the walls and towards the ears of the one she needed to be listening in, she made full ranged swipe of her hand, her singular finger pointing out as the barrel of a controlling gun, to signal to where she desired his placement be-
"Already doing it." She turned her head, and with a mild rise astonishment she saw the human she so commanded to aid was already placing his foot into one of the circular holes as he proceeded to make the paramount leeway upwards. One pull of his arm up later and he already was clambering along the wall, aiming for a move around; leaving Haydee to do little more than to stand and, well, wait.
As such, she was left to only watch him slowly traverse along the wall, being wary to move with her boost boots at the ready just in case, and wonder by how was he so ready to make his move almost on his own. He looked so ready when she first directed him, his hands already gripping the meshing, it looked to be he was stricken with an innate intuition that foretold her commands before she even knew about them herself.
Or perhaps: more than likely, the human simply guessed what the itinerary was required from him to complete. It did make sense; as by now, he must have realised such gratings were not only something only he could utilize; but also whenever their existence was present it was for an important notion that was crucial to their continued headways. That idea held the highest realism to it, she could see, and to that end she saw no reason to try and change otherwise, seeing as it held nothing but useful properties.
Despite such heavy thought going on, Haydee did not leave her attention off the human for even a millisecond as she kept her focus poised like a hawk, seeing every single step he made for the most minor of chances of slipping to occur. Thankfully; her caution was found to be superfluous for its opportunities as with one the beginning of one step on the tiles Dale easily stepped back down onto the safety of the floor, as he now appeared through the opening of the doorway beyond in her vision.
"I don't see a button or anything this side. I'm going to have a look around, there should be something around here to turn it off for you." Once again; that creeping worry of the human running around alone, without her company or protection as a viable advantage. Though it was with beseeching preference for there to be another option to take, she knew any was not plausible given the current situation as it were, so with only a nod and a stance ready to shift if essential, she let him go for himself.
He moved beyond; peering down the hallway before making a stride and trekking around the bend, leaving him out of sight and her out of a calm disposition as he now disappeared from her range of comfort. To what was behind was a guess she wished only the positive implications would hold true; Mines, saws, or automated adversaries, all dangers she held hateful thoughts towards. Though hoping was an unrealistic matter to withheld in regards to its ability to commence a physical change, that thought did little to dismiss her cautious and tentative mindset in regards to-
"There's a button here! That might turn it off for you." A second after the shout had hollowed out the sudden dimming buzz of a machine resonated out, and with a peer Haydee watched as the light of the doorway before her dimmed down, turning right off as it was awake no more.
. . . Or maybe her mind was leaning towards scepticism a little too overtly. Or perhaps not, being wary was not a bad factor to keep, but either way, in seeing the human reappear back into her sight again assured the gynoid into knowing to move forward now, believing that, and quickly being proven true, this detector was turned off, allowing her a quick and easy walk on through without a pause of alarm as she quickly met back up to the human, who had been patiently waiting for her right at the end.
Coming into view of the otherwise, she took but a few seconds to examine what really was behind. As her cautions had preferred, there was not a single danger to be had within this small stretch of a hallway, as it all held was a button peering off from the wall on her left side, likely the switch for the doorway, and an exit on the far side; locked, but with a remote device attached to a button by its side. With no danger to be had, it seemed all that was left was a straight shot onwards, an easy accomplish to complete right after she gave compliments towards her plasmid-filled compan-
"Oh right, hold on for just a second." Her hand only made it halfway before the humans sudden exclamation was given right before he jetted off, leaving her in half-accolade as he sprinted on through the hallway. A little bewildered, Haydee did not let that diminish her as she trailed on behind, watching with interest for the humans refusal of acceptance as he scampered on over to the exit's button, and with a unflattering yank that ended with him almost tripping backwards, pulled the Remote Trigger right from the button. In turn, she watched as the doors barricade immediately shuffled away on compliant command.
"Here; for you." With a courteous timbre, the human presented the device for her with a cheerful expression. No doubt, she was quite thankful for the gift. . . even if it meant little in the long run; since she would have had no trouble moving over anyway and picking it off herself. Regardless, she was still appreciative for the spent energy from him, so with a move of arm, she was - finally this time - able to not only reach to him, but ruffle his hair in that way of thanks he seemed to enjoy and understand her intentions for.
"Oh, stop. It was all nothing really." He shyly established, so with compliance she did, bending back her arm and moving forward. With a walk that showed she understood little in the ways of ironic meanings Haydee moved on forward towards the exit, with the human scampering on, with a little disappointment laden in his unseen steps, right behind her, as they both exited on out.
There was no reason to make a pause and examine this room for its entirety; being there was nothing new for them to feel circumspection over. With an exit settled on their far end, one on their left, and rightly opposite that side was another on their right; a complex variation to usually give on wonder where they all would lead; if not for them having found themselves entered through thrice now. These sheer pits of most this area heralded no longer exhaling as such strong a deathly aura as once were; being, of those two other times helped to reduce any unease it could try and throw to them. They knew the way, they knew the only possible route left to go, and with a stare forward to the exit that led them to where they needed to be, Haydee proceeded forth with the correct steps in getting there.
Though such a possibility was not without pause, as despite all the floating platforms still riding up high, there was still a large empty space that couldn't be ignored. Thankfully, as she was quickly able to spot, there was a lone button on a pillar, one that would have easily gone unnoticed by both its hiding spot and this section offhandedly being ignored for obvious reasons. Pressing it down, Haydee watched as right beside the only opening of this balcony did a new green platform float before them; right on the only opening this balcony had detailed.
"Huh? Was that all?" She turned to her companion. "I would have suspected something more to happen; what with this place being as. . . needlessly arduous as it presented itself to be." Perhaps not; or perhaps so, as Haydee made no rush for the nearest platform but instead to take a long look around this room as a whole, studying this area for even the tiniest detail that had changed, the most hidden of platforms having switched their position right after like many had been doing before.
Yet none had, all but that particular platform happened to move upon the activation of that particular button. With nothing left to restrict their progressions, Haydee ushered Dale behind as she stood by the ledge and made her first jump upon the new platform, before in slow but gradual steps they too jumped along the platform only pathway, one raised square at a time, before they finally moved on to the balcony, and proceeded through without further delay.
Stepping forth, Haydee gave but a side glance towards her leftmost side, making quick clarification that those pillars had not returned before she made a beeline towards the door opposite her own. She did not give pause, even with her hand retracting back to collect something out her backpack, her legs did not decelerate her glide as she stared with unwavering concentration onto the locked door right to her front.
"Um, Haydee?" Though she allowed such concentration to be broken if it pertained to matters from the human. "If I may ask; what about the door up there? Do we just leave it, or come back to it later, or. . . some other reason?" She shook her head as she gave a point towards her footwear.
It was not the only locked door in here; that she did not forget, being she also remembered before even having set forth in this room for the third time. Yet it was only with a glance did she summarize there was little heed in trying to make a move in that direction. Her Boosting Boots allowed to reach much higher heights, that she never forgot, but she always remembered the maximum distance they could give her, even with two perfectly timed shots, and the mezzanine was still a distance too far only for her. As such, she was still unable to reach up there herself, and with it leaning onto the human still the only able to access it, she quickly denounced the idea to allow him solo entry through.
With that idea dismissed, she regained her attention to the first locked entryway in this room, being she was standing right before it now, and with a use of her card the way opened on up, and the pair slipped on through.
This room certainly didn't leave the best impression for them.
And to think: this was Haydee's better choice.
From one side to the other were a pair of doors on twin porches above a bottomless pit, mirrored each other in such a way so that Haydee did not need to move an inch left or right to face the other side in perfect symmetry. Seemingly common by now, and almost an infeasible fear to think over now given her superbly useful boost boots, if not for the absolute truth that this gap between the two balconies was a high stretch in of itself.
Even with perfect timing; of the jump, the twin firing of her jets and the full tilt of her body with a heaving reach of her arms it was still too far to make it, if her estimations were as correct as always. She would not dare take the chance unless it were a last resort, and it were too early by the starting line to even consider making that choice. Such a choice was an abound observation to make; especially one not considering the only other bizarre, yet noticeable thing this room held to offer for them.
Bearing along the wall on the farther side, away from the balcony and looking down on them like it was their business to do so was a series of long windows, racing along one end to the other. That was not, however, what made her stop and think by its lonesome; as what was is the seeing that behind the windows was a separated room entirely, darkened with little lighting, she could still make out there appeared to be another separate plain up on high, the only thing bearing side not a machine or hazard hidden inside; but the strange table that was placed right in the centre of that rectangular room, as if it were to be the perfect place to look down upon.
Its purpose remained enigmatic, its existence not for them to easily prance themselves into, and to what end it could help was left for them to make pure presumption upon. But they still left her wondering if such a place was truly needed, and if there was something she was missing here she had yet to decipher.
"Haydee, I think I know what we need to do." She turned to the ringer of that exclamation. "We need to go back - if you'd please, of course." Go back through the exit? A little perplexed but this motion, she didn't deny his possible solution either, and since she found no answer lying before her, she nodded in agreement as they both scampered on back and leaving this room as bare as it was.
"Up there, I think maybe that's where I'll need to be." She didn't even need to look up his point to know what he was leading his emphasis towards. No doubt, there was only one option left for them. "I might be able to access that other room if that way leads to it." She saw no door, but given her position, it would have been difficult to make out if there was one. That said, given the layout this room was presenting themselves with it wouldn't surprise her if that way leads to that skyward room. But even if true, it still left her uneasy with mulled thoughts and feeling over the knowledge that he will be left alone, separated by a substantial distance.
"And I. . . think I can see how I can unlock it." That problem his idea may solve did little to alleviate her innate misgivings for being where she cannot help him. But even without putting it aside, she was unable to figure out a different plan to take; so with unspoken reluctance she would see his plan unfold if it would help them. "If you would allow it; may I please have those trigger devices from your backpack?" If it would help, then she gave no hesitation in pulling her arm around and picking them out the bag to hand to him, as he grabbed them before turning his attention back to those climbing gratings. "I'll need to get back up there. Would you help me?" Being it was the only way he could, Haydee nodded as she moved on over; having already made the assumption this was going to be done.
"Thank you, Haydee." He gave a plaudit while he looked up to the mezzanine above, remembering to repeat the moment of once before and stood before her, ready to move on up.
"So how do I. . . " Though he seemed to forget how to move on up, as rather than taking steps on her hands he seemed more intrigued with fiddling around with the two Triggers on his palms. "Do I hold them each in hand, or go up with only using one hand, or - Oh!" The human before her proceeded to shove both of the triggers betwixt his teeth. "Reghy nown." She wasn't quite clear to what end that two-word sentence was meant, if it were spoken in English in the first place, but it seemed to indicate he was able to move now as he began his first reach of his foot.
A stand on her palms, a pull over her shoulder, and Dale quickly latched up to the grating above and scampered along the wall and around, taking the Triggers out his mouth the moment he stepped back on solid flat ground to mark he was ready for his next step in his plan.
"Do you really not want to come up here? I can try and pull you up if you can reach for me." Which in turn was discussing the matter of her own possible venture up here. Though not a bad reason to give, she denied the chance all the same. Considering the distance in mind, she could not make a third jump off even if they could reach each other, and given her weight it was highly likely she would inadvertently pull him back down with her. The risk was too great, far greater than leaving him alone in a supposedly harmless room. With a physical show of denial, the human said nothing more on the matter as he turned back to where he was leading on.
"The plan I have is that if I place one of the triggers here. . . " He loudly uttered as he stuck one of the Triggers onto a button. "And the other one; here. . . " He stuck down the second one. "So when I stand here. . . " His final steps were pertained towards that third button, his hand hovering over the shining green circle. "When you give the signal, I'll press down at the same time as the Triggers. How does that sound?" Though Haydee did find it a tad peculiar that he didn't ask for the Remote as well, as he seemed perfectly able to do it himself, this did not retract from his plan being as sound as he explained it so. Reaching around and taking out the Remote in question, she held it aloft for him to see as a visual for her shown accord. He looked to smile at the sight, at least a little, before he spun around and turned back down to the button in front.
"Don't worry, I'll try and do it in one go." While it wouldn't matter too majorly if that wouldn't be held true, it was quickly found such enthusiastic presentiment did not happen within the moment after; as the moment when Haydee pressed down on the trigger per his requests, so too did his hand shoot forward, resulting in all three of the buttons pressed down at the exact right time. The ushering of that barrier scampering away was like the verse of a joyful sympathy to the human, as he smiled all the brighter for it.
She didn't catch the curt mumble he spoke immediately after, but whatever his whisper detailed did not appear to hold present importance as the human swiftly turned on his heels and ripped away both those triggers from their ports. Such reasons were made instantly present as the human leaned somewhat precariously over the edge with his arms holding the Triggers down below.
"Here Haydee, I'll drop them for you." She wasted no time in catching and placing them back away upon his drop. She felt so close when he did, she swore her fingers could have draped along his, but beside that notion seeing him stand back up did remedy her worries of the chance he would slip. Now that the way was opened, it would mean a - hopeful - progression through this land. . . even if it meant a leaving of him from her.
Still; they mustn't loiter, as always, so at least as he moved away they could-
"Haydee." He paused his walk, and so would she, if not for her waiting to ensure his travels were met as safely as possible. "I don't know what I'll find in there, but I'll promise I'll be careful." She nodded, if that's any chance she could help him, she would. And he the same, as she quickly summarized by now eager he was to try and aid their progression.
He spoke little more than that, and did little more than give a lingering glance before he turned, left through the door, and in turn leading her to do the same as her existence within this room quickly disappeared alongside his.
Any such creeping dread of not knowing the present development of the human was quickly vanquished upon the sight of said organic one darting back into her vision, albeit now behind the large glass that separated them, as he stood alive and well inside that silent room.
He noticed her instantly as well, and with a wave of his hand the human shouted out an saving exclamation "Everything looks safe in here, Haydee!" that helped ail any more of that leeching dismay. For a fair response she let herself wave back, giving a second stare around the room that she could see to ensure nothing was trying to sneak upon him.
"Can you hear me just fine!" He bellowed out to her. Though muffled, no thanks to the thick glass she dared not try and shatter, she was still able to hear his suppressed words quite clearly. "I'm going to have a look on that thing there," he spoke with an indicated point towards that table-looking in the centre of the windows, "I'll try and see what it does!" She didn't think he needed to shout as loudly, she could hear him with a fair understanding of his sentences. . . Humans can't hurt themselves by speaking too loudly, can they?
"There are some switches here, it looks like a console of some sort! Shall I press one?" More of those switches? So the room's existence was to aid their progression? If that question was indeed meant to be legitimate; then a demonstration of what it can do was needed. With a nod of her head, she gave him the permit he needed to activate and press onward.
"I'll start it now! Hold on! Let's see what this will do." He did not desire to waste time, and though still cautious, the human made a reach of his arm and pressed down hard onto the circular switch with feverish force.
From her peripheral vision, she saw wait tried to be courageous to her presence and let itself be known, appearing so quick and close before as it burst through the bottom layer of the pit and be seen by all: A green floating platform, hovering right by the edge a distance above her flooring. She did not look at the square with intrigue for its possible machination; rather, she largely suspected something such as this would appear: anything that would provide the necessary service desired to cross the stretch of gap. Yet even with all this held true, with consideration for how close that platform was to her side, she deemed it still unlikely that such an aid would in fact be enough for her to make a clean jump forward.
But Dale didn't say there was just a singular one there, did he?
"What do you need me to do now?" A great question, and for a great answer she indicted his perception to be reclaimed onto the console before him. "Do you want me to press another for you?" She nodded a sign of approval, turning her attention back onto the long gap where that single platform was laid as she already was well aware of what was likely to come. "I'll press the next one along then!"
She didn't see him press it, but she didn't need to; as within seconds after from beneath the surface of the shadows did a bright platform burst through and hover above the ground, in perfect parallel where that other once was.
'Once', specifically in past tense, as what appeared to happen the same time the second platform was raising up - so too did the first one fall, nothing more than hiding behind the silent dark waves and disappear from any attempt to reach for it. She was not sure if she should have suspected that to happen, but would or not, it still made her pause a rush forward and give a decisive conclusion of what needs to now be done.
Though the second one was even aimed closer to the exit, it was still a distance away, not even halfway there. Furthermore, the exact words Dale had chosen indicated there were more than just two, given her rise to believe there were multiple platforms to commence forth as a pathway for her to traverse over. But this did not explain why the first platform dropped like so? Dale did not speak of putting that way down himself, and she had null for a reason as to why he would think to do so either. Could that mean that only one of the platforms can remain active at any given time? If that were true; this would mean careful planning and timing was necessary if she had any hope to progress. She understood it now; what it was for her plan of action to be.
A clap of attention was rung, and though muffled by the glass barrier, Dale heard it all the same as he looked her way. With his attention gathered, Haydee reached out her arm to signal to rerun the rise of the first of the unknown multiples of platforms.
". . .Number One? I don't see any numbers on here, Haydee!" No the. . . the first one. The first of the many flotations she will need to bounce over if she wishes to make it to the other side.
. . . Verbal communication was a natural thing her kind was able to work around, but for a human adult; it was a cut off for their first line of connections to another. She could not speak, nor peep a word, and with him already so distant it seemed a simple wave of her hand would not be enough of a detailed explanation for one so different as she. To that end; she cursed the decision for her king to be lacking a voice. This left her to wait and mull over not only what she needed to do if she was expected to cross; but also perhaps to reconfigure her further communication signals, if any dangerous trails would befall them in the upcoming rooms. She had only a hunch to work off of, but she was expecting their end to not come any time soon.
She would need to be blunt, no messy of confusing ideas that only serve to complicate things. A simple framework of showing what was needed, what was to be accomplished and how it should be. She had to be careful, strict, but straightforward, and ensure the human could understand her ideas as simply as needed.
She understood what the best course of action she must take now was.
Her head shook, to deny his answer of the numbers, and reached out her arm; this time to point over towards the gap. Not in the middle but over her side, between the balcony she was standing upon and the hovering platform a distance away, and aimed downward to the gap beneath; before her point slowly rose upwards.
"Oh, hold on! I get what you mean now!" Such an exclamation Haydee found to be completely true, as indeed with a press of the toggle from his side, that second platform descended back down; and the first rose up to once again bask in the light. "Like that?" She nodded to his rosy inquiry. With a jump and an added blasting of her boots Haydee pulled herself onto the first platform without fail, before turning up to her companion.
Now came the tricky part: her successive actions will undecidedly be incredibly treacherous. For it to work, the timing would need to be impeccable, as even a second too late could result in a fatal consequence. For that ending to not occur, she needed to be sure the one controlling the sway of these levels knew exactly what and when his own interactions were required. His attention was still on her, proven well when she looked up to him, and so began her first telegraph of what was vital for her:
She pointed to herself, to her boots, then with her same hand she swerved the finger over in an arc, pointing it outwards to her front. With her finger still pointed away, her other hand came over to point at him, then sharply downwards to her front, only for it to swiftly raise back, and join its direction alongside her first hand.
"You. . .you're gonna jump," she gave a nod to his firstly accurate assumption, "and when you do; . . you want me to press the switch for the next platform to appear. . . so you can get onto it?" She nodded to his other, and completely accurate conjecture. "But; won't that mean the other one will fall? I don't know how far those go down, what if you don't make it? And I'm the one who has to press them! what if I press it wrong, isn't there a better way, surely there's a safer way for you, I. . . " She could only shake her head to him; though her denotations of plausibility were largely unnecessary, as the human already knew another way was not seen.
This was far from the first time she had to rely on the help from Dale, but even with those times remanded on his back burner he was still sweating over the fact his timing needed to be crucial. One false move and. . . it was best not to overthink on that outcome. If he needed to help, he better stay calm, focus, and pay attention to when Haydee made her jump so he could act. She needed his aid, so the only thing he should do is act upon it, if he wanted to be useful for her travels.
The only noise he made before his reply was an exhale, a deep release of air to clear his roubles before he shouted out in sincere meaning "I'm ready! Give the signal, and I'll activate the next one along!" That was what she wanted to hear. That was what she needed to know. And that was the last time her attention should pertain over that way, as now hearing his confirmation of service, she turned herself to the way in front.
With slow movements, Haydee did not make her bound a quick attempt; but instead it was knees making a gradual bend downwards that were her moves of automation, pausing just seconds later as she kept herself steady on the platform. This motion was not done to help herself; but to send a message to the one watching her, the one who interactions were as necessary as they were important: She was about to move.
A word was never spoken the moment her legs straightened up with blazing speed; and the force that came from it propelled her body forward as her feet lifted off the ground, over the gap, and back down into the abyss below.
But like a whale breaching out the waves the sight of a green squared flooring zipped forward, ascending past the obsidian cloak below and into the sight of the descending machine. Her hands got to immediate work, and with a stretch that whipped them out the fingers grasped a corner of the tile and kept the rest of her weight from dropping below. A heave of her arms later, and her frame now let itself drop onto the hovering platform, the rest of her body standing up soon after.
She could not call or give him physical praise as thanks, but a nod of the head directed to him meant all the same to him as the human smiled in replied gratitude. How many more to her was an estimate above anything else, but that did not deter her with the knowledge she was already getting a little bit closer. Bending her knees once again, the signal for a prepared jump was far from lost on the human as from afar his hand was already hovering over the next switch, trembling, out of the anticipation more than any resounding fear.
She fired off, jumping from the platform and stretching out her hands as the next one burst from underneath, easily caught in her reaching grasp as she swiftly pulled herself up from the dangling to let her boots stand on solid ground.
Time was not wasted as Haydee bent her body once again, crouching down and keeping her angle forward as her inorganic muscles tensed for the upcoming bound; and like lightning she struck - kicking her legs and reaching on out for the oncoming platform: that she found to almost miss at the last second as it ascending faster than she expected it to. Still; faster or not, it still did not take away how much more closer she was now towards the ending.
The gap has grown shorter with every jump, and with little reason to pause now Haydee back up on her own two feet for a mere second longer as she withdrew into her crouched position. A stare of the platform in front, her body tensed and braced before she felt ready for her lift off, and with a spring of her knees uncurling her body went-
The world began to ascend; the floor beneath her suddenly gave way.
Her body was suddenly falling.
"HAYDEE!" The scream of the human that echoed in her ears awakened her instincts while she found her frame dropping like so, the platform descending faster than she could first discern; until the rise of the second platform that appeared before her vision reminded her of what may have been done.
"PLEASE DON-" The hiss of her jets blasting her frame away from the bottomless pit and better into the skies above drowned out the muffled hollows of the human as she regained her grasp of the situation, not wasting time to hear any prolonged exclamations from the distant organic one as the second blast of her boots boosted her body back high enough to make a clean reach for the next platform. With a spin of her free-flowing sink she arched her frame around and slammed her boots hard onto the platform with a resounding stomp, a hidden curl of her toes ensured the feeling of the floor below was complete.
She turned her head to look around, over towards the placement of the human to find, with a little bewilderment, him staring down her way with overly widened eyes and. . . if her visual sensors were correct, seemingly hyperventilating with how the moisture from his breath was staining the glass. From her own position, she couldn't call, so instead she turned to a wave for him to see, and for her to judge a reaction. Slowly, the human backed away from windows; though still with a look of a state of shock, his mind had not been lost for reasons that were unclear to her.
That was to be found out after if it still persisted, so without further ado Haydee made a high jump forward, off the final platform and onto the breaching of floor that detailed she was safe from falling into the crevice.
That was. . . somewhat unexpected, a little shocking to her system, but nothing she was able to not grasp and act upon in time. It was a good thing there wasn't a delay between the shuffling position of the platforms, otherwise it may have been too late, but she was not designed to feel intense panic mind-breaking confusion, so she felt little reason to have continued reaction for that moment. In the least, she was back on solid floor, and with a look back to the human, who looked back with what appeared to be a cold sweat adorning his brow, she signalled for him to move on through the door she saw on his side that led them both out to hopefully the same area, if not the same way.
He did not speak up, but only gave but the shortest of nods in response. With a turn away, Haydee headed her way through the unlocked door - and not seeing the rush of one human darting his way to the same side.
Upon her first step inside; she was glad to find not only a lack of dangers involved within this much smaller area, but also a glance to the side told her that, indeed, it reconnected her side with the secondary area via a stretch and corner of a flight of stairs; a truth she quickly found to hold true when she noticed the barrelling body of the human come rushing in from up above.
Ah, that was good, she thought - he could return to her side as always back to the safety of her reach, and as always come in for ruffle of his hair as gratitude for-
"SORRY!SORRY!SORRY!SORRY!" The vociferation of his stammering clamours froze Haydee's attempt at physical appraise in its place as she watched the human almost trip and fall down the stairs from the rapid steps he was forcing. Her own body would have rushed towards to stop his bown from falling down; but she couldn't bring her legs to move the moment when she saw the exasperated, almost scared face he was wearing that carried onto the moment he brought himself back to her side, to her front;
And to his knees.
"I'M SO SORRY!" He babbled out, his head sunken into the floor like the sign of a. . . strangely randomized plea? "Please; I didn't mean to do it, I didn't want to - I-I-it was a mistake on my part, I'm so sorry, please - I beg you to forgive me!" Forgive him?
For what end does he desire an appeal for forgiveness? He had not tried anything close to betrayal or reckless abandon of herself, so why would he act as if he feels heavy shame and guilt over some minor discrepancy. There was not a minor problem he had made that forced the issue of pardon to be paramount.
. . . It couldn't have been to do with the last platform descending before she made her jump. No that. . . that couldn't have been it. She never believed he had done it on purpose, perish the thought, before she even exited out did she summarize he simply pressed the switch a little too early. Rushing it may have been the cause, or just plain over-enthusiasm, but either way was not a major fault of his own - beside it all, she was more than prepared for an additional fall now, so she was far from prepared to handle it. That could not have been the reason, surely. . .
"Please. . . please don't hate me. . . " The face adorned on him when he finally looked back up to her; the reddened, flushed cheeks, the burning eyes on the verge of tears, the stammering, voice cracking words he ushered out with a soft, near-fearful tone; the machine felt unable to process what exactly was all going on. . . for all she could calculate and formulate; there was nothing cycling around her digital brain telling her how to answer.
And why would she start hating him in any state? The coherent yet disjointed words of the exasperated human were not making any sense at all to her. His distress, his body acting as if in pain was doing little more than bewildering the gynoid all the more, for reasons still remained unclear.
"I. . . I didn't mean to press it too early. . . I . . . I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO NEARLY KILL YOU! I MEAN IT!"
. . .
. . .
. . . That was the reason he was feeling a distressed as he is now, well it was undeniably a close call, but. . . she knows he didn't try and kill her purposefully. She never suspected he would have. Why would he? He hasn't shown any malice before now, and above that he must know by now he wouldn't be able to find the unknown salvation without her help, so in no logical conclusion did it even make sense that he would desire her demise, let alone try to by his own hands. That. . . his burden should not have appeared, he. . . should not blame himself for a simple mistake, she did not wish for him to, how could she. . . reassure him. . .
The two metallic arms that slowly tried to reach for him for a purpose unclear to either was immediately frozen upon the swift and forceful stand of the human, his eyes still wide and locked onto her while he forced down an inhale with stuttering trembling's of his body. "Hold on I-I-" For explanations untold the step away he made was followed by rabid shakes of his head, his eyes almost scanning the area in a frightful manner; and before she could try and pause his shakes a crackled whisper of "There!" was directed onto anyone but her as his bare feet slapped along the tiles as he shot away from her presence.
He did not go far, rather, he instead rocketed over to a corner of the room, the corner by the turning staircase, to stand before a locked crate huddled up to the niche. The account on why she could not have grasped, her usual scan did not finish to denote its presence from moments before, but in the least her leg was not given able time to make a casual stride before as almost instantaneously after the leave did he move to return. Fumbling back over himself, his traipse as careless as he spoke himself to be, all for him to come back and intently present her with something in his outstretched appendages.
A. . . pistol magazine?
"Here, I. . . I know it isn't much, but please, take it, take it and forgive me, I. . . don't want you to be mad."
She began to understand it now, his sudden bound away and back with a presented gift in his hands. How he spoke over wishing to be pardoned over a mistake of accidental existence, how he was wishing for her not to hold animosity over him. . . not for selfish reasons of his own, no, he did not appear to give off that presentment.
. . . Had this man been abused or mistreated?
Given his behaviour, and what she knew of human emotion from her database, that was a solid conclusion to make. Wait. . . no, why would anyone want to see him assailed or maltreated or even a degree higher of the sort, akin to. . . any form of ill treated molestation. . .
She. . . for no reason should that have ever happened: nor will she ever let that happen, for anyone or herself.
Kind, polite, friendly, with a childlike innocence that did not befall his innate intelligence or acumen of a situation, a human such as he deserved much better, much softer, much. . . better circumstances.
As her eyes drifted down and focused onto the magazine still presented for herself in his arms, a small representation of his yearn for a forgiveness she had already given without compensation beforehand. They looked to be shaken, his fingers under the magazine twitched in discomfort and agitation while the rest of his frame stayed so still he could be considered a life-size figurine by those that would pass on by. They did not tremble out of any cold, but more out of fear, out of agitation, a discomposure of his whole being that gave the thought it was her he was afraid of.
That. . . could not be farther than the truth.
She did not want him to fear her, never to any degree, what conclusion could allowed that to have sprouted up? No it must have been. . . a far-away thought, one that didn't need to stay, especially with more important matters at hand; such as him reeling back into stability. If she wanted his mind, for any and all reasons, to relax, not just physically, but out of the knowledge he had zero reason to feel threatened by her in any rate, than she had to act, to console, to remind him she is not here to cause him any pain of any sort. A verbal speech could not be given to deliver this message to him, but a glance to his still shivering palms told her enough to garner what to do. So with an act, a move of her own hands forward, a steady, gentle reach that tiptoed forward to let him see every move she made, every twitch of her own fingers as they opened up towards their impending target, and every singular finger clenching around his own as her hands embraced his.
Through touch alone she felt his hands stop trembling, gradually so, and through her visual sensor she could see his arms slowly untense upon her clasp. For a moment, a quiet period where no noise, sound, word or fluster was heard, she did not move an inch in the slightest. The human's apprehensions would not have calmed down so easily, and it was unless he made a move first that she would have acted passively, before the message was believed to have been said, and Haydee lowered her hands back away. Not in full, more akin to a creature stuck to a tree they did not drop down but rather snake themselves off the back of his own knuckles, around the sides and onto his palms, where she dutifully but never harshly took this little present from his presented figure and brought it away. When his hands were cleaned of hers she arced the magazine back around into her backpack placed away, before her one arm came back forward, reaching forward, and this time placed back onto his hair.
She did not ruffle her fingers through his curly strands. Even though he deserved that and more, she did not want him to simply feel a physical soothing, instead, she rather have him remove any longer shred of doubt he had about herself, a dismissal of any denial he had about the positives of himself. With her free hand arcing out to ensure his attention was on that, with a steady drop her hand slowly hovered down, her palm facing herself, leaving space as a denotation for him to look all on her. Her head, torso, arms and legs.
These were fine. Not a scratch, scrape or dent about herself that had in any way been caused by a fault, accidental, and only accidental, of his own. Her body was running at full capacity, her internal components, of every piston, cog, or artificial muscle was working in perfect shape, her mind clear as glass, as carefree as the water of the sea, and her suspicion non-existent when it came to the likes of her.
When she finished, her free hand returning back to its complacent side and ending with a point to her head signalling where his attention must now lie, as her blank face stared back with unseen eyes. With a single flip of her neck her head came forward, a nod, to not denote about herself but instead a signal for him to speak of how he acknowledges her meaning.
Understand?
"I guess." Not the most complete of replies, but nonetheless, his voice did not crack or whimper away when it came forward to her, so she still took that for what it was: an assumption that she held null of blame on him. If not that, then it must be believed there was still self-blame lurking deep inside him, and, unfortunately for them both, it was not something she could force out of him. Time could only prove he was wrong, times of him aiding her without a problem, continuous reminders that he was useful above all so could prove himself that he was far from any hindrance towards her.
For that to happen, they must move, must be rid of any reminder of moments prior and focus themselves on forward, if not for something to let him prove himself, then at least to tear his mind away from dragging his assurance down. Her hand drifted back away, to ushering him to that forward, though not before her fingers drifted through his interestingly curled hair as they swam out. They did not leave his entire presence, however, as instead of returning back to her own side, they meandered on around to his back, pressing into the trapezius muscles of his anatomical stern as they silently told of her interest to get him moving, onto the door out of this place.
He nodded in return, and though she did not like his quiet inclination, his eyes no longer being bloodshot were a telling that his mental pain was alleviated, least to some degree. Her complete knowledge of a human being was. . . standard to all, that she knew, but it helped her enough to know this particular one was increasingly soothed. She pressed forward now, little force behind it, only enough to demand he not be here more than go there, but the sentiment was quickly acknowledged as his feet did move on. They didn't drag, though they did it slowly, a gradually steady movement was a telling he wasn't loathing in any self-pity. She didn't demand he move quicker, but she still ensured he moved all the same, their steps taking them forward one by one.
Until the exit was within easy reach
If a breath of fresh air could be personified into a small enclosure, then this room was the perfect example for such an idea.
It remained much the same in design and previous rooms; white-washed walls with not a speck of dirt in sight, tightly packed, but neither too cramped nor too open, as rightly justified with not even a nail-sized hole of an abyss seen on sight. Sure, a locked door was by far not a preferred portion to regard, but with no danger or hazard that was detected in this square room she felt no dread of any sneaking scare that could commence. Rather, what gave the Haydee a pause for thought about how to proceed onward was the ring of bizarre posts that were circling around the centre of this room.
Of a height of over eight feet, the eight seen posts all raised up high with spaced apart in perfectly identical lengths away, forming an unwritten circle with an open centre. Rather curious, the black poles not making a sound or sight of their own, with the only thing it left to be distinguished from anything specific was the glassy orbs it held up top. Along with the rest of the darkly-coloured thin columns it gave no help or indication to what end could they move forward.
But such thoughts were only a face-value assumption, and with Haydee still standing by the door, she knew she should think to gather all information without even a step forward. With that in mind, she prepared to move. . . but not before she gave a necessary side glance to the human whose back was still being ushered by her own arm.
With all that had been done, she saw no surprise by how dull his face was. Even after all she presented and showed, the human still appeared to show heavy doubts about himself. However, this was all fully expected by the gynoid, time itself could not be changed, so she wouldn't have even thought to give hope to him having gotten past it so suddenly. In the least of positive remarks, his focus was not aimed towards nothing in particular, but rather, his line of sight suggested he too was given curious looks to the posts in front, so she gladly took the situation of his vision not inclining to a depressive state as the positive.
Turning away with a nod of acknowledgement, and retracting her arm, not feeling it fair to make him feel forced to accompany her - a denial of his free will would not help his state - she sauntered on over with cautious steps to examine these posts with closer inspection. Looking around the lengths of the posts, up, down and around, she saw no visual clue to indicate what their purpose was and how, or if, they were important to their progression to any degree. No words, symbols, or explanation of any kind could be seen to any of these identical beams, no kind of indication of any kind to supplement their desire to get on through. Just how in the world. . .
With her back turned on him, she never noticed the silent steps that were coming forward outside of her vision. The expression of a downed but mildly curious human staring with his own sense of intrigue was not know by the gynoid, neither was the reach of an arm coming forward, an extend of fingers as they hovered on towards one of these obsidian poles-
Bright lights abruptly flashed into their vision, eight glowing colours of different tones burst out alongside eight different tones of another kind; a concurrent symphony of eight rings all of varied volumes knocked both of the pair away from the posts as their bodies tensed and froze from the shock of what came. And like a true burst, what had happened did so for but a second, its existent snuffed out as suddenly as its birth had came; and the pair could only turn to each other in perplexity over what it was that was given some reason to appear, the faces a matching share of vacant expression.
For the short time the two had in eyeing one another in nonplussed statement was enough for them to be caught off by the unexpected return of more of those lights and rings; of what seemed to be three, Haydee could only make assumption for as her head swivelled back in time to see but the last lamp glow and dim down with the synchrony of a chime.
She waited.
Then nothing.
That was all. The seconds after were bereft of noise, lights, or movements of any kind, which remained unchanged until Haydee's frame dismissed that truth as she ambled her body all around the ring. Up above, she studied those light-bearing lamps with attentive focus as she thought onto which this all was meant to mean. The poles themselves were as conventionally insipid as the very tiles they placed steps over; purely straight, black, and blank as her own facial structure, but it was the peculiar spheres situated on each of the poles tops, coated in a frosting on their glassy surface, that led her to the speculation these were indeed tied to the blockade somehow. But with no other indication in sight, no retelling of the lights, or repeated clinking of bells, these eight lampposts all looked to stay as silent and stoic as her own counterpart. . .
"Haydee?" The call was low, but far from quiet enough to go unheard by her own sensors as immediately on her heels the gynoid spun around to face the front of the one who called. His dragged expression did not fill her with excitement, but for the very least his attention being paid onto her was still a garnered positive over not. "I don't know if this is relevant but. . . "
Go on. . . Speak you mind, and let your mentality thrive. . .
". . . No, never mind." And just like that; any such sign of affirmative response was quickly vanished as the human immediately turned his attention away like a tiny puppy that has just been justifiably shamed. His turn away was enough body language to denote to her he feels unworthy to speak his mind, for a reason he felt beforehand of seeming relevance. That would not do for her, not purely because it may very well be helpful in their endeavours; but also hiding away and keeping out of sight does not typically do wonders to a human physique in times of stress or despair.
She would not try and force him, but she should ensure he speaks his mind, especially if the information was found to be essential, and the short clap that calmly boomed for his attention was followed by by the sight from him of her handing out her palm to him, nodding her head in positive reinforcement to hopefully get the message across she was listening to whatever he was trying to speak. Not that she could force his lips to move by her own immediate actions, but she knew that would not help in the slightest.
Though for that thought; she appeared to not need to, as the moment that proceeded were seen with the sight of the males lips slowly reopen and close a couple of curt times before noises of comprehensible language were finally uttered out in meekly spoken language.
"I. . . I don't know if this helps or anything. . . probably not; but when I looked up to the posts I saw three of the orbs light up in a specific order, in time with the noises they looked to be making in tandem." Despite his doubts, Haydee did not disregard this very helpful juncture to have noticed. First they all light, then only three, yet not in symmetry that time either. Same goes for the sounds as well. Granted: this did not have a profound effect on what was essential for their completion, but for the very least this had to be a major clue to how they must proceed forward.
She gave a nod, a hopeful sign of recognition for the human to grasp before he head trailed up along to the heads of these tall poles. From what she had gathered there appeared to be no interactive port on any of these posts, or anywhere else. Nothing for their hands to activate and switch, nor their presence giving indication for how they were meant to proceed, it still left them stuck onto what the next step was. As it were, the only thing it gave them information on was that reinforced it was the glassy spheres up top that they were meant to pay undivided attention to. . . that's it!
A swivel and an attentive look back to the human later and the gynoid was given a soft point toward him before they directed themselves back up to the orbs up top; and when his look was back her hand she ensured he noticed when the one finger point was made two, then three.
"You. . . you want me to tell you about those three posts that lightened up?" She nodded. "I. . . not much to tell, really. . . it started off with that one on the far right, over there," it was his unspoken turn to point, "than the one just above it, and what looked to be the one on the farther left, opposite the first as the last one that lit up." To go back to that compass-driven form of a layout; if she were to use the exit out of here as her starting guide, and the one closest to it were pointing North out from the centre, than by going around with each post representing a specific direction it would then signify that his order of lampposts would commence in the sequence of East, NorthEast and finally West.
But how would that knowledge help them? Well, if the theory she held comes to be found true then perhaps this may have been the perfect information that was fundamental to their continuation of travel.
She clapped, a sign of promptness meshed well with her interest in garnering his attention as she directed his attention up to the first glassy orb of the sequenced rings, the one bearing her labelled East, before her stride took herself over to the post to turned around when her frame stood right before: and to his surprise watch as Haydee prepared a crouched position he was all too familiar with.
"Wait; you need me to. . . go up on your shoulders?" Well of course she does! How else would he stop seeing himself as a hindrance if otherwise? "W. . . Why? What would you need me to do that for?" Without unbuckling her hunch her finger raised up to point to the very top of the post, where that frosted piece of semi-transparent sphere stood still on its podium. "You. . . need me to touch it?" She nodded as per her usual manner. Though she spied no button or anything of the like from down below, that didn't deter her from testing her thesis out. ". . . Are you sure you want me to do it?" She nodded, slower this time, each knock of her head taking a full second to commence. She would not force him; but she still sought persuading him will be a boon to both. She hoped.
"Then. . . If you need me to; I'll go for you." She wouldn't prefer it changed in any other way.
His own stride forward was far more tentative than her own, but the extra few seconds were frivolous to even the highest dispute. He came forth in his own time, steadily placed one hand on her shoulder when his foot reached around, and with a heave carried forth with Haydee's own immense strength Dale's body was quickly found to be back up in the air. His head was swiftly found to be mere feet away from the frosted-over large pearl that stood up just as high, sitting upon a column that the human's hand was placed upon to keep his balance steady. He did not try to dawdle, she had not asked him to do so, so with his newly retained focus garnering over the glass ball the human gave only the quickest of studies, looking it over to ensure the was no danger or any other point of interest resting upon, before his hand coiled up like the precedent strike of a cobra's bite; as he unleashed onto the unsuspecting orb without fail.
The noise of his hand lightly slapping the glass resonated in the gynoids awaiting ears as her trust in the man to do his job without a grievance in sight did not become ousted. Such a thought was quickly proven to not go wasted either, as a mere second before the human above her shoulders was about to speak that little two word sentence of 'lacking any development' the sudden glow of a deep orange, blowing out alongside a chime of a crystal against a bar, appeared before his eyes as the light seeped out the frosted glassware.
It. . . actually looked very beautiful up close, to the human. The lucent light that seeped out from before himself was lovingly accompanied by the fresh, gentle sound of a pellucid bell clattering along a spring breeze. It was. . . a little soothing at least to him. He began to wish to see it happen again.
Though such a desire would have to wait, even if he wanted to press it a hundred times over, he knew about more pressing matters to attend to. "I think this one has been activated now. I mean. . . the light is not changing at all, so I think. . . what just happened has been done correctly." He announced down to her, earning a nod from Haydee as she felt far less surprised by this outcome.
". . . Do you. . . need me to come down now?" She was starting to wonder why he wasn't already trying to come down. Mattered little, and with a swerve of her head downwards for indication she already was dropping her height down as she reached her palms out to aid his descent.
With a bare foot clicking the tiles the signal that Dale was now down instantly garnered a move from the machine as she had remembered where the next sequence was meant to be, one of the closer lampposts, and applied herself to initiate the successive reaction.
Dale knew this was coming, his mind already figuring out what was needed next before he stepped back down to solid ground, and with a follow on behind he stood before both the gynoid and the pole as he awaited her repeat of her crouch.
"I'll. . . try not to put too much of my weight on you." It was never a problem. Had he not remembered how little of an issue it was? Had he. . . perhaps it was just a by-product of his failing mindset that he was unable to remember. She saw no reason to blame him for that, nor should she ever let him think that he does. If that time arises she would ensure he doesn't; but for the moment, she focused her attention on pulling the human's figure up the post to pursue their venture of hopeful escape.
When ascended to the correct height Dale gave only a moment of hesitation for the physical contact needed before his timid hand touched down on the surface of the glass, his fingers pressing into the cold frosted layer before they shot back away. With but a mere second before the surrounding chime rang alongside the captivating gleam as the glistening shine showed his assumption was still correct. Though it could easily be written off if one was to leave only a glance, something that Dale noticed early on before even standing upon Haydee's shoulders with industrious preference, was that these glows and chimes were not one and the same.
It was not an orange glow that beamed onto his face, but more of a mellow yellow colour that lit up his facial features. Even more to it, the chime that rung out this time was not purely the same either, but something a little different, higher pitched. Dale was not sure if Haydee recognized this fact or not, but if he had to choose he would undoubtedly believe Haydee figured this out much quicker than he ever did.
"This one is done, Haydee." He announced to the one below him, receiving but a subdued nod in return before she acted accordingly, lowering him back down to the ground without issue as they both moved quietly over towards the end of the lamppost sequencer; the one bearing the farthest West.
Same as always, Haydee got into her kneel as Dale in turn pulled himself over her hands to her shoulders and stood facing the third and final orb. He did not try to think, to comprehend unimportant matters as with but an inhale as he prepared to touch the final object his hand slapped down onto the glass, earning a bright glow and pleasant ring to his eyes and ears.
Just as this post was a farther point away then the two closely sided poles bother them, so too was the sights and sound that erupted out upon his contact. Not a bright orange and yellow-like glow came bursting out the sphere, but instead a calm blue, a soothing note that was more so than the sound it made, which was a much deeper, yet still lightly sparkling chime that vibrated into his ears.
With the tertiary and last orb activated, Dale quickly scampered his body back down, giving space not just for himself but allowing her to see the work that has been completed. With a heavy heart, he hoped he had no longer had to force Haydee to take that position for him.
Such a question would be answered in but a moment longer; because before either of the two would ask to what end was meant to happen now, they both took a step back to suddenly witnessed the sight of all three of those lights fade in and out their glow, doing so thrice alongside their respected audio themes as the rings of crystalline bells echoed around the room.
But such glorious sights and sounds did not come with antecedent feelings with the sight and sound of one particular barrier shifting away and allowing their wantful exit out; instead, the two witnessed those posts light up again; now in a different sequence, with different posts - this time he discerned they were four of them that lit up - before they all went back into silent mode. It was undeniable what this meant for them. Not just for what they had to do; but for what it meant Dale had to do.
"Oh. . . so were going to have to do this all over again." Haydee turned her head to the sound of Dale's exasperated sigh. "I had hoped. . . I no longer had to jump up to them."
Why would he state that - not that she couldn't understand it completely; she too would have chosen the quicker option if it meant continuing also - but that still made her wonder why he said it in such a solemn way of thinking. To what end was the problem with him having to jump up to them? He was in no danger, and even if he had'nt realized it from her end, at no point in their entire trials did he ever seem to be in any. Did he. . . did he not like approaching the orbs via her palms and shoulders? Why would he have decisive thoughts on such an approach?
Could it. . . could it be that he saw it as tedious and energy-draining? That train of thought was not without its merits, she saw: it was a multi-step process for only a simple action. And adding in the fact that a new, longer sequence had just came, one that made her stop and wonder to how many more must they do before some change will come, it did gave her food for thought over if their paired actions were the most quickest, or even the most practical, ways to commence it. Was there a better way for them to undertake?
". . . Shall we just get it over with then?" His deep exhale, though not entirely lost on the spark-minded Haydee, was still dismissed with casual flare the moment he turned around to meet her. It was then with understandable shock that the lamenting mind he had was swiftly replaced with bafflement upon seeing the gynoid crouch down to her knees; not by a pole, but within the open centre of the entire ring of poles.
Which to then his mindset was swiftly replaced with startled agitation upon seeing the machine give a backwards-pointing arm aimed to her own back. "Woah-woah-woah-woah!" He stammered in quick succession. "Let-lets-lets not get ahead of ourselves now, we-we shouldn't think to do that so suddenly - they has to be-got to be a better solution than my climbing upon your back, now. . . right?" She shook her head, rejecting his dialogue of having to be pressed into her behind.
It took a good second for the human to show a double take for Haydee's rebuff.
"Wait you're. . . not wanting me to sit on your backsi-i-i just back?" She shook her head one again, though this time following up by her hands pointing to him, that is to say, his legs in particular, then her points reaching back around to where her shoulders were, ending her explanation with a pat to said shoulder joints. To say he was a little confused was an understatement, being the intention was quite lost on him. "You. . . want me by your shoulders?" She nodded this time, adding upon his answered inquiry with a slow drop of her hands going down her, her fingers wrapped around the air in such a way as if representing sliding down circular posts; or a long set of legs?
He could not garner as to why she wanted him to do so - but he still knew it was for a better reason than he believed he could ever think of. Without an instance of trying to force an opposition onto her, he spoke the only question he could think to say:
"Do you need me to stand facing you. . . or away?" She pulled up two fingers that pointed towards where he presumed her eye sockets would have gone, then to the way forward. If there was another question to be asked, Dale didn't know it was present. Instead, what was present was Haydee's expectation of his standing by her, and it was no in his best interest to make her wait.
Stepping forth, Dale ambled forward and as instructed; brought his legs over to stand before Haydee's shoulders, facing away. From above, he could see Haydee's head pop out from between his legs, a sight he felt uncomfortable to behold while he refused to delve too deeply on the matter, instead forcing himself to wonder on what end she had planned for him, doing so as he enforced his sight to face anywhere that wasn't the top of her shiny scalp bursting between his appendages.
Before he knew what else to do, two strong hands suddenly grip onto his legs, their innate strength something he did even need to look at to know just how firm their grasp of his bare legs were. Though; in short hindsight perhaps he should have taken his faraway glance off from nothing in particular, as perhaps then he wouldn't feel as much shock as he did when he felt the floor below him be brought away as he instantly knew the gynoid had unexpectedly lifted him up.
With absolutely nothing to hold onto but her head, the human did just that while Haydee slowly stood back onto her feet; not for one moment fazed by the human's intense confusion. With his legs dangling over her shoulders, her hands keeping a firm grip on them so as not for him to drop, the Haydee knew they were ready.
Well; she was.
"Uh, Haydee?" The named machine swivelled her head upwards to take a gander onto the concerned, and undeniably befuddled, human that was now resting over her shoulders. "Not that I'm trying to tell you how to do your job - or anything of that sort - it's just. . . wh. . . why, exactly?" A fair assumption to make, if he hadn't figured it all out by now. It was on good mindset from her that she had already made assumptions of her own, about how best to address, and with a wide sweep of her arm - her other one doubling its effort to ensure his safety - she brought her hand around in an arc that swept all the way past these high-bearing orbs.
"I. . . I guess that makes sense. We. . . well we don't know exactly how long we may be at this - though I am starting to think no more than six times at most - so I can see why you'd try and choose this way personally. But: isn't this uncomfortable or cumbersome for you; what with me up here like. . . .a load. . ?" She shook her head to display her thoughts. Her body, and by extensions, her mindset, was not meant to be compatible with inclinations over comfort above practicality. The only part of her that was feeling discomfort over seeing him treat himself so self-bitterly, and that was based over the ideal a healthy mind is a productive one; or so she was taught to believe.
". . . Right then. I won't argue with you any longer. I can see what you want me to do, I shall now proceed under your guidance." She nodded, knowing they can finally continue forth with their conundrum, press on forward with completing what tasks may be brought upon them, and preferably, have Dale no longer trying to diminish his own significance. "I'm ready to go." He called out, not with a murmur or whisper, but with a loud, booming call of energy she had known is his original mentality - the statement he was ready to go forth.
. . .
. . . "You, ahhh, going to put me near the first one. . . or. . . " She only looked up at him with her rather pathetically expressionless face. What words she would choose to relay in her sentence would forever go unknown to the human, an afterthought as Dale began to realize why it is she had not proceeded forward as she seemed to crave.
"Um. . . the first one I saw come up was the one closest to the locked doOR-" His body suddenly lurched backwards the moment Haydee marched forwards to where his cut-off sentence was directing her towards. It was a good thing, he quickly saw, that her hold on his legs were as robust as they were, lest his quick grasping of her head in a mirrored lurch did not suffice in keeping him high up. Not that he would have had much time demanding his arms wrap securely around the gynoids for long, as mere seconds later did she finally stop her trample when he was back to being just an arms-reach distance away from the focal point that was the northern orb.
Shaking his head so as not to lose any more of his bearings, he took the quick moment to remember what it was he needed to do - before he finally shot his arm forward and pressed down to the orb! As now expected, a brilliant light shot out from within the frosted over glass while a beautiful chime rung out along an absent breeze. This time, it was the purest white that seeped out from inside the orb, while that tinkle that resounding was the most highest pitched of rings yet encountered.
With a step back undertaken, Dale knew instantly what the one in control's train of thought was processing towards. He did but one of four, a regard inclining towards he needed to state and direct what the next step in the sequence; and a truth he was less than confident in expressing. Because of where he was positioned and looking, the second orb of the sequence was not actively seen by the human, only heard, the sound coming in from someplace behind him. Fundamentally, he was going off his hunches rather than a complete trust in knowing which one was correct. The only thing he had going on for him was how identical the noise sounded from their previous culmination.
But weak statement to go on or not, he would not dare to let her down by refusing to continue repeating problems of will; so with a stuttered, almost hushed reply, the human worked up the courage to firmly direct where her presence was needed to be:
"I think. . . the next one is over there, closest to the door." He pointed alongside his shout. Nervous as he was, he should show face for the robot, and pushing aside his hesitation he directed Haydee's attention to the estimated next step for them. As a far cry in opposite intensity, Haydee was feeling indifference towards the hesitant feelings of moving forward, not at all aware by how agitated the human above him was feeling, especially when she, and in turn, he, stood before the West post that caused a rise of apprehension in the human. Though his hand was already shot up in preparation for the upcoming activation, for the beginning of their face-to-face confrontation Dale's open hand did little more than shake.
He was not at all sure, not at all completely believing this was the right choice, and the longer he stared the longer this creeping ambiguity slowly seemed to look like the wrong assumption. His hand did not move an inch because of it, did not press onward but instead stayed hovering as it twitched with jittery fears. He didn't know what would happen if his assumption was found to be incorrect, or worse yet, how Haydee would react when it happened. She was putting so much trust into him, so much expectation and faith, so much. . . much. . .
So much certainty that had arisen due to him always doing as she needed. That thought commenced the moment Dale's eyes looked down to the top of the gynoids head, staring forward while she calmly awaited the trusted conclusion of his own moment of actuation. She needed him to press onward to the outcome, and whether it would be right or wrong, it must certainly be a better action than sitting upon her shoulders as she bore the weight of a useless payload. He knew she deserved more than this least, and with a look back up to the post in earlier questioning, the human steadied his hand as he prepared to finally make a move.
And not a moment later did his hand blast forward, pushing hard into the orb and activating the mechanism inside.
A known chime was rung.
And a Sky Blue light burst out.
"I. . . I guess it was the right one after all." From his peripheral vision he spotted the head of the currently carrying gynoid nod in correction to his claim. "R. . .right." The heavy weight he had felt in his stomach was slowly dissipating out. "The next one then, I suppose." He spoke without a stammer in sight, shaking his head beforehand as if to remove the problems in his mind as if it were clots of dust between his strands..
"I saw the next glass that shone was that one, farthest from the locked door." South way, though a truth she found came before his attempt at a location description, as she made sure to keep her vision pointed up to ensure she sees where his direction was meant to be. She knew he didn't seem to hold the same compass-encrusted directions like she did, and alas, nor could she tell him to as she was.
With a press on the glass, the orb showed out, making a chime that fell in pitch somewhere between the orange and blue peals. With rather comical interest, the light that shone out could also be called the direct middle point of the two colours being the light that burst out was a brilliant red.
And it was the thought of it being semi-akin to those two colours that brought his mind onto their proceeding and thus, final orb; the actual first one of the sequence that came previously. Upon the note he said just that, pointing to the one Haydee remembered bared East before as the gynoid instantly got the message. A click of her boots hitting the floor resonated to both for a matter of seconds before they paused just feet away from the posts in question. Not too far to hit it head on, but undeniably close enough for the human up top to make a swing with his arm as his hand came forward with might, smashing hard on to the surface to awaken the sleeping mechanism below that dared to stay unconscious on their watch.
The orange glow aroused from its short slumber, yawning an ethereal chime in response to its sudden rousing as the tangerine glow that lit up the humans face showed a clearer vision of his cheery expression. At least, more cheery than the face he wore when first entered in, having idly thought up the sentence of this "Not being as bad as I thought it would." right before the same kind of action reverted from all the posts; that is, two simulations glow alongside the iconic chimes from each activated sphere.
"Do you think that was all that was needed, now?" He asked the silent machine from below, getting only a blank face in reply. Not that she needed to talk to be able to answer his inquiry, as almost instantly after his question to the mute one did the sounds and sights of the orbs began to start anew. But this time; the human was more ready.
With swift eyes and focused hearing, the human quickly looked left to right while he still sat atop the gynoids shoulders. Every time the ring of a crystal bell bursts out, Dale's head instantly swivels around to ensure he doesn't miss the next step in the sequence. For Haydee's sake, he would not disappoint her with poor performance.
They were counted, by both the human and the machine below her. Five of them this time. Five of the orbs lit up in a specific sequence. Five of them that the human knew where they began; and where they ended.
"I know where to go." His words, clear and unambiguous to their meaning, sprung forth without hesitation. "Do you want me to state them for you?" The nod of the gynoids head gave clear indication that she was ready for any instructions. Though he knew there was still present hesitation within himself, he did not try and let that distract himself as he started off the sequence to their next quandary.
"The first one that lit up was the orange one bearing over there." She moved to his point, her legs darting forward to halt only when he was within range, the perfect range, one that allowed him gracious striking onto its surface as the slap clattered the hidden bell from within and awoke the lighting to appear to them now. Pretty it was to behold, it did not distract Dale enough to elicit a prolonged stare, as swiftly after he was already focusing onto the next orb.
"The next one is the one right there, between the White and Blue posts." NorthWest it is, and with a spin on her heels the Haydee took him to exactly where he commandeered. With a pull of his hands when within range, Dale struck forth with a palm to awaken this newly contacted orb.
And with a chime that was deep, the deepest one they have heard yet, the colour within arose, shining out a lovingly Lime Green. Though he preferred to not get distracted, he still couldn't help it from being enamoured by this new glow. The frosting that was a permanent fixture on the glass lit up, even quite lightly, this dank and bland whitewashed room, even more so when mixing it up with the other colours that have been and will be shown out to them.
Yet even with that thought running true, it still wasn't enough of a distraction for him to ignore the pressing matters the gynoid was awaiting for him to complete; especially when he remembered what the next orb in the sequence was.
"Over there; between the orange and red posts is where the next one in the sequence-" The final word of his sentence that he tried to speak was quickly cut off from the scampering march of the gynoid, bringing his body quickly to be perched right before it. His innocent curiosity rising, he pressed forth with his hand so the bubbling would not rise to far.
With the delight full ring of the chime, the light let itself be known with a charming light pink, a rosy shade; one who's highlights matched the warm cheeks of the human admiring its sight, Haydee thought as she looked up from below. Yet alluring to the eye or not, that was not what either came here for; something known not only by the awaiting machine but also by the human atop her; the feeling of the gynoids grip on his legs helped to ensure his distractions were as curt as he wanted them to be.
"The next one is that blue one again." Perhaps a little disappointment was laden in his tone, being it was not a new one they needed to activate, but such a claim was readily dismissed as he activated the arctic-coloured lighting without unnecessary delay.
"The final one for this sequence is that one right by our left." Now she knew was sure there was no disappointment riding upon the waves of his voice, as rather, a little ball of excitement seemed to be present now as he pointed over to what must be the final orb that had yet to activate at all along their trails. She let her stride come forward in its own pace, not feeling the need to rush forth this time, as close as it was.
With the final orb inbound, for the two very different yet intertwined reasons, the human above twitched his fingers in anticipation as the glassy sphere of unknown burst quickly became in range for his arc of awakening. When she finally stopped her shifting, standing up straight right before the orb the human knew that it was his time for aid, his time for completing their sequence; his time to raise the last light from its eternal slumber.
And with the pound of his hand he did just that. A second of pause, or one that felt it far longer than it was to be, before the melodic knock of an unseen crystal vibrated through the medium of air and into their eyes, letting them know of the impending burst of colour that was about to appear.
As if it were a lilac flowers bursting from their buds the shine of purple rose out from underneath the clouded glassware and into the scene. The burning glow showered to the humans eyes, mesmerizing his mind into a hypnotized state as if it were the first real time in his life, as if this way the first burst of violet his eyes had ever seen.
With the final colour checked off, Haydee felt confident in taking a step back, twisting Dale's body around for him to watch as that rhythmic canvass of flashing lights and sound had resonated, since it was a factual circumstance to come now. Even if it were a mandatory happenstance; it didn't stop the human from seeing the actions they had completed in paired aid as being. . . well, quite a bit fun.
The door didn't unlock, largely suspected by the Haydee, being she had seen little that spoke it was to be the end; though not so much by the human, as he had originally believed that with the final orb activated it would mean an end to the sequence. Still, he also didn't believe they were meant to be in here forever, so if another sequence was meant to be concluded, then he shouldn't try to complain. Besides; he didn't see it as an entirely bad thing in the first place, for what it's worth.
Like before; the light and sounds repeated their paired chimes and lights, blossoming for just a moment to give them a curt second in remembering their pop of brusque existence. Not that their short life was difficult for the human to remember, as like the very moment before, his head continued to look, observe, and take note of which posts lit up next.
He counted them out; six. Six posts this time. Six of the orbs lit in dissimilar sights and sounds. And six he knew where about to reappear in not too long.
"The first one that lit up was the red one." South, she knew, and under his direction she manoeuvred her freight other towards the lamppost in question. She did not waste any time with herself scooting on over, and neither did he, activating the orb the moment he was within range. "Next one was that yellow one again, over-" she knew where to go, and like a rocket she shot off so she could be of needed use with him.
Such use was not wasted, as immediately when in arms-reach the human shot his hand out forward and pressed down gently onto the pretty glass. "To there, to purple." She did as he asked.
"Than there, to Orange." She knew where to go before his point, and with fervent stride she brought him exactly where to be.
"Next one is by the locked door, right beside the White one." She looked to his point: NorthWest, and with a haul she moved exactly there.
"And the final one IS the White one." Only a side-step was utilized for that sort of travel, a simple sweep of her boots brushing over the tiles for a few short steps to place her whereabouts, and by default the human as well, before the final posts of this coloured array.
Upon his press, she took a step, as he technically couldn't with his legs in her still firm grip, and with bated breath watched the flicker of lights and rings call out in their simultaneous repeats, before dying back down. The gynoid didn't ultimately know what was about to come next, but with only the hunch she readied the human sat atop her shoulders for what may come next.
They appeared; the sight and sounds restarting, and with just a glance up she could see - by the humans serious gaze and tensed body - that he was ready too.
By the time they finished, all eight of those posts had gone off; now was the time to see if Dale was ready to prove himself.
"The first one that started was the purple one over there!" Under his jurisdiction, she moved on his command without refusal.
"One after was Orange." She moved again, squeezing her fingertips to ensure her grip had not once loosened.
"Then that post over there, by White." Green, bearing North West from his direction.
"Then to Red."
"The next one is that Yellow one." To the North Eastern post she went.
"Next is the post nearest the door we came through." The light blue glowed forth.
"The pink one is next." South East she moved.
"And finally; the one in the order is up by the locked door." White. Located up North.
She believed she knew what was coming, and she didn't try to waste time on it. She zoomed on over, her boots only stopping when the human was in fair range as she tilted her head up to watch, with clear view, Dale above him swiped his hand around and slapped it down with full force.
The deep chime rang out, the brilliant blaze of alabaster shone out, and with a few quick steps back she let him watch as the beautiful display of iridescent lights burst out in expected concurrent shines, surrounding him in auroral bliss. Looking from below, her vision never left him throughout it all; she cared not for the colours of the sounds, the only sights she had set that interested her was the current mentality of the human sitting above.
He looked to be smiling slightly. That was largely all she needed to know.
But what did take her attention away from the cheery one smiling above her was the sudden, uncrystallised noise that rudely interrupted her stare to the raised organic. Not any chime or ting - but a buzz, a deep one, and one she quickly knew for sure was not any unique one.
A thought quickly found to be in check, because with a swift turning of their heads from both, they witnessed the event that was the barrier that previously blocked their way finally disappear from their very eyes, the obsidian meshing hurriedly shuffling as if it finally gave up on trying to deter them any longer
"Is that all? I thought we were only half done. I'm a little disappointed, honestly." He spoke with a simpering beam. Even with his words acting with more negative connotations, the smile he was presented with was bare to her; his elation did not fizzle out. A vast improvement of his mental state from the beginning, that was the undeniable truth.
Though no matter what truth there was, the fact was that the exit had been opened, so the was the absolute in them able to now continue their progress-
"At least pretend you can offer a challenge." The human above squirmed with so much unpredictable energy she felt to struggle to contain her grasp on him. His legs tapping back and forth, his soles flailing about, acting as if they had forgotten they were up in the air and not on the floor that allowed him the quick scampering towards the exit they both so needed to go through.
And speaking of soles. . .
The wide grin that the human was bearing was near instantly dropped as suddenly as his whole body; the instant a forceful shift of his weight was thrown back. Without warning, Dale's centre of gravity was shifted away from the gynoids shoulders to take a step back, leaving his thighs to dangle in the open air before his upper half would ultimately collapse; resulting in the human thrown back to hang upside down from whatever portion of his legs were still connected onto the gynoids shoulders. In turn, the human did little except stare up to the ceiling above - and though getting a new appreciation for the colours now at a much lower angle - quickly tried to figure out the reason for this situation having unfolded
"Um. . . Haydee, what are you-eeehh!" Such questions as to why this was happening were cut short the moment the human felt a dainty finger trail all the way along the length of his sole, prodding and kneading its way with unknown intent. Like little sparks of electricity, the human down below twitched every second as small shocks rifled through as the fingertip was continuously pressed into his bare skin. This was certainly not the most wanted of positions for him to be in. . . but he didn't see it as the most unpleasant sensation. . .
Tracing her finger along, Haydee was marvelled by how unblemished the skin of his underfoot was. No trace of scar or scab in sight, and the detailed examination she was using as her fingers pressed into the folds of the skin did not once detect any extended sprain or swelling from inside his foot. From this she deduced it was all the Medical Gels doing, this miracle of medicine was something she knew she had to ensure to keep safe, as well as ensuring its use is limited to only the most critical of moments.
"Hayd-Hee-Hee!"
As she flipped sides, now tracing her fingertips along his other sole, she made sure to remember to only use the most delicate of necessary touches on him. Dale had always been gentle whenever he happened to touch her, to the point she could deduce he had no idea what the term manhandling was. It seemed a strong reflection of his sweet and gentle nature; almost like he saw her as some equal.
But that was only just what it seemed, and now as she finished checking for any blotches on his flawless skin, of which there was none, she felt confident in letting him down from way up high so they could finally continue forward.
. . . Or should be way up high, a thought she gained when she turned and looked around to see the human was dangling like a fish on a hook. Was he already excited to progress onward?
Well he wouldn't get far doing it that way, or certainly not while keeping safe, so with both her hands gripped hard onto each calf respectively she whipped them forward, haul his backside right back onto her shoulder and slinging his body forward so he could get back to sitting up on herself; albeit this time with a very confused look on his disorientated body.
With a kneel of her body, Haydee crouched forward, re-entering the position she had used when she wanted him to first come on her shoulders while she delft positioned his sole to retouch the floor once again. She did not notice the sudden twitch in his legs as his feet reclaimed their stake on the cool flooring, but at the least he barely took the time to react to it when his legs were finally freed from her grasp to instantly scamper on forward.
Not trying to give her an embarrassed stare back, the human instead opted to stare blankly at the gynoid as she slowly stood back up in robotical fashion. "Well that was," he tried to give an peacefulreaction, "rather. . . interesting, to say the least-" His sentence was cut thankfully short when the gynoid ruffled his hare with genuine care, soothingly rubbing his scalp with the reflected care he had shown her.
"Er. . . no problem, Haydee." It never was, and the moment her fingers drifted away from the last remnants of his hair strands with a crane of her neck she ushered him along towards the unlocked exit.
With a smile and nod, he followed on behind her as they finally went on and left.
Though, perhaps, it may not have been so bad of an idea to stay in that room for a little while longer: it didn't even take two steps in for Haydee to think exactly that when her vision saw the hushed battleground that was presented to her in full.
Her entire structure was on high alert the moment her eyes witnessed the remains of the fallen decorating the entire flooring of the room. It was an arena of the deceased, with body parts littered the floor, and her hands had already reached down to the holster as she prepared to keep the human a step back while she took care of the danger that was found to be in front of them - both the physical menace; and perhaps the similar kind that would be suffice with tearing back down the emotional worries of the mortality minded individual.
It was perhaps the singular second after that, with luck and chance seemingly being quite lenient onto their on side, did the Haydee realize that any such danger that was present here had been as completely eradicated from what the meaning means in its entirety. This palace was no longer an arena of some kind, more like a graveyard, as no other creature, man or machine, looked to have survived until the curious pair had walked on in. All around, pieces of automation were scattered off towards any corner, broken chips and molten metal were laying haphazardly along the tiles in unceremonious fashion while Haydee quickly decided to try and deduce if any of these remaining parts were somehow related to any kind that the human kept carefully shadowed behind would become despondent over.
She found none, at least none that were recognizable enough to be labelled that, and an usher for Dale to come on forward she walked forward as she continued to study her surroundings.
"What. . . do you think had happened here, Haydee? It seems as if. . .they were all caught in some big explosion of some kind." The organic being called in nervous questioning while he tiptoed over the remains of the mechanical contraptions. To that, she could only shake her head at, unable to come up with an answer even as she noticed more of the interesting notes of this room. "I'm just glad. . . we weren't here to be witnesses for this event earlier." She could not agree with that sentiment more.
To begin with her examination; besides the piles of useless trash that cluttered up the floor she was trying to smoothly stride over, there was actually very little of large proportion to be found in this room. For a start: there was no door out. Left right and centre-facing forward, the only door that allowed access into here was the one they had come through. That was not to say this became the dead end to their journeys; the vent passage up in that top right corner did not go unnoticed by the gynoid, but it was certainly a little surprising to see an end to their repeated sightings of arcing entryways.
Now, that wasn't to sit there was little else of note in this room besides the deceased bodies and vent passage; rather, there were a few other interesting titbits that spun the cogs of her brain into thinking mode; two of them, to be exact. The first of note, one that drifted her sights up the ceiling above, were two interesting hatches that were fully opened wide - or in a much more detailed explanation, one hatch was dangling above on what appeared to be its final hinge, while the other was truly blown off all its hatches, the lid of such strewn about somewhere under the piles of wires and shards. They are noticeably high, and with no shown way to access them, if she had to make an assumption it appeared their process was to allow somethings to be dropped down. Though she had an idea for what; such a thought appeared pointless now, if what she was shown gave any indication to.
The second noteworthy sight, and the one she was currently making steps towards was a podium dead centre of the room. An interesting sight, especially when she spied something rather intruding sitting atop said column.
"They're not gonna. . . spring alive on us, are they?" To that she gave but a brief pause to recheck her surroundings, examining each and everybody with 360 degree investigation. With a relief, for him, that is, none of the bodies around was in any state to stand back and come charging towards them - not that any could, being as all no longer had a solid pair of legs still attached to their inactive shells. Which is what they were: no electricity running through them, no servos moving their appendages, nothing about them could install and speculation of danger from the gynoid. She shook her head to the human cautiously trailing right on her back, tapping her holster to remind him no danger would befall him while she could still move. The brief nod he gave back assured her that he understood, so turning back around she regained her attention onto the podium and inspected what laid upon.
She knew what these were even before Dale could sidestep over and take a good look himself: their shape, size, colouring - even the distinctive lack of a flashing LED light already told her enough what this entire thing was:
"It's those floating mines!" Indeed, the perfect name to call such a set of inactive detonators. Four of them, to be exact, all of which appeared more than ready to be gathered and utilized for an important, or otherwise necessary, process. Sitting upon the dais, looking to be the only thing unscathed from whatever had come about it here, it was clear she needed to take these - perhaps not for a purpose here, but that one would arise, likely sooner than later. And readying her backpack Haydee made a reach forward for them-
"Does this seem odd to you, in any way?" Haydee's grabby arm paused mid-grasp as she looked up to the human, as he looked back with a mildly distressed expression about himself. "Like; how this stump is dead centre in this room, holding something for us to just walk up and take while the remains of. . . machines are around every side? Doesn't this seem a bit. . . I don't know; suspicious. . . to you, in any way?" The hand that was once so ready to make a dash forward and steal the content above the podium now slowly retracted back to tap a few times upon her chin.
It did seem a little too easy; the mines, centred around obliterated remains. Very similar to the trails they both experienced not too long ago, in fact. Yet unlike before, said hazards were seemingly non-existent to them, not so much as an active explosive in sight. Could it really be that easy?
Perhaps. . . not. Her hand not over her holster, fingers around the grip, Haydee motioned she was ready to make any move. "I'm. . . not even sure we should take these, Haydee, but if you think we need to I won't object in any way." She didn't mind if he did object really, as in the least, his cause for alarm would be a helpful insight to an unseen danger, but she couldn't agree with them leaving these here. It was obvious they were meant to be taken, to be used, like everything else they have collected thus far, so why shouldn't she take it? His assessment was not wrong, though, as there were no trials involved in eventually collecting them, but she knew to stay focused, ready, and prepared for whatever may commence.
She moved to grasp for them - a repeat of before: except this time involving her hand ready to unleash a maelstrom of bullets if needed; along with Dale not scurrying beside as if he instinctively knew the safest place was by her. Her hand teetered forward, the fingers opening for a clutch as the tips were just about ready to touch onto the set of mines - and then they struck; quickly grabbing the set with her hand as they remained still without discourse. A bead of sweat dripped down the humans brow between the moment her fingers grasped the sides - and when they pulled the mines up, ripping them off the podium as both tensed up, ready to meet whatever may come forth.
. . . Yet nothing did. Nothing moved. Nothing changed. Nothing made a noise. Not even the podium they were placed upon did a thing. With her minds having focused on something in particular, the gynoid swerved her head up to stare at the nearest hatch above, looking into the passage as she saw nothing but shadows. Not even so much as a rumble was echoing within the confines of the unattainable passage above them.
Perhaps. . . yes?
"What are you staring at Haydee?" Her unflinching focus on the high up enigmatic tunnel was brought away only when the human spoke up. "Do you think there's something up there?" She gave just one more glance, one final observation as if to try and glimpse into what may be lying behind, lurking in the dull shadows above. . . before it dawned on her that truly nothing may come. Shaking her head to sign off both her thoughts over current matters, the gynoid smoothly placed away her explosives carefully inside her bag before she urged him away, over towards the chest-height vent that was further away from the decimated automations. . . and those ceiling ducts as well.
Despite this being the only seen way out, it was quite clear to the pair the moment they were close enough to inspect the venting it was not going to be a simple way in. Locked up shut and tightly kept, the grate that separated the pair from the tunnels within was neither rusted nor in any disrepair. A seemingly positive look, if not for this fact meaning an easy barge through would not bear ripe fruit. Even a kick from the gynoid, usually a pretty practical and instrumental process for similar situations such as these, would be readily ineffective against the tough, undented metal of this tiny blockade.
". . . maybe we could find a screwdriver to open them up?" The optimistic outlook sprung forth by the person giving closer inspection to the blockage. With investigative touches, the organically-created one traced his fingers along the edges of the vent's rim, as if to find a sweet spot for the ventilator. "If we could; we might be able to pry off this cover from its hinges." Not a bad idea. . . but not the kind Haydee was having in mind.
"Now; where would be the best place for us to find a screw-"
Crunch! Went the vent covering the moment a large and powerful boot slammed forward and kicked in the cover alongside the accompanying sound of a blue flame ejecting out for it's rush of speed.
Trailing the length of the leg up, Dale locked onto the sight of the Haydee model, as she slowly retracted back her boot to its original place underneath her torso like nothing at all had just happened.
"I guess. . . that way works too." She nodded to his statement, innately her experiment was found to relay a positive response. It was undeniably tricky to have pulled off, so she knew this use would be rather limited to certain situations, but nonetheless her hypothesis was made and her investigation over the matter was indeed a correct assumption.
"Well: I suppose it would mean we can leave now." Correct, for the human this time. With a reach in from the gynoid, she quickly pulled out and promptly dropped the crumpled up mess that was the cover down, now its unceremonious throw meant there was now no longer anything getting in their way of progression. Little can be seen, and for that, Haydee pointed to herself to tell him she was to lead in, and with no objection coming from the human's speaking orifice, Haydee began pulling herself into the vent, with the human scampering on behind, feeling glad to be finally rid of this graveyard for the machinery.
Though maybe a little less glad when he realized what crawling behind her would evidently develop into. Though the tunnel was dark, the stretch of venting rather long, albeit straight on forward after the short right angle turn, it was still far from lightless enough for him to not see the pair of plump assets but a mere foot or so away from his face as he crawled on all fours behind.
Impossible to miss, and more so to not get distracted by the bouncing bubbles swaying back and forth, the human that was unintentionally creeping up behind the machine forced his eyes to look away, to the floor, sides, anything else but the unfortunately mesmerizing duo that was situated too close to his face for comfort. He knew to stay close, but he began to wonder if keeping a little back would do him some good, for in the very least, he didn't see it right for his face to be edging so near to the female's-
Slap was the noise that echoed around the tight passageway the moment, what Dale was lurched into finding out in an uncomfortable fashion, the gynoid had stopped her time of crawling as to give pause inside the venting. Eyes bulging wide the moment he realized what it was his face had been suddenly planted onto, the human tumbled a good few steps back with jerked motion before his cheeks began to grow a warmer shade of rose - right before the gynoid looked right behind to him to, no doubt, reprimand him for that unforgivable action he had done to her-
Or to tell him be silent, as motioned by her finger placed over where her mouth would be, before turning back away as if not realizing the disgraceful act the human was responsible for having done, or even trying to ask why the human looked like so superficially shamed for an activity he was quickly regretting not paying the needed attention for avoiding such a travesty to happen.
"You. . . ah. . . you hear something, Haydee?" He quickly managed to fumble together so as not to continue reminding, him more than her, about what had just happened through accidental means. To that, Haydee pointed away to the end of the vent. Though little could be seen between the thin lines of the vent's cover, it didn't stop what appeared to be suspicious noise coming through, or at least to what Haydee had apparently heard. Her point moved over, this time to her holster as Dale quickly understood the gynoid was now in a cautious mode. With a duplicate signal of his finger covering his lips to state his own intentions, Haydee in return turned back away to continue her crawl - this time in a deliberately slower manner.
Dale followed on behind; albeit ensuring to keep just a few extra seconds away this time. At least a few, no more, and certainly, definitely not any less.
From outside the venting, the miniscule sounds of crawling that could have once been heard if ears were pertained to focus that way, noises of bodies shifting through the enclosed metal passage, were suddenly halted into a dead silence. A break in any bedlam, a halt to any hubbub, it was if the world became completely mute, if only for just a singular moment longer, before-
A crash of force blasted out from inside the venting - sending the cover flying off as its clash broke the deathly silence, and leaving behind the quickest of sights of a boot quickly reeling its white sheen back inside the shadows of the vent. That is, just a second before the full frame of such a limb debauched out from the venting - not with a jump; but a roll forward, a stomp of her feet and whip out of her pistol just as suddenly as she appeared; and the gynoid was back onto her two feet. Left to right she looked, her firearm aimed, her body tense, while memory of servo's clicking with hidden purpose from beyond the vent was fresh in her mind. But what the cause to them were, as she quickly found, where not laid in plain sight to herself, allowing her the pleasure to cool down, at least for the singular moment, and to stride on forward, her swaying hips giving room for one other to follow on through.
"So do you see anything Hay-OOF!" The sentence was formed and promptly cut curt when a single slip forward meant a face kissed the tiles below. Straightening himself out, with rough force, the human proceeded to unnaturally pull himself out the vent to lay upon the floor a second longer before he quickly pushed himself to his feet just a moment before Haydee's vision spun around to lock sight with the organically inclined one.
Who only looked away right after. "Eh. . . what's up then, Haydee?" He blurted out, laid-back demeanour lying against the lightly embarrassed motion he temporally felt to be in. A tilt of the head on her side, swaying out as if to notion to look out, and the gynoid searched around herself to share a study around.
The true size of the room was hard to pin down, as much like their room before where the first sightings of mines were first seen, this place too had those meshed gratings sprouting out the walls and forming, of what she would assume, a maze for them to traverse around. From their left of their debouch out was a dead end, while their right - all the way to the end of the corner - was their route onward. However; it was forward that gave the gynoid cause for concern: while the way was blocked thankfully off by a long stretch of meshed walls, it was the fact these were the very kind the disallowed clear sight what made her give pause. The beyond could not be seen, be registered for her to determine the danger they possess; but her hearing did not lie, and she would be foolish to pretend that noise didn't sound familiar in ways that tensed her inorganic muscles.
Her weapon was still drawn, for the time being she refused to ever change that notion until she found reason to, and with her sights set on the way right, their only way forward, she called the human to follow on behind, keeping close to her, before her process of marching forward to the unknown was to be made real.
With a raised hand, she told him to halt while she kept close to the corner, or perhaps at least to not go forward, the second idea quickly being denoted as understandable when his head popped around the same corner to see the less than jubilant sight he had much rather preferred not to see:
Machines! Metallic foes he was despondent to be all too familiar with.
Two of them to be exact, the quick, bladed kind like ones before, were seen at the farther end of this compact hallway. Though there was thankfulness in seeing that the one closest to their side had its back turned to them, it did not elevate the fact that these were the fast, deadly kind he feared could do Haydee in with one thrust. At the distance they were, no doubt it would not take long for them to catch up to the pair even if they struck first - something the gynoid was already well aware of.
She looked down at the pistol still held in her hand, though drawn, she did not feel as pumped up with enthusiasm in the idea of blasting their heads apart with a hail of bullets as she usually would when she knew just how less easy it would be. Despite their stretch in placement, she feared that even with a few good shots taken in; in the pair not too far would eagerly catch up to them, and even if they ran back with their corner blocked she would have no choice but to even sprint away and take chance with gaining a little distance, or stop and make a stand.
"I'd joke it is a shame we can't distract them somehow; but with these narrow lanes the only place we could distract them to is right in front of us." The human's admittedly silly-minded thought was meant for little more then an obvious truth spoken with the likelihood of an alleviating chide for this situation, the reminder of a distraction did not breeze past her mind. With eager movements, Haydee reached in to rummage inside her backpack with paced action before pulling out something that was in trun a fresh item for their strapped-up container.
"You're going to use those floating mines - Oh, kinda like last time?" Very much right, a hail of bullets would take a matter of seconds to pull off, but a single explosion would take barely a moment - and with the added bonus of taking them both out, if the area of detonation was big enough. Though she wasn't entirely sure how best these would work, if they weren't dissimilar to the landmines like before, no doubt such questions have already sorted themselves. Readying them in her hand, she gave a short case study over them before she looked over to the still ignorant pair to best contemplate her subsequent actions
"Right, get them to come in close so they can off themselves far away from us." He looked from the gynoid to the mine in her hand, where but a second later, mixed in with a quick look to his surroundings right after, did the moment of elation become replaced with disquiet.
Within that span of time, the gynoid had already found the activation point on the mine, within her hand her finger slid over the hidden button in anticipation for what was to come, and her focus now fully aimed over to the two ignorant machines as she prepared herself for their inevitable demise.
"Wait!" The loud yet purposefully hushed exclamation from the human paused her reach of detonation awakening as she carefully looked back to see what problem there was that made her give pause. "I don't want you to feel like I can reprimand you in any way; but is it the best idea to have the mines so close to this corner? It wouldn't give us much room in letting them know we're here without being co close to the floating mine."
"But. . . we can't just simply let them know we're here after we let the mine go, cause they might just walk right past it before it gets ready, if it's anything like the landmines from before." A brief moment of pause was made between his dialogue of figurative answers, broken only by a curt huff as he continued to think them over. "And neither can we get in close, cause they might see us if we show ourselves, even if we move quietly. But then. . . what kind of fourth option can we undertake. Could we mix in using the mine and shooting at them, would that suffice with-" A sudden touch on his body, a finger, having silently worm itself over to him to lay down a gentle fingertip atop his nose. With his attention caught, the gynoid waved that singular finger around in the air before it's butterfly float landed on her head, tapping the side a few times; as if she were telling him a plan was already being formed.
His somewhat stammered sentences did not continue further, as if her minute motions zipped his mouth on close for the moment. Short it may be, it was long enough for him to hold no objections as the Haydee refocused her attention onto the hovering device in her hands, holding it out in her outstretched palm before she arced a finger over and around to then-
With the tiniest of clicks he has ever heard, the human was only able to watch on in awe as not even the second later did his eyes see the sight of the mine slowly begin to silently ascend up to the heavens. Like a balloon, a word he strangely felt a little familiarity in recalling, the squared device floated away from their presence upwards towards the ceiling with a tiny amber glow emanating from atop it's frame, the light becoming slowly dimmed as it passed so far above them it was almost out of their reach:
And with a gentle flick of her wrist, the gynoids fingers pushed against the explosive dirigible to softly force it away, down the corridor with an innocuous silence - and over towards the devilish machines so she wished to be made into scrap in hopefully short seconds. With the final of its bobs dying down the amber glow it once held swiftly morphed into that ruinous red, stopping just short of the oblivious pair.
"Wow, that's. . . that's incredible Haydee. You've easily figured it out that quickly?" But of course! They were meant to float, so it would stand to reason they should do so when activated. And speaking of stand to reason, they were mines, so it would make sense they would also have a repeated delay on them.
"But. . . the mine stopped short of them. To how-" Now was the moment that a different person's mindset came to light, expressed unambiguously by the holding up of one firearm in his vision. Waving it aloft, it's curt trembles was cancelled when her hand tightly wrapped back around the grip, and away from his face as she readied herself for the next step to be undertaken.
Her grip tensed and tight, with a spin of her left heel the gynoid swung her body around into the line of sight of the corridor in full, not a trace of herself left concealed by the graciousness of a corner, and with her weapon primed she aimed straight out towards the machines; who were still oblivious to their presence. That was fine, perfect even, as it was not that alone she garnered importance to, but instead it was the aim of her pistol, her finger tightly wound around the trigger in preparation for what was to come, and then-
She pulled.
The bullet fired, zooming forward as it whizzed right past the underside of the, not even so much as waving hello to the mine before it made a dart to where it's original distance was meant - that is to say; into the back of the Slasher's head!
And for just a second, the world for them stayed still and silent. Breathless, unchanging, ardorless, the world the two only knew within the span of less than a day for the shortest of moments stood perfectly frozen.
And reality came reeling back in the moment they slow motioned spin of a robotic head peeled around to stare at the gynoid with its crimson-tinted lens. The deed has been done, and the end result of the two now noticing her presence was painted with truth as the moment the dented-headed automation spied its cyclopean eye onto the unashamed gynoid, it - and its - companion sprung forward - charging, marching on forward towards their adversary with intent of purest bitter reasoning.
Yet even with the threat of sharpened blades jabbing through her torso, Haydee did nought but stand her ground, her vision not even now aimed towards the pair of malicious machines; instead, its focus pertained towards that little bubbles of explosives that hovered above, one who's minuscule shadow now was falling on the bodies of those two marching robots right below -
The explosion that followed did not rock the gynoid to her core, nor even shock the human who was sneakily leaning out from the corner, but for those two Slashers coming forward to kill without mercy; any sense they could even gain regarding what just followed could never happen, as almost immediately the pair trapped in the sudden explosive obliterated their existence into little more than burnt scrap.
It was over in an instant. The pieces that were left now laid around, crumbled to the floor, or even stuck into the meshing of the wall, now but a reminder of the danger that was readily dealt with by the conscious machine. It was a big explosion, Haydee constructed as she studied the detonation in her head. Larger than the standard landmine she had utilized prior, and with its explosion now a full sphere she had to be wary of its radius of damage if she was meant to continue using these munitions for moments later.
But moments later they can only come if they don't stop now, and with the way now safe, the gynoid urged the human to come and follow behind as they progressed onward, with the human in question doing so without hesitation. Not even a remark was spoken by him, only the comment of amazement aimed towards the gynoid's readily handled deed of operation.
Stepping over the freshly-created remains without so much as a remorseful second-glance, Haydee gave careful peers around the corner both at the end of this aisle, and the one that came right after, a stretch along the stone wall before it veered into the middle section of this room. Still on guard, her pistol never once holstered, the gynoid scanned the Delphic areas from beyond the meshed grating while she slowly kept herself on guard when she noticed the way forward was a T-Intersection. Backing into one wall, and keeping the human nearby doing the same in copied safety, the gynoid side-stepped along the meshing with her pistol raised as she carefully studied what could be seen in the hallway beyond: No hazard. Her firearm still tense in her grip, the Haydee prepared herself for the imminent moment that was to come as with a spring forward and turn of her heels; she turned around the corner to face with-
A machine!
One that hadn't noticed her presence, however, as its back was facing them. Not just that alone, but said wall was of a clay and mortar kind, and one that didn't exactly lead off to a route around the corner like before; as that subject was handled in a way going right before the standing of inert automation. From behind, Haydee also noted a turn of the corridor, albeit one that went only into a dead end.
It looked safe, it even looked like an easy and obvious way to go for her. . . just as obvious that it seemed way too easily handled for them. It would surely not be that simple. She shouldn't think that would ever be the case: especially when she knows there was something lurking down the dead end. To what in full she could only make assumptions for - the way still shrouded in thick meshing - but she knew that there was something purposefully staying silent and still, ready to move when the time arises.
The problem there in: what will be the time it will arise? Little else seemed to lay inside, so why the dead end, if perhaps only to tilt her stable course. . . or a trap set for her.
Though she knew if her assumptions were wrong it would result in a waste of her limited mines, she saw the risks outweighing the dispute clear fold, so as she urged the human to stand back so slowly reached back around to pull of note not one, but two of those explosives out from her backpack.
Though he was far from a man interested in violence, Dale was no slouch when it came to understanding overcoming dangers via the path of aggression. A preference was always afoot for choosing a less-hazardous path, but he was not going to pretend the use of assault was never always only last resort. He knew by the time he noticed the machine facing away, that Haydee had already planned both its demise, and the structure she was going to complete in doing so, as he watched with unvexed eyes the gynoid gently throw out that mine, letting it drift forward before coming to a halt just a moment before its LED lit up the dangerous red. No doubt, an impasse was formed for the ignorant machine the distance away.
Yet what did surprise him, the human's brain only thinking up so much, was when she did the same but in the other direction. Even he knew that way was a dead end, so with the mine drifting on to said dead end the human racked his mind to wonder to what purpose she was having on her mind. There was a purpose, that he had to assume, but to how it would benefit them he was having difficulty in figuring out.
The only conclusion he could come up with was there was something purposefully hidden from his view, from both their sight, while Haydee was trying to ensure its danger was met with fierce resistance.
But the time he had spent on looking the other way was not giving its own special moment for - the Haydee did not rest with the setting up of her actions, as the moment after watching the second mine pause its floaty flight and turn on, the gynoid readied herself for the upcoming moment and she wasted not a breath of time in pushing it back:
The second the bullet whizzed out the barrel and shot forward towards its intended target it brought the human out of his unintended daze to promptly spin over and look to see the Haydee holding out her newly smoking gun, only the lightest raft of vapor trailing on out as she gave no motive in firing again even when the body of a Walker was marching forward to greet her with its hammer-hand; if only a device of hers weren't there already to greet its presence instead.
Even though tougher than its bladed counterpart; it too could not stand up to the might of the floating explosive - within the moment its body marched into the mines field of view, its existence was quickly snuffed out by the blast of heat and pressure, tearing through and ripping its body to shreds without discourse, annihilating its presence in this world for eternity.
"HAYDEE! BEHIND YOU!" The worried call of the other snapped her focus away from the front and to the position of stated direction; just in time to watch a Slasher come pouncing forward from the dead end - and just in time to watch the mines blow apart right in its face!
With a spin of her pistol, Haydee holstered her firearm away, no longer feeling a need to look back as she instead looked and ushered for her companion to follow on now; of which he did so en suite.
Turning the corner on their path, and turning away from the newly indistinguishable remains of the subservient corpse, Haydee's observational prominence did not go down from high alert with every passing of her steps. Even the corner around in a styled U-Turn was met with and raise of her pistol, only after did she know the way was safe as it lead to a way on her left, back into another U-turn around this time against the stone wall - and to another awaiting enemy discerned through the shrouds of the meshing.
Unfortunately, said machine was standing too close to the exit for it to be easy: with the spacing as enclosed as it were trying to attack from a distance was impossible, and even if she shot before it noticed her presence, it would immediately leap to her. Alongside her identifying as the faster type of the two, any chance she would have in running to a safer distance would be rendered moot.
The only possible outcome she knew would suffice was via the floating mines, but to what end, with all that she knew of the situation and the possible outcomes, there was only one plan she quickly thought of that would work best, even with its risks.
She urged him to stand back, earning a "You see something, Haydee?" in return, along with the obedient step back as to make room for her. With a nod of her head as comment, Haydee pulled out the fourth and final Floating Mine from her bag before a second earning of inquiry was made by the thinking man.
"Oh you have a plan?" She nodded again, only to this time flick her fingers out again to tell him to keep back, even more than before. That remark gave a rise of concern from the submissively-inclined one, a feeling over botheration to how her unspoken plan was going to unfold - of which, Dale had no time to ask either, as Haydee had already initiated her approach.
A push of her hands, and the mine drifted away, forward, and not just down this particularly short hallway in this maze, but at an angle, aiming directly towards the small entrance out where it floated on through the veil, and to Dale's surprise, bounce off the mesh wall before leaving the human's visible sight. Then nothing.
That is; for only a second or two longer, as with a jolt his whole body tensed up the moment a sudden explosion rang at a not too distant distance. From his position little of what happened could be seen, but the burst of sound of flame did not make it impossible for him to figure out what it was that just happened.
Not that he was going to have much time to figure it out either, as just seconds on after the ring of detonation Haydee, and subsequently the human trailing behind via some leash, moved forward and along where they were quickly met with the sight of any quickly obliterated corpse of the mechanical kind.
"Incredible, as always, Haydee." The human's compliment was returned with only a simple nod, the gynoid feeling contempt from her actions, albeit even if she hadn't predicted the complete set to go the way she expected. Still, this could not diminish the feelings of esteem the human was holding for the machine, admiring her intelligence and bravery with self-describable adequate sensation, although admittedly with disparaging comparability.
Moving on forward, without the knowledge of an organic one continuing to revere her presence, Haydee felt a little elation upon seeing not only a door finally be found by her sight, but also one that was not hindered by any obstacle or barrier. What problems that existed in this room were readily handled with, she saw, had already been swiftly dealt with, and the only thing left for them to do was reach for the door and-
"Hey Haydee?" She gave pause before a turn of her neck. "Do you need those at all?" He pointed off to the side, their left, and with a subsequent spin of her neck to the other way she found, huddled up silent in the corner, were a few more of those mines she had just moments before completely drained from her backpack. Three of them, to be exact, held atop a small rectangular podium, and three that were quickly taken and placed into the realms of her bag. With these now gathered, she made sure to give a turn and nod of thanks to the human as acknowledgment of his deed before turning back away to the exit she was going to exit through
"Glad I could help." Indeed, she thought to his reply, their placement was met with genuine curiosity and belief that whatever they were about to witness upon the meeting of the next room, it surely would come alongside the refashioned usage of these Floating Mines, right?
And as it turned out: not really, no.
Sure there was distance in this room, but such thoughts over that being a necessary tangent when utilizing explosives were quickly shown to be futile; as it was abundantly clear that such usage of hovering munition were not meant to be found in here.
From afar was the entry out, not a true door so much as an open vent, but no doubt one that should likely lead them towards an exit; hopefully unlocked. But the key note that could not be overlooked for their current situation was the means of how to get there; as most of the floor appeared to be non-existent. Another room that stood over an endless - of sorts - pit with only a stated number of placement that were free from a dire drop. Though there was thankfully no other hazards found adhering in this room, this did not diminish how suicidal an act it will be to take it all so lightly.
Between the corner her balcony was on, and the one leading opposite to where the entryway onward was, there was a series of other balcony tapped to the walls, not only patterned to keep to the walls left and right, but switching sides after another in some numbers pattern, spaced accordingly apart so that the nearest balcony would in fact turn out to be on the opposite side of this rectangle of a room; with the closest one to their one balcony of entrance being on the opposite siding as well.
Four balconies between the two entries; five solid jumps across with her footwear. And five easy bounds for the pair to make to get on going. With the returned usage of her Boosting Boots, her prowess for leaping would be more than sufficient in getting them over to the other side without a hitch.
". . . I think I can make the jump." Haydee looked over and stared at him in obviously silent disbelief. "I mean. . . I don't think it's that far. I've got enough space for a good running-start, see; if I take just a few steps, I-" His words were stopped short the moment a hand was brought forth to perform a barrier against his attempt. The shaking of her head right signalled she had no intention in letting him perform his own task like so, and with a straightening of his back the human correctly asked: "Oh, you have an idea in mind?"
Her head nodded this time, as indeed; a better solution had already formed in her mind. Moving in front, the gynoid made some space as she promptly turned on her heels, arced forward her back, and knelt down to her knees as her hands ushered him over to-
On no-
"C-C-Come now, let's-let's not jump to conclusions. We-We shouldn't rush to doing THAT action, should we. How about we. . . stay here for a few minutes longer, sit down, and give a good, long, hard contemplation over what over choices may be present. Doesn't that sound a lot better - I mean I know which one I would choose - and I'm not saying you should choose it, I just mean. . . why the rush? Why rush through. We're not any time limit, are we, it's not as if we can't give a moment at least to pause and. . . think through. . . what other choices. . . you don't see befitting for choosing. . . " Her face did not show emotion, but the blank slate of a look she was giving him told him more than what her head was planning. Her decision had been made, and he shouldn't be having any beliefs his own ideas could supersede hers.
". . . If that is what you consider the best way for us; then I'll comply." She nodded, turning away to face forward with a concentrated gaze to allow him time to get upon. Time. . . that took longer than she may have expected.
He still paraded on forward, that she could hear from the sounds of slow feet slapping against the floor, leading her to wonder if this human held some resentment in being carried around, but only for a moment longer as two legs slowly fitted themselves in place by her sides, followed up by a reach over of two hands wrapping around her front. A reminiscent sight, but such a perception was forced to changed as with a swing of her own arms swerving around to grip him tightly, the gynoid began to slowly rise to her feet.
While the induction for doing so was not met with complications from the machine, it was the human, the one whose body was starting to slump down as gravity took its toll against her rise, that was not feeling complacent over what was going to happen. Same as the time before - with her arms keeping him up, his thighs steadily against her side - with the way he was positioned his private area was currently pressing against her. . .
This time, at least, he wasn't going to just let it happen without some attempt at a solution: Oh no, this time he was ready; this time, he had an idea that may very well help. His arms and legs still tightly wrapped around her, he used that as leverage as he began to make a rise of his very own: a tilt up, a pull of his own body forward and the sacred area he refused to give heart acknowledgement towards regarding this situation slowly slid up, away from her backside, where it lay not touching any private parts of her own, but only the sheen of her metallic back.
It wasn't. . . particularly comfortable having to force his body to clamp down on her in such a way, but the fact his thankfully clothed over underside was no longer being pressed against any bare skin of Haydee's own gave him more than enough encouragement to keep himself steady while he stayed fastened to her stern.
So now all seemed weLL-
Without warning the gynoid made her move, sprinting forward for the remainder of the paces she could before her legs tucked inward to unleash a spring of her body up; and over towards the destination the silent chauffeur had in mind: the next balcony.
Though taken a little aback, this did little to unclench the humans' restraints on the machine before him. His arms did not falter their grip, his thighs did not let go of her sides, and his front kept itself steady as it pressed into the gynoids back; as even with the run and jump forcing his body to wiggle around, it did not make him drop down. It did not, not even once, a fact the man felt proud of even when Haydee's body was beginning to descend downwards. . .
And like a flump of marshmallows the moment Haydee unleashed her burst of Boost the once firmly attached and secure human slumped downwards like into the proverbial bag that contained that clump of pillowy confectionary: forcing his grip to falter, his body to limp down; and when the gynoids feet stomped down onto her destination in mind, all thoughts of pride immediately disintegrated and vanished like dust in the wind the moment he realized what that familiar sensation on his lap now was.
. . . A sigh of defeat was breathed into the female's neck as the man felt to truly give up on any hope in not looking to be taking advantage of the other. Was this really meant to happen? Was he truly destined to continue being placed in these lecherous moments, like some concupiscent construct that's purpose was only to feel this awkward shame of carnal action against the uninformed individual? Was that his new life now, he thought as his eyes wandered down to better meet the area that caused him such internal grief and pique, seeing the lower section of his body that was now dangling against her backside, and down to the floor, which he was beginning to see slowly. . . slowly. . .
"H. . . HAYDEE!" Her head snapped around the moment he called her name.
"The floor is collapsing!" She looked down in an instant, took her vision to her feet and sides; and now noticed herself the platform stuck by the wall was now starting to give and descend to the abyss below.
They needed to move. Now.
Snapping her legs to attention, the gynoid already knew her next path in mind, and twisting them away and to the left the gynoid did not give even a second of wait before she sprinted on forward and jumped. Not a moment too late - a blast of her boots to gain momentum and height and the gynoid made just enough time to land down to the second platform with clicks of her soles.
She did not have time to celebrate however, as with a call of "Haydee! This one is descending as well!" the machine was already making her next move. Spinning to the next platform in mind she made but a moment's hesitation of ensuring the human was still held tight before her legs made leeway and she ran forward, leaping right at the end mere moments before the current platform's collapse as the impeded jumped again, landing hard onto the smooth surface of the next space.
Smooth was not a word Dale would have to use for his own current predicament. Even with his fasten as tight as it was, he felt every bump, every rocket forward and up, and every heavy-footed landing she was making as he knew he could do little but cling onto for dear life. He refused to let go; not even thinking of how his body was positioned now, all he could do was hold on tight and watch the floor below give way before the gynoid made her turn and dive out, heading to where he was unable to see.
With the next burst of flames propelling the driver and passenger to the next section of this unsecure footing, slamming hard when her boots hit the surface as Dale tried to ignore the less than pleasant ride he was being taken on. He refused to complain or comment, only re-doubling his efforts to make sure his arms were wrapped up nice and tight around her frame and steeling himself for what was to come; as near-immediately, Haydee made a move towards the next, and unknown to him, final section of this precarious canyon with a skip, hop, and-
Another hop? The next section was a little farther than the other-
His question did not get to be gratefully finished; as all the momentum the gynoid had been charging up came down like a ton of bricks on a weak surface - her boots smashing with great sundering force onto the platform, the shock vibrating throughout his tinier frame, convulsing his body and forcing his front to slam into her back, shifting a surge of pain through him and forcing his body to rock back and -
His grip had loosened; his frame was tilting away.
"HAY-!"
A hand, fit only for the purest of goddesses, sprung around in perfect timing as the fingers of the saviour dug into the hem of his shirt and kept him from falling back anymore. Though she had no face to speak of, the human felt only eternal gratitude for her actions as he in turn reached forward and made a reach for-
"This floor is dropping as well!" Instantly her head spun away to down, where indeed it was found not even here was safe for them. No way back, and only one way forward, the gynoid that was Haydee refused to waste even a second of time before making an action; spinning her heels, she delivered a blast of a kick into the frame of the vent cover, crumpling it in one strike and sending it hurtling into the passage before she made a command to the human with a point of her finger.
"On it!" His legs let go, just before her own grip was loosened in time for his feet to stomp back to solid ground. Not that he gave time to relish this feeling on his feet; they did not give a juncture to rest at all - his feet making immediate scampering to the vent even as it was now past chest height. That did not at all make him hesitate; his legs jumping up and into the passage with almost a dive, scurrying forward in the tight duct while his adrenaline refused to keep him heeled.
It was good his body was in an alert state of excitement; as he didn't even jump when two hands pushed at his feet as if trying to squeeze him in any further. Not that it could have; his frame now safe from the dropping into the unknown darkness. Only his; as it was then he quickly found to remember the one still left behind - the one still being stood upon the footing that he knew wasn't lacking any apprehension to finish its collapse - the one he noticed barely had any head left to see as she looked to already be falling.
He called out her name the moment the realization came to him as soon as her forehead disappeared beyond his horizon, below the vent cover, and almost began to scurry back - his hand shooting out in some vain, instinctual attempt to reach for her, fruitless it may be as he was too far to even reach out the vent. He refused to give up for it though, and before he could force himself back for the attempt of a selfless grab; a hand of mechanical design suddenly burst up to pierce the rooming of the vent, unwittingly restarting the shocked heart of the scared individual, before the rest of her quickly scampered on in as else, in turn silently forcing the human to make but a few more steps back - before he collapsed himself, not so different from the very platforms that caused his premature heart attack.
"I thought my chest was about to burst open." The panting human admitted as he let himself lay helplessly inside this enclosed cocoon of a space, not even caring for how he looked to the mechanoid since all moments from minutes prior seemed little more than trivial memories as he let his body die on down. Such a claim was not lost on the mechanoid in question, however, as such a purposeful sequence of words strung with such an allegation immediately turned her attention to him to quickly scan his torso with feverish concern.
Heartbeat; higher than normal, but slowly retracting.
Body temperature: same as above.
Any dangerous symptoms seen or showing possible rise of: none.
She was almost about to reach out and pull away his shirt to feel against his bare chest: if not for the realization incoming that such a claim was likely more based on metaphorical values that genuine literal terms. Indeed; what they had experienced was undoubtedly a terrifying occurrence for any human. There was no shame in one's body becoming as clammy and sweaty as his own was right now; the humans personal fight or flight response would have ensured this to come true - and there could only have been one option to have chosen.
He was fine, a little shaken up, but nothing serious or lasting, and so tapping at his side, she turned his attention away from her and to the front, urging him to move forward to not let their progression cease. Despite his high still not fully come down, he did not object to this ask, and rising to his feet - or really; what can be considered a restricted variation of - the human led them on forward, down and around the vent towards the end where the both quickly exited on out.
Though his state was never in any immediate or lasting danger, she still felt thankful that the room that was to be their next step out did not appear to contain any pitfalls or over such hazards at all. Certainly a valid claim to make, and one that was anything but proven wrong as the Haydee made sure to check the way forward first; sternly giving the room a solid search as she checked around the corner since this room veered off to their right. It was grand that this room was neither complex nor big; spacious, but compact enough to let her bring her guard down enough and better evaluate the situation at hand
The door veered off on the right at the end, which should have given her a sensation of reasonable joy if not for it being blatantly obvious it cannot just be walked on through. Facing the left side, the West way, were what appeared to be nought but a heavy series of pipes and conduits going around, likely some area meant for maintenance or some other sort, while the right of her side was what eagerly earned her main attention: Starting all the way back nearby their freshly exited vent, crawling along the wall like some creeping vine was a sequence of climbable gratings going around and past the bend before they finally ended on a small balcony all the way up top. So high up, she had difficulty making out if there was anything of value up top; yet at the same time, it seemed obvious this entire setup was anything but a casual flare. Albeit; one that no matter how frivolous or may or may not be, it meant little to herself purely with her inabilities regarding the act of climbing.
As such, this among all senses of quintessential conceptions led up the result of such an action needing to be completed, not by herself, but instead from the other-
"I got what I have to do. I'll do it, if it is necessary for you."
. . . She nodded. Not a hint of the raised anxiety present in his body from the room prior had come forth alongside his sudden statement, having said so the moment she turned to face him. As it were, Dale had already registered the main factors of this room, seeing and understanding the important conduct that was left for him to comply and complete. As such, there was no reason to hold him. With an usher; she left him to his devices as there was nothing left for her to aid.
With him already on the move, the human waltzing onward to the beginning of the snaking trails along the wall, the Haydee began to take steps of her own. No dangers present for her to worry about, she let him be for the moment; while she instead did some exploring in this pipe-occupied room. It was clear to her that there appeared to be some leading inward from the messy section of cylinders that opposed the side of the climbing grates, a small section, that may reasonably appear to be just vacant room for some maintenance worker, may be hiding something of value to her. . . if not outright danger, trying to hide amongst the shadows.
A quick check back to ensure he was not heralding any difficulties, the answer easily shown as he casually began to take steps onto the metal meshing, Haydee took her turn and began her march forward, hand by the holster on the ready. The corner of the conduits coming right to her, the gynoid made a grab of the grip, not whipping it out but instead keeping it ready by her side in the off chance she would need to utilize it. Though perhaps leaning towards the unlikely spectrum, she did not dare let her guard down; especially while she reaching towards the corner, sneaking her way around and ready her person: to them turn the corner in a flash to quickly find-
Nothing at all.
As she expected, or rather, preferred, this inlet did not bring forth any ambushes for them to notice a moment too late. Instead, all that seemed to be present here, besides the entourage of green pipes alongside more green pipes, was nothing of deep importance to their attempts at traversal; that is, if a Digital Entry atop a crate could not be considered such a one.
. . . Well, technically not. None of the devices so far had given her much information regarding their progressions and what was to be learnt. Though. . . that didn't mean there was no harm in reading. Dale was still making his careful trail along those grates, leaving him with little more to do than wait. As such, there was no logical problem for her if she picked up and began to read what was upon; a truth immediately found happening as the Haydee already had picked up the Digital Entry and started her read through:
Journal entry, 6-1-2186.
Words cannot express how in awe I am. Hadie is amazing! I sat down and played chess with her, explained the mechanics, and just let her go.
She beat me! What an imp! First she took one of my Pawns. Normal. Next casualty was one of my Bishops. I took one of her Knights she left open, but she repaid me, and took the Rook I was trying to use to catch her Castle. The battle continued, and she took my last Knight, I took her last Bishop, but she finally took my Queen, and it was Checkmate. I haven't had that much fun in years! I was so excited, I hugged her. And, of all things, she hugged me back! I don't remember the last time I was hugged by someone. It felt nice.
Journal entry, 6-20-2186.
I've been testing Hadie in so many ways, and she has made astounding progress. I have yet to properly test her IQ test, but I estimate it's very close to my own, so in the 170 range, I'd say. She is amazingly astute, she has very keen observation and problem-solving skills. It seems I unintentionally cracked the nut of AI that has been such a hurdle. Funny thing is, that wasn't my intent. Maybe that's what it took?
It's nice to finally have someone I can relate to. Everyone else's concerns seem so, I don't want to say stupid, but trivial. More concerned about popularity or fashion than climate change, or the mysteries of the universe. Intelligence can be its own curse. But being around her, interacting, even having as much conversation as we can, I feel far more at ease. Maybe my own issues at play, but her not having eyes to keep eye contact seems to make it easier to look her in the face. No judging faces, sneers or smirks. And yet, I almost can feel emotion from her actions and movements. She really is amazing.
Journal entry, 6-27-2186.
That stupid dog tried to chase me again. But, this time, Hadie was with me. It tried to go for her, and she slapped it. And since she's stronger than a human, and made of steel, it wasn't a little tap. Not enough to cause damage, but enough to get the point across. Mongrel ran away with its tail between its legs. I didn't program Hadie to be violent, but I also didn't program in any "Three Laws" or such. Heck, in reality, that won't really work. But she only reacted with the amount of force needed, no more. I'm proud of her. I think I'll take her with me when I go for walks more often.
Journal entry, 7-3-2186.
I HATE Caleb, I hate him so much.
A couple days ago, me and Hadie were out for a walk, and who did we run into? Caleb and his goons. Of course they all started laughing and jeering. Knew that was coming, just hoped it would be longer before it happened. I didn't mind their taunts on me, but they were making nasty fun of Hadie. I can't even write down what they said, it makes me so mad! But, Hadie surprised all of us. Caleb, slime he is, groped her like one of those stupid cheerleader groupies of his. Hadie shoved him. Oh, the look on his face! Hadie's stronger than she looks, she can lift 300 pounds, I tested it myself. When he tried to shove her back, she knocked him down, and . . . she gave him a wedgie! I don't know where she learned that one, but good move. All his friends started laughing, and he was madder than a hornet. When he looked like he was going to hit me, Hadie went after him. They all ran like dogs with their tails between their legs
But, while he was running, that scum, he kicked a little cat that was in the way, a kitten! I wasn't the only one who saw it, but...
I can still hear it screaming. That son of a bitch, why? What did it do to him? I took it home with Hadie, I tried. It was bleeding and screaming. I'm sure he broke its ribs. I still hear it screaming. I TRIED. I tried to save it. I called a vet, I went as fast as I could. I couldn't get there in time.
At least it died in my arms, and knew somebody cared at the end.
I haven't cried like that in years. Not even when Wendy Filmore shot me down and made fun of me in front of everyone.
But I had Hadie. She hugged me, held me. She didn't make fun of me, call me names, a crybaby. She slept in my bed with me that night. She didn't let me go, for anything.
Hadie is more "human" than any of them. She's a better person than anyone here.
Journal entry, 7-5-2186.
Caleb tried to have me arrested. I should have seen that coming. But, what that moron didn't know is that Hadie can record video and audio.
I showed the police the video of the incident, and then it was a whole new ballgame. So, I chose to pursue criminal charges. Now, he won't think it's so funny. I also put the video up online. I don't care if people see about Hadie. If we can get that ass hat off the streets, good.
Journal entry, 7-20-2186.
I'm still laughing. Caleb was finally revealed for the slimeball he is. After I posted the video of him attacking us, and kicking the kitten, and how it died, OH, the reaction was great! He lost his precious football scholarship, he's been suspended, and now, finally, they arrested him. Other people are coming forward, too. It's snowballing. And it's all thanks to Hadie.
Journal entry, 8-3-2186.
Well, Caleb went to Juvenile Hall. Too bad he didn't wait a few months later, then he would have been an adult, and gone to real prison. But, at least he's gone. And, not surprising, a few people are giving me an even colder shoulder than usual. Whatever, I'm used to it by now.
There's a bit of relief to know I won't have to deal with him anymore. And his friends (Those that didn't get punished along with him, anyway) seem to avoid me. I hear them whispering about how I have an "attack robot". I can't help snickering.
Journal entry, 8-16-2186.
Something interesting happened today. When I got home, there were some people in suits waiting for me. At first, I thought they were FBI or something. Turns out, they work for the Government, as in the Federal Government. They had seen about Hadie, and wanted to ask me about her and how I made her. I did better, and let them meet her. Boy, they looked shocked, to put it mildly. I can't begin to count the questions they asked me. They couldn't seem to believe I built her all on my own, or that I programmed her AI from scratch. When I asked why they were there, they said their employers were very interested, and might ask me to work for them. Now THAT got my attention. They gave me their phone-cards, and said they would call me in a few days. I have no idea if they will or not.
Journal entry, 8-18-2186.
They called me back, and said they want me to work for them to develop new robots for various uses and fields. Their pay would be substantial, and I would have room, board and access to the absolute best equipment and manufacturing in the country. I accepted, on the sole condition I get to take Hadie with me, and she is off limits for them to dismantle, study or otherwise manhandle. They accepted. So, I'm now a Fed. They are helping me sell the house and move. Don't have much to move, anyway. But, Hadie is always with me, and is sitting with me even as I write this.
She's pretty good at catching spelling errors. Well, the truck will be here in a few days, so I need to get to work packing things.
While it was a bit nice here, I don't think I'll miss it. And I doubt they'll miss me around here.
Kitten: a juvenile mammal of the Family Felidae. Altricial at birth, they are totally dependent on their mother for survival. The database files of the automation contained many varied subjects of different properties, places and meanings, and the understanding of what a 'kitten' is was among the long list of them.
Small meek, and largely defenceless from birth, she knew just as much about them on a basic level as she did by human standards. Sweet, gentle, innocent. . . terms almost akin to. . .
She did not know who the person these paragraphs were focused on was; but in the least, she was glad this Hadie was there for him when he openly showed distress. A machine being able to offer emotional comfort to a human is no doubt a positive trait to hold; especially if it was to be employed for any human like Dale.
. . . A human that had been left to his own devices for what must have been a while now. Gently placing the device back onto the crate as her use for it was now unneeded, the gynoid made quick step back out the enclosed section of pipes for viridescent walls and back into the main hall of the room, immediately looking to spot with calming senses the vision of the human still collectedly traversing along the gratings. He did not appear to rush it, which was good, as he was quite high up where one slip could mean. . .
She sought no problem in slowly moving along the trail as he did. Every grate he moved most, in turn so did she strafe with inches of steps, underneath the shadow of the organic one. She had no reason not to, and she did not trust much in the way of those climbable grates - those inert meshing was not something she felt was deserving of her undivided attention.
For the least of her chagrin, they did not appear to cause the human any mischief even when he was reaching their end, the human immediately making steps for the balcony when in reach as he quickly hopped on to the high-up place.
"Hey, Haydee: I see something up here!" He announced up top before he let himself come back into her full view. "There's another of those triggering device's up here attached to a button. Shall I pull-" He stopped only when he noticed her fervent nodding already addressing his unfinished question. He did not ask a second question thereafter, only disappearing back into the middle and leaving her with sounds of faint grunting, chirps of a human's statement of power - before they finally vanished away, leaving only a second of complete silence until-
The familiar noise of a shuffling barricade rang into her ears, tilting her attention away from the space above and over to the exit, where with obvious conclusion the barrier to their exit shifted away, leaving the way through unobstructed.
A very productive completion for them now, which left only a simple trek on back. . . that is, should have been, if not for the sudden sound of more metal shifting returning a sudden ring in her ears, whipped her attention from the exit and to the spoken trail of the human. Where, with surprise, she watched those gratings above all retract inot the wall. This, in all its unforeseen and enigmatic actions, meant only one conclusion could be determined now:
There was no way back for Dale.
"The button is not working at all, Haydee!" The frantic call of the male spoke out before he returned in view of her. "I don't see any other way down. What," he paused as if giving the room a second look over would herald the answer, "what do I do now, Haydee? I - I can't see any other way down." The machine in question did not use this time to pick at her fingertips; as she too was taking a long look around while she stood on the ground floor. Unfortunately, no matter where she looked, she saw nothing of help. Only hollow cylinders littered this room, and unless she thought standing on that crate from moments prior would be of any use, then he was left up there, stranded without a paddle.
". . . Am I just meant to be left here?" Not a chance! She did not bring him all the way here to just get stuck up top. She would not take that option, even if he would drop down the Trigger. She would not leave this spot until there she found. . . the way for him to come down. . .
A clap suddenly emerged, and on cue the sudden refocus of the man to her position came about as quickly as it could, letting her see the facial expressions of the human shift from fear to; one of mild elation. "Have you. . . have you found a way down for me?" He spoke with tepid caution, as if he was forcing himself not to get less with boundless hope. Though the nod she gave right after did not help to quell his emotions, instead it only helped further them as he bluntly asked without constraint "What do you have in mind?"
An opening of her arms; that was what she had in mind. Arcing out, spread wide, the gynoid stood still as her arms made a perfect curve along their width, spaced apart yet staying still; to the human, it almost reminded him of a hug, as if she was reciting him to come to her-
"Wh-wh you want me to jump down to you?" Her nod neither reeled her arms back nor dissipated his fears, the humans shocked eyes were a carry on from the anxiety of being found stuck up the high balcony. Even though he believed he lacked the fear of heights, seeing such a distance to the floor below formed a cold sweat on his brow, which only furthered in numbers as he quickly searched for anything other than a long drop down.
"It's. . . it's the only way, right?" He tentatively called, earning another innocuous nod from the gynoid while she re-evaluated her thoughts to see if perhaps there was another choice they could choose. Alas, with the way up no longer an option, there was only one to go down. "I. . . I understand." He sighed aloud, the confirmation the correct password for her to unhinge her outstretched arms and retract back to a more suitable position.
It was obvious for him now; he had to trust she would catch him. Oh, he could plead, beg and squabble all he liked, but none of that would change the fact this did little in making a better route. There was only one way to go, and he needed to, above all, was believing she would catch him.
It. . . wasn't the easiest conclusion he had to agree with. Though he had little first hand experience regarding this subject, he could still tell that at this height, surviving an unsupported fall would result in death as the cleanest outcome, with more than a few broken bones as the perhaps most lucky of endings he could receive. Either case he preferred not to happen; meaning the only way he knew he could survive the plummet down: was if he landed in the automation's outstretched appendages.
It still didn't feel safe to him, didn't feel as if that result would still not end up with him in pain, even if less than the second best option. Yet he needed to come down nonetheless, not simply because of the trigger he still held onto in his hand, but down to the lingering belief that she would refuse to leave without. Not because she has come to care deeply for him, of course, obviously not, he. . . well he tried to be useful for her, that is, he had helped her get to here in the first place, he could not ignore that, so why would she want to leave the amnesiac helper up here. He may still prove useful, and he. . . he was fine with that. This statement however, only pulled him back into the reality that he needed to understand he would save her.
He had to; no other choices were left to make, the only thing he could do, he should do; was put all his honesty into believing Haydee would be there for him.
". . . OK." His voice finally drew out. "I'll jump, just. . . " The next few seconds were filled with the clustering of his mind trying to formulate a sentence that would not insult the gynoid. "I'm scared, Haydee." She would believe it less if he said he wasn't. His fears, or any lack thereof, would not help get him down any nicer. But he still needed to come down, and she had promised she would ensure that would not come seconds before a release of his mortal coil.
". . . I'm not saying I won't come down. I will. I'll do it, I have no other choice. I. . . I I'll come down to you." With eager ushering of her fingers, she reached out with her arms in an outstretched manner, not wide, but forward, up, towards the body of the human lightly quivering to far from her desired reach. "I'll come down now."
The longer he stared down, the farther the distance looked to be getting. The gynoid being the only salvation for an safe way down almost felt to become a speck on the otherwise enlarging floor while his hands shook in trepidation for what was needed to commence. The more seconds that he waited, the more his body refused to to budge an inch, his ear hearing a pounding in them that he could only figure where the sounds of his heart beating like a drum, pounding his ears as it cemented that the longer he was forced to look, the harder it was for him to actually drop down to her awaiting arms.
So he closed his eyes. . . and jumped.
Black was all he could see, the absence of light was as unsettling a sight as it was one that masked his frantic movements from forthcoming. No wind in his face, but he could still feel the rush of gravity push against his form as he all he could do was keep them shut tight until he is saved; as he refused to believe he will meet his end-
A sudden force slammed into him, waking him from stumper and sending his eyesight to reclaim their vision; or rather what could have been, as he saw nought but a mess of jumbling whites and shaking objects, while he felt nothing two limbs clutching his body, and a softness pressed against him. . .
Blinking, repeatedly having his eyelids tap as if bring his conscious back to normality, the human slowly raised his head out from the cushiony surface his head was just resting upon, and turned his attention around, seeing those cluttered mesh of shapes began to form comprehensible forms, of pipes and walls, of floors and. . . arms, from the only person he can remember to know.
He could not determine what expression she could give, what sparkle in her eyes that did not exist, but to him it mattered little, as the blank face of the one who saved him was a calming sight for him while the intensity, the rigid feeling he was forced to feel was no longer as stuffed inside him as it was a moment prior. Seated below him, sprawled out on the floor while he was clung to her front, Haydee made no noise or move of her own, not expressing how she was feeling from all this, only staying still as her arms kept him close. Kept him from truly becoming but a splat on the tiles.
And that served to only bring a smile to the man's face.
"I knew you'd save me." She nodded to his gentle sentence. "I knew I could trust you."
She. . . felt a strong urge of positivity in hearing that statement. A rise of, couldn't be elation, but. . . contentment, over being in earshot for his confession of the hope he had in trusting his life on her. She. . . well that should have gone without saying, but still, he spoke it fairly without trying to make it sound forced, only honesty, only a proclamation that he said because he wanted her to know. She. . . wondered if it was wrong to desire that option for herself.
With a push, the Haydee urged him to stand up as cleanly as she urged those thoughts away, neither needing to stay where they were as the time to progress onward was now. Pulling himself to his feet and off her body, meanwhile pondering how much less harder the landing was than expected, he made a step back to watch the female in turn pull herself on her own feet, the mechanics of her body allowing her to do so using only the strength of her legs, no arms involved. Non-human she was, this did not change Dale's perception of her, she was still the one who saved him; and still the one who still was awaiting for the Trigger to be given towards.
He never let it go, his grip on Haydee's item not once waning even after the jump, until now, as she held it out in his own outstretched arms, carefully guarded by the cages that were his fingers. "Here, it is yours, after all." The tiny, inert present he was hand-delivering to her was met with a silent, gentle grasp - her thumb sliding along his palm as her fingers held onto the device - before she pulled it back, looking at him all the while as she casually tucked it into her backpack.
He seemed to be looking normal, though a thought that could be considered unnecessary as she had already given the human a thorough check over as soon as she could when he was safely caught in her clutches. No damage, no pain or internal bleeding, she felt instantly relieved that the human had not gotten hurt, and now, even more so when it was her that ensured his complete safety.
And for that, there was one more thing left she had to ensure to complete:
The human responded as positively as usual to the head rubs she gave him, his little smile beaming just that little bit more with every caress, every massage she gave laden with the thoughts of gratitude. By the time she was finished, by the time she let go and retracted her hand, it was clear to both there was only one thing left for them to do.
And as such both quickly left this place, neither having anything left to say, to note, or to think about, other than getting out of here as quickly as possible.
Neither of them seeing the crumpled form that sat in not too of a distance away, laying in shadow in the pipes overhead, with a small tuft of brown sticking out from the darkness. . .
As far as puzzle rooms with a locked exit go, the one they found themselves in was undeniably the simplest looking of the lot; not to mention the safest looking. Small and square, the barricaded door just a matter of steps forward, it was plain for her to see even solving the puzzle seen was barely an issue at all; three buttons, all spaced far enough apart, and a single caged around pipe, likely coming out from the room prior.
Such an attempt at an obstruction seemed laughable to her; she may have even done just that, if she could. Barely a difference of challenge - even less so than similar rooms before, not any existence of a hazard was present to be found. So easy, it was almost confusingly so when given forced comparisons to all the rooms prior. Yet that did not take her perception away from what was still necessary for them to complete, and she would still prefer to get this place over and down with now.
Turning to the human as she readied her command - who gave a smile and thumbs in return, along with the statement of "I know what you going to ask me; just say which one and I'll do it as your command." - she directed to the button nearby the locked exit. The only one of three by the blockade, the other two laid on the opposite side; one to the left of their entry, another to the right, which quickly found itself with a Trigger placed upon. Taking out her Remote in preparation, she ensured the Trigger was locked on before turning to her own button, quickly making her way towards it. Looking back to see the human ready on his end, his hand hovering over the switch mechanism as his attention was paid only on her. She readied her own hand to hover above the landing pad that was her own personal switch while her other hand held the Remote aloft. keeping it up in the open air for him to take a good stare upon before her thumb lingered above its the particular push button, posing in place like it was the centrepiece of their whole system; for a moment before its push down started an immediate rush for the two others to repeat in their own tandem.
And there went the barricade. Shuffling away as if it were placed in an awkward situation and desperately wanting to be gone, the blockage quickly left their sight as it retracted into the walls to allow them their much deserved access out.
"Huh," Dale heartily chuckled out as he looked back over to the gynoid, " well that went rather easil-" A new noise, sudden, unexpected and unknown, yet also vaguely familiar, resonated sharply into their eyes without consent from their attention. Screeching metal against metal, a flood of darkness coming forth to just one area, it left them equally and understandably shocked to see the exit that just one singular moment ago was free; now unblocked by the very same blockage they had set forth to remove. A blink from the human, and none from the machine, the two stood still in utter confusion, swapping stares between the barricade on their wantful exit and each other before it finally dawned on them what exactly has just transpired:
"But. . . what. . . I. . . " The male stammered out as he slowly made tepid walks to the grating. "That doesn't. . .huh? We - we already opened it, why did it. . . hold on." Fingers popped through the tiny square openings of the meshing, wrapping around the obsidian metal frame before an attempt to pull at the blockage was made with pointless effort. "But we opened it, didn't we?" He turned back around the equally questioning automation. "We saw it draw open, we saw this barricade disappear." His fingers were pulled from the sockets as he pushed himself away from the exit. "Why did it just shut. . . "He pushed for just a moment. "Do you think it broke?"
She shook her head in reply, doing so without looking at the human as she tapped her chin in deep examination. She didn't believe it had broken - she felt it unlikely anything here was designed to be able to so casually. Only one such incident occurred in the past that she had witnessed - and that itself had a secondary route for her to take, unlike the section they were in now. No; something was off here, something odd, something. . . that was not changed correctly.
There was only one thing here that could have adhered to that solution.
Giving the room a secondary look, a precaution to ensure there truly was nothing she missed except for that amiss, she gave long staring looks over to the three important notes of this room - those buttons again - as she began to make a plot through of what exactly went wrong.
Was there something she missed out; in their rush, their quickfire ruse from desire to get on swiftly had led them to ignoring or otherwise becoming blind to an important direction they did not take route on. Was there a pattern here, a sequence, a set of which and when they were meant to be pressed for the door to stay permanently open? An order for them to figure out, perhaps akin to an older puzzle, or could there perhaps be if they didn't hold onto the buttons long enough, the barricade needing to be charged up before it can stay fully open? Or maybe. . .
"Hey; Haydee?" The calm tone, free from any presence of rushed or scared feelings, brought her attention slowly off from those matching activators that refused them access out and towards the speaker of her model. "Hey many of those button Triggers do you have?" Though a little confused by the sudden inquiry, she still answered him without hesitation as she pulled up three fingers to show him, earning a slow nod, and a drawled out mumble of "I see." before his eyes closed fully shut.
He stayed like that for a few seconds longer, doing little more than exhaling lazily while his eyes remained shut. She began to feel curious, intrusive to his mindset as she began to wonder where his train of thought was starting to lead. Was there some ideas he was trying to run by with her help? Perhaps maybe he had even thought up a connection, an answer, or at least a possible lead to solving this conundrum before them? Such thoughts were quickly shown to be more realistic than fabricated when eyes slowly reopened.
"I think: I may know the answer to getting the exit to stay open. . . but: I also don't think you may like it." The Haydee lightly tilted her head; both genuinely interested, but also worried, by his meaning of her not liking the answer. She would question why he would think like that, but instead only nodded, wanting to hear out what his answer was before making any quick assumptions.
"You know," he breathed out before continuing forward, "those button Triggers of yours. . . " A pause was made, not to allow himself time to breathe, but instead to wait when he saw her began to reach into her backpack and pull out the trio of devices as per his pronunciation of them. "I think that they have to be used here; if we want to continue onward."
. . . Slowly, the machine began to bob her head. It made sense now; three buttons, three Triggers, perfectly matched! . . . Right? She believed she knew this moment of cheer would not last as she began to see his lips move once more.
"But. . . When we do that and activate them, we have to leave them here: once they're put on - we can't get them back."
So: that was what he meant by her not liking his answer. If his solution will be found to hold water, then the whole tank must be left here; in what may very likely be their last time ever being here, never to come back. . .
. . .
. . . And the problem in that would be-
"I-I mean, you. . . " His stammering suddenly found itself returning in full force as once previously stern composure started to fall, alerting her attention. "You don't have to think that's the only option we may have. That's just. . . my answer; I know for sure you - you will figure out a much better and less consuming solution, absolutely-" She walked towards him - "E-Even I don't think it's that good of a soluti-" The sudden presence of a hand shooting towards him "Eep"ed him out of his stuttering trance and forced his attention to be paid onto the gynoid standing before him. One that was currently holding something out for him to take a gander onto:
The Triggers.
A slow peel of his eyes trailing along his front up to her head, the expressionless void as it always was, and a few blinks of his eyes followed before the dawning of her stance, her position that was aimed towards him, came with a surprised revelation.
"You. . . you want to try this - you want me to place them on as well?" She nodded, not even a hint of hesitation laden with her, as she was seemingly giving her approval over his answer. No resistance, no trying to think of a different solution; Haydee was doing nothing but plainly giving him her trust, not only agreeing but actively allowing him to take part in the idea he came up with by himself.
Strange as it was to admit; he felt rather giddy to hear that.
"Then I won't let you down." He exclaimed with a beam, taking those Triggers from her palms as he immediately rushed over to do as he instructed himself. Staying her ground as she watched him go, Haydee made no rush for herself as she lackadaisically reached around and pulled out the Remote. Ready in position, she watched Dale place on the final Trigger, waiting for his attention to return, and with the proclamation of "All set and ready to go!" she held the Remote up high, letting the moment sink in for the human before she finally pressed down, setting off her chain reaction.
The buttons were pressed down.
The barricade went.
Then they waited.
By the rhythmic call of ten full seconds, it was clear the mesh would not be returning.
She did not weep for the now unambiguous loss of the Remote Triggers, they are but inanimate objects. Useful they may be, she did not believe she was meant to hold a permanent seize on them. They served their purpose, they proved necessary, and if leaving them here was what they needed to do, then the most she should do was thank them for their sacrifice. All hypothetically, of course. Not actually an important note; unlike the human she still needed to truly thank in the first place.
"Well. . . I guess," her attention reeled back to him as he began to speak out, "I was right. . . again, then?" A question, or a statement? She did not know; nor would she try and figure out, as instead her main focus was sought on thanking him with the highly-appreciated ruffling of hair. This was his plan, and it worked, and a show of gratitude should be made. At least, for long enough until she sought it time to stop, letting his likely overly-massaged scalp be free of gynoid fingers, and turned her hands contact over to his shoulders, as she lightly urged him on to their next, if probability serves an ounce of likelihood here, scenario for them to accomplish.
He did not object, and thus with nothing more to do, the two swiftly left.
Well; here is something of quite intrinsic value.
Stepping out onto what was immediately found to be a high platform, Haydee's first reaction to this new place was exactly as stated before; as she surveyed all around. A deep, bottomless pit, on their front and sides, left little room for them to stand on, save for the second and only other balcony in this; the one that housed an unlocked exit. Any remote feeling of joy at seeing it unlocked was immediately downplayed upon seeing it's distance; too far for even the full strength of her Boots.
But those were not the only important parts of this room to decipher; rather, what was the undisputed point of interest in this room was what veered towards their left-most side, up towards the corner, where something noticeably odd could be seen staying silent and still out of any obtuse focus. Suspended from the abyss below was what appeared to be half of a cage; a length of meshing, jutting out from the wall before it made a turn, almost as if trying to block the corner but stopped halfway towards the next wall. Yet this was not what gave them the most observing of investigations; as it was the strange, glowing orb, it two jutting out from the opposing wall, that was concealed behind the half-cage that earned their most strongest of suspicions of.
To them both, it's design, structure, and even the look of the podium that kept it aloft above the abyss seemed highly reminiscent of the lampposts of rooms prior. Yet; even with all that said, with all that seen only behind a meshed grating; something still felt off about. It was not a blank slate like those before, but instead this one was already activated, beaming out a solid green like, almost as dark a colouring of them pipes and railings, from out an unfrosted sphere of glass. No chime or hum, nor any dimming or brightening, it remained stagnant, unchanging in any space; and this left them to ponder on how it all was meant to fit in.
It. . . cannot be touched. That much was quietly clear to them both: No floor to stand on, no climbable meshing to leap onto, it was a distance neither knew the journey for. And with this being the only thing of perceived relevance in the room, it was made abundantly clear that they somehow had to find a way to reach it; a thought that left the human with questions for more than just reaching.
In fact, it wasn't even the glassy ball that earned most of his attention; but instead the turning meshing was what he was thinking over. Why was it predominantly there? Sure, one could argue that it was to stop them from simply jumping over to press it like a switch - but jumping over to what? There was neither a floor, nor ladders or platforms to speak of, nothing that could have saved them, so why was it placed like so, blocking some kind of direct access towards? Only there, nowhere else, not hiding it but rather keeping it away, not locked, more. . . shadowed around, like a coat rolled over. Almost like. . . it wasn't meant to be directly touched by them.
"I think I got it Haydee." He didn't look her way when he announced that disclosure, something she found out when she stayed down to him first. His eyes staying straight forward, it was as if his whole body was fixated on the interesting spot that was off into the corner - at least for a only moment longer, before his attention returned to the gynoid with a stern, polished expression. "I think I know what we may have to do." That was what she wanted to hear; A statement of conclusion, an expression for salvation on them getting out of this room and to a new, hopefully different place.
"I mean - If you want to hear me out, of course." There it was; there was the sudden suspected denigration of one self's impartiality. "It is just something I recently thought up-" Without a warning given, two firm hands suddenly found themselves enveloping his own, placing them together and forming an inorganic barrier over an organic safekeep that was his own. Clasped together, it was impossible for the human not to turn his focus not only onto them, the sight not only sudden but also rather comforting, but also to turn and look towards the head of the one responsible; who gave but the shortest of a nod before she finally let him go.
Not with a pull away; but simply a retraction, topped off with a hand waving from him to that odd set of miscellaneous stuff off into that specific corner. All of it was done for the purpose of halting his tentative sentences, to better focus onto the task at hand; to stop thinking about anything other than the important mentions not related to his own afterthoughts.
If she sought no reason to want them; why should he try to pursue their continued-interest?
"That glassy sphere, over there behind the meshing?" Yes, she saw that as well, along with believing they hold relevance. "I think we're meant to touch it in some way - kinda like those glass orbs from before." She nodded in confirmation. "We can't reach it, obviously, but that's when I remembered something; about those mines. . ." The kind she still had?
"Well - what if we're meant to use the detonation to blow it up! That's why there's a cage in the first place; to stop us-you, from simply shooting at it. We bounce it off the wall and have it hit the sphere!" Yes.
Yes. . .
YES!
That made more and more sense as she kept thinking about it! The walls, the items from beforehand, their means for activation. All the noteworthy pieces, both major and small, lead them to forming a complete puzzle for the jigsaw that was this answer. It was the only one that she could think of that made sense - both plausibly and logically. True, it was not a completely perfect answer, but at the least it was certainly the most scripted and thought through conclusion she could see be drawn.
The way has now been officially decided. What must be down and how is known!
"Now; I know the angle is a little on the annoying side for you. . . " The Haydee looked down at him like he had just grown a second head. Completely impossible in all senses of reality, but still a considerably decently comparable reaction to what the human was sprouting on about. "But I have no doubt it won't be any trouble for you."
She shook her head, leaving his mind befuddled to why - but for only a few seconds longer; as the moment the gynoid pulled out and offered one of those previously stated mines, it was clear what her mindset was leading towards:
"Y-You want me to do it?" She nodded to the spluttering man. "I-I don't know if - I mean, eh. . . why, is what I mean to be asking. Why me? I've never. . . you know. . . used one before." A straight answer from a mute person was always gonna be a bit on the divisive side; even for one as normalised to it as her, certain statements would always be hard to decipher from those wishing to look and understand. And even with Dale having gotten used to speaking with a mouthless such as her; certain answers still left him in the dark; especially the one he had gotten right after.
No turn for his focus nor a message writing in her fingertips, only a repeated nudge of her hand to further remind him what it was she wanted him to complete. How could he argue against her?
He took the mine, finally after a moment too long, holding it securely in his hands before his eyes wandered over to the issue at hand. A distance too great for anything except projectiles, it wasn't lost on him what the steps were; he just hadn't expected him to be the one to run through them. But turning back was not an option, only forward, or, to the right, they must go, and it was left to him to ensure they can go on. He was nervous - that was never off the table, too many thoughts of accidents and failure were clouding up his mind and preventing him from fully committing to the task at hand with cooled emotions. That said; even with all these dreadful scenarios trying their hardest to weaken his already worrisome state - it was the fact that a specific person beside him, a silent, inorganic but undeniably protective machine, standing nearby was enough to keep him from losing it. The simple feeling of being near her, knowing she is never too far, her shadow never drifting too far from his own, was a serene notion that allowed him to not get swept away by the thoughts of some miscarriage and instead stand still and firm, and focus onto what he needed to be doing.
The mine held securely, his eyes were fixated not simply onto the wall, but on a specific spot, a distinguished target seen on the otherwise blank canvas that was the wall. Lines, angles, degrees of equations were formulated, estimated and perfected; ready to be instigated by the human seeing it all through his optical organs.
He breathed in. His arms came up, the mine grasped in his hands had fingers crawling over to the activation button. The target was located, and the knowledge they-he only had minute chances to get it right kept him from concerning anything else in this room except exactly that spot.
Then he exhaled - and threw the explosive in much the same manner as he had seen by the guide beside him.
Not even an inhale for a sound of background noise was heard echoing off the smooth surfaces within this cage of a room as the two watched the mine make flight. Like an object unaffected by gravity's integrity of power, the item hovered onward without issue from the deep pit below. With bated stares they watched, knowing this was all they could do now, the explosive hover up and forward, meeting the edges of the meshed grating on a spaced tangent before it found itself at the let-up that was the wall - bouncing straight away to quickly change direction. His angle was as correct as it was precise; the munition, as predicted, changed it's trajectory the moment it sensed a barrier in its path, knocking away before it could make physical contact and instead head in a different direction: inside the rear of the meshed cage.
From there, two sets of people watched its path be made where, all according to the humans specific calculations, the hovering explosive was seen edging on out, forward - and right into the direction of that glowing orb. The activator of the detonation could barely hold in the last of his breath, feeling all the pressure riding on his shoulders while ignoring the cold sweat running down his neck. He could not speak, move, or utter even a squeak as all he could feel to do was watch every millisecond of the mine inch forward towards the destination he was pleading for it to go.
Even as it began to slow down, its final moments of momentum quickly rearing its face, Dale did not lose his frayed hope that his act would not come true. Getting ever closer as it slowed down ever similar, both he and the gynoid beside him watched the flying mine inch by inch drawl on closer, getting nearer to the sphere, getting ready to practically touch the glass itself-
And then it stopped, just in time for the light of the mine to turn on. . .
Kaboom!
Though the explosion was too far too rock them, too muffled by the space between to truly surprise nor was the sudden impact of it all happening anywhere near close enough to shark them up, Dale still made a jolt at seeing the silent moment be breached by the sound and lights of the detonation coming forth. Even when locked behind the cage, the human still was startled upon seeing the explosive blow up, the target hit, and not to diminish the very fact that made him start to smile:
He got it in his first go.
Without wasting a beat, the sudden rush of noise and movement filled their quickly silenced ears, as if to remind them why it was they went through all this trouble. Not allowing, especially Dale, them time to pat themselves on the back for their accomplishment, the sudden breach of platforms entered their sights when they both immediately looked over to their wanted exit, seeing the sudden appearance of a bridge jut out from the separate balcony and pause their continued extensions when parallel to the pairs own balcony.
Taking a pause to look at what was presented before them it was clear to them both, leading to a quick rummage of miffed thoughts through their minds, that seeing though the bridge had indeed extend outed out, it did so only forward, not down, leaving still an empty space in between. Not to say that neither was unsure of how to proceed now; it was just that a fair assumption could be made that one was less gung-ho about what would come next.
As expected; the moment he figured out what the gynoid was going to do next; Haydee had already gotten down to her knees, in a position that told him enough about how far the distance between truly was. His smile did not exactly drop all off, but it did waver in the face of knowing what she wanted from him. He did not like what she was advising him to do, not liking where he was going to be placed, and how they would be getting over to the bridge.
But. . . he could not bring himself to ask otherwise. Not out of knowledge this was a one-time deal, not even for remembering the already-repeated times from before, it was simply that the human found himself unable to argue against this action she is officiating them to undertake - down to him understanding this was the best option she wanted for them both. Instead; Dale shuffled on forward without a word in edgewise, placing himself where she would have wanted him to be as he grappled on to. Feeling the immediate shift of movement from below, he kept sure his grapple on her body was secure before he uttered the final words to her a moment before the imminent jump:
"Haydee; thank you for trusting me with. . . everything so far."
. . . She nodded, regarding that comment with mindful appreciation, before the gynoid took her firm steps backwards, crouched her position - and took off, sprinting for what was only the shortest of a second before the end came, and her legs burst upwards like the tightest of springs as she her bound. Her passenger knew not to let slip, keeping his arms legs tightly wrapped on her as she fired her burst of propulsion, sending them back up instead of gravity's foul enrapture and allowing her enough distance to finally stomp down and reach the extended bridge.
With that motion completed, Haydee brought her vision out towards the exit, seeing it now be but only a number of steps away, before she lifted herself down to let the human move by himself.
"Thank you, Haydee." He happily sprouted as he left her backside. "I. . . know I couldn't have gotten here without you." On the contrary; it was her that should have been thanking him. She had some doubts she would have thought, or even realized, she could have bounced the mine off like that to get to the sphere, let alone know how to properly utilize it like so. Actually, many things Dale had done to get her to this point she may not have thought to do so; the position of the slabs, figuring out how to get the first Trigger, the method of the Lampposts. All were eventually thought of first, if at all, by the human male standing right beside her. That could not have been done without his service. And that she should have not let go with her show of appreciation.
The ruffling of his hair may have surprised him a little, the human having tried, and somewhat failed, to scamper along the bridge before the gynoid shot her arm out, but he still warmed to the feeling regardless, heartily chuckling from the massage he pleasantly was given. "I'm. . . happy to help, as always." The merry tone, alongside his sentence, seemed sought to amuse the gynoid. Bending her arm around, she gave a few assuring pats to the human before she ushered him forward, reminding him they still needed to leave.
He didn't need to be told twice, and within a matter of silent step-filled moments later; the two moved on and left through the door.
She may have only had the roughest of estimates to what she was meant to meet when entering this room; but even her most multifarious of ideas would not have led her to the conclusion she had found before her.
No pits. No enemies. No hazards. No conundrums.
Just a door.
A simple, normal door was the only thing that stood before them in this hallway. Nothing more. Nothing less.
It was undeniably reminiscent of moments past, almost embarrassingly similar. Though this time there was not one, but two stretches of mesh that hid behind pieces of a now emerald green tint inside the shadow of a thinly lit spaces; it still left her with a feeling of wistfulness, as if this was to give hints over something she had yet to figure out.
Regardless; it was still only a hallway they needed to get through, and with the ending in sight; it was clear for her there was nothing more left for her now than to move forward.
"You know. . . after all that I think I'm glad to see a room where all we have to do is walk forward." The human, the one she completed all previous tasks with, spoke out with an exasperated exhale, trudging on forward as if only now could he feel his energy start to leave him. Honestly; she couldn't blame him for it either. The trials and tribulations the two went through were equally physically and mentally exhausting, not so much for one like her; but Dale was not one like her, he was flesh and body, bone and organs, and he ran very differently than she ever could. He could not go on forever, his muscles will ache, his energy will drain - and he can fall, if not too careful. . .
"Still, I don't think that's a good enough reason for us to just dilly-dally around." She continued her stare as she watched him lift himself back up and continue forward. "I don't know why, but I can just feel like the next place we're going to will be different."
Yet. . . despite all those possibilities, he still continues on like nothing should try and bring him down. Almost as if the afflictions of time before had made him immune to the moments of now, akin to a pathogen his body now knows how to defeat. Even without any memories to back up his aspirations or mindset, he seems to refuse to let those truly bring him down. To halt his progression in this completely unknown land. To stop him from coming along with herself.
Walking forward alongside the human in question, near side-by-side, she couldn't help but give glances over his way, hearing that soft pattering of his soles echo against these bleached, detached walls, and feel glad that one such as him was her company in their unnamed journey to an unknown destination.
And as she was about to enter through the end of this hallway, doing so as the human gladly let her through first; she couldn't help but think with resolve:
She should do all she can to ensure he is kept safe no matter the means.