It had been about ten minutes since he had left me and that other girl
prisoner inside of this room. I had just about given up thinking about a
way to escape, but I still looked at the shackles that bound me. They gave
off a barely audible hum and a small, dim, yellow light from between the
seams of the gray metal. There must have been a way to remove them, or at
least cut their power so they stop making me feel so tired and weak. I
looked across the room again and saw that the girl was still looking at me.
"Something wrong?" I said, my voice cutting the silence
"Hmm?"
You've been staring at me this entire time haven't you?"
"Yes, actually." I heard her move and then what I thought was a metallic sound, but I wasn't sure.
"Well?" I shifted my position since my leg had started to cramp; it didn't help so I just stood up and leaned against the wall.
"If it's bothering you that much I'll stop." She said with a bit of annoyance as I heard her move again, and that metallic sound again; the sound of something jingling.
"What was that metal sound just now."
"I'm sorry I can't hear you, I'm too busy trying not to bother you." She said rather sarcastically
"No really, what was that sound."
"They were my earrings, I guess they must be bothering you as well."
"Would you stop that, I think you just gave me an idea." I said walking over to her and looking at the earrings that she was talking about
"What are you looking at?" she said standing up and moving away from me
"I need you to do something for me."
"Like what?"
"I need you to take your earring and jam it into the space between these shackles." I said holding out my hands
"Why should I help you?"
"If I can get loose I can break out of here."
She didn't say anything as she just turned her back on me and walked away from me.
"I'm not interested in helping you, I don't even really know you."
"Well then I guess you don't care about getting out of here then." I said moving a few steps, "Hope you and the rest of these prisoners enjoy being machines."
"You don't seem you unhappy about it."
"Well I was made this way; besides, you and the others will have to endure the mind bending pain that comes from the process." I said waving to the chamber in the center of the room.
We just stood in silence for several minutes. I was wondering if I would just be destroyed or reprogrammed back into service by that man. Then I thought of what he wanted the emeralds for in the first place, perhaps to make a better version of me. I'd then be obsolete and discarded.
'I can't let that happen to me, I'm going to get out of here somehow. You with me computer?'
'Error sys fail'
'I'll take that as a no.' I thought beginning to try and break free from my bonds. I strained with all my remaining might, but was unable to budge the shackles.
"Here let me help." The girl said walking up from behind and grabbing my hand and taking her earring from her ear poking at the seams in the shackles.
"Why are you helping me now? I thought you weren't going to help me."
"Well I did find it pretty amusing watching you brood over here and try to break free, but I think it would be mutually beneficial if we helped each other. Besides, I'm not into mind bending pain." She said working
"Very funny." I said laughing a bit
I could hear the sound electricity and see the occasional spark fly as she worked the piece of metal vigorously.
"Got it." She said as there was a pop and the shackles fell off.
"Much better." I said as I popped my knuckles and took the earring from her and began working on the collar around my neck.
"So how do you plan on getting out of here anyway?"
"Well I was thinking the quickest way out of here, but I have no idea what the layout of this place is right now." I said as the collar fell away
'System restarting, rebooting computer'
"Give me a minute and I'll have a way out of here."
'System now online'
'I need a map of this building, and the fastest way out of here.'
'Data shows that current location is the prison complex'
'I know that, tell me how to get out.'
'Leaving this location is not advised as the layout does not allow for it'
'What do you mean?"
'Displaying diagram'
I saw picture of the building; it was an extremely tall tower. It came from below the surface of the ground and rose above to the sky. There were three levels to it.
"What are you doing just standing around staring into space for? I thought we were going to escape sometime today." The girl interrupted
"I'm getting to it, just wait." I replied
'Current position is 500 meters below the surface'
"That's just great, we're underground with no way out."
"What do you mean underground?"
"Just what I meant, we're underground. It's a simple concept, I don't see why you don't get it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
'Is there a way to an upper level or something?'
"Hey I'm talking to you!"
'A supply elevator is located in the storage room in area E'
"I've found a way out, let's go."
"Alright fine, but I still want to know what you meant about that comment earlier."
I ignored this and walked over to the door and pressed my hand on the panel; the panel lit up and beeped a few times and the door opened.
"That was easy." Tik'al said walking past me out of the room and down the hallway
"Too easy if you ask me."
"No one asked you."
This took me a bit by surprise, but then I thought about it realizing that it wasn't that unusual.
"Well you should let me lead since I know where we're going and you don't."
"Well then lead on and stop trailing behind."
'Someone's in a bad mood.'
We continued down the hallway, with me now in the lead, and came to the main prison area. The prisoners were still jailed and begging for help as they saw us enter.
"We need to save them, can you get them out?" she said gazing around the room
"I was just thinking the same thing." I said looking toward the room and spying a computer nearby
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to unlock the doors and let them out with this computer." I said as I walked toward the lumbering machine.
I began working and found a list of systems that were currently online.
"Let's see; lights, blast door controls, alarms, security grid, prison door controls.hmm, main power, that sounds like the best one." I said pressing the controls shutting off the power to the entire area.
Power failure detected in sectors A though G, now activating emergency power generator
The lights shut off and the room went pitch black as the electronic doors on the prison all opened from the lack of power. The cheers of triumph as the other prisoners escaped filled the air as they all ran out of their cells and out the main door.
"Well at least you did one thing right." She said smugly watching the people run out the door
"Um, thanks, I guess." I said, not wanting to tell her that I just let them out so they could cause a diversion and make escaping easier while they ran around in a thunderous mob.
We left the room and turned down the hall and continued on for a while. I noticed that there weren't any alarms going off yet, nor had the main power system been restored. I thought about it for a while, realized that something wasn't right when we came to the storage room with the elevator.
"Now what?" she asked me
"We get inside of the elevator and ride it to the next level of course." I said pressing the call button.
"Does this lead to the outside?"
"I'm not sure, let me check."
The elevator doors grinded open and we stepped inside. The doors slid shut again and the elevator rose up the shaft slowly, the gears loudly groaned as they strained to pull the elevator to the higher floors.
'What's on the next level?'
'Next level contains the ground level launch area for vehicles and soldiers'
'What about the level after that?'
'Level three contains the aerial level, docking platform for the flying fortress'
"I think we'll get off on the next floor, I don't we need to go to the top floor of this place. We'll just get off on the next level."
"Alright."
"I still say that it was too easy to get out of there though, I expected some sort of attack or trap or some such thing."
Main power now online.intruders detected on sub-level prison, and elevator shaft, deploying security teams to capture.
"Well there's your attack that you were wanting, hope you're happy."
"Not really."
"Something wrong?" I said, my voice cutting the silence
"Hmm?"
You've been staring at me this entire time haven't you?"
"Yes, actually." I heard her move and then what I thought was a metallic sound, but I wasn't sure.
"Well?" I shifted my position since my leg had started to cramp; it didn't help so I just stood up and leaned against the wall.
"If it's bothering you that much I'll stop." She said with a bit of annoyance as I heard her move again, and that metallic sound again; the sound of something jingling.
"What was that metal sound just now."
"I'm sorry I can't hear you, I'm too busy trying not to bother you." She said rather sarcastically
"No really, what was that sound."
"They were my earrings, I guess they must be bothering you as well."
"Would you stop that, I think you just gave me an idea." I said walking over to her and looking at the earrings that she was talking about
"What are you looking at?" she said standing up and moving away from me
"I need you to do something for me."
"Like what?"
"I need you to take your earring and jam it into the space between these shackles." I said holding out my hands
"Why should I help you?"
"If I can get loose I can break out of here."
She didn't say anything as she just turned her back on me and walked away from me.
"I'm not interested in helping you, I don't even really know you."
"Well then I guess you don't care about getting out of here then." I said moving a few steps, "Hope you and the rest of these prisoners enjoy being machines."
"You don't seem you unhappy about it."
"Well I was made this way; besides, you and the others will have to endure the mind bending pain that comes from the process." I said waving to the chamber in the center of the room.
We just stood in silence for several minutes. I was wondering if I would just be destroyed or reprogrammed back into service by that man. Then I thought of what he wanted the emeralds for in the first place, perhaps to make a better version of me. I'd then be obsolete and discarded.
'I can't let that happen to me, I'm going to get out of here somehow. You with me computer?'
'Error sys fail'
'I'll take that as a no.' I thought beginning to try and break free from my bonds. I strained with all my remaining might, but was unable to budge the shackles.
"Here let me help." The girl said walking up from behind and grabbing my hand and taking her earring from her ear poking at the seams in the shackles.
"Why are you helping me now? I thought you weren't going to help me."
"Well I did find it pretty amusing watching you brood over here and try to break free, but I think it would be mutually beneficial if we helped each other. Besides, I'm not into mind bending pain." She said working
"Very funny." I said laughing a bit
I could hear the sound electricity and see the occasional spark fly as she worked the piece of metal vigorously.
"Got it." She said as there was a pop and the shackles fell off.
"Much better." I said as I popped my knuckles and took the earring from her and began working on the collar around my neck.
"So how do you plan on getting out of here anyway?"
"Well I was thinking the quickest way out of here, but I have no idea what the layout of this place is right now." I said as the collar fell away
'System restarting, rebooting computer'
"Give me a minute and I'll have a way out of here."
'System now online'
'I need a map of this building, and the fastest way out of here.'
'Data shows that current location is the prison complex'
'I know that, tell me how to get out.'
'Leaving this location is not advised as the layout does not allow for it'
'What do you mean?"
'Displaying diagram'
I saw picture of the building; it was an extremely tall tower. It came from below the surface of the ground and rose above to the sky. There were three levels to it.
"What are you doing just standing around staring into space for? I thought we were going to escape sometime today." The girl interrupted
"I'm getting to it, just wait." I replied
'Current position is 500 meters below the surface'
"That's just great, we're underground with no way out."
"What do you mean underground?"
"Just what I meant, we're underground. It's a simple concept, I don't see why you don't get it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
'Is there a way to an upper level or something?'
"Hey I'm talking to you!"
'A supply elevator is located in the storage room in area E'
"I've found a way out, let's go."
"Alright fine, but I still want to know what you meant about that comment earlier."
I ignored this and walked over to the door and pressed my hand on the panel; the panel lit up and beeped a few times and the door opened.
"That was easy." Tik'al said walking past me out of the room and down the hallway
"Too easy if you ask me."
"No one asked you."
This took me a bit by surprise, but then I thought about it realizing that it wasn't that unusual.
"Well you should let me lead since I know where we're going and you don't."
"Well then lead on and stop trailing behind."
'Someone's in a bad mood.'
We continued down the hallway, with me now in the lead, and came to the main prison area. The prisoners were still jailed and begging for help as they saw us enter.
"We need to save them, can you get them out?" she said gazing around the room
"I was just thinking the same thing." I said looking toward the room and spying a computer nearby
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to unlock the doors and let them out with this computer." I said as I walked toward the lumbering machine.
I began working and found a list of systems that were currently online.
"Let's see; lights, blast door controls, alarms, security grid, prison door controls.hmm, main power, that sounds like the best one." I said pressing the controls shutting off the power to the entire area.
Power failure detected in sectors A though G, now activating emergency power generator
The lights shut off and the room went pitch black as the electronic doors on the prison all opened from the lack of power. The cheers of triumph as the other prisoners escaped filled the air as they all ran out of their cells and out the main door.
"Well at least you did one thing right." She said smugly watching the people run out the door
"Um, thanks, I guess." I said, not wanting to tell her that I just let them out so they could cause a diversion and make escaping easier while they ran around in a thunderous mob.
We left the room and turned down the hall and continued on for a while. I noticed that there weren't any alarms going off yet, nor had the main power system been restored. I thought about it for a while, realized that something wasn't right when we came to the storage room with the elevator.
"Now what?" she asked me
"We get inside of the elevator and ride it to the next level of course." I said pressing the call button.
"Does this lead to the outside?"
"I'm not sure, let me check."
The elevator doors grinded open and we stepped inside. The doors slid shut again and the elevator rose up the shaft slowly, the gears loudly groaned as they strained to pull the elevator to the higher floors.
'What's on the next level?'
'Next level contains the ground level launch area for vehicles and soldiers'
'What about the level after that?'
'Level three contains the aerial level, docking platform for the flying fortress'
"I think we'll get off on the next floor, I don't we need to go to the top floor of this place. We'll just get off on the next level."
"Alright."
"I still say that it was too easy to get out of there though, I expected some sort of attack or trap or some such thing."
Main power now online.intruders detected on sub-level prison, and elevator shaft, deploying security teams to capture.
"Well there's your attack that you were wanting, hope you're happy."
"Not really."