CHAPTER 43: Moving Ahead
"Well?" demanded the sinister figure of Skull, lurking in the shadows as usual.
"Well Master, we've got some good news and some bad news," Black said nervously. "I'm sure you're aware that one of our units went astray from its mission and was captured, right?"
"I probably knew before anyone else," Skull growled. "What about it?"
"Well, we've been monitoring the targets, and we've got a problem," Black said. "The bat is considering going back to work for her old buddies at the agency, according to the unit monitoring her. If she does, she could acquire the means to access Number 62's memory chip. If she does, we could be discovered!"
"And you think I'm not aware of this?" Skull growled. "I've spent YEARS planning what is to come. I have carefully examined every possible scenario, and I know what could happen in every one."
"Yes, Master, of course," Black said. "I've been studying the new AI since it was developed, and it has a flaw. There are essential groups of coding found in it that group together to form unexpected protocols. Free will, per se. I've determined that to be the reason why Number 62 went astray."
"How many units have received the new AI?" Skull demanded.
"Ten so far, although one was destroyed," Black said. "We've selected a few units for a debug team, so to speak. To work out any flaws in the AI. So far, that's the only one we've found. One of the security units refused to follow an order to discipline a slave who was slacking off, and was destroyed the following day when it saw a slave being beaten. It had attempted to destroy the unit administering the punishment, but six other units positioned nearby stopped it."
"Great," Skull growled. "That's the last thing we need. Units with free will refusing to obey. Decommission the other nine as soon as possible, and delete the new AI programming. Perhaps the old AI was the better way to go."
"Yes, Master," Black said. "Also, we've had electrical failure in three of the mine shafts. The power core seems to be stretched to its limit. We may need to find another method of powering the complex, or we risk massive security failure. Lockdown would be impossible."
"Oh, that's great, more good news," Skull growled(lots of growling, huh?) while standing up. "Has anyone in R&D proposed a solution to this problem?"
"No," Black said. "Although I may have a solution."
"Tell me," Skull said in a more normal tone of voice.
"We could build a generator with a turbine turned by a large conveyor belt," Black said. "Then we could build a squad of units with no AI, programmed only to run in place on this belt, operating it like a treadmill and generating a continuous supply of power."
"By the time we completed that, the fools above would have figured out the secret to free energy," Skull said. "I'll think of something. Tell me, how is the Cybernetic Warrior program coming along?"
"We've determined it impossible to successfully equip the slaves with CW weaponry," Black said. "While we HAVE been able to attach the mechanical parts to their bodies, our initial hypothesis, that the electrical signals sent to their nerve endings would trigger the desired reaction in the equipment, was incorrect. The sensors in the equipment are unable to detect the signals, according to R&D. However, there IS a shred of good news about the whole program."
"Which is?" Skull inquired.
"The training ground is up and running," Black said.
"That's better news than you thought, Black," Skull said, chuckling. "Bring me a four-foot pole, an inch in diameter, made of the strongest alloy we possess. I want one end shaped into a point. Also, select ten security units and release them into the training ground. I'm going to break it in."
"Yes Master," Black said. "Will there be anything else before I go do that?"
"Yes," Skull said. "How many Emeralds has our dull-witted hunter collected?"
"Two so far," Black said. "One of the slaves brought them in."
"Excellent," Skull said. "Now go do as I ordered."
"Yes Master," Black said, backing out of the room.
Perhaps it's time to step up our timetable, Skull thought. Move ahead with the plan. Our resources will not last forever, so we need to get a firm foothold before they start to wear thin...
I know, short chapter. Anyway... I'll bet a lot of you weren't thinking about our as yet undescribed villain Skull, so I figured a nice reminder was in order. I was gonna say something else, but I forgot what it was. Ah well. Review away.