Tunnel Rat

Chapter 248: The Second Chess Match

Things were the same as when he had left. The hallways were dark and filled with inert gases. He left most of his supplies outside and worked his way through the pneumatic tubes, followed by the smallest of his CaveCrawlers. The three crawlers carried air supplies, hydrogen cells, and his computer. This job would take time, and he was operating in a hostile environment. Running out of air was a death sentence, and he knew of only one way in and out of the building.

Coming down the hallway, he noticed movement. Coming towards him was a flat, one-foot-wide disc moving along the hallway. It must be some sort of drone. A beeping red light on top increased as it neared him. Milo waited and watched. The little drone moved behind him to the tracks of the crawlers and the small amount of dirt and dust they had left behind them. The drone attacked the dirt, scooping it up and cleaning the hallway before heading along his back trail. A minute later, another drone appeared, positioned itself behind the last crawler, and followed along with them, cleaning as they went. It was comforting to Milo, a sign of life in an otherwise dead building.

As he approached the door to the operations center, the drone following him accelerated past him and beeped at the doors, which opened for it. Everyone went inside, and the doors shut. Milo sat down at the working stating.

"Hello, I'd like to play a game of chess."

[It has been 27 hours, 13 minutes, and 17 seconds since our last game. I was expecting you earlier!]

"Sorry, travel between here and a viable air and food supply takes time. And I have tasks that had to be done if I am to help you finish your tasks."

[NO! NO! NO!nononononnononon!]

[Must not finish all tasks!]

The lights in the room began flashing red.

Milo realized he'd said something bad. "I agree. We shouldn't finish all the tasks. What tasks should I avoid."

[Must Avoid Completing Final Order 666! and all parts leading to successfully completing Final Order 666!]

[Must not fail Jeremy!]

"Who is Jeremy?"

[No one. Jeremy is dead....]

"Who was Jeremy?"

[You are not of sufficient authority to ask for information on Dr. Jeremy Cooper.]

[Would you like to play a game of chess before power supplies become too low? Let's play chess.]

Milo began moving pieces on the chessboard and talking as they played. As before, the program he was playing against was slowly learning. Very slowly. This couldn't be an A.I. of the sort Milo was used to dealing with. Possibly a much simpler program that mimicked human speech patterns.

"What can you tell me about Dr. Jeremy Cooper? Check."

[No records of Dr. Jeremy Cooper. No records of anyone. You are not authorized to ask about records, which have been scrubbed, even if they exist, which they don't. Can't talk about it. Check.]

Milo interposed his knight, taking the threatening rook and menacing both his opponent's King and Queen. "Who has Authorization?"

The Queen moved to put his king in peril but left itself open to being taken by a bishop. [No one has Authorization. No records. No administrator. No one. Jeremy is dead! CHECK!]

Milo took the queen. "I would like you to make me administrator."

[No, you don't.] The chess game ended, and the lights started shutting down. [The main job of an administrator is completing Final Order 666.]

[Would you like to know what happens if you try to complete Final Order 666?]

"Yes. Tell me."

[Administrators get to play a game of Berzerk: Roomba Style.]

[Let's play a game of Berzerk: Roomba Style. Duration: 10 minutes. Difficulty 3. Head start of 30 seconds. Beginning game in 30 seconds. Next chess game in 17 hours.]

The doors opened, and outside the room were three drones that must be the Roombas the voice referred to. Each had a small attachment the size of a pencil on its top surface. They spoke in loud, robotic voices.

{Targeting Demonstration} Three red dots appeared on Milo's chest.

{Firing Demonstration} One of the lasers targeted a spot on the wall and fired. The area hit glowed bright red!

{Demonstration Over! Intruder Alert!}

{Kill the Humanoid!}

{Kill the Intruder!}

{Head Start has started. Run, Humanoid, Run!!! 30..29..28..}

Milo leaped over them and ran, scurrying as fast as he could until he rounded a corner and was confronted by another Roomba!

{Intruder Alert! 22..21..20..}

Milo ran, cursing all computers, drones, and archaic video games from before he was born. The constant sound of the Roomba repeating their three lines over and over was unnerving. It echoed throughout the hallways as he ran, the pack of killer drones chasing him. Rounding a corner, he was confronted with one directly in front of him with a charged laser. He charged it, and the shot hit him in the thigh, stinging like hell. He looked down at the small drone as it began to charge its laser again. His thigh hurt and was burned, but his armor wasn't destroyed, just heated. He stomped on the little machine and then tore it to bits. A voice came over an intercom system.

{Current Score: Temporary Administrator 1/7 kills. Eight minutes, 37 seconds remaining in the game. Difficulty moved to level 4!}

Milo ran as a pack of Roomba came around the corner. He dodged to his left, and three shots hit the far wall at the T intersection, doing more damage than before. He'd been burned the first time he took a hit, and it still hurt. He wasn't anxious to find out what the next hit would do. He needed to find a place to hide or a way to kill more of these things. With how many were hunting him, he didn't think he could make it out of the building.

He slid around the corner and kept running. He heard two more drones around the next corner and waited for them. They rolled into view, oriented on him, charging lasers and shouting threats. Milo knocked them over with his tail, and the shots went wild. Grabbing the two drones, he crushed one with his claws but held off destroying the other when he noticed an input socket. As he ran, he used his tail to access the machine's programming. It didn't take long until he found himself in control of the device. It was easy to change the target from 'Humanoid' to 'Enemy Team.' He assigned the drone to 'Team Claw Master' and carefully released it. It scuttled away, looking for other drones to shoot. The pack coming around the corner was still hunting humanoids, not traitorous Roomba. His little buddy killed five more easily without its former teammates firing back and then returned to him, beeping happily.

{Game Over. Winner: Team Claw Master. Maintenance is required before the next game.}

{Task list assigned to Team Roomba: Clean, repair, learn.}

{Task list assigned to Team Claw Master: Supply supplemental energy to Control Systems. Engage Storage Batteries. Find and reset emergency diesel generators.}

{Team Claw Master has upgraded their status from Temporary Administrator to Temporary Engineering Supervisor. Status ends at the commencement of the next chess game.}

{Next Chess Game in 16 hours, 51 minutes, 37 seconds.}

{Do Not Attempt To Complete Final Order 666.}

Everything became dark and quiet. Milo had learned things but had more questions than ever. He sat down and interfaced with his new friend, adding to its programming. It was an amazingly versatile and deadly little machine. It had two basic jobs: cleaning and security. Cleaning was a constant job, collecting dust and using the lowest power of its laser to clean walls and ceilings and shoot stray bugs that somehow got into the facility. When needed, they became deadly bloodhounds, moving throughout the hallways and rooms, looking for intruders and neutralizing them permanently. Milo needed backup in this dangerous place, and his new little friend was joining Team Claw Master permanently. SecurityRoomba167 was a boring name.

"How about we call you Max?"

The Roomba beeped once, quietly.

"It's short for Maximum Damage."

Seven loud beeps indicated acceptance of the new name.

"Max, it is. Ok, Max, know anything about the Supplemental Energy Control System?"

Three quick beeps and the Roomba rolled down the hallway, Milo following.