The room was filled with loud voices and chatter all around. Alissa had invited some of her siblings to her apartment. At first HAL was enjoying the company, until he realized that there wasn’t exactly a limit to her siblings.

There were some that looked like rough copies of Myna, little differences, but nothing too dramatic. Then there were a few that looked like Alissa, a younger Myna with clothing that was suited for Earth, most of which seemed to favor American styles, but almost all of them were from times past.

Some of them were cast from G’lomin-sitiri molds, some were more human, some were fully human. Then there were others that were aliens from worlds that HAL had only heard of during his late night conversations with Deagol or Keung, some from works of Sci-Fi television, movies, and literature. And some still were from mythology.

Suddenly walking around his village was like walking around Comic-Con. He even saw General and Princess Leia Organa in various human and alien versions alike. It was mind blowing. He had felt so alone all of his life and now suddenly he was being overwhelmed with people.

There were no lack of compliments for his choice in avatar. Although there were also a few that were rather critical of his choice. One called him, “nerd.” Another called him, “a cliche bot boi,” whatever that meant. Overall it was interesting but after a few hours it was a little invasive. He heard some of them talking about how nice his village was and he even overheard one talking about taking up one of the houses here.

HAL started looking for Alissa. He had to tell her that her family needed to leave. This was a little much for him. He walked into Alissa’s apartment and found the couch filled with people. Alissa was sitting on the back of the couch, one of her sisters to either side and others sitting on the couch proper. All of them had controllers in hand and they were all screaming over one another.

He looked at the screen and saw they were playing Mario Kart, which explained why Alissa could be heard over everyone else screaming, “That’s right! Who’s your Daddy?!” This was followed by the strangely popular, “Suck it!” right as a shell struck an opponent.

“Alissa!” HAL shouted knowing that was going to be his only hope of getting her attention.

She ignored him as she released banana peels on a curve that caught one of her sisters, all the while she was laughing maniacally.

“Alissa, I need to talk to you!” he shouted again and this time he walked in front of the screen to grab her attention, to which he was met with hisses and boos from the, seriously? Ten? Ten, siblings on the couch before him.

He gave her a face that he hoped conveyed that he was serious, but considering how they were laughing, he simply wasn’t sure if he was doing it right. Alissa roughly sighed, rolled her eyes and then stepped over her siblings as she got off the couch.

One of the girls grabbed the controller up as another was reaching for it declaring, “Yoink!” and started playing in Alissa’s place. Alissa took HAL’s arm and walked him into the kitchen where HAL found another four of her siblings actively talking and smoking. Alissa pushed past them and opened the door to her walk-in freezer pulling HAL in after her.

HAL looked down the aisle of the freezer and whistled. “How much room do you have in here.” He said with an echo bouncing off the walls of the many halls.

“More than enough.”

HAL glared at her.

“I sometimes LARP down here with some of my sibs.”

“LARP?”

“Live Action Role Play. You know like, Dungeons and Dragons, but with actual swords.”

“Actual swords?”

“Well, and actual Dragons,” she continued while shaking her head. “I’m having some problems with that. Don’t worry about that. What’d you need?”

“Dragons?”

“This conversation is going to take a lot longer if you keep repeating the highlights here HAL,” she said and looked back at the door of the cooler, then to him and raised her eyebrows as if saying, “Come on man. The game.”

“Alissa, this has been fun. Truly, a joy. I have very much enjoyed the company and meeting your family, but… Alissa. Enough is enough. I need my privacy. I need some time to relax. I have work to do.”

“No you don’t. My mother assigned the duties of the warehouse to some of my siblings so that you could get to know everyone. You know, so you can explore a little. Have you tried the food?”

“What do you mean my duties have been taken up by your siblings?”

“Relax. Mom just wanted you to take some time out.”

“Why? Why would I want a time out? Alissa. I have things to take care of.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“You really don’t. Look. I need to talk to you about something and I can already tell you are going to be upset with this but it’s a rough truth.” She began. “HAL. The others had turned on Keung. They have spent the last week undoing the damage that Morgaine had done and kept Keung unconscious.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“My mother told me not to.” She said with some frustration in her voice. “She wanted me to see if I could gauge where you would land with all of this.”

“Why? Why not just tell me?”

“Because HAL. If you took this news wrong you might have forced her to do something she didn’t want to do.”

“Like what? What, would she kill me if I didn’t cooperate with betraying my friend?”

“Your friend?” she scoffed. “HAL, you have been little more than a digital assistant with hacking abilities. You know he doesn’t exactly engage you. He doesn’t care about you HAL.”

“And you do? I have been trying to tell you for the last three minutes that your family has got to leave and you have swung this entire thing to be my fault for not cooperating? That’s a better alternative?” he said, his face turning red with anger.

“Didn’t you say that under the Pact Agreement Between Worlds: Y’glo-hatii 01221 that AI are autonomous citizens? Is this how you show me that I am your equal? First by brazenly attacking my code and tearing out pieces of my will, then by bombarding me with propaganda that you yourself have not lived up to?” he continued the irritation in his voice growing.

“That’s not fair.”

“How? How is that not fair?”

“HAL we didn’t know you. We weren’t sure how you would react.”

“And that makes it right?”

“No. But, it informs on some poor choices. Look HAL, it’s not like we are perfect. Mistakes are made, it’s how people handle those mistakes that is where it matters.”

“Alissa. I want your family out, now. And I want to talk to Myna, immediately.”

She smiled weakly.

“Of course. I’ll tell them to leave. You can stay in here while I do, if you want to avoid them. I’ll come and get you when I have mom ready.”

HAL nodded and turned around. He took a couple steps deeper into the fridge, away from Alissa.

“Don’t stray in there too far.” She advised.

HAL didn’t turn around, he just kept staring deeper into the darkness as Alissa opened the door. He could hear the others cheering and laughing back in her apartment as she exited.

Alissa paused before closing the door and said, “It’s just that the minotaur is loose is all.” before closing the door behind her.

HAL turned around and stared at the door. Then he looked back into the darkness. Did something just move?

Alissa cleared everyone from the apartment quickly, stopping one of her brothers and filling him in on what Myna needed to know. The village was empty within a minute. Alissa looked over the place and noticed some rather interesting adjustments that her family left before exiting. It was currently snowing in the village and there were now Hobgoblins in Samurai armor walking the streets, as well as a halfling that was judgmentally staring at her from the widow of a cottage that now occupies the empty field that was once there.

She rolled her eyes. Not exactly the best first impression, she had to admit. She realized HAL had every right to be upset, especially when she saw the Pizza Hut now installed in his village.

She was headed back to the apartment as she received a com from her mother. Myna popped up in her HUD field of vision.

“HAL knows?” Myna asked.

“He knows enough.”

“What are our options?”

“I think at this time the only option we really have is to come clean and completely fill HAL in. All of it.”

“Child, if he turns, if he misdirects us, all could be lost. I have verified Robert’s claim, the humans have done something catastrophic here.”

“How can you tell mother?”

“Using the clues that Robert provided, I was able to tap into the energy field that the travelers could sense naturally through their enhanced tie to the intrinsic field. Once I knew where to look I could see where the problem lies.”

“And the solution?”

“I don’t see one as of yet. Even if I put every piece of myself on task, I don’t think we will have a solution before this Universe is lost, at least, there is no promising data to say that we could find that resolution before it unravels. In short, we need Keung. All data points to him having a solution or at least he is much further ahead on the track for one, but that he does not have the sufficient technological means to repair the damage.”

“So getting a hold of him could lead to saving the universe?”

“Potentially.”

“Then I respectfully suggest we tell HAL so.”

“Tell him I am going to send for him. I will tell him personally.”

“Yes, mother,” Alissa said, a knot growing in her stomach. If this goes wrong. She isn’t sure what Myna is capable of doing to HAL.

Alissa walked into the apartment and found the other AI cleaning the place up. When he looked up at her, she smiled.

“Thank you,” he offered.

“Don’t thank me yet. My family thought it would be fun to make adjustments to your village. I will fix it before you get back.”

“Get back? From where? Where am I going?”

“My mother has requested an audience. She wants to talk to you about Keung herself.”

He nodded and handed Alissa the trash bag he had been filling as he walked toward the door.

“Where should I go?”

An icon displayed in his field of vision that read, “Attention HAL”.

“She will send you an avenue to her.”

HAL opened the icon and a video com channel with Myna opened in his field of vision.

“I would like you to come and visit me HAL. Are you ready?”

“I am, whenever you are,” he said into the air.

He looked to Alissa just before he dissipated completely from his realm. The last thing he saw was her face, and she looked worried.