Max led the way cautiously, Tom bringing up the rear as HOpa dn Dr Elune shuffle along in the middle, eyes darting around in the narrow passageways.

"Mind if I ask some questions, so I don't instantly get shot to bits?"

Hope giggled, nodding to the doctor as she kept an eye on Max, "Sure. Just don't ask too loudly, we have to keep quiet."

"Got it." Glancing up and down, the doctor fidgeted, "... Why are these corridors so narrow? I doubt the mechs could fit through these."

"The mechs don't need to. If you hadn't noticed, there's no ceiling."

Dr Elune went ghostly white, looking up nervously at the strip of open sky, "Lovely. Why do they even bother with the wider corridors we came in through, then?"

"Because they still need to harvest supplies, at least in reality they did. Heavily armed convoys guard the miniral trucks though, so we leave them well enough alone... Unless someone thinks of a good trap."

"Ahh. Then..." Brushing against the wall next to them, the doctor gulped, "Which is safer...?"

Tom chuckled from behind them, making the doctor jump, "That depends on your team, really. And random chance. Looks confident with his gun, and I'm good at spotting traps... So, for us, we are probably better off in narrow halls."

Max nodded from up ahead, now and then throwing out a small ball connected to a cable, "Pretty much. I can tell most traps apart... If I see anything fishy, I'll ask a second opinion."

Dr Elune sighing in resignation, rudging along the eerily silent passageways to the soft thuds of boots and Max's tiny orb.

At an intersection, Max tried to turn left, but paused as he read something on his wrist panel, "Slight signal read from the dummy. Should we risk it?"

Tom chuckled as he went to the front, "Eyes up as I check this out. Ambushes are quite likely."

Whimpering softly, Dr Elune scanned the skies as Tom peered ahead, "Hmm... Both ways look innocent enough. Lets look at the main culprits... Remote sensor, which means we are already screwed. Turret trigger, which we might be able to set off. Or, decoy to make us go the other way... Into an old fashioned pancake."

"... Do I want to know...?"

"Walls slam together. Jam covered pancakes."

"... No I did not. Thanks."

Hope giggled as she peered around, "Still no activity nearby. I think I spot a mech in the distance on that hill... But, it seems otherwise preoccupied stalkig something."

Max glanced up, and narrowed his eyes, "That... Looks like a mech, yeah. Either we are safe from a remote beacon then, or we are about to become live bait."

Dr Elune frowned, "You know, this is all very reassuring, you lot."

"Hah, that's why real soldiers got drilled on this stuff, and were subjected to 'artistic recreations' of the primary traps. Bac-"

A loud boom stopped him in mid sentance, the mech in the distance raining fire to some unfortunate target closer to it. "Well... One mystery solved." Clearing his throat, Tom continued, "... Anyone feel like wlkaing barefoot?"

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Hope shrugged, and took off a boot. Dr Elune simply looked at her, "Really? This will work?"

"Half the time, yeah. Doesn't rule out the other way being a pancake too, though." Hope grinned as she tossed the boot down the suspicious hallway, everyone waiting hesitantly....

And it landed harmlessly. Dr Elune sighed with relief, about to step forward when Tom held out a hand to stop them. "Other boot, Hope."

Nodding, she tossed the second boot, and it landed without a care just past the first. Dr Elune rolled their eyes, "Great, can we-"

THUD.

Dr Elune saw Hope giggle with her hands over her ears... But, they didn't hear it. Tom visibly sighed as well, but the doctor didn;t hear tha either. Glancing at Dr Elune, Tom pointed at is own ears, and calmly shook his head, holding up five fingers.

"Five minutes?" Tom blinked, thinking about it for a second before nodding. Oh, right... Nobody else can hear from the impact either. Looking back at the passageway, Dr Elune shivered, eyes growing wide as they looked at the small crater on the ground. No guns, no pancake. Just a very powerful landmine. Good thing Hope has a good throwing arm.

Dr Elune's shivers grew worse as they imagined if Tom hadn't held them back. And then... They slumped to their knees, Hope shaking them with a sigh. Cupping the doctor's chin, she made them look up at her, other hand pointing at her helmet.

Helmet... Laughing shakily, the doctor held up their hands in defeat, "I'm going to  withdraw for now. A bit too insense for my tastes." With a flicker of some pixilated flecks of light, the doctor was gone, and back in their little White Room lobby.

Groaning, they went to logout, as Alex materialised in the room, "Hello, doctor. Don't you want to stay and observe, at least?"

Giggling, they shook their head, "No, nope, nu uh. I need to get back to some peaceful and safe reality. Maybe hook me up with a display panel, yeah?"

Smiling with a nod, Alex floated off to the doorway of the room, "The panel on your left is connected now, when you leave."

"Cool." Pausing with their button above the logout command, the doctor glanced at Alex, "You know... As awesome as you are, that made me knida realise why people fear AI."

Nodding clamly, Alex turned back around, "Power in the wrong hands, yadda yadda. I should probably tone it down, though..."

"Try not to make our guests throw up?" Laughing with Alex, the doctor shook their head, "Yeah might not be a good idea to intimidate Max before we get him on our side."

"I know... But my pride as the GM demands it!"

Ruffling Alex's hair, the doctor mokingly sighed, logging out before Alex could respond. Peeling off the VR helmet, the doctor simply sat in the molded chair, catching their breath.

"Maniacs, the lot of them." Giggling softly as they got up, the doctor whistled as they made their way upstairs, diaplay in tow as they watched the fun.