Max shook himself dry as he jogged away from the shore, dragging Xavier with him. Charlie had his weapon out, in katana configuration, and guarded their retreat. There was no sign of further disturbances from the water. After the boys had a good head start, he turned and ran after them deeper into the ruins.
Leah led the way. She had her javelin out, but it had grown in length to the size of a long spear. She was ready for any trouble. Max looked closely at her. The speed at which her eyeballs scanned over the buildings and rubble was a sign that she had amped up to her cognition speed to the maximum. Despite the team's aggressive scanning and careful advancement, the ruins appeared completely empty.
The buildings were arranged in a radial pattern and the team unconsciously followed the street towards its center. They soon found a large plaza with a raised pool with a large fountain in the center.
“Ha-ha! Look guys! All this rubble but there is still a working fountain.” Xavier laughed and started to head over to it.
“[Stop him, Max! Look closer, that is not water.]” Sherlock sent inside Max’s head.
Max managed to grab one of Xavier’s many arms and stopped him. “Wait a minute. Sherlock just told me to stop and look closer.” Everyone stopped and they scanned the scene. Max engaged multiple sensing and mental skills including his latest extended senses using his nano motes.
Through his enhanced vision, Max discerned the liquid in the fountain has significantly more diffraction of light than normal water producing a scintillating rainbow effect. He gasped when he realized the fountain was much more unnatural. The “water” was flowing up in a spray and then down in a central reverse jetting action, the opposite of a normal water fountain.
His [Access] and [Identification] skills failed completely, but he could see that the fluid glowed strongly in his EM sense. One of his scanner motes had flown in too close as Max tried to understand the patterns inside the fluctuating inverted fountain. It went offline, surprising Max.
He boosted his mental speed and used his [Memory] skill to replay it from another perspective and slow it down. A rising droplet from the pool had impacted it. Max zoomed in and slowed the replay down using his [WorldMap] ability. The nano drone had been encapsulated by the liquid and was quickly dissolved.
Acid? He thought.
“[Not acid, Max.]” Tesla sent, interrupted his thoughts. “[My emulation has been updated with all the current technologies. Those are active nano-disassemblers. A flagrant violation of UN regulation requiring active disassemblers be contained in a reactive containment enclosure.]”
“[This is extremely dangerous! How could this be allowed?]” Musashi asked.
“[I know that the Labyrinth is considered its own sovereign nation and all. But I can't imagine the RUSA would allow this inside their borders.]” Max said.
“[None of the accounts from Labyrinth delvers ever mentioned anything like this.]” Mal sent.
Max was resynching his thought speed to warn his friends when the fountain pulsed with a powerful EM signal and the liquid rapidly crystallized. The material took on a rough form: a twelve-foot-tall statue of a woman. The statue seemed to be a mishmash of different women and styles though.
Max could see at least three different women as the statue shifted back and forth. One looked like a classical matronly figure, kind and regal, done in a traditional Greek marble style with bright painted surfaces to imitate lifelike color. Another appeared to be the same woman, but more athletic and in a warrior's outfit. It blended in elements of modern weaponry and cybernetic additions. The final was the scariest and most intimidating. It was a much older version of the woman, scarred, disfigured, and covered in a concealing robe. Her statue was darker, broken, and covered in rust and mold.
The team stepped back as the statues solidified and morphed. They all readied their weapons, expecting a new fight. The statue’s shifting features slowed and settled upon the matronly figure. It spoke without moving its mouth. The words were projected both out loud and in their heads.
“No need to be afraid, poppets. We greet all challengers of the Labyrinth. We are the overseers of its three levels.” The matronly figure said before the form shifted slightly to the darker disfigured shape.
“The new meat should be afraid.” The hag-like figure muttered before shifting back.
“Hush you! The children are listening. Ahem, my name is Clotho. Not the real one, mind you. I…we…are AI tasked with these jobs. I’ve borrowed some aspects of the human’s mythical goddess of Fate. We do so love to entertain our dear aspirants.” Clotho said, looking down on the group with a loving expression. She looked deeply at each one and mimed hearing something.
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“Yes. Yes. Don’t rush me, Atropos. As I was saying, each of us has taken the name of a Fate deity. We will each guide you…in our own way…in each of our portions of the Labyrinth.” Clotho said. In Max’s enhanced sight he could see the dense flow of energies and computation shifting over and within the statue. The power was palpable and scary.
“I represent and manage the first levels, whose count depends upon you, my little ducklings. I will provide challenges to expose any weaknesses you have in your trained skills. It will help you to strengthen them, so you will be well prepared for what comes next.” Clotho said sweetly.
It would have been endearing if she hadn’t been enormous and crackling with power. The statue shuddered and shifted, as the warrior aspect took control of the majority of the form.
“My name is Lachesis, the second Fate. When you enter my realm, your skills and your team will be tested. Clotho’s levels pass most challengers on to me, 97%. My tests will be much harder, but the rewards will also be greater. Only 44% of Labyrinth contestants can pass my tests. 93% of all who manage to pass my levels to the next will have earned their first Master's level in their augmentation training.” The statue’s warrior form looked at them with calculating eyes and a judging expression before it shifted into the final form.
“Most of you delectable morsels quit before entering deep into my realm. Atropos will break your bones and gnaw on your marrow. My task is to find your limits. Only those truly dedicated to themselves can push into my realm. 2% of your pathetic predecessors have achieved full mastery and completed their augmentation training under my knives...ah, I mean, my testing. I will break you and show you what your real limits are.” Atropos cackled briefly then finished.
“None have ever claimed the final level for the Grand Prize of the Builder. I do so hope you will keep trying and not give up. It gets so boring in the depths. You miserable bags of flesh have yet to impress me.” Atropos faded back and Clotho’s image reasserted dominance.
“I’m sorry, my darlings. Don’t be scared of the mean one. Everyone who enters the final levels will have the Backup skill given so you can be…recovered. All of what you are; rebuilt and good as new. Well…except for the memory of the level that beats you. All backups occur at the start of the level.” Clotho looked at them with care and continued.
“I’m sure that’s for the best though. No sense in remembering such nastiness anyway. Any questions?” Clotho asked with an open expression.
Charlie stepped forward and cleared his throat.
“Ah, Thank you, Miss Clotho. We were told food wouldn’t be needed. How will this be handled exactly?” he asked.
“Ah yes, my sweet. For those who have yet to earn the Recycling skill, food will be provided. Every level will have a rest area, where food and facilities will be provided. Unless a challenge specifically removes it, a crafting area is available as well. You can even retreat from a challenge to the safe area unless the challenge forbids it. Pay attention to the rules and you will be right as rain, my dears.” Clotho said kindly.
“Um, you mentioned that most challengers don’t go on to the final levels. Why not? Do they give up?” Xavier asked hesitatingly. The statue shifted to the old and malformed giant woman.
“They got no stomach for it, child! On every level, you can leave at any time. But not on mine! You enter my realm and you can only leave as a backup. Every so often an exceptional talent will convince themselves that they can defeat the final level. So far, they have all been wrong. Do you think you’re special, sweetmeat?” The hag crackled until the statue shifted again and Clotho returned.
“Okay, that’s enough scaring the children. Tutt Tutt, such an unpleasant demeanor. Pay her no mind, my brave goslings. Now, we are out of time. Off with you, my lovelies! More challengers are descending as we speak. Go on now…it’s time to learn.” She finished.
The statue shifted between the different aspects briefly, the old hag seemed to leer at Max and licked her lips. Abruptly, the sculpture dissolved and flowed down, the material transformed back into a fluid and resumed its contrary fountain appearance.
The team looked at each other and then at the plaza. At some point during the intense display of energy and power, the ruins had moved and changed. They had one way out…a path leading to a new feature, a large spiral of stone stairs leading downward.
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The three Fates watched as the team went down the stairs, together from their shared virtual meeting room. The “room” they shared had no wall and no features other than the many images provided by the omniscient eyes of the Labyrinth. Lachesis was the first to speak.
“I’ve got a good feeling about this group. I can tell they want more than just a novel experience. They are here to prove themselves.” She spoke.
“Yes. The poor dears. I expect more than one will try for the final level.” Clotho said sadly.
“Hah! Good. I haven't gotten my pound of flesh in too long.” Atropos crackled.
“Seriously? Drop the hag act, Atropos. No one is watching here.” Lachesis groaned.
“Who’s acting? Did you see them? Did you SEE them?! So very determined and quite powerful considering their augmentation record shows they only recently graduated to Adept…and so very mysterious. Hawkins is an old soldier. Those types are always tenacious and tricky. The girl looks extremely cautious and so very clever. Such cute little dart guns on the backs of her hand, but that contain quite the sting. The four-armed boy’s bag is full of goodies and that dog man…that’s not cosmetic. He really is a dog! I can’t wait to sink my teeth into them all. I’ll have their secrets…every single one of them.” Atropos was seething as her voice echoed in the space.
“Hurry them through, dammit! I can’t wait!” Atropos howled.
“Patience, sister. We all must play our roles. No special treatment allowed. I will take their measure. Lachesis will temper them. Then…you will break them and see what makes them tick, as the Builder has decreed.” Clotho finished with some measure of sadness.
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