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Max made his way towards the Business Center. The sector of the massive casino complex was a lot more upscale than the android’s quarter. Max used the journey to add more detail to the team’s OverLayer map of the level.
He added a special layer to the map showing all the low-tech surveillance cameras and more importantly, the gaps in coverage. Unlike Clotho’s levels, Lachesis wanted to emulate a period of humanity's history where the modern panopticon was mature but not as pervasive as nanotechnology allowed.
Max pushed for advancement in his lagging and least-used skills. Miyamoto and Mal were working together to ensure his [Gestalt] skill was pulling his more esoteric senses continually to train them up. He snorted as some notifications rolled in, confirming the group effort.
[Gestalt +1, Gestalt reaches level 5, Skill advancement through sorting and the augmented sensorium to enhance situational and environmental assessment.]
[EM Sense +1, EM Sense reached level 10. Skill cap award +100XP. EM Sense skill now enables detailed information regarding electromagnetic signals and their sources, providing user critical details on surrounding devices and their function.]
[AI Companion +1, AI Companion reached level 9. Advancement of this skill enables your AI companion additional processing resources as well as enhanced collaboration in your augmentation system’s management.]
[Intrusion +1, Intrusion reached level 9. Intrusion skill enables access to even access restricted devices. The skill now enables deeper control and more discrete control.]
[PokerFace +1, PokerFace reached level 6. PokerFace controls and filters micro-expressions and restricts subconscious leakage. Now enables projections of fake micro-expressions.]
[Mask +1, Mask reached level 3. Train skill to increase altered information displayed to lower identification skills]
[Nanotracker +1, Nanotracker reached level 9. Active or intermittent tracking of tagged people and devices can provide location and direction to the user. Additional tracking mote now available 8/9. Current active trackers (4): Xavier Bermatti, Charlie Harkins, Leah Hoi, Nigel Farnsworth. Current inactive trackers (4): Tony Lombardi Hench-droid, Marco “Tank” Rossi Hench-droid, Leroy Jenkins (LUNA), Ethan Chen (ACME).
[Void Sense +1, Void Sense reached level 4. Train this skill to utilize a personal mote swarm to feel surrounding surfaces and objects. Data can be incorporated into OverLayer and Gestalt.]
[Geiger +2, Geiger reached level 7. The radiation detection skill can now map zones of intensity and directionality of strong point sources. Data can be incorporated into OverLayer and Gestalt.]
Max had made a little detour on his way out of the android quarter. His Geiger sense had picked up some anomalous signals that he was curious about and had tracked down. The signal had come from one of the most popular weaponsmith’s strongbox.
At Sherlock’s insistence, Max bought some more graphene cables in case he needed a quick field repair of his grappler and to pay in casino chips. The signal had jumped in intensity as the proprietor took Max’s chips in payment and opened the strongbox.
With only a little more evidence, the daemon theorized that the highest-value chips might have tritium seeds in them which were producing the new radiation signals. He encouraged Max to win some games today and prove his guess.
As he approached the business center, Max could see in his mind map that Leah wasn’t too far away. The shared map showed her favorite training center, Minas’ Dojo, nearby. He could also see the current location of those larcenous androids. Sherlock had helpfully tagged the location as “Nefarious Base of Operations”.
Max nodded thoughtfully, the pieces of his plan for Nigel slowly forming and changing as he built up his information. If he played his “cards” right, tonight would balance the scales of justice while also being fun and lucrative. He opened the business center door with a sense of determination and focus.
The high-tech business center’s lobby boasted marble floors and towering digital screens that once showcased the latest in achievements and statistical achievements from past Labyrinth players. Plush leather chairs and contemporary art pieces adorned the space, exuding an air of sophistication and luxury.
However, signs of neglect and stagnation had begun to creep in. The once-vibrant digital displays now flickered intermittently, some frozen on outdated information. Holographic signs flashed the center's rules and hours of operation, their projections wavering and occasionally glitching. A thin layer of dust coated the countertops and decorative pieces, and the leather chairs, while still plush, showed cracks and wear.
In the corner, a single drab android sat at an ancient, slightly rusted terminal, its mechanical fingers a blur as it furiously typed away. The robot’s sleek exterior contrasted sharply with its surroundings, its dedication a stark reminder of the business center’s former glory.
The hum of its activity was one of the few signs of life in the otherwise eerily silent space, a testament to both the center's high-tech past and its current state of disrepair. The bot’s fingers flew over the buttons faster than a hummingbird's wings. Max cleared his throat, but the android ignored him. Max growled low and spoke.
“Excuse me. This is the business center, correct?” he asked.
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The android swiveled its faceplate to view Max, his typing never slowing. The faceplate’s holographic image flickered through a rapid firing of extreme emotions: boredom, anger, sleep, fascination, disdain, joy, confusion, and pain. The bot’s face swiveled back to viewing its screen as its vocoder squelched and broke over the harried typing.
“This is the Business Center. I am its supervisor, and as you can see, I am indeed very, very busy,” the android said as it resumed its work, refusing to look at Max.
Max’s PokerFace skill amped and froze the growl building in his throat as his anger spiked. He needed this android’s assistance. An adversarial approach would not help him. He triggered his identification skills and read the information.
[Identify: Trevor SPR-404, Casino Terminal Business Center Supervisor, Status: Busy]
Taking a deep breath, he straightened his posture and softened his voice. "I understand that you're busy, but I really need your help with something urgent!" Max said with forced calm. Trevor's typing slowed down slightly, and he glanced up at Max with a hint of curiosity in his faceplate.
“Of course, it's urgent. No one ever visits me to enjoy the day or share a good laugh. No, Tidak, Nie, Hapana, Nein, Aniyo, Nahin!” Trevor sighed, still refusing to look at Max and typing all the faster.
"I get it, you’re the busiest bot in the building," Max said, his voice strangled slightly by his PokerFace skill, coming out pathetic instead of sarcastic. "But I need to make a secure communication to the outside world. My father. Please, it's urgent."
[PokerFace +1, PokerFace reaches level 7]
Trevor’s LED faceplate displayed a smirk. "Secure communication, you say? Oh my God! Oh la la! Nossa! Aman Tanrim! Voi luoga! Etcetera and Etcetera. The world is always burning for you Players. Did you think to make an appointment?”
Max's patience was wearing thin. "Look, Trevor, this is really important. I need to contact my father. Can you please tell me what the going rate is?"
"Contact your father, you say? Oh, how touching to want a familial connection amid the depths of the cruel, cruel dungeon. I bet he’s a very important and wealthy guy too. Unfortunately, Players must pay their way. No collect calls! And our communication services are highly regulated, so I can't bend the rules for sob stories. The rates are quite high. Are you absolutely sure? There are no refunds."
Max clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm. "Look, I can pay. I think. How expensive are we talking, exactly?"
Trevor paused his typing, a dramatic sigh emitting from his vocoder. "Oh, all right. Let's see... For a secure line, you’ll need to fill out a mountain of system work, provide biometric authentication, and endure a rigorous calibration process. It's not exactly a quick process."
"Trevor, please," Max said through gritted teeth. "This is important."
"Important to you, maybe," Trevor quipped, returning to his typing. "But I’ve got deadlines to meet. Lachesis herself wants all the Labyrinth power metrics compiled before the end of my shift, and I am so far behind schedule I need additional work like I need an EMP to the back of the neural core. Actually, that sounds quite restful." Trevor resumed his work, humming to himself as Max waited. It soon became clear the android supervisor had resumed ignoring him, engrossed in his project.
Max knew he had to take action. He discreetly activated his Intrusion skill and began hacking into Trevor's computer. The screen flickered, and the keyboard locked up. Trevor's typing came to an abrupt halt.
“What the—?” Trevor's faceplate displayed a mix of shock and annoyance. "I knew it! This blasted machine is conspiring against me!"
Trevor frantically pressed buttons, trying to regain control. When that failed, he picked up the phone and hit his first speed dial. "Yes, it's Trevor SPR-404 again! The terminal's frozen—no, I don’t know why. It’s like it has a mind of its own, plotting to drive me mad! If I didn’t know better, I’d accuse you of sabotage but I won’t attribute malice to your incompetence with computers. "
After several frantic exchanges, Trevor slammed the phone down in frustration. "Useless, all of them! Conspiring machines and incompetent tech support!"
Trevor turned his attention back to Max, his LED faceplate displaying a series of exaggerated eye rolls. "Fine. The costs are high. Ten thousand credits per petabyte, one hundred thousand per minute, and you need to reserve a slot 24 hours in advance."
Max swore under his breath. "I get it. I'll pay. Just book me a slot."
Trevor's annoyance was evident, but he nodded. "All right, human…ah, dog? Whatever. Don’t be late. The quantum encryption process uses a depletable quantity of entangled Q-dots. The only method in the modern age of hacking that absolutely ensures privacy. You’re lucky that our reserves are full. We don’t actually get many customers.”
Max watched as Trevor reluctantly entered the reservation into the system. "Thank you," Max said, a hint of relief in his voice. "I'll be ready."
As Max turned to leave, he lifted his hack, allowing Trevor's computer to reboot. The screen flickered back to life, and Trevor's fingers twitched, ready to resume their frantic typing.
Trevor's faceplate displayed a mix of resignation and irony. "Ah, the joys of modern technology. Always ready to ruin your day and then miraculously recover just in time to remind you of all the work you still have to do."
Max couldn't help but smirk as he walked away. "Good luck with that, Trevor."
"Thanks, human," Trevor called after him, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "And remember, if you ever need training lessons in patience, you know where to find me."
As Max checked the time, he realized he might make it back to the Gaming Theater before the ACME leader squared off against the DAIE agent in training. He broke into a run as Captain Cipher and Tesla were cackling in the virtual space in his mind. He broke off a portion of his consciousness to focus on his navigation and find out more.
Both Tesla and Captain Cypher were dancing a jig in front of a large display. Circuit patterns and numbers clustered in chaotic arrays, flickering, and changing.
“What’s so funny, you two?” He asked. The pair broke off their antics, looking happy to see Max in the virtual space. Cypher stepped forward and answered.
“Well, I really couldn’t help doing a quick peeking and poking around in Trevor’s computer while I had it in an armlock. He wasn’t kidding about his report. All the power flows and budgets for the entire Labyrinth level. Geothermal stacks and fusion plants and all the major embedded power lines to the dungeon stages, Casino matter compilers, and even the AI Lachesis’s personal neural core. I kind of lifted us a copy for keepsakes.” Captain Cypher crowed. Tesla barged into the conversation.
‘More importantly…MAPS! The expansion of your Tesseract has been severely curtailed due to all the power lines being deep inside the infrastructure and inaccessible. But now, I see several junctions that we might be able to access. Nearly unlimited amounts of power, my boy! So much so that I’ll need to reconfigure our jumper cables to handle the bigger load.” Tesla was red-faced with excitement in the virtual space.
Max’s virtual grin grew. Lachesis controlled the floor, information, material, credits, rules, power, and more. Any loopholes they could find would be a huge wedge and help to winning this level. His short-term plans for taking Nigel down would be satisfying, but Max needed to begin thinking about the long game. He needed more info.
“Tell me more about those junctions…”
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