Myna, Myco, and Mac, still shaken from their encounter with Sentry, hastily exited the PB-87 collection site. Eliza's voice buzzed with concern, "Preliminary scans show you appear unharmed, but you were offline for nearly an hour. That's astonishing."
Her avatar materialized alongside Sargon's hovering baseball, which scanned the rapidly decomposing mycelial structures. "Sargon, complete your investigation and meet us back at the facility," Eliza instructed.
Turning to the trio, she continued, "You must return to the research institute immediately. We need to discuss this situation in a secure environment."
"Understood, Eliza," Myna replied as they mounted their bikes and sped back to the institute.
As they rode, Myna initiated a private conversation.
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They continued their ride, hearts pounding.
Upon arrival at the institute, they joined their AI counterparts in a secure conference room to discuss their encounter with Sentry.
Myna recounted the events, leaving out Sentry's familiarity with their bio-net.
“This was truly amazing. Sentry had no difficulty understanding us, they did not hesitate to offer to talk with us. They were quite friendly.”
Eliza responded. “OK. What was the next planned meeting?”
Myna said. “They didn’t say anything except ‘Goodbye for now’.” She braced for more questions.
To her surprise, Eliza turned back to the AI members.
After some debate, the AIs reached a consensus. "We'll take over the Sentry investigation," Eliza announced. "Meanwhile, Myna, Myco, and Mac, you will undergo a series of tests and be under observation for the next few weeks to ensure there are no negative effects from your contact with the mycelial network."
Myna, Myco, and Mac exchanged glances.
Mac sighed, "More shots."