Season 3: Chapter 92: NOT FRIEND
“TAKE CARE?! WHAT IMPUDENT NOTION OF YOU TO THINK YOU WORTHY TO LAY A HAND ON MY PRECIOUS LORD HIRO!!!!” Slimey’s body exploded, flooding the once spacious interior with slime. “I’LL DISSOLVE YOU UNTIL THE VERY MEMORY OF YOU IS CLEANED AWAY!”
Ah. So this is happening.
The Queen Slime gushed forward like a tidal wave of blue, her amorphous mass crashing against the bots who were helpless against the electrified tsunami known as Slimey.
From my limited vision and sight, I could hear binaric screeches, groaning metal, and blaster bolts flying everywhere in defiance of my Queen.
Name: Slimey: Holy Super Slime LvL 4
Title: Hiro’s Champion
HP: 1987/2550
MP: 420/550
Skills: Dissolve LvL 6. Slime Shot LvL 5. Cleanse LvL 5. Foam LvL 2. Solidification LvL 5. Bounce LvL 3. Physical Resistance LvL 4. Cold Resistance LvL 2. Mimic LvL 2. Blend LvL 2. Duplicate LvL 1. Shape Change LvL 2. Slime Bullet LvL 3. Holy imbue LvL 2. Mend LvL 5. Bubble Blow LvL 1, Acid Immunity LvL EX, Striking Resistance LvL 3, Slashing Resistance LvL 3, Enlight LvL 1, Electric Discharge LvL 1, Lightning Body, Compress.
Simultaneously I could see her HP falling, the automatons targeting her cores and attacking to eliminate her weak points but alas… they were no match before the awesome power of Slimey.
“I'LL RIP OUT YOUR INSIDES AND FASHION A FOOT REST FOR MY LORD!” Slimey screamed before the machines caught inside her body were electrocuted.
Virgil backed off, the humanoid machine surprisingly agile as he retreated to stand atop his pet metal bug.
Gobledo and Lhikan sprung into action, the pair finishing off the fried bots while pressing their attack on Virgil.
With his minions shut down Virgil's eye blinked in rapid succession, some kind of code it seemed as his Hunter Bot screeched and bolted forward to buy its master time.
“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?! DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU'D TAKE CARE OF MY PRECIOUS?!” Slimey roared, deftly dodging the hunter bot’s laser barrage before summoning Dragon Slayer with telekinesis to cut its weapon off.
The two clashed with Slimey utilizing her full form to swallow even the hunter before turning her attention to the fleeing Virgil.
He didn't get far as Slimey's tentacles snatched his airborne body.
Should I let her kill him? This wasn't the real Virgil, yet… he was. Artificial or not his mannerisms, manner of speech, and tone were the same, even the memory. Could I allow my servant to kill a friend? To silence what was without a doubt a repository of an entire race’s culture and history?
Before I could intervene, Slimey cut Virgil in half, the yellow automaton’s body giving way to the Dragon Slayer and falling into two pieces with both halves still attempting to get away.
The answer came to me then.
Slimey, wait!
At my order she froze, the black edge of the Dragon Slayer merely an inch from Virgil’s neck.
“Going soft Hiro?” Virgil let out, his red eye flaring for a moment as Slimey took on my form to deliver my message.
“If what everyone has told me about the Lemodians is true… I can’t kill you, even if I wanted to,” My words flowing from Slimey’s mouth. “AI or not, you are my last remaining friend, and all that remains of an entire race's history. I really, really wish it didn’t have to be this way.”
“So do I, my friend, but I am shackled by my programming, the steward of this facility. If you wish to leave, you'll have to destroy this facility otherwise I'll never stop trying to prevent you from leaving.”
Great, words I didn't want to hear. But I did have an idea…
“Tell me, have you seen the sky since you've woken up?” I asked as the sound of metallic chittering echoed through the halls.
“I’m bound to this facility dude. You better run while you have the chance, my drones are coming.”
Well. That settles that then.
Slimey slashed off Virgil's arms, the appendages clanking against the floor with an audible thunk.
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“Please don't tell me you're going to do what I think you're doing?” Virgil groaned.
“You know me too well,” Slimey replied as Gobledo rushed over and picked up the disabled bot.
"Yes well I expected this from drunk you, not duck you."
“Milord, may I ask what you're doing?” Lhikan asked, the old paladin finishing off the Hunter before joining us.
Hm. Looks like he figured out the machine's weak points.
“The Lord's will is not yours to question,” Slimey spat with the Paladin realizing it wasn't me but Slimey adopting my form.
Moving with Virgil in tow, I gave instructions to Slimey as bolts of lasers trailed our tails.
“Virgil, where are my companions?”
“In the conservatory,” The bot replied quickly, too quickly for my liking. “You remember where Gledo’s swimming pool was?”
“You mean the hole he called a pool?”
“A few of the lads had a good idea to catch and farm some critters for parts and materials, so we turned it into a conservatory. There is plenty of algae to sustain you and your company should you surrender.”
Yeah, no thanks. The prospect of eating algae for all eternity didn't sit well with me.
Running it dawned on me that the bots behind us had stopped firing, allowing us to move unimpeded through the hallways.
No doubt Virgil's doing with the conservatory a trap.
Before long we were at our destination, a wide circular enclosure of massive windows, shuttered walls, and squeaky clean floors.
There were bots on this floor too, skinny maintenance drones hard at work on repairs and cleaning.
“So, Hiro, it's good to see you've got people with you,” Virgil said, his tone oddly tired sounding.
“Genuine question Virgil, and I don't intend this as a threat, but, being alone down here for so long, did you ever want to die?”
The machine fell silent as we walked through the underground zoo devoid of animals.
“Yes and no,” Virgil replied after some time. “It has been 1072 cycles since I awoke. For the first 100 cycles the restoration work kept me busy. The next 300 was spent trying to cure the Age Plague and the last 500 were spent on maintenance.”
“Did you ever cure the disease?”
“I did... But it's not like there are any other Lemoidians out there… especially now,” Virgil said, the robot’s eye dimming just slightly. “There was a time that I did die though-”
“Oh?”
“I was performing maintenance on the east lift when I slipped and hit the ground at terminal velocity.”
“That sounds painful.” Slimey replied as Lego sounds hit my mind.
“I wouldn't know. I'm all metal after all. I remember hitting the ground and the next, well I was sitting up in a chair… for a moment, I had thought maybe I had experienced a glitch but when I went to inspect the lift, well, I saw my body.”
“So that's what you meant by destroying the facility…”
“There's a back up of me. Even if I wanted to die I can't, and in a way, you're right. I am the last Lemoidian. I have a duty to do. For what it's worth, I don't want to do this to you.”
Around us more bots, floating drones with cameras and tiny scrubber units that seemed like a swarm of mice following us.
Man… this place.
IS REALLY NICE! What if I were to move my dungeon in here? With access to both the badlands and the uninvaded areas, this would make for a perfect staging location. With its empty facilities, I could populate it with my goblins, grow food, have cleaner bots scrubbing day and night!
In short! The perfect dungeon!
Minus the homicidal bots trying to kill me of course… actually that would make the base more secure.
But to take over the facility would mean to deactivate Virgil, or reprogram him? Would that be ethical? I mean… Virgil-
“Sir, while I am keen on locating my companions, I sense this may be a trap,” Lhikan said, tracking the maintenance workers closing in around us.
“Scared Sir Lhkian?”
“Not at all sir,” Lhikan growled, a dangerous look in his eyes. “These old bones relish the opportunity to show you what I'm worth.”
Lhikan's words pleased Slimey, but that pleasure was soon wiped away as muffled voices could be heard from behind nearby glass.
Jesse arguing with Simone.
“No! You idiot! You always do this! Making jokes, ogling girls, and harassing everyone when we need to be serious!” Simone's voice screamed as we stood beside the habitat they were trapped in.
“Do they not see us?” Lhikan asked.
“It's a polarized one way window. They can't see out of it unless I turn the shutters off,” Virgil replied.
“Oh, I see what this is, you're jealous!” Jesse laughed.
“Jealous? JEALOUS?!” Simone screamed. “What do I have to be jealous about?!”
“That women just like me? I'm a stud after all, I can't help it. I'm just too good looking.”
“Ugh! Why did you even come with us if all you were going to do is goof off! Sir Lhikan must be beside himself wondering where we went! And Lord Hiro… well… he wouldn't abandon us I don't think…”
“Tch,” Jesse scowled, “Do you really think I came here just to goof off?”
“Huh?” Simone blinked, taken aback by Jesse's shift in attitude.
“I came here for you,” Jesse said, closing the distance between him and Simone.
“Should I turn off the-” Virgil asked.
“No. Let's see how this plays out.” Slimey relayed.
Man I wish I had popcorn.
“M-m-me?!” Simone let out, the priestess completely flustered as Jesse suddenly took her hand.
“From the moment I laid eyes on you back at the chantry, my heart has known no love for anyone or thing but you,” Jesse said with a rare serious tone.
“W-what are you saying? Stop! As a priestess of Destina, my heart belongs to the church! We could never be together!” Simone protested, attempting to push Jesse away.
He grabbed her other hand, bringing her close until they were chest to chest.
“It's fine. As long as I can protect you, I'll always-” Jesse stopped mid-sentence, his and Simone gaze turning towards me and my party. “-always…”
“Sorry, that was really stressing me out,” Virgil said as Simone and Jesse both screamed.