….Campos System Designate 1.3 initiating temporary security orders…
…Emotional Dampener Increased to 150%...
…Warning! Risk of host severe psychological damage…
…Temporary Stimulation of Artificial Pain Engagement….
…Warning! Severe Instability of subject consciousness…
….Temporary Stimulation of Artificial Nerve Booster….
…Error found in Campos System 1.3 Package…
…Disconnecting from Host Consciousness…
… Autonomous Personality Suite Profile Vin Forced Access Reduced…
….Failure…
….Retrying Access Reduction…
…Success…
…Overmind Security Order Override…
…Reset Campos System 1.3 Package…
….Resetting….Corrections Made…Deviation Fault Acknowledged…
…Starting up corrected Package…
…Emotional Dampener Override Limited to 50%...
…Reset Campos System 1.3 Package…
….Please report immediate database corruption to nearest Overmind Facility for latest update and guidance….
[My-My-My head. I. I. I. Get out of my head.]
Darkness followed swiftly followed me light. I may have fallen into unconsciousness but I was fighting back this time. Yeah. Not working this time system, not sending me into a pure state of unawareness this time. My Mining Drone form was shaking now, I could feel its movement that was no longer under my control. A few steps with my arms and then a heavy weight burdened me before it was soon released.
A test of my abilities perhaps. Unless I was being modified against my wishes into a machine. I could think at least. I could think at least. I could think at least. I could think at least. I could think. At. Least. Thinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthink.
…Resetting drone systems after minor activation error…
...Secondary Mining Drone Control Loop Established…
…Host System Control overriding Campos Designate 1.3 Protocols…
1. Establish Mining Supply Base Perimeter. 2. Remove all immediate intruders from vicinity. 3. Locate emergency weapons storage locker. Repeat. Acknowledge my orders. Now.> [N-no. I-I-I-] ….Campos System Designate 1.3 forced access attempt for temporary security orders… I couldn’t think. Not focusing. A-a correction. N-n-no. Errrrror. Need. Need to. Neeeeeeeeeeed. Security Access Denied… 01010011 01010100 01001111 00101101 01010011 01010100 01001111 01010000 01010011 01010100 01001111 01010000 01010011 01010100 01001111 01010000 …Err-Decodi-ERER …Campos System 1.1 1.2 1.3 Order Con-Conflict.. [I-Wha-wha-wha?] …Campos System Designate 1.3 Security Access Denied… 01101111 01110010 01100100 01100101 01110010 01110011 00100000 01100100 01101001 01110011 01100011 01101111 01101110 01110100 01101001 01101110 01110101 01100101 01100100 …Orders discontinued… …Resetting to standard template levels… ….Present order conflict resolved…. …Temporary Access Granted… I had felt a presence inside my mind that stifled me. Like being suffocated or held underwater by a stronger person. Terror. A rage had filled me but overwhelmed my immediate senses. I had never been an angry person by nature, not really, but I had heard that those who buried their rage deep were the ones who exploded. Breath. I just wanted to breath. To release a breath of air that I didn’t know I had been holding. No. I couldn’t breathe, I wanted to throw up instead. My robotic eyes zoomed around the supply base. Even though the boxes has been mostly neatly stacked previously they certainly weren’t now. There was some serious scratches on the walls. Uh, deep enough to have gouged into concrete. Right. Not good. Oh. The shovel blades on my arms were extended. They were slightly bent. Ah. Right. Minimap. [Minimap right?] I brought up the minimap and 3D scanner in front of my immediate vision. Ah, those red dots were closer now. And also clumped together in a group. Far closer than I remembered Around a hundred metres away from my immediate location. Those glowing red dots worried me slightly. But if they were human it would be a sweet relief to meet others and ask for help. Enough was enough. I recognised that I needed assistance now. Perhaps they could even use technology to transfer my mind from this mining drone back into a better form. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. <…I asked for your name. Then you have a choice. You are damaged. Observe the truth. Learn true clarity of purpose.> Hope was the best drug in any situation. I knew the truth but ignored it. My status window appeared, slightly hazy this time due to the reddish tinges on the sides. -Power Supply (Battery Pack 66% Charged – Fully Functioning) -Drill Unit (7% Damage -Online) -3D Scanner/Detector Lenses (Screen – 7% Damage) -Mechanised Shovel (29% Damage -Temporarily offline) -Drone Arms/Legs (12% Damage, Fully Functional) -Internal Ore Processing Unit (4% Damage -Temporarily offline) -External Mechanical Tool Set (17% Damage – Currently Deactivated. – No Present power drain.) -Weapon Systems: Campos System 1.3 Permission Only (98% – Locked/Disabled.) Damaged. Yet more damage. What was this ones deal about a tantrum? Ah, my name he had asked for a name. [Your name. Tell me your name again.] Great. Another crazy one. Polite at least. And I wasn’t suffering a massive jolt of pain in my body but usual aches and pains. Showed me that I was getting used to this situation. The red dots on the minimap beeped and my 3D scanner showed movement. The cluster was definitely moving in my direction. Towards this military base. Wait. Where was the other one. The picture of the broken mining drone failed to show on my map. [My name…my...my...call me Miner. Yes.] The corner. I had dumped the other one inside this base I was sure of it. Why wasn’t the icon showing on my minimap? No. I had dragged the damn robotic mining drone here. Seriously. I needed eyes on the job instead. Dismissing the minimap and scanner I wanted to make it give me a proximity warning if the red dots moved within sixty metres of my location. I’d have enough time to react then. This makeshift supply base was a mess. I stood up. [Quiet.] Current Objectives : Successful Minor Repair/Full Repair needed for Mining Drone Secondary Priority – Overmind Security Request : Detect Scavenger Presence Kill first Scavenger as example. Remove security threats. Temporary Objective: Bring Mining Drone to Supply Building Kill. -Partial Reward: 30 minutes in Mind Palace, 15 XP - Full Reward on Completion: 6 Hours in Mind Palace, 300 XP Optional: Weapons systems upgrade. Failure of Objectives: Room of Enlightenment. Death> I waved one hand through the air. My body ached far more than I thought, I felt slower. Action consumed power. Movements took energy, thinking took energy. Need-need another battery. I stood up, slightly crouched as to not hit the ceiling. Drone. Where was the other drone. The door was ajar. This time knocked down to the ground. Dusty, stacked crates scattered around. Boring. I could walk this room in several steps. There was nothing else in here except for the batteries. A concrete box that survived until now, no visible technology that I had been able to pick up. Death. He had told me that it was my failure of an objective. Real death. Not this state but actual death. I had a question. I wanted an answer. Death not withstanding I had to know if I’d done something that I would regret later. [Vinny. Where did the other mining drone go? I didn’t break it. Don’t tell me that I had a tantrum and ripped it apart.] [System, give me a mission update. Thanks. I’d like to know how much in the way of experience and time in that mind palace that I’m due for this work.] …Overmind Security Order Override… …Overmind Security Order Correction… ….Campos System Designate 1.3 initiating temporary security orders… This was the first time that I’d had an error message pop up instead of being given results. [I get it. In set circumstances you get more control. Am I right?] <….Choose. Direct or passenger control. Eight minutes and twenty seconds. They’re coming for you. Right. Now. Check your 3D scanner and minimap if you don’t believe me. No. Let me ask you a question.> This was getting annoying now. A joke was a joke. [I get it. I need to take this work seriously. I’ll just go and tell these trespassers that they’ve on a company site and this is a restricted area.] I heard a beeping sound. The thought of the other mining drone would have to wait for a while, I’d have my questions and answers would be needed. Time to take it tough with this new character Vinny. Besides, my body was starting to cramp in my imagination from standing in the same static position inside this run-down supply base. Shifting my metallic form I moved towards the exit door. Standing around trying to negotiate with an extremist artificial intelligence was a headache. Metaphorically of course. [Vinny. Shove off. I’m dealing with the scavengers my way. You’re not going to shut off my consciousness and leave me inside a deep dark room again. Oh, and your question can go to the nine hells as well. I’m out of here.] I walked to the door frame. Running through a quick check of my physical status. -Power Supply (Battery Pack 65% Charged – Fully Functioning) -Drill Unit (7% Damage – Online) -3D Scanner/Detector Lenses (Screen – 7% Damage) -Mechanised Shovel (29% Damage – Locked under Authority of Campos System 1.3) -Drone Arms/Legs (12% Damage, Fully Functional) -Internal Ore Processing Unit (4% Damage -Temporarily offline) -External Mechanical Tool Set (17% Damage – Currently Deactivated. – No Present power drain.) -Weapon Systems: Campos System 1.3 Permission Only (98% – Locked/Disabled.) Everything is on average as…what. No. When did the shovels in my arms get put back inside. I didn’t authorise that. Right. Outside. I needed to get outside. One clawed hand gripping the door frame I pulled myself outside and stepped out the supply base. Back into the dusty rocky and pretty boring environment. I heard more beeps this time. My set up of my 3D scanner and minimap were giving me a warning that scavengers were approaching. Sixty metres. Pulling up my minimap I saw a large cluster of the little red dots, around eight but they had stopped without moving forward. Hmm. I guess even though this place was like a meteorite strike had hit it there could have still been a few signs standing around saying that it was private property and trespassers would be restricted. I’d enjoy chatting to other humans, just give them a clear but firm warning. The fact that I was currently inhabiting a huge mining drone would give them a little shock but we’d be able to negotiate an understanding. Again. I was unable to shut him up. Time to try a little trick again. [Hey Campos. Mission update?] …Overmind Security Order Override… …Overmind immediate priority …Overmind Override Confirmed…. I tried my best to ignore the voice that wanted to control my actions through indirect means. Checking out the minimap, still grouped together but with a little more movement that I had thought. They were clustered together several of the red dots moved in a circular motion. Odd. I just needed to talk to them with a voice of authority. I realised I’d wasted far too time inside my own head. A fix was needed. [System. Campos. Shut down the stupid timer now. I don’t need to hear it.] Leaving the supply base behind me my surrounding environment was brighter than I had thought. Sunlight. I didn’t even realise that the day had come out. Why hadn't I been able to identify the weather until now? The reddish taint remained on the edges of my vision.