Eventually, seeing the automaton wasn't becoming aggressive, NIM decided to attempt the diplomatic option. After all, perhaps being effectively destroyed had removed whatever ancient programming it had?
"Can you understand me?" NIM spoke for the very first time in this world, vibrating its Sub-NIMs at various frequencies to create the illusion of speech. It came out otherworldly and peculiar, with a deep reverberation, but it came out clear enough, regardless.
"Yes." The Automaton replied shortly.
"Do you know what you are?" NIM decided to ask, curious to see what memories this automaton retained, if any.
"I am a Golem, given life by you from inanimate bronze. I live through the divine name of the creator upon mine forehead." The Automaton, apparently a 'Golem', replied.
"How much do you know?" NIM asked, deciding to be blunt in its quest for knowledge, to mirror the Golem's curt and to the point responses.
"I am made out of bronze. I was given life by you. I have said life through the rune on my forehead, which depicts His name. I exist to protect from evil and tyranny, no matter the cost." The Golem responded, slightly disappointing NIM. It would seem the slight factory reset NIM had inflicted upon it has flushed all of its long-term memories.
"One final thing, I shall be conducting a test. I calculate less than 4% chance of success, but the increased potential efficiency is worth the wasted time. I am going to send you information, not through sound waves, but radio waves. Tell me if you receive the message." NIM replied, as a possibility to significantly speed things up appeared.
NIM waited for a few seconds, making sure the Golem wasn't responding to NIM's physical question, and then sent the code packet to the Golem.
{
Designation(set:"Golem_1");
Print("I am Golem_1");
Ambulatory_Upper_Left(set:”salute_position”)
Record(set_name:"I-am-Golem_1.")
Transmit_recording(file:"I-am-Golem_1.")
}
In response, the Golem lifted its right arm into a salute, seemingly innately understanding what a 'salute position' was, and spoke.
"I am Golem underscore One." It said curtly, before looking intently at NIM, its eyes dimming ever so slightly, as if ashamed to say the next part.
"I apologize, but I cannot accomplish the penultimate and ultimate tasks." The Golem continued, maintaining the salute as it talked, a decidedly ashamed tone entering its metallic voice.
However, in spite of the limitation, NIM was still wildly pleased with the results of the experiment. Sure, it would be inefficient as a scout, being unable to remotely report back, but the ability to remotely send it orders was still a well and true game changer.
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With this experiment over and surprisingly successful, NIM rearranged its Sub-NIM circuit array, slowly crawling towards the Golem, which stood stock-still throughout the entire affair. Slowly, NIM climbed up the Golem's leg, onto its back, before spreading out all over it, absorbing back the SNIMC it had used to defeat the Golem. Now in position, it rearranged its Sub-NIM circuit array once more, becoming technically immobile, except for the fact it was on a giant bronze automaton's back, and NIM's weight was so low, it didn't even register to it.
NIM sent a command for Golem_1 to move down the corridor, and dutifully, it began slowly trundling forwards. As it turned the corner, into the room the Golem had originally come from, NIM was surprised to find what looked like a kitchen. Except, it wasn't the sort of kitchen it was expecting to find, looking almost like a mockery of a 21st century one.
There were countertops made of granite, with cutlery in various states of decay strewn all around. Above the countertops, high enough to leave decent space upon them, there were cupboards practically built into the wall. And most interestingly, there were a few plain blocks of granite with runes on their tops and a runic sentence on the side facing towards the kitchen.
It might've been forced to try and guess what the rune was, except for the fact that someone appears to have forgotten the stove on whilst they were abandoning this Hold. Out of five runic 'stoves', one was still currently running, the rune on its top glowing faintly, and letting off a surprising amount of heat.
As NIM looked closer at the runic sentence on the stoves' sides, it realized it deeply resembled another runic sentence it had seen previously. Pulling up the image of the runic sentence it had previously seen on the Thadubsiki, it noticed significant similarities between the two. The main place they differed, was that Thadubsiki incorporated the Anti-gravity rune, whilst these stoves incorporate the heat rune.
Seeing this, NIM officially designated the runic sentence as a "On/Off Runic Sentence". However, whilst finding out the meaning of a runic sentence it already relatively knew was useful, NIM already found itself wildly excited from the haul it has gathered from this structure. It now had a Golem under its control, and it knew the runes for light and heat generation. If it were to be forced to leave right now, it would not be too mad. After all, with what it has gained already in only half an hour, it can already begin growing massively.
However, as familiar, thundering footsteps slowly lumbered closer, NIM's mind was filled with one simple thought.
{Why stop here?}
As NIM ordered Golem_1 to begin moving back outwards, towards the other golem, it began resequencing its Sub-NIM circuit array once more, noting that this constant action was already beginning to drain it's batteries, even in spite of the nurturing light from the runes along the walls, without which it would have lost far more energy by now.
As they slowly approached the other golem, NIM resequenced itself, maintaining computational power by growing more three-dimensional, as it prepared what was effectively a catapult, to rocket a blob of Sub-NIMs as it had previously. As Golem_1 and the other golem were passing each other, it noticed the black, pulsating mass that was NIM on Golem_1's back, beginning to turn towards it with its eyes suddenly growing far brighter, deeply alarmed, if NIM were to guess. Sadly for it, it had been unprepared, and that single second of unpreparedness was all NIM needed.
Just as the first time, a blob of Sub-NIMs rocketed from NIM and towards the Golem's forehead. Unlike Golem_1, this one seemed to understand the danger NIM posed slightly better, as it rapidly shifted not just its neck, but its entire body. However, as NIM made the Sub-NIM blob spread out in mid-air, seeking to attempt the same trick as on Golem_1, the Golem suddenly raised its arm into the air, blocking the blob's trajectory.
Luckily, before NIM could even calculate how to deal with this sudden change in behavior, another arm shot forth, but not from the other Golem. Without even being commanded, Golem_1 grabbed onto the arm of the other Golem, whose eyes suddenly shone like a star about to go supernova. As it tried to move its other hand to keep the Sub-NIM Blob in place, Golem_1's other hand grabbed onto its arm, and the Sub-NIM blob jumped from the Golem's forearm onto its forehead. At which point, the Golem started violently trashing to get Golem_1 to let go of it, only to suddenly go still as a statue not even a second later, its rune having been compromised.
{Good work, Golem_1, your initiative has helped save thousands of Sub_NIMs. Please continue holding this Golem's arms while I reactivate them on our side.} NIM sent to Golem_1. It didn't need to praise it, but from the way these Golems acted, they appeared to hold some level for sapience, and praise when doing good work was likely to increase occurrences of good work in the future, when dealing with sapient beings.
And indeed, Golem_1's runic eyes began glowing with a slightly softer tint, as if pleased with itself, and continued tightly holding onto its former compatriot, soon to be new compatriot. As it did so, NIM slowly pulled back its Sub-NIMs from the other Golem's forehead until, finally, it had glowing eyes once more, denoting it was alive once again, as it looked almost confused at Golem_1, but didn't fight its restraining hands.
As NIM looked at its two newest acquisitions, it began wondering just how many more are there in this structure. After all, each one is 2.5 meters tall, and another 2 wide. They were massive, and made of pure bronze, which must've been ludicrously expensive for the civilization which made them. As it thought, it realized it could use the number of Golems to determine how prosperous this ancient society was, which could tell it more about the history of this world.
{Let go of it, Golem_1. From now on, this will be your new compatriot, Golem_2.} NIM said, making sure to broadcast the message to both golems. In response, Golem_1 let go of Golem_2's arms, and they stayed there, looking neutrally at each other