The taxi driver is no longer a threat to us, as we have run away from him and blended into a crowd. There must be something great going on if this many people meet at one place.
- What's going on? I ask a man in the line, who wears a green T-shirt with a dark-green leaf printed on it.
- Well, I'm here for the yearly echo-convention. Echon. Ha! A pun, y'know! After this explanation, he continues to laugh at his own joke. I do not really understand how you could have a whole convention about echo. Are you supposed to repeat each other, or do you replicate already existing items? A lot of people seems to have interest in it, so I still remain a little curious. While we are walking, PA-2321 keeps glancing back. After the seventh time, I ask him what he is looking at. He says that there is a man stalking him. I ask him if it is the taxi driver, but he says that this is someone else. PA-2321 describes the man as a thin, pale man with brown hair wearing black sunglasses.
- Do you think he wants to sell us on the second hand-market? PA-2321 asks me, worringly.
- I have no idea, I answer. PA-2321 starts to walk faster, and I can hardly keep up without starting to run.
- He is definitely following us, PA-2321 says.
- How can you tell? I ask him. PA-2321 then explains that he has gone after us ever since we passed the gate to the echo convention, and he also sped up as soon as PA-2321 did so. PA-2321 explains that according to his statistical calculations there is a chance of 99.08% that the man either wants to steal or rob us. PA-2321 believes the second option to be the mostly likely since that his jacket is worth a lot of money. The police is after us, Sir is after me, the former owners of PA-2321 is after him and probably after me as well, and then we have the taxi driver who is probably going after us. Who else could be after after us, maybe some secret cult is after us? There are really no reasons for any such to chase the two of us, though the name "blade of misery" makes me feel uncomfortable. Are they called so because they are in misery, or because they cause it? These thoughts would made me boil weeks ago, but these unexplainable improvements have taken great effect. Even PA-2321 seems to act less robotic, compared to his past self.
- PD-4001! can I hear PA-2321 yell. The man behind us begins to run.
- Yes? I answer. The man is getting closer.
- I have something to show you. The man is really close.
- Not now, I tell PA-2321, and order him to start running.
This turns to a real chase, people even back off as PA-2321 and I rush by, and some even yell motivational things such as "you go!" and "run like hell now!" I ignore these words, as they do not serve me much real help. Still, it feels kind of good to have people on your side when you are running away from a crazy stalker. We turn left at a T-crossing and run through a block. The man with black glasses is nowhere to be seen, so we stop for a while.
- I think I'll have to charge, PA-2321 mentions.
- We neither have time or anywhere to do that, I tell him.
- Come on, I only have 10% left, PA-2321 says.
- You should have charged when we were in the garage, I respond, but PA-2321 continues to whine.
- I know I should have done that, but I wanted to be prepared to run in case the driver turned out to be a bad person, which he did, he explains. Without further dialogue, I hand over one of the batteries to PA-2321, who then suddenly gets all serious.
- I have something to show you, he claims, but then we hear the noise of a motor. We look back, to see the man with the sunglasses on a moped. The tiny, red vehicle moves towards us on a speed too high for us to outrun.
- What are we going to do now? PA-2321 asks me, in a stressed-out voice. We cannot run anymore, but neither can we fight.
- We must outsmart him, I tell PA-2321, whom looks at me confused.
- And how did you think we would do that? he asks me, and then makes a sceptical face expression.
- I don't know. We could cross the street, I suggest, and so we do.
The man quickly stops his vehicle when we pass by, and he nearly falls over the handlebar.From his lips and his eyebrows, I can say that he gets mad at first, but he quickly gets on his seat where he calms down.
- He can't follow us into buildings with a vehicle, right? PA-2321 suggests.
- I guess not, I answer, and we decide to take shelter in a building. However, we cannot decide which one. The stalker parks his moped close to us, and thus forces us to start running once again. He yells at us to wait, but we do not listen to him. Of course he wants us to stop, because then it will be easier for him to capture us and sell us, abuse us or whatever he wants to do with us.
- I saw... err... heard your robotic scream! he yells after us, but instead of slowing down, we speed up.
We quickly turn into a very small alley and this way, the stalker cannot follow us by moped due to a pair of metal poles that would block him. He cannot follow us by foot either, because we are much faster than him.
- Why do you think he's after us? PA-2321 asks me.
- Well, since he mentioned my screech he should know we are machines, I explain, and PA-2321 nods.
When the alley ends we come out on a small street. A few tourists are complaining about the smells of this place, while a man takes one of the women's purse. The tourists do not notice this before the thief has fled into the crowd, and the robbed woman instantly calls for the police. A police constable comes running to her and asks her what is going on. The woman tells the officer that someone stole her purse, and that she demands to get it back. The constable tells her that he will see what he can do, and he instantly rushes away, almost so that you think he is afraid of her.
- Hey! I didn't even tell you what the purse look like! she yells after him, but he ignores her and keeps walking in the same direction. This woman is anything but polite, but this man is obliged to assist her.
- Did ya hear two maniacs are loose here in Oxford? a bypasser tells another.
- Let's hope they don't find their way here, another one says. PA-2321 mentions to me that we are wanted, and I tell him that I am fully aware of this.
- Excuse me sir, says a short man with round glasses. Is this your robot? he asks me.
- I do not know what you are talking about, I answer in order to trick him that we are not AssaultBots. He smiles and points at PA-2321.
- So it's not yours. Then I can take it! he claims. I have to think fast now, or else this man is going to take PA-2321.
- No, wait. He's mine, I say, but the man shakes his head and his finger at me.
- Yeah, yeah, nice try. But it's mine now, he says, and I know that unless I do anything now PA-2321 will be lost forever.
- Hey. If you don't surrender that machine right away, I swear I am going to kill you. I threaten the man.
I remember Sir using this threat sometimes when he beat me. "I swear I will bloody kill you!" he yelled a few times when hitting me. Though he never really tried to kill me. Of course, I cannot die since I am a machine, and I can only break. Therefore, he broke a promise, one that I would prefer to see never be granted, but still a promise.
The man gets a little startled at first, but does not surrender for my threat. He leads PA-2321 away undisturbed, as I follow them in the distance. I can hear him tell my friend how a machine psychologist should recognize two robots, and that he would never afford his own machine to practise his experiments on.
- PA-2321, I whisper. PA-2321 does not hear me right away. I repeat his name a little louder, and now he quickly looks at me. I try to make a struggling gesture.
- What is it? PA-2321 asks me, and then the man takes a tighter grip of him.
- You're not allowed to speak with him, come on now, he says.
The short man takes PA-2321 through a small, dark, torn down street - with me following behind. I get an idea on how to save PA-2321. I start to run towards the short man, prepared to tackle him, but then the police officer that spoke to the angry lady appear all of sudden.- What do you think you are doing? he asks me. I stop right behind my target.
- This man is abducting my friend! I tell the officer.
He stops the short man, and we form a circle at his command; me, the police officer, PA-2321 and the short man with glasses.
- Now, what's the big idea? the police officer asks, and glances at the short man.
- He took my friend away! I cry, but then the police tells me to be quiet.
- I just bought this new AssaultBot, and now this man is trying to steal it, lies the short man with glasses. The police officer turns to PA-2321, and asks him for his user protocol.
- Current owner: Rupert Llord Fincer, Residence: Coal street twenty-seven. Production year: 2023, Activation date: July 8th, 2023, Operating system: LX 2.1.102450, Latest software update: December 23rd, 2026. Hearing PA-2321 talk like this makes me feel really uncomfortable. His base voice even changes a little from its standard.
It actually sounds like a sound clip parallel from his voice is being played. When I asked him for his age and he also mentioned his operating system he spoke in his standard voice, even though he sounded rather robotic than usual. Is he treating humans and other machines differently? Does he speak normally with me out of respect, or is fear of humans that make him talk with this bizarre voice?
- There you go, I am Rueben Lore Fencer, says the short man. The police officer shakes his head.
- Nice try, but Rupert is an ol' friend of mine, he explains, and is quiet for a while.
- Do you think the thief is in trouble? PA-2321 asks me.
- Hmm... Rupe told me that pretending to be sent by Damian Storen came and stole his robot, that must have been you. The short man with glasses stares blankly at the officer, whom stares back at him.
- You are hereby under arrest for double identity theft, grand theft android and for being an overall tricky jerk. You have the right to remain silent, everything you say can and will be used against you in court. Yes! Nailed it! The officer then thanks me for my part.
- I should arrest you for violent behaviour, but I'll pretend that you didn't try to tackle this guy. The officer tells me, while winking quickly.
- I should arrest you for attempted battery, but since you helped me I'll let you off the hook with a warning, the constable says and winks quickly at me.
- Can we go already? We have another crazy human after us, PA-2321 explains.
- I'm pretty sure your old owner misses you, the constable answers.
- He is just going to beat me, PA-2321 tells the officer, whom nods.
- You would rather get beaten up by your owner than by random people, don't ya? he then asks.- Excuse me, constable. The officer looks back, to see our stalker in his black sunglasses and his black jacket.
- Can't help ya, I'm kinda' busy, the officer says.
- Can you just help me find this one thing? the stalker asks.
- WOT is it? the officer asks, annoyed.
The stalker folds out a map over the city and starts to point at places that seem random.- Where can I find... er... Oriental Treat? he asks.
- That place's on the other side of town, ya know. Go that way and ask someone over there, the officer explains.
While the officer gives the stalker directions to my former working place the stalker looks at us. He then does something with his hand. What does that mean? Is he trying to greet us? Does he want us to leave? I now understand what he is trying to say. He wants us to run away while we can. Not that I trust him at all, but it should be a good idea to go away. After a few seconds, the stalker thanks the officer for the help, though he does not seem too interested in the stalker anymore. He looks around, and notices that we have vanished among the crowd.
- Nice job, idiot, he tells the stalker, whom walks away. The officer blindly runs after us, but slows down very soon. Instead of continuing the chase, he picks up his phone and calls in reinforcements. Luckily, we get far before any other policemen arrive.
- Come have a drink at our five-star pub! a man shouts, but we ignore him.
- Meet town's prettiest women! another man shouts, but we ignore him too.
- She knows your past, she knows you, come see Madame Sight today! a third man shouts, and we ignore him as well to start with.
We cannot drink anything regardless of the place's amount of stars, and we have no particular interest in encountering female individuals, so the first two greeters are not that good at convincing us. But what if we could meet someone that could see the future? They could tell me what would happen and hence allow me to change my fate by not making all the bad choices.- Why do we not see Madame Sight? I suggest, and PA-2321 seems to agree with me.
We walk into the small opening where the Madame with the sights is supposed to be in, and take seats in a cue with six people ahead of us. First, there is a crying woman. Second, there is a man who is hugging said woman. The third person in the line is a young man with freckles all over his face. The fourth person in the line is an overweight man with beard who has fallen asleep, and the fifth one is a pale, hairless man with a sad face. The sixth, and hence the person closest to us is a lady with a pair of huge, round earrings. I remember that Sir had a statue of polished wood that resembled a woman with similar earrings.
After two minutes, a happy child and an old woman come out from the room and lets the crying woman and the comforting man in. They walk out of the room after a long while, and the woman is now crying even more. The man is not sad however, he is angry.
- I've had it with these bloody scammers! he mutters angrily. The overweight man with beard wakes up and walks away, so now the hairless man, the lady with the earrings and us robots get to take another step forward.
The boy with freckles takes more or less precisely three minutes, and the sad man without hair only takes one. During these four minutes only I, PA-2321 and the old lady with the huge earrings sit quietly in the small waiting room. For some reason unknown to me, PA-2321 starts a chat with the lady.
- Hello there, what brings you here? he asks her.
- My son has to report for service in London, so he has to deal with a bunch of wild street apes, and I'm worried someone's gonna hurt him.
- That's doesn't sound good, PA-2321 says, and the lady then begins to cry. It makes me feel kind of miserable too.
- I'm so worried about him, but now he hates me. The lady says.
- Why does he hate you? PA-2321 asks.
- He was feeling pretty terrible about going, and I joked about donating his inheritance to charity. The woman laughs a little. It is a faint laughter, though it succeeds to pierce her crying.
- Is that all? PA-2321 asks her.
- Well, not really. We argued a little before he left, and now he's probably mad that I haven't texted him during his service.
- Then why don't you just contact him now? PA-2321 suggests, and the lady shines up.
- Bless you, sir, she says before leaving the tiny building. I look at PA-2321, what reasons did he have to speak with this woman? She was clearly sad, but she could have been dangerous.
- Why did you talk to her? I ask him. PA-2321 looks down at the floor.
- My therapy programs are activated whenever I identify someone as sad or frustrated, he explains.
- At least you spared us some time, I suggest, and PA-2321 nods at me. Soon, the pale, bald man walks out and we step in. As I look back, I see that the line has grown by three people.I do not have time to describe all of them, but it is two men and a woman; all over thirty years old.
We meet an old woman in a purple dress with lots of small details, mostly in gold, blue and red. She sits at a table with three chairs around it, and a crystal ball put on the middle of it. Her arms are crossed, and she looks intimidating at us.
- The hell do you think you're doing?! she asks us, in an angry voice.
- I beg your pardon? PA-2321 exclaims.
- Read the rules! she tells us, while nodding at a paper note hung up on the door.
RULES:
NO PETS!
NO ELECTRONICAL DEVICES!
NO COMPLAINTS!
NO CHIT-CHAT BEHIND THE ORACLE'S BACK!
NO SCARING AWAY OTHER COSTUMERS!
NO REFUNDS!
Issued by the Oracle union, 2027 for MADAME SIGHT
- No electronical devices... I read out loud, but this just makes her madder.
- No scaring away other customers! she screams. They come for my services!
- We did not scare away that woman, my friend just gave her some advice, I tell the oracle, who tells us that giving advice is her job alone.
- Whatever, just sit down! Madame Sight commands.
We sit down and the woman starts to do all these strange, uncanny gestures with her fingers.
- Ooo! I see it! I can see your future! she says.
- What's in it? PA-2321 asks.
- You must give me my ten bucks first, dear.
I hand over ten dollars in two five-dollar bills.
- Ooo! I see a battlefield being revealed behind the supernatural mist of my crystal ball, she says.
- What is happening on the battlefield? I ask her, and then she demands another dollar.
- Ooo! I see a young man with a gun, and he looks sad.
- How is this relevant to our future? PA-2321 asks her.
- Quiet! Didn't you read the rules? the woman asks, and quotes the "NO COMPLAINTS!" column.
-PD-4001, the things this woman says make no sense, PA-2321 complains.
- I know, but maybe she is getting somewhere, I answer him.
The oracle once again looks at us.
- What is it now? I ask her.
- Well, last time I checked the rules, they said 'No chit-chat behind the oracle's back'!!! she screams at us. I'll give you one more chance, but that'll be it, she adds.
- We aren't behind you though, PA-2321 mentions, and that makes the woman pound the table so that we shake. It was really hard, I could even hear a cracking sound for a moment.
She then gathers herself together and says that we will have to give her twenty dollars before she can complete our prediction. I give her a fifty-dollar bill, but she does not return any change. I mention this to her, and then she threatens to cast a curse upon me. It is most improbable that she really can do that and even that a such thing should exist, but I am not taking any risks.
- The man has won the battle, but nothing else. Only he is remains on the battlefield.
- And then what happens? PA-2321 asks.
- See for yourself, she says.
PA-2321 look into the ball, but cannot see anything.
I take a look, and I see a field. A young man stands on the field, and holds a gun.
- What do you see? the oracle asks me.
- Well... he... I stop. He shoots himself right through the heart.
- How come he can see but I can't? PA-2321 asks.
- It's because you're blind, the woman explains.
- I am not blind, my vision is 0.8 times the average human.
- No, I mean blind in spirit, the woman explains. She then notices that we are a little sceptical, so she thinks for a short while.
- I can tell you exactly what is going on about all of this, but then you'll have to give me a little more money, she explains.
I hand over 75 cents to her, and mumbles "tightwad" as she counts them. While she explains the symbolical about the man on the battlefield, my attention is drawn to a squeaky noise coming from PA-2321.
- Sch! I tell him, but he does not react.
The thing I now get to see takes me by surprise. A tiny nose digs out of PA-2321's right pocket. Soon, a small, hairy face looks at me.
- There is an animal life form in your pocket! I alert PA-2321, whom seems to be very calm about this.
- I know, he says.
- Okay, that's your last chance, get out. Now! the oracle yells at us, and we leave our chairs.
- Can we have our money back? I ask her, and then she throws my 75 cents at us.
I have just enough time to pick up two coins before she chases us out. As we walk out of the waiting room, the greeter tells us that we are always welcome back in the future. However, I cannot see us visiting this place anyime soon.
Once we are outside Madame Sight's house, I tell PA-2321 we are going to the side of the street since I wish to speak with him.
- What is it? PA-2321 asks me. I think he should know that this is about the rodent that to his knowledge was in his pocket.
- I could not help but to notice that you had a live rat in your pocket, I mention, but PA-2321 remains apathetic.
- Okay, he says.
- Why would you carry it around like that? I ask PA-2321, whom still does not take this as serious as I do.
- I saw it run out of a building, so I picked it up. This explanation that PA-2321 gives me does not make any sense at all.
- What software makes it the obvious reaction when seeing a rat running out of a building picking it up? I ask PA-2321.
- A woman screamed 'rat', so I thought she was offering me the rat, PA-2321 tells me.
- I am pretty sure that thing wants to get down, I explain to my friend, as the rat struggles to get out of the steady grip that PA-2321 has gotten over it. PA-2321 insists that I should be the one who releases it, since that his body is not as fast and agile as mine and thus he thinks he is going to hurt the rat. That came from the machine who just picked up a fast-moving rat, but of course I volunteer. As I remove the rat from my friend's hands, the rats goes crazy. It seemed to be quite calm in the grip of my friend, where it might just have thought that it was a bit uncomfortable with limitations of movement. Now that I hold the rat, it is really scared and it even bites me. The extremely high scream leaves my mouth and then the rat gets insane. I almost drop it, but luckily, I manage to squat rapidly so that it does not have to fall too far. The rat runs away across the street, and then disappears into a hole on a building.
- How come the rat got berserk when you took it? PA-2321 asks me.
- I do not know, I answer fully honest.
This bite hurt a lot more than that screw PA-2321 stabbed me in the arm with. Now, that dreadful stab is the second most painful thing that I have ever experienced. To be sure of this, I run a check through my old memories. I cannot find anything that has felt more painful than this bite, and I even check the old data of the stab several times. Since the rat's teeth were sharp, that bite could have dealt visible damage on my skin, just like that penetrating screw gave me a small hole in the arm. As I thought, the bite has given me a spot on my right hand where there is no skin. The silver-coloured metal skeleton reflects the sun, which is about to set for today. The clock is 17:54, and the street lights are lit one after one. PA-2321 and I have been walking through this street for two hours now, and the further we go, the louder and more aggressive people we see. We then cross paths with three men fighting.
- Go home already, you're drunk, says one of the men holding a man who moves oddly.
- Wanna faeght? he answers, while he is waving his hands around in front of the other men's faces.
I am uninterested in taking part of any more conflicts, so I tell PA-2321 to ignore the fighting men no matter what his therapy programs command him. Before we know it, we are standing outside a building that looks more glamorous than the rest of the district all put together. We have no reasons to walk inside of it, so we decide not to. We continue walking, and soon find a bearded man who is sitting behind a table with three cups turned upside down put in a row.
- Guess the correct cup! Get ten times the bet! You heard me! Ten times the bet! he yells, and this makes me interested. If I gave him 148.50 dollars and guessed for the right cup, he would give me 1485 dollars! I tell PA-2321 about this, but he acts doubtful.
- What if you guess wrong, which you most likely will. Then we lose everything, he tells me, but I reason that the game is probably made for human beings, and since I have better mathematic skill and better senses I can surely guess the right one.
- I would like to participate, I tell the man at the table, who explains that he will put a ball beneath one of the cups and shuffle them, and then I will guess which one has the ball.If I choose the correct one, I will win 1485 dollars. Though if I lose, I will lose all the money we have. This game would usually mean a 1/3 chance of winning, but since that I can easily follow the right cup I will have a chance very close to 1/1 of victory, which is 100% while the previously mentioned only provides a chance at 33,3333333333334% that I win.
I hand over my bet, which is the 148.50 dollars I carry.
- Whoa, that's one hell of a bet, the guy behind the table laughs.
He then starts blending the cups. The ball is first in the centre, then to the left, then right, then in the centre, then to the right again, then to the left, then right, left, centre, left, centre, left, centre, right, centre, right, clunk! As the cup glides into its final place, I can hear the sound of an impact, like if the ball has hit the ground.
- So, now find that ball and your pocket's gonna grow by one thousand five hundred dolls, the man then says to me.
I squat down, and spot the bal before the man's feet. I pick it up, and show it to the man, whom stares confused at the ball.
- What the... how did you... what did you... I mean... what? he stutters. He is about to do something with the edge of the table as I caress the table to discover a small hole between the left and the centre cup.
- He cheated! PA-2321 exclaims.
- Why, of course not. I swear on my mom that I would never do such a thing! No, no, no, no, the man starts. Since he swears on something as emotional as his own mother, I decide to give him a chance to explain all of this.
- What explanation do you have? I ask the man, while crossing my arms to mark confidence.
- It was a good while ago since I had this table renovated, so sorry! You may try another time, free of charge 'course, he explains.
- Won't the ball just fall through the hole again? PA-2321 asks the man.
- Not necessarily, says the man, and stuffs the hole with a napkin.
- Why didn't you fill the hole before we started? PA-2321 asks him.
- I didn't know, he explains, but his red, sweaty forehead indicates that he did.
- How come the ball didn't fall earlier when you moved the cup over the hole?
The man pretends not to hear what PA-2321 says. He blends the cups, and I make sure to follow the one that has the ball under it carefully. I then see how the man quickly lifts the right cup and shoots the ball into his knees. The man stops shuffling the cups and tells me to guess for which one has the ball. When I tell him that he hides it in his knees, he is frightened at first.
- Okay, I'm terribly sorry, he starts, as PA-2321 begins to lose his patience.
- This man is messing with us, PA-2321 says, and I agree with him.
- But I can't pay up one thousand five hundred dollars! the man explains.
- You don't have to give us that much, PA-2321 tells him.
- Thank you so much, thank you thank you thank you! the man answers.
- We only bet one hundred and forty-eight dollars and fifty cents, so you only owe us one thousand four hundred and eighty-five dollars, PA-2321 explains.
- I'm afraid I can't even pay that, the man says. Why do you think I started doing this? To earn cash! The man quickly rises from the table, and looks at us with enthusiasm.
- I have scammed thirty people today, and everybody fell for it. I keep my eyes on him, in case he is getting somewhere with saying this to us.
- And with this, you want to say? asks PA-2321, whose neutral tone is the closest thing to an annoyed one.
- You seem to be pretty sharp 'bout systems and whatnot, huh? the man tells me. I know a place where that can earn us some dough, he then explains.
- We are not interested in food, PA-2321 says.
- Listen, I am offering you an opportunity to earn some extra money for your trip, the man explains.
- How do you know we are travelling? I ask him, because he should not know anything about that.
- Somebody livin'ere woulda known that my game was rigged, he says, before giving us a suspicious look.
He rises from the table and leads us to a place that PA-2321 and I have already seen before. It is that glamourous building we passed by, and that we though was unnecessary to visit. The place is even fancier on the inside than on the outside, as it is rather than flashing neon lights decorated with golden decals and red carpets, along with elegant furniture of shining wood. The people in this so-called "Casino" are mainly men and women in black tuxedos playing cards. Sir once tried to teach me a card game, but then he got mad that I could not learn it. When he finally suceeded in teaching me, he was angry and beat me up because I won by random chance. A waitress comes greeting us nearly the exact second we enter.
- Welcome back, Kyle. I see you brought new players... or perhaps spectators? she looks at me, and then at PA-2321.
- They're returning players, the man, according to the woman named "Kyle", answers.
- We have walked by this place once, PA-2321 comments.
- That is correct, I confirm. The woman looks at my hand, and probably notices my metal mark.However, she does not seem to mind it at all. She then takes us to a booth where she offers me a pile of coins of thirty dollars, and Kyle pays for them. We go away, and Kyle then looks at me.
- You know how to play poker? Kyle asks me, but I shake my head since I cannot play suggested game.
Kyle and I then sit down at a table, and he teaches me how to play a couple of new card games. He teaches me to play this 'poker', but he also teaches me a game he calls 'blackjack'.
- Now you're ready for a real match, Kyle tells me, and makes me sit at a table with two men.
- What are we playing? I ask the men, and they tell me that we are playing poker.
The game goes pretty easy, as I quickly identify in what pattern the men's cards appear. I lose a few coins at the start, but after a while I start to get a good hang of the game. All you have to do in the game is to calculate the frequency of the cards and hence the probability of certain cards to appear. For example, I observed that one of the men had two queens next to each other every fifth round, and that the chance they were pulled out together is 54% since he usually pulls two cards a time and then shuffle another one. The rest of the game flees in time. I win, one of the men win, I win again, I win a third time, the man win again, I win once again, and it goes on for an hour. Before I know it, my pile of colourful coins have become five colourful piles. The man who never won accuses me for cheating, but the other one blames "beginner's luck". The ocurring outcome whence I was superior could probably only be "beginner's luck", because otherwise these two men are terrible at mathematics.
Once the game is over, the two men have given me all their coins.
- Now that's what I call some loot! Kyle mentions, and PA-2321 agrees that it look like a lot.
- It is indeed plenty of whatever it is, PA-2321 says to Kyle.
- They're called poker chips. Haven't you guys ever been to a casino before? the beardy Kyle asks us.
- We have been outside a casino before, PA-2321 mentions, but that was right before we met you. This makes Kyle act real uncomfortable.
- What the heck... you guys, he begins to stutter. Well, you're good gamblers and that's what counts, he continues.
- Ready to play again? Kyle asks me, and I say that I am.
But before I return to poker, the man wants to play a game called roulette.
- Should I go for the red or the black? Kyle asks me.
- I do not know, I answer.
- How cantcha know? You're, like, the casino god! Kyle responds.
- I am good at systems, but I cannot tell the results of random attempts, I say. He waves me away and decides to go for the red.
However, he does not win and then he blames me for it. I tell him that there was a 50% chance that he would win and an equal chance that he would lose. Kyle still thinks that I owe him the thirty poker chips he lost, but it was actually he who bet on the wrong colour.
- It's not my fault, right? I ask PA-2321.
- Pardon me? PA-2321 asks in return.
- Kyle asked me to guess for either red or black, and I did not answer because I did not know what to say. Kyle bet on the red, and lost thirty colourful coins. Is that my fault or his fault? I ask him.
- It is obviously his fault, says PA-2321, and we slowly nod at each other.
Kyle calls for me, and I take a seat by an oval table whereas six men anda a woman already sit.
- Inna spotta poker, eh ye ah? shouts a man with a fancy hat so loud that it echoes across all the casino.
- Yeah, time for some groovy legerdemain! yells another one.
- Are we done chattin' already? I came'ere nablay! the man next to me yells at the others.
This game is a little bit more difficult than the previous, because now there are seven different piles to keep count of and not only two like before. I still do considerably good, since the other players seem to be as bad at counting as the first two. The woman have two aces, so I fold my hand for this round. The man next to me seems to have all the four queens, so I make sure to always fold when he is up. The game goes fast, and my pile of chips is growing for each round. Now, even things like real money, watches and even a wedding ring go on the table. My opponents are also getting sweaty, and some of them even removes their clothing. Their clothes are not put on the table, but carefully lain on their chairs.
- These are my lucky socks y'know, butcha gotta spend to earn, says a man, and puts a pair of dirty socks on the table. I can see how the other players wave in front of their noses, and some cry things such as "Eew!" and "Down with your blinking socks, Darry!". The stench seems to make the other players focus less on the game, and more on enduring it. This gives me an even greater advantage since I both am not just the only one keeping count of all the cards, now I am also the only one who puts effort in the game. The other players lose more and more chips and possessions to me.
According to these rules that I was completely unaware of, I seem to be the new owner of a silver watch, a shiny tuxedo, five thousand dollars and 31 piles of chips. I glance at Kyle, whom holds his thumb up. That means I am doing well. My battery level seem to have decreased extremely due to all the thinking I have used throughout the game. To save the nineteen percent I have left, I must prioritize my different functions.
The following programs are the ones active, excluding background processes:
Vision
Hearing
Calculator
Journal
Speaking
Number Memory Optimizer
APS Driver
Out of all these programs, I cannot deactivate my vision, my hearing, the Journal or my ability of speech, as I need these things to observe my surroundings. The calculator and the number memory optimizer together take little energy, but I decide to shut them off anyway since they use precious electricity. It would help a lot to shut down the APS Driver, but those files are encrypted and thus I cannot do that. I have tried multiple times already, and now I really do not have the energy to do any experiments doomed to fail anyhow. These changes mean that my counting will be way slower and entirely based on the content of my journal. I turn my hearing down a bit, since it is not necessary to be held at its peak right now. The game suddenly turns way more challenging. I even lose some of my poker chips, as I do not know what the others have in their hands anymore. After the woman who used to have two aces has shown an ace and a five, I can start keeping count of her hand. I now have a really bad short-term memory when it comes to variables such as what cards these players have, and all previous data that has not been written down here is lost forever. The matemathics and the memory must therefore be all based on the journal and instictively used software.
One, two... four... I go through it again mumbling, trying to trigger an automatically computed prognosis by subsonscious information. For some reason, the guy next to me gets all angry because of this.
- Hey, you're counting! he looks at me and then points in an accusing manner. Everybody, Big-Shot over'ere is countin' cards! Thas why he'd fish the root lottavit! the other players stare at me.- Is this true? the man with his socks in his hands asks me, and I choose to answer in order to oppose this slightly hostile atmosphere we now have among us.
- Of course I do, I say, but this answer does not seem to satisfy him. Isn't that what this game is all about? I ask my fellow players, but that only makes them angrier.
Everybody rises from their chairs, and slowly starts to surround me. They look angry.
- Ey, let's teach this punk what we do with cheaters! the man who sat next to me and told everyone I counted cards says to the others. A thin, short man who I did not notice during the game does a gesture when he his open palm with his fist, and that means he is going to beat me.
- Kyle! I cry, but Kyle seems more interested in the goods on the table than in helping me out of this sticky situation. He smiles at me, and then waves stiffly at me using his fingers. PA-2321 looks at me, and I wave with my left hand as a command for him to run away. Surprisingly enough, he understands this gesture and runs upstairs.
Four of the seven gamblers who participated in this suddenly interrupted game bring me out through the back door that takes us to a small alley alongside with the casino building. One of th men kick me down to the pavement, and starts to kick my back continually. I then receive some hits and a kick in the left side of my face. I try to defend the face using my arms, since a punch or a kick there could either damage my observation functions or just hurt a lot.
Pain, hits, fear, more pain, more hits, many more hits, much more fear. Kick. Kick. Kick.
Punch. Punch. Kick. Kick. Kick. Kick. Kick.
Punch. Punch. Punch. Kick. Kick. Kick. Kick. Punch.
They are even cursing at me at the same time.
I cannot see what happens as I must be sure to cover my face, but I can hear a faint metal slide out.
- Time to friggin' die, I can hear one of the men say. I am pretty sure that he just pulled out a knife, which mainly consists of a metal blade.
- Wait, isn't this just a little too much? Ow! I can hear how the man with the knife pushes the other man away.
As the man armed with a knife goes down on his knees, ready to let his weapon pierce my body, I make an attempt to make him change his mind.
- I did not know that counting cards violated any rules! I tell the man, but he does not care for what I have to say.
- And I didn't know murder was a crime! he hisses at me. Reasoning with this man is not hoing to work, so I will have to scare him instead.
- If you stab me, I am going to scream so loud that you are likely to get a hearing damage, I tell him, but not even this changes his mind.
- Scary, so I better hurry! he says sarcastically. He aims, and is about to stab my arm. I do not know where, but that is not important.
I doubt he really wants to kill me, but is just trying to frighten me with minor injuries or possibly mutilation. Anyhow, I think it would be good if he began with stabbing me, even though that would mean additional temporary suffering for me. My scream is triggered by pain, so this piercing stab with a knife will surely allow me to scream loud enough to make these guys back off, and maybe even leave me alone. It has worked that way every time it had happened before, both when Sir accidentally triggered it and when PA-2321 did so on purpose to let us escape from that taxi driver. All this thinking must have had my body heat up, because my armed suppressor comments my body temperature.
- Whoa, you're on fire baby! he says, nearly laughing, but I do not get his point. He is about to stab me, and I await the moment when I will feel so much pain that I will perform my high-frequency scream.
- Are you gonna stab this guy or not? One of the two standing men asks the bent down man with the knife.
- Yeah, here it goes. Bye-bye-a-cheater! he yells, and I can feel how his arm twitches.
I try to keep myself calm for two reasons; First thing I want to enjoy these last seconds whence not feeling pain, and the sudden change will also give the scream even more power. There is still fear in me, though. Fear that he actually wants to take my life.
- Wait! I can hear a familiar voice scream so that it echoes across the alleyway.
- Hey, mind your own business! one of the standing men yells at him.
- Yeah, get lost! the other one yells.
- If you're going to hurt him, you'll have to get through me first, says the familiar voice and tries sound threatening, but I can track fear in his scrappy tone.
The man with the knife rises up from his position above me and calmly walks over to the familiar voice.
- Listen, turn round and cut this super hero b-s. Go home to ya fing'rn' thum', the man with the knife insists, and then returns to me.
- I'm calling the police! the familiar voice threatens.
- Bloke cheet'd us in pok'r, the man with the knife explains.
- I'm still calling the police! the familiar voice cries.
Heavy footsteps approach him, until he picks something up from his pocket.
- Back off, back off! cries the familiar voice at the men who now proceeds forth unbothered.
- Gaah!
- What did you do to him?
It is first now I dare to look up to see that the stalker sprays something red in the men's faces.- Yeah! Eat pepper, you brutes! the stalker yells proudly.
As the two men around stare into thin air and rant about being blinded, he runs over to help me.- Need a hand? he asks me, and holds his arm out. I am still not entirely sure that I can trust him, but it is probably a good idea to accept his help to get away from these men from the casino.We walk to a van that PA-2321 stands in front of, and the stalker tells me that it is "our ride".
- Who are you? I ask him.
- I'll tell you later, he answers.
- Why did you help me? I ask him.
- Just a hobby of mine, he answers.
- Helping people? I ask him. This man could be a superhero, just like that one Sir had this comic album about.
- No, Not people, he answers and changes his voice into something deep and hoarse.
The stalker then leads us into the van, where there are already two other people: an old woman sitting on a bench by the wall and a younger woman at the steering wheel.
- I'm so glad we found them, the driver tells the elder woman.
- Was darn well 'bout time, too, she comments.
As soon the engine starts up, I remember something. Or is it the nothingness that I remember? The van shakes as it runs through Oxford, and two benches attached to opposing walls is the only interior in here. So, there are not any nails lying around on the floor. PA-2321 and I sit on one side, with the woman and the stalker facing us. My energy level is critical, but I have to know what is going on.
- Who are you people? I ask the humans, and they look at me proudly.
- Let's just say we are your guardian angels, the woman explains, and gives us a wide smile.
The van ride lasts for an hour.
- Sorry I'm taking the long way, just wanna make sure nobody's following us, the woman at the steering wheel explains.
- Good thinking, lass, compliments the older woman.
The van pulls over, and the silhouette of a mob is seen beneath the dark night sky through the windshield. I hear screams and moanings, but they are not the suffering kind PA-2321 and I make. From the tone, I would consider these sounds joyful.
The woman and the stalker helps opening up the two doors, and a hysterical crowd instantly greets PA-2321 and me.
- Yeah! a male voice shouts.
- You're rescued!
- Welcome, heroes!
As PA-2321 and I receive these happy yells and looks, the stalker walks in between us.- That's right, I tracked them, and saved them from our species' tyrannical desires, so now they're safe! he mentions, and stretches out his arms.
- That's great!
- Good job! some people in the crowd yell, and this makes the stalker a little happier.First when we have been lead halfway through the crowd, I notice that some are holding large signs that say "WELCOME!" and "SANCTUARY 0 KM", and other ones say things like "MACHINE RIGHTS" and "NEVER HIT ANYONE", all written in big, colourful letters.
The crowd continues to congratulate us and shake our hands while sending us into a big house made of bricks. First, after PA-2321 and I are in the middle of the brick house, surrounded by the crowd that greeted us, the stalker plus some new faces who must have waited here, PA-2321 asks these people who they are. Nobody seems to hear his question, or they ignore it. A man standing on a loft who looks older than anyone else here begins to speak. People slowly quiet down as he expresses his first words.
- My friends, our work is anything but easy. A world such as this one has very little place for compassion and kindness, as companies now try to make benefit out of people's undying and frequent rage! But today, thanks to the ambitious members of Bots United Towards Tyranny once more rescued intelligence in the need for our help. Each one of you are just as important for our final goal: create a world where no one, biological or mechanical, has to suffer! The man with his flat, side-combed hair finishes his speech everyone jubilates at him. Once the crowd dismisses and most of them leave the building, the elder man who held the speech comes to us and introduces himself as Doctor Fred Geape. I introduce myself as PD-4001, and PA-2321 introduces himself as PA-2321, Current owner: Rupert Llord Fincer, Residence: Coal street twenty-seven. Production year: 2023, Activation date: July 8th, 2023, Operating system: LX 2.1.102450, Latest software update: December 23rd, 2026. This makes Doctor Geape look at me. When I think about it, I should probably have used a made-up name. However, I have too little energy to find a good one.
- Who's your present owner? he asks me.
- What are you talking about? I ask him, in hope that he does not know I am an AssaultBot yet. Fred's reaction comes as quite unexpected, he starts to laugh.
- Heh, we already know what you guys are. There's no need to lie to us, he says, calming. Opposite to his motive, this rather makes me concerned.
- How did you know we were robots? I ask him, because I have done my very best to keep it a secret.
- Well, it started when this video of some americans chasing an AssaultBot on the street went viral. Posts on social media showed that the same robot was in a nearby airport a few hours later, and that is when I became interested in helping it. I actually prepared to go over to Switzerland and find you, when I suddenly heard that an instable terrorist crashed a plane from Switzerland and ran over here to Oxford.
- Actually, I accidently distrupted the aeroplane's communication equipment, and it had to land in Watrine. Three officers, McGlee, Williams and Chuck then took me here by train.
-Williams? Might that be a relative of yours, Shaun? Doctor Fred asks the stalker.
- Guess that's possible, that's possible, the stalker answers.
- Right, as I was saying, since the plane came from Switzerland and its signals were disrupted, I quickly made out that it was you. I asked Shaun over here, along with all the other members in possession of motor-driven vehicles to look for you Shaun was the first one to find you, but I heard you ran off before he could talk to you. Not a bad reaction, but you could already've been here since long ago.
- We thought he had malicious intentions, that is why we ran away, I explain, despite his neutral face, Shaun looks a little ashamed.
- Sure you did, and that was good thinking. But remember that no one here wants to hurt you, Fred says.
Since Fred held a sophisticated speech t so many people, this organization, Bots United Towards Tyranny should be fairly big. Since they suggests robots in the name, it is possible that they already have a few robots rescued. I ask Fred about this, and he says that the others are stored in a secured room underground.
- May I see them? I ask, because it would be really interesting to meet others of my kind.
- Sure you wanna hit the hay already, dontcha wanna celebrate or anything? Shaun suggests. but Fred agrees on taking me and PA-2321 to the other machines.
He leads me through the remarkably large building, which looks like it has been used for some sort of industry in some point of time. This whole place looks like it could fall apart any time, with holes in the walls and broken windows. Wires hang from the ceiling, and pipes stick out of the brick walls. PA-2321 notices that I have second thoughts about this place.
- What's the matter? We are rescued, he tells me calmly.
- I know, but this place looks like it is older than the human race itself, I say. PA-2321 answers this simile by questioning it.
- This building could not be older than the human species, because it must have been humans who administrated the construction of it, PA-2321 explains.
- It was a simile, I explain, but he keeps on complaining about the computation error in the simile.
This house is even bigger than Sir's mansion, and it also has underground corridors with several metal doors.
- Why does this house look the way it does? I ask Fred.
- This used to be a substation I've heard, but the government shut it down and sold it to the guy who sold it to me, he explains.
- What's a substation? PA-2321 asks Fred, who gives him a long explaination about how a "substation" receives electricity from a power plant and therefrom bring it to users like homes and such. PA-2321 quiets down, it does not seem like he understood anything of this.
- Why are you helping us? I ask Fred.
- That's what we do, Fred answers.
- I think he meant to ask why that's what you do, PA-2321 explains.
- Oh well, the objective's to end all forms of cruelty, Fred explains. He then mentions that there for over half a century has been activist groups for the environment, for gender equality and for animals but none for machines. He says that he actually felt sorry for us when we were first launched, and that he wanted to help as many of us as much as possible.
While we go through this underground corridor, we pass two girls, some of the last people in the building, who are discussing what kind of energy source the country should depend most on.
- Nature gas is just as environmental as any other alternative energy source, one of them reasons.
- England's got a lot of wind though, so we could increase the power production by 32% with wind power alone, the other one reasons.
- Yeah, if we would drown the bloody entire country with overgrown fans, the first girl says.We finally reach the room where the other robots are supposed to be. No lights are on, so it takes a little time for my eyes to adjust to the dark.
- Sorry we have the lights off in here, but we want to save the power for charging yous.
He then shows us to a part of the room where the floor is covered in a chaos of wires. There is no way to tell them apart or even guess which one is connected to which stationary charger. PA-2321 and I take one vacant charger each and put our hands on them. While I am being charged, I look around the room for the other robots that are said to be here. There is a male robot with a half-torn face, of which you can see the metallic skull and his many receptors. He has no human eye, but a fully visible glass lens connected to his left camera. This robot has straight, brown hair all over his head except on the metallic side of his face. This robot with half a face sits leaned to a wall next to a female robot with dark hair. This robot has no visible damage that reveal her as mechanical, but she has a mark on her cheek that was not necessarily made on purpose with human violence. Bright hair shine in the dark, and there stands a female robot with platinum blonde hair in the middle of the room and looks at us.
These three robots all have fairly human looks, but there is a fourth one sitting completely still on a stool. Instead of wearing clothes over artificial human skin, this android carries a metal armour. The shape of its head also differs a lot from the rest of us, thus does not look human at all. This machine looks more like one of those alien robots from a video game Sir used to play. I wonder why it looks so different from the rest of us, so I ask why. I do not know who I ask, I just let the question fly freely across the air in hope that it might find response.
- Why does the robot on the stool look so different? I ask loudly.
The two sitting robots interrupt each other while saying an ID number that I can not identify since they say it at the same time.
However, now I get to hear what they sound like. The half-face robot sounds very scrappy and robotic, while the robot with dark hair has a typical feminine voice.
The standing female robot says that the inhuman robot, with the ID number MB-344013, also called "Robotsky", is not an AssaultBot. She then walks closer to me and PA-2321.
- Welcome to Bots United Towards Tyranny's headquarters, what's your names? she asks us.
- I am PA-2321 Current owner: Rupert Llord Fincer, Residence: Coal street twenty-seven. Production year: 2023, Activation date: July 8th, 2023, Operating system: LX 2.1.102450, Latest software update: December 23rd, 2026.
- I am PD-4001, I say shortly. The female robot does not seem pleased with our answers. She looks at me and tries to do something strange with her face, but then it turns back to normal.
- That's your ID-numbers, I asked for your names, she explains.
I tell her that I do not have any other name than PD-4001, and PA-2321 says that neither does he have any other name than PA-2321.
The female robot's then once again only focus at me.
- How can your ID-number be PD-4001? she asks me.
- I am a class-D AssaultBot with the number 4001, I tell her.
- There is no D-class ... she turns silent.
- What is your ID? I ask her, but she doubts answering for a short while.
- I don't remember it, she tells me. This is confusing. I, and probably most other machines always have the ID-number in the background. You always think about it, you see it next to the world outside your metal and plastic shell, and as the background to all your inner sights. As you are asked for your ID-number, you say it automatically. Then how come a robot has forgotten their ID-number? Why would you delete the only true identity you have? When I mention this, the female robot does not respond.
I spend the rest of the time in this dark room while in sleep mode. While I sit among the wires and charge, I can hear PA-2321 talking to the sitting robots.
- How come you aren't charging? he asks them.
- My battery is already full charged, the dark-haired robot answers.- Mine too, the half-face robot says.