/ Killian
"Woman, you're insane." - Jane lets out as he takes a seat on a couch.
"Bitch please, we needed info. It had to be done." - Mia replies. - "So who are you lot?" - Mia gives us a look.
"We sort of woke up yesterday." - Niko says.
"You mean you yanked us out of the system coz some dude that called you brother made a commotion so big, you had to get out and check the whole thing. Consequently pulling us all out along with yourself." - Ary adds.
Mia walks around, exploring the room.
"Is that so? So that's the dude that's upstairs dead, huh?" - Mia asks.
"How do you know?" - David jolts.
"Coz I've told her." - Jane replies.
"And how do YOU know?" - Verin cuts in.
"Coz I've been monitoring this place the whole time." - Jane answers.
"What?!" - The surprise made me ask it out loud.
"Explain them, Cap." - Mia says, as she keeps on walking around, checking the pages on the wall.
"I was a worker here at some point in time. Before I was put together with you as test subjects. And even then in the system I still had access to the situation that's inside the facility through means of observation. AIO was unaware of it. A backdoor access." - Jane tells.
"Perv." - Mia comments.
"Not as much as you, you damn weeb." - Jane remarks.
"Bitch, I was chilling in my world as the Neet I am. Having a perfect setting of just rotting away in my room watching endless series, movies, anime, whatever media I could get hands on. And then You showed up." - Mia turns to Jane. - " Saying that we gotta come the fuck out otherwise we're cooked. You think I wanted to come the heck out of my peaceful slumber of being a potato in my comfort room? Hell no. But you just haaaad to pull me out along."
Jane leans his head back, looking at the ceiling.
"You've got the skillset of talking your way out of anything and into anything. I needed that." - Jane replies.
"Lucky huh?" - Mia sarcastically remarks.
"Very much so." - Jane replies tiredly.
"So what do you know?" - Niko asks.
"Well, that you lot got out and there's a virus that got out along with you. When the connection to the satellite commences that virus might escape, or might as well just copy itself out there, whilst having a copy down here. It's yet to be determined post factum. The system is a wet system." - Jane starts to elaborate.
"So that means that it's a brain or collection of brains in the main central hub that coordinates the whole of this facility. With the capacity of computing that surpasses the human brain, yet retains the same issues a human brain has. Programming capacity only works so far without any damn programming inputs, so the AIO is like a human thing that still tries to figure itself out. Given that it was here for so long being alone - the tendencies are yet to be found out, but pretty much can be manipulated like any other human being. Though this one has 'The knowledge' we don't really have. That's why there could be the damn superiority complex or the god complex. That's why 'The empathy' is required." - Mia continues.
"Which is why before we got out I requested Mia to act as an unhinged teen as much as possible, so that we can extract as much as we can when we're out." - Jane adds. - "Which sort of helped out. We're 280 years into the future with yet to be known what's out there. The information that AIO now CAN connect to satellites is a good thing. That means there's some humanity out there. Coz frankly - satellites last anywhere between 15 to 35 years before being discarded in Point Nemo. That means there's still facilities that make satellites. Means there's humans out there. The question is if they're further advanced or still in peril. There's also the question of if that's a hostile environment or a more friendly one. That's yet for AIO to discover and let us know." - Jane continues.
"Meanwhile we can just go Dora the Explorer in the facility to check out the state of it and what we've got. What's available, what's down, what's working…" - Mia adds.
"And what is in need of repair." - Jane cuts in. - "As before I got out with Mia, I saw that there's malfunctions and issues that were pretty harsh. Which might lead to awakening of the others in the facility, as well as all the animals that were in a similar cryo state. But with those out the question of resources might prove really vital here. As we're yet to know if we can sustain selves for the long run. In case the outside world is fucked."
"You sure seem close." - Ary lets out.
"We sort of became besties in the system." - Mia answers.
"Though you bicker like siblings." - Ary adds.
"Coz he's a brother from another mother." - Mia replies.
"Sister from another mister." - Jane adds.
"What class are you?" - I ask.
"We're classless." - Jane replies. - "We're the 0006 and 0007 subjects. Before the first 1000 subjects - there were no classes. And we're pretty much the fossils of this research. That is why we don't have a class like the rest of those here."
"Ok. What?" - Verin is surprised.
"Right…" - Jane sighs.
"Ah, the younguns…" - Mia takes a deep breath. Then puffs out. - "Altogether in this facility there were over 10 000 research subjects. Some died during the tests, some managed to prevail. The facility did not discriminate against the test subjects, so however fucked you were physically - from broken limbs, to amputations, to cancer patients, whatever you had - as long as the brain could be connected to the system and explored - they did not give a fuck. There were infants, there were elderly. Until the team figured that the optimal age for the tests to run well were between age 16 to age 40. That's why many 'magically' were discarded at some point. The number you're given is the number you arrived here with. What test subject were you? Me and Jane were one of the first ones. Aged 30-something, being absolutely tired of life, willing to escape wherever, as long as nobody annoys the heck out of us. Or was that me alone?" - Mia looks at Jane.
"I began working here at 26 years of age, being the one to fuck with the construction first, then re-applied here as a tech person a few years down the line. All coz I hacked into their system to add my details and approve myself. Easy jig. Worked here for a few years with data, of course building my own in and out for myself, so I'm not dead bored from just endless programming." - Jane looks me in the eyes. - "As a mechanic you know how it is. Building is fun, as long as there's some pretty good 'something' that's in it for you. And my 'something' was the actual way into the system brain."
"A genius and a pervert he is." - Mia cuts in. - "So I got in here aged 31. By the looks of it, you all are somewhere in the range of 25 to 30."
"I'm 35. So call me oppa." - Jane smirks.
"Over my dead cold body, gege." - Mia replies with a grimace.
"So yeah, I've checked at times where the rest of the participants were." - Jane changes subject. - "Altogether there's 25 of us still alive. There's 8 in this room. Others are still in the system. They still need some time to get their shit together before we pull them out. Besides that… You all were the 'magic' lot of excessive imagination and neural activity. Which is why you were placed together. You made the most of the world, rather than the most elaborate ones. Others were just either stuck in their perfect mundane world, like Mia. Or basically living their dream life. So it all was about creativity at the end of this test." - Jane stretched.
"You diss on my geek corner again - I'll piss in your shoes." - Mia looks at Jane with this 'try me' look.
"I'd rather not. Wanna go check the agriculture floor?" - Jane tilts his head as he looks Mia in the eyes.
"We'd love to tag along to check out the facility." - I say out loud.
"If you'll have us." - Niko comes to hold my hand.
"Of course. The more the merrier!" - Jane replies.
We went out, then checked the floor we were on. Mia called out to AIO a few times, with the system replying with : "I'm working, so I won't be able to talk to you for a while." - and that was when it felt like we could have very silly conversations for a bit.
The floor we were on consisted of the living quarters where we stayed, the cafeteria which had two sides and absolutely could host up to 30 people. The sitting area to chill.
Off we went to the elevator, Jane pressed the button "PF" - which took us down for a while, then the doors opened.
Behind those doors were the corridors leading to pretty much the same area from any point you decide to go - a huge room with a reactor inside of it. Submerged in a liquid.
"So, Lads and Lassies, this is the Plasma Reactor room." - Jane said. - "That's basically how we have the energy that runs this place."
"Plasma reactor?" - Niko repeated, looking at me.
"I mean, when they were just on with planning stages - the ideas were between atomic and plasma. Eventually they did the plasma reactor, as there's an aquaphor underneath the place, with enough water to sustain it. I also think there's currents that add more water all the time. Though, I wonder how the balance of the water purity changed." - Jane said.
"The nerd geeks out on the index of contamination, huh?" - Mia breathes out with sarcasm.
"It is a valuable piece of information. Depending on the contamination index there could be more discovered about what happened to the world outside." - Jane lets out, as he paces the place, checking the systems.
"I mean, sure. Then again, I assume our priority would be to check the working condition of this bitch as well as fix the damages if any." - Mia sighs, as she looks at the ceilings, pipes, and wiring around the room.
Others have the same thing - pacing around, looking at the things around, like it's the very museum that is open to the people for scientific reasons. But in my opinion - sure, there's this, but absolutely - the contamination point that Jane pointed out is worth paying attention to. Is the water then flushed out somewhere or does it go through circulation somehow and is reused? Quite the odd notion.
"Do you think the water is circulated?" - I ask out loud.
"Nah, they flush it out through pipes into the river outside." - Jane replies.
"No bueno for the environment, eh?" - Mia cut in.
"Yup. Not to mention, we gotta check the other levels. I sort of noticed the issue with the air circulation." - Jane lets out.
"Gege, you mean we've got some shit in the air, or is that like - we've got some ducts covered and need to clean it up?" - Mia rolls her eyes.
"Meaning - we have to check to make sure. But first, we go one by one from the bottom. I'll check the data on every floor to make sure the system's going well on each level." - Jane found some computer, checking the stats of the localised system.
"Do you mean every floor has its own operating system?" - I let out. - "That seems excessive."
"Oh no sister, it's the safe backup. That way all is connected, but each floor has the setup to look after itself and store the info, just in case some shit hits the fan. That way the damage is then localised, minimised and other bits are notified and sort of kept under control." - Jane lets out. - "Or so it was sort of thought out. By the looks of it - we do have a blip of a potential problem. Though I'm not sure how drastically that may or may not go out of proportion."
"What do you mean?" - Mia chimes in.
"I mean - there is the stat that the water cleanliness is sort of fluctuating with some odd arse chem in it, sooooo…" - Jane replies. - "...Soooo that sort of means that there's the filter system that's strained over the time, meaning the filters gotta be changed. With this scale of the thing - we ain't got a clue for how long it will last still and yet, if the drinking water we use is affected by this, as well as if there is any potential danger to the reactor itself with this water engaging with it. Corrosion might or might not be the case. Though I ain't certain. Also," - Jane turns to Mia, - "Do we have any microbiologists here? I have a feeling we might need to resurrect one to life, with the current mess and all."
"Microbiologist? Do you think I keep one in my pocket?" - Mia winces. - "I am sure there's one somewhere. But like, do we really go all that way out there? I mean, our level is a mess." - Mia lets out a sigh.
"It gets ever more complicated and I'm sure I'm losing it." - Verin lets out.
Mia comes to Verin, wraps her hand around Verin's shoulder.
"Sis, it's been a mess this whole time. It's not going to get better like magic. So no matter the spell, no hocus pocus or avada kedavra shall get rid of this mess." - Mia lets out.
"I don't get a single thing you said." - Verin replies. - "And why are you this friendly to me?"
"I am not, sweetheart, it's just my own basic level of settings." - Mia breathes out tiredly. - "I just see that you're puzzled. Guess you're still in shock that you're out here. I assume your life in the system was all nice and adventurous. This here," - Mia gestures at the surroundings with her free hand, - "This is the mess that made your pretty world possible, enhanced it and used it for science purposes. I mean, AIO stored all our worlds on a system deck, aware of all we did, who we slept with, what we fucked around with, analysing how susceptible we are, how manipulative or manipulated we are. Who and what we love, what we hate, our moral compass. Crafty thing, huh?"
"You mean this thing knows us through and through?" - Ary asked, as he sat on the stairs.
"Yup. That's pretty much the whole idea of this project. To know humans at a level that even humans themselves do not know themselves. To be soooo ridiculously known, that system can tell what you do 10 to 50 steps ahead of you. Program you via chemicals, hormones, psychology, biology and whatever it deems needed to make you do what it wants. That's the idea." - Mia tells it like a run-of-the-mill fantasy story, her eyes this tired-dreamy feel in them.
"I'm not sure if you two are creepy or the scientists themselves who worked here." - I let out.
"Sis, we're just the few sneaky-sneaky assholes who saw opportunity to fuck around and find out." - Mia lets out, then turns to look at Jane. - "Oi, gege, how many of us eventually ended up being the band of rats?"
"I think there's 5 in total." - Jane replies, as he's checking the data in the system.
Mia leans on Verin's shoulder.
"Imagine, 5 absolutely insane curious lot who wanted to know what's it gonna be, yet just that much more sleazy to add some sneaky things to the programming to be aware of the shit storm outside, whilst inside. I guess we're documented, but undocumented." - Mia lets out.
"We just were curious. And um…" - Jane turns to look at Mia. - "Should we get the others?"
Mia gives Jane judgemental look:
"I ain't got the strength to manage sister Lee."
Jane laughs out loud, holding his belly with one hand, leaning on the desk with another, trying not to fall over.
"What's so funny?" - Ary looks confused.
"They just have a lot of inside jokes, I assume. I'm clueless here as well." - Niko tiredly shakes head.
"Ok. I've had enough. We have got in here, you did the checking. Can we move onto other floors to have the broader picture of this nightmare or not?" - David chimes in, irritated.
Mia peels off of Verin, walks over to David, looks him dead in the eyes:
"Boy, did you even notice what's happening here?"
"Are you trying to intimidate me?" - David responds.
Mia flicks his forehead, David grabs her hand in return.
"Do that again and I might break you." - David's anger seeps through.
"Anger management class is what you need, kid." - Mia calmly responds. - "We're down here chatting shit about the system, with the system NOT replying to us. Have you not noticed that, boy?"
"Call me 'boy' again and I will break you in half." - David replies.
"How come the system does not respond here?" - I ask.
"Coz this is the level where governance has no effect. No internal built speakers, mics or anything, as it's the level of the reactor. Any and all that tech would be done for. Pretty much making this level the sole place where open discussions of this are available." - Mia replies. - "Well guess where most common sense scientists talked shit then?"
"So here is where…" - I will try to put that together.
"Here is where there's hidden data of the scientists, who managed to preserve some extra things that are unknown by AIO." - Jane replies.
Mia steps even closer to David, almost touching him with her own body.
"Say, darlin', you sure you wanna fuck around with me?" - Mia places her free hand on David's waist, pulling him close, that their bodies touch. That makes David obviously disgusted, making him push her away.
"Don't." - He says as he shoves Mia two steps back.
"So you agitated people in your lalaland like this, though in real life you are flustered by it. Adorable." - Mia lets out.
"Wait, you know what we did there, in the system?" - Niko asks, looking partially worried, partially surprised.
"Oh dear…" - Jane breathes out. - "Do you really want to know the answer to that?"
"I'm sure I do." - Niko replies.
"Yes." - Mia smiles at Niko. - "Yes I know what all you kids have been up to. That's…"
"That's her whole job." - Jane cuts in, giving a shrug at the others.
"What do you mean it's her job?" - Ary gets worried.
"Should I?" - Mia looks at Jane, Jane looks at Mia with his face in this doubtful grimace.
"Might as well." - Jane lets out.
"I'm the geek who takes interest in observation. So…" - Mia says.
"So, I gave her the access to observe all the test subjects, just like AIO had same access. Programming was not that hard. Not to mention, we needed the Observer. And she's the best at Analytics." - Jane lets out, shrugging at the rest of us.
"I'm not sure if I feel naked or downright violated." - Niko sighs.
"Oh don't worry, I'm not that far down voyeur, I'm a friendly neighbourhood vigilante type." - Mia smiles.
"You're the home-sitting couch potato type." - Jane glances at Mia.
"It does not change the fact that I'm the best at what I do." - Mia rolls her eyes.
"Can't argue with that." - Jane wipes his forehead.