TtOW! - Chapter 31: Our Mission

Ateia and Taog grabbed NSLICE-00P’s hands and ran down the street, pulling her into the first empty alleyway they found.  They glanced around at the street but no one had followed them.  They both took deep breaths.

“Requesting Elaboration.”

They glanced at once another and sighed.  Ateia frowned as she spoke.

“Seero…maybe it’s different where you’re from, but here in Turannia you can’t just use a magic box out in the open like that.”

“Requesting Elaboration: Please define term: magic box.”

“Seero…you’re messing with us, right?  How can you not know what a magic box is when you just used one?!”

“Error: This unit lacks data on the cause of lacking data on term: magic box.”

Ateia and Taog just stared at her for a good minute before Ateia heaved a huge sigh.

“Ok, fine, I’ll play along.  A magic box is an enchanted storage artifact.  Bigger on the inside, you can pull things in and out.  You know, like you just did?  You can carry a lot of stuff that barely weighs a thing, and none of it can be stolen or harmed as long as you take care of the box.”

“Correction: It is not a…”

NSLICE-00P was just about to explain the inventory function when Rattingtale spoke up inside the monster hanger.

“Boss-queen, what are you doing!  You cannot reveal the dungeon to the wretched man-things, no no!”

“Like, I’m with the snack on this one, boss.  Like, it’d be a big deal if they found out you’re a dungeon master, or something?  The humans and other similar species like, call us demon lords, or something, you know?”

“Yes yes!  They will kill-slay us if you reveal yourself!”

Back outside, NSLICE-00P closed her mouth.

“...Acknowledgement: This unit has logged data on ‘magic box’.  Requesting explanation as to why said magic box must remain confidential.”

Taog groaned as he held his head.

“Because a magic box is worth more than this entire town.”

He heaved a sigh as he glanced toward’s NSLICE-00P’s core.

“In fact, even that magic core you have is dangerous to flaunt.  Do you have a way to hide it, Seero?”

“Affirmative.”

The Geo-Oscillator core was armored and resilient, so normally NSLICE units exposed them to aid with cooling, but they did have an enclosed mode for particularly dangerous scenarios.  Two armor plates slid shut in front of NSLICE-00P’s core, shielding it from the outside world.

She analyzed the readings from the core.  Everything read normal, in fact it seemed the mana was helping keep the core at optimal temperatures, even in its fully enclosed mode.  She should have no particular issue maintaining this state long term.

Ateia and Taog just sighed once more.

“Well, that’s that then.  Let’s hope no one noticed.”

***

[Level up!  Your Dungeon level is now 29!]

With that, the group made their way to an inn, NSLICE-00P receiving an influx of Dungeon XP thanks to all the people passing them by.  The townsfolk raised eyebrows at the sight of NSLICE-00P but ultimately avoided any sort of contact.  The bards may sing tales of wandering knights, but the common person knew better than to get involved with armored strangers, after all.  Ateia and Taog kept glancing over their shoulders but nothing ultimately happened, so it seemed as if they were in the clear.  For now.  Ateia was just talking to the innkeeper when her eyes widened slightly and she turned to NSLICE-00P.

“Ah, Seero, do you have any money?”

“Negative.”

Ateia and Taog glanced at one another and sighed.

“...ok we’ll cover you this time.  I guess it’s the least we can do.”

“Proposal: This unit does not require sleeping quarters, so monetary exchange to acquire room is unnecessary.”

Ateia took a step back at that.

“What are you saying, Seero?  Of course you need a room!  We’re not going to let you sleep on the streets!”

“Reassuring Statement: This unit will be in no danger.  Standby-sentry mode can be initiated in any location.”

“That’s not the point!”

She turned to the innkeeper.

“One room for the two of us and one for him!”

He nodded and accepted her money.  Ateia then grabbed NSLICE-00P’s hand.

“Come on, Seero, you’re with me.”

“Affirmative.”

***

And so the two girls made their way to their room.  The building had been designed as a barracks, so the amenities were fairly basic.  A room to sleep and little else.  But that didn’t much matter to either of the girls in question.  Ateia spent many a night camping outside, and NSLICE-00P could, as she state, initiate standby-sentry mode without any amenities at all.

And so Ateia got ready for bed.  She raised an eyebrow when NSLICE-00P simply stood in a corner of the room, but she didn’t question it.  Ateia was just lying on her bed, getting comfortable, when she opened her mouth.

“Seero?”

“Acknowledgement: Does friendly Ateia have a query or request?”

“Those people you’re searching for…who are they?”

“Unknown.”

Ateia sat up at that.

“Huh?  What do you mean?”

“Elaboration: This unit has not personally encountered the majority of the persons of interest, and has had minimal interactions with those she has encountered.”

Ateia tilted her head.

“Then…why are you looking for them?”

“Answer: This unit has lost contact with her commander and other friendly forces.  The Commander recommended these individuals as theoretical command personnel in case contact could not be reestablished.  This unit will report to the first one encountered and request orders.”

Ateia nodded.

“...I think I understand.  You’re lost…and looking for someone to guide you, huh?”

“Answer: That assessment is accurate.”

Ateia went silent for a moment, lying back to stare up at the ceiling.

“You and me both.  Seero, do you think we’re going to find them?”

“Answer: This unit has no data on friendly Ateia’s person of interest and so cannot assess the probability of locating them.  As for this own unit’s mission, the probability of mission success has been steadily dropping.”

“What?!”

“Elaboration: The evidence increasingly implies the persons of interest do not exist in the current place or time.  The probability of locating them drops with each new piece of intel acquired.  This unit is uncertain the appropriate course of action required to improve those odds.”

Ateia sat up once more.  She looked NSLICE-00P in the eyes.

“Seero…you can’t give up.  Look, there’s still a chance, right?”

“Answer: The probability of mission success is still above zero by a statistically significant margin.”

“Um…right…and that means they’re still alive!”

“Query: How does the probability of mission success provide intel on target status?  This unit cannot identify a correlation.”

Ateia frowned, and hugged herself.

“Because they’re alive to us.”

“Requesting Elaboration.”

Ateia took a deep breath, looking down at the floor.

“Your people…are like my father, I think.  I haven’t seen him in years.  Haven’t had any contact.  Everyone is saying he died.  Or that he left, abandoned me.  And…maybe they’re not wrong to think that.  Maybe that’s the reasonable thing to believe.”

She looked up at NSLICE-00P once again.

“But I can’t give up.  I believe…my father’s alive.  That he didn’t just abandon me.  That there’s a good reason why he left.  The Legion hasn’t confirmed it yet, no one can confirm that he is gone.  So until then, until I find him or find out what happened to him, I won’t give up.  He’s only truly gone if I give up on him.”

Tears began to well up in her eyes but she shook her head to clear them.

“I think that goes for your people too, Seero.  As long as we don’t give up, they aren’t gone.  No matter how bad the situation seems, as long as there’s still a bit of hope, we have to hang on.  And we’ll find them, in the end.”

“Affirmative Response: This unit cannot abandon her primary mission until either success or failure is confirmed, or she is ordered otherwise.”

Ateia nodded at that.  The pair went silent for a bit.  Eventually, Ateia lay back down in her bed.

“Well…that’s why I’m really glad I met you, Seero.  I think, without you, I would’ve had to give up.  But thanks to you, now I have a chance.  So please, don’t give up.  I swear, I will help you find your people too.  We won’t rest while we still have a chance.”

“Acknowledged.  Gratitude: Assistance with this unit’s primary directive is appreciated.”

“It’s the least I can do after what you’ve done for me.  Well, good night Seero.”

“Nighttime Farewell: Good night.”

With that, Ateia pulled up her covers and tried to go to sleep.

NSLICE-00P activated her standby-sentry mode.

And…she logged some small changes in her organic components.  A slight decrease in blood pressure and cortisol levels.

And, for some reason that her cybernetic side couldn’t identify, the mission success probability increased by a single percent.

Author’s Note:

Ugh, that four dose booster shot hitting real hard.  Hope this one came out all right, supposed to be an important moment after all.  It’s a bit short too.  But my head hurts too much to tell either way and I'm barely getting things out haha.  Just don't want to put it off though, delay something once and its a fluke.  Delay something twice and before you know it you need a reason to do it instead of a reason to delay it.

Ah well, the show must go on!  I’d say maybe I’ll revisit it but rewriting is reserved for completed novels and extreme emergencies only!

Anyways!

Can Ateia and NSLICE-00P find who they’re looking for?  Will there be any consequences to NSLICE-00P using a ‘magic box’ in public?  Tune in next time to find out!