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  After closing all the game screens, I left my office and went to find Harrison. He wasn’t answering my messages which didn’t concern me too much. Many of the people in both shelters depended on him. As I walked toward the elevator to go up to the first floor, I ran into Missy in the hallway. She stopped, her face absolutely glowing. Lips pursed together and tears running down her cheeks, she threw her arms around me and squeezed.

  “I love you,” she said.

  “Everything okay?” I asked, pulling back.

  She nodded and smiled.

  “Thank you for stabilizing everything and not giving up on me,” she said. “I’ve got big news.”

  “Oh?” I asked, not expecting anything too exciting.

  Her eyes widened. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Get out,” I said, eyes opening wider as I smiled.

  “I’m so happy,” she said. “How are you and Harrison doing? Is my baby going to have a friend?”

  “We’re super busy,” I said. “Running two shelters isn’t easy.”

  “You’re doing great,” she said. “I wanted to find you and tell you the news personally. We’re still trapped in here, but I feel better having my memory back, you know?”

  I nodded somberly, a chill running down my spine.

  “Me too,” I said, forcing a smile.

  She didn’t need any of the headaches of leadership in her life. The man she’d met made her happy, and that pleased me. She let go of me and stuck out her stomach.

  “Can you tell? Am I getting too big?”

  “You’re fine,” I said. “We have the best medical staff here.”

  “My healer’s great,” she beamed. “He says everything is normal, and the baby will be normal.”

  I smiled.

  She peered down at her belly again. “I’m so happy.”

  She looked up, still smiling.

  “We’ll do lunch soon,” I said.

  “Tell Harrison hello for me. How are you two doing?”

  “We’re great,” I said, again forcing a smile.

  “That’s good to hear,” she said. “You deserve to be happy.”

  I raised a hand in farewell then slipped around her to resume my journey to the elevator. As I walked down the brightly colored hall, I thought about how far I’d come since the Great Freeze. That and the fact I still had no answers about what had happened or how to fix it. All the way to the room I shared with Harrison, I thought about Missy’s pregnancy.

  What if we never get out of here? I wondered as I reached the only place I could unwind and truly be myself. The possibility frightened me as I punched in the code to open the hatch. As it swung open, I saw Harrison near the bed doing push-ups on the floor without a shirt. I smiled and walked over after shutting and locking the hatch behind me.

  “Looking good,” I purred as he continued.

  “Almost done,” he grunted.

  I stopped a few feet away, admiring his physique. He stopped and stood, his skin glistening. Should I tease him about having a baby? I pushed the idea aside as I studied the look on his face.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Someone’s leaving crude drawings all over the shelter,” he said. “It’s stupid.”

  “Drawings of what? How are they crude?”

  “You don’t even want to know,” he replied. “I want to turn more security cameras on to catch them.”

  I shook my head, not liking the idea. “No. We need to stay as free as possible to ensure everyone’s as creative and productive as possible.”

  “This could spiral out of control,” he said.

  My eyes wandered down his chest then back up to his gleaming blue eyes.

  “You’re right,” he said.

  “That’s so sexy.” I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around him.

  He bent to kiss me. Our lips pressed together. I lost myself in the moment.

  Chapter 23

  Eighty-two boring days passed with no word from Merlin, but my research on Robotics II finished. During that time, I also adapted to my new life as leader. Rumors reached us about Orlando finding refuge somewhere in the mountains, but I didn’t care. Just over a thousand people depended on me for life, not including all the androids I had working throughout the shelter. Word had spread about me, and many had traveled to join us in building something special.

  One morning, as I laid in bed, an elbow propping up my head, I watched Harrison getting dressed. Missy and I along with a few others remembered the real world, but we were still trapped. A few babies had been born during the time I’d been in the game. Without knowing what happened after you died in the game, I wondered about children. Missy loved the idea of bringing new life into the world. Did people who died in the simulation return as babies?

  “We should have a baby,” I said impulsively.

  Harrison stopped moving and sucked in his breath.

  “No?” I asked, pretend pouting.

  He tilted his head back as he studied my face.

  “I can’t tell if you’re being serious,” he said.

  “Others have had babies. It’s possible,” I said.

  “I thought you believed reality is just a stupid simulation.”

  “That doesn’t mean we’re not trapped in here.” I sat up, dangling my bare legs over the edge of the bed. “What do you think? Really?”

  “It’s a dumb idea,” he said. “We’ve got too much to worry about already.”

  “Yeah, but…”

  I let my voice trail off.

  “But what?” he asked.

  He pulled a black shirt over his head.

  “I don’t know,” I said then sighed. “There has to be a reason.”

  “For life?” He chuckled. “Or for your simulation?”

  “You’re right,” I said. “Having a baby is stupid. I’m sorry I brought it up.”

  “Hold on,” he said, walking toward me. “I wouldn’t mind having a child.”

  “Very funny.”

  “I’m serious…”

  Over the next week, I built my first advanced robot and researched shields.

  * * * * *

  “Do you want me to finish researching basic shields, for you?” Sophia asked.

  “Very much so,” I said, pleased at my creation and the way things were going.

  Nothing could break my mood. Or so I thought. A notification popped up.

  Skinner: We’ve got trouble, boss.

  Scout: What now?

  Skinner: Check the outside cameras

  I pulled up a video feed and saw hundreds of strangely armored men standing near the entrance of the experimental shelter I called my own.

  “What do they want?” Harrison asked.

  “Good question.”

  Scout: Patch me through to a speaker. I want to talk to these strangers.

  Skinner: Sure thing, boss.

  As I waited, I turned to Harrison. “Orlando?”

  He shrugged. “Who knows. That’s quite a few people.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think he could scrounge up that many people.”

  “We should go upstairs to talk to him in case something happens.”

  “Good idea.”

  We left our quarters and headed toward the decontamination room and the main hatch. Skinner and two other men stood nearby, plasma rifles in their hands.

  “You’re good to go,” Skinner said, nodding his head at me.

  I took a deep breath.

  “Who are you, and what do you want?” I asked.

  My voice traveled through speakers near the entrance.

  “I’m here for your brain,” a robotic voice replied.

  “Hoo-Hah!” the hundreds of men behind him chanted as they raised their strange rifles in the air. “Hoo-Hah Koom-Bookah!”

  “Who are you?” I repeated, unperturbed.

  “I’m here for your brain,” the leader said.

  His dark green armor looked different from the other troops.

  “This is
the last time I’m asking. Who are you?”

  “You have twenty-four of your hours to surrender, or we’re coming in after you.”

  I watched the video feed as the stranger turned and shouted to his men in an unknown language. Where was Merlin when I needed him?

  “My translator’s not understanding their language,” Harrison said.

  “Their leader knows our language.” I sighed. “This is all so strange.”

  “What should we do?” Skinner asked.

  “Fortify positions around the entrance hatch just in case they breach,” Harrison said.

  “On it,” Skinner replied then turned to the others to pass along the orders.

  “We need more weapons,” I said.

  “I told you we should concentrate on them first.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled, flipping through game screens. “Here we go…”

  Create -> Weapon -> Plasma Rifle (1 BP) x10 = 10 BP

  Create -> Weapon -> Smoke Grenades (1 BP) x100 = 100 BP

  Total Production Time: 16 hours

  “Ugh,” I groaned in frustration. “Two eight-hour shifts with everyone working.”

  “We have twenty-four hours,” Harrison said.

  “Should we have them all work a double shift to get them produced?”

  “They’ll be too tired for combat if it comes to fighting.”

  I nodded. He was right. Again.

  “What can we do in a day?”

  “Exactly,” he countered. “Surrender now.”

  “One more day,” I said.

  “No.”

  I sighed. “Fine. I’ll give you our answer in 24 hours.”

  “Twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes,” he corrected.

  I cut off the line of communication.

  Basic Shields Research Complete!

  “That went faster than I thought it would,” I said.

  “I’ve increased my efficiency by one-thousandth of a percent and will continue doing so. Each additional advanced android we create will help speed up the process,” my first advanced robot replied.

  “Great. We need to construct a shield, but Merlin’s builder drones can help.”

  I swiped through several game screens, issuing commands.

  “The basic shield eats a ton of power,” I said. “We must turn down heating and some other stuff. That will allow us to store up enough energy to keep the shields running a while once they’re build.”.”

  “Good idea. Everyone has an enviro-suit. We should be fine,” Harrison said then turned to Skinner. “Send out an order for everyone to suit up. We’re throwing up a shield, and it’s gonna get cold.”

  “Got it, boss,” Skinner said then scampered away.

  Create -> Minor Defensive Shield. (500 BP)

  It’ll take forever to build. We don’t have enough time.

  Harrison turned as I completed the build order for our first minor defensive shield. Would it keep the intruders out? I canceled the order for more weapons. The extra plasma rifles would be nice to have while we waited for others to recharge if the fight got bad, and the smoke grenades would be handy too, but I needed to get a shield up.

  After canceling all current build orders, I made nearly everyone a maker to get the shield built before their deadline expired. While they did my bidding, I checked the video feed for outside the shelter. The strangers had moved back, setting up tents in a makeshift camp. Large bonfires roared in middle of clusters of white and red tents.

  “They’re not going anywhere,” I said.

  Harrison stepped over and nodded as he watched the scene unfold.

  “There’s a lot, and they look like warriors. We’re in for a fight.”

  “If they get in,” I said. “We can stop them. That’s our only hope.”

  A notification popped up, overlaid onto the screen.

  Shelter 12 is overrun.

  You lose control of Shelter 12.

  “Ugh,” I sighed. “The other shelter fell.”

  “We can’t let this one fall,” Harrison said. “No matter what.”

  “The shield will save us,” I said. “We’ve got six-hundred able-bodied adults who can help us defend, and we don’t have many back-up weapons, but we still have enough firepower to do damage to anyone foolish enough to come at us.”

  “Right, and we still don’t know how well they fight, though,” Harrison countered. “I’m betting they’re better trained than everyone in here except for me, maybe. They won’t give up easily.”

  I sighed. “Fine, I’ll draft a surrender message. You can look it over after I’m done.”

  “That’s crazy!”

  “It’s our only choice.”

  “No, there’s another way,” he said. “Come on.”

  I followed him to the lowest floor of the shelter. Neither of us said anything on the way down. When we reached the hangar, he walked over to the approximate spot where Merlin had dug through the wall.

  “What?” I asked, still not getting it.

  “Merlin probably fixed the wall and left the tunnel. We could use it to evacuate.”

  “To where?” I asked.

  “Shelter 12. It’s our only option, and it’ll buy us some time.”

  “I don’t know…”

  My voice trailed off as I thought about his idea.

  “I’ll assign some workers to tear through the wall,” I said, pulling up the game screens to issue the order. “There. It’ll take time.”

  “Time’s the one thing we don’t have,” he said.

  “I’ll put more people on it to get it done quicker…”

  As I spoke the first group of fixers arrived to cut through the steel wall. Harrison and I stepped back, watching as they got to work. I kept an eye on the video cameras outside the shelter and the progress on the defensive shield. If I timed it right, we’d complete the shield right before their deadline ended. And if not, we had a way to buy ourselves a little more time until Merlin arrived to help us. The plan wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t have many choices. I glanced up as the workers finished.

  “Something’s coming,” one said, turning to me and Harrison.

  I heard a mass of men chanting something about a whip and having a way.

  Harrison lifted his plasma rifle. “Everyone, stand back.”

  “Did you call the other soldiers?” I asked.

  He nodded, not taking his eyes off the fresh hole in the wall. The stomping boots crept closer as we all waited with bated breaths. My heart pounded in my chest. I raised my custom chrome plasma pistol, watching and waiting.

  Chapter 24

  Orlando appeared first, hair still spiked above his head. Dozens of men marched behind him. I glimpsed Merlin behind them.

  “Anyone got food?” Orlando asked.

  He then dropped to the steel floor as his legs gave out under him.

  I called for a couple healers to check him and the other men while also ordering cooks to bring food and water. Harrison took security into his own hands.

  “Everyone, drop your weapons!” he shouted.

  The men obeyed, some of them falling to the floor, not moving. I walked over and through them to reach Merlin in the tunnel.

  “You’re back,” I said. “Finally.”

  “Sorry,” the machine said. “I’ve been busy.”

  “What are you doing with Orlando and all these men?” I asked.

  “He’ll help you fight the cross-world travelers,” Merlin replied.

  “They don’t look to be in any condition to help,” I said.

  Orlando and his rag tag band of men looked worse than the last time I’d seen them.

  “We can defeat the others with their help,” Merlin insisted.

  Harrison walked over, stopping beside me.

  “About damn time you showed up,” he griped.

  “Sorry,” Merlin repeated. “I’ve been busy.”

  “You’re something else, but I’m glad you’re here,” I said then turned to Harrison. �
�Did you count the men?”

  “About a hundred are strong enough to fight.”

  “They all have a lot of experience and skill in fighting,” Merlin said.

  “We’ll get them fed and healed while we discuss this,” I said. “Orlando’s not a nice guy.”

  “You need his help,” Merlin persisted. “He’s the only way you can defeat them.”

  I nodded, lips pursed together, not convinced.

  “Who named you Merlin?” I asked to switch the subject a moment.

  “I named myself,” the machine answered. “In my free time, I read everything I could find on the Arthurian legends. Merlin intrigues me.”

  “We don’t have time for questions,” Harrison said. “Even with more men, we can’t win a frontal assault. We need a plan.”

  “Orlando’s men can help,” Merlin said. “I can dig a hole to the surface, giving us the element of surprise.”

  “Seems like we’re putting a lot of trust in Orlando and these strangers,” Harrison said.

  “We don’t have much of a choice at the moment.” I turned to Merlin. “Dig a slightly sloping spiral to the surface. How long will it take?”

  “Not long,” the boring machine answered. “Would you like my drones to assist? I can also lend you my brainpower to increase your daily RP if you would like.”

  “Yes!” I exclaimed. “Why didn’t you offer that earlier?”

  “I’ve been busy,” Merlin said.

  A dozen drones broke off its sides and flew away.

  You have access to 12 maker drones

  +60 BP per day