The Miner

My feet crunched hard rock beneath my feet, this time my subconscious avoided getting stuck into any holes. Noises. There was noises up ahead. I kept walking as an annoying voice disturbed me once more.

[Shut up. You can shut up. You’re sick. Broken and sick. Stay there and rot and stop asking me. I don’t want to hear your voice anymore.]

The sounds grew closer as I kept walking. My surroundings the same usual rock and grey dust. A light and a sharp noise hit me then. Grinding.

A high-pitched squealing noise which reminded me of a piece of machinery. The sound made me sick. Then another voice hit me. I had turned it off before. I knew that voice, it was similar to mine but without clear words.

[System. Vinny. What did you do to the other Mining Drone?]

No. No. No. He. It. Where was it? That voice.

The high-pitched noise came into my sight. A larger group with a wheeled vehicle that had been built out of scrap and other mechanical crap so it functioned. Close enough to a half-truck given that it had treads on the back. The figures appeared to be wearing either cloaks or baggy gear, I’d need to get closer, they appeared approximately human sized if smaller than I remembered.

Humans. Normal humans. Or threats. I need to show them that I was peaceful and we had no need to fight. I’d even ask them if they could take me out of this form and the voice that kept on trying to force me. Me. Me. Me. Me.

My height meant I was towering above on them so I crouched my body slightly and brought my limbs a little closer to myself. The Mining Drone was surprisingly agile considering the frame was largely made of metal and other components I hadn’t identified.

Quiet approaches are often the best for shock and awe. I could hear the noise now inside my head, it was far closer and I had forgotten the sound given that I had a fairly loose grip on time. Then the Monster spoke.

{zzz.]

…Emotional Dampener Enforced Inclusion…

…60% Reduction in artificial dopamine levels…

-Warning! Damage to Host Mentality.

…Correction made to dopamine drop…

…20% Reduction in artificial dopamine levels corrected…

…Cotard Delusion Reinforcement Engaged…

…Memory Suppression Authority Campos Designate 1.3…

….Audio Retention Screening Engaged…

…Host Artificial Memory Recall Activated…

No need for maps or 3D scanners when the trespassers were in front of me.

My blessings though that the group appeared preoccupied with several tools and a shining light in which sparks were flying off. Ok. Here we go. I’m just going to explain that this is a private mining operation and they’re trespassing.

The local authorities would be called and charges would be pressed unless they cleared off. This situation reminded me of my previous work when a bunch of teenage kids had got in over a wire fence, past out so-called private security guards all because they wanted to get closer to the mining drones that I was operating at the time. Or steal them, either way it was a security issue.

To be fair, the company was running a bare-bones operation at the time and everyone else aside from my was either underground or taking their lunch break inside the temporary steel cabins but still, it wasn’t fair on me as an employee to take it on.

I had immediately shut down the drones, before hitting a communication line to Alice, this six-foot muscle and bone agent who guarded out the site perimeter in her modified military jeep. Wow, had she chewed the kids out. A few almost wet themselves when she had come along with full-beam on and a voice that could chew through concrete. I got even worse from my boss for not responding fast enough.

Turned out that the kids belonged to a group of private investors touring the site and had slipped away from sheer boredom. Still, at least the situation had been resolved peacefully without direct violence, anger or even injury. I hoped that this group of so-called scavengers would do the same. I’d been warned enough times by the system that they were a direct threat when in fact they could just be curious or searching for broken remnants.

As a metallic mining drone with a good bit of power remaining inside me and a body that was far stronger and robust than my human one they’d be more likely to listen. Kids always did. Usually.

[Hey.]

I got absolutely zero response from the group despite being fifteen metres away. Either I was a master at stealth or they were so focused on their little project that they failed to hear me. Get a grip me. Check your physical status and then think how to deal with this bunch. I had zero clue about why I needed weaponry with a bunch of people who lived their lives grabbing pieces belonging to a damaged mining site.

[Hello.]

I raised my arms this time before giving a little wave. This time there was a slight bit of notice as one of them turned a head before focusing on their task. Bright sparks were flying into the air this time as I moved towards the group, my feet taking steady steps but still impacting into the ground with little puffs of dust rising into the air.

Trying to be subtle wasn’t working. I realised that the digging blades in my arms were still sticking out so I sent a mental signal to retract them before I felt an attempt but it failed. Broken. Right. I thought that the Campos system would have fixed them earlier in the supply base. Not an issue. I’d just need to move a little bit slower.

I tried my best to keep my arms by my side before arriving five metres away from the scavenger group. Wait. They were cutting with a modified acetylene torch, the flame was a high enough temperature to show a decent colour. The drone.

{zzzz.]

They were trying to take apart the other Mining Drone.

[Hey. Stop that.]

I stamped one foot into the ground hard enough to get their attention and raised my arms in the air. This time it was two of them who turned around and got my attention. The outfits they were wearing were cheap, handmade affairs. The pair stood and walked towards me while one of them made a hand movement I didn’t recognise to the main group next to the modified truck tractor.

They appeared to not be overly concerned with my appearance. I guess that I didn’t turn up all guns blazing so they didn’t respond in kind. When a drone robot around three metres tall turns up there should have been a different response. Wait. Not my reality.

Their appearances were….unique. Each one slightly different in forms of faces and skin. Not that I was able to tell much about them beneath their clothing. Only that they were humanoid like me, two arms, two legs and a head. Heavy boots and black gloves covered them, the smaller of the two had a prosthetic hand which were familiar in a way. One of the legs moved a little slower than the other. Stiffer.

Yeah. Not going to bother with you stupid Campos or Vinny. I was going to have the chance to talk to real people now. Not insane artificial beings trying to take control of me.

A combination of plastics, cloth and metals garnished with small shiny pieces of metal embedded into them. It was the faces that I didn’t like. I needed to view the faces of humans, ideally with happy smiling faces. Fellow humans. Not ones whose faces were entirely covered. I didn’t like it. They could be scowling at me right now, or scared out of their minds.

Modified gas-style marks or re-breathers designed to filter out the dust on the ground. I’d used enough of them underground to recognise the style, they’d likely have temporary filters on them which could be changed. Cheap in other words. This lot really were scavengers.

[Hey. Not that I have your attention I’d like to-]

‘-------------.’

[Yeah. Hey there. I’m the one waving at you. Slowly. Hi.]

‘---.’

‘--------’

What? I tried communicating again. Ignoring the fact that they were using what clearly was a cutting torch on a piece of machinery which belonged to my mining site this was rude. All I heard was a noise which filtered across to me as blank.

This time I gave a little jump in the air with both feet and landed harder with arms in what I tried to position as a more threatening position. I hit the ground far harder this time, leveraging my weight.

‘----------------’

‘-----’

The pair stood up and backed off slightly. One of them reaching inside its bulky gear to pull out a small box. I saw the figure fiddling with it while the other one walked in front and waved arms shouting words that I was unable to hear.

I knew there was a sound but I just couldn’t hear it. Judging from body language though I’d say that this was an attempt at either distracting me or getting my attention.

[System? I can’t hear them.]

[Ok. Ok. Everyone calm down. You can just listen to me and understand that this place is a restricted and private site. I will call the authorities if you choose not to leave.]

‘--------------. ---. ------!------.’

‘--.’

‘-------!------!-----.’

Great. I had to deal with three people at once now.

[You two can calm down and ask your friend to put down that cube. I’m not a threat. Not a threat.]

Taking another step back I raised my hands in the universal surrender position. It did make the one trying to cover the one fiddling with the device pause for a few seconds before they raised an arm and gave out a closed fist hand signal.

My head was forcefully raised up and my eyes zoomed in on the group of scavengers who were taking apart a piece of machinery. Me. They were taking me apart. No. Not me. Like me. Not me. The other drone. The one who talked. I felt my body shudder then inside as though all of my emotions hit me hard enough with an electric shock that caused a partial shutdown of my senses.

The two scavengers in front of me took a step forward. The one with the cube was holding it now carefully in two hands, the larger group behind had paused their actions and had now stood up. Through my zoomed in eyes I saw the other mining drone had been quartered and the head removed. Roughly cut off and then dumped into the back of the tractor truck as the others tried to carry the parts of the mechanical body and struggled under the weight.

Me. That was me. Memememememememe.

‘----’

‘--------------. -------------------?’

‘------! -----? ---------. ---. -----!’

‘--------’

The scavengers carried on their conversation unheard by me. My knees hit the floor first, metal forced to bend and creak against joints. My body was moving in the way that a human one would, as my frame protested I felt my will become weaker as the scavenger with the now glowing blue cube with flecks of electricity bouncing off approached me. More of them entered my weakened vison. Another one was preparing a similar cube while one stood in front as before.

Trash. I was trash to be disposed of. A broken tool to throw away. Trash. Trash. Trash. Trash.

Current Objectives

: Successful Minor Repair/Full Repair needed for Mining Drone

Secondary Priority – Overmind Security Request

: Detect Scavenger Presence Kill first Scavenger as example.

Remove security threats: Scavenger Threat Identified.

Temporary Objective: Bring Mining Drone to Supply Building Kill.

-Partial Reward: 30 minutes in Mind Palace, 15 XP

- Full Reward on Completion:

12 Hours in Mind Palace, 300 XP

Optional: Weapons systems upgrade.

Failure of Objectives: Room of Enlightenment. None>

[No. I. Me. He was me. It. Was me. Yes. Yes.]

My body refused to move as they came closer towards me. The flickering blue lights and sparks on the small box reminded me of an old tool I had used several times to shut down my drones when they had gone out of control. A point of last measure that the mining company frowned upon but accepted only when absolutely necessary to protect our human employees. I knew that light. It was a portable electromagnetic pulse.

[Bring it. I’m so tired now. So damn tired. Do it. DO IT! DO IT!]

‘----------. -----?’

‘--------------. --.’

The scavengers continued their wordless conversation in front of me. To be fair it made sense, I was a machine not a biological organism. All I’d been hearing was electrical signals. They could talk using tongues of muscle and pushing air through their mouths and I wouldn’t hear a sound. Enough was enough now. I needed a break and a rest and this was a good way to get one. Ironic in a way that I’d used emp’s on the mining drones when I’d been working.

[System. Go to hell. And goodbye.]

What? Did the artificial intelligence support not realise that there was an individual with an EMP closing in on me?

[How did the scavengers get hold of the other mining drone?]

A visible pause for a moment before the Campos system responded to me with usual detached personality.

…Overmind Security Order Override…

…Canpos 1.3 immediate priority...

…Overmind Override Confirmed….

….Audio Retention Screening Disengaged…

My body was taken control off as I pushed out one arm and forcefully pushed myself up. The other arm swung out and sent the scavenger holding the cube flying backwards into the truck-tractor with a sickening crunch sound.

The last that I heard were voices screaming.

‘------------ still active! Those ------ lied to us! It’s still acti-’

‘Shut it down! SHUT IT DOWN!’

‘Too late, the Ov---- is still active. We’re dead. Hit the signal. Hit the signa-’

Then the screamsscreamsscreams and sound of metal crunching bone flesh sounded ou-.