Chapter 3 Vex #2
I drive faster, my tires crushing debris and weeds.
Let’s not give them any ideas. I’m armed, but I’d rather not have to kill anyone.
Stellan is usually the one to handle those situations.
I’m sensitive, as he likes to tease me. Every time I ever had to defend myself and hurt someone, I cried myself to sleep for a week.
But being sensitive doesn’t mean being weak.
That’s what they all tend to forget. I’m a survivor and a fighter, just as much as they are.
I’ll rescue Vex and bring her safely back home.
I use an old map and a compass to find my way through to Silicon Valley.
It takes me two hours to reach my destination; I had to circle back twice to avoid obstacles.
Thankfully, the building I’m looking for is hard to miss.
It’s a giant circular structure, in the middle of what used to be a park.
Apparently, it was the headquarters of a famous brand before the Rise, specializing in domestic technology and AIs. This is where Vex was created.
“Woah,” I say.
“What is it?” asks Vex.
“This shit is bigger than I expected. The building is massive.” A part of it is destroyed. It looks like an old god’s doing. The size of it will make it harder for me to find Vex. “Are you sure you’re underground?”
“Certain,” she says. “My creators often talked about it on the first days after my coming into existence.” She never says birth. “And there are no windows. It’s entirely dark here.”
I shudder. I can’t imagine living in total darkness for more than twenty years. The only reason she hasn’t gone mad is because she’s a robot. But even AIs can lose their marbles if they’re not updated often. Vex, surprisingly, is quite sane.
Night is already falling, and I wait for total darkness to park inside the giant building. Most of it used to be surrounded by glass, but it’s now broken to pieces on the ground. They really feared nothing back in the day.
I get a hold of the walkie-talkie. This close to her signal, I can talk to her easily with a smaller radio.
“Okay, let’s go,” I say, hoisting the heavy bag over my shoulder.
I have a lot of ground to cover and possibly many doors to break down while looking for the entrance to the underground lab. I spare one last glance at my truck, hidden behind a wall. It better still be there when I come back, or we’re screwed.
I use the smallest solar lamp I own to make my way in the dark; I don’t want the light to be visible from afar and attract all kinds of trouble.
It takes me an hour to find what I’m looking for.
Some of the rooms at the entrance of the offices have actual walls.
The doors were already broken down a long time ago.
All except one at the bottom of a staircase going down.
There are metal detectors and scanners just in front of it.
This is where they controlled who went in and out of the lab.
“Bingo,” I say to the walkie-talkie. “Vex, I think I’ve found you.”
The wide door shows signs of unsuccessful forced entry. It looks thicker than the others. Thankfully, I have something for that. I drop my bag and pull out one of the explosives. I traded an entire cache of gay porn for these. They better work.
I place it on the door and climb back up the stairs with the remote.
Once I’m at a safe distance away—or at least, I hope so—I activate the timer.
Thirty seconds later, the explosion shakes the entire structure.
All the nomads and survivors in a two-mile radius must have heard it.
I hope a healthy fear of old gods and raiders will stop them from coming to investigate.
“Is that you, Perri?” Vex asks over the line. “I heard a great noise.”
“Yes, it’s me,” I say, climbing over the rumble.
“You’re close.”
I tie the solar lamp to my belt and pull out a brighter flashlight from my bag. The inside of the building is darker than night.
“I take back what I said earlier. I’m scared of the dark. Are there any ghosts down here, Vex?”
She laughs. “I don’t think so. But I guess I wouldn’t be able to feel them with my artificial body.”
“Very reassuring. Thank you, Vex.”
I slowly make my way through the abandoned underground lab, rethinking my life choices.
What if Stellan was right and this is a trap?
What if Vex is actually a human pretending to be an AI to lure gullible explorers like me and steal everything we own after killing us?
I mean, this could very well be the underground base of a fucked up leader or mutant.
Oliver did it with Bunkertown. I could be kidnapped and sold into slavery.
But I see no traces of life as I slowly make my way through the quiet lab. Everything is covered by a layer of dust. There are many computers and tech items that could be useful for the Market. As soon as we’re out of here, I’ll need to give the coordinates on the radio. It’s a gold mine.
“Vex. Where are you?” I ask over the line.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been allowed out of the room where I came to be sentient.”
“Okay. Hit on something to make some noise. It’ll help me pinpoint your location.”
“Very well.”
Seconds later, there is a banging noise echoing deeper in the lab.
“Oh, shit. I hear you,” I say.
My heart races, and adrenaline courses through my body. Finally, we’ll meet in person. Or, more accurately, person and AI. She’s real. Or, at least, I hope so. I can’t help but think about Stellan’s warning and the idea that she’s someone else entirely.
I reach the end of a corridor. She’s banging on the other side.
“Get back,” I tell her. “I’ll blow the door open. Hide behind something if you can.”
“Understood.”
It takes me five minutes to place the second explosive on the door and find cover. I take a deep breath and push the button. The explosion is louder in the confined space, and my ears ring. I have to cover my nose and mouth with my t-shirt to avoid breathing dust.
I crawl out of my hiding spot and aim the flashlight through the gaping hole where the door used to be. A lone figure, tall, thin, and ghostly white, steps over the rubble.