"Before I agree to anything," Gale said, "I need more information about these invisible enemies. What do they look like? How do they move? What weapons do they carry?"
More text scrolled through the screen. "I understand your need for tactical information. Unfortunately, my sensors cannot detect them directly. I only know they exist because of the trap formation they created and the missing components from my outer systems."
"Missing components?"
"Three irrigation control nodes. Two soil analysis stations. One weather monitoring array. All removed in the past twelve hours without triggering my standard security measures."
Gale's eyes narrowed. RAE was dodging the question. Either the AI didn't know much, or it was hiding something. People who aren't friends can never be trusted. "Have you seen any evidence of their presence? Footprints, disturbances in the environment, anything physical?"
"Negative. They leave no traces that my systems can identify. The only indication of their activity is the systematic removal of equipment and the spatial distortion field that now prevents your group from leaving this sector."
This matched what Gale knew about the watchers from other parts of the rift. Invisible things moving without leaving tracks. If RAE was telling the truth, they were facing the same enemies that had been following them since the tower's lower levels. But Gale wasn't ready to trust this AI yet, not after the trauma that Guide inflicted on him.
"What guarantee do I have that you're not just trying to use us? For all I know, you could be working with these invisible enemies."
"I cannot provide guarantees. I can only offer mutual benefit. You require passage to the next level. I require protection of my remaining systems. The invisible enemies represent a threat to both our objectives."
A soft click came from behind him. A compartment opened up and the smell hit him immediately. A tomato scent with a hints of apple spread through the air like a blend of pasta and apple pie. It sounded crazy, but somehow the smell blended seamlessly together.
"A demonstration of the sustenance I can provide," appeared on the screen.
Gale walked over to the compartment, picking up the warm container. It had a clear lid made of glass. Through it, he saw the pasta covered in red sauce. It was the source of the heavenly scent.
He put the container on the desk. "Guide. Analyze this food for any poison or harmful substances."
[Shimmie Pasta with Savoury Veean Sauce]
[No poison detected.]
"What is Veean?" Gale asked quietly.
[Closest similarity index: Apples]
"U-huh. What's a shimmie?"
[It is what the host's companion had called sheep ball]
"Fine." Gale sighed, looking into the container, but finding no way to eat it except barehanded. "There are no eating utensils."
Another click. A second panel slid open with a knife and fork inside. Gale grabbed the fork and opened the container.
The pasta was still hot, evenly coated with red sauce. He took a bite.
The flavour invaded his mouth. Rich and earthy, somehow making the apple sauce blend with the tomato, making it sweet tangy and apple-ish at the same time. After days of chalk-flavoured paste and brick, Gale felt like this was even better than the Shanghai360 experience in Yorkdale Mall that Andrew would always treat him to.
"This is incredible," he said between bites.
"I can provide three meals daily for your entire group. Fresh ingredients prepared according to optimal nutritional requirements. Menu includes 10,000+ unique dishes found within Harmony Section 1 of the Architect's Tomb. All I require is protection of my remaining infrastructure."
Gale took another fork full of pasta, making his cheeks bulge. An AI that just tells him threat levels are minimal? That was an enemy. An AI that can feed him? That has friendship potential.
"You got my full attention there. But I still need more details about these invisible enemies you're talking about. If we're going to help, we need to know what we're facing," he said while chewing.
"I wish I could provide more specific information. The truth is, I don't understand what these entities are or how they operate. My systems were designed to manage agricultural production, not combat analysis."
"Then how do you know they're enemies?"
"They are stealing my components. That makes them hostile by definition. Additionally, their spatial manipulation array prevents your group from completing your mission. This creates a situation where our interests align."
"What about the mechs and guardians from the lower levels? Can't they come up here to deal with these invisible enemies?"
"S-class mechs and Guardian units are prohibited from entering the Agriculture Level. Their weapons systems would cause extensive damage to crop production areas. Their presence would result in complete ecosystem failure."
"So you have no defenses?"
"My primary defense was the agricultural workers who tended the crops and maintained the systems. They have been... absent... for an extended period. I have been operating in automated mode, but my capabilities are limited without organic support staff."
"How long have you been operating alone?"
"Time measurement has become... inconsistent... since the primary tower systems went offline. My internal chronometer indicates uptime of 1 Star, 1 Se, 5 gan, but this figure may not be accurate.”
A sudden dizziness struck Gale’s temples as he saw the timestamp. The alien time stamp translated directly into his head, saying 49963 days. That would be over 100 years. Gale shook his head, getting rid of the dizzy spell. "What happens if these enemies succeed in taking all your components?"
"Agricultural production would cease. The ecosystem would collapse within weeks. The entire level would become uninhabitable."
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Gale put down the container and looked at the screen. Something about this deal didn't sit right.
"What happens if we find the elevator to the next level?" Gale asked. "We're not staying here permanently. Once we locate the exit, we'll be moving up. That leaves you completely defenseless against these invisible enemies."
"Your departure would... redirect their attention elsewhere."
Gale noticed the pause. RAE's responses had been instant until now. This delay meant the AI was being careful with its words.
"Redirect their attention how?"
"The invisible enemies appear to prioritize mobile targets over stationary infrastructure. Your group represents a more... immediate concern than my agricultural systems."
That didn't sit well with Gale. This whole trade itself wasn't very in their favour. RAE wasn't being straight, and its pause meant it was redirecting its own sentence. Friendship potential lowered from every answer it said.
"So you're saying these enemies would abandon their systematic theft of your components to chase after us instead?"
"Yes. That is the most likely outcome based on their behavioural patterns."
"That still doesn't sound like a win-win situation for my group," Gale said. "You're telling me that helping you would guarantee these invisible enemies focus on us instead of you. The trade-off isn't nearly enough. Food is important, but not worth becoming targets for."
"I understand your concern. Let me add more to the arrangement. I will provide full sustenance for your group until you successfully reach the next level. Additionally, I can fabricate a specialized device that will integrate with the control panel carried by the blond individual you call Ollie."
Gale leaned in. "What kind of device?"
"A navigation enhancement module. When inserted into the portable control panel, it will provide detailed route mapping for all levels of this facility. Complete architectural layouts, optimal paths, potential hazards, resource locations. Information that would be invaluable for reaching your ultimate destination."
Now that sounded like a bargain dad would have accepted. The control panel was the single most useful thing they've gotten from this place, allowing them to even go up the elevator. No more wandering through massive levels trying to find exits. No more walking blindly into danger zones.
"You can actually create something like that?"
"Yes. My fabrication systems retain full functionality despite the missing components. The navigation module would access my complete database of facility schematics. Every level, every room, every corridor. Information gathered over thousands of operational cycles."
"These enemies that would supposedly follow us," Gale said. "How dangerous are they really? You've admitted your sensors can't detect them properly."
"Unknown. I have no data on their combat capabilities or weaponry. I only know they can remove my components without triggering security and create spatial manipulation fields."
"So we could be walking into a fight we can't win."
"Possible. However, your group has successfully navigated previous hostile levels. Your combat effectiveness appears superior to standard organic parameters."
RAE had a point. They'd fought through the guardians and what Kyle and Clyde called tachikomis. But those were visible enemies. Invisible stalkers were a whole different problem that played on a different field.
"How long would it take you to fabricate this navigation device?"
"Approximately 1/8th of a Gan cycle using current resource allocation."
The time allocation blurred again, but the timing came to him. That would be 8 days.
"And the food situation? Can you really provide meals for six people?"
"Affirmative. My agricultural systems maintain extensive food stores. Fresh proteins, vegetables, fruits, grains. All nutritionally optimized and prepared according to individual dietary requirements."
"Alright," Gale said. "I'm interested. But I need to discuss this with my team before making any commitments."
"Of course. I will begin fabrication for the navigation device. The work can be halted if your group declines the arrangement."
Gale pulled out his phone and opened the walkie app. He held the push to talk button and said, "Everyone needs to return to the facility immediately. We have a situation that requires group discussion."
Kyle's voice crackled through the speaker first. "Good situation or bad situation? Pssht over."
"Potentially good. Just get back here."
"Copy that," Ollie said. "We're about fifteen minutes out."
"Same," Rachel said.
"On my way, pssht over," Clyde said.
"Roger that," Lily said.
Gale finished the last bite of pasta and leaned back on the chair with his eyes half closed. A loud burp escaped his throat, then his hand went on his stomach.
Footsteps approached from multiple directions. The doors slid open as Kyle burst in first, red-faced from the heat. Clyde followed close behind, sweat stains covering his vest. Ollie and Rachel entered from the north entrance while Lily came through the side door.
Kyle stopped dead. His nostrils flared at the smell.
"What the fuck, rookie?" Kyle said. "Where the hell did you get the food?"
Clyde moved beside his brother, also picking up the smell. "That's not nutrition bricks."
"Kyle, calm down," Rachel said. "He's about to explain."
Gale set down the empty container and wiped his mouth with his hand.
"You mocking me, rookie?!" Kyle shouted, pointing at Gale's mouth. "You think I won't lick that sauce from your mouth!?"
Rachel elbowed Kyle, hard.
"Ow! That hurt." Kyle rubbed his flank. "Wasn't joking though."
Gale sat up straight. "The computer hub is an AI. It told me it can provide food in exchange for protecting it from invisible enemies. The AI says once we find the exit, those enemies will probably target us instead of staying here. And I've negotiated enough that it'll make us a device to connect to the tablet we have. The device is something that'll contain all the maps and schematics of this place. In exchange, we get food and that device. Sounds like a fair deal, no?"
Ollie stepped forward. "Where's this AI? Can we talk to it?"
"You can't," Gale replied. "Even I can only see the text if I phase my eyes. Unless you have that, you'll only see a black screen."
Kyle crossed his arms. "So we're supposed to trust your translation of what this mystery AI is saying?"
"Yup," Gale said.
Rachel looked at the central console. "What kind of device are we talking about?"
"Navigation module. Plugs into your control panel," Gale said.
Lily leaned over the screen, tapping on it. "Eight days to make this device?"
"That's what it said."
"Eight days," Clyde said. "That's a long time to sit here waiting."
"And these invisible enemies," Rachel said. "What do we know about them?"
"The AI doesn't have much detail. It said that it can't see or sense them directly. Only knows that they're there because those things are stealing components. Those things are also the ones that created the trap formation."
"Great. So we're supposed to fight things we can't see based on information from an AI that admits it doesn't know what it's talking about," Kyle said.
"The food is real," Lily said. "That's something."
Ollie rubbed his chin. "This trap formation. We still need to deal with it regardless of what deal we make with this AI. Eight days is too long to just sit around. We should keep looking for those anchor points, figure out how to break free on our own terms instead of letting invisible enemies dictate our timeline."
A soft click came from a compartment behind them. Another panel slid up slowly. The same scent Gale had smelled earlier wafted through the whole area. Steam rose from the tray, containing enough food probably for 4 people and then some for extra. He saw Kyle's mouth drool in seconds.
Kyle's stomach growled loudly. "Okay, that's harder to argue with. Food can bribe me all day."
"All day, son!" Clyde said.
"Fresh protein, vegetables, fruits," Gale said. "All nutritionally optimized."
Rachel approached the tray. "Mmmm. It's hot."
"The AI can provide three meals daily for all of us," Gale said. "As long as we protect its remaining infrastructure."
Clyde glanced at his brother. "Real food versus nutrition bricks."
"I know," Kyle said. "Already feels like heaven."
"The navigation device would be useful for the upper levels," Ollie said. "Assuming this AI is telling the truth about its capabilities."
Lily moved closer to the tray. "What's the worst case scenario? We eat real food for a week while figuring out the anchor points?"
"Worst case is these invisible enemies are more dangerous than the AI admits," Rachel scooped up the steaming sauce with a finger. "And we end up trapped here."