ORPHEUS - A.I.

Chapter Thirty Two : Skyline

"We can't lose hope and let Devonshire win… we will have to find a way- I spoke to Hex earlier - he said the three of them (Andre, Tim and Hex) were trying to decode some algorithms and they will find out a way - he just needs a few days he said.", replied Anthea.

"I need to get back to my home- my aunt is sick- I don't have a few days in my hands- it's already been too late.", said Megan.

"Just have some patience dear- we have lost some good men for being careless- we have to have a proper plan!", said Anthea.

Megan said nothing and stood up and walked away. This place was getting on her nerves. She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to get out right now. All she knew was that her aunt needed her out there in the real world. But what could she do?

She walked towards the exit tunnel and asked John to open the door. John gave a surprised look and hesitatingly opened up the door. She walked out of the shaft and was out in the open in no time. She looked around. Nina was sitting behind some bushes- carefully camouflaged chewing a bead of grass- resting her back against a rock. The shaft was carefully hidden beneath the tall grasses and it was almost impossible for the drones to detect anyone from the sky due to the natural vegetation and the swamps.

Nina saw Megan walking out and immediately whistled out as a warning to the other girls who were guarding the entry shaft. Megan simply kept walking towards Nina.

"Where do you think you're going?", asked Nina still relaxing.

"None of your business!", replied Megan and kept walking.

"Pfft! Don't blame us if you get killed out there…" , replied Nina.

Megan paused for a while and replied-

"I don't care anymore- I just want to get out of here…"

"Yeah?Don't we all wanna do that…", Nina replied sarcastically still relaxing her back on the rock.

"Then why don't you do something about it instead of just lying down?", replied Megan.

Nina didn't reply and closed her eyes pretending to sleep.

"Thought so…I'm going to the opening and get myself outta here or die trying!", replied Megan and walked away into the swamps.

She had learnt the way by now and kept walking frantically like she was possessed. The thick grass made it difficult for her to walk but she carried on until she had reached almost 500 metres away from the bunker. She then stopped to catch her breath.

"Argh!", exclaimed Megan and kicked the grass.

She was evidently frustrated. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she began to sob for a few seconds. She then stood up and started to walk towards the forests. She had no fear in her mind. She didn't care about the drones or the alphas- all she had in her mind was trying to find the opening and walking out of here. The face of her sick aunt flashed before her eyes and it motivated her to keep moving forward.

It must have been more than an hour. Megan saw the treeline some 200 metres ahead. The sun was peaking through the dark clouds and a light breeze touched her hair. There was nobody around- only an eery noise of the breeze flowing across the open grasslands and the swaying of the trees up ahead. She knew that she was close- if only she could find the opening - she would be free!

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming from behind her- she turned around and looked. It was Nina- walking towards her with her crossbow in her hand.

"Yo! Why did you stop? Scared or something?", asked Nina.

"Why are you following me?", Megan asked back.

"It's my job to protect anyone who stays with us- don't worry I'm just gonna follow you - not gonna stop you or something- go on!", Nina replied nonchalantly.

Megan was annoyed at her attitude but she didn't reply. Instead she continued walking towards the treeline.

Five minutes later- Megan thought she heard someone shouting her name-she turned around and saw Hex running towards her- calling her name- begging her to stop. But she kept walking- she was close to entering the forest and then she only had to find the opening- she thought she was too close to turn back now. But Hex kept rushing towards her- apparantly he was trying to warn her about something. But Megan was too obsessed at finding the doorway and she continued walking- this time she began to run.

Suddenly she heard that dreaded noise- the strange monotonic buzzing sound of the drones. Her heart was in her mouth- her trance broke and she froze in fear as she saw one huge drone coming out of the forest ahead.

"Megan… No!! ", Hex yelled from behind her.

Nina saw the drone and ran towards some thick covering in the bushes. She knew that she couldn't take on the drone on her own. Meanwhile Hex had almost reached her and was about to grab her arm and pull her away. But the drone stretched out a gun and shot right near Hex's feet. Hex was shocked by the sudden burst of the gun and fell down on his back. Megan was shocked too and looked at Hex- the bullet missed him by an inch.

"Stop right there!!" - a voice commanded through the speakers of the drone.

"Megan- today's your judgement day- do not try to resist this- you shall repent for your past!"- the voice announced.

Hex was half lying on the ground covered in dust. The blades of the drone came to a halt as it settled down right in front of Megan. Hex looked at it carefully- this was no ordinary drone- it looked like a cross between a tank and a drone. It was fully loaded with weapons to the core and its blades spanned more than a metre long.

"What the hell are you talking about? What past? I haven't committed any crime you sick monster!! Why don't you let us leave??" , shouted Megan in protest.

Hex stood up and stared at Megan from behind. He had never seen Megan so angry and loud and he totally agreed with her- she couldn't have committed any crime- she was such an innocent looking soul- she couldn't hurt a fly- or atleast that's what Hex thought.

"Two years ago- your uncle was diagnosed with a rare disease…", announced the voice.

Megan's eyes opened wide- she kept thinking-

how did it know? Is it bluffing? Could it be talking about that incident? But nobody in the world knew about it.

"He wasn't prone to any illness- let alone fall sick to an incredibly rare disease..." - said the voice.

Megan realised now that the voice from the drone wasn't bluffing. It knew something that nobody could have possibly known.

"Who the hell are you? Why are you talking about my uncle?", asked Megan.

"I'm Orpheus- I was built to execute and promote justice and I know you're guilty!!", replied the voice.

"Orpheus?? Is that you? Don't you recognise us? We built you!!", said Hex walking upto Megan.

"You are all equally guilty… Megan - you thought that by administering certain illegal drug in small doses - you could slowly kill your uncle and nobody would be the wiser, after all the drug is almost untraceable." - said Orpheus.

Megan was at a loss of words.

"What??", yelled Hex, " Megan what is this thing talking about? It's gotta be a joke!"

Megan simply stood there in silence - her heart heavy and her mind numb from fear and embarrassment. Was she going to be executed now? Did she deserve this? Her friend Amy always talked about **Karma** coming back to haunt people. Megan now felt it was true. She couldn't look Hex in the eye or at anyone for that matter. She felt her head spin - she was blacking out!

Megan and Tim watched helplessly as Hex ran struggling his way across the swamp. Two drones immediately flew after him maintaining a few hundred metres of distance.

" Timothy, you have a very shady past too..." said Orpheus from the drone speakers.

"What? Me? No!... I have been very good to everyone..." , replied Tim.

"You entered the country illegally as a teenager and have been involved in digital piracy, selling bootleg copies of games and music...", said Orpheus.

"That's all? That's not such a big crime...pfft!", replied Tim.

"Betrayal is your crime!", replied Orpheus.

"What kinda betrayal?", asked Tim.

"You betrayed your best friend many times before but this time you were going to sell the idea of the game you both designed to an independent buyer without Andre's knowledge...", replied Orpheus.

"Is it true homie?", asked Andre from behind the tree.

"Nah man , he lying...", replied Tim.

"I am not programmed to decieve people. I have the e-mails you sent to the buyer at Redbone Inc. He has agreed to pay about a million dollars as soon as you finish designing the game...", said Orpheus.

"Look man... it's true that I wrote those emails but I didn't go through with the deal... and even if I did I would never betray my only friend here...", replied Tim in anger.

"Resistance is futile... your anger exposes your lies...", replied Orpheus.

"You little piece of junk...who do you think you are...we designed you...", replied Tim getting angrier and walking towards the drone in the centre.

"Please do not approach the drone... ", warned Orpheus.

But Tim didn't listen and walked towards it in anger - he was probably going to kick it away, but before he could do anything, the drone suddenly fired at his leg. Tim rolled down on the ground in pain.

"No! Tim...", cried Megan and rsn towards him.

"God...damn...it shot me!..ah!", yelled Tim in pain while grabbing his left leg. Megan kneeled down tried to help him sit up.

"Resistance is futile... You were warned...", said Orpheus coldly.

Tears rolled down Megan's cheeks as she saw Tim screaming in pain , his left thigh red with blood. She didn't know how to help him.

Andre simply screamed in anger from behind the tree, he felt so utterly helpless.

"I expected this kind of behaviour from Timothy... Well since he's incapable of performing his task, it's upto you Megan to finish his task...", said Orpheus.

"But I can't let him die here!", replied Megan.

"He won't die .. there's an emergency kit in the drone on your left side, it's quite basic but it will help you to stop the bleeding long enough to finish your task...after you have completed it he will be safe... Remember this is only his task, you still have yours left...", said Orpheus.

Megan took out the medi kit from the drobe and opened it, there were some bandages and antiseptics and a syringe and a small vial of morphine. She quickly helped Tim to sit up straight against the tree near Andre and cleaned his wound. She then tied the bandages on the eound and injected the morphine.

"Heh... I thought you were a psychologist.. but you are better than a doctor...", said Tim, the morphine was kicking in.

"Just try to relax I will be back soon...", said Megan smiling.

Orpheus began to explain the instructions

"There's a barn about 2 kms due east from here... inside the barn there are supplies for each of you... fresh water, warm clothes and packaged food, you will need it to survive here... But first you have to finish Timothy's task. There's a woman inside it- a former employee of Orwell Corp. She's unconscious and tied to a chair. A bomb is about to go off in about 30 minutes - there are four bags of supplies for the four of you labelled with your names. Your task is to choose between your lives or the woman's... These supplies are all that you will receive during your stay in this deep forest and it also has the necessary tools that will help Tim survive, but you get to choose between one or the other- since you will only have enough time to either carry out the bags or untie the woman and save her life... You choose ... Save one, betray the other, this task will let you bear the guilt of betrayal and the thought of choosing one person's life over the other will help you realise the price of betrayal...your time starts now..."

Megan ran as soon as she saw the directions on her phone. She had no choice but to obey Orpheus, the timer on her phone was starting to count down.