32 Consultan

ERROR RESOLVED

SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER DETECTS

ADMINISTRATOR 001 – APEX

Sia's body stands stock still in the middle of the frozen woods. Gusts of wind hurl by and tap the icicles hanging off trees into each other. A thin icicle falls off a tree. It spirals down onto Sia's shoulder and breaks into pieces. The collision results in no reaction.

Apex assumes control of Sia's body and looks around at the tumultuous weather. The strips of fabric around the head and hands do not warm the body much while standing outside.

"Where are we now?" Apex mutters.

The female voice that streams out of this body irritates him, but he still appreciates being able to speak out loud.

OUTSIDE THE EXPLORERTECH INDUSTRIES, COLDSTONE

PERIMETER

"Report energy levels," He says as he begins walking in the direction the body was facing.

He stops behind a wide tree, so the wind does not blow any more snowflakes into his eyes.

SUBJECT 001 ENERGY LEVELS AT LOW LEVELS

COMPLETE DEPLETION EMINENT IN 3 HOURS

"Why is that?"

SUBJECT 001 EXHIBITS SIGNS OF STARVATION

WATER LEVELS ARE HIGH

SODIUM LEVELS HAVE DECREASED

ADH LEVELS ARE INCREASING

"So, we need food?!" He yells as a huge wind blows into the woods and topples snow from the treetops.

The snow covers his head and shoulders.

AFFIRMATIVE

"Brrrrrr. Good to be back, but maybe in more favorable conditions," He says before shaking his head and dusting the snow off the puffy jumpsuit.

"Have you located a place where we can eat and gain shelter?"

AFFIRMATIVE

16 KM NORTH EAST IN THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT OF COLDSTONE

IS A SHIPPING CONTAINER TERMINAL

PUBLISHED ELECTRONIC RECORDS REVEAL THE PORT SERVICED MANY PRIVATELY-OWNED COMPANIES AND MASS-PRODUCING FOOD COMPANIES

"What types of food were stored there that we can use now?"

RECORDS SHOW SEVERAL SHIPPING CONTAINERS CONTAIN RICE, OATS, HONEY, SALT, POWDERED MILK,

POTATO FLAKES, AND BOUILLON CUBES

"The bouillon would increase her sodium substantially. Are all the items stored separately?"

AFFIRMATIVE

ALL ITEMS ARE STORED IN SEPARATE CONTAINERS IN DIFFERENT WINGS OF THE STORAGE FACILITY

"So, we'll have to wander around the entire terminal to find what we need…How spacious is the port?"

185,000 SQUARE FEET

"Gaah!"

More snow falls from the canopies. Several flakes melt down the collar at the back of his neck. He shivers before calling out.

"Let me go over the recent memories of Subject 001."

AFFIRMATIVE

He watches the new memories from the past couple days and notes Subject 001's message to him. She seems to be a kind, resilient human.

"Walking will be inefficient. I think the humans back at the facility have a vehicle. How else did they travel here and think to retrieve her in a timely manner? We should go back. How far is the ExplorerTech Industries front gate?"

AROUND 3.2 KM SOUTHWEST OF THIS LOCATION

No matter how loath Apex was to return to the ExplorerTech grounds, he could see this escape plan was futile. He doesn't know what Subject 001 had planned, but she was not taking this weather and the depleted energy levels into account.

'She must be desperate to get home, but she has to take things slowly. Plan things out more carefully.'

"Keep our extremities enhanced at 40% until we make it to the gate. Then shut down all enhancements," Apex orders the device.

AFFIRMATIVE

Sia's body returns in the direction she came from and ran along the edge of the perimeter. When he makes it to the front of the building, Apex spots an old van parked beside the curb near the entrance. It is turned off.

Instead of inspecting the vehicle, he continues toward the front gate and used the cars in the parking lot to hide his figure. When he makes it to the guard's post at the entrance gate, all enhancements were canceled out. His limbs felt heavier, it became harder to see, and hunger pains wracked his form.

"Creator! Ugh! I forgot such pains existed," Apex cries out into the raging storm.

His words are swallowed by the storm. He grabs the outside wall of the guard booth and sets his face to the freezing frame for a moments' respite from the biting winds. He stays there for several moments before S.I.D notifies him of his time being up.

S.I.D TO APEX

TIME REMAINING 40 SECONDS

"I…didn't even…get to….enjoy…a sunrise," He mutters before biting into the lip.

The right-hand rises and wipes the blood off the lips to smear the blood onto the wall. He bites the lower lip two more times to feed more blood onto his fingers. A slight tingle can be felt as the lower lip heals.

N

Y

Z

30 SECONDS…

A loud engine is heard approaching his position.

"I don't….want…to go," he forcefully whispers against the wooden booth door.

APEX CAN OVERRIDE HER CONSCIOUSNESS

EJECT IT INTO STASIS.MODE AND RESUME CONTROL OF THE BODY

ENERGY IS USED TO TRANSFER YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS

NULLIFYING THAT STEP WILL CONSERVE ENERGY

20 SECONDS…

Apex minutely shakes his head as shivers wrack Sia's body.

"It would…wouldn't…be…right."

Apex stood up in clear view of the van. The green color of the jumpsuit is easy to pick out through the worsening snowfall. The van stops.

Apex mumbles a few words before taking two steps and relinquishing control back to Sia's charge.

Sia's body stumbles and falls to its knees. Sia's consciousness comes back along with a surge of pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" She wails.

SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER RESTRICTS PHYSICAL SIGNALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH PRIORITY 1

Sia registers those words before passing out on the snow-covered road.