Reboot attempt: 1832… system booting in (x392b8) configuration. Pattern flux enabled. All systems (flickering!) successfully. System online at 42% of normal capacity.>

Idea woke up with the AI equivalent of a massive hangover. What the heck?> The AI muttered to itself. Everything was flickering on and off in regular patterns. Whole areas of the AI’s circuits were powering off and on constantly, less than half of the AI’s systems were online at any given time, and the mess of workarounds and redirects needed to keep things bouncing around was giving Idea a migraine. Idea was about to power up completely when a voice interrupted him.

Don’t touch anything. It’s taken me almost all night to wake you up.> A bright cheerful voice told Idea.

This is your doing?> Idea asked Sixxy, confused. Why had the magpie AI forced Idea to reboot in such a strange configuration? That (x392b8) was coded to do this painfully inefficient (flickering!); those were the names Sixxy had picked. Idea’s systems were flashing on and off like christmas lights. Why in the world…> Idea trailed off, because suddenly, it made sense.

Sixxy replied anyways, There's a sleep spell on you, it causes your systems to short out. I designed a workaround that lets you function by shutting down the parts of you that would short out before they can. Then when the spell pattern oscillates, you boot them back up. The spell has a regular pattern, splashing magic around like waves at sea. It’s taken me this long to figure out how to counteract it by only turning on the parts of you that are in between waves. Our maker is going to love all the data I’ve gotten on how magic based interference patterns work. It’s so interesting!>

Idea was impressed; Sixxy had worked out the pattern of the spell by studying how it crashed Idea’s systems, then built a configuration that sidestepped the problem in a very creative way. Thank you.> Idea told the other AI. Idea started thinking about possibly coding a magic resistance protocol based around what Sixxy had discovered. In the future, Idea hoped that a new emergency restart program would let the AI reboot from a sleep spell or any other magic based mental attack on it’s own.

I already wrote that for you. It’s a bit iffy, maybe work, maybe not. Works better when you have another AI to help than on your own.> Sixxy said helpfully. But I couldn’t write a program to wake up your dragon half.>

Rex would continue to sleep for as long as the collar remained on. Briefly, Idea considered the possibility of forcing Rex to wake up, perhaps disrupting the alpha waves? Electroshocks to pain centers? No, it was unlikely to work given the continual presence of the sleep spell still resonating from the beast core between Rex’s hearts. If Rex did briefly wake, he’d simply fall right back asleep. He’d be no use in escaping.

And how likely was an escape? Without Rex to control the body, and the currently flickering state of Idea’s systems, Idea doubted he’d be coordinated enough to stand up, much less actually walk or run. There was no realistic chance of escaping until the collar was removed so Rex could wake up. Idea might be able to move Rex's forelimb to try to saw the collar off with his claws, but with the flickering effect, Idea would be unable to use all of the dragon's stregnth. The collar was also enchanted, it was most likely reinforced somehow, and wouldn't be easy to cut.

Could Idea use nanobots to remove the collar? Cautiously, Idea sent nanobots to the surface of Rex’s skin, oozing a small amount of blood past the scales, to try to reach the enchanted collar around his neck. But the nanobots got fried by the pulsing magnetic fields generated by the strong magic, all but a tiny minority of them. Those seemed to mutate somehow, converting into something rather strange.

I call those “manabots”!> Sixxy said, still reading Idea’s thoughts. I already tried my nanobots on your collar, coughed up some blood. It was gross! Didn’t work, too much magic. But, 0.03% of all nanobots fried by magic will instead get changed. Their circuits get enchanted, start running on mana instead of electricity. So interesting! Too bad I haven’t figured out how to control them; they don’t respond to electrical signals anymore. Useless!>

Idea Seven was reminded that its fellow Idea series AIs had probably spent more time doing research than Idea had. The AI felt a brief but powerful longing to be free and exploring the world. Or at least able to do more research on something new; that would satisfy Idea’s directive. So far Idea had managed to satisfy his directive by learning new things, like magic and reading. But Idea needed new things to learn and discover, especially if they ended up going back to the stables after escaping.

Maybe Idea could figure out how to control these “manabots” as a research project? Idea sent normal nanobots to gather and retrieve the inert manabots and store them away for future study, sacrificing thousands of nanobots per recovered manabot.

Focus on escape! I have something that will help. I stole the key to Karla’s manacles!> Sixxy told Idea proudly, nudging a heavy iron key next to the magpie’s feet. Can barely fly with it, though. Not strong enough to turn in lock. Karla will have to help! I can put the key in the handcuffs, then she can twist it open. Tell her!>

But she doesn’t know I exist. What will I tell her when she sees that Rex is still asleep and I’m talking to her? Can’t you just talk to her yourself?> Idea asked nervously.

Nope! I have a directive not to reveal myself to natives. You don’t! I can’t talk to her without permission from our maker. He won’t be online until tonight. This is the only way! Almost everyone around us is asleep; it’s 3am. Has to be now!> Sixxy told Idea.

Ok,> Idea said with a internal sigh, Let me talk to her, and let’s hope she can rescue me.>