Day 90

(Rick POV)

Walking home, down past the Amethyst room, yet another of those crystalline creatures ambushes me. Without even expending more than a pittance of my stored up energy the creature is downed. Using raw physical power against the improbable gemstone monster it shatters, barely able to even retaliate. A simple charge and palm-strike is all I need, considering I have no bones to break or muscles to tear. The metallic structures of antimatter that make up the vast majority of my mass turning a simple slap into a hammer-blow. This... I ended up practically becoming a golem. Irony.

I sort through the shards and assess if they will make good souvenirs for the ladies in my life... such as it is now.

The materials are brittle, but the color is pretty. I make a pair of ornate and flowery daggers out of the purple gemstone before sheathing them inside my body. Shifting my body's make up is easy, I have been doing so since I was forced to inhabit the homunculus 'daughter' I created. Since I sacrificed my hand to kill that bastard clone I had to replace it from my own mass, so now I'm a bit hollow. I don't have internal organs or the like, I'm just superficially humanoid. In fact I could switch back to my human form now, except... no one would recognize it as me. So I remain a rat.

Satisfied at my gift I glance around at my old stomping grounds... here is where I placed traps to ambush the caravan that was taking Niala away as a slave. In the next room is the crevice room, where I fell to the floor below.

Out of curiosity I ask the omnipresent old man about the strange things down there. As a rogue Disaster Recovery AI for this section of the maze it should have more information.

However...

“I'm sorry I don't seem to have access to any of the non critical functions or information about this particular area. It is quite a wide section, too.” [Darkness]

“You don't? Not even vaguely?” Rick asked raising an eyebrow.

“Was it so strange? It looks normal enough as far as most of the passive sensors go. There is a spike in oxygen use, but if there's a 'furnace' room as you described that is normal too.” [Darkness]

Hmm.

“How does a section get isolated like this?” [Rick]

“It isn't a regular thing. I'm amazed myself, since I only respond to catastrophic damage, I never suspected places like this even existed.” [Darkness]

“There is at least one room down there that is lethal to intruders. I believe a monster of a high calibre nests there.” [Rick]

“Close, but I don't think so. In fact I believe it is most likely another rogue AI, one with a physical form... a bit like you.” [Darkness]

“Another clone of me?” [Rick]

“No, I just mean it originally was an inhabitant of the maze. Everything else is pure speculation. It is simply that the so called 'boss' monsters you describe are usually directly managed by the overseers... no chance an overseer has any interest in that place with no way to view it. I believe it has been modified superficially by the owner into a dead zone. A place devoid of all interaction and change does seem to repel the overseers' little drones.” [Darkness]

“There was life down there; plant monsters and slug people. In fact the plant monsters even grew a deadlier version while I was trapped down there.” [Rick] “If it hadn't possessed a relic that controlled gravity I would still be down there.”

“Convenient. Far too convenient. Two possibilities exist: one is that the overseers engineered that trial to get you back out of the hole, which I'll admit is extremely unlikely since we already know it's not under the usual surveillance. Or that the rogue AI just used a double-edged ploy to get rid of you. Perhaps your presence was drawing too much attention?” [Darkness] “Either it killed you and that was the end of it, or you gained a way to escape.”

“So... the question is: what is down there that this AI treasures so much it will risk losing a system created artefact?” [Rick] “It must be something precious to the Whispers the AI is keeping for itself.”

“Well, no harm in finding out.” Rodent teeth bared in a grin.

It was a very small place. Only so many places to hide the treasure.

I wonder what it is...

It'll only take a few hours, tops.

Really, just a detour.

I could just pass it up and go home first. The area doesn't show any signs of changing hands any time soon. But the possibilities are just too enticing.

Looking down into the abyss I murmur: “Perhaps I'll find something to use against those bastards pulling the strings... so... I guess I'm falling again!”

The walls are clearly visible to me as I fall. They're too smooth, like polished marble. I angle down towards where I originally entered.

The floor rushes up to meet me. A burst of kinetic energy serves to bring my speed down to nil as I land softly.

A shiver runs through the system, and I feel eyes on me.

The AI in the Death Room seems immediately aware of my presence, but I have no reason to hide or fear it. We are both prisoners here, it may be his turf but the reality is I have the power to destroy a small star with the energy stored inside my clenched fist.

I release a little hint of my potential and confidence as a warning, getting a hint of desperation in return.

I glide around looking through the rooms, one by one.

Slugs... eugh.

At least I'm no longer reduced to wading through their filthy mucus. I hover over the floor, trying in vain to understand their language. I don't have genetic memories any more beyond what I recall, in fact I no longer even possess genes.

Still I'm getting a lot more respect than last time, since they seem to think I'm a god or something. Probably because of the anti-gravity-like magnetic field I'm using to repel against the thick iron ore deposits in the rock layers below to float around.

Since I have no care to waste my time further I move on, entering the topsy-turvy gravity anomaly room... which is now completely normal.

A few useless monster plants wander around. I don't even bother exterminating them. They're nothing.

In fact thinking about it: aren't they the equivalent of wild deer to the slug people? They are vegetarians, I assume from viewing their offering ceremony earlier. I don't think they even know meat is a food for other species. They are extremely backward and primitive due to isolation. But then what could they possibly use for a source of meat beyond cannibalism sectioned off down here... oh right, the river and it's mutant spawn are nearby. Who would be desperate enough to eat that besides something as unscrupulous as my own species?

Despite their isolation there is the fact they use some form of republic to govern.

Still I wonder where they got that idea. Most races have kings and emperors, so how did they develop such an unusual political system? Perhaps as a race they are docile and have a herd mentality?

Still doesn't explain the (salt crystal) spears the soldiers carry. Perhaps they suffer from internal strife after all?

In the end it's irrelevant.

Focus Rick, focus.

You'd think as a simulation of self aware biological intelligence I could use my technically AI nature to process multiple things at the same time, in parallel but no... it has to be within the boundaries of my programming i.e. the complete brain map they use. Dammit. Really sucks the joy out of being practically immortal.

…

Anyhow since I'm not getting any real answers from all these places I know, my best bet is that the owner has 'it' under lock and key. Whatever 'it' is.

So I think it's time for a little chat.

Since I'm done fooling around, I announce my intention over his network.

All I get in reply is an exasperated feeling in reply.

Fine, be annoyed for all I care. What can you do about it?

Trudge...

Okay, and around the next bend and...

Holy cow!

Well not literally. I'm just a bit startled.

This room is wall to wall bones. Specifically skulls. All clean white bone. Without a blemish. Not even a smell of decay. They are old. Not all of them humanoid, but a vast majority.

“Is this what these death rooms usually look like?” [Rick musing]

“No, I decorated it myself.” [Stranger]

At the rear a hunched form lies buried under a pile of these (so called) ornaments.

OKAY THEN... Ignore the serial killer paint scheme for the time being.

As I glance around I notice to my deep surprise another tunnel entrance, one leading upwards... this thing deliberately sealed off this section of the labyrinth, preventing anyone entering or leaving that didn't fall in or fly out.

New hypothesis... he's protecting something in this easily fortified area that can't be moved and is very vulnerable to the kind of harm an ordinary intruder can bring, let alone the Whispers.

…

Hey! There's the broken cart that fell down here, but none of my weapons or the load of iron it carried is here.

Oh, the big thing is talking at me again.

“If this is about the goods of the wagon... they are gone. If this is curiosity, just leave. If you intend to rob me... I will have your head too.” [Stranger]

You know how things strike you out of the blue? Maybe you forgot something or lost a valuable, perhaps the bill has an extra zero than usual. I had an epiphany at this moment.

“You're actually speaking English, my friend. I wonder, where and when did you learn my native language?” [Rick smiling brightly] “As I understood it, only a few people here know it and all of them are versions of me. Now I most certainly am very, very interested in what you are doing here. Not for the slug-people I imagine.”

The pile of skulls shook and slowly a figure three meters taller than my own emerged, an angry skeletal being. An undead giant...

Well, well, well. Fancy seeing you again.

“You don't remember me at all?” I ask grinning. “Small fellow, furry. With a huge, walking lump of metal? I remember you well enough. I can't believe I actually caught you back then and used you as a trap.”

“You-!!!” [The AI howls]

“I thought you were a dumb monster at the time... but really, I actually locked you out of your own front yard? How did you get back? Side tunnel? No, wait... you climbed down the cliff by hand?! Pfft...” [Rick laughing] “Did you fall too?”

“You arrogant little beast, come let me crush you between my finger bones until you are jelly.” [Giant Skeleton]

“And here I though another AI would be a moderate threat...” [Rick shaking his head at his misjudgement]

The huge bone arm reached out, to pluck him into the air and squeeze.

“You were only barely a threat to me when I was alive.” Rick said mockingly.

As the hand clenched grabbing forcefully, it met a pulsing shockwave of kinetic energy that reduced the bones on the floor and those being used as a weapon to dust in a five meter radius around Rick's body and sent billowing out in all directions.

“Man, that clone of mine might have been a bastard, but he was a top notch example of how to use kinetic energy well...” [Rick smirked]

As the dust settled...

Barely half a skeleton stood there, the complete right-side of it's chest gone, as I watched it crumbled to the ground in pieces.

The rat stood there a moment unimpressed.

“Quit faking. As I recall, you got 'killed' by the giant bird too.” He smiled faintly. “Or should I destroy it all? All of the bones in the room? I'm an AI too, remember? You're still in control of the area. But at least one thing's certain. I'll know when you really die.”

The bones trembled for a moment.

“Truce?” It murmured softly.

“Perhaps if you tell me where to find this thing you're hiding, I'll let you 'live'.” [Rick smiling crookedly]

The bones sighed in defeat.

“The room of sandstorms is a trick. Only the mouth is like that, there to prevent entry. Inside is spacious and quite calm.” [Giant Bones]

Hmm...

“Since when? Years?” [Rick pondering] “Decades?”

“Generations.” [The giant undead creature answered]

“That is quite a while. Well... stay here and stand guard as before. If I have a use for you, I will ask nicely... and destroy you if you refuse.” [Rick muttering] “Nearly killed twice by this ancient coward? My luck is awful.”

Quickly he passed down into the far side of the area, looking at the swirling sand and the absence of scent from the other side... yes. It was too convenient.

How was this being done?

Some kind of skill?

Hmm.

Wait. Is that all magnetic? That sand is iron.

It's a giant, moving magnetic field. It would make a great drill...

Okay... well I guess I can only learn more inside.

Better not use magnetism to enter. I'll only break the effect. Besides it would cost an arm and a leg in energy... figuratively.

A thin layer of kinetic energy is much simpler.

Can't see a thing though...

Okay. Almost there. The area in front seems solid... a device?

But the side seems clear.

Sidestep.

Hey, lights.

It's quite bright.

A glittering steel and glass city rises under harsh electric lights hanging from the roof... a vehicle speeds closer. A motorized vehicle, far beyond mere steam engines. Something that looked futuristic, even to a human who lived to see Earth in the year 1998.

“What the fuck?!” [Rick swore, mind boggling]

On the side of the car, written in English was printed: Security Force.

“Am I dreaming...? Impossible...” [Rick muttered]

What we learned:

TWIST, TWIST and more TWISTS to come!!!

The time period Rick actually hails from... not quite 2016, eh?

Wait for it...

Further twists incoming!

Including: Actual location and time period of the Labyrinth to be confirmed...

Welcome to the beginning of the end, folks...