The flight to the Pyramids of Giza was fraught with indecision. Should I give it a pass or should I keep on with my current strategy of hunting down logos?

On the one hand, a pyramid was fundamentally a dangerous place. I mean, any tomb in an RPG is hardly going to be a frolic in the park, but pyramids…with their legendary mummies and gods…that brought it to a whole other level.

On the other hand: a logo. And a chance—albeit not a likely one—of a streaming reward. My recording had cut off in the palace but the presence of the two men from the outside world had proven that it could be successful. Maybe if I got it going again, the administrators would have a clearer picture of what my avatar was doing, and more importantly, what they could do to help me. Although the Mick Mouse message was a clear sign they had a good idea they knew where I was, or would go…

…Unless this entire world was populated with pictures of Mickey Mouse. They could have papered code everywhere in the hopes of just one message getting through.

There was also the fact that Bert seemed very keen for me to attempt the challenge. Surely he had some insight on what could potentially be beneficial to my character. Though he could just be motivated by his desire for adventure. That alone had the potential to blind him to the risk. Coupled with his assumption that he could get us out of any danger.

You’re sure about this?

Have I ever steered you wrong?

My mouth opened and I nearly inhaled a fly. YES!

When?

When I first met you. You led me into your grotto! Or should I say Supermoth’s lair?

I take no responsibility for that. It was a miscommunication. Besides, the outcome was favourable for all concerned, was it not?

I nearly died! Your pet monster had me ten points away from permadeath!

Our relationship has since evolved. No such misunderstandings can now occur. Not with mind speech instated. Bert paused, then continued hesitantly. Are you…afraid?

Damn right I am. Have been since I crawled out of my hammock a few weeks ago and didn’t wake up.

Oh. So that’s what that feeling is.

Are you jacking into my feelings now?

I assure you, the experience is not voluntary. Foreign emotions have been assaulting my systems since I created our connection, and I have been struggling to identify the correlation between them ever since. For example, I now understand you are experiencing another emotion, which from the context of tone, words, and body language, I theorise is anger. What I do not understand, is why.

You know when Gerdy was fishing around in your circuits? And you shoved her out?

Yes.

It’s something like that. Only much more personal. Not helped by your high-handed acceptance of Ferdinand.

Ferd—?

Bull-Boy.

I…apologise. I will lessen my contact with you if you wish it.

I sighed. That’s not what I mean. It was like I was back at school, telling a friend to back off a bit and trying not to hurt their feelings.

I would just like a bit of me to remain unexamined. A private place inside that no one else can get to or manipulate. Can you manage that?

I will still be able to feel what you are feeling, Bert said dubiously. But ultimately I can make the decision not to process these feelings as research material. Is that acceptable to you?

It will do. Hell, at least he was trying. It must be like being the lovechild of Professor X and Jean Gray, dealing with both thoughts and emotions, bombarded with everything that made Arline tick.

I will instead merely assimilate them as interesting yet baffling aspects of an exotic creature.

“How much farther?” Gerdy yelled suddenly above the wind current. Probably just as well. I was pretty sure being described as exotic in an AI’s world didn’t have the same flattering connotations as it might in the real world.

“Why? You bored?” It paid to keep it short. You never knew when another passing insect would get all suicidal. Game mechanics might supply an abundance of bug repellant but, as I could attest, it drew the line at a player deliberately putting themselves in the line of fire.

Gerdy moaned dramatically. “More airsick, really. You fly like a drunken sailor.”

“If you think you can do better…”

“Better, yes. Faster, no. If I was your size there would be none of this dipping and swaying, and we’d be there in half the time.”

“Then you’ll be relieved to know that I can see the pyramids.”

Sure enough, just ahead of us, the white capstones gleamed in the sun, making for an unmistakeable landmark. Though it was a mite spotty. The top and middle seemed fine, but much of the bottom had deteriorated to the ochre of sandstone. Evidence of years of pilfering from locals needing resources for other building projects probably. And justifiably. Providing a roof for the living took priority over the dead.

Which I might join if any guards saw me. Without trees to act as cover, I needed to find a better way to approach that didn’t involve being seen. I flapped harder to gain height, height where I could reasonably be assumed to be a large bird and use my Eagle Eye ability to take stock. No idea how high that was—AoD didn’t supply an altimeter—but it was high enough that the air felt noticeably cooler.

And from even this far away I could see that there was a large settlement around the pyramids. A township and what looked like large residences. All beyond the wall that surrounded the main structure.

This increase in altitude was not received well by Gerdy, who complained even more adamantly about the extra motion before vomiting over the side. At least she had the decency to lean out. I hoped anyone below would just assume that the large bird had had a minor dietary issue.

Nevertheless, the extra height proved very helpful indeed. I could see, for instance, that the township was unoccupied, abandoned years ago and crumbling into ruin. The remains of a jetty and crane at one end indicated that it had once held a port, though the Nile had evidently since abandoned the town as surely as its people had.

The biggest adjunct building, standing up against the Khufu wall, was not so deserted, with the odd person going about their business, and the road that led directly up to its entrance occupied by two carts. Supplies probably. The desert surrounds were not exactly an ideal place for crops or livestock.

The other side of the pyramids was my best bet. There appeared to be no one there but the dead. What I had first assumed to be mansions were in fact tomb stacks, set out in neat rows like they’d been set by a town planner with nothing but horizontal blocks to play with. They had no windows, no doors, no chimneys—no ammenities for the living. Unless their ghosts could raise an alarm, I should be safe to land on that side of the pyramid.

I diverted my path somewhat, dropping low enough that my approach would be partially concealed by the pyramid itself, and finally landed on a corner’s edge. It had broken off long ago, losing its smooth surface and part of the inside block. Though the edge was high enough up for it to not have been the victim of stone thieves. More likely an earthquake had encouraged its removal, shaking loose any stones that held decaying mortar.

Unfortunately, while it was an ideal landing spot, it was also isolated. None of the surrounding cap stones were missing. This made it impossible for me to climb down the side of the pyramid. The smooth, angled blocks would create a slide that no sane playground designer would ever approve. But close examination of the uncapped rock provided one possible solution. A slot only slightly larger than the width of my thigh led to god-knows-what on the inside.

Even the torch couldn’t provide that answer. For while darkness may have been part of the problem, it was not all. It proved to be the keyhole all over again. The angle of entry was such that the rocks themselves blocked visibility. Which meant that the crevice beyond my sight could prove narrow enough to wedge any body that committed itself.

Okay, that’s option D. What’s A to C?

I could just fly down and try the direct approach. My eyes peered down the slope. It would give any guards warning of my intent and potentially end in a fight, but hey, my innards would remain unsqueezed. That’s an advantage, right?

Or I could fly around looking for a better opening, risking being spotted and downed by archers. Perhaps they would assume I was a goddess paying her good pal Khufu a visit and let me through the main entrance?

“Are you seriously thinking about flying down there?” Gerdy demanded. “When there’s a perfectly good way in up here?”

“Not everyone is able to squeeze through cracks the width of a pancake.”

Gerdy actually looked genuinely pleased for the first time since I’d met her. “Are you calling me slim?” Her breath sucked in and she stood taller.

“I’m calling you small. You know. Head to toe small. Bug small.”

“Oh.” She deflated. Literally. Her breath released, reinstating gravity to her middle again.

It seemed fat shaming extended even to the fairy world.

“And yes,” I conceded, “waist-small as well.”

“You mean that?”

“Anyone that can fit into a Barbie exercise suit has no reason to worry about their weight. Now, focus. Convince me that wedging myself into that space won’t result in a lingering, soul-crushing death.”

“You’re serious about this.”

“Listen, I’ve been here before. In the Amrut dungeon I was stuck, and only the torch saved me from going stark, raving bonkers. It’s made me a little claustrophobic, okay?”

“Right. Understandable. I’ve just never seen you in a panic, that’s all. Anyway,” she huffed out a breath, “as you pointed out, I’m small. I could check out the opening.”

“That…actually sounds pretty good. If we knew what was inside we’d be better able to make a decision of whether to attempt it or not. No sense in trying if it’s a dead end.”

“Exactly.”

Pushing off my shoulder, she glided down to a rock and slid the rest of the way down. Then she climbed what was effectively for her a step—otherwise known as a pebble—and tucked her wings close in to her back. That was probably going to be a strain for her if she was enclosed for any length of time; I knew from my own experience just how difficult it was to keep those muscles tense.

“Just yell out if you get stuck. I can use my stick to chip off a bit of the rock if I have to.”

“I’ll be fine,” she assured me, while turning sideways and disappearing.

For the next few minutes, all I could hear was the noise of Gerdy humming, the occasional flutter of her wings, and the shish of slippers sliding against stone. The sounds of Gerdy getting farther from any help that I might offer.

“You still okay?” I asked anxiously, after a long period of silence.

“Tickety-boo! Just wait till you see what I found!”

“Is it treasure?” So I’ve watched Indiana Jones and dabbled a little in the Tom Raider franchise. Everyone knows adventure plus old stuff equals loot.

A sound of disgust from the fairy. “You’re just a walking cliche, you know that?”

“But am I right?”

“That’s a negative, Red Leader. No pretties for you to steal. But I think I’ve found a way in.”

——

“They’re not losing interest, are they?”

Terrin, face pressed against the window, was staring down at the crowd below. Not only had people not left, but it had actually increased in size in the past few days. Some were even in costume, like it had turned into an impromptu cosplay event. His eye caught on what looked like a black smudge and he squinted. Was that…? Good God, it was. Someone out there was dressed in a gorilla suit. On an Australian summer day. Terrin hoped there was an ambulance on stand-by.

“At least the police have stuck around to organise crowd control.” Todd pointed out the navy caps, also more than there had been the day before.

Gus didn’t even bother to look. “Probably worried someone will get run over, or that they’ll block traffic.”

“Such a cheery soul.” Terrin shook his head. “When did your dreams curl up and die?”

There was a heavy silence, broken finally by Todd clearing his throat. “You think getting that message through will solve the hacker problem?”

“No. But it had to be attempted, if only as a general warning for the AI to tighten its defences. Though it still won’t be able to fully protect itself—not if it wants to help Arline. Any blanket-wide firewall would make it impossible for her to escape. The AI will know that. Besides, a wall would block it from online access, essentially isolating it from discovering new information. It may be limited to our pay-for partner sites, but it is still in effect an outside network.”

“And we don’t want that to stop?”

“Beyond the obvious effect on Arline, when has solitary confinement or lack of entertainment ever had a beneficial effect on intelligent beings?”

“You regard Bert as having human responses? I mean, we do, but as its creator…”

“Maybe. The dialogue between it and Arline certainly points that way. Regardless, do you want to find out what an insane AI can do?”

“That’s a no. But does that mean you’re thinking of shutting the game down? Before Bert poses a risk to the greater online community?”

“There is a button—“

“Where?” Terrin looked around as if expecting to see it lying around somewhere, all red and shiny.

“Not a literal button, dumbass,” Gus grumbled. “A program that I can initiate at any point. Not that I want or expect that to happen. I may not be the most social of men, but I have no desire to have two deaths on my conscience.”

——

Y: “Did you see? She’s arrived at the Pyramid challenge.”

S: “Should we do something?”

F: “Surely. Taking into consideration that we have knowledge that she may lack, I would think it criminal not to act. Though I must urge caution.”

S: [Snort] “Let’s face it, she’s screwed anyway. Logo or no logo, there’s no way out. Might as well give her the best chance to go out swinging.”

Y: “Better than sitting back and sending passive-aggressive cliches.”

S: “At least I did something. That a-hole programmer is probably working twice as hard, trying to fix the problem before he’s outed.”

Y: “I’m sure he’s shaking in his boots. Where did you source that threat, anyway? A teen horror flick?”

S: “It just came to me. Anyway, you haven’t exactly had any better ideas. I mean, pink blocks? Please.”

Y: “At least my suggestion effected a change. That pink block showed up in the game. We all saw it. Whereas your efforts were as visible as a schoolyard insult. And I have plans for how we can up our involvement.”

S: “How?”

Y: “The game makers provided the answer, though they seem oblivious to its possibilities. Though I’m not suggesting that we can even come close to replicating their original idea. That would be beyond our capabilities, particularly in the time available. No, we do something a little more…simple.”

S: “A simple what? Blue block? I have some more ideas, like—“

Y: “A program. Inserted within the code itself.”

F: “Isn’t that dangerous? You yourself admit that we are mere amateurs, tiptoeing our way through an unknown land. Can we have any real knowledge of the consequences of such an act?”

Y: “I’m talking entry level coding. Hardly—“

F: “I cannot be comfortable with taking such risks when it is unnecessary. Even the smallest rearrangements can have unintended consequences. I am uncomfortable even now with the little we have done. I will not be a party to anything more serious.”

Y: “So we limit ourselves to petty interference?”

F: “I certainly hope so. That said, we are a democratic organisation. Shall we put it to a vote?”