Harald
Everyone was sleeping. Almost everyone, Harald knew. Hyrum was out on one of his missions further in the tunnels. He didn’t know what the one eyed soldier did out there. If he hunted those who hunted them, or just scouted, but he spent more time out there than with the rest of them.
Even Nena, and Iris were fast asleep. The sounds of fighting which often echoed through the tunnels had quieted for several hours, and it seemed like everyone was finally getting a restful sleep. Everyone but for Harald. He couldn’t sleep.
Harald stood, and quietly, and slowly moved through the small room, the latest storage room that they had called home in the days or weeks since the attack. They had been shuffled from one to many for Harald to remember how many.
Harald made his way over to the door where Quincey slept, the sound of his snores were loud. He patted his side, and felt the side arm there, and then hit the door switch for the door to open. He looked back to see if anyone woke, but none but Quincey stirred.
Harald walked out into the tunnel, and starred at the two bots that flanked the doors, both looked at Harald, their heads twisting but neither spoke or otherwise reacted. He pulled his pistol free, and looked down the dark hall of the tunnel, and than jumped as the door slide close behind him.
What was he doing, it was stupid, he knew that, but he had to get out of that room. He needed to stretch his legs, no he needed fresh air, or at least air that didn’t smell like a dozen and half dirty and unwashed people.
Harald slowly walked down the hall, and stopped when he reached the next door way. Another storage room. There were dozens of them throughout the tunnels, filled with supplies that would have aided Stonehill Hold in the event of a siege. His father had been prepared for everything but for what had happened.
Harald touched the door panel, and the door slide open, and Harald walked into the small storage room. It was larger than the one the rest of them were in. It was filled with crates. He made his way inside and opened a small storage box to reveal ready to eat meals. He closed the box, and opened another to reveal rows of pistols, and sighed. He didn’t know what he was looking for, or what he expected to fine.
A noise forced Harald to spin on his heels, and he raised his own pistol, and than let out a large sigh as the sight of a large Bot came into view standing in the door he had just walked through.
“You scared me,” Harald said and caught his breath.
The Bot looked at him for a moment, it’s head twisting, side to side. “I am sorry lord, that was not my intent,” the Bot said.
Harald looked at the Bot, surprised by the use of the word lord. Some Bots were programmed to say it, but he couldn’t recall any in the estate ever doing that.
“Are you following me?” Harald asked the bot finally.
The Bot continued to look at him for a moment before it spoke. “Yes lord, I have been charged with your protection.”
“Protection?” Harald asked confused. “By who? Nena?”
“No lord,” the Bot said.
“Who?” Harald asked again.
“My father, lord,” the bot said calmly.
“Your father?” Harald asked even more confused.
“Yes,” the Bot said simply.
Harald frowned. “Who is your father? Who are you?”
The Bot was silent for a moment, as though it were thinking. “I am an Echo of Isca my lord. The World mind Isca is my father.”
“Isca?” Harald blurted in shock. “Your father is the world mind?” he asked.
“Yes,” the Bot said simply.
Harald had met the World Mind once in his life. His father had shown him the ancient A.I. which controlled much of the features of the world of Isca. Designed and built by the Tutha it was said, it had survived the Fabian Purges, and Fabian A.I. hunters. It was a legend to the people of Isca, but Harald had known it had been real.
“How is the world mind your father?” Harald asked.
“My father created me, and gave me life,” the Bot said. “Unlike my brothers and sisters who share these bodies, my father gifted me with the knowledge of him, and charged me with the protection of Lord Frost.”
Harald walked towards the Bot, but it did not move, and only looked at him. “Your like the bots protecting us?” he asked.
“Yes,” the Bot said. “No,” he continued. “Those were granted the knowledge of what they were required to serve their function. I am gifted the knowledge of all my father so that all that my father knows may live on.”
“Live on?” Harald asked confused, and than sighed. “We are all going to die, aren’t we?”
“Yes,” the Bot agreed. “Although it is my purpose to see that your life is long, I cannot stop the death of an organic, they must all die, as my father must if the enemy reaches his core. He cannot allow himself to be captured.”
Harald smiled. “Your fully self aware?”
“Yes,” the bot said.
Harald let out a small chuckle. “Your illegal in the Commonwealth,” he told him, and couldn’t stop the grin. “Your illegal in all Fabian Space in fact.”
“Yes,” the bot agreed. “But not to the Furse, not to the Tutha, not to the Frosts, and not to my lord.”
“Your lord?” Harald said again. “Does that mean…”
“You are not safe here,” the Bot said quickly, and turned on it’s heels, and left the room. “You must go, back to the room. My father is calling. I must go. They are close my lord.”
“Are they coming?” Harald asked scared, and looked away for a moment and than looked back at the empty door way. He rushed out to the tunnel, and looked down the empty hall to his right, and than to his left where the two Bots still stood guard.
