"Unable to identify user. You will have to answer one randomly selected security question to enable the A.R.L.O. SYSTEM V1 software. Are you prepared?"
That's what was said in my ear by the, frankly quite attractive, robotic female voice. I didn't really know what else to do but agree, and as soon as I decided that she continued. Almost as if it could read my thoughts.
"Please state the name of [Arlo Rein]'s sister. You have three attempts."
Well shit. That's game-over. I don't know his sister. I barely fucking know him. What to do.. Arlo.. Sounds Russian. So.. Assume it's a Russian name. Anya was my first guess.
"Incorrect. Two attempts remaining."
Maria next. It was at this point I realised it actually was reading my mind.. Not alarming at all.
"Incorrect. One attempt remaining."
Well great.. I guessed I ought to think more carefully this time. A few minutes later led me to Alexandra.
"Incorrect. Security bypass failed. Registering biometric data... Completed. Activating Unauthorised Access Protocol.. Success. Three.. Two.. One.."
Then guess what. The bitch tased me. It hurt like a BITCH with how intense it was. Alongside the consistently painful throbbing of my missing arm. Then it told me I had ten more guesses, each wrong will tase me with increasing intensity.. Needless to say, seven shocks later I got lucky. Though there was now a bad burn under the watch on my wrist. Turns out she's called Sasha.
"Correct. Please state your name to be registered as a user."
I chuckled to myself as I recalled how I'd been nicknamed 'Bread Boy', before saying aloud my name. "Zeke Valerian."
"User registered as [Bread Boy]. You have [LEVEL 0 CLEARANCE]."
I forgot it was reading my mind. God FUCKING damn it.. Well. It could've been worse. At least the hard part was over. Or so I'd thought.. I asked the mysterious machine lady it's name and skillset, hiding my irritation, only to be told I could set a nickname and learn of her skillset when I had been approved Level 1 clearance. What. Utter. Bullshit. She then decided to enlighten me to the offer of answering two more security questions to gain access to said Level 1 Clearance.. So, I took the offer. I know I said 'When in Rome, do as Romans do', but in this scenario I'm really starting to hate the way the 'Romans' work.
"In what country was Arlo Rein born?"
Another self-centred question. Plus he named the system after himself. How very egotistical. My first guess was America for some reason.. which administered me yet another shock. Ow. Then I guessed Russia. Which was right. That shock was deserved.. what a stupid answer America was.
"Please state who was responsible for the death of [REDACTED USER]."
Yes. That's exactly how the question was administered to me. It's a miracle I got it right, when I made Arlo my answer. It was probably the name of some super-supervillain that was redacted, right?
"You have been awarded [LEVEL 1 CLEARANCE]. I am prepared to assist, user [Bread Boy]."
I was able to give her a nickname, and managing to resist the temptation to call her 'bitch' straight up as revenge from the shocks, I nicknamed her 'Athena'. A little further questioning later and she told me her general functions.
"I am able to assist you in a multitude of ways. My primary functions are my HUD and Access to Arlo's Research, Development and Information Database. I am unfortunately only able to access the data stored in the Storage Room."
I was curious about this storage room, assuming it was that room I dared not enter unless I wanted both my body and soul to become ash. That's how it seemed after what it did to those rocks, anyways.. Athena told me of how I'd need Clearance Level 2 to enter, followed by levels 3 and 4 to enter the basement storages. She told me everything down to her personality was customisable to the user's decision.. but she felt strangely alive, so I decided not to mess with that. Apparently all the watch could do was tase me, tell the time, and allow her to authenticate me. I won't lie, I was a little disappointed.. Though it was compensated for by the sci-fi-like HUD appearing in my vision thanks to the contact lens.
I played around with the limited functions a little more, settling on an HUD that took into account her ability to send me locational data with minimal bars and texts around to avoid losing focus, before deciding to double back to those unfinished devices from earlier. Athena kindly told me they were Arlo's unfinished products for various uses she did not know.. Well. If the hidden robot system under the floor named the A.R.L.O. System didn't say enough, that confirmed that this was his cabin. Based on what Alec and Crue had been chatting about, this psycho-death cabin seemed fitting for a man like him.
The dizziness was getting worse now.. So I'm going to get some rest. Hopefully I wake up tomorrow. If so, I'll record what else I find.
After a horrible night's sleep, I woke up disoriented and confused.. and admittedly was irrational when I decided to ransack the living space for any more hidden items, despite Athena telling me there was no such items. I came back to my senses after yet another shock, but that didn't make it hurt any less, nor irritate me any less.. Though I did find a locked book, that Athena's information on was redacted. There sure was a lot of stuff that Arlo had to hide. The following conversation was just a long roundabout, until I finally felt irritated enough to ask what I'd been thinking. "Why the fuck do you bother telling me shit that you're just gonna replace half of with ReDaCtEd!?"
"I am an Advanced A.I. Program, not a Perfect A.I. Program."
..Admittedly, that was a good answer. Nonetheless, a fucking irritating one.
I also found out that the storage room contains the A.S. Control Terminal. A.S. is 'ARLO System' if you hadn't quite put that together.. And the storage room is what I've rather coldly named the 'obliteration doorway'. I also found out that my Cytos is- Wait, you might not know what one of those is, huh. A Cytos is a power gifted to humanity when The Monolith fell. Shards of some kinda magic thingy shot out, embedding themselves inside the chest of most people. They give each of us some kind of magic, or superpower, which we can control. Mine was rather uncreatively the ability to manipulate dough without touching it. Anyhow! As I was saying, I found out that my Cytos is suppressed in 'The Intersection' because I'm weak. Athena is just a bundle of joy..
After some more circular conversation where I learned nothing more of importance, I ended up sitting on my ass outside of the cabin. I'd just argued with her about why she should still care about Arlo, considering he supposedly abandoned her here for years, until I realised I'm literally arguing with an advanced algorithm and trying to convince it to not follow it's own programming. Then, after sitting down, I felt a little lost. I both idly and half-heartedly attempted to practise the magic I was oh-so-shit at.. to no avail. With a heavy heart, the long day was over, and I returned to the now bloodstained, ransacked 'bed' for more rest.. I'll have to do something tomorrow. Anything to increase my chances..
I won't last too long if I don't.