The Automated King

The Trip

The horrific realism of our business as the “savior” made me fell down for the second time. Markoff Rigor, what’s in your mind? Did the concept of wrongful deceit has turned the tides of your personality?

I need to settle this soon and see it for myself. How they survived and roaming the globe, how they managed to blend with the recent features of environment, I have to sense it with my own hands.

“Sorry, partner, a day wouldn’t hurt you.”

My daily apparatus, the electronic appliance for my routine and activities, by which is stuck on my wrist as a regular accessory of this occupation. This bracelet is in full connection to the virtual realm of Mr. LORD. Frequently utilizing its function beyond the wall would provide me more harm than advantageous situation to my end.

“If I put this down, did the system would detect my idle movement? Could I set a trick for this?”

I need a second-hand aid to deceive Mr. LORD’s system. Merry's intelligence could be useful for this. She would be against my plea, nevertheless, but it won’t be painful to try this one out.

“Hello. Merry, are you there? Yeah, in the facility, Ma’am.... oh, alright, see you..”

She is available. Time to settle the score with this worrisome feelings for good.

---

Reginald is arrived to the facility. He is walking in a hurry to the laboratory, the chamber of secrets for Merry to conduct her experiments. His facial expression posed anxiety, yet his devoted spirits driving him forward to conclude his formed curiosity.

“Is there something that forced you to enter my domain, young man?”

Merry is greeting Reginald with her bland, but deep voice by the time he entered the lair of findings and discovery.

“Hey, we are at the same age, Merry.”

“Hmm? How could you tell? I might be older than you, by a stretch.”

“You are 25, I’m 24 and a half. Technically, you are just 6 months older to me.”

“How is that prevented me to name you, ehem, young man?”

“whatever floats your boat, Merry. I’ve something to request, Ma’am.”

“That’s the case, snobby-snort. You keep tagging me with that title, and you are ignorant with it.”

Merry’s face was smeared in red from the moment of his entrance to the laboratory. Her facial expression displaying a speck of near-bursting vein. Conversely, Reginald doesn’t budge or understand of her elevated rage. He is more in focus to the laboratory’s appliances to have some sightseeing to the newest ideas of hers at the time.

“Ahem....Wanna have coffee, Regi? Sorry for a little insinuation. I am a bit stressed out by the failed experiments of mine.”

“Uh, no, thanks. I need to go immediately.”

“And what are you supposed to do here, mortal? the exit is down to your back.”

Reginald then proceed to display his  bracelet to Merry. She is looking at it with perplexed impression, wondering of Reginald’s sudden gloat of his own device.

“Umm, can you help me with an observation? I wanted you to take care of this frail stuff, I have to go somewhere in a moment.”

“By this ‘somewhere,’ are you mentioned of some illicit action?”

“No, it’s not a violation if nothing was recorded on the tape.”

“Hmm, you are planning an unsafe method for your next attempt, huh? I don’t know if I could help, especially with this surveillance utensil. I never wear this one on any of my limbs.”

She unrolled her sleeve and showed an.empty wrist on both of her arms. The casual exhibit of the accessories were vacant of the bracelet’s mark of extension.

“Hoo, you are pretty attentive with this, huh? Ellen didn’t slap you at the wrist?”

“Nah, She might be unaware, or practically doesn’t care much by this trivial matters. This is my all-day station, sanctuary, and shelter. To imbue the claim, Ellen does know of my stance on the bracelet.”

“Hmm, what is the better choice, then? Do I have to tell Ellen of my curiosity?”

“You betcha. She is benign for unlawful acts, as long as it does fits with our vision and goals.”

---

Reginald, in his newfound knowledge of Ellen’s leniency to the strict regulation, strolling down the corridor to find Her. After several minutes were spent to navigate her whereabouts, Reginald happened to meet his director inside the gym, working on her brawn under the weight-lifting machinery in full vigor.

“I’m astonished by your plan, Regi. I don’t really have a saying for that one.”

“Well, I wanted to clear my mind a bit. Does it matter, Ellen? I could provide you with information afterwards.”

Ellen, in the sudden request of unwanted espionage, left bemused and uncertain of what to respond.

“You wished for me, A right-hand personnel for Mr. LORD himself, to agree with your proposal? You should not notify me of this Regi, and I won’t grant you affirmation for this one, to add. Find another way to solve this matter, okay?”

Reginald, left in his own distraught, couldn’t counter Ellen’s direct rejection of his suggestion and leaving the gym in silence.

---

“Yup, that’s what she told me, Merry.”

Reginald returned to Merry’s office with his guilt. In the contrary, Merry is beamed ear-to-ear by his entrance, seemed aware with the probability of his comeback to her domain.

“Haha, petty jokes thrown back against you, Regi. You are not examining her wrist at all, do you?”

“Uh, yes?”

“She won’t accept your plea right away. Her word was a sign for you to come back at me for the tweak.”

“I don’t know how you decipher it, but It’s a-okay for me too.”

“For the ‘trick,’ I could tinker your own device to be oblivious for Mr. LORD’s field of vision. Well, it might be not penetrable to the gate, somehow, so proceed to the gate with caution.”

Reginald shakes his head in surprise.

“You told me, ummm, I can’t do something on this, and now your action is a total roundabout of it somehow.”

“I speak of the truth, and solely for the truth. I can’t do anything without a filed approval of the higher authority, Regi.”

“Hmmm, a positivist. Your rebellious attitude is undermining it in contrary.”

“What if I come with you, little nerd?”

A new figure entering the scene and abrupting Reginald’s farewell to Merry for the upcoming trip.

“Simon? Are you seriously comply with his demand?”

“I never got myself outside of the border too for a long time, Merry. My mission is lame, I wanna s***h more guts on their  country, okay?”

Reginald tilted his head high, put on a show of dignity to the scene.

“State your proper beg, Simon. This is but an annoyance to a lone wolf like myself.”

In counter-act to the play, Simon kneel on his leg and bowed down to Reginald in courteous fashion.

“I’m so disheartened by the objection, Milord. Did you reject the offer of your humble knight?”

Reginald shook his head in advance to Simon’s query.

“Quit it, Simon. I’m not going there for campaign of violence.”

Per Reginald’s rejection, Simon unleashed his blade upwards, only to sheath it back to its scabbard right after.

“I would follow you without a parade of death, Milord. Well, I would still draw my blade if it’s dangerous to us, of course.”

“Yeah, yeah. You can come with me. Nothing would stop you on this one, would it?”

Reginald’s arms is extending to the waist while shifting his attention to Merry, by which confused of the swift entertainment of the two, that places her hand across the face as a response.

“By the way, Merry. Which one is the best country to survey upon? Oh, I am totally forgot of something. Simon...”

Reginald is displaying a repetitive body language to Simon. His hand continuously pressing an imaginary button on his wrist to alert him of something.

“Oh, Right. Sorry, Regi.”

Simon is turning off his bracelet in accordance to Reginald’s command.

“Alright. Which is the preferred country to pick, Merry? Based on your knowledge, or trend, any sort of it is plausible.”

“It’s salient for you to choose the country with the least technological advancement. I recommend Malia for the preference, as they are laid still in the bow and arrow period. It's also pretty close to our city, so it wouldn't bring much a sweat to find it.”

“Interesting. They are on the peak of classical arts and sculptures, it might be. Brief us more, Merry.”

“The drawback of their kingdom is the currency system. They are using gold, silver, and copper for their primary cash-flow. Well, most of them do have the same sort, so it’s just a matter of our own data of them as comparison to counter-act. Take a look at this one.”

Merry then turned on her in-office projector and displayed several slides on the monitor in advance.

“This is the photograph of some of their unique financial exchange mechanism. One gold is equivalent to ten silver, umm, they call this round shape as coins. This silver coin is equal to 10 copper. Yup, a hard math for both of your heads.”

“No way, this is so intriguing for me. We haven’t seen this methods of payment in years.”

“Correct, and it’s due to our cashless system. Unfortunately, I haven’t got a sample of the money, so you have to earn it by yourself.”

Reginald is smirking in a mesmerizing expression to her proposal.

“Haha, mercantilism at it’s finest. So, any suggestion on what should we offer to the folks, Merry?”

“They are content on loads of commodities and crafted goods. You could also try on selling traditional dance to the townspeople, or any form of arts.”

“Hmm, okay. We'd better do the art ones, since it wouldn't be too costly to our pocket.”

Simon is stepping on his left leg in repetitive fashion. He seemed in deep thought for some time, stood in silence to overview the slide little-by-little in full attention.

“I am proposed a sleight of hands or petty tricks of magic, Regi. That’s my best skills beside of assassination.”

“Hmm, I could sing for our street performance, if that’s what you seek.”

Merry is shaking her head in disapproval to Simon’s request.

“I am not considered sleight of hands as the commonplace of this kingdom. They might try to hang you off the street if you do. Reginald’s idea is the better choice for this effort.”

Simon, in superficial overview on his mannerism, look displeased by Merry’s rejection.

“If so, I wouldn’t deny. I can play guitar, drums, or flute. All of them in an intermediate level.”

“All set, Simon. We have to take our props, discussing the show, and rush ourselves to this country.”

“Right-o, brother. I’ll go back home to take my flute. It’s my specialty, above all.”