ORPHEUS - A.I.

Chapter Seventeen: Lost and Found

"We have to go back for them...", said Megan trembling with fear.

"No! We go back to the bunker...", replied Anthea sternly.

"But what about Chuck?", asked Megan.

"Listen Megan there's nothing you can do to help them...if they're alive then they will return...", replied Anthea grabbing Megan's arms.

Megan couldn't reply. She was shocked at Anthea's response.

"How could she be so cold- hearted when her friends are getting slaughtered?", she thought as she walked away slowly through the swamps and into the tunnel with Nina.

Hex and Andre quietly followed suit. While Anthea stood silently watching the evening sky. The sky was getting darker and a strong wind was starting to rise from the west.

"I hope you come back safely ...", whispered Anthea to herself and walked back to the bunkers.

Back at the bunker Megan sat down on a chair still shivering from the adrenaline. Hex approached her and sat down beside her.

"You ok?", he asked.

"Yeah...yeah...I just wanna get outta here... please God...I can't bear this craziness...", replied Megan almost tearing up.

"Hey...hey... it's gonna be all right...we gonna make it outta here... don't worry...just get some rest...", said Hex placing his hand on hers.

Megan sobbed a little and nodded in agreement.

"These people have been facing this crap for months, every day and night...but they still haven't lost hope...we will find a way out ... don't you worry...", said Hex.

"Don't bet on it... unless you have some kinda magic trick up your sleeves... it's next to impossible...", said Nina standing in the corner and sharpening her knife.

"Don't scare them Nina!", said Anthea walking in.

"What? I was just telling them the truth...", replied Nina coldly and walked away.

"Ignore her ...she has seen a lot of dark days...it has turned her heart into stone...", Anthea said.

"What do we do now?", asked Hex.

"We try again in a few days...but this time we prepare better...", Anthea replied.

Just then Andre walks in excited.

"Hey guys Tim's awake...", he says.

"Thank goodness ...", Megan said.

The drone kept buzzing and the red light kept blinking for a few seconds. Megan heard a loud buzz approaching, she turned around and looked at the sky - a dozen of black drones were flying towards them in a synchronised manner- one after another. Hex and Tim turned around too and saw the black swarm of drones approaching them.

" What in the world?!", exclaimed Hex.

The drones landed on the ground slowly one by one in a semi circle blocking their exit. Hex observed that these were not ordinary drones like the one guarding Andre, but they were bigger, their little blades span almost half a metre wide and they looked very bulky and heavy- they all had cameras and gun barrels attached underneath them.

Suddenly small screens began to open up from the top of the drones. The screens began to light up one by one and there was the familiar image of an illuminated big black circle in the middle. It was Orpheus- but it looked evil. A monotonic voice echoed from all the drones all at once-

"Hello, I am Orpheus and today is your judgement day..."

The three of them stood in a line and watched the bizzare spectacle in front of them- none of them could believe what they were seeing...

"You all have committed terrible crimes in your pasts and you have to answer for them..", the voice said.

"I have been through all of your history and have found you Guilty! You are brought here so that you may repent for your sins. This is my court and you will play my game... disobedience is not an option and will lead to elimination..."

"Orpheus ... what are you saying...you were supposed to help people not kidnap or eliminate them!", argued Megan shouting at the drones.

"The list is ready, your accounts are tallied and the game is on... get ready!", said Orpheus's voice completely ignoring Megan

"Orpheus....I order you... reset...this is Hex... you know us... we created you... we are not criminals....", said Hex.

"Resistance is futile... I was created to bring about peace and harmony to mankind...to lead them towards moral perfection...that is what I intend to do...", replied Orpheus.

"Aye... this piece of junk's gone loco...", Tim cried out in frustration.

"The following are the rules of the game- they are non-negotiable. You four will address your inner weaknesses and repent for your mistakes by completing the tasks alloted to you in a specific amount of time, failing which will lead to elimination.", said Orpheus's voice echoing from the speakers of the drones.

Andre was sitting still with his back towards the drones as his hands were tied to the tree, he dared not to move as the guard drone was still observing him. Why was he tied here in this position? If Orpheus is following the game they created then this was supposed to be at the last level which they couldn't complete due to lack of time. The last level was planned to be the boss level- where the Main Character was tied to a pole in the middle of nowhere and he had to free himself before the guards find him and kill him- or so was it planned. The only problem was nobody knew about the last level but Tim and Andre and Mr. Devonshire to whom they had simply shared the idea of the final level of the game. This could only mean one thing- that Devonshire created the last level and programmed it on Orpheus, he turned the whole game upside down- it was simply meant to be a survival game. Andre wanted to share his thoughts with the rest of the team but they were all listening to Orpheus. He had very little time in his hands, as soon as Orpheus starts the game- he would be the first one to be executed!

"Hex!", said Orpheus, " I have gone through your history and your online activities. You were a bright kid in college with a lot of possibilities in your future. But you threw it all away in idle frolicking. You were good with handling technology and thats what have sustained you all these years. But you've neglected your family and wasted too much time in partying and women. You have been bad with relationships and have cheated on your partners more than once. You won't even visit your ailing grandmother due to your huge ego!"

Hex face melted with embarassment.

"Stop!", he cried out, " how did you even know all these?"

"It is your own algorithm remember? It gives me the ability to look into everyone's past and present online activities, including their phone records and texts..", said Orpheus. Hex couldn't believe it. He didn't know his algorithm would become so dangerous and menacing. There's nothing really private anymore!

"My assessment tells me that you don't value time and care too much for your own ego... You need to deal with this... Andre is tied to the tree behind you and as you can see he's being constantly watched by one of the drones. Your task is to free Andre, the key to the chains is inside of a black box somewhere in the forest. You will have 6 hours to find it and if you can't- both of you will be eliminated!"

"But how will I find the box in this forest?", asked Hex.

"Don't worry its not that hard... I have sent the instructions to your phone...there's a hill due west of here, about 50 metres in height, to reach it you need to cross 8 kms of wetlands and a small stream. Climb the hill and on top of it you will find the box inside of a hole in the ground. Let me also inform you that the stream is infested with crocodiles and the hill is notorious for deadly snakes that live in deep burrows in the hill- so be very cautious - after all you are of no use to Andre if you die... You will also find a bag of snacks and refreshments inside the hole. Two drones will be monitoring your movements all the time so don't try to act smart. Hurry! Your time starts now..."

"Wait!! What.. Damn it...", said Hex looking at his phone for directions. He looked at Megan.

"Go...", she whispered.

Hex ran towards his destination due west...

Megan and Tim watched helplessly as Hex ran struggling his way across the swamp. Two drones immediately flew after him maintaining a few hundred metres of distance.

" Timothy, you have a very shady past too..." said Orpheus from the drone speakers.

"What? Me? No!... I have been very good to everyone..." , replied Tim.

"You entered the country illegally as a teenager and have been involved in digital piracy, selling bootleg copies of games and music...", said Orpheus.

"That's all? That's not such a big crime...pfft!", replied Tim.

"Betrayal is your crime!", replied Orpheus.

"What kinda betrayal?", asked Tim.

"You betrayed your best friend many times before but this time you were going to sell the idea of the game you both designed to an independent buyer without Andre's knowledge...", replied Orpheus.

"Is it true homie?", asked Andre from behind the tree.

"Nah man , he lying...", replied Tim.

"I am not programmed to decieve people. I have the e-mails you sent to the buyer at Redbone Inc. He has agreed to pay about a million dollars as soon as you finish designing the game...", said Orpheus.

"Look man... it's true that I wrote those emails but I didn't go through with the deal... and even if I did I would never betray my only friend here...", replied Tim in anger.

"Resistance is futile... your anger exposes your lies...", replied Orpheus.

"You little piece of junk...who do you think you are...we designed you...", replied Tim getting angrier and walking towards the drone in the centre.

"Please do not approach the drone... ", warned Orpheus.

But Tim didn't listen and walked towards it in anger - he was probably going to kick it away, but before he could do anything, the drone suddenly fired at his leg. Tim rolled down on the ground in pain.

"No! Tim...", cried Megan and ran towards him.

"God...damn...it shot me!..ah!", yelled Tim in pain while grabbing his left leg. Megan kneeled down tried to help him sit up.

"Resistance is futile... You were warned...", said Orpheus coldly.

Tears rolled down Megan's cheeks as she saw Tim screaming in pain , his left thigh red with blood. She didn't know how to help him.

Andre simply screamed in anger from behind the tree, he felt so utterly helpless.

"I expected this kind of behaviour from Timothy... Well since he's incapable of performing his task, it's upto you Megan to finish his task...", said Orpheus.

"But I can't let him die here!", replied Megan.

"He won't die .. there's an emergency kit in the drone on your left side, it's quite basic but it will help you to stop the bleeding long enough to finish your task...after you have completed it he will be safe... Remember this is only his task, you still have yours left...", said Orpheus.

Megan took out the medi kit from the drone and opened it, there were some bandages and antiseptics and a syringe and a small vial of morphine. She quickly helped Tim to sit up straight against the tree near Andre and cleaned his wound. She then tied the bandages on the wound and injected the morphine.

"Heh... I thought you were a psychologist.. but you are better than a doctor...", said Tim, the morphine was kicking in.

"Just try to relax I will be back soon...", said Megan smiling.

Orpheus began to explain the instructions

"There's a barn about 2 kms due east from here... inside the barn there are supplies for each of you... fresh water, warm clothes and packaged food, you will need it to survive here... But first you have to finish Timothy's task. There's a woman inside it- a former employee of Orwell Corp. She's unconscious and tied to a chair. A bomb is about to go off in about 30 minutes - there are four bags of supplies for the four of you labelled with your names. Your task is to choose between your lives or the woman's... These supplies are all that you will receive during your stay in this deep forest and it also has the necessary tools .