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THE NEWCOMER
Path A1A1A1C1A by John
[Chose A1A1A1C1A for the Sentinel to investigate the mass further.]
The sleek machine with the cold exterior and interior thinks it may sense something. It goes in a little further, using its four clawed tentacles to crawl a few feet across the tunnel.
It stops a few feet from the suspicious mass and shoots forward a few listening tentacles. One is a long thin thing like that listens for basic hover noise while another is a dish that picks up some human voices and movement. The tentacles jerk in front of it, staying still. The radar dish is momentarily stuck in the protective casing, but with a renewed effort, it comes out.
Just as it is about to give up, it thinks it hears something. Looking into the dark with its red eyes does no good.
Its protocol is a simple if-then statement. If you do not sense anything, move on. If you do sense something, then attack.
But, lately it had been starting to question its programming. Right now it DOES sense something, but it successfully ignores its programming. It has to; it could be killed if it were to attack now. It had seen EMPs in action and discovered its companions because of it. So, against its suicidal programming, it decides to ignore the ship and go on its way.
It pulls in its listening devices, bends its head down and points it behind itself, doing a somersault and slinks on out the way it came in.
Back in the Nos, Hitch exhales, "Whew, that was close."
"OK, you know the drill. Let's get ready to head on out."
"Where should we go, Captain?"
Choose Path A1A1A1C1A1 for the Nos to investigate this spot for Matrix broadcast possibilities.
Choose Path A1A1A1C1A2 to decide to continue through the tunnels on an as yet undefined mission which only Kan-Chiang knows about.
Choose Path A1A1A1C1A3 to head back to Zion.
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