All Humans to the Tunnels by Camie Elias

Author:Camie Elias
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: robots, sentient, scifi fiction, sentient being, kids 10 and up, kids scifi, sentient ai
Publisher: Camie Elias

Chapter 11: Under Attack

Carbon was still pondering about Sentient's suggestion of continuing their conversation elsewhere when all the lights in the building except the ones inside the tunnel went down.

"What is happening?" cried the girl. "Scars? Did you do that?"

"I don't think so," said the fox. "Scars is still at the MTT gate. Check your teleport badge, please."

Carbon tried to make it work, but the badge didn't respond.

"Is it Sting again?" she asked, anxiously.

"Not exactly — but, yes, I suspect that there are scorpion-guards inside the building. Most likely, the triplets."

"Triplets, as in three scorpion-guards?"

"Yes. Don't worry. The triplets aren't as big as Sting."

"But they're three, right? What are we going to do if three scorpion-guards decide to attack us?"

"They are going to attack us. There's no other reason for scorpion-guards to be down here. Only, this time, I won't be caught off-guard."

"Sentient," uttered the girl, with a pleading voice. "How can we fight three of those horrid things?"

"Don't be afraid."

"But I am afraid," Carbon confessed. "The other scorpion-guard hurt you and tried to terminate me!"

"That won't happen again," promised Sentient. "You need to move close to Scars and stay there. On his right. Remember to stay on his right. No matter what happens, be silent, and stay on his right, away from the gate."

"Will Scars be able to help us?"

"I hope so, but not like he did with Sting. I'm afraid that little robot wouldn't be able to tackle the triplets — at least, not all of them at the same time. Keeping the MTT gate open will be very helpful, though."

"Are you sure scorpion-guards are coming this way?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I can feel them approaching," stated the fox." All Scars needs to do is keep the MTT gate open. Don't let him stop doing that."

"I won't let him close the gate," said the girl.

She walked toward Scars while Sentient kept his post at the center of the hall, barely illuminated by the lights inside the tunnel.

There was a sudden noise, like the sound of glass doors opening, and three sets of red lights entered the hall.

Carbon winced and held on to Scars. Something inside her knew those lights were merely the visible part of the scorpion-guards Sentient had said would try to attack them.

"Keep the gate open," she murmured to Scars, remembering the fox's words, even though the reason why that was important escaped her.

The sets of red lights moved closer, and the forms behind them became clearer under the pale blue shimmer emanating from the tunnel: three scorpion-guards, much smaller than Sting, yet no less frightening with their terrible looking stingers, were rapidly encircling Sentient.

Carbon wanted to cry out, but Sentient had told her to be quiet, so she held on the robot even tighter, and whispered: "Please, Scars, keep the MTT gate open."

Scars said something in his robot lingo, a very short phrase, that seemed to prompt a reply from the portal-lock:

"Equanimity agent identified. Gate open. Massive Teleport Tunnel ready."

The announcement made the scorpion-guards look that way.

"The girl," said one of the scorpions.

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