HENRY was stunned that the group had no objections to Justin’s claim. He took Zhixi aside and tried to reason with her.“Are you guys seriously considering this? That guy is a clown. He’s going to fuck things up.”“Not if we fuck him up first,” Zhixi replied. “I still don’t think we can trust him. He knows how to handle this stuff yet he still needs us?”“Sometimes you need to work with a crew if you’re not bold enough to do it on your own.”“Are you listening to yourself? He clearly expects one of us to die just so he can get the system.”Zhixi grinned conspiratorially. “Not if he dies first.”Their minds were made up, Henry realized. There was nothing he would tell them that would make them change their mind. When they got back to the rest of the crew, Justin was boasting to Zoe and Leroy about how good he was with handling robots and how he’d been planning for it for so long.“So are we all retiring to bed or what?” Zoe asked as she came closer. “Maybe we can re-strategize and sta

In new disguises, they didn’t look like robots but at least they were able to blend in. Zoe complained of hunger, and they had to sit in a corner and feast on the food they brought for their journey. All except Justin, who was making some adjustments to his new found robot. He handled it like a child who finally got that one toy they always wanted and now would not let go of it. However admirable it was, Henry still found it weird, especially since it had Ralph’s face.“You think he was deprived of a toy when he was a child?” Leroy murmured to Henry. “Because it sure as hell seems like he did.”“That’s how nerds act when they’re with their creation,” Zhixi said as she munched on dried meat. “Hey, this tastes good. I wonder if they grill the beast we kill and serve it to us?”Zoe suddenly threw up what she was eating and looked to Henry. He saw the look on her face and suddenly knew she was thinking about her goddess. Zoe’s eyes were starry as she fingered the gem hanging from her neck

The rest of the crew stared at Henry like he was mad. There was a wild push against the door from outside, but the door was tightly closed. He stared at it, making sure that it would hold, before turning to look at the others.“Are you fucking crazy?!” Leroy roared. “You just blew our cover!”“That means we don’t have time,” he replied calmly.“Yups, sure as hell, there’s no time left for us to navigate anywhere,” Justin said as he unconsciously rubbed his robot. “Just so you know, they will all send a message through their processors that there’s been a breach.”“I know.”“And not just any breach, but a human one who has one of their own with them.”“At least they know we are smarter than their goddamn robots.”Zhixi laughed. They all looked at her, momentarily distracted by the joy in her laughter. When she stopped, she noticed that they were all looking at her.“What?”Justin rolled his eyes at her. “Does this look funny to you?”She shrugged. “I like the idea of danger.”“Oh I’m s

The door materialized in front of them, a glass transparent door. Henry never thought that he would see a door materialize out of nowhere. Had it always been there and they camouflaged it? He certainly won’t be surprised, but then what level of technology had they attained to be able to get to that level? He was very much intrigued by this, which makes him wonder just who the hell this master was.Lucifer opened the door for them and gestured with one had inside, like a butler. Henry guessed he could be a butler, that he could be many things other than a second hand commander to the master—whoever that was.“This way, please. Remember to be cautious with the master. I will not be in there to quell his anger if you do anger him.”Henry shifted aside for Justin to go in first. Someone has to be the scapegoat of them all. The guy didn’t even notice anyways. He was too busy being intrigued to even care about the dangers ahead of them. When nothing happened to him, Leroy and Zoe entered, f

The master giggled again, the sound of it more childlike than any of his body.“Oh, Henry, when you call me ‘master,’ it sounds just right.” He walked to his desk, almost floating. “I think this is a joke. You are certainly telling me a joke.”“No, I’m not.”“Oh but you are. Who in their right senses would throw away this magnificent offer? You have to be careful, Henry. I think your friends influence you.”Henry looked back at his friends. Justin was still studying the master, intrigued by his level of creativity and at the same time looking for an outlet to strike. Henry would recognize that look anywhere and anytime. Zoe was whispering to Leroy, who was still seething but holding back because Henry asked him to. And Zhixi; she was watching him, waiting for his answer. They were a confused bunch. There was no way they would go back after having come this far, and the damages they caused on the road. This was the end for them. They had to get the system once and for all.The master l