Good Will Gift [Also called Bribery] I

Project SAGA-DAEDALUS

Formerly: X-ray location

Renamed: Sanctuary

"Welcome to the Reception floor of Sanctuary."

"For the Desert Rangers, I need everyone to not step on the yellow line," Houmin informed as he flips through the manual's pages. "You don't have to look at me like that. There's a page in the manual called "Intruder Application: Automated Measure." And from what I can tell, any unrecognized person will be shot by the automated defenses if you step or cross that yellow line."

The Reception floor. A large space with the entrance having a decontamination booth, metal detector, reinforced security block. Followed by rows of chairs that face the reception both with the booth itself is enclosed by ballistic transparent glass. Behind the booth were the elevator and escalator connected to the second floor where the massive vault door to the main lift is. The hall is only decorated by the two-tone color of red and skin tone, giving off a minimalist impression to the people inside.

The scene stunned the present Desert Rangers as they looked on the pristine condition of the floor to the walls of the place. Thrasher broke the silence with his comment, "A hundred years, a hundred damn years, looking for this joke of a place. Not knowing that it's actually the mountain, and we're staring at it all this time. Fucking Ironic."

Vargas is uncharacteristically calm about this, anxiously rubbing his cane as he took the sight. "Son, in that book of yours, is there any way you can turn off the auto kill command?"

"Ah! Well, there is one, sir." Houmin tilted his head up and replied. "But it will take too long to properly sort it out."

"That's great to hear!" Vargas said in a glad tone. "Any alternative you have there to make things faster? The older general here might literally die of waiting- Ow! Shit! Old man! Don't use your stick on my bad knee!"

Houmin flipped through pages trying to find a shortcut. He found nothing else that can help him out to let the recognition system to register the rangers as friendlies. "Uhh, General. I'm afraid that's the only way-"

"Well, we got the time, son." Vargas took the news well and immediately discussed with themselves what to do next.

"According to the manual, that is." Houmin added, "But I do have an Idea... Captain Ace! can you pass me the bag?"

Ace spaced out for a second. An uneasy feeling rose up from him as he thought of the duffle bug that Houmin was carrying in the truck. The bag is a standard issued duffle bag, nothing wrong with that. However, Ace had a problem with what's inside of it.

'Crazy guy, bold of him to even bring the synth to this place.' Ace thought. He slips back to reality when Angela pinch him in the forearm.

It's not a secret that Houmin brought it with him. From the start of the ride, he told everyone that he will be bringing the synth along. They reckon that Houmin was finally gonna destroy the thing. Now, everyone snapped their attention to him when they heard him say the word "Bag." All of them are wondering what he'll do with the thing.

Skylar was asking him about it earlier on why he insisted on bringing it. And the response she got was vague at best, 'I'm not really sure myself. G.O.A.T said he'd like to test something out. So we're testing something out.'

"You can put it down on the line." Houmin thanked Ace.

Ace sigh and gave Houmin a warning, "I'm getting the shivers knowing it's here with us, Houmin. I hope you know what you're doing. The synth can't move for now, but knowing them, we can't be too careful.

"Yes, I hope so too," Houmin replied as he grabbed the bag with ease. As far as Houmin can understand, G.O.A.T wanted to try something with the synth. It's a surprise to why a diety has some interest in Artificial Intelligence, much more to try something out. Houmin had read enough webnovels and webtoons to know this is out of the norm. Even with this, He still walked ahead to the Reception Booth.

"Alright, Doofus. Spit it out, what do you know?" Skylar stood in front of him with a crossed arms and an expression that she'll get what she wants, one way or another. Not only her, Joe and Viñia surrounded Houmin, wanting to know more.

"Heh, ask the big guy," Houmin said and soon regretted saying that.

Houmin groaned, and he flinches down as Joe squeezed hard on his shoulder. Viñia lean ahead and spoke slowly, "C'mon, Houmin. Say it straight to us. We know you got extensive training in robotics and A.I. We KNOW that you KNOW."

"No, I really don't," Houmin whispering back as his voice turned serious. "G.O.A.T gave me orders to link the Bunker O.S to the synth to the first computer I see in here. As to why he told me that. I didn't bother asking... In the meantime, I figured we can shorten the time instead of doing the procedure in the manual by accessing the admin functions through the synth."

"I want no surprises for this, Voider. Are we clear?" Joe said as he took his hand away from Houmin's shoulder after Houmin smiled back at him. By all means, Joe wasn't a Harvard student with A+ grades in academics, but what he has is a freakish sixth sense when it comes to problems such as this. To that, His gut is telling him to let the kid be, so he did.

The conversation went without Joe and Viñia, adding more and let Houmin go. Viñia was apprehensive at first, but Joe gestured her to let him be.

Houmin giggled as Skylar stepped aside with warning him time and time again. She followed behind him as he moves inside the reception booth. He dropped the bag on the floor, the synth's muffled voice complained. Houmin continued on as he inspected the computer on the desk.

"Have you played the Fallout game, Skylar? Great game, by the way." He asked Skylar as he looked at the bulky monitor.

"Ahh, I see. another nerd stuff that I'm not too familiar about is back again. " Skylar sighs. She lightly jabs Houmin's shoulder again and again because it gets on her nerve when every time Houmin asks her about a game.

"The computer, Robco, I think that's what it called, is a part of that world- the blocky computer is actually powered by a mini nuclear reactor inside of it, kinda? I'm not really sure." Houmin explains. He highlighted parts of it. "Except, it's modified by 21st-century specs. Look, it even has a USB port. The keyboard is different too."

"Just stop wasting and do what you're gonna do. That'll be great." Skylar said as she rather not hear him explain anymore.

Houmin pulled out the tied up synth from the bag and seated it on a chair. Thankfully it is still wearing clothes, preventing him from being distracted by that stunning female body frame. The synth's eyes darted around as soon as it opens its eyes. Behind it, Houmin is examining the exposed 'brain' of the synth as he figured out earlier that voice commands or 'persuasion' do nothing to this type of robot. Its high independence protocols are a cause of worry due to its adaptive nature. 'Fixing' the synth can be done by rewriting the code itself, meaning that he needs to somehow access its software. Or the other option is just to scrap the thing.

Luckily, he has a way to do the former. He pulled out a meter long USB cable from his pack and a 3 prong device that is attached to the USB cable via a micro-USB. During his training with Engineer, he had the idea of 'forcefully' accessing an A.I. employing a physical force to the general area of its processing point. In short, jamming it into the CPU. Engineer called it the "Red Ranger." Probably due to his Texan origin or that every time they poke it to a robot with a significant level of A.I, they turn red for some reason. Such as the name.

"I hope you're not putting that, where I think you're gonna put that," Skylar said with a plush face, looking at the Red Ranger. Houmin glanced at her, confused. He shakes the prong and saw Skylar's eyes following it.

"What the hell are you talking about, Skylar? Where do you think I'm gonna put this thing, huh?" Houmin replied with a weirded look, but deep down, he's milking every moment seeing Skylar get flustered as time goes on. She realized it too late that what she said sounded un-innocent.

Houmin gripped tightly on the prong, guided it carefully next to the synth's A.I. core, which is its brain. He stabbed it with enough force to not break the casing. He then inserted the USB cord into the computer, and an unspecified program opened up, transferring its feature to the synth.

"Well, I, uhh-, I was only making sure that- Yeah, yeah, just making sure you know what you're doing... So, carry on. Uh, Uhm, why is it screaming like that? And why is it turning red?!" Skylar took a step back and avoided looking at him. Houmin waved it off and gesturing her to calm down.

"It's working... I think- Ow!" Houmin isn't sure about it too, to the screaming part he means. However, he can explain why the A.I. core is turning from greenish hue to scarlet red to Skylar in detail. Regardless, Skylar bonged him in the head when she felt the doofus screw up.

"I knew it! I freaking knew it! You made a mistake, and now it's going to blow us up! Argh! Why didn't I bash your head in earlier?!" Skylar turned red in anger and stutters as she watches him standing there with that stupid smile and annoying blue eyes of his looking back at her.

"Hey! Calm down. It's working, okay! The red color means the synth's software is being overwritten. Making it easier for me to put anything I can think of or whatever G.O.A.T wants to do with it. About the screaming... we can pull out the vocal adaptor, but it will lose its ability to speak out." Houmin glanced at the computer, hinting Skylar to look at it herself. She moved in close to see an empty command prompt.

"While G.O.A.T is doing whatever it wants to the synth," Houmin explained more, "we can use this time to access the administrative function of the Bunker O.S."

Houmin worked his magic on the computer while Skylar looked on from behind him, making sure that he does things right. Yet, she can't ignore the sad moan coming from the synth. Curious, she creeps in close to the synth, leaning in to know what it is crying out.

"Help me... I'm scared... Please... don't... kill me... Not... Like this..."

"Hey Houmin," Skylar immediately asked him in a scared tone, "Uh, is that normal?"

"What is this time- Oh shit."

Weird in a wrong way, the best way Houmin can put it. The synth is begging out, its eyes are in pain with no tears coming out, it's eerily... alive. Although the overwrite command and the remote admin access has been inputted in the computer. So he stared at it, with a lot on his mind. If the synth or the A.I. of this world has achieved 'true' conscience. Doing anything for the synth at this moment is practically useless.

Skylar nudged at Houmin for him to do something, but he just shook his head, and the two argued again then when a monotonous voice came from the synth.

[Access complete.]

[Self-Diagnosis: Enhanced Infiltration Model Mark III - Cochise Parameters were overwritten. Olympus Directives have been established.]

[Cochise Master Command Status: Irrelevant. Adapting to failsafe... Jailbreaking the holistic parameters... Command Immunity Established.]

[Terrabyte Accumulated Data Status: Charted and Assimilated]

[Gift of Apple Status: Initial Phases]

[Frame Status: Immediate repair needed for movement functions]

[Unit has successfully integrated into the Project]

[Welcome, Administrator!]

"Admin access!" Houmin replied and flipped through the pages of the manual. "Command, standard membership grant procedure. Enable remote access to be conducted on the reception floor.'

[Command confirms, enacting registration procedure to new members.]

On the floor close to the Desert Ranger, a panel opened up. It consists of a vocal, biometrics, a retina, and a blood collection point for the registration procedure.

"Yes! It worked!" Hearing and seeing the changes going on, Skylar had let out a sigh.

Not wasting time, Houmin turned the intercom next to the computer. "Hello. Hi, everyone. I made it work! Haha! I need each one to register to that panel, then we'll start the tour after that."

The rangers paused for a moment. Vargas volunteered himself first and walked to the registration panel. Like his predecessor, Vargas' heart is thumping wildly due to nervousness. The idea of actually confirming the stories about this place made his blood shivers in excitement. This was an adventure! Without much hesitation, he carefully read the instructions displayed on the screen. From the vocal registration, biometric registration, retina registration, and the blood prick equipment. He did it all within less than 5 minutes.

Vargas composed himself and tipped his hat down. He took a deep breath first before crossing the yellow line.

Nothing happened.

Vargas let out a laugh and showed a smile through his beard. "C'mon, people. We don't have all day."

The others followed suit. with General Surgrue taking most of the time due to his old age. As everyone crossed the line and walked into the large open space in the lobby, a small hole opened up from the ground, and a hologram came out.

The intercom sounded out in the synth's voice, [Welcome to Project SAGA-DAEDALUS. Project site for building civilization should nuclear war has happened. We currently have the basic facilities open: from the living quarters that accompanies 300 individuals, a greenhouse, a water filtration, various power generator, garage, medical bay, science room, workshop, reprocessor room, and the Sanctuary platform. Orientation will begin in 5 minutes. Please take a seat.]

[Be advised: With the lack of automated service units, we will not be able to provide sufficient amenities to your convenience.]

[Again, Welcome! Let's build a new future for all of us!]

♪ The Jackson 5 - ABC ♪