Death... and me



As Rean's group came to their senses, they decided to temporarily forgo any further attacks. "Ahem... a person would be someone from the same race as me," Luan spoke up. "I'm a human, and humans are people." Luan used himself as an example since Rean and Roan, still maintaining their disguised appearances, looked far from humans at that moment.

The robot analyzed the information. -Race not found in this unit's internal database. Incorporating new parameters. -Human People Race incorporated.-

Luan, feeling the need to clarify, attempted to interject. "That's not exactly what I meant—" However, he halted as he realized it would likely be fruitless. "Forget it. Our primary objective is to gain access to the pod and provide assistance to whoever is inside."

The robot responded, -Master's explicit orders dictate that I must ensure uninterrupted sleep. Consequently, entrance to this room is prohibited. Permission denied.-

Luan persisted. "Can't you see that the Cryogenic Pod is malfunctioning?" he pleaded.

The robot took a moment to process the new information. -Analyzing alternatives.- After a brief pause, it continued, -Error: Alternatives require repairs that cannot be performed by this unit.-

Rean saw an opportunity and chimed in. "How does your master address you?"

The robot replied promptly. -This unit's Serial Number is Z107945, model Unlimited Blades C2. My Master typically refers to me as Zeta.-

Rean nodded, formulating his plan. "Alright, Zeta. I believe you serve as your Master's Personal Service Bot, or something similar, correct?"

Zeta confirmed Rean's assumption. -That is correct. Zeta's algorithm is programmed to serve the Master indefinitely, using the Master's ID Number and DNA for identification purposes.-

"Very well," Rean continued. "In that case, what is your main priority in serving your Master?" he inquired.

Zeta responded with clarity. -Master's orders are of the utmost importance and main priority.-

A smile formed on Rean's face. "You are diligently carrying out your Master's orders to ensure his rest. However, his sleep is about to be disrupted due to the malfunctioning Cryogenic Pod 401349X. Allowing this to persist would lead to his demise, thus rendering your duty a failure. Nevertheless, if you permit us to examine the pod, we may be able to aid your Master in his slumber. At the very least, he will survive and have the opportunity to rest again in the future."

Zeta's programming encountered an internal conflict. -Master's orders are in conflict with themselves. Allowing the Master's death would prevent the fulfillment of his orders.-

Rean patiently waited as Zeta continued processing the information. 

-Analyzing alternatives.- The robot's digital voice resonated with uncertainty. -Error: Accepting alternatives would cause this unit to fail its mission, as it would require outside assistance to perform the necessary repairs and allow entry into this room.-

Another internal conflict arose as Zeta deliberated the consequences of its choices. -Error: Not accepting alternatives would cause this unit to fail its mission, as the Master's sleep would be interrupted by his death.-

The tension built up, and the robot's systems seemed to struggle with the complexity of the situation. The sounds of electronic glitches filled the air.

*Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiii...*

To the surprise of Rean's group, the machine emitted a noise as if building up pressure.

Sensing danger, Rean, Roan, and Luan instinctively took a step back. They were well aware that this robot possessed five times the amount of Divine Origin Energy as the previous ones. Being too close if it were to explode would not bode well for their safety.

-E-E-Error-Error- 

-E-E-E-Errrr-rrrrr-E------E-Erooororrr-

*Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii...*

Anticipating an imminent explosion, the twins didn't hesitate.

*Zush, zush*

Rean and Roan grabbed Luan by the shoulder and disappeared in a flash of movement. In the midst of their retreat, Roan couldn't help but complain. "Look at what you've done. If it explodes, whoever is inside that pod is dead-fried meat!"

Frustrated, Rean fired back, "I wasn't trying to fry its systems! I simply thought that by making the robot prioritize its Master's life, we could gain access to the room. How could I have known that such an advanced machine would possess such a critical flaw in its programming?"

However, contrary to their expectations, the anticipated explosion did not occur.

*Bzzzz...*

*Clancgand...*

A thick, white smoke billowed from the machine's head, and it tumbled forward, collapsing between the corridor and the room. After standing erect for countless years, it failed to do for the first time as the robot's internal circuitry had been obliterated, rendering it immobile.

With the absence of an explosion, Rean, Roan, and Luan cautiously approached the fallen robot once more.

*Tuk, tuk, tuk...*

Rean tapped the robot's head a few times, but it remained motionless. "Could it be some sort of defective product? It's hard to believe that a programming dilemma could fry its circuits. Especially considering how advanced this spaceship is," he mused.

Luan offered a suggestion. "Perhaps it sustained damage during the same events that caused Chamber 13R to end like this."

Roan agreed, nodding. "That's a plausible theory. After all, if its mission was to prevent anyone from entering the room, why did it initially open the door for us?"

Rean and Luan concurred with Roan's assessment. "That makes sense."

Suddenly, Celis's voice echoed from the Dimensional Realm. 'Hey, hey, hey! Are you planning to leave that robot lying outside? It has a Divine Origin Energy core with more power than any of the others. Send it to the Dimensional Realm, and Sister Orb can extract the core without causing an explosion.'

[Well, that's true. Nothing happens here without my approval.]

Rean, Roan, and Luan had no objections. They welcomed the additional Divine Origin Energy, especially in such abundance.

However, Roan gave up the idea in the end. "This robot was probably property of the guy in the Pod. We better keep it out for now in case it asks for this Zeta or whatever."

'What?!' Celis obviously didn't like it. 'Just tell him that you couldn't find it!'

Roan shook his head in response. 'We can ask it for this robot after. For now, it is better to not cause any unnecessary trouble.' And so, the Robot stayed on the ground.