Chapter 3. All Gone

Red was regaining her consciousness.

Her sight was cloudy when she noticed a bright yellow tint. It looked like fireflies, according to Ingo. That may be how it seemed. Fireflies would arrive just as you were about to fall unconscious. Red groaned softly, clutching her stinging brow. She realized something was still stuck in her left eye.

The wire remained in her eye, but it was no longer painful. Red withdrew the wire from her eye carefully. There appeared to be a wound across her brow and beneath her eye as she held it. She discovered traces of dried blood on her fingertips.

"Horrible thing," she whispered weakly.

Ursula's chest was scanned by the left eye, then split open like a door. Creating a way for Red to quickly enter and exit. When Red was already at the cave area, she limped down from Ursula's body, and the chest closed again.

"Ingo-Lan, I want to know about this place and its purpose." The question occurred to Red since she had experiences of similar things, such as video snippets from Ursula's memory system. Jeremiah's memories were clearly present. Ingo was frequently the domestic assistant at home.

"This is a workshop."

Red couldn't believe what he was hearing. A cave with cutting-edge technology, yet the holographic program only mentioned a workshop?

"What workshop?"

"Ursula's refinement."

"Is this where Ursula was created? Am I right?" Red asked.

"That's correct. Jeremiah Harts designed Ursula, and complete authority was granted to Ingo and Aegea Harts six years ago when Ursula was refined."

"What if Ursula breaks down one day? I can come here, and you can fix it."

"The request was denied. Only Ingo and Aegea Harts have the authorization."

"Okay, I gave you the authorization to fix her. So fix her, now!"

"Status negative. Ingo-Lan is only authorized to give information."

"Oh, so you're only a spoke person?" Red smirked and shook her head.

"Ingo-Lan only purpose is providing required and authorized information."

Red took a seat on the cold stone floor. Attempting to recall all that had been through her mind earlier. What happened once the connection linked with her eyes, as if Red and Ursula were in sync?

"Ghníomhact," Red said.

The blue coursing through Ursula's body then moved swiftly and lighted up. Ursula rose to her feet, and her stomping feet echoed throughout the cave. Red was amazed and clapped her hands. She rushed over to Ursula and raised her head to the fifteen-foot-tall robot.

"Open your chest. I want to enter. Open, now!" Red was in command.

But Ursula only flinched and stood up motionless.

"Oh my goodness... why again?" In frustration, Red tousled her hair.

The synchronized video capture memory was available, with no instructions for giving Ursula directions. Other than it, nothing else. Red was perplexed about how Ursula could follow all of the orders without learning the command words. Even the guideline tab needed to be included.

"Ingo-Lan, what is the meaning of 'Ghníomhact'?"

"Activation. It is an ancient language, the Irish language."

Red realized that Jeremiah wasn't simply delivering the order words to this secret robot. Ursula appeared designed as a time bomb, and Red couldn't believe she and Ursula would be the AI's destroyers.

"So what is the word for leaving or departing in that language?"

"Fág."

Red gave the nod. "Ingo-Lan, I am leaving. So long."

"Ingo-Lan bids Aegea Harts farewell."

Ursula's palm was touched by Red. "Fág, Ursula."

Ursula opened her palms and embraced Red's body in her grip. Ursula's body knelt and rested on one knee before speeding out of the underground entrance. Red shut his eyes.

When he closed his eyes, a row of numbers and a red symbol appeared in his left eye. Outside, the wind was howling with dust, but Red was safe in Ursula's grip, and she seemed undisturbed. Red imagined her house as though she and Ursula had begun to connect, but not totally.

"Mo theach, Ursula."

The robot took off at an unknown speed, yet it was speedy. Red enjoyed the short trip till she arrived at her home. Ursula spread her hands and let Red slide. The wind was so strong that Red had to cover her face with her arm. Her eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing now.

The house was already half-covered in cream-colored sand with glittering sunlight. Red staggered into the remains of the building she believed was home, unable to hold back her cries. She slid in the sand, coughing and feeling claustrophobic.

Even though she had just left last night, the kitchen, dining room, and living room were all in a mess. Red attempted to open her room door, which was nearly half-buried in the sand. The door opened when she jerked her arm, banging against it. Her body swayed, and she slipped and fell into the doorway. The sand entering the room was swishing lightly.

She stepped inside and pulled out a face mask with an air filter. It still had plenty of batteries because Red only wore it on rare occasions. After graduating high school, Red does not work and stays at home, unemployed and burdening Ingo and the country.

Ingo was always encouraging, even spoiling Red. In the future, Red would be a great person who would not need to work like others. Jeremiah's wealth could support Red till she died. Red is unaware that Ingo has prepared a scenario for her. To be the instigator of AI annihilation.

That's a terrible storyline.

How could Ingo have conspired with her late father? Wasn't Ingo a form of AI as well? Not a cyborg, just a regular android. Even if Ingo's program was locked—it couldn't evolve, wasn't there a slight feeling that Ingo's kind would be killed by humans?

Red took a few necessities she needed, including clothing, porridge packs, and mineral water from the kitchen. Tablets of knowledge, as well as whatever else she deemed worthwhile. She stuffed them into a big backpack.

Red dragged the luggage effortlessly and stepped out of the home with limping steps as she approached Ursula. She slung the bag over Ursula's arm.

Red scanned the area with her eyes. It was tranquil, almost too quiet. Everything felt strange. When she glanced around the complex, she noticed that practically all the houses were destroyed similarly.

"Oh my God," she said, horrified.

Red hurried to one of the nearby houses, but no one was there. Still unable to believe what she saw, she entered all of the houses, which were all empty and in ruin. Metal door and wall fragments were scattered across the ground.

"What is this? What happened?"

Red returned to Ursula. Where should she go? She needs clarification. She decided to go to the city center. Perhaps people were gathering there in seeking shelter. A giant translucent dome in the city center could survive storms, wind, and sunburn. She's unsure if it could resist a bomb or gun attack because there haven't been any conflicts in a long time. All regions have merged to form a single entity called a union state. It was divided into various districts, all of which were numerous.

"Ursula, we're going to the city center," Red decided.

As Red had predicted, Ursula was like a broken machine that couldn't process simple orders.

"Ursula, did you hear me?" Red's put her arms on the hips. "Ah, never mind... I'm too tired of finding words that you can understand."

Yet there was yet to be a response. Red, unwilling to seek any more command phrases, drove a car that ran on sunlight-absorbing fuel. Practically every household had one of these vehicles. Individuals who do not have access to a car might utilize public transit, which uses the same energy.

The car was tiny, only enough for two people. Because of its simplistic design, it is energy efficient. It didn't have wheels but used the wind to move the propellers. Therefore the car only hovered about eighty centimeters above the ground.

She put the backpack next to her on the passenger seat. Then Red started it by touching her palm.

The car's engine soon began with a smooth sound and rose up.

On the sandy road, Red drives the car. Ursula suddenly moved, and the giant robot levitated and flew at the speed of Red's car.

"Crazy robot. Now it has the initiative to follow me."