Kenn Crawford - Dead Hunt

“I don’t know if it started here,” Michael admitted. “I just know we can’t take any chances until we figure it out.”

“I think he’s right,” Lucy told everyone.

“Oh, look,” Paul said sarcastically. “She agrees with him… There’s a shock.”

Lucy just rolled her eyes and tried to ignore him. “Follow me. I want to show you guys something.”

They followed Lucy into the lab. She pointed to the window.

“That window was opened when I got here. And look, there’s some sort of stain above it.”

“Yeah, so that stain could have been there for years,” Paul said.

Michael looked out the window then pushed it open again.

“Way to go, Einstein,” Paul yelled to him. “Open the window and let whatever’s out there in here.”

Michael ignored him as he leaned out the window, his eyes following a tiny, green trail down the side of the building, then off into the darkness.

“I can’t really tell,” he informed them as his eyes reached the end of the light cast from the window. “But I think a trail of that stuff leads down to a creek over there. So maybe whatever leaked out the window did get into the water.” Michael thought for a moment. “That has to be it. It’s the water.”

Paul was not convinced. “Water runs downhill, so we have nothing to worry about up here, now do we?” he looked at Michael, “Or should we all just die of thirst because you think you might be right?”

Emma nodded towards the computers.

“Maybe we can find out what they were working on.”

They moved towards the computers, but just as Emma’s hand hovered over the keyboard a voice startled them.

“I would not do that if I were you.”

“Who the fuck said that?” Paul jumped back, fists closed as his eyes searched the lab. Michael’s grip on the machete tightened. The monitors turned on revealing Robin’s face.

“What the…?” Paul looked at the monitor dumbfounded…

Robin looked at Paul. “My name is Robin. Have you seen my father?”

“Your father? Is this some kind of sick joke?” Paul asked, looking around the lab to see if someone was playing a practical joke…

Lucy raised her hand.

“Shut up, Paul.” Then turned back to the computer and asked, “Who is your father?”

“Professor Patrick Heslin,” Robin’s eyes turned towards Emma, her hand still hovering above a keyboard. “And he will be very angry with you if you touch that keyboard.”

Emma pulled her hand back.

“For Christ sake Emma, it’s just a computer program,” Paul told her.

“What happened here?” Lucy asked.

“What happened? Are you serious?” Paul asked. “It’s a computer. How in the hell is it supposed to know… Why are you even talking to it?”

Lucy waved him off in a gesture to be quiet.

“My name is Robin.”

“You said that already,” Paul said sarcastically. “Not a very smart computer either.”

Robin’s eyes seemed to focus on Paul.

“The Robin 1 Mainframe controls all the electrical and electronic components of this laboratory,” Robin’s eyes narrowed on Paul. “And you were not invited here…Paul.”

“What the…?” Paul was stunned to hear Robin speak his name.

Robin turned to Emma. “Your name is Emma.”

Robin looked at the others. “I do not know your names.”

“This is stupid,” Paul cut her off. “So it remembers names, big deal. So now we’re supposed to introduce ourselves to a stupid machine?”

“Artificial Intelligence,” Emma announced. “I’ve read about it, but never realized that it could be so complex.”

“It’s artificial, all right,” Paul smirked then headed for the main house. “Maybe there’s some booze or something to drink.” He looked at Michael, “Since we can’t drink the water.”

“Good old Paul,” Michael laughed. “Even in the face of danger, he insists on being an asshole.”

“I heard that!” Paul’s voice sounded from another room.

“I was not sure of your intentions,” Robin informed them as she looked back to Lucy. “So that is why I did not make my presence known when you first arrived. I had to be sure you meant no harm.”

“So what happened here?” Lucy asked again. “I’m Lucy, by the way. That’s Michael, and this is Lauren.”

“It is my pleasure to meet you,” Robin smiled as she looked at each of the teens, then turned back to Lucy. “I do not know what happened. We were working on the experiment and then…” Robin stopped.

“And then what? What experiment?” Lucy asked.

“I am not permitted,” Robin replied. “Have you seen my father?”

“No. Not permitted to what? We need to know what happened here.”

“If you find my father, he will be able to explain everything to you,” Robin answered.

“I already told you,” Lucy argued, getting irritated. “We don’t know where he is. What experiment?”

“I am not permitted.”

“Arrgghh!” Lucy exhaled in frustration. “Of all the computers in the world, we get the stubborn one!”

Lucy took a deep breath. “Ok, Robin, here’s the deal. We will help you search for your father, and then you explain to me what experiment you were working on.”

“My father will be able to…”

“Not your father,” Lucy cut her off. “You! You agree to explain everything and we will help you find Professor Heslin.”

Robin was quiet for a moment and then spoke. “Your proposal is acceptable.”

“Ok, guys!” Lucy said to everyone as Paul re-emerged carrying a bottle of scotch. “We need to do a complete sweep. First make sure all the doors are locked…”

“The doors are locked,” Robin informed her.

“And the windows…?” Lucy asked.

“The locks on the windows are mechanical. I do not control them.”

“So what’s the point of controlling the door locks if anyone can just break in through the window? That doesn’t make much sense.” Paul queried.

“No, it does not,” Robin agreed with him.

A second later they heard a loud rumbling sound as a massive steel shutter closed over the laboratory window. They heard another loud rumbling and a steel door slid from behind a wall and slammed closed. It locked with a metallic thud.

“The laboratory is now completely sealed,” Robin announced. “Is there anything else you wish to comment on, Paul?”

“Ummm. Nope. I’m good,” Paul replied sheepishly.

“Robin,” Lucy asked. “Are all the windows sealed with these shutters?”

“I can only secure the laboratory,” Robin explained. “My father was only concerned with the security of the laboratory due to the nature of his work.”

“Which was what?” Lucy asked.

Robin smiled.

“It was worth a shot,” Lucy said returning her smile before turning to her friends.

“Paul, you check the rest of the house and make sure every window is locked. Lauren, check the fridge and cupboards and find out how much food is here, and see if there’s any bottled water. Emma, go upstairs and start checking the rooms, and look for Professor Heslin.”

“What about me?” Michael asked as Robin opened the steel door.

“Check the cellar for wood and tools to board up the rest of the downstairs windows. I don’t think those things can climb to the top floor, so they should be ok for now. We should get the lower level secured first, then worry about the upstairs.

“I’m on it,” Michael said and quickly disappeared.

Lucy started looking around the lab for clues as to what had happened, notebooks, scraps of paper, anything. She spotted the microscope sitting on a work table and moved towards it to look when she heard Michael yelling to her from the cellar.

“Hey, Luce… I think you should come take a look at this.”