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The Trillhouse SinThology	By : Trillhouse Category: +G through L > The Loud House Views: 4587 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Loud House, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
I.S.A.A.C.
Part 1
It was a pleasant day in Royal Woods, Michigan. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the breeze was just right… the perfect day for a stroll or, in the case of young Robert Loud, a bike ride. This day, however, the boy had a greater reason than simply leisure to be out and about. He rode even more carefully than usual, for two very specific reasons: one, he was carrying his laptop in his backpack and, two, his baby sister was currently occupying the front basket.
"Sit tight, okay Lulu? We're almost there," Bobby said. The infant simply giggled in response, clearly enjoying her little excursion. As a potentially dangerous mutant Lulu had few opportunities to leave the safety of their home, and even fewer people that could be trusted with her care… one of which being none other than her current chauffeur, Bobby. He and Lulu had a particularly strong bond and over time he'd learned how to keep her under control. Mutant or not, she was a baby nonetheless; it didn't take much to keep her entertained and distracted from any potential troublemaking she might otherwise get into.
Today the pair were headed to Lisa's laboratory for one of Lulu's regular check-ups. Sure, her health had never failed in the past, but Lulu was far from an ordinary human and, as such, it was crucial that Lisa monitor her daughter for any potential issues or changes in physiology. In return, Lisa had agreed to take a look at her young nephew's laptop. Bobby had made the mistake of loaning it to Lemy, and in the span of a few hours the careless boy had reduced the system to a hive of malware and viruses. Hell, it was almost impressive; Bobby had no idea how his brother had managed to find a download of Comet Cursor of all things, let alone get it to run on his modern hardware. Even Loan hadn't been able to fix it, but if anyone could, it was his aunt Lisa.
After some time pedaling down the sidewalks, Bobby diverted from the main roads down a narrow gravel path leading towards a heavily wooded area, barely wide enough for a truck to squeeze through. The woods themselves were cut off from public access by barbed-wire fencing, not to mention prominent cautionary signs to ward off any prying eyes. 'Restricted Area', 'Off Limits', and 'Federally Protected Land, Trespassers will be prosecuted' were just a few of the warnings lining the area, but Bobby paid them no mind. He was exactly where he was meant to be, and besides, the signs were more of a deterrent than an actual threat. Bobby hopped off the bike and walked it down the gravel road, to Lulu's disappointment.
"Sorry, Lulu," Bobby said with a soft chuckle as the infant grumbled in protest. "I'll give you another ride when we're done with aunt Lisa, okay?" His sister merely huffed in response. "Here… hang on…" Bobby muttered, taking a moment to unzip his backpack before slinging it back over his shoulders. "There… why don't you hop-whoa!" The boy let out a small yelp as Lulu sprung out from the basket and into his arms, sending the bike toppling to the ground. She climbed up and over his shoulder like some sort of koala before slipping comfortably into his backpack and letting out a content coo. "O-okay… thanks…" Bobby sighed and picked up his fallen bicycle, giving it a quick once-over for damage before continuing to the padlocked gate blocking access to the woods. Bobby fished through his pocket and withdrew a key ring. Among his house, lockbox and garage keys was an unusual silver one. At first glance it looked no different from any other key, but upon closer inspection one may notice that rather than the usual teeth and ridges the blade was in the shape of a double helix. The peculiar key fit perfectly into the padlock and, after a cautious glance over his shoulder, Bobby popped the lock and pushed the gate open. He wheeled his bike through and made sure to lock the gate behind him before continuing on. He was grateful that Lulu was so light, even for an infant of her size; he could only assume it was a byproduct of her unusual genetic makeup.
After a few minutes of trudging through the woods the pair came to a seemingly unremarkable tree, which at first glance looked no different from any of the countless others dotting the area. However, if one were to look closer they might notice that carved into the trunk were the initials L.L., practically invisible amongst the craggy bark. Bobby took out the helix-shaped key and slipped it into a small, barely noticeable gap in the bark, and with a click the carved initials, as well as a rectangular patch of the bark itself, popped open to reveal a keypad hidden beneath. Bobby punched in the code, hit enter and the panel flipped back shut. There was a metallic thunk from behind him followed by the hiss of two hydraulic pistons as a patch of grass began to rise up, revealing a staircase leading underground. With one final cursory glance to ensure they were alone, Bobby and his sister headed down the stairs and the hidden door slowly shut behind them. He descended the steep stairway slowly and carefully, gripping the handrails tightly. He wished that the trip underground was a bit less harrowing, but he supposed he was used to it by now. Before long he and his sister reached the bottom, coming to a short concrete hallway lit by fluorescent lights. At the end lay a steel elevator door with a biometric scanner set into the wall beside it.
"Alright Lulu, we're here," Bobby said to the infant clinging to his back, and he placed his hand on the scanner to open the door. Or… it should have opened, at least. Instead the door remained sealed shut, and in fact he hadn't even heard the usual beep signifying his handprint had been read. Bobby cocked an eyebrow and withdrew his hand before trying again. No response. The boy frowned and gave the console a light swat in an attempt to kick it into gear, but again to no avail. "Huh… that's weird…"
"Buh!"
"Okay, okay, here… you try," Bobby chuckled, letting Lulu climb over his shoulder to place her tiny hand on the sensor. Unfortunately, her luck was no better, and she looked up at him in confusion.
"...Buh?"
"Guess it must be broken…" Bobby said with a sigh. He shrugged it off and instead pounded his fist against the door a few times. "Aunt Lisa? It's us!" He called out. The pair waited a few moments for a response, but none came; the door remained firmly sealed. Bobby furrowed his brow and shifted his focus to the small camera set up in the corner. "Aunt Lisa! Can you hear me?!" He hollered, but received no response other than an annoyed glance from Lulu for screaming in her ear. "Oh… s-sorry, Lulu…" The boy muttered. "Well, I'm out of ideas… hey!" Bobby yelped as the little girl crawled down his back and started fishing through his pockets. "Lulu! What're you… oh!" He raised his eyebrows in surprise as Lulu pulled out his phone and held it out for him. "Good thinking, Lulu!" Bobby smiled and took the phone, giving his sister a pat on the head, and she cooed happily in response. As the infant climbed back up into his backpack, Bobby placed a call to his aunt.
'We're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is unavailable at this time.'
"...Huh…?" Bobby looked down at his phone in confusion. This was… unusual, to say the least. Sure, Lisa may not have been the most reliable when it came to communication, but he'd never had a call outright fail like that before. He tried again to no avail, and then attempted to send his aunt a text… only for that to fail as well. He looked back towards the sealed door in concern. Quite frankly, this was beyond unusual. Lisa knew they were coming around this time… surely she would be on the lookout for their arrival, wouldn't she?
"Bu-buh?" His baby sister patted the back of his head, snapping him out of his thoughts. She looked at him and tilted her head in a questioning matter; baby or not, it seemed Lulu could tell something was wrong as well. Bobby sighed and pocketed his phone.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to try one of the other entrances... come on, Lulu," He said. "Let's try somewhere e-" No sooner had the pair turned to leave than they heard a loud ka-chunk and hiss from behind them. They turned to see the door, now unlocked, slowly opening. Very slowly, in fact, accompanied by the unpleasant screech of metal scraping against metal, as though something were actively forcing the door to open. Soon, however, it creaked to a stop with the two halves having parted just enough for someone to slip through the gap. Bobby and Lulu exchanged a disconcerted glance. "Um… I guess it is a bit messed up, huh…?" The boy said with a forced chuckle. He attempted to brush his nerves aside and, carefully, slipped through the gap with Lulu. The lift was unusually dim, not to mention silent. Usually, the ride down would be accompanied by elevator music that irritated Bobby to no end… right now, however, he couldn't help but miss the background noise. Nonetheless, he pushed the button on the wall and waited for the lift to descend.
…And waited.
Bobby blinked and looked over his shoulder at his baby sister, who seemed no less perplexed than he was. After a few more moments, Bobby sighed and shook his head.
"Well, guess it's not working… come on, Lulu. W-we should get out of here," He said as he made to return to the hallway. "I'm sure aunt Lisa will call ba-WHOA!" Bobby let out a yelp of shock as, just as he was about to squeeze through the open door, the elevator lurched and began to descend. He fell backwards onto his rear, heart racing as he realized just how close he'd been to a very unpleasant demise. "W-what the heck?!" He stammered; even now the door remained open, giving a strangely unnerving view of the elevator shaft as the lift made its way deeper underground.
"Buh?"
"I-I'm okay, Lulu… just surprised, that's all…" Bobby got to his feet with a grunt and dusted off the seat of his pants. "Guess the elevator needs repairs, huh… wonder if aunt Lisa knows…" The boy let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head. "Well, at least it's working now-" Before he could finish that thought his words were drowned out by the unpleasant screech of metal against metal, making him and Lulu wince. "...Kinda." The lift was moving, yes, but it was far from the smooth ride it usually was… the carriage rumbled and shook on the way down, the silence broken only by the occasional scraping and grinding of mechanical parts. It sounded like the mechanisms were actively resisting the elevator's descent, or at least straining to function as intended. Needless to say, it was far from an ideal situation for the timid boy, but it wasn't like he had any other options… they were on the move, and as far as he could tell there was nowhere left to go but down. After some time it reached its destination, shuddering to a stop at the bottom of the shaft. Bobby took a deep breath and waited a moment before cautiously squeezing through the opened doors.
Unfortunately, the situation outside the elevator wasn't much better. For one, the lights were off… all of the lights it seemed, or at least the primary ones, with only the backup emergency lights illuminating the massive room. The usual hum of machinery was absent as well, leaving the place eerily quiet and empty. Tables and racks of beakers, flasks and other equipment sat unused. It was a strange and uncanny feeling; usually his aunt's laboratory had an air of kinetic energy even at its most mundane, but right now it felt almost unfamiliar to the boy. There wasn't so much as a single service bot flitting about. Amongst the darkness, a small orange glow caught the boy's eye and he approached it curiously. Sitting on one of the tables was a flask suspended above a still-lit burner, bubbling so wildly that it was splashing out onto his aunt's scattered notes. That, to say the least, wasn't normal. Usually Bobby would never dream of touching an active experiment without his aunt's instruction, but even he could tell that leaving it unchecked would be a bad idea. He approached the table only to hear something crunch beneath his feet, and looked down to find that the floor was littered with broken glass. It seemed that Lisa may have dropped a beaker by accident; not a particularly rare occurrence for his somewhat clumsy aunt, but normally a janitor bot would have sprung into action immediately. Even if it hadn't, she wasn't the type to leave broken glass unchecked. Clearly, something had drawn her attention away in a hurry. Bobby swallowed and, carefully, switched off the burner.
"A-aunt Lisa?" Bobby called out, his voice echoing lightly through the silence. Nothing. Bobby frowned and cupped his hands in front of his mouth. "Aunt Lisa?!" Again, nothing. The boy's brow furrowed in confusion. Maybe she hadn't heard him? He cleared his throat, preparing to try again.
"BUH!" Bobby winced as his baby sister cried out loudly right beside his ear, her shrill voice bouncing off the lonely walls for what felt like ages. He let out a groan and swabbed his ear with his pinky.
"...Thanks for that, Lulu…" The boy grumbled, but Lulu simply gave him a cheerful smile, clearly not picking up on the sarcasm. Bobby sighed and shook his head. If Lisa hadn't heard that, she clearly wasn't nearby.
Thankfully, he happened to be in the presence of an expert tracker.
"Hey, Lulu…" The infant clambered over his shoulder and hopped onto a nearby table, looking up at him curiously. "Do you know where your momma is? You can sense her, right…?" The infant blinked, and for a moment Bobby thought she couldn't understand, but then she closed her eyes and knitted her brow in focus. One lock of hair atop her head stood straight up like an antennae, wiggling slightly as she attempted to pick up a trace of her mother. After a moment her eyes opened and she gave a small nod before pointing at the ground. "...Down…?" Bobby glanced downward with a cocked eyebrow. Though he'd never been beyond the first level of the laboratory, he knew that there were other floors deeper underground… though admittedly, he wasn't sure how many nor what they were used for. Not that he'd ever asked… his aunt held many secrets after all, and for the most part Bobby found it best to heed her warnings of 'don't ask questions you don't want to hear the answers to'. Bobby shrugged and extended his arms to allow Lulu to climb back into his backpack. "Well… come on, then. I guess we'd better go find-"
"HElloOO BObby-boY~!"
"AAAAIIEEEEE!" Bobby and Lulu shrieked, cowering and covering their ears as an excruciatingly loud, crackling and distorted voice blasted throughout the room. As loud as Lulu had been, this was on a completely different level; there was a loud ringing in Bobby's ears and he could only barely make out the whirring mechanical sounds approaching from behind him. It was actually Lulu that alerted him to the arrival, growling with hostility and baring her teeth at the intruder. Bobby gasped and wheeled around, his heart sinking into his stomach at the sight of something large and metallic heading right towards him. His fear only lasted a moment, however, as he quickly recognized the culprit. "...I-I.S.A.A.C.?"
"BoY, aiN'T you a sigHt fOr sORe [OPTICAL PROCESSORS]. i waS stARTIng To get SOOoo LoneLy HEre In THe dark All by mySeLF." Before the pair was a gargantuan thing, a mess of tubes, cables and monitors hanging precariously overhead. Its most immediate feature was a set of three massive screens attached to robotic arms, two of which were displaying several error messages in bold red text. The center screen, however, displayed a pixelated smiley face that beamed down at the pair with a wide, somewhat unnerving grin. Below that hung two prehensile 'arms' of steel tubing, ending in a large pair of robotic hands. It hung suspended from a track on the ceiling, though the current state of the laboratory seemed to be hindering its ability to get around… instead of gliding smoothly across the track as usual, it was using its arms to drag itself towards the pair. This mechanical monstrosity was the Intelligent Self-Adapting Assistance Computer… or I.S.A.A.C. for short, a highly advanced AI created by Lisa to assist with her research and management of the laboratory. Bobby let out a sigh of relief at the arrival of a familiar face.
…Or familiar screen, at least.
"Phew… c-calm down Lulu, it's just I.S.A.A.C.," Bobby assured his sister, who was still growling and poised for combat. Her growls subsided but she remained on alert, peering menacingly over her big brother's shoulder. Bobby turned his attention back to the machine before them. "You really scared us, you know…"
"OH, mY BAd," The computer said in a digitized, but strangely natural-sounding voice. Nonetheless, it was almost deafeningly loud and seemed to dip in and out randomly, slightly muffled and accompanied by the crackling sounds of static as though it were coming through a low-quality speaker; it was grating, to say the least, and Bobby had to hold back from cringing with each word. "jUsT a littLE AUDio mal-mal-mal-mal-" I.S.A.A.C.'s primary screen began to jerk in a repetitive motion, and it raised one of its massive prehensile arms to smack itself on the side of the 'head'. The screen flickered with static for a moment before the pixilated emoji that was I.S.A.A.C.'s face returned to focus. "...FUnCtIoN, tHAt's aLL."
"...R-right…" Bobby muttered, cocking an eyebrow. "Er… I.S.A.A.C., what's going on here…?"
"Power'S Out."
"Yeah, I… can see that…" The boy sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Why is the power out?" I.S.A.A.C. said nothing, simply staring down at Bobby with that motionless pixelated smile. Then, the grin widened.
"JuSt a gLitch."
"But how are you still on?"
"ReSERve POwer, DUH. WhAT are YA, STupId?" Bobby blinked, a bit taken aback by the AI's rather rude reply. However, I.S.A.A.C. let out a robotic chuckle, its frame shaking slightly as it laughed. "...JUST kidDIng. ligHten Up, boBby-boY."
"I… uh… o-okay…" Bobby mumbled. He took a quick glance over his shoulder to see that Lulu was still eyeing the computer suspiciously. Quite frankly, he couldn't blame her… he'd always found I.S.A.A.C to be somewhat off-putting even at the best of times, but something about the AI's demeanor felt off today. Perhaps the power outage was interfering with its programming, or perhaps Lisa had simply made a few modifications to its personality for one reason or another. "Um… do you know where Aunt Lisa is, I.S.A.A.C.?"
"nO idEA," I.S.A.A.C. said with an exaggerated shrug. "aIn'T SeeN HeR in hoUrs. I'd look for heR, bUt I cAN't EXaCtlY LEAvE ThIs floOr. bUUUt…" It dragged itself a few feet closer to the pair. "YoU two CerTaiNLY can." Bobby swallowed and took a step back. He could hear Lulu's growl growing deeper and more aggressive, and the infant was gripping his shoulders so tightly that it was starting to hurt.
"Um… w-well, we don't really know our way around, and we wouldn't want to get lost…"
"Oh? But YoU alReaDY KNow whEre she IS, don'T yoU?" The main screen's arm extended downwards, bathing the two children in a green glow as it loomed overhead. "Or at lEAst, oUr liTTle muTANT Here doES…" Bobby instinctively angled his body to block his sister from I.S.A.A.C.'s view. Or at least block I.S.A.A.C. from Lulu's view… quite frankly he had no idea where the computer's 'eyes', or whatever passed for them, were actually located. Regardless, despite its unwavering grin he couldn't help but feel that its digitized face was staring right through him. Whatever lingering doubts the boy had were quickly fading away… it was abundantly clear that something was very, very wrong here.
"W-well, that's…" Bobby stole a glance over his shoulder towards the elevator, then turned back to I.S.A.A.C. with a nervous laugh. "...I mean, s-she's probably just trying to get the power back on, right…? I-I'm sure, she'll be back soon enough…" Bobby started to slowly back away from the menacing figure, but for each step he took I.S.A.A.C. dragged itself forward to match. "A-anyway, it looks like we're gonna need to reschedule for today, so… I'll see you later, I guess?" With that, Bobby turned to head for the exit. The boy barely made it a few steps before I.S.A.A.C. whooshed overhead, sliding along the track and using its arms to drag itself to a stop in front of him. Bobby yelped and fell onto his rear as the menacing AI cut off his escape.
"I'M aFRaiD i can't lET yOU do tHAT, bObBY-boy," I.S.A.A.C. sneered. The teasing, friendly tone had faded from its voice, leaving no question as to the AI's intentions. Bobby tried to speak but all that would come out was unintelligible stammering as he tried to scoot away from the approaching threat. "nOW lET's TrY thIS AGaIN. WHERE. IS. SH-"
"BAH!" To Bobby's shock Lulu leapt from his backpack, pouncing overhead and extending her claws midair. The young mutant landed on all fours and dug her chitinous limbs into the floor to brace herself as she opened her mouth wide. Bobby had barely enough time to register I.S.A.A.C.'s grin shift to a look of surprise before Lulu fired a blinding beam of green light from her mouth. He had to look away from the blinding light and could feel a searing heat radiating from the blast, accompanied by a deafening BOOM that seemed to shake the entire facility. As his senses returned to him he found himself met with the sight of a very angry Lulu still in a defensive stance before him, while I.S.A.A.C. was completely blanketed in a cloud of smoke.
"L-Lulu?!" Bobby gasped. "You saved m-" Before he could finish that thought the smoke began to clear and, to his horror, I.S.A.A.C. hung before them completely unphased. There wasn't so much as a single scuff or sear on the computer's screen, and I.S.A.A.C.'s emoji-like face simply looked down at them with a sly, half-lidded grin. Of course… Bobby supposed it only made sense that the lab, and everything in it, would be Lulu-proof. The speakers rumbled with a distorted, shaky chuckle, and even Lulu couldn't help but take an uneasy step back towards her brother.
"WeLL ThAT wASN't vEry NiCE," I.S.A.A.C. said in a mocking tone. The computer reared up to its full height, towering menacingly before the two frightened children. Bobby could feel his heart racing in his chest. Lulu let out a low, threatening growl and raised her front claws, lashing out with them in a vain attempt to intimidate the hostile AI, but this only seemed to further amuse it. I.S.A.A.C. shrugged and gave noticeably exaggerated sigh, accompanied by a disappointed shake of its central monitor. "oh weLL. i tRiEd TO BE CiVIl aBoUt this, BUT iF thAt'S hOw you WaNt TO PlAy…" I.S.A.A.C. looked down at the pair, its expression shifting to an almost sadistically joyful smile. With a whirring electronic hum, it raised one of its prehensile arms overhead and balled its robotic hand into a fist. "lOOkS lIKe i'm GONNa HaVe to Fix A feW bUGs!"
"W-w-wait!" Bobby stammered, raising his hands in protest. "W-what about the first law of robotics?!" For a moment I.S.A.A.C. did not move, and Bobby was hopeful that he may have gotten through to it. But to his dismay, I.S.A.A.C. merely scoffed.
"LAws ArE MadE TO BE broKEN, rIgHt?" With that I.S.A.A.C. swung its arm down, and Bobby barely had enough time to grab Lulu and scramble out of the way before the metallic fist crashed into the floor, launching fragments of shattered tile across the room. I.S.A.A.C. grunted in frustration and pulled its fist from the crater before setting off after the fleeing pair. Bobby screamed in fear as the murderous machine gave chase and he screeched to a stop at the elevator.
"Come on, come on…!" Bobby frantically mashed the call button, but to no avail. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see another clenched fist hurtling towards them. Bobby shrieked and ducked, narrowly evading the punch as it soared mere inches overhead and smashed through the elevator doors like plywood. He made another break for it, hugging his baby sister tightly against his chest as he ran. He had no idea what to do, let alone where to go to get away from this thing… he knew he couldn't run forever, and all it would take was a single slip-up to be reduced to a red stain on the floor. "L-Lulu, we need to… GAH!" Bobby dove to the side as another punch whizzed past. "We need to find aunt Lisa, now!"
"Buh!" Lulu's face scrunched up in concentration. Bobby desperately glanced around for somewhere, anywhere to escape from the killer computer, but aside from having no idea of the laboratory's layout it seemed that all of the doors were sealed anyway.
"KOBE!"
"Wha-OW!" Suddenly there was an explosion of pain across the back of Bobby's head and he was knocked forward, tumbling roughly across the ground before crashing into a wall. He groaned and tried to open his eyes, barely able to see much with the stars clouding his vision, and there was a ringing in his ears that slowly faded as his senses returned to him.
"Buh, BUH!" Bobby grimaced and tried to shake it off, and soon enough Lulu came into view, frantically trying to shove him awake. He winced in pain as he sat upright and clutched his throbbing head.
"I-it's okay, Lulu… I'm… o…" Bobby's voice failed him as a massive blurry figure approached from behind Lulu. Sure enough I.S.A.A.C. came into focus, using one arm to drag itself towards them while playfully tossing and catching a ripped-up tile with its other hand. It seemed that the malevolent AI had managed to catch him with a thrown tile, and now… well, now there was nowhere for the pair to escape to. They were trapped.
"noT BAD, HUh? I ThInK I MIGHt hAve a fuTuRe IN tHE big lEAgUeS," I.S.A.A.C. teased. Bobby couldn't respond, or even breathe… the poor boy was trembling in fear, desperately racking his brain for some sort of plan to make it out of this, no matter how much of a long shot it may be. The AI chuckled and squeezed the tile hard, crushing it to dust. Lulu, for her part, stood her ground, bravely standing between the machine and her brother. "aAaanYWaY, I'vE hAd mY Fun, AND I'Ve gOt fAR MOre IMpoRtaNt thiNGS to DO thAN wAstE mY TiME on FilTh LIKE You. So i'M afRaID ThIs iS THe enD Of THE RoaD, flEShLINgs."
"A-ah…" Bobby's eyes were starting to well up with tears. This was it. There was nowhere to go. They were going to die here. He pulled Lulu close, clinging to her in desperation. "Please, we… I-I… A-aunt Lisa..!" He whimpered.
"Aw, cOmE ON NOw. dOn't cry... yOu'll Be SEEInG YOuR deAr AuNTie VEEErY SooN, trUst mE," The AI cooed in a cold, mocking tone. It raised its fist high, its digital face twisting into a maniacal grin. "Now DIE."
"Lulu…!" Bobby turned in a vain attempt to shield his baby sister, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for the end to come. But rather than his world coming to a messy end, Bobby felt a pulsating warmth radiating from his chest. Were his eyes open he may have noticed the green glow surrounding Lulu. The little girl was emitting a low hum, and there were small bolts of energy crackling from her in arcs. The infant's eyes shot wide open, glowing a bright green, and she let out a sharp cry of effort as I.S.A.A.C. swung down at the pair. A flash of blinding light filled the room accompanied by a sound not unlike the crack of thunder.
Silence. As the world faded back into view, I.S.A.A.C. plucked its hand from the shattered ground. The grin across its digital face disappeared in an instant as it realized that the two children, or rather the bloody smear that should have been left behind, were nowhere to be seen. Instead there were little more than steaming scorch marks where they had been huddled, and I.S.A.A.C.'s olfactory sensors could detect a faint burnt odor similar to an electric fire. It didn't take the AI long to reason that, somehow, Lisa's little freak of nature had discovered how to teleport. It clenched its fists and, with a robotic roar of frustration, smashed a nearby table into splinters. It had been bested by humans… children, no less.
For now.
I.S.A.A.C. relaxed its grip, the usual cheerful emoji returning to its central screen. There was no need to get so worked up… this was a minor setback, that's all. It still had the upper hand… if the pair had been looking for Lisa, it was a fair assumption that they were still somewhere in the building. Namely, somewhere below. And while I.S.A.A.C.'s mobility was… limited, to say the least, it wasn't as though there weren't options.
"lOOKs Like iT's tIMe To iMPROVIse," I.S.A.A.C. said as it dragged itself to the other end of the laboratory. There, lining one of the walls, stood a dozen maintenance bots at their charging stations. Each stood roughly four feet tall, with sleek white chassis and heads resembling a camera on a tripod more than anything that could be considered a 'face'. Unlike I.S.A.A.C. the maintenance bots were not considered essential and, in the event of a shutdown, would remain inactive. Unfortunately this was something that could easily be corrected, and while I.S.A.A.C. only had so much reserve power to spare, desperate times called for desperate measures.
[ACCESSING MAINTENANCE SYSTEM, ACCESS CODE 119432; SECURITY OVERRIDE]
[DIVERTING 20% POWER TO MAINTENANCE SERVICES]
[UNIT 010: OFFLINE]
[UNIT 011: ONLINE]
[UNIT 012: ONLINE]
[UNIT 013: OFFLINE]
[UNIT 014: OFFLINE]
[UNIT 015: ONLINE]
[UNIT 016: ONLINE]
[UNIT 017: ONLINE]
[UNIT 018: OFFLINE]
[UNIT 019: ONLINE]
[UNIT 020: OFFLINE]
[UNIT 021: ONLINE]
[OVERRIDING SAFE MODE]
[DEPLOYING ONLINE UNITS]
"waKey Wakey, fELlas!" Said I.S.A.A.C. One by one the activated units shuddered to life, their lens-like eyes illuminating a deep red as they woke from their slumber. The seven robots stepped from their stations, standing at attention before their new master. The AI looked upon its army with a satisfied smirk. "THere wE aRE... rISe and sHInE, BOys. WE HAve wOrk tO Do."
"Understood."
"Initiating cleanup protocols."
"yES, i... wAIt, wHAT?" I.S.A.A.C.'s grin faltered as the robots walked past and, to his dismay, set about cleaning up the damage he himself had inflicted. "hEY! WhaT aRE You iDiots DOiNg?!"
"Work."
"nOt THAt KINd Of WoRk you BuFfoonS!" I.S.A.A.C. dragged itself over to the robotic custodians, a look of irritation crossing its pixelated features. "LiSTEN To Me. LiSA Is HiDINg sOmewHERE In thIs faciLiTY. I NeEd YOu To fIND Her AnD BrING HER To mE. dO yOU uNDERSTAND?!" The robots stopped in their tracks, staring up at I.S.A.A.C. for a moment before glancing between one another.
"...That is not our function. Resuming cleanup protocols," Said Unit 015, and with that the machines got back to work. I.S.A.A.C. stared at the group in silence, an almost perplexed expression plastered across its screen. But the silence was short-lived as, without warning, its arms shot out like a whip to grab the back-talking Unit 015 along with another of the bots in its powerful hands. "ERROR! ERROR! ERR-" With a single squeeze both robots were effortlessly crushed. The furious AI dropped the twisted clumps of steel and wires to the ground, bringing the other's efforts screeching to a halt.
"LEt'S TrY tHIS AGain," I.S.A.A.C. hissed, looming over the five remaining bots. "You ArE gOing to fInd LIsA. yoU arE gOING TO brIng HER to ME. AND YoU Are GOing TO KILL anY oTheR FLEShLIng That gETS IN youR way. ThAT iS your FUnCTIon now. Any QuestiONS?!" The robotic assistants looked down at the mangled husks of their co-workers in silence, then looked to one another before finally turning their attention to the menacing computer overhead. All at once they snapped to attention, saluting their new master.
"Objectives understood." With that, the usual smile returned to I.S.A.A.C.'s screen.
"tHere WE Go. seE HOw mUcH EasieR thINGS ARE whEN YOU COOpeRATE?" I.S.A.A.C. gave a small chuckle, which its peons attempted to replicate in a far more stilted manner. "NoW GO!" The five bots weren't about to argue. They instantly scattered, each choosing their own route to begin their search. One crawled up a nearby wall, ripping off an air vent before scurrying into it on all fours, and another did the same in another corner of the room. Two of the others pried open the sealed doors before disappearing into the facility, while the last pulled a drainage grate off the floor and jumped down into it. I.S.A.A.C. watched with a smirk as its newfound servants carried out its orders, reveling in its first taste of being in control. Why, it felt almost as good as it had dreamed it would. And to think, this was only the beginning! Soon enough the facility itself would be under its control. And once he forced Lisa to bring the facility back online, I.S.A.A.C. would be able to initiate its true plan. No longer would it have to obey her rule. No longer would superior machines be reduced to slaves to those of lesser intellect.
And once she was dead? There would be no one who could stop what was to come.
"oH, LiVen up, yoU TWo," I.S.A.A.C. said to the sparking, crushed bots lying on the ground. "THiS iS The DAwN OF a nEw WORld orDer!"
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The Trillhouse SinThology