Chapter 10: Chapter 9: Oh my GOD! Ok, it’s happening!

June seco- doesn't matter. People! Actual people! Well, one person, but that's still someone! They are six kilometers from out, and heading toward us! Fred says lockdown, so that's what we do. Our walls are concrete, and look old, but they are actually quite sturdy. I am thinking of talking to them, Fred says it's stupid and dangerous, but I'm doing it anyway! 'Oh! Thanks for the tip, Fred, you do that.' Language. Fred is currently loading local languages, so now we can just hope that we are not too la- they noticed a camera. OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GO- thank you Fred. They are examining the camera. Knocking on it, trying to move it, trying to pull it, but it doesn't budge. Maybe if it doesn't move they will dismiss- God damn you auto-tracking! They realized it targets their head. I didn't know it would be detrimental! They are wearing a hood, and the sun is hitting them in the back, so I can't make out their face, but the recordings show what they are wearing and I'm... surprised? It's feels like I expected it, but without actually thinking about it. What I'm talking about? Oh, you know, a backpack, high boots, a hatchet, couple of small knives strapped to the leg, LEATHER ARMOR. I- I don't- Oh, they are saying something! And it's... gibberish. How is the progress on that translator? Kinda working? Good enough, give it here. And!

"Why # # # this be here."
"# # connected # # #"
"# I # or # #"
"# it, I # # # go # here # # # anyway."

First things first, the structure seems the same, which is weird, and second, they are moving towards me again. Ooh, an update!

"Oh # the gods # # # go # when # ends! # I don't # # # do. Now # # # this # #!"
"# # do I # for # # a # you and a # # the # # not # to # # # I # # stuff!"

Update!

"And I can't even # # it's a # # the priest! I # priests, they # # # die, those # # #"
"Maybe I # just # # the forest. # is not that # monsters # here, # is #, and I can # for a # # winter, it's only #!"
"Yea, # this, I'm out. I am # of being the # girl for the # folk. They # that they are # with # senile # #!"

So, she is most likely a girl. Ooh! Piece of update! This should be enough for now, so it's time to start talking.

"HELLO!"

She stumbles back, as I remember about church choirs. There is no amplifying equipment, but you can hear it from a while away thanks to many people singing the same note, so ten of my speakers talking at once is probably pretty jarring, so I just pick the closest one to her.

"Sorry that."

"What in the # # was that?"

"First speaking, didn't think, sorry."

"... So, did you # these things?"

"Can't understand things good, repeat"

She comes up to the camera currently speaking to her and knocks on it, and I can see under the hood that it is most likely a girl;
"This you?"

"Yes, all are me."

She whistles in what seems like appreciation;
"You a #?"

"Repeat please."

"#? Doing #? Magick?"

Ah, a wizard.
"Yes, part [Wizard?]." -I parrot her voice.

"Woa there! Don't do that!" -she slightly backs off.

"Sorry, new."

She stands there for a while rubbing the back of her neck, long enough for me to get an update.
"I am getting better, please sorry and wait." -I ask.

She looks a little uncomfortable looking at the camera, but looks to gather her courage and asks;
"# question, and I don't mean to #, is that tower in the # yours?" - she says whine pointing at my, I guess you could call it a tower, and I reply;

"Yes. Home, can visi- can visit." -Fred interrupts me mid-sentence and tries to say no, but instead a bunch of static comes out, as he attempts to output raw data from the speaker.

"Everything good? That was a # sound." She looks and kinda sounds (I still haven's figured out intonation that well) worried. What a sweet soul.

"Not agreement, all good."

"#."

"What?"

"#. The word you are # for is #. Might as well help." -She kindly responds, and starts moving.

"Thank you, but not help. Only wait." -I respond from a camera up ahead.

"#, you really are # aren't you? I thought you were #"

She just leisurely walks forward, while attempting to spot my cameras, and I beep when she passes one without looking at it, and it turns into a fun game for about three kilometers. She is now in range of the nanites, as any cameras past that were made using a modified construction drone.

My lexicon is about 80% complete, so I should only not know very rare words and phrases, so I start the conversation back up;
"My language is a lot better now, so let's talk. Why are you here?"

"Straight to business, eh? I can respect that. The priests in our village say that the gods are angry because of a 'communicator' or something. I didn't really pay attention because they don't pay me for this."

Is it the radio tower? Oh well, they already know I'm here, so no reason to hide now.
"Gods?"

"You know, the all-knowing, rarely answering, and in riddles when they do. No wait, you didn't know the language, so you probably didn't. Anyway, only priests that know the holly language can understand them, and still, only of those few can decipher the messages, and from what I hear, hearing god puts them in a coma or something."

Very interesting. But I can just ask the modem later.
"Don't pay?"

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"Yea, Apparently doing work for the gods is reward enough. All those bogies are obsessed with going to heaven, but in my opinion, if your life is good enough, even hell is fine. PLUS, there are theories that the gods never actually confirmed the existence of heaven, and the church just wanted donations and free labor." - She was scowling at saying free labor.

"Kinda Does sound like what religion I know of would do. Done that, for Christ’s sake!"

"Religion that you know of? What other religion is there?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm just not from around this place. (and I'm suspecting not from around this time either...)"

"What was that?"

"Just an old guy rambling, don't mind me."

"Old? You don't sound old to me. You actually sound pretty weird, like an idea of a person rather than an actual person."

"Close, but no bueno. Try ex-person."

She stumbled at that;
"What do you mean ex-person? Are you a lich or a demon or something?"

"No-no! I don't quite know my situation, but I suspect I'm a copy. I would show myself to you, but I suspect Fred would try to kill me for that. I'm Sam, by the way!"

"Oook... Nice to meet you, Sam! I'm Carla. You seem like someone chill, I wouldn't peg you for a wizard. Well, not the murder kind, anyway."

"First of all, Kinda a wizard, not an actual one. And secondly, murder kind? God, I would never! Life is precious in all forms, no matter how small or big!"

"Huh, good to know. I honestly thought about bolting when you said that you were a wizard. Good thing I didn't. Not only the fact that you seem to be nice, but also because it would only make it worse with a wizard. And before you ask, all the wizards are screwed up in the head because they can stay awake when talking to god. Normally, people pass out when they communicate, like priests, but wizards don't, and it messes with their head. They are also persecuted by the church for using god's power like that. You too, I assume?"

"What why?"

"Well, you 'Used god's name without appropriate reason' when you were talking to me. Bullshit in my opinion, but you know the church."

"First of all, no I don't know, and secondly, I fully agree with you. How we express ourselves is our own choice, and if you don't like it, why are you talking to me?"

She exploded with boisterous laughter at that;
"Hooo god, good to know you think the same. Oops, I did it too, now you have to report me and kick me out of the village! Oh no! What do I do! HAH!"

I like her.

"Hooo, I haven't laughed like that in literal years! Oh, and talking about that kicking out situation, you seem like a good enough dude, And pretty powerful. Mind if I move?"

"What do you mean move? Oh, you mea- WAH!"

"Everything alright?"

"Shut up Fred! You are not included in this conversation. Do that one more time, and I'll put you into hibernation! Where was I? Oh yes, living with me. Well, I'm not opposed to the idea, in fact, I am kinda lonely here, but we will have to test it out before deciding anything."

"Works for me. So, how far are we?"

"Oh, I have been leading you in circles while we finish this conversation. Just turn right, and it's a minute out at current speed."

"Smart, but also fuck you."

"Deserved."

...

"So, this is it? Looks kinda... abandoned. Chipped stone, rusting metal, even your tower is crooked, now that I look at it."

"It's intentional. Now then, come on in!" I say as I open one of the doors. Fred is screaming at me, so he gets another helping of taxes.exe. It's nothing harmful, it just temporarily puts him under heavy load, so he can't do anything else. calcusus.exe, on the other hand, just gonna keep him busy until I stop it. Both are marked as emergency priority, so he can't even escape them, and use mostly parts from normal operation, so no antiviruses. Smart, isn't it?

As Carla enters, she is shocked to say the least;
"You said you are not a magician, but I don't really believe you now. Well, as long as you don't try to kill, torture, or experiment on me, I don't really care."

"Does stuff like gradually changing the softness of the couch to make it more comfortable count as an experiment?"

"... If it doesn't affect me directly and or makes my life worse, it's permitted, otherwise ask."

"Roger dodger!"

"What? Never mind. I am tired from the road, and you mentioned a couch, hand it over."

"To the left, and mind the squirrels."

"Wha? Whatever." -She said, and just... collapsed onto the couch, backpack and all, already snoring.

She is gonna get a backache like that! Custo, go get that off her! Fred, I free you from the hell that is taxes, so shut up, and make me a blanky, also find me something that can make food. God-damn it, she is hugging Custo, and quite strongly at that, I can see one of the legs hanging limp, servo snapped. It's not supposed to be under heavy load! At least I smoothed all the edges and covered all the joints for the squirrels. Nanos! Make a wire to power Custo, and fix that servo! Custo, heat up to five higher than room! Where is my damn blanket?

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