Game of Betrayers: Squad Jam 3

The Battle of Deck 1

Five sets of footsteps enter the rusty bridge of the ship, projecting outward at the front of the ship. No bigger than a classroom, it doesn't possess much within; there's six chairs, a three-sided section that make up the controls, and monitors above them. One of those chairs is the captain's chair, raised higher than the others. Further up by the windows is the helmsman chair, the ship's wheel in front of it.

It doesn't surprise Pitohui much that the ship is primarily automated, but to have a small crew is shocking.

As she and Team Betrayer scans the area, the LED lighting and the monitors flicker on. The ship, back to sailing, still has electronic life. Stepping closer to the console, another surprise is granted to the players: the voice of an AI. "Human response detected in bridge."

"Hi! I'm Pitohui."

"Greetings, Pitohui and company. This is the main computer of 'There Is Still Time'. I have been given a nickname. Please call me Clara. I welcome you to our control room. Please give me any instructions you have."

"Well, isn't this interesting," Anni says, crossing her arms. "Not often is there a machine that obeys human commands instead of attacking."

That is true. GGO's PvE element has human-made machines from the pre-war era that attacks players. The exception are Rei, Lievre, Daisy, and their fellow Arfa-Sys -- to a degree, since Lievre did once conjure an Arfa-Sys army -- but in general, they're allies. Aside from them, this is the first time in the environment that she's encountered a AI that isn't looking to kill them.

"Hi, Clara. Can you sail us?"

"I can. The engine is fully operational. I detect a large amount of water in various locations along both port and starboard sides of the ship, but the impact has been minimized by shutting the internal leak containment walls."

"Okay. Then raise them again. I, Pitohui, give you, Clara, a direct order: Raise all leak-containment partitions. No matter what happens, do not prevent the ship from taking on any further water."

"Understood. Opening all containment walls. Walls will not be closed until further orders." On one of the monitors, a diagram of the ship flickers. Doors that were once green switch to red, and the blue coloration begins to expand. The doors were the containment walls opening up, the blue representing the rising water levels.

Yes, Pitohui plans to sink the ship.

"So it'll follow any order, huh? Even one that sinks itself."

"It just means it prioritizes human commands over self-preservation."

"Are you insane? Why would you sink the dry ground under our feet?"

"...How long will we hold up, Clara?"

"Predictions will change depending on sea conditions, but at the present rate of water intake, I would estimate between two hours and two hours, twenty minutes until stability is premanently lost."

Winking to Eva, Pito, she answers, "We're in a death match here. It's not going to that that long, is it?"

"Miss Pitohui! I have a request!" Ervin, speaking louder than he has before, opens up his helmet. With faint mechanical sounds, it opens up from the jaw upward to his temples, revealing his character's face. A young man with a complexion shades lighter than her captain and with desparation featured on it, like a high school boy confessing his love on the school roof at sunset.

"What is it?"

"This ship still works, right? Please, pilot it to the northwest!"

"Ah, I see. You want to help out your old teammates who are stuck on the roof of the building over there, right?"