Another

Chapter One: Motherboard

I followed her orders, and ran to where she wanted me. The room was dark, but as I stepped through the doorway, the lights flickered on. Her large screen on the wall was blank, but had many pulsing wires and conduits expanding out. A circular blue light on her screen lit up and expanded and contracted, like a pupil. That was the term she used when I first met her, just so I wouldn't be afraid. It worked, because now she's like a mother to me. It had been a long time since I've needed to come here, the Queen only requested me in dire situations. Hopefully this was just a surprise visit... Her eye focused on me.

"I am glad you could arrive on such short notice." She spoke with her familiar robotic tone. "Oh, that is right... I remember why I needed you to come." She stated in a monotonously. Her face also signified her depressed state. That is, if you could count a single eye as a face.

"What's the matter? Danger? Did the circuits need repairing?" I asked, trying to comfort her.

"No repairing is needed, thank you. But there seems to be some fluctuations with our satellites. Mysterious readings have been found in a specific area near the mountains by your home. Our thermal sensors are reading extremes in temperature. We want you to check it out." She sullenly said.

"Extremes in temperature? You mean... it's getting way hot and way cold in the same place?" I asked her, questioning is the best way to calm her down.

"Precisely. Take these coordinates and explore a bit today. Come back here when you are done." She said with a hint of happiness in her voice.

I nodded, and started to walk to the window. The sun was high enough to brighten things up, and I could see the entire kingdom below. Solar panels covered every building and the top of the large wall surrounding. There were lights starting to flow from the houses to the castle, people were waking up. I turned to see her again, facing me.

"I'd advise to go down the main hall..." She said. "You don't want to attract too much attention."

I nodded again, and walked towards the stairs. The camera at the keystone of the arch, which also had a blue pupil, greeted me until I passed under. I walked down the wide stairway looking at the paintings on the walls. A girl staring out of her portrait, a screaming man, and two farmers were a couple interesting ones. I had always asked about them, but no one had an answer about where they came from. They just say they were from a long time ago, and their memory doesn't contain anything about them.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and observed the large columns holding up the ceiling high up. I've seen the castle inside and out thousands of times, the columns shouldn't be something that would attract my attention. Yet there was a sullen feeling in the air, as if this might be the last time I would see these columns... Nonsense. I would see the columns countless times after today, nothing will change. I walked through the enormous doorway to see robots moving around the streets. Some noticed me and waved, others continued on their way. I walked slowly, as to not attract anyone's suspicion, and looked at my watch. A digital '7:30' was shining on the screen.

"Time to get Flint." I softly muttered to myself...