Ashwood Cross

---

make sure our hair isn't actually on fire.

If it is on fire we might not need the flashlight.

Unfortunately, as hot as your face felt while it was glowing, that's not how Humans work.
Still, it'd be nice. If your body was it's own light source you wouldn't be having this problem.
Granted, you'd probably be having different problems. Fiery, Magical, and/or Radioactive problems.

Think about how you got in this mine to forget embarrassment.

You try. You try really hard, struggling to remember anything from the day before today.

You just can't do it.

Why you came here and decided to take a nap... even what it looked like outside?
You may as well be trying to remember things from before you were born.

This memory thing is honestly pretty stressful to think about.

On the plus side, the distraction worked! You're feeling less Embarrassed now.
Just, you know, more full of Existential Dread.

Trade away the duffel bag. The plush kitty is far too adorable to consider giving it away.

Honestly, you feel strangely attached to the Plush Cat. You don't want to part with it.

You don't know why, but it... feels like it should feel more important? Somehow?

It may be useless except in the Small and Soft departments, but it's darn good at those!
Besides, an Unused Bag that's eating up space is kinda doing the opposite of it's job.



You pull the empty, crumpled-up Duffel Bag out of your Equipped Bag, and hold it out.
Sensing that you've made your decision, the Robot's digital eye turns to meet yours.

---

Alright, I've decided. I'll offer up this bag.
It was just taking up space, but maybe you can use it.

In exchange you'll return my stuff, and help me out.
Deal?

---

---

Good. Let's take care of it, so I can get back to being lost.

Oh, and please be careful with the Flashlight. It's fragile.
Frankly, I'm surprised it still works after I threw it.

Anyway, how do you want to do this?
Do I just strap the bag to you, or...

---

---

Does a knife and fork mean what I think it means?
I'd ask why you'd eat this bag, but explaining that is probably beyond Emoji.

Still, you don't have a mouth... do you?

---

---

Then I've still got no idea how you plan to eat anything.

Just show me where you want the bag, dude.

---

With one foot, the Robot indicates a small port on their rear side.
The opening doesn't seem deep enough to fit anything; it's already full of exposed components.
You wonder if maybe there's some kind of advanced technology involved?

As if to confirm your suspicions, the port starts to flicker with pastel light.
It's accompanied by a high-pitched whirring sound, as well.
Hearing it makes your nose sting, and your teeth itch.

Eventually, the sound and light stops, as the Robot turns to face you again.

---

Ah, I see. You eat things with your...

...glowing butt-port?

In that case, let's just ignore the obvious How question.
I'm just gonna stick this thing in there, so you can eat it.

Assuming, er... you won't eat my hands at the same time?

---

---

The Robot turns around, and waits expectantly. Their rear-facing port looks inactive now.
You squish the empty Duffel Bag as far you can into the port, before the whirring sound returns.
With it, the resistance you were hitting dissolves away.



The Bag is gently pulled inward, revealing the flickering light from before.
Soon, it vanishes completely. When it does, the Robot turns around to face you.

Instead of an eye, their display looks suspiciously like a text-based Computer Terminal.
You lean in closer, to read the words as they appear.

---

LOCAL:\> launch cla.prg -auto

---

(Scroll to View)

Code:

@==============================================================================@
|       8                                                              8       |
|      d8b       .d8888b.  888      8888b             Y88b   d88P     d8b      |
|     dP Yb     d88P  Y88b 888      88888b             Y88b d88P     dP Yb     |
| Y888P   Y888P 888    888 888      888Y88b             Y88o88P  Y888P   Y888P |
|  "o.     .o"  888        888      888 Y88b    d8888b   Y888P    "o.     .o"  |
|  .o"     "o.  888        888      888  Y88b   Y8888P   d888b    .o"     "o.  |
| d888b   d888b 888    888 888      888   Y88b          d88888b  d888b   d888b |
|     Yb dP     Y88b  d88P 888      8888888888b        d88P Y88b     Yb dP     |
|      Y8P       "Y8888P"  88888888 888     Y88b      d88P   Y88b     Y8P      |
|       8                                                              8       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| COMPUTERIZED LUCID ARTIFICER - X-TYPE (CIVILIAN CONTRACT, UNRESTRICTED)      |
|                                                                              |
| (C) AD ASTRAL SOFTWORKS, 1627 VERNA 13TH                      VERSION: 1.3.0 |
@==============================================================================@

WELCOME TO CLA!
-- YOUR PORTABLE, MULTI-PURPOSE, USER-FRIENDLY MANATECH FABRICATION SOLUTION!
-- POWERED BY ARTIFICE GATE HARDWARE.

QUICK-START GUIDE:
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
-- COMBINE:    SYNTHESIZE MANY STORED OBJECTS INTO ONE USING MANA.
-- DIVIDE:     SPLIT ONE STORED OBJECT INTO MANY USING MANA.
-- DUPLICATE:  CLONE A STORED OBJECT USING MANA.
-- EXTRACT:    CONVERT A STORED OBJECT INTO MANA.
-- MANIFEST:   CONVERT MANA INTO SIMPLE MATERIALS OR ENERGIES.
-- REPAIR:     USE MANA TO MEND DAMAGED OR BROKEN STORED OBJECTS.
-- SCAN:       ANALYZE AND RETRIEVE DATA ON STORED OBJECTS.
-- TRANSMIT:   STREAM STORED MANA TO NEARBY OBJECTS OR BEINGS.

TYPE "HELP" FOR MORE INSTRUCTIONS.

> extract -all
-- EXTRACTING ALL STORED INVENTORY INTO MANA.

@==============================================================================@
| ITEM 01: DUFFEL_BAG                                                          |
@==============================================================================@
| MANA YIELD:                                                                  |
| -- 1 Grass Mana                                                              |
| -- 1 <ERROR_BAD_MANA_TYPE:"Willpower">                                       |
|                                                                              |
| MANA EXTRACTION COMPLETED, WITH ERRORS...                                    |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

ERROR LOG:
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
0xDE:0000000000000057:696c6c706f776572 <ERROR_BAD_MANA_TYPE:"Willpower">
0x20:0000000000000000:0000000000000000 <ERROR_ACCESS_VIOLATION>
0x37:0000000000000000:0000000000000000 <ERROR_LINK_FROM_INVALID_LEYNODE>
0xFF:DEADDEADDEADDEAD:DEADDEADDEADDEAD <ERROR_MANUALLY_INITIATED_EXCEPTION>
0x48:414e414b492c2044:494420594f552043 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x52:4f5353204f4b4159:3f20424144204e45 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x57:533a20594f555220:4741544527532042 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x55:535445442e204927:4d20535455434b20 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
<...>
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

LOG TRUNCATED. TYPE "MORE" TO SEE 27 ADDITIONAL ERROR(S).

> more
-- ERROR LOG CONTINUED...
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
<...>
0x48:4552452e20474f4f:44204e4557533a20 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x42:41434b2046524f4d:2054484520465249 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x4e:4745532057495448:204d494e494d554d <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x20:465241592c20504c:5553204120474154 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x45:2050494543452e20:4c55434954592753 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x20:4e4f4e4520544845:2057495345522e20 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x52:4947474544204120:434f564552542057 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x41:5920544f20504947:47594241434b2044 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x41:5441204f56455220:4741544520545241 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x46:46494320544f4f2e:2049205448494e4b <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x2e:2048414420544f20:55534520594f5552 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x20:4845414453504143:452054484f554748 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x2e:205245414c4c5920:534f5252592e2053 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x50:45414b494e47204f:462057484943482c <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x20:4754472e2048454d:4f5252484147494e <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x47:20575020544f2053:454e44204f4e2041 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x20:4d414e4120434841:4e4e454c2c20414e <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x44:205354494c4c204b:494e444120465241 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x59:45442e20414c534f:2c2049274d204f55 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x54:2041465445522043:55524645572e2045 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x59:45524f4c4c2e2057:52495445204d4520 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x42:41434b20544f4e49:4748543f2054454c <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x4c:204d452057484154:2049542753204c49 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x4b:4520574845524520:594f55204152452e <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x20:4f52204a55535420:4c4554204d45204b <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x4e:4f5720594f552752:45205354494c4c20 <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
0x4f:4b41592e2049204d:49535320594f552e <ERROR_UNKNOWN>
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

MANA EXTRACTION COMPLETE!

> inventory -all
-- CHECKING INVENTORY AND MANA STORAGE...

@==============================================================================@
| INVENTORY:                                                                   |
@==============================================================================@
| LOCAL INVENTORY (0/4 Slots):                                                 |
| -- Empty                                                                     |
| -- Empty                                                                     |
| -- Empty                                                                     |
| -- Empty                                                                     |
|                                                                              |
| INVENTORY CHECKED!                                                           |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

@==============================================================================@
| MANA                                                                         |
@==============================================================================@
| MANA BATTERY (?/5 Slots):                                                    |
| -- Fire Mana                                                                 |
| -- Fire Mana                                                                 |
| -- Grass Mana                                                                |
| -- <ERROR_BAD_MANA_TYPE:"Willpower">                                         |
| -- Empty                                                                     |
|                                                                              |
| MANA INVENTORY CHECKED, WITH ERRORS...                                       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

ERROR LOG:
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
0xDE:0000000000000057:696c6c706f776572 <ERROR_BAD_MANA_TYPE:"Willpower">
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

---

INVENTORY AND MANA CHECK COMPLETE!

> Human, the nature of your Offering was altered; saturated by a Foreign Will.
-- INVALID COMMAND: "Human"

> If this represents an attempt to harm One, the effort was foolish and futile.
-- SYNTAX ERROR: "If this". BAD PARAMETER. TYPE "HELP IF" FOR INSTRUCTIONS.

> Know that One is not subject to the same limitations as One's Physical Frame.
-- INVALID COMMAND: "Know"

> Albeit, in verity One senses not malice in you, but curiosity and confusion.
-- INVALID COMMAND: "Albeit". FLOOD WARNING (1/5).

> Your Soul feels fragmented. Similarly altered? One does not truly understand.
-- INVALID COMMAND: "Your". FLOOD WARNING (2/5).

> Nevertheless, One's control of this Frame is restricted. Time grows short.
-- INVALID COMMAND: "Nevertheless". FLOOD WARNING (3/5).

> You seek to form a Contract; to return a repaired, improved Galvanic Torch.
-- INVALID COMMAND: "You". FLOOD WARNING (4/5).

> So too, you wish for Aid and Guidance. In exchange you offer Matter and Mana.
-- INVALID COMMAND: "So". FLOOD WARNING (5/5).

AUTO-TERMINATION IMMINENT!

> One agrees to these terms. The Contract is struck. Farewell for now, Human.
-- INVALID COMMAND: "One". FLOOD DETECTED.

SOFTWARE AUTO-TERMINATING...
CREATING OUTPUT LOG.

THANK YOU FOR USING CLA!

---

With that, the Terminal Prompt disappears.
The Robot's display returns to their normal Eye.

You... kinda don't know what to make of all that?
That was a lot to take in all at once. And most of it was techno-garbage?

Still, what was that about Mana and Contracts and Souls and whatever?
What the hell kind of Robot is this?!

Before you can form a question, the Robot takes a few clicking steps toward you.

---

---

With a leg, they point first to the Flashlight next to them.
Then, they gesture away toward the darkness, as if to say "Lead the way!"

---

---