Forums » General Roleplay » Sands of Time (1x1)

Chris frowned in thought. "FearFlyers Incorporated? My dad worked for them?" His eyes lit up. "So that's how he got his mechanical knowledge. I think he worked for a subdivision in the mechanical department, but as far as I know they simply restored old vehicles to their former glory. If they got them to work, that was even better. But if they put a box around a core and buried it...there must be a reason why."

''Hunh...The metal casing is a crushed car. Theres six cameras, but their all broke and shattered. Tje signals off, though. Like it's trying to move, but can't. Clutch said 54's messing up his detecting abilities. I can't get anything else from the amber core unless Clutch can tell us the signal is trying to communicate. It's so oldv I can barely pick it up.''

Chris sighed. "Give me a minute, maybe I can override Clutch's AI sensors to not pick up on 54." He pulled the wrench from his pocket and Clutch popped his hood helpfully.

A few moments later the incessant pinging noise died out and was replaced with a much fainter sound. Clutch started to move forward with Chris hanging half into the hood.

"H-hey! I'm not done yet," Chris yelled, holding on for dear life and wincing when he touched something hot.

"I sense it though--there's an AI hidden under the sand..." Clutch replied, pulling over the spot and then dropping the connecting cable that he had used earlier to join with CD.

''So I was right. The is an AI here, but it's far under the sand. We need something to get it free, while making sure Chris doesn't get crushed in the process.''

Chris managed to hop off of Clutch's hood. He kicked the front bumper. "Don't do that again, Clutch." He shook his hand and looked at the burn he'd gotten from touching the hot wire.

But Clutch wasn't paying attention. His cord was sinking down through the sand, snaking its way to the AI core beneath them.

"There's no way it would be able to um, dig itself out, would there?" Chris asked.

''Well, it's a cube of car parts with a core inside. It has no means of being able to move on it's own. The systems it probably has are worn out and too old to budge. What's cClutch doing?'' She asked, loking at him.

The core deep in the sand slowly beeps as it detected the cord heading it's way. The metal around it resonated the beep lowly, through the sand and sea. A low pitch hum that was barely heard, but a sign that the core was still active.

''Clutch?'' CD asked.

Clutch didn't respond right away as suddenly the cord connected to the object he intended for. The car jerked forward a bit, nearly running Chris over yet again, and Chris hastily moved over to CD.

"He's trying to connect to it, but I'm not sure he can..." Chris replied. "The sand has to be pretty dense, there's no way he can get that deep..."

"Hah," muttered Clutch, and then added smugly. "I got it."

''You got it? How?! It's about 20ft under the sand. Your towing cord is that long?'' CD exclaimed, looking at Clutch, them Chris. ''But now the question is are you going to be able to bring it back to the surface without breaking things?''

Clutch chuckled. "Not my towing magnet, my connection cord that lets me run diagnostics. I can't pull it out with this, but I can at least run a diagnostic. Would you like me to, Chris?"

Chris hesitated and then shrugged. "Sure. See if it's in working condition if you can. Or maybe check why it was abandoned by my dad's prior work place?"

Clutch huffed. "Alright, alright, slow down with the questions, let me see if it's even working." He concentrated and began to attempt to run a diagnostic.

The amber core crackles under the sand, respondinf weakly. Angered that the FF Inc. had dumped it because it was too perfect, crushing its body into a square. So when it had been shot down the core was pushed into the remains of a car and dumped into the ocean. It was somewhat hostile, but was working to a degree. Though it felt aincent.

"Well, it's working," said Clutch after a moment. "Not that it's happy about that. But I wouldn't be either when I was treated that way. It's also really, really, really old. Older than CD and 54."

Chris sighed. "Well then, we'll have to come back with my father."

Clutch sighed. "I'm gonna stay here, I think, and keep watch."

''Are you sure Bill would approve if finding an aincent AI? Clutch said it's not happy...'; CD inquired. ''And if it's old, then the metal is probably rusted tightly to the core.''

Chris scowled. "I'm not sure he'd be happy about any of this. He doesn't even like me bringing home stray AIs or cars that are lemons. But he lets me get away with it since it gets me out of his hair--usually. 54 was a rare exception that brought us together." He pondered. "And if it's really something from his past, he probably has it dead and buried and won't remember it... But I can't just leave it down there for someone else to find."

"My dad will help. I'll find a way to convince him. Clutch, you gonna be okay like that?"

Clutch beeped. "Of course. I've got 54 with me. What could possibly go wrong?"

54 scowled. ''Many things. All we have is a core. We don't know what the metal looks like or why the craft was buried in the first place. Your father could freak out learning his nightmare is back.'' 54 hissed from her core.

CD nodded. ''But your father knew more about 54 than us, which was odd.''

Chris sighed as did Clutch. "Well," said Chris, "my dad knows a lot of things; and his experience is vast. I don't know much of anything compared to him. Someday I might, but if I'm cooped up in a garage all day..." he shrugged.

"You worry too much, 54," Clutch replied. "Let the humans handle it, we'll take care of guarding it from idiots trying to steal it."

Chris glanced at Clutch. "No funny business from you. One hi jinx caper from you and my dad will be ignoring me until I move out of the house and I'll be stuck not replacing any parts on you until I do so. Let's go, CD."

54 grumps, but shushes.

CD drives to Chris, then yelps when the sand caves in and she lands in a hidden underground cave. With a loud THUNK she lands far below the service. ''OW!...Chris?'' She said, looking up and squinting, eyesight flickering from impact.

Chris stumbled back and blinked when he no longer saw CD. "Uh, CD?" He saw a dark hole in front of him and peered down, carefully. "What happened? A sink hole?"

CD turns her headlights on and leans up a bit so the light shines. ''Theres a underground cave here. It's under the beach! Theres wood broken under me, so I'm assuming someone dug this place out then covered iot up or tried..My cameras are blinking!''

"Is that a good thing?" he asked. "Your cameras blinking, I mean."

He looked over at Clutch. "Um, not to distract you Clutch, but we're gonna need you to go back and get my dad for this. I'm not gonna be able to haul her out myself."

''Their blinking because the fuse to them got jarred loose an---..Ack! They shut of! Can't see...'' She whined.

54 scowled. ''What could go wrong?'' She mocked Clutch.