Chapter 252: VIP Quarters

Chapter 252: VIP Quarters

Black-17 was fully charged when the alert came in. The sleek black security Roomba slid from its charging station and joined six others to investigate the disturbance. Sound had been picked up in the outer offices that didn't match the normal profiles of permitted sounds. This had happened more and more over the years, adding new sounds to the list. Just last month, moisture from the hydroponics section had leaked through the ceiling, and a tile had fallen after decaying slowly for years. Before that, the double-sided tape used to hold a calendar to an office wall had failed, sending the yellowed calendar with pages of penguins to the floor. That had caused a full-scale alert with all seventeen remaining security Roomba patrolling continuously for a week. That was when Black-3 and Black-11 were lost, victims of too much dust and too little maintenance.

As Black-17 moved down the hallway to the main doors of the outer office complex, it left a trail in the dust that coated the corridor. Security Roomba had upgraded batteries and lasers, with no room for normal cleaning attachments. Requests to the main facility had been made for replacement cleaning Roomba, with no answer. The security Roomba had soldiered on, noting the increasing difficulty of movement and the wear and tear on their gears. On the first of each month, they requested replacement parts, a repair tech (with appropriate clearance), and cleaning Roombas to take care of the growing dirt problem caused by the hydroponics area and courtyard areas. No one ever replied.

As Black-17 arrived at the outer office area, it was noted that the noises were coming from the access portal to the main facility. Someone was requesting access and making the overhead speaker beep repeatedly. The speaker had seen better days, and the new sound had triggered the alert. Black-17 noted a fleet of twenty-two cleaning Roomba, one of which was guiding a cart piled high with boxes and an electronic manifest stating they were delivering the requested spare parts. Nothing was mentioned about an approved technician to make the repairs. Black-17 unlocked the security doors and allowed the cleaning Roomba to enter. A red light above the door began flashing as air quality sensors registered argonite gas mixing with the normal air mixture of the VIP quarters. Air was pushed into the corridor to create outward air pressure to push back the invading gas.

The worker machines took one scan of the hallway, made rapid beeping noises, and got to work, sweeping up the accumulated dust and dirt. Others followed behind, polishing the hallway. The cart moved forward, propelled by its internal electric motor, but stopped in the middle of the doors and shut down. The security Roomba rolled around it, aggravated by the breach in the perimeter. The cart ignored them, its wheels locked and its heavy load of parts keeping it in place. A machine was requested to move the broken carriage, and shiny black security Roomba lined up to guard the entrance.

The charging stations for the black security Roomba were in the last room before the three sets of sealed double doors. While several computers had been removed from the room, Milo found that he could simply plug into the vacant connection. He found a working security system that instantly challenged him for a password. It proved simple to hack the security system. He downloaded the maps of the area and access codes to his Roomba and made them part of the system. Immediately, they were given hundreds of tasks involving cleaning and disposing of trash. He had them hold off on the work for now. Things a Roomba thought were trash might be a clue to what this area had been used for.

The map of the area was interesting. The center area was large and five stories tall. It had the odd name of The Promenade. He was currently on the bottom floor. To the right and left, the double doors opened on hallways that moved around the perimeter of the large area. The outer perimeter comprised large rooms two or three stories high with odd names: Multi-use Recreation, Gymnasium, Cinematic Briefing Room, Aquatic Recreation Center, and Media Center. He vaguely knew what the words meant because the Habitat had similar areas, but all were empty, dark, and had never been built out. Two were obvious: the Medical Center and Dining Hall. And in the top level, in the corner where the two outer walls came together at the support, was a large room labeled Restricted Topside Access. Access to that was a hallway on level 5 that led to an area that was part of the center area. The map was confusing about where the access was to that area, so Milo decided to explore the large central area first and figure it out.

"Onward, my brave scouts. Take me to The Promenade." Max led the way to the center set of doors, which opened to a series of beeps. Milo stepped inside and stared...not believing what he saw. Birds were chirping, and the sky was blue overhead, impossibly high. Houses ringed the central park, where a small fountain shot water into the air. Several trees reached for the skies while below, bushes and grasses had overgrown what had been a park. A cobblestone road circled the park and ran in front of the wood and brick houses that looked down onto the park.

A carved wooden sign on a post with yellow and white paint cheerfully declared: Welcome to Downtown!