Chapter 72

The two robots immediately picked up on Megan's emotional spike-she was this close to blowing a fuse.

In a flash, Nova Tech sat down like a loyal pup,her metal tail wagging mechanically like she was trying to play cute.

Zeta Prime slowly turned his big head around,heart-shaped lights blinking in his eyes as he let out a cheesy "duang-duang" sound,mimicking a heartbeat.

Megan plopped into the leather chair, legs crossed with effortless grace, arms folded as she stared them down.

A sly smirk tugged at her lips, her piercing gaze playful. "Let's talk about Professor XAL."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Nova's tail stopped mid-swing, and Zeta's heartbeat sound cut to a flatlined beeping.

Megan stood up in one sharp move. "Take me to your room."

Without another word, she headed for the door.

Nova and Zeta exchanged a look-this was bad. Game over level bad.

Nova jumped up and landed square on Zeta's bulky head. "Move it, dumb lug!"

Zeta grunted, annoyed. "You're one to talk, mutt! lf it weren't for you, she wouldn't even be going there!"

Nova slapped at his head with her paw."Well,you barging in there started it!"

Zeta huffed. "You've gotten snarkier. also,somehow more dog-like."

Nova snarked back, "You're like Shakespeare minus the smart parts."

Zeta blinked. Wait-did she just roast him? Since when could this dumb dog throw shade?

But today was definitely not the day to argue. He rolled forward on his wheels and zipped after Megan.

Outside a room on the east end of the first floor,Megan paused. She glanced at the handle-there was a fingerprint scanner installed. Not something just anyone could access.

She arched a brow at Zeta. "Open it."

Zeta dragged his robotic arm over, slowly pressing his thumb to the scanner. He didn't have fingerprints per se, but his signal reader worked just fine.

A small "beep," and the door swung inward.

Megan strode inside like she owned the place.

The room didn't look much different from the others,but she didn't let that fool her. Her fingers absentmindedly brushed her chin, eyes scanning with utmost focus.Something felt off. A memory surfaced-back at the Grand Royal,Kevin had pressed something behind a couch, and boom,secret tunnel.

Eyes sharp, she started checking behind furniture-desk, couch, the works-for anything unusual.

Bingo. Behind the headboard, she spotted it-a near-invisible button.

Before pressing it, she turned to glance at the two bots.

Both looked downright miserable, like they'd just been handed their termination papers.

Megan chuckled. "No hidden traps, right? I'm not about to die or something, am l?"Zeta Prime looked up all of a sudden, like he'd just glimpsed a light at the end of the tunnel. Nova Tech perked up too.

Both robots responded in unison,"Yes!"

Megan chuckled softly, "Oh yeah?"

She pressed a button, and the floor panels slid open with a quiet whir, revealing a hidden staircase dropping into the ground.

"Tsk, tsk... kinda sketchy, isn't it? You- go first."

Zeta Prime rubbed his metal fingers together anxiously. His wheels retracted, morphing into standard robotic legs. He hesitated, kept turning back toward Megan like he wanted to say something.But Megan simply lifted her chin, eyes cold-no room for debate. Zeta Prime gave a nervous twitch and stepped down the stairs. As they descended, lights lit up one by one triggered by motion.

Megan followed behind, her expression calm, and once they were inside, the floor above closed shut.

The staircase went about fifty steps deep. Right at the last one, Zeta Prime stopped in his tracks.

A synthetic voice echoed through the air: "Please confirm your identity."

Zeta Prime glanced at Megan, then leaned toward the scanner. "Smart steward Zeta Prime," he answered quietly.

Whoa,turns out he's more than just a regular Al but a full-blown head butler type.

A grid of red lasers rippled through the air, creeping slowly toward Zeta Prime. Megan instantly felt a wave of heat wash over her face.

The mechanical voice repeated: "Emotional state inconsistent with known profile. Possible intruder.Please reconfirm your identity or be treated as a threat."

Zeta Prime faked a peppy tone, "Smart steward Zeta Prime!"

The red grid disappeared.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome to Professor XAL's laboratory."

Zeta Prime stepped aside and motioned for Megan to go first. "That's a thermal beam barrier. Slices through anything on contact."

Megan stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Huh, so this is Professor XAL's base of operations? Didn't your boss say he was overseas, hmm?"

She gave Nova Tech- still perched on Zeta Prime's dome-a knowing look. "Think we'll actually bump into the big guy himself down here?"

As she walked further down, robots lined the hallway - some missing arms, others without legs.

Zeta Prime piped up, "NJova Tech and I were some of the Professor's earlier builds. These models are still in development. He's designing them for military use."

Military?

So XAL's working for the army?

That would explain a possible link between Tristan and the military.

Megan's mind spun with questions- like, why would XAL's high-security lab be hidden beneath Dreamscape Manor?

Why would Tristan hide something like this?

And the place was dead quiet-not a soul in sight.

She kept walking, thoughts turning faster in her head,pieces of a puzzle starting to line up.She stepped into a lab crammed with high-tech gadgets-buttons,levers, and scattered across the worktable were Al chips and tools. Her eyes sharpened with a glint of purpose.Without hesitation, she hit the seal button-the air valves snapped shut with a low hiss.

She let out a light chuckle. "If I start the oxygen release system, how long till the oxygen concentration hits 40%?"

Zeta Prime scratched its oversized head with a metallic finger, a sly laugh buzzing from its speakers."Based on Zeta Prime's genius-level computing.that'll be about 25 minutes."

"And how long would it take your master to get back here from the Reid Corporation to Dreamscape Manor?"

"Twenty minutes, exactly," Zeta Prime answered without delay.

With a soft click, Megan hit the oxygen release switch.Then she dialed a number. The call connected.

"I'm in Professor XAL's lab right now. Oxygen's pumping. Come get me if you want to."

She ended the call before the other person could react and immediately powered off the phone.

Two seconds later, a flashing red light blinked on Zeta Prime's robotic arm.

Its mechanical eye whirled. "Master's calling."

Megan leisurely dropped into the nearby chair, legs crossed, fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest."Tell your master you're both with me. No funny business." Nova Tech, perched on Zeta Prime's head, suddenly let out two pitiful drops of machine oil.

Megan raised an eyebrow. "...Seriously? Way to crumble under pressure."

Zeta Prime hit accept. Tristan's urgent voice burst out,"Shut off that oxygen release unit. Now."

Zeta Prime replied with a robotic, "lamsorry."

And hung up.

Within seconds, both bots deflated like popped balloons.

"We're doomed. Zeta Prime is so getting scrapped."

"Nova too! Master's definitely gonna dismantle us!"

Megan didn't even flinch. Her gaze wandered back to the chips on the table until something clicked.

Grabbing a screwdriver, she popped open her phone case and pried into the hidden layers-there it was,a tiny surveillance and GPS bug, snug in the motherboard.

She narrowed her eyes. Oh,really?

Behind her, Zeta Prime started rambling, "Hey,Goddess, oxygen at 40%? That's toxic levels. Like,people start feeling tight in the chest, coughing,burning behind the breastbone, struggle to breathe.Go higher and you're looking at pulmonary edema or worse-heart racing, respiratory failure, even death.What if master gets stuck in traffic?"

Nova's soft little voice chimed in, "Or what if he drives too fast. That's super dangerous too."

Megan sighed. These damn bots trying to emotionally manipulate her now?

Not a chance. She was done playing nice-answers were long overdue.

Fifteen minutes later, a ridiculously attractive face appeared behind the lab's sealed valve window.