More Discoveries

Ba-Zi- Ha walked slowly, with the base sentinel robot — or Sense, as she had named it — now as her ally, while closely observing how it reacted to its new programming. She had given the command for it to follow her, and even with its heavy, clumsy steps, she knew that, just as she had done with Taratha Thag, she could improve it. She felt she could make it more efficient, more aligned with her needs.

As she moved forward, the metallic footsteps echoed behind her, breaking the silence. With every awkward movement, Ba-Zi- Ha thought to herself that, like before, she would find a way to improve the performance of that metal clunker.

The idea of making it more useful for her missions was always present in her mind, but for now, it would be more of a journey companion than an efficient tool.

She kept walking, ignoring the annoying sounds of the robot as it followed her. Despite that, something inside her told her that, in time, it could become much more than a simple spectator.

It had potential, even being clumsy and unimpressive. She just needed to figure out how to unlock it.

The feeling of having an ally, even if ineffective at the moment, sparked a small flame of hope. In a way, it was a reflection of her own situation: apparently useless, but with the promise of becoming something better in the near future.

 Ba-Zi- Ha was deep in thought when she realized that instead of moving away from that place, she was actually going deeper into it.

Fortunately, some hallways began to be illuminated by a faint artificial light, enough to help her navigate. As she moved forward, a distant sound caught her attention.

Movement.

She stopped. Ahead, a huge number of zomboids. She immediately prepared herself, holding her two weapons firmly, ready to discover which one would be more effective against the approaching creatures.

Meanwhile, the heavy and slow robot kept following her, making so much noise that Ba-Zi- Ha was starting to get irritated. If it weren't an ally, it would have been the first to be shut down.

For now, she was content to tolerate it, believing she could still use it more strategically.

When they were about twenty meters from the center of the facility, Ba-Zi- Ha realized she was closer to the core of the building than she wanted. But there was no time to turn back.

With a sudden plan, she quickly slipped to the side, using the shadows and blind spots between pillars and walls. Moving silently, she circled around and positioned herself behind the giant robot — her ally — using it as a shield.

With the laser beam in hand, sometimes red, sometimes blue, Ba-Zi- Ha began firing. The zomboids ahead didn't react, as if the robot were just part of the environment, not a threat. They couldn't detect the danger coming — much less the lasers that came from behind it — since they couldn't identify the source of the attack.

 Ba-Zi- Ha couldn't believe it: she had successfully taken down fifteen zomboids. Now, with growing tension, she inspected the fallen bodies, afraid they might reactivate at any moment.

After a few minutes of careful searching, she noticed that some zomboids had hidden compartments on their wrists or arms, from which she managed to retrieve small energy modules. Unfortunately, the batteries located in the arms were useless for her robot ally.

However, the batteries in the legs — responsible for the robots' movement — could be useful to him. That was exactly what the clunker needed: more power and smoother motion.

She found two of those energy boxes — a slim chance, but still valuable to improve the robot's condition.

 Ba-Zi- Ha didn't want to waste any opportunity, no matter how small. She decided to take the other modules as well, which were small and took up little space in the compartment on the zomboid's back — now her ally's back.

She moved toward the core of the building, not knowing exactly what else she might find. She was determined to look for more modules. Who knows, maybe one of them could be used to upgrade Taratha Thag… If he was already agile and smart, the energy modules could make him even more efficient.

The memory of her robotic friend, who wasn't there at that moment, made her feel sad for a second.

However, looking at the large robot standing behind her, a smile formed on her face. The odds were now slightly in her favor. And she knew that soon, Taratha Thag would be a decisive presence in her quest to uncover the mysteries of that place — a place she no longer even knew if she could still call Earth.

After connecting the modules to the robot's legs, Ba-Zi- Ha noticed a big difference. The robot, now more agile, no longer made as much noise as before.

Its steps, once heavy and clumsy, had become more fluid and quieter — like a giant bodyguard by her side, following her perfectly without the scandalous stomping from before.

Surprising Diagnosis

 Ba-Zi- Ha stopped suddenly. A thought struck her like lightning: something was wrong. How could a robot that big have no attack options?

She pushed the doubt aside for a few seconds and opened the small visor where she registered all her instructions and observations.

She quickly searched until she found a nearly imperceptible point highlighted on the screen: "Attack."

But when she selected the option, a wave of frustration hit her. The robot's left hand had no attack module configurations. Apparently, it didn't even have the option to use it.

No matter how much she looked at the robot's two massive hands, one was permanently disabled for combat.

Without hesitation, she took a deep breath and installed the small modules on the right hand. She made the fittings quickly, ensuring they were secure.

There were three modules.

Anxiety to test how effective the equipped hand would be consumed her. She needed to know if that big guy could really handle what was coming.

She had barely finished the adjustments when a new wave of zomboids appeared in the distance, making her freeze. Another swarm.

Now, with a plan in mind, she positioned herself behind the robot, determined to use it as a shield. She instructed it to advance.

When it was right in front of the zomboids, she hoped the power of its attack — with the newly upgraded hand — would be the destructive spectacle she desperately needed. At least, that's what she imagined.

The robot continued its march, with Ba-Zi- Ha protected behind a pillar, watching closely.

The tension in the air was palpable.

Then, to her surprise, the zomboids finally reacted to the robot's presence. Maybe it was the amount of energy it radiated — too much energy for a simple zomboid.

Like a wave, they rushed forward in mass, surrounding the robot from all sides.

The big guy was completely covered by zomboids, so many that it could barely move.

 Ba-Zi- Ha watched, apprehensive, and before she could react, the overwhelming number of enemies caused the robot to fall heavily, being immobilized and buried under an avalanche of zomboids.

A growing rage consumed her, something burning inside. She couldn't accept that this would be its end.

Then, without thinking, she let out a scream of fury — so full of anger that it seemed capable of shaking the ground itself.

And at that moment, the explosion of rage happened.

The robot, as if energized by her fury, spun with force, sweeping the zomboids away with its equipped hand. They were flung in all directions like mere pieces of paper.

The impact was violent, but still not enough to completely turn the tide. The wave of zomboids began to dissipate, but not before leaving a pile of metallic bodies scattered across the floor.

 Ba-Zi- Ha , still in shock, watched the scene. An ironic smile formed on her lips as she looked at the robot.

"You… you're more of a turtle than a combat robot," she muttered with a dry chuckle.

Then, with a tired sigh, she thought to herself:

"Yeah… maybe Turtle is a fitting name for you… except you're missing a shell. But… it'll stay that way for now."