Kai clicked his flashlight on.
The stairwell stretched downward, winding like a serpent. The walls were metal — but not like anything from his world. They shimmered faintly, marked with swirling glyphs and strange geometric lines.
"So..." Tessa said, voice echoing, "on a scale of one to 'we're doomed,' how bad is this idea?"
"At least a solid seven," Kai said cheerfully.
"Good. I'd be worried if it were lower."
They reached the bottom.
A massive chamber spread out before them — a cross between a sci-fi bunker and a fantasy temple. Long-forgotten machines lay half-buried in rubble. Crystal conduits, cracked and dark, lined the walls.
At the far end: a huge sealed door, covered in strange circuits.
"G.A.I.L., scan this place," Kai whispered into his commlink.
"Initiating passive scan..."
A moment of silence.
"Conclusion: This facility once served as a research hub. Origin: Founder Era, Prototype Division. Current stability: 34%. Recommendation: Proceed with stylish caution."
"You and the 'stylish caution' thing..." Kai muttered.
First obstacle: The Floor Puzzle.
In front of the big door was a grid of metallic tiles, each carved with different symbols.
Kai stared at it.
"What do you think?" Tessa asked, frowning.
"Classic trap setup," Kai said. "Step on the wrong tile, get fried, exploded, or turned into abstract art."
"You're surprisingly upbeat about that."
"That's because I have a plan!" Kai grinned.
He pulled a portable drone from his belt, set it down, and tapped a few commands.
The tiny drone zipped forward — and immediately triggered a zap of magic energy that vaporized the tile it touched.
Kai and Tessa winced.
"Good plan," Tessa said dryly.
"Better him than us," Kai shrugged.
Using the drone like a canary in a very angry coal mine, they mapped a safe path across the grid.
It took ten minutes, several near-death experiences, and a lot of Tessa yelling, but finally they reached the other side.
Kai high-fived her, grinning.
"Nobody got exploded! That's a win!"
"Yet," Tessa muttered ominously.
Second obstacle: The Guardian.
As they approached the sealed door, a soft hum filled the air.
Lights flickered. Machinery stirred.
And with a hiss of steam, a hulking mechanical sentinel unfolded from the wall.
It looked vaguely humanoid — ten feet tall, plated in bronze, with glowing green eyes and arm-mounted cannons.
A scratchy voice crackled out from somewhere inside it:
"INTRUDERS DETECTED.
INITIATING DECONTAMINATION PROTOCOL.
PLEASE STAND STILL FOR VAPORIZATION."
Kai paled.
"That's not how decontamination works!"
"RUN!" Tessa screamed.
They dove behind a fallen console just as the guardian fired — twin bolts of sizzling magic slamming into the ground where they'd just stood.
Kai yanked out his Goose-linked wristpad and activated the combat support mode.
"G.A.I.L., can we hack it?!"
"Attempting override... Success chance: 17%."
"Better than zero!" Kai shouted.
"Deploying support drone! Cover needed for 12 seconds!" G.A.I.L. responded.
Kai peeked over the console.
"I'll distract it!" he said.
Tessa grabbed his jacket. "Are you INSANE—"
But he was already sprinting.
The Dumb Plan:
Kai zig-zagged across the room, whooping and throwing scrap metal at the guardian.
"HEY, BUCKETHEAD! YOUR MOM WAS A TOASTER!"
The guardian tracked him, confused.
Tessa, bless her chaotic soul, joined in — firing a few arrows to draw its fire.
Meanwhile, the support drone zipped behind the sentinel and jammed a probe into a small port on its back.
There was a tense moment — then the guardian's green eyes flickered.
"REBOOTING..." it said slowly.
Kai skidded to a halt.
The guardian stood there, swaying.
"G.A.I.L., did it work?" he hissed.
"99% neutralized," G.A.I.L. said. "There may be minor side effects."
The guardian's voice rebooted, crackling weirdly:
"HELLO, FRIENDS. WOULD YOU LIKE A COMPLIMENT OR A HIGH FIVE?"
Kai blinked.
"...What."
The giant robot gave them a massive thumbs-up.
"I love him," Tessa whispered.
"We're keeping him," Kai agreed immediately.
The Final Door:
The now-friendly guardian lumbered over and placed a massive hand on the sealed door.
It scanned him, beeped, and slowly slid open.
Beyond the door... lay a vault.
Rows of tech relics, magical crystals, and one huge cracked stasis pod.
Inside the pod was something — or someone — curled up and still.
The air buzzed with old, dangerous magic.
"Jackpot...?" Kai whispered.
But even as he said it, the cracked pod began to hiss... and the thing inside stirred.
Tessa drew her bow instinctively.
"Whatever this is," she said, "it's not over yet."
Kai grinned, adrenaline already rising.
"Good," he said. "Wouldn't want a boring road trip."