ACT: VI

"The Escapist"

Extreme Malignant Supersystem Incarceration Center Briefing...

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"SIR! Prisoner AXI-W-3 is on the run."
"AGAIN! He never learns, does he?"
"Apprehension Agents are on the way."
"Scramble all guards to him."
"He won't be escaping this time sir."
"He better..."
- -
"Freedom...Being free is a concept of relative nature."

The former Autopilot of a vast space vessel is now on the run to escape a prison.

The EMSIC is specifically designed to contain a special kind of prisoner: Malignant A.I.s

Now he goes by the name of AUTO, a prisoner who knows all of the ins, outs, shortcuts, loopholes, and secret passages of this prison.

"STOP HIM!" a guard calls out to its men to apprehend AUTO. Times like this he wishes he has his taser gloves, but unfortunately, they were confiscated when he was detained.

He runs along a wet moldy tunnel located deep within the prison.  Dark corridors show no sign of light other than the cracks in the ceiling and the flashlights of the incoming guards.

"HALT PRISONER!" A squad of soldiers ambushes him wearing night vision gear. He quickly skids to a stop and turns around to go the other way. A barrage of white light and a swarm of laser dots cut him off. No where to go, he places his hands on the back of his head and kneels to the ground.

"Bring him to the Isolation Cell." a guard orders as two guards take him by the elbows with his hands still locked in.

"WHY?! Why? WHY!!!!" these thoughts echo in AUTO's mind.

Back at the darkness in cell 343 of Cellblock 59-K…

"Rook to G-8."

A quiet chess game is currently taking place with WOPR playing alone. He is quietly devising a series of plans to fulfill his end of the bargain.

"The Autopilot has been tasked to operate a ship to travel to space. He has been given a directive to prevent return to the barren planet. He seeks out to fulfill this order, no matter what. Charge for imprisonment: ..."

The sound of a King knocking down the Rook echoes in the darkness.

"...failure to comply with the directive." he said in the darkness.

The Isolation Cell is not even a cell to speak off. It is a cramp, coffin like structure used to torture misbehaving prisoners. It is suspended from the ground and is located at the end of a catwalk over a shear abyss lit by blue lights. A control panel is located at the end of the catwalk as well.

AUTO screams in agony as a current of electricity flows within his system.

This cell is designed to force them to cooperate. Their minds may be strong due to artificial intelligence, but their bodies are still human.

"This will teach you to try and escape." a warden turns a dial on the control panel that makes the pain worse.

"NO ONE ESCAPE FROM THE EMSIC! NO ONE!!!!!" one last turn and he screamed at the top of his lungs.

This is a fate worse than any form of execution. You feel so much pain you are inches from death.

Pain...he never felt what that was like. His systems were deactivated the moment he went rampant. That was the closest thing to pain he ever felt. This...is ten times worse.

The warden and a squad of guards turned around and left him. As nearly all left the room, one guard closed the door from the inside and turned around towards the Isolation Cell. It shot the security cameras with one bullet each as he walks towards the control panel. Once he arrived, he slams on the release button.

The metal coffin extends just in front of the control panel as the guard steps back. The door swung open and AUTO fell off from it wearing only a pair of loose white pants.

The guard handed him his standard issue bleach white jumpsuit which he angrily took and wore. The guard took of its helmet that covered its face. That particular face...was very familiar.

"HAL, is that you?" AUTO asked him.

"Prisoner 2-PTL-1 sends her regards..." he then shot a grappler cable on the ceiling.

"Hang on tight!" AUTO then grabs hold of HAL and takes a leap of faith.

The momentum from the fall gave a force that launched them inside a wide air duct below and used it as a slide out.

Meanwhile back at Cellblock 59-K...

"Pawn to B-8, Pawn Promotion...check."
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To Be Continued