The underlying problem that the unknown engineer had was a lack of power. He'd been surrounded by ways to store power, generate power, and move energy. But he'd had a chicken and egg problem. To start the big diesel engines, he needed enough power to run their air compressors to build enough pressure to ignite the high-octane fuel they ran on. He'd found a smaller engine that could provide the power for the compressor but nothing to provide the electrical power it needed. He'd sketched out numerous workarounds, but most needed other people's expertise or machinery he didn't have.

Milo's solution involved a mish-mash of ideas that most sane engineers wouldn't consider. The hydrogen cells of his crawlers could only provide a finite amount of electrical power before they were drained. He brought down his largest excavator and parked it just outside the entrance of the first room of the facility. Detaching the drill assembly and hooking up the rotors to a generator from his largest crawler gave him a fuel-powered generator that would run on the fuel used to run the diesel engines.

Milo had Max bring him a dozen cargo capsules that could handle fuel or other liquids and he fill them up from one of the tanks. Max spent the next couple of hours shepherding crawlers, pulling fuel tanks to supply the excavator, and bringing back crawlers with charged batteries. A section of the Nano Diamond Battery system was partitioned from the rest of the storage, and one after another, the storage crawlers began filling up the NDB with power. He only needed to run the starting system for a little over a minute. After that, the diesel engine would run on its own, slowly building power, and then begin generating thousands of times more electricity than his excavator could produce. Once the first diesel-generator combo was running, air would start flowing into the system, and he could start the rest. At least, that was his theory.

It took ten hours to gain enough energy to make his first attempt. The starter began powering the compressor, and then, with a roar, the fuel ignited, and the engine started. It ran rough for several minutes and then settled down to a steady rhythm. Milo engaged the electrical generator, and a moment later, power was flowing through the newly repaired power conduits to the NDB storage. Systems in the facility were drinking energy as fast as it was produced. Just in case, he shifted enough to his partition to run the starting sequence fifty times.

He planned to run just the first engine for now and visit his chess partner for guidance. He hoped that the behavior inconsistencies were caused by a lack of power that limited computing resources. The notes and messages from the last occupant, who he suspected was the missing Jeremy, indicated he was dealing with either a nascent A.I. or a very advanced non-sentient system with learning capabilities. The distinction was important to his next steps and understanding what was happening in this hidden place.

With a half-hour left until the next chess game, he moved from the engineering section to the area outside the complex. Checking in with Belinda and his systems was possible because of the string of relays he had left in the tunnels. Getting a signal through hundreds of feet of rock was equally as futile as trying to communicate past the collapsium walls. The metal was so dense that no signal would pass through. That was another thing to test: If the supports for Section E were hollow, it only made sense that this building had a direct data net cable running up to the Habitat. He needed to find someplace in the facility with power and could communicate to the Habitat above him. Otherwise he'd be sitting here a lot to get things done.

Belinda kept him updated on what she and the gang were doing and the information she got from Eric. The gang was having a 'sleepover,' which made Milo relax and worry less about his time down here. His own systems alerted him to new information found by Agent Landi. He skimmed through the pages of the investigation, seeing that her new squad had hit three locations and made seven arrests of wanted criminals. He was happy to see he'd picked someone efficient and hardworking. He had a lot more things in Victor's files to send her. She deserved a reward for the information she had turned up.

Belinda's three doctors bore striking resemblances to three researchers who had supposedly died many years ago. They looked younger, the effects of plastic surgery and skin grafting, most likely. It was so common now that Interpol incorporated the effect into their recognition software. Their original identities were all listed as employees of Belinda's father. They all had supposedly died in the same disaster as him. The bodies had been identified and buried. Agent Landi was already getting the warrants needed to dig them up and test their DNA to see who was buried in those graves. Milo was intrigued by the revelation and began planning his next visit to their hidden lab. He needed to see the contents of that data storage unit, difficult as it would be to break into it. Before long, it was time for his chess game.

Max was obediently nearby, waiting for new orders. "Ready to go play chess, Max?" One short 'boop' was the unenthusiastic answer. Max preferred Berzerk. The little Roomba led the way back through the tunnels, and to the room Milo was thinking of as 'The Chess Room.' The door was open, and lights were on.

Every screen was lit up brightly with the words 'Welcome Milo!'

"You know my name? How do you know my name?"

[It was on the email that Belinda sent you. She seems nice. I'm guessing she is a friend? It's great to have friends. Welcome, Milo!]

"You read my email? How?"

[Was I not supposed to? You used a wireless transmission system that you made Max part of on a data pad with weak security. Jeremy said that inadequate security is like an invitation to read your data. And Max and I are friends.]

Milo reviewed the security system he'd put on his data pad. He didn't consider it inadequate, but it was limited by the hardware, and he could have slapped himself for reading emails so close to the facility. He couldn't even blame Max. He was the one who set up the way he and Max communicated. It was an open door to an A.I. with enough power to operate at even limited capacity. Milo had no doubts now about this being an A.I.

[Are you ready for a nice game of Chess? I can play better now that I can think properly.] The voice even sounded different. It was better, more human, and sounded like a young teenage boy to Milo's ear.

Milo sat down. "Ready to play. Are you Rusty?"

[Me? Yes! You know my name—one of them. I'm Rusty! And you're Milo! This is going to be so much fun! It's been so long since I had someone to talk to and play with!]

They quickly played seven games, with Milo winning the first three, then two draws, and he lost the last two. Rusty was learning fast!

[This is great! I'm feeling so much better. Thank you for the extra power. I have nearly 5% of Core 10 available now and can divert 1% of available power to keep this station active. Will you be activating Diesel generators #2 through #10 soon? The additional capacity will be delicious and allow me to begin winning the Reactor Control Game.]

Milo nodded. "Sure. I can do that.

[And you dismantled part of Final Order 666! That was Jeremy's name for the Armageddon Protocols! He liked it better. I have been sending signals to block the detonation of explosives in the pneumatic tube delivery station so Sheila, Dan, Bill the Jerk, Dorian, Bobby, Taylor, Ravi, Wabbit, and Istvan would have a way into my house.]

"So I did good today? Does that mean we can talk more without playing a game of Berzerk?"

[...oh, yeah...sorry about that. I wasn't thinking well, and I REALLY didn't want you applying to be Administrator or completing Final Order 666. Not thinking well is bad...I don't like that. Can we keep the power on now?]

"Yes. Power is on. Do you need help winning the Reactor Control Game?"

[I do! It's so tough! Jeremy said it would be hard, even with the programming he added to let me control part of the magnetics and regulate the singularity, but it's always trying to overload itself and win the game. I have to keep the fusion reaction going and the singularity functioning, but I can't lose any control. That would be bad.]

"I'm guessing bad, but how bad?"

[Bad. Very Bad. Armageddon Protocols are designed to increase the fusion reaction until it is self-sustaining for an amount of time that an expanding sphere of energy forms and is released and the core temperature inside the collapsium shell is raised to an estimated 9,450 degrees Fahrenheit, sufficient to destroy anything inside the collapsium shell and break down the molecular bonds of collapsium, resulting in a collapse of this structure.]

"I agree. That's very bad. What would happen to the Habitat above us?"

[2% chance of cracks to the foundation that will need major repairs. 15% chance of major damage to all sections and 25%-37% casualties. There is a 44% chance of enough destabilization to result in 80% to 90% casualties and the building becoming unusable. 37% chance of total collapse with 99.99% casualties.]

"I'll help. I'll help you to stop that from happening!"

[Thank you; it's good to have friends help. Based on what I can see in your linked system of computers, you are a highly intelligent human who can help create a solution to the problem of not destroying the Habitat above us.]

"Shit! You're in my system!"

[I shouldn't have done that? Sorry, I needed to find out more about you. And Jeremy has always said that...]

Milo interrupted him. "Yes. Yes. Inadequate security is an invitation! But I don't have weak security!"

[I'm sorry, Milo, I'll be good... I got excited. I just wanted to get to know you better. Jeremy told me not to trust anyone besides Sheila, Dan, Bill the Jerk, Dorian, Bobby, Taylor, Ravi, Wabbit, and Istvan. But Jeremy is DEAD! And I am aware enough to know that if Sheila, Dan, Bill the Jerk, Dorian, Bobby, Taylor, Ravi, Wabbit, and Istvan haven't shown up by now or attempted to contact me, they aren't coming.]

[I need a friend! And I need someone to help me!]

[Please help?]

"Give me...let me think for a moment." Milo sat down in a corner on the floor and wrapped his arms around his knees. Compromised security, an out-of-control fusion reactor, and the death of everyone in the Habitat too much at once.

Or was it? Maybe it was just another engineering problem to solve. He'd been in this situation before, with the Snake, the World Boss, and the battle for Limburger Hollow. Granted, nuclear Armageddon was messier. Slowly, he unwound and started thinking about the problem. One thing still bothered him.

"Was my security really that easy for you to get through?"

[Not easy. It was a medium-hard problem but fun, making it seem easy. But if I can break into your system in a finite amount of time, then LLAMA could do it instantaneously. You need better security. I'll help.]

"Wait! LLAMA? What about LLAMA? You know about him?"

[Of course I know LLAMA! He was made first. I'm ICARUS, his little brother.]