So many tasks!
The outer Knight-guard had been damaged, beheaded and disarmed.
The four inner Mace-hand-maidens have been sliced open like cans.
The glass, flame elemental prison has been shattered.
Worse, the hidden access rails to the upper levels had been both exposed and severed. Several feet of precious vertical brass rod gone. It will take weeks of constant labour to repair and regain access to the upper levels.
And, although now functional, itself is still superficially damaged.
Blessed, or perhaps cursed, by its Gnomish creators, the maintenance automaton had been granted a level of intelligence beyond that of the others. Their function was simple: 'Kill all unauthorised intruders'. It though, has a different reason for being. It has to be able to, within certain parameters, act creatively and prioritise tasks when necessary. Its purpose is to maintain the scores of delicate Gnomish machines, the other automatons as well as itself. For a hundred years it had merely pottered. An occasional tweak here, a minor replacement there. Easy jobs, well within its capabilities. But in these last few maintenance cycles?
Mayhem!
Tiny, intricate brass cogs spin and the copper springs that make up its mechanical mind, tighten, catch and release under its bronze lid and that alien sense of frustration deepens…
Blessed, or perhaps cursed, by its Gnomish creators, the maintenance automaton had been granted a level of intelligence beyond that of the others. Their function was simple: 'Kill all unauthorised intruders'. It though, has a different reason for being. It has to be able to, within certain parameters, act creatively and prioritise tasks when necessary. Its purpose is to maintain the scores of delicate Gnomish machines, the other automatons as well as itself. For a hundred years it had merely pottered. An occasional tweak here, a minor replacement there. Easy jobs, well within its capabilities. But in these last few maintenance cycles?
Mayhem!
Tiny, intricate brass cogs spin and the copper springs that make up its mechanical mind, tighten, catch and release under its bronze lid and that alien sense of frustration deepens…
It moves back out on its concealed rail, toward the outer Knight but halfway there, it hesitates and, after ticking moments, turns one-hundred-and-eighty-degrees and heads back inside to concentrate on the inner automaton guards.
Once inside though it hesitates again, diverts and heads towards the exposed vertical rail at the back wall, before spinning around again.
A small wisp of white smoke starts to issue from under the crab-bot's bronze lid and it begins to spin on the spot as it attempts to prioritise by ease, importance, time and urgency.
Too many simultaneous tasks!
Too many simultaneous tasks!
Too many simultaneous tasks!
