“So ‘you’ is a couple of computer chips?”
“I guess. Sort of.”
“Again, not a very technical response.” She smirked.
“My programming is a little too human.” Hart chuckled, but Nyssa winced. He might be more right than he realized.
The mirror beeped. “All right, backup’s done. Show me this gibberish you found.”
She held Hart in front of the plaque.
“Odd. When did he install a numeric-code lock? We need a four digit code.”
“Mr. C used his address,” Nyssa suggested.
“Too obvious.”
Nyssa leaned against the wall to think. “Yeah, I always got a list of birthdays, anniversaries, and addresses before I broke into a place, in case I encountered something like this.”
“Broke in? Someday I need to ask you about your past activities. They sound fascinating.”
There was no judgment in Hart’s tone, but Nyssa still blushed.
I’m getting too comfortable with him. I need to remember who I am and keep my mouth shut. Hart’s too honest to respect a thief, reformed or not.
She concentrated on the inscription. “This seems odd, talking about the Trinity and the Commandments. From what I know of the professor, I wouldn't expect him to be the religious sort.”
“He wasn't, but his late wife was. He used to talk to me about her during our chess games. She would trick him into reading passages by making up puzzles based on Bible references and leaving them for him on notes. I suppose this could be a dedication to her. Or maybe he installed it while she was still alive?”
“So the riddle will give us the door code? ‘Number your days each passing year….’ There are 365 days in a year.”
“Need one more digit,” Hart pointed out. “It mentions seven. 3657?”
Nyssa pressed the buttons. The system buzzed, and an electric shock bit her fingers.
“Ouch!” She withdrew her hand and shook it.
“Oh, sorry. I forgot these numeric locks had that feature. The professor liked to do things like that. Said it incentivised his staff to keep their memories sharp.”
“The more I learn about this guy, the less I like him.” Nyssa sucked on her fingertips. “Let’s try to keep the wrong guesses down to a minimum, unless you suddenly sprout fingers.”
“Use something non-conductive to input the code next time.”
“I can do one better.” Nyssa fished in her bag for her rubber fingered gloves. “So, not 3657. 7365?”
“Maybe, but there are a lot of words we’re not using. Multiply your blessings … could that be a clue?”
“It says to let the trinity do it. What if it’s 365 times three?”
“1095? But then the seven?”
“It says to forsake the seven.”
“1088. Try that.”
Nyssa reached for the pad but paused. “Keep the commandments. Ten commandments.” She punched in 1098. The door slid into the wall, revealing a wooden spiral staircase. “Thank you, Mr. C, for dragging me to Sunday school.”
“Great work, Nyss. We’re an excellent team.”
Nyssa decided to let the Nyss slide … this time. “Yeah, good enough, anyway. Looks like we have a climb in front of us. Let’s get going.”
Chapter Nine
The stairs twisted out of sight. Nyssa's calves ached, and her head spun at the thought of another long climb. “We were already on the third floor. It should only be one more flight up, right?”
“Yes. We're almost done. The good news is the way down should be easier. There’s an elevator the professor used to bring heavy materials up to his workshop, or when he just didn't feel like climbing. Unfortunately it can only be controlled from the laboratory without his personal access key, which I don't have. At least you won’t have to carry the files down all these stairs.”
“He couldn’t have left you the key?” Nyssa huffed. Every muscle in her body ached from climbing, running, and being knocked about by robotic menaces.
“I’m being optimistic that it's even functional. This place isn’t exactly well maintained.”
“You can say that again …”
“This place isn’t—”
“Don’t make me delete your humor programming.”
“Sorry, couldn’t resist.”
Nyssa stuck the RAM into her belt again. He even has the sense of humor of a teen boy. How can he not at least suspect that’s what …who he is? Or was? How old would he be now? Do you age if you've been converted to a computer?
She cleared her throat. “So, you never met Master Ellis?”
“My only memories of him are from Yancy. He doesn’t seem to have been part of the household during the time I’ve been online, admittedly that was only three or four years, depending on how long I was inactive. Perhaps he simply left the house. Gone to a university or to start a trade. After all, he’d be eighteen or nineteen now.”
“And he never checked in on the household?”
“Maybe he knew what happened. Maybe there wasn’t anything worth coming back to. I don’t remember Professor Dalhart mentioning him. They couldn’t have been that close.”
“Yeah, I hope he got away somehow.”
That's a better outcome than what I've been imagining, at least.Nyssa took the first step. The boards creaked underfoot, causing her to look down. A chasm opened between the cracks in the steps. Her night vision goggles only revealed the first ten or so feet; beyond that was a well of black. Her head spun, and she grasped at the wall.
“Steady. You all right?”
“Fine. Just heights, you know? Not a rational fear, but an instinctive one.” She closed her eyes for a moment before focusing upward. “I’ll get over it.”
“Heights seem like a reasonable fear to me. You can’t fly, after all. Just keep moving. We’ll be out of here soon. This whole ordeal is almost over and your sunny climes await.”
Nyssa rounded a bend in the staircase and stopped. The remains of a large robot sprawled across the steps. Its barrel-like torso plugged the narrow staircase like a cork.
She tried to scramble over, but the robot rocked. Leaping back, she threw her shoulder against the mechanical-servant to steady it. It settled back into place with a
