Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 11 Rebecca's Communication

The brief sense of relief from escaping the pursuit of the Chaotic Blade Society vanished instantly, replaced by a strong unease stemming from being locked onto by unknown technology.

They had just escaped from the jaws of a pack of wolves when they found themselves inadvertently entering a highly automated field, becoming the subjects of some kind of surveillance system.

This abandoned town is not a simple refuge at all, but a special area guarded by powerful mechanical guardians.

And they are the targets that triggered the alarm and need to be dealt with.

The unknown future developments were like a sword hanging over their heads, making them hesitant to act rashly.

Time ticked by in the agonizing silence.

The silent observer on the rooftop made no move or sound, but the pressure of that silence was almost driving Pila to the brink of collapse.

He nervously examined the almost empty ammunition box and futilely rummaged through his toolbox, hoping to find something that could be used as a weapon.

Rebecca leaned against the wall, her mind racing.

Escape? They had just witnessed the speed and accuracy of that thing outside; rushing out the door would be tantamount to suicide.

Hiding? It clearly spotted them, so why isn't it attacking? Is it waiting for instructions? Or is it assessing the situation?
An absurd, almost instinctive thought suddenly popped into her mind—communication.

Perhaps... perhaps it can understand?
After all, it looks so advanced, unlike those low-level automated robots that can only execute simple instructions.

The idea was so crazy that even she was taken aback.

But right now, there doesn't seem to be a better way. We can't just sit here and wait to die, can we?

Taking a deep breath to calm her dry throat and pounding heart, Rebecca carefully moved to the edge of the hole again.

The pale skull was indeed still there, as if welded to the edge of the roof, and the scarlet light still steadily pointed in this direction.

She mustered the greatest courage of her life and slowly, as inconspicuously as possible, raised one hand, extending it little by little through the hole, and awkwardly waved it.

"Hey...hey! You over there...Mr. Skull?" Her voice was distorted with nervousness, dry and sounding particularly abrupt and ridiculous in the deathly silence: "Uh...hello?"

Pila, standing next to her, nearly jumped up in fright. She grabbed Rebecca's trouser leg, her eyes practically popping out of her goggles, and hissed, "Rebecca! What the hell are you doing?! Are you crazy?!"

But Rebecca ignored it; all her attention was focused on the skull.

In the instant she waved and made a sound, she clearly saw that the crimson light in the skull's eye sockets seemed to flicker extremely slightly and adjust its focus.
Its absolute stillness was broken, albeit by a very slight change, but it clearly indicated that it had received her signal.

This made her even more nervous, but she gritted her teeth and continued.

“We…we meant no harm!” she continued, trying to make her voice sound friendly and harmless, even though she was terrified inside. “Really! We’re just unlucky guys being chased by those bastards and we accidentally hid here!”
We're leaving right now! Immediately! We absolutely won't touch anything here! I swear!

Her words echoed in the empty, faintly smelly street, sounding exceptionally lonely and foolish. Explaining that she meant no harm to a machine that had just efficiently wiped out an entire group of thugs was so absurd it made her want to laugh, but more than anything, it filled her with a chilling fear.

The servo skull did not respond further.

There was no attack, but there was no departure either, and no signal of understanding whatsoever.

It simply continued to "watch" her with its cold, red optical sensor. The steady red light seemed to penetrate the hole and fall directly on her face, analyzing her expressions, micro-movements, and vocal fluctuations.

Rebecca's hand remained frozen in mid-air, the waving motion slowing down until it finally stopped completely, hanging there awkwardly.

The muscles in her face were stiff from forcing a smile. Her mind was in turmoil.

(Oh my god, what am I doing? Greeting a metal behemoth? It didn't even blink when it dealt with those people—if it had eyelids! It's probably calculating how to take us both out now! A laser in the head? Or a slit in the throat? Oh damn, did that emitter on its side move? Is it aiming at me? We're doomed, we're doomed, we're doomed... Sorry, Pira, I think I've really messed things up...)
Her inner monologue was filled with desperate complaints and the tragic ending she had envisioned, but on the surface, she maintained that stiff and awkward expression, trying to convey goodwill, and slowly withdrew her arm.

Time seemed to freeze once more. Every second felt like awaiting judgment.

Then, just as Rebecca was about to suffocate, the servo skull made a move that completely surprised her.

Its metallic jawbone moved very slightly, almost imperceptibly, opening and closing once.

No sound was made, but the movement was clearly visible.

Immediately afterwards, the frequency of the scarlet light in its eye sockets changed very subtly, flickering rapidly a few times before returning to a stable red light.

Then, the entire skull slowly and steadily moved backward about half a meter, still maintaining its monitoring posture. But that subtle backward movement, as well as the subtle changes in the jawbone and the light, seemed... like a response.
A non-verbal, mechanical, but undeniably present response, as if saying: "Message received. Maintain current position. Await further instructions."

Rebecca was completely stunned, her mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time.

This... what does this mean?
She abruptly turned her head and looked at Pila, who was equally bewildered.

"It...did it move just now?" Pila stammered. "It didn't attack you?"

“It…it seems…it answered?” Rebecca’s voice was filled with incredulous confusion, her previous fear replaced by immense bewilderment: “It stepped back a little…and moved its chin…and the light flickered a few times…”

The brother and sister looked at each other, completely unable to comprehend this mechanical behavior that was beyond their comprehension.

But at least for now, the proactive yet awkward communication doesn't seem to have immediately led to a devastating blow.

They were still trapped and under surveillance. But the taut string in the air, foreshadowing imminent death, seemed to loosen slightly.

Now, their only hope rests on the owner of this mechanical skull, who is on his way back.

What awaits them?
(End of this chapter)