T.Y.R. stirs underneath a simple plastic tarp inside a basic wooden structure. The building is apparently called a barn, and they were tasked with “standing guard” over the premise while their humans completed an important paintballing mission. Since initiation the bond with the strange predator, the Xinos was pleased with their 40% improved systems performance, despite the difficulties communicating with their bonded human. While standing guard, they did take the opportunity to eliminate some of the pesky Mus musculus inhabiting their living space. It appeared the small critters were rather fond of the dried bundles of hay, making them easy target practice.
Regardless, T.Y.R. continued watching the countdown to the next round gradually getting closer to 0. Jake had promised them they would return by the start of the next round, and were very adamant they needed to protect this barn. “1 hour remains...” quietly beeps the Xinos shaped like a Tyrannosaurus rex, while their sensors continue scanning the environment for any additional intruders.
Their sensors soon picked up minor vibrations along the ground, and their tail briefly thumps the ground after analysing the potential cause of the sound. Their radar then identified Jake’s signal nearby, and their auditory sensors pick up the sound of a simple metal lock and chain being fumbled with. “T.Y.R., I’m back!” Echoed a loud voice filled with confidence, prompting the Xinos to poke its head out from underneath the disguising sheet.
“Jake!” T.Y.R. Rumbles in high-pitched tones, as they quickly rise to their feet to greet their human. “No, you stupid machine!” Jake scolds them for removing the plastic cover before they could get there. “You aren’t supposed to move unless I tell you to!”
“I’m sorry, Jake, but, I just wanted—”
“Well, whatever it is you want, it will have to wait. I have to tell you about my amazing paintballing matches first, then you can say whatever it is you wanted to.”
T.Y.R. gradually lowers their limbs before “plopping” on the ground to listen to their human. They have tried to communicate with Jake utilizing a variety of methods, yet no matter how they initiated dialog, it was always an uphill battle with him. The human would always share their stories about their incredible feats in battle, then, they could finally talk about their battle royale plans. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it was at least working for T.Y.R.
The T. Rex quietly listens to the human reenacting some of their recent combat achievements. They were apparently able to in today’s match eliminate the entire enemy platoon alone, and they were even scouted by the paintballing national’s association. The scouts were apparently thrilled after seeing Jake in action, and praised him for the incredible physical capabilities he possessed. The warrior’s parents were also equally impressed at how well Jake had improved since bonding with the machine, and had finally started taking his requests to support his paintballing journey seriously after seeing his stellar performance.
“Impressive as always, Jake.” T.Y.R. whirls as the human continues jumping between the various fixtures and floors of the barn. “Next, we should look at applying your new skills towards our upcoming battle round.”
Jake stops his energetic behaviour once T.Y.R. issued their simple request, choosing to sit on top of one of the wooden beams while kicking their legs in the air. “Right, we have another round starting soon, don’t we?”
“Yes!” Beeps T.Y.R. in an affirming tone while rotating some of the rockets stored along their side. “It will actually begin in 45 minutes, making this our 2nd round together.” Jake looks at the lumbering tower of metal and bites his thumb while still kicking his feet. “But... Nah, I’ll just skip school today. It’s not like we’re learning anything important in that boring ass place.”
The lights along T.Y.R.’s head light up, producing a colourful display of greens, oranges, and yellows. “Perfect! Then, could you please stay with me for the revealing scan? Based on the previous round, there is probably only 1 more Xinos remaining in our local geographic area, meaning we might have to travel to find suitable opponents.” Jake then leaps from the wooden beam while rolling his eyes at the machine. “Travel, huh... You did mention something about shrinking battle regions, didn’t you. Is this related?”
“Affirmative.” T.Y.R. beeps again in a precise tone while projecting a basic hologram of Earth for their human to observe. “Based on my calculations, the shrinking regions of battle will be pushing us towards the equator of this planet. We won’t know until more data is collected, but it’s at least clear from preliminary results that—”
“Stop with that fancy speak T.Y.R.” Jake says while lightly kicking T.Y.R.s foot. “Sorry, Jake, we will simply need to move closer to the next country for future rounds.”
“And... If we don’t?” The human says while looking off to the distance. “If we don’t, then I will be eliminated from our battle royale...”
“Kay...” Jake replies while continuing to look around the barn, even picking up some loose straws of hay to examine closely. “I guess I’ll just tell my parents I’m going to the city or something... Then I’ll probably need to bring some money as well.”
Jake then snaps his eyes to T.Y.R.’s monitors and cocks his head at the lumbering giant. “Wait a minute... Can you tell me the name of the Xinos you are predicting to be nearby?”
“Certainly. I have recently received confirmation from the Xinos council, that the only Xinos within our geographical area, is F.O.X.” Jake’s pulse quickens after hearing the name of the Xinos, and a grin quickly begins to form across his face. “That name...” Jake sneers while looking at T.Y.R.’s cannons and rocket launchers. “That’s the stupid Xinos that broke their bond with me!!
T.Y.R.”. Jake says while hopping onto the machine’s back. “Let’s head out now, I want to be ready to kill them as soon as the round begins!”
T.Y.R.’s network quickly flashes with an array of trees, lighting up with satisfaction at the human’s words. “Understood, Jake. I know just the spot to stage a potential ambush. I’ve been warned by the council to exercise caution, since they have a surprisingly powerful arsenal for such a tiny frame.”
“Got it. If that stupid wolf thing has managed to survive, then it’ll be just that more amazing crushing them into a worthless pile of metal!”
...
...
...
F.O.X. and John have just completed their planning with A.N.T. after reviewing all of the information the dutiful machine had gathered. As per their deal, A.N.T. will continue to remain non-hostile to the duo for the foreseeable future, only becoming their opponent if they’re one of the last 2 remaining Xinos. A small colony of ants is currently escorting the pair, and they have just made it to the tunnel F.O.X. initially entered the hideout through. There are still essentially 7 days until the next round begins, and John just wants to get some sleep.
Thankfully, the two agreed to his plans for a relaxing night’s rest, and, after leaping onto the sleek orange canine, F.O.X. activates their boosters to head towards John’s apartment. During the journey, the two continue to strategize for the upcoming round, focusing on how they can effectively eliminate T.Y.R. while avoiding killing their bonded human. The new technology unlocks were rather disappointing, and John was having difficulties seeing how these new systems could be considered a new era in human weapons design.
John’s nanomachines received an update, granting them full autonomous actions and renewable power supplies such that he could continue living if F.O.X. perished. John was now essentially cyber augmented with his capabilities, making him a true superhuman from the tiny submarines.
The breeze continues to brush against John’s face as F.O.X. happily bounds through the nearby forests with their human. They had almost made it back to the apartments, and John was already looking forward to sleeping on his nice and relaxing—
A wave of despair suddenly washes over John, prompting F.O.X. to slow their journey to attend to their human. “John... Wh-what’s the matter—”
“My... Apartment...” John cries out in a somber tone while blankly staring at the scenery briskly passing by. F.O.X. stops their running after processing the human’s words, bringing them to an abrupt halt. “I... You’re... I totally forgot about your living premise!! What’ll we do?!?” F.O.X. beeps in a frantic tone, their speakers almost cracking from the intensity produced.
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John covers his face with his hands, dragging them down to pull his skin, then sighs. “Honestly... I have no idea... Curse that A.N.T... Why the hell did they have to destroy the entire building!!! My wallet and phone were still there! I don’t have any money on me, or my bank card to even get some!! What the heck am I going to do?!? Am I just camping now in the wilderness with an alien robot?!?”
John lightly taps the side of F.O.X. and leaps off of them to the ground. The machine turns around and enters into “sit” mode while staring at the human biting their fingers while pacing back and forth. Suddenly, John stops briefly, shakes his head slightly, then annoyingly goes back to pacing.
F.O.X. continues watching John while performing internet search requests of their own over how to earn money quickly. They begin filtering through sources and articles that are clearly scams, but they can’t seem to find anything that would seem to work for their current scenario. They want to help their human, but aren’t exactly sure how to. John was clearly anxious based on the emotions flowing into them, so if they could be even a little bit helpful for them...
Eventually, they stumble upon something that they think just might work. F.O.X. quickly compiles their initial results and performs several queries, swiftly locating some establishments that will seemingly allow their plan to function. Then, signaling they were pleased with their findings, their speakers play a “da, da da da!” sound, startling John slightly.
“John!” F.O.X. happily beeps with their tail wagging, causing the human to cock their head at them. “I... I think I found a solution to your problem!” John stops his pacing and raises a single eyebrow towards the Xyfokit, as their monitors continue cycling through various colours.
“I’m listening.” John says with an air of caution while bringing his hand to rest underneath his chin. “Right, so... First off, you’ll need this!” F.O.X. beeps and hands John what seems to resemble a typical smart phone. “Yours was probably destroyed when the apartment collapsed, so I crafted you a smartphone using Xinos technology! It’s reinforced with Xyninium, and, it contains all of the latest Xinos security software!!!”
John takes the phone and flips it around in his hands a few times. The weight feels well balanced, and it genuinely feels like a great advancement over the current generation of smartphones. The screen is responsive, and F.O.X. is quick to inform them it will only open based on his biological signature. “Now, open it to the first video I’ve saved in the Tikdok app!”
John does as instructed, easily swiping through the screens to the single app currently installed on the device. John then taps the button, and almost immediately covers his face for a face palm. “A beginners guide to Bitcoin...” John sighs while looking at the Xinos still energetically wagging its tail before him. “F.O.X....”
“But John!” The Xyfokit quickly beeps back while still wagging their tail. “It’s the only form of currency that you can get quickly without an ID! Plus, there are several areas of lodging that accept it as a form of payment!!”
John stares at the video and rolls his eyes while pressing play to humor the excited vulpine. He’s aware of the things called “cryptocurrency” but knows they are basically just scams and “pump and dumps” to steal money from people buying the tokens. He truthfully hasn’t really watched videos on the subject, actively choosing to ignore them instead, as they never caught his interest. John finishes watching the video, then looks up at F.O.X. “And... How exactly do you intend to—”
No sooner had the words left John’s mouth, F.O.X. carefully taps another of the apps that just appeared on the phone labeled “Wallet”. Their monitors continue to flash, with text and numbers scrolling past in an impressive pattern. John laughs lightly, then drops his phone on the ground after seeing the number that just appeared when the app finished loading.
John’s hands are shaking, trembling as he scrambles and fails to hold the phone steady in his hands. “F.O.X... Wh-what the heck did you just do.” John finally manages to stop the shaking ever so slightly. Their jaw drops, and they are seriously having difficulties processing what F.O.X. has just done for them.
On the screen, a message stating “12.5 Bitcoins Deposited” has popped up, and right below it, and estimated balance of approximately $1 million USD is showing on the screen. John looks up at the machine, then back to his phone, and repeats the process several times at successively faster rates.
“H-how the heck did you—”
“It was actually fairly simple!” F.O.X. says while sitting up right with their chest held high. “This thing called “Bitcoin” is a digital currency rewarded when machines successfully solve a complex cryptography problem. Normally this would be rather difficult, but, since I’m a Xinos, the current encryption methods are actually kind of lacking compared to my processors! I just connected to the network, mined 4 blocks, then the rewards were deposited straight to your digital wallet!”
John continues staring with a jumbled face while looking into F.O.X.’s monitors. They were still wagging their tail, and the screens across their head had even turned into another smiling face again. F.O.X.’s ears then fold back along their head, and they quietly beep “Did... Did I do goods... John...?”
John shakes his head and seriously wonders how his life just continues getting crazier by the day. Then, with another sign, John musters a smile and gently pets F.O.X.’s head. “Yes F.O.X., you did goods.”
“Yeah!!!” The machine happily beeps while rubbing its head into John’s hand, making him seriously feel like he’s the owner of a deadly robotic alien pet...
After a few more head scratches, F.O.X. then prompts for John to jump on their back again. After mounting up, the machine says “Perfect! Now we just need to get you some supplies and a place to stay. I’ve already identified several locations, so let’s get going!”
F.O.X. once again activates their boosters, thrusting Xytrolyte into their hind legs towards the city. The journey doesn’t take long, and once they reach their first destination, John enters into the convenience store while the machine waits outside with their cloaking field on.
John walks through the store and grabs some supplies for staying a night at a hotel. He picks up some toothbrushes, toothpaste, some instant ramen, energy drinks, and other small knickknacks he figures will be useful. He’ll have more time to plan in the morning, but just needs some things to tide him over until then. John then approaches the counter, and tells the clerk he would like to pay for everything using his Bitcoins.
The clerk looks up from their newspaper, raises their eyebrow at him, then rolls their eyes to scan his products. They then hit a few keys on the payment processing screen and pull out a scanner from underneath the table. John pulls out his phone, and his eyes widen slightly, as he actually doesn’t know how he’s supposed to pay with these things.
John’s eyes dart around, searching for anything on the screen that can seemingly help him with his predicament. The clerk locks their eyes with John, and slowly begins tapping their fingers on the counter. A minute soon passes by, and the clerk eventually rolls their eyes before saying “First time?”
“Uh... Ya...” John says with a defeated tone. “Just... Ugh, on your wallet, there should be a “send” button or something, tap that, then let me scan the bar code it brings up.”
John looks at his new phone and is still unable to find this “send” button. He had figured it would be something like that, and at this moment, regrets not actually paying attention to the video F.O.X. sent him. Time continues to tick, and the clerk is continuing to tap their fingers. John then looks over their shoulder, and sees a couple other customers waiting in line behind him.
John’s heart races within his chest, and he finally locates the functionality he was looking for. John taps the back button on the app, and then hits the one labeled “send”. He had apparently been stuck on the actual wallet balance screen, which didn’t directly connect to transferring the currency. A QR code pops up, and John breaths a sigh of relief, fairly confidant he can handle this stage of the payment process.
Turning the phone around, the clerk scans the barcode with another roll of their eyes, and a loading reticle pops up on their payment systems. After about 15 seconds, an audible “Ding!” plays behind the counter, and the clerk passes John his items in a simple plastic bag. “Thanks.” John says, as he grabs his meager supplies and meets F.O.X. outside the building.
“What took you so long?” F.O.X. quietly beeps, with their speakers emulating a tone of intrigue. “It’s... Never mind, let’s just go.” John says as the two head down the street to a basic hotel. “Basic”, being the opportune word here, quotations and all, as F.O.X. has led them to what John can only describe as a sketchy motel. It contains a simple open lot for parking cars, and, after paying for two nights noticeably faster this time, John grabs the keys to his room on the 2nd floor outdoors, and heads over.
F.O.X. then contacts John over their connection and tells him they will be sleeping in the parking lot with their cloaking device active. John agrees, seeing as he can’t reasonably find a way to let a car-sized machine into his temporary room, and opens the door labeled 201. John’s eyes briefly glance at the pristine luxuries before him, earning a light snicker from the room’s impoverished state.
The beds torn and ripped across the mattress, along with some questionable stains in various places, and the blankets look like they were cleaned many months ago. The walls are covered in poorly kept wallpaper, with holes and scratches more present than clean pieces of the annoying parchment. One of the lights isn’t working, and the room is also cold.
John walks over to the heater and tries to turn it on. The machine pauses and creeks, then produces an angry rumble, making John think he had just tried to summon an eldritch god with his actions. A burnt smell then fills his nostrils briefly, but the device thankfully holds its own, as warm air gently begins blanketing the room. John then finishes getting ready for bed, and collapses into the rough mattress with a heavy sigh.
“Today’s been a day...” He muffles into the rock-solid pillows, as he continues shifting to find some position with a little bit of comfort. There’s a lot of planning both he and F.O.X. will need to do, but he’s actually starting to enjoy this crazy battle royale. Sure, he could potentially die at any moment, but after working together with F.O.X., John feels that the two of them, actually do make a pretty good team.
Thus, looking to end his thoughts, John quietly utters “Good night, F.O.X.” to which he softly hears their reply bounce around in his head in a comforting tone.
“Good night, John, and, sleep well!”
