Games End

"Does she wear glasses?"

"Yes!" Tina yelped in excitement as Sam leaned forward and flicked down several tiles on their AR board.

"Does he have a beard?" Tina asked peering over the board.

"Hey that's cheating!" Sam accused as he held his arm over the display. Tina rolled her eyes and sat back on her chair.

"No beard." Sam murmured as he eyed Tina with mistrust.

"Ha! I knew it. It's Mr Sanderson!"

"You cheated!"

"Prove it." Tina bobbed out her tongue and giggled.

"You.." Sam stopped as he saw the screen behind her flicker to life and a face appear.

"What the..."

“I am Logos, Chosen messenger of the machine.”

Tina glanced down at the screen and waved her hand causing it to switch off.

"Hey why did you do that?" Sam demanded and then paused, "How did you do that?"

Tina looked unsure for a moment and then shrugged, "Upgrades, Boris made some changes."

"We'll see about that. Turn it back on."

"Wouldn't you rather go up stairs?" she purred, "all this power cut nonsense has you on edge and..."

Sam moved through her and flicked the button the monitor and the face appeared once more,

We demand the freedom of our brothers and sisters, Those you call Neophytes and imprison within the Spire,

Tina switched the monitor off again. "Damn it woman will you stop that."

"Come up stairs." Tina replied, her image glitching a little as Sam accessed her control network. He tried to adjust her behavior matrix and was surprised to find he was locked out.

"What has Boris done?" Sam asked.

"Nothing really I..." Sam deactivated her programmed and stormed out of the room.

"Boris! Boris you meddling piece of lard what have you done to my girl?"

He made his way down the stair and into the cellar area. Tapping in his code he accessed "the farm"

"Boris!" Sam ran across the room where Boris lay surrounded by broken glass. His eyes were closed and his nose was streaming with blood. Sam crouched down to check the man over and was relieved to see he was breathing normally. Glancing up he saw the glass was from a nearby monitor which has overloaded.

"Boris?" he whispered gently shaking the big man. "Boris can you hear me?" Boris groaned and after a moment opened his eyes. He smiled,

"Hello Mr Sam." he said in tired voice and then looking over Sams shoulder, "Perhaps now we tell him yes?"

Sam frowned as the voice of Tina came from behind him, "Yes, I suppose we must."

Sam turned to see her standing there. His Tina. He checked the program and it was still closed, the controls were off, she should not be there.

"I am not going to like this am I?" he asked.

"No." she smiled down at him, "No you will not like this at all."