S32 | C2 | Today is a bad day for Muck-Drake
Session 32 | Chapter 2
Today is a good day for Muck-Drake. Today is a good day because the prism pixies didn’t interrupt too much of its work, the rats didn’t tip over the refuse cans in the alleyways, and the kids on their hover boards didn’t drop those neon orbs on it.
Today is a good day because Muck-Drake is making good time cleaning up the cobbled streets of the Kozakuran sector. This area of the city has been under its care since Muck-Drake received the latest upgrade for its system nearly twelve months ago. It has nearly perfected the cleaning pattern in order to have this sector cleaned and orderly twenty-five percent faster than the previous automaton assigned to the sector.
The day it fully perfects its pattern will be a very good day for Muck-Drake.
Muck-Drake rounds the corner, and advances down one of its preferred streets of the sector. Along the left is a number of well-crafted wooden buildings, a dojo operated by a singular monk being its favorite of the lot. Across the street is a large, rather lavish in comparison, palace–at least, that is what the sign declares the building is called. Muck-Drake has never seen a king or queen in the building, but there are various people coming and going no matter what time of day it reaches this area of the city.
Laughter and music exit through the open windows on the upper levels of the so-called palace. Muck-Drake cleans the area in front of this building first, choosing to complete the more challenging walk path. The monk’s dojo on the contrary is always tidy–the refuse bins neat and orderly, sorted into each category of disposal. There is never a sign of litter along the street front, and the steps into the building are swept daily. Muck-Drake notices details like this because they aid it in its advancement. Muck-Drake is on track for another upgrade to its system when this sector has been mastered–learning the ins and outs of the alleys, the nuances and patterns of the humanoids inhabiting and dirtying its sector in order to surpass the standards set forth by the Omni.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit NovelFire for the authentic version.
Muck-Drake maneuvers around an elven man and woman standing outside the dojo today. It is not used to loiterers outside of this building, causing its pattern to be interrupted, and Muck-Drake knows that this day will not be the day that it is rewarded with its next system upgrade.
No matter, Muck-Drake completes the work and advances down the street to the next area. It has progressed a few buildings away from the palace and dojo, when suddenly there is a shockwave blast, pushing Muck-Drake forward and off kilter. A wave of heat pulses across its metallic frame, pushing past the sweeper and funneling down the street further.
Dust and wooden debris rains down around it as Muck-Drake lays on its side, stuck for a brief moment. It activates one of the safety measures installed with one of its previous upgrades, allowing it to right itself if it is ever knocked over. This became a necessity when a group of humanoid children started a campaign to see how many of its kind they could tip over.
By morning, Muck-Drake was one of hundreds of sweepers stuck on their sides, spinning aimlessly in circles trying to find traction. This upgrade wasn’t one that Muck-Drake earned, but rather one the Omni declared was a mandatory upgrade for all.
Muck-Drake uses this feature now to right itself. With a whirr, it spins around to see what the source of the shockwave is. The street that Muck-Drake just cleaned, just completed and moved on from, is in shambles–the dojo has an enormous hole blown out of the top and front. Some of the building is still standing, but a spherical cloud of a green-ish substance hangs in the air.
Wherever that cloud of mist touches the dojo, the materials begin to melt. Whatever the substance is, it is strong enough and acidic enough to liquify the wood, metal and stone used in the construction of the dojo.
The elven man stares at the destruction with surprise, and the elven woman teleports into the fog. A moment later, the elven man has used magic to pull a limp platinum drake from inside the destruction. Muck-Drake doesn’t know what to do. Muck-Drake has never had a building explode just after cleaning part of its sector. Another moment later, the cloud disperses, leaving the gaping hole in the dojo and debris scattered across the street.
There is so much to clean–so much litter, so much dust. Muck-Drake will not be back at its charging port for many hours.
Today is a bad day for Muck-Drake.