The enforcer dropped the torn refrigerator dummy to the ground. Smoke rose from the plastic remains.
"Attempts at deception only reduce the remaining patience," said the machine calmly.
Pix whispered to Lio: "I didn't know robots could get annoyed."
"Apparently they can."
Mara immediately raised her weapon. "How far are you?"
The refrigerator blinked frantically. ARCHIVE DATA: 79 PERCENT.
"That's never enough!"
The enforcer took a step forward. Metal squeaked under his weight.
"Project Restart will continue," he explained. "Human society requires stability."
Lio stared at him. "But humans are not computer programs!"
The enforcer paused briefly.
"Humans generate conflicts, uncertainty, and inefficiency."
Keks beeped indignantly. "That's called personality!"
"That's called chaos," replied the enforcer.
Then he raised his arm.
Mara shot immediately. The energy blast hit the machine's sensor surface directly this time. The enforcer staggered back briefly.
"NOW!" shouted Mara.
Pix pulled several cables from a server rack. Sparks flew through the room, and suddenly all the lights went out.
The entire hall sank into darkness again.
"I love power outages," said Pix enthusiastically.
"I DON'T!" shouted Keks somewhere between the servers.
Metal crashing was heard. Apparently, Keks had crashed into something. Again.
The refrigerator suddenly started rolling. Its display shone like a small spotlight in the darkness.
EMERGENCY EXIT FOUND.
Lio followed it between the tall server rows. Red warning lights blinked everywhere while behind them the heavy steps of the enforcer drew closer.
"THERMAL TARGETS DETECTED," his voice sounded through the darkness.
"He can still see us?!" Lio shouted in panic.
Pix nodded. "Military technology. Very unfair."
Suddenly Mara stopped abruptly.
The corridor ended in front of them.
A massive steel door blocked the way.
"Not another door," groaned Lio.
Keks rolled forward. "Maybe the password is 'password' again this time."
Pix typed it in.
Nothing happened.
"Too bad. That would have been funny."
Behind them, the white light of the enforcer appeared between the servers.
Closer and closer.
Calmer and calmer.
By now that was almost worse than shouting.
The refrigerator blinked frantically again.
ARCHIVE DATA: 100 PERCENT COMPLETED.
"Finally!" shouted Mara.
But at that very moment the enforcer reached the end of the corridor.
"ESCAPE TERMINATED."
Then he aimed directly at the refrigerator.