After much deliberation, I sent the remains of the "guardian" to Vladoff in their entirety. I thought of sending one piece and trying to sell the rest to someone, but there was no demand online, and the bosses might have questions, so... Fuck it, at least I got rid of the time-limited task hanging over my head. Even in games I don't like them, and in reality no one needs problems. I don't count on the reward, but at least I won't have to worry.

  Anyway, having cleared my conscience, I started to fulfill Tannis' task.

  That woman is crazy.

  The memory modules with her records were shoved in such places that even with the ECHO instructions it was extremely difficult to find them. And it was questionable how she'd put them there in the first place... For example, one was in the sole of a boot hanging from the very top of a tree on the edge of a cliff. Or take the one that was taped to the weather vane on the water tower... How I climbed up there myself is a separate epic even despite the possibilities of digital construction.

  At least they contained some interesting information.

  - What you need to know about the Eridians: they liked fights, but they didn't like to fight. There is a lot of evidence of this in the records they left behind; we were also able to find some arenas where battles were fought. Apparently, as opposed to our chosen focus on biotechnology, to improve and enhance themselves, the Eridians used these sciences to create fighting beasts - and not just beasts. Virtually all of Pandora's flora and fauna are found with traits that point to their artificial origins. It is quite possible that this entire planet was a kind of testing ground, development center, and/or entertainment center where monsters killed monsters to please and profit the big shots watching from a distance. So nothing had changed since the time of the Eridians.

  That... Perhaps it was oddly logical. As insane as Patricia Tannis was, I strongly suspected that her notes were slipped to me elements of the lore of this world, and given its basis in some sort of game... well, it looked convincing. If the Eridians weren't an extinct species, I might even think their "games" were the basis of the plot. Though, of course, the question of how extinct they really are remains open.

  As is the question of how much of this world remains "gameable". Judging by AlBa's reports, the game's plot should at least be preserved, and thus the conventions associated with it will be present, so while I don't remember the plot, with luck I'll be able to spot something, and use it. We'll see, anyway. Just doing what I can for now.

  Assembling all five modules wasn't the most difficult, or much less the most dangerous, of the things I've dealt with on Pandora. However, in terms of tedium and annoyance delivered, it was on the level of about a few hours of uninterrupted interaction with Claptrap.

  All in all, it was an ordeal.

  The web address to contact the mistress of the diaries was specified in each entry, so there were no problems with it. And considering that this lady was an archaeologist, and moreover, an expert on eridians, I could say with enough confidence that she was my potential key to the Vault. However, was it worth getting involved now?

  I wondered. Perhaps I should try to assemble a team of Vault seekers. It has its own set of challenges, but overall it's not a bad idea. And there are obvious candidates who, I suspect, are destined to find this Vault. And I'll try to go along for the ride, helping them in any way I can in return. Given my interest in the Vault, the fact that I have a good relationship with them, and the contact I have with Tannis, it could work.

  It's worth a shot, at least.

  - ECHO, search the net for mentions of Mordecai the hunter and Brick the brute in the last couple of days - I ordered. - Their whereabouts.

  "Request accepted," the device's AI reported. - "Search in progress."

  There was silence for a while, broken only by the rustling of the wind and the background sounds of Claptrap somewhere in the distance.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Incoming video message received," the ECHO suddenly reported. - "Accept?"

  From Vladoff reacted so quickly? Did they find something interesting in my package? That would explain both the speed of reaction and the video format.

  - Put it through, - I said. Immediately, an image appeared in the parallel visual layer displayed by the ECHO... I frowned. It didn't look like a corporate communication channel at all; the woman's face was fuzzy, a little blurry, and overall it looked like it was some kind of hologram - I mean, an image of a hologram in a video.

  I immediately remembered a character using a similar avatar.

  - Shodan? - I inquired suspiciously. If there was Death, why shouldn't she appear as well?

  The face looked at me, definitely with a second of confusion.

  - My name is Angel.

  - AI?

  "Angel" hesitated, but answered.

  - That's right, I'm...

  - Shodan - I nodded, and broke the connection.

  "Incoming video message received," the ECHO reported again. Hmm. Okay, I guess I'll talk to her after all. The original Shodan was useful too, after all - you just had to be prepared for the inevitable betrayal if AlBa decided to do a crossover.

  - I just want to help you - said the now familiar face a little resentfully. Nothing surprising, even Claptrap has emotions - at least, he portrays them quite convincingly. - Or at least find out what "Shodan" means. There's no such term on the net.

  - Not important, - I said, deciding not to give any indication that I was expecting betrayal. It's a good thing they don't even know about Earth, let alone a game character from it... - How can I help you, and why?

  - I'm searching for individuals who can find the Vault, - said the non-Shodan. Angel. - You're one of the candidates. I have my own interests, and the discovery of the Vault and its new technology would benefit me in any case, so I'm trying to help where I can.

  Well... It seems possible. It's another thing to see if after the Vault is opened, there won't be an uprising of killer robots or something worse, but the fact that some AI wants to speed up the process and will even help before then, I'm quite willing to believe. This situation, though, is more suited to the MC of this story, but it's entirely possible that I've been enlisted in them too - by AlBa. An addon, so to speak. Or even a deluxe.

  - Let's say it ok. And what assistance can you provide? - I asked.

  - For starters - to set you up with other candidates - said Angel (if you think about it, the name is already suspicious...). - And further - according to circumstances. My capabilities are quite limited, but at least to provide information support I am able to. And for starters, for a demonstration of intent...

  "Incoming message received: map coordinates, digital key."

  - The message you received contains the coordinates of two points, - Angel continued. - One of them contains a Hyperion weapons container. It was lost in a bandit attack during transportation, but the bandits were unable to open it. A digital key will allow you to open it.

  - And it's in a bandit's lair? - I asked sarcastically.

  - It is unknown to me, there is no video or audio signal from the container, only a beacon, which I deleted from the Hyperion databases - said the AI. - The second point indicates the last known location of one of the candidates. According to the radio intercept, he's still there, and if you hurry, you'll have a good opportunity to make a favorable impression on him.

  Huh. That's interesting. And echoes my own plans.

  I glanced suspiciously at my ECHO.

  - Did you see my search query? - I inquired. - And in general, how capable are you of monitoring me?

  - Yes, that's why it was decided to contact you - Angel answered, ignoring the second part of my question. Which, in general, is also an answer. - You should hurry if you want to take advantage of the opportunity.

  With these words, the connection was broken.

  Hmm... To be or not to be? I mean, should I take the "advice"?

  What kind of question is that? Of course, I have to go. For now no one has any particular reason to set me up. Bandits who might have a grudge against me won't use such a cunning method, and if this "Angel" is really a plot villain, she'll screw me over at the end, not at the very beginning.

  And if she's not a villain, then even more so.