Into the darkness

“It will simply lead you through the temple” Avi had said and given Benedict Lambert his infuriating smile which suggested he could never be wrong. Ben looked down to the small robot that lay in the palm of his hand. The small touch screen surface on its back screaming at him to be used but going against everything that he had trained for. 

What is the point in becoming a treasure Hunter when a robot does it for you? Where is the element of danger? 

The doorway in front of him was intimidating, the jagged stone blocks that had been stacked on top of one another in this maya temple had always sent a shiver down his spine. Every time he, and anyone else, had attempted to go inside they had either not come out, or in Ben’s case, just got out by the skin of their teeth with a considerable amount of luck rather than skill. 

How can so many people die trying to get to the treasure inside, and then one nerd sitting in front of a computer can invent a gadget that can get to the treasure “easily”. Ben was tempted to smash the gadget under his foot, if only Avi hadn’t told him that it could withstand a literal tonne of pressure. 

Fine. Ben thought. If this thing is so great why don’t we just see if it can do my job for me. He pressed the touch screen surface and it lit up with Avi’s face as the background smiling back at him. Ben couldn’t help smile. Avi knew exactly how to frustrate Ben at the best moments. 

He swiped up as Avi had said and tapped in the code he had been told to, he had memorised it through a method of storytelling rehearsing the story back to himself as he typed it in. 

There was a satisfying buzz from the robot and he placed it on the floor. It stayed motionless for a second and Ben thought, ha! It’s failed! Just as he leant to pick it up again and throw it into the dense underbrush of this Mayan forest, it began to move. It crept forward to the edge of the temple and a light flicked on. It edged forward slowly and Ben watched it in wonder. The screen flashed up again, a message, Ben walked over to read it. Maybe it is impossible to get through? 

“Hurry up old man” the message read. Ben tightened his fists restraining himself from punching this robot that was taunting him every step of the way. 

It drove ahead and he followed, they continued deeper and further into the darkness. 

They were drawing in on the first obstacle, it was a cavernous hole that delved into the darkness below. Ben assumed that at one point it was a hidden trap, but over the years plenty of explorers would have fallen into it. He wondered whether he should warn the robot or just allow it to fall to its death. He went for the second option, rubbing his hands in anticipation, waiting for this robot to fail. Hoping that it would. 

The robot stopped at the edge of the black hole. Ben watched it wondering how it would manage to cross the chasm. A message popped up on the touch screen and Ben smiled, the robot needed his help now. He bent down to read it. “I don’t know if I can do this. It is too hard” the message read Ben sniggered and brushed the robot aside, knowing that he had figured a perfect technique for jamming his body across the gap and shimmying along. It was a painful process, but it worked well. 

Then there was another buzz. 

Ben looked to the screen. “Just kidding. LOL”. 

The robot shot two tendril arms from itself which latched onto the far side and then jumped into the chasm and pulled itself up to the other side. Ben watched in surprise as the robot stopped on the other side and waited for him. A spot of luck. He thought and followed across the chasm. He dusted himself off on the other side and the robot immediately continued. 

The next obstacles were the same, the robot seeming to effortlessly work its way across chasms, past swinging weapons and through tiny caves until they finally reached the centre. Ben looked up in amazement, is this all a dream? He wondered forward closer to the huge gem that sat atop of the raised platform in the centre of the room. He reached out to touch it. 

buzz. He looked down to the robot, then back to the gemstone. He reached forward again. buzz. He looked down to the robot again, I won’t let you take this moment from me. He thought and reached out one last time, this time the robot shot its tendril arms out to knock Ben’s hand aside. It buzzed frantically and this time Ben decided to listen, he picked up the robot and looked to the message written upon it. 

“The gemstone is attached to an explosive below, the slightest movement will bring the entire building down upon our heads” the next few messages read, “don’t”, “stop”, “what are you doing?” “Stupid Human” “stop”. 

Ben looked to the gem and saw a thin wire that ran from its bottom deep into the earth below. Maybe the robot is right? 

‘Can you disarm it?’ Ben said, the robot buzzed in his hand. 

“I thought you would never ask” Ben smiled. How was it that he was beginning to feel a sort of friendship and companionship with this robot? 

Another buzz. “You have to put me down first”. Ben placed the robot down and it drove up to the gem and pulled a rock up beside it opening up a deep canyon below. There was another buzz “BRB”. It clinched a tendril onto the rock face and jumped into the chasm. 

There was silence, Ben sat down and looked about this great cavern, he didn’t want to move incase he set off an unseen trap and ended up killing him and the robot. The cavern was huge, Mayan inscriptions littered the room. Great artworks, quotations. It would be a wonderful place for a historian to come and visit, he imagined they would learn a lot from such a venture. But he wasn’t here for that, he was here for the huge green gemstone that sat behind him. 

There was a buzz and Ben turned around to see the robot. Its screen saying “Take your prize” 

Ben smiled stood and went to take it. ‘Take our prize’. He reached out a hand and took it.