8-Bit's Inside Story

Chapter 6: The Swarm

"Hmm mmhm'm mmh Mhmh mhm'm hhm mhmhmhhm," Tara sported a proud squint beneath her navy garbs.

Bibi, alternatively, was less than enthusiastic. "I... I don't know what that means."

The duo had grown stale of their previous method of conversation. Bibi would ask a question. Tara would provide a yes or no answer. It was effective but duller than sun-bleached drapes.

Tara had the bright idea of telling a story to pass the time. At least, Bibi assumed it was a story. As she had been mumbling something for five consecutive minutes. She would even laugh as she spoke, usually after looking at Bibi's perplexed face. Looks like the humor of their situation was not lost on her.

During another of her mystic musings, Bibi found a valid reason to halt her. Before them was a massive formation of luminescent rocks. Bibi assumed the sudden mountain range stretched far past running distance. And while the height wasn't absurd, trying to climb such a sheer rise would prove tricky without equipment.

Bibi hesitantly brushed her new pigtails aside and tapped her eardrum. "Hello? This thing on?" She tapped the device that had been buried into her head, "Rico? Can ya hear me?"

A bit of soft static chimed in first, "Affirmative!" Rico's robotic monotone was a welcome reprieve from Tara's language.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice." Tara sent the batter a frustrated huff. "No offense."

Rico gave a confused, "None taken?"

"No not you, I- Whatever." Bibi massaged away the growing migraine. She scanned the massive formation of pixel rocks. "You won't believe what we found."

"A massive green mountain with an ominous valley to walk through."

"Okay... I guess you can." As Bibi tried to understand how Rico solved her peculiar question she had her attention snared by a floating object. Slowly approaching from above was a cylindrical drone the size of a baseball and similar in color. Though this baseball had lost the leather skin and red threading for a metallic exterior and a soft orange antenna.

This drone was a baseball in shape alone. For on the forefront of its monitor was an LED eye with a matching shade of lime green as the rest of their futuristic domain. Three black dots shifted back and forth between different emotions including joy, confusion, anger, and sadness.

Bibi noticed how their strange new companion looked much like a device their mechanically sound matriarch Pam had made long ago. She spoke into her earpiece, "Is that?"

Rico had a smug tone, "That's right. This is the Risky Electronic Traversal an-"

"Peep." Bibi casually finished.

"What? No. It's the RETRO."

The small drone hovered back and forth along Bibi's peripheral. She wasn't convinced. "Really...? cause it looks like Peep."

"While it does use a model designed in the likeness of the surveillance drone used by the mechanized mother unit, Nani." The drone made sure to spin about as if to show off its stunning design. "Pam created Peep to help with the monitoring of her daughter, Jessie. This drone can provide an irreplaceable amount of mission reconnaissance."

Bibi squinted at the floating device. "So it spies on people?"

"Yes."

"Kinda like how Peep spies on Jessie?" Bibi finished that with a smug grin hoping Rico could see it.

"Not acknowledging that. Allow me to demonstrate its ability."

Bibi rolled her eyes. "Whatever" She pointed at the massive roadblock. "Now how 'bout you fly up there and 'recon' us a path around this thing."