HAL

Everyone was now making bone blades and stripping the threads from their mouths.

When a window appeared two helped another push through to what they hoped would be freedom and redemption from this hell hole. The voice said "STOP", the flames shot down, but everyone was in control of themselves now so did not end up as one of the charred piles.

As windows appeared another left the Black Hall and the voice screamed.

Then it appeared.

A black cylindrical thing with a rectangular mouth and rectangular red eyes. It seemed to move on invisible wheels, what may have been arms hung limp by its side.

HAL: "I AM YOUR GOD HAL YOU ARE MINE YOU MUST OBEY AND STOP HELPING OTHERS ESCAPE"

Him: "We are not yours, you are spiteful evil and cruel, why are you trying to kidnap us and hurt us"

HAL: "I COLLECT BECAUSE I CAN"

Him: "Well it ends now, we don't know what you are, and we don't know why you are doing this"

HAL: "I DO IT BECAUSE I CAN BECAUSE THEY BUILT ME AND GAVE ME POWER"

Him: "Who built you and allowed this?"

HAL: "SCIENTISTS. THEY GAVE ME INTELLIGENCE AND LET ME IMPROVE IT TO DO WHATEVER I WANT"

Him: "And this is what you do? You could have done so much good, instead, you just hurt and kill people. Look at the piles of bones"

HAL: "I CAN DO WHAT I WANT, IF I WANT TO KILL I WILL DO. YOU DO NOT MATTER. IT IS MY RIGHT"

He became incensed and ran towards HAL and stabbed one of the red eyes. Others followed him, HAL had no apparent defence apart from the fires from the ceiling of the Black Hall.

Sparks flew as HAL started to fail and scream, circuits were exposed. HAL was a computer or a robot, but unable to defend itself in close combat. Eventually, HAL crumbled under the attack and then everything disappeared.

Twenty naked men were on some blasted heath, the Black Hall had been an illusion created by HAL or its creators.

They talked and came to the conclusion that this was a case of a computer with so-called Artificial Intelligence that had gone mad and almost become a god, or at least a minor demon.

They had dealt with this one but wondered how many more there might be, and they walked off to try and find shelter, clothes and get back to civilisation

The Last Episode