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“So, this is.. Mine.. sweeper..?”
Gabriel looked quizically at V1, who was sitting at an old computer that was build quite a long time before itself, sometime in the 1990s, though he hadn’t kept up on when mankind had achieved certain technological developments. It was useless to learn now, as mankind was dead, hell was full, we get it. Gabriel sat on a wooden chair behind him. It was uncomfortable for sure, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was focusing on the screen and taking notes on the notepad he held in one hand.
V1 had told him about the concept of “Minesweeper” one or two days ago. Gabriel was intrigued to say the least, he had never heard it or “Microsoft”, and with the fervor of which V1 seemed to speak about it, he had to get the machine to teach him. It’s important to care about the interest of your enemies. It shows you care on a deeper level than spilling blood in battles could communicate. This was going to be a great bonding experience, he thought.
After the computer booted up– which took an incredible length of time– V1 opened minesweeper. There were empty squares, filled squares, and squares marked with numbers. Gabriel clicked his pen, ready to write. V1 pointed at the numbered squares.
[THE NUMBERS ARE HOW MANY MINES ARE AROUND THE SQUARE]
[DON’T CLICK THE BOMBS]
Gabriel nodded fervorously and wrote that down before looking back up at the screen.
[PLACE FLAGS TO MARK BOMBS]
“I am starting to understand this videogame, machine.” Gabriel said in response to V1’s instructions. V1 began to play, marking flags in locations that he knew would have to have a mine, like on corners. Whenever it deduced where exactly a mine would be in relation to a square marked with a 1, it could rule out all tiles in its vicinity, and would click on titles it knew were safe to reveal what was under them. This was an interesting game. As Gabriel watched, he thought he was starting to understand the rules and how to play. He decided to try his hand at helping the machine.
“Machine, why don’t you click on this tile? I don’t believe there’s a bomb under it.” He said, pointing at an unmarked tile located next a 2.
[BOMB]
Gabriel nodded and sunk back into his chair. Perhaps he didn’t have the understanding he thought he did. This simple game was seeming to be too intense for him. He started to sweat and grip his pen tightly as he noted his failures on his notepad.
Constrastingly, V1 was excelling at playing this game. Maybe as a machine itself, it had a better understanding of videogames. Perhaps it was coded to be really really good at minesweeper? Or maybe its skills in battle somehow also translate into computer games? Gabriel would have to closely examine V1’s inner workings another time.
Suddenly, V1 had completed the game. Gabriel was taken aback. How could it have solved it so fast? Minesweeper was.. So complicated for him. He was impressed. V1 seemed to not care, like this game was incredibly easy.
[YOUR TURN]
Gabriel gulped and they swapped seats. He wiped sweat from his forehead and placed his hand on the mouse and clicked a square. A large area of blank squares was revealed. Now all he had to do was find where the mines were. Slowly, he moved the cursor, V1’s incredibly detailed instructions echoed through his head. Don’t click the bombs. He right clicked to mark a flag, and clicked next to it. He was nervous. Thankfully, no bombs.
Yet.
He let out a sigh of relief. He could do this. As long as he doesn’t mess up–
A grave mistake on his third click. A bomb was nestled quietly under the tile Gabriel presumed was safe, lying in wait to surprise him. He lost.
Gabriel looked at the failure screen. No… how could he, an angel, a holy being lose to a machine? For the third time?
He began to weep.
V1 put a hand on Gabriel’s back. He looked up at it, expecting a comforting response from the machine.
[THERE WAS A BOMB THERE]
“GOD DAMNIT MACHINE!” Gabriel shouted and puched a hole into the monitor, his hand quickly retracting. Full of shame, he disappeared in a beam of light, leaving V1 with the broken monitor. One day, he will return, and best minesweeper. One day. Just not today.