— A secret underground base activated by a dog, an ancestral intelligence that communicates through holograms, and technology that seems magical? — said Marta, looking at the screen —. This is no longer just about finding Max. This is... the beginning of the end of logic.
It was Monday morning. The group had gathered in Carlos's garage, surrounded by cables, screens, boxes of cold pizza, and a cardboard model titled: "EMERGENCY PLAN IN CASE OF DOG INVASION".
— What if not only Max was created? — said Alex, opening a folder of the downloaded files —. What if there are more like him? — More super-intelligent dogs with magical powers? — Carlos rubbed his hands together —. I want one that cooks ramen. — I'm not joking. Look at this — said Alex, pointing to an image —. This facility where Max was is not the only one. There are coordinates for at least five similar sites. And one of them is… here, in the city.
— Where? — they asked in chorus.
Alex sighed. — Under the park where we played as kids.
— Under the Tilos Park? — Carlos stood up —. That one with rusty swings, a tree shaped like a duck, and a sign that says "DO NOT TOUCH THE SQUIRRELS"? There?
— Yes. And there is a mark in the files with the name: "Headquarters 03 Society of the Lost Bones".
— Sounds like an elite canine cult — murmured Marta, intrigued.
— Or a dog food franchise — added Carlos.
That same afternoon, the three arrived at the park with backpacks, tools, and an attitude of "today we might discover something or end up arrested."
Max guided them, wagging his tail with enthusiasm.
— I think he found something — said Alex, observing how Max stopped in front of an ancient fountain, already dry and full of leaves. The dog began to dig. In a few minutes, a metal slab was revealed among the dirt. It had a spiral symbol… the same one that appeared in the files.
— Let's open it — said Marta.
— With what? With this old spoon I brought just in case? — Carlos shook the utensil with little faith.
But Max didn't need help. He touched the spiral with his nose. A buzzing was activated. The slab slid to the side revealing a trapdoor.
— I'm starting to believe that Max is a Jedi — murmured Carlos as they descended.
The tunnel was narrow and smelled of dampness and... croquettes. They went down about 20 meters until they reached a circular hatch with an inscription:
Sede 03. Ingreso restringido. Solo unidades autorizadas.
Max moved ahead and barked. A light scanned him, and the door opened as if it had been waiting for that bark for years.
— Definitely Jedi — insisted Carlos.
Inside, the headquarters was much more deteriorated than the previous one. The lights flickered, some areas were flooded, and there were rats walking with the attitude of tenants.
— There's no signal — said Marta, checking her mobile —. I feel like I'm in a horror movie… with dogs.
They advanced through curved hallways until they reached a central room with a mural carved in stone. It showed canine figures alongside humans, sharing knowledge, fighting against shadows, protecting artifacts.
— This is a story — said Alex —. An forgotten story.
Carlos pointed his flashlight to a corner. There, dusty, a console glowed faintly.
They turned it on. A new message appeared: "Last recorded visit: 27 years ago. Status: Inactive. Lost files. Last unit: PROTOTYPE B 12. Lost in action."
— B 12? — repeated Marta —. Another dog?
— Yes. But this one didn't come back — replied Alex.
A noise behind them made them turn. A metallic silhouette emerged from the darkness. It was shaped like a dog… but not like Max. This one was angular, with red eyes and mechanical legs. It moved with spasmodic movements.
— Friend? — asked Carlos, raising a dog biscuit.
The robot growled.
— It's not a friend.
They ran. The hallways lit up in red. Alarms that had been asleep for decades woke up. Laser towers emerged from the ground. Max ran ahead, guiding them as if he knew every corner. Finally, they stopped in a reinforced room with a console.
— Hurry, Carlos! — shouted Marta —. Open the gate!
Carlos connected his tablet, sweating.
— Give me a second… This is in hexadecimal format from '98!
— And is that a lot or a little?! — shouted Alex as Max barked at the approaching robot.
— A LOT!
A laser passed by them. Marta threw her backpack at the robot, buying time. Carlos finally shouted:
— Ready!
The door opened. They jumped inside. It closed just as the robot tried to enter.
— Everyone okay? — gasped Alex.
— More or less — replied Marta, picking up her shoe from the other side of the door.
The room was different. It didn't look like a base. It was… a home.
There was a dog bed, toys, photos of scientists hugging a metallic puppy.
— Here lived B 12 — said Carlos —. This was his room.
In the center, there was a glass cube with a digital memory. Alex connected it to the console. A video appeared on the screen.
A robotic dog, the same as the one that chased them, played with a girl. Behind, a scientist narrated: "B 12 has developed a strong emotional bond. He is more than a project. He is part of our family. If you are watching this… take care of him."
The video ended with an explosion. Screams. End of the recording.
— B 12 was not a threat. He was damaged. Corrupted — murmured Marta.
— And he is still down here. Alone. Lost.
Max approached the cube. He touched it with his paw.
A blue light swept across the room. The console restarted. The entire base seemed to come back to life.
— What did you do, Max? — asked Alex.
The dog barked. A single phrase appeared on the screen: "Unit M.A.X. recognized. Restoration protocol initiated."
Hours later, they emerged from the tunnel. The sun welcomed them as if nothing had happened.
But they knew that everything had changed.
— What's next? — asked Carlos.
— Search for the other bases. Find B 12. And maybe… return his memory — replied Alex.
— And bring cookies — added Marta —. A lot.
Max barked happily. His tail moving like a radar.
In the sky, a drone floated. Very high. Observing.
And someone, somewhere, had just received a notification:
MAX UNIT REACTIVATED. LOCATION CONFIRMED. FINAL PROTOCOL IMMINENT.