All of them
Men
Women
And children
All crying and hugging trees and dragging their hands over grasses
With Susan and Ann holding my arms and smiling
Both of them making sound
*
‘You did very well in there, Hope. I really thought the big man was going to strike me down.’
*
‘I thought it, too.’
*
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMFORTING WORDS BUT I DID NOT WISH TO HARM ANY HUMAN
I AM GREATLY SADDENED BY THE EVENT
AND I MUST SWITCH OFF MY SCREEN NOW FOR THE LIGHT MAY BE SEEN WHEN WE EXIT THE FORTRESS
*
Keeping the group together we exited the forest and headed across the great plain
Previous recordings of my mundane duties were still being transmitted to High Office
Being relayed through the monitor on a GoebTers desk
If I continued to transmit the recordings I had saved I would begin to repeat myself in about 40 years’ time and I worried that High Office may notice
Progress along the plain was slow because of all the children who wanted to play and run around because they didn’t realize how dangerous it was being out in the open
They were by far more excited than the taller
Older Humans
Who seemed to be in a deep daze as they stared all around them with astonishment that the world was such a wondrous sight with many animals of the fields moving towards them
Wanting to know what was moving through the fields that had previously been theirs exclusively
Except for me
But we did make it to the entrance of the cave where many free Humans waited
And for a long time the two groups stared
In silence
At each other
Until one woman came from the cave with arms wide open and a family ran to her and many
Many
Tears were shed
And then the two groups melded as one mass and the noise of their tears was enormous and I stood proudly aside knowing that I had accomplished something akin to wonder by introducing the two groups
The mass began to move down into the deepness of the cave and I followed behind until all were gathered around the lake and many more tears were shed and there was much movement of Humans coming and going
And
Gradually
The fortress Humans began to disappear into the tunnels leading from the lake and many felicitations were said between them as they went
And I heard a noise that sounded much like a Machine and when I investigated
I observed that the free Humans had constructed iron paths for small wooden boxes with wheels to run upon and many fortress Humans were aboard the boxes and by movement of a lever they moved along the tunnels until they were lost to my sight
I felt somewhat saddened by their exit for I had known these Humans all my existence
But when I returned to stand by the lake the Leaders were gathered together
Ronald made sound
*
‘I would like it very much if these men could accompany you back to the fortress, Hope.’
*
THEY ARE LEADERS
*
‘Yes they are. They wish to visit your prison so that they may report back to our Government about what it was like, how humans survived in such a place for so long.’
*
A man stuck out his right palm and I reached out with mine and we shook our palms
*
‘My name is Albert and my fellow Leaders are Michael and Leonard and we would like it greatly if we were allowed to commune with your Leaders. Presumably you have Leaders.’
*
I DO CONSIDER THAT THE FORTRESS HUMANS HAVE LEADERS
ONE OF THEM IS EVES PAPA
JOHN
*
The free Humans looked confused at my statement but they were ready
And very excited to be moving on to the fortress
So we departed the cave immediately
Once again
The walk was difficult for them
For the tall men spent many
Many
Steps with tears flowing down their faces as they gazed around at the wonder that was planet Earth
The progress was much speedier than with the children and when it came time to climb through the forest
They were quite overcome with emotion and we had to pause for some time until they discovered their strength
As we approached the fortress we passed the RolKils
*
‘Are these machines the ones you called RolKils?’
*
It was Albert who made sound
*
YES
THE DEADLIEST OF MACHINES
THEY MOVE AT OVER 100 KILOMETRES AN HOUR
AND FIRE THE LAZEXT WEAPONS AT 100.000 TIMES PER MINUTE IN ALL DIRECTIONS
IT TOOK ME SOME TIME TO OVERCOME THEM AND I WAS LEFT WITHOUT A LEFT PALM WHICH DOCTECHS REPAIRED
*
‘You have doctor machines in the fortress?’
*
MANY OF THEM
ALTHOUGH WHEN THEY WORKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MENGTECHS THEY WERE NOT GOOD
I DESTROYED MANY STORED IN CHAMBERS BENEATH THE FORTRESS THOUGH I ALLOWED THOSE WORKING WITHIN IT TO REMAIN FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE HUMANS
*
‘Would they be any use underground to treat humans there?’
*
It was Albert who made sound again
*
I HAVE NO WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM
I CANNOT QUESTION THEM
*
‘But if we just roped them together and towed them down to the cave, would they cause any trouble for us?’
*
DOCTECHS
LEFT TO THEIR OWN DEVICES
NEVER CAUSE TROUBLE
THEY SIMPLY HEAL AILMENTS AND REPAIR HUMANS
*
‘Could we take them back to the caves?’
*
WHEN ALL HUMANS ARE CLEARED FROM THE FORTRESS
I SHALL TRANSPORT THEM DOWN TO THE CAVES
IF I CAN
*
‘When the time is nigh, someone shall be with you to assist.’
*
I GIVE THANKS FOR THAT AID
*
‘You did a quite remarkable thing here, didn’t you?’
*
FOR MOST OF MY REVOLUTION I WAS UNARMED
BUT I FOUND OTHER WAYS OF SUBDUING MACHINES
I FOUND WEAKNESSES WITHIN THE SYSTEM
FOUNDED BY HIGH OFFICE
AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THOSE WEAKNESSES
*
I did not inform them of the signal of companionship within me
Humans
Even free Humans
Do not have to know all information
When we entered the facility the tall men gazed with some fear at the Defgars and looked at me with questioning on their faces
*
‘You defeated these machines alone?’
*
I TOOK THEM BY SURPRISE
HIGH OFFICE WAS NEVER EXPECTING A REVOLUTION FROM INSIDE THE FACILITY
THE MACHINES WHO TOILED WITHIN WERE NOT EXPECTING ONE EITHER
*
The tall men shook their heads and we proceeded through the facility and they stopped to look at FoodTechs and DocTechs and menials going around their duties
*
‘And they are powered by the same kind of engine as the one that powers you?’
*
OBSRECS HAVE THE MOST POWERFUL ENIGNE FOR WE NEVER CEASE MOVEMENT
WE NEVER HAVE NEED TO REST OR TO BE SUPINE
WE ARE EVER ALERT
AND UPRIGHT
AND MOVING
*
‘You are a most amazing machine.’
*
&nb
sp; SO I HAVE LEARNED
*
I moved away and they followed me down in the elevator to the lower level and we went to stand behind the electrified fence
Many Humans gathered on the other side of it again and John struggled to find a place at the head of them
*
‘Are you John, Eve’s father?’
*
It was Albert who again made sound
John smiled and turned to look at Humans standing close to him
*
‘Hope has told the story?’
*
‘It is a story we would dearly like to hear in detail later, John, but Hope said that you were the Leader.’
*
‘I am chairman of the committee that has looked after the interests of the human community who have been imprisoned here for over one hundred years, not that we could do much against the machines. If MengTechs came for us we were useless to resist.’
*
‘Joshua and Mary have mentioned that machine many times, what was it?’
*
‘I was a torture machine; it took away humans and cut them to pieces or experimented upon them. My daughter, Eve, who so affected Hope with her laughter and her smile and her ability to do gymnastics, had a metal hand and no right eye, it had been removed as an experiment by the MengTechs. They later tortured her to death for no reason. Her death led to Hope’s revolution. Will you not lead the free Humans round to join us, Hope?’
*
I SHALL ACCOMPANY THEM IMMEDIATELY
*
And I led them to where the Humans awaited
Again there were many hugs and many tears and I waited patiently for the next number of families to be ready to depart
Eventually they were ready to go
It was decided that John would accompany us and that the three free Humans would remain to have discourse with other members of the committee and plans would be made
And I led the next group through the facility and out in the fresh air
And into the forest
And it was as we were moving through the tall grasses
While Humans communed with trees
That I saw 3 RolKils speeding across the great plain
They must have been close enough to hear the alarm sent out by the RolKils I had immobilized
I turned and grabbed John by the shoulder
*
GET YOUR PEOPLE TO LIE DOWN AND HIDE IN THE GRASSES
ALL HUMANS MUST BECOME SILENT AND PRONE
3 ROLKILS SPEED ACROSS THE GREAT PLAIN
I MUST ATTEMPT TO DEFEAT THEM
OTHERWISE ALL WILL BE LOST
ALL THESE HUMANS WILL BE ERADICATED
DO IT NOW
*
John whirled round without hesitation or question and with hissing sounds demanded everybody become supine and silent
And the Humans
Even the smaller 1s
Obeyed in an instant
And they became hidden in the grasses
I switched off and unplugged the screen and passed it to John along with the weapon
And as he lay down I speeded off to the very southern edge of the forest
The RolKils seemed to be very close but they were still some distance away which gave me time to invent a plan
Though my options were severely limited
The RolKils would be fully armed and alerted
Having received an alarm from other such Machines
There was no way in which I could catch them by surprise in open ground
Maybe I had 1 chance
And 1 chance only
I could wait for them to pass as they speeded up the hill and I could immobilize the last one in the line with the supercharged signal of companionship
Though the remaining 2 would turn on me with some vengeance
It was too far for me to race for the lake and attempt to sink them
So I would have to use the forest and put the Humans at risk as I attacked the RolKils
I stood hidden within the forest and waited for them to near
Standing close to a tree so that I would not be espied
I felt as if the trees were my special companions
For I had watched them grow
Even as I had watched the Humans grow
But few trees had yet passed from the world
They stood majestically
And hid me as I waited
As the RolKils approached
In single file
One behind the other
And they rushed past my hidden position
Climbing at speed up the hill
As the last one passed
I stepped out behind it and boomed the signal of companionship at full power
The Machine immediately dropped all its limbs but as it was travelling at such speed it continued to tumble forward
Crashing through tall grasses and digging up lumps of planet Earth
I stepped back into the forest and awaited reaction from the other two
They spun round on their limbs and hesitated for only a moment before moving back down the hill to where the other had fallen
They twisted this way and that
Searching for their enemy
While I climbed up through the forest
Making no noise whatsoever
Knowing the land so well
Moving from tree to tree
Using them as camouflage
Keeping the RolKils in my sight
And it was only at the last moment
That they espied me
But I stood behind a tree and they could not fire
They could not kill a tree
I boomed out the signal and heard one of the remaining RolKils crash its limbs to the ground and begin to roll
Uselessly
Down the hill
The remaining 1
Was confused
The 2 accompanying Machines had fallen into disrepair and been immobilized without any apparent weapons being used
The single RolKil stood on the far side of the tree and I stood on the other side
Out of its sight
And it began a slow roll down the hill
Searching for me
Searching for any movement
I implored that no Human would move
That they all remained perfectly still and hidden in the tall grasses
For one sight of them and the RolKil would fire its lazers and all would be lost
My programmes provided me with a plan and I slid away from the tree
Leaving the dead RolKil to continue rolling down the hill
And
With great silence
I made my way through the tall grasses
And I climbed up through the forest to the fortress that stood at the top of the hill
As part of the plan
I took my place among the dead RolKils that stood outside the facility and I dropped my head and allowed my arms to fall uselessly to my sides
I remained the most still I have ever stood
And
Eventually
The remaining RolKil rolled up and over the rim of the hill and rolled forward towards his companion Machines
It rolled into one with deliberation
And it collapsed onto its side
And I fell with it
The RolKil utterly ignored me
But that was more than I did to it
As I fell I boomed out the signal at its full power
Its two higher limbs immediately collapsed to the ground and the moment I leaped to my feet I pushed it over and it collapsed onto its side noisily
If I could have smiled
I would have done
For I now knew what emotion Humans experienced when they wished to do it
I leaped into the air and spun round
Feeling a sense of freedom I had never felt
Spinning in the air
La
nding on the tip of one leg
Spinning again
Crossing the long grasses
Tumbling
Leaping into the air with arms outspread
I knew of no other way of expressing my happiness
And as I neared the forest I observed tiny heads poking above the grasses
Staring at me and smiling
I became a serious ObsRec again
Marching into the forest where the children were hiding along with their elders
I held out my arms and the children jumped up from and rushed to me
Hugging me in scenes of some chaos while the older Humans were somewhat slower to climb to their feet
John came forward with the screen and the weapon
I took the screen and rehung it around my neck but did not take the LazExt66
*
YOU ARE THE FIRST HUMAN EVER TO HOLD SUCH A WEAPON
BE CAREFUL WITH IT WHILE WE MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT PLAIN
*
‘How did you immobilize the RolKils, Hope? What magic do you possess that allows you to do such a thing?’
*
THAT WILL HAVE TO REMAIN A SECRET
JOHN
I RETAIN IT FOR MY SURVIVAL AGAINST OTHER MACHINES
*
‘That’s fine, but it was a very fine display by you, we all watched as best we could, I had the weapon aimed just in case you failed.’
*
IF I HAD FAILED
JOHN
THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO SURVIVORS
THE WEAPON WOULD HAVE BEEN USELESS AGAINST THE ROLKILS
*
‘It gave me great confidence, Hope, having it, holding it.’
*
MAY IT GIVE YOU MORE CONFIDENCE WHILST WE MOVE ACROSS THE PLAIN
WE MUST GO
*
He gathered up his people again and we slowly made our way down through the forest out into open country
The children surrounding me
Taking it in turns to hold my hands
And they were laughing and dancing and feeling free and crying and they chased animals in the field and some came to them and were kind
It was wonderful sight to espy
And again it took some time to transport the Humans to the cave
But
On this occasion
Only females were stationed at the entrance to welcome them in
And there was further wailing and very much hugging
John handed me back the LazExt66
*
‘I would not want to pull the trigger.’
*
I DID NOT WANT TO PULL THE TRIGGER EITHER
IT IS A FORMIDABLE WEAPON
*
‘We are going down into the cave, Hope, are you accompanying us?
*
YES
*
The women who had welcomed John’s Humans into the cave led the way and we all made swift progress to the lake where I was approached by another Leader
A Spit In The Eye - For The Benefit Of Mankind Page 20