by C. W. Crowe
"But still it hurts a little. You probably don't understand, I know that. I couldn't expect you to." Her voice energy trailed off until her voice was almost a whisper. "I should have kept my mouth shut."
She was preparing herself in case I laughed off what she'd said - in case I was the latest to reject her.
I felt something flare up inside my chest. It was warm, and it was a new sensation to me.
I stopped walking and turned to her. She looked vulnerable, like she'd told me things about herself that she wasn’t sure about, things that could lead to more pain; it was like she was waiting for it to arrive.
I moved towards her until our noses touched, and then I had my second kiss ever.
As our lips met, I pulled her towards me hard.
And she didn't resist.
Chapter Eleven: The Gate
By the time we got to the gate area, the sun was shining brightly. Along the way, we'd seen a few people; some out jogging, others out early for some task or another. All were robots; their lack of noise made that clear. One jogger wished us a "good morning."
Just as we approached our destination, a robot aircraft flew over the city. This was not an unusual event as there were dozens or hundreds that took off or landed every day. They were egg shaped, but four spindly legs would appear for landing. Their size was about equal to a car - not too big, but there was enough room inside for a few humans or other valuable cargo. I’d seen them go both fast and slow but they always made only a distinctive hissing noise.
They were also armed. We found that out on the day they killed all the electronics because they also used these craft to attack the bridges with some type of bomb. First, it was the big bridges over big rivers; one blast was all it took, so they had soon worked their way down to smaller bridges. As far as I know, there are no intact bridges left in the world except the few that exist inside Ft. Smith.
"Looks like a group of farm workers," Lucy said in a whisper as we watched from around a corner.
She was right. It was a group of eight people, all wearing jeans and work boots, standing with shovels, rakes or baskets in their hands. A stack of other such tools and a bunch of baskets were nearby.
"See the gate? It's kind of watery looking. I think they're going to open it so those people can go out and work in the garden. Remember I told you there were farmers outside."
"Yeah, I remember, but that's also how you got caught. One of them was a robot."
We were a block away - a bit too far for me to hear human noises and so I couldn't tell if any of the farmers were robots.
"See those tools? I'm going to grab a hoe and get in line. They'll think I'm just another worker. You wait here."
She had actually started to move when I grabbed her around the waist. "Wait, Lucy, for God's sake, wait a minute."
My head was spinning, trying to think of what to say. "I'm coming with you, I told you that."
"And I said I'd see. Going out there could be dangerous - I might get caught again. There's no sense in both of us trying at the same time. If it looks safe, you can . . . I guess you can join me. But if not, you can go back home and tell them I ran away in the night. They'll know I was here and was trying to escape, so you'll be in the clear."
I turned her around so that we were both looking at the "farmers."
"Look at them, Lucy. See how they move slowly, how they're kind of sluggish? They've got the Freezies to one degree or another. They've pushed their humanity way down deep, hidden it inside so that they can live in an inhumane world. It’s been happening to me too, slowly but surely. When mom would tell me to eat some of her slop, at first I wanted to scream at her to go screw off, but lately, I don't feel much of anything - I just do as I’m told."
She looked at me and frowned and then returned her attention to the gate.
I still held her around her waist just in case she decided to bolt. "You told me in so many words that you'd rather die than live like that. That shocked me back to some type of reality because, before you showed up, it had been a long time since I'd even thought about resisting them.
"But then you arrived and you were human and would talk to me. I felt myself unfreeze, a little bit at a time, and it was because of you."
She glanced at me again and our eyes met. For the first time, I realized how really nice they were.
"So, if we're going to do this, Lucy Hargrove, we're going to do it together. But listen to me, we need to be smart about it, okay? Let's wait until they start to stir, until the gate is ready to open. They're obviously waiting for it to happen, right? It probably happens every day at this time. When it looks like it's time, we'll both walk up and grab a basket and tool and get in the line. I'm . . . I'm pretty good at spotting robots, so if there is one, I'll guide us away from him as much as we can. Once we're outside, we'll drift away when we get a chance. I'll watch your back . . ."
She cut me off, "And I'll watch yours." It was the last thing I expected at this point, but she kissed me. It was my third time.
"We've got to stop that," she said as she pulled away, "It's getting to be a habit."
Her smile told me she didn't mean it.
*.*.*
A few minutes later, the activity at the gate picked up significantly as the men got into a rough line. From the north, three others appeared, walking slowly towards the gate.
"It's time," Lucy said and I agreed. We both pulled up our hoods and walked out into the street.
Our steps were being made in unison as we walked down the center of the street. I whispered to her, "Let's try and arrive at the same time as those other newcomers."
Lucy just grunted an answer that I knew meant agreement. I could feel it in her noises.
As we approached the line of farmers, I began to hear them in my head. And even though their sounds were subdued, having a dozen or so humans in close proximity still resulted in chaotic noises. It made me remember when I was young; always trying to stay away from other people so that I didn't have to hear them.
The worst part here was that the jumble of noises drowned out Lucy's. I'd grown used to hearing her at just about every moment, but now I had to strain to pick her out of the crowd.
As we gathered tools and baskets, I studied each of our companions, listening to see if they were human. It seemed like a miracle, but I didn't hear silence from any of them.
"I don't think there are any robots here," I whispered to Lucy.
Again, she just grunted. I felt annoyance in her noises, like she wanted me to keep my mouth shut. Well fine. That might be best anyway.
*.*.*
The humming sound from the gate moved down in pitch an octave or two until I could feel the low frequency energy as much as I could hear it. It made my skin crawl, but the watery apparition that had been the gate disappeared and the men started walking through it into the field beyond. It had been a long time since I’d seen “outside,” so I was looking intently when I spotted her. I knew immediately that it was a robot, even without having to listen for her sounds.
It was her choice of clothes; something only a robot would pick. She was decked out in all black; skirt, top and jacket. On her head was a black hat which matched her black leather gloves and ankle high black boots. The only color came from her skin, which was unnaturally white and from her lips which were a brilliant red.
I’d seen this type of thing before; this type of showy and inappropriate dress. I think robots noted how humans adorned themselves in unique ways, obviously trying to highlight differences in appearance.
So they did the same. I’d seen them dress in a rainbow of mismatched separates, but I’d never seen one exactly like this specimen.
I watched her carefully to see if she went blank for a moment. That would mean something unexpected had happened and she was checking in with higher authorities for instructions. The likely unexpected thing would be me and Lucy. I made up my mind to run away from the robot so that she’d chase me if I knew she was on to us. Maybe Lucy w
ould understand and run in the opposite direction.
But we didn’t have to run at all. The humans set to work by first filling the large baskets with tomatoes and peppers, squash and cucumbers. Lucy and I worked together, but the baskets were large and soon were too heavy for us to do more than drag along the rows of plants.
That was when I understood why the black clad robot was there. She picked up the full baskets and carried them to the gate without any sign of strain.
Lucy whispered to me, "I didn't know they were so strong. Can they even be damaged? Like with a gun?"
I remembered the Raptor tearing off little Jimmy's arm. "Yeah, they can be hurt, but you have to do a lot of damage to put them out of commission."
She frowned at me, "How do you know that?"
"Ah . . . I lived around them. Also, I knew a guy who was . . ."
"Let’s go," she said like it was the most natural thing in the world - like "let's get an ice cream."
The black clad robot disappeared through the gate and back into Ft. Smith carrying a basket that had to weigh over two hundred pounds. I'd watched her before - she wouldn't be gone for more than a minute.
By the time I looked back at Lucy, she was five yards away and picking up speed as she walked. She was obviously heading to a mound of dirt by the edge of the field we'd been working in. Stupidly, I started to call after her to wait for me, but I came to my senses and walked as fast as my legs would carry me towards the same goal. I wasn't a particularly religious guy, especially after all that had happened, but I prayed that the other "farmers" wouldn't notice us or would at least mind their own business.
*.*.*
Lucy scrambled over the mound and I did too, both us rolling to the bottom of the pile of dirt hopefully shielded from view by the robot. We ended up in a jumble of arms and legs - some of me wrapped around her and vice versa.
"Do you mind removing your elbow from my ribs?" Lucy snarled.
Before I could say anything, we somehow got untangled and then she said, "Let's move." Without waiting, she was off again at a near run, this time headed into the countryside away from Ft. Smith.
There was nothing for me to do but follow along, glancing over my shoulder to confirm that no one was following us.
*.*.*
We moved as fast as we could for almost an hour, wading across the Arkansas River near the Oklahoma line and ending up near what used to be the livestock auction. It was all detailed on the maps that came out of the phone book. At the top of the map was an inscription in big letters that read, "Long Distance! Reach out and touch someone."
The land was mostly open farm country on the other side of the river, so I was worried that a robot aircraft would fly over, looking for two “escapees” and we would be easily spotted out in the open. But, so far, the skies were filled only with an occasional fluffy cloud.
Soon, we passed a sign that said, “Welcome to Dora.” I’d seen that on the map and had an idea where we were. “Come on, Lucy. Let’s get under these trees.”
We were both ready to take a break. I sure wasn’t used to running and had been breathing heavily almost since we’d escaped.
The trees were thick here and offered concealment from any aircraft. There was an outcropping of rocks underneath. Lucy lay down on them and I sat beside her. Her hand was covering her face.
I had been shocked when I realized she was actually going through with her plan to leave Ft. Smith. I’d been shocked again when we marched out the gate and into what was left of the world. I was even more shocked that we managed to slip away.
But now, I was the most shocked of all because we’d actually done it. We were, for the moment at least, free people.
I looked down at her, “I can’t believe it, Lucy! We did it!” I felt better than I’d felt in a long time.
She sat up, pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She didn’t look like she was celebrating.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. I’d lived with her for over three weeks, but she was a hard one to predict.
Chapter Twelve: Searching
Lucy looked at me with her big eyes opened wide, "Yeah, we got this far, but now what?"
I could see concern in her face and feel it in her noises. "I guess we've . . .”
She cut me off. It was a habit of hers when she thought I was going to say something dumb. "You guess? You guess what? That we should go to the grocery store and wander up and down the wide aisles, pushing a shopping cart and giggling while we choose what to have for dinner?"
She could be sarcastic too. I had been feeling elated; free for the first time in years. But that feeling evaporated with her words.
My face must have betrayed my dismay, because she took my hand. That was always a good sign. "I'm sorry, Leo. It just hit me, while we were running. There is going to be bad stuff ahead, suffering and maybe death. I knew all that, but after the robots fed me and examined me . . . and after your robot mom told me what she had in mind, I decided to escape and I didn't care how hard it would be afterwards.
"But now you're here. I don't know how I let you talk me into coming along. I should have said 'no' right away, but I liked having someone to talk to and, after a while, you didn't grimace every time you looked at me. I got you into this and it's all my fault."
Her hand was soft. I looked at it now and was surprised to realize that it wasn't all bony like it had been. Regular meals had caused her to put on a few pounds, so that now she was likely just thin and not malnourished.
"Did you forget that I said there was no way you were leaving without me? That was my choice, not yours. And it was an easy one to make, Lucy Anne Hargrove. For three years I lived with those damned things as the human part of me got whittled away, little by little. Last night I had a dream. I dreamed that I was an old man, maybe forty. I was still with my robot family and they were exactly like they'd always been. I was different though. I was in the cage at the zoo and I barely noticed the other humans who were in there with me. I had the Freezies, an advanced case of them. I woke up and thanked God for you Lucy, for helping me live again and for giving me this chance."
*.*.*
Making speeches wasn't my strong suit, but Lucy must have been satisfied because she leaned towards me. I was going to get my fourth kiss ever.
But a hissing sound passed over the treetops right above us. Its Doppler pitch shift told me the robot aircraft wasn't going very fast.
"'Could they be out looking for us?" I asked.
"Your mom wasn't supposed to get her report for another three days. But maybe that robot at the gate noticed we were gone."
I nodded, "Or it could be that one of the human farmers said something." I felt a spike of anger at the thought of a human collaborator, but then remembered I'd spent the last three years doing what the robots said.
Lucy stood, "Regardless, we shouldn't waste time. There are some houses here in this little town. Let's search them because we need just about everything if we're going to keep traveling. We're way too close to Ft. Smith right now."
We jumped off the rocks and walked quickly towards the houses. Unlike the ones in Ft. Smith, these showed evidence of having been unused for quite a while. Weeds grew in the lawns and in the cracks of the road. I saw no paths or anything to indicate people had been here recently.
The first two houses had nothing in them and I realized that made sense.
As soon as the power went off for good and when everything with any electronics stopped working, a countdown started. It was a countdown of supplies, of food, of medicines.
And, hour by hour and day by day, those items diminished until people decided to take what they had left and leave. I would have guessed the people in this small town would have gone to Ft. Smith, thinking it offered safety with its full supermarkets and warehouses. I'm sure it was a surprise to find that, one day, the robots walled off the entire city. By the time I was taken there, most of the human inhabitants were gone. I never knew what happen
ed to them.
"Damn!" Lucy didn't curse unless she was really provoked. "We've searched four houses and we have two plastic jugs, a drawstring cloth bag and a blanket."
Lucy was exaggerating. We'd also found other useful stuff that she put in the bag - matches, toothbrushes (but no toothpaste), knives and forks, a couple of plastic cups, some socks, and a single pair of gloves. There had been a lot of other stuff, but to us, it was junk. Household appliances, living room furniture, Christmas decorations - none of that was of any use. Mainly we needed to find food but, so far, we'd come up empty.
*.*.*
We were upstairs in the fifth house searching for anything of use in a child's bedroom. The kid must have been young, because there was basically just a crib and a dresser in the small room. Lucy was opening the drawers to look inside and then slamming them shut in frustration.
One of them wouldn't shut, so she yanked it out all the way. The blockage was a can that had fallen down behind the drawer. It was a can of baby formula.
She dropped it in the bag. "Not much of a feast," is all she said.
She turned to leave and I saw something on her face. It was a look of shock. She ran to the window and stared. "Oh God, Leo. In the distance, I can see them coming across the fields. It's robots."
I hadn't really registered what she'd said when the noise started. It was the hissing sound of robot aircraft, passing over us.
It sounded like there were a lot of them.
Chapter Thirteen: Trees
We ran downstairs and flew out into the front yard. I stopped and looked around. The street was right in front of us and, to the rear, about a hundred yards away, was a group of tall trees.
Lucy grabbed my hand and pulled, "Come on Leo! We've got to run!"