Railgun: Earth under Siege

by Luis Robles

  The murmuring voices became slightly louder.

  I took a random turn down a little alley off the main street after narrowly dodging a little ox and carry cart in the busy city, being yelled at by a driver. Railgun jumped over the ox like it was nothing in his pursuit, to it and its owner’s dismay.

  “Railgun…don't make such a scene!” I hissed at him as quietly as I could considering the situation, pushing up my glasses.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  There was little time before one of the men caught up to us and followed us down the minor street. I didn't even have time to answer Railgun. The man came and reached for my bag. I could feel the hard yank and the snatching fingers at my shoulder. But before I could even turn, or make a sound, he was slammed hard into the nearby wall.

  “Not making such a scene, is also the same as being slow to react, is this what you meant?” Railgun said, nonchalant, with complete control of the situation.

  Railgun's body flared to sudden action as he acted. He powered up for full energy utilization, and in the end there was a hum of a motor within him like a deep growl. The man could see the android faceplate this close up and the glow of optic sensors from beneath the orange visor-like hood.

  Railgun's grip was at his throat. There came a smell of piss from the man. I staggered back with a yelp, adjusting the bag's strap at my shoulder nervously.

  Other men came from the main street in defense of their companion, two lanky men who had sharp features similar to the one pinned to the wall. Apparently, they were waiting just outside the alley in case something bad went down. It had.

  With metal bats and old android parts, they came to try and whack Railgun off their comrade. With his free hand, Railgun swept the pair of them back, all while maintaining a grip on the man's throat. They were surprised by the force of his arm and were knocked back, one onto the floor, the other only staggering.

  I was caught completely off-guard by the act. My instincts told me to run, but I stayed firm. Amadeus was shaking in my coat. The man struggled as Railgun pushed his hand against his throat, easily standing at nearly twice his size. Railgun applied greater pressure and the man coughed, struggling.

  My face fell to a grimace at the scene.

  “Stop!” I pulled at Railgun's arm. “What the hell are you doing?!” I exclaimed.

  “I am nullifying a threat,” he replied simply, but there was some uncertainty to his tone.

  I pulled at his arm again. “Let him go!” I commanded him. The other men took a step back in doubt at the situation. They were both standing again by then. They paled, unsure whether they should continue to help their friend or make a run for it.

  I glanced at the man against the wall with concern, seeing his face turning nearly purple.

  Railgun pulled back his hand at the words and the man fell to his knees, choking and rubbing his throat to try and alleviate the discomfort. He kicked himself back as soon as he could manage the action and his friends drew him up to a stand. He was still struggling slightly with breath when he made a run for it with the others.

  They cried things to each other like 'Holy shit, did you see that?!' and 'Let's get the hell out of here!' as they got out of sight.

  Railgun watched them go.

  “I don't understand,” he said to me after they were long gone.

  “They... they're just... they aren't the enemy. We don’t kill humans.”

  “They were a threat. They were trying to rob you,” he argued, confused.

  “Yeah, but they're just, I don't know, less lucky than us. Scared... Attempted theft does not justify a death sentence, Railgun. You can't try to kill everyone that poses a threat. Try less lethal forms of getting rid of your problems, alright?” I told him, exasperated and frightened.

  “I will do as you say. I am still learning your ways. Please, forgive me if I have done wrong,” Railgun said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

  “Just don’t do it again. Unless I am in extreme danger, don’t use lethal force with a human again. We don’t kill humans.”

  * * *

  We walked for a long time, as far as we could. Well, as far as I could. Railgun did not seem to get tired, nor grew impatient with me. We used the Taipei 101 as a reference point, watching it so still and reassuring in the distance. It was, of course, now accompanied by other buildings in the hundred and fifty years since, as brother and sister towers. It was kept as the largest out of respect, and although it was definitely in need of maintenance—for sure, but the fact that it was still standing, felt reassuring. There was some element of the Taipei I remembered that was still here, maybe, after all.

  We stopped in a little alley when we were sure that no one was following us and sat on the floor for some lunch. I opened up my jacket and Amadeus shook himself and found a sunny patch of ground for himself and Railgun to recharge. Railgun of course didn't really need it, but he saved the solar energy as a backup supply. Their solar cells were super conductive, sending nearly one hundred percent of the captured light straight into their bodies.

  I reached into my bag and pulled out a handful of spinach, eating the leaves as a simple salad. The flavor became bland very quickly, but I didn't want to waste any more of my resources. Who knew when I would ever be able to eat after this food was gone? A drink of purified water from our well and my heart medicine followed. That was something I couldn't make up again so easily once it was gone. Not until the world will be back as to how it should be.

  I looked over as I relaxed against the wall, seeing Railgun sit so peacefully with his almost wing-like solar-panels glinting in the late afternoon light. Amadeus curled up with his tail splayed out like a fin with a similar design, basking on Railgun's lap. I scooted closer to them and leaned against Railgun, petting Amadeus's back.

  I didn't say anything. I didn't need to. Occasionally, a civilian would rush around in the streets beyond us, and there were sounds of scurries elsewhere, and that made us tense. Railgun would sit up straight and would announce that he was running a scan and would command us to stay calm. Thankfully, nothing came of it, and he'd soon settle down again. All in all, it was peaceful. I tried not to feel so alone.

  The sun started to go down before I realized how fast time was going. I didn't know I had been so tired to have sat there so long.

  Reluctantly, I brought myself to a stand again and rallied the team, carefully adjusting Amadeus in my coat. We walked for even more miles. Where there were once lights on the road, now there were lanterns that had lit up the pedestrian paths. It was almost like going back in time.

  As it got darker, Amadeus looked up from my coat. “You can't walk yourself to death, Jaika. You need to recharge too, and eating leaves isn't going to give you enough energy,” he noted.

  “I'm fine,” I replied, a little insulted that he thought I couldn't make it.

  “Forward thinking is key,” Railgun chimed in. “I can tell that you are feeling worn. Your speed has decreased drastically within the last hour, and it has been approximately 10 hours of travel by foot today. The calorie intake needed to—”

  “Okay, okay! I'll find somewhere to stop...” I eventually said. As annoyed as I seemed, I couldn't help but smile at how he went about worrying like a mother hen.

  There was one building that seemed to have more lanterns along it. The spikes along the entrance seemed to carry a different spray-painted message with them. The wall beside them was directed at thieves and problem patrons, and the title above the door was 'Shu-Hui Tavern and Rest’.

  “That looks perfect!” I exclaimed, feeling a surge of optimism.

  “Now, be wise! I will stay quiet, and Railgun... Try not to draw attention. It is in our best interest to keep a low profile,” Amadeus instructed.

  Railgun nodded and I wondered if we should have thought ahead about this. Amadeus was easier to hide, but Railgun couldn't easily be covered at seven feet in height. As the only android anyone may have seen working in ten years, it was har
d not to gain attention.

  We walked in, careful of the barbs at the door. It seemed custom to enter every building these days to have added caution. The barbs probably served to catch any unwelcome visitors, giving them a hard to get away.

  The space inside was large, but the building seemed to be in poor repair. There was a clear leak in the roof in two places, with little buckets set up beneath each. The tiles in the main area had a pattern once but had long since been worn down blank.

  A long bar stretched across the majority of the room, with a small doorway behind it leading into the kitchen. Little beads hung down from the frame as the only partition. The bar could accommodate seven people, if they were small and wouldn’t mind the closeness with the people beside them, and no one seemed to.

  Four low tables were also situated around the room, with some faded cushions around them for sitting. The ceiling was fairly low and there was a bit of bustle around. Of the four tables, only one was full; about three sat at the bar. The entire table turned to each other with hushed whispers the moment we entered. I tried not to look a little worried, keeping my head up.

  “Shu-Hui! There's someone at the door,” announced the rugged-looking man in what looked like a scrap-armor, minding the counter with his gun.

  A tall and wide woman came out from behind the little hanging beads 70’s decor.

  “Where do you come from?” she asked immediately after looking me over. I prayed that Amadeus would be quiet and calm. The woman's eyes moved from me, cautiously, to the android beside me, and her lips parted silently for a long moment.

  She then squinted back to us, and I felt as though I had to speak. My mouth opened guardedly, not sure what would come out of it.

  “My name is Jaika.... Ma'am,” I said, keeping my eyes down and bowing slightly to her.

  “I asked you where you come from,” she repeated brashly. She was looking a little bit amused, even so far as to give a small grin over to the broad man in the strange armor beside her. Parts of it were made out of android metal I had seen across the city. I admit I felt very small in their presence.

  “...My family lived outside the city... I am an orphan, travelling. I just need somewhere to stay... I... I have some money...We just need a place to stay for the night,” I explained.

  “Money? Do you? All right, how much do you have, sweetheart?” she said, staring at me and my clothing, and over as well to the hulking robot behind me.

  I had told him to try and make himself smaller and slouch often so that he didn't stand out by his height as much, but there was only so much about that which could be reasonably done.

  Amadeus was slipping slightly inside my coat and I coughed to try and cover up the movement in my belly.

  I took the moment while adjusting his pouch nonchalantly to search through my bag, looking all the while like I was looking for the money. I didn't want to take too long but I felt so clumsy and stupid in these streets, so overwhelmed with everything new I was experiencing.

  I found the change purse after a long pause. Shu-Hui drummed her broken, tattered fingernails on the surface of the hardwood counter. I hurried to try and open the coin-purse and it clattered to the floor while opening. My damn, slippery hands. My heart beat hard in my chest like a pain. I tried to breathe easily but the worry and stress made my head light.

  I bent down to pick up the change purse and just showed her the money I had.

  Her eyebrows raised right up at that. “Foolish little girl. What is all this old, worn paper? That's not worth anything, girl! It hasn’t been worth anything for a while now. People have no need for this, not anymore. You show me all these trash?” she scoffed and laughed. “You really don't know anything. That was such a stupid thing to do, showing me all your money, even if it was trash!” added the presumptuous, old woman. “Jaika, you said? And what about your friend here? I think you have much more to give than these useless antiques, don't you?” she pried, leaning forward against the back of the counter, eyes searching between the two of us for any sign.

  Railgun tilted his head. I swallowed hard. Amadeus dug his metallic claws into my top and I could hear it tearing.

  “I am R1—”

  “Er-Ling. He is Er-Ling. He's from China. He's not great with the dialect yet,” I covered, speaking quickly to try and sweep it all up. “You know, they just started trying to remake some technology over there.”

  She seemed a little surprised that I so quickly spoke over for my much taller and more intimidating looking “friend”. Her face darkened somewhat and she frowned severely at me.

  “I don't like the look of either of you, and I would very much appreciate it if you leave. You bring nothing but trouble to me,” she told me.

  “No, but—”

  I needed to stay here, I wanted to tell her. I had nowhere else to go!

  “I can barter! I can give you... This water purifier! And, maybe, I have this CV radio too! They're probably valuable… I'm sure! Please, please, I will also work here for the night. We just need to sleep here. Please.”

  I was foolish, of course. I knew that those things were worth way more than a night, but I didn't have time to think about it. I had an extra water purifier, and it wasn’t as if Railgun or Amadeus needed water. But the CV radio, that pained me. It was the last of its kind. At the time, however, I was so frantic and afraid; I would do anything I could just to get a warm bed.

  She took a step back in surprise at the stuff that I threw before her, as though something in it was going to bite her. “This... I...” She stuttered, at loss for words. “... I suppose you may stay here... for one night, with this...”she muttered as she glanced again to the man standing in the corner beside her, playing with the odd string hanging from a wall decoration.

  She led us to our room, going towards the kitchen and then up to a narrow stairway to an upper floor.

  There was a single bed that seemed to be their guestroom.

  “You'll be staying here tonight. I don't have anything to charge your android with...” She looked over him again. “My husband will be downstairs, and you can wash the dishes for the night, since you offered,” she added. Shu-Hui then reluctantly took a key off her key-chain and passed it over to me.

  I took it graciously with a nod. “Of course,” I agreed.

  Shu-Hui told me to be down there in the half hour, and I nodded again. Once I was sure that she was gone, I unzipped my jumper and released Amadeus from within. He leaped out quite happily, I thought.

  “Okay, so we're gonna be fine for the night... But we need to figure out what we're going to do for tomorrow. Maybe we should get some kind of back-up if we're going to be plotting against the Keepers,” I said, snarling a little just thinking about the aliens and wiping the sweat off my forehead.

  “Jaika Liu, your vital signs suggest that you are too tired to be concerning yourself with the exertion downstairs this evening, and the taxing charge of working out this issue at the moment may cause you even more unnecessary stress. I would strongly advise you consider sleeping, instead. Exhaustion could be dangerous to your health. Also your medicine is past due,” Railgun told me, very matter of fact.

  “I can't, Railgun. I have to do this. I said I would. I'll be okay. It's just some dishes,” I reasoned, although I knew where he was coming from. After all, I really was wreck tired. All the same, my word was important to me. Grandpa always taught me to keep my promises, and those lessons were something I had to hold on to. I took a shaky breath.

  Amadeus gave a toothy smile to Railgun. “It's quite alright. I know that it's hard for you, Railgun, but you have to trust her, just for a few minutes,” he tried. I appreciated it and smiled to him.

  “I said I would look after you, Jaika. How can I do that if you put yourself in such situations?” he argued. Well, maybe not argued, just wondered in a slightly accusatory way. I didn't answer him.

  “You two stay here, I will be alright. If I need you, I will call you,” I said, looking through my backp
ack for my medicine.

  “As you wish, Jaika,” Railgun replied confused, trying to understand.

  After taking my pill, I went to work with Shu-Hui's husband in the kitchen, that guy in the android suit of armor he fashioned for himself.

  The kitchen had a couple of oil-drums made into a barbecue grill using basic rubbish. A back-room freezer was filled with blocks of ice and needed constant mopping out onto the alley behind the building. I did a bit of that work too, feeling a little light-headed. I had more of a chance to talk to the guy when I washed the dishes.

  He was mostly a quiet guy, it seemed. I kept glancing over because I hadn't really spoken to anyone outside of androids and Shu-Hui the entire time, and to be frank, his wife hadn't seemed much the chatting sort. Or at least, she hadn't wanted to chat with me.

  I tried to spark some kind of conversation with him at the start.

  “What's your name? I'm Jaika!” I greeted in a cheery tone, perhaps a bit more cheerful than I should have been in a time like this. I couldn't help but feel incredibly nervous with new people. Maybe it made me come across as a little anxious.

  He was quiet for a long time before answering me, “Kuan-Lin...” he said. Something was hesitant about his voice. Maybe he didn't want to talk to me.

  “Okay then, it's nice to meet you, Lin,” I said, proper manners and all.

  There must have been something we could talk about.

  “Do you listen to the radio a lot?” I wondered. “I do. I really like the presenter here. Do you know who he is?”

  “... Not his name,” Kuan-Lin told me. He hesitated for a while, and I kept scrubbing the dishes after a moment, unsure if he was going to continue or not. Eventually, he did.

  “His secret for a reason, I heard... I think he's being looked for by the Hsus,” he said, keeping his head down at the food he was cooking on the little drum grill beside me.