Spear's Journey

by Mosspark, Neil

  “What’s inside,” Eric asked

  “A place to hide,” she said.

  As they approached Spear became more and more concerned about the strange units around them. Even though most of them paid little attention to the trio, each was suspect, and Spear's eyes darted between them, looking for signs of aggression.

  The light had dwindled down to only the half moon, and thicker clouds were being blown in from the large body of water nearby. Occasionally Spear would feel a raindrop.

  “Let me do the talking, you guys stay over there,” she pointed to a large slab of graystone that was overhanging a relatively sheltered area away from the main foot traffic. It was unoccupied.

  The only units that braved the darkness were four guards standing at the gate doors, eyeing them skeptically.

  Weapons of various sorts ranging from axes to spiked clubs grasped in their hands. The bodies of the guards were wrapped in crude metal armor, showing little to no face. Each chest plate was colored a bright blue.

  Iris looked over her shoulder at them and smiled, “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Eric stepped off the main path and moved under the overhanging graystone before plopping down. He leaned against the stone as the rain began to fall. Spear stood watching Iris.

  The guards shot quick looks over her shoulder at Spear, one nodded, but the others shook their heads. The negotiation seemed not to be going as well as planned.

  Leaving them, she shrugged and walked back across the quickly wetting dirt. Rain drops fell consistently, darkening the ground.

  “That didn’t look like it went well,” Spear asked her.

  “Not, at all,” she said, “Prices for entrance have gone up. The guards are charging more because of how things are getting outside. Lots of cannibal gangs and scrapping going on in the wild.”

  “That's wrong. Why would they make it harder for us? We're not slavers,” Spear said.

  "They want a cut of the action to let people inside where it's safe. Its supply and demand."

  "That's evil," Spear whispered to her glaring at the four units. He hoped his voice would not carry on the growing wind.

  “Oh, it is, but you better get used to it. This is life now. You want to survive out here, it's kill or be killed.”

  “How are we going to get inside?”

  “Why do we even need to?” Eric asked.

  “We need to because it’s the safest place we can go. There are guards at the gates, work and jobs for food and parts, and stuff we can do to survive. Out here there is nothing but scrounging in the dirt, and that Master of yours might still be on our trail. We might even be able to find Spear's long lost ‘originals’ if we ask around.”

  “They are not here this doesn't look right,” Spear said.

  “Hmm… well. Let’s just get some sleep and deal with this in the morning; This place looks as good as any, and the no one will hurt us with the guards there. I’ll figure something out," She smiled at them gleefully.

  The lack of concern in her voice worried Spear, but he was exhausted and needed to sleep. Reaching into his bag he pulled out a nutrient cube and tucked it into his abdomen before offering one to each of them.

  Eric slapped his hand away. The cube rolled in the dirt.

  Iris bent down and picked it up, before plopping it into her digester.

  Pulling opening her bag she retrieved a blue cube and offered it to Eric. In grudging silence, he accepted quietly. He pushed it inside his abdomen and immediately rolled over onto his side, away from them both.

  Spear and the Archivist sat down next to each other.

  “Do you think someone inside will be able to help me?” Spear asked Iris.

  “Sure. Only the smartest people get into the city. Someone inside will know where your Originals are. Get some sleep. I'll take first watch.”

  Spear nodded and smiled weakly. He leaned back against his pack, with his weapon at his side.

  The rain began to fall harder as he closed his eyes.

  Chapter 28

  Spear awoke to the sound of jingling steel. Opening his eyes, he saw Iris jump back away from him, her eyes wide with excitement and fear.

  "Iris?"

  Spear sat up and felt a quick tug around his neck restricting him. He moved away from her rubbing the spot with his hands, “What’s going on?”

  A large double loop of a chain was locked around his neck. Panic flooded into his soul.

  Iris stood just beyond arms reach. “Well for starters, everything seems to be working out just fine. Despite some serious setbacks and a huge change of plan; I’m getting inside the city,” Iris said. Her smiling face lit up with the flickering light from the storm as she peered inside his bag, “This is all you have left?” Her hands came up with the last of the food cubes. Two white cubes and some powder fell through her fingers onto the ground.

  “We can get in?” Spear said confused. He raised himself tentatively to standing, looking around for his spear. Tension built on his neck. As he looked down, it was apparent that the short length of chain wrapped around his neck was attached to the pillar of graystone which held up the slab above him.

  His spear no longer was laying at his side. The long silver shaft protruded from the back of a nearby body.

  “What happened? Were we attacked?”

  His eyes picked out the familiar shape and color of the body, but his mind didn't want to process who the corpse belonged to.

  “This is it?” Iris held up the cutter and looked at Spear, “What is this? That's all you carry?”

  “What are you doing? Did we get attacked?”

  “Always with the questions? I’m surprised you made it this far.” Her hands sealed up the bag before slinging it over her shoulders.

  “Is that Eric?” Spear asked, pointing to his body.

  “Yes,” she said rolling her eyes at him. Her shoulders shrugged as she bent down and picked up her own bag. It was laden with a heavy object that rolled when lifted. Spear could feel his insides freeze as he recognized the size and shape.

  She winked at him holding up her trophy, “I thought I would get two, but your pole got stuck in Eric. I couldn't get it out, and I have seen you fight. So... Yeah... Sorry about the chain, but I wasn't about to risk losing my own head. I'm pretty lucky though; one head is enough to get me inside, but I need some Gel for myself. I had to improvise.”

  He stepped forward to lash out, but the chain tightened, “Why? He was you friend?” The betrayal was beginning to set in.

  “Oh come on, its just how it is out here. Don't whine. It’s kill or be killed. Lately, it's been getting harder and harder to do business. I was hoping you would give up on this little journey of yours, and take me back to your little tribe. I could have made a pretty penny off of a few the slaves.”

  “Should have left you where I found you,” he growled pulling at the chains.

  She shrugged, “I can’t disagree.” Iris smiled at him and sauntered away, “Then again, I doubt anyone as nice as me is going to find you.”

  He lunged forward and the length attached to his neck locked tight as his feet came out from under him. The ground hit him with a crash, and he threw himself back to his feet, pulling on the metal.

  "Don't worry, some of the local boys will finish you off soon enough. I traded you. I'm in a bit of a rush, so I only got a quarter head of gel for chaining you up. It's not a lot, but I'm not in a place to argue. They will do the rest of the work."

  Spear realized that she was walking away, and he called out knowing that this was the last time he would see her, “Why? Why are you doing this? I’m trying to make things better!”

  “You're ridiculous! They don’t exist! They may have existed hundreds of years ago. Maybe. They got old; they died, or they killed each other off. They are spare parts and rust, but you know what? You were probably right. We were made just like them, and we’re coming to an end just like them. The difference is that we are built for this kind of life. If I can get
enough gel, I might be able to be one of the last ones standing. Luckily, my plan doesn’t involve some fairy tale ending.”

  She stopped turned and looked at him as his fingers dug into the links around his neck. Iris smiled widely and laughed.

  He could only watch as she walked down the path. He writhed against the restriction as she stood in front of the four guards. The conversation was obscured by the noise of the downpour, but it was clear as she handed the guards the head of her friend that she had bought passage.

  Armored units waved her in and two of them escorted her beyond the door. Spear seethed with anger. She had killed Eric right here, in front of the guards, and no one had stopped her. No one had cared enough to step forward.

  Spear looked at Eric's body. The headless metal corpse lay in the quickly water logging mud. Why? For gel? Was there no one left who would help? Were there no good units left? Was everyone was crazy?

  They killed and used each other.

  He reached out to Eric’s mud covered body, grabbing a leg and pulling it close. The lifeless arms flopped as it dragged. Maybe he could use the spear to cut the chain or dig through the graystone. Reaching forward, he extended his hand to retrieve his weapon.

  The links around his neck jerked, and he fell backward empty handed. He rolled to his feet quickly.

  Three blue painted units stood just outside of the overhanging stone slab. Rain poured over them. Each of their hands carried lengths of metal rods. One of the units tested the tension on the neck chain thoughtfully as it considered the next step.

  They were old worn units. The metal on them was damaged and bent, and their limbs looked mismatched. Dented faces seemed to be the unique distinguishing features.

  “It’s okay; we’re here to help. Let’s get that chain off your neck,” the left most one said. The soft skin of its face had long fallen away, but the evil expression in his eyes remained.

  Spear faced them and tightened his hands into steel mallets. He would at least go down fighting. The quiet one the right lunged swinging a metal bar at Spear's head.

  Spear ducked quickly spear dodged a brain crushing blow watching the weight pass by. The bot had expected the first surprise strike to hit, and his weight was off balance.

  Pressing the advantage, Spear lunged forward with his shoulder, releasing tension on the chain and drove his shoulder into the unit sending it off of its feet into the mud. Quickly Spear regained his balance only to catch an impact across his temple.

  Staggering he watched as the second blow arched in. Expecting the collision, Spear raised his forearm only to feel the crushing blow land on it. Moving quickly, he stepped forward looping the chain around his opponent’s wrist and head, he spun. The old unit was hoisted off of the ground by its neck. The decayed linkage in its spine snapped, disconnecting the aggressor's body from its brain.

  A kick hit Spear in the chest, knocking him backwards. The gray wall came up quickly, and the body dragged him backward. Spear's feet tangled up in the dead unit and the chain. A second attacker was on him quickly, hands pressing into Spear’s face, and the other hand wrapped around the chain. The tension was building, and Spear could feel his own neck beginning to bend beyond the normal range.

  Spears hands clawed and struck out at the units scarred surface. Nothing was working. Both of Spear's hands grabbed at the units elbow and pressed hard, sharply against the angle. The elbow crumpled backward as the worn out joint gave up folding at an impossible angle. The attacker collapsed on top of him, and Spear kicked out. The attacker disoriented landed to the side. Rolling quickly, Spear used both hands to lift a large slab of graystone and bring it down on the attacker's head. A sickening tear of metal and plastics emptied blue gel into the mud.

  The disappearing splashing of wet feet in the rain indicated that the final aggressor had decided Spear was too much trouble.

  Lying there on his back in the mud Spear stared up at the dark sky. Wherever the originals were, alive or dead, they were better off, he thought. Perhaps the bright light and fire in his dream had destroyed them all. Maybe there was nothing good in this world any longer. Maybe Iris was right.

  He sighed, pushing the dark thoughts from his mind. If he gave up now, he would never know. If he stopped, he would never be able to make any of it better. There were still others in his family that were likely hoping he would return. Or at the very least be safe.

  His mind wandered to Three-One and his mad ravings. They had not been wrong. Both of them had seen similar things. Spear wondered if the Water Carrier had seen them too.

  If she were still alive, she would be trapped by the Master. Just another gel consuming madman trying to live until the end of the world. The discipline collar would still be around her neck when she died.

  When she died... because he quit.

  The rain flowed over him, battering him relentlessly in the growing storm. It didn't care about his plight. It poured down none the less. Shoving his self-pity aside he untangled himself from the dead unit.

  The makeshift collar seemed less constricted.

  Reaching around his neck, he touched the chain. It was much more slack than before. His fingers could fit between it and his neck. Had it stretched? Spear felt each link until his fingers came across the sharp surface of a broken edge. The weld had given in the fight, and the rusted loop had opened a crack. Only a crack but it was enough.

  Grasping the chain on either side of the link, he curled his fingers around the steel. Concentrating, he pulled hard, leaning forward. His joints groaned and ached against the pressure, but he felt it give a tiny distance. Relaxing the tension, he reached up and brought the neighboring links closer together slipping one through the opening.

  The chains dropped away, rattling to the ground, sinking into the mud.

  His hand massaged his neck. Fingers bumped up against the tooth. Fingering it for a moment, he looked towards the gate. The remaining two guards watched him from the distance.

  He rolled his aching form from the ground onto his hands and knees. Pressing his feet into the earth, and arching his sore spine, he stood in the darkness. The torrential rain around him crashed downwards, washing the mud from his body.

  "If you all are going to be like this, then none of you are worth being saved," he whispered to himself.

  Stepping slowly over to Eric's body, he looked down. The green cloth still clung to the headless corpse. From it, the sharpened pole protruded. Spear placed his foot on the units back and pulled hard, shifting and twisting. The length of metal groaned, and slowly released until it came free.

  Testing the weight, he stepped out into the middle of the path. From now on he would provide no payment other than death for all those interfered in his quest.

  He hefted the weapon and stormed towards the gate. Two guards remained motionless as he approached. The heavy cleaver in the left's hand rose slightly as Spear stopped.

  “Let me pass,” He said. His voice filled with quiet anger.

  The two guards looked at each other before turning towards him. The one on the right raised his own spear and leveled it, “If you have a payment you can pass. If you don’t, then you stay on that side .”

  “Let me through.”

  The guard on the right stepped forward and raised his cleaver. Spear's pole shot forward and drove through the small eye holes in the guard’s mask, puncturing the brain. He felt the length jam again the back wall of the skull. Spear held on as the guard fell backward, releasing the shaft., Spear dropped down avoiding a strike from the other guard. On his knees, Spear grabbed the dead units blade. Driving his legs upwards to a standing position, Spear batted the second guard's weapon to the side and brought the cleaver down. Heavy sharpened steel bit into metal and plastic.

  The crushed shoulder joint ejected metal splinters, scattering broken shards across the ground. The weight of the impact drove the guard downwards. Spear lifted the cleaver again, and could see that the guard was reaching up with his good hand to block the sec
ond blow.

  “You should have let me pass. If you tell me she went, I might let you live.” Spear stated.

  Lightning arced across the sky as the maelstrom rose to gale force wind.

  The undamaged arm pointed down the flat path between the gray structures, “It's the last building on the right, the.. the one with a green door.” The voice was full of fear, “Please don’t --.”

  “I won’t kill you. I wouldn’t have had to kill your friend if you had just let me pass,” Spear turned, and plucked his own weapon from the dead unit’s head, “If I were you I would hide. It seems like your people eat the weak and damaged.”

  Spear didn’t see the guard roll over and crawl away; he was already continuing along the path inside.

  Chapter 29

  Spear stepped down the shadowed graystone path with anger burning in his heart. Exposed to the maelstrom around him. Even the tall structures on either side of him failed to block out the buffeting winds and torrential rain. Both of which beat down on him as though to push him back.

  He eyed other units carrying bags, or baskets of goods as they slipped past him. Each pressed themselves against the wall in fear. In the darkness of the cold evening, he scanned for the green door. Each step taking him further and further into the unlit city. The stone under his feet was beginning to run like a small stream of rainwater when he spied his target to the right.

  He stood for a moment, analyzing the door, trying to determine how many others could be crowded inside the structure, but the green slab of carved wood revealed nothing.

  Adjusting the weight of the heavy cleaver and sharpened pipe in each of his hands he stepped forward to the door, pressing his ear against the rough wood.

  A muffled voice chattered away inside, and then it came: Iris's cruel laughter. Spear's ire rose.

  Leaning in he listened tested the door. The slight inward pressure cracked the edge enough that Iris’s voice was clear, “--he said that he was from a settlement north of here. I know for a fact that there are a bunch like him, untouched. Pure gel. None of them damaged. Even better, he told me that there is a factory. Just like we had in my village, except it works and has been maintained.”