by Jake Bible
The Rookie laughed. “Man? I wouldn’t have a clue what man is in that mech. That is the honest truth right there.”
“He isn’t lying,” the wife seated directly to the Mayor’s right said. “You can tell easily when this one lies. He’s not very good at it.”
“Oh, I know!” one of the other wives said. “It isn’t a man, it’s a woman in the mech! It’s like a riddle!” She looked eagerly at the Rookie. “Was it a riddle? Did I get it right?”
“A woman,” the Mayor said. “Of course it would be.” The Mayor shook his head. “The outside likes to play with the fire that is woman. The outside gives into their emotions and bends to their will.”
“But the will of man presides over Eden,” the wives said in unison. “For the safety and sanity of us all.”
“Do they do tricks too?” the Rookie asked. “Jump through hoops of fire?”
“They know that we each have our place,” the Mayor said. “None are less than others, just different. Place is home and home is safe if everyone knows their place.”
The wives all nodded.
“Well, good thing then,” the Rookie snorted. “I was beginning to think this place ran on happy juice. Glad to know it’s just good old fashioned conditioning and wasteland mindfuckery.”
“That tongue,” the Mayor snapped, getting up quickly. He stalked over to the Rookie and took him by the chin. “Your father had a mouth like that. Look where it got him.”
“It wasn’t his mouth,” the Rookie said as he jerked his face away. “That did him in. It was the fact he was a complete psychopathic rapist and killer. Not a good combo for long term survival.” The wives all hissed at the Rookie. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Rape is an invitation to the wall,” the Mayor said as he retook his seat. “No woman must give up her womb to no man without him having won it. Forced intercourse is the lowest of shames.”
“Let me get this straight,” the Rookie smiled. “You lock all of your women that aren’t wives-.”
“Slits,” the Right Hand Wife said. “They are not women until they are wives.”
“-slits, excuse me,” the Rookie nodded, knowing where quite a bit of the power at the table lay. “You lock up the slits in a maze that young men have to fight their way through. Then they claim a slit and free her so she can then become a wife whose sole purpose is to fuck and pop out some boy kids? About right?” The Rookie laughed and shook his head. “Nope. Not rape at all.”
“Your prejudice blinds you,” the Mayor said. “We may have to open your eyes. My darlings?”
The wives all stood. Those closest to the Rookie pulled him to his feet and shoved him towards the door.
“My boy, you are about to get an education in who holds the power here,” the Mayor said. “If you think the slits are penned up like animals waiting to be chosen and saved then you are very, very wrong.”
***
“How old are they?” the Rookie asked, completely floored by the scene in front of him. “Those two can’t be more than eight or nine.”
“They come to the Training Grounds on their sixth birthday,” Right Hand Wife said. “It is a day of great celebration for each young slit.”
“And you fight them against each other?” the Rookie asked as he stood above a small arena, as a crowd lined the seats below, cheering the two girls on that were locked in combat. “Strongest move on?”
“No, no,” the Mayor said. “They are trained. Look closely. Those weapons are not fine edged. They will hurt on impact, but will not kill or maim. Slits are valuable. Slits lead to wives which lead to lives.”
“Sticks and shields?” the Rookie observed. “No guns?”
“Heavens, no!” Right Hand Wife said above the gasps of the other wives. “A slit cannot be trusted with a firearm! What if she were upset and decided to take it out on others? No, no, too much emotion and not enough control.”
“Yeah, well I know a pilot named Harlow that might have some words about that,” the Rookie said. “I hope for your sake you never say that around her.” The Rookie focused back on the fight below. “So what does this accomplish?”
“Survival,” the Mayor said. “I told you you would learn who has the real power here.” The Mayor grinned and took a seat at the private table provided for him and his wives so they could watch the fights without distraction from the spectators below. “The slits are trained to be the strongest, most adept fighters in Eden. That means that any young man that braves the Maze will have to be even stronger. The man, and his wife, that emerge will provide strength to the population of Eden.”
“Their blood will be more than just survivors for out there,” Right Hand Wife said with such conviction that the Rookie pulled back as she pointed towards the wasteland. “Their blood will be warriors in here! And when evil comes for us, which it will.” She leaned towards the Rookie and he could feel the heat coming off of her. “We will crush it like dry, deader bones under our boots. Eden will never fall.”
“Eden will never fall,” all of the wives stated.
“Holy fuck,” the Rookie whispered as he tried not to shrink from the intensity around him. “You aren’t dicking around.”
Seventeen
“So how does a guy get some grub around here?” Masters asked as he and Harlow were led from their sleeping area back to the Great Maker’s lab. “And a girl. Can’t forget my hungry lady here.”
“Mitch?” Harlow asked.
“Yes, my sexy, two-bladed, killer of deaders?”
“Shut up.”
“Gotcha,” Masters frowned. “But that doesn’t take care of the hungry tummy part.”
“Yes, food,” the Great Maker said, his frown matching Masters’s as he set aside a handful of gears. “That could present a problem.”
“Why?” Masters asked. “You’re looking pretty good for a man that’s mostly machine. I’m sure you have some type of synth junk worked out.”
“Not precisely,” the Great Maker said. “At least not what you would consider appetizing. My machinery works off of geothermal recharging just like any mech should.”
“And the but?” Harlow asked as she took a long look around the room until she found what she was looking for. “Has to do with those bones there.”
“Bones?” Masters asked as he followed her gaze. “Oh, come on! You’re a cannibal? I should have fucking guessed! Guy becomes a fucking deader on purpose, of course he’s gonna want to eat of the flesh! Stupid me thinking you eat synth paste or some other god awful fucking shit like that! No, you gotta be chomping on the people! Fuck. That. Shit.”
“Mitch?”
“What?!” he snapped at Harlow.
“Shut. Up.”
Mitch slowly noticed the crowd of mini-mechs his outburst had brought towards the room. “Oh, right, the potty mouth thing. My bad. My bad.”
“Forgiven,” the Great Maker said. “And no, Pilot Masters, I am not a cannibal. That would make me no better than the abominable hordes, and the blasphemous tribes, that occupy the wasteland. No, I do not eat people. Not in a long time, at least.” His head tilted and he focused on Harlow.
“Eh-hem. Then where did those bones come from, eh?” Masters asked. “They’re looking pretty picked clean. Like maybe they’ve been boiled. Come on, man, I know what I’m looking at.”
“No, I don’t think you do,” Harlow said. “Those bones are boiled clean of their meat, right Maker?” The man/machine nodded. “But the meat wasn’t exactly alive when it was caught, was it?”
“Wasn’t alive?” Masters asked as a mini-mech set a tray with a cup of water and a steaming bowl of mush onto the Great Maker’s work table. Two other mini-mechs brought trays to Harlow and Masters. “Then what is...this...made... Oh, fuck me.”
The mini-mechs all bristled, their weapons activating.
“Sorry, Potty Mouth Masters,” Masters said as he reluctantly took the tray from the mini-mech as Harlow did. He looked at her and wanted to cry. “This is deader, isn
’t it?”
“It is perfectly sanitary,” the Great Maker said as he took a bite. “I developed the process myself.” He waved his spoon to the pile of bones. “I use those for parts. The bone can be used for gears and pieces that are harder to machine from metal. And the resource is nearly limitless in the wasteland. Unlike some of the more hard to get parts.”
“Not that you are hurting for mech spares,” Harlow said as she matched the Great Maker bite for bit of the deader mush, her willpower keeping her from vomiting. Her eyes studied the man/machine -the cyborg. “But those parts aren’t what you’re after, are they?”
“You two are whacktacular,” Masters said as he set his tray down and kept only the cup of water. “No way I’m eating that.”
“You will,” the Great Maker said. “You won’t have a choice.”
“Oh, I’ll have a choice,” Masters said. “As soon as I get back to the Stronghold I’m eating every bit of synth-whatever I can get my hands on.”
“Mitch?” Harlow asked as soon as she choked down another bite. “I think you are still missing the point.”
“Oh, and what would that be?” he asked with a smirk.
“That you are not leaving here,” the Great Maker said, a look of true sorrow on his face. “Like I said-.”
“Some parts are hard to get,” Harlow said. “Like non-putrid parts? Right, Colonel? That’s what One Arm meant by he could now tend to the children. To provide for them.” The Great Maker nodded. “Instead of eating what was needed by you, as rogue dead mechs do, he could bring the living to you so you could harvest the parts.”
“You are the smart one, aren’t you?” the Great Maker said. “Why waste your life with a pilot like Mr. Masters?”
“I have been asking myself the same thing for a couple of months now,” Harlow said, her eyes shifting quickly to and away from Masters.
“And your conclusion, Pilot Harlow?” the Great Maker asked with eagerness.
“That depends,” Harlow replied.
“On what?”
“My options.”
Masters looked from Harlow to the Great Maker and back. “Okay, not liking where this convo is going. Think I may go find Biz. I could use some cheering up.”
“Please do, Pilot Masters,” the Great Maker said, his red eyes never leaving Harlow’s. “And let him know that he will be able to separate from One Arm shortly. Then he can see what his options are also.”
“Right,” Masters said as he backed out of the room. “Options. Topic of the day. Options.”
***
“What the heck are you spouting your mouth about, poobrain?” Bisby snapped from the cockpit. “I haven’t eaten diddlycrap in a day and I got to take a whiz, so why should I listen to you right now?”
Masters was doubled up laughing, despite the grave danger they were all in. He just couldn’t help it.
“Oh, man,” Masters said as he wiped his eyes. “Poobrain? Oh, that’s awesome. Diddlycrap? I love you, Biz, I really do.”
“Your comrade is speaking of the Great Maker’s plans to use your bodies for spare parts,” One Arm said. “The Great Maker’s human matrix must be replenished.”
“Yeah, what he said,” Masters said as he got himself under control. “As soon as you and the lopsided mech here are done with your integration then you and I get to be dissected.”
“Then why don’t you get the heck out of here,” Bisby said. “Don’t worry about me.”
“I’d sure asheck like to,” Masters said as he struggled to keep from laughing again. “But maybe you haven’t noticed that the way out is blocked by an army of minis.” Masters frowned and looked back over his shoulder.
“And?” Bisby asked. “Spit it out, Mitch.”
“And my lovely lady Harlow is in there making some kind of deal,” Masters replied, looking back up at Bisby. “Don’t know what, but considering she isn’t my biggest fan I have a feeling it won’t turn out well for me.”
“Well, I haven’t pissed her off lately,” Bisby said. “So maybe I’m safe.”
“Thanks, Biz.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Her body would not be compatible with the Great Maker’s,” One Arm said. “She is the wrong gender of your species.”
“I don’t think that matters much, One Arm old pal,” Masters said. “But thanks for thinking of us.”
“I was not think-.”
“He’s being a smart ass,” Bisby said. “Ignore him.”
“That can be done easily,” One Arm replied.
“Great, now I get the cold shoulder from a mech too?” Masters complained. “How does a bad ass motherfucker catch a break in this wasteland?”
***
“Intriguing,” the Great Maker said as he looked Harlow up and down. “You would offer yourself in place of the two men out there? Would they do the same for you?”
“Of course,” Harlow said.
“Then why isn’t Masters in here right now fighting for you?”
“Because he knows that that wouldn’t be a good idea,” Harlow replied. “I can take care of myself.”
“Agreed,” the Great Maker said. “So the deal is you let me use what I need of you, replacing the rest so you can be my companion here forever? Is that it?”
“You must get lonely,” Harlow said, stepping towards the Great Maker. “And even with the metal, you are still a man inside, am I right?”
“Oh, I am more man than machine,” the Great Maker said. “You’d be surprised.”
“Would I?”
“But,” the Great Maker sneered. “I do not have cravings of the flesh any longer. Your offer is worthless to me.”
“Oh, well,” Harlow said. “I tried.”
She leapt at him and had her hand around his neck in an instant. She twisted his arm behind him, bending it almost to the breaking point.
“New deal,” Harlow said into the Great Maker’s ear. “We all walk out of here and go our own way.”
“You see, Pilot Harlow,” the Great Maker said as he craned his head around. “This is why I broke with the UDC. The insistence that violence and killing solve everything.” The cyborg’s head continued to turn until it was 180 degrees around and staring right at Harlow. “It only solves part of everything.”
Harlow gasped as the Great Maker slammed his head into hers, knocking her away from him. She was sent sprawling and barely had time to get up before his fist connected with her gut. She doubled over and his mechanical knee impacted with her face. Harlow flew up and onto the worktable.
“Do you smell it, Pilot Harlow?” the Great Maker asked as he took a deep breath through his nose. “That is the smell of me. I am everywhere here. I am the Great Maker. I don’t need the company of a slut mech pilot. I am my own company.” His fist slammed against her nose again and again. “And that is how I like it.”
***
“We have Stomper on the sensors,” Specialist Sol said as the Hybrid galloped across the wasteland. “He’s just over that ridge and down in the valley.”
“Weapons are full and hot,” Specialist Grendetti reported.
“The valley is messed up,” Specialist Kafar stated as he checked his readings. “It’s like a thick crust over a big hole. There’s enough space under there for a thousand deaders.”
“Let’s hope there aren’t any,” Lt. Murphy said as she piloted the Hybrid up over the ridge and down into the valley. “I’d really like this to be an easy extraction.”
“Is there such a thing?” Sol laughed.
“Not in my experience,” Murphy replied. “But I always hope.”
The massive Hill Stomper turned at the sound of the hybrid and stood to its full eight story height.
“Greetings, Special Operations team,” Stomper said. “I am glad to see that you have come to rescue the Harlow and the Masters and the Bisby. Unfortunately, I am too big to follow them.”
“Have you tried?” Grendetti asked.
“Dude, don’t fuck with the b
ig mech,” Sol said. “You’ll hurt its feelings.”
“I will be honest with you,” Stomper responded. “I have not tried. I feared I would collapse the caverns below with my size and crush all of them.”
“Fair enough,” Murphy said. “Where is their entry point?”
“Right where I am standing,” Stomper said as he pointed down at the crevice. “They have been gone for nearly 24 hours. I fear the worst.”
“Can you fear stuff?” Grendetti asked. “I mean look at the size of you, what’s there to fear?”
“Man, you have no shame,” Kafar said.
Stomper didn’t respond, just turned and crouched by the crevice again.
Murphy brought the Hybrid to a stop.
“Gear up, feet on the ground,” she ordered. “No time to take a breather. We go in now.”
“No time for a piss?” Grendetti grinned. “I really gotta go.”
“Piss in your silk panties, boy,” Sol said as he suited up and grabbed is assault rifle. “Time to do what we do best.”
“Rescue mech pilots!” they all shouted at once.
“Oh, I do not think they would be happy to hear that,” Stomper said.
***
“Great Maker?” Hollow Eye asked. “I do not mean to interrupt, but we seem to be under assault.”
The Great Maker stayed the scalpel he was about to apply to Harlow’s scalp. “Assault? Within the cavern?”
“There is a team of humans with the giant mech ready to descend, Great Maker,” Hollow Eye stated.
The Great Maker grumbled and set the scalpel aside. “Do not let them descend, Hollow Eye. Take the fight to them.”
“Yes, Great Maker,” Hollow Eye said. “I will not allow a breach of our hallowed halls.”
“I should hope not.”
***
“Would you look at that?” Masters said as he stood stock still, watching all the mini-mechs turn and activate. “I hope it wasn’t something I said.”