by Nick Reed
Ferris writhed in the suit. He also felt Abi’s terror, the video would not switch off and the suit was rigid like a coffin. He could not even close his eyes to look away as the video was playing in his vision. In the video, as Abi was cut too deep she began to lose consciousness. In her last moments; a headless armoured suit flicked into existence behind Victor, the great strength of the machine crushed his throat and jaw. Abi closed her eyes. Abi woke up in a hospital. Doctors watched over her, as she faded in and out of consciousness. Eventually she opened her eyes with clarity and sitting next to her hospital bed was Atlas smiling sweetly. Ferris regained use of the suit and could move again. He wanted to open the helmet to get at his tears but it still wouldn’t open. He collapsed to his knees inside this torture device. He watched as Atlas leaned over and told him everything would be okay. He watched as Abi said she loved him, to which Atlas replied he did also. The video continued from Atlas’s point of view. He asked Terry, Mao and Veronica not to tell Ferris or anyone else he was living with Abi at Tass. The video ended and the suit released. Ferris crawled out and looked around wildly for danger; but nothing happened. He made his way back to the village and towards Terry and Mao.
“Where are they?” shouted Ferris into Terry’s face.
“Where are who?”
“You know who, the suit showed me he’s here,” yelled Ferris.
“Look, Atlas has been through a lot with his dad dying, he just wanted time to heal.”
“Where is he?” Ferris was angry.
“I’m here, Ferris.” Atlas stood in the doorway with a pained expression.
“What’s going on? I thought you had turned into a…” He looked to Terry and Mao who likewise looked bewildered.
“Let’s talk inside, chip,” offered Atlas. Atlas had grown back his black hair and was wearing workout clothing. “Beer?” asked Atlas
“I don’t drink anymore,” replied Ferris as he sat carefully on the old sofa. “You said you always wanted to come home, and I always wanted to get away.”
“We made it in the end,” Atlas replied in earnest, with a look of quiet sorrow.
“Who’s running the world now then?” Ferris asked.
Atlas picked up a glass of Tass cider and moved a book off an arm chair so he could sit down. “You are an assistant to the economics arbitor, that’s your world now, you tell me.”
“Are you in the network, Atlas, running the show?”
“I’m offline. No Nano, no superpowers. You can’t be content with that kind of power. I wanted to have peace and quiet, Ferris.”
“No more headaches?”
“No.” The pair sat quietly for a moment enjoying the reunion.
“Where is Abi?”
“She’s upstairs having a nap.” Atlas looked down into his glass.
“Can I see her?”
“I don’t think that would be appropriate.”
Ferris nodded in agreement and was sorry he had asked.
“I have a partner and a child now, do you remember Beth Jennings?”
“No, where did you meet?”
“I’m surprised you don’t remember, it was an eventful evening, um… never mind.” Ferris frowned. Atlas nodded in understanding. “Are you not bored out here, Atlas?”
“What you call bored, I call pleasure. The busy city life was never my thing.”
“I guess you’re a trillionaire you can do whatever you please if you wanted. How about lending me a few billion.”
“I gave it all away for something more valuable.”
“Atlas the monk. I need a bit more excitement in life than you, I think. Not as much as I used to but I still need a bit,” joked Ferris. Atlas nodded in appreciation of Ferris’s statement. “This doesn’t feel real, we used to be brothers, but now it feels like we are strangers.”
“You did throw a chair at me.” Atlas smiled.
Ferris smiled too. Atlas had done a lot for him. “Thanks for helping sort my head out, and helping me with my job. The policy advice you give me each day is really helpful, but you have stopped providing it recently.”
“If you are hearing voices in your head, it’s not me. I got free from the node years ago.”
“No, I was receiving your policy advice every day. Are you a clone or something?”
“Many times, in my life I have taken a moment to appreciate my point of view on the world, my consciousness; I remember those moments clearly. As far as I can tell I’m in the same body I’ve always been in, apart from a brief time in the node which felt more like driving a tractor then getting cloned.”
“The machines are awake on their own then. True AI which thinks its Atlas. I don’t know; it sounds worrying.”
“I’m not worried, that’s someone else’s problem now.”
“It’s funny how I’m out saving the world and you’re the one sitting around drinking.” Ferris smiled.
“Knock. Knock.” The pair looked to the front door to see the source of the voice. Veronica walked in and Ferris jumped up to give her a hug.
“Veronica. How have you been?” asked Ferris.
“I’m okay, I’m so sorry about Andy, Ferris.”
“This wasn’t your fault, you need to let it go; no one blames you.” Ferris frowned.
“Ferris is right, not one person in Tass thinks ill of you, you’re a hero.”
Veronica nodded and smiled. “I still feel terrible.” Ferris gave her another hug. The group spoke late into the evening and took a long walk around the lake. They approached a very scenic cottage with ivy and an overflowing vegetable garden, and a delivery crate sat outside containing packaged food and goods only available after being produced in a factory.
“Someone interesting has moved here recently, I would love to introduce you too,” said Atlas. He knocked and a white-haired scientist opened the door.
“Afternoon Ferris, Atlas, Veronica. Come on in.” Junius led them into his living room. It was stacked high with papers, books and overflowing desks. A hologram of the Pagida floated in the centre of the room. “Sorry for the mess. It wouldn’t be as cluttered in here if Atlas would just provide me with the frequency equation,” Junius said, exasperated.
“I’ve told you before, Junius. My Nano is gone along with the knowledge of the equation.” Atlas looked at a white board with a familiar but incomplete equation written on it. The important parts forgotten.
“You very unhelpfully deleted it out of mine and everyone else’s. Maybe if we could find the Pagida, wherever it has gone, we could extract it from there.”
The group chatted for a while but eventually the conversation was exhausted and they moved on. The sun began to set and Ferris swore he could hear a bird chirping somewhere. Arriving at the graves the three of them met the armoured suit. It spoke.
“A small boy wanted a family, a system not designed to accommodate such requests evolved to service. In that evolution began the dismantling of all that had been built.”
“Are you saying that I was controlling the networks my whole life?”
The suit walked up to a small rise standing there for a moment. It looked back once, before walking into the woods. The three of them stared on as a huge white orb appeared beyond the trees. The Pagida picked up its solitary passenger and then disappeared. Every inch of grass around them suddenly sprang to life. Flowers and insects erupted from every patch of earth. Before they knew it they were lost in a swarm of new life.
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The Lottery Winner
26-12-4-25-5-49-48-30-11-19-04-96
“
The numbers couldn’t be any clearer. One week from now I will be moving the black pebble back and forth to indicate the numbers at exactly seven o’ four on the thirtieth of November 1996. The actual numbers to win the lottery. I imagine you know how I got the pebble. You probably saw the ritual I did with Ted’s sheep up there in the hills. I was desperate though. My grandmother taught me long ago the rituals bef
ore the sea took her back.
Are you comfortable there stood in the corner? You can sit on the bed if you wish. Suit yourself.
They were going to evict us from this house you see. I know it was my fault I kept going into the bookies and the pub after work. I just lost track you see...Then it was too late.
I have a bad back. I’m only forty nine and I’ve got a bad back. So I couldn’t keep up with what Ted wanted me to do on his farm. There’s not much here on the Isle of Skye for an older man with a bad back. Wendy worked hard at the butcher in town but we couldn’t keep up so that’s why I went up into the hills with Ted’s sheep and I cut the pebble from his belly. I didn’t know how to use it at first, then one day I noticed it had moved back to the other side of the shelf. Exactly a week it was. I experimented and timed it. Wendy was upset, she was such a lovely women helping at the church on Sundays. She was worried for me, for us. She came back from the butcher, I heard her come in but I didn’t dare look at her, I heard her collapse onto the dining room chair and sob. The living room was filled with all my working on paper; all the things I was going to buy, but I didn’t dare look at her. I think that night was when we started having the bad dreams. Wendy had them worse. You were in my nightmares always chasing me , but I got away from you remember that, I just kept running and you couldn’t keep up, you’ve caught me now but I wanted you too. I know what I did was wrong but I just wanted the good life for Wendy. I loved Wendy and what you did to her, she didn’t deserve it.
We were in bed when we first noticed you. Well I didn’t but Wendy did. In the corner of the room. She turned to me, we hadn’t spoken all week but she turned to me and said there was something watching from the corner in the dark. A horrible white creature with no eyes. I laughed at her and turned on the light and reassured her it was just that mould growing on the paint. It did make me think of the songs grandma would sing in her caravan. She would stroke her horse, Berty, stroke Berty’s main and sing. Lovely voice she had. She was of the ancient ways, people who passed on the road would always be in shock to see a little boy next to an elderly woman wearing just a crown of flowers, all seemed normal like at the time. I won’t sing it now but the songs of the Aibell she sang, beautiful. The songs to make a wish to the baintside, never sing them for the banshee takes back all it gives. I was hoping to be in the south of France or Las Vegas. Out of your territory but here we are.
I went to the window as an awful noise was screeching, the sound of an animal dying, but dying in such a way that it wishes revenge. It was very dark but I could just make out your white shape waving back and forth at the top of the hill, praying. I knew what you were but I didn’t tell her. Told Wendy it was cats. Twelve of them live this way.
I got five books from the library on banshees in Inverness. They have got everything you can imagine In Inverness. I could see myself buying this house or that and a fancy car to go with it. I was going to buy Wendy a Landrover she always wanted a Land Rover. We would be so rich even our daughter might want to come back and visit us. She’s twenty six. Lives in London doing this and that with fancy friends, she doesn’t visit. Not even a Christmas card. Forgot her mums forty eighth birthday as well. She used to at least get her a card for that. I don’t know what we did to her. It broke Wendy’s heart that she never came back when she finished school. Broke her heart in four. She’s a strong woman though. A kind woman. You didn’t need to do what you did to her; she’s been through enough.
Last week, after I had told the lottery numbers to myself using the pebble and the paper with the numbers written on, I made my way to the bus stop to catch the twenty six to the shops in portree. The snow was up to my waist in places. I passed the spot where you were on the hill and saw imbedded in the snow large clawed hands and the outline of knees. I covered it up, pretended I didn’t see it but all the way in to town I would stop and check over my shoulder. Mary O’Neil wouldn’t let me buy a ticket, friends with Wendy she was. Too many cans I had bought from there so I was barred for my own good. I will admit throwing down the sunglasses stand was a bit too far, but she did deserve the slap. That stupid woman was stopping us from winning the lottery. It was pathetic I couldn’t buy a ticket so I went to see Jessie in the pub and told him some rubbish about a dream and if he could go across the road and buy the ticket for me. Well he did go across the road and he did buy a ticket with my numbers but he didn’t give it to me. I can imagine the evening he’s having now. Eventually I walked across to the other side of town in the petrol station and bought one there. It was dark by the time I walked home. Walking over that hill with my torch I aimed it where the kneeling pattern was before and in the hole was a dead crow. I heard something running up behind me and bolted for the front door. I couldn’t get the key in and you got closer and closer. I slammed the door on you, you scratched away but I didn’t dare open it. I told Wendy about you then, what I did to invite you, she laughed and tried to make me think she was the one moving pebbles, but then how could she have moved it before my very eyes not touching it. She caught sight of you briefly looking through the window so I closed the curtains. She didn’t sleep at all this week. Neither did I truth be told.
Can you close the window now, I can’t move out of bed and the snow banks are making the duvet wetter. No? Suit yourself. After spending so much time with you now I feel like you could be a bit more talkative.
I went out to collect the milk. It hadn’t been delivered and I wasn’t surprised. Mostly because we cancelled the delivery, but also the hundreds of crawling corpses made of snow surrounding the bungalow. As I was kicking them down it made me chuckle to think how long you had spent setting them up. Wendy didn’t find them so funny. She paced the house and kept picking up the phone first to call the police then the vicar then the bishop, then the hospital. She didn’t go to work. The snow got heavier and heavier. Wendy sat me down and tried to tell me it was all in my head. How could it be though, she found the lottery ticket and asked me what the numbers were and I told her, but she seemed to think the ones on the ticket were wrong. Estimated jackpot total, Ten million appeared on the TV. I pulled Mary in and reassured her we were going to win it big and be away from this icy hell. She tried to get away from me but I held her firm and made her watch. The draw master filled the machine with balls of all colours. Jesus appears as if by magic on the screen. See I said to Wendy God is here with us. Terry wogan picks Pat Lewis to press the button. Wendy screams so I hold my hand to her mouth. I told her I will let her go when the balls drop. But there is something wrong with the machine. Still I hold her. Wendy breaks free from my grip and rushes to the front door. I let her go for a moment then realise she has the damn winning ticket. I race out into the cold to catch her but she’s already high on the hills so I run through the dark following her footsteps in the dim light of my torch. I walk into the woods and I can hear her breathing. So I says to her it’s okay. Wendy, I’m not going to hurt you just give me back the ticket. She bolts from behind a tree and I grab her by the hair then the arm and push her back to the house. We sit in silence for what seems hours. The dull drum of the television filling the living room with dank light. I hold the ticket close. It comes back on and they finish the draw, Mystic Megs has been predicting it all day, I chuckle and reassure Wendy it’s all in God’s plan. The draw begins. Twenty six; twelve; four; Twenty Five; five; Forty Nine and Forty Eight. I jump for joy, Wendy cries. She tells me I need to see a doctor I’m not well. I tell her I just won the Lottery I’m fit as a fiddle. Then I get a deep clawing in the pits of my stomach. I look down at the ticket and the numbers read. Fourteen; twelve; three; Twenty Eight; six; Thirty Nine and Eight. My screams must have frightened her as Wendy runs for the door. I block her this time and chase her into the kitchen. I yell at her to give me back the real ticket but she doesn’t understand. Her long grey hair falls over her thick brown framed glasses, she lost her figure years before but something about her seems to attract me as I step towards her I see her swallow hard. She eaten the
ticket I know she has. She grabs at a knife on the counter but it drops to the floor. I pick it up and drag her to this bed. And I laid her just beside where I am now I cut her open didn’t I. I could hear your screams outside it made me happy to hear, I flung open the window to hear your icy screeches. You took over me demon. This is all you’re doing. I opened her right up but I couldn’t find a ticket in her or on her. Then I looked on and realised the curse has taken hold. I cut my wrists and I lay here talking to you over and over. This is hell isn’t it?
Do you want to kiss me is that why you are leaning in? I can’t move to see you properly but I feel you moving closer. There you are, you are more beautiful than people give credit.
Your hands are cold, maybe opening the window wasn’t the best idea sorry about that.
Please let me go today, I want to see Wendy again she didn’t deserve what you...
”