Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens

by Alex McCall

  “So this isn’t just natural?”

  He looked at me like I was an idiot. “Don’t be stupid. They’re chickens.”

  “Not alien chickens?”

  “They’re not aliens. They’re perfectly ordinary chickens.”

  “Then who’s controlling them? They must have a leader?”

  Rayna butted in. “Yeah, if they’re just chickens then they must have someone telling them what to do.”

  Glen growled exasperatedly. “I don’t know who’s leading them. I don’t know why they’re doing this. I just know that they’re ordinary chickens that can somehow control massive robots.”

  “So something made them smarter?”

  He raised a finger and waggled it at me. “Exactly. And I think I’ve found what.”

  He beckoned us towards a flight of stairs leading up. I told Lizzie to stay down on this floor, and followed Glen. Rayna was close behind me.

  We emerged on to the wide flat roof of the library building. Someone, presumably Glen, had tied a rope to the last rung of the steps and we all clung onto it. Maybe it was just me, but I’d seen too many movies which involved people sliding on ice into some sort of chasm to be comfortable up here. Glen led us over to a mast and pointed at the box at its base. For some reason it was covered in tinfoil.

  “Do you have to keep it warm?” I asked, loudly.

  He started unwrapping it. “No,” he bellowed. “It’s to block signals. I don’t want the chickens tracking them back to me.”

  As the last of it was pulled away the screen on the box lit up.

  “You see that?” He yelled. “There’s the proof.”

  He flicked a switch and I could see a number of wavy lines appear on the screen.

  “What does it mean?” Rayna yelled back at him. I was pleased to see that it wasn’t just me who didn’t understand.

  “It’s… oh hang on, let’s just go back inside.”

  Very thankful, I led the way back and was surprised at the quiet inside the library. The wind must have been louder than I had thought.

  “It’s a carrier wave,” Glen said after we had grabbed a seat at a nearby table. Lizzie was napping in a corner. “I think that it’s sending instructions to the chickens and making them very smart.”

  “That’s it? That there’s some sort of weird signal in the air? We went traipsing all the way over Aberdeen, went through all that, just for a signal?”

  Glen looked slightly bemused at my annoyance. “What’s the big deal? You only had to get a TV.”

  I growled at him but Rayna placed a hand on my shoulder, like last time, and gave it a warning squeeze.

  “So the chickens are all being controlled by this signal?” she asked. “What happens when the signal gets cut out?”

  “Without the signal they can’t operate. If they can’t operate then they’re just chickens stuck in a big metal shell,” Glen said.

  Now I got it. “So all we have to do is to cut off the signal and they’re useless? The chickens all fall over or explode or something?”

  He nodded. “Sort of. They’ll probably still be able to control their machines, but they won’t have the intelligence to pose a threat. If you went at them they’d probably run away.”

  “Who’s sending the signal?” I asked.

  His smile faded. “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “Well, it was pretty lucky that I was able to find the signal in the first place,” he said defensively. “It just happened by chance. I haven’t been able to do anything more with it than identify it. I would have to leave the University and wander about to triangulate the signal.”

  “All right,” I said, getting to my feet. “Grab your stuff and let’s go.”

  He shied away from me. “No way. I’m not leaving.”

  “That’s what you think,” I said, taking another step towards him. I was still holding out hope that he could just be intimidated into doing it, but Rayna restrained me again.

  “No, leave it, Jesse. If he doesn’t want to go then we can’t make him. Now sit back down.”

  I did, grumbling and shooting Glen hostile glances. He seemed very flustered. Good.

  “Look, even if I wanted to go with you I probably couldn’t,” he said. “I don’t have the stuff I need. This is a university, not an FBI outpost or something. And even if we did have it I’m not sure I would know how to use it. I only managed to get that because I was trying to see if there were any TV stations still transmitting.”

  “Why were you looking?” I asked.

  “I thought there might be some emergency channels still working, maybe some government broadcasts.”

  I looked up, hopeful. “Anything?”

  He shook his head. “Every so often there seem to be things broadcast, but I’ve not been able to see them. That’s what I was wanting the TV for. Anything to help us survive.”

  I looked at him, interested. If there was a chance of picking up a broadcast, maybe the Train Station Gang would have to get a TV for themselves.

  I went and got the book I’d picked up. “Here,” I told a surprised Glen. “I figured that since I was in the area anyway I’d pick up a book for you. I hope I got what you liked.”

  He looked at the book and I swear I could see tears swelling in his eyes. “Thanks. Thank you very much.”

  “No problem,” I said, looking away and feeling uncomfortable. “Just since I was in the area anyway. It wasn’t any skin off my nose.”

  “Look, I’m really sorry I can’t help you,” he blurted out. “But I could probably narrow it down. I’m sure the signal isn’t coming from a satellite and I’m also pretty sure that they’re not using the mobile phone networks. It would have to be some sort of signal mast. They’ve probably got them set up in every place they invaded. I don’t know if that helps at all.”

  It did… a bit. At least we knew that if it was a local signal we stood a chance of destroying it. If the source of the signal was on the ground it would mean that we only had to blow up an antenna or something. Though I had no idea how we’d be able to do that either.

  “So all we have to do is find out where the signal is coming from, then stop it somehow?”

  Rayna looked a bit grim as well. It wasn’t going to be an easy task, but the look on her face told me that she was resolute. “We’ll do it somehow. Thanks, Glen, for everything. I’ll make sure you get paid.”

  He nodded uncertainly. “You can stay here for the night,” he said, gesturing around. I looked at Rayna hopefully. I didn’t really want to walk all the way to the sofa shop again. Night was only about an hour away and I didn’t want to risk meeting whatever might be lurking out there. She shrugged and nodded.

  We had tea together. I’m not sure if Glen really was covering for anyone, but if he was then he didn’t go to see them that night. The meal was a tense affair. Glen seemed uncomfortable with our presence and seemed to want to escape to his TV and books as soon as possible. Rayna was glum, probably looking ahead at the huge task in front of us.

  “So what do we have to do?” I said to Rayna while Lizzie slurped away happily. “To defeat the chickens. If we make a rough plan now then it’ll be easier to know what to do.”

  Rayna leaned towards me slightly, staring intently. “What do you mean we?”

  “Oh.” Right. I was only supposed to be along for negotiations with Glen. After this I’d be going right back to the train station. I really didn’t want to. I wasn’t exactly enjoying having to walk for hours, dodging giant birds and mad chicken cults, but it beat lying on my bed back home.

  “Well I just thought that it would be better if we didn’t bring Lizzie so close to her old home. I mean if she ever ran away then it would be easy enough for her to lead them there. And I can’t just leave her with you. It wouldn’t be fair.” Beside me Lizzie hummed in agreement. “Do you not want me around?”

  Rayna cast her head back arrogantly, but smiled at me while she did it. “I guess I’ve got u
sed to you hanging around,” she replied.

  I smiled. “So what do we need? First we find the signal. Then what?”

  She shrugged. “We’ll need an army to take it down. And then we’ll have to actually attack it. Once it’s down… I guess none of us know what will happen after that.”

  I nodded and thought that the next few months wouldn’t be that bad. Travelling around Aberdeen, trying to work out where the signal was coming from. When it was actually time to do something about it then it would be terrifying. But for the moment I was pleased with the job I had in front of me.

  Then Glen had to come and ruin it all.

  “I’ve got it,” he said, hurrying over, his eyes shining. “I think I know what’s transmitting the signal.”

  Suddenly Rayna was all business again. “What?” she asked. “Tell me.”

  “Aberdeen used to have a broadcasting house as part of the BBC. I bet that it’s there. I think it was working on the same frequencies. And it would be powerful enough to cover the city.”

  “Do you know where it is?” Rayna asked urgently.

  Glen nodded. “Yeah, it’s just off Beechgrove Terrace. I think that’s where they originally filmed that gardening show – the Beechgrove Garden.”

  Rayna nodded. “There’s a high chicken presence around that area. I’ve never been able to get close to it. But it would make sense.” She looked out the window, where the sun was slowly setting. “We’ll have to go and check it out, just to make sure.”

  I followed her gaze, then it hit me. “You don’t mean now, do you?”

  “Of course not,” she said. I just had time to relax before she added. “It’s not dark enough. We’ll leave in an hour.”

  I took a step back from the window. I hadn’t been out at night for months. Not since the whole thing had begun. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  “It’ll be easier to sneak up on them at night. Besides,” and here she hesitated for a moment, “this way we’ll be able to avoid any trouble.”

  I said, “What?” at about the same time Glen muttered, “Cody.”

  I turned to him and stared. “Who’s Cody?” I asked.

  “Someone you don’t want to meet.” He replied. Before I could question him more Rayna butted in.

  “Can you look after Lizzie for us while we’re away, Glen?”

  He nodded, though he didn’t look happy. “Of course. But look, Rayna. Whatever you find there… just be careful, OK?”

  Chapter 10

  I’d never really had a problem with the dark before the chicken apocalypse. Kemnay is right out in the country and sometimes Dad would take me out late at night to go star-gazing. The air would be crisp and my breath would form clouds in front of my face. We’d go up the nearest hill where the lights from the town wouldn’t block out the night sky. It always took my breath away.

  But this dark was different. This time I didn’t have Dad standing next to me, holding my hand. Now I only had Rayna and the threat of chickens in the dark.

  She took us up a different street to the one we had arrived in. We had been walking for only five minutes when I realised I had no idea where we were. Everything was different in the dark. The retail park we passed was like a deep pit, just waiting for us to fall in. The railway line after that was like a river. I moved so I was walking a bit closer to Rayna and hoped that she didn’t notice.

  Further on into the night we trudged, through a maze of streets. Finally we were on a better road; there was only a park on one side. On the other side was a solid line of houses. It didn’t last long, though. Another crossroads and we left them behind. I could almost feel ghosts in windows behind us, waving us goodbye. I began to shiver. But there, in the distance, was some light. The street lights were on, showing the empty road ahead.

  Rayna saw the lights as well and stopped. “Is that where we’re heading?” I asked her.

  I could just make out her shaking her head. “We’ve still got a few streets to go. We’ll… what is it?”

  I’d grabbed her arm and hauled her over to the side of the road, putting my hand over her mouth. The vibrations that I’d felt grew worse and then the chicken appeared from the right side of the crossroad. It didn’t pause, just turned down the lit street and kept walking.

  As soon as it was gone Rayna shook me off. “You didn’t have to grab me,” she said, her voice angry. “You could have just said.”

  “Sorry,” I replied, my eyes still focused on where the chicken had gone. “I didn’t want to take the chance that it might hear me.”

  “Well fine,” she said, her voice slightly less annoyed. “I guess it’s OK if you…”

  I felt another chicken coming and grabbed her again. She elbowed me in the ribs, but stayed still and quiet until it had come and gone, following exactly the same path as the first one. “Next time, just tap me on the shoulder,” she said, her voice a growl. I just nodded.

  “That’s two,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. “I’ve not seen any together since the first attack.”

  She was about to reply when I tapped her shoulder. A third chicken appeared and disappeared, exactly like the others. “What are they doing?” I murmured.

  Rayna turned and looked at me, her eyes shining. “They’re patrolling,” she whispered back. “Glen must have been right. There’s something important to them here.”

  “But if they’re patrolling like that, how are we going to get in and check it out?”

  “We’ll have to wait until we see a gap, then hide in someone’s garden to get closer.”

  Twenty chickens later and we sat panting on the grass, a wall pressed against our back. The chickens had been going by like clockwork and there had been a gap of only a few seconds to dash across the road and vault a high wall, which we’d got over by climbing on some bins. Another two chickens passed by us before we got our breath back enough to speak.

  “How many chickens do you think they have here?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “Not sure. First let’s find where the signal is coming from. Then we’ll worry about how to get past the chickens.”

  We began making our way forward, scrambling over walls and freezing any time we thought we heard a noise. The darkness had terrified me on the way here, but now I wished it would come back. All the street lights were on and we ducked between shadows when we could. After about ten minutes Rayna nudged me and pointed. I followed her finger and saw a massive TV mast poking out above the surrounding houses.

  “Is that it?” I asked. She shrugged.

  “If Glen is right then yes, I think so. We’re going to have to get closer though. Come on.”

  I didn’t move, just stared at it. “It’s huge,” I said. “How are we supposed to take it down?”

  “Jesse!” Rayna snapped her fingers in front of my face. “One thing at a time. Let’s get there first.”

  I shook myself out of it. “OK. If we get into one of the houses over there we should be able to see it properly.”

  In the streetlight her teeth glowed orange when she grinned. “OK, let’s do it.”

  It was another tense ten minutes, but finally we made it to one of the houses by the antenna. The back door was unlocked and we let ourselves in, careful not to leave any sign of our presence. The inside of the house was totally dark and I almost walked into a table. We managed to make our way upstairs and found two bedrooms.

  “We should sleep here tonight,” Rayna said. “Then check out the security tomorrow.”

  The idea of spending the night in a house so close to so many chickens would normally have scared me half to death but it had been a long day. At the very mention of sleep I felt a blanket of tiredness drop over me, blocking out any fear.

  “All right, see you in the morning,” I said.

  Tired as I was, it would be hours before I could actually get to sleep. The stomping of the chickens going past outside kept jerking me awake and when I finally did begin to slumber the chickens marched straight from reality into
my dreams.

  I was woken the next morning by Rayna putting her hand over my mouth. I’m fairly sure she did it as a kind of revenge because when I woke up panicking she just grinned at me. Shrugging her off, I swung my feet out of bed and accepted the breakfast bar she gave me.

  “What have I missed?” I asked between bites.

  “Come and see,” she replied, her voice grim. She grabbed my arm, pulling me over to the window. I looked out and my heart sank.

  The chickens had turned the place into a fortress.

  Beechgrove Terrace might have been a nice place in a different time. There were trees and I could see some lawns and things. But you couldn’t ignore the chickens. There was one of the Catchers standing in the car park, idly perched on the dented bonnet of a red Ford. Even as I watched, another Catcher thumped past on the road on the other side of the building. The mast towered over everything. I could just see its base. And, more importantly, I could see what was next to it. A green wooden gate led into an area protected by yellow warning signs covered with black lightning bolts. Behind it I thought I could see some machinery, like a generator or something. That must be important. If we could smash that up, maybe it would cut off this signal.

  “Rayna…” I tugged her sleeve and pointed towards the area, but she’d already seen it.

  “Look closer,” she said and passed me some binoculars.

  I put them up to my eyes and twiddled the nobs. I could see something moving down there, but it wasn’t until I got the binoculars to focus that I saw what it was.

  Before, when I’d heard rumours about other types of chickens, I’d asked myself what else the chickens could need if they had giant metal robot chickens. I got my answer here.

  Smaller chickens, just a little bigger than normal size. Their metal skins glinted in the weak sunlight and it looked like they were wearing robotic suits. Their eyes gleamed green and they marched back and forth, obviously guarding the area.

  We crept away from the window so we wouldn’t be seen. My heart was pounding.