Mimi of the Nowhere

by Michael Kilman

  They walked down through another pair of large doors; this area looked much newer. A long staircase descended toward the underground. Mimi had snuck in a few times before, but she had never found any kind of back entrance to the Runner Docks. The staircase was the only way in or out, and she thought that was purposeful.

  The stairs opened to a long tunnel. Both directions led to the Runner Docks. They chose the left one and continued to walk in silence.

  As they walked, Mimi almost tripped. The ground still had a few pieces of train track left on it. Most of the other pieces of the ancient subway were torn up and recycled to repair different parts of the city.

  After a few minutes of walking, the tunnels opened into a large space. It was a concrete jungle. Above, mechanical arms lay dormant just above small raised platforms, and in the rim of the space were several small one-story concrete structures.

  Serah said, “Home sweet home.”

  Mimi said, “What are those structures?” she pointed to the rim of the space. She had always wondered what all this stuff was. Now she had a tour guide.

  “Those? That’s where the inspectors hang out when they aren’t deploying Runners.”

  “Deploying?”

  “Yeah, so when one of us is activated, they unbox us from storage and we travel down one of the tunnels.” Serah pointed to the various tube-like entrances that punctuated the wall toward the center of the city. “And then we come out and they inspect our body and mind and make sure we are ready to suit up.”

  “The arms and the platforms? That’s where you suit up?”

  “Yeah, you can put on an EnViro suit manually, but it’s a pain in the ass. It’s much easier to step up onto one of those platforms and let the arms dress you.”

  Shandie said, “So where’s storage?”

  “Technically, just up one of those tubes. But they're exit only. Less to guard that way. The Runners are vulnerable in the alcoves. There’s only one entrance, and it’s up this way.” She pointed to the far end of the open space, several hundred meters away.

  They walked without difficulty. A concrete desert, void of all life.

  Serah said, “I’m always impressed with our sisters’ abilities. I’ve never seen the place empty like this.”

  Mimi felt uneasy. She had expected some kind of resistance, and so had Noatla. It seemed strange that it was completely empty.

  Mimi said, “I don’t know, Serah. Something doesn’t feel right. Maybe we should move a little quicker.”

  “Alright, but don’t worry. This is my turf. Even if we do run into some resistance, I belong down here.”

  Shandie said, “Yes, but you're not supposed to be out of storage.”

  “True, but I don’t think anyone will be that much trouble, not with four of us here.”

  They were halfway across when they saw the doors at the far end open up. Two figures came out. Both were in EnViro suits. Their metal forms moved at a slow and steady pace. They were coming toward them.

  Serah frowned. “Recycled. Just keep your heads up and walk past them. They probably have orders from the AI.”

  “What exactly do they do down here?” asked Leahara.

  “Routine shit, mostly. They carry out all the maintenance tasks that the AI needs done. I’ve heard of them fighting when they need to, but I hear they don’t make great soldiers, they are slow to react. But if all you need to do is restrain a few Runners or have them act as a barrier to block someone from getting in or out, they’re perfect.”

  Mimi watched as they moved closer. She felt a little more nervous with every step. Her heart raced. Her mind flashed back to the afternoon when she had hurt Shannon, of the image of Daniel reaching for her. She hoped to the gods that neither of those Runners were him.

  Shandie asked, “How many of those things are there?”

  Serah said, “No idea. It could be a few dozen or a few hundred. I’m not sure anyone knows.”

  Leahara said, “Who manages them all?”

  Serah said, “The AI. Who else?”

  Mimi said, “You trust the AI?” She had thought it benign most of her life, but seeing those things up close, knowing that it controlled them, she wasn't so sure. Maybe the AI was more intelligent than anyone knew, maybe it was biding its time.

  Serah raised her hands, palms up. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s not like it’s even fully aware. It’s just a sophisticated computer program. And mine.” She pointed to the back of her neck where a small bit of metal gleamed, “It’s always with me, and it’s served me well.”

  Mimi said, “You can talk to it now? Could you find out why those things are coming towards us?” Mimi eyed them. They were close enough now that their pale faces were taking shape. Already Mimi could see a hint of the blue lines that ran like race tracks around their skin.

  “No, there has to be some sort of interface, like an EnViro suit or a computer terminal. The behavior chip just stores its memory and data. But I’ve been out in the Barrens a few dozen times now, and the AI kept me safe and alerted me of danger. So yeah, I’d say I trust it.”

  Silence fell over them as the creatures approached. Even a mind-to-mind communication seemed too loud, too obvious. Mimi closed her mind. A sealed vault. She was getting better, and after almost a week of regular practice, she found herself able to block most of her sisters so they couldn’t always see her. They had told her it was a muscle.

  The creatures were only a several meters away, and Mimi saw that neither of their faces were Daniel. She breathed a sigh of relief. She noticed a sharp pain in her palms and realized that she had been concentrating so hard that she had been digging her nails into her palms. She looked down and saw a hint of blood where reddened crescents marked her skin.

  Mimi took a deep breath. She did her best not to look directly at the Recycled. Walking behind her other sisters now, she noticed that they too were keeping their head forward. All necks were rigid. Ships passing in the night.

  As the creatures passed just in front of them, they stopped. Mimi felt a surge of panic. Did they notice them? She waited for them to turn and face her and her sisters, to reach out their hands, to clutch for her throat as Daniel had done in the dream. Neither did.

  The four women adjusted their path, but the creatures stood frozen, staring towards the edge of the city.

  Serah transmitted to Mimi’s mind. “Keep walking. They’re probably getting new orders. Sometimes they stop like that. It’s creepy as hell but not unusual.”

  Mimi took another breath and kept walking. Her mind and body ached to turn toward those Recycled, to see if they were still behind them, but she refused.

  A few minutes later they came to another set of large doors. They stopped and stood outside them. Mimi felt safe to glance back and did so. Both of the Recycled Runners had vanished.

  Serah said, “Man I hate those things. Gods, I hope I never become one. I made Noatla promise that if I ever became one of those things that she would eliminate me. I don’t know if there’s anything human left in there, but sometimes I wonder if the person is inside and trapped.”

  Mimi didn’t want to think about it. She said, “Is this the entrance to the storage facility?”

  Serah said, “Yeah. We’re near to where they would keep Shannon. The trick is finding her.”

  Leahara said, “What do you mean?”

  Serah said, “You’ll see.”

  IT WAS A WAREHOUSE of human bodies. For hundreds of meters, shelving stacked five levels tall were filled with sealed metal alcoves. Inside, human bodies floated in green goop. Clear window panels in metal frames gave glimpses of faces, feet, and arms on the first level, but higher up they could only guess at the occupants.

  “Dear lord,” said Leahara. “How many of them are there?”

  Serah said, “No idea. A few thousand?”

  Mimi said, “How... how in the hell do we find her?”

  “The AI,” said Serah. “AI, locate Runner 5444.”

  The voice of the AI said, �
��Runner 5444 is boxed in section 386 on level 2.”

  “Great. AI, unbox Runner 5444.”

  “Unable to comply, Runner 5444 cannot be removed from storage at this time. The post-op healing period is not yet complete.”

  “Well how long until the healing period is complete?”

  “The healing period will be complete in eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds.”

  “AI, when the healing period is complete, unbox Runner 5444.”

  “Unable to comply. Authorization code required.”

  Serah rolled her eyes and said, “God you’re a pain in the ass today. AI, use authorization code delta, five, six, one, nine, bravo, three, omega.”

  There was a pause for a moment.

  “Authorization code accepted. Unboxing will commence in eleven minutes and three seconds.”

  “Come on, ladies,” said Serah. “We got to get moving to section 387. It’s a little bit of a walk.”

  THE THING THAT MIMI would remember most about that day, besides the horrific events that followed, was the sight of the claw picking up the alcove off the shelf and standing it upright on the grated metal floor. There was something about the machinery that caught in her memory. Later, she would tell Noatla that she couldn’t believe how many machines and how much technology was down there when some buildings in the city were crumbling from disrepair.

  Mimi watched as a few machines came to life and with soap and water, rinsing Shannon. A clear panel slide open letting Shannon out. When Shannon tried to step forward, she fell, but Mimi, eager to hold her in her arms, dashed forward and caught her.

  Shannon looked up, her voice weak and frail. “Mimi. I’d knew you come for me.” Shannon looked pale.

  Serah said, “Be gentle with her, she’s probably still recovering. Like I told you the other day, they usually give them four days to recover just to be on the safe side. Some people take a little longer to heal.”

  Shannon looked up at the surrounding faces. “Who are these women?”

  Shannon, “These women... well... they are like me.”

  “Like you how? You mean... they can do the things you can with their minds?”

  “Yes, and some of them can do much more.”

  “I thought you said you were alone.”

  “That’s because I thought I was. I had no idea they existed until a week ago, until the day that... that...”

  Mimi burst into tears. “Oh gods, Shannon, I’m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen to you. This is all my fault.”

  “Your fault? What are you talking about? How could this all be your fault?”

  “I hurt you... I... scared you.”

  Shannon stared right into Mimi’s eyes and then kissed her. “Love, that doesn’t make what happened to me your fault. And I forgive you for scaring me. I know you would never hurt me on purpose.” Shannon cried.

  “Alright you two,” said Serah, who looked uncomfortable, “we have to move.”

  Mimi blinked, wiped her eyes and helped Shannon stand. “Shannon, this is Leahara, Serah, and Shandie. They are... well... they are my sisters now.”

  Saying it out loud was strange to Mimi, but how could it be otherwise now? These women had all risked so much to help the woman she loved. Who else would do that but family? She thought on her mother, and how her mother had sacrificed everything for her, the way these women had.

  Shannon looked at the women. “It’s very nice to meet you all.”

  “Talk later,” said Serah. “Right now, we only have thirty minutes to get the hell out of here before the inspectors come back; that evacuation drill won't last forever. So long as we are quick, that should be plenty of time, but I don’t want to take chances.”

  “Where are we going?” asked Shannon.

  “We are taking you to a new home,” said Mimi.

  THEY WERE HOME FREE. The exit to the storage facility opened unto the main docks. As Mimi looked around, she saw it was still empty. No inspectors, no SOs or anyone else running around. The space was an open plain. There were no places for predators to hide.

  Except there was.

  As the five women walked out into the open, two Recycled Runners appeared. They were walking perpendicular, across the open space.

  Shannon said, “I hate those things.”

  Mimi nodded but said nothing.

  Serah said, “Like before ladies, they’re creepy but harmless.”

  Shannon said, “Before?”

  Mimi said, “We encountered two on the way in. They were creepy but didn’t bother us.”

  Shannon replied, “They’re really creepy. Wait, why are they stopping?” Her voice shook.

  The creatures froze.

  “Probably new order again,” said Serah. “I told the others on the way, they do this all the time. It’s nothing to worry about, Shannon."

  “Then why are they walking towards us now?” said Shannon.

  Mimi noticed that they had indeed resumed.

  “Coincidence,” said Serah. “I’ve walked by them a hundred times, and I’ve never had any issues.”

  But something about that didn’t seem right to Mimi. It seemed like the creatures were walking towards them. Somehow it was different from last time. Mimi felt sweat gather on her forehead, felt her heart beating a little harder. She hoped that Serah was right, just like before, but her guts were screaming at her, saying that there was something very wrong.

  The creatures approached. They were moving quick, much more quickly than they had the first time around.

  Shannon said, “Can we walk around them? Please?”

  Leahara said, “I agree with Shannon. Let’s walk more to the left, even if it means it takes a little longer.”

  Serah rolled her eyes, “Alright, but we have to move quick. The inspectors won’t be much longer, and we really should be out of here before then. The less we have to use our abilities down here, the better.”

  They rushed to the left to circle around the Recycled.

  Then there were two more of the creatures coming toward them. Their appearance seemed more deliberate. When the women's path changed, so did the four creatures.

  Mimi stopped and turned.

  Behind them, six more Runners were walking their direction.

  “Serah, look.”

  Serah did. She eyed her sisters. “It’s a coincidence. It has to be.”

  For Mimi, the world tinged red.

  “Serah, I can’t move. It’s...” the words could barely make it out of her. “The... red... veil...”

  Shandie shouted something. It was fog at first but then clarified. The redness disappeared.

  Then Serah ran. But she ran back toward the direction they had come, back towards storage. She was shouting something, but Mimi could only make out the words “AI” and “Platform.”

  Shandie grabbed Shannon’s hand and then Mimi’s. “Come on. We have to get out of here. Leahara, you know what you need to do.”

  Leahara closed her eyes for a moment and then followed behind. She said, “I’ve made us less visible, but I don’t know if it will work on these creatures."

  Mimi said, “Where in the world is Serah going?”

  Leahara said, “I don’t know. But she said we have to keep moving.”

  There were several dozen now, coming from every corner of the room. Every time Mimi looked, more were coming from the tubes that led to the storage facility. They streamed in from every door, moving swiftly with clear deliberation. Whenever Mimi and her sisters changed direction, so did the creatures. They still had at least two hundred meters to cross the space, and Mimi was certain that there was no way they could make it without being surrounded.

  The creatures closed in. There were at least a hundred now. The closest were only a few dozen meters away, but still more streamed in.

  Shannon sobbed. “They're coming for me, Mimi. They're coming for me. Let me go back or they’ll hurt us.” Shannon stopped for a moment and crouched on the ground, clutching her head. �
��Why is everything red? What’s happening? Mimi, is this you?”

  Mimi felt a pang of guilt, knowing that if she was experiencing the red veil, that it must be like what Mimi had done to her.

  “Oh god, make it stop, Mimi. Make it stop.”

  Mimi tried to pull her to her feet, but she wouldn’t budge.

  Shandie said, “Hush Shannon, what you're hearing isn’t real. It’s a lie. Ignore it. The headache will pass if you keep moving. Do not stop.” Her words were firm and powerful, and Shannon stood. She wobbled as she did, but Mimi grabbed her arm and steadied her.

  Mimi said, “Come on, once we get out of here, we’ll be safe. Let’s hurry.” Mimi wasn’t sure that was true, but she knew Shannon need to hear it.

  It was too late. The first two Recycled Runners stood before them. Two others were only a few meters away. The creatures formed a circle of hybrid reanimated flesh-and-metal bodies. In moments, the four women were flanked. Penned animals.

  Mimi pushed Shannon behind her. The other two sisters put their bodies between Shannon and the Recycled. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the sound of a solitary set of metal footsteps on concrete punctuated the silence outside the circle. Two of the Recycled parted. A gate. A hell-gate. Through the opening, a singular Recycled Runner stepped forward into the circle.

  Mimi saw his face. Her whole body trembled. Her legs almost gave out, and she gripped Shannon’s arms tight.

  Just above a whisper, Mimi said, “Oh gods. It’s...”

  No more words would come. Mimi’s mouth opened and shut, but she was frozen in place. The red veil tinged everything. She could feel a trickle of drool escape the corner of her mouth. Her muscles locked. A statue, a monument.

  It was Daniel. His skin was almost translucent, marked with blue lines where the veins had been. He was a shadow, a living ghost, a reminder of all the pain Mimi had felt, of all the pain Mimi had caused. Daniel had survived his transformation into a runner. He had gone out on his first mission, and a storm had killed him. They recovered the body and had converted him to this thing. It was why she feared Shannon leaving the city in one of those suits.