Margo Flint and the Last Soldier

by Nick Mazmanian

  She looked suspiciously at him and asked, “What made you stop?”

  A warm electric hum entered ZiP’s voice as he answered, “We’re pals and you don’t shoot your friends.”

  Margo let a small smile make its way through to her face. The feeling of being with a friend was one she needed right now and because she was with a friend she had to ask, “Do you feel the urge kill me now?”

  “I shot myself in the head, so no. Takes a drastic action to stop being dumb.”

  “You’re made of tougher stuff.”

  “Was made tough.”

  “I think you’re tougher now than you were before. A lesser robot would have cracked to its code.”

  “Most robots haven’t been turning for 800 years, so I’ll cut them some slack.” He stood up as did Margo and holstered the revolver once again. “You seem pretty calm for someone who about to be killed.”

  Nonchilantly she said, “I knew you wouldn’t do it.”

  “Catcher wasn’t overreacting. It is prudent to be prepared. Always be prepared. Something you could learn to exercise.”

  “I’m a good shot, when I need to be.”

  “Wouldn’t have mattered.” He pointed toward the rusting dent in his chest. “I took a direct shot from that rusting cannon outside, the Germash wouldn’t have been able to do much.”

  She pointed toward the doppleganger. “He take that shot at you?”

  ZiP turned toward the deactivated robot. “Seems that way.”

  “It looks just like you, minus the paint of course.” Reaching out with her hands, she walked over toward the deactivated robot, and felt around the robot’s head. “Why was the same make as you on the opposite side?”

  “I don’t rightly know.”

  “What happened to him?”

  ZiP pointed toward the back wall of the bunker, where a workbench with rusted tools stood next to a massive tired looking radio. Next to the radio was a charging station. “Looks like Rys went cheap and gave this dude a recharging core. Told ya they always cheaped out. I’m an everlast core. No need for the recharge. This soldier could have kept going…”

  Her green eyes studied the area as she glanced back toward the robot. “So, what stopped him?”

  “Have you seen the view?” ZiP motioned toward the seat he was in when Margo came into the bunker. Reluctantly, she sat next to the deactivated robot. For some reason, she felt uneasy sitting next to the hunk of steel, but once she saw what it was looking at, that feeling melted away.

  The green and brown edges of the planet scraped by along the bottom of the rectangle window frame that eventually gave way to the horizon. Along the top of the frame was the Cloud Sea that she had punched through days ago. Piercing through the scene, and sometimes into the Cloud Sea itself, was a mountain range that wrapped some of the clouds around its smaller peaks. Swirling grey clouds shifted enough to reveal segments of the sun’s rays that illuminated the world and gave the scene spots of brilliant color that quickly faded away as the sun was covered up once more. “During this moment in the day, this brief period, this part of the world looks like what it once was hundreds of years ago.” ZiP walked around and leaned against the left edge of the living picture frame. “I think when he shot me he thought he’d accomplished his mission, because I made damn sure to never set foot in the clearing again. With no new orders, he probably continued to function for a while, but seeing this sunset. Day after day, alone, and isolated up here. It’s possible he just stopped trying.”

  “He killed himself?”

  “He just stopped. No dying. He just shut off and time made sure he wouldn’t work again.”

  She examined the blazing orange light that made portions of the deactivated robot’s glass eye glimmer as it bounced around inside its prism-like structure beneath the dusty glass shell. “Would you have done the same?”

  ZiP pushed up his hat. “My plan… for a long time, was to get here and end him. Once that was done… I wouldn’t have waited for time to take me.”

  “You would have…”

  “Yep, I have one bullet to do it too.” He pulled the revolver from its holster, popped out the chamber, and took out the orange bullet. “This would have been able to dome me and fry my innards.”

  “What… what made you stop?”

  The soldier approached the Rys bot, and stopped between it and the window. “You and Catcher. If I didn’t shoot you two down…” He tossed the special round into it’s special place on his gun belt and shut the chamber.

  A look of awe sat on Margo’s face as the feelings swelled in her heart. With a slight tremble in her voice, she responded, “It’s easy to think you’re alone, but you knew you were for so long. Yet, you kept going. You didn’t end it, you didn’t stop, you kept going.” She pointed at the dead robot. “He didn’t have what you have.”

  “What’s that?”

  Her eyes slightly glassy, she wiped away a tear before it could escape, and smiled. “Your hat.”

  ZiP took his hat off and looked at it. He then twirled it and put it on his head. “I hereby discharge myself from the service of the Republic since it is no longer around and thusly I have charge over my destiny as a walking talking metal man.” He walked forward, turned the locking servo that connected the left blue arm of the Rys bot to its shoulder, and caught the arm as it popped off the shoulder. Plugging it in, the servos squeaked and shivered loudly as the ancient arm came to life. ZiP flexed his newly acquired arm and fingers, looked down at the still robot, and saluted.

  “War’s over.”

  Chapter 22- Those who wander

  “Where to now?”

  Margo and ZiP rode the leg cables into the cabin. She turned toward the pilot’s seat, looked around the cabin, and turned back toward the window taking a deep breath as the sun lowered itself closer toward the horizon.

  It was a situation she never thought she would find herself in and as Margo stared stoically toward the darkening horizon, she felt numb inside. ZiP leaned against the support wall that divided the sleeping area from the rest of the room. “What’s with the face?”

  Without looking, Margo answered, “We can’t go home. I can send my Dad messages…” She looked over at the Flint family flag that hung against the wall. It’s colors a bit brighter than before as it remained directly under one of the internal lighting fixtures. “…but it’s not the same as seeing him.”

  He crossed his arms and looked at the same sky she was looking at. “When you first landed, you said you were explorers.”

  Lacking any enthusiasm in her voice, she answered, “Yep.”

  “Then why are you sad about exploring?”

  The question snapped Margo out of her trance and made her look over toward ZiP. “This wasn’t a part of the plan. Two weeks then home, that was the plan.”

  “Adventure starts when plans fall through. Change, or die.” He walked over to the pilot controls where Catcher was sitting. “You wanted to be an explorer. Here’s your chance to do just that. It might not have been what you imagined, but it’s here, you’re here, and you have nothing holding you back but you.”

  Margo stared at the red lens of the robot, its glass reflective surface showed her a face she never knew she had. Wiping away the tears, she looked down at her scars, and felt a well dig deeper inside of her. In that darkness, a nameless place she could never understand, she began to feel steady.

  Catcher’s voice pulled her from her introspection. “Cast off the shores that I know. Shove off into the darkness of the wondrous unknown. For no tales are writ about those who were too timid to leave home.”

  She nodded, crossed toward the navigation area, pulled up the tube containing the map from, and unfurled it. “Thanks guys.”

  “Sometimes some Resh is needed for the soul.”

  “Like chicken soup.”

  “...no, what?”

  “What about you, ZiP? What are you going to do now?”

  He took off his hat, twirled it in his hands, a
nd with a somber voice said, “I guess I’ll wander the world. Helping those in need.” He turned his head in profile and utilized the setting sun’s dramatic lighting as he placed the hat back on his head. “A lone drifter, with no home or friends, helping those who cannot help themselves!”

  “Okay…”

  “With no name!”

  “Your name is ZiP.”

  “And no one in the world who knows me!”

  “We know you.”

  “And…”

  “Will you shut up if we offer you a ride with us?”

  ZiP’s cowboy hat snapped toward his audience of two. “I accept!” He walked over toward a section with three indents in the wall. Each of them had some light padding in them and what looked to be a plug toward the top. He hung up his pack next the far left one and said, “Thank you for supporting a veteran!”

  Margo looked down at the crystalline chip with a look of surprise. “I thought you didn’t…”

  Catcher whispered, “We cannot very well leave him here.”

  Margo whispered, “I know you’re nice.”

  “Hush!”

  ZiP moseyed over toward Margo who was sitting with the map in her lap and a pen in her hand and an ink pod. “How’s that map looking?”

  Margo uncapped the pen, drew some ink from the pod, and said, “Gotta update it.”

  ZiP’s eye studied the map, looked at the lines of latitude and longitude and began to nod. He looked at the left coast with its very dynamic inlets, islands, and coastlines. “Think you can accurately map this area?”

  “Yep.”

  “Even though you’ve been here for, what, a week? I mean, that’s some sharp eyes.” The robot projected onto the paper map an outline of the valley and its extensive network of connected branches. The projected valley outline then aligned itself on the paper map where it should be located based on the lines of latitude and longitude. “Not to toot my horn, but mine are sharper.”

  The green grid projection on the paper map made her smile. “Only because you’ve had a lot of time on your hands.”

  “True, but still, I’m the best.” ZiP motioned toward his projection as Margo traced it on to the map and continued, “This will be the most updated map on me. The rest I’m sure is just as out of date as your topographical map here.”

  “Almost done getting this down.”

  “Once that task is completed, where to?”

  Margo looked up from her work in progress and toward the darkening orange horizon. The half circle of the setting sun burned toward the other end of the world and was covered again by the shifting cloud cover. She kept the grin on her face despite the excitement, nervousness, and chills that were sprinting through her frame.“Past the folds of sky and toward the edge of the world till we find home.” She looked over toward Catcher’s blue case. “That’s where.”

  Epilogue

  Dad: I’m glad to hear you’re alright. Catcher is right, the core was the most important part of Pip. Though I will miss that paint job. Just keep your wits about you and keep Catcher near at all times, okay? No arguments, be ready for anything, and if you two trust this ZiP character then I will too; though I don’t have a choice. I will always be available, message me whenever you want, and be ready because I will be doing the same to you!

  Love, Dad

  Margo: I’m not going to die, Dad. Between Catcher, ZiP, and Quirty I think I am covered with trusted and yet hardy bots to keep me alive. This isn’t what I envisioned when I struck out, but here I am, I promise I will keep the line open for you; just know if I don’t respond immediately, it’s probably because I am fighting a monster!

  I’m kidding… maybe. This is an adventure! A real one! For worse for better. I’ll talk soon.

  Love, Margo

  Nane: And so you’re on an adventure… Without me!?

  Margo: Hey, you said you didn’t believe me. Some updates, Pipsqueak was sadly crushed in when a giant walking machine crushed it, but the core survived! I am carrying it on the side of a walking house that I am calling Quirty (She’s very polite). I am a little afraid, told Dad about Pip and everything else, he’s taking it okay. Now we’re looking for the edge of the cloud sea and once we’ve found it then we’ll figure out how to get back home. Will update you more later, but if you could do me a favor? Make sure Dad is okay. The council has been flooding my messages with requests now rather than threats and I don’t want him in trouble for my doing.

  Thanks,

  Margo

  Zin Reebus, Shield of the 8: Margo Flint, you were ordered by the 8 to remain grounded during the duration of the Path of Roads. You have defied this order and are now found to be in violation of their word. Even though you should be punished for your dissent, the council has asked me to place a request on your travels through the lost world. They ask that you catalog any technological finds, to tag them on your… map, and collect anything that could serve Artsiv. Please keep your findings to yourself, we do not want wild theories going through Artsiv without official approval. Upon returning to Artsiv, you shall be brought to the council chambers for a very long discussion.

  Margo: Shield of the 8, I did not wish to cause problems, but the judgement that the 8 placed on me was unfair. I was not the only one in Artsiv to hold this belief. My route will take me some time and by then the map that Catcher and I found will have information that I believe will inspire further exploration. I want this map available for the people of Artsiv to see. I will do as the 8 requested, based on the agreement that what I find is made available for everyone. If I do make it back home, we will have a long discussion, specifically about why the 8 were so quick in discrediting the map.

  I am doing this for us.

  -Margo Flint

  Sotti Olive: Margo, I am in class 3. I am asking for my entire class as they want to know what’s it like beyond Point Echo? What’s the world like? Is it scary? Any cool animals? I like animals and would like to know about any you have found.

  Margo: Hi Sotti, the world beyond Point Echo is filled with strange birds that are huge, robots that wear hats, and is very beautiful. It’s a little scary, a little fun, and beyond interesting. I recommend that you pay attention in Biology, because these creatures will need names and I hope you do better than I have so far in naming them. I think the coolest animal I’ve seen so far is a creature that looked like a mound of mud, but it turned out it was only its fur! My imcap was busted, so I am drawing them the best I can. Hopefully you and your class will enjoy my very very rough renderings.

  If anyone from your class has questions, tell them to send them on over!

  -Margo

  The End

  Author’s Note for Echoes

  The following is the original short story that created Margo, Catcher, and their world. It debuted in my first novella that had three short stories called Where Monsters Lie & Other Tales. I loved how this story unfolded because it’s origin came from the movie The Duelists which is a very odd source of inspiration, but as I wrote on the narrative shifted on me.

  Margo came out of a want to have an ancient feeling world that was still continuing forward after a major crisis had ‘ended the world.’ My mind wanted to make a story that was hopeful but without feeling like I was going to rot your teeth out with a wholesome main character. I wanted Margo to have a driven spirit that didn’t bow down to the accepted ways of the world or stop because the road got tough and I feel like that was accomplished. She was invented long before I had a daughter of my own and I wanted to write Margo’s story because I felt like the boys had enough ‘adventure for adventures sake’ books out in the world. I wanted a teenager who wanted to go out into the world and explore it because it was simply there, rather than have her go to save her family or a love interested of some kind.

  I wanted Margo to be brave enough to look past fear and see where the wind would take her, something I feel a lot of us, myself included, could learn to do more of in our everyday lives. Our world can be scary, but t
hat doesn’t mean we need to lose hope when the world dims around us. It is during these darker times that light glows even brighter.

  Margo is that reminder for myself and I hope she does the same for you.

  Without further adieu here is Echoes, first published in 2014, but here for you to read today.

  Echoes

  "I'm going in."

  "I still don't like this."

  Before Margo stood a tomb, but it wasn't any ordinary grave. It was large, bigger than any single resting place; in fact, it spanned for miles. It was built from concrete and steel. Its many passages and corners were tree lined; their roots overgrowing their containers as they reached to reclaim the buckling black trails that ran throughout.

  The tomb was a city of a time long forgotten.

  No one remembered its name, only that the buildings and most man-made things were being reclaimed by the earth. Vast forests had sprung along the steel bridges and boulevards. The green had even taken to climbing the tall markers that reached toward the sky. Soon-to-be adults were tasked with bringing back a single piece of knowledge from the ruins of the old world. Many of the initiates came to the very building that Margo now stood in front of, a place caked in ivy and roots that wove among the brick and inlaid brass.

  The library.

  She pulled her sword from its scabbard. It was a simple blade, single-edged, with a brass pommel. It was a journeyman's blade, one given to those who could fight but weren't skilled. It was more of a ceremonial item that could be used in a pinch if necessary. Margo liked the weight and feel that it had in her hand. "Catcher, I'm going in."

  "I don't understand why you don't just get a book from the front. Everyone else does it and it suits the elders fine."

  The teenager turned toward her gyro, a flying craft whose shiny steel skin glinted in the sunlight, and patted it on the cockpit windshield. "I can bring you along if that makes you feel any better."