Tim received no answer, just croaks and groans.
“Do you understand?” Tim said much louder and forceful.
Still no answer.
“Do you want to live?” Tim said machine like. “Answer me!”
The man jumped and pressed himself harder into the rocks, but managed a weak stammering. “Y. . .y. . .ye. . .s.”
“Yes, what?” Tim bellowed louder in his machine voice. Tim was impressed with his impersonation of a robot. He thought he sounded very real.
“I don’t know,” the man sobbed, apparently touched by Tim’s machine impression.
“We are talking about your life. You will remain exactly where you are. If you move, I will kill you. Do you understand?” Tim was getting better with the machine sound. The last words he forced way into the back, upper part of his mouth.
“Yes, oh yes, please, don’t kill me. I’ll do anything. Oh please, don’t hurt me. Please, I won’t move an inch, I promise, I promise. I promise, I won’t move.” The man had his hands together and was praying to Tim.
“You chicken-shit, son-of-a-bitch! You can brutalize defenseless people for your enjoyment,” Tim changed to his real voice because he had suddenly lost his desire to play games with the man. “But, when the tables are turned, you fall apart. You’re a piece of shit.”
“Whhhooo arrrree yyoouuuu?” the man asked, trembling.
“I’m your worst nightmare,” Tim quoted a movie he had seen.
Tim turned and looked like he was going to walk away, but suddenly spun around and yelled “Boo!”
The man grabbed his chest, his face went white with shock, and he emptied his bladder and alimentary canal.
Tim turned away, disgusted. I hope I gave the bastard a heart-attack. He crossed the pool, then started up the slope to where the prisoners were supposed to be. They were still there, minus their brave guards. Tim could see them scrambling up the steep slope. As Tim approached the prisoners they didn’t seem particularly afraid of him. They didn’t cower or pull back, but just watched him intently.
“I’m a friend, just a kid in a funny suit.” Tim tried to sound as gentle and reassuring as possible. “I’m here to help. Will you please follow me?”
Tim watched their faces as they rose timidly. There was an old man and a woman that seemed to be together. The man helped the woman to her feet and had to hold her up. The man was weak himself, so Tim moved toward them to assist, not knowing what their reaction would be. The woman held on to his arm, grateful for the help. These people had been through so much that Tim’s strange appeared made no difference. They seemed to trust him, or didn’t care anymore.
The remainder of the group followed along as Tim helped the old couple down the rocks into the pool. There were two more women he had never seen before, and a girl he recognized as a school mate. He decided against identifying himself at the time. She looked frightened and it might be better if Ann talked to her first. No telling what had happened to her as a captive. The girl was with a boy, seven or eight, that she was protecting.
Tim escorted the six ex-slaves and their three past masters back into the base. The man he had told to stay put had not moved an inch.
The six he rescued he turned over to Hal. The three he captured he turned over to Mr. V who produced his large alien being form to guard them. They offered no resistance and seemed relieved to be captured, or probably relieved to get some decent food, as Hal had commented. When they asked Hal about Tim, Hal told them Tim was the Lord and Master and was to be referred to as such and obeyed, and he would decide their fate later. With that threat, and the large humanoid watching their every move, Hal said he didn’t expect any trouble from them.
*
Tim was headed out through the crevice to the outside world again, when Hal stopped him.
“Where are you off to?” he asked Tim.
“Out.”
“I know you can take care of yourself, but don’t you think looking for trouble is unwise?”
“What makes you think I’m going hunting trouble?”
“Oh, I don’t know, but I’ll bet you’re going hunting for something. Am I right?”
“Hal look, I can’t just sit here knowing things like that are going on out there.”
“Things like what?”
“You know, this slave thing. What the hell do they think they’re doing?” Tim growled. “They’re bastards Hal, and if I catch any, I’m going to fuck um up. I can’t just sit here, when I can do something about it.”
“I understand, but I doubt if you’re going to sneak up on anybody dressed like that.” Hal was referring to the bright red suit Tim still had on for the benefit of his three prisoners.
*
Hal was right. After a short period, for equipment adjustment, Tim was outside, climbing the trail to the top of the canyon. He had changed the color of his protection suit to a dusty tan color, with a helmet to match so he blended into the surroundings of the desert mountains. When he was halfway up the steep incline he thought about his four-wheeler. He stopped, turned around, and hurried back into the base.
*
An hour later, he reappeared at the entrance in the pool with a machine that looked like a motorcycle without wheels. The Sky-bike, as Tim christened it, had been in Mr. V’s inventory all along, but there had been many adjustments made to accommodate his smaller size. It floated a foot off the ground, no doubt capable of some wild performance.
A small squirrel was standing on his hind legs in the pool, his front paws pulled up below his chin, staring at Tim.
Tim mounted the machine and settled on. He pressed the accelerator like Mr. V had instructed. The machine jumped forward, pulling Tim right off, leaving him lying flat on his back in the sand. The machine shot up the slope, slowed and turned, and came back down. It pulled up alongside Tim, still lying in the sand propped up on his elbows, and stopped. The small squirrel seemed to be laughing. Tim jumped up, dusted himself off, and remounted the machine.
This time Tim was much more delicate with the start. He rode it down the series of pools. By the time he reached the rock slide blocking the canyon he had a decently good feel for the bike. At the pile of rubble he pressed the accelerator a little harder, and the Sky-bike took him effortlessly to the top. Tim stopped and surveyed the valley stretched out far below.
The lava had filled the lower end, and the fissure had extended itself many miles to the Northwest along the fault line. The lava that first flowed out of the fault had hardened, forming a dam at the lower end of the valley. As the new lava flowed up to the dam it would start to move up and over, but some hardened before it could move down the backside. This caused the dam to build on itself. Behind it the Valley of Sun and Fun was filling with liquid rock. Only the upper end was still visible, but in a matter of days that too would disappear, entombed forever in the advancing earth.
He pointed the Sky-bike toward the valley and started down. He took it easy at first, learning the feel of his new toy. The bike traveled along at two feet off the ground. It bucked up over rocks and bushes on its own. Tim pointed the machine at a hill coming up and the bike pulled up the one side, over the top, and down the other side without Tim doing a thing.
A nice touch, he thought, because a mistake in judgment wouldn’t smash him into the ground. He pulled the bike up into the air and tried a speed test. The acceleration nearly ripped him off the machine, again. Within seconds, a display said 90, and the Sky-bike was still charging strongly. A couple of seconds later, at 110, Tim eased the accelerator back and stabilized the speed. The rushing air was violently pulling at him and his arms were about to give out, causing him to drop the speed down. His new toy would need some work in the form of a windshield and cowling.
Wow what a ride! With Mr. V at my disposal, no telling what I can make.
Next he tested the weapons system. In the visor of his helmet, cross hairs appeared when he activated the laser gun. The gun moved up or down, side to side, in unison with the
cross hairs on the visor. He simply moved his head to line up the target in the cross hairs and the gun was pointed to exactly the same spot. He sighted on some rocks ahead and to the left and pressed the firing button. “Zap”, the rocks shattered from the impact of a powerful energy beam. He struck two more random targets in quick succession, both perfect shots. There was no need to make a head on attack with this thing; the laser could strike accurately in a wide circle to the front.
*
Tim reached the flatter terrain below the mountains and put the machine through the paces. It accelerated, turned, braked, climbed, and dove with such force; he would have to add some sort of harness to make sure he would stay on the machine. One time, when Tim tried a sudden dive the bike went down so fast he almost lost it. A panic grip with both hands was all that saved him. He was stretched out horizontal with his legs flying well above the machine. Only the protection suit and helmet saved his chin and crotch when he re-contacted the bike.
The control display in between the handlebars had a circle with a dot in the center. Tim saw a cluster of specks appear in the circle at the top, slightly off center. He made a slight turn to the right and the specks moved to the middle of the screen. They were moving toward the dot in the center as he raced forward at over 100 mph. Mr. V had instructed him; orange meant life forms, dark green meant machinery, and blue constructed objects. These were orange. Tim stained his eyes as he raced toward a grove of trees and could see nothing, even though the dots were almost to the center of the screen.
He slowed his speed as he came up over the trees. There was someone in there, he was sure; Mr. V’s sensors wouldn’t lie. As he came over the top of the trees he saw what the screen had been telling him. The sensor had said life forms were there, and they were. Mountain Cove’s stray dog pack was still in operation. They were laying in the shade, escaping the hot Sun.
Tim wondered how long they could survive now that food must almost be gone, and the starving human’s had rifles. It would surely mean the end for the enduring pack. He rode over the dogs and their sanctuary, then dropped down to ground level and headed toward the town. Wonderful gadgets these sensors. I won’t be going ahead blind.
*
Tim entered the first houses, staying close to the ground and proceeding cautiously. Although the radar showed nothing, the houses and the broken ground could be hiding possible danger. I’m not afraid of getting hurt because I’m protected, but no sense letting anyone see me or the machine and start wondering.
He had passed his house and was coming up to the spot where he had left his van. He drove up to the abandoned machinery and dismounted the bike. He walked past the first dozer with the large stain on the side. He was sure it was blood. Past the second dozer his suspicions were confirmed. The bodies of the construction crew lay in a crevice just in front of the machine. All these men had been doing was to try to help and it had cost them their lives.
Tim inspected the burned out van, but the fire had consumed it completely. He felt sadness; the links to his past were all going. He had gone by his house on the way down and had not stopped. He would on his way back up though, but it would be the last time. Then all the ties to my past life will be severed.
*
Tim traveled a few more miles down the cove toward the lava flow, but the foul air and the heat made him turn back. He was sure the air would become harmful if he went any farther without a breathing apparatus. Another note to make for the next time he left the base.
Tim headed for Ann’s house, intending to pick up some of her clothes and some of the games they used to play together. Maybe some of the old memories would help Ann deal with what had happened to her.
As he approached her house the sensors indicated numerous life forms a mile and a half beyond.
*
After stopping at the house and picking up what he could, Tim then approached the objects he had seen on the screen. He spotted a group of people moving down the wash coming out of the mountains. The wash ran next to the last row of houses on the West end of the town. Tim saw ten people, and the scope agreed. Sure as hell, he could see what appeared to be two unwilling persons in the group. They were carrying large loads, and a man was forcing them on, striking them in the back of the legs with a fishing pole as they struggled in the soft sand. He could see the two carrying the loads were a man and a woman. The woman was obviously in a bad way and she could hardly remain on her feet. The man with her was trying to help her, but the man with the pole would hit him, and push him away. The woman sunk to the ground, as Tim jumped over the dike and into the wash. The man with the pole raised it to strike the fallen woman. Tim fired a charge from his right hand, set to maximum. The blast caught the man square, propelling him backwards twenty feet. The body wriggled grotesquely a couple of times, then lay still on the sand, smoking.
Tim dispatched four more of the bastards before any of them could reach the cover of the far bank of the wash. The last three scrambled over the bank, as Tim ran to the man and woman.
“Let’s get this crap off of her,” Tim said to her companion.
“What’s your name?” Tim asked the man
The man tried to answer, but it came out as a croak.
“Who’s the lady?” Tim continued.
Tim was horrified at the woman’s appearance. Her lips were cracked and bleeding, her face and arms were covered with what Tim suspected were burns. The man cradled her head and was sobbing.
Tim retrieved some water from the Sky-bike and splashed it on her lips. She opened her mouth and her swollen tongue searched for the liquid. He pulled her head up slightly and poured a small quantity down her throat. She pulled her arms up to grab at the container, but Tim pulled it away and gave it to the man. He told the man to drink just a small amount to start with. The man took a small drink, but seemed to be more concerned with the woman’s plight.
“My name’s Tim, I’ll help you if you like.”
The man gave a small nod, just as a bullet passed close over their heads.
“Goddamn Bastards!” Tim commented to the man. Another bullet struck the sand just to the side of them.
“What the hell is wrong with you creeps?” he screamed at the top of his lungs. “Stay down, I’ll be back,” he said to the man.
Tim ran to the bike and jumped on. He rode it to the top of the dike and stopped, making himself plain as possible. He looked at the display to locate the remaining scum. The scope said they were three hundred yards away. Tim looked in the direction the display indicated and saw a group of trees along the wash’s outside edge. Tim started forward and pulled the Sky-bike up so he could get a clear shot over the dike. He began to fire the bike’s powerful laser into the clump of trees. By the time he reached the location the trees were reduced to smoldering stumps, shredded vegetation, and shattered branches. All that remained to indicate there had been people there was some bits of cloth, a piece of metal that looked like part of a rifle, and a hand lying in the dirt.
He rode back to where he had left the man and woman. Slowly the realization of what he had just done started to sink in. He passed by the corpse of the man with the fishing pole. I killed those people, and for what reason? They couldn’t hurt me.
“But, the bastards are so cruel, why shouldn’t they die,” he said to himself.
Tim found the man sobbing over the woman’s body. She had endured too much and her will had given out.
*
Tim helped Jake Walters bury his wife of seventeen years. They had been married young, both just seventeen, but had remained together through the good and the bad. Jake said they had talked a lot about growing old together. The dream was gone for Jake. He stood over the small grave a few minutes, turned and walked away. As he sat on the back of the Sky-bike, he started to cry softly.
*
On the trip back to the base Jake conquered his grief somewhat and explained a little about himself. An ex-navy pilot, he and Arty would have plenty to talk about. He had been sell
ing real-estate until the catastrophe. He and his wife, Alice, had tried to make their way out of Mountain Cove, but on day two had run into a band of renegades. Jake explained that he had left a shotgun in his house. It had never crossed his mind he might need it. In a time of difficulty, people got together, didn’t they?
“I was so stupid, and it cost me my wife. God, I’m going to miss her. How can I live without her?” he lamented.
Jake’s sadness helped Tim forget about his killing, temporarily. It would haunt him in the future, he knew that.
They deserved to die, no doubt about it. The problem is, was it right or wrong for me to administer the justice. I possess great power now, but what am I supposed to do with it? Is it right or wrong to use it, is it right or wrong to even keep it. As he approached the base he was completely confused.
As he reentered the base he came to the conclusion, Right or wrong, good or bad, I have no other choice. There are many people in here depending on me, and they are good people, they have proven that.
“I’ve just got to make sure Mr. V and what he can do doesn’t end up in the wrong hands,” he said to himself.
Chapter 11
Clank
As Tim entered the control chamber, Arty’s voice boomed out. “Are you ready for the surprise of your life?”
Tim spun around, surprised, because the event with Jake had made him forget all about Arty. Lucky too because had he been involved in making Arty well again he certainly would have taken another direction. There in the middle of the chamber was Arty with a beaming smile. Tim stood in shock, trying to formulate what he was looking at. Arty’s head was all that was left of him. It was perched on top of a gleaming, bronze colored, metal cylinder, about two feet in diameter and three feet high, with wicked looking silver colored mechanical arms and blue mechanical hands. The entire contraption floated three feet off the floor.
“What the hell!” Tim exclaimed.
“Do you like it?” Arty asked.
“Arty, for christ sakes, what the hell did you do to yourself?” Tim asked completely exasperated. “Is this a joke or something?”
“It’s no joke.” Arty sounded hurt.
“Why did Mr. V do this to you?”
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