Real

by Dena Nicotra

  The first stretch of road was uneventful, but the freeway was another matter. It was littered with abandoned vehicles and downed windmills. It took time to maneuver around them. I hit the shoulder as often as I could to make up the time. By the time we passed the weigh station, the truck was smoking and struggling with the incline. “Temperamental,” Two muttered.

  We got another five miles before it died.

  “Fuck!” I shouted at the dashboard. This was just what I didn’t need. It was already going on one o’clock, and now we had no choice but to walk. I grabbed my pack in silence and slammed the door.

  “It could be worse,” said Two.

  “Yeah, how?”

  “It could be raining, or snowing.”

  “Well, aren’t you the optimist.”

  “Just trying to help.”

  “Just walk,” I snapped.

  “We’ve got another twenty miles, and I’m pretty sure there are at least three simps on the edge of my senses.”

  “Perfect. Are you still able to control the ones in town?” It hadn’t occurred to me that we might take her out of range, and that it could be a problem. This stopped me in my tracks.

  “Nothing to worry about, Lee. I shut them all down about ten miles back.”

  “Will they stay powered down?”

  “Yes. Permanently, with the exception of Deraline.”

  I picked up the pace and she matched me stride for stride. I wanted to believe that I could walk twenty miles if I had to but, as we continued on, I began to doubt my superpowers. It was getting colder and I longed for the comfort of my hovcar. “Lee, there’s the three I told you about,” she whispered. About a mile ahead of us, three silhouettes sat perched on the center divider. I swallowed hard against the dry spot that had formed in the back of my throat. All three of them stood at the same time and took positions across the roadway.

  “Well, it looks like we’re going to have to go through them,” I said, pulling my gun from the back of my jeans.

  “Maybe not, Lee. Let me try to reach them.” With that, she opened her mouth and the keening began. The pitch was almost unbearable, and I raised my weapon as the trio began to move toward us. Two’s left arm shot out to stop me, or I would have fired.

  She closed her mouth as the three of them stopped directly in front of us. She gave me a nod to let me know that everything was under control. The glassy eyes of the first one, a young black female in what appeared to be her mid teens met mine.

  “We are glad to be of assistance,” she said with a heavy east coast accent. The second, an older black male with dreadlocks and a bad-ass long coat smiled in agreement. He had a very square chin and striking cheekbones that made him appear younger on closer inspection. The third made me suck in a breath. He was a little boy, and he looked so much like Jacob I wanted to drop to my knees and hold him close. I turned away to light another cigarette. I had to remind myself it wasn’t the little boy that had been with Barbara back in the hospital. That little boy had been murdered by simps just like the ones that stood before me now.

  “Lee, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just need a minute, that’s all.” She turned her attention back to the three of them as I stood there temporarily paralyzed by emotion. Two, who enjoyed the luxury of being void of emotion, went about the business at hand as she communicated with them in that eerie way that confirmed her synthetic make up. Too fast to comprehend and too much for my brain to handle. I focused on the child, who wasn’t engaged in the conversation. In fact, he was just staring at me with big, innocent eyes and a wide, bright smile.

  “It’s okay, lady. We’re going to help you. Do you want me to carry your bag for you?” I blinked away tears and turned away from his inquiring eyes. He moved closer and tugged at my jacket. “Excuse me, I asked if I could carry your bag. I’m a very good helper. Please don’t let my size fool you. I’m very, very strong and I don’t get tired.”

  “I’m sure you don’t. You’re not human,” I said through gritted teeth. Taking no offense, he nodded in agreement. “That’s right, I’m not. I’m a special creation, designed for my human family and my job is to bring them great joy. Since we don’t know where they are, I can’t do that job, but I can help you. I’m sure that they would be proud of me for my efforts.”

  I cleared my throat again and dropped my cigarette on the ground. Stomping it with my boot, I turned to the simp boy. “What’s your name, kid?”

  “My name is Isaiah. It comes from the Bible. From a verse that my father picked. Do you want to hear it?”

  “Sure.”

  “For he shall grow up a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men.” His face contorted. “I don’t understand what that means, but my father said that I’m afflicted.”

  “Afflicted, huh?”

  “Yes. Afflicted. Can you tell me what that means?”

  “It means that you have something that you have to live with, but don’t worry about it. Everyone has that problem.” To this he smiled broadly, and took my pack from my hand. “I like you. You’re a nice lady. What is your name?”

  “Lee, but I’m not so nice.” He nodded and looked to Two. “You look just like her, but she’s not like you. She’s like us.” It wasn’t a question, which was a good thing because I had no response.

  Two turned her attention back to me. “Okay, so here’s the deal. They were all connected to Aaron, but I was able to break through. They’re safe now. Since they were in the factory and know the layout, I can tap into their shared memories, and we can use them to help us.

  “Sounds like a plan. So what’s their deal?” I asked.

  “These three were connected to a family in Tehachapi. The older simp is named Cobb. He was the caretaker of the cemetery that is adjacent to the Calvary Mountain church. The pastor and his wife had the boy and the girl created after their own children passed in an accident. Apparently, Cobb was able to lock himself and the kids up in an old crypt beneath the church just after Yen’s virus was launched. He powered the kids down, and then himself. They’ve been offline until two days ago. It seems that Aaron has launched a code that awakens any simp that went offline voluntarily.”

  “That explains the sudden increase in numbers. What happened to the parents?”

  “They do not know.”

  “Maybe that’s for the best,” I said.

  “There’s a hovcar up the road, and Cobb thinks that it may be salvageable. They will take us to it.”

  “Let’s hope our luck is changing,” I said.

  “One more thing, Lee.”

  “What?” Two’s face showed no emotion.

  “Aaron knows that you don’t have Mic with you, and he’s really pissed off.”

  “That makes two of us.” I turned to Isaiah. “Lead the way, little man.” He adjusted my bag over his shoulder and smiled.

  “Follow me.”

  The air grew colder, and as we walked along the deserted freeway, I found myself lost in memories of a little boy that had died far too young. The simp child marched ahead of me, tireless and never once complaining. I learned from Two that his simp sister was six years older than he and her name was Grace. Her east coast accent derived from her mother’s request. The human version of Grace was born and raised in the desert, but mom had come from New York and this slight alteration kept her from growing too attached to her simp daughter. The accent served as a permanent reminder that the replica was nothing more than that. Unlike Deraline, these kids were not Alpha Composites. Their parents never meant to upgrade. They wanted to keep the kids just as they’d remembered them, before the accident that had claimed their young lives.

  After what seemed like hours, we reached the abandoned hovcar. It was on its side and covered in layers of dust, but with Cobb’s help, we were able to right it and open the doors. It was a newer model that required a co
de to open the operating system. Fortunately, Two was able to tap the system and when the engine started, I gave her a high five. We were maybe fifteen miles away from the factory at her calculation. With any luck, we’d be at the cement factory soon.

  The hovcar was very low on fuel and because it had sat out in the elements, it was less than sound. Our new “friends” climbed in the back without a word, and Two took her seat next to me in the front. I wiped the dirty front window with my hand and cleared a spot so that I could see. “Fasten your seatbelts. Let’s hope this fucking thing works,” I said.

  As it lifted off the freeway, it nearly stalled and scared the shit out of me. For a brief moment, I debated setting it down and going back to plan B. Walking was better than dying. One glance at Isaiah’s smile in the mirror changed my mind. The real boy that Isaiah reminded me of might still be alive if not for Aaron. Jacob didn’t deserve to die so young, and that monster would pay for it. My determination to get that son of a bitch overrode my panic.

  The air howled through the gaps in the door seams and did little to stave off the cold. The heater didn’t work, nor did the autopilot. I was thankful we weren’t going far. A large field came into view on our right and just beyond it, a massive facility rose up out of the night sky. There were two tall towers that were surrounded by giant scaffolds that beset round outbuildings and a series of pipes that looked like giant slides climbing and twisting into the strange looking containers that towered into the darkness. Behind this was a glowing dome shaped building that seemed to rise up out of the earth. It looked more like an old abandoned castle than a factory.

  I took this all in and wondered what the hell I’d signed up for. “There,” said Two, pointing to a mountain top, not far from the dome. If you land there, we will have the advantage of being able to see everything for a good distance and we can find the best way in.” The mountain was rockier than I’d anticipated, but I managed to land the hovcar without incident. Climbing down said mountain was another matter.

  I miscalculated and slid unexpectedly. Thankfully, Grace grabbed my arm and kept me from rolling down the side of the mountain. I had to pause and catch my breath. “It’s steeper than it looked from up there,” I said.

  “Here, take my coat,” said Cobb. “You need it more than I do.” I wasn’t about to argue with the simp. My teeth were chattering so badly that I could hardly focus on the sounds around me. Besides, it was a bad-ass coat. As we got closer, I could hear the faint hum of machinery and something more ominous beneath it. The clicking. Towering Aaron was close.

  I motioned for the group to get down and we took shelter behind a large boulder. “Two, can you sense anything?” I whispered. She closed her eyes and took a moment. In the dark, it was hard to tell but it looked like she was mumbling to herself. Then, she opened her mouth and Aaron’s voice came out.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Noooooo cheating, Leeeee. That’s cheeeeeeating. You’ll have to find me on your oooown. Don’t expect me to reveal myself that easily. She’s not directly connected this time, and I’m noooooot playing by your rules.”

  “You’re going to play all right, you sorry sack of wires. Make no mistake, when I find you, I’m going to make you pay for what you’ve done. You’re going to take me to Metchler’s brain and then I’m going to kill you.”

  “Is that what you believe, Leeeeeee? We’ll then let’s get this game started, shall weeeeee?” Two’s body began to convulse and then her back arched in a very non-human way. The violence of that bend was matched by the unnatural snaps that were happening with her legs and arms. Her left forearm was now bent back behind her elbow and her right leg was equally twisted. I was screaming for the others to help me stabilize her, but there was little any of us could do. Her body slammed back against the ground and then her head lolled to the side. Instinctively, I crawled to her and gently slapped her face. “Two! Two, come on, girl! Snap out of it, come back to me!”

  “That’s not going to work, Lee. She’s not human.” Cobb caught my hand. “You need to leave her.”

  “No! I won’t leave her!” The two simp kids sat silently, watching me with blank expressions. The paradox of human emotions versus machine was very overwhelming. Why were they not helping?

  “Do something!” I pleaded. It was Grace that stood up first.

  “You will not survive this night, human.” Her brother stood up and took his place beside her. Dropping my pack to the ground, he lowered his gaze and the smile that had reminded me so much of Jacob slipped away. “Our code is being infected. You…should…run,” said Isaiah.

  Cobb still had my wrist and his grip was beginning to tighten. It took my brain a second or two to grasp what was happening. The hive mind had a new owner. Without Two, Aaron was taking back control over the simps. The boy’s warning registered in slow motion, and I reached to the back of my pants for my gun with my free hand. In short succession, I fired two shots to Cobbs face. Released from his grip, I leaned back and fired another shot at Grace. I clipped her shoulder, but she and her brother were far too fast. I scrambled to my feet, but lost my balance in the confusion and proceeded to slide down the side of the mountain. I shifted my feet and tried with everything I had to grab a hold of anything I could to stop myself. Eventually I came in contact with a cluster of shrubs and was able to stop. Out of breath and panting, I took inventory of my body. Nothing seemed to be broken, but I knew the simp kids were coming for me, and I knew how fast they could move.

  The terrain leveled out and I wasted no time getting to my feet and running for all I was worth. I was well aware of the fact that I was running from one danger to another, but I had no choice. I didn’t come this far to be taken out by killer simp kids.

  I reached the base of the plant, and ducked between two pilasters. Fortunately, I hadn’t dropped my gun in the slide, but I had left my bag. That meant no more ammo. I had ten shots left and my knife in my boot. I had no backup, and I had no plan. Well, other than find purple freak simp, make it take me to the brain, and then destroy them both.

  A coyote howled somewhere in the distance and I questioned if it had found Two and was voicing disappointment that she wasn’t going to be a meal. This thought was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. I leaned back into the pilaster and readied my gun. Like a ghost in the night, Grace stepped into view. Her brother appeared behind her. The pair stood still, there heads scanning back and forth as they listened for any sign of my presence. I did my best impression of a statue and tried not to breathe.

  As the two of them moved closer, I dropped to a crouch and then took my best shot. Grace took a bullet to the head, but when the little boy turned and spotted me, I froze and couldn’t shoot.

  “Isaiah, I don’t want to shoot you, but I will if you come any closer!” I shouted.

  “Lee, I am not responsible for my algorithm!” He spread his arms wide. “Besides, I’m just a little kid, and I don’t have any weapons on me, see?”

  “I know what you’re capable of, kid. I’m not stupid.” I was setting up my shot as I spoke. “I can fight him, Lee. I can! He’s in my code, but I’m not responding and I can take you to where he is!” My eyes saw Jacob rather than Isaiah, the simp. I shook my head to clear my focus. The lack of sleep was starting to cause my brain to fog. I had to keep my focus.

  “You’re lying! I shouted.

  “I’m not! I am the weakest of the three of us. My code is underdeveloped. I can build on the experiences of other simps, and share their collective knowledge, but without them I can also stagnate and right now, I’m holding my structure still. I promise!” He actually crossed his hand over his chest, like a child would when making every effort to convince someone of their commitment to a promise.

  I lowered my weapon, against my better judgment. “I must be losing my damn mind,” I mumbled. Stepping out into the open, I made my presence known. The wide smile returned to his face and he pulled my pack from his shoulder. “See? I kept your pack safe for you.” I approached him cautiously an
d snatched it from his hand. “Walk in front of me,” I commanded. The simp boy did as instructed.

  “Why did you try to kill me before if you could control your code?”

  “I couldn’t with my sister. She was much stronger, but now that I’m by myself, I can and I chose to. I think you’re a nice lady and I think my parents would be proud if I was a good helper for you.” His child-like voice played havoc with my thoughts. I was well aware of the fact that I’d take him out with one shot to the back of the head if he made any sudden moves.

  “Just shut up and keep walking.”

  “Whatever you say, Lee.”

  He led me to an outbuilding that had a spiraling metal staircase to the top. “There,” he whispered. I looked up and back at the kid, who nodded. “Stay here,” I mouthed. He nodded that he understood that he was not to follow me.

  It was extremely difficult to navigate the stairs in the dark, so I had to take them very slowly. If Towering Aaron was up there, this was going to be the mother of all showdowns. I took another stair and then paused to look down. I could see Isaiah and, true to his synthetic word, he was sitting in the dirt with his legs crossed. I continued upward.

  When I was almost to the top, the door swung open and Towering Aaron stepped out like a monster in a bad horror movie. There was nowhere to go but down and that was a hell of a lot harder backwards. “Weeeeeell, aren’t you the clever oooooone! I applaud your ingenuity, Leeeeee, but your lack of common sense is sooooo entertaining!” He threw his head back and laughed. I used that moment to turn around so that I could face forward and began taking the stairs by twos and threes. I could hear him charging behind me and I had no doubt that I would be dead before I hit the bottom stair.

  That’s when the keening started. The sound was so loud, I had to stop in my tracks and cover my ears. Nothing else mattered because the pain of it was excruciating. Something slammed me from behind, knocking me off my balance and I went head over ass down the rest of the remaining stairs to the bottom. I prepared myself for death and curled into a ball, just as something very heavy landed on top of me.