by Craig Gaydas
“Did it need defending?” I asked incredulously. “It seemed fine to me before you came.”
His face darkened. “Don't fool yourself. Things are not fine!” He stood up angrily.
“Settle down, Corvus,” a voice from the shadow purred.
From behind a pillar stepped a man. He was pale, almost a light green. I wasn't sure if that was his actual skin color or the flames playing tricks on my mind. He stood about three inches taller than me and wore a faded black t-shirt, cargo pants and combat boots. The entire left side of his face bore burn scars which had healed to an angry red. He was missing most of his hair on that side of his head. What was left was black lined with streaks of gray. The burn scars ran to the top of his head, covering most of the spots which must have contained hair at one time. Despite the room being dimly lit, he wore aviator goggles with dark lenses. He was unarmed but when he moved closer two robots accompanied him.
“Janero.” Corvus relaxed when the man emerged from the shadow. “I was just attempting to correct some misconceptions by our young friend here.”
Janero took a seat and both robots moved into a flanking position behind him. I didn't need to look at them to feel their scarlet eyes boring into me. “Misconceptions?” Janero sounded surprised. “The entire universe is made up of misconceptions so why waste his time? Our friend here has traveled far and must be exhausted.” When he saw that my right hand was gone he cocked his head curiously. “Old war wound?” he asked.
“Not old,” I replied and tossed a sour look toward Corvus.
Janero caught the glance. “Unfortunate.” He turned to one of his guards. “Tell Thirty-Five that I require him to accompany our guest to his chamber.” The guard nodded curtly and left. Turning back to me he said, “Get some rest. I had your room stocked with food and water. I apologize if it seems meager, but harvest was weak this season.”
My stomach grumbled at the mention of food and I realized it had been quite some time since my last meal. Thirty-Five entered the room. He was my red eye-green eye companion from earlier. I stood and yawned as exhaustion settled in.
“Thirty-Five, please show our guest to his room,” Janero commanded.
With a nod the robot motioned toward the door. “Follow me please.”
I followed him down a narrow, stone hallway. Square light fixtures were fastened to the tops of the walls in rows of three which kept the hallway well lit, despite the lack of electricity in the main room. The walls had been constructed from some type of bare cobblestone that reminded me of the inside of a castle.
“Do you know what they plan to do with me?” I asked.
He turned to look at me. “They do not plan to do anything—” He stopped and his eyes changed from red to green once again. He stopped walking and grabbed my elbow. His voice changed. It morphed from a mechanical dryness to a melodic sense of urgency. “Nothing good I'm afraid. Stay vigilant. We will come.”
Before I had a chance to ask him to clarify his statement, his eyes returned to their original color. A confused expression crossed his face and he shook his head. “I'm sorry about that. I must have experienced a slight malfunction in my neural processor. Initial diagnosis detects no long term damage.” He let go of my arm and continued walking. “What were you saying?”
“Um, never mind.” I followed him along the hallway until we came upon a thick wooden door painted white. Thirty-Five turned the doorknob, opened the door and motioned me inside.
“Welcome to your quarters.” He flipped a switch on the wall and the room lit up.
Once inside I saw that Janero took great pains in setting up the room. A chest of drawers sat in a corner beneath a large stained glass window. A large round chair with a cushion about 12 inches thick stood in the center of the room. A king-size bed was tucked in another corner of the room. Next to the round chair was a stone table that looked as if it had been carved by hand. On top of the table were three plastic tubs and two large gallon jugs of a clear liquid which I assumed was water.
I strolled over to the table and looked inside the tubs. Inside the first one was a stack of paper plates and cantaloupe-sized fruit that resembled oranges. Inside the second tub were bags of maroon, shelled objects that resembled some sort of oversized nut.
“The first box contains moon fruit. The second box contains unshelled cave nuts,” Thirty-Five explained.
I removed a moon fruit from the box. It was as heavy as a coconut but had a rind like an orange. “So how do I eat it?”
“You just dig your fingernail into the skin of the fruit and peel it back. The fruit inside is edible, but save the rind please.”
Having only one hand I found it difficult at first to open the fruit. It was easier to hold it tightly against my torso and use the fingers on my good hand to peel the skin back. Inside the fruit wasn't orange at all but an angry purple. “Why do I need to save the rind?”
“We use it to make fuel for the taxi,” he replied.
“Interesting,” I dug a piece of fruit out that was about the size of a golf ball and stared at it. What if the fruit on Gorganna was great for the natives but poisonous to humans? My grumbling stomach overrode my concerns and I shoved the fruit in my mouth. It was sweet and tasted like a strawberry. I tore a larger chunk out of the fruit and shoved it in my mouth so fast I nearly choked on it.
“I will take my leave now. Two guards will be posted outside the door to make sure you remain undisturbed.”
I popped a cave nut in my mouth and crushed it open between my teeth. The nut was chewy but tasted like an almond. After spitting the shell into the tub I picked up a second. Thirty-Five began making a strange grinding sound. I turned toward him and noticed his eyes were green again. I dropped the nut and it fell to the floor with a thump.
“We will come,” he said.
Grunts
After gorging myself on moon fruit and cave nuts, I hopped on the bed and stretched out. The bed was comfortable but my right wrist throbbed with pain, as if crying out for its missing appendage. Despite being completely exhausted, sleep eluded me. My mind raced after my odd exchange with Thirty-Five. Could robots be bi-polar? Although he blamed it on a malfunction I thought there was a more sinister reason behind his outbursts. To whom was he referring when he said “we will come”? Whoever it was I hoped wasn't an enemy. Lately, I had enough enemies to fill a stadium. My thoughts drifted to my mysterious host, Janero. On the outside he seemed friendly but so did Corvus and Calypso. He was their ally and I didn't trust him more than I could throw him. Eventually all my worries subsided as exhaustion overwhelmed me. Despite my brain's best effort to keep me awake my body finally succumbed to sleep.
I awoke to light filtering through the stained glass window and washing over my face. Stretching, I rubbed the cobwebs of sleep from my eyes. For the first time in a long time I felt refreshed. I stood up, shambled to the table and devoured another moon fruit. I glanced toward the far side of the room and saw what appeared to be a small trough attached by a pipe in the wall. My curiosity drew me to the object and I recognized it as an archaic plumbing system. I did my business and stood back, looking for the flush handle but there was none. Afraid I had just urinated in the water supply, I frantically looked around the object until a sucking sound erupted from it. My bodily fluids were sucked through the pipe and into the wall like a vacuum.
“A waterless plumbing system, that's pretty cool,” I admired.
A knock at the door interrupted my admiration of the toilet. I opened it to see one of my robot guards standing in the doorway. “Janero would like to see you.”
I nodded and followed the guard to the main room. A roaring fire still burned in the hearth. The torches continued their endless flickering along the walls. One of the chairs was occupied by Janero. He stood when we approached.
“Good morning, Nathan. I hope you slept well.” The aviator goggles were perched on top of his head which allowed me to see his eyes for the first time. They were as black as his glasses. His ey
es reflected neither the fire from the hearth nor the flame from the nearby torches. It was like staring into two tar pits.
“I slept well,” I admitted. “Your robot said you wanted to see me.”
He smiled and slid the glasses over his eyes. “Yes. If you feel up to it, I would like to show you around. You probably didn't get to see much last night.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “What about Corvus?”
His smile remained. “Corvus is going to sit this one out. He has other things to attend to.”
“Why are you doing this?”
His smile faded. “Doing what?”
“Why are you being nice to me?” My wrist started to throb as my blood pressure rose with my anger. I held up the stump to show him. “Your allies have treated me like an enemy! Look what they did!”
Janero ran his fingers through what was left of his hair. When he moved the hair away from his scars I couldn't help but think they looked more like scales rather than burns. “I'm not your enemy,” he replied coolly. “I didn't do that to your hand and I certainly would not have authorized such an act.” He opened the door and motioned outside. I hesitated before stepping through the door.
Despite his friendly tone, I still couldn't shake the feeling that he held more sinister goals in mind. There was more to this than a tour. I certainly didn't feel any better when one of the robot guards accompanied us out the door. When I stepped outside the sunlight stung my eyes. As they adjusted to the brightness, dark shapes began to come into focus. Manny's taxi was parked out front, although Manny seemed to be hiding in his seat-plate. I placed my hand over my eyes to block some of the sun's rays and looked past the taxi. What I saw left me stunned.
“What the hell?” I muttered.
Beyond the taxi lay a paved road that extended for about a half mile before curving to the right. Brick buildings stood in rows on either side of the road. The buildings were in such disrepair that they seemed ready to collapse at any moment. One such building had a plane sticking out from the top. The remaining buildings were blanketed in vines, ivy and moss. Skeletons of several vehicles were lined along the roadway. Most had been charred beyond recognition. Large chunks of fallen concrete littered the road, making a majority of it impassable. Our robot guard strolled over and picked up one of the larger pieces of debris and tossed it aside like it was cardboard. I admired and feared his strength.
“I see by your reaction that you are amazed. I feel as you do sometimes, even after all these years,” Janero sighed. “Although I see it every day but it is still a bitter pill to swallow.”
“What happened?” I inquired.
“Come with me, I will explain on the way.”
He started down the road but I hesitated for a moment. Although I was eager to learn what had happened, my distrust made me leery. In the end my curiosity buried my reservations.
We travelled along the road, passing several rotting buildings that seemed to house spectres of the past. Janero glanced at each building as we passed and I thought I spied a bit of sorrow in his eyes. “Earth isn't much different than Gorganna from what Corvus has told me,” he said as we walked past a building I thought would collapse if a bird landed on it. When I looked up I thought I spotted a pair of eyes looking out from a window, but when I blinked they vanished. Must have been the sun. “We were a simple but prosperous people,” he continued. “Farming, textiles and metalworking were our biggest industries but one day a company called Gentix Biosystems popped up seemingly out of nowhere. Their products were primarily genetically enhanced produce, medicine and biological agents which had been used as weapons for the military.” We stumbled across the charred remains of a vehicle in the roadway. Janero's robot grabbed the frame and dragged it off to the side. Without skipping a beat, Janero continued. “Gentix absorbed most of the farmers, metal workers and tradesmen into their conglomerate. Whoever didn't join got forced out of business. The poverty level rose as more and more people became unemployed. The poor were eventually labelled 'Grunts' by the rich. Occasionally one of them would hire a Grunt to do menial tasks such as dig ditches, clean houses or, if they were lucky, cook meals for them.”
“That doesn't sound fair,” I replied. “Why don't they work together? Maybe if all these Grunts pooled their resources together they could create a market of their own and help rebuild some of these areas.” I gestured toward the rundown buildings.
Janero smiled but the sadness in his eyes remained. “You are wise but the Grunts are long gone, Nathan. So are the Elites. Look around and bask in their legacy.” His hand swept sadly across the rotting landscape.
My eyes widened. “Gone? You mean—”
“Yes,” he interrupted. “I am all that remains of the Gorganos.”
“But how?” I glanced at the scars on his face and wondered what horrors were unleashed on this world.
Janero halted while our robot escort moved aside more debris from the road. “The poor outnumbered the rich by a five to one ratio. They rose up against those they viewed as oppressors. They stocked up on weapons and overwhelmed local police forces in a bloody revolt. The Elites owned the military, including the chemical and nuclear weapons that had already been developed. They went unchecked by the government and spiraled out of control in their quest for power. They eventually owned and controlled everything. They murdered Grunts by the thousands. Grunt section housing complexes had been burned to the ground. The villages which managed to survive were later nuked into oblivion. A Grunt leader by the name of Kozbe Mayfair led a contingent into a secure military facility and stole several nukes. The Grunts retaliated by using those nukes. Gentix headquarters was leveled. Caillumet City was destroyed.” After the road ahead was cleared by his guard he turned to me. “You seem upset, Nathan. Does this story ring a bell of familiarity?”
“These actions do hit close to home,” I admitted. I studied his face. “Those scars are radiation burns, aren't they?”
“Yes,” he replied dryly.
As I surveyed the surrounding landscape I began to question the timeline of his story. “I don't get it, the air here is breathable. If what you're telling me is true than the air should be poisonous. These buildings wouldn't have any vegetation on them. The landscape would be a whole lot more barren.”
“You are very perceptive.” Our robot escort stopped. Janero stopped and followed its gaze.
“What's wrong—” I started but Janero held up his hand to silence me.
“We are being watched,” he whispered.
I followed their gaze and scanned the buildings. I saw nothing but empty windows, damaged walls and rotten rooftops. At first I thought he was stalling in order to avoid answering my question but then I saw something. Out of the highest window of the closest building, a pair of eyes, shining with the reflection of the sun, was watching us.
“I thought you said you were the last remaining survivor?” I whispered.
Our robot companion took a step closer to the building. His fingers made tapping noises against each other as they twitched in anticipation. Janero simply stared at the building in silence, either ignoring the question or simply sizing up the situation. My wrist throbbed as it cried out for its missing appendage and I longed to have a weapon by my side. I felt vulnerable standing out in the open.
Janero looked over at the robot and nodded. The robot returned the nod and advanced on the building silently. Janero turned to me and whispered. “I am the last of the Gorganos. I never said I was the last living being on the planet. I may have survived the poisons my kind unleashed upon the world, but so have others.” He gave me a hawkish look. “There are things worse than me that walk this land now.”
Before I could respond something leapt out of the top window. As it fell several stories to the ground the sun revealed it in its nightmarish entirety. With its pale skin my first thought was it was a phantasm, perhaps some long lost victim of the war coming to claim its revenge on those that have poisoned the land. It landed on the robot
and knocked it to the ground. The creature was something hellish that my mind couldn't fully comprehend. Its torso resembled a hairless dog about the size of a Doberman with an extra set of legs along the front of its torso that were much shorter and clawed, similar to a Tyrannosaurus. Its head was that of a giant lizard. When it opened its mouth to gnaw the robot I witnessed two rows of razor-sharp teeth. The pale body of the creature nearly enveloped the black, armored carapace of the robot.
I was about to turn and run when Janero dropped a hand on my left forearm. “Don't run,” he commanded. “You won't outrun it.”
“What the hell do we do?” I asked, consumed by panic.
“We wait.”
Shocked, I turned toward the carnage in the street. The creature clamped down on the robot's right wrist and mine seemed to throb in response. Its teeth tore and pulled at the armored arm but the beast seemed to grow more furious at the lack of meat and bones on its prey. It hopped off the robot and turned its amber eyes toward us. I could almost taste the hatred in those eyes. It sprang at us before I even had time to react.
A blast rocked the creature's flank but it turned, unfazed. It whirled in the direction of its attacker. The robot stood behind it with an arm raised. Its fingers pointed at our attacker. Smoke billowed from his mini-barrel fingertips. Red eyes met amber in an old west standoff. An angry scorch mark marred the creature's rear flank as a stark contrast to with its pallid flesh. The creature's haunches flexed as it poised to strike. It sprang again through the air with a feline grace but an explosion took out the entire left side of its head in midair. It fell dead at the robot's feet.
When the smoke cleared I shook my head at what had just taken place. “What in the world was that?”
The robot wandered over to us and spoke in a dry, emotionless tone. “Threat has been eliminated, sir.”
“We simply refer to them as mutants,” Janero replied. “They are mutated versions of what used to graze the plains beyond the city.”
