In the Lurch

by Beth Martin

  She turned to her left and walked through the entrance hall to her father’s office. Her shoes made a loud clack against the concrete floor with each step and the sound echoed through the spacious room.

  Since his office door was propped open, Leona walked right in. Her father paced back and forth in front of the window. The direct sunlight streaming through made an elongated shadow which copied his movements.

  He stopped walking back and forth and looked over to Leona. “Hey there, darling. What’s on your mind?”

  “My gift for Stacy isn’t quite ready yet. The manufacturing bots totally butchered my description, but it should only take an extra couple days to fix.” She took a seat in one of the wooden chairs which faced the large desk. “Are we sending a care package to the Newton Estate?” They had two teenage sons. She already planned on having Jon reprogrammed and sending it to them. Ava would be disappointed, but Leona would be relieved to be rid of the sexy robot.

  He shook his head and resumed pacing. “No, our resources are getting a bit thin. And with all of the recent terrorist attacks, I need to keep our supplies closely guarded.”

  Leona twirled a lock of dark hair around her finger. “Don’t we have more security androids than the Patels and Newtons combined?”

  He settled into the chair behind his desk and looked at his daughter. Every once of worry showed as fine lines crisscrossing his face. He looked so much older now than he had even just a few years ago. “Yes, we do. But these terrorists have been able to circumvent state-of-the-art security systems on three separate occasions. Our androids are the same version that the Coopers and Patels had. If those rebels got around their safety measures, then we won’t be immune either. I need to figure out something, anything to protect us.” He slammed a first into his desk. “I worked hard to earn my wealth; I’m not letting some punk terrorist group take it all away.”

  “Do you have any idea why they’re destroying stuff?”

  “I wish I did, darling. But for the near future, I want you to be careful.”

  Leona smiled as she got up. “Of course, Daddy. I’m always careful.”

  • • •

  Before long, the vehicle driven by the robots slowed to a stop in front of a large, featureless building. Roemell hugged Jovelyn close to him. She had regained consciousness and now made constant whimpering sounds.

  “Where are we?” he asked.

  “This is a storage facility on the Poole Estate.” The name didn’t sound familiar, which meant it wasn’t one of the infamously cruel locations.

  “Do you have a doctor or something? Please, my sister needs help.”

  The two androids got out of the vehicle. One of them grabbed Jovelyn, cradling her with apparent ease. The other approached Roemell and gripped him hard by the shoulder. “We are authorized to detain you for as long as necessary. Come.”

  He stumbled as the robot jerked him forward. The sky above looked like an apocalypse, the morning sun blotted out by thick, black clouds with an orange and red glow emanating from the direction of the fires. The bot led him into the building, which was well lit with fluorescent tubes.

  Roemell looked around quickly, trying to take in as much of his surroundings as he could. There were large plywood boxes lining the floors with small walkways between them just wide enough for a single person to pass through.

  Jovelyn continued to whimper as the android holding her entered the facility. Roemell glanced behind him to check on her. She was as white as a sheet, and crimson droplets steadily dripped from the hem of her nightgown.

  He pulled away from the robot’s firm grip. “Please, you said you couldn’t allow harm to come to a person.”

  “You care deeply for this woman?”

  Roemell shook his head. It would have been obvious to a person. “Yes. Of course.”

  “I require permission to follow non-standard protocol. I must run it by Mr. Poole.” The robot stood completely still for a moment.

  “What? What protocol? Will you help us?”

  The android jerked quickly, grasping both of Roemell’s wrists before he could react. “Authorization granted. Proceed.” Without warning, he pulled Roemell away and back out of the building.

  “Wait! Where are we going? Are you going to help her?” he yelled as the bot dragged him past his sister back to the door. He could barely hear her shallow breathing and only when he was within inches of her.

  “She will stay here. You must come with me.”

  “No!” he shouted. “No!” He kicked at the ground, trying to break free from the robot’s grasp. Instead, he lost his footing and the android dragged him the rest of the way to the vehicle. It grabbed a loop of rope from inside the cab and tied it around Roemell’s wrists, then around one of the vehicle’s roll bars.

  He wanted to struggle until he could successfully break free, but his body was worn out. For the time being, the only thing he could do was sit tight. He said a quiet prayer for Jovelyn, which was the only help he had to offer.

  The Jeep was soon traveling on a smooth road, and within a minute, they came to a cluster of building. Roemell inhaled sharply; he had never seen houses quite like these. They were towering structures with smooth, white stone facades. The windows and doors were trimmed in detailed brickwork, and dotted here and there were elegant statues of people and animals which didn’t appear to serve any purpose.

  They stopped in front of the largest building. As soon as the vehicle was still, the androids jumped out and one of them started untying Roemell’s bindings. “You are not to speak except when asked a direct question.”

  He had no idea what was going on, but he had little fight left in him and simply followed as the robot led him into the largest house. Two tall red doors swung open as the bot approached. Roemell gasped as he stumbled into the entry of the mansion. In front of him was a huge entryway lined with windows. The floor was slick under his feet and painted in a checkerboard pattern. A sweeping staircase wound down from a catwalk above, and large terracotta pots filled with tropical plants made neat rows along the walls.

  “This way,” his captor said, leading him to a door on the right. They stood outside the room for a moment before the robot continued, “You are now permitted to enter.”

  The bot held open the door, and Roemell stepped inside the room. This room was entirely different from the last. It reminded him of the tiny cabin he and his sister had squatted in when they were growing up. Even the woodsy smell was the same.

  The memory was so strong he began to feel woozy and swayed on his feet.

  “Why don’t you sit down.” Roemell hadn’t even noticed the other man in the room. He looked to be around sixty years old and had wrinkly black skin and graying hair. He gestured to a chair in front of a large oak desk.

  Remembering the android’s instructions, Roemell didn’t say anything and simply nodded before taking a seat. In the pristine mansion, he was acutely aware of how dirty he was, as well as his awful odor. When he looked down, the amount of blood staining his shirt, pants, and skin made him nauseous.

  The man didn’t sit, and instead stood next to a window, looking out at whatever was just outside.

  “My name is Spencer Poole. I am the owner of this estate. What is your name?”

  “Roemell.”

  Spencer scratched his brow. “That’s it? Just Roemell? You don’t have a surname?”

  Roemell couldn’t remember what his father’s family name was, so he said his mother’s name instead. “Ocampo. Roemell Ocampo.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Roemell Ocampo.” But Spencer didn’t look pleased, and he made no gesture to shake Roemell’s hand, so Roemell stayed in his seat. “The woman you were with is your sister, correct?” Roemell nodded. “What’s her name?”

  “Jovelyn.”

  “I want to help her, but medical attention uses a large amount of resources, and I’m not in a situation currently to give out charity.”

  Roemell glanced around the office
. This man obviously had abundant means and was probably lying about not being able to help, but he kept the thought to himself.

  “I would like to propose a deal. I’ll take in your sister, Jovelyn, but you will have to work for me.”

  Roemell gasped. His sister would have a chance, and work was unheard of. It was an insane stroke of luck. He had to concentrate on taking slow deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating. “Yes, yes. Please help her. I’ll do anything.”

  Spencer smiled, his features looking warmer. “Never say that again. Desperation strips a man of dignity, a basic human right.”

  Roemell almost laughed. Even something which Spencer found fundamental like dignity was a luxury Roemell had never experienced. But at the moment he didn’t care; he was going to be okay, and Jo would get the care she needed. Of course he hoped her baby would make it, but the baby was a far third.

  “Have you heard about the terrorist attacks by a faction of rebels?”

  “The lurch?” He couldn’t think of why anyone would care about them. He had heard rumors of petty vandalism, but nothing noteworthy—everyone was guilty of some small infraction when the only way to get food was to steal.

  Spencer nodded thoughtfully. “They have a name. Interesting.”

  “Why do you care about the lurch? They just burn abandoned vehicles and waste good food by smashing it in the streets.”

  “They have escalated.” Spencer took a seat at his desk and stared at Roemell. His eyes were so intense, Roemell had to look away. “These ‘lurch’ have burned down three entire estates now. They are quite dangerous.” The fire he had narrowly escaped just hours ago flashed through his brain. Were these people responsible for the blaze that had nearly taken his and his sister’s life?

  His mind raced through all the possible implications of the older man’s proposal. Was Spencer Poole going to ask him somehow stop the lurch? Or spy on them? He had a sinking feeling that his new job would be incredibly dangerous. Was losing his life to save Jo’s worth it?

  Spencer tented his fingers on his desk. “I need you to protect my daughter, Leona.”

  Roemell tilted his head. “I don’t understand.” With a mansion this big, surely Spencer could afford to buy plenty of security androids to keep them safe.

  The older man seemed to read his thoughts. “Robots are amazing tools, but when you get to their core, they are still simple machines executing programmed protocols. Somehow, these rebels have found a way to get around them. But you, you can probably read people better than any android. And since you have experience on the streets, you may possess additional knowledge which can be used to protect everything that I’ve built.”

  Roemell was offended. Yes, he was a vagabond, but he hated the way Spencer said it, like he was somehow sub-human. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

  “Protect my daughter—spend every waking moment watching over her like you have with your sister. A bodyguard, of sorts.”

  Roemell extended a hand. “Deal.”

  Spencer gripped it hard and smiled. “I’ll have Bellabot show you to her room.”

  With a sigh of relief, Roemell got up from his seat. Acting as a bodyguard for a little girl would be easy. A strange-looking robot on wheels came into the office. It didn’t look remotely humanoid like the other androids had, instead resembling a large block of white plastic.

  “This way, Mr. Roemell,” the bot said.

  “Wait.” He gripped one of the corners of the robot’s rectangular body. “What about my sister? Where is she?”

  Spencer nodded at Bellabot, and it announced an update on Jovelyn’s condition. “Your sister is currently in our medical facility. The bleeding is caused by a condition called placenta previa. She will need a blood transfusion.”

  “I can donate.”

  The bot continued, “That won’t be necessary. The medical facilities have sufficient stores of synthetic blood. The treatment is to surgically deliver the baby immediately. Jovelyn is being prepped for the procedure right now.”

  Roemell wrung his hands. He wasn’t sure if that was good news or bad news. “And then she’ll be okay?”

  “She has a fever which indicates she has an infection—making surgery quite dangerous. However, the risks of surgery are far less than not delivering the baby while attempting to treat the infection first.”

  Sinking back down in his chair, he covered his face with his hands. “Will she live?”

  The bot was silent for a moment before responding, “It is impossible to tell.”

  Tears stung his eyes. He was surprised he had any left to shed. “Can I go see her?”

  “Negative. The operating room must remain a sterile environment.”

  He brushed the moisture off his face, then nodded. “Okay. Thank you for the update. I’m ready to meet Leona now.”

  A blue light flickered on the robot’s head before it led Roemell out of the office and up to Leona’s room.

  Leona ran out of her room and yelled down from the top of the stairs. “Daddy!”

  Her father emerged from his office and peered up at her. “Yes, darling?”

  “There’s a bum in my room!”

  He casually walked into the entrance hall, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. “I hired him. He’s your new bodyguard.”

  “What?!” she screeched, pulling at her hair before storming away and back into her room, slamming the door.

  The scruffy man was still standing in the middle of her room. “I told you.” Even though he could have sounded smug, he simply looked sad. The dirt caked on his skin and clothes, his unkempt hair and beard, and the stains of dried blood added to the effect.

  He looked out of place in Leona’s spacious bedroom. The smooth, concrete furniture was covered in plush white and pale pink pillows. Gauzy white material hung along the walls, softening the coldness of the abundant cement. Against the far wall stood a platform bed big enough to fit four people. To his left sat a vanity flanked by two matching chairs, and to the right was a seating area centered with a glass coffee table.

  Leona sighed and fell back into her plush white bed. “So, are you supposed to follow me everywhere or... what?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I guess.”

  Propping herself up using her elbows, she said, “We should lay down some ground rules.”

  His eyes darted away, then back to her face. “All right.”

  “Don’t follow me anywhere creepy, like when I go to the bathroom and stuff.”

  “Likewise.”

  “And no touching.”

  He gave a slight nod. “Yes, miss.”

  “I can’t think of anything else.” She laid back down. “I can’t believe you’re Daddy’s solution to the stupid rebel fires. He’s blown this whole situation way out of proportion.”

  “How so?” He moved to the seating area and carefully set aside the pillows before sitting on the hard surface underneath. He was supposed to sit on top of the pillow, but he was so dirty, she wasn’t going to correct him. It always took Bellabot forever to get dirty linens to the cleaning station and back.

  “We already have excellent surveillance and far more security robots than all of our neighbors. I don’t need any extra protection from those crazy rebels.”

  “The lurch.”

  “The what?”

  He shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Those crazy rebels—they call themselves the lurch.”

  “Huh.” She got up and walked over to the sitting area, but before she could take a seat, a rancid smell hit her. “Oh my God, you reek.”

  “I had a rough night… It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to bathe.”

  “Well, you can start bodyguarding as soon as you take a shower.”

  • • •

  The plastic bot led Roemell through the hall to the bedroom adjacent to Leona’s. It looked similar, but was a little smaller and appointed in gray and yellow. There was a door to the left of the bed, and Bellabot stopped beside it. “Whil
e you clean up, I will find clothing for you and leave it in the closet there.” The bot raised a boxy, plastic limb, gesturing to another door before whizzing away, leaving him alone.

  He had never seen a bathroom like this one. All of the shelters he had lived in had simple rectangular rooms with pipes jutting out the walls that spewed cold water which ran into a single drain in the center of the floor. But this was an oval-shaped room. Tiny, colorful tiles covered every surface, making a mosaic illustration of exotic birds flying through a clear blue sky. On one side, there was a sink and toilet, but nowhere did he see a shower or tub.

  It wasn’t clear how exactly he was supposed to clean himself in this room. He undressed, placing his tattered clothing in a basket which had an image of a shirt on the front. When he took a couple steps into the room, a soft hissing came from the center. Looking up, he saw a fixture spraying down warm water. He stepped underneath the artificial rainfall and took a deep breath.

  The water trickled down his body, making a murky puddle at his feet. When he looked down at his palms, they were covered in blood. Jovelyn’s blood. A sharp pain burst through his chest. She had been so incredibly stupid to put herself in this position, expecting and on the run. He was angry at her for making such a selfish choice, but more than that, he hoped she would be all right. He suddenly remembered that the robot hadn’t told him anything about the baby’s condition. Maybe not knowing was better.

  Lost in thought, he was startled by the mechanical arm which extended down from the ceiling. He jumped back, not expecting it. “Please remain still for the duration of cleansing.”

  Roemell did his best to stay in place while the arm rubbed scratchy pads covered in bubbles all over his body. It used such strong pressure he was sure that it would scrub away the top layer of his skin. He was relieved when it used a lighter touch for his face and groin.

  Once all the suds were rinsed away in another spray of water, a dryer kicked in, and hot, fragrant air blew around him.

  His reflection in the mirror above the sink startled him. He walked up to it and stared at the muddy green eyes looking back. His hair had gotten longer, and his face was speckled with uneven patches of beard. The last time he had seen himself this clean was when Jovelyn had first gotten pregnant.