by Beth Martin
“Trespasser!” Two metallic probes slammed into the hedge, making the prickly green leaves smoke. Roemell didn’t have time to take out the robot, but even if he could disable this one bot, they all knew exactly where he was.
He ran across the lawn, zig-zagging left and right to try and throw off the robot. It seemed to be working, since the android’s shots kept falling into the grass around him—and, more importantly, missing him. He dove between two rows of tall plants in the closest field. After scrambling to get his feet back under him, he raced through the field. He tried his best not to disturb the plants since the motion would give away his location.
His goal now was just to get off of the Evanko Estate and to the public road where security androids generally didn’t shoot to kill. He could barely hear over his pounding heart and ragged breathing and couldn’t tell if the androids were chasing him or if he had already evaded them. As he rushed through the last field between him and freedom, he chanced a look back. There were four bots searching the rows of plants for him. Behind them loomed the Ferris wheel.
It suddenly hit him. There had been a set of doors underneath the Ferris wheel. He had assumed they led to some sort of mechanical controls for the carnival, but it would also make an excellent place for the main computer systems for the estate.
But for now, he needed to get to safety. He rushed forward the last hundred yards and stumbled out of the field and onto the street. He bent forward and placed his hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath. One of the androids came right to the edge of the road and said, “Threat departed. Monitor perimeter.” The android stood there, staring at Roemell, like it was challenging him to come back to the estate. He knew the android would stay there watching him for as long as he was in view. He’d have to get some distance away from the Evanko Estate before sneaking in again and checking the carnival for the emergency shelter.
He walked slowly to the other side of the road. There was a shade tree ahead, and he could sit behind it for a minute to rest. From here, he could see the ocean. There was no beach on this stretch, just a cliff into the churning, dark blue waves. He lowered himself to the ground next to the shady tree and breathed a sigh of relief.
But before he could fully relax, a hand gripping a knife pressed against his neck. “If you want to live, you’ll follow my directions very closely.”
Leona spent the entire day trying to figure out what to do next. Her killer hangover wasn’t helping. She tried to piece together what resources she still had. There was some food in the fridge, and the bots from the party crew were unharmed. Using seeds from the remaining fruits and veggies, they could start growing a new crop. She could repurpose a couple of the party bots to clean up the house. None of the livestock had survived, and all of the supply facilities had been burnt to a crisp.
However, she didn’t actually need to work out these details herself. The main computer which delegated everything seemed to still operate. It would do a better job of calculating the best way to optimize what little was left of the estate. Once it was up and running, she could go back to the settlement, see Ivan, and invite everyone to come live with her.
But first, she had to take care of herself. She went back down to the club room and found the bartender. Wearing simple black slacks and a collared shirt, it was the only member of the party crew that was dressed in something remotely comfortable and practical. She told the robot to give her its clothes, and she put on the all-black ensemble. Then she removed the cushions from a few of the booths and brought them up to her bedroom to use as a mattress.
As the sun began to set, she finally started to feel like herself again. She decided to check in the shelter and tell the computer to start calculating the best steps forward.
She watched the security monitors for a moment as they surveyed the carnage of her home. Kelly’s body was no longer on the road, and she wondered what had happened to it. One of the other members of the settlement probably came back for him. Maybe.
“Uh, computer?” Her voice cracked, although she really had no reason to be nervous. “I need a plan to get the estate to support a community of people.” She paused, not sure if she should quantify that. “Twenty hard-working people, who would help with the fields and stuff.” She covered her face with her hand, embarrassed that she had no idea how to give commands to this computer.
“Negative.”
She was surprised it responded so quickly. “What do you mean, negative?”
“Without utilizing outside resources, your request cannot be achieved.”
She bit her lip, wondering what they were lacking. “What about just me? If it were just me, could the estate support me?”
“Currently, the resources at your disposal would last you one month.”
“But…” She could feel herself getting desperate. “The fruit in the fridge. If you just plant the seeds—”
“A crop takes several months to bear fruit, and the fruits in the kitchen are genetically modified and can only be grown using grafting.”
“Shit,” she said, punching her fist against the hard surface of the control panel. Pain shot through her knuckles, and she whimpered and clutched her other hand over the hurt one. “Is there anything that can be done?”
“Without significant outside resources, no. There is enough food and water to sustain you for a month and enough charge in the battery cells to power the remaining robots for four days.”
Leona slid down to the floor. “What am I supposed to do?”
“You can leave the estate, or you can procure the resources needed to rebuild. Would you like a list?”
She perked up a little. “Sure.” The computer made a soft whining sound as a narrow piece of paper started snaking out of a slot. It kept coming, getting longer and longer. She buried her face between her knees and groaned.
The only real option left was to leave. She wondered if the settlement would take her back after what had happened to Kelly. They had ultimately allowed Roemell to return, even though he was a murderer. But she didn’t have to go right now. She could stay for a bit while there was still power and food.
For the moment, she just wanted to forget. Forget her dire situation and all she had lost. She picked herself up and climbed out of the shelter, crossed the courtyard, and entered the main house, making her way back down to the club room.
“Music and party light on. House lights off.” She walked up to the bar, where the handsome android stood, wearing nothing over his rubbery skin. “Bourbon, on the rocks. Actually, make it a double.”
• • •
“Stand up, slowly.”
Roemell had a hard time getting to his feet while also trying to avoid the blade poised at his throat.
“Put your hands together behind your back.” The assailant slipped a loop of plastic around his wrists and tightened it to the point of painfully digging into his skin.
His captor stepped in front of him and put her knife away. It was a woman with long, curly brown hair dressed in all black. She looked exactly how Leona had described the woman who had killed her father. He was almost relieved that his attacker was a member of the lurch, but still on edge since he knew this woman in particular was a cold-blooded killer.
“You messed everything up, alerting those security androids,” she said. “What am I going to do with you?” She licked her lips.
“I’m sorry.” He hung his head, hoping she would forgive his mistake.
“Sorry?” She laughed for a moment before pulling her knife back out and touching the point to the middle of his chest. “You have no idea what you just stepped into.”
He could feel the pressure of the blade pierce through the thin fabric of his shirt, but did his best not to back away. “Actually, I do. And... maybe I could help you.”
“You just don’t want to die.”
Sweat clung to his hairline, and his hands were uncomfortably moist. “I’ve seen how the wealthy live. It’s not right.” The woman pulled her kn
ife away, but still glared in his eyes. “They need to be put in their place.”
The woman touched a gloved hand to her chin. “You’ve got it all wrong, kid. Do yourself a favor and stay out of my way.” She started to walk away, leaving Roemell with his hands still bound.
“Wait!” he yelled. She paused and turned to face him. “I know how you get past the security bots. You disable the computer systems from the estate’s emergency shelter, and I happen to know where the emergency shelter is for that estate.” He nodded his head in the direction of the Evanko’s land.
“Sure looked like you didn’t by the way you were running away from there.”
He shook his head. “I had a misstep. But I swear, I could get you in.”
“No. How about you tell me where it is, and I let you live?” She stroked a gloved finger down his cheek.
He clenched his jaw. He wasn’t in a particularly good position to negotiate, and this bit of knowledge was the only thing he had to offer. “Let me join your operation, and I’ll tell you.”
She stood still, like she was actually considering his proposal, then began to laugh. “I’m not exactly recruiting, but sure, why not?”
“Great. Release me and I’ll explain where it is.”
She shook her head. “That’s not the deal. You’re staying tied up until I verify the location.”
“How do I know you’ll come back to untie me?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “You’ll just have to trust me.”
Not sure he could rely on a terrorist, he also couldn’t think of another way out. “Fine. There’s a carnival. It’s under the Ferris wheel.”
“A Ferris wheel? You’re just making shit up.”
“It’s the tallest ride.”
She nodded as she backed away. “Good to know. Well, thanks to you, the security androids will be on high alert for at least a few more hours. I’ll be back tomorrow. If your info pans out, I’ll untie you.”
He couldn’t hide his anger from his face. “You’re just going to leave me here?”
“Yes.” A wicked smile spread across her face. “You’ll have to stay put if you want those restraints off. I’m not going to go looking for you if you wander off.”
She turned and sauntered away, walking toward the ocean. Once she got to the cliff she dove over the side and out of sight. He thought about how cold the water was and shuddered.
Not wanting to just stay still with his hands tied behind his back, he tried to wiggle around and loosen the plastic band. It seemed to work a little, but not enough to get the restraints to slip off. Squatting down, he was able to get his tied wrists under his feet. Already, having his hands in front of him was a lot more comfortable. He looked around to see if there was anything nearby that could help him. For the only time in his life, he wished the field facing the road had razor wire.
He tried to shear the plastic tie with a rock, but all that did was leave scratches on his skin. Using a stick, he jammed it in between his hands and the restraints, then tried to somehow leverage it with his feet. This only caused the plastic to dig painfully into his wrists. The plastic just would not stretch.
Frustrated, he tried to simply yank his hands apart. It didn’t work, but it did give him an idea. He gripped the end of the tie in his teeth and tightened it as much as he could. Then he raised his hand up and brought them down quickly. When his wrist slammed into his stomach, the plastic snapped and fell to the ground.
His wrists were bruised and raw, but at least he was free. He thought about sneaking back into the Evanko Estate, but even if he made it past the robots and to the emergency shelter, he had no idea how to get inside or deactivate the computer systems. For now, his best option was to wait. He wanted to make sure he encountered the woman wearing black, and she would be looking for him here.
Leona’s description of her father’s death played through his mind. He now had a face to place on the unknown assassin. The idea of the woman killing in cold blood made him nauseous. Why was he so desperate to connect with these people? Spencer had only been kind to him and hadn’t deserved that end. But when he reminded himself of Kelly’s fate, his resolve returned. The lurch were the only people with the balls to stand up for themselves and make a statement.
His stomach rumbled, so he did sneak some fruit from the closest field to eat for dinner, then found a comfortable spot to lay down next to the tree.
• • •
Roemell woke up suddenly. It was dark, but the quarter moon shed enough light to see the slightest outlines of objects nearby. His senses were on high alert as he looked around, trying to identify what had roused him. The sound of footfalls came from the distance, and it was getting louder. Someone was coming toward him. He saw a woman’s figure in the distance moseying up to the road.
He ducked down and waited. Even though he couldn’t discern any details in the low light, he was sure she was the woman from earlier, the one in the lurch. He wanted to surprise her, but not so much that she’d pull the knife on him again, or worse, a taser gun.
“Psst,” he called when she got within a few paces of him. She stopped immediately and crouched low to the ground while silently turning her head to look for the source of the sound. Roemell stepped out from behind the tree, and her eyes locked on him.
She stood up and let out an annoyed sigh. “Seriously, you’re still here?”
He walked closer to her, stopping only five feet away. “Your restraints didn’t work too well.”
She tilted her head, but he couldn’t make out the expression on her face. “Of course not. They were flimsy plastic. But you weren’t supposed to stick around. You must be a special kind of stupid.”
Roemell crossed his arms and leaned back against the rough bark. “No. I was serious about joining the lurch.”
Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at him, half circles reflecting off her dark eyes. “You have some misconceptions about this group that you call ‘the lurch.’ First of all, it doesn’t exist. Not like you think.”
“What do you mean?” He dropped his arms to his sides, no longer feeling particularly confident.
She outstretched a hand. “I am the lurch. Although my friends call me Tina.”
Cautiously, he shook her hand before backing up against the tree. “Roemell.” She stood with her feet planted apart and fists on her waist, like she was daring him to ask more. Finally, his curiosity overcame any fear he had of this woman. “You’ve destroyed all these estates, all on your own?”
She relaxed and flipped her hair. “I don’t claim to be responsible for all the destruction, though I’ve certainly gotten quite good at it.”
“Why?”
She took a step forward, getting right in his face. “What do you mean, ‘Why?’ You were just asking to join me. Clearly, you want these snobs taken down a notch just as much as I do.”
“I do.” He nodded. “And I know my reasons, but I want to hear yours.”
Turning away, she walked toward the Evanko fields. “Look, as much as I love this get-to-know-you chatter, I’ve got a pretty tight schedule. Do me a favor and stay out of my way. I would hate to restrain you again, but I will if I have to. And I have much better handcuffs than the ones I used yesterday.”
Roemell had no intentions of avoiding her, but nodded in agreement.
“Thanks, doll,” she said before disappearing into the fields. He would give her a few minutes of a head start before following after her.
There was no way the lurch’s path of destruction had been accomplished by just one woman. When he had gone to the medical facility to get Ivan, he had definitely seen a man tossing firebombs into buildings. Tina had help, there was no doubt in his mind. After waiting a while, he looked around to make sure no security androids were watching before sneaking onto the estate.
By the time Leona woke up, the sun was high in the sky. Yet again, she found herself in the pile of ash which had once been her mattress. Her head was pounding. “Bellabot, I need cof
fee.” Her companion robot was slumped on the floor. It no longer went endlessly through the boot-up routine, and now none of its lights flashed. The robot’s batteries must have finally given out.
Leona sat up, disturbing a cloud of soot which lifted into the air, making her cough. She looked down at her hands. They were stained black. At least her clothing was supposed to be that color. Raking a hand through her hair, another dark cloud came from her tangled tresses, sending her into a coughing fit.
She needed some fresh air. As she got up, her legs wobbled underneath her. She hadn’t been taking particularly good care of herself, and it was showing. Her muscles ached from overuse and undernourishment.
Carefully taking one step at a time, she made her way downstairs and out the front door. She stumbled down the patio stairs and caught herself on her hands before throwing up the contents of her stomach. Wiping a stained hand over her mouth, she sat back and took in a deep breath.
The morning clouds were gone, and the afternoon sun beat down on what was left of her home. All of the green plants were charred, black gnarled branches replacing the once healthy shrubs. The lush fields were all a sickly gray, and the buzzing activity of robots tending the estate had been replaced with an eerie quiet.
Her father had worked hard to keep the estate performing well. She still had a hard time wrapping her brain around the fact that a lifetime of work had been demolished in a single day. Hate boiled in her gut, and she clenched her fist and let out a frustrated groan. After her embittered moan, she looked around. Nothing was different. Infuriated, she stood up and yelled, this time screaming at the top of her lungs. She yelled until she had nothing left, then crumpled down into a sobbing heap on the ground.
She knew feeling sorry for herself didn’t alleviate her current situation, but she couldn’t help it. Her life had been pretty easy up until the attack, and now she had no idea what to do. She wasn’t sure where she’d go or how she’d survive.
This must be what life was like for Roemell every single day. The thought was so profound, she had to sit up and concentrate on it. This utter despair was his normal.
