Downfail_A Dystopian Robot Rebellion Adventure Page 14
Ian turned back to the Maria. “Is it 10 AM already? Quitting time comes fast these days! Maria, is the play today?”
“No, Ian,” the Maria said, “it’s a puppet show for the kids before lunch, then quiet study time and finally a trip to the zoo for the rest of the afternoon before free time.”
“Oh,” Ian said. He frowned in approval. “Works for me!”
“The play is next week.”
“Excellent. I need more time to practice my part as a robot.” Ian laughed and moved his arms stiffly while inclining his head from side to side. He looked at Larry and sighed. “What are we going to do with you, Larry? What is it going to take?”
“Just let me have the stuff and I’m out of your hair. Done deal,” Larry said.
“You’ll just be back for more. Why don’t you join a community? There are so many to choose from,” Ian said.
Larry sat down and blubbered. “None of them will have me. They blackballed me. I’ve got nowhere to go!”
“Maria, have the kitchen staff bring Larry here some breakfast,” Ian said.
“Can I stay here?” Larry looked up at him, his frown deep and his eyes sincerely plaintive. “I mean, my family is here: Stacy, Michael, Michael’s kids… Candy.” He shrugged.
Ian shook his head. “Let’s not get any delusions of grandeur.”
A small yellow robot buzzed around Ian’s head and hovered a half-meter from his face. “Please remember to read one hour today, Ian. Did you do your exercise routine when you woke up this morning?”
Ian rubbed the side of his face with one hand. He groaned. “Darn it!”
“Please remember to do it later, and have a wonderful day! I’m off to remind your children now!” The flying robot zipped off towards the living quarters.
“Good luck with that!” Ian yelled after it. He looked back at Larry and searched his memory. “Right, Larry, no. No, you can not stay and that is the final word.”
“There should be a group decision. Or are you the king here?” Larry asked. He stood up and poked Ian in the chest. “That’s what you wanted all along, to deny everyone their fun so you can be in charge and control everything. You’re a sadist! A control freak! And a psychopath!”
Ian grabbed the bag from Larry and opened it. It was full of fresh bread, cheeses and even bottles of milk. Ian shook his head. “You are taking the food out of our mouths and yet you think you have a place here? Maria, see him out.”
Two Marias came from shacks at the sides of the gate entrance, took Larry by the arms and guided him out the front gate. Larry screamed, his eyes wild. He dragged his feet behind him. The Marias gently laid him down outside, re-entered and closed the gate behind them.
Larry lay face down in the dirt, pounding the ground with his fists and kicking it with his feet.
Ian took a moment to consider his old nemesis. He remembered back to when he blamed Larry for all of his problems and shook his head at himself. I was weak. I just needed to be strong.
Ian walked back towards the living center and admired the new field they’d just planted. Beyond it was a larger field and to the sides of it more fields and greenhouses. The community was industrious and it was prospering.
The white, one-story living areas were arranged in a long rectangle with the play areas in the middle, complete with swing sets and soccer goals. The baseball diamond was pending.
Beyond the living complex was forest. It was a dark forest. The children enjoyed exploring it but Ian didn’t like it. It was a good hiding place for thieves and other ill-intentioned people. He had to do something about it but he didn’t have the resources to tackle it anytime soon.
He found himself at the door to the clinic. Lost in deep thought again. He rolled his eyes at himself.
A young boy in denim overalls sat near the door, a blade of grass hanging from his mouth. He stared up into the clouds.
“What are you up to?” Ian asked him.
The boy eyed him suspiciously. “Just looking at the clouds, finding shapes and stuff. Is that okay?”
Ian gave him a thumbs up. “Keep it up!”
He pushed through the swinging doors and turned left, then right. He entered the small, sunny office and smiled.
Qasim looked up from his workstation and grinned.
“How is the new monitoring system coming along?” Ian asked.
Qasim stood up and bowed. “Very good, Mr. Blake, very good. Doctor Corali now receives a prompt notification of any unexpected vital signs from our elders. We’ve tested it thoroughly.” He bowed again.
Ian nodded. “And what about the other team members?”
“Each one is very happily and gratefully placed in a nearby community. We are very grateful, each and every one of us.”
“I’m so sorry about my screwup,” Ian said. He looked at the floor. Sending champagne to Muslims? In a Sharia law country? He shook his head at himself.
“No, Mr. Blake, we are all very happy to leave. We are glad to be here, with you.”
“Perhaps some day you can all have a community of your own. Anyway, keep up the good work.”
Qasim bowed and Ian inclined his head.
Ian walked back past the entrance and found his way to room 23, where he sat down next to a bed and looked out towards the planted fields.
Jack sat up and smiled at him. “Doctor Corali says I can get up and go outside today. Can I?”
The young woman doctor stepped into the room and beamed at Ian.
She looked at the boy and nodded, her clipboard hugged to her chest. “He can go outside but he has to take it easy. I don’t want any stitches pulled or wounds opened, okay Jack?” she said. She looked back at Ian. “He’s healing up nicely. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Jack got up, grabbed some clothes from a small chest next to his bed and headed for the bathroom to change.
I got lucky this time. What a fool I was to put him in harm’s way. I won’t do that again.
Doctor Corali walked over and stood close to Ian. She leaned in and whispered. “I remember seeing your engineering diaries online from when you were making the Marias. It was really impressive.” She giggled.
Jack came out of the bathroom. He gestured toward the door.
“Would you like to go for a little walk with us, Doctor Corali?” Ian asked.
She giggled. “Okay, sure. But call me Lois, please.” She set her clipboard down, took off her white coat and the three of them headed towards the forest. Jack grabbed his dad’s hand. Ian looked at Lois and she offered her hand to him.
Jack looked up at his father. “You were right, Dad. I’m glad you did it. This life is better. I get more time with you.” He looked over at Lois, then at his father. He stepped in between them and placed each of his hands in one of theirs.
“I guess principles are practical after all.” Ian smiled, looked at Lois and shrugged. Kids. The only reason to try and save the world.
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About the Author
Former starship redshirt turned rag-clad resistance fighter, George Donnelly is the author of space opera, cyberpunk & post-apocalyptic science fiction series. A single unschooling expat dad, George prefers zombies to aliens but is primed for any meatspace apocalypse minus grey goo.
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