I explained what an Eye-Dee-Ten-Tee error was to Alyssa, but even when we stopped to grab a quick bite to eat and I showed her what it looked like on a screen, she still didn't get it until I said what it was. She didn't talk to me much after that.

I drove the ground rover out and away from the main habitable section of the Cavern, and around several biodomes. The sights were just as spectacular as they were the first time I'd seen them as a kid; but, now I saw them through the eyes of a 36 year old adult. I could see the inherent problems in it's construction, the safety violations, and the contamination from the surrounding area.

That wasn't my job, though. I noted my observations and would relay them to Amanda later; but, for now I kept driving. None of the cyborgs spoke, even though there was lots for them to talk about. I tried again to engage Alyssa with polite conversation, but I wasn't successful. Neither she nor her squad mates had any practical experience dealing with 'norms' as she called me, and I think she was still angry over me calling them all idiots.

It took several hours to go through the various checkpoints along the way. I think it would have gone a lot faster if Crush's squad mates had managed to convince him to stay quiet; but, instead he always made a disparaging comment towards the inspectors and monitor AIs, no matter how many times he had been warned.

“Are you trying to get recalled?” One of the other male cyborgs said. “They'll take you in for post-processing if you keep this up.”

“Look. I'm mad, all right?” Crush said. “This cargo area isn't comfortable at all.”

“Then complain about that, and not the workers.” Alyssa said. “We've spent almost as much time being inspected as we have driving.”

Crush shrugged and looked out the back of the rover at the last station. “Well, we're outside the protected area.” He said. “I hope you're ready for this.”

“I assume you're talking to me.” I said. “I don't have to be ready. I've got 5 great bodyguards to protect me.”

“One of my ear mods isn't working, and even I could hear the sarcasm in your voice.” Crush said.

“So, you're not just pretending to be hard of hearing.” The other female cyborg said, and he laughed.

“We're coming up on the military cordon.” Alyssa said. “I'll do all the talking, okay?”

“Why?” I asked. “You've barely spoken to me at all in all this time, and now you want me to be quiet while you do all the talking?”

“Yes.” Alyssa said. “They could make you turn this thing around and go right back to the civilian section if you're not careful about what you say.”

“Or kill you.” One of the male cyborgs said. “It depends on who's working.”

“Well, that's just great.” I said as I followed the designated path. “Not only do I have to worry if I'll die by accident, I also have to worry if I'll die on purpose.”

“Welcome to our world.” Alyssa said. “This is it. Slow down and ease into the right side opening.”

I followed her instructions without question, because this part was different from the last time I had been here. A large cyborg in that opening motioned for me to come to a stop, and he kept his hand laser pointed at my head.

“No funny moves.” The cyborg said seriously.

“Don't worry about that.” I said automatically. “I never studied as a clown.”

“I said be quiet.” Alyssa hissed at me.

“So, you're a funny man, are you?” The cyborg said in a serious voice.

I shook my head in response.

“I asked you a question.” The cyborg said

“I never studied as a comedian, either.” I said.

“Step out of the vehicle.”

I sighed and got out.

“Turn around.” The cyborg said.

“I don't really think this is necessary.” I said.

“Turn around NOW!” The cyborg said and lifted his hand laser and pointed it at my forehead. I couldn't see anyone else around, and I couldn't be sure that this guy had a partner; but, I also couldn't let this guy bully me.

“No.” I said.

“What?” The cyborg looked at me. “I gave you a direct order! Turn around now or I will shoot you!”

“Go ahead and shoot.” I said and crossed my arms. “You'll be dead 2 seconds later.”

“You're in no position to-” His words were cut off as a combat knife was tucked under his neck.

“Drop it.” Alyssa said.

“No, you drop it soldier!” A male voice said from behind me. I heard a short scuffle, and then Crush dragged an unconscious cyborg in front of me and dropped him to the ground.

“I really hate Weekend Warriors.” Crush said and kicked the guy in the side and rolled him over. “I'm not allowed to kill him outside of designated areas, though.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Hey! You can't do that!” The checkpoint cyborg said. “You're all under arr-urk!”

“Quiet.” Alyssa said as her knife dug into the soft flesh of his neck. “I hate you guys, too.”

“Weekend Warriors?” I asked.

“They pay to get the best mods, then compete for cushy jobs.” Crush said. “Not a one of them has ever seen actual combat.”

“I was in the tournament last year!” The checkpoint cyborg said, and the 5 cyborgs with me laughed.

“His dog could have competed in the tournament last year.” One of the male cyborgs said and pointed to Rusty. “It might have made the finals, too.”

“That was a laugh fest, wasn't it?” Crush said. “If we hadn't been on deployment then...”

I stood there, kind of surprised, as the discussion devolved into their favorite moves to use to disable their opponents. Even the checkpoint cyborg was getting into it, and Rusty sat in the vehicle and wagged his tail. I uncrossed my arms and waited patiently as they talked for nearly ten minutes. When they were done and finally remembered where they were and the situation I was in, the checkpoint cyborg apologized for doing the exact opposite of his orders.

He took my ID, scanned it, and waited. His eyes bulged out of his head as he found out who I was, and I assumed he was getting a virtual reaming by his supervisor. That took another five minutes, while the checkpoint cyborg kept nodding his head at something, and then he put his hand laser away.

“I'm terribly sorry.” The checkpoint cyborg said and picked up his partner and carried him out of the way. “There's a skirmish a mile in to the right, so stay next to the cavern wall on the left until you get to the clearing.” He said. “After that, it's clear to the Fall.”

“Um, thanks.” I said and looked at my cyborg bodyguards. “Let's get going.”

We all climbed back into the ground rover and drove through the checkpoint.

“What was that all about?” Alyssa said and tapped my arm with her fist.

“AhhhHH!” I yelled as I let go of the controls to grab my arm and the rover came to a stop.

“I'm so sorry!” Alyssa said reached into the middle seat. A medical pack was placed in her hand and she opened it. “Move your hand.”

I reluctantly moved it out of the way, and Alyssa tore the sleeve of my shirt off. Several gashes and a large indentation was revealed. I looked at her face as she worked on the damage she had done with what she had thought was just a casual touch. If I had been a cyborg, it would have been.

I think she'd be crying if she still had tear ducts. I thought. She looks like she's in more pain than I am.

Alyssa used several different things on my arm and I didn't really know what they were. They did the same things the items in my own medical pack did, but differently. It was a little hard to explain the differences, but my arm felt a lot better after only a few minutes and she applied a field dressing.

“It's not broken, thank god.” Alyssa said. “You won't be using it for a few hours, though.”

I looked at my HUD to see how much farther we had to go, and I sighed. “I wanted to get there before night.”

“Then move over.” Alyssa said. “Give me the coordinates of your destination.”

I opened Rusty's back panel with my working arm and showed her the map. She got out on her side and I slid over to the passenger side so she could drive.

“I'll get us there before night.” Alyssa said and cranked the power. She followed the checkpoint cyborg's directions and kept well to the left and along the rocky wall. It took another couple of hours to make it around the skirmish area, and then we arrived at the Fall.

The Fall was the largest man-made waterfall on the planet. It was nearly ten miles from the top to the bottom, and it connected several Caverns and their water systems. It also provided the massive amounts of hydroelectric power that was needed to run everything. The best part about it was that it was gravity fed and ran continuously.

“I'm not afraid of heights, but this thing scares me every time I see it.” Alyssa said. She had talked non-stop after taking over the driving duties, and I listened to everything she said. I still couldn't tell if she was trying to make up for hurting me, or if she always talked when she drove.

“It's a huge waterfall.” Crush said. “We're cyborgs.”

“I think it's a little more complicated than that.” I said and chuckled. “Like falling several miles and drowning, then getting sucked up to the top, spat out, and falling again.”

Alyssa looked at me with wide eyes, and I could clearly see the interconnections between the cybernetic eye and the wall of the eye socket. I tried to hide my shiver, but she saw it.

“That's exactly how I feel.” Alyssa said and shivered herself.

I didn't bother to correct her misunderstanding.

I had started to get the feeling back in my arm, so I used it to point. “We're almost there.” I said, but my arm barely moved. I heard Alyssa take in a breath through her nose, and she sighed as she drove over to the habitat section on the other side of the industrial area.

Alyssa parked in a spot right in front of the office for transport up the Fall, and I got out. Rusty jumped out and ran around me several times, so I reached down and picked him up. I tucked him under my barely working arm and opened his back panel to look at the display.

Tickets are pick-up only, Jack.

I hit clear to wipe the display and closed the panel. “I'll get the tickets we need.”

“Hold on.” The female cyborg said. “You don't mean...” She looked up the Fall.

“It's only up one level.” I said. “It's only a short ride, and it's well away from the water.”

“But...”

“I'd rather take the stairs, but there aren't any.” I explained. “It's ride up or stay here.”

One of the male cyborgs looked like he was going to take the 'stay' option with her, then Alyssa spoke.

“We're all going.” Alyssa said, then her face flushed a little red. “We'll protect you.”

I tried not to laugh as I walked into the office to book a lift. I told the clerk of my cargo, and she booked me on the main lift. I paid the Points needed and went back out to the waiting cyborgs.

“The main lift is leaving in ten minutes.” I said and climbed into the rover. “It's about two minutes that way.” I said and pointed with my good arm, because I still had Rusty under the other one. The cyborgs climbed onto the rover and Alyssa drove over to where I had pointed. Several other rovers were there, which included what looked like a government one. It had the right markings in the right places; but, it wasn't from our Cavern. It was the wrong color.

No one spoke, because they didn't want to get the attention of the cyborgs that sat in the other vehicle. There were two of them, and they had a normal human with them. I didn't stare at them for the same reason that no one talked. The main lift arrived and everyone drove onto it. Alyssa stayed behind the rover from another Cavern, and the main lift took us up one level.

I tapped the controls of the rover with my hand, and she looked at me. I couldn't read her expression, but I knew that she wanted to see where the other rover got off. I nodded slightly, and she smiled. The lift moved up to the next level, and 2 of the rovers drove off.

The lift moved again and again; and it wasn't until we had reached the third level from the top that the rover from the other Cavern drove off. We were the only ones left on the main lift at this point, but no one spoke until we hit the top level.

“That was weird.” One of the male cyborgs said. “Did you see that Stalker?”

“No, I'm blind.” The female cyborg said. “Of course I saw her.”

“She looks like she has the same mods as me.” Alyssa said. “Except she took the full cranial upgrade.”

“While you only took the sensory package.” I commented, and she nodded. “Do you know who they are?”

“No.” Alyssa said. “Just that they aren't us.”

I nodded my understanding, and the other cyborgs talked about what they could tell about the competition. The lift started to move again, and everyone stopped talking. We went all the way back down to the second level, and Alyssa drove off of the lift. In only another few minutes, I was going to be in the last place that I saw my mother alive.