Chapter 4

Log. 26563.p

I don’t know what to say. Provisions are running out, and more and more people are starting to get irritated. The atmosphere is dreadful. I want to help as much as I possibly can, but it's getting more strenuous by the day. I’ve been thinking of volunteering to go to the underground city as soon as possible. People in the Group still like me, so I believe that I would be the best choice, after all, I would need something that could prove my loyalty to organic humans for them to let me in. The ideal would be not going alone, but I cannot ask anyone else to come with me.

Séra drove for about an hour west, then, as planned, started driving south. She knew the risks of running out of battery, but being found by her people was more terrifying. The sky was dark and starry; although it made some light for Séra, it didn’t help the people in town searching for her.

Far ahead, she saw a faint glimmer, it flashed three times, then one, then three again. Ennath’s code. She smiled, her muscles relaxed for the first time in who knows how many days, and the excitement of the trip took over her.

She pressed the accelerator and drove towards freedom.

On the other side, Ganen waited out of the caravan, wrapped in one of Séra’s blankets. The cold wind messed up her tight curls, but at that moment, she didn’t care. She could braid her hair tomorrow, as they drove.

Séra parked the car beside Ennath's; she was barely out when Ganen wrapped her arms around her and kissed her. She looked so happy, her beloved, gifted with curiosity and intelligence, full of life and hope. Séra couldn’t have asked for better company on this road trip.

It took them sometime to organise all their luggage in the car, the caravan was much bigger, and Ennath decided to stay with them until morning. Not that they could fight the Sand people, if it came to it, but at least they could help protect their tech.

— And you two too, of course! — One of the alpacas sat between their legs; Ennath hugged it and rested their head on the animal’s body. — And after all that chaos earlier, I think my little furry babies deserve a good night’s sleep.

— Yeah. — Ganen laid her head on Séra’s shoulder, her dark eyes almost closed. — They’re not the only ones, I’m sure.

— Go to sleep, love. I’ll keep watch for a while, eh.

— Séra, hun, I can’t drive. I didn’t get a learning permit, remember? — She kissed Séra’s cheek. — You should rest. I’ll have some coffee, keep myself awake. I can rest tomorrow.

— How about all of us get a good nighty night’s sleep, uhm? How ’bout that? — Ennath said, their eyebrows up their forehead. — My alpacas are trained to keep watch. I trust them with my life.

— You sound really proud. — Ganen shared a shy giggle. — Will they wake us up?

— They most really certainly will.

— I say we trust them. — Séra got up and pulled Ganen along. — Let’s all rest, tomorrow we part for good.

They cuddled up in the car, and Séra hadn’t slept that well in days.

The next morning came fast, the burning sun woke them up without mercy, and Ennath was the first one to get up. They set a simple breakfast for humans and alpacas, then waited for the girls. They knew Séra and Ganen didn’t have much food, so they didn’t mind sharing.

— Thank ya. — Séra was happy with sweet fruit preserves, and the savoury biscuits were to die for.

— Is it weird if I eat them together? — Ganen asked. — We’re used to having bittersweet food in Tree City.

— Not at all, you are really most welcome to eat it as you wish. — Ennath chewed a little bit, then continued: — What’s it like in Tree City?

— I love it. It’s not as hot as the desert, of course, but it’s hot, there’s lots of water, rivers, seasonal lakes… There’s so much diversity in fauna and flora, and some of the trees are so big! There are floods from time to time, so all houses are built up on the trees. — She let out a long sigh, it’d been two years since she had left, and sometimes she really missed seeing the sparks of sun through the leaves.

— Sounds like a certainly beautiful place. I will make really sure I stop there for a visit on my next trip. — Ennath got a small notebook and pencil, chewed the latter a bit, then scribbled something. — If I’m making the maths right, I could be there by December, two years’ time. What’s the weather like in December?

— Are you serious? — Ganen didn’t know how to react, she was rather surprised. — Ahn, well, it’s hot and humid. Lots of rain, some floods. I’m not sure if your caravan would survive. I suggest you go between June and October. The roads are drier.

— I’ll note that, and rearrange my schedule. But I’ll give you my address, so you can let me know when you’re going back. I would not like to be there without you, it would be weird.

— Yeah, don’t worry about it. — Ganen received a piece of paper with their name and address, Ennath of Mini Forest, East, Sunny Alpaca Farm.

— Now you can find me. For a letter! — they added quite fast. — But, alas, I must go. I have a long way till home. I hope to see you again! Better! If you ever find yourselves around the Mini Forest, come visit.

— Will do. — Séra answered with a smile. — And thank ya. Ya saved us.

— Nah. — Ennath blinked. — I’m sure you would get out eventually. I was but a shortcut.

Ennath was sure to hug them tight before they all got in their vehicles and drove away, each group to their own path.

Log. 26483.s

During the confusion of these last few weeks, I’ve lost some memories.

I hope they were not important.

The wind brought so much sand inside the car, but for that day, the women didn’t care. Ganen had fidgeted with the car radio and managed to plug in her music device, and the songs she used to listen were blasting through the desert. Séra loved every moment of it.

While Séra was driving, Ganen would write little notes of the trip — the cacti she saw, a bug that was a bit different, a funny-shaped cloud —, save the woman’s stupid jokes for later, and answer some crossword puzzles.

— What’s a 5-letter word for “tough as nails”? — She asked while biting the corner of her finger.

— I have no idea. — Séra answered, her eyes on the path ahead. — Oi, can ya check the map and the compass?

— Yeah. Are we lost?

— I ain’t sure, love, but I hope not. — She let out a nervous laugh as she stopped the car.

Ganen closed her datapad, got the compass from the pocket and opened the giant map on the car panel. They should go south for a few days before finding any sort of human settlement, then make a stop in Bridge City.

They checked the compass one more time, Séra remade the calculations and asked Ganen to write it down; it would be easier if they could follow the mileage on the panel.

The women decided that putting some distance between themselves and Sand City was the priority, so on that first drive they drove almost non-stop. On the second, they had a few more “essential” pauses. On the third, Séra would stop almost every time Ganen got excited about a weird cactus or a shiny bug.

They stopped for the day under a small, raggared tree. It was one of the first they had seen since leaving the city, and Ganen even decided to take a picture. She cooked some of the dried meat whilst Séra was putting up a tent; they’d slept in the car on that first night, but sleeping in the tent was more comfortable.

— Ganen? — Séra whispered. — Are you awake?

Silence was her only answer. Séra couldn’t sleep. She got up slowly and crawled out of the tent, climbed to the top of the car and sat there, eyes on the stars above. It was really cold at night, but it was starting to get warm. And they had found a tree, large enough to park the car beneath it.

The world around her was changing and it was beautiful. Only the most selfish people would deny others from living such an experience. She stretched her arm and trapped a leaf between her fingers. It was thick, the surface felt polished and waxy, but the underside was somehow soft.

Séra took a deep breath, she wanted to know more.

She wasn’t sure when she fell asleep, but the morning sun woke her up. She slid down the car, to the ground, and crawled back to the tent. Ganen had her silk nightcap on and all the sleep in the world in her eyes. Séra laid down in front of her and smiled.

— Good morning, love. — she whispered softly.

Ganen grunted and tried to hide her face on the pillow.

— Oi, come on, get up. We gotta have brekkie and keep going.

— Why did you sleep on top of the car? — She didn’t open her eyes.

— I ain’t sure. I was sorta restless last night. The stars were pretty, though. I didn’t notice I fell asleep until I woke up.

— Why don’t we sleep a little longer, then we go? — Ganen put an arm around the woman and started pulling her closer.

— How about we go now, and stop sooner? — Séra was losing, each second closer to laying down. — Or have a long pause.

— I think I won. — she said, as she snuggled on her chest. — Just a bit more, please?

— Nop, let’s have some coffee, you can get your extra sleep in the car. — With an evil smile, Séra ripped the blanket from her and ran out of the tent.

— Séra! — Ganen screamed from the inside, unwilling to leave. However, when the perfume of coffee creeped into the tent, she was forced to go out.

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Séra had also prepared some bread with jam and was cutting some dried meat; a strong breakfast to keep them satisfied until lunch.

It wasn’t long before they were on the road again. Days and nights became more comfortable as more and more trees showed up among the cacti. Birds would wake them along the sun and cicadas would sing throughout the night.

Ganen still didn’t know the 5-letter word for “tough as nails”, but she knew it started with an N. Séra had gotten a marker and improvised a clock on the tent, so they could tell the time when waking up, and she showed Ganen how to start a fire with a hammer — which took a lot of work.

— That’s why your arms are so big. — Ganen touched her bicep and made Séra smile.

— If ya carried books around, instead of a foldable datapad, you’d also have big arms.

— I don’t think I’ll ever be strong enough to carry everything I need to carry.

— Ya do walk around with a lot of stuff. — Séra spared her a glance, then turned back to the road. — Why so?

— Those are my things. Things I can’t forget, things that remind me of stuff, pictures, friends, souvenirs. If those things could talk, they’d tell you all my story.

— Will you tell me?

— Who knows, maybe one day.

As the scenery slowly shifted, dunes were replaced by hills and the lingering cacti became growing trees. The world was coming alive again, and glances of the past could be seen in the horizon. Sometimes, there were huge buildings, already half destroyed and taken over by nature; sometimes, there were what was left of houses and ancient civilizations.

Generally, they were rather far and making a detour could add days to their journey, but the ruins in front of them were closer by the day. Some nights, they could see strange lights in the sky, weird gurgling noises, and both Séra and Ganen got curious.

There were many legends about haunted ruins, places in the desert where one could hear the eerie cries of lost souls. Many people got lost roaming the endless sands, sandstorms would separate groups, the simple wind would change the environment, dunes would come down in a second, and suddenly all directions were mixed up. Dying in the desert was all too easy if a person wasn’t prepared.

— So, the sun’s coming down. — Ganen looked at the sky. — Do you want to push it and get as close as possible to those ruins, or would you rather stop here for today?

— Are you even asking? Love, I’ve been curious about that thing for days, since we saw it. — Séra glanced at her. — I can’t stop now.

— I’m so glad to hear it. — Ganen fastened her seatbelt as Séra sped the car.

The sun was setting as the weird sounds got louder. Flashes of that strange light were better seen in the dark, even brighter than the car lights. They discussed keeping the engine on, although it would use the battery faster, they wouldn’t dare go in there in the dark.

A scream pierced the night and Ganen froze with her hand on the door handle. The women shared a worried look as a second, even more threatening, filled the air.

— Someone needs help. — Séra said, faking a courage she suddenly didn’t have.

— Ghosts are not real. — Ganen replied.

— What if it’s a Machine?

— No, I mean, we’ve got a machine, what are the chances? — A nervous laugh painted her fearful face.

— Yah, that’s true. — Séra thought for a second. — There’s a big knife in the boot. Let’s get it and go over there.

— Sounds like a plan.

They finally got out of the car, and Ganen questioned herself why would an engineer have a knife as big as the one in Séra’s hand, and hoped she knew how to use it. The weapon bearer led the way into those haunted ruins, and the other held a lantern to light the path ahead.

Someone was screaming it had gotten them, begging for help that wasn’t coming, and, although terrified, Ganen and Séra followed the voice. Weird and worn off signs covered what was left of the walls, cables and wires fell from what used to be lights, and broken chairs and tables were piled in the corners.

Loud mechanical groans hurt their ears as metal creaked against the walls. The voice screamed once more, terrified, human and engine fighting for their lives, locked in an unbreakable embrace. They begged for their life, their pain could be heard, and when Ganen lit the scene, both women screamed.

A large mechanical creature squeezed a child between their arms, trying to pull one leg apart. Not far from it was a gurgling machine, leaking gross and rancid goo. The kid screamed once more and broke them out of that spell.

Séra kept her knife in its sheath and tried to improvise a lever; Ganen ran to the child and, when the other woman spread the metal arms, she pulled the child to herself. They fell on their backs and Séra kicked the machine, they needed to stop it, but there seemed to be more pressing matters.

The child was weak and afraid, she clung onto Ganen and didn’t let go. Blood stained both their clothes and Séra was the first to see all the cuts on the kid’s legs and arms.

— We gotta get out of here.

— Help me up. — Ganen agreed, then looked at the child in her arms: — We’re getting you out of here, okay? Just a little longer.

They knew the child’s parents had to be around there, a child wouldn’t survive by themselves in such a place. However, with those mechanical arms grabbing the air for the next victim, it was impossible to even think.

Séra was the first one to step away, and brought Ganen along. The child was still crying and screaming, afraid for her life, but once the noise was a little low and stars shone in the sky, the child stopped, sniffed, and noticed they were safe.

— Hey, little one. — Séra called the child. — How about we sit over there and have some water? Then ya can tell us where your parents are.

The child blinked, confused, looked from one woman to the other, and hugged Ganen a bit tighter.

— It’s okay, I’m going there too. It’s a car, a vehicle, have you ever seen one?

The child denied, but didn’t resist being taken.

— What’s your name, uhm?

— Esha. — she whispered.

— Do ya know where your parents are? — Séra asked gently.

Esha denied once more.

— Well, let’s get you patched up first. Then we can figure out what's next. — Ganen sat the girl on the hood of the car, and waited for Séra to get the first aid kit. — This will sting a little bit, but we need to clean these cuts, okay?

Esha closed her eyes and nodded, but each cut burnt like hell. The cream was more refreshing, almost numbing, which helped when Ganen wrapped her arms and legs in bandages.

— Try to eat something. — Ganen put biscuits in front of her. — It’s too dark now, but tomorrow we’ll go back and end that thing.

— You can’t end it. — the girl mumbled. — It’s an Immortal.

— Oh no. — Séra interrupted them. — Oi, Esha, don’t think about it for now, yah? We’ll help ya, so for now, eat this. It has peanut cream in it.

Ganen didn’t understand a thing, but decided to ask Séra once the child was asleep.

Many people in the desert worshipped the Sun, like the zealots in Sand City. The Sun’s followers were as merciless as their god, they decreed death and curses to those who disrupted the greater good and the community.

They preached that the Sun once fought the Moon for a thousand years; the Moon swallowed its opponent and kept the world in darkness, allowing the Immortals to destroy all that once lived. However, in the end, the Sun prevailed.

But the humans couldn’t kill all the Immortals. Those machines built for killing hid in the shadows and trapped all those who dared approach them. And the child, sleeping in the back seat of the car, was proof those monsters were still around.

— Do you believe all that? — Ganen asked.

— Well, not really. I learnt quite soon the people around here will say anything they don’t understand is a monster, an abomination. But I don’t doubt they are Machines built for murder. We’re lucky the one down there was stuck, it could have killed the child.

— Some of those cuts are deep, I’m just glad we got there in time. — Ganen looked at the small medicine pot between her hands. — Do you think her parents will be okay with this?

— What’s this?

— An anti-infection cream. If the cuts get infected, it could be… troublesome.

— We can say it was blessed by the Sun in Sand City. I’ve heard people respected the Sun Elder back in town, enough to visit him from other cities.

— I hope it works. — Ganen hugged Séra and rested her face on the woman’s shoulder. — You saved us today. Thank you, my love.

— Oi, it was not like that. — Séra blushed a bit. — I’m sure ya could have figured it out by yourself.

— It was a two-people job, stop selling yourself short. — She gave Séra a kiss and put a lock of golden hair behind her ear. — You should sleep, in case we need the car tomorrow. I’ll keep watch.

— Are you sure?

— Yes, honey. Sleep. We’ve got work ahead of us tomorrow.

Log. 26402.f

It is only a four-week trip. It can be done with a full battery and a backup. Even more so with the small wind turbines. They say there are many sandstorms along the way, but there is no problem for us inorganics: we just sit and let the storm pass us by. At most, our skin will come apart, but only fools walk around without extra skin grafts.

The arising morning wasn’t that welcoming. Ganen told Esha to stay in the car and lock herself if there was any trouble. Armed with a wrench and a hammer, the women walked back into the ruins. Séra kept the knife, just in case, and Ganen also had a pair of pliers. If it was a robot, there were wires to be cut.

In the daylight, the place looked destroyed by the time, but it wasn’t as unnerving as before. The tables and chairs remained a pile in the corner, and there was a counter on the wall ahead of the entrance.

They followed the door to the west. The room was taken by darkness, though the light shone strongly outside. There were no windows, and the little light that came in was from some cracks on the roof.

Hammer in hand, Ganen approached the Immortal; it was a column of metal on the floor, full of arms for grabbing, poking, cutting, burning. By its side, what looked like some sort of stove was leaking a greasy and foul-smelling goo.

— Oi, do ya think this could have been for food? — Séra asked.

— I hope not. — Ganen was disgusted. — The battery sensors say its levels are too low to function, so maybe it charges a little bit during the day and only has energy to work during the night.

— It could be. But I guess it doesn’t matter much, we’ll break it for parts anyway.

— You can’t do this. — There was a scrawny person, hiding behind the door. — You can’t destroy an Immortal. The Moon will come first for you, and then for all of us.

— It hurt a child last night. — Ganen took a step towards the person. — I can’t leave it here, not with a clear conscience. It’s gonna hurt someone else.

— It’s survival of the fittest, ma’am. — The person argued. — I was also offered for the Immortal, and came out alive.

— And so did she. — Séra ended the discussion. — Where are her parents?

— The offered one can’t be helped, the offered must survive alone. Only the strong survive.

— Okay, we get it, but where are Esha’s parents? — Ganen wasn’t patient.

— Once you are offered, your family are the Survivors. She has no more parents. You must let her finish her test.

Séra stepped forward and held the person, a small fragile looking man, no older than themselves, by his shirt collar.

— Look, I don’t care. Ya may believe in whatever ya want, but it doesn’t give ya the rights to kill children. — She turned to Ganen: — End that thing.

— No! — He grabbed Séra’s arms and tried to get loose, with no success. — We must test our bravery!

— Then you’d better find another courage test. One that doesn’t kill people.

Ganen broke the screen of the battery sensor and started cutting the wires. She had a good idea which were the most important ones, and only stopped when nothing else was connected in that murderous machine.

She did the same with the stove, then borrowed Séra’s wrench and started taking the thing apart, washer by washer, screw by screw. Ganen only set the wrench on the floor once the thing was inoperable.

The Survivor stopped fighting and just slumped to the floor. His god was dead, and he wasn’t strong enough to fight for it.

— Where are Esha’s parents?

— She’s an orphan. All the offered are. Mum and Dad can only keep the strong ones.

Séra puffed in anger and left the man on the floor. She walked up to Ganen and asked what they could do for now. The engineer decided to look for any useful parts, but they didn’t take long before leaving.

Esha really didn’t know where her parents could be. They couldn’t leave her all alone or with that crazy man back there, so Ganen suggested taking her to Bridge City. It’s wasn’t that far, in three or four days they should be arriving, and there was enough food for them. The only thing they should be careful about, was the metallic body hidden in the boot.