Chapter 5 A Vast, Decaying World
A vast, decaying world.
“You can learn everything there is to know about the old gods, their habits and the territories where they live, but humans are the ones you should be wary of. They’re the true enemies.
They hide in the shadows and covet what you have.
They’ll smile and then bury a blade in your back.
I prefer the old gods, thank you very much. ”
PERRI
“We should spend the night here,” I say after exiting the dark lab.
“I don’t like it, but I’d rather not cross the entire city at night.
We won’t be able to see what awaits us around the corner.
And with some luck, considering the ruckus I made with the explosives, most nomads and scavengers will stay away.
They won’t want trouble. I hope…” Wishful thinking.
“Very well,” says Vex in her robotic—yet ethereal—voice.
She’s looking at my truck in awe. She’s never seen one. Hell, she hasn’t seen the light in more than twenty years. Had she been human, her retinas would have been scorched by my flashlight.
She’s more than what I expected to find.
There is no mistaking her for a human. She has no skin over the white plate that covers most of her artificial body.
You can see the wires, joints, and screws around her articulations.
She has no hair, either. Her face is sculpted in the same white material, with movable parts under a layer of skin-like silicon to make her facial expressions seem real.
The back of her skull is transparent, showing the intricate computer underneath.
Even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined such an incredible machine.
She’s tall and lean, like a ballerina. And she moves like water.
I understand why they locked her up deep in the secret labs.
She must have been a creation to be protected at all costs.
Not that any of it mattered at the end of the day.
I bet the scientists all died in the first year after the Rise, like seventy percent of the world’s population.
“So, what’s your first impression of the outside world?” I ask her.
Vex turns to me, her artificial brow pinched. “Decay.”
I sigh, aiming the flashlight at the ruins surrounding us. “I can’t argue with that. But don’t worry; the wastelands can be pretty. Especially at sunset or sunrise. We’ll have to get out of the city first.”
“The sun…” Vex whispers.
When the scientists created her, they gave her the complete language software, of course. So she has a definition of sun. She knows what it is. But there is an entire universe between knowing and experiencing. Even for a robot.
“Do you feel something right now?” I ask.
Artificial emotions are common for most AIs. It’s the closest they can get to humanity.
“Yes,” she says with a smile pulling at her pale lips. “I’m relieved to finally be out. And yet, terrified. I’m also grateful and so happy to see your face.”
I laugh. “My face?”
“It’s beautiful and youthful.”
“Thanks. You too.”
“Am I beautiful?” she asks.
“Oh, yes. You’re stunning in an eerie way.”
“Is that… good?”
“Yeah. There is no problem with being a little eerie. I like it. You’re beautiful, Vex.”
She offers me the first real smile since I freed her from her prison. She has a row of perfect white teeth. I wonder if they gave her jaws strength to bite. It’s an unsettling thought.
I reach for the small solar lamp hanging from my belt and turn it on. I need to save the flashlight batteries.
“I know you certainly want to explore and see the world right now, but it’s too risky,” I say.
“We’ll have to wait for morning. We can’t risk lighting a fire either.
So, we’ll stay in the truck. Just in case.
Lesson number one in the outside world: always be prepared for a quick escape. Understood?”
Vex nods. “Yes.”
We settle inside my truck for the night.
Vex lets me take the pillow and the blanket; she has obviously no use for them.
She’s fascinated by the knick-knacks I left lying around.
Especially the plushie. It’s a purple and pink octopus with sparkly eyes.
I traded for it with a merchant while I was getting supplies before leaving.
I want to find out when Alastair’s birthday is and give it to him.
I’ll make sure he keeps it beside his throne during royal audiences, just for giggles.
“It needs a good wash,” I say as she touches it with her fingertips.
Apparently, the merchant found it in the ruins of an aquarium’s gift shop along the coast. It had been waterlogged years ago, and most stuff was unusable. Except for the plushies.
“What is it?” she asks.
“An octopus.”
“Do they really look like that?”
I laugh. “No. Stellan has a lot of documentaries on animals at home. You can watch them when we get back. It’ll teach you a lot about our planet.”
She smiles. “That would be wonderful. Thank you, Perri.”
“You’re welcome. Now, we can’t do much right now, and I know you don’t need to sleep. But I can put on an audiobook for you. I’ve got hundreds saved on my tablet. They help me fall asleep. Would you like that?”
Vex nods. “I would be delighted.”
“Perfect. You’ve got any preferences?”
She shakes her head. “I’ve never read or listened to any books.”
“Of course. How dumb of me! I’ve really been into science fiction books lately. I think I can find us one,” I say.
In the end, we listened to the audiobook until early morning and were too busy chatting about the characters and their journey through the galaxy for me to rest. I only managed a few hours of sleep. When the sun rose over Silicon Valley, I felt a little groggy but so happy.
I did it; I rescued Vex. I proved that I could manage on my own. I don’t need Stellan or anyone babysitting me to be able to survive in the wastelands. I’m a grown man and a survivor.
I eat dried meat and nuts for breakfast, and we’re ready to head out. Vex has been watching the sky since sunrise. I could feel that she wanted to walk out of the ruins. And the only reason she didn’t was because I warned her to stay hidden.
“Okay, Vex,” I say after turning the engine on. “I’ll drive fast through the city. It can be dangerous to slow down or even stop. Keep your eyes wide open and warn me if you notice anything suspicious.”
“What qualifies as suspicious?” she asks.
“Hmmm. Humans aiming at us with weapons, obviously. People running after our truck, or laying traps on the road. Sometimes they even throw stuff from the ruins. As long as we don’t linger, we should be fine.
Oh, and give me a shout if you notice a giant creature.
Scylla is rumored to be living in the San Francisco Bay. ”
“Very well,” she says simply.
But she looks worried. I grab her artificial hand. Her fingers are cold and stiff, but as I squeeze, I can feel her intricate joints.
“We’ll be fine,” I say. “Don’t worry.”
It’s strange to be giving comfort. I’m usually the one being protected and pampered by everyone. And I must say, I’ve grown too used to it. It’s time I grew some balls.
“I’m not worried about me,” she says. “I can’t feel pain. I’m worried about all the things that can happen to you. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you, Perri, because of me.”
I give her an awkward smile. “Yeah, don’t worry. I have the best luck even in the worst situations. Especially in the worst situations.”
Ask my family.
I drive the truck out of the circular building, and through the dry landscape that used to be a park.
The dead trees are long gone, all taken down by survivors to build fires.
We leave a cloud of dust behind us. Vex is glued to the window as we rush past the first ruins and land on the cracked road.
“I see people,” she says, pointing to a building.
Three faces are watching us from a rooftop. But nothing happens as we drive past them.
I remember the way and which turns to take from yesterday, so I’m going much faster.
A little farther away, there is a car in the middle of the road that I’m certain wasn’t here yesterday.
Vex gasps as I drift to avoid it. Growing up, I had the best driving teachers: Stellan’s mothers, Margaret and Jess.
I might not be a good fighter, but I’m a hell of a driver.
Gunshots echo behind us, but we’re already speeding around the next corner.
“Perri,” says Vex anxiously.
“If they can’t catch us, they can’t harm us!” I say. But my hands are shaking on the wheel.
We swerve around a corner and to an exit, and I speed over the main road going straight out of the city.
But I realize too late that I’ve taken the wrong turn, and we’re going north instead of east. It doesn’t matter; I keep going.
We need to find a safe spot outside the city to check out the map and decide which way to go from there.
When the ruins finally spit us out into the dry lands surrounding San Francisco, my throat is parched.
I take us to a hill where we’ll have a clear view before stopping the truck for a break.
I pull a bottle of water from the back seat and gulp it down.
Vex’s head and shoulders are almost all the way out of the open window.
“You can go out,” I say. “I think we’re safe enough for now. We can see anyone coming for miles.”
She opens the door so fast, she almost falls out. I burst out laughing.
I make sure to grab my gun before getting out of the truck, even if I’m a terrible shot. It often works best as an incentive to stay the fuck away from me.
“I never expected it to look so… vast,” Vex says as I come to stand beside her.
“Oh, and that’s only what your eyes can see. The world is much bigger, trust me,” I say. “And I’m not talking about miles and distances.”
“It’s beautiful.”
I nod. “Not as much as it used to be, but yes.”