Justric

Found Alive

Well, it all depends on whether or not you want Tony to follow or otherwise do anything to Lucien or not.

Found Alive

As for the music, it depends completely on my mood at the time. While a lot of my collection is what you might call acoustic (especially the umpteen albums I have of 1920s and 1930s music), I also enjoy groups like BlindGuardian, Abney Park, Circus Contraption and Flogging Molly. The amount of electro-swing music on my iPod seems to be growing as well.

Found Alive

Andrew who?

Found Alive

The team was away by a little after noon, when the sun was just past its highest point and the air was hot and arid. The sand strewn winds sucked the moisture from their very breaths as they trudged towards the hidden encampment where the vehicles were kept; the assortment of all terrain cars and motorcycles and quads were the Colony's only modes of long range transportation, but due to their size they had to be garaged at a different location. Great pains had been taken to made the vehicles as inconspicuous as possible: shielded engines, radar reflective paint, dull colorings, whatever worked. They all were older models, too, with little or no dependence upon computer chips or excessive electrical systems that would enable robots to over-ride or detect them. A typical mission involved the team hiking out to "The Pit" (as their mechanics lovingly called it), driving out in their various vehicles and then dropping off any finds back at the caves before returning the transports and hiking back again.

The trip out to the target location was taken in silence. It was traditional. The party members rarely spoke or bantered as they made their way, their thoughts too heavily set on what failure or success would mean for their families and friends. Other than orders and warnings, no one usually spoke at all. Should they find salvage and food, then they would celebrate with raucous laughter and bawdy singing on their return but not until then.

Lucien was no exception to the custom; he sat in the back of the extensively modified van and bounced with the terrain as he brooded over his hopeful return to Cassie and how best to deal with Pony's terms. Cassie had declared her love for him, but there had been no discussion yet as to how they might proceed from that starting point. Pony was willing to let him go guilt free... if he fathered a child on her, which was something that Lucien could not see Cassie agreeing to no matter how scrambled her memory might be. Yet he could not deny that he owed her! Pony had kept him alive and if not sane than at least closer to sanity than he otherwise would have been! When everyone else had turned their back on him, it had been Pony who succored him, comforted him and then loved him. It was a debt of friendship he could not in good conscience ignore, but her solution was unreasonable. It was born of the logic of a simple woman who did not, could not, comprehend what it was she was asking of him. All the ride out, Lucien pondered how best to handle this latest upset in his life.

The target site was a small town located off a branch of what must have been a major highway. It was for the most part unremarkable, only it had served a very specific function: truck stop. Massive vehicles had hauled cargo through there, their drivers stopping to rest, eat and sleep before continuing on their journey. The Colonists were after not just whatever stores and shops the town might have had, but the assorted products and (hopefully) canned and dried food products that should be piled in those trucks' trailers. There were a good twenty or so of the huge vehicles. Even though it was understood that only a quarter of what they might contain would be useful, that among of salvage raised their hopes as they approached. Upon arrival, the team spread out and began to scour the area while two of them clambered up on top of buildings to keep watch for any robot or bandit activity. Other humans could still be just as dangerous as their mechanical foes.

Lucien grabbed his backpack as he clambered out of the van's rear doors and looked about, the bright evening sun near blinding him. Life in the darkness of the caves made seeing upon the surface world difficult, at least by day, and his eyes watered. A careful sip from his canteen, and he then began casting his eyes about for the highest location he could see within the town. It was easy to find actually. A good mile from the truck's rest stop, he could spy a massive tower made of a skeletal steel framework. Lucien remembered seeing more of them in his childhood, great structures that allowed people to communicate with one another using portable phones and to exchange incredible amounts of information via computers. It made him wonder - what would future generations, ones who would never know of such devices, think of these strange towers that piled high into the sky without any apparent explanation?

He shook himself from the pointless musings with a frown. Welding his crowbar, he joined his fellows in prying open the long rusted locks and bolts that protected the treasures. When the last door was wrenched open, Lucien fixed his eye again upon the tower and began to hike towards it with Uncle's invention in his pack.

Found Alive

Heh. I can tell I'm older. Here's a song for Pony:


But I try to keep my ear to the ground for up and coming artists, too:

Found Alive

Uncle didn't even look over his shoulder at Toni as they headed towards the lab. "It's actually a simple enough matter," he was saying, "But if the other found out about it, it could cause panic. So I'm leaving it to you to handle it."

Once in the lab, Uncle sat at one of the table to stare at the young man candidly. With a gesture towards a pile of printouts that teetered precariously nearby, he continued. "There's been evidence that the robots are exploring other possible uses of humans. Or rather, human bodies. Having exhausted their supply of experimental stock, they are taking whatever they can get and may not be converting them immediately. If fact, there is the possibility that they are becoming more interested in the possibilities of using humans who are recently deceased. So your job is very simple. Do not leave anyone killed behind. I know it has not been our standard operating procedure to retrieve our fallen, but in the interest of denying the robots that additional edge we must change that standard. If you can not bring the body or bodies home, then see to it that they are as unrecoverable as possible, but I would rather the whole body be returned to us."

Uncle then gave Toni a pointed stare. "That includes Lucien, Toni. Especially Lucien, I should say. It would be in the best long term interests of the Colony and the best interests of you sister. I am expressly not telling you to do anything untold. But should he prove as reckless as he has in the past and should he die by whatever means, make sure the body is returned." The old man then gave Toni a wide grin. "But then again, Hassle assures us that this should be a piece of cake run. So there really shouldn't be any need to be overly concerned about it., should there?"

***

The meeting with Lucien was far more disciplinary, with Uncle firmly reprimanding the young man for his past foolhardy actions during missions. The dressing down was as good as any army sergeant might have given. Lucien could only stand there, nearly at attention, while the Colony's leader berated him for his actions and the chaos he was causing in the Colony itself. It only took a few minutes, but it felt like hours. Finally, Uncle wound down.

"Now on this mission, you have a unique role. In addition to helping with salvage, foraging and recovery, I need you to place a piece of equipment in the highest place outside that you can find once you get to the target zone. It's a very specific type of sensor." The piece of equipment in question was a small metallic box with a number of wires running in and out of it thickly. Two silvery toggle switches stuck out. Each switch had a wad of what looked like chewing gum placed underneath to keep them from being switched in the other direction. Two small cylinders were attached with thin copper tubing to the other side. All in all, the package was a little large than a man's hand. "It has an adhesive backing. Plant it, switch both toggles and then just leave it alone. It will broadcast its findings on shortwave bursts that will make it difficult for the robots to even notice it, much less find it."

He clasped his hands and rested his elbows on the table to stare at him much the same way as he just as had looked at Toni. "The readings this sensor will provide will give me better insights as to the Androids. The scans Liana was able to perform on Cassie answered many questions and left several others in their place. But if I am right, this will help me find a way to enable more of Cassie's memory. Behave yourself. Do your job, Lucien. And I will... try and help smooth the way between you and Cassie. Understand?"

Found Alive

Oh, my, yes!

Found Alive

The sour look on the old man's face showed he clearly did not believe a word of Cassie's explanation, but he said nothing more about it. Shaking his head, Uncle waved everyone away. His voice was hard and flat. "Right. Show's over. It's a 6 kilometer trek to the vehicles and it just peaked 102 degrees on the surface; you need to get moving before it starts to cool off. Without that heat to hide you, the robots' sensors will pick you out in no time flat. You got ten more minutes to get your gear settled, say your goodbyes and get your asses to the entrance for a final briefing."

Turning towards the two feuding men, he scowled again. "Toni, you come with me now. There's some a specific goal that I'm assigning you that I want to go over. Lucien? You be in the lab in five minutes; I've got a job for you, too."

"Move it, people!" He clapped his hands sharply together. "Move it! It's 'Movie Sign' time!"

As the mob of team members began to break up, Lucien sighed and tossed the stone back into the locker with a thunk. With Cassie still standing there, he felt ashamed at his actions yet wished she had been there to hear him, to hear his side of what had happened. Now, with the clock ticking and Uncle expecting him in a matter of minutes, there would be no time for explanations until after he got back. Knife-less, Lucien checked the hang of the automatic pistol on his belt before grabbing the sawed-off shotgun. The heavy 10-guage only held six rounds (with one in the chamber), but those shots were lethal to even the metal skeletons of the Androids at close range. The rest of his pack contained more or less the same as everyone else's: canteen, rope, duct tape, flashlight, magnesium strip and so forth. The only other addition to his gear was the weighty pry-bar he slung over his shoulder, a monster of steel some three feet in length with a crooked end that twisted into a wicked hook.

Getting his stuff settled about his person, Lucien spoke quietly to Cassie without being able to bring himself to look at her. "I'm moving out of Pony's nest," he told her softly, "When I get back. I hadn't told her yet, but she's figured it out already. I'll... crash in one of the side tunnels or something until... until we figure something out. If you want, that is."

It was then that he looked up at her, his young face solemn and serious beyond it's years. "I love you, Cassie. But... I don't want to force or trick you into anything. If you want me back in your life... and in your nest... you got me. If you want to wait, I'll wait." The others were heading out, a fact that did not escape his notice. Feeling the pressure to be on his way as well and yet reluctant to be parted from her, Lucien just stood there with hands half raised as though wanting to hug her but unsure if he should dare after... everything.

Found Alive

There we go. See what that does to your opinion of Pony!

Found Alive

Pony only blinked in surprise as Cassie hurried off, leaving her with the boy. Hoping the boy might open up to her, she gave a friendly grin and cocked her head to one side. She was now hoping for a child of her own, and perhaps sitting with Jake would be good practice. Whether she had a boy or girl, that child was going to need a friend, and what better friend that Cassie's nephew?! "I'll stay with you, Jake. How about I read you some stories while we wait for your mom, okay?" From the haversack she carried everywhere with her, she pulled a much loved and heavily worn book; the battered leather cover was in such poor shape from age and use that both title and author were scoured away. Pony leafed lovingly through its pages to find a story the boy might like. "My mom gave this to me when I was about your age, Jake. I wasn't ever able to read too good, and there's no pictures. Well, a few, but only here and there. And I don't understand some of the stories. But it's my most favorite thing in the world. Oh, here we go!"

In a faltering, hesitant voice, Pony began to read aloud. It was clear she was having trouble with many of the larger words, but she continued onwards in hopes of entertaining the boy and maybe... just maybe... becoming friends with him. "In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and the Animals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to work..."

***

Lucien stood there, a frozen tableau with knife raised and eyes staring right through Cassie to where Toni stood just beyond. Her words took time to register in his mind through the thick cloud of fury and guilt that had so enraged him, longer still for his fingers to slowly release from the hilt one at a time until Cassie could pry it out of his hands. When the weapon was taken from him and his rage ebbed away, Lucien was left to stand in agitated confusion. His eyes were wide and wild, his breath panting as he recovered from the sudden surge of adrenaline that had overtaken his body and senses at Toni's sneering. Those grey-blue eyes locked on Cassie's as though seeking some answers before the realization struck as to what had just happened. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head wearily. He hadn't meant to threaten with the knife, not really. It had simply been in his hand at the time of the confrontation, as was the whetstone which his left hand still clutched. It didn't matter. Lucien knew what it must have looked like, and perhaps unconsciously he did want to attack his former best friend; he had more than enough cause to want to.

Then there was Uncle, shouldering his way through the crowd and glaring at everyone from beneath shaggy eyebrows. His jaw was near clenched. The news that something was going down had obviously reached him, and he looked less than pleased. Lucien and Toni both shame faced and red, Cassie standing there with Lucien's knife in her hand... He would be a fool not to know that some near tragedy had almost occurred. Running a hand over his face, he paused to rub at the bridge of his nose. "Right. Who's the first to tell me a really big lie about what's going on here?"