My parents will join me for dinner soon, and since they are already fully aware of the fact that my cooking skills are less than stelr, they quickly agreed that I should simply grab some take out instead.
I'm now on my way home with two surprisingly heavy bags filled with pure deliciousness. The food of course is still very warm, warming my cold hands all the way through the pstic bags, and the divine smell makes me feel even hungrier than I already was.
The weather forecast showed a high probability of snow tonight, but I seriously doubt that we'll even see a single snowfke making its way down to Earth. There's not a cloud in sight, making it very cold, no doubt about that.
Mom and dad should be waiting for me by now, and they are most likely also on the verge of starvation. Knowing my mom, she must have already set the table for me while dad is probably desperately trying to figure out why my TV isn't working. The reason for that may surprise you however. You see, when I noticed a whole army of dust bunnies preparing for battle behind my TV the other day, I decided to vacuum them to oblivion, which required unplugging a few cables. But of course I forgot to plug in the whole shabang after I had finished cleaning the mess. Anyway, he'll probably figure that out soon enough.
At one point my thoughts start to wander off, distracted by the early Christmas decorations and pretty colorful lights in nearby stores.
I have lived here, in Franklin, New Hampshire all my life so I know most of the roads, back alleys, shops and probably every single pothole as well.
While walking towards Trestle View Park on my way home, I pass a furniture store and see that like every other day in its history, it has discount stickers all over the shop's windows. They demolished a few simirly old shops st month, taking away some of my childhood memories along with them.
My reflection in the shop's window shows exactly how I feel: nostalgic and cold...very cold. My white fluffy coat does a great job in keeping me warm, except for my face and ears. It's my own fault for not bringing along my beanie, so I'm trying to keep my ears warm by pulling the coat up a bit....which didn't really work as I had hoped.
"My god...it's really cold," I said to nobody in particur.
"KABOOOOOM!"
The very loud sound of an explosion pulled me out of my musings and back to reality. Almost instantly I feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, and my heart is pounding in my chest.
In a reflex I turn around and try to find the source of the sound, quickly discovering a burning mess in the sky. It's passing high over my head and then falls down from the sky on a trajectory towards the nearby Trestle View Park.
"Oh my god....a pne crash!" I quickly drop my bags and grab my phone from inside my coat's pocket.
"KABOOOOOM!"
But before I even got the chance to dial 9-1-1, the pne already crashed...in the park, as expected.
"Shit shit shit! Did....did that really happen?!"
Completely focused on the crash, I leave my bags behind and run towards the crash site while unlocking my phone, which of course won't accept my half frozen fingerprints. And punching in the pin doesn't go well either, because I'm shaking from the adrenaline.
Only after finally unlocking the phone do I realize that the thing should have a dedicated emergency button. In any case, I'm now finally able to call the emergency services through 9-1-1.
While waiting for the phone to connect, I quickly check my surroundings. There are people rushing into the streets, but for some reason nobody seems eager to rush over to the park.
"9-1-1, what is the address of your emergency?" a female voice said instantly, pulling my thoughts back to the phone call.
"Em... Franklin, New Hampshire....in the...eh...Trestle View Park." I'm having serious difficulties concentrating, because I'm both running and talking at the same time.
"Ma'am, can you describe the emergency?"
I'm fresh out of breath when I reply. "Eh.....pne crash. A burning
"Understood. The emergency services have been notified. Are you in danger, ma'am?"
"No, I'm now approaching the..eh.....the disaster area. I can now confirm the pne crash. Oh my gooooooood!"
"Ma'am...talk to me...what's happening?"
"Em....bodies...oh my god...I see bodies! They're...d..dead!"
"Don't go any further, you are in serious danger! The pne might explode! Stay put, you hear me?"
"Em.. .. okay...but...... No! Some of them are screaming! God help me!"
"Ma'am, STAY there! I need you to remain calm. Take a deep breath....and tell me your name."
"Em... Christie Woods."
"I'm Eine. May I call you Christie?" Her voice was calm and she almost sounded like my mom.
"Sure..eh...Eine."
The loud whirring noise in the sky I heard next was caused by two military fighter pnes, which flew over the area.
"....did you hear me, Christie? Talk to me." I couldn't understand her question due to the noise.
"My god! What's going on? I think I just heard two military jets fly over!"
"And that would be another reason for you to get away from there. You are an eye witness, so we need you to be safe. I have your number, so stay safe. Keep talking to me."
"Em....what do I do? Ah! I hear the ambunces! Finally!"
"Christie, I need you to stay away from the crashed pne. I'll help you, okay? We will find you someone to talk to tonight."
"Em...yeah, I really need that. Heeey!!!!"
"What's wrong, Chrisie?"
"The ambunces! They stopped! They are turning back!"
"Huh? Yes....that's strange, I see an update here now. They have been recalled."
"Why would they do that? Ah, and I hear helicopters now too."
"Yes, I now see another update. This is really unusual. It seems that your area is now under direct military control. Christie, you really need to leave now. It says here that you're close to a fire department. Go there, they can help you. I'll stay on the phone until you arrive there. Can you do that for me?"
"Em...sure. Now I see the police, far in the distance, closing off the roads. They are pushing people back towards the end of the street, but so far they haven't noticed me."
"Just let them do their jobs, Christie. Go to the fire department, okay?"
"Yes, I'm on my way there now. Shit."
"What?!"
"Em...I forgot my take out.. Ah, sorry."
"Don't worry, that's a good sign. It means that you are slowly beginning to rex. Take your time. You can always buy more."
"Em, yeah, you're right, of course."
"Christie, can you please......." But then the line dropped without a disconnect sound...only total silence.
After studying my phone's dispy for a moment, I noticed a "no network" message. That's impossible because we have excellent cell coverage here. The battery's fine too, but whatever I do, I can't even call my parents anymore, making the phone completely useless.
"Kabooooom!" Another loud explosion in the park confirmed Eine's suspicions, the thing really exploded!
While running away from the park towards the fire department, I see a crowd forming far ahead of me. But here, along the outer edge of the park, I'm all alone.
Falling down onto the sidewalk, after tripping over something, was not what I had expected."WAAA!" I cried out in a reflex, and thankfully my hands prevented me from hitting my head.
When I realize that something is holding on to my ankle, preventing me from standing up, I'm suddenly faced with my worst nightmare becoming reality. My eyes go wide from terror and my mouth is agape...followed by screams at the top of my lungs... "AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
The reason for my existential fear seems to be a shiny silver metallic robot. Its appearance is very simir to those used in factories, so this must be an industrial robot of sorts. It has arms, but seems to be missing its legs. Even though it only seems barely able to grab my ankles, its appearance is absolutely frightening. Its glowing blue eyes are following my every move.But whatever I try, the thing won't let me go and its grip on me is tight, but not painful.
The robot is obviously damaged, convulsing even, and if I'm not mistaken....it's about to die."Wa.....wa.....wa.........dooooo.....wa...wa..wa." These kinds of strange mechanical sounding noises are all it seems able to utter.
"Let me go!" I kick it in any way I can, but the robot won't budge. "Heeeeeeeelp!!! Someone help me!!" Where is everyone? Did they evacuate the whole freakin' neighborhood already?
When I finally heard someone approaching behind me, I thought that someone was about to rescue me....but unfortunately my tiny sliver of hope soon vanished. "Noooo!! Please no! Don't hurt me!" I shouted at another approaching robot.
I try to move away, but the first one is still keeping me there.
The new one looks simir, but is painted red all over, except for its damaged legs. There are cables and hydraulics all over, telling me that this one is badly damaged as well. This one only seems to have a single working eye, and it's glowing glowing blue....focusing on me...and leaning over.
When it surprisingly kneels next to me, too close for comfort, it says "help......damage....help... eng.eng.eng.eng. English deeeeeeeeeeee...detected." The voice sounded robotic, which was not a surprise at all.
I'm terrified...unable to speak...afraid to die.
"Let me GO!" I kicked him with my other foot, but this one is too damn strong as well.
"Unable ...fail...fail...failure....help...us. Please peace please..peace........help..." Its head is moving in unhealthy ways, jerking and shaking. A strange glowing bracelet on its arm adds to the confusion.
"What the fuck are you even?" I'm sorry for cursing, but at the moment I couldn't care any less. Did it beg me for help, or did it offer peace?
"Med..med...medical drone. You....you....help....." Its hand carefully approached my neck and I could feel a pinprick stinging sensation.
"Ouch!!! Heeey! What are you doing!!!?!!" I rub my neck, but it doesn't actually hurt anymore.
"Re....repeat..... haluuuh varuuhl."
"WHAT?"
"Repeat....words........ haluuuh varuuhl."
"Haluuuh varuuhl? What the heck is that supposed to mean? Now let go of me!" Another kick on its torso only resulted in pain on my side.
"Accepted. Run...run...run...away. Damaged.....danger....damage... run away." It then seemed to be starting a countdown in a monotonous and strange sounding nguage. "Ganda eda...ganda va....ganda nedal....ganda var.... eeta......eeta nah....eeta shanda..."
"Then let go of me, you creep!" The adrenaline is still surging, and I'm more than ready to run away...but it's still holding on to me!
The first one surprisingly complies and I immediately make a run for it. When I turn around to take a peek to check that I'm not being pursued, I see the second robot dragging its companion towards the park while still counting down, now shouting for all to hear until the loud noise of nearby helicopters drowned out any other nearby sounds.
Next thing I saw was both of them exploding in a huge fireball, turning the whole pce into a freaking warzone in no time!
After taking a few moments to calm down, I see military trucks rushing towards the park. Taking a detour suddenly sounds like the smart thing to do, since I soooo don't want to be mistaken for a robot!
Having lived in this city for so many years became a blessing when I took a shortcut through the paths behind people's homes...and then made my way to the next street. There were lots of people gathered there, unlike in the street behind me.
A police officer notices me approaching from the homes behind him."Miss, where did you come from?" He gnces at the path I had used, then focuses on me.
"Eh...from there?" I tried to feign ignorance, having zero interest in being questioned. I need to go to the fire department, and have them look at my neck. I don't have the time for this!
He frowns for a moment, then says "okay, whatever. Did you see what happened?" The jerk then used a fshlight to see my face, so I had to use my hand to shield me from the bright light.
"No, but I heard an explosion. What's going on?"
"Seems like a pne crash, but we're not sure yet. The military is keeping everyone away, so don't go in that direction, okay? If you do, you will be in serious trouble."
"Emm...yes, sir. I understand."
"Tell your neighbors to do the same."
"Yes, officer. Excuse me."
I quickly make my way out of the street in the opposite direction from the crash. Occasionally people asked me what was going on, knowing that I had briefly talked to a police officer. But I told them the same thing again and again, that I had heard an explosion and that the military were preventing us from approaching the area.
When I finally made it to the end of the street, the crowds were finally clearing, allowing me to take a deep breath. I survived...I did it!
However, it seems that I'm not allowed to get any rest today. There's a news van approaching me, and they of course want to talk to me out of all people.
"Hey! Miss! Do you know what's going on?" A dy said from inside the van after lowering the window, while the male driver was using his phone.
I approach the van so I don't have to shout. "Yeah.... I heard an explosion. And when I asked a police officer, he said that the military is sealing off the area. We are not supposed to go there or we'll be in serious trouble. It looks like a pne crash, that's basically all he said."
"Thanks, anything else you saw or heard?"
"No, that's it I think?" Sorry....my health is my top priority now, so no time to talk about robots.
"Okay, thank you!"
It didn't take long for the van to drive towards the "forbidden" area despite the warning, most likely looking for the test news.
After walking in solitude for a few minutes, I begin to feel the effects of the adrenaline wearing off. Tired, cold......very cold. I'm almost home, and except for a few scratches on my hands, I'm fine. So......should I go home instead?
"My god, what am I going to tell mom and dad? That I met two talking experimental military robots? Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut about them?" Talking to myself is probably stress-reted...so best to let it all out.
When you believe that you don't have any adrenaline left inside of you, it turns out you do.
Another robot is casually walking towards me. This new one appears to be undamaged and also has a glowing bracelet on its arm.
"Vanaha yotta venuma ett!" the thing said using a clearly noticeable mechanical voice. It resembled a Nordic nguage, but was definitely something else entirely. And even though it sounded strange, it definitely sounded like a demand.
"Stay away from me!" I shouted, while keeping my distance from it, ready to make a run for it.
"Switching to English. I am a medical drone. Your nanites are emitting a distress signal. Please follow me so you may receive treatment."
There's no way in hell that I will follow a random robot, let alone 'for treatment.' But I need to py along and hopefully confuse it long enough for me to escape. It seems that I'll need to go to the fire department after all.....or these things will keep following me.
Something tells me that I won't be able to outrun this one, so perhaps reasoning with it might help. I mean...at some point the military should spot us, right?
I then slowly take a few steps away from it, backwards, but it simply follows me, adjusting its walking speed to match mine.
"Kindly follow me to safety. This location is not safe for you."
"Not safe? Are you kidding me, Einstein? That's one hell of an understatement. Just...go away okay?"
"Your memory seems damaged. My designation is not 'Einstein.' Do you not want to be rescued?"
That reply....does that mean that I can still reason with it?"No, I, eh....I need to talk to other people first. There's a military presence in that way, maybe you want to talk to them?" I pointed at the location of the pne crash.
"No, I am not allowed to go into that direction. Please confirm...are there any survivors?"
"You mean the crash?"
"That would be a correct assumption."
"Em...okay. No, the thing exploded. I saw bodies but then the whole thing exploded. I saw two robots like you walking there and they too exploded."
"Thank you for sharing this information. We may now vacate this pce at once."
Thankfully I see people approaching me, but my hope quickly vanishes when they too look rather suspicious. Two suspicious looking men are calmly walking towards us.
"You've got to be kidding me," I said out loud while unable to suppress a facepalm. I'm doomed, aren't I?
They look exactly like the 'men in bck,' as in those secretive government people who are doing stuff you don't even want to know anything about. Seriously, the only things missing are dark sungsses.
The two men approach me, and I notice that while it's cold outside, those guys are wearing a mostly bck outfit with only a white shirt visible, contrasting with the bck neckties.
"Good evening miss."
"Eh.......not really."
Both men gnce at each other, then one of them reaches for his inside pocket, making me want to run away....but he only shows me his badge, not his gun. I study the badge for a moment and see the "FBI" logo but can't read the fine print below that, because he puts it back into his pocket.
"No need to be afraid, miss. We are FBI agents. You seem to have run into some rather...unexpected events tonight. I am agent Ward, and this is agent Hawkes. We would like to have a word with you."
"Em...Christie Woods....nice to meet you, I think?"
"We would be grateful if you could come with us."
"Em...no, I want to go home! I didn't do anything! Just....back off, or I'll dial 9-1-1!"
"That won't work, miss."
"So YOU guys cut off the cell tower signal?!!"
"We can't confirm that, miss. When did you run into this drone?"
"Drone? Is that what you call those terminators? Well...I didn't! It just approached me, talking some nonsense about nanites or something! Did your pet robots go rogue?" Yes, I'm quite pissed about them being so insistent.
"That's cssified information, but I assure you, nobody is in danger." He then looks at the drone and says "drone, why did you approach her? Your instructions are to stay away from humans at all costs."
"Yes, agent Ward. However, according to article 7, subsection 2E of the Treaty, we are allowed to retrieve our injured staff and any technology we accidentally left behind. She has type III nanites in her bloodstream, thus allowing me to retrieve her. She requires medical help. A shuttle is waiting nearby to take us to our medical bay in Valley City." The robot said matter of factly, while casually pointing at me.
The agent nods and then studies my face, perhaps thinking about what to do with me.
Maybe now is the time for me to run away? "So now what, agents? Are you going to use your neuralizer thingies on me, so you can erase my memories?"
He couldn't suppress a grin, but quickly returned to his emotionless expression."Such a thing doesn't exist, we're only FBI agents."
"Uh-huh...suuuuure you are. Tell me, why don't we talk this over at my pce? It's cold, I'm hungry and freezing to death."
"We would rather have you join us, miss. And preferable willingly as well. You...."
But since I wasn't intending to "vanish" from existence without leaving any trace, I didn't let him finish and simply ran away...as fast as I could. "Have a happy haluuuh varuuhl, you guys." I shouted, while rushing over to a nearby house, trying to seek shelter there.
Not even a few seconds ter I feel a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stop running. The damn robot has caught up with me! The two men once more approach me...seemingly in no hurry.
"Message understood. You will be very valuable." The robot said, and I didn't like it one bit.
The robot aims at the agents with his left arm and some kind of electric discharge causes the men to fall down onto the street. Are they.....dead?
"Nooo! Let me go!"
The robot however wasn't in the mood to talk, and suddenly I felt another pin prick sensation in my neck...causing me to feel very sleepy....until I lost consciousness.