Chapter 6: Dead City

The next day they set off in the air car and by mid afternoon had covered much ground. Steve glanced down just as a light flashed on in the instrument panel. The air car changed course and no matter how Steve steered it in other directions it always returned to the same course. Finally he gave up, "There must be some kind of attracter signal being sent to the car. No matter where I steer the car it always returns the same direction. I guess we will just have to follow the signal to its source."

By late afternoon they approached a city that looked about the size that would be inhabited by twenty thousand. Giant towering structures not unlike skyscrapers came into view first and then elevated, what appeared to be roadways and lower structures. Everything was laid out much like a typical city. As they got closer, they did not see any activity and noticed the general unkempt appearance of the city in general. Bushes grew everywhere even from the middle of what could only be streets and sidewalks. The car stopped over a flat roofed structure and began to descend. It settled to the roof and Steve turned the air car off. Absolute silence greeted them. They climbed out of the air car and looked around.

There was a whirring noise from a walled structure nearby and a wheeled vehicle approached them. They spread out and took a defensive position but not one that was obvious. As the wheeled vehicle approached, it resolved into a type of cart designed to carry luggage. They were amazed when it began to speak. Although the language it spoke in was at first incomprehensible, soon thanks to the translators they wore in their ears it began to make sense.

"Good evening Doctor Ubeajh you have not been at this lab for 18250.340 days. Does your air car need service?" The machine asked. "Although I find that it has not been operation for that length of time. My visual receptors have malfunctioned, I have contacted maintenance several times to fix them but have gotten no response. The air car sent out a signal of your pending arrival. I sense that you are in the company of others. Will your guests be accompanying you to the lab?" The machine continued.

Steve whispered to Mist who was standing near him, "The machine must believe I am this Dr. Ubeajh I wonder if his was one of the bodies we found. I think I will let it believe that I am. We'll see what happens."

On a hunch Steve, addressed the machine, "Can you turn the homing signal off on the air car; we may be leaving soon and will want to go to a new destination."

"Of course," the machine said and then added a moment later, "It is done."

"Please deposit your luggage on my tray and I will escort you to the lab," The machine said.

Steve put a bottle of water on the tray and the machine moved toward the structure. The group followed. They followed the machine into what was obviously an elevator and rode it down. The doors opened and they found themselves facing a room filled with all sizes and shapes of machines none of which looked even remotely familiar to any of them. Steve removed the bottle of water and the cart/machine departed.

They wandered through the room examining but not touching any of the machines. At Steve's suggestion, they decided to return to the air car and fly around the city to look for any life. They returned to the elevator and were about ready to board when a large group of robots topped the steps and confronted them. There must have been fifty of them, they spread out and surrounded the group. Before they could draw their pistols the robots charged. They didn't stand a chance and quickly all four were held helplessly in the grip of their captors, despite their screams, shouts and struggles. They were carried down the stairs and through the streets till they reached a red and purple building, which they entered. They were thrust into a small room with a single door, which was slammed closed after their last captor had exited.

Mark ran to the door and found as expected it was securely locked. So indifferent were their captors to them that they hadn't even bothered to disarm them.

"I wonder what these fucking tin cans want and how long we are going to be prisoners here," Mark asked.

Yellow smoke started to flood into the room from vents near the floor. Soon the room was filled with it and first one then the others fell unconscious on the floor.

When Steve awoke, he found himself securely fastened to a table and looking around he saw his companions were likewise confined in a room filled with tables just like the one he was on. Two robots with six arms each and treads for feet stood adjusting things on a wall full of knobs and dials. They approached and fitted a metal cap with wires leading from them to each persons head. They then returned to the wall of knobs and dials.

First one robot, then another, was encased in a bright light, and became immobile.

As Steve watched from the corner of his eye, he saw a figure approach to stand in front of his head and the cap was removed. He looked up into a pretty face that was pale with black eyebrows, black hair and green eyes with brown flecks and pupils that were oblong like a cats indicating heightened nocturnal vision. Her lips were a deep dark black sharply contrasting against her pale white skin. A torrent of words poured forth from her mouth in a whisper, completely unintelligible.

Steve looked up at her and said, "Hi who are you?"

A frown on her face told him that his words were equally not understood.

"Keep talking," He said in a normal voice.

She touched a finger to her lips in an easily understandable sign to be silent. She then set about removing his restraints. When they had been removed, he sat up and noticed that she had a male companion who was releasing the restraints on Mist. The girl moved to Mark and removing his cap started to release him also.

Her hair was almost mid back in length and her whole body was pale white. She wore a bikini type top that supported her large breasts and a utility belt circled her slender waist that was about mid thigh in length and made up of pockets all the way around her, both garments were maroon in color. She also had on some type of plastic looking maroon moccasins. Her male companion was similarly garbed less the bra top. Both of them looked to be in their teen's age wise.

When the four of them had been released, she motioned them to follow her and once again put her finger to her lips indicating silence. They followed her to a vent grill that had been removed. She quickly ducked down and crawled into the duct on her knees. The rest followed with her male companion bringing up the rear and replacing the vent grill. They crawled through the duct for what seemed a long time and finally they came to another grill and crawled out of the duct. The girl led them across the room and down a hallway to a door where she stopped. Motioning them to stay she crept through the door. Soon she returned and with another silence gesture with her finger to her lips she led them across a street into another building, down a staircase and along a darkened hallway. They stopped in front of a closed door, which she opened and then waved them inside a small room. When she had closed the door, she spoke again in a low voice.

The translator started to decode a few words and Mist spoke to her brokenly in her language and indicated each of the members saying their names slowly. She then pointed to each one and said their names again. Mist pointed to their rescuer and then to herself.

"Mist," She said and then pointed at the girl with a questioning expression on her face.

After Mist had done this several times the girl pointed to her self and said, "Teseka," then slowly "Tes-e-ka."

Mist pointed to Teseka's companion with the same questioning expression on her face.

Teseka smiled and said, "Majong, Ma-jong."

Mist was soon able to tell Teseka to talk more and as she did, the translator continued to expand the vocabulary of the new language. Soon they were able to have a limited conversation that improved as it went on.

Steve joined the conversation saying, "Thank you Teseka, and you Majong for rescuing us. What were those robots planning on doing to us?"

Teseka explained in a matter of fact voice, "They were going to exterminate you."