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  “Mic hard coded them to respond in the event of a system compromise.” Inwardly, I gave myself a little high-five for sounding a little like Giz. He’d of been proud of that one. The nods and insinuations simmered, but they hadn’t heard the worst of it yet. I decided to rip off the bandage quickly and told them the rest of Mic’s message. “There’s something else. Mic wanted us to know that Aaron is back online.” There it was. The one fear that kept folks up at night had just come back to life.

  A lifetime ago, Aaron had been Mic’s silent partner. He was an eccentric that, unlike Mic, preferred to remain as far from the limelight as possible. Together, they had turned the world of technology on its head, and changed life for everyone on the planet in the process. According to Mic, Aaron was once a prodigy of monumental proportion and he credited him with being the mastermind behind all that they’d built together. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line the genius went for a skinny dip in the crazy pool. When he became terminally ill, he convinced Mic to help him use the advances they’d made in technology to preserve his life. In the end, all that was left of the man was his rotten little brain that remained safely tucked away in a hidden location.

  He lived on by connecting into biosynthetic versions of himself, all the while convinced that he could re-generate dead tissue. His God complex led to profiteering during the war when he paired up with a programmer named Yen from the Far East. I still harbored resentment toward Mic for his involvement in all of it, but I’d come to believe that Aaron’s madness had been the root cause of the cyber apocalypse.

  After creating an army of cyborg simps genetically coded to his DNA, Aaron sent them out to hunt down Mic in the hope that he could convince him to return to their work together. A little over a year ago, he’d found our small group after we’d taken refuge in Redburg. The result had been a bloody battle and nearly every individual in town had suffered a personal loss. We’d foolishly believed that aside from a few rogues, we’d won. Shame on all of us for that.

  “I call bullshit!” shouted Sloppy Sam. He pointed his stubby finger at me and narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

  “She’s probably hiding them!”

  “I don’t give a shit what you think, Sam. If you think I’m hiding them, go check out my place for yourself! Check out their place, for that matter. Do whatever you need to do. In the meantime, the rest of you need to take precautions. I strongly suggest that you keep your loved ones close, and your weapons closer. If shit is about to go down, we all know what that could mean.”

  “Are you sure, the simps are relapsing, Lee?” Sue asked, and I could tell by the tremble in her voice that she desperately needed me to give her hope. Her son Otto sat on her lap, oblivious to the fear in his mother’s voice. Unable to meet her eyes, I shifted my focus to the peeling wallpaper on the opposite wall.

  This was becoming more uncomfortable for me by the second. Somewhere in the back of the room, a baby was crying. I tried not to focus on that because it brought home the reality for me. I’d allowed myself to get close to these people. I stood there silent, unable to respond to her question. The reality was, I couldn’t give her hope. I wasn’t the coddling type. I didn’t want to lie; and yet, I didn’t want to scare her or anyone else further. The baby cried out again, and the questions kept coming. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I had nothing left to give them.

  “Don’t any of you question Lee on this business now, you hear me?” Idella’s voice was shrill, but she commanded respect, and the room fell silent. Sloppy Sam was still standing with his arms crossed over his fleshy belly that protruded like a pale, fleshy melon from the bottom of his dirty t-shirt. He opened his mouth to say something, but Idella shut him down. “Sam, sit down and don’t you dare say another thing! I’ve had about as much from you as I can stand.” I’m not sure that the man really respected Idella, but Dallas, Ross and Tommy were on their feet and he wasn’t about to cross any one of them. Dallas and I met eyes, and I could see the support I had in his expression.

  “Every one of you, go on home now. Board up your windows, get yourselves prepared and let’s all pray for the best.” Idella’s words sent them off in a hurry and I was grateful, though many of them glared at me on their way out. All I could think about now was getting myself out of there. I turned to the old woman and met her watery eyes. She was a no-nonsense woman, and I admired that. Out of everyone in this town, she saw me for what I was. The wind had picked up outside and, as darkness fell, the cold blew in with it. Idella pulled her shawl tighter around her frail shoulders and eyed me suspiciously.

  “I suspect you’re heading out.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I am,” I said.

  “Dallas, get her some hydro.” The woman’s eyes never left mine. There was a wisdom there that I deeply respected, and I wondered to myself if I’d ever see her again. In many ways, Idella reminded me of Sophia Casciaiuoli, or Mamma Sophia as we’d called her. I hugged her close, taking in the sweet smell of lavender and talcum powder, and promised to return. In my heart, I silently prayed that I could keep that promise.

  I followed Dallas to the barn and we made small talk as he sifted through several boxes before handing me three bottles of hydro. “It’s not much, but it will be enough to get you to Silicon Valley,” he said, wiping his nose with the back of his hand and looking away. His shoulders sagged before he straightened and turned back to look at me. I knew he didn’t think he’d ever see me again.

  “I’ll be back,” I said decisively. He looked up and cleared his throat, then dug out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Tossing it to me, he winked.

  “Take care of yourself.” I nodded and turned on my heel. I wasn’t much for goodbyes and I didn’t like the vibe he was giving me. It had that you’re going to die, and you just don’t know it feel to it. I kept my head high as I walked back to my place. The streets were silent and as I glanced around at the shops that lined the street, my thoughts toggled between the standoff that had occurred here and the comfort I’d enjoyed. Much of what I loved about Redburg was the old world history it had behind it. The town dated back to an era I’d never known. A time when people made something of their lives by the sweat of their brow and sheer determination.

  I kicked a rock in the road and blinked back the tears that blurred my vision. I hated that the human race allowed technology to become so central that it swallowed the world we once knew. It was never enough, and it never would be. We always wanted more and we never learned from the mistakes of those that had come before us. How many wars would it take before that ever changed? I kicked another rock and then yanked out a cigarette. Pausing to light it against the wind, I continued toward my cabin. It was time to go.

  Taking one last inventory, I closed the door and crushed my cigarette in the dirt. The sky was a blanket of stars against the blackness. “Goodbye, Redburg.” I saw a light go out in a cabin higher up the hill. By now, everyone was hunkered down. “Take care of yourself.”

  I said a silent prayer as my hovcar ascended over the various little cabins filled with the people I’d allowed myself to get close to. The ones that I’d worked next to. The ones that had made me feel welcome. I looked down at the little cabin that I’d called my home and swallowed hard. I forced myself not to look back. There was no more time for soft emotions. I’d need to focus on the fighter in me if things were truly going to get bad.

  When the town of Mojave came into view, I made a last minute decision to stop at the airport. I wanted to get my backpack because my slingshot and my knife were in it. Not to mention a half a pack of smokes. I turned the lights off and came in on the backside. I’d have to make my way across the tarmac, but it was better to be further away than to risk being heard. The moon was nearly full and as much as I appreciated that for visibility, it also made me more vulnerable. It was taking longer than I’d calculated because I had to maneuver around large sections of broken asphalt and sections of tumbleweeds that had grown up between the cracks.
r />   By the time I made it to the building, I was kicking myself for my decision to stop. I was losing time and this wasn’t a quick in and out like I’d planned. Not being one to admit my mistakes easily, I slid the door open and slipped inside. It was too dark to see, but I had a general sense of direction from previous visits. I just needed to make it to the back wall between the toolbox and the shelf. I was nearly there when I tripped over one of the bodies of my would-be captors.

  My hands shot out instinctively to brace my fall. Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt, but I had made more noise than I’d meant to. I didn’t want to run into that simp again if I could help it. I groped around for my backpack planning to grab it and go as swiftly as possible. Finding the strap, I felt a quick sense of relief, which was quickly replaced with an adrenaline rush when a firm hand clamped over mine.

  “I knew you’d be back for this. It took you a long time, but I knew you’d be back. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  “Get your fucking hand of off me, you sick sack of wires.” I jerked my arm at the same time he released, which caused me to reel backward and fall hard on my ass. His laughter echoed in the darkness and I was sure that it would be the last sound I heard before I died. I was crab-crawling backwards as fast as I could as his laughter continued. When my back hit the wall, I realized there was no place to go. If I tried to stand up and run, he’d be on me faster than I could get to my feet. I had my pistol tucked in the back of my pants, but it was too dark for me to make out where he was. Firing in the dark would be a longshot. I could run out of ammunition before I hit it. My mind raced through the possible outcomes as he continued to laugh in the darkness.

  “If you could have seen your face!”

  “Fuck you!” I spat back. If I were going to go out like this, it wouldn’t be without a fight. I jumped to my feet, pulled my pistol, and fired into the darkness.

  “Now why would you try to kill me after I’ve been nothing but helpful to you?”

  The voice was right beside me. So close in fact that I could feel his synthetic lips brushing against my ear. My heart was pumping like a jackhammer as it snatched my weapon from me. Out of options, I braced for the worst.

  “Stay right there.” The sound of footsteps running away from me told me that this was probably my only chance. I didn’t know where he was going, but I had no intentions of staying put. I raced in the direction of the doors with everything I had in me. I made it about halfway there before the room was flooded with light. Glancing down, I had just enough time to jump over the body of the sick kid with no shoes. Almost to the doors, my sense of hope climbed…until the simp stepped in front of them. I stopped dead in my tracks and kissed my hope goodbye.

  “If you’re insistent upon leaving, you should at least take what you came for. He extended his arm to offer my backpack. This thing was toying with me and having a fun time doing it. I bent over to brace my hands on my knees and catch my breath. What was the use in fighting? It was blocking the only exit, and we both knew I wasn’t getting to leave. Recognizing defeat, I silently cursed myself for being so careless. I was about to die for a few personal items that I could have easily replaced. I realized in that moment that it hadn’t been about the items at all. It had been my need to stall the inevitable. I wanted time before I left my familiar area. I wanted more time before it all changed forever, and now it was too late. I extended my arms out at my sides.

  “Why don’t you just do me a favor and kill me quickly?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Listen, I’m not going to play your stupid game of cat and mouse. I’d like to die with a little dignity, so just do it already!” I glared at him, daring him to do the deed. If I didn’t know better, I would swear he was just a man from this distance. Standing there in dirty jeans and a blue work shirt, he looked anything but threatening. However, I knew different. I’d already seen him in action, and he was a killer. A synthetic monster, created in man’s image. I stood there in the silence, waiting for him to pop off with some offbeat line from a movie before he lunged forward to rip out my throat, or snap my neck like a chicken bone.

  Instead, he dropped my backpack on the floor and crossed his arms. “Now, you see, that just pisses me off. I helped you earlier when those men tried to attack you, and you left without so much as a thank you, and now you insult my intelligence. I find it increasingly difficult to find the logic in humans.” I shook my head in an effort to absorb what the simp had just said.

  “You’re not going to kill me?”

  “Are you unable to comprehend English?”

  “Fuck you.”

  “I see. Your grasp of the language is limited by your prominent use of vulgarities. Lower education is noted. I will adapt to your level as necessary to effectively communicate.” My fear was quickly turning into anger. “You’re a piece of work,” I said flatly.

  “Fuck you.”

  “Very clever.”

  “I’ve adapted as necessary.”

  “Well, good for you, now give me my backpack and move your synthetic ass out of my way.” If he really wasn’t going to kill me, I was all done here. I snatched my pack from his hand with all the bravado I could manage under the circumstances. I still wasn’t convinced that this simp wasn’t rogue, and all I wanted was to get my human ass as far away from this place as possible. His head cocked to the side and everything inside of me went numb. I’d seen that before. He was about to flip his psycho switch and crunch me like a bug under his shoe. I sucked in a deep breath of air, just before he lunged forward. In one swift motion, he’d thrown me over his shoulder. Simultaneously, the sliding doors flew open. There, to my unreserved horror, stood one abnormally tall, naked simp. Its colorless eyes met mine, and his thin lips pulled back into a sneer. The teeth were perfectly straight and white, which was in stark contrast to the anomaly of his deranged human form.

  “Lee, how charming it is to see you again after all this time.” The blood in my veins turned to ice. I’d had nightmares about this, but as the months progressed with no sightings, I’d become complacent.

  “Tell me, do you think Mic will mourn your death?” It was hard to look at him, and considering I was basically a sack of potatoes over the shoulder of another simp, I didn’t expect to be alive much longer. I went with what I knew best. Vulgarities.

  “Fuck you, Aaron!” The naked simp threw back his head and laughed at this before he regained his composure and spoke again.

  “I.D.E. Alpha, Echo, Dataset, Composite…Simply, identify.” The simp that held me over his shoulder began to shake. I could tell that it was struggling to hold me as it dutifully responded. “I am infant upgrade 9035 Alpha Composite registered to IHSIR number 46527899566923. Status…unknown.”

  “Very good. Drop the human.”

  I was fighting to gain some sense of control, as I heard these words. Considering the fact that I was nothing more than a pawn in the conversation between two synthetic creatures, I knew that my odds were limited, at best. My fists slammed into the back of the simp that held me. I wanted it to put me down. Let me take my chances at firing off a round that met its microchip squarely in the cortex.

  “Be still.” The next thing I knew, he was sprinting across the asphalt toward my hovcar. My upper body slammed against him repeatedly as he ran. I was sure he was going to snap my spine at the pace he was going. As I bounced up and down, I could see Aaron’s long, purplish legs giving chase, stride for stride.

  My synthetic counterpart set me down hard in front of the hovcar and immediately began barking orders at me.

  “Go, go, go! Get it started! I’ll hold him back!” Towering Aaron was gaining speed at an astonishing rate, and closing in on us faster than he had in any of my nightmares.

  I popped the door and scrambled inside. It was all I could do to keep calm as I started the sequence. My mind focused on the controls, but I was also keenly aware that the simp that I thought was my angel of death was fighting the monstrosity that had haunted my nightmares. As t
he engine started, I popped the passenger door open. “Get in! I shouted. The hovcar was already rising, and there was a small window of chance before I’d be too high off the ground. He gave Aaron a kick to his groin area and that bought him just enough time to jump up and catch the foot rail. He had to haul his full weight in by his forearms, but he made it.

  The garish simp version of Aaron stood beneath us, thrashing his lanky arms and screaming as we ascended. I’d never felt so relieved in my life.

  Mic’s former partner had taken several simp forms, but none of them terrified me more than that freakish thing that paced for a moment, mouth open wide, shouting things I could no longer hear before it loped into the darkness as my hovcar moved away from the airport.

  Instead of dwelling on the fact that Towering Aaron could be heading straight for Redburg, I focused on the blinking red lights beneath us and forced myself to calm down. At one point, those lights had signified the presence of the windmills for air traffic. Generating power, society had dismissed their presence in exchange for what they offered. Now they were giant, un-manned tokens of our failure…like Aaron.

  I increased speed and sent up another silent prayer that the people of Redburg would be safe. All the hesitation I’d felt was gone. I couldn’t do anything to stop Aaron by staying and the best thing I could do now was get to the people that could.

  I glanced over at my passenger. His hands were folded in his lap as though he were sitting in church.

  “Can you hand me my backpack?” The fact that I had a simp with me really hadn’t hit me until then. What happened to my judgement? Mic had warned me that they were going rogue. It was the reason he had sent Deraline and Two away from Redburg. And yet, here I was, traveling in the night skies over the barren desert with a simp I didn’t know. It had saved my life, but it wasn’t as if I owed it a debt of gratitude. I lit a cigarette and took a long hit.