3WW CXCIV

This is a post from The words were Virtue, feign, and imply. I wrote this piece at about 3am this morning to combat a bout of insomnia. Hopefully it will read as well as it did then. Haha.


Virtue, Feign, Imply


Halogen streetlights cast small pools of soft white light, illuminating the cracks of the sidewalk. He walks along, an ancient rhyme about the dangers of stepping on a crack flitting through the dark recesses of his mind. He shakes his head, deep brown hair settling and curling slightly around his ears. He has no time for what he is about to do, let alone time for childish superstitions. Sticky, cloying night air swirls around him, tugging gently at his loose shirt and pants. A fat, silvery moon hangs over, casting only the faintest light over the metal jungle of a city. He breathes in the scent of pavement and recent rain. He’d been right. If he was going to do this, tonight was the perfect night.

He turns to the right and looks around warily. Debris and other garbage litters the street, glowing message boards flicker. One shows a picture of Him, Ruler. Smiling, a child on His lap, with others sitting, arranged in a semi-circle as he tells them a story. The young man’s clenches his teeth and looks away, blinking. The other message board shows advertisements for the state militia, the state metalworks, and the state information center. The multi-colored message on the screen jams, freezes, and flutters like a bird trying to take flight. The board darkens for a moment. The man dares to hope--no, the sign staggers back to life with an audible hum. He steps in a puddle, continuing down the street and hoping silently that he memorized the directions without fail.

“You made it after all, Alenis,” A smooth, low voice calls from the darkness of an alleyway.

Alenis cocks his head slightly and heads in the direction of the voice, taking care not to make anymore noise than absolutely necessary. Another man rests against a wall, his appearance obscured by a dark duster and clunky boots. His arms are crossed, appearing casual. Goggles hide most of his face.

“Yes…I did,” the younger man says, trying to match the other’s tone, knowing that the man condescendingly implied he wouldn‘t be able to evade the curfew. “I--I couldn’t pass this opportunity up.” Alenis runs a hand through his hair. What he was about to do--he’d have to be insane. Or have a death wish to even bother trying.

The goggled man says nothing. He merely stands straighter. “Of course…so, tell me Alenis. What exactly do you know or do you possess that could possibly be of value to me or my organization?”

Alenis swallows, and nods. “I know things. Rumors. I…I hacked into the city’s mainframe.”

Goggles Man lets out a whistle. “And you’re here, still alive? Something about that is off.”

“I have my ways. And I‘m not going to tell you in public…patience, my friend, is a virtue,” his eyes narrow, he knows better than to spill every secret to a mere stranger. Alenis almost smiles at the fake confidence he exudes. The other man nods in understanding.

In the silence, a low siren moans from a nearby. “Alenis, you idiot! They found out! Forget it. Get away before they find you.” He staggers off, turning down an unseen alley, the clunking of his boots fading as he escapes. The younger man curses under his breath and runs back the way he came, haphazardly stepping in puddles, cold water splashing against his clothes. As he runs, the air becomes still, save for a low hum.

He stops, unable to resist his curiosity. The hum surrounds him, filling his ears, ruthlessly beating his eardrums. He winces, and continues to move, but the frequency somehow makes it difficult. His joints and muscles begin to ache with a dull intensity.

“Alenis,”” A female voice speaks. The ache in his entire body grows more unbearable. This is the end of his pathetic twenty year existence. She repeats herself, this time more commanding. “Alenis.”

He can only manage a nod. He doesn’t even know where this voice is coming from. He must be imagining it. Maybe he’s already dead. One could only hope. The hum stops suddenly. Alenis regains control of himself. He’s still alive, and there may be a chance to escape yet. He can see no visible being, so he assumes a CamoBot has found him. Under this impression, he feigns quickly to the right, then sprints to the left, hoping to confuse the mechanical being.

He runs into a wall.

Well, it certainly feels like a wall. But when Alenis opens his eyes after the jarring impact, there is no wall. Only the desolate street ahead. He puts a hand out, experimenting. It stops. He feels the “wall.” It’s cool, and smooth, like the aluminum cabinets of his home. “Don’t try to run, Alenis. I’m not here to harm you.”

The man is instantly wary. Of course a state bot would say that. “Alenis. You are currently showing open acts of rebellion against the State. You reject your allegiance, and you live as an outlaw, condemned to death by the State, should they so find you. This is correct?”

“Yes,” Alenis says, surprised at the conviction in his voice.

Seemingly from nowhere, a young woman materializes, clad in black. Her hair is pinned back, and goggles cover her eyes. She is white pale, and tall. “You may call me Lacuna,” she inclines her head slightly.

“You’re a State CamoBot, right?” Alenis is pleased that he sounds relatively bored, completely masking his utter fright. Even though he was going to die, he could die knowing he never let them get the best of him.

“No. I am a human. Just like you,” she counters and draws closer. “And don’t you dare say I work for the State again.” She backs up, and takes a breath. “I am with…a group. We know things. But I shall not say anymore. Just know that who you spoke to, the man? Remember him?”

Alenis nods. “Yes, is he with you guys too?”

“No. He’s a CamoBot. And you’re beyond lucky to be alive. We need to get you out of here if you wish to see the sunrise. But first, you must pledge to serve my group. It is your only hope of survival.” Lacuna crosses her arms. “We need an answer. Now.”

Alenis looks around. They could be an organization devoted to killing children, for all he new. He shudders and glances back at her. If he could evade the State for as long as he had, he could easily slip away from this group if they turned out to be as psychotic as he suspects. “Yes. I will.”

“Right,” She grabs his arm and presses a few places on her forearm. The night fades around them.