43. Who is Next?

The tale of the great escape continued for the two. The machine continued making its way underwater, and scenes around were beautiful. The engine did struggle a bit in going forward, but the amount of oxygen as well as the fuel seemed to be full, and there seemed to be no chance of any problem there. The escape seemed to be certain at that point, and this journey was surely leading them away from the island. The pursuing machines were still left at the same spot and so the chase was cut off leaving nobody on their tail. There were more hunting machines on the prowl around the island, but there seemed to be nothing on their way. The path underwater was the safer one during those moments. Land was no longer the place for normal people, as far as they were concerned.

“I didn’t think about talking about this earlier, but this was a fine choice, I have to say” said C1RC221.

“I will keep my luck as long as it serves like this; everyone needs some luck, without which humans are nothing” said a proud V221KA.

“There are creatures around us though. I hope none of them are that harmful” wondered C1RC221.

“They are just mutated forms of sea life. We should just ignore them” remarked V221KA.

“Just like us, you say” added C1RC221.

“Not as good as we are, that is for sure” said V221KA.

“That was always the point, wasn’t it? To make us better than the rest, but not in the appropriate way”.

“Yes, but we are better in not just one thing, right?” asked V221KA.

“Being mindless is the better option when we are homeless” said C1RC221.

“We will make new home out of nowhere. It is no big deal” remarked V221KA.

“My home used to be around here only – I have some memory of it; they are buried deep under, but I can find them on another day” said C1RC221.

“That is a story of a long gone past. We have the scope to create new ones”.

“Well, it still exists, even if not in a solid form” said C1RC221.

The machine hit some of the vegetation on the way, but it kept going with not trouble. There was nothing that strong under water to stop their journey, at least until then. A lot of underwater vegetation was already destroyed by the wars. The water at that area was kind of contaminated with all those chemicals being dumped from the islands around, but still safe enough to go through in a machine. There was no comparison to the world before the big wars, as the change had occured, and it seemed to be permanent. War was more like a sporting event, and the dictators kept asking for more and more medals to assert their own supremacy. This was one Olympics that no common man was really fond of watching or being a part of, but what choice did they actually have?

The world had become smaller with the wars, and the effects of terror and mass destruction was seen everywhere. Death was only a temporary happening, and what was worse included all which was to follow later. But nobody was finished with those wars yet, for it was something that repeated itself, maybe towards eternity. There was the need for blood, and there was also the requirement for more than that – there was always going to be the struggle for more, what was rather justified in many names. It was not just about humanity, as the rest of the creatures had also changed, or rather evolved to suit the situations of war. This new world order based on war did become the beginning stage for another evolution, something that humans wouldn’t have loved to see occur.

“You have been holding on to the past for a little too long; which is why it is coming back to you – it will be of no more use to you except related to providing all the pain which you never deserved”.

“It is my past; it will only keep coming back to me at some point or the other” added C1RC221.

“What exactly is that?” asked V221KA.

“My past, and nothing else” replied C1RC221.

“That can’t be your past; I am not agreeing to that” remarked V221KA.

“What? You haven’t seen my past yet” said C1RC221.

“I am not talking about that! Look straight ahead” yelled V221KA.

“Oh! This is not going to be good!” screamed C1RC221.

The scene quickly shifted from relief to big trouble. There was a giant creature ahead, which looked like an octopus, but they were sure that it was certainly not that, with such huge size. Even so deep under water, its eyes were shining red in colour, and it kept looking straight at the metallic thing which had invaded what seemed to be its territory. Completely black in colour with its body, it had twelve arms instead of eight, and it stretched its arms towards the machine. V221KA tried to move it to one side and evade the arms, but even as they managed to go past two of them, the third arm got hold of their vehicle. It dragged the machine towards its side while the engines tried to push it away from the creature.

“We have come so far, and maybe we did get so close, but I guess this is how it ends” murmured C1RC221.

“We are certainly not done yet” yelled V221KA while trying her best to power the machine enough to move away from the arms of the creature that continued to pull it hard. The battle was on, and on one side, it was just about survival and nothing else.

To be continued…

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42. More of Hope

That was one sight which brought the positivity back to the scene. There was the machine that looked like a space ship, or rather a hybrid having the hovercraft elements too. Completely black in colour, it was part square and part spherical, and there were two seats inside it, visible through the windows which were also round. The wings of the machine extended towards both sides twisting in between. There were no levers or steering inside the machine, but there was a screen which showed nothing other than the message that said “Screen Locked”. It seemed to be the best scene that could be part of their eyes. There was something that could make a difference.

“Do you think that this thing can fly or at least run? Do you think that they kept it here because it is faulty?” asked V221KA while looking outside at the sea.

“I don’t think that we can be sure about it. There will be a lot of risk involved even if we manage to get it started. We are not trained for this” said C1RC221 as she looked around for some information about it.

“You mean to say that we can crash and just die. We can end up in the depths of the sea or burn to death on this island itself” wondered V221KA.

“Yes, it is rather an easy thing to understand, isn’t it?” asked C1RC221.

“There is still a chance that we might get off this island, and even if we crash in water, there will be safety measures in the ship”.

“Only if we can access them, right?” asked C1RC221.

“Lets go in and check then. It is pointless to waste our time doing nothing. What lies ahead of us is enormous”.

“Okay, in case there is the option for auto-pilot, something can be done”.

They got inside the machine and with a welcome sign, the screen automatically got enabled. There was the manufacturing date and name of the model displayed there on the top. It showed a map of the island with their location highlighted as a triangle in red. There were arrows towards all direction with the names of some locations unknown to them. A red button was glowing with the writing, ‘Begin here’.

“I didn’t know that this one came with an instruction manual. I wonder if they add the next steps too, unless this is full auto-pilot towards these destinations. Well, any place which is not this island should be a fine option for me” remarked C1RC221.

“Well, you really can’t avoid the positives here, can you? Haven’t we been negative for so long?” asked V221KA.

After having a quick look around, she pressed the button after touching one of the locations outside the island and the doors of the machine closed. There was the sound of the engine charging and starting to work. It felt as if it wasn’t used for a very long time. The machine started jerking and took a turn to go out into the sea. Suddenly, the alarms were triggered, and a screaming sound was heard. The machine started moving as a hovercraft over the sea, and the outposts began searching for the origin of the alarm.

“This doesn’t sound good, but at least we are out of there. Every moment there was nothing less than torture” remarked a relieved C1RC221.

“Yes, it is not done yet, but we are on our way” added V221KA.

One of the lights from an outpost caught hold of the machine in its path, and it remained on the spotlight as all lights converged on it. They could hear announcements about a lost scouting machine and missing prisoners. They pushed the button which had the picture of a video camera, and by pressing the zoom button on one of them, they could view a number of armed machines taking off from the launching pads on the sides of the outposts.

“We are about to be hunted! We are going to be brought down!” exclaimed a worried C1RC221.

“Find some of the useful buttons. We have come this far, and there has to be way out of here too. Maybe there will be some weapons in here” said V221KA.

“Didn’t you hear the announcement? This is a scouting machine. The purpose was always to seek and find, not to engage” yelled C1RC221.

“Maybe it is. But scouts also keep the basic weapons in case there is some kind of emergency. Or maybe they are announcing the same to confuse us. We have to keep looking through all the options available on the screen. Maybe it is hidden further inside so that it can’t be accessed by everyone” said V221KA.

“No, not that way, that is the wrong option. You shouldn’t do that” screamed C1RC221.

“I think I know what is to be done here. This option actually looks good” replied V221KA.

With one press of a button, the ship stopped for a second in mid-air, and dived deep into the sea. It kept going underwater, and stopped at a point from where it began to move straight forward. The purusuing machines reached the location on which the machine was last seen over water. They wandered around the place and kept sending information to the outposts which were passed on to the base.

“Well, told you so” said a proud V221KA.

“You have a fine amount of luck with you, I think” said C1RC221.

To be continued…

36. Through the Sea

There was no relief as the wind was strong and the ship struggled to keep its path. It kept moving left, but the journey forward was also happening despite the strength of the wind. Noah and Jack made sure that they were hidden well enough as the checking on the ship continued as if it was a regular procedure. But there was no safety guaranteed with this one. It took the ship seven days to find land, and it was not exactly where it was supposed to stop. There was huge jerking around as Noah and Jack held on to all which they could until the ship stopped moving. There was land, but not that area of land which they needed.

“This is a special announcement for all categories of people on board. We were facing terrible disturbances in the sea, and it has been a very tough ride. We have tried the best as we could, but the struggle was too much. The ship has been damaged beyond repair. It can travel no more as we have rammed it here. So please get down here and move to the city with support. It is only a few kilometeres from here, and the guards from the city will be arriving in a few hours; we have also signaled the outposts here. You can also choose to wait here because the trucks will be coming to take the cargo” the announcement ended as Noah and Jack looked at each other.

“It rarely works according to the plan, right? Here, we are stuck outside the city; not even close to our destination. This journey is to be delayed until further notice, it seems” said Noah.

“Well, this might be the best thing to happen at this time, if you ask me. I am taking the positive side of this one” said Jack.

“Please look into your special screens to find a written record of what was previously said. There will be no more repetitions and do keep the major points in mind. There are dangers awaiting you if proper care is not taken. Don’t try to walk all the way to the city; this is a serious warning and not to be taken lightly” the announcement made a short-lived return, but Noah and Jack didn’t care at all.

“You mean to say that this is something which will help us. But now we have no chance to get inside the city through those guards and the strong walls. They will also have the ultra-modern security equipments, even better than those which they have inside the city. Getting in won’t be that easy as getting out” Noah had his doubts.

“I would say that this has given us a better chance. If we had gone directly to the city port, they might have identified us with ease, and could have executed us without even a trial. It is their strongest area of control where their great dictator is not present. They easily find people and kill them” confirmed Jack.

“But can we make it through these forests and wastelands all by ourselves? We are not trained for that kind of survival. Waiting for a pick-up from the city will be like a suicide. They are sure to search for identity cards because this is how the immigrants usually arrive. So, the end seems to be certain whichever path we decide to take here. Is there even one right path remaining?” asked Noah while looking outside.

“We can find a way. Have you watched a movie called Rani Padmini? It is an old movie which go back to the year 2015 or 2016 – it is from before 2020, that much I am sure about. The danger is the same everywhere, and we just need to have the courage to face it. Giving up shouldn’t be an option here because it is not what we are. The forests are easy with almost all the dangerous creatures already hunted and killed. We can keep ourselves away from whatever remains. The wastelands along with the desert will be difficult, but there is a way through the sides, even though there is the talk about a curse. I don’t believe in that and most of the sane people won’t. It might not be easy, but we will surely get through. We are better than many others, and there are people who have survived these troubles as well as the curse, even though they had no real motive as we do” assured Jack.

“First, we need to get out of here. Time to get to the land taking the very first step. The journey needs to officially begin at some point of time somewhere here; staying here becomes less safe every second. The number of hostile people will increase and the ship will go down” said Noah.

“I don’t think that these people are thinking about looking around. They seem to be focused on their priorities related to the ship and the cargo. The risk is very low right now and we can make use of this opportunity” said Jack.

As the crew were busy taking the goods out of the ship, Jack and Noah jumped into water and started swimming around the place towards the other side of land. The guards from the nearby outpost also arrived, and with their machines, tried to make sure that the ship doesn’t sink. As the ship almost finished unloading the cargo, they had reached the other side. The message said that the trucks from the city were half way there. The dark clouds had started and the rain began its business making things more difficult. The ship finished its time, but it hadn’t sunk yet.

To be continued…

35. Ray of Hope

V221KA and C1RC221 held on to the pipes which were strapped to the roof and made sure that the robot and the workers didn’t notice them during its work. The robot was quite slow in working, as if the model was too old and outdated, unlike the ones they used to see in and around the prisons. The two people were checking the machines, and they seemed to be from the maintenance team of the island. They were surely quicker than the robot as they rushed through each of the machines in the room. But the robot still accelerated on occasions while keeping a look all around for anything to clean.

“We should apply for a new robot today itself. We have been working with this thing for too long. This one is lagging and also making too much of strange noises” one of the workers said.

“I can only hope that they agree to this. They usually say that maintenance and cleaning can do with the old model robots all the time because there is rarely the need, and even when there is a small need, the robots start working” said the other worker.

“This is the moment. Right now, through the door as fast as you can” said V221KA as the two jumped down and rushed through the door into the corridor while the robot slowly turned around to see nothing, and it went back to its work.

The corridor continued with rooms on both sides, and as they looked, there were machines everywhere except for one or two rooms which seemed empty. They reached a hall with a stage in the middle. A large number of chairs surrounded the stage which was decorated with flowers. There was something written on the wall in a strange language. The colours of the room kept changing between blue, red, white, green, yellow, brown, orange and purple. Video cameras and big speakers were set everywhere, but they were not connected or charged.

“Something special is going to happen here soon. Everything seems to be set and someone will be coming soon. We can’t stay here for long without risking capture again” said V221KA.

“It is going to be a very strange function, I would say, unless it has already happened. This is very unlike the total setting of the island” said C1RC221.

There were three doors in front of them with different designs, the left one coloured brown and with the sign of the trees, the middle one coloured black and with the pictures of the stars and the right one coloured red and with the images of the lion, tiger and eagle. The middle one was the largest and the left door the smallest. They took the left door which led them outside, to the foot of a mountain. They looked around to see the prison on the side, but it seemed separated from their present location by something in between.

“There seems to be more than one island. This should be the smaller one compared to the grand island with the prison, guard homes and the training facilities; the one which appears in the maps” said C1RC221.

“This should be a support island and the connection is actually made underwater through the corridors which connect the rooms. The need for some extra power and resources was always present. There could be more of such smaller islands around, but we never see them because we always follow a certain path according to the instructions” added V221KA.

“They have a lot more in store here. I wonder if their own people know this. There have been no stories about multiple islands. The absence of rumours amaze me” said C1RC221.

“They got the money and lots of resources. It is always easy for them to create an extra artificial island and expand their world. They have been stealing for a long time, and building something like this would be always easy for them. After all, they also steal the brains” added V221KA.

They walked to the end of the beach and touched the sea. It was all real and there was no forcefield there. There was no illusions there either as they could feel the sea. There were also crabs wandering around, and the sun was strong. There was no human being in sight anywhere around.

“At least we have managed to be closer to the sea here. There is not much of a security here and may be this is the perfect area to make an escape to the mainlands. We have to be careful, but also agile” said C1RC221.

“Which direction do you think we should go?” asked V221KA while looking at the sea.

“But there are no boats. The direction might not be the first thing to worry about” said C1RC221 as she looked around.

“There are none here, but we can make our own boats” said V221KA as she moved towards the trees.

“This idea is going to take a long time. We should look inside these buildings. At least one of them might have a solution, may be even an inflatable boat. After all, we are so close to the sea” said C1RC221.

“May be we should take the risk then. I can’t find anything sharp either. Lets give it a try” said said V221KA as they started walking towards the closest building on the other side of the island.

They entered the first one to see that it was empty and there were just ashes around. It seemed as if the place was the burnt ruins of what used to be home some time ago. The second building was the same in effect and it remained so as they continued looking inside thirteen buildings, and the only change came inside the fourteenth as they witnessed something other than just ashes. It was not something that could inspire them.

To be continued…

32. Ships and Humans

The ship was anchored and ready with a connection and pathway made to the harbour through the virtual gate. The lesser guards came out of the ship to fill the old war machine with supplies again, and also to fine something for themselves. There was not really anything of interest there, but the guards had been to worse places. They had found meaning right among the corpses of their own people as well as the mutilated bodies of their enemies. It was something with which they were good at.

Noah and Jack climbed abroad while the last guard had gone to buy a smoke. They were not the first illegal immigrants to board the ship, even though they were not illegal, but true citizens of the city. So, the sensors on the ship were not going to detect them as illegals, even though the city would, with their latest databases calling their names as the convicts as they were surely the most wanted ones now.

“So, we might reach the city after all. The sensors didn’t detect us. The ships don’t upload the data from the city. It is a good thing” said Noah.

“Still, it will change the second we go through the security at the city harbour” added Jack.

“It has to be well-planned, or we are going to die” said Noah.

“We are not just going to die; we are going to be brutally murdered” corrected Jack.

“You know how to make things sound worse” said Noah.

“We should choosen to stay inside those baskets. What we are doing is the worst idea ever” said Jack.

“Well, there was that opportunity, and we had to take it”.

“But what if we can’t hide well enough here? If we were hidden inside the baskets, we would stay hidden until we reach there” Jack added his opinion.

“What if one of them opens a basket? There is no guarantee about the transport which goes from here. The guards are also tired and hopeless people. They will surely look to take something from the baskets for themselves. The city is happy to have anything from this part of the world, and so they will not check for everything. They will just see if the goods are inside the packets and that there is no contamination”.

“What if we could have gotten into a basket which is under every other? We could sneak away the second it goes into the system for security checking”.

“I doubt that. Yes, it was the only idea when we couldn’t go through the guards. But we could just get in without trouble. So this is the better idea. We can get a disguise and get out of the ship when the guards set foot there. It is actually a simpler thing. We won’t get locked in the baskets, ship cellars or the security wing if this goes on in the right way”.

“So, there is a right way for this?” asked Jack.

“Yes, I am thinking about it. I hope you do too” said Noah.

“Considering the condition of this ship, I wonder if we need to get down on land at all” murmured Jack.

“Well, it is pretty much terrible. But this has been enough for so long, and I expect it to complete a few more journeys”.

“You are not the expert. Actually, you are not the expert in any of these. Neither was that ghostly thing. What was his name again?” asked Jack.

“It was something with three letters, and all those letters were the same”.

“What is this? You are coming up with a puzzle?” asked Jack.

“No, I just can’t remember. I was always thinking about the next move and I forgot this one” said Noah.

“Yes, it was TTT. I remember it now. He talked about too many things, and now we are here, with lessons learnt from a ghost who doesn’t even expand his initials. What kind of ghost tells people his initials and not the name?” asked Jack.

“Well, I don’t know any other ghosts, and I am not sure if they follow a protocol related to their worldly or spiritual names”.

“Do you know that the chance for our deaths has just increased because we are standing here in the open surrounded by guards and the ghost won’t really mind that?” asked Jack.

“I am fully aware of the situation. But we have to complete what we started” said Noah.

“I agree to it. But I am tired. I have less hope these days. May be we should have waited. There is no revolution in the city as we had hoped. I am not sure about it any more.” said Jack.

“Still, we are not done yet, and neither is the revolution” said an optimistic Noah.

“We will know the truth soon enough, but lets just hope that we will be alive to know that” said Jack.

The ship sounded the horn seven times. It was getting ready to leave. The time given the former soldiers to wander around and collect what was need, was over. There was not much of the time provided, and most of them usually had to hurry. There was chance of a storm and so more time was cut from the schedule. The guards rushed back to the ship with the supplies and the products which needed to be at the city. The big baskets were taken into the ship on trolleys.

The guards assembled at the main deck area and attendance marking was done. The head count was once again correct, and a signal was given to the captain for the ship to start its journey to the city. The ship had its own problems, and it slowly started moving after jerking for a few minutes. It struggled to get the engine back working again, and after fifteen minutes, it manages to be back to being normal again as it moved towards the homeland where it was created. The storm was coming closer from the right side, and the ship was sliding towards the left.

To be continued…