Hayward's Reach

NaShoStoMo #29 - Pax Cyridian

              Hanging from the side of a building, cloaked in shadow, I could see the lights from the police roachsters sweeping the warehouse district and knew that we could not stay here long. I tried to visualize a route that would take me back to the city core but from here, every route was the longest route. Cyridian was not made for ease of driving but for optimal grazing for our bugs to maintain their bulk and their health.

              Cyridian was designed by the city's founders to be as ecologically friendly as possible with the industrial complexes as far from the city's living quarters as possible. Closer to the inner rings were the commercial and educational service areas and then within the center of the city were the living quarters for bugs and people in the direct center.

              I patted the internal dash of my Bug and she warmed the internal energy centers of her power plant. She did not activate her brightlights, she was a nocturnal species capable of seeing easily in the dark. I put on my sensor band, so I could see what she was seeing. Her vision spanned the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums, she was an omnivore, so she hunted and foraged on plants when other prey was not available.

              "Run, run?"

              "Not yet."

              "Far to run. Must run soon."

              "Stay still. We have to wait until the time is right."

              "Wait, wait."

              She was never the most patient vehicle. Her parent insects were adapted because they were strong and amazingly intelligent. She was one of the few breeds capable of true interaction. For most people Bugs were just an analog for machines. So much so, they used the default activation codes designed by the breeders. "Bug On," was the code phrase use to activate the systems of the Bug control interface. Most never created or updated the control system or password. It was not for security, because no one stole here, it would have been to personalize or empathize with the vehicle. But Bugs were never truly embraced by the humans of Cyridian. Our subtle racial dislike of bugs followed us here, a world rich in insect life. Insects that makes our current choice of nature embracing lifestyle possible.

              "Okay Ona, go fast to quadrant seven. Stay off the road."

              "Bump, bump, okay Penrose?"

              "Yes, Ona, bump, bump. I am strapped in."

              Ona stretched her legs and tumbled into the underbrush. It was a very bumpy and rough ride. But the advantage was hers because the police roaches simply had to go around. Around on Cyridian meant many miles of alternative pathways like a old maze puzzle. Ona rarely got to travel this way because my job simply did not give me the time to let her roam like I would have wanted. As a matter of fact, its my job that put me in this position in the first place. I am a gene-engineer. I change bugs into conveniences for the people of the Empire. I am not used to people shooting at me, or trying to kill me. Perhaps a bit of explanation is in order. I went to work this morning...

              "Penrose, I am seeing some organic components missing from your warehouse stockpiles," shouted my boss from his desk pit. He didn't even wait for me to slide into my desk before making demands. I saw that Barry, my co-engineer hadn't even shown up for work yet. Brown-nosing the boss does have its perks.

              "I'm right on it, I am certain it has to do with the last alterations I made to the Series 19 upgrades. I will check the data right after I grab some crabs."

              "Bring me a couple back," he mumbled and went back to whatever he was doing on his multiple terminals.

              Passing his pit, I looked down and saw some new recombinations he was working on, ugly designs to my sense of aesthetics but he had customers who loved his carapace work.