A World Split In Two

Chapter Eighteen!

Chapter 18: A Metal Man, Talking Trees, And Yet another Headache

Zack woke in a little tent-like structure? Above him was the top of a canvas, rustiling from the outside wind. As he groggily sat up, starting to remember what happened, he wondered why everyday he seemed to wake up in a new, potentially hostile place. The last time he checked he was in a clearing fighting a giant rock? At least that's what he thought it was. His memory was still a little fuzzy.

Perhaps his memories were messed up and he was really in a wrestling match? Did he win? Was he dead? And if he was dead, was this what the afterlife was like, a splitting headache and a dirt floored tent with a little fire smoldering in the center. Na this couldn't be it, he thought, looking around in hopes of finding his pocket sword, perhaps forgetting that he had dozens of other compacted weapons in his pocket. Just then he heard scuffling coming from outside, and he quickly pretended to be asleep for the second time that week, hoping that this time he wouldn't be discovered.

As the figure snuck into the tent, Zack ever so slightly opened his eye hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever cruel creature had captured him. However he had no such luck, as right when he did a metal boot appeared only inches from his face.

"Hell-o Za-ck," greeted a choppy tin-like voice--which Zack assumed belonged to the metal boot. Or did the boot belong to the voice. "It i-is odd-d that y-ou would trrrrry such a fooli-sh trick aagaiin," it continued. "But Isupose yo-u human-s DO ha-vvvv-e a te-dancy of repea-ttting yourselves, in themost pre-dictttttt-able of way-s"

Zack, now a little bit more curious than afraid, opened both eyes fully, to find a little man only around four feet tall standing before him. The little man had a very smooth, shiny, metallic, head that resembled that of a horizontal football. The head had fancy goggles attached to it, that seemed to be the man's eyes rather than just eyewear accessories, and created digital eyeballs, similar to the Furby Boom of old. If this wasn't odd enough, the man also had four metal jointed rods, jutting out of his cylindrical body, that either led to a pair of metal boots or gauntlets, which Zack assumed were the figure's limbs. Despite this the little man seemed to be rather flexible.

"Well that's new...." Zack muttered to himself, thinking back to the pretty lousy first day when Jane's friends tricked him into revealing his consciousness. "And how do you know who I am and what I have done?" Maybe he really was dead and this thing was a deity or something.

"A-hhhhh I-e asu-rre yo-u I am n-ooo Go—d," explained the not god as if reading Zack's mind. "I am am j-uu-st an a-ndroid, ann-d lii-ke most andr-oids of my... scarceeeee mo-de-l I ha-vee the a—bility to re-ad mind-s and aac-cess, pe-ople-s memmmmmo-ries. It COMES i-n haaaaa-ndy fo-r many militar-y ann-d med-icaaal purposes. O-ddly ENOUGH th-y di-sc-ontin-uuuuued mi moooo--dle after a feeew different g-ovvern-meent.... AGENCIES! wiiii-th in-itial-s dee-me-d us un--ettthhhi-cal."

Zack, now having an even bigger headache, asked, "So why am I here then? Last time I checked I was in a clearing on my way up-north to save my friends." True, he could have--and maybe should have--taken some more actiony course of action. But he was tired, the tent was warm and welcoming, protecting him from the cool, bone chilling breeze from the unforgiving wasteland than snuck in through the open flap of a door. Besides the android not god discontinued stuttering man seemed friendly enough, what with his large circle eyes, small slight build, and wise old guy manner. It was a nice change from angry teens, oversized monsters, and slightly creepy Relens.

"Oh y-ees I kn-ow, and d-on-'t wo-rry, I f-oound yo-u a fe-w mi-les a-wway wi-th a terrrrrrr-ible head INJURY." This reminded Zack about what really happened, which led to him also remembering his sword and four-wheeler, but before he could ask about them the android continued. "Oh, d-oooooon't worry abo-ut yo—ur very adddd-vanced possessions, I r-etrea-ved them foooooor y-ou as wel-l. As fo-r the fiii-rst ques-tioooon, yo-uu caa-n pro--bably tell tha--t I GLITCH a li-tttttttle and i-t wou-ld be gr-eattt i-ff you-you could use your mech—anical skills to f-x i-ttt."