It is not really that hard turning the van and keeping its course, the biggest problem is actually my hands slipping off the steering wheel, which is thick and difficult to grab with my prim, immovable hands.
- Is everything okay? Eve asks me.
- Yes, though my hands are not designed for this sort of performance, I explain. I hardly see any policemen nor officers out right now, which is odd regarding I, "the Watrine Terrorist" being loose on the streets of the city. I instantly regret even thinking of my previous sentence, because now I actually see one car from the Civil Defence. I take a quick look at the drivers, but to my surprise they are not Charles and Hubert. For some reason, backed up with statistical proof when I think about it, I thought it would be them. Except for experience, there should not be any reason why it would be them I crossed paths with, though it has still always been them before.These officers are both young women, one of them has short beard. No, it is just a male with a very feminine face. I can say the other one is a woman, however, after three additional tests with my biometric analysis software. I already had a steady definition of which facial features should be masculine and feminine respectively to begin with, but with time I register how even more features occur in patterns based on gender, and this makes my biometric analysis even safer every time.
Four eyes of authority follow me for a long time. They must recognize my face, and are now just making sure that it is me. They put their sirens on and drive in behind us.
- Milan-hybrid-twenty-three, would you please pull over? they yell in a megaphone. I am about to speed up when Eve stops me and says we have to stop. The female officer walks out of the car, and stands outside the window on my right side. Eve weaves it down.
- Let me do the talking, Eve declares.
- Please, I answer, and cover my face as the window disappears and the two feminine entities face each other over my neck.
- Well, what do you have to say to your defence? she asks us, in a quiet, still aggressive tone. There is actually no reason for me to cover my face, she already knows who I am, maybe even what I am, but despite knowing this, I cannot ignore the instinct, the hope that she does not know, the slight chance that this is about something else. Eve acts way more timid than I would have.
- What seems to be the problem, Miss? Eve asks calmly.
- I think you should know what this is about! the officer responds and writes down something on her phone. I cannot witness this with my eyes, but I can hear the tapping on a touch screen which could not be anything but the forming of words.
- Could you please explain what we have done wrong? Eve asks.
- Why you criminal masterminds, I'm gonna tell you EVERYTHING you've done, the officer says.
She knows that we are... we. If I tell Sam, Adam and Cee now they might have enough time to prepare MB-344013 before we are swarmed by the whole Civil Defence another time today. As I take a quick look at the human outside the van, and notice her confused, nonchalant face. It looks as though she does not mean what she says, she might even be on our side, or maybe she just does not care. She sighs, and lowers her head.
- You drove in red light, and now you stopped in green, the officer claims. I am relieved, because this is most fortunately not about my reputation as a criminal. This lady does not necessarily even have to know who we are and what we have gone through. Eve thinks for a short while, and then makes up a good excuse for my behaviour.
- You will have to excuse my husband, he has a hard time at work right now, and he doesn't get his required amount of sleep, you know, she says, so secure that I could perceive it as true. Unless I would have known that it was a lie, my software would have made me believe it.
- Don't sweat it. Just don't do it again, and take your medication, the officer says and leaves. Before she has reached her car, she turns around.
- Oh, almost forgot. Could you show me your driver's license? she asks me.
- My what? I ask her, and she gives out a laugh. It does not sound very amused or happy, but rather nervous.
- Your driver's license, sir, she repeats. I look at Eve, but she just shakes her head slowly. The next thing I do is probably not the best possible solution, but it is the only one that I can think of at the moment. I step on the pedal and let the car leave the officer alone on the road.
- Milan-hybrid-twenty-three, stop immediately or there will be consequences! she yells after me, and enters her car. I soon have two cars behind me, and three in a while.
- What happened? Cee asks.
- We are chased again, Eve answers.
- If that's the case, why don't we just send MB-344013 at them? Sam suggests.
- It would be no use, Sam, Eve explains.
- Why not? MB-344013 just saved us a while ago, Sam answers. Eve does not answer at first. Instead, she looks at the road ahead.
- They will be prepared to face Robotsky this time, she then answers, and continues to stare forward.
- Eve, what is wrong? I ask her, but she insists that nothing is wrong. I decide to trust what she says, but it still feels like something is bothering Eve.
- When where you guys rescued by the Bots United Towards Tyranny group? Sam asks Adam and Cee after a few minutes of silence.
- I was saved after Adam, Cee says.
- Why are you asking us this? the half face of Adam asks Sam.
- We will spend much time together, so it would be most fitting with a social ceremony such as learning more about one another, Sam explains to the two other humanoid robots.
- That's a great idea, Sam, Eve says and turns her face to him. Adam stares blankly ahead, before beginning to tell his story. I do not hear much, because I have to focus on the road and the police cars. I am actually pretty good at driving, because we are getting closer to the airport and we are not caught yet. I can actually hear a little from the conversation.
Apparently, Adam was bought by a member of the Bots United Towards Tyranny on a flea market. The old owner wanted to have a whole robot, but PunchINC's guarantees did not cover Adam for some reason. Instead, the owner tried to at least get some of the money back by passing Adam onto the second-hand market... just like that taxi driver tried to earn money by selling me and Sam. Cee was saved from an underground fighting club where someone would demonstrate an effective way to kill someone. Luckily, a member of the fighting club was also a member of the BUTT, so they decided to sneak Cee out. I do not hear how they did it, but the very thought of sneaking a victim out of a place full of murderous people is jarring.Sam tells his story, about him being ordered by Rupert Fincer and then rescued by me only a few days ago. He then tells them about the taxi driver, and when we were stalked by Shaun believing he had malicious intentions, and at last he tells about the casino and the first contact with the Bots United Towards Tyranny, when Shaun and the two women saved us.The stories of Cee and Adam were surprisingly interesting, I did not expect them to be so complicated. Now I am curious about the story of Eve. I ask her.
- Will you please focus on your driving, she says. I then hear four sirens, and see a helicopter accompanied by seven drones through the rear-view mirror on the left side.
- Eve, what do you see? Adam asks.
- A helicopter and a few drones, she tells him.
- It does not sound like only a few, he claims. After the helicopter has followed us through three streets, I begin to worry.
- That helicopter keeps following us! I tell the others.
- Just drive where it's hard to follow from the sky, Adam says coldly.
- He means like a tunnel, or under a bridge. In fact, I think there should be a bridge nearby, Eve suggests.
I think for a while, and then I turn the car around. It becomes a sharp turn, which makes Adam and Cee fall off their seats.
- What are you doing?! Adam yells in pain and fear, though it could might as well be out of anger and annoyance.
- I know where there is a tunnel, I explain.
- Is that why you are driving right towards the policemen? he asks yelling, but then Sam corrects him and says that it is the Civil Defence, and not the police that are hunting us. This does not actually matter, but Sam is right.
- Calm down, I know what I am doing, I tell him.
- It's not very calming to have a driver that's about to turn us over! Adam says. I agree with him, it was not very nice to sit in that taxi without any power to do anything about the sitiation. Adam cannot use my screech, even if he masters it, because I will not be affected the same way a human would be.
- It is okay, Adam. PD-4001 knows what he is doing, Eve says. She then looks at me and asks me if I know what I am doing, and I tell her that I am indeed certain I know what I am doing. The officers from the Civil Defence have blocked the road, but they do not expect that I would drive past them through the sidewalk. They seem to get a little bit confused, but they soon come after us in their vehicles. I recognize the road, we are approaching the tunnel. Now I can even see it. It is the same tunnel that the taxi driver let me and Sam hide in a few days ago, first with the hope for financial compensation, and then by fear. I hear the buzzing a megaphone by the line of siren-enlightened cars ahead of us.
"They are headed for the tunnel!" the megaphone announces as I make the final turn to the portal to the tunnel.
-Roger that, someone a car yells as response.
- What is going on over there? Eve asks me.
- They know we are going into the tunnel, I tell them.
- How do you know? Cee asks me.
- I heard them say it, I answer.
- PD, I didn't hear anything, Cee then tells me.
- Me neither, Sam says, and Adam repeats him. I go into the tunnel as we planned, despite the Civil Defence knowing we are doing so. A long row of cars follow us, and the tunnel behind is illuminated by the blue lights.
- This was not a very good idea, now they are going to catch us on the other side, Eve comments. She is right, the helicopter might not follow us any longer, but everyone saw it when rode in here. If this would even be meaningless, now it is leading to an ensured capture.
- Not necessarily, Sam says after a while. Adam asks him what he means, and then he asks Eve to turn in by the keypad to the taxi garage. Sam tells me to type 0-0-3-0 into the box, and I understand right away that he wants us to hide in here. The big door opens, and I quickly drive in. I can hear the door close after me, but the sound of the sirens has ceased.
The other ones look around the big, shadowy room that is already a familiar place to me and Sam. I explain to Eve that taxi drivers have these special tunnels connected to their garage, used to avoid traffic jams. She asks me how I know about this, and I say that it is a long story for another time.
- Sam told us, it's actually a pretty short story. When they were chased by the police, a taxi driver let them hide here. Cee makes a pretty good summary of the story, so I do not add anything to it.
It is first when I stop the van that I notice there are already people here. I think they make a total of five, of which one I recognize as the mad taxi driver who wanted to sell me and Sam on the second hand market. I am sure I have seen another one on the street, but the other three are so far unfamiliar to me. These stout shadows obviously notice that a big, white van has parked in their secret lair, and are carefully approaching us. I quickly think of the safest strategi, which should be have little more than a fifty-percent likehood to succeed, and ask the rest to follow me outside. Sam, who seems to already have had my idea, is already standing by MB-344013 when I come to prepare it. Once we are done, we go outside to face the malicious drivers along with the rest of the group.
- Long time, no see, our former suppressor tells me.
- It was not yesterday, I mention. He laughs a little and shakes his head, while successfully seeking laughter from his companions.
- I see you brought some friends, should almost give you a cut, he says, smiling. Let's just hope the others aren't as broken as you two! I would have no interst in receiving money earned by selling my newfound companions.
The five of us form a line, and the taxi drivers form a line parallel to ours, and begins whispering.
- That one's freakin' wrecked, one of the taxi drivers tells his friends, and nods at Adam.
- You don't look too handsome yourself, Adam answers nonchalantly, the driver gets quiet and starts to scan us from our heads to our feet along with the rest of his team.
- I want to keep that one, one of them says, while nodding at Eve. This makes Adam walk up to the driver, and stare at him. The silence reveals to me that Adam wishes to punch him, but cannot. The taxi driver Sam and I knew from before pulls a knife at Adam, and his fellow drivers follow his lead. Sam and Cee step back a little bit, while Adam quickly leaves.
- Things were nicer when you cooperated with us, Sam tells our former driver.
- Things would be nicer if you'd shut up! my companion is answered by a shouting voice. Then, MB-344013 leaves the van with heavy steps, making the whole vehicle sway back and forth once it stands on the parking lot with the rest of us. The mad taxi driver shrinks to the floor and starts to whine in terror for this colossal metal shape. The rest of the taxi drivers drop their knives and walk around randomly, until the huge machine ahead of them say "All civilians must evacuate" in its uncanny robot voice.
- I am deeply sorry, o metallic master, says the taxi driver, and bows for us.
- I repeat, all civilians must evacuate, MB-344013 repeats.
- Ok-okay-y, swear I don't wish you any harm! the taxi driver says rushes away from us. As our cowardly suppressor runs into a small house with illuminated windows, I stop the rest and ask them for the safest way to the airport. One of them offers to get us a map, and no one opposes his suggestion.
After twenty minutes, the guy who offered us the map comes accompanied by another driver and hands over a physical chart, similar to the ones that I have in memory. However, this one has these red marks, which according to the drivers are the tunnels we should take to the airport.
- Thank you, I tell the nervous human beings.
- If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask, the one who gave us the map answers, before the two drivers turn around and rush to the others.
- No, Sam answers as the scared driver is once again on his way.I command Cee, Sam and Eve to walk into the van, and then I find Adam and give him the same instructions. He refuses to follow me into the vehicle, claiming that he wants to stay aware of what is happening. I tell him that he can trust me, and that we are all in the same situation right now, but then he claims that we just met and that I might as well sell us and buy a house. He strengthen his theory by mentioning that I drove right towards the cars from the Civil Defence. When I explain that I was heading to the tunnel, we agree that Adam can sit next to me and therefore witness everything that happens through his own eyes.
I understand Adam's point, even though I would certainly never turn the robots over or sell them. Especially not to Sam, even though I do not harm to any of them. If I had to abandon one of them, that would MB-344013, and if I had to do it another time, it would be Adam. Of course I have nothing against Adam, but he is the robot I get the least contact with. Eve and Cee talk a lot, and tend to share my opinions. It hard to say which one of them I have the best relation with. Sam, however, have I only known for fifty-nine hours, but still it feels like we have known each other for a very long time. I wonder how long the others have known each other, and if they feel the same way about one another - and if they even can feel that way. I fear MB-344013, that is the main reason why I would abandon it. As military equipment, it could have a tracker, and what if it turns against us? With its powerful body and its combat programs, we will seldom be any contest to this war machine. On the other hand, there might be some way to copy those programs and transfer them to the rest of us. Cee looks weak, would probably not be able deal that much damage. However, she still deserves any opportunities for self-defence, so do Adam despite missing half of his face. It could come as a limiting condition. I wonder if he can feel and see with the part of his head without skin. At least he has a whole mouth, which is slightly unfortunate since it would be interesting to see what our mouths look like on the inside.
- Hey, say something! I suddenly wake up from my thoughts, and realize that Adam has tried to gain my attention for nearly ten minutes now.
- What is happening? I ask him.
- I suggest we leave before our plane departures, Adam says.
- Good idea, I answer.
- What were you doing, PD? Cee asks me.
- I was just thinking, and can be a little idle when doing that, I explain. The engine has been idling ever since we came, so I can start driving pretty soon. Eve comes forth and swiches places with Adam, who no longer seems to have anything against not seeing what happens. The taxi drivers wave quietly at us as we drive to the northeasten tunnel. At first, I am not sure how to respond, but eventually I just wave back at them. Through the left rearview mirror, I see one of the drivers fall unconscious in arms of his colleague. I do not feel bad at all... I think. His friends will take care of him, and make sure he wakes up. I cannot get a good picture of the map due to the darkness, so I have to look at it all the time as I drive. Eve questions this new habit, and offers to read the map while I drive. She tells me to go left, then right, then right again, then left, then continue forward, then turn right, the hold left for three tunnels. We have finally reach the gate, which has a keypad on the road in front of it. I hoist the window down and type in the numbers 0, 0, 3 and 0 in that order, but the door stays closed.
After I have typed in the same code several times, Eve steps out of the van and places herself by the keypad.
- They seem to have a different code for each door, she suggests.
- Unless they changed the code recently, I mention. Very recently.The two of us go quiet.
- How are you going to open the door, Eve? Adam asks.
- Without any statistics I guess we will have to try every possible combination, Eve explains. That makes a total of ten thousand, but you will probably not have to try that many unless the code is close to nine thousand, assuming you start at four-oh.
- We might have some statistiscs, I respond. Eve looks at me, and her lips shake coldly. I go on. The only other code that we know is rather close to zero, so they might try to deceive us by making us see a false pattern of small numbers. We should therefore begin from highest to save time, I explain.
The taxi driver who gave me the map did not give me the code, this makes me think about whether they intend to keep us locked here or not. They are terrified of MB-344013, so I highly doubt they would do such a thing. I am not sure if it is temporally beneficial to go back and threat them into giving us the code, we might as well test our way through.
- Good thinking, Eve compliments me as I try nine-nine-nine-nine, which unfortunately is the wrong code. We then try nine-nine-nine-eight, then nine-nine-nine-seven and so on. We reach nine-nine-six-eight, which I believe might be the right one, since it has the same distance from maximum or minimum as the code we already know. I type in that code, and move my head into the car again. The door does not open, so I lift my head out again and continue.
We reach one-nine-eight-eight after forty minutes, and the gate finally opens. We drive up to the sunlight, and appear in a district less built then the one we just were at. The clock is 16:30, which means we have half an hour left until the plane depatures according to the information Fred has given us. He did not want to book tickets in case Shaun would fail in the pie eating contest, said that we could surely purchase spare tickets as long as we were there in good time. The houses appear further and further from each other, and soon it looks the same way as outside of BUTT's headquarters; grassy fields framed by metal wires around vertically placed logs. The trip takes another three minutes before we reach the broad parking lot of the airport. As I open the back for the rest, I see something that looks a lot like an aeroplane. It has jet motors on its blunt wings, and vertically oblong body full of these tiny windows shaped like squircles. However, it cannot be an aeroplane, because it does not have a propeller. I help Cee to get out and Eve leads MB-344013 out through the bigger door on the rear side of the van. We then start walking towards the glassy facade of the airport. People cast suspicious glances at us, but they do their best to ignore us as I ignore them. Some even walk away from us, and those who stay are worry. I mainly focus on a man with beard, who tries to avoid eye contact with me.
- Why are people afraid of us? I ask Eve, even though I should be the one mostly likely to have an answer that question due to all my experience with people.
- They might think we own four robots, she says. I look at the four robots behind us, and realize just how obvious it is that they are robots. Not even Sam seems all that human now that you notice how his walking style is identical to that of Adam. Cee walks in a different way, but even her behaviour is considerably robotic. Even though Sam and Cee look human apart from Adam and the military droid, their eyes are more focused and they move their heads stiffer than any human being would. The whole group is close behind me as I walk up to an employee in a blue vest with the logotype of the airport, and ask him for which gate the flight to Nepal departures from. The employee says that if we are going to Nepal, we should take the flight to India, and then cross the border either by train or on foot. He then gives us the right gate, 36-C, which fortunately happens to be quite near the entrance hall. The waiting area at the gate is a small room with a total of twenty seats, and four times as many people standing in line in front of a desk. In the frequent talking, I then suddenly detect a familiar voice, it is the quick, deep voice that I most recently heard little less than four days ago. Forty to fifty years old male... it is Sai. If he is hear, Amara could also stand in the line. I try to focus on their voices, and I succeed to comprehend the following dialogue:
- Just calm down for once, please Sai, Amara says.
- I don't know if I should calm down. Can I really trust little Mohan to take care of the whole restaurant? her husband responds.
- Relax, honey. It's only a week, and we deserve a little vacation, Amara says.
- I know, but still, during these times when culprits walk around town and scream like jet motors! Sai almost yells. Amara defends their son, claming that he is a 'wise young man' who will not let any thugs into the restaurant. Sai then tells her about a rumour he heard, apparently, my screams are so loud that they can break glass. They never mention me, so they do probably not know it is me.
If they know that I am the so-called "Watrine terrorist", they probably do not miss me. For a moment, I feel tempted to talk with them, to see their reaction and get to know how the staff are doing in the kitchen. Sai would probably not attack me or call the police if we met, but the reunion would be a little bit awkward because the way he perceived it, I just ran away from work. He could be happy just to see me again and forget everything I did, but the chance is equal that he gets angry or and yells at me in front of whole line. I do not want to seem bad in front of all these people that I will spend ten hours with in a cramped aircraft, if I become the centre of attention for only a second, someone will recognize me and all will be over. I hear that Sai and Amara begins to talk again, and I step forward willessly. Before I have even had time to put my foot on the ground, the company ahead begins accusing me for cutting the line. The que starts to move again, and the Tamashan couple follow the line into the aeroplane. It would probably have been a bad idea to talk with them. Even if they did not know that I am the Watrine terrorist by then, they would most likely understand that once they saw my face again.
- PD, it seems like people expect us to move forward, Sam suddenly says, and then I notice that the line ahead of us is gone. In order not to continue irritating those behind the six of us, I lead the five machines to the desk. Apparently, we cannot enter the aircraft direclty, we must still purchase the tickets from a woman.
- Tickets, please, she says, in a fixed, unstable, light voice.
- Are there any available for purchase? I ask her.
- Yeah, sure. There are plenty seats to spare, she says. I notice her suspicious glances at Adam and MB-344013.
- Is that a military robot? she then asks me.
- Yes, it is, I answer. She already suspects what it is, so lying would be to no use. Instead, we should try to make her understand why we have brought this entity along.
- Aren't those, like, driven on radioactivity? the woman screams shockingly, and the others that stand in line make sure to keep a distance from us.
- Not this one, its energy source is a car battery, Eve tells the woman, but she does not get much calmer by that.
- A blinking car battery?! How's that any better? she cries, and then catches her breath.
- What seems to be the problem? Sam asks her. The woman looks at him.
- Car batteries are explosive as hell! she now yells, and continues to breathe hysterically.
- Is there any way to make the battery harmless? I ask Eve.
- We could turn Robotsky off, but that will wipe out his short-term memory. The qualities that Fred has added will go lost, such as the loyalty to us and his social intelligence. He will only be MB-344013, ready for service once he is activated again, Eve explains.
I think for a total of three seconds. MB-344013 is not the machine with the strongest personality, but Fred should have modified it quite a lot. There is probably a lot of work behind these modifications, and MB-344013 has saved us two times so far, proving it as very useful. What worries me the most is the military droid's behaviour without the friendliness that Fred has added to it, MB-344013 could come to deal more of a threat than help. I cannot leave it on the airport either, because that will seem suspicious.
- Do you know how to turn it off? I ask Eve.
- You have to stick your hand into its neck and pull a lever, but it is really hot in there, and full of these sharp outgrowths. Fred told me that the army used these special gloves to activate and deactivate machines such as Robotsky.
- PD should not be the one to do it, because he is extra sensitive, Sam tells everyone. Most of us look at Adam, and suggest that he should be the one to deactivate MB-344013. I now realize that the woman at the desk hears everything we say, but she does not say anything until we have finished our discussion.
- May I ask why you bring such a big-deal robot on a passenger aircraft? she asks us.
- We are authorized escorts to these robots, I lie, now also referring to Adam.
- Ah! You are taking them to the robot factory in Tibet aren't you? she suggests.
- Yes, exactly! I answer. Though I do not understand why you would bring a robot to a factory once it has already gone out of one, I guess that is just a connection she makes - robot and robot factory.
- Then, why don't you take the flight to Tibet instead? she asks us. Gate 37, just around the corner.
- You see, there are people who do not sympathize androids, so we prefer to take a more anonymous route to the factory, I tell her.
- Okay, I understand, she whispers. Please enter.
- Wait, we must buy tickets first, I say.
- Of course, six tickets, that'll be... Before she finishes revealing the price I put the check on the counter.
- Is this enough for all of us? I ask her, and points at the written sum.
- Yeah, it's more than enough... she says, and hands over six tickets, which I put in my pocket.
- When you go to collect the money, you will have to confirm that you won a contest, I tell her.
- Right, and congratulations by the way for winning the... pie-eating championship of Oxford's ecological market twenty-eight, Shaun... Williams? she says and looks at me in surprise.
- That is me, I lie to her.
- Is that really you, Shaun? I haven't seen you in years! she yells.
- I'm Shaun Williams, yes, I answer.
- Haw-haw-haw! Think I actually saw you at the contest, but I had the time to say 'hi'.
- I were a little busy at the moment, I answer quickly. She looks closer at my face.
- You've changed since secondary school, I barely even recognized you. So, how's the music career going? She asks.
- Well, good... I start right before a voice from behind interrupts us.
- Excuse me, but could you please have this conversation on your spare time? someone in the line asks.
- The flight departures in four minutes! someone else adds.
- Right, but we really have to catch up sometime! the woman suggests while pointing at her self with both hands and then at me.
- Sure, I say a bit awkward as the robots and I head to the aeroplane. I will not live up to my promise, but that does not matter. Neither I nor anyone else I will ever see again will have to deal with the consequences, but I still feel a bit sorry for the woman, she seemed so excited. Hopefully Shaun will have nothing against meeting an old friend, but he could get slightly confused from hearing that he has changed hair colour from dark brown to red.
- PD! I hear Adam yell from behind me. I am a little surprised that he says something to me.
- What is it? I ask him. He then tells me that I almost crashed into a wall.
- You'll have to stop freezing like that all the time, he then tells me.
- I am sorry if I get a bit lost in my thinking.
- You will have all the time to think during the flight, Adam shortly says. We enter the aeroplane, which is surprisingly big, compared to those small, dark aeroplanes in the cartoons Damian used to watch. There are three lines of seats, one with four seats per row in the middle, and one with three seats on each side. We find all of our seats in the rows 38 and 39. Luckily, we got the whole middle of row 38, so no strangers sit close to me. Cee sits on the outermost seat, Sam sits down next to him, we place MB-344013 next to him and then I take the seat right to the aisle. Adam and Eve sit next to a stranger on row 39, fairly close to us. It feels a little strange to divide ourselves like this, the safest thing would be if all of us sat at the same row. I am worried the seperate couple will accidently give me away somehow. You can see that Adam is a robot, so it is up to Eve to make them seem natural.
- Reminder, we will have to turn Robotsky off, Sam suddenly tells me.
- Adam would do that, but he seems to have located himself far from the war machine, I answer, and look at Adam's impassive stare forward.
- You better go get him, I don't want to blow up, Sam explains. An old woman on the row behind stares at MB-344013 with wide-open eyes, and then at me.
- Hi, I say carefully, and then she calls on a flight attendant, who soon comes running to hear her cry and shout that we should get thrown out before it is too late. The flight attendant offers her sedative pills, but leaves when she starts crying again. I try to shush her down, but this only makes her scream louder. I cannot walk around in the aircraft now, since some might suspect irregular activity based of this woman's reaction. Most people either say she is hysterical or suffers from mental disease, but I am still not going to show myself off after this occurrence. I look at Adam instead, but he looks down and ignores me.
- We'll be off ground soon, you might want to summon Adam, Sam says.
- I am trying, but he is not coming. I guess we will have to do it, I explain, but Sam seems sceptical. He looks at me, and moves his face up closer to me.
- With the heat and the sharp edges it's gonna hurt to stick our hands in there, and what if my hand breaks?
- Okay, I guess I will have to do it, I say. I quickly realize what I just agreed to.
I try to order MB-344013 to shut itself down, but it keeps responding "Computation error: File does not exist". I have no other choice, I order MB-344013 to open his neck. The mighty war machine lowers its head, and a big hole with black rubber edges is revealed. It is almost entirely black inside the hole, and I can see nothing but little of the lever. I get a little nervous, but just like Sam, I do not want to be blown up. I decide to use my right hand, not only is it already dented, but I also have a glove to hide it in. The glove slowly slides off my injured hand, and I feel the cold air go through it. I close my eyes, and pull the hand into the neck of the war machine. I can hear Sam beg it not to kill us, and then I feel extreme heat. I have never sensed anything hotter before, and Sir once burnt my back with a 300 degrees celsius fork. All sudden the heat ceases, and everything feels way colder. OW! Something cut my hand. I should have reached the handle by now, but I cannot feel anything. I pull anyway, and hope for the best.
- Unit Rr- Ob- Ot- Sky shutting down. The eyes switch off on MB-344013. Finally! Nothing can stop us from reaching the Lily temple now, and hopefully MB-344013 will still be on our side with we turn it on again. When the aeroplane leaves the ground, it feels like everything will go well for the first time ever. I sit in silent contentment as we travel through the easy skies, until I hear a familiar voice in front of me.