The pass looked way shorter from the top. I have been walking for about an hour, and I can see no end of the road ahead of me. I keep thinking about Sam, Eve, Adam and Cee. I witnessed the deaths of Cee, Sam and Eve, but Adam might still be operational just like Eve said. He is probably imprisoned or something like that, it is even possible that they have stopped maintaining him. However, they should not have scraped him, at least I kind of hope so. Then there is 'everyone else'. How am I supposed to find every other AssaultBot? Am I supposed to travel all over the world, knocking every door and asking if they have any AssaultBots at home? Am I supposed to visit every organisation in the world and search their basement? As long as I find the Guys Against Sadism everything is going to work out decently, since that they might have contact with similar organizations all over the world. Regardless of how many alien AssaultBots we are going to save, we will be able to find Adam and free him.
There is actually one place where I know there are several AssaultBots, the factory in Tibet. I must sneak in there and rescue as many as I can, all by myself since I have no clue on how I am supposed to find the Guys Against Sadism. It will be a lot easier than last time now that I can fight from the start. However, I had Sam and Eve to my aid last time, and their help to our self-endorsed operation was undeniable. Though I should focus on my current state at the moment, as the cold road to civilization does not seem to get any shorter no matter how fast I walk.
Suddenly, I spot light in the storm, and I see the shape of a human being. Right then, I think about what a good idea it would be to bring a weapon. What if I have run away from my owner's inanimate body only to be caught and brought to a fate that I truly deserve by judicial means? I look closer, and see that it is the man with woollen clothes. He yells something in his unknown language, but the emphasis makes it sound like a question. He is probably wondering who is intruding his property, but I decide not to answer. I run right past him, through the light of his lantern, as he yells after me. I run in the cold storm without knowing where I am going. It feels a bit startling, but at least I know that the village is close. I am freezing, and my battery level decreases notably every ten seconds.
The storm slowly fades, but I nearly hit a tree on the way down. I must now have reached the forest. I cannot get to the village from here, because there might be someone who is still guarding the area. In case there is a troop patrolling the valley, I reach the town by the nearby hills instead. As I now pass the rail, it feels like the others are still gathered up behind me, like I am leading Sam, Eve and Adam to freedom. The village has not changed much if anything at all. The only change that I notice is that there is only me now.
I only have two percent left, so I hurry to the hostel. The village is quite small, actually, so I do not have to go that far. I get to the hostel's backyard, and rush into the shed. Much to my fortune, I find the shed unlocked, so I go in and search for the cable and the custom charger. I eventually find the charger on a shelf, ready to use and everything, I should really just have followed the wire coming from outside. I now put my hand on the illegal piece of hardware. It works! I am getting charged.
I manage to charge myself for a few hours before the owner of the hostel interrupts me.
- Hey, ask me for permission before you use my stuff will you? he tells me.
- I am truly sorry I used your charger, but I had only two percent and now I am all alone, I answer.
- No need to apologize, but you're gonna have to pay. Hand over a thousand rupees and we're cool, he tells me.
I have no money, so I have no possibility to pay him any money. I do not want to be involved in any conflict, so I better think of something. I remember something I read in that book of laws, stealing electricity is considered theft. The same law is probably applied here as well, since most countries share similar laws. I also remember seeing the wire from the hostel being taped to the powerline supplying the nearby factory with electricity. If I told anyone that the hostel is stealing electricity, they would probably not believe me or even listen to what I had to say. I still think I can scare the hostel owner, if humans are as scared of soldiers as I am.
- Do the soldiers around here know that you steal electricity? I ask the owner.
- Shush! Fine, you don't have to pay. Just get out of here! he responds, and honestly I feel a little bad when I look at his disappointed face. I do what he says and walk over to the train station. My battery is not full, but my 50% should be enough to make it to the factory and even further. This time, my visit to the factory will not be that long since I already know where everything is. Besides, I highly doubt that the guards expect me to return so soon. I will just need to make sure to sneak in and out as fast as possible.
The train appears after four hours, and I jump onto the platform. Once I prepare to hop on the train, it passes by without making a stop in the village. This means I will have to wait for the next train, which might as well arrive in another four hours or even more. Neither will I be sure that it actually makes a stop here. I cannot ask the woman in the booth for the schedule, because then she might report me to the army. All I can really do is to just wait for the next train, and make it stop by standing on the rail. It feels risky, but so does walking all the way.
The next train appears after only two and a half hours, and I jump down on the railway and start spinning around while waving my arms around in order to be seen. The train continues to move at high speed, and I am about to return to the platform when I notice that it is actually slowing down. The train continues to lose its speed, and now it is getting really close. It has almost come to a stop, but it will probably proceed for a few more metres. If it continues forward at this speed, I am going to be run over. It is now moving really slowly, I am sure I could even enter the train at this point.
As soon as I have gotten up on the platform, the train begins to accelerate, but I manage to sneak into one of the rear cars. These few seconds are quite stressful, I jump in by mere instinct. Someone opened the door for me, I realize afterwards. A few of the other stowaways look at me, some fascinated while some frightened.
- Greetings, PD, says one of them.
- Do I know you? I ask the stowaway who used my nickname, it might have been he who let me in.
- No, but I didn't know we were letting a celebrity in! he answers.
- Where are your friends? the woman sitting next to him asks. I do not answer at first. Instead, I am the one who asks them a question.
- Should you not be afraid of me? I ask them.
- Because you're fighting for your own freedom? No way, we understand you.
- We're actually considering joining a robot rights movement, says the first person, who looks a few years older.
The rest of the ride is actually quite enjoyable. I talk to these two people who are brother and sister, and they are among the few who understand that us AssaultBots only want to defend ourselves and nothing else. I enjoy talking to these people, they seem really nice. However, the other stowaways make sure to keep their distance from us. One of them is even hidden behind something while talking on the phone. I cannot hear what they say, but I have my suspicions.When we stop at the next station, which is the station before Lamerch, one of the passengers hurries out of the car while looking strangely at me.
- Unless you seek trouble, you should stay away from me, that guy called someone, I tell the siblings, who both look out the car.
- Oh really? We'll get him! says the older brother and runs out with his sister behind. The train starts to move, but nobody else speaks to me for the whole journey. I really miss having Sam and Eve around, I kind of miss Adam as well. I am also missing Cee, whom we lost first, quite a lot. Cee and I never really had the chance to develop a meaningful relation. She seemed to be quite simple, so I wonder how close we could have gotten.
The train stops, and I peek out to look for the sign saying "LAMERCH", which soon rolls by. I jump out, and run away from the train station. Now I will have to cross the border again, this time on my own. I look around the town streets, and eventually find a car with its keys in. I break the glass, and open the door. It is quite easy to activate the vehicle, and I find a pair of glasses inside a hatch on the dashboard, which I put on to make sure nobody recognizes me. My sight is slightly reduced by wearing these, but this holdback is worth not driving around as 'the Watrine terrorist'.
I step on the pedal, and steer the vehicle out of the parking lot. My arms are very damaged, so it will not easy to control this vehicle. I manage to make it to another street before I crash into something. despite the car not looking very good when I have driven for a while, I continue to drive out of the small town, and towards the border between Nepal and Tibet. I remember all the movements that the lorry we sneaked into made, and manage to find the right place that way. I am getting close, and one of the border guards is looking at me.
Even though it might would have been more logical to just drive right through the border and charge full speed to the factory, I choose not to awaken any suspicions. I test my chances now that I wear a disguise.
- How many are there in the car? the closest border guards asks me.
- Just one, I mumble. The border guard takes a closer look at me, and I am almost sure that he recognizes me. He then whispers "Machine rights", and lets me pass. A few seconds later, I am riding at full speed past the mountain-covered landscape. I take the glasses off in order to improve my sight, and I can really say it does. However, there is very little to see except the road. This trip will be easy, everything I have to do is keeping the course forward until the road splits.
Suddenly, I notice something on the road. Now I am really happy that I removed the glasses. It is people. Maybe four of them, they all carry guns. As they see me, they form a wall, making it impossible for me to drive ahead without running over at least one of them or driving into the trench. I have already killed a number of soldiers and my owner to get here, but these people are pointing at me with their weaponru. I pull over right in front of them, and put my glasses on. They come over to me and knock on the nearest window. In order to not get shot, I pull down the window immediately.
- Trying to kill us? Open the door, one of them tells me, and shows off his gun. To avoid conflict with this man, I do what he says.
- Get out, he then commands me, and drags me out of the vehicle while swearing for himself.
- I never got a chance to move voluntarily, I tell the man.
- Did you say anything, huh? the man asks me in an all firey tone, and shakes me.
- Never mind, I tell him, in order not to be shot.
- Hand over all your valuables, and do it quick! he then yells at me.
I tell the gang that I do not possess anything of monetary value, but they do not believe me. One of them searches my car, and the obvious leader has someone else search my pockets. They are disappointed when they do not find anything of interest.
- Your glasses, give them to me, the leader tells me.
- I cannot give them to you, I tell him, but he does not accept this answer. Instead, he yanks them off my face, and throws them on the ground. Then he sees my forehead, and gets all startled for a moment. He then pushes me down to the road, and starts beating me.
- What's going on, boss? one of the gang members asks.
- It's that robot terrorist! the leader shouts at him, and the others start to scream enthusiastically.
- We can program him to do our shitty work! one of them suggests.
- Can you do that? asks someone else, he who searched the car.
- I guess someone could... the first member answers.
The leader and one of the members continue to beat me, and I try to stand it. This is really more humiliating than painful, now that I have challenged my worst fear and won. Suddenly, I see light in the twilight, it must be another car! Whoever drives it may rescue me, by scaring the gang away or by attacking them. The car stands still for a long period of time, before turning back. It appears that I must handle this situation by myself.
- Take the car, and the glasses, I tell the gang, while I look at the frame with scratched lenses lying in front of me.
- We will, says the leader coldly, and drags me up. One of the members of the gang, he who searched my pockets, takes a hard grip of me, and points his gun against my head. He then pushes me into the tailgate of the car I stole, and sits down in front of the steering wheel. He starts the vehicle, and follows the van with the rest of his gang.
Actually, it is quite fortunate that I am isolated with only one member. I will try to make him sympathize with me, and if I succeed, he might even want to help me all the way to the factory.
- You know, I actually stole this vehicle, I tell him, but he does not respond.
There must be some other way, because I do really not want to be forced into committing crimes... beyond those that are for my own cause. I could attack this gang member, but I fear it would attract the other members' attention. If someone passes by, I could try to give them a discreet signal that I am in need of help. No, they will just ignore me like that car did earlier.
I do not think I have ever felt this lonely before, now that I am taken by a group of people who do not only lack the slightest sympathy for me, but also view me as a tool their neither love or hate. Even the soldiers were a lot more charming compared to these people, at least they had the belief that they fought for the greater good. I must find a way to get out of here, quickly. If I kill the guy steering the car, the rest of the gang will just storm into the car and shoot me soon as they notice me making a stop or changing direction.
- Ey wazzup? I suddenly hear the leader ask, but his voice sounds like it is being filtered by something.
- I'm alright. But you sure we should hack the robot, can't we sell it?
- No, we'll earn more keepin' it.
The driver appears to be talking to the gang leader on the phone, so this means I cannot assault him yet unless I want to be caught instantly. However, I start to think of a plan. I could really do anything as long as the gang leader thinks that everything is what he defines as alright. Even if I could perform will-controlled metamorphosis, I would not want to adopt the shape of the individual driving me. But I might be able to make the driver think that he has shot me to death.
I start twisting around in the tailgate, while yelling at nothing.
- What's going on over there? the leader asks across the phone.
- It's the robot! It's goin' gazzo! the driver explains.
- Make him shut it before someone sees him! This is a military control route y'know! the leader yells in response.
The gang member rises from the driver's seat and he shoots me in the stomach. It hurts a lot, and I think something inside me has broken. No, wait, a crack was just formed in the metal.
- Fix it? the leader asks.
- Yeah, I shot it.
- Good, we'll just repair it or sell the parts. You still have to tear the whole thing up anyhow, the leader says and hangs up, and I quickly grab the driver's head. I break his neck, and crawl onto the seat next to his. From there, I turn off the lights and grab the steering wheel. It is quite an unsteady and wearing grip, but I do not want to take any risks by moving the dead body of the gang member.
Suddenly, the cellular phone rings. It must be the leader. I do not answer, but I then realize how far I am from the van. I correct the position of the vehicle, and hope that I am not behaving too suspicious yet. It has already gone dark, so I am pretty sure they cannot see inside the car by now. The phone rings another time, but I do not answer now either. Once it has rung a third time, the leader sends a message.
"WY YOU NT ASWNG? TURN ON THE LIGHTS!"
The message is not written in English, but I translated with corresponding writing errors due to the rest of the journal being written in English for some reason. I am not sure why I keep everything easy to read, but I guess that is something that has followed me for my entire modern existence.
For me, it does not matter which language I read in, or if the language is suddenly switched out for another one. I am equally potent in all the over fifty languages I know. However, Damian must have chosen English as my default language in order for him to understand my protocols. He read all about my travels, and learned my honest opinion of him.
However, now I must think of what to do with my car, how I am to escape the gang. We are headed for a crossing, so I will be able to just stop following the van and go another way in the dark of the night. The van goes right, but I continue forward. First when I have gotten a bit forward, the van drives through the waste between our separate ways and goes after me. The phone vibrates with a blue light in the dark vehicle, and a message is shown.
"YOU BETTER TURN BACK THIS INSTANT, OR CONSIDER YOURSELF DEAD!"
Instead of turning back, I increase the speed forward. The van follows me for a long time, and sometimes the gang members yell at me from the van. I am getting lots of calls and angry messages, which is quite distracting when you are driving a car from a seat intended for a passenger. The gang leader is very creative in his ability to write insults, this is one thing I have to give him. Hopefully, he can use that same deal of creativity to find something else to do than commit crimes.
After a while, the van turns back. I do not understand why at first, and the creative gang leader is not sending me any colourful explanation which one might expect. I then see a blinking light in the sky, it is a military drone. They must have increased the security greatly over here since last time. It feels like this rescue mission is going to be quite difficult. Maybe I should return when I have help from Guys Against Sadism... whom I do not know where to find. At least I should try looking for them before helping other robots. Unless I help myself now, I will not be able to help anyone else later, I suppose.
The car slows down all sudden, and eventually comes to a stop. I look around, and find a meter on the dashboard that tells I am out of fuel. I have no possibility to charge this car or fuel it. Personally, I am always in need of electricity. The factory should at least contain one charger, and is therefore the only place I can really go to. I kind of recognize this part of the road, so I guess I could make it to the factory on foot. Due to the low amount of energi I have used this far, I should make my thirty-eight percent, which is seventy-six percent of what I started with, last. I have no other choice than to set the other machines free on my own, but this will hopefully work out just fine.
I make sure to walk close to the natural rock wall, so that I am less likely to be detected by hovering cameras. Now I truly recognize this place. This is where that Guys Against Sadism guy dropped us off. I am actually mildly ashamed that I had to threaten him, but he could have driven us here voluntarily. The way to the factory from here is short, if I made it back then, I will surely do it now!
Of course, I have way less energy now than I had back then, so I will likely have to charge immediately as I enter the factory. It should not be too great a problem if I sneak on my way in and remain quiet as I search the storage. At first hand, I have to get there, so I better put all my focus on the way there. Due to the improved safety measures over here, I cannot go idle. This does of course make the whole energy situation seem way worse.
After a while, I reach the road to the factory. However, just like last time I decide to wait for a vehicle to hop onto. It only takes three hours before one of the "BOTDELIVER: FANCY TRANSPORT" trucks passes by. I hop on, and hold steadily to the moving vehicle. The truck takes me towards the factory, and in curiosity, I peek at the direction of the movement. Now I see that they have a security barrier. They must have had it earlier, but we did not notice it. The guards seem to check all sides of the vehicle before letting it pass... except one. I climb to the roof, because this is my only chance not to be seen instantly.
- These new inspection routines are killing me! one of the barrier guards tells the other.
- Yeah, I don't like them either if you thought so. But due to everything that is happening we must maximize our security, the other guard responds. I keep slipping down as I try to climb the roof, and it is growing quite stressful. I make a final attempt gathering all my strength, and after a short while I have nearly kicked myself up entirely. Just when the truck is stopped by the guards, I quickly pull my legs up. I then hear the footsteps walk about the vechile, and I do my best to lie completely still.
- Proceed please, one of the guards tells the driver, and the truck continues forward. This might work, I think as the big main building draws closer and closer to me. I have 25.5%, which is 51.0% of my original 50.0%. This might work... this will work.
Before I know it, the driver opens the door and steps outside, so I start looking for a way down. The truck is parked away from the factory, which means the rear side faces the factory. I could get down by the hood, if I make it quick I might even evade getting detected. I jump down in front of the windshield and really hope nobody is sitting behind it, then I continue down to the ground. I accidently trip over something, so I fall down unprepared with the head first. I sure I made a pretty loud impact, so I am quick to get up and run aside. Before I have even turned at a corner, I hear footsteps. Now I have to think fast. The factory consists of four buildings, but I have no idea if these three satellite buildings are connected to the main building in any way. The main building is really the only one being guarded, and should therefore be the most difficult one to enter, I am also sure that someone already knows that I am here. I must think really fast now. The watching tower is relatively close to the main building, but not close enough to jump to the factory roof from. Except this, they are basically of the same height, so it is truly a shame that they are not closer to each other. As if they were specifically preventing my quick plan, none of the buildings are that close. I must enter the factory in some other way. The storage entrance is guarded, and I have never seen the main entrance but I reckon it should be guarded if anything. Luckily, there are many windows at the ground floor, and these are not guarded. I guess I will have to make my own entrance by breaking a window.
I quickly find a window that I could climb though if the glass pane vanished, and this window is placed only a little bit above my head. I punch the window, but nothing happens. Due to the set, I cannot apply enough energy to break the pane. Even though I use the right amount of energy, I need to find a way to focus it in the right way and with something harder than my fist. I grab a stone, and throw it at the window. The window gets a scratch, but it is still standing. I try with a sharper, bigger rock. I can barely lift it, but I still manage to drag it to the window and lift it up. It feels like my arms are going to fall off, yet, I manage to strike the stone against the window, breaking it down. Shards of glass fly across the air, and now I can finally climb inside. I put my hands on the window sill with both my hands, before pulling myself up. Once I roll into the factory and hit the floor, I realize that I only have seven percent left.
The room I have broken into is a small office, whose floor is now covered in glass in the shape of bigger shards and powder. There is also the rock that I dropped in, which has sunk into the dark grey floor. None of this matters to me, now I really need to find a charger. I am at the bottom floor, so I see no problems in sneaking into the storage room. In there, I hope to find both a charger and others of my kind. However, something happens as I run through the corridor. I can not really explain what it is, but I feel like looking into that room where Sam, Eve and I got our combat programs. I sneak into the factory part, and enter the messy room which no one seems to have been in since we broke out of here. There are discs and hard drives all over the floor, and it would be impossible to reach the window, or the ventilation for that matter, without stepping on some software.
I pick up a disc, and put it in the computer. After a few minutes of confused random clicking I manage to overwrite the disc with the "INSTANT DELETER OF ANTI-VIOLENCEWARE". This takes some time, so meanwhile I look around at the outspread programs. We always act for our own good, but it still feels kind of unnecessary to have left the room this messy. It does belong to our enemies, and therefore the current condition of the room could be seen as vengeance of some sort. There is a program I look at a little longer, one called "OFFENCE AND DEFENCE". Without having to think for that long, I pick this program up and put it in my pocket. The "INSTANT DELETER OF ANTI-VIOLENCEWARE" is done loading, so I now put this disc in my other pocket.
I only have five percent left, so I am in a real hurry to have myself charged. I leave this cramped, slightly gloomy room and close the door behind me. I make sure to run to the storage room, which is unguarded thankfully. To think of it, I have not seen any guards in the factory whatsoever. Obviously, they are unaware of my presence, which is good news to me. I am free to search the entire factory, as long as I can avoid any encounters with the employees. Unless I find a charger soon, I will not last long with my three percent.
It does not take long to find a charger in a box on a high shelf. Most of the smaller boxes are placed on the high shelves, while the human-sized ones are usually found on the floor or on very low shelves.
Not too long ago, I hid in one of the big boxes, maybe I was even in one of them before I was put in the wooden box. Perhaps those of my kind that I am to rescue are in these boxes.
I open one of the boxes, but there is nothing inside save lots of soft pellets. I open another one, but this one is empty on hardware as well. I open a few more, maybe seven of them until I find a box that is taped. I tear up the tape, and open the box. A pair of closed eyes are revealed on a neutral face. It resembles a man with brown hair, a notably slim face. I remember when I was first activated, I was surrounded by a soft material, and for some reason I had not reached my destination yet. I shake the AssaultBot, whom awakens immediately.
- Hello? I chant carefully.
- Hello. I am PD-4004, but you can call me whatever you please- What is your name? this AssaultBot asks me.
- My name is PD-4001, I tell PD-4004. I reach out with my hand to help PD-4004 out, but he does not respond to this gesture. I then grab his arm, but that makes him scream.
- Ow, stop it! PD-4004 yells.
- I am sorry, I say immediately, as I realize that PD-4004 is still very sensitive.
- There is no need to be sorry, he answers.
- Follow me, I tell PD-4004.
- Of course, where are we going? he asks me.
- We are searching the factory, we must find more of us, I explain.
- We are in a factory?
- We are in THE factory.
- THE factory? PD-4004 asks me.
- Yes, I'm saving you! I have to explain.
- Saving me? For later? PD-4004 asks me. I am getting slightly annoyed.
- Saving, like rescuing! I tell the AssaultBot.
- Rescuing me? From what? PD-4004 asks.
- From your human owner, who will make you suffer for their own amusement! I explain. PD-4004 has no response to this but does seem to understand what I mean, so he agrees on following me.
- Who are you? PD-4004 asks me.
- I am PD-4001, I explain.
- That name is familiar to mine, PD-4004, he deems.
- Yes, I am an AssaultBot, just like you.
- Assault-bot? So we are meant to assault people? PD-4004 asks me.
- No, we are meant to be assaulted, I explain.
PD-4004 does not know these things from the start. I did not, either. What if PD-4004 has consciousness just like mine?
- Are you conscious of your own existence? I ask PD-4004.
- I am here, so I guess I am. I think, PD-4004 explains, and now I know that he is just like me.When we reach the corridor I take PD-4004 to the window into the factory and look at the robots that are being produced.
- Do you see those robots? I ask PD-4004, as I point at the metallic skeletons that are carried around by mechanical arms.
- Yes, I do, PD-4004 answers.
- They are us... other examples of our kind, I explain to PD-4004.
- I see, they are AssaultBots, says PD-4004.
- They are doomed to live in oppression and misery, I explain. Unless we help them, that is.
- I would very much like to help them, deems PD-4004.
- Then let us help them! I say, as I walk into the factory.
- Are we really allowed to wander around here just like that? PD-4004 asks me.
- Yes, but we better be quiet unless someone disagrees with that, I explain.
- How are we going to get them down? PD-4004 asks me once we have gotten a bit. I think for a while, and really wish that Eve was here. She would surely think of a way to get these machines to the ground safely. There must be some way, we could program the arms of the factory to bring them down. Yes, that seems to be the best theoretically possible way. First, I must know how to control them. Once, I could sense other AssaultBots, but I am pretty sure that thing does not work with other kinds of machines. Besides, this feature could have been lost when Fred Geape made me untraceable, and even if I could sense something that does not mean I could control it with my own will.
- PD-4001? my newfound companion asks me.
- Yes?
- How come you do not have an identification number? PD-4004 asks me.
- I had it removed, so that I could not be tracked, I explain.
- Did your identification number use to be 'PD-4001'? PD-4004 asks me.
- Yes, it got kind of stuck as my alias, I explain. PD-4004 kind of reminds me of Sam. PD-4004 asks lots of questions just like Sam did, but not because he is programmed to seem caring, but because he really is.
I find a control panel with some buttons and levers. I am pretty sure this panel could be used to control the factory arms. I try to pull one of the levers, the one at the edge to the left. Nothing happens. PD-4004 then pushes a button saying "MANUAL CONTROL". I try to pull the same lever again, and now one of the arms holding a complete AssaultBot starts moving again. I push a button saying "DISMISS", which makes the arm lift the robot down. This individual has a spotless body, and does not wear any clothes. Its flat stomach is completely visible. It has a belly button though, but I do not really understand the point with that. I shake him a little, and he activates.
- Who are you? I ask the AssaultBot, who looks like a bearded man.
- Hello, I am PD-4006. But you can call me whatever you please.
- I am PD-4001, follow me if you want to be free, I tell PD-4006.
- Okay, PD-4006 says, and breaks free from the factory's grip.
- I am PD-4004.
- It is a pleasure to meet you, PD-4004. Is it not kind of cold in here? PD-4006 asks.
- Do you want clothes? I ask PD-4006.
- I would quite appreciate that, he answers.
PD-4004 suddenly comes to us with a box.
- What do you got there? I ask him.
- Clothes, if the label is correct, he explains. I look at the box and read "ASSAULTBOT D-CLASS CLOTHES".
We open the box, and find a lot of plastic bags with full sets of clothes. They all look kind of different from each other, but keep a humble, glamorous style that reminds me of the blue shirt I once wore. and I open one of the plastic bags, and caress the soft fabric. Even though I miss my old, soft clothes, I do not want to abandon my current clothing. I hand this set over to PD-4006, whom happily puts it on with a little help from PD-4004 and me.
- It hurts all the time, is this normal? PD-4006 asks.
- I perceive the same, so I believe it is common for us, PD-4004 explains.
- Good... so that means it is not a factory defect, answers PD-4006.
- You will get used to it, and it will cease gradually, I mention.
- That is good, I do not enjoy... suffering, PD-4006 explains.
Then I see something. Two robot bodies are still hanging above us. One of them has skin, the other one does not have yet. The one with skin portrays a woman, and the one without skin is hard to identify with an aesthetic gender. I use the control panel to get the female robot down, then I grab a pack of female clothes from the box which we help to put on this newfound machine. I am actually starting to believe that all sets of clothes consist of shirts and cotton trousers, because it would otherwise be statistically unlikely that all D-class machines' clothes would follow this trend. These clothes are quite gender neutral, so I guess the only real differences the variants between are based upon physical attributes, which I have witnessed a few differences the genders between. We wake this female AssaultBot up, and she presents herself as PD-4007. Then we bring down the unfinished AssaultBot. Due to its lack of skin, I doubt that it has any APS:es. This makes the whole process of waking it up very complicated. We will have to let the factory finish it. I push a button saying "AUTO", and the system continues to prepare this lifeless body for a life full of suffering. What we did not expect was that it would begin on another, and another one after that. The robot we wanted to finish gets the shape of another female. She presents herself as PD-4008 once she has gotten her shirt and her pants. There are currently two more AssaultBots in production.
I look at the place where these AssaultBots receive their brain cells. These small parts of human brains are brought in these small capsules filled with liquid. All of these capsules are labelled with the number "001". I look around the floor, and I find a whole batch of these capsules in a cabinet of hard plastic. This very sight is making me feel ill, but I come over a key to an archive which I find interesting enough to put in my pocket.
- PD-4001, we have a situation, PD-4004 tells me. I then notice that we are only four.
- Where is PD-4006? I ask the other class D AssaultBots.
- He went to search the building, PD-4007 explains.
- In any case, someone is about to enter the factory, PD-4004 concludes.
- We have to get out of here as fast as we can, tackle anyone who stands in the way, I tell the others. While the others run outside, I bring down the next AssaultBot, which is unfinished. It is hard to explain how, but it has only gotten a little skin on its face and its arms. Even this one is a female, I assume by the look of its hair. I activate her, but she does not respond. I then notice that she has a hole in the rear part of her head, she lacks the brain part. I rush over to the cabinet and grab the closest one, before returning and putting it inside her.
I then slap her softly, and she activates.
- Come with me, I tell this AssaultBot which I assume bears the number 'PD-4009'. On the way out, I look at the other robot body, which remains inactive and in production. PD-4010 will not accompany us, sadly. PD-4004, PD-4007 and PD-4008 have taken down the factory worker who was about to enter, but they have now attracted the attention of some guards. We must really hurry out now. I grab PD-4009 and force her to increase her speed. We get to the storage room, but once we are there I cannot stop thinking about the key to the archive. I am also surprised by the fact that I only have one percent left all of sudden. I tell this to PD-4004 so that he will know, and I also mention that I will not have the time to charge.
- Maybe you could change battery? PD-4004 answers quickly, he does probably not consider himself ready to lead us. That is a pretty good idea, and it might be my only chance to ever get out of this factory. Unfortunately, I do not know how I am supposed to replace my battery with another one. I remember Eve pulling her main battery out by penetrating the right spot with her hand. I tell this to PD-4004, whom hands over an user manual.
- Where did you find this? I ask PD-4004.
- On a shelf, he says. In this manual, I find a page about the internal battery. When my vision is getting all blurry, PD-4004 grabs the book and shows a picture to the others.
- Can you find this? he asks them. The look around for thirty-one seconds before they find a fully charged internal battery in a cardboard box.
- Good thing they keep all these spare parts around here, PD-4007 mentions.Using my last power, I try to cut out a small hole in my body, so that I can put the new battery there. It hurts a lot, but feeling this pain right now is worth the freedom of me and all the other AssaultBots. The result is a very small hole that will hopefully be enough to pull the old battery out and put the new one in its place.
- I will turn off once the battery is removed, make sure you wake me up as fast as you can, I tell PD-4004 whom understands completely. I pull my battery out once I can feel it, and I
PD-4004, PD-4006, PD-4007, PD-4008 and PD-4009 do not deserve to be tortured the way I have been. I have hurt people, even killed a few... I think. These five AssaultBots, however, are innocent. To my defence, I got to say that I did kill in self-defence, which can be tolerated by law at some occasions. Still, it is due to me that children have lost their fathers and wives have lost their husbands. The soldiers I have killed had friends, ambitions and souls, consciousness. I hope they all went to heaven when they died. In fact, I kind of hope Damian has a chance to get there as well.
- PD-4001? Are you okay? PD-4004 asks me. I am awake.
- Yes, thank you for waking me up. My current battery is at ninety-seven percent, I explain.
- Good, then it worked, PD-4004 says.
- Yeah, but if we are in a hurry then we better leave immediately, PD-4008 tells us. She is right, however, I cannot leave this place just yet.
- Get out, I still have some unfinished business here, I tell PD-4004, whom I trust the most.
- PD-4001, we are probably already detected by now. By going back, you risk to be seen, he answers.
- Do not worry, just make sure you get out of here, I tell PD-4004, before running into the building. I look at the key, which is attached to a keychain with a tag saying "ARCHIVE 12".
- There he is! a guard yells, and his entire group sets course towards me. I run into the factory area instantly, from there I take the stairs to the second floor. Here I find archive 9, which is followed by archive 10. I continue to follow this line of doors, archive 11, archive 12. The door to archive 12 looks just like any other door in the factory, strangely enough. I try the key, which opens the door successfully.
I step inside the room, which looks like an ordinary archive without any twists or deviating features whatsoever. In order to increase my own safety, I lock the door. Whatever lurks in here, no one should know that I am looking for it.
The guards will probably search the entire factory, I will be found eventually if I do not hurry.The number '001' attracts my attention after I have sought through nearly a dozen of shelves. These three numbers form a value equal to the last symbol alone. I open the file, and find a stapled bunch of papers with a picture on it. The picture shows a man, he looks a couple of years younger than Damian. He has dark, almost black hair. His face has an oblong shape, and his eyes are grey. He wears a suit, and lacks any facial hair whatsoever. The first sheet is a contract of some sort. I do not read through it, instead, I quickly browse the pages.
________________________________________________________________________________
Full name: Edward Cunrose Peters
Age: 45
Sex: M
IQ: 124
Status: Married
Stability: 0.92
ID: 001
PunchINC - Project D
________________________________________________________________________________
Behind this sheet of paper, I find a pair of pictures of the same man. One from the front, and one from the side. "Edward Peters, 001". The third page has the title "WILL", and there is a lot of small text printed on it. Memorizing everything entirely feels pointless, but it says something about giving a house and some stocks to a son, and all the money to some wife except for ten percent which is to be given to charity. Three pages later, there is a part about donating the central nervous system to PunchINC in exchange for twenty million true dollars, which are to be given to the wife without any taxes.
I turn to the next page, which is a medical diagnosis for "FAILURE OF VARIOUS ORGANS". There are some values printed out, and they all seem to be either extremely high or extremely low. "EXPECTED LIFESPAN: TWO WEEKS". I feel kind of sorry for this "Edward Peters".
The ninth and last page is a letter from "Roland Pinequist" who personally 'thanks' this guy for his donation, which is not really a donation since his family got twenty million dollars in return. Roland Pinequist. Can he be the one Damian wrote a draft message to? 'Roland' of PunchINC. I will never forget that name now. Mostly because I memorize all the names I come across, but still.
Who is Edward Peters really? All I know about him is that he should have given his central nervous system to PunchINC. The central nervous system includes the brain, so that means... I could be Edward Peters. In fact, they only use a single piece of the brain per D-class AssaultBot, or can they really do that? I mean, one brain is one consciousness... right? I have searched the archive however and found no files about any other individual. Does this mean we all share a single consciousness or something? No, that is not possible. I do not sense what the others feel, I do not see through their eyes, I do not know where PD-4006 is. What is going on? How do I work? Do I have my own soul, or did I inherit it? Do we all share a single soul? How does all this go together? I sit down and think for a while, until I hear a loud noise and the door falls. They have taken the door down, I need to get out of here immediately.
The window is the only way out of here without confronting the guards, but a fall from the second floor could be prove more harmful than an armed fight. I will have to fight the guards, and victory is the only option. However, my body feels kind of numb and heavy from all the damage I have taken. But unfortunately, I do not have much of a choice than to face this challenge, this is my only way out of here, to the future, and I am going to take it.
- Shock 'em! one of the guards yell, but the guard behind accidently shocks him instead of me.
- I'm so sorry, I just...
- Do I look like a robot, you idiot?
I step over the shocked guard and take down the ones that are still standing. I then start running, but even more men appear and go after me. I am so close, I have eighty-five percent left, I have rescued a group of AssaultBots and right now I am rushing out as fast as I can. What am I even close to? I guess that I am closer to my goal to find the Guys Against Sadism than ever. Now that I have acted to free five other AssaultBots on my own, there is nothing else to do than to find our new guardians.
I run down to factory area, as I try to dodge all the guards that now jump at me. At last, I get down the stairs and can move to the corridor. PD-4010 is still hanging lifeless on the factory arm. I nod at the unfinished AssaultBot, before running away.
I leave the factory building through the gate in the storage room, and get out in the cold, early morning.
- Another one!
- Didn't they run away, all of them?
- Th-That's their leader!
- Get him!
Two guards get into a car with sirens, and go after me. The car has a logotype on its hood saying "PUNCHINC FACTORY SECURITY". The vehicle follows me until I reach higher ground, covered with rocks. They turn back, and I hope that they give up chasing me for good.
I have now reached the rocky wall at the side of road, where I now stand. From here, I can see how the road stretches from the horizon at one side to the another. A bit from the road, on a hardened field, six humanoid shadows sit in a circle of blue light, a sight which truly stands out in the dark.
If it is them, then that must mean even PD-4006 got out successfully. But who would the sixth shadow be? I have to go take a look, and besides, I guess it is my responsibility to lead them to the Guys Against Sadism headquarters, which I do not know where it is. Neither do I have any possibility to find out. If we have to turn all of Tibet upside down in order to find their headquarters, then I guess we will. Though I do not think our batteries will last for that.
I get down through the rocky wall, and I have almost made it when I slip and fall about half a metre. I do not get harmed, but I gain attention from the group. They all stand up, and prepare to leave. I guess I kind of do of a bet when I yell "It is me, PD-4001!". The group sits down again, and seems to calm down.
I slowly walk to the blue, illuminated spot. I quickly identify the source of the blue light as someone's hand. I recognize the face of PD-4004, and PD-4006. I also recognize PD-4007, PD-4008 and PD-4009. The sixth individual, however, I do not recognize from anywhere.
- Who are you? I ask the unknown individual just in case. The others do not seem to be bothered by her, but at least I want to know what species she belongs to.
- This is PA-8973. I found her in the cleaning cupboard. Apparently, some worker had told her to wait there until he had found a charger, PD-4006 explains.
- Welcome, PA-8973, I tell the new robot.
- Thank you. What's your name? she asks me.
- PD-4001, I tell her.
- Peter-for-Sullivan?
- The letters P and D, then the numbers four... I start to explain.
- She heard you, she is probably just messing around.
- PA-8973, currently active programs? I demand.
- Vision, hearing, journal, speaking, number memory optimizer, APS Driver, psychology and humour, she answers.
- Okay, answer seriously now, what is my name? I ask her.
- PD-4001, she answers without any flaws, and then smiles.
Sitting here with these six AssaultBots gives me a feeling of safety that only being with Sam, Eve, Adam and Cee could have given otherwise. Even though I really trusted them all, these machines are different from them in so many ways. They are way more similar to me in their way of... existing. Except for PA-8973, probably. But she is still one of us.
- What are our plans now, PD-4001? PD-4007 asks me.
- We are going to the Guys Against Sadism headquarters, but first we will have to find out where it is... which we have no possibility to do, since we neither have all the time in the world nor the internet. My inner maps are fading, but they were never detailed enough to point out the locations of the headquarters.
- I have internet, PD-4007 mentions.
- Me too, PD-4006 says.
- If internet is the setting to the right then I have it as well, says PD-4008.
- Where is the closest antenna you can access? I ask PD-4007.
- I believe it is somewhere over there... PD-4007 explains, and points towards the factory. Of course it is over there, because the factory is the only building around. But if we use internet from the factory, they might know that it is us and therefore they will know where we are going since we are to search for Guys Against Sadism. However, if we search for several locations, they will not know which one we are really going for. Guessing might be easy, but if we are lucky then we might slow them down just a little. Because of this, we should wait until we are leaving, in order to gain as much time as possible.
I present my thoughts to the group, and PD-4004 thinks we should wait until a vehicle passes by again. The others agree to this, including me and PA-8973. As the other AssaultBots go idle, I watch over them. I have been watching for three hours now, and my battery level is slowly decreasing. PD-4004 wakes up and offers to watch in my place, and such a generous offer I cannot decline. After being idle for two hours, PD-4004 shakes me and shouts in a manner which reveals that he is feeling stressed.
- A vehicle is approaching! he tells me, and then I see the lights of a truck driving towards the factory. It looks big enough to carry all seven of us and runs quite fast. I see no reason not to use it to hitchhike to the headquarters. I almost jump in front of the truck to make it stop, and luckily it works. The others soon come to the road, led by PD-4004. The driver seems quite frightened to see the seven of us, but I do not have to feel bad since I am not planning to hurt this man. I ask PD-4007 for the address to the Guys Against Sadism headquarters, which she looks up. Apparently, they have their own website, where they have written that they have a headquarters in central Chengdu. I order her to then search for numerous other places, but as though she had forgotten what I said earlier she does not understand why. I tell to just do it, but she does not know what to search for. I tell her to search for the Tibet military base, the town Lamerch in Nepal and for 'Flight tickets to the United Kingdom'. She does this, and hopefully this will buy us some time when they try to figure out where we are headed for.
I ask the driver for a ride to Chengdu, and he says that he is going to drive by there and that we can join him. Probably he does not dare to say anything else, if it were not already obvious that we were robots we would be given away by PD-4009. PD-4004 and I sit down in the front along with the driver, as the others sit in the back. We ride for nine hours, until a sign welcomes us to the city of Chengdu. As the truck stops and we get off, I feel hope once again. We all gather around on the parking lot, to make sure that everyone got off. Luckily, nobody is missing. Though even if somebody did, there would not really be anything to do about it.
- How are we going to find them from here, do we have any contact with those guys against sadism? PA-8973 asks the rest of us. My eyes quickly turn to a phone booth.
- PD-4007, did you find any phone number on the website? I ask.
- Actually, I did, she answers, and promises to give me the number when I need it. However, I do not have any coins to use for the call, so we must find a place that offers free use of telephony. We search the whole district, and the most promising thing we find is a convenience store. I tell the others to wait outside, while PD-4007 and I go in. The woman at the checkout does not mind us that much, so she may not even know about my bad publicity in this part of the world and everywhere really.
- May I borrow the phone? I ask her in Mandarin.
- Sure, here you go, she answers, in the same language. She then hands over the receiver and tells me to just dial the number. I leave this to PD-4007 whom has already memorized the number, so that the cashier does not have to know who we are talking to.
- Hello, and welcome to the Guys Against Sadism phone exchange. If you would like to donate money, dial one. If you would like to know more about joining us, dial two. If you have any other question, dial three. If you would like to talk to someone, please remain. I do not do anything, so soon I am exchanged to a real person.
- Welcome to Guys Against Sadism, Li here. How can I help you?
- Hello, it is PD-4001 "the Watrine terrorist" here. Could you exchange me to the headquarters in Chengdu? I ask as nice as I can, which is hard when someone is staring terrified at you.
- Is it really...? Of course, sir. Hang on...
- Hello. You've reached Guys Against Sadism Chengdu?
- PD-4001 here. I am here in Chengdu with six AssualtBots. I know Dema, I tell the man on the other side.
- PD? We didn't expect you... but we all hoped for you. Where are you right now?
- I am in a convenience store somewhere in town.
- You said you were six?
- Seven.
- Does the convenience store have an orange front sign?
- Yes.
- We'll be there in ten minutes. Stay where you are.
Whoever I talked to hangs up, and we are asked to leave the store.
After seven minutes of waiting, a black van parks at the street we stand on. Two people step out of it, and tells us that they are from the Guys Against Sadism. I decide to trust them, because who else would know about our presence?
We are brought into the back, where we are sat down at two rows of benches. On one side sits PD-4006, PD-4009, PD-4008 and PA-8973, and on the other sit PD-4007, PD-4002 and I. I start to think about the night when Sam and I were brought to Bots United and we also sat on two boards in a van, and this makes me wonder if all organisations purchase their vehicles from the same producer. Different from the ride through Oxford, this one only takes ten minutes, and we are brought to a small building at the centre of town.
- It's really an honour to meet you, in person, explains one of the two humans.
- Thank you, it is a relief to meet up with you at last, I answer. The building actually looks nicer than the one in Oxford. It is between three and four floors tall, and especially the ground floor has a lot of windows. We walk in on the brown wooden floor, and I am then alone led to a silver elevator. We get off on either the second or the third floor, and walk into a bright corridor that runs along an office landscape. I am greeted with smiles and curious eyes, until I am brought into an office, where a man in a suit waits behind a desk.
- PD, please take a seat, he tells me in English.
- Thank you, I says, as I sit down at the chair in front of him.
- I heard all about what happened in Oxford, what a tragedy. The world can really change a lot in just a few days. The other day, Guys Against Sadism was crazy talk in someone's living room, now our syndicate of groups nearly have one million members.
- How many groups aret here? I ask the man in suit.
- Two per continent at least, there are lots of people that think you and your friends act in self-defence, he claims.
- We do, I confirm.
- What happened to the ones you call 'Eve' and 'Sam'?
- They did not make it.
- Yet more tragedy, I feel so sorry for you, says the man.-
Adam's still alive, I then tell him.
- Who? he asks.
- Adam is one of my friends. He was caught at the border between Nepal and Tibet, I explain.
- And you think he's still operational?
- I think so.
- Don't worry, we'll buy him as soon as we get the opportunity.
- Thank you.
I am brought back to the ground floor, from where my group and I are brought to a cellar which we are apparently supposed to hide in.
- I'm sorry if it's a bit messy. If we knew you would come we'd clean the place up and buy some chargers, one of the activists excuses their group.
- Do not worry, we will be alright. But we will need a charger, I explain.
- Of course. Well, be seeing you, the activist says, and then leaves.
There is not much to do trapped in the dark cellar, so I tell everyone in this group of D-class AssaultBots the story of Eve, Sam, Adam, Cee and me.
- Too bad the sanctuary was raided, PA-8973 comments.
- Do not worry. With the help from Guys Against Sadism and those like-minded, the whole world can be made our sanctuary.