Makurow took in the lay of the land, he stood in the middle of a huge ditch, and hills surround the entire land. The land was covered with grass, except where he stood. The ground below him was firm, and burnt.
Makurow stepped into the grass, his big feet push down the grass creating a path behind him. He held his sword to his side. He headed for the nearest hill. When he approached the top, a blight caught his eye. Zooming off into the distance. Makurow jogged towards it, he began to run when he noticed it was travelling faster away from him. Chasing a little ball of light, zipping around a tree, around a rock, through some grass splitting a path for Makurow to dash through.
He stumbled over some logs and over a hill. The orb had brought Makurow back to the ditch. Makurow stood and observed the orb. It crossed over where Makurow had previously made a path, and stopped in the middle, the spot where the ground was tough and the soil was burnt.
Makurow watched as it floated there calmly. Makurow slowly stepped forwards into the high grass, and instantly the orb let out a burst of wind, blowing back Makurow and flattening the grass. Makurow stumbled as he tried to gain his balance against the endless wind. The grass dissolve beneath his feet, and the ground burned. Fire engulfed him, not burning, but wrapping him up like a blanket. He hopelessly watched as rocks converge together, pulling from the ground and leveling everything around him. The rocks cover the ball of light and packed into a giant meteor, it spanned far enough for Makurow to touch it. When Makurow reached out for it, it flew above the ground higher and higher and higher.
The flames unwrap Makurow and he fell over. He crawled towards the centre point and rolled over to stare at the meteor travelling away from him. It became a small dot in the sky and Makurow stared at its beauty. Where is it going? he thought. The harmless, small ball turned into a giant scary boulder, then back to a small harmless dot in the sky. Makurow laid in disbelief, and now something didn't feel right, the dot seemed to become bigger again. its size began to grow at an alarming rate. it's coming back! Makurow quickly got up and dove away from the meteor crash, but he was too late, for the meteor had landed right on top of him.
Like a dream, Makurow awoke from a nightmare. Makurow was stuck deciding if that sighting was a vision or reality. Something startled Makurow and he stood up quickly, bumping his head on extruded stone, sending him back to the ground and rolling on the floor with his hand in his head.
"Sorry for that," Zip said prying Makurow's arms apart and brushing his fingers across Makurow's forehead, "You seem alright."
Makurow opened his eyes to see Zip with a giant gash on his cheek, "You don't." Makurow slowly sat up.
"Eh, you should have seen what I was fighting," Zip said putting a smile on his face.
"You got lucky." The Wonderer circled behind Zip. "Another second and you would have been dead."
"I did my best Wonder." Zip's voice deepened and his frustration ensured. "What was I supposed to do? We were caught off guard."
"We knew this was coming and we didn't prepare for it!"
"We seem fine if you ask me."
"Look at me!" The Wonderer yelled. Makurow slanted over to get a good look at Wonder. There was a giant, open wound stretching across his arm and an ominous aura exhausting from it. "Whatever happened is not fine. We don't know what will happen after this and if will happen the same to you."
Makurow looked down at his left leg where a hole was present. The holes in his chest had seemed to completely heal with no scars or marks where they last were. The others must have missed the hole in his leg—Makurow childishly covered it with his hand. The hole showed no sign of ominous aura, just like Zip's wound.
Makurow watched as Zip searched Wonderer's eyes. "Let's give this time," Makurow interjected, "If I had known this was coming I would have not taken that time to think to myself..."
"You did enough," Zip said.
"Don't give me your pity," Makurow retaliated, "We will be safer when I finish my robot." Makurow looked up to the sky—the sun was positioned right by the horizon—I would take a couple hours before night comes. "And I'll get it done by tonight. If the darkness is strong enough in the dark, they're probably going to come back."
"Most definitely"
Wonder and Zip looked at each other worried. "At this time I don't think one robot will be enough," The Wonderer insisted.
"Then I'll do you one better, I'll make two robots by tonight."
"Are you sure?" Zip questioned, "You aren't even close to finishing your first one."
"No worries—I can build in less than a second—all I have to do is finish the first copy," Makurow said, looking at the electronic strapped to Wonder's chest, "I will need the console to sketch my ideas down."
"But I'm not done making the memory chip," Wonderer said, unbuckling the strap from his body and holding the contraption in his hands.
"Like I said: All I need is one sketch." Makurow grabbed the console from The Wonderer's hands.
***
A silent observer sat over a hill million miles away from the camp. its body was hollow and see-through. its head hung low over its chest and wielded a mighty grin, reaching from cheek to cheek. Teeth white and eyes brightly glowing red. "Makurow," it whispered, followed by a chuckle accelerating into maniacal laughter.
The observer slowly approached the camp as the loud banging of hammer fell and metal plate clashing, rang all through the valley. "Music to my ears," it chuckled, placing its hand on the ground. It spun the world on its fingertips, placing itself right at Makurow's door. It lifted its fist to knock on the door but as he swung it stumbles right through it. The door was unaffected and also was the observer, who stood up straight, or as straight as it could. "Hehe, I'm home!" It exclaimed.
Makurow sat at his workbench with a fully covered robot lying on the table. The observer walked over to Makurow and pulled up an invisible chair, it sat in 'The thinker' pose. "Do you know what I think Makurow?" It asked, wiggling its finger at the robot. Makurow was totally unaware of the observer's presence. It got up and walked into the table, morphing with it and the robot. "I think you are scared," it said as it began to hover over the hollowed, metal body. "And I know you have done this before." Makurow sat staring at the robot, as if he was hoping something magical would happened. "It looks like you have done it, in fact," the floating being exclaimed, "but it seems like time is running out." The being's eyes shifted to the sunset. Then it shifted to sit in mid-air looking out the window. "I could help." Its body rotated to face Makurow.
They both sat silently, while the floating being continuously mouthed the word "C'mon" hoping Makurow would get the message.
Then finally, "I have failed them," Makurow stuttered, feeling the rock in his throat. "What am I going to do now?" Makurow pulled out the console from under the table. He examined it furiously. As he rotated it, the being noticed a button on the side of the contraption. The being enthusiastically pressed it. Makurow was shocked as the console opened and the schematic reveals itself.
"Now would you look at that, huh?" The observers grin grew.
"Everything was perfect," Makurow complained, "Why didn't it work?"
Once again the being mouthed the word "C'mon".
Makurow dropped his head on the robot. "I wish this would just work."
"YEEEEES!" the being exclaimed, flipping back in the air. "That's all you had to say. Was that so hard?" The being floated down and pressed its hands on both Makurow and the robot. The robot sat up, pushing Makurow off it.
"Whoa, what?" Makurow reacted. The robot twisted over and stood up, towering over Makurow. "H-how?" The robot offered its hand to help Makurow up. Makurow accepted cautiously. As Makurow examined the fully living failure. A goofy grin and eyes floated behind it. "What the..."
"HELLO!" It zoomed right up to Makurow's face. Makurow stumbled back crashing into a shelf of metal sheets. The grin floated over to Makurow, but he stood up drawing his sword.
"Who are you?" Makurow insisted an answers.
"I am... wait for it..." it eyed Makurow. "SNAKE!" Snake preceded to bow its head to Makurow.
"What are you doing here?" Makurow pushed his sword closer to Snake, out of Snake's vision.
"I'm here to help you, of course." He gleamed, "Actually I'm helping you help me." Snake looked up to see Makurow's slanted eyebrows as he continued to explain. "I am an entity that grants wishes, and in return I become more alive." Makurow pushed aside some sheets to step over to his desk, while the robot watched emotionless. "Currently I am just a figment of your imagination—your robot there must think you are crazy."
"It can't perceive," Makurow said lowering his sword cautiously, "It can only process combat data."
Snake peered into the reflection of himself on the robot's chrome shell and locked his teeth violently. "What do I look like to you? Am I tall and handsome? You cannot believe what I see myself as."
"You are just a face."
"Just a pretty face?!" Snake sneered, "Ah that good enough." Snake waddled over to the robot. "So what are you going to do with this thing now?"
"We..." Makurow paused, "I now need to test the combat processor."
"That should be something we can do easily," Snake eagerly promoted, flying through the door effortlessly. Makurow quickly pushed open the door. Snake hovered up in the air outside, staring into the sky. "But if you ask me I would say your time is almost up, you are on a tight schedule." The horizon glowed orange from the setting sun. "Just wish for the robots to become finished and then you will have no worries!"
"I don't need your magic, genie." Makurow turned around and headed inside his shack, slamming the door behind him. Snake passed through the door, and a big smile stretched from side to side. "I just need more time."
"Then just wish for that," Snake laughed, "Eh?"
"What are you up to?" Makurow interrogated. "What do you want from me?"
"You know exactly what I want." Heat rose in Snake's voice. "I want to be alive. I'm nothing unless you wish for something, anything!"
"Can't you just get someone else to do it." Makurow was frustrated, he slammed his fists on the bench. A clarity reached Makurow's mind and he turned around to point at Snake. "You should ask Wonderer—he has some problems you can help with."
The shiny robot stood in Snake's place, admiring the back of its hands. "See," Snake's voice extruded from the bot, "I would if I could, but right now only you can see and help me." Snake grabbed Makurow by the shoulders, the robots iron grip held tight. "C'mon." Snake's smile returned, but this time with a bit of concern. "There is nothing to worry about." Snake's smile began to fade. "Please?"
"Can you leave my robot alone," Makurow sneered.
"Only if you say the magic words."
"Please."
"No I meant wish for it," Snake chuckled.
"Ugh," Makurow grunted, "I wish you would just leave...NO!" Makurow spun around reaching out his hand to stop Snake.
"AH-HA-HA!" Snake launched out of the robot, his long green spiky body materialized as he escaped. "You've done a great thing today Mr. M." Snake blasted through the door, this time leaving a giant hole in it. Debris scattered everywhere, grazing off Makurow's skin.
Makurow in awe, slowly approached the door. He peered his head through the gigantic hole, it stretched from edge to edge and was larger than Makurow's upper body.
The ghostly being soared away, but not before dropping an unidentified object. The door crumbled at Makurow's feet, as he walked, the falling object floated from its free fall. A glance off to the distance, the sun finally disappeared and Snake left as well.
Makurow reached his hand out to catch the object. It appeared to be a round object wrapped in cloth. As it became close to Makurow's, about one hair away from it, the round object slowed to a stop. Mid-air, no impact applied to his finger tip. The air around him thinned, making it tougher for Makurow to breath. He jittered as he tried to carefully pick the object out of the air. Unwrapping gently, he held out a metal object. Two buttons extruded towards him. The piece of cloth froze in the air as Makurow tried to drop it.
A faint ticking sound alluded Makurow. He pressed the bigger button. The top flipped over, from a screw on the cover, facing him. The sounds of ticking aroused, a timer presented itself. It had already been started, almost reaching the one-minute mark. Makurow stopped it just before, and the air returned to normal. The piece of cloth fell to the ground and spiraled over. Makurow looked down to see the words 'Free of charge' written on it.
Makurow barged into his shack and slammed the stopwatch on the table beside the door. The rise of his eyes met the metal shine of the life filled robot. "Combat systems offline," it called.
"Target all life in the nearest vicinity." Makurow trailed over to scraps, picking and analyzing each piece.
"Seven targeted." Makurow head peered, travelling to the door, arms embrace the archway, and looked out to the distance. "Waiting on further instructions," it discipled.
"Target three," Makurow ordered, "one short, one beast, and the other is myself."
"Targeting."
"Set to friendly." Makurow looked down at the watch. Seven repeated in his head. "Set defensive protocol." Then in a blink of the eye Makurow snatched the watch and opened it. Time would stand still if Makurow would press the timer, but would he trust a gift from a demon?
***
A woman awoke from a deep sleep. She had recently survived a nuclear explosion. An apocalypse surrounded her, every day was a memory gone from a past life almost forgotten. All that remained with her still was her name, Robin Wattson.
"Mrs. Maker?" Her friend called, a French Neurologist who was caught in the nuclear radiation, but luckily survived. Robin had recovered her from the rubble of an institution deep in a city.
Robin unlocked a buckle strapped across her lower abdomen. "Did it work?" Robin queried, huffing and puffing, flopping over her arched chair.
"Ten days." The Neurologist caught Robin from collapsing to the ground.
"Not even close," Robin's words pounded in the air, "we need to get this to a month." She clutched a latch above her head pulling it down in front of her. She closed the pod, encasing the strapped chair. The letters CRYO were spelled out on the front of the hatch.
"We don't know what will happen if you go any longer," she exclaimed, "You already worry me with going past five days."
"Ms. Elshire," Robin revealed, "We cannot possibly know if we don't try." Ms. Elshire abstained from looking into Robin's eyes. "You even told me yourself: 'blind science can only be done by trial and error'." Robin tried to imitate a rough French accent.
Ms. Elshire giggled at Robin's childishness. "Clearly you know the magnitude of such contraption."
"But the reward overweighs the risk, darling." Robin's strong, confident voice shadowed Ms. Elshire's soft, troubled voice. Robin moved closer to her companion. "Maybe we can go for thirty days next," Robin suggested, tripping into Ms. Elshire's arms.
"Maybe you should take a rest and then we can try ten again." Ms. Elshire opened the laboratory door and the bright sunlight blinded Robin for a second.
When her vision cleared, she peered down to a small town circled by mile high, metal walls. Every house was made out of scrap metal from scrapped cars and salvaged buildings, and wooden posts. Robin hobbled out of the laboratory that was dug into the side of a mountain. The town was pressed up against the mountain. Robin took a step forward and planted her foot straight into a dead shrub. The sound of crumpling and faint cracking, rippled through Robin's body.
The dead branches scratched against her bare left leg. Scars covered her leg like a grotesque painting. It has come to a time where she couldn't put the right story to each scar. The world had clawed at her body since the start of her life, but her tireless ambitions kept her on her feet.
Ms. Elshire offered her hand to Robin, catching sight of Robin frozen in place staring at her feet. Robin's eyes drifted to Ms. Elshire's hand, she then noticed Ms. Elshire in a beautiful red dress and high heels. They hooked fingers and Ms. Elshire pulled Robin up to a dance floor suspended in air. The music was rock and it brought Robin five hundred years back, but in a second Robin stared into Ms. Elshire's eyes and the world crumpled and cracked around them. A snap back to reality and Mrs. Wattson's eyes began to water.
Robin grabbed Elshire's long held out hand. Robin's hand wraps rubbed against Elshire's soft but dirty wrists. Ms. Elshire's adored, ripped lab coat floated with the breeze.
Robin opened the gates to her metal town. An old lady sat by the gate and moved her cane to trip Robin, "Oh sorry dear," she faintly apologized, "I was hoping you wouldn't return, or at least you could have come back with some of my drugs."
"Nice to see you too." Robin slowly and painfully got up. "And I wish I found something for you."
"You should really help her with her addiction," Ms. Elshire whispered to Robin.
"No I was hoping it would kill her sooner," Robin menaced.
A man leaned against a building with a hammer in his hand and welding goggles around his neck, "How was your vacation Miss Maker?"
"It was fun Mac," Robin said, "I passed by your old shack on the way back."
"Oh?" Mac counseled, "Was it still standing?"
"Just how you left it."
"That's too bad." Mac moved off the wall and walked down town. Pacing beside the two.
"I'm sorry that place still gives you bad memories," Robin apologized as she and Ms. Elshire followed.
"No it's not that," Mac said as he focused on his feet, "I left a note there last spring for someone and if it was destroyed I would know she was there."
"Why?"
"If you read that note, you would tear down that place too," he smirked.
"If what you say is true about said person," questioned Ms. Elshire, "wouldn't your life be in danger?"
"I wouldn't think so," responded Mac.
"Curious."
Mrs. Wattson proceeded to her workshop to repair a M16 Carbine while Ms. Elshire worked on a piece of robotics. Mac leaned on the wall watching patiently. Ms. Elshire reviewed a schematic next to the wires that hung out of a piece she worked on. "Your husband was quiet a genius." Ms. Elshire said. Mac jaw dropped as if Ms. Elshire has said something unspeakable.
"Um... yes he um... was." Robin stuttered.
"It's a shame that his work is being lost to time."
Mac tried to speak, "Elshire I don't think-"
"No its fine," Robin said staring at the gun in front of her, hands at her side. "I just hope his ideas work."
"I'm no robotics expert," Ms. Elshire continued, still focusing on her work, "but my knowledge in basic science has proven that I can be very flexible." Ms. Elshire brought down her glasses and lifted up the finished piece, "I think the phrase is Voila." A flat, metal cylinder with a giant M inscribed on the front and two prong on the back.
Mac picked up a wrench sitting on a table. "What's the M for? Is it for Mrs. Maker? Are you really that full of yourself?" Mac asked. Robin sat back on her desk with her arms crossed, annoyed.
"No," Elshire corrected, "It's actually her husband's old company." Robin lobbed a newspaper at Mac. The newspaper had an article on how bankrupt the company had become. Stating it was nearly impossible for it to become so bad since sales were so high, but due to an unknown cause, the entire company had been sold to a bigger company.
"I'm so sorry," Mac apologized as Robin angrily grabbed the piece from Ms. Elshire's hands and stormed out the door.
"Who looks like a fool now Mackenzie," Ms. Elshire rubbed in.
"You knew I was going to ask that," Mac accused, "what's wrong with you? Why would you set that up, only to piss her off?"
"The only way to make the project work is for the creator to use emotion," Elshire smirked, "And the only emotion I saw present was anger."
"You are crazy." Mac walked out the door chasing Robin.
With the M piece in Robin's hands, she stared down at it. Mac reached out for Robin but hesitated as he saw a single tear fall from her face onto the M piece. Her hands gripped the piece so hard that they were shaking vigourously. She slowly looked up to a robot made from scrap metal and rusted screws. Two socket holes were a perfect fit for the prongs on the M piece.
Her hand frighteningly pressed the M piece into the robot, as it clicked in, the robot came to life. The loose metal sang as it moved, clinging and clanging. Rivets that were lined up like a mosaic, vibrated.
Robin began to cry in joy as she gazed upon her glory, she trembled and clasped her hands over her mouth. Mac gently placed his hand on her shoulder but she quickly spun around and stared into Mac's eyes. All she could see was a memory of her husband, and then suddenly joy turned to sadness and fear. Robin ran off as tears flew from her face.
"Please don't chase after her this time," Elshire said watching from afar.
Mac looked down and kicked the dirt. "So how is the cryo-pod project going?" He asked quietly, saddened by Robin's leave.
"How do you know about that?" Elshire asked confounded.
"You cannot tell me Robin went outside the wall and she happened to come back looking as good as she left." Mac said. Elshire's teeth chattered. "And I checked—my shack isn't standing." Mac pushed past Elshire, but then stopped. "You can't tell me she's actually going to leave us, just when we need her?"
"She has done so much for us," Elshire rebutted, "all she asked is for us to let her do what she wants for once."
"Is what she wants is for us to suffer?"
"No!" A sudden power exceeded from Ms. Elshire's voice.
Silence. Then Mac continued to walk.
"You know she sees him in you," she said, stopping Mac again. Her voice became soft again. "You give her hope and inspiration to do things he wanted her to do, but right as she finishes she realizes how much she's been used. Now she doesn't know how to do what she wants to do."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you should know why she hasn't killed you yet." Elshire turned and walked away leaving Mac in the middle of the room.