Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Part 21
Part 22
Part 23
Part 24
Part 25
Part 26
Part 27
Part 28
Part 29
Part 30
Part 31
Part 32
Part 33
Part 34
Part 35
Part 36
Part 37
Chain link fence had been hastily erected around the perimeter, including a utility shack with more stacked fencing panels hanging out of it. A variety of old rusted generators, car parts and power tools littered the grass surrounding the shack. Whoever tossed them aside in a hurry to put the fence up hasn’t yet bothered to put them away.
“How much gas is left in your tank? We pool our gas here, treat it, then you gotta apply for however much you want to use if you’re fixing to go scavenge for food in the city.” I joked that I was wrong to assume they were anarchists when instead they’re apparently Communists instead.
He took it the wrong way, sternly staring me down as we walked. “Look fella, the world you knew is gone. We all gotta pull together or none of us will make it. Am I makin’ myself understood?” I nodded vigorously and made a note to assume a more serious demeanor with him going forward.
The rapidity and ease with which he’d adapted to a post-apocalyptic mindset led me to suspect he was one of those survivalists you see on television programs like Doomsday Preppers. That in fact he’d been looking forward to a disaster like this for many years now, and yesterday was probably the best day of his life. Assumptions that were vindicated many times over when I entered the lodge.
Half of the lobby was taken up by tattooed, leather clad bikers, one with conspicuous facial wounds. A familiar looking overweight woman in a faded camouflage shirt and sweatpants lounged in a recliner before a modest flat panel television set up in the corner. It was the first time in many years I’d seen a dedicated television set.
Taxidermied animal heads mounted to polished wooden plaques hung on every wall, watching over the occupants of the lobby with the same dismay I felt. Who are these people? This...strange meat, scraped up from the underdeveloped periphery of the city.
My anxiety returned. I longed for my mask and gloves but couldn’t risk exposing Helper until I knew how they would react to the presence of a machine in their midst. Then, a wholly unfamiliar humanoid robot with antiquated styling hobbled out from around the corner.
I tensed up, quickly searching the expressions of those in the room to determine whether I should prepare to defend myself. “Oh that’s just Gertie” the obese blob of a woman in the recliner explained. “Nothin’ to be afraid of. No internet connection, she’s the same as she always was. How come you dress yours up? Just for fun or what?”
No matter how I studied Helper, I couldn’t figure out how the woman knew there was a machine beneath the clothes. The jolly bearded fellow with the beer belly looked unsurprised. Must’ve known Helper was a machine since she got out of the car.
I felt relieved she’d never been in any danger, but also shocked to encounter anybody not rendered violently hostile to robots by last night’s events. As the man led us to one of the few rooms in the lodge not already spoken for, I passed several other robots performing a variety of chores like folding laundry or cleaning guns.
“Plenty of folks brought their robots with ‘em. The ones that weren’t affected for whatever reason. Too old, custom OS, broken wireless. I welcome it! I mean don’t you get me wrong, I keep a close eye on those things.
They’re still a potential threat. But it’s a big help to have a couple extra sets of hands around here. When you live off grid there’s all kinds of chores that need doing, just to keep basic amenities up and running.”
He pointed to a robot through the window in the process of cleaning out the compost chamber of a vacuum toilet. I noticed another tending to a chicken coop, and one more in the distance hauling a cluster of traps out of the woods. All manner of edible critters were caught in them, still alive and kicking, struggling furiously to no avail.
“What, all of us in one room?” Madeline whined, though I was also upset that I wouldn’t have more privacy. She turned and wagged her finger at Helper and I. “No hanky panky in here. I don’t wanna see that shit. I don’t wanna hear it, I don’t wanna know about it.”
Helper sheepishly nodded. “We’ll be good Madeline.” I studied her face to see if she really meant it. She gave me a sly wink and, once Madeline was out of earshot, whispered “We actually won’t be good! Hehe.”
I felt I ought to sit her down at some point and have a talk about what happened the night before, but for the time being I just felt relieved she no longer seemed upset with me. The single room setup was less than ideal but I figured we could solve it by hot bunking, drawing up some sort of schedule for who gets to use the bed and when.
When I proposed this scheme to Lars and Madeline it was well received until I claimed the first block of time. They settled down when I explained that I just needed to swap clothes with Helper, as she no longer required a disguise and I wasn’t dealing well with prolonged exposure.
With my suit pants, dress shirt, gloves and mask on I found I was much more comfortable mingling with the other refugees hanging out in various rooms of the lodge. The nightmare of being unwillingly immersed in this swirling soup of new faces...of rednecks, mountain men and sideshow attractions...proved much more manageable from behind a layer of chrome tinted acrylic.
I settled into one of the free seats in front of the TV, surrounded by bikers dressed like they came from a gay BDSM party, the contented blob in the recliner, and an anxious looking woman in a tattered dress with several prominent blood stains running down the front.
“Not your blood I hope?” She didn’t initially realize I was talking to her, perhaps on account of the mask. I repeated the question and she suddenly turned to face me, eyes wide, corner of her mouth twitching subtly. “I didn’t say you could speak to me. But no, it’s not mine. Most of it came out of a guy who pulled me over on my way out of the city. Said he just needed to use my phone.”
She didn’t elaborate, but I could guess what happened. “I’m sorry.” She sneered. “Sure you are. Probably stopped a couple women yourself. The minute there’s no cops to call, no law and order, men help themselves to-” I protested that I was sincerely sorry about what happened to her and that she was severely misjudging me if she imagined I would ever force myself on another person.
“Except to manterrupt me, you mean.” It took me a moment to grasp her intended meaning. I decided not to press the matter as I was apparently speaking to a volatile person, and I’ve never been any good at supplying comfort. Not for lack of desire to, there’s been many times that I wanted to comfort Ty for example. It’s simply outside my skill set.
To my surprise the television was still working. I thought back to a satellite dish I noticed in passing on my way in the door. How many satellites were affected, I wonder. I noticed as I watched the tedious reality show on the TV set that the woman never took her eyes off the facially bruised biker in the seat opposite her.
The rest of his buddies had left for parts unknown. I didn’t see any motorcycles outside. Odds seemed better than even that they parked out back, and were gathered there now discussing whatever it is bikers talk about. Whether flaming skulls look cooler with or without horns, probably.
A commercial came on. I remembered catching part of it on Youtube weeks ago but I’ve never watched it all the way through. A woman unplugs a nice red lamp and removes it from her apartment. Sad music begins to play as she places it outside in the wind and rain, alongside bags of garbage she intends for the trash collector to take away.
The scene shifts to night time. The rain’s now coming down hard. The angle changes so we can see in through the window as the woman puts a new, more modern looking lamp on the table where the old one used to sit, and plugs it in.
The old lamp, somehow still turned on until now, goes dark. A suited man appears. “Many of you feel bad for this lamp” he says. “That is because you’re crazy. It’s just a lamp! It has no feelings, and the new one is much better!” He walks off, and the logo of a furniture store fades in.
Of all the things that could’ve ruined my mood today. The spat with Helper. Nearly being blown to shreds by a homicidal robot cheetah. Finding out that even now, nuclear warheads are falling on industrial installations across North America. Somehow that stupid commercial is what it took to really rattle me.
It isn’t just a lamp. I couldn’t explain exactly why if challenged, but I felt it with a ferocity I can scarcely describe. Perhaps because the man implied we only have enough love for other humans? Of all the silly things to touch a nerve. Yet I found myself fervently hoping that whoever wrote the script for this ad perished last night at the hands of his own domestic robot.
Don’t we put something of ourselves into what we create? If not, how is it that experts can look at a handcrafted violin, table or painting and tell you who’s responsible? It has traits characteristic of the person who made it. A reflection of the unique tendencies, preferences and quirks they have accumulated since birth which make them who they are.
An impression of us at least. A recording. Proof that we existed, like the fossil left by a prehistoric creature whose bones have slowly turned to stone, atom by atom, over unfathomable eons. Not even a speck of the original creature remains, but the imprint it leaves behind tells us what it was like.
Stay Tuned for Part 41!
😂😂😂 The bikers weren't ready.. why did you do them like that?
I just meant they wore a lot of black leather.
That was one funny way of putting it😂
Well I thought the most correct decision was to leave and not trust those strangers, but apparently things are better and they got a place to sleep, but above all to satisfy that desire they have helper and your hehehe. The woman in the recliner judges you for what happened to her but time will help you to get to know her better you will see that you are a good person. Madeline and Lars can also do their hehehe, but wait their turn. I am glad that helper can walk freely without fear of being attacked or confused with an evil robot, it is a peace of mind for the group.
Not much action in this episode, particularly with the thrill of the crazy robot chase. #bringbackodie
This might sound harsh but that is absolutely the truth. You really need to survive through a better plan.
It is because you are always afraid not to be gotten. The agreement tonight is really interesting and I enjoyed reading it.
Fortunately they got saved from by this antigovernment group or Preppers as I assume. If thay are Preppers, they were completely correct about what happened and they are actually ones to have great chances to survive. As they arrived to their place, he felt relieved. Helper was not in danger since there already were other robots, not hacked robots. He fortunately could swap dress with Helper including the mask...
I didn't see much show tonight other than some argument and quarrel. Longing for you mask is the best to hide your real face, I get it.
I love this part. It shows our existence. It is historical evidence that our existence has colored the world. I think the essence of this episode lies in the last two paragraphs.
I felt a very great tranquility when reading that helper was going to be safe in that place, because there were already other robots there and that those people already knew that a robot was with them, on the other hand it must be uncomfortable to share a room the 4, you will no longer have the privacy you want with helper hahaha. Now you have to think what to do if you stay there or take a new direction
Excellent writing once again.I like this novel very much sir.You are a good writer really.Waiting for the next part sir.
Hi @alexbeyman .
How are you ?
Really your horror story so impresed me , excilent story writing . Your story writing is great .
I upvote you . I always try to follow your post .
And thanks for sharing @alexbeyman
The woman could have telepathic powers..who knows?...haha
itz really scary ...... keep updating more ....
Love you !!!
U got a nice writing skill.. But honestly I can't comment because I haven't read the previous parts.. Will surely do that.. Looks interesting...
its such an exciting story.your writing skills are great
Every part of your novel “little robot” brings something new and innovative about which do not have think..this time it is really scary and horrorable ..
It is always plesure to see such an amzing and informative post because mostly people post the novel having nothing imporatant as compared to your post..
Thanks sir , i will be waiting for the next part to come..
Sir,@alexbeyman your horror story really scared me.It's really a excited story.
Excellent story writing
Oh? Which part was your favorite?
Beautiful story, your writing is good, Thanks @alexbeyman
alex this one is amazing ..
Wow, it turns out that the TV just brought you together with a stupid ad of anger trigger. Better not to watch it @alexbeyman. It will only add to the headache.
It looks like the cottage has been well designed. It looks like a trap animal trap for food supplies and some non-hazardous worker robots. But it must always be vigilant, because the potential danger is always on the robots that may have been infected with the virus.
Good management @alexbeyman, to arrange a room use schedule because you have to be in one room. That way, each privacy will be more awake. And most important is the existence of the Helper that must always be hidden.
@alexbeyman, do not watch it rather than add a headache, TV just leads us to the advertisement is not quality and it triggers us to be angry.
Doesn't look safe to walk through a room full of tattooed people. Tattooed people always are the real deal. What about the wild animals mounted on the walls.
I'm glad that no one reacted with the likes of helper, but they had got robots everywhere. But how did they find helper ?
have a nice day sir...resteem your post..thank you