Attacking Aggressively

Journal.txt(9)

The charts quickly lead me out of town, and out on the road to the old substation that the Bots United Towards Tyranny now uses as their main office. This is the first time I travel this road without Shaun. The city gets smaller and the activist headquarters appears over the horizon. Everything near it are the open fields and some trees, but I cannot see any other vehicles nearby.A single person is seen on the parking lot outside, this one runs into the house and brings out ten more people who are now waving at me. When I get closer, I can see that Fred, the two women and Sam stand among seven people that I have only seen in the crowd. I then realize that I do not know how to stop this vehicle. I ask out as loud as I can, and people tell me that I have to step on the right pedal. The engine goes off, and the vehicle rolls lifelessly up next to Sam. Fred and an activist with a blue wool cap help me up, and people start asking me questions.

- Where's Shaun? Fred asks me. He looks serious, but not angry.

- His opinions on robot abuse changed, I explain. People stare at me.

- Changed? What do you mean? The young woman then asks.

- Once he received the money he said they were enough for a new AssaultBot, I explain.

- Oh, he must have been joking, I mean Shaun am I right? she answers.

- He also said that the money was his, because he was the one to compete, I then explain.

- But the whole thing was his idea! she exclaims. That little rat!

Fred then looks at me again, with the same serious look.

- Do you have the money? he asks me. As I hand over the check, he nods stiffly and takes it. Sam looks at me, and starts to smile. We walk down to the storage room in the basement to inform the other robots. The platinum blonde female robot is the one who is most happy about the news, I can tell from her queer smile. The half-face robot is also quite excited.

- It's been a while since I got to see the sunlight. His tone is soft, but his snappy, metallic voice sounds just as ever.

Even the female robot sitting next to the one with half a face gets happy, but she only expresses it with a wide smile. Her simple behaviour makes it seem like she was programmed a whole lot simpler than the other robots, she cannot even rise without without help from the half-face.

Fred comes down and tells us that there is a flight going to Nepal leaving in five hours, and that we should not delay any more than necessary. All of the machines leave the room except MB-344013, which remains completely still on its round metal stool at the end of the room. It is first now that I notice its many wires sticking out of the back, going through five square metres of floor. It does not seem to work, so it does not matter whether it remains or not. Sam sees what I am looking at, and turns back into the room.

- Goodbye, Sam tells the lifeless machine, it does not respond. The members of Bots United Towards Tyranny have gathered to say goodbye to us. Fred explains to the five of us, in the presence of the crowd, that a driver will take the six of us to the airport very soon. Since that we are wanted, it would be best not to have me or Sam visible, especially not me, Fred explains and we agree. A man that I have never met before comes forth and tells us what an honour it is to be a part of our journey. Fred decided to have a driver instead of driving to the airport himself, so that someone can return the van once we have reached our destination. He was indeed standing very close for being a part of the crowd.

I take a step forward, look at all the smiling people and thank them for all their support and their work to help our kind, and the other ones take my lead, even the robot who sat next to the one with half a face gives everyone a few words of gratitude. Applauses and jubilance is spread among the humans, and dominate the air. In these stupefying cheers, I then hear something esle. It is a small, buzzing noise, it sounds inhuman, rash, and bold. As though the source of it duplicates, there are now two buzzing noises.