Perfect World Somewhere

Chapter 12

They rode in silence the rest of the way.

Lily huddled against Daddy, wishing she could remove the restraint and hug him. She laid her head on his shoulder instead, and fell into troubled sleep.

Hours later, they landed with a shift and thud against the hard ground. The door opened, ramp extended, and early morning light beamed in.

A voice shouted, in their language. "Come out, please."

Daddy chuckled. "They're so polite."

"Most Pruessians remember their manners." Ben grinned. "Even if we're about to kill you, we'll thank you for serving your purpose first. Until we meet again, friends." He walked calmly down the ramp, and allowed the troopers and robots to lead him away.

It was Lily's first look at a driver robot. Many children feared the drivers. Stories described them as being terrible machines which forced families to separate. She always pictured them with glaring optical panes, and threatening weaponry on all sides. In reality, they resembled a common custodian model. Her fear was replaced with curiosity, and she wondered how many deterrents and devices were built into their round copper frames.

Daddy bumped her with his elbow, and broke her reverie. "Make sure they notice that you control Krept. What Ben told us, about technicians being valued, gave me an idea. We might be able to bend the rules some. Are you ready to do this?"

She took a deep breath. "Ready."

Daddy descended the ramp first.

They patted him down, and confiscated his pistol and knife. Then they shoved him, indicating the direction they wanted him to go.

He winked as they led him around the corner of a nearby building, and out of sight.

Lily paused at the bottom, remembering what Daddy had said.

"Krept 1A, come," she said, as boldly as she could.

The shiny robot scurried out to meet her.

The troopers raised their rifles, taken aback.

One of them approached slowly. "This is your machine?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. This is Krept, the prototype of its model."

The trooper's eyes widened. "You are of skill with robots?"

She nodded. "I'm a technician, apprenticed to my father. I'm familiar with basic programming, too."

"You are so young to have these abilities." He spoke with one of his comrades. After a brief exchange, he beckoned. "Follow, please. Bring the robot."

She stared at the drivers as they passed, fascinated by Pruessian robotics.

So, this was one of the dreaded ration camps. She couldn't see beyond the long rows of austere buildings, but she imagined that the walls were high, the barbed fences sharp, all defenses impeccable.

The troopers weren't uncivil. Regardless, she was angry, and repulsed by them. The enemy was responsible for so much death. Mama, Nana, her sisters. Plumgrove. Clarence's life was in danger, too, because the Kaezer shot them down.

Though she was young, she knew the bitter contrast of irony. She clenched her fists, until her nails pierced skin, raging that she'd sacrificed so much to the people she hated most.

They emerged from the clustered buildings, into a large open area. The camp sprawled across gently rolling hills, as far as she could see. It had once been a small city, much larger than Plumgrove. Her confidence sank, as she realized escape would be difficult. But Delia had promised to rescue them, and it was a reason to keep faith.