Just Machines

The start

My name is Jason, and I'm 15. But who I am is not important. All that matters is what I am doing. The world is a dangerous place. In 2034, the governments killed off hundreds of millions of people that were not submitting to the "Bliss Goal" in an event called the Killing. This goal is an attempt to put everyone into happiness for the rest of their lives. By making everyone the same so there is nothing to conflict. The way that this goal is being slowly accomplished is by a small piece of technology developed by the worlds greatest doctors. It's like a signal jammer for airwaves, but it works inside the brain, taking away any sort of personality a person has. There is nothing to do except let the government implant a chip in you. Well, that or run. I've been running for about 6 months now. At the beginning, my sister Lana was with me. But she decided to abandon our cause about 3 months ago. Where did she go? To the nearest clinic to get her brain blocked off. I haven't thought about her much since. The year is now 2067, and still people are running. I am looking for the center of the rebellion, located in the city once called Chicago. It's now the only city that doesn't have a clinic. It's hard, being alone all the time. Sometimes it's cold, sometimes I get sick, sometimes I can go weeks without food, but the only way to survive is to get to Chicago. I heard from a street rat a while back that the man I am looking for is called Andy. He is waiting to gather enough people to form an army. He wants to crush the Bliss, along with every single person involved in it. His technicians have been working hard to create the Reverse, a process that slowly destroys the chip. They've done it, but the numbers are too small. Two days ago, I thought I was going to die before I even made it to the rebellion.

See, there are about 25 bounty hunters on my head, and the posters I've seen tell me that there is a very fine price on my head. $250,000. Considering I started from San Francisco, and am now travelling through Missouri, the hunters have gotten a little ticked off. But there was no real danger until I got sick. They call it the Bend, probably because everyone that gets it is always bent over vomiting. It started spreading when one of the experiments designing the chip went wrong, and the chemicals being used spread through the water supply, contaminating millions more after those lost in the Killing. It's now in the air of some cities, and it was in Rockford. I caught it, and although I still made good distance, I had to rest so much because for some reason it affected me strangely. The disease gave me chills to the point where I would huddle against a building and sit there shivering for hours on end. I tried to hide as well as I could, but one day a bounty hunter came too close and I could barely breathe without giving myself away. I thought he was going to leave, until he tripped over me. I screamed and he yanked the blanket I was under off of me. I scrambled up and started to run as well I could. I outran him, but then I collapsed inside an abandoned building, crying and shaking. It wasn't even that cold, only October, but to me it felt like a blizzard in Minnesota. I wrapped a blanket around myself and huddled in a corner, trying to wash the fear away. Then I turned to my side and started dry heaving. There was nothing for me to throw up. I hadn't eaten in days. I looked around the room and saw a mirror. I managed to crawl over to it and looked at myself. I looked awful. My lips were blue and I was shaking. I turned to the side and saw that my torn clothes hung off of me like I was a scarecrow. I pulled up my shirt and looked at myself. My ribs stuck out and my skin was pale and covered in bruises. I crawled back to my blanket and dug around in my pack for water. I found some and drank a little, but it was nothing to me. After a few more minutes, the chills went away and I stood up. I figured that if I walked through the night, I could make it to Chicago by the next. So I started in the direction of a road, looking for signs pointing to Chicago.

As I ran, I wondered how much longer I could hold up without food. I was already having a hard time running. So I slowed to a walk and followed the signs. For the rest of the day and most of the night, I walked, hid from bounty hunters, and stopped occasionally when the chills came. By the time the sun rose, I could barely stand, but I dragged myself along because the sign I saw said, "Chicago, 20 miles." I wanted to get there. The chills started to come more often, and I was starting to fall because I was so tired. It hurt to move at all. I stumbled along the road, trying to stay on my feet, and I managed to get to a point where I could see a point about 100 yards off. It was another sign. This one was different. "Welcome to the city of Chicago." I ran to the sign, only to be stopped by two guards. "Son, state your name and how far you've come." the first one said. "My name is J-Jason and I came here from San Francisco." I stuttered. I was surprised I managed to get that out. "Boy, what's wrong with you? Your lips are blue." The second one said, pulling a gun out of his pocket. "Please, just take me t-to Andy." I begged. The first one grabbed my arm and pulled me to an enormous building painted black, but a white design all over it made it look like a giant skull. "What's his business here?" I heard someone say. "The kid wants to see Andy." the second guard said. The man at the door looked me over. All of a sudden, I felt bile rising up in my throat and I started dry heaving again. "He's got the Bend. Get him out of here." The man said. "What do you want me to do with him?" one of the guards said. "Are you deaf? I said get him out!" the man yelled. "No please. Don't send me out. I just want to see Andy." I begged, trying to break away from the guards. "Stop fighting kid, or I'll shoot you!" one of them yelled. All of a sudden a new voice broke through the chaos. "I believe the kid said he wanted to see me." It was Andy. The guards let go of me and I collapsed to the ground, shivering. "But Andy, he's got the Bend." someone argued. Andy walked toward me. "Yeah, he's got it, alright. He's also got the Starve. S'why his lips are blue. We gotta get him fed and better. Benn and I will take care of him ourselves." he said. Then I was in the air, being pulled off the ground. "Well I was going to help him walk, but he's so featherweight I don't think he can." And I was in someone's arms, being carried like a small child. "Put me down!" I yelled, kicking around. "Hey, hey, hey, kid. Listen to me!" Andy yelled at me. All of a sudden a stinging pain crossed my face. "Benn! Why did you do that?" "He shut up didn't he?" "Yeah I guess. Ok, kid, listen to me. I just want to help you. You can barely stand. I don't think you can walk all the way to my quarters." Andy said. "I can make it." I argued. "Look, man. Andy's quarters are on the 25th floor of this place. There's no way you're getting up there by yourself." At this point, the chills came again, but I tried to hide it. "Kid, you're shaking. When was the last time you ate?" Benn asked. I shrugged. "W-week ag-go?" Andy's jaw dropped. "Where'd you come from, kid?" "My name is Jason." I said. I was tired of being called kid. "Doesn't matter right now. Where'd you come from?" he asked again. "San Francisco." I answered shortly. Andy nodded, apparently shocked. "You're coming with us." Benn said, picking me up again. This time I didn't fight.