Radioactive [Early Draft, On Indefinite Hiatus]

Chapter 6 - Traveling

Chapter 6:

Traveling

"Jerry, have you seen my wrench?"

"No, Webster."

"Then come help me find it!"

"Yes, sir."

"Another thing, don't call me Webster. You call me Captain. Understand?"

"Yes, Captain."

Jerry was one of the first "children" of his master. His master would tell him stories of how he was once something called a "human", but was transformed into a grotesque monster by chemicals. Jerry wondered what it what it would be like to be "human". He could be free to do as he pleased, run across the open ground, and not have to live in a factory filled with robots. You see, Jerry was one of many in a race of mechanical "fishmen". They were built in their master's image, and were built to serve only him. Very little were given names, and Jerry was one of the lucky few. He earned his name when a generator in his factory blew a fuse. Curious Jerry approached it and started rearranging its components, switching this with that, and swapping that with this. When his master came over and saw what clever Jerry had managed to create, he dubbed him "Jerry-rig".

Eventually, though, the others started calling him Jerry for short, and the name stuck. Even his master addressed him by that title. Jerry thought about this momentarily. He always saw his master as a hero, but know he had his doubts. Recently, a ray had crossed paths with the master, and reared it head at him. The master then plunged his staff straight through the torso of the rat, and disposed of the rodent shortly afterward. Jerry had watched him kill the rat, and later that day asked his master why had done so. His master replied.

"Every living thing deserves to die. Besides, the smaller, less important ones are the most expandable. There's hundreds more of them, and I can dispose of as many of them as I please. They question me once, they risk their headbeing severed. Do you hear me?"

Jerry knew that his master was talking about him towards the end. There were many other versions of Jerry, and he was merely a copy. To his master he was nothing more than another foolish rat, another lamb sent to the slaughter. This upset Jerry, because he always felt that he was unique amongst the hundreds of others just like him.

"Jerry! Quit daydreaming and start finding that wrench!"

Jerry exited his fantasies.

"Yes, sir!

"That's Captain to you!"

"Yes, captain."

So Jerry hobbled about searching about the factory, searching for the lost wrench. Then he found it. It was hidden behind and old, wooden toolbox coated with chipped red paint. Jerry neared it closer to get a better look. Inside the toolbox was a another wrench, but it was rusty. There was also a scratched-up philips-head screwdriver, which Jerry could see his faint reflection in. He observed the orange scales and find on his head, and the large, yellow eyes with tall, narrow dark slits for pupils. The teeth were there, too. Perfectly shaped like acute triangles, and bright white. They were pointy like an alligators', and were in neat rows. His teeth were what bothered Jerry the most about him. He despised them. They made him look more like a sea monster more than a person, which he was considered to amongst his acquaintances. Then suddenly, Jerry's attention jumped towards a book. The title read bold, faint red text:

GEOGRAPHY

Jerry had always been fascinated with the outside world, but his master forbid them to leave their home. So he had always longed to go venture the exterior of the steel walls that trapped him. Then almist without thinking, he snatched the book from its place, and hid it in a compartment in his back. He then seized the wrench in his hand and creaked back to where Webster was pounding iron upon cube-shaped anvil.

"I'm back with your wrench, sir- I mean, Captain."

"Where'd you find it?"

"Behind an old toolbox out back, Captain."

Webster's eyes grew, but he took care not to meet Jerry's gaze and focus on his work.

"Was it red?"

"Yes, sir- I mean Captain."

Webster stopped hammering the piece of iron in front of him. He turned to Jerry, who looked worried, and slowly sprawled over to him.

"You must never tell anyone about that toolbox. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Captain.

"Good. Now get back to work."

A moment after Captain Webster said that, a bell rang.

"All right, you can go now. The shift is over."

"Thank you, Captain!" Thank you!"

"Bah, think nothing if it. I'm just following orders."

Later that day, Jerry retreated to his makeshift lean-to. He took the book of Geography from its compartment and spread it open upon the dark cavern floor. He leafed through the pages, reading about Africa, Oceania, the Americas, and more.

His heart raced. He was excited. Jerry was getting his first taste of the outside world.

His journey had just begun.