Joyride

The Crash and the Perpetrator

Just as Charlie tilted her head to look out the window, the bus hit a bump. Inside, everyone was jostled in their seats, slamming into each other as the back ties of the bus came off the ground. The horrifying sound of shattering glass rang over the screams of the passengers. Charlie, thrown forward by the impact, clung to the overhead compartment bin for dear life. She turned just in time to witness the man she sat next to go crashing through the now nonexistent window. She gasped in awe. Looking quickly at her hands, making certain she wasn't injured by the flying glass. She lifted her head unwillingly as the bus rolled down the steep hill. Charlie was thrown back towards the end of the bus as the terrifying crash came to the end via a tree. Now on the floor, Charlie picked herself up. Quickly, she reached for the exit hatch and pulled herself from the wreckage. As her eyes rose above the level of the bus and the rest of the world came into view, she saw it. The thing that caused the crash. A white humanoid robot stood several yards from Charlie and the dead passengers of the bus. She squinted her eyes, trying to focus on the robot standing in plain view. A blue haze emitted from around the spine-chilling, gruesome, robot. Her chest heaved, heavy with the pain resonating in her head. Charlie was terrified, how could something like this happen? The only robots around this part of England were used only in the police force and were marked with special symbols. The monstrosity that killed a busload of people looked vastly different. Her vision darkened as her body ached in the strain to drag her limp body from the ghostly bus. Stumbling to safety, Charlie grabbed her phone, calling Deacon before anyone else. He was an expert in robotics and surely would be able to identify the murderer. Her phone beeped and flashed as the important call was placed.

"Charlie? What's up!" Deacon cheered.

"Something terrible has happened!" Charlie panted.

"What? Charlie are you okay?" Deacon asked frantically.

"I'm fine. I was on the bus to your place when I thought we hit a bump. Suddenly, the tires lifted off the ground and we slid sideways into a tree. I'm the only survivor!" Charlie cried, the panic in her voice.

"Who hit you? Why did you crash?" Deacon questioned, more concerned after hearing the death toll.

"A robot. A robot hit us, it had a bomb gun. This was a terrorist attack Deacon." Charlie explained.

"A police robot?" Deacon wondered.

"No, this one was different. It looked like a person but its coating was all white with a blue haze surrounding it." Charlie described.

Currently out of breath, Charlie held her phone close to her ear in order to hear Deacon over the now-distant sounds of terrible explosions. Charlie looked over her shoulder to see the nearby buildings irrupt into flames, swallowing the building whole.

"What's going on?" Deacon asked after a long silence.

"The city is burning and it is all because of that robot. We need to stop it, Deacon. I'll get a car and come pick you up." Charlie stated, acting impulsively.

Charlie picked up her feet, ready to spring and dodge the raging flames before Deacon's voice stopped her.

"No, Charlie. I'll come to you. It is only a twenty-three-minute flight. Get to safety and send me your location." Deacon instructed.

"Got it." Charlie agreed, shaking her head to concur even though Deacon wasn't there to witness it.

The rain started to drizzle. It was as if the sky was crying, trying desperately to put out the angry orange and red swarms of fire but it was no use. The buildings were almost reduced to ash by this point. Anyone in the building was long since dead but nevertheless, Charlie wasn't a heroic person. Timidly, she sat on the curve of the sidewalk. The rain splashing onto her black hood as it shielded her from the bad weather. She watched as the sky darkened and the flames dissipated. The nearest fire station was miles away. By the time they would get here, there would be nothing left but a few planks of crisped wood and wrinkled steel. The steel, hot from the flames, sizzled with every sprinkle of water that touched its burning surface. The robot was long gone by now and any fraction of hope to find the perpetrator was slowly fading away with every passing moment. Charlie bowed her head, mourning the loss of the unknown lost souls in the accident. Though she never knew any of their names, she knew that if the roles were switched and she didn't make it, it would be nice to know that someone cared. A few minutes of reflection later, Charlie looked up into the evening sky in time to see Deacon's red car fly above her and land a few yards to her right. Quickly, Charlie left her post at the curb and ran towards Deacon. Deacon jumped out the of the car, running towards Charlie as he saw the twinkling from the shards of glass. Charlie wrapped her arms around Deacon. Her hands ruffled his light brown locks as she stared into his greyish blue eyes. His smile was one that Charlie felt comforting, a smile that she hadn't seen it a long period of time. Deacon left the hug, turning around to see the pile of scrap metal that was the building across the street and the wreckage that used to be a bus.

"How did you survive that? The bus doesn't even look like a bus anymore. The windows are blown out, the top and sides are crushed, not to mention how badly bent the frame is." Deacon remarked.

"I don't know either but I know I got lucky." Charlie replied.

Deacon shook his head in disgust. The building that once stood tall and strong served a training facility for the human officers to work alongside the robotic officers. The murderess bot couldn't have been one of the police force as the artificial intelligence would still prevent the destruction of its own building. There were several things wrong with this scene. Where was the fire department? Even if it was miles away, they should still have been here. What was the purpose of crashing the bus if the robot was going to burn the building anyways? Why did the robot feel the need to take out the training facility?