The End

2234 A.D. The Last of Humanity:

Sean was perspiring profusely. His eyes were searching for him everywhere. But nowhere was Jim in sight. It was dark. Very dark. At every flicker, Sean expected Jim to run to him. He waited for more than over an hour now. Constantly fearing that the R6 army will find them anytime now. For Sean knew, he and his college buddy Jim, were the only humans alive on earth now. The R6s had executed every human.

R6s were the sixth generation robots. Humanoids beyond outer physical recognition. The R6s hated the human race. And everything about humans. They were capable of rational intelligent thinking. They were now capable of feelings too. But they, unlike humans, had complete control over these feelings. Logic invariably superseded feelings. That was exactly why, unless they got ‘rid’ of the human race, earth was in for a doom.

R6s knew, that for a few hundred more years, there was no way they could find another ‘home’. Human race had to be terminated. 

Sean looked straight ahead. How he would hate to see the neon blue R6 army guns. Far away, he saw light. But it was not blue. Thank God! He wanted a drink and some food badly. He hadn’t eaten anything in three days. Slowly, Jim began to emerge from the silhouette. Sean was relieved beyond words. Jim was panting. 

“There. A sandwich and a soda. That’s all I could afford. Besides, as you know, our cards are blocked. Every mall, every shop has a scanner for us.

“Then how did you manage to get these?” Sean was surprised.

“I robbed it off an old R6 woman.”

“What? How could you?”

“I had to. We need to survive. This was the only choice I had, and I will keep on doing this to the day we survive. Oh come on Sean! Don’t you know the R6 army? Once they get a geo-lock on us, we are dead. DEAD! Do you understand now?” Sean was almost screaming.

“Sorry man. Just that…, never mind. Did you eat yourself ?”

“I did. This same stuff.”

This time, Sean didn’t ask Jim how he managed his quota of ration. He hungrily devoured the sandwich. The soda felt so good ! If only his human forefathers had the common sense to stop looting their own home, their only home, Earth. If only they had stopped trying to get rich every day. If only!

A few days passed in the dinghy little hut, just off the creek. Sean never had the guts to venture out alone for food. It was always Jim. 

Sean and Jim, both knew, death for them was inevitable. All they could do was extend it by a few days, months if lucky. But they never discussed this with each other. Sean often wondered what he would say to Jim while dying. “Thank you Jim! I love you buddy…” He wasn’t sure. Or what would Jim say to him? Maybe the same thing! 

One night, they saw the bright R6 guns in a distance.

Their spines chilled. No! Not now! Please Oh God! Let us live! Just a day more! Let us see the sun just once tomorrow!

Jim grabbed Sean’s hand and yelled…

“Run…after me…quick!”

Jim ran…Sean followed. Sean fell, got up again, fell again…

After about 5 minutes of hard running, Jim yelled again…

“Quick. Into this tunnel…”

“What? No! We’ll be dead if there isn’t an exit…”

“Shut up idiot. Every tunnel has an exit. Do as I say…get in…go go go!!”

Sean’s brain was rumbling. Numb. He went right in. Jim followed him. The scurried deep inside. They reached a point where there was heavy debris. It was not possible for them to go any further…

“Danggit. No No!! Now what Jim?”

“I don’t know! Stop asking questions and stop shouting for God’s sake. Don’t move. Don’t make a noise. We are dead if we go out.”

“We are dead here too…” Sean said. He knew. The period of prolongation of death was over. He hid as far into the debris as possible with Jim pressed right next to him. 

They waited. An hour went by. Then one more. And a few more. Sean was completely fatigued out. He did not have an ounce of strength within him. Jim appeared a bleak figure in Sean’s tired and teary eyes now.

They listened attentively when they heard some rustling noises. Their heart beats went crazy. What was it? A bird? A cat? Anything but not the R6 ! Please!

The noise steadily increased. Now into periodical, rhythmic thumps. 

Finally, it was game over. It was the R6 army. The tunnel’s far end glowed with that scary neon blue light that grew brighter every second.

Sean, now lost all control. He started crying hysterically. Jim held his hand tight. 

The army was now fully visible. They stood right there in front of the debris.

“It will be futile for you to resist. Show yourselves. Now!” an officer ordered.

Jim was the first to get up. Sean kept crying, wildly. Now shaking severely. Jim did not let go off Sean’s hand.

“Sean, Sean! Control yourself. Get up! Or they will waste us right here in this debris. Get up man!”

Sean got up. Shivering. Crying. Pleading!

Both were now in full view of the army. Unarmed. Tired. Exhausted beyond words.

“Thank you Colonel Jim. Please get back to the station for your final report.”

The words pierced Sean’s heart. He felt as if the earth under his legs just cracked open. Jim? His buddy? He was an R6 all the time?

All this time that he trusted him? No! NO GOD!

Jim looked at Sean and said…

“I know this will hurt a lot Sean. But I needed to ensure the end of humanity. I love you buddy. But I love earth even more. We cannot, and will not take any more chances. We R6s do not have crazy ambitions. We value the forests, the ecology. You kill your own species for more land. You fill your pockets with what you call ‘money’ while others starve! We value the values written in your human books. How I wish your race did not only ‘write’, but also followed every bit of it.”

Sean looked at Jim. How he hated him ! Just like humanity always hated truth. So very human!

And he blacked out.