The Human Inside

Chapter 15

2128 February: Three Weeks Later

Harlem Neoteric district, New York

    "Come on Tashoneh! Give it back!"

    "You have to catch me first Rick!"

    Tashoneh ran as fast as he could away from his friends. Despite how young and small he was, he had learned how to move around very fast in the streets. He crawled through a small hole in a fence that he knew Rick and the other kids were too big to fit through. As he clambered away snickering, he heard the rattling of the chainmail fence behind him. He turned his head and saw Rick trying to climb over the fence. His other friend Abigail was watching with a fearful look.

    "Come back Tashoneh!" she called. "Don't run so far!"

    "I'll get him Abigail," Rick said angrily as he made it to the top of the fence.

    "No wait! Don't leave me!"

    "It isn't funny anymore Tashoneh!" Rick called as he climbed over and dropped to the ground. Abigail also scrambled up the fence as quickly as she could. "Come back here now!"

    "Follow me!" Tashoneh cried as he kept running.

    Pretty soon he heard the pattering footsteps that indicated that Rick and Abigail were catching up. Tashoneh instantly ran around a corner and towards the warehouse sitting across the street. Suddenly he heard Rick cry out.

    "NO Tashoneh! That place isn't safe!"

    "It's fine Rick!" Tashoneh called back. "I've been here hundreds of times!"

    Tashoneh looked back at Rick who was staring wide-eyed right back at him. He ignored the older boy's warnings and dove through a tiny hole in the side of the building. When he straightened up, he froze. A group of people were sitting in the middle of the room and they all turned to stare. Before Tashoneh could gather his thoughts or back out, he felt a shove from behind as Rick scrambled in after him.

    "Tashoneh!" Rick whispered urgently when he saw the other people in the warehouse, "Bad people... We have to run! It's dangerous!"

    "Yeah," Tashoneh stammered as the people began moving towards them. "Let's... oof!"

    The two boys had backed into Abigail who had also followed them inside.

    "What are you two doing?" she asked but then saw the crowd moving towards them. "Uh-oh."

    The three of them huddled together and tried to back out slowly but the adults were faster and instantly had them surrounded. The hole they had crawled in was blocked by one of them and they had nowhere to go. Suddenly, loud thuds began to shake the ground as the kids looked around the strangers' legs to see what was coming their way.

    Giant robots were walking their way which made the kids freeze with fear. These bots were massive to their eyes and with red lights gazing menacingly at them. They had never seen this type of robot before.

    "What's the matter kids? Lost?" one of the figures laughed. "Come over here! We got... lots of... mmm... nice things for you."

    The three kids stood their ground. One of the robots made a loud whining noise and they saw its arms glowing brightly. As it rose, they heard loud joints and circuits whirring loudly as it stomped closer and closer. They cowered to the ground in fear as the floor shook with loud tremors and the mini-quakes made them jump up and down higher as the robots drew nearer.