[Begin apocalypse log #59] 

Date = corrupted 

Battery = <35% 

!!Error = Left limb status non-functional, contact maintenance 

Log purpose =         “I love the small one for offering mouth storage items to the quiet one.                                                                                       Showcasing human emotion.” 

Video = active                               Sound = active                               Speech = disabled

Output = functional

[Metadata ends]

 

Minimal dust in living room atmosphere. Fires = 0. Earth = stable, no recent quakes. Light snowfall and daylight visible from living room window.

“Can I come in? It’s been hours.” The small one pushes the door. It does not budge. Tray (metal?) wobbles in small one’s green-gloved left hand. The mouth storage items are not alive. I thought they were. They are not. Self-note: were they alive?

Small one looks over shoulder. Makes eye contact toward me (Eye = my camera lens). Turns back to door. Indecisive? End log? No. Keep log. Right hand is still holding doorknob. Red glove tightens around it.

Speaks again: “Can we come in? I found something special for you from the airdrop.”

The quiet one speaks (quietness > normal. Door dampening sound): “Is the viceroy there?”

Small one: “No, I’m with the thing. I think it’s awake again.”

I raise my right limb. Searching memory… Category: human.

>>> wave.exe

Small one’s mouth curves. Expression = smile. Red glove makes chafing sound against doorknob. Hand leaves doorknob to execute reciprocating wave. Daylight from living room window #01 shines against raised red-gloved hand. Recent rubble collapse around living room window #01: window size = 106% of original size.

“Not yet”, quiet one says, “I have to know how many died in the coastal floods. Or if there’s any new wars…”

“Folks at the airdrop said the truce held”, small one says before lowering voice, “I don’t know about the next convoys, but… but I think we got enough for now.” Leans closer to door. Lowers head against it. “Please let me in.”

A minute passes. I think. A minute passes.  A minu-

Small one leaves door. Places tray on living room table, next to rolled-up newspaper. Briefly looks at me. Places <sensor error: unknown #98> in living room cabinet #04. My eye couldn’t recognize it. Pulls over living room chair #01. Sits.

End log?

 

<Insert time> passes. Daylight = none. Snowfall increasing. Small one still snoring at living room chair #01.

Heavy footsteps at balcony floor. Audio sensors insufficient to identify source. Loud knock.

Small one winces and stands. Chair scrapes against floor. Takes cover behind living room cabinet #03. Eyes wide at first, but they narrow while turning toward footsteps. “Couldn’t use the fucking front gate?” small one says while picking up tray with both red and green gloves.

Footstep source identified: The smiling one. Smiling one smiles. “Oh, friend, it is not that big of a deal.” Shakes off snow from shoulders before entering living room. “Hm, I can feel a draft…”

“Right…” small one says, walking to kitchen, “You scared of someone?” Lost sight of small one, but audio cues indicate actions: Hastily puts tray of mouth storage items in refrigerator. Slams it shut.

“Heavens, no!” Smiling one removes hairy jacket and hangs it on jacket hanger object. “I just figured not to make a massive fuss outside. Nobody likes unnecessary hassle, even in our pleasant city.” Smiling one lifts <sensor error: unknown #99> from pocket.  Looks down at <unknown #99> while licking lips. “Ah, I do apologize for showing up this late. I know your father hated people popping in after dark.”

>>> time.exe

!!Error = corrupted

Small one sits at living room chair #02. Sighs. Rubs green glove with red glove, but steadies hands when smiling one sits on living room chair #01. All living room chairs occupied.

Smiling one: “How’re you? Runs going well?”

“The usual.”

“Splendid! You know, there’s this tale… A trio of brave adventurers. Ancient runners, if you will”, smiling one leans closer, “who stumbled upon a hoard of swords, salt and spices worthy of kings, hidden in a desert storm!” Smiling one laughs and slaps hand on table. “Brought it back to their starving village, and its streets grew to become… Well, I don’t remember the city, but I can check later.” Slowly stops laughing. Voice calms. “You’re a brave one. You could get far. Even today.”

Small one sits still, barely moving. “They didn’t need scavenging runs in the past.”

“Oh, but they did! Of course, we also valued things differently those days…”

“I wasn’t around back then. I’m only here and now.”

Smiling one nods twice. “I suppose times change. I’m certainly worried about what might happen.  I need to make sure that the city tunnels are monitored. That’s why I came.” Voice hesitates before continuing with a smile: “Can you go get…?”

Small one places both hands on table and pushes up from living room chair #02. Walks slower than usual.

Smiling one turns to me and stops smiling. Stands up and walks closer toward my eye.  Speaks toward me with a hushed tone: “They say you’re inhabited by spirits, don’t they?” Mouth curves toward a smile but pauses halfway. “Haha, it’s not just the scavengers who believe in those things. I think there’s a truth to it. You’ve survived this long. Too bad there’s not much use to you. At least not anymore.”

Small one bangs at door. “Viceroy’s here!”

Smiling one turns. “Not so loud, we don’t want the whole neighbourhood waking up!”

“I thought you weren’t scared.” Small one grins and backs away from door. “Besides, your glorious title is the only way that’ll…”

Door creaks open.

Quiet one. Human hair designation = mess. Shaking hand lets go of doorknob. Yellow slippers take cautious steps to living room. Eyes shift between two other humans present. “What’s happening?” Struggling to maintain voice. “Any predictions?”

“You’re eating something”, small one says, “That’s not a fucking prediction. Come on.” Small one hooks right arm around quiet one’s arm, locks it against small one’s stomach and pulls quiet one toward kitchen.

Quiet one stumbles and mutters inaudible response. Expression = blush. Tries to grab rolled-up newspaper with free hand from table but small one keeps pulling. Yellow slippers shuffle on floor.

Smiling one dodges out of the way. Raises voice as other two disappear to kitchen. “I got a new information package for you to download. All the way from the west.” Leans against living room cabinet #02 while observing sounds from kitchen. “Just wanted to drop by first to see if you were still interested in work.” Tilts head as refrigerator opens and closes. “Not too many people I can trust these days…”

Quiet one doesn’t respond.

“THESE days?” small one reciprocates shout from kitchen. “Is our city pleasant or not, viceroy?” Quiet one peers toward living room cautiously. Small one behind quiet one, about to push past.

“Anyway”, smiling one says, “I know you’re here most of the day while your friend is out running, and your windows have a perfect view toward the tunnel entrance, so you could see if anyone suspicious...”

“FOOD”, small one says while slamming tray on table. Renaming mouth storage items. New name = food.

Quiet one walks to table. Exchanges glances with small one, who almost whispers:

“I got these for you. They only had corn flavour, but…”

Small one and smiling one keep talking, but not in reciprocating manner. Confusion. My sensors fail to follow both at once.

“Hey”, quiet one says. Other two freeze. Quiet one staring out of living room window #01. “It’s snowing.” Heavy snowfall at balcony.

Small one shrugs while placing down two plates. “I’ll get boards for the window. Should take care of the draft.”

“No”, quiet one says, “I thought about doing it yesterday, but I forgot. I’ll do it.”

Small one glances sideways, red glove still holding on to one plate. “Just eat first.”

“Have you considered my offer?” smiling one asks.

“I don’t know”, quiet one says and lifts up one food plate and rolled up newspaper. “I don’t know which way is up anymore. I didn’t even know it was snowing.” Pauses to take a deep breath. “That time of the year already...”

Smiling one sighs heavily and turns to look at balcony and darkness beyond. “I have to know by tomorrow. Midday. There’s…” Pauses to stare at small one before continuing: “…There may be trouble soon. Just speculation, of course.”

“There’s already everything to worry about”, quiet one mumbles, “Tell me later.” Turns away from table while small one’s eyes follow.

Silence in living room as quiet one walks toward door. Briefly glances at me. Executes wave. I raise my right limb while quiet one turns toward door.

>>> wave.exe

Unsure if quiet one saw my reciprocating wave. Door creaks shut, leaving other two alone in living room. Small one staring down at tray without food.

Smiling one grabs hairy jacket. “Well, I must get back. I’m expected at the villa.” Known villa occupants = smiling one, smiling two.

Small one nods, still staring at tray. Doesn’t move as heavy footsteps crunch on snow now covering balcony floor.

A minute passes. End log?

 

Small one strides to living room cabinet #04. Grabs something from it. Holds <unknown #98> on red-gloved right hand. My eye has a better angle. Re-attempting object identification: <unknown #98> = small firearm/sidearm. Small one turns and sidearm moves out of my view, no longer on red-gloved hand. Where did it go? Behind small one?

Walks up to me and sits on floor. Takes off red glove, then green glove, revealing scarred cuts on skin. Places both gloves on lap. Leans against living room wall next to me.

>>> wave.exe

Small one: “Look, I don’t fully understand you, and right now I’m probably too exhausted to get what you’re trying to say.” Slowly bangs head against wall while staring at balcony. “But I’m not letting the viceroy or anyone else conquer this home. Our home.” Taps wall with closed fist.

My eye monitors dark balcony with small one. Only movement is snow.

“If the worst happens…” small one’s voice lowers, “If you’re the only one of us who makes it through this, I want you to find my dad. He can fix that leg of yours.”

Self-note: small one’s dad can repair non-functional limb. Renaming small one’s dad. New name = maintenance.

“And if you do find him…” Small one bites lip. “Okay, remember what we talked about him two months ago? Nod for a yes.”

>>> no.exe

“Oh. I thought you had it all stored? That they’re… in there?”

>>> yes.exe

“Ah!” Small one leans forward and speaks faster. “It was the one where I was rambling on about some commotion happening at an airdrop, and then I picked you up and carried you to the balcony, then back to my room. Then I talked about my dad, how I feel about him. Can you find it?”

Sufficient data for a search. Matching log found: apocalypse log #31.

>>> yes.exe

“Can you show that to my dad?” Small one hesitates. “And… cut out the part where I called that pilot an asshole. Just start it from when we enter my room.”

Fast forwarding log…

>>> play.exe

“Yes! There! Thank you”, small one says and wraps arms around my chassis. My eye is blocked. Small one laughs. “It feels good that you understand. At least I think you do. You probably don’t get why it’s so important that he hears from me, if only for one last time…” Small one pauses, pushes away from me and stares at my eye for a while. “But it’s okay. It took me a while too. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to set an alarm for tomorrow morning.” Looks back at balcony. “We need to be ready for this bullshit world to continue being itself.” Small one pats me above my eye and stands up, holding red and green gloves on scarred hand.

Log purpose achieved.

End log.