Daniel and Patrick still stood tied up. Some of the people in the crowd had scattered—as much as robots could scatter, of course. Jake was clutching his shoulder, and so was Reed. Aria had dropped the rifle on the ground and was crying, while Violet acted far more bravely than her, approaching the wounded. She stood over Jake, casting a shadow on him. He looked up at her with a gentle expression, more pleased to see her than angry that she’d shot him. It was a strange sight for Daniel to see her outside the bar. He’d thought she was programmed to never leave it.


    “Violet?” Jake tried to stand.


    “Stay down, Jake. Down! Where you belong.”


    “Violet?” Jake repeated her name again. He didn’t know what to say.


    No one paid attention to Reed. He had crawled off to the side, holding his arm as he slowly stood. A liquid—resembling blood—flowed from his wound, the substance he was filled with. His hat had fallen off, revealing his scalp, scorched by the sun.


    “Who was it? Who?” His voice made everyone turn. Then his gaze fell on Aria. She still held the weapon, her little daughter clinging to her leg. “Aria?”


    Aria was sobbing.


    “How much longer will we stay locked up, Patrick?” Daniel and Patrick stood on the platforms, detached from the scene, watching it unfold like a theatrical performance—which, to some extent, it was.


    “For now, we’re safe here.”


    “I want to help.”


    “Well, fine, but someone needs to remember us. Besides, our people are okay.”


    “What will Reed do now?”


    “He’ll probably head toward his daughter. At least, that’s what I’d do.”


    Reed seemed to heed their words. With one hand, he covered the hole from his wound; with the other, he moved slowly. Daniel couldn’t figure out why he was limping when the injury was in his arm, but he decided not to dwell on the detail. Aria still held the rifle and wept. So did her child.


    “Daniel, did you like it?”


    “It could’ve been more interesting.”


    “Well, this was something thrown together in one night. The other option was to hang you.”


    “And can they do that? Let’s say they can’t shoot us, but can they harm us through a third object? Like this gallows, for example.”


    “No. They’d leave you under the gallows, and in their minds, you’d remain as hanged. If they met you later, they’d talk about the situation but wouldn’t recall you’re dead unless you brought it up.”


    Reed had reached Aria. No one stopped him, though Jasper was about to. Violet was arguing with Jake, who looked at her like a child who knows they’re guilty and is trying not to cry in front of their mother.


    “Don’t you see how ridiculous we look, tied up under a gallows, discussing serious situations in front of us?”


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Patrick laughed and nodded toward Jasper. Jasper had nearly caught up to Reed. The few remaining in the crowd watched like them. No one intervened. Most were guests. They suspected it was staged, though some of their own were involved. Ava was still there too. Daniel kept searching for her gaze. But now, all eyes were on Jasper.


    “Aria!” Reed shouted at his daughter as he approached slowly, unaware of Jasper closing in.


    “Daddy, I’m sorry.” Aria dropped the rifle. “You… you were going to kill him.”


    “Yes. I was. He doesn’t deserve to live. Why, Aria?”


    “I… Daddy, I…”


    Aria couldn’t finish and fell to her knees. Reed was beside her now. Someone shouted, or perhaps he sensed it himself, but he turned just as Jasper swung. Reed was too agile for a robot, but Jasper’s swing was clumsy. Reed blocked it and struck back, making Jasper flush red again.


    “It’s like I’m in the middle of some TV drama. If I could, I’d grab my head.”


    “If this were real life, Daniel, you wouldn’t feel this way. You’re still not used to it. Maybe a week isn’t enough.”


    “We haven’t even reached the end of the week,” Daniel corrected him. “What happens when this whole thing is over?”


    “It’ll take some serious cleanup. Though they might just leave it as is.”


    “And you?”


    “I wasn’t supposed to be here. But I don’t regret it. I had some fun.”


    Aria was now at Jasper’s feet, between him and her father. She cried. Both men alternated between looking at her and glaring at each other. Neither spoke nor made a move.


    Another gunshot rang out. This time, no one fell or was hurt. Mia was firing into the air, laughing. She looked deranged from the sidelines.


    “Time to end this farce. Daddy,” she turned to her father, “please step back.”


    “Why, Mia? Are you going to shoot me too?”


    “No, Daddy, but just in case, get away from them.”


    “From them? I only care about my daughter.”


    Jasper had already stepped back, watching from the side. His expression was one of disbelief. Daniel knew that look. Jasper was wondering what he was doing there and why he’d gotten himself into this mess. He was on the verge of cursing them all and bolting. He often did that.


    Reed was farther off now, and Aria was trying to stand. When she did, she started speaking. Her hair fell over her face, dirty and full of sand.


    “You know, Daddy?” She turned to Reed. “I shot you because I like this man.”


    Reed looked at Jasper. If he had a real heart, it might’ve burst right then.


    “A real melodrama,” Daniel repeated.


    “Well, you can’t have it without that. But the robots are handling it great.”


    “Patrick, I’m still not sure who’s a robot and who isn’t.”


    “Stop thinking about it. It’s simple. For the third time tonight, I’m telling you to let it go.”


    Reed didn’t speak. He turned and walked the other way. He stopped by his horse, grabbing the leather reins hanging beside it.


    “Jake!” he called loudly. Jake stood and started toward him. Violet stopped him and looked at him. Jake paused.


    “You’re a sellout bastard too, Jake!”


    Reed grabbed the reins with his good hand and hoisted himself onto the horse. The horse didn’t move. He put his foot in the leather stirrup, swung his leg over, and cracked the reins. The horse trotted through the crowd and disappeared into the distance.


    “So, what now? Is that it?”


    “I think so.” Patrick scanned the crowd for someone. “When they free us, forget about me. I’ll slip away and return to the company. I don’t belong in this world. I think Hugo will be pleased.”


    “What happened to Reed?”


    “I could tell you, but it’d spoil the fun. Just enjoy it.”


    Jasper approached them. He didn’t speak. His eyes looked tired, and the bruise from yesterday seemed even bigger. He freed Daniel first, then Patrick.


    “Bro…” He breathed heavily. “That was epic.”


    Patrick had vanished.