He drove slower now, with no regrets. He stopped to refuel. He wanted to keep going as long as he could. To travel at least a day. Driving felt good. Maybe that’s all he’d been missing at that place with the robots.
The gas station attendant was an old man, about sixty. He moved slowly, hands in the pockets of his red jumpsuit, which matched the brand colors of the station. It was odd that there were still people manually fueling cars just a few kilometers from the most high-tech park humanity could create. Logically, robots should’ve replaced this little guy, who struck up a conversation as he approached Daniel’s car:
“How’s it going, kid?” he asked, starting to fill the tank. “To the top, right?”
Daniel gave a thumbs-up.
“Just by looking at the car, I can tell what the owner wants,” the old man said, glancing at the pump’s numbers. “Man, she’s thirsty. Don’t worry—” He patted the car’s roof. “We’ll feed her now.”
All he was missing was a cigarette and a condescending look.
Daniel went inside the station, waited for the car to fill up, and paid. At the counter was a cute, short girl with a slightly big, crooked nose, chewing gum and barely noticing him.
“Boss, want me to clean your windows?” he heard as he stepped outside.
The old man outside was clearly fishing for a tip. Daniel waved him off but slipped a bill into his hand anyway.
“Is that a motel over there?” Daniel pointed to a small hotel in the distance, where only the top floor was visible from here.
“Yeah. The Old Oak. That’s what they call it. Two floors, nothing fancy. Perfect if you just need a place to crash. Otherwise, it’s not for you.”
Daniel wasn’t sure what he meant by “not for you,” but he thanked him and slipped another bill into his hand.
At the first turn, he veered right. The road to the motel was bumpy, with potholes in spots, so he had to drive carefully. The “Old Oak” sign made him turn right again and park in a nearly empty lot. Besides him, there were four other cars—all older models—and a garbage truck parked off to the side.
He entered through the first door he saw and found himself in an empty lobby. He stood there for a while before a woman, about fifty, with curly red hair, appeared. She looked surprised to see him.
“Do you have a reservation?”
“No. I saw the motel from the road and decided to spend the night.”
“Oh.” She seemed annoyed that he was making her work. “Alright. How many nights do you want a room for?”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“One. Just tonight.”
The woman tried to peek behind him.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“Strange.”
“Sorry?”
“Well, people usually come here with girls. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said it like that. It’s a nice place. Good choice.”
“To be honest, there wasn’t anything else around.”
“I get it. Would you like breakfast?”
That caught him off guard.
“Breakfast? You offer that?”
“Well, yeah. We’re not as low-class as we look from the outside.”
“I didn’t think that.”
“Please, sweetie. I’ve got eyes. We’re not a five-star hotel, but we try.”
She shoved a key into his hand.
“I’ve included breakfast at eight.” She winked. “Don’t come later than eight-thirty, or I can’t wait for you.”
“How many people are here?”
“About ten. But they’re all older guys with prostitutes. They probably won’t last the night. You’re the only lucky one.” She winked again.
Daniel stepped back and went outside. The key was for room 204. The same number as in Barnes’ tech park. He found the outdoor stairs and climbed up. The last step creaked just like the one in the bar at the park.
The rooms here started at 200 and went up to around 211. His was in the middle. He leaned on the handle, turned the key, and went in.
The room wasn’t bad. A bed stretched across its length, with a narrow bathroom and toilet at the far end. The window faced the stairs, and the bedding at least looked clean. And it wasn’t too pricey.
He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure if he’d fallen asleep, but his phone jolted him awake.
It was Jasper.
“Where are you?”
“The Old Oak.”
“Daniel, are you insane? Where’s that?” Jasper was practically yelling through the phone.
“I need a break, Jas. I went for a drive and… Honestly, I have no idea where I am. I just let the road take me.”
“Are you alone? I mean, if you’re with a woman, I’d get it…”
“No. I’m alone.”
“You’re crazy. Give them the key back and come home. I’ll take you to the sleaziest bar tonight.”
“I don’t feel like it, really. Just resting.”
“I’ve got a surprise planned for you on Friday. It was supposed to be a surprise, but now I’m not sure you’ll come back. So I’m telling you now. Grab your stuff and get back here.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow, Jas. I needed to clear my head. The last few days were too much.”
“Normal people go to a spa or hit bars, get drunk, find new women. And you’ve holed up at the edge of the world in a cockroach-infested dump.”
“It’s how I felt, Jas. I didn’t plan to come here, but I saw the motel on the road and turned. It’s not bad, honestly.”
“Listen, I’m calling about something else, bro. Something weird happened today. Got time?”
“I’ve got time,” Daniel said, thinking if he smoked, he’d light up now. Maybe not one cigarette, but a whole pack.
Jasper went quiet on the other end.
“No, bro. Not over the phone. Can you send me your location?”