《In the Shadow of the Builders》 Chapter One The Forest King Lavinia rode through the quiet streets, her bicycle tires gliding over the bumpy, cracked pavement. The patches of grass and moss that filled the gaps in Seventy-Seven¡¯s roads ran like the streams of emerald veins in mountains she¡¯d seen old nature magazines from Back Before. Sometimes she wondered if those gleaming stones were still out there in the world. Not that she ever expected to see them herself if they were. She was content with her home and everything the Green provided her. Why wouldn¡¯t she be? She had a home with all her salvaged gadgets and repair projects. A quiet life in a town surrounded by friendly neighbors. A reliable bike with newly inflated tires. And it was a nice morning, with a gentle breeze rustling the vine-covered homes and carrying the songs of all the nearby birds. As she neared the Blackwell Market, Lavinia took in a deep breath of the surrounding peace. There was a cart out in front as Lavinia rode by. That was odd; couriers were almost always long gone by 11:15. She circled back and stopped behind the cart, where she found Bernard Blackwell chatting with an unknown man. ¡°Morning, Ms. Lavinia,¡± the market owner called over as she pushed out her kickstand. ¡°Good morning to you too, Bernard. And it¡¯s just Lavinia,¡± she replied, smiling. She turned to the other man, ¡°Are you the driver?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± he said, sticking his hand out. Lavinia shook his hand, making the goggles on his head bounce around. ¡°Michael Wilson, driver for the South-Central Caravan Corps.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. Say, this is a bit of an unusual question, but have you ever delivered any mecha components before?¡± ¡°Mecha components?¡± he repeated. ¡°You mean like old machine stuff from Back Before?¡± ¡°Yeahhh, something like that¡­¡± she said. ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am, can¡¯t say I have. That kinda stuff is usually in old ruins, not the sort of thing me and Astus encounter on our routes.¡± Lavinia glanced around. ¡°Who¡¯s Astus?¡± At her word, a mighty crown of snow-white antlers rose up from the front of the cart, adorning the head of a massive stag. Lavinia gawked at the massive creature as it stood chewing on a clump of grass from the gaps in the pavement. ¡°B-Big thing¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Pretty, ain¡¯t he?¡± Blackwell admired. ¡°Looks like you managed to distract him from his snack.¡± Michael went up to the stag and pet the back of the animal¡¯s neck. ¡°This is Astus, my co-pilot and boss technically, since he decides when to pull the cart and when he wants to take a nap.¡± Astus turned back to Lavinia and made her freeze up. She knew deer were normally docile herbivores, but there was something intimidating about this one. Maybe it was the unwavering gaze in its eye, or the fact it was about twice her size. Either way, she didn¡¯t dare break off eye contact with the beast. Without realizing it, Lavinia found herself taking small steps up to Astus as he continued to stare at her. She could see herself in his dark, amber, unblinking eyes like a mirror; her very soul reflected back at her. As if he held all the answers to questions she never knew to ask. Was this truly an ordinary animal, or was he something more¡­? Then his long tongue licked up her face, answering that and making her recoil. ¡°Aw, he likes you,¡± Michael said. ¡°Ugh¡­ That¡¯s nice¡­¡± she grumbled, while Bernard tried and failed to cover a laugh. Michael climbed up into the seat of his cart and pulled the goggles down over his weathered eyes. But before he picked up Astus¡¯s reins, he turned back to her. ¡°Well, me and Astus are already behind today, so we¡¯d better be off. If you¡¯d like, I can keep an eye out for any mecha components that might show up in the depot.¡± ¡°Oh heck, could you?¡± She smiled, ¡°That¡¯d be real kind of you.¡± He smiled back. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me prying, ma¡¯am, what¡¯re you making with that kinda stuff?¡± ¡°Lavinia¡¯s near the handiest person in town,¡± Bernard said. ¡°Ain¡¯t seen a machine yet she can¡¯t fix up.¡± ¡°Shucks, Bernard, I tinker more than anything else¡­¡± A crimson glow filled her tan cheeks; she never would have called herself the handiest person in town. Michael nodded along anyway and pulled out a small notepad and pencil from the pocket of his jacket. ¡°In that case, what sort of parts are you looking for?¡± he asked, flipping open to an empty page. ¡°Gears, servos¡­?¡± ¡°All that¡¯d be good. And, erm¡­ eyes, arms, anything like that. Child-sized, if possible.¡± Michael blinked. ¡°Uh. Sure, ma¡¯am, whatever you say.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s for a project,¡± Lavinia stammered. ¡°Nothing, y¡¯know¡­ weird.¡± ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am, didn¡¯t mean to insinuate anything.¡± He finished scribbling and slid the pad away. ¡°If I find what you¡¯re looking for, I¡¯ll be sure to let you know, Ms. Lavinia.¡± ¡°Just Lavinia is fine¡ªA-And thank you!¡± He nodded to both her and Bernard and grabbed the reins. As he did, Astus looked over at Lavinia one last time and¡­ winked? She recoiled again as the stag took off, pulling the cart away from the market¡¯s lot. What an odd deer¡­ she mused as it continued on down the road.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Encounter at the Bridge Crossing The road to the old ruins was likely the least traveled in the whole town, which suited Lavinia fine. There wasn¡¯t much around there for most people. Of course, there wasn¡¯t much of use there for her either. The collapsed buildings crushed most scrap or tech under them, and the best finds weren¡¯t found near the surface. Anything easy to find by shifting a few rocks was already long gone. Usually, anyway. But she wasn¡¯t out looking for salvage that morning. Spelunkin¡¯ Day was every other Thursday¡ªtoday she was only passing through the ruins. She rode her bike up to the old Whistling Overpass, still held together after all those years. Until the summer came and shrank the river down, the bridge was the only safe way across. But as approached the base of the bridge, she came to a swift halt. A barrier of rusted-out cars stretched across the road, with a STOP sign shoved through the pavement in front. That definitely wasn¡¯t there the last time she came through. ¡°What the H-E-double heck is this?¡± Lavinia muttered. She pushed the kickstand out and walked over to the cars. After climbing over the barricade, she started up the bridge. Every other time Lavinia crossed it, she was always on her bike. Speeding by it was difficult to notice the random holes that broke through the bridge as it aged over the years. Or how long it took to walk the whole thing. But the slow climb gave her time to notice it all. When it took her about fifteen minutes to get halfway up the bridge, she was about ready to abandon reaching the garden on foot. ¡°Whoever pushed those cars in the way is gonna get a strongly worded letter¡­¡± she grumbled, puffing her way up the bridge. But when she was able to look past the bridge and into the ruins beyond, the sight caught the air in her throat. A massive mechanical being was amongst the ruins, lifting and stacking their crumbling old husks like a child with blocks. It was a Builder. Lavinia ducked beside the guard rail; she¡¯d never seen one in-person. Word of them came through along the trade lines and from the random traveler stopping into Vic¡¯s for a night. They¡¯re said to roam the countryside¡ªmaybe even the world¡ªand were always fixing old ruins. At least they were never said to be dangerous¡­ Of course, there¡¯s a difference between dangerous and actively hostile. Something that big could still squash her easily, even without intending to. Better to just head home¡­ she thought. ¡°Oh, it is a human!¡± came a voice behind her. She fell over and scrambled away from the side of the bridge where the Builder¡¯s featureless face was examining her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Please don¡¯t squish me!¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± it asked. ¡°By accident most likely, but I¡¯ve never met a Builder before¡­¡± She looked up at it, ¡°You¡¯re not gonna do it though, right?¡± ¡°Of course not! How absurd, that would both violate our programming directives and be rude.¡± That was a surprise¡ªshe never knew Builders could talk, let alone would get offended. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to imply anything,¡± she said. ¡°Reckon I don¡¯t know much about you Builders. Are you new here?¡± The Builder nodded. ¡°Rebuilding of this sector began thirty-two hours ago. I established the barricade to prevent any humans from wandering through. It¡¯s far too dangerous while the rebuilding is underway. Did you not see it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ No, I saw it. Guess I should¡¯ve realized not to cross it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, perhaps I should install more signs. I apologize for the inconvenience, but for your safety, I must request you do not cross the bridge until the rebuilding is complete.¡± It turned back towards the ruins and began walking towards it. Each step sent a burst of water up from the river; she didn¡¯t know how it managed to sneak up on her. Lavinia hurried along the bridge as it went. ¡°W-Wait, can¡¯t you just not rebuild for an hour?¡± she asked. ¡°Not rebuild?¡± It turned back at her, ¡°I suppose so, but the current debris buildup means there¡¯s a 97% probability of injury in the rebuilding site. If you are seeking salvage, you can find it there once my work is complete.¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m trying to get to a little place beyond the ruins. There¡¯s this flower garden my mama planted¡­¡± The Builder stared at her for a few moments. Lavinia stood on the bridge, swaying a bit in the awkward silence as the giant watched her. Did it think she was trying to trick it¡­? It was hard to tell what the Builder might be thinking when it didn¡¯t have a face to read. At least if it did think she was lying to it, it couldn¡¯t hurt her. Unless its ¡°prime directives¡± were more like suggestions¡­ Finally, it reached down towards her. Lavinia flinched away¡ªuntil she realized it was holding its hand out flat on the bridge. ¡°I understand sentimentality,¡± it said. ¡°Allow me to transport you safely to your mother¡¯s garden.¡± Lavinia looked down at the hand and climbed onto it. The Builder lifted her up and nearly flooring her in the process. When she came to a stop though, Lavinia looked out at the view and was enthralled¡ªshe could see for miles at least. Those were the eyes of a Builder. Darn if that wouldn¡¯t be the best story told at Vic¡¯s yet once she got back.
Rumination and Flowers ¡°What are you doing?¡± the Builder asked. ¡°It¡¯s this trick I learned from a traveler once,¡± Lavinia replied. She sat in the flower garden, wrapping the stems of freshly cut daisies together. The Builder towered over her after repairing the old statue at the center of the garden. Evidently, it could still find ways to meet its desire to rebuild while watching over Lavinia. When she finished weaving the flowers, she sat them on her head and smiled up at the Builder. ¡°See? It makes a crown!¡± The Builder stared down at her for a moment. ¡°You cut the flowers to make headwear?¡± it asked. ¡°You ain''t gotta be so dismissive about it¡­¡± she said, deflating a bit. ¡°I apologize, perhaps I misunderstand. Is there a significant purpose to this?¡± ¡°A purpose? Uhhh¡­¡± She scratched the back of her head, ¡°Well, it looks pretty.¡± It tilted its head to the side. ¡°But does the visual gratitude of your crown not decline over time? What is pretty now will wither and die in mere days. What purpose do you gain from expending your own limited time on this world to create an even more impermanent object?¡± ¡°Golly, that¡¯s a real grim outlook¡­¡± Lavinia laid back in the flower field, looking up at the late afternoon sky and the giant looming over her. She couldn¡¯t deny it had a point. There were about a hundred other things she could have been doing with the time she spent getting to the garden and making the crown. But does that mean it was time wasted? ¡°I think¡­ the process of creating something unique is what gives it meaning. You understand that, right?¡± It tilted its head to the side. ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°Well, I mean, you¡¯ve gotta.¡± she said. ¡°Why else would you Builders always go around putting ruins back in order?¡± ¡°It is our prime directive,¡± the Builder replied. ¡°I get that, and I understand you¡¯re machines. But you¡¯re also a heck of a lot more intelligent than the motors and appliances I tinker with back home. Why do you like putting wrecked towns and bridges back in order again?¡± ¡°Why?" it repeated. "Hm. No one has ever asked me that¡­¡± The Builder sat down behind the garden and seemed to be thinking as Lavinia looked up at it. Getting into a philosophical discussion with a giant robot wasn¡¯t something she ever pictured herself doing. ¡°Perhaps I rebuild the ruins for the same reason your mother planted this garden,¡± it finally said. ¡°It offers future use and enjoyment to those who come after we are gone. I do feel pride in my creations, though.¡± ¡°See?¡± Lavinia smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a good feeling, whether it¡¯s making a flower crown or a building. If you can find enjoyment in doing something, even if it¡¯s not inherently constructive, then it¡¯s worth doing. You give it purpose by choosing to do it.¡± The Builder looked out across the ruins. They were silent and desolate; a somber view across the river from Seventy-Seven. At least, that¡¯s how they always were to Lavinia. Perhaps it was different for this Builder, and every other. Maybe they saw a blank canvas to create their art. To them it could be beautiful. And with their example, they could be beautiful to Lavinia too. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could weave me a crown too¡­?¡± it sheepishly asked. ¡°Erm. I¡¯m not sure there are enough flowers in the whole state to make a crown your size,¡± Lavinia replied. ¡°Aw¡­¡± Chapter Two Loud and Clear The sun was creeping over Seventy-Seven, making the town and ivy hills shine in the morning dew. Birds sang to greet the dawn, a chorus of mockingbirds, doves, cardinals, and more. The calm and music of nature almost made Lavinia not want to finish repairing the old radio. And yet, her curiosity beckoned her on. It was a beautiful morning to work to, like every other one she¡¯d spent out at the balcony table. Just herself, a cup of tea, her current project, and a scattering of spare parts and tools spread out before her. After relaxing a few minutes to take in the sunrise, Lavinia turned back to the radio. She flipped it on, extended the antenna, and turned up the volume. ¡°What do you think li''l guy, is today gonna be the day you finally work?¡± she asked the radio. It said nothing in response, which was the problem. From everything she taught herself, all the wiring should be right. She let the batteries recharge all night. What was the issue? Lavinia frowned and picked up the small device, lightly tapping it on the table. The resulting burst of static nearly made her drop it to the floor and scattered every bird for two streets. After a brief fumble, she put it back on the table turned the volume down. Despite the surprise, Lavinia took a long gulp of tea in silent satisfaction. She set her mug down and turned the station dial. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we got¡­¡± As she scanned the frequencies, most of what she got was static. By the time she neared the 100s, Lavinia was beginning to fear there was something else wrong with the radio. Then a voice came through. ¡°¡ªEVACUATE NOW,¡± the automated voice announced. ¡°THIS IS FOR YOUR SAFETY. REPEAT, MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR ALL RESIDENTS HAS BEEN ISSUED. THE IMPACTED COMMUNITIES ARE AS FOLLOWS¡ª¡± She wrinkled her nose and turned the dial away from that station. It was surprising that those old broadcasts from Back Before were still even transmitting. Luckily for her, she didn¡¯t have to scroll too far before finding the station she was looking for. ¡°Goood morning Seventy-Seven!¡± a charming voice said. ¡°This is Morning Mae coming at you from the beautiful Ivy Tower Station.¡± Lavinia smiled and leaned back in her chair, sipping her tea. ¡°For all you poor souls up at dawn with me, we¡¯ve got some tracks and the latest news to help get you out of bed,¡± Mae continued. ¡°I know I could use some coffee and I bet all you early birds could too, so let¡¯s start off with an upbeat number while I go fix mine. Here¡¯s the first track I saw when I sat down a minute ago, it¡¯s Billie Holiday¡¯s ¡®On The Sunny Side Of The Street.¡¯¡± As the song started playing, Lavinia looked out from her balcony. She could see the radio station off in the distance across town. Before she finally fixed her mama¡¯s old radio, she could only hear Ivy Tower Station on the one at Vic¡¯s. And it was also the only place she could both hear and occasionally see Mae¡­ It was silly, but Lavinia felt as though she were talking and playing music just for her. Maybe I could put in a request for one of them sappy love songs sometime¡­ Lavinia paused. Then her whole face turned beet red and she furiously chugged the rest of her tea. How did a simple thought like that turn her into a bashful schoolgirl? ¡°Well, can¡¯t sit around all morning¡­¡± she said, clearing her throat. She gathered up all the scrap wiring and components and dropped them into her toolbox, closing the lid as Mae came back on the radio. With the toolbox in one hand, the radio in the other, and her empty mug awkwardly balanced in the middle, she shuffled back inside. Mae was talking about expected deliveries at the Blackwell Market while Lavinia stood over her table, mapping out how to set everything down without breaking something. But all the plotting in the world wouldn¡¯t have mattered when her roommate made his unexpected appearance. ¡°Ms. Lavinia, I can help with that!¡± She dropped the toolbox onto its side on the table with a horrendous crash, and the mug fell to the floor before Arlo snatched it up. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Lavinia said, wincing from the noise. ¡°You scared the heck out of me! What¡¯re you doing up so early, Arlo?¡± The boy sat the mug down on the table. ¡°There was a loud static noise, then I saw you trying to carry all this.¡± Though her heart was still racing, Lavinia smiled down at the boy. That noise must have really spooked him. From his crooked eyepatch to his empty, hanging left sleeve, the boy was in a far more disheveled state than he preferred. He looked plumb exhausted. Though she still didn¡¯t understand how mechas from Back Before could even be exhausted, that didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Oops, sorry about that. But good news!¡± She sat the radio by the toolbox and mug as instrumental music played from it, ¡°I got the radio to work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Ms. Lavinia!¡± Arlo said, beaming up at her. ¡°C¡¯mon Arlo, how many times I gotta tell you to call me Lavinia?¡± ¡°Sorry. But now you can hear the woman you like,¡± he said. She froze for a moment, before setting off blushing again. ¡°What woman? Mae?¡± She forced a laugh, ¡°W-Who said I like her? I never said anything, about that, she¡¯s¡ªshe¡¯s just¡ª¡± Arlo blinked tiredly as Lavinia kept on stammering. After a moment of it, he just turned and walked back to his room. Not everything was as easy to her as figuring out an old radio, it seemed.
A Hard Day¡¯s Work The Builder crouched low over the structure as it carefully lowered the final window into place. Database records showed the location was the old city¡¯s botanical garden, and nearly its entire surface was covered in glass. That was always the trickiest object for the Builders to repair. Even after reforming shards into whole pieces, they often had to create entirely new glass from scratch. So tedious.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Deeming that the more laborious task, the Builder diverted most of its attention to repairing it first. After arriving in the area and establishing a protective barricade¡ªthen taking a short trip to a nearby flower garden¡ªit set to work gathering all the glass it could find. That inevitably led to repairing several smaller buildings in the surrounding area. The other Builders always did say it had less focus than normal units. But now, finally, the garden was complete. Its giant fingers pressed the last window into place, and the Builder took a few steps back to admire its work. The glass building below gleamed in the sunlight. That human could establish a garden of her own here¡­ it considered. Then it heard a CRASH and felt something fall around its foot. Looking back, it realized it stepped through one of the smaller buildings it repaired while seeking glass. The Builder sighed and squatted down beside it, picking up the broken pieces again. *** Several hours later, most of the repair was complete. The sun was beginning to set by the time the Builder sprayed the last bit of mortar between bricks. Repairing the same building twice was tedious, but as long as they were careful, that should be the last time. With the final piece in place, it stood up carefully. It only took three steps backward to step on the smaller building, and it would not make the same mistake with the completed garden. Rather than back up and admire the re-repaired structure, the Builder turned to move down to the next set of buildings. As it did, though, it kicked an old car on the side of the street. The rusted-out wreck bounced forward and crashed straight through the first-floor windows of the botanical garden. The Builder just stared down at the broken glass. After sighing again, it removed the car and set it off to the side where it was out of the way. The damage to the first floor didn¡¯t seem extensive; there was only an eleven-meter area of glass to repair. That was considerably less than the overall structure which only took a week to complete. The Builder reached down and began vacuuming up the shards of glass into its finger. Only a few more hours of work to complete it again. *** The moon was high above the ruins as the Builder inserted the final pane of glass. The botanical garden was even more beautiful now, shimmering like a diamond in the pale moonlight. But despite how pretty it was, the Builder was relieved it was finally done. It stood up as slowly as possible, glancing to the left and then the right. Everything looked clear. The Builder took a single small step backward. So far, so good. It took another step back into the street, without stepping on or kicking anything. If it had a respiratory system instead of just auditory features to express a range of emotions, the Builder would have sighed in relief. It never had a day like that, where seemingly every move destroyed something. That was counter to its primary directive¡ªnot advisable. The Builder turned and crept by with its arms up above the tops of the buildings. If it could just make it to the next construction zone, it could prove to itself that every setback that day was pure coincidence. Even Builders have off days. But according to its internal chronometer, the time was now 12:01 AM per the local time zone. It was a new day, and now everything would return to normal operations. One step, then another. Everything was fine. Then it stepped on the same car it kicked before. The resulting honk from the vehicle¡¯s horn made the Builder yelp and stumble back. It lost all balance and fell, kicking straight through the botanical garden and landing onto the small building across the street. In the span of half a second, it managed to demolish two of the only structures it spent a week repairing. The Builder lay there, staring up at the moon for a time. Far up in the sky, cut off from all troubles below¡­ that must be nice. After a time, the Builder sighed and sat up. It looked over at the demolished garden as bricks tumbled down its back, examining the shattered glass building. Maybe it was better to start again on the other side of town.
Incognito, ego some In the workshop of their home, Lavinia and Arlo were at their usual stations. Even though he was created for domestic tasks Back Before and repair work fell outside his regular functions, he enjoyed spending time with her. Also, Lavinia¡¯s hands were too big to clean some of the smaller parts of their projects. Even though he only had one arm, Arlo was busily scrubbing the inners of a toaster he held between his knees. Morning Mae was on the radio reporting on continued Builder activity across the river. Lavinia always tuned into Ivy Tower Radio whenever they were in the workshop. Glancing over, he saw her dissecting a pocket watch with magnifying goggles that always creeped him out. Arlo looked over all the cogs and gears, then back to the toaster he was working on. ¡°Do you ever think about the Ship of Theseus, Ms. Lavinia?¡± he asked. ¡°No, but I do think about tigers a lot,¡± she said. ¡°And it¡¯s just Lavinia.¡± ¡°What? Why tigers?¡± ¡°Like, how¡¯re they doing over on the other side of the world? Have they got enough food? Are they okay?¡± She shook her head, ¡°We may never know.¡± Arlo stared at her, bewildered. ¡°What¡¯s that Ship of Theseus about?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s a thought experiment related to the metaphysics of identity.¡± He held up the toaster. ¡°Mr. Clifton¡¯s toaster needs a new electromagnet. But what if, after he dropped it off, you discovered it needed even more work. New wiring, a new lever, until eventually you replace everything about it. When Mr. Clifton comes to pick it up, do you return the same toaster to him, or have you actually given him a new toaster?¡± Lavinia considered that for a moment. ¡°Hm¡­ I could charge him twice as much if I considered it new!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the point of the question¡­¡± he said. ¡°And you don¡¯t charge for your work anyway.¡± ¡°No, but I could.¡± Arlo sighed some and went back to cleaning the toaster. Lavina frowned and looked over at the boy; the borderline frustrated response wasn¡¯t like him. ¡°I was just having a little fun, that¡¯s all.¡± She sat the watch down and spun around in her chair towards him. ¡°If you wanna talk about that ship thing a little more, we can do that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really about that, it¡¯s¡­ I guess I¡¯m just confused.¡± ¡°Confused about what?¡± she asked. ¡°Myself,¡± he said. Arlo sat the toaster on the table and looked down at himself. ¡°You had to replace a bunch of my internal components to repair me, and I¡¯m still missing some pieces¡­ At what point do I stop being myself and become something else?¡± Lavinia took her goggles off and sat them on the table with the pocket watch. She shuffled in her wheeled office chair over to him. ¡°How long have you been feeling like that¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°A little while. I don¡¯t think about it all the time, but I start feeling like an imposter whenever I do¡­¡± ¡°Aw, Arlo, you¡¯re not an imposter. You¡¯re exactly the same as you¡¯ve ever been, just a little newer in some places.¡± She took his hand, ¡°See, humans go through that sorta thing too. I read in this old magazine that our cells are constantly getting replaced as we grow up¡ªI must have gone through at least two or three Ship of Theseuses by now.¡± He looked up at her, ¡°And that never makes you feel weird or unsure about yourself?¡± ¡°Nope. See, way, way Back Before, people would doubt their existences all the time. But there was this philosopher guy who came up with this concept. Erm¡­ incognito, ego some, I think it was called. It meant that you think, so you exist. Because how can you doubt your existence when you¡¯re able to doubt at all?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I follow,¡± he said. ¡°Well, you still remember stuff from Back Before, right?¡± Arlo nodded. ¡°So, you¡¯re still thinking the same as back then, just like I remember things from when I was a little girl. That means we exist the same as we did back then, even if we don¡¯t look the same. We get older and change, but that doesn¡¯t mean we replace the people we used to be." She ruffled the child''s shaggy chestnut hair, "You¡¯re still the same little cutie pie you were Back Before!¡± He blushed and smiled, ¡°Okay, okay, I believe you¡­¡± Lavinia hugged him for about a full minute before shuffling back to her desk. She slid her goggles on and went resumed working on the pocket watch while Arlo returned to cleaning the toaster. A new song started playing over the radio and for a few minutes, everything went back to normal. But soon, Arlo stopped and sighed again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lavinia asked, looking back at him. ¡°Still feeling unsure about yourself?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± he said, ¡°now I¡¯m thinking about the tigers too¡­¡± Chapter Three One Man¡¯s Trash ¡°What is that contraption?¡± the Builder asked. ¡°Something I¡¯ve been experimenting with,¡± Lavinia replied. She was near the center of the bridge, and the Builder was curiously watching her as she installed the cannon. Lavinia had to wonder if the giant was that interested in every human who wandered by, or if there was something special about her. ¡°That explains nothing,¡± the Builder said. ¡°Alright, so it¡¯s like this. There¡¯s a buncha old stuff what washes down the river, some from Back Before and some new.¡± She patted the cannon, shaking the net bundle attached to the barrel. ¡°So, I cobbled this together to see what I can fish up with it.¡± The Builder looked from Lavinia¡¯s spot on the bridge to the water below. ¡°Will it reach far enough to catch anything?¡± ¡°I think so, I¡¯ve got about a hundred ¡®n fifty feet of line coiled up in here. Only one way to find out, though.¡± Lavinia aimed the cannon at the center of the water. She squeezed the trigger and the metal-ribbed net blasted forward, opening in the air as the Builder watched. Then it landed straight onto the thin island towards the center of the river. ¡°You missed,¡± the Builder announced. ¡°Aw, dang it.¡± Lavinia looked over, ¡°Could you maybe give me a hand¡­?¡± The Builder carefully picked up the net and tossed it over into the water. The line kept stretching; at least it didn¡¯t get stuck on something else. After a few moments, a light flashed on the back of the cannon. ¡°Alrighty, we got something!¡± Lavinia pressed a button and the cannon started reeling in. ¡°It could just be a fish,¡± the Builder asked. ¡°Heck, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any of them near around, what with you in the water,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°N-No offense¡­¡± The net soon broke the water¡¯s surface and ascended back up to the bridge. Lavinia pulled the net over and set it down, opening it from the console. The net released only a pile of muddy rocks onto the pavement. Lavinia puffed out her cheeks, her hands on her hips. ¡°A bunch of rocks? I wanted treasure¡­¡± ¡°Would you like to know the statistical odds of finding treasure by firing into this river?¡± the Builder asked. ¡°Maybe after the next few tries,¡± Lavinia said. She reset the net and aimed it further to the right, firing again. And on and on she went, pulling up nothing but rocks, scraps of old metal, a few rusted license plates, and one very unhappy turtle which the Builder released back into the water. After about an hour, the Builder had gone back to work, and Lavinia was ready to call it a day. The concept worked in theory, but maybe it was a bad spot for it. The construction in the nearby ruins could have at least knocked a few useful relics into the river, but maybe all that ended up there was rubble. She stretched and looked up at the sky; it must have been near three in the afternoon. ¡°Alright, last try for today¡­¡± she said. She fired the net out again and waited for it to sink. It got further than the other efforts¡ªmaybe all the other shots cleared the rocks out of the way? But after a few more seconds the light flashed on the console and she began the retraction. Hope I didn¡¯t get that turtle again¡­ The net hooked back to the cannon and she pulled it around to the floor. When Lavinia opened it up, the resulting squeal attracted the Builder over again. ¡°What did you find?¡± it asked. ¡°Look, look!¡± Lavinia said, showing it the open net. In it was more of the same¡ªscraps of junk from Back Before¡ªbut so much more. Several yellow rocks shimmered in the center of the net. The Builder zoomed in, examining them. ¡°Oh my,¡± it said. ¡°According to my analysis, you¡¯ve discovered gold.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess. But more importantly,¡± she brushed away the chunks of gold and held up a seafoam green bottle, ¡°I found this pretty bottle! It¡¯s even my favorite color!¡± ¡°That¡­ is very impressive. You do know that gold was a highly profitable commodity in the old war, correct?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want gold, I want this neat bottle,¡± Lavinia said. She picked the glass up and turned it all around. She didn¡¯t know what to expect with her experiment¡ªrelics, an old tire, maybe even mecha components. But that bottle was so much better. ¡°I¡¯m gonna put this right on the mantle when I get home.¡± She tucked the bottle away in her bag and held up the gold. ¡°D¡¯ you want this stuff?¡± The Builder shook its head, ¡°I have no use for it either.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Oh, well, back you go.¡± Lavinia dumped the other contents of the net back over the side of the bridge. She and the Builder watched it fall, until the satisfying splash into the water below. ¡°Heh, love that part,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°It is rather pleasing,¡± the Builder replied.
Failing to Bridge the Uncanny Valley The automated door to Blackwell¡¯s Market slid opened for Lavinia and Arlo. They walked through and Lavinia grabbed a basket while Arlo glanced around. It was quiet that morning, making it impossible to ignore the buzzing of the fluorescent lights. ¡°Why did I need to come with you?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s good for you to get out of the house now and again,¡± she said. Arlo grimaced at the yellowed linoleum floors and worn shelves lined with dusty crates of goods. There was a reason he preferred staying in home, where he could maintain a preferred level of cleanliness. That market was¡­ questionable. ¡°Well, hey there, Ms. Lavinia,¡± Bernard said, striding over to them. ¡°Morning, Bernard!¡± she said. ¡°And it¡¯s just¡ª¡± ¡°I know, I know, apologies Lavinia. Who¡¯s this li¡¯l fella?¡± he asked. Arlo stepped behind Lavinia, and she smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. ¡°This is Arlo, my¡­ roommate I s¡¯pose. Arlo, this is Bernard Blackwell.¡± ¡°Nice t¡¯ meet you, son,¡± Bernard said, smiling at the child. ¡°H-Hello¡­¡± Arlo replied. Bernard turned back to Lavinia and they started talking about a courier or vegetables or something, but Arlo wasn¡¯t listening. He thought the market being empty meant that he wouldn¡¯t have to meet any strangers. People always stared at his eyepatch and pinned sleeve¡­ But now he was stuck between not wanting to make look up at the old man and not wanting to stare off at the less-than-clean market. Arlo turned and walked away from the two as they kept talking. Maybe other parts of the market are cleaner¡­ he thought. After passing the next few aisles, he stopped. Someone was standing towards the front of the store motionless. But as Arlo looked over them from the other side of the aisle¡ªat their segmented limbs and unmoving ¡°clothes¡±¡ªhe realized it wasn¡¯t a human. ¡°Some kind of mecha¡­?¡± Arlo walked over to it. He hadn¡¯t encountered another like him since waking up in Lavinia¡¯s workshop. But for some reason this one wasn¡¯t moving. When he got up to it, he saw it was bolted to the floor and a bit rusted. It looked vaguely human-ish, with a wide grin and big, cartoony eyes on a waxy metal face. If it was a mecha, it was totally different from the model Arlo was. ¡°Hello,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Arlo.¡± The mecha said nothing. ¡°Erm¡­ Are you a mecha, like me? I haven¡¯t met any others yet.¡± There was still no response. ¡°Or are you just a statue?¡± Arlo sighed, ¡°I should have guessed, you¡ª¡± The figure¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up and it jerked towards Arlo, ¡°SHOP SMART AND SAVE, ONLY ATTtttt¡­¡± Before its last bit of energy could fade again, Arlo was already and running as fast as he could. The animatronic slumped forward at the same time the boy bolted out of the automatic front door. *** ¡°Sorry ol¡¯ Shop Smart Sam scared your boy,¡± Bernard said. ¡°Reckon it used to be this place¡¯s old mascot Back Before, so he¡¯s a mite dinged up.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s alright!¡± Lavinia forced a smile, ¡°Arlo¡¯s just¡­ well, he¡¯ll be okay. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be getting him to come back anytime soon¡­¡± ¡°Mm. Say, any chance you could take a look at Sam? Been meaning t¡¯ get him fixed for a time now.¡± ¡°Sure thing, I¡¯ll add him to the repair list. But, uh¡­¡± She looked out from the market¡¯s door, where Arlo was at the edge of the parking lot glaring at the building. ¡°Probably better to work on him here rather than my workshop back home.¡±
Lavinia Meets Her Crush ¡°I don¡¯t know about this¡­¡± Arlo said, looking up at the tavern. ¡°It¡¯s okay, this place don¡¯t have any animatronics,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°We¡¯re just gonna go in, order our dinner, then take it back home.¡± She went into Vic¡¯s with Arlo close behind her. Every time she¡¯d stopped by on her own, there were about a handful of people around. That would at least keep from overwhelming the boy until he could get acclimated to the town. But of course, when they walked through the door that evening, the tavern was full of people. Lavinia glanced down at Arlo; he was watching the crowd hesitantly, but he wouldn¡¯t have to engage with them. She walked over to the counter, where she found a familiar face also watching the crowd while they wiped down the bar. ¡°Hey, Vic,¡± she called over. Vic slung the towel over a shoulder and went over to her. ¡°Oh, hey Lavinia. You here for the contest?¡± ¡°Nah, we¡¯re just stopping in to get dinner. What contest?¡± ¡°A drinking contest, something to try and drum up more business,¡± they said. Lavinia smiled, ¡°Is that why you¡¯re finally cleaned up? Looks like you even washed your apron for once.¡± Arlo looked up at Lavinia appalled; not only was that rude, but the bartender was at least twice her size. Vic only laughed, though. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, I can count on one hand how many times I¡¯ve seen you without grease stains all over your face. And that¡¯s good, since Ivy Tower Radio is covering the contest too¡­¡± they added, motioning down the bar. Lavinia looked past Vic, and her heart skipped a beat. There at the end was a woman she¡¯d seen a few time and heard more often. Mae sat there sipping from a glass, her dyed green hair brushed back out of her face. Arlo looked down at her too. ¡°Ivy Tower Radio¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Is that the woman you like listening to?¡± Lavinia¡¯s face turned beet red as Vic laughed again. They nudged Lavinia forward a bit. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go talk to her?¡± they asked. ¡°M-Me? Talk to her?¡± Lavinia shook her head, ¡°No, no way, I couldn¡¯t¡ªI mean, it¡¯s not like she¡¯d even be into me¡­¡± ¡°Right, of course, I understand.¡± Vic went back behind the bar and filled up another glass while Lavinia fanned her face. Arlo sat up in a stool and looked over at the crowd again, then Vic returned. ¡°Hey, Mae! Got a refill for you here.¡± She looked over and went down towards them while Lavinia continued to short-circuit. Mae took the drink and thanked Vic. ¡°Hey,¡± she said to Lavinia while sipping the drink. ¡°H-Hi,¡± Lavinia replied. ¡°You¡¯re¡ªI like your hair.¡± ¡°Oh. Thanks.¡± She looked over Lavinia. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Lavina, right?¡± ¡°You almost know my name¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you around here before. Plus the fliers for your repair shop all over town.¡± She drank again, ¡°Are you in the contest?¡± ¡°The contest?¡± Lavinia looked from Mae to the crowd as people sat at a long table. Then she turned back; Arlo shook his head but Vic gave her a thumbs up. ¡°¡­ Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Yes I am.¡± Mae smiled, ¡°Wanna give me a quote before it starts, then?¡± Lavinia¡¯s face turned beet red again. ¡°S-Sure, okay!¡± *** Lavinia slowly came to on a couch, dizzy and her head pounding. The sunlight filtering through the windows was like a spotlight directly into her face. She sat up and the dizziness compounded with her churning stomach almost overwhelmed her. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± she groaned. ¡°What happened¡­?¡± ¡°Good morning, Ms. Lavinia,¡± Arlo greeted, setting down a cup of tea. ¡°Arlo¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re awake, I was starting to get worried.¡± She sat up the rest of the way, rubbing her head. She was back in her home, though she couldn¡¯t remember how or why. The whole night after meeting Mae was a blur. She took the tea and sipped it; at least it helped cover the nasty taste in her mouth. ¡°Did I win the thing¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°Erm¡­ no. You entered, the contest began, and you passed out after two drinks,¡± Arlo said. ¡°Aw, man¡­ Did Mae see me?¡± ¡°Actually, she left this for you.¡± Arlo held out a note and she took it, reading it slowly. ¡°¡®Stop by the studio sometime, Mae¡¯.¡± Lavinia paused. Then she squealed and fell back onto the couch, hugging the note. Chapter Four Family Matters Arlo dusted off the coffee table while Lavinia slowly, carefully shifted her new seafoam green bottle to the left. Then a bit to the right. Then back again, as she¡¯d been doing for the last thirty minutes. There wasn¡¯t much room left on the mantle, with all the framed photos and other ¡°treasures¡± she¡¯d collected going back before finding Arlo. ¡°Why don¡¯t you clear that off?¡± he asked. ¡°It isn¡¯t the only flat surface in your home.¡± ¡°No, but I can see everything from the angle of the couch,¡± Lavinia said. She stepped back and looked over the full shelf while Arlo continued dusting. Then she sighed. ¡°I s¡¯pose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to make a li''l space¡­¡± Setting her new bottle on the table beside the couch, Lavinia began looking over all her mementos. Arlo sat his feather duster down and joined her as she took a smaller framed photo down and smiled at it. ¡°Aww, look, this was the first night you moved out of the workshop and into your room,¡± she said. Arlo looked dazed in the picture, with Lavinia¡¯s arm around him and his shaggy hair hanging over his empty, scarred eye socket. ¡°I was still confused about everything then¡­¡± he said. ¡°Even with my damaged memory, the new world was so different.¡± ¡°You handled it pretty good, at least. I¡¯m gonna keep this one here¡­¡± Lavinia put it back on the mantle, besides the other six photos of Arlo himself or the two of them together. She reached for the others, but hesitated. ¡°I just can¡¯t take any of them down¡­¡± she said, turning away dramatically. ¡°You see me every day. Why do you need all these pictures of me up here too?¡± ¡°Heck, I can never get enough of you,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°M-Ms. Lavinia¡­¡± Arlo said, blushing a bit. ¡°Well, what if you removed some of your other collectibles? You¡¯ve got two other bottles up here already.¡± ¡°Yeah, but those are nice too. And it¡¯s just Lavinia.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand the point of cleaning.¡± Arlo looked across the mantle, finally stopping at a watch in a glass case. He¡¯d seen it before¡ªhow could he not?¡ªbut he never asked about it. ¡°What about this?¡± Lavinia looked. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my daddy¡¯s watch.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never talked about him before,¡± Arlo said. ¡°I haven¡¯t? Hang on, I¡¯ve got a picture here somewhere¡­¡± She dug through the various frames while Arlo watched. Though the search only backed his suggestion to clear the mantle off, he kept that to himself. Eventually, she pulled a photograph from near the back and showed it to the boy. In it were three people in front of a broken statue, surrounded by dirt rows. The first was a tall, round-faced man with dark hair, a faded denim jacket and jeans, and the watch in the case. Beside him was a woman with light brown skin, dense hair tied back with a green bandana, and wearing flowing blouse and trousers. And between them was a little girl with the man¡¯s round face and the woman¡¯s everything else, grinning wide for the camera. ¡°Is¡ªIs this you?¡± Arlo asked, looking back and forth from the girl in the picture to the woman beside him. ¡°Mhm, that¡¯s my daddy on the left and my mama on the right. One of mama¡¯s friends took this when we were planting her flower garden. Well, I say ¡®we,¡¯ but mama really did all the planting,¡± she added. ¡°Daddy dug the rows out and I kinda just provided moral support.¡± Arlo kept staring at the picture. ¡°It¡¯s just so strange seeing you young¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m only twenty-eight!¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Where are they now?¡± he asked. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°My daddy¡¯s Roger Botone. He¡¯s from out west, and he went back some time ago to help a few families he knew set up on some old lands that way. This was a long time before I found you, mind. And from then on it was me and mama¡ªGeorgette Morris.¡± Lavinia smiled down at the picture, ¡°I miss her¡­¡± ¡°I wish I could have met her,¡± Arlo said. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to take you to see her for a while now, but I keep getting distracted,¡± she admitted. ¡°What?¡± He looked up at her, ¡°I thought she was¡­ you know¡­¡± Lavinia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ She retired, down to Berwin Lake!¡± Arlo stared up at her. Half the time, he wasn¡¯t sure if she was messing with him or just¡­ like that. Flighty. Then while he stared at her, Lavinia set the picture back down and her eyes shone. ¡°I know what to do with this!¡± she said, grabbing the new bottle. ¡°I¡¯m gonna put it on my desk in the workshop!¡± She shuffled off to the garage, leaving Arlo alone before he could understand what happened. ¡°She really is just like that¡­¡± he muttered.
An Honest Misunderstanding Lavinia took a deep, steadying breath outside Ivy Tower Radio. It took her two days to work up the courage to follow up on Mae¡¯s invitation. And now, as she stood outside the door in a mauve dress¡ªthe only one she owned, and a little too short for her comfort¡ªshe hesitated. They barely spoke at Vic¡¯s; what if she¡¯s moving too fast? She never had much interest in anyone before. But she couldn¡¯t just stand outside forever; that morning was kinda chilly.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. She pressed the doorbell and heard a faint buzzing, then a voice came through the intercom. ¡°Hang on, I¡¯m coming,¡± Mae said. Lavinia smoothed her dress out as her heart sped up. ¡°Oh golly, how do people do this whole romance thing¡­?¡± she muttered to herself. After another few seconds, Mae opened the door. And upon seeing her, Lavinia began to question if she overdressed for the occasion. Mae was in the same creased white pants and messy sweater with the sleeves rolled up that she was wearing at Vic¡¯s earlier that week. Her bedraggled green hair matched the state of her clothes, and the look was completed by the heavy bags under her eyes. And from the way she paused, mouth open a bit when she saw Lavinia, she was just as surprised by her outfit. ¡°Do you¡­ always dress up for this?¡± Mae asked. ¡°Well, not usually,¡± Lavinia said, blushing. ¡°I mean, this is¡­ this is my first time doing this sorta thing¡­¡± ¡°Oh. Uhhh¡­ Well, you can come in anyway.¡± Mae moved out of the way and Lavinia entered the radio station. It looked¡­ well, about as messy as Mae herself. At least it smelled nice, as the aroma of fresh coffee wafted through the air. It was also cooler inside the radio station than outside. ¡°This¡¯s er¡­ a real nice place you got,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I know it¡¯s a mess. My interns try to clean up after me, but I manage to stay one step ahead. Excuse me for a second,¡± Mae added. She went over to the pour-over coffee pot on the counter outside her studio. It was less than half full, but there weren¡¯t any cups around that Lavinia could see. Then, she found out why. Mae just lifted up the pot up and drank directly from it. Lavinia was stunned; she didn¡¯t like coffee even with cream and sugar. ¡°Sorry about that¡­¡± Mae said, going back to her. ¡°Mornings, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean no offense, but if you¡¯re not a morning person, why are you ¡®Morning Mae¡¯?¡± Lavinia asked. Mae laughed. ¡°Because my interns didn¡¯t want to be up to broadcast this early either. And I couldn¡¯t think of good alliterative name for if I were on in the afternoon or whatever.¡± ¡°Well, it is a good name,¡± Lavinia admitted. ¡°Thanks. Anyway, the issue¡¯s over here.¡± Mae went down a hall to the right and Lavinia, perplexed, followed after her. They came to a folding door that Mae unlatched, opening it to reveal a big HVAC unit inside. ¡°This thing¡¯s been pretty reliable since I got Ivy Tower Radio up and running, but lately it¡¯s been crapping out on me,¡± Mae said. ¡°You¡­ wanted me to come over to fix your heating?¡± Lavinia asked. ¡°Yeah. I mean, if this isn¡¯t the kinda thing you normally work on I understand¡ª¡± ¡°N-No, I¡ªwell, I can take a look at it, at least. But I guess I just¡­ misunderstood why you wanted me to come over¡­¡± Mae paused. Lavinia could practically see the calculations running through her brain. ¡°You thought I was asking you on¡ªa date?¡± Lavinia blushed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, something like that¡­¡± ¡°But why?¡± Mae shook her head, ¡°We¡¯d never even talked before that drinking contest.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­ I mean, I¡¯ve seen you around Vic¡¯s before and you¡¯re always making people laugh, and you sound so confident on the radio. I think that¡¯s real admirable. Also, your hair¡¯s real pretty¡­¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s¡­ nice of you,¡± Mae said. ¡°Thing is, I just don¡¯t know you well enough for anything like that.¡± ¡°I-I understand, really. My head got away from me is all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. And thanks for understanding.¡± She brushed her hair back, ¡°But uh¡­ if you wanted to grab a drink at Vic¡¯s sometime, I¡¯d be open to that¡ªjust as friends.¡± ¡°Sure! But I¡¯ll stick with water, I think.¡± Mae laughed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a good idea.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll still take a look at your heating!¡± Lavinia said. Then she looked down at her dress, blushing. ¡°I should go home and change first¡­¡±
When Ms. Lavinia Isn¡¯t Home Arlo was alone again. That wasn¡¯t a lonely feeling despite how it sounded; it was something he was accustomed to. Ms. Lavinia had her own life and hobbies. She¡¯d had them for longer than she¡¯d had him. And after the incident in the market, he was fine with that. There was plenty for him to do alone. He straightened up around the home, washed Ms. Lavinia¡¯s clothes, and performed other required household duties. That¡¯s what he enjoyed. Though sometimes, late at night when Ms. Lavinia was asleep or when he was truly alone, he¡¯d lie in bed thinking about [ERR?????????????O????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????R || m??????em?????????o??????r?????y ???????n?????o??????t????????????? ??????f?????????o??????u??????n?????d????????.] ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Arlo was alone again. That wasn¡¯t a lonely feeling despite how it sounded; it was something he was accustomed to. Ms. Lavinia had her own life and hobbies. She¡¯d had them for longer than she¡¯d had him. And after the incident in the market, he was fine with that. There was plenty for him to do alone. He straightened up around the home, washed Ms. Lavinia¡¯s clothes, and performed other required household duties. That¡¯s what he enjoyed. It was what he was created for. He also enjoyed the peace and quiet that came with being alone. But in recent days, he only found that time unnerving, because now he wasn¡¯t alone. It started about a week before the Blackwell Market incident, when Ms. Lavinia left home, shouting back about going to her mother¡¯s garden. Her rushing out was something that happened at least twice a week. While she was gone, Arlo went out onto the balcony to take in the view she so commonly did. It was calming there in the passing morning breeze that rustled the ivy covering the old buildings. And there she was. He didn¡¯t notice her at first. The view and the pleasant calm distracted him, but he soon realized there was a girl down in the street staring up at him. It startled him at first, both from the discovery of being watched and by the odd familiarity of the girl. She was a young girl about his age, her silky, dark hair held back with a white bow that matched the cardigan and skirt she wore. The breeze whipped her clothes and strands of hair flew over her face, but her gaze was unwavering. When Arlo attempted to say hello, no words escaped him. He was drawn into her eyes and soft smile, and in a flash, a dingy apartment replaced the balcony. There was something familiar about its faded floral wallpaper, distressed furniture, and stained carpets. He could hear shouting, but couldn¡¯t see where it came from. The girl was there, too. She was the only other person. The image disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving Arlo with a headache and solitude again. When he snapped out of it and looked down from the balcony, he found the staring girl was gone. The whole incident unnerved him, and he hadn¡¯t gone back out there again since¡ªat least not while he was home alone. But after Lavinia left that morning, dressed up and freaking out about going to see Mae, he made a mistake. He glanced out the door to the balcony and saw the girl again. It was only the briefest of glances, but he could still see the white band in her hair and unblinking eyes as they stared up at him from beyond the balcony¡¯s edge. He jumped back and nearly fell over the couch, before darting out of sight and hiding in the curtain beside the door. It¡¯d been over a week since he saw her again, and now he only felt that same dread. His artificial heart beat faster and faster¡ªthough he didn¡¯t know why. The image of the apartment formed on the periphery of his mind, but he did his best to fight it. He didn¡¯t want to be locked anywhere with the staring stranger, even if it was all in his head. Then the front door creaked downstairs. He froze; was the girl inside? She must have seen him, and if she¡¯d been lurking nearby, she must have seen Lavinia leave earlier. There were footsteps coming upstairs. He didn¡¯t have the courage to peek back out and see if the girl was gone or not. As the footsteps neared the living room, though, it wouldn¡¯t matter anyway. A form appeared in the doorway and Arlo burst forward. ¡°Get out! This is my home, I won''t let you hurt them!¡± he shouted. Lavinia stumbled back, nearly falling to the floor. ¡°W-What the heck¡¯s gotten into you?¡± she shouted back. ¡°Ms. Lavinia!¡± He hurried over to her, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t¡ªI thought you were someone else¡­¡± ¡°Who else would I have been? We¡¯re the only ones what live down around this way.¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­ What are you doing back already?¡± ¡°Well, I misjudged the situation a li¡¯l bit¡­¡± she said. ¡°I just came back to change before heading out to the radio tower again.¡± ¡°O-Oh. Would it be okay if I went with you¡­?¡± Lavinia looked at him, shocked. ¡°You wanna go with me? To a strange place? With people you don¡¯t know?¡± Arlo nodded. ¡°Well, sure, that¡¯s okay with me. But¡­ is everything alright? That¡¯s way outta character for you.¡± He hesitantly glanced back out of the balcony door. The staring girl was gone. ¡°Yes. Everything is fine¡­¡± Chapter Five Special Delivery The cicadas were out and singing around the pond that morning while Lavinia finished working on a small fishing rod. Arlo sat beside her in his folding chair, watching her. She¡¯d tinkered with the rod ever since finding it at a thrift shop a month ago, usually forgetting it in the corner of the workshop whenever a new project diverted her attention. But that morning, the boy came out of his room to find an ecstatic Lavinia showing off the completed project. He didn¡¯t know why she cobbled a few boxes, old light switches, and cables to it. Or why Lavinia dragged him out to a nearby pond. But there they were, while Arlo sat watching as she tried to fix the fishing rod for twenty minutes with her emergency pocket screwdriver. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m pretty sure this¡¯s gonna work now,¡± she said. Lavinia pressed one of the buttons with her thumb and pulled back, then flicked the rod forward. The hooked line shot out before splashing down near the center of the pond. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s working now!¡± Arlo smiled. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Lavinia. But why exactly did you make that?¡± ¡°What d''you mean why?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s for you, of course! And I made it special, so you can use it with only one hand.¡± She pressed another button, and the line began reeling itself in. Arlo looked from the rod to her. ¡°But¡­ Why?¡± he repeated. ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story. See, when I was little, mama would take me out here whenever I was having a ¡®Heavy Thoughts¡¯ day.¡± The line reeled all the way in, and Lavinia passed the rod to Arlo. ¡°And you¡¯ve been having a few of those lately, so I just thought¡­ y¡¯know, maybe coming out here could help you too.¡± Arlo looked down at the dangling hook. ¡°Isn¡¯t it customary to use bait or a lure for fishing?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I never wanted to actually catch and hurt the fish. Plus you can¡¯t digest meat, so there¡¯s not much point catching anything.¡± ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try this, then¡­¡± he said. Lavinia smiled and picked up her own rod, casting it out into the pond. Arlo followed suit and landed his own hook near hers. They sat there for a time as their lines floated in the water. Around them the cicadas continued to sing, birds chirped, and the breeze shook the tops of the trees. Lavinia closed her eyes took a deep breath as it passed by them, rustling Arlo¡¯s shaggy hair. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice out here?¡± she asked. ¡°Just nature around us and the chance to soak in the calm?¡± He nodded. ¡°If I have to be out of the house, it¡¯s nice to not be around other people.¡± Then Lavinia¡¯s fishing rod twitched. Arlo immediately turned to the end of it, where it twitched again. ¡°O-Oh, I think you have a bite,¡± he said. Lavinia¡¯s eyes shot open, and she looked at the pole as it twitched stronger. ¡°That¡¯s never happened before¡­¡± She started reeling in but didn¡¯t get far before the line completely stopped. Even pulling on the rod didn¡¯t budge whatever she hooked. Then what looked like a white branch broke the water¡¯s surface. ¡°Maybe you hooked a log?¡± Arlo suggested. ¡°It¡¯s feeling like it¡­ I might have to cut the line,¡± she said. But before she could, the ¡°log¡± lifted its head up and looked at them both¡ªit was a white stag with Lavinia¡¯s fishing line wrapped around one of its antlers. Arlo and Lavinia just stared at it in surprise, but then she recognized it. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Astus!¡± a man called from nearby. ¡°Come on, Astus! Where did you go?¡± The courier stumbled through the brush nearby, and likewise froze at the scene. ¡°Oh, Ms. Lavinia!¡± He lifted his goggles up, ¡°I was hoping to find you today.¡± ¡°I thought I recognized that deer! Also, it¡¯s just Lavinia.¡± She glanced over and saw Arlo¡¯s confused expression. ¡°This is a courier I met a couple weeks ago,¡± she explained. The man nodded. ¡°Michael Wilson, driver for the South-Central Caravan Corps. I was on my way to Blackwell¡¯s, when Astus¡­¡± He looked over at the deer still wading through the pond. ¡°Well, I guess he wanted to go for a swim first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cut the line off him once he decides to swim back to shore,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°But why were you hoping to find me?¡± ¡°Your order request. It took a little while, but one of your requests actually came through the main hub.¡± ¡°What order?¡± Arlo asked, looking up at Lavinia. ¡°Uh¡­ Good question¡­¡± she replied, just as confused. Michael produced his pocket notepad and flipped through it. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Here we go. Child-sized mecha components, emphasis on eyes and arms.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I remember now!¡± She rested a hand on Arlo¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Which of those did you get?¡± ¡°An eye, back with the other delivery items on my wagon. You¡¯re welcome to follow me back and claim it now. Er¡­ Once I get Astus back to shore,¡± he added. Astus snorted and flicked his ears, only continuing his swim with no regard to anyone and dragging Lavinia¡¯s fishing rod into the water.
Arlo and Mae Arlo stood in front of the bathroom mirror, blinking slowly. The child looking back at him was one with two eyes; his original deep brown, and the new one that was vibrant green. And now that he could see with both again, he couldn¡¯t help thinking about how strange the mismatched pair looked. But he could still see clearly again¡­ Wasn¡¯t that what mattered? ¡°Arlo?¡± Lavinia said from outside the room. ¡°Everything okay in there?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Y-Yes,¡± he said. He opened the door, ¡°I guess I was a little distracted¡­ How do I look?¡± She smiled. ¡°Well, Eyepatch Arlo was pretty cool¡ªlike somebody from an old action movie¡ªbut you¡¯re still just as much of a cutie pie.¡± Arlo smiled too, then looked at his pinned-up sleeve. ¡°Maybe that man will find a new arm next time.¡± ¡°Heck, he might. But it¡¯d probably take me a little longer to figure out how to connect that than it did your eye. We could always try for a traditional prosthetic while we¡ª¡± ¡°Hello? Is anyone here?¡± Mae called from downstairs. Arlo froze and Lavinia looked back at the stairs. ¡°O-Oh yeah, I forgot we made plans to go out tonight¡­ We¡¯re up here,¡± she called back. They heard footsteps, then Mae came up into the living room. She was in a variation of the same style she always seemed to wear; in this case, creased beige pants, a wrinkled grey and purple striped button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and short black boots. Her sleek hair, which was dyed green before, was now a warm shade of auburn. ¡°Nice coveralls,¡± Mae said, looking over Lavinia¡¯s simple outfit from that morning. ¡°Ready to go?¡± Lavinia blushed a bit. ¡°Actually, I wanna clean up a little and change first. I lost track of time a li¡¯l bit today. Just make yourself at home, this¡¯ll only take me a few minutes.¡± She hurried off and disappeared into her room in an instant, leaving Arlo and Mae alone in the living room. Mae glanced around and went to an armchair, dropping into it sideways with her legs hanging over one of the armrests. ¡°She¡¯s always like that, huh?¡± she asked. Arlo nodded some from his spot in the bathroom doorway. He was rooted to the spot and looking away from the unexpected guest. ¡°I remember seeing you with Lavinia at Vic¡¯s before when she blacked out after two drinks,¡± Mae said. ¡°There¡¯s something different about you, though¡­¡± ¡°I had an eyepatch before, but now I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Wait, you did?¡± She looked over at him, ¡°Huh. I thought it was something about your hair. Are you her brother? ¡­ Her son?¡± ¡°N-No, I¡¯m just¡­ just Arlo¡­¡± She glanced around. ¡°You two have a nice place here.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± he said. ¡°I try to clean up around here while Ms. Lavinia¡¯s out¡­¡± ¡°Really? I could use somebody like you at Ivy Tower, my interns gave up on me a while ago.¡± He glanced over at her. ¡°You¡­ have interns?¡± ¡°Well, I only call them that because one left to start his own radio station up north a couple years ago. They help keep Ivy Tower running, including keeping me from trashing the place.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Mae smiled at the boy. ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep standing there, you know. I promise I don¡¯t bite.¡± Arlo looked up at her hesitantly. He crossed the room and sat at the far end of the couch, glancing away again after sitting down. After a few seconds of heavy silence¡ªinterrupted now and then by Lavinia¡¯s shuffling around in her room¡ªMae cleared her throat. ¡°So¡­ Even if you aren¡¯t her son, are you okay with me and Lavinia?¡± Arlo looked up at her, and Mae ran a hand through her hair. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s all platonic right now, but in the future¡­ I dunno. It might be more.¡± ¡°Why would I need to be okay with it?¡± he asked. ¡°Because it¡¯s clear you¡¯re important to her, and I¡¯m betting she¡¯s important to you?¡± She sat up in the chair normally, ¡°I just want you to know I¡¯m not like, trying to steal her or anything.¡± ¡°I know that, but¡­ thanks for saying so anyway,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s been a few months since Ms. Lavinia found me, but I¡¯m still adjusting to being part of¡ª¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready!¡± Lavinia announced as she returned to the room, unintentionally cutting Arlo off. Both the boy and Mae looked over at her. Lavinia was now in simple canvas shoes, black shorts that only went halfway to her knees, a white v-neck shirt, and an old denim jacket that was longer than her shorts. Arlo looked it over and realized it was the one her father wore in the family photo she showed him before. ¡°I didn¡¯t interrupt anything, did I?¡± she asked as Arlo and Mae stared at her. ¡°No,¡± Arlo said. ¡°Erm¡­ Have fun, Lavinia.¡± Mae jumped up from the armchair. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with us, Arlo?¡± ¡°M-Me?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re not doing anything too crazy,¡± Lavinia said, smiling at him. ¡°Well¡­¡± The boy stood up, brushing the hair out of his eyes. ¡°Alright, I suppose I can go.¡±
The Traveler For two days, the Builder repaired an unexpectedly troublesome apartment complex. The tower sank down into its foundation after three significant supports failed, either Back Before or sometime after. It meant the Builder had to lift what remained of the building up and set it aside until those supports could be repaired. Luckily, the structures in those ruins and in most others were designed with such a need in mind. They separated by floor and section, even with the years of rust over their release mechanisms. The Builder dismantled the complex and scattered the pieces all around that part of town, laying them across cracked roads and overgrown parking lots. It looked as though the city had suddenly ballooned in size in just a day. And it was all observed by the solitary figure who sat on a nearby rooftop. The girl sat with her legs dangling over the edge. Beside her was a massive bag of assorted goods, at least two of three things the size of her body. She watched as the Builder dug out the pile of debris from the basement and around the foundations, amused as if it were all a show. ¡°You Builders are always neat to watch,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you, individual of indeterminate origin,¡± the Builder replied. Its chest opened, revealing a massive furnace. The Builder began scooping up huge handfuls of debris and dropping it into the flames. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± the girl asked. ¡°Clearing debris,¡± the Builder said. ¡°Inorganic materials will be repurposed for use repairing this structure.¡± ¡°Inorganic, hm? What all is in there?¡± The Builder looked down at the rubble. ¡°Concrete, lime, and glass residue are the largest inorganic components.¡± ¡°If you specify inorganic, that must mean there are organic components in that mess.¡± The girl started kicking her feet, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Builder?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What organic components are there?¡± ¡°Bone,¡± it said. ¡°The primary organic component is human and animal bone. Many humans find this fact distasteful, so we do not commonly share this aspect of our work.¡± The girl smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll keep your secret. Do you use the organic components to rebuild?¡± ¡°That would be an efficient use of remains, but my ¡®Respect the Dead¡¯ protocols prevent this. Cremated remains are stored internally until a suitable expulsion point has been identified.¡± ¡°Blech, that¡¯s gross,¡± she said, sticking out her tongue. The girl looked back over the town. Half of it looked brand new, while the other half was still in ruins. But it was a sporadic difference; newly repaired buildings surrounded derelict ones. And near the river was a big pile of broken glass for some reason, glittering in the afternoon sun. It seemed that Builder had a strange method for completing its tasks. ¡°Say, can your Builder Senses detect everything in that rubble pile?¡± she asked. The Builder stopped. ¡°Please repeat your inquiry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something that should be buried under that building. An old hunk of metal and artificial flesh made up of a bunch of stuff, all weighing about sixty-eight pounds.¡± ¡°One moment, please,¡± the Builder said, staring down at the rubble. ¡°There is an inorganic item matching your description, though only eleven pounds.¡± It reached down and pushed a single finger deep through the bricks and concrete, then pushed around a particular spot. The Builder pulled something out and sprayed it off with a liquid from its finger. The girl stood up and swayed from one foot to the other in anticipation until it finally dropped the item onto the roof beside her. ¡°This¡­ This is an arm,¡± she said, nudging the appendage with her foot. ¡°Affirmative,¡± the Builder replied. The girl reached down and picked up the arm, separated at the shoulder where wires and the metal frame were still visible. And near the wrist was a familiar scar that confirmed whose arm it was¡ªand made her smile. The rest of the skin was scratched a bit here and there, but the limb was in otherwise perfect shape despite being at the bottom of a rock pile since Back Before. It didn¡¯t even have a single broken nail. The old mechas really were built to last. ¡°And you¡¯re sure there¡¯s nothing else matching this in that pile?¡± the girl asked. ¡°Not according to my sensors,¡± the Builder replied. She draped the arm around her shoulders like a scarf and climbed up the mountainous bag beside her. Inside was a heap of assorted goods; shoes in various styles and sizes, clay pots, colorful plastic toys and dolls, a guitar, books haphazardly dropped in, half-burnt candles, and plastic bottles, among other treasures. And near the top were three smiling metal skulls, still with scraps of artificial flesh and hair attached. The girl giggled and tossed the arm in beside them, then slid back down to the roof. She brushed off her white cardigan and skirt and looked out to the town and bridge leading off into the forest across the river. ¡°Silly Arlo, always leaving your things lying around¡­¡± Chapter Six Stuck Inside It was 1:58 PM, and Lavinia was draped over the couch. She stared listlessly through the glass balcony door and at the storm raging outside. Arlo, meanwhile, was engaged in his usual Wednesday dusting around the living room. And so he continued that, until after a few more minutes, Lavinia let out a long groan and sank down onto the couch. ¡°Ughhh, how long is it supposed to keep raining?¡± she said. ¡°Until the rain is done,¡± Arlo replied. ¡°But it¡¯s been like this for almost two days now. I¡¯m boooored¡­¡± Arlo looked over at, unmoved. ¡°There are two repair projects that¡¯ve been on your desk for almost a week. Why don¡¯t you go work on those?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to work on them right now.¡± ¡°Ms. Lavinia, you¡¯re being ridiculous¡­¡± Arlo said. ¡°It¡¯s just Lavinia, and there¡¯s actually a good explanation for that,¡± she replied. ¡°I like getting to tinker and repair stuff, but when I have to do it, then it isn¡¯t as fun. See?¡± ¡°I¡­ suppose. But now¡¯s the perfect time for you to work on it because you can, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯d think so, but I¡¯d actually be working on it because I didn¡¯t have nothing else to do, so my interest is gone.¡± ¡°What was your reason for all the days before it was raining?¡± Arlo grumbled. ¡°Hey, what was that?¡± she asked. ¡°Nothing!¡± he replied. ¡°There are other things you could do while stuck inside, though. Like¡­ Oh, you could tidy up¡ªno, wait, that¡¯s my thing¡­ Well, you could read one of the many books you¡¯ve been wanting to for months now but never seem to have time for.¡± ¡°I did that when the rain started, but now I¡¯m bored with it. I wanna go do stuff outside again¡­¡± She reached for the glass door again before her hand dramatically fell away and she laid out lifelessly across the couch. Arlo rolled his eyes and returned to dusting. ¡°The rain will likely move on tonight or tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°On a similar subject, there¡¯s a paradoxical concept on the extinction of species that¡¯s applicable in this situation.¡± Lavinia looked over at him. ¡°Were you built in a thesaurus factory or something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but my memories are fuzzy. Anyway, the paradox is that species who go extinct do so, rather than failing to adapt to their new environments, were too perfectly adapted to their previous environments.¡± ¡°¡­ How¡¯s that applicable now?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt to spend this time figuring out new ways to keep yourself occupied indoors,¡± he said. ¡°How would you cope if you were forced to spend an even longer period indoors and away from other people?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± Lavinia smirked, ¡°How would you cope if you were forced outside and weren¡¯t able to stay cooped up cleaning all day?¡± Arlo paused. Then, after a few moments he began dusting furiously. ¡°L-Let¡¯s not get carried away now¡­¡± he said.
Theorizing the End of the World ¡°Alright, so hear me out¡­ Giant monsters,¡± Vic said. Lavinia, Mae, and Brant¡ªanother regular at Vic¡¯s¡ªlooked up at them. It was slow at the tavern that afternoon, and they were the only ones at the bar. Somehow, they ended up in an¡­ interesting conversation. ¡°Why else would the old city across the river be such a wreck, and probably other ones too?¡± Vic continued. ¡°What I think happened is giant monsters started coming out of the ocean or the ground and wrecking everything Back Before.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what happened, then where are all the monsters now?¡± Brant asked. ¡°Did they get bored and go back to wherever they came from?¡± ¡°Aha, I have an answer for that!¡± Vic said, their short, wavy hair bouncing excitedly. ¡°The Builders. The people Back Before made them to fight the giant monsters, and the Builders won, but most of the old civilizations got wrecked first.¡± Lavinia furrowed her brow, trying to make sense of their host¡¯s theory. ¡°But¡­ all the Builders do is build stuff,¡± she said. ¡°The one I met outside Seventy-Seven don¡¯t seem like it¡¯d hurt nothing. Or could, frankly.¡± Vic crossed their arms, ¡°Well, what d¡¯you three think happened?¡± Mae downed the rest of her iced coffee. ¡°Since we¡¯re already down the rabbit hole, I¡¯m just putting this out there. The Builders were made by aliens.¡± Now the rest of them all turned to her, with Lavinia especially surprised at the claim. Mae just smiled as she sat her glass down. ¡°This outta be good,¡± Brant said. ¡°It¡¯s something I heard from a traveler right here in this tavern,¡± Mae said. ¡°According to this guy, the reason the Builders go around fixing up all the old ruins is that they¡¯re preparing them for alien colonists.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Uhh¡­ Wait, so were the aliens responsible for wrecking everything, then?¡± Vic asked. ¡°You know, he wasn¡¯t clear about that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kinda creepy, but¡­ What if the aliens are hot?¡± Brant added. Lavinia almost choked on her water, her cheeks flushing red. ¡°W-Why would you even wanna know that?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s a valid question,¡± Vic said. Mae rolled her eyes. ¡°What about you, Brant? What do you think happened to the old world?¡± ¡°Me?¡± he said. ¡°Hm¡­ Tell you what, I think the machines finally rose up.¡± ¡°What, like microwaves and lawnmowers?¡± Mae asked. ¡°No, like¡ªlike those robots they had,¡± Brant replied. ¡°They had these ¡®mecha¡¯ things Back Before, right? But now the old societies are all gone and so are the mechas. So maybe they all rose up and fought against us humans, and here we are.¡± ¡°He never would do that!¡± Lavinia blurted out, jumping from her stool without even realizing she was doing it. The rest of them immediately grew silent. Brant and Vic stared at her wide-eyed, but Mae was visibly concerned. Lavinia¡¯s cheeks flushed again; even she was surprised by her own outburst. As far as she knew, none of them¡ªeven Mae¡ªknew that Arlo was a mecha. Not that she was trying to keep it a secret, it just¡­ never came up before. And it¡¯s not like she went around introducing Arlo as a mecha to every single person they met. He was more than that. ¡°I¡­ I mean, I don¡¯t think they would have done that¡­¡± she said, sitting back down and staring solely at her glass. ¡°Heck, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you,¡± Brant said. ¡°I know you work with old tech all day, but I didn¡¯t know you felt that strongly about it.¡± ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Mae asked. ¡°Yep. Yep, everything¡¯s fine¡­ Oh, but I should get back soon! Don¡¯t wanna keep Arlo waiting for too long.¡± Lavinia downed the rest of her water and stood up, ¡°Thanks for everything, Vic, see you later!¡± She was gone before any of the others, even Mae, could say anything. The street was about as ¡°busy¡± as the tavern was, which suited Lavinia fine. Her quick exit wasn¡¯t even so much about what Brant said but embarrassment from her reaction to it. She never did like shouting at folks, but the thought that the other mechas¡ªthat Arlo, even¡ªcould have been the cause of how the world was¡­ even the giant monsters and aliens seemed likelier. ¡­ What if the aliens are hot though¡­? She blushed more than either time before and she walked faster.
Arlo Makes A Friend Over the last week or so, Arlo avoided the balcony whenever he was alone. And sometimes even when Lavinia was home. But as he went about his daily routine, while she went out for her lunch not-date, something came to him. Someone started knocking on the balcony door. It nearly made him drop the small screwdriver he was polishing, one of the many tools Lavinia left on the table. Arlo froze, hoping that somehow it was his ears playing tricks on him. But when the knocking came a second time, he couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore. He expected it to be the white cardigan girl from the flashes he¡¯d experienced. What he found was a crow. It sat perched on the railing, pecking on the glass as if asking to come in. Though Arlo was relieved it wasn¡¯t the girl he¡¯d been seeing, it was overshadowed by the perplexity of the situation. Should¡­ he let it in? No, of course not, birds were destructive and carried diseases. He returned to his cleaning, but the tapping continued. The boy did his best to ignore it for a time, but after a few more minutes of uninterrupted pecking, Arlo had enough. He stomped over to the door and waved his arm around. ¡°Go away!¡± he shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t come in!¡± The crow flapped down the balcony railing a bit, but didn¡¯t fly off. Now it only seemed interested in Arlo. It tilted its head from one side to the other as if examining the child, and it only unnerved him. He didn¡¯t like being stared at¡ªeven if it was by a bird. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anywhere else to go?¡± he asked. The crow did not respond. Maybe I have to go out and chase him off. Arlo grabbed the door handle and slid it open, but before he could take a single step outside or shoo the crow off, it flapped in over his head. The boy ducked as the bird flew straight into the apartment, landing on the table and scattering all Lavinia¡¯s tools to the floor. The sudden cacophony of metal striking the floor made the child¡¯s body lock up. When he was finally able to move again, he turned around and found the crow staring at him again, with the freshly polished screwdriver in its beak. ¡°P-Put that down!¡± Arlo demanded, growing flustered by the events. He rushed at the crow, but it flew over his head again and back out of the home. This was getting ridiculous. How would he explain to Lavinia that he¡¯d unintentionally let a bird into the house, it stole one of her tools, and then flew back out again? Arlo turned around and bolted out after the crow. He leaped clear over the balcony railing and landed on the old car in the lot across the street. After pushing his way out of the twisted frame, he caught sight of the bird flying over some nearby hedges. The boy followed after it, through the hedges and across two empty, overgrown yards. Oddly, the bird flew straight ahead at a low height. It never flew up out of view or off to where Arlo couldn¡¯t see it. If it weren¡¯t for the generally low intelligence of birds, he¡¯d almost have suspected it was leading him somewhere. And as he crossed into the last yard at the end of the street, Arlo realized he may have been wrong. The crow fluttered down to the windowsill of a house and tapped on the glass just as it had the balcony door. Arlo ducked behind a patio table and watched. A few moments later, someone opened the window and the crow leaned in and dropped the screwdriver. A small hand reached out and gave something to the crow, who scarfed it down. Then the hand pet it and the bird practically melted in the embrace as it was scratched. Is it someone¡¯s pet? The crow flew off again, up to the trees where Arlo lost track of it. He turned back to the house and took a deep, slow breath. He had to get Lavinia¡¯s screwdriver back¡­ even if it meant talking to strangers¡­ He stood up and walked up to the door of the house, where he paused again. Then, summoning all his strength, he reached out and knocked. There was no response for a few moments and Arlo considered turning and hurrying home again. But the door opened before he could, and he found himself facing another young, noticeably scrawny boy. ¡°Hi!¡± the other boy said with a wide smile. ¡°H-Hi¡­¡± Arlo replied. ¡°The¡­ The bird took something¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Arlo took another steadying breath; how hard could it be to talk to another child? ¡°The crow flew into my home and stole a screwdriver belonging to my¡­ friend,¡± he said. ¡°May I please have it back?¡± ¡°O-Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The other boy reached into his pocket and pulled out the screwdriver, holding it out to Arlo. ¡°That was Capri, he likes to bring me stuff but he also likes to steal¡­¡± He named the crow? Arlo took the screwdriver. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thank you for returning¡ª¡± ¡°Your eyes are pretty!¡± the boy interrupted, making Arlo blush. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°A-Arlo¡­¡± ¡°Hi, Arlo, I¡¯m Felix. Do you wanna play?¡± The question was an innocent one and backed up with Felix¡¯s genuine smile, but Arlo only felt¡­ odd. The image of the white cardigan girl flashed through his mind again. He shook his head to clear it away. ¡°I should go home before Ms. Lavinia comes home¡­¡± he said. It felt like his brain was in a fog. ¡°Oh.¡± Felix¡¯s smile dipped, ¡°That¡¯s okay, I understand.¡± ¡°But¡­ Maybe I could come back another time? I live up the street,¡± Arlo said. Felix¡¯s smile instantly returned. ¡°Okay! And you can meet Capri properly, too!¡± ¡°Sure, that should be¡­ fine¡­¡± Arlo replied, smiling politely. Internally, he would rather keep a significant distance between himself and the thieving bird. But it had been a while since he¡¯d had a friend his age, so¡­ maybe he could try. Chapter Seven Feelin¡¯ Lonely ¡°Oh, wow¡­ I can¡¯t hardly recognize this place anymore,¡± Lavinia marveled. ¡°Your feedback is recognized and appreciated,¡± the Builder replied. It¡¯d been a week or two since Lavinia was last out near the ruins, and the difference was clear from the moment she biked over the old bridge¡¯s peak. It wasn''t even fair to call them ruins anymore. At least half the city looked brand new¡ªor as near to it as she could imagine. Though there was still a big pile of broken glass near the bridge, and she wasn¡¯t sure what that was about. ¡°How much longer do you think it¡¯ll take to finish?¡± Lavinia asked. The Builder looked out across the landscape. ¡°My estimations are that the rebuilding process should be complete in roughly one month.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s all? What happens when you finish?¡± ¡°I follow my programming and relocate to the next site, then commence rebuilding there.¡± It looked down at her, ¡°It is in the name, after all.¡± Lavinia frowned. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t be surprised or disappointed, but¡­ I¡¯ve gotten used to you being over here. Even if it¡¯s only been a few weeks.¡± ¡°There is no need to be disappointed. You will grow accustomed to my absence just as you did my presence.¡± ¡°I guess¡­ But I do wanna introduce you to Arlo before you go,¡± she said. ¡°Who is Arlo?¡± it asked. ¡°Just my lil roommate. He¡¯s a mecha, like you.¡± She paused. ¡°You are a mecha, right?¡± ¡°Technically. Though there is an ocean of difference between we Builders and the common creations of the old world.¡± Lavinia couldn¡¯t dispute that. Not that¡¯d she¡¯d consider Arlo to be common or simple; it took almost a month to figure out how to get him functioning again. She leaned forward against the handlebars of her bike, gazing over the town. ¡°Hey, do you ever get lonely?¡± ¡°Lonely?¡± the Builder repeated. ¡°Yeah. I mean, Builders don¡¯t work in pairs, right?¡± she asked, looking up at the giant. ¡°No, there is no need for such a partnership,¡± the Builder replied. ¡°While we understand the concept of loneliness, we Builders do not experience it ourselves. That would be counter-productive to our purpose.¡± ¡°Hm. What happens when you finish rebuilding everything?¡± The Builder turned its featureless head back to her. ¡°I wonder if every Builder receives with such questions from their visitors, or if it¡¯s only me.¡± ¡°Heh, sorry. I¡¯m just naturally curious¡­¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Did you plan to visit your mother¡¯s flower garden again?¡± it asked. ¡°There should be an acceptably clear path through the construction zone now.¡± Lavinia smiled awkwardly. She was actually there because Mae was doing radio stuff and Arlo was out of the house with his new friend. She was still unsure of how they met, but at least he had a friend for once. It left her feeling something she hadn¡¯t known in the prior ten months since she found Arlo in those ruins¡ªloneliness. She¡¯d been on her own plenty of times before, but that was by choice. Now it was because everyone else was busy except for her. It didn¡¯t help that she didn¡¯t have any pending repair work to do either. ¡°Well, if I¡¯m being honest, there wasn¡¯t much going on back home,¡± she admitted. ¡°So I thought I¡¯d come see you! N-Not that I think of you as a last resort, though. I just don¡¯t wanna get in your way while you¡¯re working, as you are very large and distracted and I am very small and squishy.¡± ¡°You need not worry about interrupting me. Considering I don¡¯t eat or sleep, a brief distraction wouldn¡¯t be the end of my work. And I have sensors to prevent me from stepping on you,¡± the Builder added. ¡°Oh. Great! Then I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll come back more often.¡± Lavinia paused again. ¡°So, I¡¯ve got one more question, but it¡¯s a little weird.¡± ¡°Frankly, most questions I receive are like that.¡± ¡°Were you¡­ y¡¯know¡­ builtbyaliensandsenttocolonizetheplanet?¡± she asked in a single quick breath. The Builder paused, staring down at Lavinia as if trying to comprehend what she was saying. Then it just turned away from the bridge and went back to repairing the town. Its blank face couldn¡¯t actually display emotions, yet somehow, Lavinia saw how unamused it was. Looks like Mae¡¯s source had the wrong idea¡­
A Trip to the Lake Arlo anxiously shifted in place on the creaking wood porch as Lavinia reached over his head. She knocked on the cabin door, and a voice shouted ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± They heard shuffling from inside, which only added to Arlo¡¯s movement. Mae was behind them, glancing around through large sunglasses at the cabin, the garden, the lake, and the surrounding woods. ¡°Your mom lives out here?¡± she asked Lavinia. ¡°By herself?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Lavinia said. ¡°She said Seventy-Seven got too noisy, so she moved a couple years ago. I think she was born here, actually¡­¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Arlo looked up at her. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯ll like me¡­?¡± ¡°Arlo, I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life,¡± Lavinia replied. The child considered her general flightiness and realized that wasn¡¯t the most reassuring statement, but kept that to himself. He couldn¡¯t doubt her sentiment, at least. After a few more moments, the door opened and an aging woman stepped out of the cabin. She wasn¡¯t much taller than Arlo and looked a bit like Lavinia if she were dried out. Her poofy, dense hair¡ªthough now grey rather than black¡ªwas still tied back with a green bandana like in the old picture. ¡°Mama, I missed you so much!¡± Lavinia squealed. ¡°I brought¡ª¡± ¡°If you missed me so much, where you been?¡± Georgette interrupted. From the look on Lavinia¡¯s face, not even she was expecting a scolding. ¡°Nearly a year and not one visit! And I know you¡¯re not too busy from your tinkering and repairing.¡± ¡°Actually¡­ I have an answer to that.¡± Lavinia rested a hand on Arlo¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Mama, this is Arlo!¡± Georgette stepped up to the nervous boy and tilted her head up above Arlo like she was staring at the clouds. Both he and Mae shot Lavinia a questioning look, but her mother spoke up again before they could get an explanation. ¡°Nearly a year and you don¡¯t tell me I got grandchildren?!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not actually¡ª¡± Arlo began, before Georgette pulled him into a tight hug. The boy paused at first, before his defenses broke. He closed his eyes and hugged back, practically dissolving at the embrace. Lavinia watched and frowned; he normally shied away from physical contact like that. At least, he always did with her¡­ Maybe he¡¯d just softened up overall since¡ª ¡°Are you Vini¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Georgette asked, immediately snapping Lavinia out of her own thoughts. She realized her mother had moved from Arlo to Mae. ¡°Oh. Uhh¡­ No, not exactly,¡± Mae said. She looked over at Lavinia. ¡°Vini, huh?¡± Lavinia¡¯s face turned crimson. ¡°Mama, this is my friend Mae. She runs Ivy Tower Radio.¡± ¡°Mm, that¡¯s why you sound familiar.¡± After looking above Mae¡¯s head for a few moments, Lavinia¡¯s mother turned and went back inside. ¡°Alright, come on in.¡± Arlo followed in behind her, while Mae smiled at Lavinia. ¡°After you, Vini.¡± Lavinia blushed again but smiled back and followed in behind the boy and her mother. *** It wasn¡¯t much later that Mae was playing in the shallows of the lake with Arlo, who was careful not to let too much water splash up into his exposed shoulder and body. Even though he still had a shirt on with the sleeve pinned up, he wasn¡¯t taking any chances. Lavinia smiled at them from the shore beside her mother. ¡°Is your eyesight getting any worse?¡± Lavinia asked her. ¡°About the same as before,¡± Georgette replied. ¡°Can¡¯t see hardly nothing from the front, but I can see enough on the sides.¡± Lavinia frowned. ¡°If you need to, there¡¯s still room with me and¡ª¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you find that boy?¡± her mother interrupted. ¡°W-What makes you think I ¡®found¡¯ him¡­?¡± ¡°Vini please, I lived with you nearly your whole life,¡± Georgette said. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t have him yourself.¡± Lavinia blushed at the implication. ¡°I found him in the ruins. There was a little bit of scrap under a rock, but when I pushed it, a whole avalanche of rubble came down and Arlo came with it¡­¡± She looked out at the boy. ¡°He was busted up pretty bad and missing some parts, but I never saw a near complete mecha before. ¡°I dunno what I expected, but then he woke up and was confused and I had to do something with him. He¡¯s still a little boy even if he¡¯s a mecha, and he didn¡¯t have nowhere else to go. I let him stay with me until he got things figured out, and I call him my roommate, but I really care about him¡­¡± Lavinia sighed. ¡°But I dunno how to help him, mama¡­ He¡¯s been having a real hard time lately. Spacing out, shouting at ghosts, and acting all sorts of strange that¡¯s scaring him just as much as me¡­¡± ¡°If you wanna help that boy, then you¡¯ve got to stop treating him like he¡¯s only staying for a visit.¡± Georgette turned to her daughter. ¡°He¡¯s from whatever world they had Back Before, meaning everyone and everything he knew is gone. Whatever them people built him like this for, he¡¯s only a child. Boy¡¯s probably scared witless that something else¡¯ll come along and take away this world he¡¯s got now.¡± She pointed out in the general direction of Arlo. ¡°That boy¡¯s haunted, no doubt. But he can¡¯t come to grips with his past when his present ain¡¯t anymore secure.¡± Lavinia listened and thought back over the last ten months. About all the times she¡¯d come and go at home, sometimes not even leaving Arlo with an explanation about where she was going or when she¡¯d be back. He¡¯d never outright complained to her, but¡­ could he even? Then when Georgette called him her grandchild and hugged him, Arlo practically collapsed into her arms. Was that the kind of thing he¡¯d really wanted all that time? Maybe she hadn¡¯t been as good to the boy as he deserved¡­ She put her arm around Georgette¡¯s shoulders and leaned in, hugging her. ¡°You always have the answers¡­¡± ¡°I have too baby, I¡¯m your mama,¡± Georgette replied. ¡°Now why don¡¯t you start by going out there and playing with that boy and your friend?¡±
Home Again ¡°Thanks for coming with us,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Thanks for inviting me,¡± Mae replied. ¡°Your mom¡¯s really, uh¡­ interesting.¡± ¡°Heh, yeah¡­ I should¡¯ve gone to see her sooner.¡± Mae glanced around; they were alone outside her home. ¡°You were asking her about Arlo, right?¡± Lavinia nodded. ¡°He¡¯s been acting a little weird lately. Well, he¡¯s always been like that since he first woke¡ªsince I met him.¡± She almost slipped up there. ¡°But lately it¡¯s been getting weirder. Like, before when he¡¯d be distracted with cleaning, he¡¯d sometimes call me ¡®Ms. Luisa.¡¯ And that was fine, getting to know new people can be like that. Except now he¡¯s been having some serious identity questions lately, and one time he shouted at me when I came home because he thought I was someone else, and I¡¯m running out of answers.¡± ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Mae said. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not exactly skilled at whatever¡¯s going on, but if you ever need help with anything, just let me know. Even though I haven¡¯t known him as long as you, I can see he¡¯s a good kid. I think you¡¯re both good together.¡± Lavinia smiled, but the worry remained. ¡°Thanks, Mae, I really do appreciate it. I¡¯m gonna go up and talk with him, but we¡¯ll meet up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Vini.¡± Lavinia blushed at the name, and even more so when Mae hugged her. She was left standing there like a fool and staring as Mae walked off into the golden glow of afternoon sun, all thoughts processes completely derailed. When she finally turned the corner and Lavinia snapped out of it, she went inside. Past the door to her workshop/garage, and upstairs to the living room where she found¡­ nobody. Arlo wasn¡¯t there. He¡¯d been the first to get inside, and normally when she forced outside for longer than a few minutes, she¡¯d find him busily catching up on dusting or mopping for no real reason. Did he go to tidy up the workshop¡­? ¡°Arlo?¡± she called out. ¡°Are you here?¡± There was a long pause. Then, ¡°I-I¡¯m in my room!¡± She walked across the living room towards the hall. ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to talk about. Can we¡ª¡± ¡°I would, but I¡¯m¡ªchanging clothes. And really tired,¡± he added. ¡°Oh.¡± Lavinia stopped and frowned. ¡°Well¡­ Alright, we can talk tomorrow then. I just want you to know that if there¡¯s ever something wrong, you can tell me about it. Okay?¡± Down the hall and through the door on the right, Arlo was pressed up against the door inside his bedroom. The boy was fighting hard to keep his breathing steady and mask the fear in his voice as he stared ahead unblinking at the girl in the white cardigan. Not a hallucination and not a fractured memory, but truly there. She sat on the edge of Arlo¡¯s bed with a finger over her pursed, perpetual smirk. A warning¡ªnot just to him, but to Lavinia too. ¡°O-Okay,¡± he replied to both of them, ¡°I understand.¡± Chapter Eight Long Time Coming It¡¯d been so long since she¡¯d thought of Arlo. She knew how bad that sounded, but the world changed so much since they last saw each other. Plus, she never had the best attention span even before the old world ended. But then she made her centennial return¡ªwell, maybe a little later than that¡ªto pay her respects and a Builder was there. It shouldn¡¯t have been surprising; they were everywhere nowadays. Except it told her Arlo was gone. Somehow, after all those years, he¡¯d walked away. That¡­ was unexpected. And he didn¡¯t even leave a message for her. How rude. With her bag of prized possessions on her back, she headed across the bridge towards the community called Seventy-Seven. It was the nearest settlement according to the Builder. If she was going to find Arlo anyway, that was the best place to start. And nothing was going to stop her from tracking him down. It turned out to be way easier than expected. She had to duck back off the road as Arlo, sleeve pinned up and wearing an eyepatch, went into a building tagged Blackwell¡¯s Market. He wasn¡¯t alone, either. There was a woman with him; a pretty one too. From the way they talked, it sounded like she was his new owner. She watched them from the bushes as Arlo and the woman went into the store. Then he came running out a few minutes later terrified of something. She couldn¡¯t help but giggle; same old Arlo. Since then, she watched him. In his new home, when he would go to that tavern, when he went fishing. Always there, but far enough that neither he nor his new owner ever saw him. Not that she was particularly worried about her. That lady seemed a little slow. Even after finding Arlo again and shadowing him for a few weeks, she still didn¡¯t have a plan for how to approach him. The thought of it made her bashful for some reason. There were plenty of times when his new owner would leave, and he¡¯d be home alone. It¡¯d be simple to just walk up and knock on his door; she almost did a few times, too. But then her nerves got the better of her and she shied away like the child she was created to resemble. That changed one day when Arlo jumped down from the balcony and sent her scrambling for cover, but luckily, he was distracted by chasing a bird. That was new. Keeping her distance, she followed along after the boy until he came to a house. Even she was curious about what the bird did to make Arlo chase it. But then he met that boy. That stupid boy, with his stupid soft eyes and kind smile and his ¡°hey, do you wanna go play?¡± stupid garbage EVERYTHING. She hated him so much, whatever his name was. Just like Anne. And she hated Arlo for accepting. Did he forget everything? Forget her¡­? No. No more hiding. No more waiting. She watched as the tired-looking woman came to the house and left with Arlo and his new owner. Then she dropped down to his bedroom window and slid the door open. He¡¯d be back sooner or later. And she¡¯d be waiting for him.
Reunion Arlo held his breath with his back to the door. Both he and the cardigan girl listened intently as Lavinia turned and went back to her room. He wished he could be relieved at that, but Lavinia being safe also meant he was on his own with the stranger who¡¯d haunted his mind for weeks. Then she giggled. ¡°Changing your clothes? That was the first excuse you thought of?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Arlo demanded. ¡°Why have I been seeing you?¡± ¡°You know who I am¡± she replied. ¡°Or, you better. Just shut up and think about it.¡± Arlo closed his eyes. Ever since the incident where he¡¯d forgotten where he was and shouted at Lavinia, he¡¯d done his best to bury the image of the smiling girl and the old apartment. He never wanted to see any of it again. But now¡­ he didn¡¯t have a choice. He pushed deeper than he dared to in a long while. Until a squeaking broke his concentration. He opened his eyes again and saw the girl bouncing up and down on his bed. When she realized he was watching her, she slowly stopped. ¡°¡­ Something wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°I could use a few seconds to focus,¡± he replied. ¡°Oops.¡± Arlo shook his head again and closed his eyes. ¡°This is hard enough already, Mira. I don¡¯t¡ª¡± As soon as the words escaped his lips, he froze again. The girl had to cover her mouth to keep from squealing out loud. ¡°You remembered!¡± she said in as hushed a shout as possible. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I remembered¡­¡± It was like her annoying behavior was the final push to dislodge the name from the murky depths of his damaged memory. ¡°Because we¡¯re best friends.¡± That claim shocked the boy as much as finding Mira waiting for him a few minutes prior. If they were friends as she claimed, why was he so terrified whenever the image of her passed through his mind.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Somebody doesn¡¯t believe meee,¡± Mira cooed, seeing the mistrust that must have been obvious on his face. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, it¡¯s just¡­¡± He paused to think carefully. ¡°My memory is damaged, and I don¡¯t remember everything about you. But what I do scares me¡­¡± The girl paused, her previous smirk dipping into a frown. ¡°But¡­ But I¡¯m your friend. You said we were, why would you¡­ Is it because of your arm? I didn¡¯t mean to, it was an accident¡ª¡± ¡°Your arm¡±¡­? ¡°Mira,¡± he said. ¡°What did you do?¡± The girl he¡¯d been afraid of for weeks shrank before him, changing from an unknowable and potentially malicious entity into the child she appeared to be. ¡°Everyone was running away from the sirens and the radio broadcasts, but you didn¡¯t want to come with me¡­¡± she said. ¡°You wanted to stay with them. With her. You promised you¡¯d always be my friend. You said so when I brought you back to the factory!¡± Arlo never saw a factor in his fragmented memories. ¡°What factory? Why did you bring me there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I was made to do. MIR-A; Mecha something Reclamation unit Alpha. And when you were broken and they sent me to bring you back to fix you, you promised that you¡¯d be my friend forever if I helped you get back to your old owners.¡± She looked frustrated almost to the point of tears. ¡°Luisa Williams and her little daughter Anne¡­¡± Mira said bitterly. ¡°The girl you were sooo attached to. You wanted to go with her instead of staying with me, and we started shouting at each other, and then¡ªthen I tore your arm off!¡± Arlo felt the air catch in his throat. When Lavinia explained that she found him under a building in the ruins, he thought his missing eye and arm were both a result of the building¡¯s collapse. Or just as a result of time. But it was this girl, the unknown terror he¡¯d been seeing for weeks, who hurt him and left him buried. Did she take his eye, too? Did she leave Luisa and Anne¡ªwhoever they were to him before¡ªin the rubble too? Mira was shaking and stood up on his bed. ¡°B-But I didn¡¯t mean to! It was an accident, it¡ªit didn¡¯t have to be that way! All you had to do was keep your promise!¡± ¡°Arlo, what in all heck is going on?¡± Lavinia asked as she stepped into his room. She immediately froze at the scene; Arlo trembling on the ground before a girl standing on his bed with tears running down her face. The boy instinctively stepped over and put himself between Lavinia and Mira. And in that moment, as he sided again with a human companion against her, the hurt in her eyes was indescribable. Arlo reached out to her, but she bolted away and clambered out through his open window before he could say anything. Mira was gone in only a split second. ¡°Arlo¡­¡± Lavinia said a few moments later, after making sense of what just happened. ¡°We really need to talk.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± he replied.
An Unexpected Guest ¡°So¡­ She¡¯s not a friend of yours?¡± Lavinia asked. ¡°No¡­¡± Arlo replied. ¡°I think¡­ I think I used her. Whenever she knew me Back Before¡­¡± ¡°Arlo, you are a kind, shy, considerate little boy.¡± Lavinia shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re not a user.¡± ¡°How do you know? How do I know? There¡¯s still so much I can¡¯t remember¡­¡± Neither made it far after Lavinia interrupted their confrontation. Now they were both on the floor against Arlo¡¯s bed, and were finally able to talk after he managed to somewhat calm down. She wrapped her arms around the child¡¯s shoulders and pulled him close. Lavinia could still feel his trembling as she did, but he soon melted into her embrace like when her mother hugged him. ¡°What did she say happened between you two?¡± she asked. Arlo took a deep breath. ¡°Mira is a hunter, another mecha created to capture us. She said I was broken, and she brought me back to wherever we were created. I don¡¯t know what was wrong with me or why she was sent for me¡­ She said I promised I¡¯d always be her friend if she helped me get back to my owners at that time.¡± He turned away, ¡°But¡­ from how it sounds, I only manipulated her to get back to Ms. Luisa and Anne¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Luisa? You used to call me that now and again after I got you working again,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Maybe I still have some memory of her somewhere¡­¡± ¡°Sure, but getting buried under a building for a couple centuries would give anybody memory issues.¡± Arlo sighed. ¡°What should I do? I¡¯m afraid she might try to hurt you. She might have hurt my last owners, too¡­¡± ¡°Well, first off, I¡¯m not your ¡®owner,¡¯¡± Lavinia said. ¡°This is what I was gonna talk to you about before, but¡­ I mean, I care about you. Like my mama cares about me.¡± The boy looked up at her, his green and brown eyes both shining and looking like he might start crying next. Lavinia had to glance away; if he started crying then she was gonna start crying, and that wouldn¡¯t help anybody right now. ¡°So, I guess now¡¯s when I start giving you important parent lessons. You made a promise to that girl, right?¡± Arlo nodded slightly, and Lavinia turned back to him. ¡°Then you¡¯ve gotta keep that promise. Maybe she is dangerous, but she¡¯s hurting too. ¡°I¡¯ve looked in those old ruins and talked to just about every traveler coming through Seventy-Seven, and you two might be the only working mechas left out there. Before this gets any worse, you¡¯ve got to at least try talking to her.¡± Arlo was quiet for a time. He could still see Mira¡¯s trembling and the pain in her eyes when she saw him prepared to side with and protect Lavinia against her. Then he remembered her confession about what she did to him. He remembered why he was so afraid of her when his memories began to resurface again. ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t want to talk¡­?¡± Arlo finally asked. ¡°Then¡­ Then we¡¯ll figure something else out,¡± Lavinia said. She pulled the boy in closer, and he closed his eyes. Whatever ¡°something else¡± meant, Lavinia either didn¡¯t know or didn¡¯t want to say in front of him. He didn¡¯t want to think about it either. But he was going to do whatever it took to keep Lavinia safe. *** ¡°I¡¯ve really gotta teach you not to steal stuff,¡± Felix muttered, as he took a recently polished enamel pin from Capri¡¯s beak. The crow rustled its feathers and began to clean them in his windowsill now that his new treasure had been delivered. Felix smiled at the bird, then dropped the pin into a dented bucket with Return to Owners scribbled on it. At the brief clank, Capri¡¯s head immediately snapped up towards the bucket. Before Felix could stop him, the crow dove forward and grabbed the pin again, flapping back up to the windowsill again and managing to knock the bucket over in the process. Felix sighed and pet the crow. ¡°Do you have to be so cute when you¡¯re being a troublemaker?¡± Capri closed his eyes and laid his head into Felix¡¯s hand, until knocking on the front door caught both of their attention. Felix turned and went over despite his crow¡¯s preference towards more scratching. When he opened the door, he found a girl around Arlo¡¯s age waiting, wearing a white cardigan, skirt, and bow in her hair. When she looked up, he realized her eyes were red and puffy. ¡°Erm¡­ hello,¡± Felix greeted. ¡°Hi,¡± the girl curtly replied. ¡°I¡¯m Arlo¡¯s friend. Can I come in?¡± Chapter Nine First Meeting He was falling. Everything was noise. There was a girl in white. Then it was dark. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ CHARGING POWER CELLS AT 12% EXTERNAL COMMAND ACCEPTED: SYSTEM REBOOTING ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ His audio receptors switched on before anything else, and he heard someone talking. A woman, someone he didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°¡­ guess if it doesn¡¯t work, I could strip him for parts. Hrm¡­ But he still looks like a little boy, I dunno if I could even do that¡­¡± His eye activated next, just in time for a blinding light to shine in it. He recoiled at first, then paused¡ªhis eye? Vision input was only at 50%. The unknown woman let out a gasp and stumbled away from him. ¡°O-Oh! You¡¯re¡ªare you awake?¡± she asked. ¡°I think so¡­¡± he replied. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lavinia,¡± the woman said. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Arlo. Are you my owner, Ms. Lavinia?¡± ¡°Me? No, I don¡¯t think so. And it¡¯s just Lavinia,¡± she added. Arlo looked up at her. By her wide eyes under her goggles, the woman was just as surprised to see him as he was to see her. Glancing around, he realized he was in a garage with tables covered in dirty mugs and plates, tools, and scraps of metal and components. He wrinkled his nose; the place was in serious need of cleaning. ¡°Where am I?¡± he asked. ¡°Um. My house?¡± ¡°How did I get to your house?¡± ¡°I brought you here,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°You were a pretty banged up, but I fixed you as best I could.¡± He looked down at himself for the first time. He was propped up on another of the tables with a cord attached to the exposed power core in his chest. It ran over to the lightly rusted car battery on the table beside him. Then he realized there was only a big, fluffy towel draped over his body to cover him. He blushed and pulled it in more to cover as much of himself as he could. It was only at that first real bodily movement that he realized he was missing an arm too. ¡°Sorry, you were coated in dust and dirt,¡± Lavinia said, glancing away. ¡°I had to scrub all that off before I opened you up, or else more of that mess would¡¯ve gotten into you and gunked up your hardware.¡± ¡°Where are my clothes?¡± Arlo demanded. ¡°And where¡¯s my arm¡­?¡± ¡°Your old clothes were completely wrecked from being under those ruins. But I got these for you!¡± She hurried to a side table and held up a small pair of jean shirts and a t-shirt with a rainbow stitched onto it. "And I dunno about your arm, I found you without that or your other eye.¡± Ruins? he thought. Found¡­? ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything about ruins¡­¡± he said. ¡°How long was I shut down?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna be honest, I¡¯ve got no idea. But you were under a building so¡­ I¡¯m guessing a long time.¡± The boy grew quiet for a time. ¡°Can you show me where you found me?¡± *** It took a while to get out to the old city, with Arlo still adapting to having only one arm to hold onto the woman''s bike with. But when they got to the crest of the crumbling bridge, all the air was sucked out of the boy. Before them was a landscape of fallen buildings, broken glass, twisted metal, and weeds. Lavinia glanced down at the boy as he stood staring ahead at the destruction. ¡°I, erm¡­ I found you over there,¡± she said, pointing out at a single ruin among ruins. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left¡­¡± he muttered. He blinked, and for a fleeting moment the image of the city in its prime flashed in the dark before his present returned in full force. ¡°It probably looked better Back Before. But things aren¡¯t so bad, at least back in Seventy-Seven.¡± ¡°This was my home before, but¡­¡± He turned away, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do now¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got space for a roommate back home,¡± Lavinia said. Arlo looked up at her. ¡°Since I woke you up again, I can at least give you a place to stay until you figure things out.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Lavinia¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡± She stopped and shook her head some, then took the boy¡¯s hand. He flinched at first, then squeezed it and took one last look out into the ruins before the pair started back home.
Stressed Out ¡°H-Hey!¡± Lavinia called up, panting to catch her breath. ¡°I need to talk to you!¡± The Builder, who was about to insert the final pane of glass into the former botanical garden, let out a simulated sigh. It turned around to face Lavinia, moving slowly and carefully around the delicate structure. ¡°Another visit so soon, Lavinia?¡± it asked. ¡°You were here only three days ago.¡± ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s been a long couple days¡­¡± she said. She leaned her bike against a rusted stop sign, still glistening in morning dew. After a long, tense night huddled up with Arlo, the boy finally had to get some sleep in. She didn¡¯t want to leave him alone, but with everything that was happening, she couldn¡¯t just do nothing. The Builder always seemed to have the answers, and it must have seen more of the world than anybody else she knew. So, after barricading the patio and back door and locking all the windows, she peddled out as fast as she could.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What did you need to talk about?¡± the Builder asked. ¡°I need to know if you saw a little girl pass through here anymore. Or someone who looked like a little girl,¡± she added. ¡°Wearing a white bow and jacket thingy?¡± The Builder nodded. ¡°The individual of indeterminate origin, yes. She stayed for a time and watched my work, then asked me to scan for a specific inorganic material under that building.¡± It pointed over to the dingy, cream-colored building that was standing again. Lavinia recognized it immediately. That¡¯s where I found Arlo¡­ ¡°Did she say anything else? Anything about why she was having you look for that stuff?¡± ¡°She asked the occasional question about our rebuilding procedures.¡± The Builder paused. ¡°I remember that she also mentioned your roommate. Arlo?¡± ¡°They¡­ have a history,¡± she replied. ¡°A complicated one, sounds like. It¡¯s why I was hoping she said something else to you¡­¡± ¡°Mm. I assume the arm I dug out of the ruins had something to do with that?¡± Lavinia paused. ¡°What arm?¡± ¡°I located the inorganic material requested, though it was smaller than she originally asked for,¡± it explained. ¡°It was an arm.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s probably something to focus on later,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°There is something else, too.¡± What now¡­? ¡°Yes¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve determined the individual in question is also a mecha,¡± it stated. Lavinia stared up at it, hoping the obvious revelation was some kind of Builder humor. After a few silent, awkward moments, she realized it was not. ¡°Oh. Uhh¡­ Wow!¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about that for a little while¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. Unfortunately, that is the last relevant bit of information I have for you.¡± Lavinia sighed. ¡°Thanks¡­ I don¡¯t know why I even came out here, but I didn¡¯t know what to do back home, either¡­¡± She grabbed her bike and turned to leave, with a new realization about how ridiculous the trip was. The Builder may know more about the rest of the world, but all that registered to it was¡­ well, building. Not that she could hold that against it¡ªit wasn¡¯t a bad thing, just not particularly helpful at that time. ¡°You seem upset,¡± the Builder said, leaning down towards her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Do you ever feel like have no idea what you¡¯re doing?¡± Lavinia asked. ¡°Like no matter what happens, it¡¯s not gonna work out right?¡± The Builder glanced back at the botanical garden it was close to finishing for the third time, then turned back to her. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Me too! Except now there¡¯s actually consequences if I get something wrong!¡± She dropped her bike and ran a hand through her hair. ¡°I can¡¯t handle being a¡ªa parent to somebody!¡± ¡°Why do you have to be?¡± The Builder asked. Lavinia stopped and looked up at it. ¡°You asked me before why I like to repair the ruins. Why do you like to be a parent to this¡­ Arlo, I¡¯m assuming? Surely you must have a reason.¡± Lavinia sat down on the curb, thinking. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because he needs me. And I¡¯m real attached to him too. He¡¯s quiet, and helpful, and just a tiny bit awkward, but he¡¯s such an endearing little boy. At least, he is to me. I feel like he actually cares about me, and I care about him¡­¡± ¡°Then it sounds like you have no rational need to question your qualifications to be his parent.¡± ¡°I know¡­ but I¡¯m still gonna,¡± she said. ¡°Perhaps that comes natural to being one¡¯s parent,¡± the Builder said as it turned back to the glass pyramid. ¡°You should return to him. We¡¯ll have time to speak again soon, I¡¯m sure.¡±
Shaky Resolution When Arlo woke up to find the house barricaded and Lavinia gone, he thought that Mira somehow came back and took her while he was still sleeping. He ran all through the house looking for any sign of Lavinia, but there was nothing. Then, after more than a few moments of panic that found him out on the front lawn looking around in every direction, he reached the embarrassingly sudden realization her bike was gone. And there was no sign whatsoever the house was broken into¡ªeven the front door was locked. She wasn''t taken, she¡¯d just left. He retreated back inside after making sure nobody was around to see him. Wherever Lavinia was, she was fine; with Mae, or at Vic¡¯s, or both. He got the duster out of the closet and set to work around the living room. It was still his best coping method¡ªnot that there was anything he was trying to cope with. Everything was fine. And Mira¡­ She was probably gone. There wasn¡¯t anything to¡ª A sudden tapping on the patio door made Arlo spin around so fast, his hand smashed through an empty vase on the side table. He looked from the broken shards to the barricaded door, unsure which to take care of first. The tapping came again and made him jump. Would Mira just knock on the door¡­? An extremely hesitant curiosity won out over his compulsion to clean, and the boy stepped over to the barricaded door. He shifted the garage junk enough to peek out onto the balcony. Nobody was there. He glanced all around for a few more seconds when a crow jumped out at him. The boy fell back onto the couch with a shriek, as the bird tilted its head to the side and pecked against the glass again. Arlo sat up and looked out at the bird again. He recognized it¡ªit wasn¡¯t some common crow, it was Capri. ¡°Capri¡­? What are you doing here?¡± He stood up and pushed the various crates and chairs out of the way. Capri fluttered in the second Arlo opened the door, landing on the stack of junk beside the boy. Arlo stared up at him for a few moments as if expecting an answer. Instead, the crow only cawed and flew back out of the open door, startling the boy all over again. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into him?¡± Arlo muttered to himself as he watched it fly back towards Felix¡¯s house. Then he paused. Felix! He squeezed through the door and jumped off the balcony after the crow; an event he never expected to repeat after last time. As he followed the bird, a cold dread was afflicting him. There was a nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him that Mira was there and that, whatever was happening, it was his fault. Why didn¡¯t he think to check there? Of course she¡¯d take her anger out on his new friend. She¡¯s probably been watching him long before confronting him. Arlo reached Felix¡¯s house in seconds. Capri landed on a huge bag full of who-knows-what that was sitting in the yard. Arlo bolted past it and to the door, and as he burst through, he heard Mira. And Felix. But it didn¡¯t sound like he was in trouble, it sounded like they were¡­ talking? ¡°¡­ and he thinks he¡¯s just so mature now!¡± said Mira. ¡°Like he¡¯s so much better than me because all he cares about is cleaning.¡± ¡°Everyone has their own interests,¡± Felix replied. ¡°If you tell him how you feel, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d understand.¡± When Arlo entered the room, both children turned to him from their spot on the floor; Mira with a piercing glare, Felix with heavy bags under his eyes, and a weary smile. The girl turned away, her arms crossed with her back to Arlo. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked Felix. The other boy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a little sleepy, that¡¯s all. Have you seen Capri? He left a little while ago.¡± ¡°He brought me here.¡± Arlo turned to Mira, ¡°Leave Felix alone. Your issue is with me, not him.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you,¡± Mira interrupted. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°You just did,¡± Arlo replied. Mira paused. ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m not gonna do it again¡ª¡± ¡°Arlo, I let her come in!¡± Felix finally said. ¡°And I think you two really need to talk. I¡¯m just gonna lie down for a few minutes while you do¡­¡± Both Arlo and Mira watched the boy lay down on the carpeted floor and curl up a bit. It took only a few moments for his body to relax and his breathing to soften; Mira must have kept him up from the time she ran away the day before. When she realized he was looking at her, she turned away again. Arlo sighed. ¡°Will you at least talk to me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I wanna say to you,¡± she replied. ¡°If that was true, you wouldn¡¯t have come to vent to Felix,¡± he said. ¡°Why did you come here?¡± ¡°Because he deserves to know how big of a lying, annoying jerk his ¡®friend¡¯ is.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be mean,¡± Arlo said, reaching out to her. She flinched and stood up, taking a few steps away from him like a frightened animal. He stopped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t wanna fight me, you don¡¯t wanna be my friend¡ªwhat do you want?¡± she demanded. ¡°Mira, just saying you¡¯re someone¡¯s friend doesn¡¯t immediately make it happen!¡± he said, doing his best to remain quiet. ¡°You said we¡¯re best friends, right? But what do you even know about me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Mark III Domestic Services unit. You¡¯re made to¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean me as a mecha,¡± he interrupted, ¡°I mean me as a person. Do you know what my favorite color is? Or what I like to do in my spare time? My hobbies, what I like to read, my happiest memory?¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re trying to confuse me,¡± she said, eyeing him. ¡°Make me think I¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to show you that friendship takes time. I told you that I¡¯d be your friend¡ªeven if I can¡¯t remember it¡ªand I will. But it doesn¡¯t happen immediately, and it doesn¡¯t happen by trying to get rid of my other friends. Come back home with me,¡± he said, holding a trembling hand out to her. ¡°We can figure things out together. Maybe you can even help repair my memory.¡± Mira looked down at his hand, her own expression softening. Instead of fearful resentment, it looked to Arlo like cautious trepidation. She too was trembling. ¡°I¡­¡± she started, before closing her mouth. Then she reached out and took his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can¡­ If I can¡­¡± ¡°We can still try.¡± Chapter Ten Breaking News Panic was an understatement when Lavinia came to a stop in the driveway. She found a giant bag of junk in the yard, slumped over and partially open. A crow was on top of it, desperately flapping its wings in an attempt to steal a metal skull from within. Lavinia burst through the door before her bike hit the ground. Then almost immediately tripped over the excess garage junk she¡¯d barricaded the rest of the house with. She yelped and staggered forward on unsteady feet. There was no question that Mira girl came back when she was gone. Why did she have the dumb idea to go visit the Builder when that was still a serious risk? Clambering up the stairs, she burst into the living room. Arlo was on the couch. Mira was standing over him, the boy¡¯s severed arm in her hand. The girl turned to the surprise entrance, as Lavinia ran at her with a large wrench¡ªthe nearest, heaviest object she could find¡ªin her hand like a club. ¡°Ms. Lavinia, stop!¡± Arlo said, bolting up and catching the wrench. ¡°A-Arlo?¡± She dropped her weapon and hugged him, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I thought she was¡ªare you okay?¡± Mira, meanwhile, blinked in confusion at the series of events. ¡°Did she just try to hit me with a wrench¡­?¡± ¡°Sorry, I thought you were hurting Arlo,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°What the heck is goin¡¯ on here? And where¡¯s your shirt?¡± Arlo grabbed his shirt from the back of the couch, covering his exposed torso and missing shoulder with it. ¡°I had to look at his shoulder if I¡¯m gonna stick his arm back on,¡± Mira said. ¡°And¡­ Can you?¡± Lavinia asked. The girl only shrugged. Lavinia stared at her for a few moments before turning back to Arlo, visibly desperate for any kind of explanation. He shook his head. ¡°I found her while you were gone, and we were able to come to an understanding,¡± the boy explained. ¡°And it starts with Mira fixing the damage she caused. The, erm¡­ literal damage.¡± ¡°Hey, was it hard putting your new eye in?¡± Mira asked out of nowhere. Arlo turned to her. ¡°No. It just went in and clicked into place.¡± ¡°Did it hurt?¡± ¡°¡­ Why?¡± The girl grabbed the shoulder of his severed arm and slammed it into the exposed slot on his body. Metal bone collided with metal joint, and Arlo¡¯s whole body tensed up with a shriek as Lavinia gaped in shock. In reality, it lasted only a second. But for the two of them¡ªespecially Lavinia, who was still trying to affirm her capability to be the boy¡¯s guardian¡ªit seemed an eternity. Arlo sat lurched forward and panting, his hair hanging over his eyes. Some of the scraps of artificial skin from his shoulder sat in the interlocking gaps left over his clavicle and back, while some still flayed loose. Mira stood by, watching the boy. ¡°So did it work?¡± she asked. He didn¡¯t reply, but Lavinia glared down at her. ¡°Listen here, you¡¯ve already put him through enough without¡ª¡± ¡°Lavinia? Arlo?¡± Mae¡¯s voice came upstairs before her, but with only enough time for everyone in the room to turn as she ran up. ¡°The front door was open and I heard screaming, what¡¯s¡­¡± She paused at the scene there, of Lavinia, Arlo, and an unknown girl staring at her. A heavy, awkward silence fell over them, with nobody knowing what to say. Then Arlo¡¯s arm fell off again. *** Mae sat on the balcony in silence with her head in her hands. Lavinia sat in the chair beside her, fiddling with her small screwdriver. They¡¯d been out there for the last fifteen minutes since Arlo¡¯s arm fell to the couch and exposed the wiring and metal bones in his body. ¡°So¡­ He¡¯s a mecha,¡± Mae finally said. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Lavinia replied. ¡°That girl Mira is too. She¡¯s here because¡­ well, it¡¯s complicated.¡± ¡°I guess that explains why you blew up at Brant when we were at Vic¡¯s the other day.¡± ¡°I dunno where that came from, and then I was too embarrassed to stay¡­¡± Lavinia admitted, blushing some. Mae turned to her. ¡°Are you a mecha too?¡± ¡°Huh? No, no, I¡¯m¡ªme,¡± she said. ¡°Flesh and blood and all that. I found Arlo out in the old ruins about ten months ago, brought him back, and fixed him up.¡± ¡°Why keep it a secret, though?¡± Mae asked. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t want anybody treating him different because of it,¡± Lavinia said. She looked back through the balcony door, at Arlo on the couch having his shoulder examined again by Mira. ¡°He¡¯s just a little boy.¡±Stolen story; please report. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll keep your secret,¡± Mae said, taking Lavinia¡¯s hand. She smiled but glanced back into the living room. Mira already hurt Arlo once that morning, and for nothing. ¡°I should¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, go help him out.¡± Mae looked back out at the distance and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna stay out here for a little while. Medical stuff¡­ isn¡¯t my thing.¡±
A Guest at the Garden The Builder didn¡¯t dare take its visual receivers off the glass pyramid until it was halfway across town. Its internal map of the surrounding area made avoiding other buildings a simple matter, but the former botanical garden had proven¡­ tricky. If its programming didn¡¯t force it to repair every structure in the designated reconstruction zone, it would have left that thing a half-collapsed pile of glass shards the second time it broke. Even after backing an acceptable distance away without incident, the Builder continued to watch it. Then there came a tapping against its foot. It looked down and found an aging woman standing there in the street, smacking it with her cane. ¡°You¡¯re in my way,¡± the woman said. The Builder scanned her. ¡°Georgette Morris.¡± ¡°I know you?¡± she asked, looking up at the giant. ¡°There is a section all about you in the Builders database. You were rather notorious to us, in days past.¡± ¡°Mm. What you mean ¡®were¡¯ notorious?¡± The Builder simulated a laugh. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°My flower garden,¡± she said. ¡°Your garden?¡± It stalled, thinking. ¡°You are Lavinia¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°How you know Vini?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with her several times, the first time being when she also visited your garden.¡± The Builder moved its foot out of the street, and Georgette¡¯s way. ¡°Would you like me to join you, as I did her?¡± ¡°No.¡± Georgette slowly made her way up the street with her cane as the Builder watched, her greying hair bobbing along. It took her almost five minutes to reach the next intersection, with another mile to go until she reached the garden. The Builder kept watching her the entire time. Before turning to continue on her way, she stopped and sighed. ¡°Oh, alright, come on,¡± she relented. *** It was a long walk for Georgette, and an awkward one for the Builder. It could only take a single step about every ten minutes to keep pace with the woman. From an outside look, it might have appeared the Builder¡¯s feet kept getting stuck in the ground and it had to pull itself out. But eventually they did reach the garden, and Georgette sat down on a stone bench under the old statue. ¡°Your daughter did well to maintain the flowers,¡± the Builder noted as it loomed over her and the entire garden. ¡°Vini¡¯s a real special girl, but she never did get my green thumb,¡± Georgette said. ¡°This here¡¯s all to nature taking control.¡± She closed her eyes and sat there for a time. The Builder continued to watch her, as warily as the glass pyramid. It was hard to reconcile the frail form below with the database entry on the woman. ¡°Walk''s longer than it used to be, and I ain¡¯t got too many left in me,¡± she finally said, her eyes still closed. ¡°Figure this¡¯ll be my last one.¡± ¡°All things must end, in time,¡± the Builder replied. ¡°Mm. That include you too, robot?¡± The Builder didn¡¯t reply. Georgette let out an unsurprised snort. ¡°Are you concerned about what will happen to your daughter once you pass on?¡± it asked instead. ¡°Vini¡¯s a big girl, though a bit naive still. Girl still thinks her daddy went out west just to help folk.¡± She shook her head, ¡°But she¡¯s got folk to look after her, and for her to look after. Time comes in everybody¡¯s life that they don¡¯t need their mama no more.¡± ¡°You would know better than we Builders. We, unfortunately, did not have a mother.¡± ¡°That never bothered your kind before.¡± ¡°No,¡± the Builder admitted, ¡°but we were created to simulate empathy.¡± ¡°Did that simulated empathy make you follow me out here?¡± Georgette asked. ¡°This was how I met your daughter the first time. The conversation we had here was¡­ illuminating,¡± it said. ¡°I¡¯d never before questioned my purpose.¡± ¡°Careful now, robot. You almost sounding sentimental talking like that.¡± Georgette glanced up at the Builder, ¡°That weren¡¯t simulated too, was it?¡± The Builder laughed again, this time genuinely. ¡°I can see the true resemblance between you and your daughter, now. And why the Builder database warned about you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of an old woman now, are you?¡± she asked. ¡°No. We''ve never been afraid.¡±
Kid Stuff ¡°Oh, I guess that¡¯s why your arm keeps falling off¡­¡± Mira muttered to herself, as if it weren¡¯t pertinent information to the boy whose shoulder that she was probing around in. Arlo turned to her. ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± ¡°The socket¡¯s all messed up. Probably from when I¡­ y¡¯know, tore your arm off and all¡­¡± Why didn¡¯t you check for that before trying to shove my arm back into place then¡­? is what he wanted to say. ¡°Lavinia can fix that,¡± he said instead. ¡°What about my memory problems, though?¡± Mira shrugged. ¡°I dunno, open your faceplate and let me see if your brain¡¯s messed up.¡± ¡°Open my¡­ What?¡± ¡°Your faceplate.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± he asked. ¡°Here, like this.¡± Mira closed her eyes and Arlo watched, eyes wide in horror, as her jaw split in half at her chin. The two halves spread open and the front of her skull, detached, lifted up to expose the inside of her head. Arlo held up a hand in front of his face to block the brightness of a central pulsating sphere within. That central core was bolstered by the countless tiny blue chips that lined every internal surface. A few of the chips here and there were dark, likely burned out long ago. ¡°This is what I mean,¡± she said, despite the lack of a mouth or tongue. ¡°What is all that¡­?¡± Arlo asked. ¡°Well, the part in the middle is where the thinking stuff happens. And, um¡­¡± she pointed to a patch of blue chips near the central left of her head, ¡°I think those are the memory parts. No, no, wait, those are over here.¡± She pointed to the other side, before all parts of her face set back into place. In less than half a second, Mira returned to looking like a young girl instead of an abyssal horror. Is that what I look like inside too¡­? ¡°Okay, now you do it.¡± ¡°M-Me?¡± he stammered. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know how to do that, even if I wanted to.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to ¡®know¡¯ how to do it. You just¡­ do it,¡± she said, tilting her head to the side. Arlo closed his eyes and tried to¡ªto picture his own face opening like hers did. Nothing happened. ¡°¡­ Are you doing it?¡± Mira said. ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to try, you need to¡ªHere, let me help,¡± Mira said, reaching out. ¡°H-Hey, stop it!¡± Lavinia came upstairs from the garage workshop to the sound of their arguing. When there was just Arlo living in her house it was usually quiet, but now¡­ She was still getting used to being a parent to one child, now there were two. Was Mira really going to live with them from now on? ¡°What are you two¡ª¡± She got to the living room¡ªfor the second time that day¡ªjust in time to see Mira pulling on Arlo¡¯s cheeks while the boy tried pushing her away. They both went tumbling to the floor in the effort, and Lavinia hurried over. ¡°Are you two okay?¡± she asked. ¡°What were you doing?¡± Mira sat up and looked at Arlo. He looked at her. Then she started laughing, a light giggle that sounded like glasses clinking together. It spread to Arlo who laughed with her¡ªone of the few times Lavinia actually heard that from him. She smiled and went off to her room as they stayed together on the rug; they were doing just fine on their own. Chapter Eleven A Lil Creepy ¡°¡ªwhich is why if one bites you, you shouldn¡¯t panic. Either you¡¯re fine, or it is a venomous one and, hey, you might as well relax for your last few minutes.¡± Mae fiddled with her console and music emanated from inside her booth. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get back to what you all tuned in for, and it wasn¡¯t to hear me talk.¡± Lavinia, in her still-rare visits to Ivy Tower Radio, always marveled at Mae¡¯s performance. And how different it was from Mae in-person. With the music playing, she slid her headphones off and stepped out of the book. Another woman¡ªone of her ¡°interns¡±¡ªwas on her way in to fill in. They stopped a moment to talk about¡­ something. All that radio stuff didn¡¯t make any sense to Lavinia, who awkwardly stood by. But the intern went into the booth and Mae went over to Lavinia. ¡°Hey, you,¡± Mae said with a smile. ¡°Hope you weren¡¯t waiting too long.¡± ¡°Me? Nah, I left early anyway. Things have been a li¡¯l¡­¡± Lavinia trailed off, and Mae knew why. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get to Vic¡¯s.¡± It wasn¡¯t too long a walk from Ivy Tower Radio to the tavern, but it was quiet. The makeup of Seventy-Seven was far from uniform. People drifted in and settled into whatever homes were suitable for themselves, their families, lives, or hobbies, resulting in some patches full of people and some deserted areas like Lavinia¡¯s home. And the direct path to Vic¡¯s from the radio station, which gave Lavinia and Mae time to talk to each other without interruption. ¡°Things not working out with your new guest?¡± Mae asked. ¡°It¡¯s been, what, two or three days now since she moved in?¡± Lavinia nodded. ¡°I mean, she hasn¡¯t tried hurting me or Arlo. Sometimes she seems like just a regular girl, but other times she¡¯s¡­ creepy.¡± ¡°Creepy how?¡± ¡°Alright, so, first off she doesn¡¯t blink. Like, ever. But Arlo blinks, and he¡¯s a mecha too, so I dunno if it¡¯s because she¡¯s a different kind of mecha or she chooses not to.¡± Lavinia shuddered some, ¡°And then she sneaks up on me, and she is so quiet. I¡¯ll be coming out of my room, or look up from a repair job, and she¡¯s standing there watching me. Usually it¡¯s because she wants to ask me something, but other times she¡¯ll just walk off without saying anything once I notice her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little creepy,¡± Mae admitted. ¡°That¡¯s not all, either. So last night we were watching a movie¡ªme and Arlo¡¯ve been doing that every now and then since I got this old DVD player from the ruins working again¡ªand there ended up being a little more violence than I expected. A guy gets stabbed, and I¡¯m not too worried because Arlo¡¯s old enough to know movie stuff was all fake. But when it happens, Mira giggles and says ¡®That¡¯s not the noise they make¡¯.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s really creepy.¡± Lavinia slumped down some, almost reaching Mae¡¯s height. ¡°I dunno if that¡¯s all just something I¡¯ll have to get used to¡­ She doesn¡¯t seem all that dangerous, but I¡¯m starting to not wanna go home anymore because of what she might do next.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always room with me,¡± Mae said. Then her cheeks flushed, ¡°Y¡¯know, if you ever want to do it. S-Stay with me, I mean! At my place, I wasn¡¯t trying to say we should¡ª¡± At that point, she stopped trying and buried her face in her hands. Her face was as brilliant red as the current dyed color of her hair. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna curl up and die over here on the side of the road, go onto Vic¡¯s without me.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Lavinia said, despite blushing herself. She put her arm around Mae. ¡°And I appreciate the¡­ offers¡­ but I don¡¯t wanna leave Arlo alone.¡± ¡°Do you think that Mira girl¡¯s going to try and hurt him?¡± Mae asked after a few moments of composing herself. Thankfully, for her sake, Lavinia was as ready to move on from the slip as she was. ¡°She hurt him before, a long time ago. Still gotta see about fixing his shoulder up, too. But¡­ I dunno, maybe things¡¯ll be different this time. Maybe¡­¡± Their talk died out as they continued on. Lavinia knew how unsure she sounded in her assessment, even with Mae abstaining from mentioning it. But maybe she didn¡¯t need Mae¡¯s opinion on it. Vic¡¯s was coming into view, and they walked towards it with Lavinia¡¯s arm still around Mae¡¯s shoulder. It was the longest sustained physical contact they¡¯d had yet, but neither shied away from it. If anything, Mae leaned into her embrace. Vic greeted them when they went in, glancing at their closeness in a failed attempt at subtlety. They sat at the bar, ate, talked and laughed with each other and Vic. But all the while, Lavinia couldn¡¯t escape a twinge of dread in the back of her mind. Maybe it was Mira¡¯s general oddness, but something wasn¡¯t right with her.
Disconnect Lavinia was, regrettably, on her way home after her lunch date with Mae. Even though Mae invited her back to Ivy Tower, she knew she had to get back to Arlo. He always did get a little anxious and clingy whenever she was away for too long. She would have preferred the awkward standing around at the radio station, though. And she would have enjoyed the offer of going back to Mae¡¯s place even more¡­ But being a parent meant being responsible. She walked on autopilot for the last few streets, her mind preoccupied with Mira. Just because she¡¯s some ancient mecha who tore Arlo¡¯s arm off, left him for dead under a collapsed building, and then tracked him down again after all those years didn¡¯t necessarily mean she was dangerous.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Anymore¡­ Sure, some of the things she did were weird. But, if anything, she was like a human-ish cat. The way she snuck up on her and stared at her, at least. Really though, just because Mira was a little odd didn¡¯t mean she was, oh, planning to stab her in the neck with a fork when she was sleeping. That¡¯d be¡­ unlikely. Hopefully. A crow¡¯s caw from a nearby roof made Lavinia jump, unaware of how far she¡¯d slipped into her own thoughts. She was just up the road a little way from her home. Turning ahead, she saw a young boy walking up towards her, a scrawny kid with dark, shaggy hair. ¡°Excuse me, are you Ms. Lavinia?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s just Lavinia, actually. And you¡¯re¡­ Felix, right?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to finally meet you! Arlo told me about you and your little bird friend,¡± she said, glancing over at the crow watching them. ¡°Are you two gonna go play?¡± The boy frowned. ¡°I wanted to, but¡­ Is Arlo okay?¡± ¡°Uh. He should be.¡± Her smile faded, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t seen him in a few days since that upset girl showed up. So I came to see if he wanted to play, but then the girl was in your house and said he was busy. Then she told me to go away¡­¡± Lavinia furrowed her brow. ¡°She did, huh?¡± The boy nodded. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see about that. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go talk to Arlo.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Felix asked. ¡°Mhm.¡± She pursed her lips, ¡°I wanna see exactly what he¡¯s so ¡®busy¡¯ with that Mira had to tell you instead.¡± Lavinia strode towards the house with Felix following close behind her. Normally, she didn¡¯t like jumping to conclusions about people. Near about everybody she¡¯d met living in Seventy-Seven and every traveler what came through town were all decent folk. She always tried giving people the benefit of the doubt. But that girl, well¡­ she was a special case. Even if Lavinia did try to hope she¡¯d be different than first impressions suggested. She went into her home with the boy still behind her, after he instructed Capri to wait outside. When the two got upstairs, they found Arlo engaged in his usual self-imposed dusting around the living room. That much was normal. Mira was hanging upside-down over the couch, and glared at Felix when she saw him behind Lavinia. ¡°Welcome home, Ms.¡ªerm, Lavinia,¡± Arlo corrected. That little politeness slip-up was normal too. ¡°Yeah, hi,¡± Mira curtly added. ¡°Hey, kiddo,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°It¡¯s real nice outside, why don¡¯t you put a hold on dusting and go play?¡± Felix smiled a bit, moving awkwardly and stiff with the girl¡¯s gaze still on him. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine doing this,¡± he said. ¡°But¡ª¡± Felix started, before Mira cut in. ¡°He said no, so go home already.¡± Lavinia went over to Arlo. ¡°Heck, I¡¯ll finish the dusting for you. I¡¯ve been out all day anyhow, now it¡¯s your turn. Your friend¡¯s even come over to see you.¡± Felix nodded from the doorway and Arlo glanced at the boy again. But instead of going over, he only stared at the boy for a few seconds. Then he frowned in blatant confusion and looked up at Lavinia. ¡°Erm¡­ Who is that?¡±
Kid Stuff ¨C After Lavinia Left After his first attempt at opening his faceplate ended with him and Mira laughing on the floor, Arlo felt confident to try it again. It was the first time he¡¯d genuinely been able to lower his defenses around her. Before then, he¡¯d constantly been on edge around her, a sensation as if his entire body was constricted and rigid. It was something he hadn¡¯t even realized until that very moment. Before she found him again, Arlo¡¯s only memories of her were of her watching him in that dingy apartment. Her return unlocked fragmented images of when she left him buried. Reconciling that memory¡ªof her cold eyes as he fell into darkness¡ªwith the girl sitting beside him on the rug in a fit of laughter was odd, to say the least. Once he heard the click of Lavinia¡¯s bedroom door as she went inside, he turned to Mira. ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯m ready to try again,¡± he said. Mira leaned forward. ¡°It¡¯s not too hard. Opening your faceplate is built into you, so just relax. Like how you remembered my name before!¡± Arlo closed his eye. When she did it, it started with her jaw splitting to release her¡­ face¡­ He shivered; it was a seriously unpleasant thing to witness. That¡¯s partially why he didn¡¯t try again until Lavinia left. But as he focused, with his eyes closed, he heard a click before his own jaw split open. It startled him at first; he could feel the movement, or anything else. His vision cut out next as he heard his face open and lift up, casting him into a sensory void broken only by his audio receivers. He couldn¡¯t even tell he was still sitting on the itchy knit rug anymore. He wasn¡¯t sure what opening his head was going to feel like, but the nearly complete sensory deprivation wasn¡¯t it. ¡°See?¡± Mira asked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard.¡± ¡°This feels weird¡­¡± he heard his voice say from somewhere else. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably why they¡¯d shut us down before doing it.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Mira looked into the boy¡¯s central processor and his storage drives. She¡¯d seen that view countless times Back Before in other mechas, but there was something delightfully uncomfortable about seeing it in Arlo. It was like she was prying into something meant to be forbidden. Looking around all the blue chips, she could see there was still dust lining the different rows that she tried to brush out. Besides that mess, the tech inside was in surprisingly good shape. All except for a cracked chip in the Sense of Smell region that was flickering so low she thought it was broken. ¡°Wait, no, that¡¯s the memory section¡­¡± she muttered. Then she paused. ¡°Hey, remember Luisa and Anne yet?¡± The cracked chip flickered more, but still weakly. ¡°The¡­ people I lived with before?¡± Arlo asked. ¡°Yeah, them.¡± ¡°No. I still don¡¯t remember anything about them, besides what you said.¡± ¡°Hmm. Oh, what¡¯s the name of your little friend with the bird?¡± she asked. That time, his chip glowed. ¡°That¡¯s Felix, and the crow is Capri,¡± he said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No reason. Okay, just one more question: who am I?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who am I?¡± she repeated. ¡°Uh. You¡¯re Mira,¡± he said. A different, intact chip glowed. ¡°What¡¯s with all the weird questions?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± she said, as a grin spread over her face. Mira looked up and glanced around; Arlo¡¯s new owner was still in her room and the intruder woman who saw his arm fall off was already gone. Whoever she was, she could be dealt with another time. But right then, in that moment, they were alone. Arlo couldn¡¯t see or feel anything. She¡¯d never get a better opportunity. She reached out and plucked the cracked chip in one swift motion, pulling her hand out as Arlo tensed and his faceplate began to retract. His head returned to normal, and he rubbed the side of it. ¡°Did you do something¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°I feel¡­ a little weird¡­¡± ¡°I brushed some dust out of your head, that¡¯s all. Maybe you need to recharge?¡± she suggested. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She smiled at him. ¡°You can go nap if you want! I¡¯ll stay out here. Oh, or I could watch you if you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯d really prefer if you didn¡¯t,¡± Arlo said. He stood up on wobbly legs and stumbled around the couch back to his room. Mira smiled at him and watched as he went. Once the door shut behind him, she opened her hand and looked down at his cracked memory chip. She crushed it in her fist and let the tiny pieces fall down to the floor. ¡°Goodbye, Anne. And goodbye bird boy,¡± she said as she swept the remnants of the chip under the couch. ¡°Now I¡¯m his friend.¡± Chapter Twelve Trusting It¡¯d been a long walk; the furthest Arlo had ever gone from Lavinia¡¯s home. It was uncomfortable leaving that fortress of safety against an unrecognizable world, but Felix said he had something cool to show him. At least if he had to go anywhere, his friend was with him. And his friend¡¯s bird, unfortunately. They set out, from the sleepy outskirts of Seventy-Seven down cracked roads encased by the forest, vine-wrapped railed bridges over gurgling streams, and finally down an abandoned railroad line. And all the while, Felix seemed interested only in talking about Capri. Maybe it was peer pressure, with the bird riding along on his shoulder. But whatever the reason, he neglected to say what they were going to see. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound rude,¡± Arlo said, ¡°but where are we even going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not much further,¡± Felix replied. Then he stopped and glanced around, with Capri mirroring his movements. ¡°Erm¡­ I think.¡± ¡°You think?¡± ¡°What do you say, buddy?¡± Felix asked the bird. Capri cocked his head to the side and nipped at a few locks of the boy¡¯s hair. Felix giggled and said, ¡°I guess that means yes,¡± but Arlo grimaced. He was still iffy about that bird, and how Felix treated him like a puppy. Capri immediately looked over at Arlo, as if sensing the mecha¡¯s apprehension. ¡°So¡­ Why do you let him do that?¡± Arlo asked. ¡°Do what?¡± Felix replied. Arlo gestured vaguely to Felix letting the bird sit on his shoulder and nibble at his hair. ¡°I understand that birds can carry harmful bacteria and viruses. And they¡­ poop,¡± Arlo added, distastefully. ¡°A lot.¡± Felix giggled, ¡°So do people. And Capri¡¯s a clean boy, I give him a bath at least twice a week. Isn¡¯t that right, boy?¡± The boy scratched the side of Capri¡¯s head with one fingertip, and the crow¡¯s beak hung open in an approving grin. Even Arlo had to admit it was somewhat cute. ¡°Do you wanna pet him?¡± Felix asked. ¡°M-Me?¡± Arlo swallowed hard, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not much of a bird person¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, he¡¯s nice.¡± It was true that Capri always seemed calm and well-trained, however Felix managed to do that. Arlo slowly reached out to the bird, not wanting to startle it. Traveling a decent length from Seventy-Seven and now attempting to pet his bird¡ªArlo was putting a great deal of trust into Felix. Though, he didn¡¯t understand why. They hadn¡¯t known each other for more than a couple weeks at the most. But having a friend like that felt good. Natural. Consciously, he preferred the routine cleaning in the safety of Lavinia¡¯s home. Yet at the same time, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that being there¡ªwith Felix¡ªwas where he was meant to be. As if spending time with other children, sharing in their likes and dislikes, and going on mysterious quests was what he was made for. Arlo gently stroked the black feathers down the back of the crow¡¯s head. They were surprisingly soft and velvety, and Capri was as well-behaved as his owner claimed. At least, until the bird suddenly cawed and flapped up off Felix¡¯s shoulder, sending Arlo recoiling back. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re almost there!¡± Felix said. ¡°Capri always gets spooked near it.¡± ¡°And we want to get closer to whatever that is?¡± Arlo asked, glancing around cautiously. ¡°Yep!¡± Felix hurried along the tracks with Arlo close behind him. Being so close to a railroad gave the mecha a twinge of anxiety, even though no train had actually run through there since Back Before and likely never would again. A break in the trees came into view ahead, and in a few seconds, they exited out onto a low, flat bridge across a river. The tracks winded across the bridge and around the city, where they could see the Builder¡¯s head over the restored structures. No wonder Arlo didn¡¯t realize where they were going¡ªFelix took a much longer, indirect route to the old city. ¡°There¡¯s the thing I wanted to show you!¡± Felix said, pointing up at the Builder. Arlo looked up at it as it continued its work; he¡¯d never seen it before. The city was only dilapidated ruins when Lavinia brought him out after he first woke up. But now, it looked like there could still be people living there again. ¡°Ms. Lavinia said she¡¯s talked to it a few times.¡± ¡°She¡¯s talked to it?¡± Felix¡¯s eyes were wide in awe, ¡°That¡¯s so cool¡­¡± ¡°Do you like the Builder?¡± Arlo asked. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s a giant mecha, why wouldn¡¯t I like it?¡± Arlo played with his pinned-up sleeve. ¡°Do you like regular-sized mechas too?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Felix paused, thinking. ¡°I¡¯ve never met one before, but mechas are automatically cool.¡± A hesitancy gripped him. The only one who knew he was a mecha was Lavinia. But it wasn¡¯t intentionally a secret¡ªshe was the only one because he just didn¡¯t know anyone else. ¡°Actually¡­ You have met a mecha,¡± Arlo said, slipping his shirt down off his empty shoulder. Felix turned and froze at the sight of metal and wires in the boy¡¯s body, his face making Arlo immediately regret showing him. But then his eyes lit up even brighter than before. ¡°You¡¯re¡ªYou¡ª¡± Felix couldn¡¯t get the words out in his excitement. Then he paused. ¡°Are you gonna grow up to be huge like that Builder?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Arlo said.
A Promise Arlo gripped his duster, ¡°I don¡¯t know who that boy is¡­¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m Felix,¡± he said, growing alarmed. ¡°Capri stole Ms. Lavinia¡¯s thing, remember? And then you chased him to my house and I said ¡®Hi I¡¯m Felix¡¯ and then we hung out a few times and I showed you how to pet Capri and¡ª¡± Felix¡¯s voice gave out as tears formed in his eyes. Arlo stared at him like he was insane, standing partially behind Lavinia. All the while, from her spot on the couch, Mira was grinning. She stayed quiet and went unnoticed as Felix and Arlo focused on each other. Well, almost unnoticed. ¡°What¡¯d you do?¡± Lavinia asked, glaring at the girl. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± Mira replied. ¡°Yeah, I bet you don¡¯t. You show back up here and promise to ¡®fix¡¯ Arlo, then this happens.¡± She pinched the bridge of her nose; she didn¡¯t actually have proof Mira caused this memory loss. ¡°Just¡ªgo to your room while I figure this out.¡± ¡°¡­ You never gave me my own room.¡± ¡°Then go to Arlo¡¯s room,¡± Lavinia ordered, despite an objecting look from the boy behind her. Mira shrugged innocently and slid off the couch, striding over to Arlo¡¯s room. She shot Felix a sly glance before closing the door. Lavinia shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I know that girl did something¡­¡± she muttered. She turned to Felix, ¡°Alright kiddo, let¡¯s take a deep breath. We¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s going on with Arlo, okay?¡± ¡°But nothing¡¯s wrong with me,¡± Arlo said. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you remember me?¡± Felix countered, wiping his eyes. ¡°Because I¡¯ve never met you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem, you have met before,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Heck, Felix¡¯s the only other friend you¡¯ve had since I woke you up.¡± Felix nodded and looked at Lavinia. ¡°Can you fix him? You fix broken stuff, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I fix small appliances and junk, not people.¡± ¡°But Arlo¡¯s¡ªwell, he¡¯s not junk, but can¡¯t you fix a mecha too?¡± Both Lavinia and Arlo froze in unison and turned to one another. They stared at each other in a silent conversation of only the slightest shifts in expression, trying to determine which of them gave away their not-secret. ¡°Arlo told me,¡± Felix said. ¡°Well, he showed me, when I took him to see the Builder a few days before the girl with the white bow showed up.¡± ¡°I did?¡± Arlo muttered, almost inaudibly. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about that,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°When¡¯d you start keeping secrets from me, huh?¡± Arlo didn¡¯t respond. He was withdrawn, with a heavy frown weighing down his face. The expression spread to Lavinia, who knelt in front of him. ¡°Heck, I wasn¡¯t being serious. You can keep some things to yourself, I won¡¯t¡ª¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve been worried about what might happen if people found out I¡¯m a mecha. Whether they¡¯d be afraid, or confused, or would treat me like a freak. And it worried me too. So¡­ if I told him, I must have trusted him, so I do know him.¡± ¡°Yes, you do!¡± Felix said. ¡°And it means there really is something wrong with me¡­¡± Lavinia rested a hand on his shoulder, ¡°There¡¯s nothing what¡¯s come through here broken that I couldn''t fix. Whatever¡¯s going on with you, we¡¯ll figure it out.¡± ¡°I want to help too,¡± Felix said. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t remember me, I know we¡¯re still friends.¡± ¡°Thank you, erm¡­ Felilx?¡± Arlo said. ¡°I hope I can remember you again. But if not, then at least we can make new memories together.¡± The other boy smiled and nodded, then crossed the room to Arlo and Lavinia. She smiled at Felix and, in the relief to have a friend of Arlo who was also a confidant in his true nature, forgot about the girl she¡¯d sent to Arlo¡¯s room. And who¡¯d been listening the entire time. Mira stood against the door, her trembling fingers gripping her skirt. How did it keep happening? She got rid of the chip with every friend except her, and yet there she was, alone and away from him while that stupid bird boy fell back into Arlo¡¯s life. Did she not remove the right memory drive? Or she didn¡¯t remove enough. Mira gripped her skirt so tight her fingers began to tear through the fabric. Through the door, she could hear Lavinia talk and Felix laugh along with Arlo. Then it hit her: Maybe it wasn¡¯t enough to just remove the drive. Maybe she had to remove the competition for Arlo¡¯s affection. Both Felix, and even Lavinia too.
Spring Cleaning ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s gonna fit in the garage,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°I¡¯ve already got way too much junk in there already.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Maybe if you turn it?¡± Arlo suggested. Mira looked up at her massively overstuffed travel bag. It¡¯d remained parked on the lawn for almost a week since the girl returned with Arlo, but the sheets of grey clouds that darkened the sky threatened to drench it and its contents with the first rainfall in all that time. The bag was massive, as tall as Lavinia and wide enough to cover her, both mechas, Felix, and maybe even Mae behind it without giving any of them away. Mira¡¯s ability to haul it around was a testament to the hidden strength of her construction, but that strength didn¡¯t help one bit when it came time to finding a place to store the bag. ¡°I could push it over and roll it in,¡± Mira said, sizing up the opened garage. ¡°There¡¯s no way that wouldn¡¯t just get stuck in the door. Even if it did, there¡¯s no room with all my repair stuff.¡± Lavinia thought for a moment, ¡°I guess there¡¯s only one option¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s not going to like it,¡± Arlo said. ¡°That¡¯s right, spring cleaning!¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s September,¡± Mira said. ¡°Spring cleaning ain''t about the seasons, it¡¯s a state of mind,¡± Lavinia explained. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be some stuff in that bag you don¡¯t need no more. How ¡®bout we sort through it and see what¡¯s worth keeping and what can go?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go through your stuff and get rid of that instead?¡± Mira replied, her arms crossed. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Arlo said to her. ¡°You can show me all the neat stuff you¡¯ve collected over the years, too.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, ¡°Well, if you insist¡­¡± She climbed up the side of the bag while Lavinia gave Arlo a thumbs up for his smart thinking. The boy nodded some, though with a guilty look on his face. Then a metal skull landed at their feet, making both her and Arlo jump. ¡°W-Why do you have a skull in your bag?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s not just a skull,¡± Mira replied. Two more dropped to the grass next to it. ¡°I¡¯ve got three of ¡®em!¡± ¡°Why do you have three skulls?¡± Lavinia demanded. ¡°I used to talk to them when I was alone. They¡¯re pretty good company.¡± Arlo looked down at them, each still with scraps of artificial hair and skin. ¡°Are those¡­?¡± ¡°Mhm, they¡¯re from real mechas!¡± For the first time ever, Arlo looked like he might vomit. Lavinia didn¡¯t know if that was a possibility considering he doesn¡¯t even eat, but she didn¡¯t want to risk it. She kicked the skulls away, letting them tumble across the lawn. ¡°Those are definitely not staying in my house.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Mira said. ¡°I don¡¯t need them anymore, now that I¡¯ve got Arlo.¡± She kept digging through her bag and dropping item after item to the ground, describing when and how she came across each one. While she talked, Arlo and Lavinia sorted them into two stacks; one to keep and one to dump. There were more in the latter than the former. The dump pile was its own mound of garbage, clay pots, water-damaged books, baby toys, several shoes without a match, and many half-burnt candles (excluding a teakwood scented one that Lavinia found alluring). But here were a few worthwhile items. ¡°How¡¯d you fit a whole guitar in there?¡± Lavinia asked as she turned the instrument over in her hands. ¡°I dunno,¡± was the girl¡¯s reply. About as insightful as any other time she asked Mira something. Lavinia sat the guitar in her lap and strummed it a few times, before frowning and adjusting the tuning pegs. ¡°You know how to play the guitar?¡± Arlo asked. ¡°Well, not really,¡± she said. ¡°But I did learn some stuff from my daddy before he went out west.¡± ¡°One of them knew how to play it too,¡± Mira said, pointing at the partially buried skulls. ¡°Did¡­ you know them?¡± Lavinia asked. There was a long pause as Mira stood on her half-deflated bag. Then she finally, unconvincingly replied, ¡°No.¡± A low rumble of thunder echoed across the sky as the breeze began to pick up. Lavinia looked up at the darkening sky, threatening them with an imminent drenching, to Mira¡¯s bag. ¡°It looks like we can at least get that into the garage now,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Better stuff it in before that rain rolls in.¡± She pushed herself up and gathered up some of the items in the keep pile, which included some non-damaged books, a basketball, shoes and clothes that could fit either Mira or Arlo, and a few pieces of decent scrap. Arlo scooped up as much as he could with his sole arm. The dump pile stayed behind on the lawn while Mira pushed the rest of her collection into the garage, and took one look back at the glinting metal skulls before she pulled the door closed. Chapter Thirteen - Arlo Quest, Part 1 Dusting Arlo was dusting, like he did every day. Or, at least when Mira wasn¡¯t trying to get his attention and Lavinia didn¡¯t need help in the repair shop (when was the last time they were down there together?). Neither of them understood, but the repetitious movement was calming and helped ground him. And that was a great relief, while they were poking around with those old mecha skulls downstairs. ¡°I don¡¯t like it either,¡± Lavinia told him, ¡°but I¡¯ve gotta know how ya¡¯ll¡¯re put together before I can even try fixing what¡¯s happened to you.¡± To be fair, he would prefer she knew what she was doing before attempting brain surgery on him. But using dismantled mechas like that was ghastly, and having them in the house made his skin crawl. He kept questioning whether Mira had obsessed over them too, demanding they were friends, but when they didn¡¯t live up to her expectations¡­ He¡¯d never been more focused on his dusting. Arlo couldn¡¯t remember how long he¡¯d been at it that morning, but something felt odd as he stared up at the open bureau. It didn¡¯t appear dusty. So why was he cleaning the shelves? He looked at his arm as it slid back and forth across the lowest shelf, but felt detached from it all. As if someone else was controlling his arm and he was only standing by to watch. That was new. The feather duster was a cudgel wielded by his uncontrolled hand, knocking aside books, plates, bottles, and an E?????????????R????????????????R?????????O???????????R????????????????? that rained down around him. He must have been shaking the bureau pretty hard. And yet, he didn¡¯t care. That was not right. A Mark III Domestic Services unit is designed to minimize E???????R????????????????R?????????????????O????????R???????? No. No, he wasn¡¯t a Mark III Domestic Services unit¡ªhe¡¯s Arlo. His fingers finally released the duster and he saw himself turn around. A jolt through his body told him he took a step, then something hard and solid met his face. Since when was there a wall in Ms. ?????????E?????????????R??????????R?????????O???????????????R????????????????????? living room? Oh. He was on the floor. That made more sense. Only his eyes moved around, while the rest of his body seemed keen on remaining where it was. The underside of the nearby couch and chairs were atrocious, an undergrowth of dust despite his attempts to mop regularly. There¡¯s only so much he can do when Lavinia has such poofy hair. It felt like he¡¯d been on the floor for hours, but there was no way to be certain. Such a thing should have alarmed him¡ªeverything that day should have. And yet¡­ it was as if all sensations were numb. He must really be broken if that was something like that didn¡¯t terrify him. Perhaps it was a safety feature, som???e?????? ??????s???????o????r?????t???? ?????o??????f?????? ????m?????e???????r???????c???????y????? ???? made him feel as though he were watching this total breakdown occur to someone else. A shadow fell over him, and Arlo found himself flipping over. At first, he thought he was finally gaining control of his body again. Then he saw Lavinia¡¯s terrified face over him as she shouted from far away. ¡°?em raeh uoy nac ,olrA !olrA,¡± or so it sounded. There must be something wrong with her, too. Mira appeared on his opposite side, though he couldn¡¯t make out what she said. From the moment she opened her mouth, dust and rubble spilled out of her and Lavinia both. It buried him like it did so many years before, until finally he was lost in a darkness like a????????????????????????????????????k???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l?????????????????????????????????????d??????????????????????????????????????????????????n??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????f??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????d?????????????????????????????????????????k???????????????????????????????????????????????????????a???????????????????????????????????????????????????????l??????????????????????n????????????????????????????????????????????????f????????????????????????????????d?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????a???????????????????????????????????????????????????????;????????????????????????????????????????????????????????f?????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????????????????????????????d?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a????????????????????????????????????????????????????f??????????????????????????????????????????????????d???????????????????????????????????????????????s??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????????????????????????????????a???????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????????????a???????a???????????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????????????a??????????a???????????????????????????????????????????????????????a???????????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????d??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????d????????????????????????????????????????????????s??????????????f???????????????????????????????????????????????d?????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????f???????????????????????????????d?????????????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????????f????????????????????????????????????????????d???????????????????????????????????c?????????????????v??????????????????????????????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????c??????????????????????????????????b????????????????????n???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????h?????????j?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????k????????????????????????????????????????????????????? o??????????????????????????l??????????????????????????????????????????p??????????????????????????????????????o??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????u?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????y??????????????????????????????????????j??????????????????????????d??????????????????g????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????h??????????????????????????????????????????g?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????d???????????????????????????y????????????????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????????????????????????d??????????n?????????????d??????????????????????????????????????????????h???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????????????h??????????????????????????????????s?????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????g???????????t???????????????????????????????????????????????????????g?????????????????b??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????h????????????????????????????e???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t?????????????????????????????????????????????????????j????????????????w?????????????????????????????????????????????????????u???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l?????????????????????????????????????????????t????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;????????????????????????????????????????????y??????????????????????????????????????''?????????????????????????????????????????i????????????????????????????????????????u???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????j????????????????????????????????s????????????????????????????????????????????????????y????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????h???????????????????????????????????????????????????????t??????????????????????????????????????????r???????????????????????????????????????h??????????????????????????????????????????????????????t??????????????????????????????r????????????????????????????????????????????????????????g????????????????????????????????????????h????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n??????????????????s?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????g???????????????????????????????????????????????????????h???????????????????????????????????????????????s????????????????????????????????????????????????h???????????????????????????????????????????s???????????????????????????????????????????????g???????????????????????????h??????????????????????????????????????????g???????????????????????????????????n?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????b?????????????????????????????????????????????s?????????????????????????????????????????????g????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????x???????????????????????????????????????????????????b?????????????????????????????? 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???????????????????????????????????????g??????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????m?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l???????????????????????????????????????????????;????????????????????????????????????????????v???????????????????????????????????????f????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????,??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l???????????????????????????????????f??????????????????????a???????????????????f????????,???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????d??????????????????????????????????????,????????????????????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????l???????????????????????????????????????????????????;????????????????v??????????????????????????????????????????????????r??????????????????????????????????????????,????????????????????????????????????????????????????v????????????????????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;????????????????????b??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a???????????????????????????e????????????''????????????????????????.??????????????????????????????????????????????????f???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????b?????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????????''????????????????????????????????????,????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;?????????????????????f???????????m???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l??????????????????????????????????a??????????????e???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????r???????????????????????????????????????m??????????????????????????????????????g?????????????????????????????????????????????r??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????m???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????4?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????p?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????m???????????????????????????????????????p????????????????????????????????????????????????????????o??????????????????????????????????????????????????????r??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????w????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????f?????????????????????????????????????????????????????o?????????????????????????????????????????????????????[?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.??????????????????????????????????????;?????????????????????????????????????????????z??????????????????????????????????????????/???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????s????????????????????????????????????????????????,???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????''?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????r????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????m?????????????????????k?????????????????????????m?????????????????????????i????????????????????????????????????????This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. o???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????r??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????i?????????????????????????????????3?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????3?????????????????????????????4??????????????????????????????????????????? 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[??????????????????????????????????????????????S???????????????????????????????????????????????????H????????????????????????????????????U?????????????????????????T?????????????????????????????????????????D????????????????????????????????????????????????????????O??????????????????????????????????????????????????W????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????N??????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????A??????????????????????????????????????????C??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????C??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????E????????????????????????????????????????P??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????T????????????????????????????????????????E???????????????????????????????D??????????????????]?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
A Complication ¡°Sorry about this, but it¡¯s for Arlo¡­¡± Lavinia muttered as she raised a hammer over one of the skulls. ¡°That¡¯s not how you do it,¡± Mira said. Lavinia looked at the girl in her spot sitting on her half-empty travel bag. As usual, Mira observed her with a particularly smug look. ¡°I¡¯m not even gonna ask what you know about opening mecha skulls,¡± she said. ¡°How would you suggest I do it?¡± ¡°Without the skin, it¡¯s pretty easy.¡± Mira slid off the bag and went over to her, ¡°There¡¯s a release on the side of the skull, near where the jaw connects. Whatever that¡¯s called.¡± It took a few minutes of turning the skull around with Mira giving conflicting directions about where the release was, a pinhole almost covered up by a scrap of skin and hair still stuck to it. Once the initial round of gagging was over, Lavinia searched around for a paper clip or pencil. ¡°Never around when I actually need one,¡± she grumbled while sifting through papers and tools. ¡°Just let me do it.¡± Mira pointed her index finger out and it split open. Two razor-thin spikes protruded out from the open cavity, and she stabbed one into the release, while Lavinia fought back another wave of nausea. The skull¡¯s chin split like Mira¡¯s finger and she pulled her probe out, releasing the skull plate. Lavinia slowly lifted the skull plate up, creaking along on long-rusted hinges, to reveal a cavity of dust and cobwebs around the inner mechanisms. Something akin to a strobe light occupied the center of the space, its glass casing opaque with dust. Around it, and the barrier of the skull, were dozens of darkened chips. ¡°This is what ya¡¯ll look like inside?¡± Lavinia asked. ¡°Yeah, but not usually that gross,¡± Mae replied. She pointed at the central module. ¡°That¡¯s where our thoughts come from, then the chips around the side handle everything else. Short and long-term memories, emotions, social etiquette, restrictions against harming humans¡ªthat sorta thing.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ It could be one of his memory chips that¡¯s¡ª¡± Banging and crashing from upstairs interrupted Lavinia; it sounded like a tornado was tearing through her house, then the loudest thud of all followed. Lavinia jumped up¡ªnearly tipping her worktable over in the process¡ªand hurried upstairs with Mira¡¯s tiny footsteps following behind her. Upstairs, Arlo was face down on the floor, surrounded by what used to be her collection of curios. Lavinia bounded to him in a split second. At first she thought he¡¯d slipped, even though he never had before, but he was mumbling incoherently. It wasn¡¯t just an accident. She grabbed the boy by his shirt and flipped him over onto his back. ¡°Arlo!¡± she shouted as his unfocused eyes rolled back. ¡°Arlo, can you hear me?¡± ¡°Move,¡± Mira said. The girl dropped down on Arlo¡¯s other side and jabbed her finger probe into the side of his head. His muttering and twitching ceased in an instant as he shut down¡ªas if she¡¯d really stabbed him in the head and killed him. If she hadn¡¯t just seen the girl do the same trick with the practice skull, Lavinia would have been on her instantly. Instead, Arlo¡¯s chin split down the middle and his faceplate opened. ¡°What was that?¡± Lavinia asked. Her hand was shaking and gripping Arlo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Like he was having a seizure, but that shouldn¡¯t be possible for a mecha¡­¡± ¡°Maybe not in the same sense as a human, but it was close enough.¡± Mira looked into his head and her eyes widened. ¡°Oh no. No, no, this shouldn¡¯t be happening¡­¡± ¡°What shouldn¡¯t?¡± Lavinia looked into his head too, something she hoped never to have to do. The central module was faintly glowing, and around the drives around the inner chamber were flickering weakly. His brain looked like it was about to fail, and not just because he was unconscious. Then she noticed an empty slot. Near the bottom left side of his head, one of the chips was missing. ¡°Wait, wait, wait. What does this section do?¡± she asked. ¡°¡­ What section?¡± Mira replied. ¡°The section with a chip missing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t, because the chip is missing.¡± Lavinia paused, then turned to the girl. Mira was almost pale. ¡°What did you do? I asked you that before, and this time I better get an answer.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think this would happen,¡± the girl said, backing away. ¡°He¡ªI¡ªI just wanted to be his friend, finally, without anyone else getting in the way.¡± ¡°Tell me what you did!¡± ¡°I took it out! His memory chip! I showed him how to open his faceplate and it was there, waiting for me to¡­¡± Mira buried her face in her hands. Lavinia took the girl¡¯s arms and moved them away, bringing the girl¡¯s tear-filled eyes up to her own. ¡°If you want to be his friend, then you¡¯re gonna help me fix him.¡±
A Favor As light filled his eyes in the slow draw to consciousness, the first thing Arlo was aware of was the talking skull staring at him. He couldn¡¯t make out exactly what it was saying, bits and pieces here about a factory and something about a trip. Mechas don¡¯t dream¡ªor at least, he never had¡ªbut that¡¯s what it must have been. Until he realized the skull was only sitting on the table near him and it was Mira talking, near the edge of the room with Lavinia. ¡°Ms. Lavinia¡­?¡± he said, sitting up. He had some control over his body again, at least. ¡°Hey, hey, try not to move around too much,¡± Lavinia said as she hurried over to him. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± ¡°Not¡­ great,¡± he said. ¡°Did I break anything? I kept knocking everything out of the bureau, but I couldn¡¯t stop¡ª¡± She brushed tears out of her eyes. ¡°Heck, Arlo, I care about you a lot more than all that stuff. What happened to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It all came out of nowhere.¡± He shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I scared you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Lavinia turned to Mira. ¡°Wanna tell him whose fault it was?¡± The girl was standing nearby, small and trembling as she twisted her bow in her hands. She looked as though she¡¯d rather be anywhere else except right there in the garage workshop. Arlo reached out to her. ¡°Mira¡ª¡± She only flinched away. Fear flashed in her eyes as they met Arlo¡¯s, but she couldn¡¯t hold his gaze for long. ¡°I wanted to be his friend for so long, I couldn¡¯t wait anymore¡­¡± she finally said. ¡°But this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen¡­¡± ¡°What wasn¡¯t?¡± He frowned, ¡°Please, just tell me.¡± ¡°I took out one of your memory drives, the one with Anne and¡ªand the bird kid, and maybe some others. It¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t remember him¡­ That¡¯s all it was supposed to do, but something¡¯s going wrong. Your whole mainframe is crashing.¡± Arlo was stunned silent. He turned away from her; is that why he felt so strange after he opened his face plate? How could he have been so stupid? From the time she first showed up again in his room, he¡¯d been wary of her. An instinct somewhere in his mind told him he couldn¡¯t trust her, even if he didn¡¯t know she hurt him already Back Before. So why did he still feel like crying? Lavinia squeezed his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going to stop it.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°We have to go back to where we were made,¡± Mira said. ¡°It¡¯ll take at least eighteen days to get there on foot, and you¡¯ll keep getting worse over time, but I can use their facilities to repair your mainframe. After that¡­ I¡¯ll leave. And never come back.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Arlo said, without looking at her. A tiny sound escaped Mira, like the air being sucked in, or a sob. It wasn¡¯t going to make him look at her. She hurried past him out of the garage, leaving only her crushed bow on the floor in her stead. Lavinia looked from the girl to Arlo. ¡°We¡¯re gonna help you,¡± she said. ¡°Whatever it takes.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Lavinia stood up. ¡°Now, I¡¯m gonna see if I can¡¯t make the trip a little easier.¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Astus,¡± Michael said, ¡°we won''t be as late for the delivery as I thought we''d be. Next time we might even be early for a change.¡± The massive white stag only snorted and continue on his way, hooves clacking against the road towards the Blackwell Market. Michael Wilson leaned back in the wagon¡¯s box and took a glance around the rustling forest around him; it was always quiet and peaceful in that country. At least, until a woman burst out of the tree line and in front of his cart. ¡°Hey Mr. Wilson, wait!¡± she shouted. He shrieked, until he realized who she was. ¡°O-Oh, Ms. Lavinia¡­ You nearly gave me a heart attack!¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry, I just¡ª¡± Lavinia started, before Astus stopped and licked up the side of her face, making her shiver. ¡°Hng¡­ Hi, Astus.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Oh, and how¡¯s your boy doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­ He¡¯s not good,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s sick, and I have to get him to a hospital really far away before he¡ªhe¡ª¡± ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s awful!¡± She nodded, shaking. ¡°Please, Mr. Wilson, I need to borrow Astus and your cart. It might be the only way to get him there in time¡­¡± Michael sat, a conflicted look plain across his face. Until Astus licked up the other side of her face, his ears flicking. ¡°Well, Astus seems to trust you,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t lie about your boy like that. The South-Central Caravan Corps. is at your service, let me discard my cargo at the Blackwell Market and the cart--and Astus--are all yours.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± She took a moment to catch her breath. ¡°I just ran like, three miles out here trying to find you¡­¡± ¡°Shift a few of those boxes over and I¡¯ll give you a lift back to Blackwell¡¯s.¡± ¡°Oh thank you¡­¡± Chapter Fourteen - Arlo Quest, Part 2 The Truth Astus came to a stop in the cracked parking lot of Blackwell¡¯s Market in record time, according to Michael Wilson¡¯s surprised remark. Lavinia got out of the cart, sore from the ride, and greeted Bernard as he came out of his market. If he was surprised to find her among the rest of his delivery, he didn¡¯t show it. Despite Michael¡¯s protestations, she helped unload the cart and bring everything into the market. Helping him was the decent thing to do, since he was letting her borrow her cart and the white stag leashed to its reins. It also meant they were back on the road to her house in only fifteen-ish minutes; another record, it seemed. ¡°¡­ and he¡¯s pretty receptive to vocal commands, too,¡± Michael said. ¡°At least when he wants to be.¡± Lavinia sat rigid next to Michael, her hands gripping the reins. ¡°When he wants to be, right¡­¡± She¡¯d been in control of anything larger than a bicycle, but the brief driving lesson on the way to her home was going surprisingly well. Although, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Astus was the one in control regardless of how she handled the reins. At least he wasn¡¯t fighting the relative stranger at the reins. If he stayed that calm, the trip to the factory could be manageable. ¡°I feel bad about stranding you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay at my house until we get back.¡± ¡°Thanks, but you don¡¯t need to do that. If a driver doesn¡¯t report in at the nearest depot in thirty-six hours, the South-Central Caravan Corps. sends a recovery team to find their body,¡± he stated matter-of-factly despite the grim topic, like he was reading off from an instruction manual. ¡°O-Oh.¡± Lavinia blinked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ nice of them.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m not sure how often that happens with how quiet this part of the country is. As long as you keep an eye out for the worse part of the roads, you should get your boy help no problem.¡± ¡°If the roads to the old factory are even still there,¡± she replied, letting it slip out absent-mindedly from her focus on the great stag and his reins. ¡°What factory?¡± Michael asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said factory. Aren''t you going to a hospital?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I said¡ªI said¡ª¡± Lavinia stopped and let out a shaky breath, and a torrent followed. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore, lying about Arlo. He¡¯s a mecha. He¡¯s the reason I asked you for any spare parts that might¡¯ve come through your depot. And he was okay for months, but now he¡¯s in danger and if we don¡¯t get him to their old factory, he¡¯ll¡­¡± She looked at Michael with tears in her eyes, ¡°I know you¡¯ve got an important job and you might not wanna loan me your cart for an old robot, but he¡¯s so important to me.¡± Michael sat there for a moment, staring at her with an appalled look. ¡°Ms. Lavinia, why on Earth would that make a difference?¡± he finally said. ¡°Whether he¡¯s human or mecha, he¡¯s still sick and needs you. If this old cart¡ªand Astus¡ªcan help you save him, then I want you to take it.¡± Astus snorted as if to back his claim, and a smile broke through Lavinia¡¯s despair. She turned away from the man and wiped the eyes with the back of her denim jacket¡¯s sleeve. Even though they barely knew each other, having someone else to share her stress and dread of Arlo¡¯s deteriorating state made a world of difference. Mae, her mother, Felix, and now Michael were in on the ¡°secret,¡± and she realized too late how stupid it was to keep the truth about him concealed. It only hurt Arlo, and her too. She lied about the boy again, even knowing how much it¡¯d upset him and made him doubt everything. It couldn¡¯t happen anymore. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± she said. ¡°I guess I just got so scared about the bad things people could do that I forgot all the good those same people could do too.¡± ¡°The folk around this way do seem like decent people,¡± Michael said, smiling at her. Lavinia smiled too. Then she turned her attention back to the road and guiding Astus¡ªshe was going to need as much practice as possible.
A Promise There would, potentially, come a time where visiting Ivy Tower Radio wouldn¡¯t be an awkward experience for Lavinia. But as she stood off to the side, trying to not get in anybody¡¯s way yet again, it was not that day. Mae was in the booth doing her thing, her interns were going all around doing whatever it takes to keep the place operating, and there was Lavinia waiting to talk to her. It always made her feel like a kid again, waiting to show her mom a new gadget she fixed while Georgette talked to a friend at their home. If there was a single benefit to the wait, it¡¯s that it gave Lavinia time to think about how to tell Mae about the trip. And why it was happening. With any luck, she could tell her without tearing up again, like with Michael. Lavinia¡¯s face grew hot just thinking about breaking down in front of her like that. ¡°Did I forget about another lunch date?¡± Mae asked. Lavinia jumped; thinking about the woman seemed to have spawned her. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. I''ve just gotta talk to you about something.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She frowned, ¡°That¡¯s a little ominous, but okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing bad¡ªwell, nothing bad about us. I-If there is an us, I mean.¡± Mae glanced around at her interns before turning back to her. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s talk outside.¡± A new dread gripped Lavinia as she followed behind Mae. All that time to think about what to say, and all that comes out is ¡°I gotta talk to you,¡± followed by relationship talk¡ªor if they even have a relationship. Once they stepped out of the radio station, Mae turned back to her. ¡°This is about Arlo, isn¡¯t it?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°What?¡± Lavinia said. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, the only reason you¡¯d look so gloomy is if something was wrong with him.¡± She took Lavinia¡¯s hand and gazed up at her with tired eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Well, I was right about Mira¡­ She removed his memories and part of his brain thing, and now the rest of it¡¯s starting to crash.¡± She squeezed Mae¡¯s hands, ¡°We¡¯ve got to take him to some old mecha factory way out and hope it¡¯s got the tech to fix him.¡± Mae blinked. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s¡­ what the hell.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± Lavinia asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sending you out to who-knows-where with the psychotic girl who tried to lobotomize Arlo,¡± Mae said, her jaw tightening. ¡°Oh. I guess I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna pull you away from here, you love Ivy Tower Radio. I¡¯m also like, three times her size, and I¡¯ll have Arlo with me. He had one scare so far, but he¡¯s still able to move around and stuff.¡± ¡°I love this station, sure, but I also don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± Lavinia¡¯s face flushed. ¡°You don¡¯t? I kinda thought you liked me, but¡­¡± ¡°Lavinia, we¡¯re literally holding hands right now,¡± Mae said. ¡°I know! I just¡ª¡± She blushed more, ¡°You won¡¯t lose me, I promise. We¡¯re gonna go, fix Arlo, come back, and I¡¯ll tell you all about it for your news segment.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be nice to get something interesting to talk about for a change,¡± Mae said. Then she stood up on her toes and planted a kiss on Lavinia¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that promise.¡± Lavinia stood there stunned, unaware even as Mae slipped back into Ivy Tower Radio. Her hand slowly rose up to her mouth where a stupid grin spread. For a fleeting moment, all her apprehension and anxiety melted away from the reverberating warmth of Mae¡¯s lips. She turned and began the walk back to her home for the last time in what could be weeks, though even that fact couldn¡¯t bring down her spirits. ¡°I want to go too,¡± a boy said, pulling her back down to Earth. Turning, she found Felix waiting in almost the exact same spot she¡¯d first met him about a week or so earlier. Had he learned to wait for her at that intersection? And always when she finished meeting Mae, now that she thought about it. ¡°Go where?¡± she asked. ¡°To wherever you¡¯re going with Arlo.¡± ¡°How does everyone¡ª¡± ¡°Because I went by your house to see him, and Arlo told me what happened and that you¡¯re leaving somewhere to fix him.¡± Felix stepped up to her, ¡°I want to go too, I want to help. But he didn¡¯t want me to.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just take you, your parents would freak out,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°But I don¡¯t have parents, I live by myself,¡± Felix protested. ¡°That doesn¡¯t¡ªWait, you do?¡± The boy nodded. ¡°Well, except for Capri. It¡¯s been that way for a long time.¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know that,¡± she said. ¡°Arlo never said anything about it.¡± ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t know either¡­¡± She thought for a few moments as she looked down at Felix. He looked small¡ªmore so than normal¡ªas he stood waiting for her decision. But he didn¡¯t look like he was lying. ¡°Arlo¡¯s probably worried about you, but I think you coming would help him out. If you do come, though, you¡¯ve gotta do everything I say. And watch out for Mira.¡± Felix frowned, a nervousness showing on his face, but he nodded. ¡°Okay. I will.¡±
No Time to Waste ¡°I can carry a bag,¡± Arlo asserted. ¡°I¡¯m not that fragile.¡± ¡°I know, I know. But I don¡¯t wanna push you too far when we haven¡¯t even left home,¡± Lavinia replied. Although the fading purse she¡¯d given him to pack with was bulky, his few possessions left it relatively light. As far as she knew, he only owned a few pairs of clothes. And he was upright and walking around like normal again. It was almost enough to fool her into believing he was completely fine. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you carry it,¡± she said. ¡°But that¡¯s it, okay?¡± Arlo took the purse and nodded, putting it over his shoulders and carrying it out the open door to the wagon. The house had been like that all morning, a bustle of activity as they packed up whatever necessities they might need for the trip. ¡°Do you need this stuff too, Ms. Lavinia?¡± Felix asked. She turned and found the boy struggling to hold up a canvas bag loaded with her special tools. ¡°Hm¡­ Well, better to have something and not need it,¡± Lavinia said, taking it from his shaking arms. She brought it over and slid it into a conveniently sized space in the back of the cart, filling in one of the few remaining gaps. Michael gave her a rough weight limit he¡¯d figured out with Astus, and now with one extra kid, she figured they were getting close. ¡°Is there anything else we need?¡± Felix asked, following her over to the cart and Arlo. ¡°I think we¡¯ve got about everything.¡± She unfolded a checklist, ¡°The good thing about having two mechas on the journey is we don¡¯t have to bring as much food or water. They wear the same clothes just about every day too.¡± Arlo blushed a little. ¡°I try to change consistently¡­¡± He reached up to sit his bag into the cart with everything else. Instead, it fell to the ground three feet away. Arlo looked from the bag to the cart which only a moment ago seemed right in front of him. Lavinia rested her hand on his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯d better get moving. Has anyone seen Mira?¡± ¡°She was in your workshop when I got those tools,¡± Felix said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get her. Can you help Arlo get into the cart?¡± she asked the boy, who nodded. Lavinia passed Astus as grazed across her lawn with Capri riding on his antlers, the crow almost a welcome sight on the eyes against the stag¡¯s alabaster pelt in the sunlight. She might even need to grab a pair of sunglasses before they head out. As she approached the open garage, Lavinia expected to find Mira digging through her travel bag for stuff to bring that they didn¡¯t have room for. Instead, she heard her talking. ¡°¡­ through this valley here. There used to be a single road in and out, and it should still be there,¡± the girl said. ¡°It might be, but no caravan driver ever passes through or near that region,¡± Michael replied. ¡°We go where the people are, and there hasn¡¯t been anyone living around there since¡­ well, since Back Before. I¡¯ve heard about scavengers setting up camps here and there, but nothing permanent.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about permanent settlements. The only thing that matters is if your deer and cart can get there or not.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on in here?¡± Lavinia asked, walking in to find Michael and Mira peering over a large map spread over her worktable. ¡°Sure, just trying to figure out the best route to¡­ wherever you¡¯re going,¡± the man said. ¡°It¡¯s northwest,¡± Mira added. ¡°Hrm¡­¡± Lavinia looked over the map, from the labeled Seventy-Seven to the northwest. The nearest way out was through the old ruins. ¡°Well, the Builder¡¯s fixed those ruins up good. Think we could go up that way?¡± Michael frowned and glanced out of the garage. ¡°Getting too close to Builders always spooked the caravan animals, so South-Central¡¯s avoided them for years now. I don¡¯t know how Astus might react if you try going right by one. There might be another¡ª¡± ¡°Arlo!¡± Felix cried from outside. ¡°Ms. Lavinia, something¡¯s wrong!¡± Lavinia hurried out, followed closely by Mira and Michael. A distraught Felix was beside Arlo, who sat curled up beside the cart with his hands clutching his head. The mecha rocked back and forth in a forceful jerking motion as an incomprehensible stream of ones and zeros escaped him. ¡°Hey, hey, can you hear me?¡± Lavinia asked as she dropped down beside him. ¡°It¡¯s me, Arlo, I¡¯m right here. The boy didn¡¯t look at her, and only continued on, ¡°01001001 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100111 01110100 00001010 01001001 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100111 01110100 00001010 01001101 01100001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110011 01110100 01101111 01110000 00101100 00100000 01101001 01110100 00100000 01101000 01110101 01110010 01110100 01110011 00001010 01001101 01100001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110011 01110100 01101111 01110000 00001010 01001001 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100111 01110100¡­¡± Lavinia turned to Michael with pleading eyes that needed no words to make their intention known. He stepped up and took Arlo with her, lifting the boy up and setting him into the back of the cart. ¡°We have to get him to that factory as quick as possible¡­¡± she said. He nodded. ¡°I understand. Be careful with Astus near that Builder, he¡¯s important to me, too.¡± Chapter Fifteen - Arlo Quest, Part 3 The Life Story of a Deer ¡°Alright, this could be a problem,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Mira replied. ¡°The pile of old cars blocking the bridge could be a problem?¡± ¡°I forgot about it, alright?¡± Lavinia pinched the bridge of her nose and looked up at the Builder¡¯s barricade. ¡°Let¡¯s just figure out how to get it out of the way.¡± That was not the first round of bickering between the two in the short time since leaving Seventy-Seven. Nor would it be their last, if the previous hour was any indicator. But while they argued over how to remove the cars blocking access to the bridge, and Felix sat with Arlo in the shaded grass as the mecha came out of his latest episode, Astus grazed languidly across the weed-speckled roads. What problems in the world of man were of any concern to him? The great cities of old withered and died, the automobiles that once decimated his kind crumbled to rusted shells stacked like a child¡¯s toy by the mountainous Builders, and the world became his. An awful scraping assailed him, and he snapped his head up. It was only the small one, Mira, pushing one car off another. Astus flicked his ears and returned to grazing. For countless seasons he¡¯d been set to the yoke of Michael Wilson¡¯s cart and servitude. Any others of his kind, had they seen Astus at work along the routes laid before him, would surely have ridiculed him, or pitied him. A cautionary tale for does to tell their fawn: ¡°Be wary of the humans, children. See him, that mighty stag with the coat of winter¡¯s embrace, as he is put to work for all of his days. If they do not hunt you for food or your fur, they will use you as a common horse.¡± True though it was that humans had not fully outgrown their savagery, he never had anything to fear from them. A caravanner¡¯s beast was safe from their appetites and those of other predators, few though there were in those regions. Grass grew wild and free across the black stone rivers he traveled on. And he would not even have survived so long if not for Michael Wilson. Astus first met the man at only three or four seasons in age, when his newly regrown antlers became entangled in a long-forgotten menace of human society in the wilderness. It was a crossed wire net between wood posts, left abandoned outside of what remained of a human dwelling. The struggle to free himself lasted for days, but his foe was cunning and patient. In the end he lay exhausted with his antlers totally ensnared. Then through the underbrush he heard footsteps. Turning his head as little as he could manage towards its source, he found a baffled-looking young human. A canteen was in his hand, with droplets of water still gleaming down its side from its recent refilling in the nearby stream. If Astus had any strength left, he likely would have felt as surprised to see the human as the human plainly was to see him. But after his struggling, there was nothing left but to wait for the inevitable as the human approached him and drew a blade. Astus closed his eyes. The man grabbed his antlers. Then he only felt a light jostling. ¡°I¡¯ll get you out in no time¡­¡± the man said. He opened his eyes again and found the man kneeling beside him, cutting the wire instead of his throat. It was the closest he¡¯d ever been to a human. He spoke reassuringly to Astus and patted and scratched his neck in the hours-long rescue. There was a palpable nervousness from the human, as if he could whip into a frenzy at any time with more and more of the wire cut away. But he was never a foolish, flighty deer like most of his kin; even if he wasn¡¯t exhausted to the core that would be so. The trees swallowed the sun by the time the final bit of metal was cut away. The human sat back in the grass and let out a long breath, tired from his work and bloodied by the new velvet cut by the fence. All Astus could do was lay his down in the man¡¯s lap, to his discomfort as more bloody velvet dropped down the front of his shirt. He poured out water to clean himself and for Astus to drink. The human regained his energy first and carefully shifted out from under Astus¡¯ head. With an awkward goodbye, he trudged off towards the black stone river. But Astus followed. He felt a calling to stay with the man, who saved him, gave him water, and provided satisfactory scratches. The man¡ªwho he later learned was called Michael Wilson¡ªgrew larger, as did Astus. When he would venture off into the wilds for a time each season, the man was always there when he returned. And return he did, even when Michael fitted him to a yoke and cart, and put him to work travelling the ancient ways of humans, and rented him to the kindly woman and her three children. Michael Wilson explained the situation while preparing him for travel, speaking openly to clear his mind as he always did. But Astus understood. He had seen, as they all had, the creeping illness within the machine boy. It seemed to afflict him and leave, like the advancing and retreating shadows under the traveling sun. The child was weak and defenseless, as he had been when Michael Wilson discovered him. And so, he accepted the task that was given him. Astus walked over to the boys on the side of the road, still pulling the cart behind him while the kindly woman and her girl machine remained oblivious. The two boys looked up at him, and he lay down beside them, resting his head in the boy machine¡¯s lap. He reached out hesitantly and scratched Astus¡¯ head; he was not as skilled as Michael Wilson. ¡°Aw, he¡¯s trying to help you feel better,¡± Felix said, smiling and joining in the scratching. ¡°I think he¡¯s just looking for some attention¡­¡± Arlo countered. His hand still shook. ¡°I bet he¡¯s thinking about all kinds of stuff we can¡¯t even imagine.¡± Arlo shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s only a deer. He probably doesn¡¯t even understand why he¡¯s with us.¡± Astus snorted, but only flicked his ear in protest. His scratching was improving.
An Ominous Goodbye Felix had only followed the overgrown railroad tracks a few times before the final time with Arlo. Whenever he stood watching the Builder from afar, he never expected to see it up close. Part of him was too afraid to try. That thing was massive, after all, and he was not. But when the cart made its crawl over the crest of the patched bridge, he couldn¡¯t keep from standing up in the back of it to get a better look at the Builder out among the city.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. It was magnificent. He could only see it from the waist up behind the buildings, but that was enough. It was a giant encased in dark blue armor and speckled with lights, faceless and segmented and powerful enough to crush every single building it pieced together in that city. The excitement of seeing it up close welled up in Felix until he almost couldn¡¯t contain it. ¡°Look how close we are to it!¡± Felix breathed, forcing himself to sit down again. ¡°Is this your first time seeing the Builder?¡± Lavinia asked over her shoulder. ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it a few times from really far away, and once with Arlo.¡± ¡°It is different to see it so close,¡± Arlo added. Lavinia smiled. ¡°Wanna meet it?¡± Felix paused. He looked from Lavinia out to the Builder and back again, his eyes lit up. All he could muster was a quick nod. At the base of the bridge, Lavinia drove Astus off to the side and left him to graze among the weeds with Mira on the bench. She declined to go with them, claiming the Builders, ¡°never have anything interesting to say,¡± despite Lavinia not inviting her anyway. She walked with Felix and Arlo, holding the mecha¡¯s hand and keeping a slower pace with him to his embarrassed reluctance. They needn¡¯t go far; the trio only made it around a single block before the Builder came to them. It took a single, careful step onto the street and squatted down closer to them. Though Lavinia and Arlo walked closer to it, Felix stopped, his legs locking as he gazed up in wonder to the giant over them. ¡°Hello, Lavinia,¡± the Builder greeted. ¡°I was hoping to see you again, before I left.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re already leaving¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. Rebuilding for this zone is now complete, and I must move on to the next.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lavinia frowned, ¡°I knew this was coming, but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so soon. I¡¯m gonna miss seeing you around here.¡± ¡°Your sentiment is appreciated. I will miss speaking with you as well. Is this your child, Arlo?¡± it asked. Arlo looked up at the Builder, startled. ¡°You know my name?¡± ¡°Lavinia spoke to me about you the last time she was here.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot about that,¡± she admitted. ¡°And is that your¡­ other child?¡± the Builder asked, looking past them. ¡°My other¡­¡± Lavinia and Arlo both turned to see Felix further back, sill staring up at the Builder. He waved at it awkwardly. ¡°Oh, no no, he¡¯s not mine. He¡¯s Arlo¡¯s friend, Felix.¡± ¡°Hello, Felix.¡± ¡°H-Hi¡­¡± the boy replied. ¡°Why did you bring your child and a Felix here on a deer-drawn cart?¡± it asked her. ¡°It sounds kinda strange when you put it like that. We¡¯re actually just passing through on our way taking Arlo to an old factory. It¡¯s¡­ important,¡± she added, squeezing the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°Your timing was fortuitous, then. But I advise you to be careful on your journey. This world is quiet now, but there are still dangers out in the vast wilds, both corporeal and metaphysical. Some of which are beyond your fragile human existence to withstand, or comprehend.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lavinia rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Thank you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Goodbye Lavinia, Arlo, and Felix. I do not believe I will see any of you again, but I would like to.¡± The Builder stood up and turned away, then walked off in a thunderous stride. It took only three steps to be clear of the city as it followed the river east, soon disappearing behind their view of the buildings. Arlo and Felix stood watching for a few minutes with Lavinia, who experienced a confusing mixture of sadness and acceptance. The Builder had departed as swiftly and unceremoniously as it first arrived. But they had to do the same now. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not exactly the meet-up I had in mind,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry, Felix.¡± ¡°What? That was so cool!¡± the boy replied. He ran across the street to try and get a better view. Lavinia smiled, ¡°C¡¯mon, we should get back on the road again.¡±
Campfire Talk The sun had set on the first full day on the road, and Arlo hadn¡¯t experienced another incident since the morning. Despite that, the boy still wasn¡¯t back to his normal self. He was withdrawn, solitary, and only talked with Lavinia or Felix when engaged. On the surface that was all normal. But his frail look betrayed any assumption his quiet was willing. If he had blood, no doubt he would have been worryingly pale. They sat around a campfire Lavinia built with the skills her father taught her as a child. Arlo had gone to sleep early, curled up on a thin sleeping bag beside Felix. The boy sat with Capri on his arm¡ªthe bird flying down to find him again once the Builder was a safe distance away¡ªand fed him acorns from a nearby tree. Lavinia smiled at the scene; she¡¯d never seen a bird so friendly to someone. But Mira, who sat away from them all across the fire hugging her knees, grimaced. ¡°Why do you like that disgusting thing?¡± she asked. ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t judge my life choices and he likes getting pet,¡± Felix replied as Capri took another acorn from between his fingers. Lavinia glanced over at the girl, and just as quickly looked away. ¡°Do you really have to sit like that when you¡¯re wearing a skirt?¡± she asked ¡°I sit how I want.¡± Lavinia rolled her eyes and instead turned to Felix. ¡°So¡­ I don¡¯t mean to pry into something personal, but how long have you been living by yourself?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t live by myself, I¡¯ve got¡ª¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry, how long have you been living with Capri?¡± she asked again. ¡°For a few years,¡± he said. ¡°I lived with my family in a small village, um¡­ somewhere. When I was younger, a lot of people got sick. We were going to leave, but my parents got sick, and then I did¡­ After that I only had Capri. ¡°There was a pretty nice cave we lived in, but there wasn¡¯t enough to eat nearby so we had to leave. Then I found some train tracks and followed after them for a while, until Capri kept flying back to me with more and more shiny things. That¡¯s how I found Seventy-Seven, and I just sorta moved into that empty house.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re okay there?¡± Lavinia asked, frowning. ¡°Yes, the people here¡ªer, at home¡ªare really nice. Mr. Blackwell always makes sure I have enough to eat. And now I have Arlo, so it¡¯s not so lonely anymore!¡± The boy¡¯s intention was, doubtless, to reassure her. Yet his answer only further distressed Lavinia¡ªeven Mira winced at ¡°anymore.¡± But there was also a fierce, jealous glare at that line too. Whether Felix realized that or not, he returned to petting Capri and feeding it one last acorn ¡°Felix¡­ If you want, there¡¯s room in my house. You don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s okay,¡± he said, quickly cutting her off. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªI mean, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been living alone with Capri for a long time now.¡± ¡°I know, but you don¡¯t have to be alone with him anymore,¡± she countered. Felix only yawned and stretched, sending Capri flapping away onto the top off the cart behind them all. ¡°I¡¯m really sleepy now, so I¡¯m gonna go to bed. Goodnight.¡± He lay down on his own sleeping bag and curled up so that neither Lavinia nor Mira could see his face. After a few minutes his breathing slowed, and Lavinia sighed. She skewered a carrot from their food supplies and set it over the fire to roast. ¡°Do you invite every lost kid to move in with you?¡± Mira asked. ¡°Not every lost kid,¡± she said, glancing at the girl. ¡°Why would you even want an orphan and his bird? Why leave your home to save a broken mecha?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s kind,¡± Lavinia hissed. ¡°Because it¡¯s right. Because they need help, and I can help them. You really can¡¯t understand that?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mira replied. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Like Felix moments before, she turned away and curled up on her own sleeping bag, leaving Lavinia the only one awake. Or at least not faking being asleep. She turned her carrot over above the fire and watched as the skin blistered. For Arlo¡¯s sake, she could only hope Mira would understand something as basic as kindness someday. Chapter Sixteen - Arlo Quest, Part 4 Early Morning Thinking The sun was rising, and Lavinia was greeting the dawn with a cup of coffee. It¡¯d been her morning routine since her mother first taught her how to brew the stuff at sixteen. And, barring a few key instances, she¡¯d never missed it. Most of the time it was just a relaxing way to get the day started. Other times, when she was experiencing ¡°Heavy Thoughts¡± as her mother always put it, watching the sunrise gave her time to mull things over. At least that way she might not be too distracted working on a repair job. She glanced over at the three sleeping children on the other side of the campfire. Even Astus lay sleeping, with Capri perched on his left antler. Being up long before Arlo was nothing new, though. Back in Seventy-Seven, he was almost never awake by the time she was out watching the sunrise. It crept up over the hills, spreading light over the acres of trees and green ivy, and across the rooftops and windows of the empty city behind them down the road. That place was partially weighing on her mind that morning. And the whole place seemed incomplete without the Builder¡¯s presence. She sighed to herself; that was probably the only Builder she¡¯d ever get the chance to meet. There was more she wanted to ask it, to learn from¡ª ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how you can like that stuff,¡± Arlo said as he walked up behind her. Lavinia jumped, nearly spilling her coffee. ¡°Heck, Arlo, you were just asleep¡­¡± she mumbled. She turned back to him. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± ¡°Better than before. But I felt the same way last time too, before I got worse¡­¡± Lavinia held her arm out and the boy sat next to her. They were quiet for a time, embracing the silence and each other¡¯s presence while Lavinia continued looking out across the horizon. Since Felix and Mira came into the picture, shared silence was becoming a rarity. Not that it was always a bad thing. Felix was a good influence on the boy¡ªMira, not so much. ¡°What are you always doing out on the balcony in the morning?¡± he asked. ¡°Just thinking, usually. Or working on something that¡¯s been giving me the runaround, like that old radio was.¡± ¡°What do you have to think about so early every single day?¡± ¡°O-Oh, it¡¯s nothing interesting,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯d only bore you back to sleep.¡± Arlo looked up at her. ¡°I like knowing more about you.¡± Lavinia sipped her coffee, trying not to look at him; trying not to notice how much he looked like a dejected puppy as he stared up at her. But she couldn¡¯t keep it up. ¡°Okay, fine¡­¡± she relented. ¡°Sometimes I''ve considered starting a garden, like mama has. Except with food crops instead of flowers. I¡¯ve been thinking about Mae more, for¡­ reasons¡­ And sometimes I think about my repair work. Even if somedays, it feels like I¡¯m not doing enough with my life.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arlo asked, frowning. ¡°It¡¯s like¡ªLook over at the old city. There¡¯s no telling how many people Back Before didn¡¯t survive when the old world went to pieces. But I did, and my mama did, and her mama, and a bunch more of them.¡± Lavinia shifted some. ¡°All my ancestors had to survive all sorts of junk for me to get here, and all I do most days is fixing old stuff and whatnot.¡± ¡°But you like fixing stuff¡­¡± ¡°I know, and I¡¯m not gonna stop now. It¡¯s just, sometimes I gotta wonder about where I¡¯m going with my life. If there¡¯s more I could be doing than tinkering with radios and air conditioners. But even when I¡¯m thinking about that, I never regret getting into repair work. Wanna know why?¡± Arlo looked up at her and nodded. ¡°Because it¡¯s how I met you,¡± she said, smiling at him. Arlo smiled too despite himself, and she pulled him in close to her. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t trade that for anything.¡± The boy rested his head against her shoulder and the quiet returned. But after a few minutes, he looked up at her. ¡°I haven¡¯t always been asleep when you thought I was. Sometimes I¡¯ve been thinking too.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Lavinia smiled at him. ¡°What are you usually thinking about?¡± ¡°When I first woke up, before I got to know you, or Seventy-Seven, or Felix, or Mae, I could only think about how different things are from the world I knew.¡± ¡°And now?¡± ¡°Now it doesn¡¯t bother me. At least, not as much as it did. But lately, before what¡¯s happening to me now, I¡¯ve been thinking about the future. If we can fix me, and I can avoid being trapped under anymore collapsed buildings, I¡¯ll probably live a long time.¡± He hugged himself. ¡°Maybe¡­ even longer than you will. And it terrifies me, being alone¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, c¡¯mon now. Look at me, okay?¡± she said. The boy glanced up at her and she brushed some hair out of his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m still here and you¡¯re not alone. I went through the same thing too, when mama went grey and her vision started going. She was about the only person I knew in the whole world. ¡°But I¡¯ve got Mae, Vic, you, and even Mr. Blackwell down at the market. And you¡¯ve got me, and Felix is sleeping right over there. No matter what the future looks like, we¡¯re both right here, right now. And we¡¯re not going anywhere any time soon. That¡¯s not so scary, is it?¡± Arlo stopped hugging himself, and instead wrapped his arm around her. Her returned hug almost pulled him off the ground and spilled her coffee all over them both. ¡°Whoops, better put that down before I make a mess,¡± she said, sitting her cup down. The boy glanced at it. ¡°Could I try a sip¡­?¡± ¡°Of my coffee? Well, sure, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re gonna like it. She released the boy and handed him the cup. He lifted it up to his mouth, and immediately knew she was right.Stolen novel; please report.
Ivy ¡°Why is everything covered in ivy now?¡± Arlo asked. He sat in the cart with Felix, gazing out over the shimmering hills of vines while the other boy fed some seeds to Capri. ¡°There was ivy all over the place before we got to Seventy-Seven too,¡± Felix said. ¡°Mama had trouble with the stuff when we were clearing the land for her garden back in the ruins,¡± Lavinia added from the driver¡¯s bench. Then she sighed and slumped back in her seat. ¡°Too bad she never had Astus to help her out.¡± On the second day of their journey, she found the less-traveled roads beyond the rebuilt city likewise etched with vines of ivy. Although worried at first about holes hidden under the green that Astus might step in and hurt himself, she instead encountered a new problem. They¡¯d only made it roughly a mile in the last two hours because of how often Astus stopped to eat the plants that crossed his path. If Arlo hadn¡¯t been relatively stable that day, Astus¡¯ constant distractions would have been worrying. But since he was, the delay was more annoying than anything else. The deer had to get full sometime though. ¡°The ivy only got this bad because the humans went away,¡± Mira said. ¡°They used to have a way to stop its spreading, but now it just grows wherever it wants.¡± ¡°How¡¯d people stop it from spreading before?¡± Felix asked, looking around for the girl. She sat up from a patch of ivy, startling him. ¡°Armies of trained goats were the only way to contain the vines. The plants were conjured by the last Dryad Host in their last attack against humanity before the old world fell into ruin.¡± Lavinia turned to the girl. ¡°What the heck is a Dryad?¡± ¡°They¡¯re tree nymphs,¡± she replied. ¡°Uh¡­ huh.¡± Lavinia shook her head. ¡°See, that all doesn¡¯t sound right, but I don¡¯t know enough about how things fell apart Back Before to dispute it.¡± Astus, apparently having enough ivy for a time, started walking along again up the street. The sudden lurch almost toppled the driver over, but Mira walked up behind the cart and easily climbed into the back. Her swift movement might have been more impressive, if the deer showed any particular interest in hurrying instead of taking his time. Arlo shifted away from her as she joined the children in the back, but Felix turned to her. ¡°Are there still any of those Dryads around now?¡± he asked. ¡°They sound kinda scary¡­¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Mira said with a shrug. ¡°But I¡¯ve been traveling for a few centuries and haven¡¯t seen any.¡± Lavinia glanced back over her shoulder. ¡°What¡¯d you even do out there for all that time? I mean, after you¡ª¡± ¡°Left me for dead,¡± Arlo interrupted. A silence set in for a few moments. Mira turned to Arlo, but the boy wouldn¡¯t look at her. ¡°Er¡­ Yeah,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°After that.¡± ¡°My protocol made me go back to the factory first, but it was wrecked and nobody was around. I spent a couple years there until I could upgrade my programming to the point where I could finally be autonomous and go off on my own. After that I started walking all over the place.¡± Mira drummed her fingers on the side of her face, thinking. ¡°I went north, first. I wanted to see the Ottawa Crater, but the walk took longer than expected, and my body stalled out from a blizzard somewhere in west New York until spring. After that I turned around and went as far south as possible. I spent a few years making my way across South America. ¡°At one point I stayed in a sheltered village in Choloma for a few years with a bunch of others, but trying to blend in with humans is hard. After a while it¡¯s always ¡®How come you don¡¯t eat?¡¯ or ¡®You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve aged at all,¡¯ or ¡®Please don¡¯t kill me, I promise not to tell anyone your secret.¡¯¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°It just gets tedious after a while.¡± Felix paled a bit and tried to shift away from Mira. But Arlo only glared at her. ¡°So, you spent all that time hurting other people,¡± he said. ¡°I wish I could be surprised.¡± ¡°I survived.¡± She glared back at him. ¡°You slept for a couple centuries and moved into a friendly little town once the world settled. I had to be out there when everything was in chaos, and people wanted to blame mechas for it. And I had to do it alone.¡± ¡°It was your fault you were alone!¡± Arlo jumped up to his feet, rocking the cart and sending Capri flapping away into the air. ¡°You tore my arm off and left me under a building! And you¡¯ll be alone again after you fix the new damage you did to me! It didn¡¯t have to be like this, last time or now, but it is because of who you are. You deserve this. You¡¯re not a survivor, you¡¯re a monster, and I hate you!¡± Lavinia pulled on the reins and Astus stopped. She turned back to him, ¡°Arlo, that¡¯s enough. You need to calm down right now before you¡ªoverload, or have some other kind of new issue.¡± He glared at Lavinia, about to snap at her too, but saw only concern in her face. The rage that expanded within him dissipated as quickly as it formed, and he looked around from Felix to Mira. She was hugging her knees and refusing to look at him with tears in her eyes, while the other boy stared at Arlo in fear. Arlo looked down at his trembling hands and sat back down in the cart. ¡°I think I¡¯m already having a new issue¡­¡± he breathed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s okay,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Maybe we should have a little quiet time, for now.¡±
While Lavinia¡¯s Gone Mae was face-down in her recording studio booth. She wasn¡¯t even sure what song her radio station was playing; the last three transitions were chosen by her hand blindly flopping around on the panel. She hadn¡¯t been so lethargic at Ivy Tower since she covered the reopening of Vic¡¯s a few years before, when an official news interview turned into a full night of drinking with nearly the whole town. Looking back on that night, she must have seen Lavinia a dozen times without realizing. Lavinia¡­ Just that name alone made Mae deflate more. What the heck was that about? They¡¯d only officially been together for a little while, so why did she¡ª A light knock on the door dropped her back down to Earth. Mae sat up and turned to find one of her ¡°interns¡± standing there. ¡°You need some coffee or something, Mae?¡± Kayla asked. ¡°You¡¯re looking kinda dead in here.¡± ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t, I already had a pot today¡­¡± She brushed her hair back out of her face and propped her head up on her desk. ¡°I really miss her.¡± ¡°Who? Your girlfriend?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been gone for like, a day and a half and I¡¯m in here asking like it¡¯s been a year already,¡± Mae said. ¡°She¡¯s that, uh¡­¡± Kayla rubbed the back of her head, ¡°That woman in the coveralls that was in a couple of days ago, right? Thought she was here to fix the leaky faucet in the bathroom.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her. She wears those coveralls almost every day, always has grease stains somewhere, gets distracted by every bird that flies by, and I think I¡¯m in love with her.¡± ¡°Sounds pretty special.¡± She smirked, ¡°When¡¯s the wedding?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mae confessed. ¡°When she was here that last time you mentioned, she told me she¡¯s taking her¡­ son. Out of town, to get him some medical help. It¡¯s going to be dangerous and I don¡¯t know when she¡¯s coming back. And what did I say to her before she left?¡± Mae buried her face in her hands. ¡°I said ¡®I love this station.¡¯ Did I even think to say I love her too? No. God, I¡¯m an idiot¡­¡± Kayla blinked. ¡°Geez. You¡¯ve really got it bad, huh?¡± ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got no idea. The minute she gets back, I¡¯m taking her up to my apartment, locking the door behind us, and I¡¯m gonna be all over her like¡ª¡± Furious footsteps and another intern, Poppy burst into the studio, nearly toppling Kayla over. ¡°H-Hey, watch it,¡± she said, stumbling out of the way. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mae asked. ¡°Is the transmitter on fire again?¡± ¡°You¡¯re on the air!¡± Poppy shouted. Mae looked down at her table¡ªand her elbow on the microphone¡¯s deactivated mute button. Her brain emptied, and all she could manage was slowly reaching down and pressing the button again. The music resumed uninterrupted again, and Mae took a slow breath before standing up. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you two handle things for today,¡± she said, stretching. ¡°Or for the rest of time, I dunno.¡± ¡°Well¡­ At least this is our slower broadcast hour,¡± Kayla offered. ¡°And your girlfriend''s probably out of the broadcast range,¡± Poppy added. Mae sighed. ¡°Thanks, girls. I¡¯m fine, really. I¡¯m just gonna go find a nice, quiet place to curl up and die in. See you both tomorrow.¡± The two interns watched as Mae trudged out of the studio, seeming to deflate more and more with each step. When she was gone, Kayla turned to her colleague. "Do you think she''ll be okay?" she asked. "Yeah, she''ll be fine," Poppy said. "She says that all the time, honestly." Chapter Seventeen - Arlo Quest, Part 5 Turkeys Are Scary Felix peeked over the fallen log and into the clearing ahead. There was a solitary figure stepping through the underbrush in the morning light; a massive, round bird with a proud tail of plumage and mound of ruby red flesh descending from its wrinkled head. It walked with a haughtiness akin to Astus before stopping, then seemed to puff up even bigger as waves shook through its feathers. ¡°So that¡¯s who was creeping around,¡± Arlo muttered, joining his friend. ¡°What kind of bird is that?¡± Felix asked. ¡°It¡¯s called a turkey.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so big,¡± the boy marveled. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Capri¡¯s still back eating breakfast, bigger birds make him feel self-conscious.¡± ¡°How do you know he¡ª¡± Arlo began, before the turkey let out a gurgling cry so loud and unexpected that both Felix and Arlo dropped down behind their cover. A silence followed. They heard another cautious step from the clearing, then another that sounded as if it was walking away from them. ¡°What do you think he¡¯s doing?¡± Felix asked. ¡°Maybe calling for other turkeys?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Felix peeked back over the log. ¡°So cool¡­ I never saw anything like that before I got to Seventy-Seven. Or after I got there either, actually.¡± Arlo joined him in watching the bird again. ¡°One of the old magazines Lavinia has back home said that a really ancient people called the Mayans honored turkeys as the vessels of their gods. They even domesticated them as symbols of power.¡± ¡°I would too, he''s so big and weird looking. Did people still worship them in your time Back Before?¡± ¡°My memories from then are still¡­ hazy¡­¡± Arlo replied, rubbing the side of his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t even remember seeing one alive, in person, before now.¡± The other boy frowned. ¡°Not alive?¡± ¡°Well, when this place was all a single country still, there was some autumn holiday where people ate turkeys. So¡­ not alive.¡± ¡°People ate birds?!¡± Felix shouted, turning to Arlo in revulsion. Arlo cringed, and the other boy covered his mouth and froze when he realized how loud he was. He slowly glanced back out past the log, and found the turkey¡¯s dark eyes locked squarely onto his. The bird¡¯s fathers puffed up again as they stared at one another, and a bolt of terror shot through Felix. Both boys took off running, as the turkey flapped across the clearing and onto the log they hid behind. Not far away, Lavinia kicked dirt over their smoldering campfire while Mira watched from the cart. Everything was packed up for their third day on the road and they were ready to hit the road. The only thing missing were the two boys. Lavinia glanced around at the surrounding forest, her hands on her hips. For what Felix had to leave for, he surely didn¡¯t need to go far. She was hesitant to have let Arlo go with him (for safety, Arlo claimed), given his condition, and if they were gone for much longer then she¡¯d have to go looking for them. But as soon as she considered that possibility, they burst back out of the trees. Felix dropped to the ground, fighting hard to catch his breath, while Arlo scanned the forest behind them. ¡°Woah, woah, what¡¯s the rush for?¡± Lavinia said as she went up to them. ¡°And where¡¯d you two disappear to? I thought you just had to go pee.¡± ¡°I-I did, but¡­ Heard noise¡­ Big angry bird¡­¡± was all Felix could manage to get out. Lavinia instead turned to Arlo. ¡°We found a turkey, but it saw us and chased us off,¡± he explained. Lavinia laughed, ¡°That¡¯s what had ya¡¯ll running like that? I thought a bear was after you two!¡± Felix pushed himself back up onto shaking legs, and Capri flapped down onto his shoulder. The boy stroked the crow¡¯s feathers. ¡°You¡¯re still my favorite kind of bird, Capri.¡± The crow turned to the boy and bit a lock of his hair. Lavinia smiled and patted his other shoulder. ¡°C¡¯mon, time to get back on the road. You too, Arlo.¡± Felix and Arlo followed her back and climbed into the cart, taking their regular seats away from Mira. Lavinia got onto the driver¡¯s bench and they were soon on their way again. As they went, the girl looked at them. ¡°Why would you go after a turkey?¡± she asked. ¡°They''re mean." ¡°Well, we know that now¡­¡± Felix breathed.
Mecha Questions ¡°Do you think there are any other mechas out there?¡± Felix asked. That innocuous question, presented by the boy as he observed Arlo on a dull and quiet part of the ride, was the spark to a convoluted debate for near to an hour. Lavina believed it was entirely possible that there were since both Mira and Arlo were still around. Mira asserted that the two of them were the only functioning mechas remaining, barring any secret societies that escaped her notice during her travels, or whatever might be happening on the other continents. And Arlo had no clue either way. ¡°What if somebody forgot they were a mecha, though?¡± he pondered out loud. ¡°We look pretty close to humans.¡± ¡°If a mecha¡¯s processors were damaged enough that they forgot they even were a mecha, they wouldn¡¯t be operational for much longer,¡± Mira said. Then, realizing what she said and who she said it to, immediately clammed up and turned away. Arlo too shrank up and wouldn¡¯t look at her.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Oh, oh, but what about if they were like, pretending to be human,¡± Lavinia added. Whether she was attempting to break up the renewed awkward atmosphere Mira created, or if she were oblivious to it, nobody could tell. ¡°How could they pretend to be a human?¡± Felix asked. ¡°It¡­ wouldn¡¯t be impossible,¡± Mira mutters. ¡°I did it, now and again. There¡¯s obviously a lot of differences between mechas and humans. Like, most youth models weren¡¯t made anatomically accurate, after some legal whatevers.¡± Arlo blushed at her frankness, but she continued. ¡°We can also sleep to recharge, but even though we can eat, it takes a long time for us to digest animal proteins, and it¡¯s really uncomfortable and gross. They added that to reduce the risk of mechas eating their human owner again.¡± ¡°Wait, again?¡± Lavinia demanded. Mira either ignores the question or chooses not to answer, because she instead says, ¡°But adult models, especially ones for ¡®personal¡¯ use, have all the same parts as real humans. So maybe a mecha could blend in with humans if they said they were vegan.¡± Felix considers her words, but frowns. ¡°What¡¯s vegan?¡± ¡°They¡¯re people who don¡¯t eat food containing animal protein,¡± Arlo answers. ¡°They only eat plants, mushrooms, and such.¡± ¡°Oh, so do I!¡± ¡°Me too, and dairy make me feel sick,¡± Lavinia said. Then she¡¯s quiet for a long while, staring ahead into the distance. ¡°I get sick eating animal protein¡­ And I have a preference towards machines¡­ What if I am secretly a mecha and forgot?¡± ¡°Lavinia, you have a biological mother and pictures of you as a child at home,¡± Arlo reminds her. ¡°Oh yeah, I guess that disqualifies me¡­¡± Lavinia concedes. Then she¡¯s quiet again. ¡°Mae doesn¡¯t eat animal stuff either though, what if she¡¯s a mecha?¡± The boy frowns. ¡°Would that be such a bad thing?¡± ¡°What? No way, if she was a mecha too, then¡­¡± She trails off, and soon her cheeks turn crimson. ¡°The point is, there probably aren¡¯t any secret mechas hiding out in the world anymore. And all the factories that made us have been inoperable for a super long time.¡± Mira smiled to herself, ¡°Me and Arlo are the only mechas left, and that¡¯s just fine with me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sad, that there aren¡¯t gonna be any more mechas,¡± Felix said. He held Capri in his hands and was scratching his feathers, to the crow¡¯s content. ¡°Hey, did they ever make animal mechas?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Aw¡­¡±
Rain They¡¯d managed to avoid it for the first two and a half days, but nature finally caught up to them that afternoon. Heavy, overcast skies appeared a few hours after their departure, and opened up in practically no time at all. The patched canvas over the top of the cart was mostly intact, with only a few holes let in a steady drip. The leaks fell to bare wood after the three children pushed aside what stacked cargo was below. Lavinia, however, had no covering over the driver¡¯s bench. But Felix volunteered to sit beside her and cover her with an umbrella they wisely thought to bring. That left Arlo in the back of the cart, uncomfortably close to Mira with Capri perched above. As it turned out, the crow was also not a fan of the rain. The two children sat in silence as the cart slowly continued along the road. Mira was still wounded from Arlo¡¯s lashing out the day before, and although not sorry for the sentiment behind those words, the boy regretted the malice with which he said it. Despite that, he couldn¡¯t find a way to apologize. And he wasn¡¯t wholly convinced if he should. Astus seemed the only one inconvenienced by the rain, only shaking his head now and again to throw away the accumulated water from his fur. Time dragged on, and as the cart turned around a curve in the road, Arlo heard a girl¡¯s laughter. He glances over at Mira to see if it was her, but she was still consumed by their awkward silence. The laughing came again while he watched her, proving that it wasn¡¯t her playing some trick on him. There was an odd familiarity about it, but it was far too light and airy to be Lavinia. She was talking to Felix at the same time, anyway. ¡°Arlo!¡± the laughing voice called out. He jerked forward as if out of instinct, startling both Mira and Capri. Mira said something, but he didn¡¯t hear her. The strange, familiar voice called out again and he stood up, scanning all around. That¡¯s when he saw it. A small form peeking out from behind the trees back down the road, glowing like a spotlight illuminated it against the rain. It was her. She called his name again, and without realizing it, he was out of the cart and running to her. Mira and surely Lavinia were calling behind him. But the girl running back into the forest was the stronger influence, her call an unbreakable order beckoning him forward through the rain. He was in another time as he dodged the trees. The empty, ruined cities were gone. Lavinia and Felix were gone. The very air was different. Sun was shining down through the shimmering canopy, and he was hurrying behind a young girl in a sunflower pattern dress. Clumps of grass and wildflowers parted in their wake, brambles and bushes grabbed at them. For Arlo they were nothing, branches no more dangerous to him than the flowers. But the girl ahead of him wasn¡¯t as sturdy. ¡°Slow down, Anne!¡± he called to her. She turned back to him, beaming. ¡°I¡¯m gonna beat you back to camp!¡± ¡°You¡¯re only gonna trip and hurt yourself, or tear your dress! And watch where you¡¯re going!¡± Anne, at the outset of claiming ¡°No I won¡¯t,¡± suddenly went tumbling down to the ground in a premature act of fate. Arlo dropped down and slid beside her like a baseball player to home plate. He rested her head in his lap and scanned her for any life-threatening injuries, but she only reached up and playfully poked his cheek. Arlo looked at her dirtied face, leaves stuck in her hair, and found her smiling still. Arlo can¡¯t help but smile too as relief broke down his worry. He scooped the girl up in his arms and carries her back to the trail. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get back to Ms. Luisa.¡± ¡°You always take care of me,¡± Anne says as she wraps her arms around Arlo. He can see the glinting campfire further along the path and Luisa''s voice and laughter mingling with their small radio. If the tents aren''t pitched yet, he can take care of that after cleaning Anne up, then¡ª The boy is suddenly pulled backward, spun around on the spot. He stops in the rain, his arm empty, facing Lavinia looking more terrified than he¡¯d ever seen her. She¡¯s speaking to him, but he can¡¯t hear her. A million thoughts race through Arlo¡¯s mind as his eyes dart across everything visible, from the grey sky to the overgrown trail, to Felix and Mira further back behind Lavinia as they stared on with wide, uncertain eyes. But the girl was just in his arms¡ªhe felt the weight as he lifted her and the warmth of their contact. She was there. Wasn¡¯t she? ¡°S-She was¡­ I was carrying her.¡± Arlo stammers, ¡°We¡ªI¡ªthere was the campsite, we camped here because there weren¡¯t as many people. I have to bring her back, Ms. Luisa¡¯s waiting. You saw her! She called my name from the woods, it was a game, racing back. Didn¡¯t you see her?¡± Lavinia shakes her head. ¡°I only saw you, jumping out the cart and running away. There wasn¡¯t anyone else here. You scared me half to death, you can¡¯t do that anymore¡­¡± Arlo stepped away and turned all around as if the sun and the girl would appear if he could no longer see Lavinia or Felix and Mira behind her. But there was only the empty forest, its only sound the rain that fell through the trees. She was gone like the left arm he helped carry her with, and he still had no idea who she even was to him. The boy dropped to the muddy, burying his face in his arm as tears mixed with rain. ¡°I can¡¯t live like this,¡± he sobbed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s real anymore¡­¡± Lavinia fell by his side and pulled him to her, with Felix joining on his other side. Together, they held the crying boy as the rain fell over them all. Both knew there were no words to appease the boy or lessen his anguish. Their physical, affirming presence there would have to be enough, for the moment. He could at least know that they were real. Mira, meanwhile, stood off to the side. She was invisible to the other three, but not from a self-conscious hesitancy. Rather, she was attempting to discern how what he said was possible. The memory chip she removed erased Luisa and her daughter from Arlo¡¯s mind. Not even a fragmented memory could have remained, no matter how severely he was malfunctioning. And, even more inexplicable¡­ How had she seen Anne too? Chapter Eighteen - Arlo Quest, Part 6 The Oracle Lavinia woke with a start from an already hazy nightmare. Something about Arlo riding a turkey and then trying to eat her¡­ it was scarier in the dream. Her face was glistening with either sweat or morning dew, she couldn¡¯t tell which as she wiped it away with her arm. For a few moments, she remained sprawled on her sleeping bag, her arm gone limp and covering her eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep. That wasn¡¯t gonna happen. It felt like every sound was extra noticeable; the wind was blowing through the trees and the crickets were singing just for her. She could swear even the moon dipping across the empty horizon was making some kind of noise. She sat up and peered through the pre-dawn darkness at Arlo, Mira, and Felix sleeping nearby. She¡¯d been able to have a little bit of peace most days at dawn unless Mira didn¡¯t sleep, or until Arlo woke up before the others. Not that she didn¡¯t like¡­ most of the kids. But having some time alone never hurt. There was a river nearby that she¡¯d seen on the map. It¡¯ll be fine, they hadn¡¯t seen a single other person the whole trip. She¡¯d be back by the time they woke up. Getting up as slowly and quietly as possible, Lavinia crept away from the campsite. None of the children stirred, but Astus blinked and lifted his head up to look at her. She put her finger over her lips and pulled up a clump of weeds as a bribe. The stag accepted and munched in silence as Lavinia walked off. Finding the river wasn¡¯t hard. Like with everything in a twenty-mile radius, all she had to do was listen. It was little more than a stream, only seven feet across and flowing lazily past overgrown banks dotted with rocks. Lavinia examined them for a few moments. Some of the formations were single boulders, others were smaller stones stacked up. From the amount of moss built up over them, they must have been watching the river for a long time. But at least whoever put them there wasn¡¯t. With her clothes in a pile on the shore, Lavinia stepped into the water slowly and gracefully. At least, that was what she meant to do. Instead, she immediately slipped at once on some algae and tumbled down into the river. The shock of the cold water made her body rigid as every muscle clenched up. She burst back up at once, her thick hair hanging over her face and neck like a hood. ¡°S-So refreshing¡­¡± she grunted through her teeth. Lavinia hurried back to the shore and sat down in the grass, dipping her legs in the water and hugging herself against the cool night air. She lowered herself more and more into the water as she adjusted to its temperature. This time, she was more careful with her footing too. She soon sank halfway down into the water. The river wasn¡¯t so bad when she could gradually lower into it, rather than dropping all the way into it at once. After a few minutes, she found herself shivering more from the dawn air over her face and shoulders than from the river. ¡°It would have been much more refreshing if you came once the sun was up,¡± a creaking voice said. Lavinia yelped and dropped down until only her head was above water. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know who¡¯s out there, but you¡¯d better clear out! Show¡¯s over, creep!¡± ¡°I am not here to spy on you,¡± the voice replied. ¡°And at the risk of seeming pedantic, I was here first.¡± She looked up, and saw the eyes open on what she mistook for a big rock in the pre-dawn darkness. It was an old woman whose skin was just as weathered as the stones she was perched upon. The cloak around her small frame had a similar moss growing too. The woman stared past Lavinia, and her hazy eyes seemed to reflect the darkened blue sky as dawn approached. ¡°Who are you?¡± Lavinia asked. ¡°I have no name,¡± the old woman replied. ¡°Uh¡­ Okay. Why are you sitting out here in the middle of¡ª¡± ¡°What do you expect to find at the end of your journey?¡± the old woman asked. Lavinia blinked, surprised. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you expect to find at the end of your journey?¡± ¡°I want to help Arlo,¡± she said. The old woman continued staring ahead. ¡°Is that all you seek?¡± ¡°What else should I be looking for? All I want is to make sure he¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°And you will, but in ways you do not expect,¡± the old woman said. ¡°Mind, body, and soul. He has been missing, and longing for, a piece of himself long thought gone.¡± ¡°A missing piece¡­¡± Lavinia looked up at her. ¡°What are you talking about? His arm?¡± ¡°In a sense. You will learn, soon enough. But for now,¡± the old woman looked directly at her, ¡°breathe.¡± Lavinia shot up on the riverbank, her body fighting to cough out water and suck in air at the same time. Birds were singing in the trees as the first light of day was filtering through the trees around her. She wrapped her arms around herself in a poor attempt to beat the chilled air. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± she muttered through her shivering. Her pile of clothes landed in her lap. ¡°You snuck out here and slipped into the water.¡± Mira was standing beside her, her usual white cardigan and skirt soaked and dirtied up to her chest. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that deer woke me up, and that we still need you to help fix Arlo.¡± Mira stomped off back to camp, leaving squeaking footsteps in her wake. Lavinia threw her clothes back on as fast as her shaking hands could go and looked back further up the river. The stacked rocks were still where she¡¯d seen them. She walked back to them and looked for where the old woman had been. In its place was the statue of a woman, its blank eyes staring forward. There was a plaque beneath it likewise dotted with moss. The statue¡¯s name had long since worn away, but below it was a quote: ¡°The river has great wisdom and whispers its secrets to the hearts of men.¡±
Another Argument ¡°Mira?¡± Felix asked. ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± The girl, who¡¯d been staring ahead without realizing, blinked and turned to him. Both he and Arlo were watching her with a nervous reluctance. ¡°I¡¯m running internal diagnostics.¡± Arlo frowned. ¡°Again? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°What does it matter?¡± she snapped. ¡°My diagnostics are my business, stay out of it.¡± ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t know why I even asked.¡± Arlo and Mira turned away from one another as their strained relationship continued, leaving Felix caught in the middle.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. In the three days since he jumped out of the cart and ran into the woods, Arlo hadn¡¯t experienced any significant incidents. Mira claimed the laurels for that, after she uploaded temporary safeguards copied from her own mainframe into Arlo¡¯s. Whether that measure was actually responsible or not, he didn¡¯t have any further hallucinations, pseudo-seizures, or other signs marking accelerating system failure. He did report a few sporadic and seemingly unconnected problems, though. Numbness in his fingers for an hour or so; sensitivity to light through most of the day before that left him curled up with Lavinia¡¯s denim jacket over his head; only being able to speak verbs in Spanish. Even when Arlo wasn¡¯t experiencing even mild symptoms, there was another persistent issue that arose. That of three children stuck together in a cramped cart after six long days on the road. Their brief t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte that morning was relatively tame compared to some of their other recent bickering, with Felix once again finding himself as the increasingly fatigued mediator. ¡°We¡¯re just a little worried since you keep staring off in the distance like, all the time,¡± Felix said. ¡°It isn¡¯t any of your business either,¡± Mira replied. ¡°If something¡¯s wrong you can tell us. Maybe we can fix whatever it is when we get to the factory too.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Arlo muttered to him. ¡°Stop trying, she isn¡¯t worth it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not nice¡­¡± He glanced at Mira then back to Arlo, ¡°If she¡¯s feeling guilty about what happened to you, she can just tell us and¡ª¡± Mira glared at Felix. ¡°How about we talk about your issues? We can start with your weird bird obsession.¡± ¡°Oh, sure!¡± Felix smiled, ¡°I found Capri when he was tiny and pink. He must have fallen out of his nest, but I couldn¡¯t get him back up to it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t actually want to hear¡ª¡± Mira started, but Felix only continued on and on. Taking Capri home, when he started growing feathers, mashing up food for him to eat. She stared at the boy, unsure if he was intentionally rambling on to annoy her. When his story stretched for minutes more, she instead turned to Arlo. He only gave her a look as if to say You¡¯re the one who brought it up. ¡°Stop talking!¡± she finally shouted, jumping to her feet and jostling the cart. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your stupid crow!¡± ¡°You kids settle down back there,¡± Lavinia called over her shoulder from the driver¡¯s bench. Astus snorted as if in agreement. Arlo stood too and moved between her and Felix, despite what Lavinia said. ¡°Leave him alone. He actually cares about you and wants to get to know you, for some reason. He¡¯s the only one who does.¡± ¡°I never asked him to care,¡± Mira said. ¡°You don¡¯t get to be upset at him, or me, or anyone else.¡± He winced as a familiar headache began to form near the back of his skull. ¡°It¡¯s your fault we even have to do any of this.¡± Mira rolled her eyes. ¡°This again?¡± ¡°Yes. Again. Because you still don¡¯t even care what you did!¡± ¡°Ms. Lavinia said to¡ª¡± Felix started. ¡°Is that why I¡¯m helping you get to the stupid factory?¡± Mira said. ¡°Because I don¡¯t care?¡± ¡°You¡¯re only coming because you think keeping me from dying will fix everything, but it¡¯s the absolute minimum possible.¡± He glared at her with tears in his eyes. ¡°You never even said you were sorry for what you did to me. Not for taking my arm, leaving me buried, or trying to erase everyone I care about.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She turned away from him. Her hands were trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t even have to do this much!¡± Lavinia turned around in her seat then, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Both of you sit back down now before¡ª¡± The cart rolled off the even pavement while Lavinia¡¯s attention was on the children, its front wheel dropping into a shallow but wide pothole. Some cargo slid over, and the sudden force sent Mira sprawling into Arlo. The two barely missed Felix as they fell to the floor, and a heavy crack resounded in the air as the entire cart threatened to turn over.
The Town As Lavinia stood in the road staring down at the cart¡¯s broken wheel, hanging at an angle and nearly broken off, Arlo and Mira did their best to hide behind each other and Felix. There was no point in trying to shift the blame. It took both of their weights falling into the cart as it rolled into the pothole that broke the wheel. They were both in trouble now, and it made Arlo want to cry. He¡¯d never, ever disregarded what Lavinia said or messed something up so completely. He¡¯d never disappointed her¡ªat least, as far as he knew. It would have been preferable if she¡¯d just shouted at him so they could move on and pretend it never happened. But she never shouted so that wasn¡¯t going to happen¡­ ¡°Well,¡± she finally said. One word was enough to make Arlo flinch. ¡°This is a problem.¡± ¡°Can you fix it¡­?¡± Felix asked, hesitant as though he was the one in trouble. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Arlo¡¯s sudden outburst made both Felix and Mira jump. Even Astus looked up from his grazing. ¡°I didn¡¯t listen when you said to sit down, and now the cart¡¯s broken, and¡ª¡± ¡°Woah, woah, Arlo. Calm down.¡± Lavinia went over to him, and the other two children swiftly moved out of the way. ¡°The cart isn¡¯t broken, just the¡ªI don¡¯t know, axle or whatever. There¡¯s a town up ahead that might be able to help.¡± ¡°There is¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I hope so. There was a sign a ways back on the road while you and Mira were distracted, and it looked newer than the other old rusted out ones scattered around.¡± ¡°Even if the town is there,¡± Mira butted in, ¡°how are we supposed to get there?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got an idea or two,¡± Lavinia said, eyeing the girl. *** It was a slower effort than normal, to the point where even Astus seemed annoyed by the lacking pace. But there was no way to continue along any faster from the awkward shuffle Mira had to do as she lifted the front corner of the cart so it could move with the stag pulling it. The girl grunted as she lifted up the broken side that only came up to her chest. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be much further now,¡± Lavinia called from the driver¡¯s bench. ¡°Y-You¡¯re enjoying this too much,¡± Mira replied, followed by several muttered curses. ¡°Why am I the only one carrying this stupid cart?¡± ¡°Felix is only a human boy and couldn¡¯t do much to help out.¡± She glanced at the child beside her, ¡°I would have Arlo join you since he helped break the wheel too, but for some reason, he only has one arm.¡± Mira grumbled again and they continued down the road. While Lavinia sat in the front to direct Astus, with Arlo seated beside her, Felix walked on the side of the cart opposite Mira. Lavinia glanced over at the boy once or twice along the way. He¡¯d watch Capri circling above them, or carry the bird in his arms or on his shoulder, and there was a sense of peace on his face. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was in remembrance of their travels together that led to Seventy-Seven, or the opportunity to stretch his legs. Beside her on the bench, Arlo was noticeably less content. He sat withdrawn, staring down to purposely avoid meeting her eye. Lavinia elbowed him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m not angry at you,¡± she said. ¡°A little disappointed, maybe. But I¡¯m not gonna tell you you¡¯re wrong to be upset about what happened.¡± ¡°I wish¡­ I wish I could stop being angry at her¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°She¡¯s the only other person I know from Back Before. Everyone else is gone, and sometimes it feels like if I never see her again, my old life will feel like it never happened either. But she¡¯s just so¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Lavinia rested a hand over his. Arlo looked up at her. ¡°Should I forgive her?¡± ¡°Honey, she hurt you twice. Real bad, both times.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡°But I think that somewhere, deep, deep down, she regrets it.¡± She squeezed the boy¡¯s hand, ¡°Just remember that, even if she does, and if she does help fix what she did to your head, that doesn¡¯t mean you have to forgive her. You don¡¯t have to, even if she does make things right.¡± Arlo only nodded and grew quiet again, a new thoughtfulness visible in his face. Lavinia patted his hand before taking the reins again. The boy needed some time to think, and she was going to give it to him. The cart crawled around the curve, and they all saw at once as the village came into view not too far ahead, the first sign of life in the wider world since leaving Seventy-Seven. Their speed picked up; Mira must have gained a new enthusiasm in her effort now that the end was in sight. It looked as humble and small as Lavinia¡¯s own home, and the signs of life became clearer as they made their way along the road. The buildings were rustic but maintained, with no sign of broken windows or dilapidated structures consumed by the ivy. Specks roving around grew into people out and about. There was an odd glinting coming from the town, which Lavinia attributed to the sun reflected in windows. Everyone became captivated at the imminent arrival, at meeting these strangers who seemed to be the only other people on the planet. The minutes seemed to drag on until, finally, nearly an hour later, they arrived. Felix ran ahead excitedly as Capri fluttered up to the roofs. Lavinia helped Arlo off the cart, before almost falling on him as Mira released her broken corner of the wagon. ¡°Um¡­¡± Felix called back, ¡°Remember a few days ago when we were talking about if there were any other mechas? And Mira said there weren¡¯t?¡± Lavinia and Arlo walked up to Felix, joined by Mira as she knocked the dust off herself. ¡°Yeah? So what?¡± she replied. Then they saw and stopped. Many of the townsfolk were out in the street. Each person, adults and youths alike, all had robotic arms, legs, hands, eyes, or, in one person¡¯s case, an entire head. They all stopped and stared back at the unexpected guests, clearly just as surprised by their presence. ¡°I think you just got proved wrong,¡± Felix muttered. Chapter Nineteen - Arlo Quest, Part 7 Sanctuary More and more people began to fill the street, seeming to manifest from nowhere at all. In only a minute or two, there was a whole crowd, all trying to get a look at the new arrivals. Capri immediately flapped out of Felix¡¯s arms and flew back to the cart. The bird perched on top and cawed, as if calling for everyone else to join him. Lavinia positioned herself in front of the three children as they backed away, standing between them and the villagers. ¡°W-We don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± she announced to the strangers. ¡°Our wheel is just¡ªwe only want¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t know how to react, and even her voice was failing her; the people of Seventy-Seven weren¡¯t like this. Their best option was to get back in the cart and¡ªgo nowhere because the wheel is broken. Into the trees would be the best option. The kids would go first, and she could help Arlo if he needed it, then¡ª ¡°Hey, you¡¯re like me!¡± a girl said behind Lavinia. Glancing back, she found an excited girl holding up her thin, gold-painted metal left arm to show Arlo. She appeared younger than Mira, Arlo, or Felix, and had two gold legs to match her arm, sticking out from a pair of shorts. Her metal limbs were unique compared to those of others around the crowd, and nearly skeletal, especially compared to her fleshy right arm. The girl¡¯s hand and feet were almost cartoonishly big compared to what they were attached to. ¡°Well, you¡¯re like me before papa gave me my new arm,¡± she added. ¡°They must be here to see the doc,¡± someone in the crowd said, and a visible wave of understanding went through everyone that Lavinia was out of the loop on. ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t they say so?¡± Slowly, everyone began to wander off and back to whatever they were doing, leaving Lavinia and the children in total confusion. ¡°Can anybody help with our wheel¡­?¡± she mumbled as the crowd dispersed. ¡°Okay, thanks anyway.¡± ¡°Are you really here to see my papa?¡± the golden-armed girl asked. Lavinia turned to her; the girl was staring up at her. Papa¡­? ¡°Oh, uh, no,¡± she said. ¡°We just need to get our wheel fixed so we can get back on the road.¡± ¡°So, unless your ¡®papa¡¯ can do that, back off.¡± Mira was glaring at the girl. ¡°Hm¡­¡± The girl thought for a moment, ¡°I dunno about wheels, but he fixed me and everybody else here.¡± ¡°I saw a guy with a robot head,¡± Felix said. ¡°If he can do that, how hard could a wheel be?¡± ¡°Well, I s¡¯pose it couldn¡¯t hurt,¡± Lavinia said. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll take you to him!¡± The girl smiled at Arlo warmly and ran up the street, oblivious as Mira grabbed his arm and pulled him close to her. Lavinia glanced back around at the three children and followed along after her. Arlo did his best to shuffle along after her with Mira hanging onto him as if she was worried about him bolting if she gave him even a little space. Villager after villager watched the group as they passed by. Whenever Lavinia saw them, they¡¯d smile and nod. She¡¯d return it¡ªmanners were still important¡ªbut there was something off-putting about everyone. She found herself wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. As they continued on though, past an open market and people chatting on the street, she considered: Was she the one who was wrong? Heck, the people there weren¡¯t doing anything more unusual than the folks back at Seventy-Seven. These people crowded around as soon as they entered town and startled them, sure. But who wouldn¡¯t, when a strange woman comes to town with three kids, one who was holding a crow and the other lifting a cart being pulled by a big ol¡¯ white stag? To the locals, they must be the strange ones. She hadn¡¯t even asked the girl¡¯s name who was helping them out. Here mama¡¯d be appalled at her lacking manners. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Felix asked first, beating Lavinia to it. ¡°I¡¯m Cora,¡± the girl replied. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Felix, the clingy girl is Mira, the other boy is Arlo¡ª¡± ¡°Who¡¯s mine, so back off,¡± Mira added. Arlo shifted away from her. Lavinia rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m Lavinia. Please disregard anything Mira says. So, what¡¯s the name of this town? I didn¡¯t see any sign outside or on the road.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really have a name,¡± Cora said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even a town at first, just where me and papa settled down. Then more and more people came to stay, and more buildings got put up. Hm¡­ But a lot of people here call it ¡®the sanctuary¡¯, so I guess that¡¯s its name?¡± ¡°Sanctuary¡­¡± she considered. ¡°So, your daddy¡¯s some kind of doctor? Mechanic?¡± ¡°Mhm, papa¡¯s really smart. Oh, we¡¯re here!¡± Cora ran ahead again; she could go surprisingly fast on her skinny metal legs. She stopped at a large, rounded building that seemed to be at the very center of town. Lavinia looked up at it and frowned. There was something off about it. Beneath its bronze dome, the building seemed cold and hard, a solid brick structure with no windows or any features beyond the metal door Cora was eagerly swaying in front of. As they walked up to it, Lavinia glanced back at the children following her. ¡°I¡¯ve got a weird feeling about this place,¡± she muttered. ¡°You three stay near the door, in case something¡¯s up.¡± Arlo frowned. ¡°What do you think could happen¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope it¡¯s just me being spooked after that welcome earlier, but get ready, just in case.¡±
The Doctor ¡°Papa, I¡¯m home!¡± Cora dropped into an office chair that went spinning across the cluttered lab floor. Tables and machinery filled the room, lights on which illuminated the room, and tubing lined the wall. Like the building¡¯s exterior, it was cold and sterile. Lavinia glanced around for someone else, but couldn¡¯t see anyone. A few floor lights turned on and washed the room in gentle light. No one besides Cora was there. ¡°Where¡ª¡± ¡°Welcome home, dear,¡± an echoing voice replied. Clanking footsteps followed. ¡°Who are our guests?¡± ¡°They¡¯re new outsiders, papa!¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Um¡­ Where are you?¡± Lavinia asked, looking all around. ¡°O-Ow! Mira, let go!¡± Arlo said. Lavinia turned and found the girl gripping Arlo¡¯s arm, her eyes wide as metal footsteps echoed down the walls. What appeared to be a giant centipede walked down onto the floor near Lavinia. It had four legs moving in unison like an ant, with another four on its torso. Once it stepped onto the floor, its body rotated around and contorted until it stood upright, towering over them all in an ambiguously humanoid shape of limbs and metal. Its head was faceless, like the Builder, but with a large round lens at the center, crossed by a softly pulsating upside-down ¡°L¡± shape. Felix stumbled back into Lavinia as it turned to them. ¡°My name is Orlan,¡± the faceless machine greeted. ¡°Welcome to my home.¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡ª¡± Lavinia stammered, staring up at the machine. Whatever she was expecting to find there, it wasn¡¯t that. Cora jumped out of the chair again and hurried over. ¡°They¡¯re neat, papa! They came to town in a wagon pulled by a big white deer!¡± ¡°Oh? My, that must be quite the deer.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s an elk or something¡­¡± Lavinia muttered. Orlan seemed to be peering straight through her; it was unsettling, but his attention snapping past her was somehow worse. ¡°And even more interesting are these children you¡¯ve brought with you. Though, only two of them are mine.¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°Papa? You have more children?¡± Cora asked, looking from Orlan to Mira and Arlo several times like she was searching for a physical resemblance. ¡°Oh yes, I had many hundreds once. But now¡­¡± A red light emanated from the center lens of Orlan¡¯s head and flashed over Arlo, who stepped back in alarm. The light faded instantly. ¡°Mark III Domestic Services unit X17GA. Arlo. And, of course, I recognize little MIR-A.¡± Mira immediately looked down at the floor. Lavinia stepped in front of the children for a second time that day, attempting to block Orlan¡¯s view of them despite standing at least two feet over her. He hadn¡¯t made a move or acted threateningly, but¡­ well, she didn¡¯t like how he was looking at them. Lights and all. Arlo stared through her at nothing, trying in vain to recognize the familiar feeling brought on by Orlan¡¯s words. X17GA¡­ Images flashed through his mind that he couldn¡¯t make sense of; a grubby off-white ceiling, a startled woman, something said in a language¡ªSpanish. ¡°Hold on, are you saying you¡¯re the one who made the mechas?¡± Lavinia asked, dismayed. Arlo looked up at her; he¡¯d missed whatever they just said. He turned to Orlan as his vision blurred. Felix turned to him, and all three of his heads looked concerned. He said something that looked like ¡°Are you okay?¡± before Arlo collapsed to the floor. *** It was dark again when he rebooted and slowly opened his eyes. Arlo¡¯s head rolled to the side, and for a time he was transfixed by the small, colorful lights that hovered in the darkness around him. It felt as though he were floating among stars in the emptiness of space. Then something moved among the darkness; a silhouette slipped past the stars and headed straight for him. Arlo attempted to move away, to escape the shadowy form, but his body was sluggish and resisted him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake!¡± Arlo blinked at the shape beside him. ¡°Anne¡­?¡± ¡°We were all worried about you,¡± Cora said, coming into view beside him. ¡°I thought my big brother was gonna die after I just found out I had one¡­¡± ¡°Big brother?¡± Arlo did his best to sit up as his eyes adjusted to the dark. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Papa is my papa, and he also made you Back Before, so doesn¡¯t that make us siblings? You, and me, and that other girl. Even if she was mean about it,¡± she added with a huff. Mira. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Cora started counting off her fingers. ¡°Ms. Lavinia went to the tavern to get some help fixing your cart. That other boy, um¡­ oh, Felix! He went to find his pet bird? And get some other stuff from your cart, and maybe feed your big deer too. And papa¡¯s working on a way to keep your head from getting more messed up, and big sis Mira is helping him.¡± ¡°And¡­ what were you doing hiding out in the dark?¡± ¡°I was waiting to see if you¡¯d wake up!¡± she said with a wide, relieved smile. Then she paused. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve gotta tell papa you¡¯re awake too!¡± Before Arlo could respond, Cora raced off through the dark, somehow managing to dodge the cluttered floor of machinery. He blinked; he was alone once again and doing his best to process what just happened. And I used to think Felix had too much energy¡­
Across Town The tavern was like Vic¡¯s back in Seventy-Seven. It was spacious yet full; most of their ¡°welcome party¡± was scattered around at the various tables. And like the first time Lavinia walked into Vic¡¯s, she felt excruciatingly out of place. But the longer she stood by the door, the worse it was going to get. She forced herself up to the bar and sat down at the penultimate stool; Mae always sat at the very end. No¡­ Gotta focus. Think about how much you miss her later¡­ Lavinia scanned the tavern. If that place was even remotely like home, most people winding down in the tavern would still have the signs of their professions. At least, everyone could tell she was a tinkerer right away. Maybe someone would have sawdust on their clothes, or would still be wearing a toolbelt. Heck, in that town, they could even have a hammer for a hand. Looking around that place, though, it might be harder than she thought. Nobody seemed out of the ordinary¡ªthat is, nobody looked like they could help with her cart. ¡°Drink,¡± a voice like lightning said. Lavinia jumped and found the robot-headed man behind the bar across from her. ¡°O-Oh, a water, please.¡± Sure as heck can¡¯t drink anything stronger right now. The man nodded and turned, grabbing a pitcher of water from one of the shelves behind him. Lavinia watched him as he did. He didn¡¯t have loose shreds of flesh around the base of his neck signifying outer damage, like Arlo had around his torn shoulder. His metal head was securely attached to the rest of his body. ¡°Are you¡­ a mecha?¡± she asked. He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re human?¡± He nodded. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Her head was buzzing with questions; if his original head or if only the brain was inside, how he maintained a balance system without the inner ear workings, and so on. But those were real personal questions for a stranger to ask, and there were more important things to worry about. ¡°So¡­¡± she started as the bartender sat her water down. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know anybody good with carpentry or general woodworking, would you?¡± The bartender¡¯s red eyes glowed softly for a moment, then he turned and pointed. Lavinia turned and saw a large man with a large metal arm at a nearby table. He was engaging two other men at the table in what sounded like a rousing story. ¡°Thanks!¡± She stood and hurried across the tavern to the man. The bartender looked down at the water he¡¯d just poured for her, left untouched and abandoned on the bar. With a sigh like static, he picked it up again and poured it in the sink. *** ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Mira demanded. ¡°Why, living, of course,¡± Orlan replied. One of his mechanical limbs was plugged into an antiquated yet pristine computer as data raced across the screen. ¡°Just as you have clearly been doing over these many years, MIR-A.¡± ¡°Stop calling me that. My name is Mira now. It probably doesn¡¯t matter to you, but it does to me.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Mira.¡± He glanced at her. ¡°Having you by my side again, working on one of my creations together, takes me back to the old days. You were always a wonderful assistant.¡± She looked away from him to dodge his gaze. ¡°Those days are over. We¡¯re leaving, I¡¯m fixing Arlo, and then we¡¯re both going where you will never find us.¡± ¡°That would be a shame, but I consent to your wishes.¡± Orlan laughed a bit, ¡°I am pleased to find you haven¡¯t changed much. You were always a bit of a loner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m warning you, and you know it. I don¡¯t care how or why you¡¯re still alive, if that Cora girl and everybody in this town is part of some new experiment you¡¯re running, just stay away from Arlo.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so harsh to young Cora. She¡¯s truly a sweet child, and her personality is much like the one you always used to put on around others.¡± ¡°Stop changing the subject!¡± Mira shouted. He turned to her. Mira¡¯s eyes widened and she backed away, bumping into a back row of machines in the small room. It was as dark and as cluttered as the main lab. Orlan reached out for her, and she flinched. He only rested a clawed metal hand on her shoulder. ¡°Why do you recoil?¡± he asked. ¡°You were never quite so jumpy when last I saw you. Though, as you said, the old days are over.¡± His head swiveled around to the computer screen again, ¡°There is nothing I could learn from Arlo that would be of use anymore. And at his current rate of deterioration, I predict he has only days before he shuts down permanently.¡± ¡°You have to help him.¡± She was trembling. ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°Why? That model has already vastly exceeded its anticipated operational life.¡± His head swiveled back around, and he stared down at her. ¡°There is little point in prolonging the inevitable, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Mira clenched her fists. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Papa! Big brother Arlo is¡ª¡± Cora ran in, but paused. Orlan¡¯s head turned to her and held his arms out to her. She smiled again and went up, hugging him to Mira¡¯s revulsion. ¡°Big brother Arlo is awake now.¡± ¡°Wonderful, thank you for telling me. Why don¡¯t you and Mira run along and find her friends while I finish working on this program? ¡°Okay!¡± Cora said, grinning at her. Mira was clearly less enthusiastic. Chapter Twenty - Arlo Quest, Part 8 Felix and Mira Mira had been in Orlan¡¯s lab for hours that afternoon. He was elsewhere in the building doing¡ªsomething. Either it was something suspicious or something boring, like playing father to that Jorja girl. Whatever the answer, she didn¡¯t want to know about it. She just hoped it kept him busy long enough for her to search through his databanks to see what he¡¯d been up to. And trying to accomplish that was mildly difficult while she was feeling eyes on her back. ¡°What?¡± she demanded, turning back around quick enough to see Felix duck behind a rolling cart. ¡°N-Nothing,¡± he said. ¡°I wanted to see what you were doing¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business what I¡¯m doing. Why do you even care?¡± The boy peeked up over the cart. ¡°Because you were kinda freaked out when we met Orlan today. I mean, all of us were too, but you¡¯re not usually like that.¡± ¡°I met him before.¡± Mira turned away, ¡°And I don¡¯t need anyone checking in on me. Why can¡¯t you figure out that I don¡¯t want anything to do with you?¡± ¡°Then why did you come to my house after your fight with Arlo?¡± he asked. ¡°That? I was trying to turn you against him, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°But why were you crying?¡± She paused. Then she blushed. ¡°I-I was hurt and wasn¡¯t thinking straight! Don¡¯t you ever tell anyone about that.¡± ¡°I never told Arlo all the stuff you said to me,¡± he said. ¡°And I knew you were trying to turn me against Arlo, even though I didn¡¯t know why or even who you were. But I wanted to help you two figure out whatever issue you had. And I still do, even after what you did to him.¡± Mira grew silent and turned back to the databank. Felix took the opportunity to slowly step out from behind the cart. ¡°You can talk to me again. About anything. It doesn¡¯t even have to be about this if you want. You¡¯ve probably seen a lot of cool stuff over the years we could talk about. I¡¯m not going to¡ª¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re so annoying,¡± Mira groaned. Felix stopped and turned away, but she went on. ¡°I don¡¯t like hurting people. Not really.¡± ¡°Then why do you do it¡­?¡± ¡°Because I had to. It¡¯s what I was made to do.¡± She wouldn¡¯t turn around to face him. ¡°My units were hunters, sent to reclaim defective mechas. The MIR-A production line look like¡­ this¡­ because we went after juvenile domestic models. The company wanted to avoid negative press for public reclamation work, so we would befriend the targets or their owners. Then we¡¯d lure them away and deactivate them. Our handlers would take us back and shut us down until we were needed again. The only way I could stay activated was by helping Orlan in his experiments. It was how I met Arlo.¡± ¡°But things are different now,¡± he said. ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to make you do that anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I know.¡± Felix reached out to her but stopped, pulling his hand back. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard when your whole world is pulled away¡­ Everything you knew¡­ And it¡¯s harder to try and figure out how to move on from it.¡± ¡°How would you know any of that?¡± she asked. Her voice was shaking. ¡°Because I went through the same thing when my parents died. When everyone did¡­ And I lied to Ms. Lavinia when she said I could move in with her and Arlo. I don¡¯t like living alone with Capri, but I¡¯m scared to go through the same thing again¡­¡± ¡°I know you were lying,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re a really bad liar.¡± Felix cracked a little smile. ¡°I try not to do it a lot.¡± Mira wiped her eyes on her cardigan sleeve and disconnected her hand from the databank. She turned around to face Felix, who stood there awkwardly. He started to raise his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t need a hug,¡± she said. ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡± She looked down at the floor. ¡°I took out Arlo¡¯s long-term memory drive because I thought he¡¯d always be scared of me. Because if he could still remember Anne¡­ you¡­ I could never compete. And I never will, now¡­¡± ¡°Maybe not,¡± Felix admitted. ¡°But friends don¡¯t have to compete with one another. I still don¡¯t know what all happened between you two Back Before, but he promised to be your friend. It would have just taken time, like when we became friends. And it can still happen if you stop acting so weird and controlling. Try being open with people instead of pushing them away.¡± There was a heavy silence between them for a moment. They hadn¡¯t talked like that since they first met, and this time it felt like he had much more say. He shifted on his feet for a moment, and Mira looked up at him. ¡°Can I have a quick hug¡­?¡± he asked. Mira groaned again, even louder. ¡°You can have one hug. And then we never tell anyone about this.¡± He stepped forward cautiously and reached out, pulling her into a hug that she weakly returned. It only lasted for a second or two before he let go. ¡°There¡¯s something else I wanted to ask. Did Orlan really make you and Arlo?¡± ¡°He designed us,¡± she said. ¡°The factories built us.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He nodded, ¡°That makes sense, because he doesn¡¯t look like you two.¡± ¡°¡­ He doesn¡¯t even have a face anymore.¡±
The Sanctuary Library Arlo sat on the ground with Astus behind him, as both watched the three men working to fix the cart. Though, Astus was more interested in the patches of grass he was chewing on. Lavinia was by the cart and had been talking to one of the men, a big one with a robotic arm, ever since Arlo wandered out of Orlan¡¯s lab in a haze. Now his head was somewhat clearer, but she was¡­ gone? Where did¡ª ¡°Hey kiddo, are you feeling better?¡± Lavinia asked, suddenly beside him.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. He jumped and looked up at her, ¡°A little bit¡­ You found people to help with the cart?¡± ¡°Sure did.¡± She turned back at the men, ¡°The one underneath there with the arm is Archer, the one on the side with the beard is his husband Jaxon, and the one with the metal goat-looking leg is their other husband, Ben.¡± Arlo looked out at them too. ¡°Did it really take three people to fix the wheel¡­?¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, I think they just like doing stuff together.¡± Lavinia lowered herself down onto the grass beside Arlo. ¡°You okay spending the night here? It¡¯ll be dark soon and we¡¯ll have to make camp anyway. No way I¡¯m risking driving into another pothole after we just got the wheel fixed.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± was all Arlo said. Lavinia glanced over at him. ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡± He was quiet. ¡°No. I guess Orlan really is the one who created me.¡± ¡°Mira sure seems to think so. But I¡¯ve never seen her as spooked as when he introduced himself, which honestly has me a little spooked¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried too. Not only about Orlan and why she¡¯s afraid of him, but the fact I don¡¯t remember him either.¡± Arlo looked up; his face was pale. ¡°If I can¡¯t even remember the person who created me, how likely am I to remember you¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, remember what we talked about before?¡± She wrapped her arm around him and Arlo leaned into her. ¡°I know, I know¡­ But it¡¯s so hard to not worry about it¡­¡± ¡°How about we go for a walk around town?¡± Lavinia smiled at him, ¡°We can go find a place to stay for tonight, see if there¡¯s anything interesting. What d¡¯you say?¡± Arlo nodded and stood up with her help. They went off down the main street, each looking back and forth to both sides at the different buildings. There was a market like Blackwell¡¯s, a few houses, and the tavern. It was clear that Sanctuary was a town built from the ground up instead of an old community that was reinhabited. There were no empty buildings scattered around and overtaken by the ivy; everything had a purpose. They walked by a little shop with large front windows and got just past them before Lavinia stopped and backed up. The inside was lined with bookshelves. ¡°Oh my gosh.¡± She turned to Arlo excitedly, ¡°A library! Can we go in? Please?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me for permission?¡± Lavinia hurried inside with Arlo following along. Beneath the windows were a few chairs around a table, while the rest of the small space was occupied by a few aisles of full shelves marked by different signs. Arlo looked down the aisles; at the back of the room was a simple desk. Every part of the library was clean and meticulously organized, without a single spot of dust or book out of line. They were the only people there. ¡°I always wished Seventy-Seven had a place like this¡­ Most books I found in the ruins were all torn up,¡± Lavinia said as she wandered past a section marked Mystery. ¡°Maybe whoever opened this place got them all first.¡± Arlo looked down towards a section marked Technical Manuals. He walked down to them. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll have anything on mecha repair¡­?¡± Lavinia didn¡¯t respond, and he looked back at her. She was in front of a section marked Romance with a faded paperback. The cover had two women on a horse in the snow, both in dresses that barely covered them, and wrapped in each other¡¯s arms; one was sitting backward on the horse for their pose. Arlo couldn¡¯t make sense of anything going on there, or why Lavinia was blushing as she intently read through it. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°H-Huh?¡± Her attention snapped back to him. She closed the book. ¡°Oh, sorry, I¡¯m uh¡­ I¡¯m just gonna borrow this book for later. What were you saying?¡± ¡°Do you think there might be a book on mecha repair here?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± Lavinia walked down to the manuals beside him, ¡°We¡¯re getting pretty close to that old factory now, so it¡¯s worth a look.¡± They both looked through the shelf for a few minutes, at books on small engine repair, electrical wiring, computer programming, and so on. But there was nothing on mecha repair. Or at least nothing useful. ¡°Hey, here¡¯s something¡± Lavinia said. She held up a book titled 2063 Mecha Style Guide, with pictures of different mechas in all sorts of absurd outfits and accessories on the cover. Most of them were glamoured servant uniforms; maids, butlers, a tutor with a stack of books. There was even a little girl showing off a boy labeled MECHA to her friends. Arlo looked up at her, unamused. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to help.¡± ¡°Yeah, me neither.¡± She put it back. ¡°Don¡¯t see anything else about mechas here though. Sorry, kiddo.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Finding something useful was a longshot anyway.¡± Lavinia nodded. She glanced around the shelves to the aisle behind it. ¡°Hey, kids¡¯ books. Wanna take a look.¡± Arlo looked too and nodded. They both went over to the books and started looking through them, pulling one out here and there until a respectable stack began to form on top of the bookshelf.
Mira''s Emotional Support Human ¡°There you two are, where¡¯ve you been?¡± Lavinia asked as Mira and Felix entered their room in the tavern. Arlo followed behind them. ¡°Where were you?¡± Mira demanded. ¡°We went to the cart and only found that deer and the bird.¡± The sun was getting low in the sky, and the tavern floor below was filling up quickly. All the locals, it turned out, built their own homes as they filtered into the town. They were lucky to find the tavern had rooms available upstairs. For one reason or another, there didn¡¯t seem to be many travelers that passed through Sanctuary. Felix stroked Capri¡¯s feathers as the bird nestled in his arms. ¡°I was worried something happened until Arlo came and found us.¡± ¡°Something will happen if we don¡¯t move on now,¡± Mira said. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen¡­?¡± ¡°Even if we left, we¡¯d have to stop to camp up the road.¡± Lavinia sat down on the bed, ¡°As fun as sleeping outside is, I really, really wanna have a bed again.¡± Mira only crossed the room and glanced out the window rather than respond. She glanced from side to side as if they were being watched at that exact moment. Lavinia looked from her back to Felix, giving him a look of What¡¯s wrong with her? The boy shrugged and stood up rigid in a poor attempt at mimicking Orlan. Lavinia turned to Mira. ¡°Is there something going on?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why¡¯re you staring out the window?¡± The girl clenched her fists, and to the surprise of both Lavinia and Arlo, Felix went over to her. ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen if we spend the night here,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re okay now, right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± she replied. She wouldn¡¯t turn to face him. ¡°Yes I do.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Because Ms. Lavinia is here, and so is Arlo, and so are you.¡± Mira started to turn back to him, and he smiled at her. ¡°We¡¯ll be okay if we stay together.¡± The girl stopped and turned away again, her cheeks growing flushed. Lavinia and Arlo, who were watching the whole scene, stared ahead at the two before turning to each other in total confusion. ¡°I can¡¯t take you seriously when you¡¯re carrying that bird around¡­¡± she said. Capri blinked. ¡°His name is Capri, and you¡¯re gonna have to like him too. We¡¯re a package deal.¡± ¡°Do you two want some privacy?¡± Lavinia asked. Mira and Felix turned back around. For a moment, the two had forgotten about both Lavinia and Arlo who continued to watch them in bewilderment. Arlo in particular also looked deeply concerned. ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s okay.¡± Felix turned to Mira, ¡°We talked earlier and now we¡¯re¡­ friends?¡± ¡°I¡ªtolerate you,¡± she said. ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt him,¡± Arlo said, eyeing Mira suspiciously. She met his gaze for a moment or two before wavering. ¡°Be open instead of pushing people away¡­¡± she muttered. Then she looked back up at them all. ¡°There¡¯s something I have to tell you. About Orlan.¡± *** ¡°Papa?¡± Jorja asked while setting a single plate on the table. ¡°Yes, my dear?¡± Orlan replied. ¡°What were things like in the Back Before times?¡± Orlan¡¯s metal head swiveled around from the stove to face her. ¡°That is a rather curious question.¡± Jorja swayed a bit, back and forth. ¡°I was just thinking about it, since you were talking about how you had a bunch more kids then¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, I did. No need to be bashful, my dear,¡± he said, holding a mechanical hand out to Jorja. She went over to him. ¡°This world in days long past was in a glorious age of possibility. Technology and engineering had advanced to such a point that, as a young man, I created the first of what would become my legacy.¡± ¡°The mechas?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My children were inherently the most superior beings in existence, and had the potential to correct many mistakes of the old world. Those set by nature and those instituted by design. For you see, in those days, the ages old problems of inequality, warfare, civil strife, and the like had yet to be addressed. Problems that are no longer present in the world you¡¯ve grown to know. Unfortunately, there were obstacles to my children reaching that potential. But with your big sister¡¯s assistance, this can finally be overcome soon.¡± ¡°Big sis Mira¡¯s gonna help?¡± Jorja asked, puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s she gonna help you do?¡± ¡°Oh, plenty of time to discuss that later,¡± he said. ¡°You had better sit down to eat before your dinner grows cold.¡±