Autonomy (Part 5) [A Dystopian Scifi Adventure Written by Matthew Munsey]
And so with his audience in attention again, Trip continued to speak. The separatists of Massachusetts and its surrounding states, it would seem, hadn’t wanted to separate at all. Rather they were forced by the United States to secede and thus to become the obvious enemy, a scapegoat for the Company and the United States together to rally against, and to solidify their control over the hearts and minds of the American people once and for all. Furthermore, these so called separatists never even wanted war, as the Company had been so sure to broadcast far and wide for months on end. Instead they simply wanted to warn the people of the dangers of forgoing their pursuit of knowledge for the pursuit of luxury and ease. To warn the people, that with this great luxury would surely come dire consequences.
“You see you two,” spoke Trip in a more relaxed tone than he had worn during his monologue, “Even way back then those guys over in the east knew what was going to happen, not like they could see the future, you dig, but they just knew, guys. They said it years before any evidence was even around, and there has been evidence for a while, more than you two would think, but they said, well, they said sooner or later, the robots would all just start to break. Break so bad even they wouldn’t be able to fix themselves, and you know no one around here knows anything about how to go about it.”
Since her outburst Barbara had remained as silent as Jack had been this whole time, but now again, could not help herself from interjecting. “So you’re saying… You’re saying all of this.” She waved her arms around her head, indicating everything she could possibly wrap her mind around, “All of this, is just going to break now? And there’s no way to stop it?” At once she began to sob uncontrollably.
Seeing this, but feeling just as helpless as she looked, Jack stroked her back and told her for what seemed like the hundredth time today, that everything would be okay. Trip only looked on sympathetically, waiting for one of the two of them to speak first before he continued.
Finally Jack broke the sound of Barb’s uncontrolled sobbing.
“So you’re saying they’ve been lying to us? The company, that is? This whole damn time they knew?”
Trip didn’t miss a beat.
“You’ve gotta understand man, the Company, it isn’t anyone. It just is. I know it sounds hard to believe, but there hasn’t been a person running that monster for decades, and even when there was he was always just a figurehead. The Company runs itself, no one controls it.
A chill seemed to emanate throughout the room at these words. Suddenly Barbara stopped making any sound. It seemed that all of the air had been sucked from her body in a moment, and replaced with lead. Jake felt about the same.
Finally, he said,
“So what, it’s over, huh? We’re all screwed?
“Oh, not by a longshot my man, what do you think I’ve been up to? Me and my pals have been preparing for this one for years. It’s the new world order my brother, and you best get ready, because it’s coming atcha fast!”
Jack wasn’t sure what to make of that. Thinking hard, the only words he could formulate clearly were nothing more than a mere reiteration of what Trip had just said. Almost as a whisper Jack breathed,
“For years?”
It was all he could bare to say. The realization that for so long people knew, Trip knew, hell, even The Company itself knew. They knew the world was going to end. It wasn’t a question of ifs or maybes. If some people knew, then they all did. The ones who mattered at least. And they lied.
Lost in the murkiness of this reverie Jack stood stunned, still staring at Trip but not really seeing him, his vision lost in that shadowy place where it can go when what you need to see is neither within yourself or out there, but rather somewhere else entirely, nestled firmly between imagination and nonexistence. At last Jack spoke again.
“So… It’s done? Goodbye cruel world, and all that, huh?
As Jack spoke sweat began to bead on his forehead, slowly at first and then heavily, as though his very pores were bleeding themselves dry in their anguish.
“We’re all just fucked!? How the hell are we supposed to get through this?!”
At this final word, Jack plunged his pointer finger into Trip’s chest, hard. Hard enough to push the guy back at least a couple of inches. Immediately Jack deflated.
“Listen man, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to poke you… This is just so much, you know?”
Trip had never stopped smiling, that ever present twinkle in his eye remained. If anything the guy looked even more excited than before.
Staring at the ground still, Barb finally spoke up.
“So what’s this all got to do with us. Just wanted to give us a heads up, huh? Just a quick, ‘just so you know, the world's about to end?’ Thanks a lot, ‘man.’
She spat these words in a flurry, as though compelled to say them by some unknown hand, rather than out of her own volition. There was a hunger in her eyes that Jack had seldom seen, a hunger to know the truth. Once about seven years back Jack had seen that look when Barb had briefly suspected him of having an affair, but those fears were squashed quickly. The only other time had been when Barb’s mom had died. That time around, those eyes didn’t fade so quickly. And now they were here again. Jack briefly considered if those eyes weren’t some kind of a doorway now, different from before, leading not to the soul but to the anger, and the frustration held deep within his wife. Barb glowered at Trip, those eyes piercing directly into his, demanding the truth.
But again, all Trip did at this was laugh, smile, and respond in turn. Jack wished he could be that cool in front of her, it was like the guy was wearing a suit of armor.
Instead of answering Barb, Trip returned his full attention to his friend, still visibly defeated in the wake of his momentary outburst.
“Jack, don’t be mad at yourself. That passion’s why I dig you man, it’s what we’re going to need in the new world. And don’t you start thinking you’re an asshole, you hang with me, don’t you? Takes a special type to keep up if you know what I mean, pal.”
At this Trip flashed Jack a wink, accompanied of course by that ever present, wide-eyed grin. Slightly shaken back to earth by this unabashed display of imperturbable confidence on Trip’s part, Jack and Barb took a moment to silently look one another over, thinking all the while.
Barb spoke first, but she was sure Jack was about to say the same thing. It was written all over his anxious, but determined face.
“Well, out with it then Trip.” Barb spoke the words as though she were resigned to them. “What’s this all about, why are you telling us. You must have a reason besides wanting to save your pal.”
She spoke these words with a tone of imploring finality. A need to know why resonated deeply within every single one.
For a moment all Trip did was look from Jack to Barbie, and then back again, and finally he spoke.
“Of course there’s a reason I’m telling you guys all this. I want your help.”
Dear Reader. I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to read this story, and to let you know how much it means to me that you did! If you enjoyed this story (or hated it), please do not hesitate to let me know in the comments section! If you did enjoy this story, it would also mean a lot to me if you would be so kind as to upvote, resteem, and generally just let people know that you thought that what you read was worthwhile! Thanks again Reader, and I hope to see you next time! -Matthew Munsey
I want more