Chapter 2: Humanity's echo.
As the tires of the massive vehicle ripped through the foliage like a sharply honed knife, a mild hum of a song vibrated from Bandit's throat.
It was the only thing that quelled the silence that took place within the iron walls of the cargo vehicle.
Aside from the thrashing and tussling of the vehicle's movements, it was like a melody that softened their hearts.
Bandit was an optimistic 15 year old, with high hopes held in his heart.
With round green eyes and medium length jet black hair, he kicked his feet up on the back of the seat ahead of him.
Dispite living a simple life in the bush, he was rather content for the little things he has at this very moment.
"Stop that goddamn racket!" Recks suddenly snarled, silencing Bandit's hymn. "Your practically an adult now! You shouldn't be humming songs like a carefree child anymore!"
Hunter immediately chimed in with bitterness in his voice. "Let him sing. At least let him do that."
Recks let out a heartwrenching chuckle as he indulges in mockery.
"Hehehe! Fine! Just don't blame me if his singing causes him to receive a bullet in the head from an Orwell!"
Recks, a hardened soul with a nihilistic worldview. He has lost grip with the hope in his heart after the cold flames of war destroyed everything and everyone he ever cared about.
A cold and violent man who flails violently in the direction of anyone who dares to annoys him.
Bandit couldn't care Less of Recks' ridicule. He was quite accustomed to his cantankerous behavior at this point.
Shrugging it off, Bandit pulled out an old plastic handheld gaming device. He began thumbing away as Hunter and Reck bickered amongst eachother once again.
The citizen sat still in the back car seat like a statue. Unmoved, as if in a coma with eyes wide open. Bandit glanced over, wondering if she was awake.
He remembered some details that Geek told him about citizens.
They sleep upright in a sitting position.
So maybe she's sleeping?
No. That cannot be.
Bandit believes she's in a state of denialism.
If a person experiences an event in their life that goes against their worldview. They tend to deny that reality outright, even to a point of completely regressing to a catatonic state.
To a citizen, her being separated from the masters must be a traumatic experience. Enough so to completely detach herself from reality.
"Such a sad existence.." Bandit muttered as he watched the lifeless doll with no expression aim her empty eyes at the floor.
"I'm not even sure if we can keep her alive in this state. If she continues this, she'll probably never wake up."
A heavy voice rumbled nearby him.
Sitting next to Bandit was a heavyset man with a sleeveless shirt, hairy arms crossed. Rough stubble with a lit cigarette at the edge of his dry mouth, sighing dejectedly.
"It truly is a pathetic sight to how easily manipulated the human mind can be. I hate to say it, but Recks may have a point when he says that citizens aren't human anymore.. She's more like a beaten dog waiting for her masters to come save her."
_______________________
_____________
_____
__
Within the citizen's mind was.. absolutely.. nothing.
As if her mind was staring at a blank sheet of paper right before her very eyes.
Not a thought passed.. She just waited..
Waiting for an image to appear, waiting for the guidance from her masters in her time of great need.
It was as if she was praying to her Gods for answers.. Begging and pleading for something - anything to get her out of this situation.
..But alas, nothing answered.
Her eyes stared so sternly, it feels like she could burn right through this fictional paper with her vision alone.
Why aren't they guiding me?
Did they abandon me?
Why?-Why?-Why? They were always there to help and protect me! I can't survive without them!
Her eyes slowly began to bulge out of her head with red veins highlighting in the whites.
She wanted to cry, but was unable to shed tears. She wanted to shout, but didn't know how.
Citizens cannot express feelings whatsoever. They have been stringently trained to avoid showing emotions since birth.
She recalled her early years as a child.
Flat white rooms with glass window panes in all directions.
Hidden shadows observing through the other side.
Fellow classmates sat far appart from eachother in their individual desks.
Wearing clothes which matches the monotonous walls of where they spent the majority of their existence.
Nothing but clean shaven heads stood in distant rows of eachother. Regardless of gender, all heads must remain clean shaven so nobody seemed different from eachother.
Those who are different from one another was a sign of selfishness and arrogance!
It was said to her in numerous sessions that anyone who strives to be different, implies that they think they are superior than everyone else!
Those who stray from the guidelines set forth by our masters are truly the evil ones!
Henceforth, must be punished by any means necessary until the perpetrator gives in to the guidelines!
A memory occurred as the image bled on the paper suspended in her mind.
It was of one who was just that. He often failed to comply with such simple tasks.
He struggled to conform to the rules set forth by the teachers, he showed some form of resistance to them for some reason.
He seemed like he had some kind of ambition of sorts.
An ambition to be something more than a mere citizen.
Impossible!
Ambition? Why would a citizen have the need of such a useless trait?
Ambition is only reserved for our masters or their disciples We only need to follow! That is the only purpose in our existence!
The teacher grew tired of his disobedient nature.
And thus, the teacher gifted me with the righteous duty of taking his life..
*Ga~sp!*
It was so simple..
After all, we're nothing but lumps of carbon and water.
So it was easy to extinguish another being without a second thought.
Reconditioning is a gift from our masters.
I can still remember my hands around his frail neck as I squeezed the wretched life out of his tainted biomass.
It did take awhile though. Thankfully his body was small because of the lack of feeding due to his disobedience.
He would've starved eventually anyway..
I did him a favor!
It took an inconvenient amount of time for him to die, so I grabbed the nearest sharp instrument I could find and stabbed him relentlessly with it.
Iron wafted through the air. Wet crimson stained from my chest to my hands and cheek.
His movements finally ceased as my eyes smiled warmly..
In fact, all of our eyes smiled and continued our session as he laid lifeless on the ruby stained floor.
My only happy memory.. The day I assisted the masters with my own two hands!
They must've been proud of me that day..
So why?..
Aren't they here?
_______________________
_____________
_____
__
*CLUNK!*
The vehicle halted before the entrance to an abandoned subway tunnel. Overgrown vines veiled over the mouth with various blooming white flowers.
They swayed like the gown of a bridesmaid as the air passed thought the opening.
The vehicle then accelerated into the tunnel with the headlights guiding the way.
"We'll be there soon.."
Muttered Hunter as he crossed his arms whilst he returned to his seat.
He glanced over at the citizen as she hung her bald head forward.
"She sleeping?" He thought to himself as he slumped into a relaxed position.
Hours passed as the vehicle traveled the endless catacombs of rails.
Eventually they entered into the sunlight with redwoods covering the ceiling.
"Finally.." Exclaimed Recks as glanced over the shoulder of the driver.
Humming through the forest, they emerged into what appeared to be Valhalla.
A series of cabins faced outwards towards a crystalline lake. Nature flourished with tranquil melodies.
The sun broke through the clouds and the pearly gates opened with divine splendor.
As the vehicle approached the cabins, a small group of people continued with various daily tasks.
Tailors, cooks, butchers and many others worked with bright and optimistic smiles on their faces.
The vehicle's engine roared as it parked nearby a row of other similar car's that resemble cargo transports.
The occupants unloaded and entered the embrace of loved one's who rushed them as they entered the camp.
They were both concerned and jubilant to see everyone alive and well.
All except Hunter.
He stayed in the vehicle with the citizen, trying to converse with the vacant being.
"Are you going to stand?" He sternly said.
".." The citizen remained unresponsive to his questions as he leaned towards her slightly.
Instinctively, she jumped back in her seat with fearful panic in her eyes.
Hunter knew why she behaved in such a way.
He fully understood that citizens fear physical contact with other human beings. The terror was laden in her eyes with a familiar look of uncertainty.
There was also a look of contempt in her eyes.
The kind of look that only a stubborn child could give off.
The only character traits a citizen had was;
Fear: for it is an effective control measure.
Hatred: the fuel for upholding beliefs against those who dare to oppose them.
Those are the only two things that have been instilled into citizens minds.
Love, freedom, ambition and many other things that stirred the human soul were nonexistant within their world.
Nevertheless, Hunter leaned closer to her as she caught a glimpse of his face.
His face.. It was something uncanny to see..
Her anger subsided into anxiety.
Her heart raced uncontrollably from the sight as she held her hand to her chest.
Hunter tried to ask once more. "Stand up, citizen."
Her eyes became wrinkled once more, akin to a child protesting in a store, she scowled at him again.
"Fine, have it your way." He said as he grabbed her and lifted her onto his shoulder.
She shrieked like the incoherent cries of the dammed. It was enough to draw attention from the people just outside the vehicle.
"The fuck is this shit?" Recks exclaimed as the others turned towards the muffled screams from inside the vehicle.
Leaving the vehicle with the citizen struggling on his shoulder, he threw her before the others.
They immediately recognized what she was as they retreated in disgust.
"Why the hell did you bring that THING here, Hunter? have you lost your mind!?"
As the crowd became restless with endless questions pouring out.
Hunter raised his hand into the air, silencing the group immediately.
Hunter opened his mouth to speak. "This is citizen is the spoils from our recent raid. You can thank Recks for this."
They turned their eyes in Recks' direction as he cracked a smile back.
Recks replied without an ounce of guilt or worry in his voice before the angry mob facing him. "What's wrong? Y'all have something to say to me?"
The crowd backed away, not just from intimation, but also had a level of respect towards him.
Recks was known as one of 'the children of light'.
A militia that was formed back during the battle against tyranny.
One of the few survivors of that group.. And Hunter was the branch leader of the organized militia.
The citizen laid face-first on the ground, leaning up at the group before her.
She realized she was very far from home and these aliens were observing with naked faces.
_______________________
_____________
_____
__
Her mind cried endlessly as she spun like a wild animal.
Stop looking at me!
Stop looking at me!
Stop looking at me!
Stop looking at me!
Her heart couldn't handle their faces.
Something about their faces were unsettling to her.
Citizens were never intended to see faces during any stage of their lives.
It was a part of the rigorous conditioning that were massaged into their heads since birth.
Human faces were vile and silence was a sign of purity!
All of these creatures are a disgrace to what the masters did for us! They spit in the eyes of our creators by behaving in such a disgusting way!
I must.. kill these apostates..
Unhinged bulging eyes raised towards the crowd as they looked back with unease.
Gritting her teeth she raised a crazed eye in every direction like an insect on acid.
"GRAAAAAAAAH!"
It was quite a terrifying sight to behold for the onlookers as the citizen threw a crazed tantrum.
It was a sensory overload, the citizen simply couldn't process what to do in this situation.
Her mind screamed kill, but her body contorted like a demonic possession was taking place in her body.
Breathing heavily, she curled into a helpless ball akin to a terrorfide cornered rodent.
"Okay, shows over, everyone, return to your duties.."
Hunter calmly said as he approached the center of the crowd.
They relaxed their fists and backed away from the citizen who remained to be a miserable mess on the dirt ground.
They swallowed many countless questions with looks of uncertainty as they walked away from the scene.
Hunter squatted before her and spoke sternly.
"Listen carefully, citizen. You will now learn what it means to live without technology to nourish you. Out here, there's no computers, arrows or calming voices to instruct your movements. Which means, you will have to learn what it is to be human."
No matter how hard Hunter tried, his words couldn't reach her. She rocked back and forth within her own world, unable to digest anything happening around her.
Not long after, a voice rang out towards them.
"So, this is what the ruckus was all about."
Hunter looked over his shoulder at a man in his mid-twenties. His round glasses flashed as he adjusted them to his roundish face.
Short and thin, dressed in a red leather trenchcoat with crimson swept back hair, he shuffled closer.
"Oh?" He excitedly exclaimed. "So it IS a citizen! One that appears to be from Emerald city, no doubt!"
Hunter cracked a smile. "You got some keen eyes, Geek. I'm guessing you overheard it from Fisher, right?"
Geek shrugged innocently. "And spoil all the fun? No, Hunter. I can tell from the digits on her barcode that she was manufactured in Emerald city."
Hunter, Bandit and Recks stood nearby as Geek leaned over her, analyzing her with observant eyes.
"Interesting, she appears to have something different alongside the barcode from the last citizen I examined. Please, can you take her to my work quarters for observation?"
Hunter swallowed hard whilst standing tall.
"Very well.."
Hunter carried her small and frail body as Bandit and Recks looked on.
"I wonder if she'll be alright?" Bandit said with concern in his voice.
"Who cares!" Snarled Recks. "This is a big waste of time anyway! What the hell could we learn from such a useless drone!"
Bandit turned towards Recks and spoke with a resolute tone.
"I don't think thats the reason why Hunter brought her here, Recks."
"?" Reck paused his bitterness as Bandit continued.
"Don't you see it? I think Hunter's doing this to rekindle something deep within himself. The expression on his face ever since he declared to bring her back was a dead giveaway. You should know, since you guys are old friends, right?"
"Pah!" Recks flung his hand over his shoulder. "We USED to be friends. Our beliefs have driven us apart. He foolishly believes that we could salvage the human race, whereas I believe we were doomed to fail ever since we ran away to survive the war, rather than dying with dignity!"
"Such optimism." Bandit sarcastically snorted.
"And you're a goddamn fool as well!" Recks angrily remarked. "What do you really think about this whole citizen fiasco!?"
"Hmm.." Bandit crossed his arms, entering deep thought.
"I'm only curious if she might end up becoming cute, if she can grow her hair out, that is!"
In disbelief, Recks stuttered. "A-Are ya fuckin' serious?"
Bandit shrugged with laughter. "Hahaha! Hey, come on! I'm just a growing boy with a burning curiosity for girls. Who knows! Maybe she'll be cute!"
"Ya gotta be fuckin' kidding me!" Recks sneered.
_______________________
_____________
_____
__
It is worth noting that It was hard to determine what age the citizen was due to her malnourished body. Upon initial inspection, Recks perceived her to be a 12 year old.
Whereas Bandit was aware of the information that Geek already knew about.
Citizens age rapidly.
A citizen only has the lifespan of roughly thirty years. Three of those years are their childhood and the rest is mostly adulthood with nearly no lasting seniority years.
Why and how was this done?
The masters needed a way to control the rate of population.
Early stages of childhood was nothing more but an inconvenience.
Therefore they calculated and meticulously studied ways to accelerate human growth so they could have their fully matured legion without delay.
So therefore, this girl may look 12 now, but her body will grow to be sixteen roughly within a year.
Dispite her being a citizen, Bandit didn't see her in the same light as Recks did.
Recks simply didn't see her as human. He wouldn't hesitate putting a bullet in her head just for his own pain relief.
He has a history with their kind and he despises each and every one of them..
Elsewhere in the outskirts of the settlement, sat a rustic metallic camping trailer. Various electronics pulsed with the hum of a gas powered generator just outside.
Hunter placed the empty vessel of a woman on the examination table stationed in the middle of the camper.
Flickering like Christmas lights were various LED screens wrapped in a semicircul around a swivel chair.
Geek sat before the woman and examined the sides of her head.
"Interesting." He remarked in fascination. "There appears to be additional components attached within her cranium."
"What do you mean?" Hunter asked.
Geek then applied pressure to the barcode on the citizen's neck.
*flick*
Akin to a dick tray opening, a two inch circuit board ejected out the with the barcode on the fleshy end.
Unlike traditional electronics, this machinery was fully organic with fleshy tubes and cords resembling vains.
"What the fuck.." Hunter exclaimed in disgust.
However Geek was not very surprised to see such components within this human's body.
He was actually rather impressed with the sophisticated technology that he is witnessing first hand.
"Interesting, they managed to biologically fuse technology with human DNA."
Hunter didn't necessarily share his enthusiasm as he let out words of disgust.
"I don't necessarily find this shit as fascinating as you do. What exactly is all this garbage doing inside her body in the first place!?"
Geek adjusted his round glasses and snickered. "It's obvious, isn't it?"
Hunter leaned back against the wall, bracing himself for Geek's answer.
"Why would the masters seek to biologically fuse humanity with machines? Well, human minds are chaotic and hard to predict. But machines can be programmed to follow directives with pinpoint accuracy. In other words, absolute control of the human soul."
Even though Hunter was braced for his words, it still shook his heart.
He glanced back at the woman on the table with a frown. "Is it possible to remove the machinery from her?"
Geek sighed. "It would be a risky procedure. If forcibly removed it could render her into brain dead state, or just straight up kill her. The circuitry communicates between the receiver to the brain to block unwanted thoughts from dredging up. It also explains why she's in this current state, she's shutting herself down."
"Christ.." Hunter said as he slumped against the wall. "How did you know about these types of electronics anyway? The last citizen didn't have this kind of shit.."
"No they didn't.. Although, I have discovered animals with this type of technology in their bodies. So, naturally, this technology was intended for humans to begin with."
Hunter lowered his head with a deep hole in his gut.
He couldn't fathom the cruelty and callousness that these masters have done to humanity. He longed to go back in time to do something - anything to prevent things from getting as far as it's become.
Geek sensed his pain and anguish as he approached with a confident smile.
"Don't dismay, I've removed components like this before. I deeply understand the workings of how these electronics function. She'll be free."
"But will she be human?" Hunter exclaimed, raising his head.
"That's not for me to judge." Geek answered as he readied himself for the operation.
Hunter stepped outside, taking deep breaths against the trailer door.
"So the rumors are true.." A soft serene female voice greeted his left.
Looking over his shoulder he saw a petite woman with long flowing gold hair. Dispite her rather soft complexions, she held a stern expression at this very moment.
She appeared to be in her late twenties, with rounded features and wide valley green eyes.
She dressed in rather provocative tight leather slacks with a brown sleeveless vest. A handgun strapped to her hip along with a satchel latched to a utility belt.
She raised her eyes and continued her approach to Hunter.
"You brought a citizen here, didn't you?"
Hunter peered through his ragged blonde hair with eyes of solid sapphire.
"Is that a problem?"
"Are ya fucking kidding me, Hunter?" She replied scathingly. "Ofcourse it is! You can't dwell in the past, humanity is over!"
"How can you honestly say that?" Hunter deeply exclaimed. "So you're saying that we should just give up?"
"Don't be foolish, Hunter. You and I both know that there is no humanity left in these citizens. You're too old for such childish beliefs!" She then backed away, closing her statement.
"This conversation is over."
She then stomped away as Hunter watched her disappear into the distance
He thought to himself as he gazed up at the clear blue sky in ponder.
He knew his beliefs seemed childishly unrealistic.
Why wouldn't he? Citizens couldn't necessarily be saved from the grip the masters hold on them. Everyone knew it was hopeless to think anything could come from a helpless creature.
Citizens have no will, no dreams and no desires.
Trying to break them from the control was pointless since nothing would be accomplished in doing so.
But Hunter imagined something going differently.
If this citizen was capable of learning how to be human - then maybe it might instill hope within his people. The hope to find some way to save these citizens from the machine before it one day claims his home.
The battle is far from over..