Robotic Vampires 3

Ria, twisting the wheels of the engine left and right with Easton on the side seat finds her way across the desert carrying the refugees stuck behind each side of the bumpy shelves of the floating engines. "boring as it always is, we gotta find peace in between somehow," Ria said

"Let's sing a song of victory then," Easton said already humming through his lips,

"Yeah that's a nice idea only that these are not fellow soldiers, their survivors," Mrs. Peter said,

"Got a better idea, old lady," Easton says, Everyone was quiet for a minute, "that's what I thought,"

"So, this is how the song goes," Easton said, "the first…" he tries teaching the chorus

"I'm gonna tell a story," Mrs. Peters decides to tell a tale

"Christ Jesus, about what?" Easton blinked on the side mirror

"About the past, it would help you in your course,"

"Let's hear it then," Ria said still moving forward,

"My husband you all know who he is, Norman Peters,"

Everyone muttered, "the rumors are true," they told one another, "why don't we throw you out so you get bitten into a raw material,"

"Yeah, the one her husband created,"

"Everyone quiet, she's one of us," Ria raised her voice a little above normal, "if she has something to say that will help us, then we hear it without complaint,"

"Better be worth it," another whispered,

"A simple love story about how it started," she said, "in the story of the wolf, the sheep, and the shepherd, silence is a terrible thing, and so is the truth. So what if Norman lied and called that lie into doom sky, clouds scuttling across heaven, the sun lighting the leaves? But in the midst of the silence a word calls out from heaven and darkens the grass, near the little villages," she giggled, "he told me something and I'll say this in rap,"

"If there's something that you need to say, stop whining," Easton shouts

"Truth is we all lie to find out what's worth," Mrs. Peters says

"What do you mean?" Easton turned and looked unto the two shelved back seats through the striped iron bars that differentiated the two front seats from the empty space behind, "say it now before we cross,"

she sighs and said, "you never know,"

"Congratulations we've reached the borders of Morocco. You made it give yourself a hand," Ria says, jumping down and rushing to open the back door for the other refugees to come. Everyone settled and walks a little distance, "over to you Easton," Ria said, "they'll believe you,"

Easton walked towards the immigration officials settling by the borderline, "that's far enough, identify yourself," their leader shouted

Easton surrendered his loaded rifle and walked towards them, he flipped out his ID card from his left back pocket, "I'm Easton Tate McRae, an officer of the Green Beret, American special forces, sent on a desperate but classified mission which went sideways just before we landed. We plead you house us for a moment while we contact home,"

"You're the US refugees Captain Flynn told us about,"

"Captain Flynn… yes, we are," he says, "while I have a little stuff to fix back in the desert I'll be back in three days, just do well to take this number of refugees to safety,"

"Are you going back in there?"

"As I said, it's classified and I can't discuss any of it with you, but better still you'll have to help me take these people to safety before it's too late,"

"What should I tell Capt. Flynn when he calls?" The immigration officer asked,

"Tell him his boy Officer Easton is the only survivor others are KIA and he shouldn't bother sending more troops, I got it under control,"

"Copy that sir,"

"Good," Easton says, "come on folks, Mr. …" Easton turns and looks at the man in charge, "Mr. Fisher,"

"Ohh ok, Mr. Fisher here will take good care of you, just do everything he says and you'll be fine,"

Everyone moved quickly into the military shed, "water for my boy please," Mrs. Peters asked, "here," one immigration officer stretched his hands into the bucket and fetched a cup of water, "suit yourself," he said, "there's plenty for everyone,"

~~~~~~~~~~~

Holland helped Flynn with a speech about the chaotic news they just received from the immigration of Morocco. He ordered the whole control room to keep quiet while he addresses them on the matter at hand, "The only surviving person from the gastric air crash is the sober Easton McRae,"

Everyone fell troubled for a moment, "the rocket really got them all," one said

"The mentioned Easton has made it clear he doesn't need any backups from us. That portrays he has taken to himself the ultimate task of securing the red button. That said, we'll only assist him from around here. Gear up we'll need all available hands we can get, this is tagged priority number one,"

"Nicely said," Flynn finishes on the phone and moves straight to the control room, "I just finished talking to the President of the United States. She won't be sending any troops into the area until the rocket source is identified and cleared out. Nevertheless, we will support Easton from around here,"

"You heard the man, let's get to work,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Very foolish idea if I'm to comment," Ria tells Easton, "you don't want to go back there, do you?"

"I told you already if I die, let me die an honorable death," he jams his upper and lower teeth together, "I have to retrieve that button, that's why I came here,"

"You're correct, but right now, what's your plan,"

"I don't have one,"

"That's what I thought because the security system I built there's no going around it. Like Norman knows you're here, he knows you'll be coming for him, he knows we're discussing this right now because he hears you and sees you,"

"That's why I need a hand, someone who knows what's going,"

"You're not dragging me into the trenches you want to put yourself,"

"Imagine those armies filling the earth and this so-called Norman fails to control them, vampires would spread like wildfire, but guess what we have the chance to stop it,"

"You're sick, just listen to yourself, you're inviting me to follow you on a suicide mission in an open field, ohh so to say, there are no grasses"

"I'm telling you to safe your loved ones,"

"I don't have any loved ones. Norman took all of them away and turned them into vampires so I could join him in the production," she rested her hands on her waist, "if you're telling me to follow you into heaven then I'll have to watch my mom jam her teeth and my sister attack me, I don't want to face that,"

"And what makes you think going back into the States would take all those memories away? When you sleep, they will come around. Those soft but insistent knocking at the back of your head…ding-ding-ding. You had the chance to change things but you didn't, and then you feel sorry for yourself, never to forgive your heart again,"

Ria shakes her head, "I'm not coming with you,"

"I understand, but I'm going with or without you,"

"Goodbye then," Ria says looking steady at his footsteps as he approached the engine, "wait up," Ria yelled. Easton pulled back and waited a few minutes, "what changed your mind?"

Ria ran and meet him, "I have a responsibility over everyone on his camp you included,"

"You're not falling for me right because I'm so dead down in love and you don't want me in your life," Easton smiled

"Shut up and walk," Ria starts moving,

Two and a half hours after we walked a distance, Easton put his hands on his rifle, made a move to get into my path, and he paused, locked his eyes with mine, and busted out this incredible question; "do you think I'm insane?" The oddity of the moment left me on the dark side to calculate the math without a compass to understand.

While my every synapse fried trying to figure out if this was some sort of a riddle, and, if so, how it should be answered artfully. "If you're looking for a motivational quote you lost your way on me," I told him

We finally arrived at the engine and both of us walked through to the driver's side, "...drive," I said walking onto the other side of the front seat, "you're not any good to me, this way,"

"What way is that?"

"Harsh…" Easton says,

"The US government funded a project that they couldn't finish, and now we're left to retrieve some kinda red button or some. I have all right to be harsh if you look closely,"

"Yes I guess you better feel sad, but if we want to win, we have to enjoy the process,"

"What do you suggest?"

"Telling each other the sad truth,"

"What sad truth?"

"I don't mind tellin' ya, I feel like I'm aidin' and abettin' by the enemy. Personally, if it was me that found you crawling on sand filled with blood, I'd leave you to die, because God's gonna get you if he needs you alive,"

"What? You could have left me to die," Ria yells,

"That's the sad truth, oftentimes sad truth isn't sad like this one isn't sad because you're laughing," Ria chuckling and chilling entirely on her seat.

"Woo, the engine of the engine has knocked," Easton pulled the door, "I gotta go check it out,"

"No, don't, the engine isn't controlled by any mechanical engineering, Norman has found us,"

Easton stopped and blanched, "I assume you're saying we can still run for our lives," he closes the door splendidly, "about to collapse," Easton shouted, "If Norman wants us dead all he has to do is say the word to any of his guards,"

"Ay! Do you want to be eaten by that thing?" Ria called out shrilly, making many turns left and right.

"Those robots look frightening as anyone else," coughing and gagging Easton said, throughout the scene, he talked muted, bodies lay out through the spacious area on the driver's seat, "are they close?" He asked

Ria attending to her fallen heartbeat, tapped Easton by the arms, "let's get out and run,"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"That's the only opinion available,"

"Aiit then, on my count, one, two, and three…" Easton was the first to move out then Ria only to get struck by the hands of the living toys, "ahh," both shouted as they fell asleep for a moment - fainted. Trotting out his glass-like tablet one standing over Ria texted his boss, "got em, both of them,"

Boss - "bring them,"

"On our way, he replied,"

• • • •

Lying back flat in a white but comfortable room, with flashes of the bulb piercing his eyes and throwing hard at his face, "hey" he whispers unto Ria lying on the half side of the operating table, "Ria…" he whispers again, she still didn't wake,

"Hello Mr. Easton, you've mentioned my name 17 times since you landed in the Sahara desert two days ago, it's time to meet me in person," A medium height middle-fifths, blonde and freckled says hovering around Easton. His Aussie accent was so thick, threw Easton amazed

Easton hoicks out of the operating table and tries engaging with Norman but notices he's totally naked, he returns immediately covering his …

"The fight here is more physiological than physical," Norman says, "you're probably wondering where are your clothes, don't worry you'll have them soon, but that depends entirely on what you choose to wear," Norman blinked, "a hand like you is very helpful in such a wonderful establishment like this one. You choose, either you're a worker or a member of the new workforce,"

"Do you call that workforce?"

"I read your file, abilities, and disabilities, you like stalling until you find a way out then try to explore. That's not going to happen, you can ask your friend Ria, it took her twelve years for her to find her way out,"

"This crab had been around for twelve years?"

"Choose…officer Easton, now," he says, "do you want to be put in a box or something better,"

"I want to be a worker," Easton wears a hard smile

"What about you, Ria?" Norman pushes through to the other part of the table, "I know you're awake,"

Ria opens her eyes and looks through the wide linen covering her then raises her head, "I'm not gonna work for you,"

"I know you, Ria, always looking for motivations," Norman turns around and signals one robot with a twist of his head, opening up> he meant. The door to the elevator opens and all refugees stay helplessly in the elevator, "the Moroccan immigration delivered them to you," Easton says

"Don't blame anyone, Easton, $1000 Every month is equivalent to their - immigration - salary in two and a half months,"

"Immigration works for you?" Easton struggles to breathe

"Everyone around this area works for me" Norman pushes Ria's legs and sits beside her, "so, what would it be,"

"I'm not working for you, period,"

"We've done this before, I ask you to join me you refuse, I turn them one after another,"

"They were eight, why are they not complete,"

"Yes you're right, they were eight, one died when you tried running away from me yesterday. He's comfortably on his suit patrolling the Western part of the desert. When we arrived I needed two to fill up the Eastern part and they volunteered. Now five are left; my dear wife, your assistant, ohh former assistant, the computer operator one worker in the first heaven, and my son"

"There's no amount of…" Ria tries to speak as Norman cuts in immediately, "take her assistant and turn her immediately," Two robots moved at once to carry out Norman's bid, "prepare the computer operator he'll be next,"

"Stop, ok, I'll do it, just let them,"

"That's good news," Norman stands up and walks up to the other elevator by the left, "sympathy is always your weakness, Ria, you never change,"