20.
“We
must go.” The girl voiced once more. It is around.” I heard the shouts. I knew
if I am found, death awaits me. I cannot be caught. They won’t understand me. I
am not like them.
“No,
I am not them.” I was confused in the thoughts. It hurts when I think. I do not
what my Master did to me but there were conflicts in the logic. I wanted to
move with the girl but my other programs kicked in. I am prevented from leaving
there.
“We
have to move, whatever you may be named. He called you Quasimodo and I can’t do
it alone. I … I need your help.” The girl pleaded with me. I had to respond but
I was unsure. It was not logical approach to the query.
“So
be it. I will move on.” The girl moved to the doorway then she screamed. She
was held in the right hand by the Enforcer who had appeared there.
“You
are not going anywhere. The Captain …” I heard the Enforcer and my reaction
were called in to help her. I lashed out with my right upper limb at the
Enforcer in the left shoulder. I hit with an impact that will crack the bones
there.
“James,
I am hurt.” The Enforcer called out when he released the girl’s hand. The other
Enforcer came rushing in and I did the unthinkable. I rammed the second
Enforcer and caused the other to fall back against the back wall.
“Droid,
how …” I lashed out with my upper right limbs at the wounded Enforcer. It was a
fatal hit on the face. The Enforcer went down writhing in pain.
“We
can move now.” The girl had retrieved the blaster from the dying Enforcer. I
stood there looking at her. I was in conflict in my programs. I made up my
decision.
“We
go to the top.” I told the girl.
Esmeralda
heard the droid. She was unsure of what to do. She had taken the blaster out of
instinct. She looked to the corridor. The rear door was to her estimate about a
run of thirty seconds.
“Ok.
We will move now”. Esmeralda spoke to the droid. Then she stopped.
“We….
I need to see the totem. I must if I am to go.” Esmeralda looked at the droid.
“Take me there.”
Outside
at the yard, the Enforcers had withdrawn to the Dome inside leaving half their
numbers outside. The Dome Enforcers were trained as guards and lack of battle
simulations. The Community was better off with their skirmishes with the
Enforcers to whoever that disliked them.
“Voivode,
we are down to twenty five but our ammo is low.” The leader of the Stravos
reported to the Voivode. “Our rear scouts reported of the battle between the
Truands and the City Enforcers.”
“Truands?”
The Voivode was baffled. Then she nodded. “Rival? It must be. He is alive.”
“Storm
the Dome. We need to get her.”
At
the start of the road, Chief Raoul knew when the odds were against the others.
He had to call in reinforcements but it may be late.
“Withdraw
to the Dome. We will hold the fort there.” The Chief called out and boarded to
the vehicle. He took off followed by six of his own guards. They drove past the
Community vehicles and pulled up at the entrance. They got off and ran towards
the entrance.
“Where
is Pierre Gringoire?”
“I
am here.” Pierre approached the Chief.
“Rizal
Luiz is here. He may…”
“The
key to the Vault. He has it?” Pierre’s eyes beamed out. “It still remained
locked inside the Dome”
“He
better be or I will make him suffer.” Raoul replied.
Esmeralda
followed the droid to the display unit that housed the totem. She had seen the
many artifacts there from the stone from the moon centuries ago, to the ancient
broadsword believed to be the fabled Excalibur but unproven nevertheless
valuable to the Dome, the set of guns that was worn on the belt of General Mac
Arthur to the Spartan Metal Shield or the legendary Grail Cup which was a
wooden carved goblet to the porcelain saucer of the Emperor of China in its
glorious dynasty or the curved bow of the Great Khan. Or the playwrights notes
from the one named the Bard.
None
of these items excited her but the totem as she was told to see.
“Here
is your display.” Esmeralda heard the droid and over took it to see the
display.
“It’s
… small.” Esmeralda stared at the porcelain clay designed of the towering
structure with the soaring eagle with its wings spread perched on the top. It
stood at over eight inches high with the wings span at seven inches, and it was
small if you compared to the huge frame of the last alligator on the land that
lengthened to twenty feet.
“What
is that?” Esmeralda points to the rectangle translucent material case.
“It’s
an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. It
was developed circa 1963 but this one was in 1976. It contains the data storage
of the archaic songs.” The droid replied to Esmeralda. “It was probably the
only surviving unit. And broken.”
Esmeralda
looked at the label on the case.
“Hotel
California by the Eagles, 1976.”
There
was a paper with the text before the case. On it was written;
Welcome to
the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (any time of year)
You
can find it here
Songwriters:
Glenn Lewis Frey / Don Felder / Donald Hugh Henley
Hotel
California lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing
Group
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