The trees around us exploded. We were bombarded with splinters and slivers of wood. As the debris rained down, the robots emerged from the gap they had created. If we hadn’t been breathing so hard, we probably would have heard them coming. It was too late now, though.
“I thought the robots wouldn’t attack us unless they were commanded to.” L pointed out breathlessly as we pounded away from our latest pursuers.
“That’s how it was supposed to work,” D replied anxiously. “I need to get back to the center to find out what went wrong and fix it. This could be the fate of the world we are talking about.”
“Alright, let’s head for the center, then. Does anyone know where it is?” I asked.
“This way,” L answered.
We followed him through the trees until we came to a clearing. L glanced around and saw a place where the earth had been disturbed. He walked up to it, and dug around. As he stood up, he lifted a trapdoor to reveal the ladder to the center. D looked into it and jumped back. “Shut it, shut it!” He yelled.
L dropped the trapdoor just as the head of the robot came into view. We took off again. “If this exit is guarded, the other one will be also. We can’t get in again. I think we have to just head for the boat and hope the robots won’t go in the water.” I barely managed to get out between labored breaths.
“I think you are correct,” D agreed. “These robots are an old model and cannot go into the water. We will be safe if we can make it to the boat.” We kept running and finally left the trees. We looked around but saw nothing.
“Of course,” L spoke up. “This isn’t the beach we landed on.”
“Well, let’s get moving, then.” I shouted over the crashing coming from behind us. We took off again, with new hope in our spirits. When we came to the correct beach, however, our hopes were dashed on the sandy ground.
“Where is it?” L asked.
“This is not good.” D spoke up. “It must have drifted off.” We searched around where we had landed to make sure, but still cam up empty.
“I think I see it,” I said glumly. It was extremely far away. We could all see it now, glinting faintly in the middle of the lake.
“Wait, wood isn’t shiny,” D pointed out.
“Yeah, and why is it coming towards us so fast?” L asked.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Blackout World Chapter 6
“Yeah, thanks,” I shot back. “So, do you think you can do it, D?”
“I should be able to,” D replied.
We waited in silence for a while; the only sound was of D typing. Finally, he said, “This should do it. I will start the power up first, because I know that will work. Then I will implement my programming changes. It is quite amazing how much this control center does. The fact that I was able to change the programming, even only the basics, of all machines in the world….” D started. “It is slightly disturbing.
“Well, you don’t know if it’s going to work yet, do you,” L asked with his usual tact. “The programs might be safer than it appears.”
“Thank you, I guess.” D sounded confused.
“Anyway, get on with it,” L continued.
“I am, I am,” D almost shouted back.
He hit some final buttons, and the lights in the hall outside came on. The doors also slammed shut. Not everything was going according to plan. L and I turned to look at D.
“Was that supposed to happen,” I asked cautiously.
“Yes, it was. I activated anything safety related, and that includes security.”
L jumped to the major issue. “How are we supposed to get out?”
D sighed. “What do you think the programming will do?”
“Oh, right.” L looked rather sheepish.
D hit a few more buttons and sat back. Nothing happened. He hit a few more buttons, and then began flipping switches. Nothing worked. D was getting scared, and that made me scared. L felt the rising panic, and put a damper on it for once.
“You know, we could just shut the power down for a bit and jam the doors, or something.”
That calmed us down a bit, but then our luck took one look into the hall, and ran away screaming. First, we heard footsteps, but they sounded odd. They were perfectly in step and made a slight clanking. Then, L looked through the small window in one of the doors to the hallway. It was the one through which we had come, and he wanted to know if we were making any progress. He tried the door as he looked through the window. It opened with a rush of air, and L dove away from it. Coming through were 7-foot tall robots with four arms and long legs, but otherwise humanoid. D and I looked up at the same time and screamed. L dashed for the other door, and wrenched it open. Thankfully, both doors had been closed, but not locked.
We all sprinted through the open door, and took off down another hall. We came to a ladder, and climbed up it as quickly as we could. We came to a hatch and L-who was the highest up-opened it and sprinted out. We followed close behind. We came to more trees and ran into the grove. Whatever might slow the robots down was good for us. They were definitely chasing us. We ran until we could barely get any air. My legs screamed in protest of going one more step. We found our way into a grove of trees and sat down to rest. We were all bruised and battered, and I had remembered what that strange feeling was. Pain. I was feeling a lot of it now. We couldn’t here the robots following us to the grove, so we relaxed and let our guard down. That was a bad mistake.
“I should be able to,” D replied.
We waited in silence for a while; the only sound was of D typing. Finally, he said, “This should do it. I will start the power up first, because I know that will work. Then I will implement my programming changes. It is quite amazing how much this control center does. The fact that I was able to change the programming, even only the basics, of all machines in the world….” D started. “It is slightly disturbing.
“Well, you don’t know if it’s going to work yet, do you,” L asked with his usual tact. “The programs might be safer than it appears.”
“Thank you, I guess.” D sounded confused.
“Anyway, get on with it,” L continued.
“I am, I am,” D almost shouted back.
He hit some final buttons, and the lights in the hall outside came on. The doors also slammed shut. Not everything was going according to plan. L and I turned to look at D.
“Was that supposed to happen,” I asked cautiously.
“Yes, it was. I activated anything safety related, and that includes security.”
L jumped to the major issue. “How are we supposed to get out?”
D sighed. “What do you think the programming will do?”
“Oh, right.” L looked rather sheepish.
D hit a few more buttons and sat back. Nothing happened. He hit a few more buttons, and then began flipping switches. Nothing worked. D was getting scared, and that made me scared. L felt the rising panic, and put a damper on it for once.
“You know, we could just shut the power down for a bit and jam the doors, or something.”
That calmed us down a bit, but then our luck took one look into the hall, and ran away screaming. First, we heard footsteps, but they sounded odd. They were perfectly in step and made a slight clanking. Then, L looked through the small window in one of the doors to the hallway. It was the one through which we had come, and he wanted to know if we were making any progress. He tried the door as he looked through the window. It opened with a rush of air, and L dove away from it. Coming through were 7-foot tall robots with four arms and long legs, but otherwise humanoid. D and I looked up at the same time and screamed. L dashed for the other door, and wrenched it open. Thankfully, both doors had been closed, but not locked.
We all sprinted through the open door, and took off down another hall. We came to a ladder, and climbed up it as quickly as we could. We came to a hatch and L-who was the highest up-opened it and sprinted out. We followed close behind. We came to more trees and ran into the grove. Whatever might slow the robots down was good for us. They were definitely chasing us. We ran until we could barely get any air. My legs screamed in protest of going one more step. We found our way into a grove of trees and sat down to rest. We were all bruised and battered, and I had remembered what that strange feeling was. Pain. I was feeling a lot of it now. We couldn’t here the robots following us to the grove, so we relaxed and let our guard down. That was a bad mistake.
Blackout World Chapter 5
The island wasn’t as big as it had looked from afar. We quickly set out to explore it. D, L, and I stuck together, because we didn’t want to get lost, so it took longer than it could have. The only things we found were some trees and a little shack, that had been used to house employees before their jobs were taken over by robots. As you can imagine, that was a long time ago, so the shack had very nearly fallen down.
We approached it anyway, just to make sure there weren’t any high-tech computers. Once we entered, however, it became apparent that there was nothing of the sort around. If the three of us hadn’t been together, I doubt we would have figured it out, though. D was the one who spotted the slightly less dusty spot on the floor, and L was the one who guessed that it could be pulled up.
Once we had pulled it up, we climbed down a ladder and found ourselves in a metal passageway. We walked along it and came to a security door. Our luck was with us for a little longer. Since the entire grid had gone down, the security systems were down. We walked through and were in the most high tech room I had ever seen.
D looked around as if in a trance. I felt the same way. However, there was work to do. “Come on, D. Do you think you can hack in?”
“It is more a question of whether I can get the power working. You do not have to hack to turn something on.”
“I know, but I was thinking. This all happened because there were too many machines and robots working. They all took too much power and overloaded the control center’s ability to process information, right?” I asked.
“Something like that, yes.” D replied.
“So we should only bring on the most necessary of machines.” I continued.
“Yes, I believe we have figured that out. It is really quite obvious.” D was starting to get slightly frustrated.
“I know, but I’m thinking beyond just restarting everything now. Human nature will take over, and the leaders of the world will make a few adjustments, and think everything is fine. Then they will bring everything else back online. But the robots won’t know what happened or why, not the ones that do everyday jobs. They will continue to use more processing power and electrical power.”
“He’s right, you know.” L interjected.
“Okay, so what do we do about it?” D asked.
“You will have to hack for this, D. You have to reprogram everything to need human help to continue working. Cut out the artificial intelligence, and make humans think. Right now, all the robots are doing what they were preprogrammed to do, to some extent. However, their intelligence has allowed them to modify their behaviors slightly and do what they want. For example, security systems are ruthless where they used to be, what’s the word, benign.”
“He has another good point.” L said, being unusually agreeable. “So, get to work.”
“All right, I’ll try my best. If it does not work, the only hope we have of changing this situation is in addressing various leaders of the planet, and we are only Firsts.”
“Whatever, just do your best.”
“At least you told us what you were thinking, and didn’t just leave us hanging with something important about to happen.” L pointed out.
We approached it anyway, just to make sure there weren’t any high-tech computers. Once we entered, however, it became apparent that there was nothing of the sort around. If the three of us hadn’t been together, I doubt we would have figured it out, though. D was the one who spotted the slightly less dusty spot on the floor, and L was the one who guessed that it could be pulled up.
Once we had pulled it up, we climbed down a ladder and found ourselves in a metal passageway. We walked along it and came to a security door. Our luck was with us for a little longer. Since the entire grid had gone down, the security systems were down. We walked through and were in the most high tech room I had ever seen.
D looked around as if in a trance. I felt the same way. However, there was work to do. “Come on, D. Do you think you can hack in?”
“It is more a question of whether I can get the power working. You do not have to hack to turn something on.”
“I know, but I was thinking. This all happened because there were too many machines and robots working. They all took too much power and overloaded the control center’s ability to process information, right?” I asked.
“Something like that, yes.” D replied.
“So we should only bring on the most necessary of machines.” I continued.
“Yes, I believe we have figured that out. It is really quite obvious.” D was starting to get slightly frustrated.
“I know, but I’m thinking beyond just restarting everything now. Human nature will take over, and the leaders of the world will make a few adjustments, and think everything is fine. Then they will bring everything else back online. But the robots won’t know what happened or why, not the ones that do everyday jobs. They will continue to use more processing power and electrical power.”
“He’s right, you know.” L interjected.
“Okay, so what do we do about it?” D asked.
“You will have to hack for this, D. You have to reprogram everything to need human help to continue working. Cut out the artificial intelligence, and make humans think. Right now, all the robots are doing what they were preprogrammed to do, to some extent. However, their intelligence has allowed them to modify their behaviors slightly and do what they want. For example, security systems are ruthless where they used to be, what’s the word, benign.”
“He has another good point.” L said, being unusually agreeable. “So, get to work.”
“All right, I’ll try my best. If it does not work, the only hope we have of changing this situation is in addressing various leaders of the planet, and we are only Firsts.”
“Whatever, just do your best.”
“At least you told us what you were thinking, and didn’t just leave us hanging with something important about to happen.” L pointed out.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Blackout World Chapter 4
It wasn’t quite dark out when we left, because we had no light source. It was extremely easy to sneak back to the crash site. We followed the Elevation Strip until we could see the wrecks. It got a bit harder from there. We waited for darkness to fall completely, and then snuck closer. Apparently, no one had thought that there might be any Un-Tames out there, so everyone was in the Transport Units asleep. We decided to head for the less damaged Unit, because its inhabitants were less likely to have needed emergency supplies. I am very thankful that we had extremely good luck for the beginning of our adventure, even if it did change for the worse later.
We were able to open the door to the Unit without making any noise, and we entered. D found the cabinet with the supplies, and he took one container. L was next, and his retrieval was uneventful. I reached up for a set of cutters and binders. However, it was slightly too high for me, and it slipped coming down. It hit the metal floor of the Unit with a loud clang. I almost froze up, but managed to grab the set and sprint away. We heard the Firsts and Seconds stirring, and knew that they would soon realize what had happened.
We took off for the Reserve at top speed before D pointed out our mistake. “They are already chasing us,” he whispered as loudly as he dared, “we cannot lead them to the Reserve, or they will catch us!”
I have always admired D’s cool in that sort of situation.
“Fine,” I whispered back. “Let’s circle around to the west, meet the track, and continue south a ways.”
We turned away from the track and circled around the crash site. We then waited for everyone to calm down. Fortunately, our pursuers had seen us turn, but hadn’t been able to catch us. After about 3B, we headed back for the crash site. There were now a few people standing watch. It was just possible that we could sneak past them.
We set off, one by one. L got across easily-he had always been the best at physical activities-and D got halfway through when he slipped on the strip and fell. The watchers looked around, but D had already crawled to safety. Yet again, I was the last one. I crouched past one of the Units. There was a slight gap between the two units through which those on lookout duty could see. I peered through the gap and saw them talking to each other. This was my chance. I dove across the gap and rolled past the next Unit. I made it, and just in time. One of the watchmen-actually a watchwoman: the Female Second-strode over to where I had just been standing. We crept back to the Reserve with our much-needed materials. We had not taken any food because those at the crash site needed it, and we had found fruit among the trees and plants.
Once we returned, we cleared a space and went to sleep. In the morning, we got to work immediately. There was no time to waste. D was as good with the tools and plans as with a computer. About halfway through the day, we were finished. D handed us each what he called a “paddle” and told us to get in the boat. He pushed us into the water, and then jumped into the boat. We began to paddle with all our strength. When we finally hit land, however, it wasn’t on the island. In fact, it was only about 35 away from our starting point. D got out and sat down on the sand. “I can’t believe this. What did I do wrong?”
We proceeded to examine the boat and compare it to the plans. We found only minor differences, and those couldn’t be helped. They weren’t enough to make the boat go in a circle.
“Of course,” shouted D. “There is no problem with the boat. It is with the steering.” He then explained how to steer, and that too much paddling on one side of the boat would turn us. We launched the boat again and set off with new hope. After about 8C, we landed again. This time we were on the island. This was where we were going to save the world.
We were able to open the door to the Unit without making any noise, and we entered. D found the cabinet with the supplies, and he took one container. L was next, and his retrieval was uneventful. I reached up for a set of cutters and binders. However, it was slightly too high for me, and it slipped coming down. It hit the metal floor of the Unit with a loud clang. I almost froze up, but managed to grab the set and sprint away. We heard the Firsts and Seconds stirring, and knew that they would soon realize what had happened.
We took off for the Reserve at top speed before D pointed out our mistake. “They are already chasing us,” he whispered as loudly as he dared, “we cannot lead them to the Reserve, or they will catch us!”
I have always admired D’s cool in that sort of situation.
“Fine,” I whispered back. “Let’s circle around to the west, meet the track, and continue south a ways.”
We turned away from the track and circled around the crash site. We then waited for everyone to calm down. Fortunately, our pursuers had seen us turn, but hadn’t been able to catch us. After about 3B, we headed back for the crash site. There were now a few people standing watch. It was just possible that we could sneak past them.
We set off, one by one. L got across easily-he had always been the best at physical activities-and D got halfway through when he slipped on the strip and fell. The watchers looked around, but D had already crawled to safety. Yet again, I was the last one. I crouched past one of the Units. There was a slight gap between the two units through which those on lookout duty could see. I peered through the gap and saw them talking to each other. This was my chance. I dove across the gap and rolled past the next Unit. I made it, and just in time. One of the watchmen-actually a watchwoman: the Female Second-strode over to where I had just been standing. We crept back to the Reserve with our much-needed materials. We had not taken any food because those at the crash site needed it, and we had found fruit among the trees and plants.
Once we returned, we cleared a space and went to sleep. In the morning, we got to work immediately. There was no time to waste. D was as good with the tools and plans as with a computer. About halfway through the day, we were finished. D handed us each what he called a “paddle” and told us to get in the boat. He pushed us into the water, and then jumped into the boat. We began to paddle with all our strength. When we finally hit land, however, it wasn’t on the island. In fact, it was only about 35 away from our starting point. D got out and sat down on the sand. “I can’t believe this. What did I do wrong?”
We proceeded to examine the boat and compare it to the plans. We found only minor differences, and those couldn’t be helped. They weren’t enough to make the boat go in a circle.
“Of course,” shouted D. “There is no problem with the boat. It is with the steering.” He then explained how to steer, and that too much paddling on one side of the boat would turn us. We launched the boat again and set off with new hope. After about 8C, we landed again. This time we were on the island. This was where we were going to save the world.
Blackout World Chapter 3
L shot me an annoyed glance, and we set off to collect the trees. Only when we got to some of the smaller trees did we recognize yet another flaw in D’s plan. We hurried back to where we had left D, and found him sitting down on the dirt. He was sketching what could have been plans with a small part of a tree that had broken off from the main part. We assumed that they were the plans for the “boat.”
“Hey!” I called as we caught sight of him. “There’s a problem. How do we get the trees down?”
“Oh, yes. I forgot to tell you, then?”
“Yeah, and stop acting all fancy already!” L retorted.
“All right, all right.” D said defensively.
“Come guys, we have to stay calm. There are lives at stake.” Acting as peacekeeper, I tried to calm the situation down.
“Yeah, I know, but we’re kind of under a lot of pressure, here.”
“Yes, and I apologize to you, L.” D grudgingly answered.
“That’s better, now what about your idea for getting the trees down?” I asked.
“Ah, yes. If they are small enough, you should just be able to as high as you can and pull towards you. You have to stand on the same side, right next to each other, though. It only works for small trees but that should be good enough. Oh, and try not to get hit by the tree as it falls, because that would hurt a lot.”
“Sure thing,” L replied, “but how come you aren’t coming?”
“I almost have these plans worked out. I should be done soon, but I think I should stay here to be sure I have them by the time we have enough wood.”
“Whatever,” L said as he rolled his eyes. He then added quickly, “Just a joke, okay?”
“Of course,” D replied.
“Well, should we be going, then?” I asked L.
“Yeah, lets get started.”
We worked for about 6a, and collected about thirty-five trees. It was hard to knock down the trees and haul them back to D. By the time we were done, D was finished with the plans and had started constructing the raft. It was then that we realized the biggest problem of all. We had no way to fix the trees together, or shape them.
“We have to go back to the crash site and get some cord from the emergency supplies. I am so happy that they had at least some minor preparations for a disaster.”
“That will be very hard. We should probably wait until its dark,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, let’s get ready to go.” L said, uncharacteristically optimistic.
We waited until the sun began to set, then we set out. We were walking away, possibly dooming the world.
“Hey!” I called as we caught sight of him. “There’s a problem. How do we get the trees down?”
“Oh, yes. I forgot to tell you, then?”
“Yeah, and stop acting all fancy already!” L retorted.
“All right, all right.” D said defensively.
“Come guys, we have to stay calm. There are lives at stake.” Acting as peacekeeper, I tried to calm the situation down.
“Yeah, I know, but we’re kind of under a lot of pressure, here.”
“Yes, and I apologize to you, L.” D grudgingly answered.
“That’s better, now what about your idea for getting the trees down?” I asked.
“Ah, yes. If they are small enough, you should just be able to as high as you can and pull towards you. You have to stand on the same side, right next to each other, though. It only works for small trees but that should be good enough. Oh, and try not to get hit by the tree as it falls, because that would hurt a lot.”
“Sure thing,” L replied, “but how come you aren’t coming?”
“I almost have these plans worked out. I should be done soon, but I think I should stay here to be sure I have them by the time we have enough wood.”
“Whatever,” L said as he rolled his eyes. He then added quickly, “Just a joke, okay?”
“Of course,” D replied.
“Well, should we be going, then?” I asked L.
“Yeah, lets get started.”
We worked for about 6a, and collected about thirty-five trees. It was hard to knock down the trees and haul them back to D. By the time we were done, D was finished with the plans and had started constructing the raft. It was then that we realized the biggest problem of all. We had no way to fix the trees together, or shape them.
“We have to go back to the crash site and get some cord from the emergency supplies. I am so happy that they had at least some minor preparations for a disaster.”
“That will be very hard. We should probably wait until its dark,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, let’s get ready to go.” L said, uncharacteristically optimistic.
We waited until the sun began to set, then we set out. We were walking away, possibly dooming the world.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Blackout World Chapter 2
“OK, I’ll tell you!”
“Finally,” L sighed.
“It hasn’t been that long,” I countered. “But anyway, I only know the type of place to look. You guys will have to help me.”
“Sure, just hurry up already!” L fumed.
“Well, the Grid Center has to be somewhere people seldom visit, because hardly anyone knows where it is,” I started, “and that’s good, because there aren’t many Systems around here, so it might be around here. That narrows it down already.”
“I already have a few suspicions,” D announced.
“Wait, though,” I broke in. “I do actually have a spot in mind, now. In fact, you said it D.”
“I did?”
“Hey, B, how about you just let me in for once. Where?”
“OK, OK. The Reserve. Almost no one goes there, and all transmissions are prohibited there.”
“Then how does it control the Grids?” D asked.
“I thought about that a bit, and it could be on a new frequency, or even Technology, so that no one could detect it.”
“Ok, good, and the Reserve is only a bit away.” L pointed out.
“Alright everyone, gather here!” Someone shouted.
“This better not take long,” I said, “we have to get away and fix it ourselves. The Seconds and even other Firsts would just laugh.”
“Come on, we need to have a discussion.” The voice yelled again.
“Let’s go, and see what he has to say,” D suggested.
We walked over and sat down next to the elevation strips with all the other Firsts. “So, you must have noticed that something has gone wrong. We do not know exactly what the problem is, but we are attempting to figure it out. We should all stay together, so no wandering off. We have shelter and a small supply of nourishment. It will not last very long, but it should be enough for help to come.”
About then, I beckoned to D and L to follow me behind one of the Transports. “This is bad. If we are not allowed to leave, we cannot help anything.” I stated. “Plus, people could die! They have no idea what actually happened, or are hiding it from us. The radio would not even work. If they were like older radios and still used radio waves, I could understand it being damaged. I don’t believe these could be damaged by a crash, though. We have to sneak away.”
“You know, I actually agree with you, even though we would disobey a command. The Reserve is even on this side of the Transports, so the group would not notice our absence for a while. Let’s go.” It showed just how nervous D was that he used a contraction.
L shrugged and we started to back away from the group. It was only about the middle of the day, so there was still a lot of light. I am amazed that we were able to sneak away, though. The Seconds must have been extremely distraught.
After we had gotten a good distance away from the wreck, we began to run. We followed the strip to where it branched. We followed the branch until we got to the reserve.
It was set up like a settlement, in that it had a dome over it, except that items from the Reserve were scattered around the dome and the dome was extremely thin. Most likely, it was only to prevent any unexpected precipitation. This presented a challenge. However, it was thinner than most domes, so we could try to break it.
“Let’s using one of these rots,” L suggested.
“’Rocks,’” D corrected, “and we should try it around back so the hole will not be visible if someone comes looking for us.”
“Good idea, now lets move.” Said ever-impatient L.
We moved around back and used one of the rocks to smash a section of the dome. I went in first, because I was the smallest. As I grabbed the edges of the hole and hoisted myself in, I felt that strange feeling in my hands again. I looked at them, and there was more of the reddish liquid oozing from them, exactly where I had grabbed the hole. “Be careful, guys,” I yelled back through the makeshift entrance. “It doesn’t feel good to grab the edges.”
They both entered, but more carefully, and we looked at our surroundings. Tall objects surrounded us. There were more, smaller, objects lower down that seemed to be sticking out of the ground.
“Plants!” L exclaimed.
“Correct,” gasped D.
I refrained from calling out. “We don’t actually have much time,” I said. “People are in danger.”
“Right,” D agreed. “We have to look for the Grid Center.
We walked farther into the Reserve. Eventually we came to water. It was more water than I had ever seen. It was deep enough to cover me, and it must have been several 100 long. However, ‘Restricted’ signs surrounded it.
“Doesn’t that seem the least bit suspicious?” L asked.
“There is some land in the middle,” D stated, “the Grid Center is most likely on it.
“But how do we cross it?” L wanted to know.
“I have an answer for that.” D replied.
“Please tell me now, D”
“OK, have either of you ever heard of a ‘boat’?”
“Sure,” L replied.
“I know how to make one.”
“Great, let’s start. Only, what do we used?” L pondered.
We sat thinking, until L burst out with “We can use the biggest plants, which I think are called trees. They’re made of wood, and I once read that wood floats.”
“Brilliant idea, L!” D responded.
“We can probably only use the smallest trees, and then only the ones near the water.” I pondered.
“We still might have enough, and I think I can remember the plans well enough.” D put in.
“You mean you don’t know if it will work?” L shouted
“We will see.” D said.
“Finally,” L sighed.
“It hasn’t been that long,” I countered. “But anyway, I only know the type of place to look. You guys will have to help me.”
“Sure, just hurry up already!” L fumed.
“Well, the Grid Center has to be somewhere people seldom visit, because hardly anyone knows where it is,” I started, “and that’s good, because there aren’t many Systems around here, so it might be around here. That narrows it down already.”
“I already have a few suspicions,” D announced.
“Wait, though,” I broke in. “I do actually have a spot in mind, now. In fact, you said it D.”
“I did?”
“Hey, B, how about you just let me in for once. Where?”
“OK, OK. The Reserve. Almost no one goes there, and all transmissions are prohibited there.”
“Then how does it control the Grids?” D asked.
“I thought about that a bit, and it could be on a new frequency, or even Technology, so that no one could detect it.”
“Ok, good, and the Reserve is only a bit away.” L pointed out.
“Alright everyone, gather here!” Someone shouted.
“This better not take long,” I said, “we have to get away and fix it ourselves. The Seconds and even other Firsts would just laugh.”
“Come on, we need to have a discussion.” The voice yelled again.
“Let’s go, and see what he has to say,” D suggested.
We walked over and sat down next to the elevation strips with all the other Firsts. “So, you must have noticed that something has gone wrong. We do not know exactly what the problem is, but we are attempting to figure it out. We should all stay together, so no wandering off. We have shelter and a small supply of nourishment. It will not last very long, but it should be enough for help to come.”
About then, I beckoned to D and L to follow me behind one of the Transports. “This is bad. If we are not allowed to leave, we cannot help anything.” I stated. “Plus, people could die! They have no idea what actually happened, or are hiding it from us. The radio would not even work. If they were like older radios and still used radio waves, I could understand it being damaged. I don’t believe these could be damaged by a crash, though. We have to sneak away.”
“You know, I actually agree with you, even though we would disobey a command. The Reserve is even on this side of the Transports, so the group would not notice our absence for a while. Let’s go.” It showed just how nervous D was that he used a contraction.
L shrugged and we started to back away from the group. It was only about the middle of the day, so there was still a lot of light. I am amazed that we were able to sneak away, though. The Seconds must have been extremely distraught.
After we had gotten a good distance away from the wreck, we began to run. We followed the strip to where it branched. We followed the branch until we got to the reserve.
It was set up like a settlement, in that it had a dome over it, except that items from the Reserve were scattered around the dome and the dome was extremely thin. Most likely, it was only to prevent any unexpected precipitation. This presented a challenge. However, it was thinner than most domes, so we could try to break it.
“Let’s using one of these rots,” L suggested.
“’Rocks,’” D corrected, “and we should try it around back so the hole will not be visible if someone comes looking for us.”
“Good idea, now lets move.” Said ever-impatient L.
We moved around back and used one of the rocks to smash a section of the dome. I went in first, because I was the smallest. As I grabbed the edges of the hole and hoisted myself in, I felt that strange feeling in my hands again. I looked at them, and there was more of the reddish liquid oozing from them, exactly where I had grabbed the hole. “Be careful, guys,” I yelled back through the makeshift entrance. “It doesn’t feel good to grab the edges.”
They both entered, but more carefully, and we looked at our surroundings. Tall objects surrounded us. There were more, smaller, objects lower down that seemed to be sticking out of the ground.
“Plants!” L exclaimed.
“Correct,” gasped D.
I refrained from calling out. “We don’t actually have much time,” I said. “People are in danger.”
“Right,” D agreed. “We have to look for the Grid Center.
We walked farther into the Reserve. Eventually we came to water. It was more water than I had ever seen. It was deep enough to cover me, and it must have been several 100 long. However, ‘Restricted’ signs surrounded it.
“Doesn’t that seem the least bit suspicious?” L asked.
“There is some land in the middle,” D stated, “the Grid Center is most likely on it.
“But how do we cross it?” L wanted to know.
“I have an answer for that.” D replied.
“Please tell me now, D”
“OK, have either of you ever heard of a ‘boat’?”
“Sure,” L replied.
“I know how to make one.”
“Great, let’s start. Only, what do we used?” L pondered.
We sat thinking, until L burst out with “We can use the biggest plants, which I think are called trees. They’re made of wood, and I once read that wood floats.”
“Brilliant idea, L!” D responded.
“We can probably only use the smallest trees, and then only the ones near the water.” I pondered.
“We still might have enough, and I think I can remember the plans well enough.” D put in.
“You mean you don’t know if it will work?” L shouted
“We will see.” D said.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Blackout World Chapter 1
Blackout World Chapter 1
D-112 and I were in the rear transport unit. L-97 was up ahead. We had been separated to discourage “friendship” and “bonds.” We were between Systems when it happened. All the lights went out, we started to slow, and we fell. Our transport units dropped 3.5 to the Elevation Strip. We hit it with a crash, and the squeal of metal ripping apart. We flipped once and landed on our side, but did not stop. We skidded 2 and rolled over again. When we finally stopped, everyone was dazed. There were safety features on the unit, but they could only stop serious injury when the unit was going 3/A.
No one was injured badly enough to need immediate medial care, but everyone wanted to know what happened. Most of the passengers were still in the First Life Stage, it being a trip for those in the Learning Cycle. However, there were still a 3 Seconds along with us to ensure our safety. They were the first to come out of the daze, and Q-10 contacted our Base System. Or tried to. All of the seconds and some of the Firsts were attempting to make contact with anyone, when I went to find D-112. I knew he was somewhere ahead of me when we started, but I had no idea what had happened to him during the crash.
I searched the seats ahead of me, but could not find him. I then looked in the back, but he wasn’t there either. I had no idea what had happened to him. Then I saw the gaping hole in the wall and roof of the transport unit. I went over and examined it. There appeared to be some sort of redish, brownish liquid on the edge. I decided that it did not matter and crept out the tear.
I felt something when I was crawling through the hole. I had felt It before, once. I looked at my palm, and saw the same liquid that was on the rim of the improvised exit. At first I thought I had simply gotten some of it from the hole, but I saw more of the liquid running out of my hand. I would have time to think about that later. I had to find D-112 and then L-97. I saw the other unit about 5 away.
I sprinted over to the transportation unit. I found D-112 opening the door to the unit. He was trying to find L-97. He had reacted better then me, so I was mentally kicking myself for not trying to find either of them immediately.
By the time I got there, D (D-112) was already inside, and I could see that everyone had faired better than in my unit. I got in and began to help look for L (L-97). We finally found him, but we still had no idea where we were or why we were there. Malfunction of on of the units was conceivable, but highly unlikely. Having two go down and lose all systems was unheard of.
We got outside where there were no people to distract us and began to think. “Alright, guys. Do we know anything about where we are?” D asked.
“We were somewhere between the main NE System and the main SE System when we lost power,” L said, “So that puts us roughly in the middle of nowhere.”
“Not quite, L,” D replied. “There are some minor Systems around here. In fact, we passed the Reserve about 2C ago. Someone has to go there.”
“OK, guys,” I interrupted, “This is interesting, but we still do not know where we are. Any better ideas?”
“I believe we should wait for more information. The Seconds are probably figuring this out already,” D pointed out.
“As much as I dislike agreeing with D’s meticulous calculations and figurings, he’s right.” L grudgingly admitted.
“Ok, then, is there anything we can figure out?” I asked.
“We could start with what happened.”
“Sure,” D replied. “There are so many more facts for that.”
“What are they?” I asked the obvious question.
“Well, both the units went down, and they both lost full power.” L provided.
“OK, good. Do you have anything else?”
“The radios were down also when I saw them last. They are on a separate Grid than the lights.”
“Good. Any more?”
L had something else to contribute. “No one showed up, even in a general sweep.”
“True, and there is the fact that the elevation strips are all out,” D stated, “Which makes this a very disturbing situation.”
“Could the Main Grid have gone down?” I tentatively asked.
“I think it did.”
“How, and what can we do?” L asked the obvious. We all sat around thinking for a while.
Suddenly, a thought hit me. “I know how to help!"
"How?" they asked in unison.
"We can get the grid back up!"
"Yeah, right," L replied scoffingly.
"I know where the Grid Center is, and D is one of the best programmers."
"Where is it, and how do you know?" D asked.
"Well, its just a thought but--"
"Where?" they chorused.
D-112 and I were in the rear transport unit. L-97 was up ahead. We had been separated to discourage “friendship” and “bonds.” We were between Systems when it happened. All the lights went out, we started to slow, and we fell. Our transport units dropped 3.5 to the Elevation Strip. We hit it with a crash, and the squeal of metal ripping apart. We flipped once and landed on our side, but did not stop. We skidded 2 and rolled over again. When we finally stopped, everyone was dazed. There were safety features on the unit, but they could only stop serious injury when the unit was going 3/A.
No one was injured badly enough to need immediate medial care, but everyone wanted to know what happened. Most of the passengers were still in the First Life Stage, it being a trip for those in the Learning Cycle. However, there were still a 3 Seconds along with us to ensure our safety. They were the first to come out of the daze, and Q-10 contacted our Base System. Or tried to. All of the seconds and some of the Firsts were attempting to make contact with anyone, when I went to find D-112. I knew he was somewhere ahead of me when we started, but I had no idea what had happened to him during the crash.
I searched the seats ahead of me, but could not find him. I then looked in the back, but he wasn’t there either. I had no idea what had happened to him. Then I saw the gaping hole in the wall and roof of the transport unit. I went over and examined it. There appeared to be some sort of redish, brownish liquid on the edge. I decided that it did not matter and crept out the tear.
I felt something when I was crawling through the hole. I had felt It before, once. I looked at my palm, and saw the same liquid that was on the rim of the improvised exit. At first I thought I had simply gotten some of it from the hole, but I saw more of the liquid running out of my hand. I would have time to think about that later. I had to find D-112 and then L-97. I saw the other unit about 5 away.
I sprinted over to the transportation unit. I found D-112 opening the door to the unit. He was trying to find L-97. He had reacted better then me, so I was mentally kicking myself for not trying to find either of them immediately.
By the time I got there, D (D-112) was already inside, and I could see that everyone had faired better than in my unit. I got in and began to help look for L (L-97). We finally found him, but we still had no idea where we were or why we were there. Malfunction of on of the units was conceivable, but highly unlikely. Having two go down and lose all systems was unheard of.
We got outside where there were no people to distract us and began to think. “Alright, guys. Do we know anything about where we are?” D asked.
“We were somewhere between the main NE System and the main SE System when we lost power,” L said, “So that puts us roughly in the middle of nowhere.”
“Not quite, L,” D replied. “There are some minor Systems around here. In fact, we passed the Reserve about 2C ago. Someone has to go there.”
“OK, guys,” I interrupted, “This is interesting, but we still do not know where we are. Any better ideas?”
“I believe we should wait for more information. The Seconds are probably figuring this out already,” D pointed out.
“As much as I dislike agreeing with D’s meticulous calculations and figurings, he’s right.” L grudgingly admitted.
“Ok, then, is there anything we can figure out?” I asked.
“We could start with what happened.”
“Sure,” D replied. “There are so many more facts for that.”
“What are they?” I asked the obvious question.
“Well, both the units went down, and they both lost full power.” L provided.
“OK, good. Do you have anything else?”
“The radios were down also when I saw them last. They are on a separate Grid than the lights.”
“Good. Any more?”
L had something else to contribute. “No one showed up, even in a general sweep.”
“True, and there is the fact that the elevation strips are all out,” D stated, “Which makes this a very disturbing situation.”
“Could the Main Grid have gone down?” I tentatively asked.
“I think it did.”
“How, and what can we do?” L asked the obvious. We all sat around thinking for a while.
Suddenly, a thought hit me. “I know how to help!"
"How?" they asked in unison.
"We can get the grid back up!"
"Yeah, right," L replied scoffingly.
"I know where the Grid Center is, and D is one of the best programmers."
"Where is it, and how do you know?" D asked.
"Well, its just a thought but--"
"Where?" they chorused.
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