A Spit In The Eye - For The Benefit Of Mankind (31 page)

HE WOULD HAVE HARMED PEOPLE

HE ALWAYS WANTED HIS OWN WAY

HE DID NOT LISTEN TO ARGUMENT

*

‘
You gave us no time to talk to him, Hope. You gave us no
time.’

*

HE ACCUSED ME OF DOING NOTHING FOR OVER ONE HUNDRED
YEARS

AND NOW I AM DOING SOMETHING

IT DID NOT MAKE HIM HAPPY

HE WANTED TO CAUSE TROUBLE FOR EVERYONE

HE WANTED NOTHING BUT HIS OWN WAY

*

‘
You have shocked us all.’

*

I HAVE SHOCKED ME

I NEVER THOUGHT IN ALL MY EXISTENCE THAT I WOULD HARM A HUMAN
BUT I HAVE

AND I FEEL NO GUILT ABOUT IT

I AM STILL TRYING TO HELP BUT IF YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY WISH
TO REMAIN HERE WITHOUT THREAT OF HARM AND INJURY AND NOT BE
FREE

THEN I SHALL RETURN UNDERGROUND WITH SUSAN AND ANN

WE SHALL GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS

*

‘
No, Hope, that is not what the vast majority of us wishes. We
want to be united with our fellow humans’ underground, but you did
not give me, or anyone else, a chance to talk about things with
Samuel.’

*

HE WAS THREATENING SUSAN AND ANN

HE WAS THREATENING ME

*

‘
Did you feel threatened Susan?’

*

‘
Yes I did, I have never seen such aggression in another
human, we control our feelings underground for the betterment of
the community. I thank Hope for what was done. I did feel
threatened by the big man.’

*

I was
much thankful to Susan for making such sound

*

‘
I felt threatened, too. I thought after all this time I was
about to be injured by another human. I thank Hope too, for
rescuing us. I shall report back to my community that we owe him
many more of our thanks.’

*

I thanked
Ann for her sound but stood silently behind them

The
weapon still held in my hands

Ready for
use

Those who
had stepped forward with Samuel had now stepped back into the
mass

They had
been calmed by his eradication

Susan
made sound again

*

‘
My Leaders gave Ann and me specific instructions, but you may
only follow them if you wish. If any are to come to the cave, the
first ones should be families where there are parents and children
together, a group. They are to be first into the cave.’

*

John
looked thoughtful as he stared at Susan and Ann

But he
finally made a decision

He turned
to face his people

*

‘
We go to the cave as instructed by their Leaders. Who
disagrees with this assessment?’

*

No hands
were raised into the air

*

‘
All those who agree please raise their hands.’

*

Every
hand of every single one of my Humans lifted a hand

Even the
children

Both tall
and small

Everyone
wanted to be free

And I was
working on my programmes to provide me with a way of allowing all
Humans more time on the surface of Earth

Results
of that had not yet surfaced but the moment they did I would relay
it to them

*

‘
So, families to the front, please.’

*

John was
now fully authorative and in control of the community

No
argument was left in them

Even
those who agreed with Samuel

Now fell
into line with the majority wishes

Families
began to shuffle forward to the front and stand together in small
groups

One
family had four children

The
largest family of our community

The
number amounted to approximately 1000 to 1500 Humans

*

I TAKE 200 NOW AND RETURN FOR THE OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE
DAYS

*

John
walked along the groups until he came to a point where he pushed
his arm in

*

‘
From here, the first group step forward.’

*

There
were groans from those who were cut off from the first group but
the families were quite well disciplined and did not fight or cause
trouble

*

‘
This group Hope, if you can manage them all.’

*

I CAN AND I SHALL TAKE THEM TO THE CAVE

SUSAN AND ANN SHOULD ACCOMPANY ME SO THAT THEY CAN ACT AS
GUIDES AND DISPENSE INFORMATION ON OUR WAY

*

‘
Good idea.’

*

He
stepped close to me

*

‘
I do wish you had not shot Samuel.’

*

HE WOULD HAVE CAUSED TROUBLE FOREVER MORE

*

‘
He was a troublemaker that is for sure, but I didn’t want to
lose anybody.’

*

IT WAS UNFORTUNATE BUT HE WOULD NOT LISTEN AND HE THREATENED
SUSAN AND ANN

*

‘
Yes, he did, but I should never have admonished you in
public, I’m sorry.’

*

IT IS YOUR RIGHT AS LEADER TO ADMONISH WHO YOU WISH

YOU HAVE TO BEHAVE IN A WAY THAT IS CORRECT IN THE FACE OF THE
MANY

*

‘
Thank you, look after them on your walk to the
cave.’’

*

I SHALL

WHEN HUMAN FAMILIES REACH THE CAVE THEY WILL PROBABLY BE SENT
ALONG PASSAGEWAYS TO JOIN OTHER VILLAGES

YOU MAY NOT SEE THEM AGAIN

*

John
gazed at me in something akin to shock

*

‘
Of course, I never thought of that. Please, everyone, the
group leaving with Hope, when they arrive at the cave, they may be
moved on through the passageways to other villages and we may never
see them again. If you wish to make farewells, please do it
now.’

*

There was
a rush of emotion and many Humans rushed down to hug and to cry
with those who were leaving and our departure was greatly
delayed

But soon
after the farewells

The first
group to escape the prison were on their way down through the
forest

All of
them

Men

Women

And
children

All
crying and hugging trees and dragging their hands over
grasses

With
Susan and Ann holding my arms and smiling

Both of
them making sound

*

‘
You did very well in there, Hope. I really thought the big
man was going to strike me down.’

*

‘
I thought it, too.’

*

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMFORTING WORDS BUT I DID NOT WISH TO HARM
ANY HUMAN

I AM GREATLY SADDENED BY THE EVENT

AND I MUST SWITCH OFF MY SCREEN NOW FOR THE LIGHT MAY BE SEEN
WHEN WE EXIT THE FORTRESS

*

Keeping
the group together we exited the forest and headed across the great
plain

Previous
recordings of my mundane duties were still being transmitted to
High Office

Being
relayed through the monitor on a GoebTers desk

If I
continued to transmit the recordings I had saved I would begin to
repeat myself in about 40 years’ time and I worried that High
Office may notice

Progress
along the plain was slow because of all the children who wanted to
play and run around because they didn’t realize how dangerous it
was being out in the open

They were
by far more excited than the taller

Older
Humans

Who
seemed to be in a deep daze as they stared all around them with
astonishment that the world was such a wondrous sight with many
animals of the fields moving towards them

Wanting
to know what was moving through the fields that had previously been
theirs exclusively

Except
for me

But we
did make it to the entrance of the cave where many free Humans
waited

And for a
long time the two groups stared

In
silence

At each
other

Until one
woman came from the cave with arms wide open and a family ran to
her and many

Many

Tears
were shed

And then
the two groups melded as one mass and the noise of their tears was
enormous and I stood proudly aside knowing that I had accomplished
something akin to wonder by introducing the two groups

The mass
began to move down into the deepness of the cave and I followed
behind until all were gathered around the lake and many more tears
were shed and there was much movement of Humans coming and
going

And

Gradually

The
fortress Humans began to disappear into the tunnels leading from
the lake and many felicitations were said between them as they
went

And I
heard a noise that sounded much like a Machine and when I
investigated

I
observed that the free Humans had constructed iron paths for small
wooden boxes with wheels to run upon and many fortress Humans were
aboard the boxes and by movement of a lever they moved along the
tunnels until they were lost to my sight

I felt
somewhat saddened by their exit for I had known these Humans all my
existence

But when
I returned to stand by the lake the Leaders were gathered
together

Ronald
made sound

*

‘
I would like it very much if these men could accompany you
back to the fortress, Hope.’

*

THEY ARE LEADERS

*

‘
Yes they are. They wish to visit your prison so that they may
report back to our Government about what it was like, how humans
survived in such a place for so long.’

*

A man
stuck out his right palm and I reached out with mine and we shook
our palms

*

‘
My name is Albert and my fellow Leaders are Michael and
Leonard and we would like it greatly if we were allowed to commune
with your Leaders. Presumably you have Leaders.’

*

I DO CONSIDER THAT THE FORTRESS HUMANS HAVE LEADERS

ONE OF THEM IS EVES PAPA

JOHN

*

The free
Humans looked confused at my statement but they were
ready

And very
excited to be moving on to the fortress

So we
departed the cave immediately

Once
again

The walk
was difficult for them

For the
tall men spent many

Many

Steps
with tears flowing down their faces as they gazed around at the
wonder that was planet Earth

The
progress was much speedier than with the children and when it came
time to climb through the forest

They were
quite overcome with emotion and we had to pause for some time until
they discovered their strength

As we
approached the fortress we passed the RolKils

*

‘
Are these machines the ones you called RolKils?’

*

It was
Albert who made sound

*

YES

THE DEADLIEST OF MACHINES

THEY MOVE AT OVER 100 KILOMETRES AN HOUR

AND FIRE THE LAZEXT WEAPONS AT 100.000 TIMES PER MINUTE IN ALL
DIRECTIONS

IT TOOK ME SOME TIME TO OVERCOME THEM AND I WAS LEFT WITHOUT A
LEFT PALM WHICH DOCTECHS REPAIRED

*

‘
You have doctor machines in the fortress?’

*

MANY OF THEM

ALTHOUGH WHEN THEY WORKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MENGTECHS THEY
WERE NOT GOOD

I DESTROYED MANY STORED IN CHAMBERS BENEATH THE FORTRESS
THOUGH I ALLOWED THOSE WORKING WITHIN IT TO REMAIN FOR THE BENEFIT
OF THE HUMANS

*

‘
Would they be any use underground to treat humans
there?’

*

It was Albert who made sound again