Chapter 1
We've been on this path of destruction since the creation of the first wheel. We set ourselves up for this, we have no one else to blame but ourselves.
When I was little, my mom would come home from a long day of work, and whisper stories about what the old world used to be like. She told my brother and me about vast plains, and oceans as far as the eye could see, and how sunlight felt. She'd float us out to a world of dreams on her words alone. Then in the morning, when we'd wake up, she'd be gone. One day my brother and I sat eagerly in our little house waiting for her to come home, but she never did. We were gathered up the same day by the delinquency bot and dropped in a foster home. I was only five at the time and my brother was eight; after that, he felt like it was his duty to protect me. My mind still drifts off sometimes to the last story our mom ever told us. It was about something she called a movie. Her beautiful brown eyes looked like saucers as she described seeing this "movie" with our father. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a big smile, and she laughed her light little laugh. I believe the movie was called Titanic. She tried her hardest to get Dylan and me to visualize it. She was so amazing.
"Anna! Annnnnaaa!"
The screeching, howling noise of the synthetic voice modulator brought me back to present times. My mistress, a thin robotic woman, strode into the room with her hands on her hips. Her artificial skin folded awkwardly on her wrists, and when she noticed me looking she brought them down to her sides. She was wearing a white dress that cinched in around her waist; her blond hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she was wearing 4-inch black heels. This, thing was just too, too phony. I mean, she was perfect, but not like a real human woman with her slight imperfections.
"Anna, I'm going out, I need you to stay late and watch my darling little angel and make sure Mac does his homework."
"But Mrs. Tosh-."
"No Buts."
She glided out the door and into an awaiting shuttle pod.
I worked for one of the oldest families in Rivet. The Macintoshes practically owned the city, and what they didn't own their cousins the Apples did. However, there were more cities, ones that housed Google empires and Microsoft empires, there were tons more too.
I pushed my curly black hair back into a pony tail, and knocked on Mac's door.
"Mac! Are you finished with your homework?"
"Go away Anna, or I'll call mom."
He didn't have to tell me twice. I went down the hall into Nano's play room. She was on the floor playing with a circuit board. Picking her up, I tickled her tummy and after a while her pre-programed nerve endings registered the tickle. She laughed and squirmed around in my arms, her robotic squealing hurting my ears. I stroked her hair and then put her back down on the floor with her circuit.
She was so cute, she hadn't had the chance to be corrupted by her family yet. My holo-watch beeped and I hit the green button causing Dylan's face to jump forward from the once perfect black screen.
"Anna, where are you? The meeting is about to start."
"I'm sorry Dylan, I have to work over time."
"But Anna, today they're talking about…you know"
"Yea I know, but it won't happen toinight. It's too risky."
"Anna! Bring me a cold oil out of the fridge."
Mac's voice pitched through the steel walls causing me to cringe.
"I've gotta go, Dylan. I'll see you when I get home."
I clicked off and went to the stainless steel kitchen. Grabbing a cold canister of oil out of the fridge, I released a sigh. Closing the door I was almost scared out of my skin when Mac's steely grey eyes met mine.
"Mac, you scared me, gosh."
"You're not supposed to be on your watch when you're here."
"I know, I'm sorry, it was just my brother, he wanted to know if I was on my way home; I told him I had to work late."
"Doesn't matter, I'm going to tell mom when she gets back."
A smile played on the corners of his mouth. Dropping my eyes, I noticed he was topless and only wearing navy blue boxers, allowing me to see his perfect set of abs. He grabbed my chin and made it so I was looking him in the eyes once more. He was 18, two years older than me. Slowly he brought his cold mouth to my ear.
"I can make sure she never finds out."
Out of complete desperation, I attempted to drop my chin again, but he roughly pulled me back to his gaze.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
"I need to go feed Nano."
"She can wait."
Forcing me against the fridge, he forced his mouth on top of mine. Tears were running down my face, and he finally pulled away from me.
"Oh quit your crying, you know you enjoyed it. Now go feed the baby and come to my room when you're done."
He snatched the can out of my hand and left. I touched my lips and wiped away the stray tears from my cheeks. After feeding Nano, I rocked her carefully until she fell asleep. As soon as I plugged her into her crib, the door chimed, signaling the arrival of Mr. Macintosh. I traveled out into the entry way where he stood reading a digital paper.
"Good Evening Mr. Macintosh."
"Evening Anna, is Nano asleep?"
"Yes sir, just plugged her in"
"Ok then you are free to go home, have a good night."
If there was a God, bless him. I wouldn't have to go to Mac's room and do who-knows-what.
Out of the entire Macintosh family, Mr. Macintosh was my favorite. He was so laid back and calm. He didn't treat humans like the scum of the Earth, he treated us like people. Really dumb people, but people none the less.
I snuck out the back door so I wouldn't run into Mac. Outside the night air was cold. Since it was illegal for humans to ride in pods, I had to walk all the way back to the solitary slums of Coal. Coal housed all 10,000 humans that inhabited Rivet. We were maids, and nannies, and factory workers. Dylan worked in a factory owned by the Macintoshes. He assembled the parts for games and assisted in the assembly of game cars. I'd never been in a game car, but I'd seen them. With their flashy lights and loud music.
I glanced at my watch 10:30, if I ran I would make it in time for the closing and the singing, of the forbidden song. My feet carried me through the back woods, past the houses of the less wealthy. My lungs started to burn just as I ran past a flock of robotic pigeons pecking at some nuts and bolts on the ground. Running up to the gates of Coal, I flashed a smile at Chad, the lookout for the city.
"Hi Anna, if you hurry you can make it."
"Thanks Chad!"
I ran through the relatively tiny town and up the meeting hall stairs, with a quick second to compose myself, and then slid into the hall.
It was packed. People were sitting on the floor, up the stairs to the stage, and standing in the back, occupying every nook and cranny. I squeezed in and stood there, listening to an elder who was attempting to convince the people that we were better off living as slaves than to go out beyond the wall and risk dying or getting hunted down for sport. People began murmuring and then yelling at the poor old man. Almost as if he materialized out of thin air, Dylan was on the stage, quieting the crowd down.
"People please, don't be mad at this man; he's not the one that enslaved you. He is merely making a point that maybe life is better here inside the walls. However, if you're like me, and long for the touch of the sun, and a lungful of fresh air, then yes we should escape."
Dylan succeeded in his attempt to soothe the crowd, who seemed to quiet as soon as he came on stage. A few girls around the room sighed as they looked him over.
My brother was pleasant to look at and well built. Currently, he was wearing a pair of snug jeans, black tennis shoes, and a white shirt that did nothing to hide his well-toned body. Every girl in Coal was forever banging down our door in attempt to woo my brother, but none had ever succeeded.
Every morning when he left for work, he'd drop a kiss on my head and say I was the only girl he needed. He had taken the role of both a father and a mother. I loved him so much, because even though he was so young, he still managed to take care of me and himself.
Slowly the crowd began to clap and cheer. Dylan pushed a stray auburn curl out of his face as he stepped off the stage giving the control back to the old man. He too was clapping as my brother stepped off the stage.
"Thank you, thank you Dylan. Now everyone quiet down…quiet down."
Gabriel, Dylan's best friend hopped onto the stage.
"Quiet, Everyone!"
The crowd quieted back down to a faint murmur, and Gabe jumped down from the stage.
"Ok, thank you Gabriel. Now I will lead you in the song.
Oh say can you see, by the dawns early light. Our defeat by the machines that we built to fight. With bright sparks and steel bars, they removed our rights and made us all slave to improve their lives. With our wrenches and swords we will fight the wars, to regain our freedom and rebuild our world. Oh say does that star spangled banner not wave, not today but tomorrow, when we rise again."
Applause followed the last note. People stood up and stretched their legs, turning to head out the door. Spinning on my heel, I made my escape from the packed evening hall.