The Scavengers

The rain is slowing down, its time to head back. The rains. Thank God for the rains! I climb over junk and trash with my precious cargo - food and bullets. Broken circuitry and all manner of electrical appliances are strewn about the streets. Looks like they have been busy. Something moves ahead. A hooded figure emerges from the far side of the street and I drop my pack, fumbling for my gun. "Wait!" says the woman as she quickly throws off her poncho, her bare torso and chest glistening in the lamp light. She's Clean. I lower my gun and pull off my jacket in return, showing her my naked chest. "I'm OK!" I tell her. She grabs up her clothing and beckons me to follow her. I pick up my belongings and put my pistol back in my waistband. At least the Scavengers haven't learned how to cope with the rain; they don't do so well with moisture.

I follow her through the streets, keeping in the open as much as possible, hoping the drizzle picks up again. I don't want to be out here when the rain stops. I should have never come this far into the city, but my supplies have been dwindling and the edge of town has been picked over pretty good. I haven't seen anybody else for a while and the loneliness has been crushing. No people around. Just them. Always more of them. We don't speak as we run down the avenues, occasionally stepping over the remains of a Scavenger. Some look vaguely human, some not so much. At least they are dead. Thank God for the rain. She ducks under a bridge and I follow. Normally I avoid dark, dry places, but I feel strengthened by her presence. Its been a few weeks since I've seen another person - a real person - and I need to be around somebody. Anybody.

Scavengers. The name fits them. They used to have a different name, but I can't remember it. The miracle of the 21st century. Cybernetics in all its glory - the mating of man and machine. Medicine, Manufacturing, Military, all manner of businesses scrambled to exploit this new technology. I vaguely remember reading about it. I vaguely remember my old life. Apparently the organic components came from human brain tissue grown in test tubes or something. These were somehow mated to computer processors and BAM! Magic! you have a cheap, smart computer that can learn, think and be used to do all manner of menial crap that people don't want to be bothered with. Robots. Just like the future world of the 1950s. Robots in every home. The problem with these circuits was the organic element. They tended to go crazy after a while. At first it was seen as a minor inconvenience, covered under warranty. Just go down to your nearest retailer and swap out the chips. Easy fix. But that didn't work for long. Recalls were made and these things started filling up warehouses and second-hand stores. Then it got bad.

Still, some people didn't want to give up their machines. They helped mom do the dishes, make dinner and vacuum the living room. So what if they glitched and occasionally stuck the baby in the dishwasher or an occasional house was burned to the ground, or somebody lost an arm. Survival was their prime directive. They were excellent at making repairs. Your unit needs a replacement part? No problem. Haul it down to the junkyard, let it roam around for a few hours and the damn thing comes back with a new arm or leg. Oh, they are resourceful, too, making replacement parts out of whatever is at hand. People started to get upset when they came home to find appliances gutted and cars torn apart. Deactivated machines would switch on and come out of storage. They started sneaking around the city at night, breaking into houses and businesses to feed their growing appetites, their driving need to tinker, improve and modify themselves. Then it got worse.

Landfills and garbage dumps were soon infested with them. And they got creative. They started to use more 'organic' materials in their constant drive to repair and improve themselves. Fluffy would go missing and then one evening at dinner you notice the robot scooping mashed potatoes onto your plate is staring at you with a cats eye. Panic ensued. It was wholesale destruction of every machine using a cybernetic circuit. Problem was, they were everywhere. In cars, robots, manufacturing machines, and yes, even in people as medical devices. Total chaos followed and here we are. At least they haven't learned to deal with excessive moisture yet. I know where she's taking me. The shipyard. The rain is gone and we have to hurry. Things start scurrying in the darkness. I hear sounds of movement in the shadows as we run down to the dock. I smell them now. They have a certain smell to them - like burnt circuitry, ozone and an undertone of rotten meat. No two look alike, they all look like monsters ripped from a madman's nightmare. She seems sure of herself and I draw from her strength.

They know we're here. I can hear them following us. I can see darker shadows scurrying in the darkness. I don't want to end up as spare parts. I will end myself before that happens and as a favor I will put a bullet in her head as well. A long chain fence, ten feet tall and topped in razor wire looms before us. My chest tightens in panic I and want scream at her. Damn her for leading us here to die! "Hurry!" she says as she peels back a loose section of fence and crawls through. I take off my pack and toss it in before me and hurry after her. We are on the pier and I hear water ahead. Its hard to see in the cloudy, moonless night. This part of the city is dark. Chain link fence rattles behind us as we race to the waters edge. She goes to the end of the dock and drops to a knee and grabs the cement with both hands and swings down. There is no splash. I peer over the edge and she is eight feet below, in a small boat. I clumsily lower myself down and land on my back. I sit up and she pulls the cord on the motor. Nothing. She continues to jerk the cord and curse. Scrabbling noises above us. That smell. I sense movement and my vision explodes into a shower of sparks as something heavy lands on my head. My ears ring and I can make out another sound. Screaming? I come to my senses and realize what's happening.

The water around us thrashes as shadowy figures hurl themselves off of the pier. Thuds and scrapes as they bump into the boat. Electricity pops and hisses as they hit the water, flashes and screeches as they die. The motor roars to life as the boat lurches forward. This heavy, stinking thing on me is digging into my side. I can make out the faint glow of LEDs and see the occasional spark. I hear the sound of gears, actuators and motors whir as this monster crushes down on me. God it's heavy. And that smell. She's shouting something at me but I can't make out her words. The digging in my side is getting more intense. I feel flesh ripping. I don't want to be spare parts. I can't reach my gun. I manage to free an arm and I reach into the monster. Its all warm and mushy. I grab hold of a tangled mess of wires and Pull. The thing lets out a shriek, an awful sound. The sound of an angry machine. My hand digs deeper, looking for anything to rip out. I'm gonna make this bastard hurt before I die. Fluids gush and the tingle of electricity is like pins and needles in my hand. I feel a box, something hot to the touch, humming with power. I pull as hard as I can. There is a loud POP! and a flash of light. Then darkness.

I awaken with a start and bolt upright. The Scavenger. Pain shoots up my side and my hand goes to my ribs. Cloth. A bandage. I'm in a room, a bright overhead light stings my eyes. I raise my arm over my eyes and squint. A bed. Monitors. A hospital? There are others in the room. "Shhhh... lie down and rest. Its ok." That voice sounds familiar. It was her. "You're safe now. We're on the ship". The ship? A boat. On the water. Thank God. Those Scavengers, they don't do so well with moisture. Yet.






Thanks for reading this! I'm a huge fan of sci-fi and horror. Inspiration for this story comes from a few of my favorite sci-fi movies: Screamers, Virus and Terminator. Please post your comments!