Onliest by J Daniel Batt

Author:J Daniel Batt [Batt, J Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Falstaff Books
Published: 2019-12-04T22:00:00+00:00

27

The Surprise Beyond the Gates

“It’s no use going back to yesterday,

because I was a different person then.”

—Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

The arid desert spread its edges to the iron and rust-dappled walls of Zondon Almighty. No path, no garden, no lawn transitioned. It was just desert and then wall, both equally inhospitable.

As they neared, the painted faces on the walls came into focus. Ghastly images pulled from horror films she had made Blip watch in years past: a maniacal clown, masks with red, torturous eyes, scarred faces, pale skin with deep white, blood-colored fangs. All were immense faces expressing pain and fear—the antithesis to the great faces of the Yoruban gods that looked down upon them from high up on the Jacob Lifts. The Orisha masks looked upward and onward; their slab colossal visages declaring hope and constant watch. The painted faces outside Zondon glared down with malice and shouted, Stay away!

When they arrived outside the main gates, Syn felt a wave a familiarity wash over her. She somehow knew this place and yet couldn’t figure out how.

A crumbled stone wall stood outside. Large metal plates had been fastened with bolts to the tall swinging gates. The hinges of the gates were mounted to two great steel pillars. Across the front the word Zondon appeared—a strange assortment of letters. The Z and O were metal cutouts and the N, D, O, and N that followed had been painted on.

“And the tour ends, toasters!” Ripley said, waggling her knife at Huck, Arquella, and Bear. “Go on now. Get outta here. Shoo.”

“We don’t leave until the Expected releases us,” Arquella announced.

Ripley furrowed her brow and pointed the knife edge at Syn. “That you?”

Syn did not respond.

Ripley shrugged. “Well, then. Tell your machines to leave.”

Syn started to speak and then hesitated. She didn’t want to be alone. She had only known the three for a short time, but they were faithful companions.

“Listen. I ain’t tellin’ you for my own good or yours. It’s for theirs.” She glanced back to the gates. “If they walk in that door, they’re dead. She hates all toasters. Kills them on sight. She doesn’t want anything related to the machines walking around. And she just doesn’t discard them so you could fix ‘em later. She chops them up and does some strange stuff with the bits.” She pointed the knife back at the three. “They leave now, or they aren’t safe. Hell, they may have already stayed too long.”

Syn leapt from the back of the harvest bot and wrapped her arms first around Arquella and then Bear. “You two go straight on back to the Barlgharel. Tell him I made it.” She looked up at Huck as he floated above unmoving—oddly stationary. “You keep an eye out for them.”

Bear spoke up, “You promised to come back to us. Right?”

Syn patted his side and nodded. “Yes.” But inside, she was less certain than ever. She had no idea what lay beyond the gates. “Please, go on now. I want you to be safe.

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