The Monster Machine

The Abience

"We're getting close. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay." Tova replied to the stranger. She still didn't completely trust them, but so far, he hadn't made any other attempt to make her think otherwise. She hoped when she made it to the stranger's home, she could explain to him that she had somewhere else to be. She hoped whoever Maria's friend was would be able to help her take refuge from whatever her father was planning to do to her and keep her safe.

Tova looked down at the box she carried in her arms. The only thing that held information about what the world was like before people lived in the underground. The questions she had never wondered about before until now might all be answered by everything that was in there. She hoped one day she might understand what it all meant.

"Okay, don't worry. We're almost there. Sorry, I usually like to stay away from people as much as possible. I often catch them trying to steal my stuff." said the stranger.

"What sort of stuff do they take from you?" Tova asked curiously.

"Oh, not much. Just a lot of tools and electrical stuff. Y'know, things I need to stay alive. Here, come this way." the stranger directed Tova. He had her walk in front of them down a narrow path that led onto a rusty catwalk. Tova stepped on it carefully and was surprised when it began to sway under her feet.

"It's okay, you won't fall. These are all connected to some of the lower levels, but they're not connected to the walls to make them as stable as they should be. Especially since people walk on it all the time," the stranger explained. Tova looked down at her feet, one hand holding the box and the other clutching the rail. She took it slowly, step by step. The rail swayed underneath her, but she held steady as they walked.

"So, how far is it exactly?" Tova asked.

"It's just up ahead. Not too far."

They finally stepped off the shaky catwalk and onto a more stable platform.

"Okay, it's just down here." said the stranger. They took a path to the left that led down a long spiral staircase and into a narrow path. Tova was confused to see that it had led to a dead end. There was nothing else here than trash, some boxes, and a large piece of cloth that hung over the wall.

"Um... are you sure this is it?" Tova questioned.

"Ah, don't worry. Lemme just, uh..." the stranger stepped in front of Tova, walking through the piles of trash and reaching their arm behind the cloth. Tova heard a click as the stranger revealed a heavily bolted door hidden behind the cloth. Tova was surprised to see it as she stepped through the piles of trash. They walked through it to a much cleaner street as the stranger shut and locked the door behind them.

"I put this in a while ago to keep out the trespassers. Pretty neat, huh?"

Tova just smirked and they continued onwards.

After a long while later, Tova spotted a large building in the distance. It seemed a lot taller than the one she lived in. There were hardly any windows, but Tova noticed a long balcony off to the side of the building. With a strange curved roof over it... The rest of the building looked really old and there were a few wooden support beams that held up some of the sides of the building.

"Is this really where you live?" Tova asked. The stranger stepped in front of her and began to approach the building.

"Yep. Been here as long as I can remember. I know it doesn't look nice, but it's home enough for me."

Tova followed the stranger up to the steps of the door where he opened it for her. Tova was surprised to see that the inside looked a lot nicer than she expected. She walked into an open living room with an old couch and a small coffee table with a few glasses sitting on top of it. The room next to it appeared to be a kitchen, but she couldn't see all the way into it.

"You can just set your stuff down there," the stranger pointed at the coffee table in the living room.

"Lemme just put these things away. Make yourself at home." the stranger said as he walked down the hallway, removing his coat and goggles. Tova walked into the living room and set the box down on the table. She sat down comfortably on the couch and looked around. She played with her hair as she waited awkwardly for the stranger to come back. She heard him walk into the kitchen and he began to look through one of the cabinets.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, why were you running from your father?" the stranger asked.

"Oh... well, um..."

"Oh! What was I thinking? Sorry, introductions are more important. You can call me Argo."

"Ar...go?"

"Yep. It was a shortened version of something else, but I've been called Argo for so long I... can't actually remember my full name, hehe. But what about you? You got a name?"

"Oh, it's Tova."

"Tova, huh? That's an interesting name. I like it."

Argo pulled out two clean glasses from the cabinet and ran them under the faucet. He offered one glass to Tova.

"Here, it's just water. I don't have a lot of food, but I make sure the water is clean."

"Thanks," Tova said politely, taking the glass out of his hand and looking at her reflection in it for a moment before taking a sip. Argo sat down in a chair on the other side of the room with his glass in hand.

"I don't mean to pry or anything but, why were you running from your father?"

Tova glanced at him for a moment before setting down her drink on the table.

"Well, um..." she searched for a response.

"Was he hurting you?" Argo leaned forward.

"Well, no but..."

"Were you just scared?"

"No, it was... a friend told me it wasn't safe for me to live with him anymore. She... didn't explain why. But I trust her. So... I left."

Argo relaxed in his seat.

"I see... Do you know his name?"

"Um.....oh, Isandro. He's called Dr. Isandro, I think."

Argo blinked and went silent. He pondered her words for a moment.

"What about your mother?"

"Umm... I'm not sure I have one. It was just me... my friend and my father." Tova replied.

"Wow, just the three of you? Are you sure you didn't have anyone else?"

"No. Well... not exactly. My friend left me with instructions to find a place where she knew I'd be safe."

"Oh, is she waiting there for you?"

"I don't know... But she has a friend that she knows well and can help me. This is... actually my first time being outside. I was never really allowed to go anywhere, especially by myself." Tova explained.

Argo let out a deep breath.

"Did your father ever do anything to you?" he asked. Tova thought for a moment.

"Hmm.... I don't really remember. He taught me how to fix things and use tools. Sometimes he'd take me to this place with this big machine he was working on, and I helped him with stuff sometimes. But most of the time, he just keeps me in my room until he needed me for something."

Argo listened intently. "Do you know what the machine was for?"

Tova looked at the floor, "I don't know. He's never told me about it before. He's been working on it for a long time, but I don't think he's finished with it yet. It's a pretty big machine."

Tova looked up and noticed that Argo had been staring at her this whole time. He suddenly looked away and sat back in his chair.

"Hmm, when you say it like that, it probably was best for you to leave. Do you know where this safe place is?"

Tova glanced at him before reaching into her pocket and pulling out the note. She kept it folded and showed him the side with the photo of the building.

"I'm supposed to find this place, but I don't know how to get there."

Argo took the photo from her and stared at it for a moment.

"Oh! I know where this is! I've been down there before."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know exactly where this is. Can't believe your friend didn't tell you how to get there. Hey... you know what, I think I have an idea. You see, I'm running a little low on supplies and there are a couple things around here that I've been putting off fixing for a while. So, this is what I'm thinking... You know a bit of mechanical stuff, so maybe you can help me fix everything and in return, I'll take you to the safe place myself. It's kind of a long way down there, so I'll make sure you get there safe and sound. What do you think?"

Tova averted his gaze for a long moment, considering the deal.

"What exactly do you need to fix?"

"Oh, nothing too big. I'll be doing most of the work, but I could really use an extra pair of hands."

"And afterwards, you'll take me to the safe place?"

"Yep! When everything is fixed up right, I'll be with you the whole way to make sure you get delivered safely. Can't have your father catch you if you stay in one place for too long."

Tova glanced at the floor, the shoebox, then up at Argo.

"Okay, I guess that sounds fair."

Argo smiled and stood up. "Sounds good! We'll start working tomorrow," he stood up and walked into the hallway before pausing and looking back at Tova. "I can fix up the couch for you to sleep on, if that's okay. I'm gonna go see if I can find some extra blankets. You should get some rest, so just take it easy today." he said before heading upstairs.

Tova noticed he had set the note back on the table and she picked it up, shoving it back in her pocket and looking at the shoebox. For a moment, she considered opening it and looking through it, but suddenly thought against it. She still didn't completely trust Argo. But... he did help her keep her father from finding her, and offered to escort her to the safe house in return for a little maintenance work. It seemed like a fair deal. Once everything was said and done, she'd make sure Argo kept his word. And hopefully, when she got to the safe house, Maria's friend would be able to give her more insight to the contents of the box.