The Machine Rules

13

I can't say I wasn't disappointed once I reached the subway and I wasn't ordered to enter the first-class wagon, but I wasn't too surprised. It was only a taste of something I could never experience, the luxury I could never have.

Once I arrived, I bought an apple to munch on since I didn't get to eat breakfast on my way to the subway. And just as I finished the apple, I recalled the last time I ate an apple I was starving not even thirty minutes later.

I'll hope my stomach doesn't growl like a wild beast while I hang out with him.

Halfway to the park, I am stopped in my tracks by a group of boisterous people making a huge fuss in front of me. There are over a hundred people with signs saying 'Robots have no humanity' or 'We are our own rulers.'

From gossip to classes, I knew these were so-called humanity revolutionaries, aka Re-Human; people who believe machines like the old times shouldn't rule mankind. They say It has no sense of morality, how to treat and be human, that we need a human leader. That we need privacy above all.

It still baffles me to find people like them going around since they usually appear in small groups and are quickly taken down. No one other than Sonas and Golems fights or even tries to discuss with them.

They are a radical group that is different from people who think the same and stay quiet; they go around screaming, breaking, and trashing everywhere they go. Since most of them live in Topia, they could care less about dirtying the wealthy areas. However, Primos is as far as they go, as everyone who tried to reach Gaia, or if they succeeded and tried to enter the Prime Building, where It resides, they are killed.

There is no mercy for loud, chaotic protests, especially against it. If organizers and attendees, those who destroyed property or injured someone, are not taken down during the event, they are after. At their home or jobs, it knows who they are and where they are. There is no escape.

"Whose street!" One of them shouted.

"Our street!" The rest chanted.

"Whose street!" People walking on the sidewalks stopped to look or walked away in a hurry, not wanting to be in the middle of it.

The glass buildings all around the commotion suddenly went from light blue or other original colors to full-on red: every corner, building, window, everything. Everyone but the protesters stopped walking, even the cars trying to go around them, even me. However, luck was not on my side. I somehow managed to find myself in the middle of the street I was about to cross it for another way to reach the park. And the aggressive and loud crowd was coming right in my direction.

"All who stop us are idiots!" One shouted.

"You scumbags! Useless!" Another one shouted.

"Move, b***h!" Before I could think, they already reached me, having someone push me hard. Not wanting to go through the same situation from the zoo, I put my hands forward, so I don't hit my head once more. And as soon as my hand touches the ground, there is screaming.

"Run! Golems!" With that, the protesters dispersed like oil in a dirty pan when a drop of soap falls on it. Gone, like the cowards they are. And they were not lying about the Golems as there were over twenty of them, running after protesters. They were thrown on the floor like rag dolls by the robots, some beaten until they stopped resisting.

Humans have no chance against machines. Because machines rule; the machine rules.

Thankfully the fall wasn't hard enough to hurt my hands more than scratch, so standing up wasn't an ordeal. However, as I stood and my eyes moved from the street to what was in front of me, I am met with a pair of metallic feet.

Everything was still red, and a Golem stood in front of me. f**k.

"Are you okay?" The Golem asked. My eyes snap to their face, more like head.

"Y-Yes," I whimpered.

"Anyone who was not part of the protest is to leave the area for further cleanup and investigation. If you are in no need of medical attention, please leave the area," The robotic voice spoke with no sign of care, only following orders from it.

"A-Alright," I stand up in a hurry and walk away from the red area as fast as my feet can carry me. Of course, they know who was part of the chaos; there are cameras everywhere, from the obvious ones, the hidden but still visible, to the ones hidden in small cracks. It was surely everywhere.

Crap, I'm late.

I curse once I see what time is it; ten-fifteen in the morning. If I had known of the mess on my way here, I would have preferred to choose another meetup place.

My eyes searched and searched for a white-hair head between the crowd but finding none. The park was beautifully designed and constructed. Every tree, bush, and flower was strategically placed to make the place look like it's from fairy tales. But I knew there was a garden that looked like Eden's Garden itself, but it was inside the Prime Building, with forbidden entrance for those not allowed in the building. Basically, only a handful could see its beauty and perfection.

I wouldn't blame him if he left.

Sighing defeatedly, I turned around to go back home and sulk until tomorrow, not before bumping into a wall.

"Someone needs to look at where they are going," The wall said in a familiar male voice.

It's not a wall; it's Ego. Dummy.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you left since I'm late," My face flushes from embarrassment and disappointment once I stepped away from him.

"I just got here too. I was caught up in a protest along the way," He spoke shyly while scratching the back of his neck.

"Me too. One of them pushed me since I stopped walking from the red light," I tell him while showing the palms of my hand, a bit dirty with a scratch or two. "Then, a Golem came and told me to leave."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. These people have no sense of order and respect. They just go making a mess wherever they are," He scoffs. "I passed by them while they were still shouting like lunatics, then took a long way here," He stands on my side and starts to walk. I follow him as we stroll around the green park.

"Good thing you didn't have to see when the Golems around. You would see those crazy people running away like the cowards they are, but then you watch the Golems running after them, throwing them on the ground; that kind of stuff they do."

"Don't you get scared? I mean, they are huge and powerful. I'm always looking over my shoulder to make sure none are following me for some unknown reason. If you know what I mean," He chuckled, bumping into my shoulder.

"I know exactly what you mean," I exhaled loudly and chuckled after it; so did Ego. "One of them actually escorted me home after school. They stayed in my room and took me back to school for my trip to the zoo," I explain.

"How nice. But I bet you were scared," He chuckled.

I think I can hear that all day long.

"Totally. They even gave me a good scare at night, since I live alone I was terrified when I heard a noise from nowhere in my room," I shiver from the memory, thinking someone had entered my small apartment room.

"Weird, never heard of them doing anything like that before," He looked a bit puzzled. "You live alone?" He looks at me with a pity look, but I know it isn't intentional. "What about your parents?"

"They are out of the picture," I speak shortly, not wanting to talk more about it.

"Sorry for asking," He spoke with a guilt-filled voice.

"It's not your fault; you couldn't have known without asking," I give him a small smile to show it's okay, getting a nod in response.

"I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, but," My happy face fell as he spoke.

Am I that boring?

"I want to know more about you. You're likes, dislikes, that kind of stuff. If you don't mind," He stepped in front of me, making me stop in my tracks. His face was one of waiting for confirmation, which I gave when I nodded and smiled brightly. "You can ask me anything, too, if you'd like."

"Alright, you start," He smiled, showing his perfectly pearly teeth and stepping back to my side.

"I'll begin from the basics, your favorite color."

"Black. Yours?"

"Blue. Favorite food?"

"Anything that tastes good," I lick my lips, feeling hungry again.

"Any preference?" He raises his perfect right eyebrow.

"I do have to say I love meat," I shrug. "What about you?"

"There are these sweet called echeocan bonbon which tastes heavenly. If you haven't tried them yet, I recommend you should," He smiles and licks his lips as if remembering eating them.

"Will do. Where do I buy them?" I ask, curious to taste them.

"There is this bakery about ten blocks away from the Prime Building. They are only sold there," With that, my curiosity is gone; my face falters by I hide it with a small smile.

"You mean in Gaia?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, something wrong?" He must've heard the small amount of disappointment in my voice.

"No, I'm not a big fan of sweets, that's all," I shrug.

"Everyone has their taste, even if they are bad," I give him a playful offended look then roll my eyes. "Favorite animal?"

"That's a tough one," I hum. "I have this weird attraction for dangerous animals, both in their strength and venoms or poisons. But I think my favorite is a horse," I nod to myself.

"Those were some sharp turns you took there," He chuckles lightly. "Why a horse?" He questions.

"Not sure. It's always been a dream of mine to ride one. I would watch those races on the big screen here at Primos or when I was leaving the school where the horses would be running at full speed. Or cute videos of people riding them on the open field, far from here, where the is peace and quiet."

"You don't like the busy city?"

"I do, but I think silence is good for a person, you know," I look up at him as he nods slowly. "What about you? What is your favorite animal?"

"Any that can follow orders. I like being in control," He speaks firmly.

"You need to be more specific than that," I snicker.

"Dogs, I guess," He shrugs.

"You and your shrugs," I roll my eyes.

"And you are the one to talk," He shakes his head with a smile playing on his lips.

"Are you in school?" I ask this time.

"No, I graduated last year."

"That's nice. So you're working now?"

"I am," Since he didn't say where I didn't ask. Maybe it is something he isn't proud of or comfortable enough to share. "So, I guess you are still at school, right?"

"I am," I nod, biting on my tongue. "Last year."

"That's really cool. Do you know what you want to do once you graduate?" He asks curiously. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and disappointment. I did have one of the best grades for my grade, I always study when I can and do my best, but that doesn't matter if I live in Topia.

If I lived in Primos or Gaia, then that would be a completely different story. I could be anything I want, but now I only have low-paying, hard-working jobs available, no matter how good I do in school.

"I haven't thought of that yet. School is already stressful enough, and thinking about what job I'll do to choose a university course will only add up. If you don't mind me asking, what course did you chose? If you chose any."

"I did a bit of AI program development, but that was super boring, and I already knew most of the things they were teaching. So I dropped and am working on that right now," He spoke casually.

"That's super cool. You must be a genius then!" I beamed.

"You have no idea," He smirks.

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