COUNTING DOWN THE YEARS

THE CRIME

I was deep asleep because a table top is not as comfy as it may look when you have to make use of it all night up until noon while also cuffed to it. Don't let the cosy sleep on your desk during a boring lesson deceive you.  When actually given that for bed, you'll know what I say is true. My dog won't stop barking so I open my eyes to tell her to settle down. 

If I could master the energy then I might go to the kitchen to feed her. But guess my utter shock when I open my eyes to four other pairs staring down at me. I guess that's what crawled up Shark's butt. 

In normal circumstances I would have screamed my head off. But for some reason, right now I just want to laugh so hard. I do neither. Just fall back on my bed and close my eyes. I feel two weights at my feet. One I couldn't decipher but the other is definitely my dog because two seconds later she's licking my face passionately. Appreciate the love Sharky. 

What time is it though? I should feed her. Must be night already if they are here. I just need like five more minutes. Just five and I'll be a happy person in life. 

"Annie? " Unfamiliar voice calls. 

Or maybe I know the owner but can't register it because I just want to sleep. My brain is so fuzzy and body so tired. Can't they just go away? 

"The sooner we go the better it is for everyone. That time machine will be very useful tomorrow because you know, tomorrow is the day. " 

"The AI have issued their last warning. "

"Some people have been taken already. Engineers and tech guys. I don't trust the government's plan to fight off the machines that's why we need the time machine. " The chief says quietly. 

I slowly sit up with my eyes still closed and hating every bit of everything happening. What did I do to deserve any of it. When I agreed to come to this life I don't remember signing up for all this. But then I don't remember agreeing to come to this life so there is that. 

"Past 1am most of the guards will be asleep so it's then we'll break into the facility. I hope you are ready miss Annie. The future of human civilization depends on us. " The chief says encouragingly.

Yeah, and we should go on feeling important and useful. Please! Maybe the government has something else up it's sleeve to aid this war. Who knows? I've always believed a bunch of machines created by human beings and that use rechargeable batteries can't just go ahead and rule people. People are definitely smarter because it's people who created the codes that the AIs use. 

I hope these same people have other codes to neutralize the AIs. And that is what the government must be hiding. For weeks they encouraged people to live normal lives and not be scared about machines ruling over people. I think they have a mega plan. I for once trust and believe in the government. 

"Hey Annie I too didn't want to do this but then they got us fired and then offered us jobs. And the country could be held captive tomorrow so I just decided to roll with it. You don't..." Drew rambles on but I cut him off. 

I wouldn't take any advice from this guy, not even for free. And it is for free! 

"They offered us jobs! What jobs? Breaking and entering for your info Drew is not a job that could pay your rent. No, it's actually not a job, simple, it's a crime. " I yell at the end to put my point across. 

"You didn't tell her? " Drew asks looking from a detective to the next. 

"Tell her what? Tell me what? " I demand narrowing my eyes at those four. 

"We offered you guys better paying jobs with the police as our spokesman and camera guy. " The female detective says. 

"Spokesperson... " I offer trailing off. 

"Yeah, so you won't have a job to get back to unless you hurry up and put these on so we can go over the plan again. " She says seeming a little irritated. 

Again? As in they went through it without me? For putting my life on the line they sure do know how to keep me in the loop. And she gets to be pissed! Clearly, they don't need me. 

"A little haste miss. " The male detective requests .

Now I realize it's clothes they had thrown at my feet. So they went shopping for me! These people get creepier and creepier. 

"Okay then, a little privacy! " I demand shooing them away. 

They leave one by one all muttering a something under their breath. I take the very black clothing and walk to my full length mirror. I hold the jumpsuit against my body not particularly liking the black material on my body. And it's quite heavy too. So I wear my sporty bra and back into my pajamas before fitting my form in the black jumpsuit. I've never really liked jumpsuits for one reason and just the one. I always feel like peeing like all the time and it's complicated getting out of it to do so. But when it calls, it calls and you must attend to it. Good thing I hadn't done the zipper so I hop into my bathroom and do the urgent business. 

A minute later I'm seated on my couch sulking like a kid who didn't get a present on Christmas day. They have trashed the place. They are eating all my food. They are watching my TV. They are very noisy and they are ignoring my protests. Oh, before I forget someone broke my favorite vase that my mom bought me when I first moved out as a house warming gift. It's just a vase to you but I'm big on sentiment so my heart broke with it. And what do I get for my silent tears, 'I'll pay for that don't worry '. I snatch the remote from Drew and switch off the TV. 

"Don't we have a place to rob tonight? " I yell. 

They have the audacity to look shocked at my outburst. I realize my words are not what I would normally say out loud and in yelling too but I said them so someone call police. Oh wait, they are here already! 

"Jeez missy, what crawled up your ass and died? " The female detective asks. 

Yeah, I'm the bad guy now! 

"Is this about the vase, I'll pay for it I promise. " The chief reassures me. 

"We left some food. " The two males say simultaneously. 

"What is the plan exactly? " I ask trying so hard to school my emotions. 

"You two get us in. We go to basement section 17 while you two stay on guard and create distraction if need be. " Chief explains casually. 

So, to this woman everything is easier than taking candy from a baby I see. 

"I can manage that. " I say blowing off a steam. 

I mean I sigh. 

"Yeah, you guys get to do the easiest job and no dirt on your hands. " The female detective says and I can't help feel mocked. 

She basically called us useless. 

"So is it just us five or there is more? " I ask curiously. 

"There is definitely more. We don't know what we are dealing with so we have a lot of manpower on stand by. " The chief says looking deep in thought. 

Suddenly my phone rings and I check the caller ID because it's so late to get calls. 

"Mama? "

"Annie, are you okay? "

"Yes mama I'm fine. Are you? "

"Don't worry about me, stay in doors they are around your area. Hide somewhere safe until your father and I work on something. We won't be long sweetie. " She promises. 

"I'm confused... " I trail off.

"You will be fine. Stay safe. " She hangs up. 

"Who was that? Eleven in the night, it's pretty late. " Drew says walking towards me and he looks like he wants to snatch my phone and check for himself. 

"It's my phone, my house, my rules. I don't answer to you. " I say rudely with no shame, in his face. 

He raises both eyebrows in shock. Maybe I shouldn't have been that rude but he irritated me. We have always only been colleagues. No friendship, so why suddenly he thinks he can question my anything! I look at the other people. They stare back at forth between us. 

"The machines are around here. I will go check. "I say walking towards the front door. 

"Whoa, wait. You do know they are taking people and enslaving them? " The male detective asks me jumping in front of me. 

Oh, my knight in shining armor! 

"Yeah and it's why I have to let people know they should get to safety. It's my job as a journalist. " I dismiss him again with no shame, in his face. 

"Miss Annie, I don't think that is very smart of you. Besides, those machines look like you or me. How would you know they are the AI? " The chief questions quite reasonably. 

"Most people are in doors right now this time of the night. I will suspect anyone else outside. " I say boldly opening the door. 

Maybe smart is not one of my super powers but a little courage is. 

"Don't be ridiculous, okay? Get back in here. The next best solution we have is getting into that lab. " The chief says silently ordering. 

"And then what? What if there is no time machine? Do you know how it works? Do you think you can save everyone in this country with it? " I'm yelling now not being too good at being told what to do. 

You try to listen to people speak but they never stop , when you have a mouth too. 

"Drew, can I borrow your gear? I know I can't convince you to come with... " I say but cut off. 

"Let's go, maybe this is the way we could actually save anyone. "Drew says. 

I couldn't be more thankful. This is a first too. So we rush down the stairs and out of the building. We find a spot under a night lamp where we set up. As soon as we are done I start reporting the news as Drew streams it to a couple of media. Lucky for us some guy comes to us and tells us that he witnessed his wife and two daughters taken by the AI a few minutes ago. I encourage locals to stay in doors in the hope that the government has a solution to this problem. So don't make me a liar government. 

I hope everyone who is taken so far is okay. The man looks terrified and traumatized. I don't relate in his troubles but I can only imagine it. We humans have a strong fear of the unknown and the unexplained. It can't be easy for him not knowing what his family's fate is. 

We capture evidences of struggles as the AIs were abducting people. Drew decides to hack city cams to find the footages of the captures. But he doesn't get to work for long before a black van pulls up close to us. I guess robbing a lab is still on the table. And they grab us and put us in the van with struggling and screaming to be left alone. Are all police like this? 

"You work for the police now. "The chief says not leaving room for arguing. 

And so we are driven to the facility. I can't wait to get this done over with so they can leave me alone. So when we get there we realize there is really a lot of people involved in this. Are people that desperate or is there like no guarantee for safety of the people? Or maybe this is the government's plan B seeing as it's the police involved. Aren't the police another arm of the government? 

They get Drew to do his IT sorcery. He has spent all his life behind a computer so he is definitely good with this. Takes him a minute or two of playing with his laptop  keyboard to get the security of the building down. Don't tell him I said playing because he would fry me for dinner without breadcrumbs to take the heat of the moment. Electrified Fence on top of the high perimeter wall. Disable the CCTV cameras and unlock the back door. So then we get to climbing the wall and dropping inside the facility compound. I hate it a second time when I did it only yesterday and have bruises to show for it. 

We are trespassing right now which is like breaking the law and all but I don't feel like I'm committing a crime. I did this yesterday without feeling guilty and here I am again. Is crime like an addiction? You do it once  your heart races too first. Then do it again and you feel less guilty about it! It really must be an addiction. 

No wander jailbirds get in then out and back in. Or so I think. But I don't hope to be addicted to this because I've always loved having a clean record even if it's now tainted. Maybe later when all this is over I'll have a talk with the chief to clean my record seeing as we are working for the police now and being best friends for life. She sure wouldn't mind doing me this little thing, would she?