<\/p>\n
Rose shuddered as she peeped outside her window; the dull, orange light of the sun slowly giving way to the artificial luminescence of the halogen street lamps. She paced from side to side, being careful not to wake her six-month old son that lay snug in her arms. He had fallen asleep only a few minutes before; but as most parents would welcome the silence, Rose had nothing else to occupy her mind from the coming night. <\/span><\/p>\n She walked into her room and placed her baby into his crib. Behind her, Jennifer, the family\u2019s nurse, was mixing up a tonic in a glass jar. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s almost time, I presume,\u201d asked Jennifer.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026yeah\u2026I guess so. How\u2019s he doing?\u201d Rose asked. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s through the worst of it. It should be another day or two until he\u2019s up and running,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLucky it wasn\u2019t anything more serious. I don\u2019t think we can afford that right now.\u201d Jennifer placed the glass jar on the table next to the bed and looked over at Rose.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to go, Rose. You can manage just one week,\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOne week is one week too many, Jen. I\u2019ll be alright,\u201d said Rose, as she walked over to her bed. Her husband Marcus slowly opened his eyes and met hers. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow are you doing, honey?\u201d she asked, wiping sweat from his brow.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBetter\u2026but I\u2019m not sure you should be heading out there right now,\u201d Marcus said softly.<\/span><\/p>\n Rose smiled. \u201cWe\u2019ve talked about this, babe,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know, Rose\u2026but it didn\u2019t hurt to try. You be careful out there, yeah?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI promise.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Marcus took a sip of the tonic, closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Through the windows, the sun had completely set and flashes of blue lights from portable lanterns had signaled the general start of the scavenging hours.<\/span><\/p>\n Rose dressed for the night ahead, putting on her white dress shirt and black tights, over which would go a black overcoat and a long, black cloth skirt. Perched on her head was her father\u2019s black slouch hat, long worn from many ventures out into the night and completing the ensemble were dirty black hiking boots. She then turned her attention to her leather belt full of supplies, such as bandages, ointment, a compass and other small goods to see her home safe and sound. Lying next to the front door were her weapons of choice: a navy blue composite bow and a quiver full of arrows as well as a short double-edged gladius for close encounters. <\/span><\/p>\n Rose laced up her boots, adjusted her attire and strapped the gladius to her waist. Her outfit looked a little large for her, an aspect commented on by Jennifer as she walked into the living room. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo how long has it been?\u201d asked Jennifer, leaning against the doorway.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThree years. Since we got married,\u201d answered Rose as she placed the bow and quiver around her back. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNervous?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t until you asked me. Thanks a lot,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood luck out there, Rose. May you find something worth something,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Jen. Don\u2019t forget to lock the door, yeah?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Rose stepped through the door and walked out her small apartment and into the barely illuminated darkness. Outside in the neighborhood, doors were locked shut and curtains were pulled closed. Other houses and apartment complexes in the area were burnt and charred or completely abandoned. Trash was strewn across the street and lawns were left to overgrow the remaining houses. <\/span><\/p>\n She continued walking down the street towards the center of town. Already, other scavengers were making their way outside their own rundown homes and collecting themselves in groups, each armed with their own eclectic set of weapons. They ranged from older teenagers to people who should have been out of the game years ago. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYo, Rosie!\u201d she heard a familiar voice yell out to her. Rose turned her head and met the smiling gazes of her friends Ricky and Gertrude. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHey, you two,\u201d said Rose \u201cMarcus told me to expect to see you guys out here,\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s he doing, by the way? I never thought I\u2019d see you out here again,\u201d said Ricky. He was dressed in a gray polyester jacket with the collar popped up, something only his girlfriend Gertrude would find attractive, and blue, ripped jeans that had clearly seen better days. Across his back, a wooden cutting axe complemented the black and brown lever-action shotgun that both lay perpendicular to each other. Rose was pretty certain that he had never had to use the axe in his life, even for cutting wood.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s getting his rest. And don\u2019t get used to it, Ricky. It\u2019s only going to be for tonight,\u201d said Rose.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be like old times!\u201d said Gertrude as she squeezed Rose with an overbearing hug and and a big, lipstick smeared smile on her face. Like Ricky, she sported a smaller, dark red colored version of Ricky\u2019s jacket, only with the collar popped down. Gertrude was always one for ease and comfort, thought Rose, so that\u2019s why she took the bare essentials to scavenging, such as the six-shooter revolver that hung from her shoulder and stainless steel machete that set on her waist opposite the revolver. And, of course, the lipstick. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLike old times,\u201d said Rose with a half-smile. <\/span><\/p>\n The trio walked out of the populated neighborhoods and towards the old city limits. The collapse of local society left the main streets and downtown areas completely barren and bombed out from the wars that had followed. Nature then aimed to reclaim what it could from humanity. For the safety of the residents living in the former suburbs, the entirety of the core city area was closed and completely off limits during most hours of the day. Tonight, however, had a very different feel than most other nights. <\/span><\/p>\n Rose, Ricky and Gertrude approached chain link fence set up beneath an underpass of a former freeway. This was just one of many entrances to the old city center that now formed the main scavenging grounds. Here, amongst the craters, cracks and charred remains of cars was a large temporary camp set up by tonight\u2019s scavengers looking to enter the no man\u2019s land of the city center. It was a very jovial atmosphere in the camp, as most scavengers had brought their beat up old pick-up trucks, trailers and bicycles and started a tailgating party filled with the smell of savory meats, smoke and alcohol. Every one of the revelers were scavengers, indicated by the thick cloth clothing, faded leather patches and ramshackle weapons each one carried. Loud music blared in the night and, generally, everyone was having a good time, undeterred by what lay beyond the fence. So, it was business as usual, Rose thought to herself. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDo you girls think we have some time to get some ribs? Or maybe a hot dog?\u201d asked Ricky as they passed several grills and chests full of beer. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMaybe when we get back,\u201d said Rose, her gaze completely on the metal gate. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the rush?\u201d said Gertrude \u201cWe have all night, Rosie,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGertie, you don\u2019t even eat any of this crap,\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTrue, but Ricky does and maybe somebody here would be willing to get us a drink,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose sneered at her. \u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Rosie? You used to love hanging out before the scavenging. It\u2019s where you met Marcus, by the way,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know\u2026it\u2019s just that I really want to get back to them as soon as possible. I want to get this over with quickly.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Ricky and Gertrude looked at each other and nodded. They moved towards the gate and were let into the other side by a local gatekeeper. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWatch yourselves out there, you hear?\u201d the gatekeeper said to the three. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d asked Rose.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of noise coming from down there the past couple of nights. Techies been running amok, trashing up the place and frightening scavengers when they can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Techies, she thought to herself, so Marcus wasn\u2019t exaggerating.<\/span><\/p>\n Marcus, about a year ago, had started telling her stories of the techies. He had told her these were people who had abandoned society and took up residences in the abandoned city center, content to live their lives connected to whatever technology they could find. Most, according to her husband, had lost their minds and could only live by staring endlessly into a glass screen. Needless to say, Rose was not at all excited to see these people in the flesh.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be careful, chief!\u201d yelled Ricky, snapping Rose out of her thoughts. They walked into the barely illuminated night. Scavengers before had tapped into the town\u2019s electrical grid and provided power to the few remaining lights left in the area. Despite this, the trio turned on their flashlights and walked down a row of shops, fast food places and ruined, bombed out industrial parks. They waved and smiled at other scavengers who walked by them, some carrying loot and other carrying beer bottles. <\/span><\/p>\n Like trick or treating on Halloween night.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo where to?\u201d asked Rose.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot sure, really. Last time, most of our scavenging was done over the old community center. Didn\u2019t get too much that night, sadly,\u201d answered Ricky.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, what\u2019s a place that nobody else really goes to?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe old civic center and library,\u201d said Gertrude in a rare moment of helpfulness \u201cbut there\u2019s a severe lack of power there, so that\u2019s why nobody goes,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThen what are we waiting for?\u201d said Rose. Ever impatient, Rose led the other two down the dark, burnt out but oddly welcoming neighborhood streets, passing by empty schools, destroyed shopping centers and wide-open, weed-infested soccer fields. The occasional scavenger that passed by the trio eventually disappeared, leaving them completely alone as they spied the towering town hall ahead of them.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that up ahead?\u201d asked Rose. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the civic center, darling. You really need to start paying more attention,\u201d said Gertrude as she adjusted her lipstick.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, I meant, what\u2019s that?\u201d Rose pointed ahead at large group of people sitting and standing around an intersection just before the civic center proper. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLooks like we have techies up ahead. Just don\u2019t pay any attention to them,\u201d said Ricky. <\/span><\/p>\n There was a group in particular that caught Rose\u2019s attention. A young blonde woman sat with her back against a lamppost, with two men of similar age sitting behind her. All their faces were buried in the harsh glow of a smartphone, completely oblivious to the disrepair of their clothes, tangled and knotting hair and generally terrible odor.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThose are techies?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRevolting, aren\u2019t they?\u201d answered Gertrude <\/span><\/p>\n Rose slowed down and quickly examined the woman. Her green eyes had glassed over with the images from the tablet; not in a figurative sense, but actually physically glassed over. Small clumps of her hair were falling out, revealing small patches of glass and gray metal underneath what had been her scalp. Rose then noticed the USB ports that protruded from deep with her shoulder, poking through the skin and leaving that area dirty and infected. Several USB cables lead from these ports to the lamppost, possibly charging something digital deep within. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t get too close, Rosie! You just might catch it!\u201d yelled Gertrude. Rose turned her attention to her friends and rushed to meet them. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMake a friend?\u201d asked Ricky. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s one of the most awful things I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d answered Rose. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026and how long have you been doing this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cToo long. How did they get like that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI dunno really. Everybody sorta agrees that they do it to themselves, probably as a way to feel something or so the legend goes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose looked back at the young woman. <\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m not so sure about that. <\/span><\/p>\n Shaking off the first encounter with the techies, the three entered the civic center plaza, a once beautiful looking place with that included an overgrown sculpture garden, decayed fountains and dull, rotted murals. The town hall itself was missing an entire side of its concrete building, letting the party get a good look into the darkened and destroyed offices inside. The library next to it, formerly a place full of children and librarians, was a burnt, hollowed out shell of its former self. <\/span><\/p>\n This could\u2019ve been a great place to take the family. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnything?\u201d Ricky asked Gertrude.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNothing, dear, there\u2019s barely any power in these parts, like I said,\u201d she answered him. Indeed, it was silent, even for an abandoned city. Rose sighed, feeling slightly guilty about having left her family and leading her comrades to this empty area. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, you guys, this is my fault I suppose. Gertie, what would be another good place to go to?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Gertrude didn\u2019t answer and only stared out into space.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGertie?\u201d asked Ricky \u201cWhat is it, honey?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Again, no answer. Rose and Ricky turned around and was greeted with a softly glowing lamppost.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOhhh\u2026this is gonna be a good night\u2026,\u201d Ricky whispered with joy in his tone. <\/span><\/p>\n Rose\u2019s heart started to pump faster. In the shadows next to the lamp, something crawled and clanged. <\/span><\/p>\n Here we go.<\/span><\/p>\n The creature itself was no more than three and a half feet tall but was about seven feet long from its rubber-covered copper tentacles in the front to its foam and plastic tail. Its six aluminum and hard plastic limbs were covered in auxiliary cables and fiber optics wires and extended out from its body like a spider\u2019s. The torso, if one could call it that, was jumble of old stereo equipment, discarded CD players and various computer equipment. Most intriguingly, the creature was covered in a varied sort of smartphones, tablets and MP3 players; two of which acted as the \u201ceyes\u201d of this mechanical monster. <\/span><\/p>\n Just looking at it made Rose uncomfortable as the creature wandered underneath the lamppost, apparently trying to feed off the power. Her body tensed up and she was unable to make the slightest move. Fear had taken its grip on her.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve hunted plenty of these things, she thought to herself, so what\u2019s stopping me now?<\/span><\/p>\n Rose wondered if it was the size of this creature. Compared to the usual lot, it was the largest one she had seen and surely it was the largest that Ricky and Gertrude had seen. But seasoned scavengers aren\u2019t accustomed to tense up when their prey appears, even one of this size. <\/span><\/p>\n Poor thing. Rose wasn\u2019t sure if she was referring to the creature or herself.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRosie!\u201d Gertrude loudly whispered to her \u201cGet yourself together, honey,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose snapped out of her daze. \u201cWhat are we gonna do now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cClassic encirclement, ladies. I\u2019ll go right and Gertie, you go left. Rosie, baby, you stay here and be ready with that bow.\u201d Rose nodded and sighed as the two silently scattered away to their positions, being careful not to scare off their prey. She had dreaded this night ever since Marcus had fallen ill. When they had gotten married, he promised her that her scavenging days were over. Over two years later, she had not even touched her scavenging equipment; preferring that Marcus handle this business. <\/span><\/p>\n I can\u2019t believe we still must do this, Rose contemplated as she removed the bow from her back and notched an arrow. Ahead of her, Ricky silently walked behind a sculpture while Gertrude, with not even the slightest hint of stealth in her body, casually walked behind an empty trash can. <\/span><\/p>\n The creature, whom Rose had noticed had a limp leg where a few cable wires were exposed and shredded, lowered its head towards the base of the lamp. Rose\u2019s hands trembled with anxiety. <\/span><\/p>\n Calm down, she told herself, or else you won\u2019t get another shot like this.<\/span><\/p>\n Sweat dripped down her forehead, getting dangerously close to her eyes. She pinned the left side brim of her slouch hat to the side and grasped the arrow fletchings and bow string with her left hand. Years of archery training suddenly kicked in. Rose slowed her breath down to calm her heart rate. The slightest tremor would throw off her aim, even to a target as close as this one. <\/span><\/p>\n Ricky, with a big smile on his face, beckoned to an unexcited Gertrude if she was ready. She nodded and readied her revolver. He then turned his attention to Rose, who nodded back. She pulled back the arrow and bowstring across her chest and held it for what seemed an eternity. The creature, completely unaware of Rose and her companions, lifted its chest up, exposing its large, red CPU system that acted as its heart. <\/span><\/p>\n Forgive me.<\/span><\/p>\n Rose released the arrow, flying across fifty feet of open, darkened pavement. The four-inch, Bodkin-tipped arrow struck its red heart, spraying out sparks and completely immobilizing the creature. Its electronic, distorted cries signaled the attack from the trio. Rose lowered her bow as Ricky jumped out from the sculpture, shotgun in hand and began firing at the creature while Gertrude, still behind the trashcan, fired several shots from her revolver. <\/span><\/p>\n Shards of glass, metal and rubber flew all over the pavement as the rounds hit the creature. After a few seconds, the firing stopped as all light from the creature faded. The screeches and howls from a few seconds ago lead into an ominous silence.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWoooo!\u201d Ricky\u2019s voiced echoed across the complex \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m talking about!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOkay, calm down there, Ricky. Let\u2019s just grab what we came for and get out of this creepy place,\u201d Rose said, still drenched with sweat.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAgreed, Rosie,\u201d said Gertrude as she removed her machete from its scabbard. <\/span><\/p>\n The two approached the downed creature. Ricky, with his axe, hacked away a large section of one of its limbs containing a variety of smartphones, auxiliary cables and aluminum pipes, sending small pieces of the dead creature flying all over the ground. Opposite from Ricky, Gertrude carefully sliced away pieces of copper and whole lithium batteries from the torso of the creature, humming to herself as she did.<\/span><\/p>\n How does Marcus manage to scavenge like this? Rose pondered as she watched her friends mutilate their prey with equal parts awe and disgust. Small, useless pieces such as worn rubber, plastic covers and old Styrofoam fell away, revealing more of the inside workings of the creature. Ricky and Gertrude, with smiles on their faces, tossed one another several pieces of chrome plating, worth several dollars each if you sold them to the right buyer in the big city. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRosie!\u201d she heard Gertrude yell \u201cDinner\u2019s ready!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rose, sucking up the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach, walked over to the disemboweled prey. She used her gladius to cut several smartphones and tablets out from the creature\u2019s exposed chest and a few strands of HDMI cables. Organizing everything into her sack, she flung it over her shoulder as the others finished their scavenging.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNeed any help. Rosie?\u201d Ricky asked her, noticeably struggling with his own sack.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUhhhh\u2026no thanks, Ricky. The more I get, less time Marcus has to be out here,\u201d she answered him. Gertrude, eager to get back to her own vain life, took point on the journey back out of the scavenging grounds. The group of techies that the trio witnessed on the way to the civic center was nowhere to be found, unnerving Rose a little bit.<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s so important to take them away from their tech? <\/span><\/p>\n They strolled on into the darkened streets, passing by trashed cars and broken glass bottles. The soft howl of the wind blew pieces of paper and plastic across dead lawns. Ahead, a knocked over streetlight blinked its red light while sparks sporadically flew out from the base of its steel pole. This was most obviously a recent act of vandalism. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo, guys, where the heck are we?\u201d asked Rose.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShuttle stop, Rosie girl. Why walk, when you can be driven?\u201d said Gertrude. As if by some sort of black magic, a pair of headlights appeared down the street. The headlights belonged to an ages-old pick-up truck that was barely functioning and held together in some places with duct tape. The driver, a middle aged lady with a large serpent tattoo running down her face, stopped at the bus stop and lowered her window.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFee\u2019s gonna be a few batteries\u2026or anything else you got in those satchels!\u201d she said with a small smirk. Ricky tossed her a few batteries and climbed onto the back of the truck. Gertrude followed him with Rose being the last one on.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhere to?\u201d the driver asked.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe north gate, please,\u201d answered Ricky.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou got it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Rose hunkered down in one of the pick-up\u2019s corners as the truck bounded down the dark streets. They passed other trucks full of scavengers, ready to find their prey, or ones full of people hauling back their trophies. The truck turned a corner at an abandoned mini mall and continued down the main boulevard.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo how was it back out in the field, honey?\u201d Gertrude asked Rose, playing around with her small flashlight. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI remembered why I decided to stay home,\u201d answered Rose.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCouldn\u2019t have been that bad, Rose,\u201d said Ricky. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cExactly! Maybe you were just nervous about going out again,\u201d Gertrude said, flicking the flashlight on and off.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was nervous. Still am. I\u2019m not really sure what it is, but I\u2019m just having a bad feeling,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026and what possibly could that be?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Suddenly, the truck screeched to a halt, nearly sending Ricky flying onto the pavement had he not been hanging onto the cab of the truck. He didn\u2019t say a word either, rather content to be stare towards the front of the pick-up. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRicky, what\u2019s going on?\u201d asked Rose. He didn\u2019t answer. Rose stood up and glanced to where he was looking. Illuminated by the headlights was a whole row of techies standing silently in the middle of the decaying, cratered road, led by the girl that Rose had noticed earlier. Their eyes, glassed over and lifeless, blinked with various colors and images. Rose\u2019s heart sank. And here she thought Gertrude was actually right for once. The techies took a step forward in unison. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHey, driver! Might wanna back this thing up!\u201d Ricky yelled as he pounded on the roof of the cab.<\/span><\/p>\n The car sped backwards through the darkness as the techies gave chase after them. The truck dodged destroyed cars and vans, nearly sending Rose, Ricky and Gertrude flying off the truck bed. At a sharp corner, the truck backed into a brick wall, knocking Gertrude into Rose. The techies approached closer and closer, little blue lights steaming out of holes in their bodies. Ricky raised his shotgun and took aim <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t shoot!\u201d yelled Rose as she shoved a confused Gertrude off of her.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy the hell not?\u201d Ricky asked with a completely puzzled and panicked look on his face. <\/span><\/p>\n The pick-up lurched forward, barely missing the first of the techies to reach their location. Unexpectedly, the techies did not fall behind immediately but rather kept up a rather quick pace, reaching out towards them. After a few minutes, the pick-up turned another corner and left the last of the techies behind.<\/span><\/p>\n