The Search For WondLa (8 page)

CHAPTER 14: ASHES

She had seen
the images, and she knew the place was wrecked. But when Eva Nine stepped out into the main hub of her Sanctuary—her home of twelve years—she went numb. The main hub was now dark, no longer illuminated by the hologram vistas of beautiful landscapes. The holo-projector that had created the vistas now dangled from the ceiling by wires as it spurted sparks like a severed artery.

Most of the doors, usually hidden behind holograms of mountains and skies, were torched and pried apart. The greenhouse door opened and closed, banging into a watering can lying in the entryway.

The electronic sounds of birds singing and rivers running were now replaced with the angry hiss of cracked thermal pipes and fractured, bleeding water ventilation ducts.

“It is unfortunate that all of this is destroyed,” Rovender said, picking up a fork from the debris. “So much can be garnered by simply asking for an invitation.”

Eva stepped through the precarious damage in the main hub, and headed to the kitchen. She took a deep breath as she crossed the wrecked doorway, using the Omnipod to light the darkened room.

The refrigeration unit was wide open, disemboweled of all its foodstuffs and shelving. The sink faucets ran like tears onto a heap of broken dishes and utensils. Other dishes were scattered in ivory jagged shards on the countertops and tiled floor. With the light of the Omnipod, Eva peeked over the counter to the front of the stove—but the robot was nowhere to be found. “Muthr?” she whispered, and she peered up the exhaust shaft that had provided her escape. “Muthr, where are you?”

Eva wandered back out into the main hub, wondering which room to search next. “Rovender?” she called out.

“Right here, Eva,” he answered as he popped his head out of the supply room.

“Do you see any sign of her?”

“I don’t believe so,” he replied. “Though, in truth, I don’t know exactly what your mother robot looks like.”

“Oh, she looks like this.” Eva turned the Omnipod flat and brought up a projection of Muthr.

“Can’t your device locate her?” Rovender knelt close to study the hologram.

“Not if she is off-line, which the Sanctuary said she was,” Eva said. She pointed to the blown-out entrance of the gymnasium. “Why don’t you check in there, and I’ll try next door?”

“Okay.” Rovender trotted across the hub toward the gym, his rucksack jingling with every step.

Eva entered the greenhouse, stepping over the watering can. Inside, the fluorescent grow lights flicked off and on, illuminating the hydroponic irrigation system, which lay in a heap like a pile of broken bones. The carbon dioxide generator hissed at Eva as she searched the aisles of upturned fruit and vegetable plants. Once more there was no sign of Muthr.

“Eva Nine, come quick!” Rovender shouted.

Eva dashed back out into the main hub, tripping over the watering can. “Is it Muthr? Did you find her?” she asked.

Rovender called from the adjacent gymnasium entrance, “This way!”

As with the rest of the items in the wrecked Sanctuary, the gymnasium’s exercise equipment was bent at odd angles and completely destroyed. The wading pool bottom was somehow cracked, with half of the water drained out. In the deep end of the pool was a familiar cylindrical shape.

A shape Eva had known since birth.

Muthr was lying like a dead log at the bottom of a clear chlorinated pond.

CHAPTER 15: COUNTERCLOCKWISE

Muthr!
Eva screamed, jumping down the steps of the drained pool and scrambling to the deep end. She felt a slight electric shock as she waded into the water and tried to pick the robot up. Eva called out to Rovender, “Help me!” He slid off his rucksack and hopped into the pool, splashing Eva in the process.

Slowly the two of them rolled the unresponsive robot back to the shallow end. With great effort they then hoisted Muthr up onto the ply-steel deck. Her orblike eyes were glossy black without the slightest hint of an amber electric glow.

“There was a little light blinking when I first saw her here,” Rovender said, pointing to a light on Muthr’s braincase. “But it has stopped.”

“She’s got water in her,” Eva said as she ran her fingertips over Muthr’s smooth metallic shell. She stopped at a small plate on the back of the robot’s torso. “One other time, during swimming lessons, moisture got on her power cell. I just need to dry it off and she’ll be fine.” Eva furrowed her brow while she jammed her fingernails at the seam of the closed panel. “Come on!” she grumbled.

“What is the problem?” Rovender watched Eva scrabble at the closed power cell hatch.

“I can’t get this open. It’s stuck!”

“There must be some simple way to—”

“No!” Eva pounded on the hatch. “Open! Come on! Open!” The force of Eva’s fist unlatched the inner lock, and the small hatch opened. Pool water poured out of it.

The power cell was missing.

“What? Where can it be?” Eva sat back, dumbstruck.

“What is the matter? Has her spirit been stolen?” Rovender asked.

“I don’t understand. Why is her power cell missing?” Eva said, staring at Muthr. Discolored scorch marks ran down one side of the curvy robot lying motionless on the deck. All of her mechanical arms were drawn into her body like a dead spider’s.

“Wait!” Eva rummaged through her satchel, and then finally pulled out the power cell that she had found at Besteel’s camp. Eva snapped the dented cell into place and then leaned over to watch the familiar glow return to the robot’s eyes—but they remained black.

“Oh, no! Why isn’t this working?” Eva swallowed down the coil of panic.

Rovender placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know this is not what you want, but you should leave soon, Eva Nine. Besteel will return.”

“Hold on! Maybe that one is just damaged. There are more power cells in the supply room. I’ll be right back!” Eva ran out of the gym, across the hub, and into the supply room. Jumping over the toppled shelves, she scanned the discarded piles of water purification tablets and broken holo-bulbs. Out of breath, Eva asked, “Sanctuary, where are the power cells?”

“Hello, Cadmus zero-one. May I help you find something?” The static-filled voice of the Sanctuary crackled over the intercom.

“Who? Oh!” Eva remembered that the Sanctuary thought she was someone else. “What shelf would the power cells be on for Muthr?”

“T6D9 centurion power cells are in row five, top shelf,” the Sanctuary replied. “However, supplies are exhausted. Acquisition of new cells must be arranged through sibling Sanctuaries.”

Eva heard a hiss behind her. The door that led to her secret place opened into the darkness beyond.

“Eva Nine,” Rovender’s voice echoed through the main hub. Eva hopped back out of the supply room and found him rolling Muthr’s rigid body on her wheel through the debris, leaving a watery trail behind them. “The light has started blinking again,” he said. Eva saw a tiny red light on Muthr’s braincase pulse in a steady rhythm.

Eva addressed the house. “Sanctuary, Muthr has been found but is not responding. Please advise us as to what we should do next.”

“Bring Multi-Utility Task Help Robot zero-six into the generator room,” the Sanctuary answered. “Access is through the control room.”

Eva and Rovender wheeled the robot into the control room, where an unseen door slid open next to the stairwell. Eva nodded to her companion, and they pushed Muthr into yet another room that Eva had never been in.

Overhead, lights flicked on in the solid white room, revealing a wall of glass cabinets that held a variety of petri dishes and test tubes. A squat cylindrical freezer breathed icy fog in the corner, while a series of immaculately clean glass tubs and tanks dominated the opposite wall. Eva shivered as a tingle ran up her spine.

“Clearly Besteel did not find this room,” Rovender said, viewing a row of widemouthed jars filled with a reddish liquid.

“This is the generator room? It looks more like a lab,” said Eva.

“Accessing data banks of Multi-Utility Task Help Robot zero-six. Please stand by,” the Sanctuary announced.

Eva looked over at Muthr. The light on the robot’s ash-covered head blinked in a rapid pattern. Eva’s eyes traveled down Muthr’s scorched body, and rested on a cluster of worn Beeboo stickers just above the wheel casing. Eva remembered sticking these onto Muthr when she was a toddler. Some of the stickers still worked, dancing and smiling in an animated fashion.

The Sanctuary instructed Eva, “Carefully remove Muthr zero-six’s head in a counterclockwise direction. When you have done so, place it here.” At this, a large robotic crab-shaped form rose from the seams in the white tiled floor. The form had an empty socket at its center. Eva and Rovender eased Muthr down, laying her face up.

“You remove it, okay?” Rovender whispered.

“Okay.” Eva knew that Muthr could come apart; she’d seen her do it once before for a routine cleaning. But Eva hadn’t liked watching—for it had only reminded her that it was just a machine raising her.

The red light on Muthr’s forehead stopped blinking and she let out a tiny electronic chirp. Eva watched as the clamps that held the head and neck assembly in place unlocked.

Counterclockwise, counterclockwise,
Eva said to herself. She rubbed the sweat off her palms onto her tunic and grabbed the head and turned it—but it did not come off.

“It’s not working.” An icy chill of nerves coiled in Eva’s stomach.
Am I going to fail this exercise too?

The Sanctuary repeated the instructions, “Carefully remove Muthr’s head in a counterclockwise direction and place it here.”

“I think, perhaps, you should try turning the other way. It may work better,” Rovender said in a gentle tone.

Eva exhaled out the iciness that had seized her. Focused, she rotated Muthr’s head in the opposite direction. It turned smoothly and slid out of the torso. Eva stood, wavering at the added weight of the robot’s heavy head, and walked over to the large mechanized crab form. She set the head in the socket at the center of the crab body and locked it into place.

“Oeeah!” Rovender whistled as he stood next to Eva. “Do you have to remove your head as well to recharge your spirit?”

“Rovee! My head doesn’t come off!” Eva giggled, jabbing him playfully.

“Look!” Rovender pointed.

A warm amber glow returned to Muthr’s eyes. “Eva Nine!” the robot said. “My child, you are alive.”

CHAPTER 16: PUZZLE

I am so glad
you escaped successfully,” Muthr said. She had numerous electrodes snaking from her head, giving her the appearance of a wire-haired Medusa. All of the electrodes’ cables were connected to a port on the Sanctuary’s central computer.

Eva was sitting in one of the empty glass tubs, her bare feet raised and her jackvest balled up behind her head like a pillow. She paused from sipping a container of blue-tinted drink. “What happened to you?” she asked.

With her new thick crablike appendages, Muthr grasped her headless original body and raised it. “Well, after you were gone, I was able to slip out of the kitchen through the chaos.” A giant plug descended from the ceiling, locked into the neck socket of the old body, and hoisted it up farther. “At that point the entire house was filled with smoke. Half of the Sanctuary caught fire when the holo-projector exploded.”

Eva watched a bundle of wires snake down from the top of the room, followed by directional lamps, which extended outward on mechanized arms.

Muthr attached the numerous probes to her old body and continued, “The intruder grabbed me in the haze and I struggled, toppling over the burning rubble. When I righted myself, I realized my cell hatch had popped open and my power cell had fallen out. With little reserve power I tried to get here, to this room. However, I realized I was covered in burning debris and aflame.”

“So you dove into the gymnasium pool to put the fire out,” Eva concluded. Wall-mounted arms emerged from hidden panels and began servicing Muthr’s original body.

“Honestly, Eva, the extinguishers here were not designed for such a siege,” Muthr said, watching her old headless body move and jerk back to life. “I needed to douse the flames before I could come in here, and before any of my inner workings were damaged.”

“And?” Eva pulled a handful of nutriment pellets out of her satchel and began eating.

“The computer is running diagnostics on me right now,” Muthr said. She was surrounded by a dazzling array of holo-charts and menus that were projected at a dizzying rate. The entire display flickered, and Eva realized that the Sanctuary’s main computer had been somehow affected by Besteel’s raid.

“So tell me about this stranger you have brought back with you,” Muthr said, reading the statistical data.

“Oh, Rovee?” Eva said. “His full name is Rovender Kitt, and he’s great. He helped me escape from—”

“Eva Nine?” Rovender’s head popped in through the doorway. “Are these what you need?” On his backward-bending legs he brought a new pair of sneakboots and socks to her.

“Yes! Thanks so much for doing that for me,” she said. Eva took the shoes and set them next to her discarded soiled socks. “I didn’t want to go in there and see how destroyed my bedroom was.”

“There is not much left to see,” Rovender said, pointing at the shoes. “I could only find one in gray and one in white.”

“That’s okay,” Eva said. “They’ll both get so dirty up there that they’ll match. As long as I’m not barefoot again.”

“Good,” Rovender said. After glancing up at Muthr’s hanging body, he returned to the doorway. “I am going to check for Besteel. If the area is clear, we best get moving.”

“We?” Eva asked, smiling.

“Yes,” Rovender replied flatly. “I need to get on my way and so do you. Do you understand?”

Eva nodded in agreement. She saw Muthr watch Rovender slip out of the room and go up the stairs in the main entryway. Eva also noticed that the Sanctuary was running Identicapture, in an attempt to identify her lanky companion. Muthr turned her gaze back to Eva and asked, “How is it that you understand the language of this stranger, Eva?”

“I told you, he’s not a stranger. He’s a friend,” Eva said as she fished around in her satchel. “And I can understand what he is saying because he gave me this.” She held up the vocal transcoder.

“Interesting.” Muthr extended one of her many arms. “May I?”

“Um, sure,” Eva said, handing the transcoder over. “Just be careful. We are going to need it.”

“Of course. Oh, and Eva?” Muthr spoke in that old-timey movie voice. “Can you please wash your hands? They are filthy.”

“Are you serious?” Eva jumped out of the empty tub. “You’re asking me to wash my hands after what I’ve just been through?” She stomped over to a small basin. Water trickled down over her grime-covered fingers.

Muthr held the transcoder up while the Sanctuary computer scanned it with a red laser. “Do not be dramatic, Eva. I know you have had some setbacks with your surface exercises, but otherwise you have handled yourself quite well. Besides, I trained you for worst-case scenarios. It’s not like there are species of venomous snakes waiting for you in every clearing.” Muthr examined the transcoder, bringing it close to her many eyes. “I was just preparing you to be ready for any dangers that you may encounter.”

“Dangers?” Eva shook her hands dry. “Muthr, do you have any idea how scary it is out there?”

“Of course I do. With the aid of the Sanctuary I am the one preparing your exercises,” Muthr replied in a matter-of-fact tone. She turned to the door. “Well, hello, Mr. Kitt.”

Rovender stood in the doorway, holding a half-empty bottle. “The area is clear, as far as I can tell,” he reported. “Besteel is still gone for the time being. But he will likely circle back here within one or two days. You do not want to be here when he does.”

Muthr faced him. “What is he saying?”

Rovender disregarded Muthr. “You should leave now, Eva Nine. You need to put as much distance as you can between yourselves and Besteel.”

“I don’t understand.” Eva’s brow furrowed. “Why do you think he’ll come back after me?”

“As I told you, I do not know.” Rovender swallowed his drink. “But, obviously, he is collecting as much quarry as he can capture.”

“Will you please tell me what is going on, Eva?” Muthr’s voice was higher in pitch. “What is he saying?”

Eva took the transcoder back from her and put it into her satchel along with her food and drink. “He’s says it’s time to go. Are you ready?”

“Why is it that we need to leave in such a rush?” Muthr addressed Eva, yet still faced Rovender.

“Because Besteel, the intruder,
the monster
who demolished the Sanctuary, will be back,” Eva answered. She unrolled her socks. “And for some insane reason, he is hunting after me.”

“Besteel?” Muthr repeated while yet more holo-charts and graphs fluttered around her head. “Tell me this, then, why is it that there is no record of a ‘Besteel’ in the main computer? Or, for that matter, an animal such as Mr. Kitt?”

“Exactly—welcome to my world.” Eva snorted under her breath.

“Enough, Eva!” Muthr snapped. With her crablike body the robot closed in on Rovender. “It is not that I am accusing Mr. Kitt of being in company with the intruder who attacked us. However, when my omniscient computer system cannot identify this stranger, or his devices, well, then—I grow concerned for the safety and well-being of my child.”

“I am not a child!” Eva snapped. “I—”

Rovender interrupted. “What is it that has your mother robot so aggravated?”

“She can’t identify you on the Sanctuary’s omniscient computer,” Eva replied. “Therefore, she doesn’t know if she can trust you.”

Rovender snorted. “Your answer is obvious, Eva Nine.” He took another swig from his bottle. “Your ‘omniscient computer’ is wrong.” He stepped out of the room and went back up the stairs.

“What did he say?” Muthr kept her gaze on the empty doorway where Rovender had stood.

Eva sat down on the edge of the tub and pulled her clean socks on. “He says the computer is wrong. And I would say that he’s right.”

“Nonsense,” Muthr said in a haughty tone. “The expansive library in this system is state of the art. It has every organism known to—”

“Muthr! We need to leave,” Eva said. “You’ve seen what Besteel can do, so get yourself back together and let’s go!” She pulled her sneakboots on.

“Distance traveled: zero kilometers,” the shoes announced. Eva bent over and activated the odometer in the sneakboot’s heel. She looked back up at Muthr. “Come on,” Eva said. “We have to hurry!”

“Muthr zero-six cannot leave the premises,” said the Sanctuary.

Eva paused for a moment, looking up at the intercom speakers.

“I am sorry, Eva, but I cannot go up there. I was not designed for such things,” Muthr added. She reached a hand out to the girl. “My place is here, in this Sanctuary.”

“What?” Eva said, grabbing her jackvest. “I came back for you! You’re coming with me.”

“I cannot… . I wish I could.” Muthr moved closer. “Now, what I need—”

“No!” Eva backed away, pointing to the robot’s suspended body. “You
have
to come! What I need is you.”

“Again, I apologize, dear, but my programming prohibits me from doing so. I would if I could … but I cannot.” Muthr looked down.

Eva reached for her satchel while her jackvest tightened itself snugly around her body. “I can’t believe you’re saying this,” she said. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Sanctuary,” Muthr said aloud, “this is Muthr zero-six. Have you assessed domicile damage yet?”

“Sanctuary five-seven-three has received 84.53 percent damage, 76.8 percent of which is irreparable. Emergency transmission for immediate retrieval has been sent,” the report came over the intercom. Even with the static, Eva hated how calm the Sanctuary sounded while spouting off how ruined her home was.

“Based on the absence of return transmissions from sibling Sanctuaries, what do you suggest?” Muthr asked while looking at holograms of charts and maps floating in front of her.

“Remain in Sanctuary for thirty days. If retrieval does not occur, then begin shutdown process and send ward to the nearest settlement, HRP underground facility fifty-one.”

“Remain?” Eva yelled. She fastened her satchel straps to her jackvest. “That’s ridiculous, Muthr. I will not do that. You will not do that. Rovee and I will get you out of here.”

Muthr was silent. Unmoving.

Eva pulled her hair up in a wad and wrapped it tightly with one of her braids. “Come on. I will help you up the stairs, and we’ll go to Sanctuary number whatever together … okay?”

Muthr spoke. “Eva, listen to me—listen!”

Eva stopped and looked at Muthr’s face, hoping for a sign of real emotion in the silicone rubber and circuits. She blinked back the tears that burned her eyes. Muthr was just a robot, but she had also taken care of Eva since birth. Trained her. Protected her.

“Eva.” Muthr’s voice was low. “I cannot come with you because
I am not supposed to
. My programming prevents it. You see, I am only meant to live here to instruct you on how to survive and prosper on the surface. Once you are ready, and of age, then you no longer need me. That’s the way the program works.”

“But I’m not ready.” Eva sniffed. “I need you.”

“But
you are
ready, dear. Look—you exited prematurely and you survived.” Muthr brushed away Eva’s bangs. “Do as the Sanctuary instructs and you will be fine. I wish I could be there with you, but my place is here.”

“Here? In this mess?” Eva wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Once again the Sanctuary—
her Sanctuary
—was not cooperating.

It was puzzling.

Eva pulled out her Omnipod and handed it to Muthr.

“Why are you giving me this?” Muthr asked, taking the device. “You will certainly need it where you are going.”

“Omnipod,” commanded Eva, “please open Identicapture and show Muthr, and the Sanctuary, the life-forms living on the surface.”

An array of holograms flickered in front of the robot’s glowing orbs. Many-winged birds. Wandering trees. Weeping bird-catchers. Giant water bears. Sand-snipers. The Dorcean huntsman.

Eva addressed both Muthr and the Sanctuary: “Please identify these organisms and advise on how I should interact with them.”

There was a long pause. Finally the Sanctuary spoke. “All said organisms are classified as unidentifiable because of insufficient data. Interaction cannot be deduced at this point. Proceed with caution.”

“Now do you think I am ready?” Eva asked, taking the Omnipod back.

“I—I do not know,” Muthr replied. For the first time ever Eva heard hesitation in the robot’s voice.

“Then you
have
to accompany me. The Sanctuary is unsafe, and the surface is unsafe. I am not yet ready for life on the surface alone.” Eva fixed her gaze directly on Muthr and said, “Sanctuary, this is C-P-zero-one. Based on new information, please analyze whether Muthr zero-six should accompany Eva Nine to the nearest settlement.”

“Analyzing. Please wait,” the Sanctuary said.

“C-P-zero-one?” Muthr asked. Eva shushed her.

The Sanctuary announced, “Cadmus zero-one, Multi-Utility Task Help Robot zero-six is relinquished from her Sanctuary duties. She would be best suited accompanying Eva Nine to neighboring HRP underground facility fifty-one.” As the Sanctuary finished speaking, Muthr’s refurbished body descended to the floor and was released from the ceiling hoist that held it. All of the maintenance equipment retracted back into its hidden compartments within the walls.

The old body rolled over to Muthr’s temporary body. As the crablike form sank back into the paneled flooring, the robot’s original body grabbed the head and placed it back onto its torso. Muthr was whole again.

“Yes!” Eva hugged Muthr, holding her tightly. Rovender reentered the room, and she smiled at him. He nodded back to her.

“I—I can leave?” Muthr sounded genuinely shocked.

“You can leave! You’re coming with us!” Eva squealed, squeezing her tighter.

“Thank you, Eva,” Muthr said. “Though, I am still perplexed that there are no records in our exhaustive data library for organisms like these.”

“Weird, right?” Eva looked around at the holograms floating in the room. “I guess there is still much to learn about all of Earth’s inhabitants.”

“Eorthe?” Rovender mispronounced the word. A look of confusion grew on his whiskered face. “Is this a place?”

“Yes. Of course,” Eva replied. “Here. Where we are.
This
planet is called Earth.”