village... “Are you soft in the head? Do you know what
today is?”
Pedro furrowed his brow and shook his head. He didn’t.
Up rubbed his temples again, wondering what to do. His
duty was here at the bunker, in that meeting, listening to all
that useless back-and-forth. But Taz, if last night was any
indication, was in no state to be wandering around a robot-
infested land by herself. Not today.
“Get out of my way,” he said finally, and Pedro stepped
aside. Up swung himself over the door of the Jeep as the
ensign scurried around to the other side.
“I’m coming with you,” Pedro said, jumping into the
passenger’s seat and putting his hands on his hips like a
defiant five-year-old.
“Fine,” Up said, too exhausted to argue. When was the
last time he’d slept? Backup wouldn’t be a bad idea. He
turned the ignition. “Buckle up, Garbage-sniffer.”
Taz sat cross-legged in the middle of a blackened
memory. Dead trees dangled, and grass no longer grew
where there had once been life, family, laughter. It should
have been unrecognizable but it was a part of her, this place
and its horrors, its haunting of her dreams. She could see it
all, lanterns and lights and dancing, chickens and ice cream
in the summer, bicycles and running barefoot with her
cousins, her mama telling stories at night while fireflies
hovered to listen. Her first sticky kiss with the boy down
the street. Watermelon seeds and smoking bodies and spilt
champagne, screams cut short and mechanical laughter, the
sweetly searing smell of burnt flesh. Being lifted off her
feet by arms too inhuman to fight, seeing the end of the
world coming at her upside down. Knowing death was
coming, and almost welcoming it, knowing she would join
her family soon...