"Ladies and gentlemen, for ten long years, my husband and I have been working on some new technology. The nuclear war has set America back by quite a few years. The radiation levels are only climbing as time goes by. With that, I present to you," The older woman on stage pauses for dramatic effect," Pap 2035! We have officially managed to transfer human memories into a robotic body, one that runs on radiation!"
The crowd look at the robot in awe. Cameras flash all over as the spectators begin to cheer.
"That's right folks, my husband and I have found a viable solution to the radiation problem! He is equipped with radioactive power cells throughout his body, with inhalation vents all across his body. This is the future!"
The crowd roars with excitement as Professor Jean Hansen and Theodore Hansen walk off the stage.
"Jean, you didn't give me a chance to stay anything. I'm the one who began the guinea pig, I can atleast make a speech."
"Oh, it's not that important Teddy. Think of how much good you are going to do with this new body. Of course, the council is still bothering me about letting you out the city gates."
"Yes, well, they won't exactly be too nice to you once I've escaped."
"Be quiet!" Jean hissed at her now robotic husband. "If the council over hears you, there won't be any escape, and as far as they know, there is a failsafe if you disobey."
"Well, when can I finally leave? It has already been ten years, we will be lucky as it is if Marissa and James are still alive."
"You still have that heart locket I gave you, right?"
"Yes, of course I do. It never leaves my neck."
"Good. Won't do you much good if you lost it. It's hard enough that they are so much older than those pictures, but atleast it is something to go on. You will leave tonight, when the sun goes down. They will be less likely to spot you leaving."
The sun fell, and Jean hugged her husband goodbye as he snuck out the front gate. The isolation has degraded any real security measures, so Teddy made it out without any hassles. Teddy walked across America, day and night, siphoning the radiation as he went.
Teddy finally made it to New York.
Much if New York had been devoured by the plant life that normally would have been removed from human life in the city, but with the mass amounts of deaths, most of New York's building were overran with plant growth. The colony was not hard to find, as it seemed most of the colony stayed in one spot. Burning barrels with people gathered around them were everywhere. Teddy stopped a passing individual.
"Do you happen to know Gwen Hansen?" He asked, but the man looked confused and angry. He broke free of Teddy and kept walking along, scoffing as he passed Teddy.
"Did you say Gwen Hansen?" a young girl with long brown hair, brown eyes, looks about sixteen years old asked from behind him.
"Yes, do you know her?"
"Of course, she is my mother, but what business do you have with her? You don't look like her usual clients." she said with a scoff.
"Clients?" Teddy asked, knowing that he did not want to hear the answer.
"Um, nevermind. Well, what do you want, robot?"
"I am actually looking for you and your brother. You may not believe this, but I am actually your grandfather. Your grandmother and I had been working on transferring the human conscience into a robotic body, and we finally did it. I came to bring you both back with me."
"Yeah, you're right, I don't believe you. Guess I'll have to take you to mom and she can deal with you. Just if you are gonna kill her, don't do it in front of my brother, he really cares about her." She responded casually.
Teddy followed her to an apartment complex near the city Square. As they walked up the stairs, people were puking or spitting up blood, while curled up on the stairs.
"Is everyone sick?" Teddy asked.
"No, not everyone, but most are. Us kids managed to build alittle bit more of a tolerance to the radiation, although there aren't many of us that managed to do this."
"What about your mother and brother?"
"James is fine, but mom has been sick for years. Honestly, I don't see her living for much longer, even without all the stds she has collected over the years."
"It's been that rough around here, huh?"
"Well, use to be alot worse. Mom does what she does by choice now, but it wasn't much choice originally. I've had to hide in many small spaces to hide from awful men."
"Yet, you don't seem too fond of her."
"It's not that I hate her or anything, but she gave up a long time ago. I can't babysit somebody who quit living."
"I see." Teddy replied with a bit of sorrow in his voice. They finally stopped at a door, and Marissa opened it to reveal a futon with a sick woman sprawled across it, only a sheet covering her lower half.
"Marissa, is that you?" the woman had lifeless eyes, and her voice was so quiet, it was hard to believe Marissa could hear her, yet, she replied.
"Yes, mother, and could you atleast cover your whole body, I don't want James seeing you like this."
"It's fine, alittle late at this point." A young man's voice said. He had brown hair and looked to be the same age as Marissa." What's up with the robot?"
"Claims to be our grandpa, here to rescue us. Our personal hero." She snickered as she moved closer to her mother. " Well mom, do we have some genius grandparents in Silicon Valley?" When she finished speaking, there was a brief pause, and then her mother's eyes grew wide.
"Yes! Yes you do!" she responded with some excitement. Marissa was taken aback. James had a slight smile, but he almost seemed confused on what emotion to be having.Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Come back later!" Marissa shouted at the door. The response was a bang on the door. "Hey, I said come back later!" She reached for the doorknob, and as she turned, the door was shoved open, and three men walked in.
"Oh, Marissa, you know I'm not the patient type. The boys and I have a long day ahead of us, so we gotta get it in while we can. In fact, you look like you are just about getting to that age." The first man said with a snake like grin.
"Piss off, John. We are busy, so go bother someone else. Heard Ms. Landry is always looking for a good time." She said with a chuckle.
"Ain't nobody wanting that nasty pig. Not when we have young talent like yourself. Consent and no consent is just the difference between rough, and really rough sex. Which do you like?"
"I believe she made it clear she has no interest in either." said Teddy, with growing anger.
"Woah. Where did the robot come from?" John sneered." Listen, nuts and bolts, I'm just gonna have my fun, and then be on my way." Teddy pointed his hand at John, in the form of a pistol.
"I suggest you leave." he said sternly.
"Alright, alright. We're leaving." John replied as he slowly walked backwards, his eyes never leaving Marissa.She closed the door as they left, and let out a sigh of relief.
"You know gramps, I think I'm going to take you up on your offer. Get me and James out of this hellhole."
"Wait, what? I'm not leaving mom!"
"No, please go, James. I'm dying, it's only a matter of time. Go, find a way to live." His mother said with her quiet voice. A couple of tears flowed down his face. They gathered their belongings, and said goodbye to their mother. As they exited the building, John was waiting for them, as well as his six friends.
"You know, I didn't like how things ended last time we spoke. It just seemed like my choice was removed from me, and I didn't appreciate that too much." He wore and dirty grin as he slowly approached Marissa. Teddy raised his hand toward John, finger gun ready to fire. "Boys, handle thi-" but a hole was blown into John's chest.
"I think we'll be going then." Marissa said casually to the men, James looking utterly bewildered, but following behind Teddy. They began their journey out of New York, with only the supplies they could gather as they left.
As the sun fell, and they set up camp, James approached Teddy.
"So, you are suppose to be our grandpa, right? What confirms that you are the original you, and not just a copy of your memories?"
"Nothing, I suppose. Honestly, the walk to New York was long, and it was difficult to hold onto who I was. It was only this heart locket that reminded me of what I was to do. I often felt like I might not be the original, but in the end, there isn't anything to prove it either way." James looked to be considering all this, and then finally responded," Yeah, I guess there isn't any much to be done for that. Either way, I'm glad you came to get us. It's a chance at an actual life." He smiled, and then slowly laid down, and rolled over.
Their journey continued for months. Many times, they had to hide under a lead blanket while Teddy sucked in the radiation, but Teddy began noticing small changes. Their skin began looking more and more red, and they would sometimes have vomiting episodes. They weren't handling the radiation, and were becoming sick. They weren't going to make it.
They continued walking, and could finally see Silicon Valley in the distance. However, they could also see a large storm heading toward them. They were still too far to make it.
"Gramps...." Marissa said with difficulty. James was barely holding her up. "I-I don't think... we are gonna make it. The storm... it's going to pass... right through." Both of their breathing was labored. They finally fell to the ground.
Teddy dropped to his knees. He felt sorrow swelling up, so much so that he wished he still had the ability to cry, and to scream.
"We will make it through this, and your grandmother will find a way to save you both. Just stay under this blanket, and stay right behind me." The metal around his body began to open into slits, showing a faint yellow light from inside. "I'm going to siphon as much as I can." He put the blanket over them as they got up.
He immediately began suctioning in the radiation in the air, but the storm was violent as it passed over them. He kept pushing forward, but he noticed they had fallen behind. He went back to them, and looked in complete horror, as the gas masks and hazmat suits were melting to their skin. James was clawing at his face as he flailed on the ground. Marissa was reaching into the sky as life began fading from her eyes. Teddy fell to his knees. His grandchildren were dead. He thought long and hard as the storm continued on. He looked up to the sky, and then he closed his eyes.
"Power off."