The Robot Brains [with w_cat] | страница 27

Christian woke up. Alma was sitting near him and looking at him.

"I know who you are," she said. "You are from the past - a prehistoric man."

Christian began to understand. A time machine... and he was somewhere in the future.

"How far in the future?" he asked.

But Alma was not interested. She climbed out of the hollow trunk of the tree and Christian followed her She walked through the tall grass, then sat down and began eating some leaves.

"It was nineteen hundred and sixty-six when Waldo fastened a crystal on me and brought me here," he said. "What year is this?"

"I don't know," said Alma.

Christian felt very sad. Brains and blond giant women - this is what mankind came to in the end!

"Are there no other people?" he asked.

"There is no one else."

"And on the surface?"

"It is forbidden," said Alma.

"I want to reach the surface," said Christian. "It there a way? Can you show me?"

"It is forbidden," Alma repeated. "It is too cold there, and there are the Watchers and others..."

"What others?"

"Insects"

"And men?"

"No men - only the Watchers."

"I must see for myself," said Christian. "Show me the way, Alma."

She stood up and walked. Christian followed her. They walked a long time. Suddenly Alma said: "The Watchers will help you if you can reach them."

They came to a high metal wall.

"There is a door in this wall," said Alma. "I don't know what is on the other side of the door, but legends say that there is a moving room there that rises to the surface."

Soon they saw the door. There was a button in the wall near the door. Christian pressed the button and the door opened. And just at that moment they heard shouts behind their backs.. There was a flash of a decapitator, and Alma fell dead. Somebody's hands caught Christian from behind. He turned and hit the Brain with all the weight of his body. The Brain slipped on the wet grass and fell, and in falling dropped his decapitator. Christian seized the weapon and, quick as lightning, jumped inside. The door closed behind him.

It was a lift, and it went up as soon as the door closed.

The lift stopped, and the door opened. Christian saw a black sky and the ground on which nothing grew. It was very cold.

He stepped out of the lift cabin.

The sun was huge, an orange-red disc which hung low on the horison. He could see not a house, not a tree: all around him was desert.

Christian looked at the world's end and felt very sad.

Then he turned and walked towards the bloody-red disc of the sun. There was only sand around. An icy-cold wind was blowing. Who were the Watchers? Perhaps only a legend from the long dead past...