HOME BUT NOT HOME

Chapter 3 - The Settlement

Chapter 3 – The Settlement

The empty desert
Arlington County, VA
Wednesday, April 29, 2076
09:47 EST GMT-5

It was quite a ride, getting to the destination. We finally arrived at the settlement. We looked and saw the sign. It read, 'Welcome to Vertigo Town!'. Hmm... not a very catchy name for a settlement, but it is what it is. Our ride came to a stop here, and we got out to check it out. It was then an electronic voice came out from an overhead speaker.

"Halt! Identify yourself, immediately! Human? Mutant? Robot?" said the voice.

"Human, it's the three of us." I said. "I'm Cpt. Austin Moore, United States Space Force, call-signed 'Ace'. With me are Lt. Col. John Bragg, call-signed 'Ranger' and Ssg. Julia Walker, call-signed 'Aurora'."

"More like technical sergeant, for the Space Force, Ace." Aurora said.

"You get the idea; they also are E-6." I told her with assurance.

"Of course." She spoke.

"Alright, the doors are opening." Ranger said.

The force field came down, and the doors slid open. Looking inside, it looked like a village. Well, it looked decent and modern, but more like a joint for drunks, gamblers, bikers, and mercenaries, like those in the 1950s, or steampunk sci-fi movies, TV shows, novels, and video games. On average, I think it'd be a good spot to lay low for a while. As we made our way inside, we looked around and saw that it looked like a city made from scraps, and old computer and car parts. The walls especially clearly looked like material you'd find at a junkyard. It was then I.V.A.N.A spoke up.

"Keep going and look for Jack Wheeler. He can give you more information." I.V.A.N.A. said.

"Like hell, he will." Ranger scoffed.

"Calm down, boss!" I said to my commanding officer. "She could be telling the truth."

"We've no choice." Aurora said in agreement. "Let's find out more."

So, we went forward. And saw quite a lot of people around. Some gambling outside a bar, some standing outside a casino, some in line at a vehicle repair center, and some outside the town's mayor's office. We also found the local sheriff outside his office.

"Excuse me, sir?" I asked the sheriff.

"Got any business around here?" asked the sheriff, giving a stern look.

"We're looking for Jack Wheeler. I'm not sure if the name rings a bell." Aurora told him.

"I know him. He's this town's mayor. He should be in his office. Right there!" said the sheriff, pointing to the mayor's office. "By the way, my name is Derrick Ross. I am the local law enforcement officer in these parts. When you get a chance, stop by my office. I may have some work for you."

"Okay, then!" I told Ross. "Thank you for that!"

With that, we walked to the mayor's office and then rang the bell.

"Mayor Wheeler's office." An electronic female voice said. "What is your business here?"

"We're seeking to talk to the mayor." I said with honesty. "Sheriff Ross sent us here."

"Hold a second." The female voice said. "Come on in."

The door opened, and inside, we saw a robot sitting at the reception desk. It was typing and inputting data onto a holographic touchscreen computer. Then the robot turned to look at us.

"I've let him know you're here. I am his secretary, so please wait on the bench there." The robot told us with its female voice.

"You are the secretary?" I asked the robot. "I mean no surprises there. It is indeed 2076."

"Yes, sir!" exclaimed the robot. "The American economy got worse in the last fifty years due to rising tax rates, wages, inflation and costs of living. Even human labor got expensive. They don't pay us at all, and we never take a day off, so they hired us."

"Fair enough." I sighed. "Do you have any charging pads here for our phones? They're losing battery."

"Talk to the mayor first, he may have some work for you!" said the robot. "If anything, you may need to get a new holophone, to match today's 11G mobile networks."

"Of course." I sighed again.

We then took a seat on the bench. No telling where this was taking us, but it was our only choice. We sat waiting patiently. Then the robot signaled us to go inside.