Follow the machine

It is an honor and a privilege to walk in the first line, right behind the machine. The rock walls are steep and tall, and the path before us is perilous, but the machine will ensure our safety and will lead us out of the labyrinth.

My name is Boot and I am the oldest in our group. I am happy to say, my journey has been without misadventure and my legs are hardened after all the years. I am still strong enough to walk for eight hours and quick enough to stay a step ahead of the young ones without losing my breath. I am their leader, you could say. And they look up to me, you could say.

There are many dangers in the valleys, monsters that would like to feed on our flesh and our blood. The machine dispatches of them all. Draws them in with its front lights and lure-shields, and then bashes them with spiked balls, to finally cut them up with blades and sharp strings. The machine passes over their corpses and we collect their meat to eat when we stop. We drink their blood, like they would ours. And we drink the dew that gathers on the machine.

The monsters, before they die, screech and scream, and make all sorts of noises. They are angry and threatening, but then they become afraid and pathetic. We are happy to triumph over their mindless cruelty. We are glad the machine protects us.

We repay the machine. When it stops, we crawl all over it and inside it. We remove shreds of flesh, shards of rock, and the wild plants that grow only on metal. We then check the bolts, tighten the nuts, oil the chains (with monster fat), and we polish the mirrors and the sharp, sharp blades.

We spend the night hugging the machine for its warmth. We dream our dreams about what we will do once we’re free from the rock labyrinth. We will swim in the lake and catch fish. We will walk in the forest. We will till the land. That’s what our ancestors did, hundreds of years ago, before the heat chased them away from their homes. But we know there is shade and water on the other side. We will reclaim what is hours and we will be free.

Posted by: Paweł Kowaluk