The maze of roads to leave

We took turns driving the van over night and day. I am still fighting my headache I had from being the communication conductor relay. Thankfully driving meant I could stay laying in my bed within the coffin of the van, remote access on focusing on the roads we past. This cautions of constant travel was necessary. It was given with how many mindless attack on the way in and out of London central.

We left the broadcast meeting the second that we were no longer required for it. It is no surprise that we have made enemies and allies alike for being the open speaker for the parasite types. We were also not sticking around the Plague Sicko Doctor to be air lifted somewhere not on our planned route.

We haven't opened the reward I gained from the ex-priminister at the silver valuts and our request from human higher ups in dome city was incomplete for any cash in. Any dome city wasn't our priority in terms of what was next.

It was the urgency evacuation for a small petting farm beside up stream of the Thames river further outside London itself. It was just on the edge of the signal geographical fencing for the London dome city and underground vault dwelling. We can't be any faster driving then we are already to go aid the efforts. No one else was bothering this rescue with the open international broadcast still heated on debates. Not many machines can be useful for the effort due to the kill code in the area.

While my brother took the wheel driving, we had drove past a lone group of mindless having a stare at each other, dazed. I sent hoverdrone1 to scan them... to my surprise that couldn't even react to the drone poking them with needles. Bringing back DNA and biopsies samples. The closer to the petting farm we came, the more bunched in gangs were these mindless were in. Not even the corpse of feed rotting at their feet was stirring them in anyway to move.

"Brother... the mindless aren't acting normally here. They seem..." There is traces of second brain hormones in every sample, "They are all flesh puppets." I told him.

"They must have received a order of command from the Outsider we spook day after yesterday." He changed the vans wheel drive to spider climbing, walking over fencing toward the farm in need. Reaching the destination in time to help gather the last stragglers stranded.

The river Thames was over flooding this section of land. This wasn't a problem for flooding before... but at a guess. There must be something wrong with tidal gates at the river mouth. Not many engineers would be willing to be touched water when prone to parasite catching. Water is the highest risks for that.

I helped pack in the folks of this farm whom need a lift to the next available creatures settlement. Mutant pet goats... disturbing intelligent and parasite only control. The goats original brains were ate by the parasites. These lot have no other health problems and been very well pampered by those whom left them behind.

It was quiet a hassle of getting them to stop nipping me as I put them in. It the hooves from flaying about. We had everyone in eventually. My brother follows the road naturally to attempt following where the those whom took the caccoon ones. It was a annoying to have them eventually tell us in the most slowest and annoying way possible.

We were back in wheel drive when crossing over fallen embankment trees for fliod prevention. Teams of machine within the safe side of the kill codes working to sand bank. There a few colonies and vans queuing in plead to find a new place.

"Ooooohur monaaarch return for uuuuhsss when kiiiids safe." One them claimed at the floor of the front. Another was seated beside my brother watching the windscreen, munching on some hay. Bleeps of goat agreement with the six other crammed in. I lay in my closed coffin, sterilizing my grazes they gave me for fighting me. Guessing we have arrived near the next possible settlement. The bleeting of the front goats sung loudest while brother slowed down.

"Stanley!" One the goats keeper stopping us at machines check point and was reunited with the herds of goats, "Finney!"

Door open to release the herd back to the owners. Several mutants half humans whom were humans that owned the goat farm. Their truck filled if caccoon hibernating stages. This check point was several AI on the safe side of the geographical area code fencing. They were peace keeping between the workers on the flood prevention and the displacement of caravan communities that lived alone the flood plain.

These AI folks belonged to the London vault Security team. None of them knew my brother and me personal, just respect us and our standing ranks within machine society.

These farmers were given direct to a dome city that was ghosted for one reason or another. Given the close proximity of the power station that city is located... the radiation must of killed off the surface or had human rioters dismantle the city system to escape the fear of dying slowly. My brother and I didn't agree to follow. We are taking the return back down the M1 junctions to the northern parts of the Midlands.

Back to our previous trade route and stomping grounds for scrap goods to tinker with. The routes we had before considering London at all. Stopping at a caravan park that hasn't traded with us before. It took me no time at all to adapt and settle with trade among the wasteland nomads.

My brother after his recent updates was struggling with any flesh type customers. A lot of them were trying to scam him into stupid deals. The new causal body was generally seen as a mockery. He had better trades with his metal craft uniform body, they say looking not human doesn't feel like a lie when trading with him.

Getting turned about on the motorways out of London is just part of the nightmare. A lot of routes I knew have been completely modified with new signs. My brother is OK with driving, just wants to know in which direction we want to be. Given London's boundaries of security measures is very relaxed then other parts of the country, there is more dead corpses rotting around in faded busted cars. More obstacles to spider stamp over.

It was my turn again to sleep around. This point. Long trips have to must wasted time of thumb twiddling. So when I did go to sleep. I thought to study with the information we gained already so far. The settings for Arguement reality to interact with my dreams. It seems that I been better about retaining new information by this methodology.

"The government choose the best way to protect their highest value assets of thier country was to let the plague be the anti- thieving security measures they needed. Consider that at this moment of time, humans outside of city domes and most internal domes still consider London as a zombie zone." The digital interactive learning tutor embedded within the original real phoenix inhibitors program provides a great source of study aid for me.

My own curiosity of wanting to learn about other races across space had lead down a rabbit hole of more things I wanted to know. This is why when I am in dream mode for studies. This tutor avatar mimics the shape that the mother network uses appear to me and gives lectures. Now that I have turned this on, it can't be reverse until I learn the subject matter correctly. A function I wish that turned off sometimes.

As of this moments like this, I can't help but return back to older times. Looking back in what I wrote in my old diaries or at least what is left of them. My dream world sever is directly influenced by my the nostalgic wondering my mind goes in. With this aid of fading ink pages, I can recall my memories before I was altered into this form.

Not always in prefect details. Sometimes these hated thoughts are simply blurred of what used to be. I get confused or lost of things I used to know. Am I loosing my memory? When did it start?

"It makes sense for back then. Now that improved with the machine kill code boundaries. So all machines whom are Artificial through and through will kill on sight of anything that moves past a point." A digital book lays in front of me at a old cafe table. Across from me was the digital teacher, tilted about my unguarded expression.

"Is there something else wrong?" The learning aid has been on the ball with analyzing when I struggle or stress about anything.

"I guess that although my body isn't human anymore. My brain is. With that this, my age is carried over. I am forgetting things. I didn't really notice it much but the more I forget, the less human I choose to be. I don't know of my brains cells are being replaced or if I will be able to retian who I am." I pulled up all my own data and have a skimmed through my own medical history, "The distortion of memory isn't uncommon for my human age. Dementia and Alzetimers is common."

"There is a treatment for races whom aren't human. It would be a break through study to try it on you." I stare blankly at the avatar for how wrong that felt and rude. I can't blame the program to carry the logic but it still hurt.

"There isn't anything to stop death. The humanity of me has to be erased at somepoint. My future self isn't going to be like those whom have the original Outsider DNA, even when I have been fully charged." The tutor posed confused with this, "Maybe my fear of loosing myself is unfounded with what I became. I will likely still care about saving lives." I leaned back looking at this dream, "Its the memories that will naturally disappear as will my change bring new logical changes."

"The information about the Outsiders is limited, even across the stations and other world cultures. Those been in contact with any form of outsider have gained little understanding of them. It maybe that whom you are will always be. Since there is not cases like you before." Thats a interesting response from what remains of the orginal Phoenix program - revised into this learning tutor.

"Heres a question that you need time to mull over, Phoenix." I sensed I needed to wake up anyway, "Many other races are about energy conversion and living on wavelengths. Does this also mean that Outsiders are such types? That they could be not solar based but anti-matter or some other bioluminescent version." I asked with how that made it completely perplexed, "The races out in space remind me of fish in the deep sea. Body shapes, bone structures and how their sight. A lot of the same with adapting atmospheric pressures." I see the clogs clicking in place, "The way second brains communicate and take orders... Its like how ants know by pheromones. In this case wavelengths of telepathic connection in wavelengths beyond the human spectrums." I tilted with thinking on this struggle of imagination, "Maybe not wavelengths of thoughts. No it has to be something that travels vacuums. Not sound. Like UV but not researched by humans yet and unassuming for the other races."

The avatar nods in focusing on formulating research on the topic. The fade of a world of dreams lost when my real eyes open. I stare blurry at the return of headaches. The knowing that its my turn to drive. The listed emails that consist bleep on the notifications adding in the ongoing migraine.

The on going maze of what they did to the roads is a utter disaster to what mess it was before. I honestly think the younger generations gave up understanding road signs here. Failure to make new ones for themselves. It is a mess of evading mindless in the rust buckets along here. Miles of danger to evade kill code machines or mindless.

It will not change until were out of the radius of London central.

It felt like a month past since the transmission to the surrounding universe. The sky at night is full of space crafts scanning our planets surface. A whole ton of folks among the message boards in dome cities were sending EMA emails to us. Most were utter nonsense of poor translation. Those whom didn't even attempt to use the local language were also annoying us.

We are back on old trade stalls area outside of Hollow Bastian city. Together we stood watching humans pass us by, potential customers that uncomfortable with trading anything with us. Our reputations has settled down around here since our zoo, city stay and London.

Given I didn't wear my hazmat on international broadcast, they didn't recognize me by looks. Not everyone would believe my voice either. They would assume me for a space rich gal that didn't know hardships of dirt trades. This was the same for my brother having new bodies and new voice since his update. These tradesmen either choose to not or wouldn't recognize us.

"We have to stay in a city dome while the tide of visitors come looking for us." He seems aggrieved with the flooded emails. He stands leaning hunched with a bunch of floating notices around him for reminders. A few too many requests for digital ghost meetings. He didn't want the hassle to answer all of them as privately as each requested.

"A lot of these folks have came to seek the reason why we managed contact to Outsiders. A break through in their view of technology. If they had watched the broadcast, they will know it was something to do with me. There is some whom will just take me away to experiment on, like the sicko. There going to be many whom want the communication to the Outsiders lift open for tracking. Many whom felt that they didn't get enough information."

I frowned in understanding how much war was put on truce as a result of this revelations in biological warfare. The realization that the parasites were sentient too, had ideas and chooses too. There is a lot of anger races whom feel torn about the massacres and desolation of worlds that paid to erase the plagues. Some still fighting, ignoring the truce in the name of avenging the loss worlds.

"Well now that machines and humans know about the second brain wavelengths, they will use it for their own version of a new type of relay message conductor. Solving any need for you." He turned down a ton of reminders and declined several ghost meetings. He picks through them with care, not wanting to break fragile alliances with powerful races.

"You know that they will need to sacrifice several parasites in order to achieve my level. Elder parasites hide away in fear of such things." I reminded him, leaning down on the counter waiting for any normal customers. I watched the colony group taking stop at only certain places for certain items. These current walkers weren't from the dust. These folks are city. They wouldn't want our trades for anything, hardly any inventory suited anyone from Hollow Bastian city.

"You want trades for a weapon, ask the dark market. Its the van over on the other side." The hover drones scanning potential customers has snagged this from the tent parked behind us. A cloaked loner. A bounty hunter or a merc with a message.

"Who knew that the dark market would be here? Arent you city folks?" A caravan gang whom lives around Hollow Bastian, likely took over the industrial warehouses near here. The place down of a item, "Which of you is the real owner?"

"We both are. Your weapons you have are poor quality and the bullets you been using aren't the right type for that model. If you tried to shoot them, they will jam and explode then actually shoot." My brother picked them up, "Not worth the scrap value for the prices you want." Placed back to the folks trying to trick us.

"Look I may clean up all pretty in a gold glitter dress but I know what must be done to survive the hoards out there." I pulled a collar of one close to me, "We aren't stupid. Take your tricks and leave." Thrown away now, "If you were looking for something among the radiation, that's what we could work out a deal on." The gang moves away and the lone stranger came forwards.

"You buy and sale anything scrapped." The fella spoke with a speaker. This was either a machine or a translator converter. I do something similar with how my voice still hasn't improved to human society.

"We could potentially fix broken air or space crafts. The difference in technology understanding unfazes us." I posed my arm to block the energy that this fella sprayed, my armour made from the many bits I have tinkered. Parts mostly London and collection from poison. The block startled them.

"Leave my brother alone with your energy. He is a machine, you will simply over charge his wires. You want to talk and trade, you do so as a human does." The lone fella gave it a while before he responded again, likely getting through the translator. I give my warning on a low growl. They show hand palms of surrender.

"I came seeking here for someone. Given how high up the status you both are. We will know what I mean by the Maiden." I hugged in knowing exactly what area it would be in. Since it was in London when we left them.

"The association of creatures alliance, the old capital of England." My brother speaking details, "Past the geographical fencing codes and past the mindless hoards in the South. Following most motorway. You will find London. Travel there isn't easy. It is best to wait for their return back on the air craft they took to go there."

My brother did something of a scan, no. He took a code from them. He took a transaction for that information. The money taken wasn't earth currency, likely space currency or the race of being it is having their own currency. The lone fella was shocked at how much money that just costed for simple information. Seething mad for a while, chilling down with ideas.

"Instead of taking my pay check like that, I will exchange with some items." Putting several bead like bits, a gemstone and a glass stick. The stick was not from this planet, from a world that glass grows like a tree. The beads were seeds too. The gemstone was genuine rock that was authentic to the place the stick and seeds are from. We take no move on this deal. The fella sweats a little adding more rare stones and a crystal flower. My brother settles on that with extra on top for trade difference. I put these items away safely.

I was mesmerized a second with the last two bits, the stick and flower felt so different in my fingers then I assumed them to be stone. Smooth and cold like stone but soft and fragile like any plant does. The arugment reality pulls up data about what they were and the genetic code. I carefully placed them in another box and treated more fragile. The bead seedlings weren't coming up with any information, sterilized maybe.

"It is very dangerous to have living cells from things on other planets be here." I stated, "Those plants may be harmless but the creatures that can become the same DNA are not." I spoke with one the hover drones. The being whom got what they wanted left, arkwradly in how we both watched sharply stare at the slow steps away.

The morning chime marks the closure of city dweller trades and in with the out of city caravan gang groups. It is still one leader, two guards and two luggage handlers. The occasional two on top with more gaurd or luggage carry. Most folks will be our regular customers in this set. Flooding in the questionable types to roam and trade. The peacekeeping was effective in how calm everyone is today. Not many folks in big groups either. A lot of one negotiator, one gaurd and one baggage mule - uncertainty in the market prices due to space products.

"Wow, what you two doing here? Don't you guys have a place in city?" A previous human trader whom buys small amounts of mix medicines and a small emergency med kit. They give foods stuff in exchange instead of money. This exchange wasn't anything different.

"Pardon my sister's silence, she lost her voice a month before entering the city. She has to use a connected speaker to say anything." My brother tells the customer, "We have better chance of achieving our personal goals outside cities then living in one." I nod with his words. I got the items together for this customer and took the jarred goodies they exchanged with this time. They looked at how good the quality of meds, shocked.

"Are you going to be OK handing out supplies like this? This is exactly what travel raiders seek." The looking around in fear of being mugged for it.

"They can fight us trying." I shurg, putting away goods. The humans walked back to their little huddle. This is the market where everyone walks in groups if they want to live. Once it was so quiet outside with the occasional shuffled feet and wheeled cart. I pat his shoulder and step out for a bit.

The low rumble of folks talking around wasn't interesting. I walked on purpose with nosing other stalls and the scraps that people carried. I make it to the edge seeing several car stereos and some home Bluetooth devices. The person holding them was not a trade man. I pondered if they would be wise to ask for sale some of that. I turned away from this thought, going back to my van. I think we removed the speaker system and stereo due to battery consumption.

"Madam Nick, walking around unprotected as always." I flutter my hand at such nonsense, "Can you trade with us here?" I looked about the mix of humans and machines. I study the overall quality and quantity of products. None of this was what they have was my interest.

"It depends on what you want from me. I can signal transfer money or offer some pocket change. Maybe offer to pull that shoulder straight" I had them all scanned by now, "Nothing you have visibly to hand is of my interest." They took out a stone from a pocket. I scanned it. The alloy that the sheo box was made from, not the same quality. A difference enough to know my box might be older, "Space alloy. Its different from typical trades. But for what."

"Your a flesh person, so why would you have the signal of a machine? You have to be the one carrying around the city given core." I laughed humanly at them. They backed off surprised. I chill and look to a machine.

'Honestly you fleshy folks are highly unaware of how many organs can be replace with machine?' I coded at them and the machine all took different stances of understanding my point, 'I can't trade something that is now a part of me. It like asking to strip anyone of you of your personalities. How rude must it be to be asked something that shouldn't be taken.'

"You make a valid point, Lady Nick. We can't access the cores we need though." I nod in understanding.

"When there is a will. There is a way. You should know that this isn't the only dome city... and not all dome cities are locked." I peer to the humans, "To human folks, it be quiet a deadly mission as you are. You would last long enough. You machines could get there... but the boundaries of network could turn you against each other." I sigh turning away, "You will figure it out together. Make some new types of friends to help you."

"You are not a human then. You talk like you weren't one of us."

"Lady Nicks is a broken one. She has lost a lot and been left behind." I peer to a machine making such statement, "We don't have the time to be nice about asking."

The jolt forwards to snatch through me. They are out paced by my instincts, which was to drop on all fours and skid past under their footing. I would have crashed into a stall behind, so I grapple at their back and pushed them face down. This carries new momentum to jump, evading the twisted limbs. Using their back with my foot as a leaping platform and pushing to land on someone else shoulder. This person falls and I rolled with them. To tuck roll onto standing alone on two feet. The speed was to fast for humans to keep up and the machines are to stunned themselves to continue.

"I only ever get kidnapped if I went willingly. Later folks. Clean up your own mess. I told you some helpful stuff but don't worry. I took my worth." I wave, walking off at ease.

"What the hell! She took money by transaction with my bank." One them claimed. They talk on the information that they got from me. I slip around to the side of the van, getting in. My brother mid trade with a customer. I help him pack away and take out inventory. He already editing the records.

"Trouble stirs no matter where we go." He mutters. I nod in agreeing, I sent sight watch on how the mix group has managed to find us. He looked in focus of them. Putting aside the physcal copy of the inventory book. I sit on the front seats of the van, watching with how my brother is going about it.

Stare match. No code passing. A stand off of watching us back. Even when it came to the closing hours, for us to move off the area during night hours. They followed with some distance, and had thier campsite in watch of us. I had to sleep if he wasn't going to be awake tomorrow. He had extra lock over out van about midnight.