Read Online New Reality: Truth by Michael Robertson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael Robertson
Tags: Science-Fiction
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they do in the hospitals, right?"
"Did, Jake. Did."
"Whatever. Stop trying to get out of it and help me." Rolling his eyes, Jake dropped into a hunch and waited for Tom to squat down next to him.
When the tall man finally moved into place, Jake smiled. "See, there's a heart in there somewhere."
"It's not about kindness. I don't help because of self-preservation. Why are we wasting energy on this fat slug? She decided to put the headset on."
"She's still a person."
"She's got all the sustenance she needs, and we're living like rats."
"Then why are you helping?"
Tom looked at the floor. "If Rory's still out there, and if there are other people like us, I hope they're doing the same. I hope someone like you has passed him and taken an interest in his welfare."
Nodding, Jake said, "Karma."
"I believe in science, Jake. I'm not a nutter."
Jake laughed. They'd had the conversation too many times to repeat it.
Positioning himself so he was ready to push, Tom groaned from the effort of crouching down.
"Right--three, two, one, go."
When Jake shoved her, the muscles in his back set alight and his head pulsed as if it was going to explode. With his feet scrabbling for positioning, and his injured legs screaming for him to stop, he looked at the gap between her back and the ground, desperate for any sign that they were making progress. "Come on, Tom. We can do this."
It was obvious that his friend didn't share his optimism.
"Imagine she's Rory."
The comment seemed to enrage the man, who growled as he pushed hard into her.
Seizing the opportunity, Jake put everything he had into it. Slowly, the large woman lifted from the ground a centimeter at a time.
The progress was steady until she neared her tipping point. With his hands sinking into her fat arm, sweat running down his forehead and his vision swimming, Jake fought his shaking muscles and dug deep. If he dropped her now, she was never coming back up again.
When the sharp tang of excrement hit him, Jake looked down at the viscous paste rolling down her back and tried to breathe through his mouth.
Gritting his teeth and shoving harder than before, they got the woman past her balance point and she fell away from them. Knowing what was coming, Jake mirrored Tom in stepping away from her and pushed the sunglasses up his sweaty nose.
When Tom shrieked, Jake looked at her exposed back. Hot saliva gushed down his throat as he stumbled backwards. Unable to look away, he stood limp-jawed and stared at it.
***
Her stomach bucked. What the hell? Turning away did nothing to banish the image that was now burned in her mind's eye. How did she get in that state? It wasn't often that she felt inclined to agree with Tom, but killing her probably would be for the best.
Chapter Eleven
The pressure sore was so big it stretched all the way across her sizable lower back. Dark red and glistening with puss and shit, it wept out across her skin. It ran so deep that Jake peered in to see if he could see bone, but after a few seconds, he had to turn away.
Several deep breaths did nothing to calm the nausea rolling through his guts, instead, it filled his sinuses with the smell of excrement and rotting flesh. Not even the fierce wind could dilute the rancid kick. Turning to face the tower, Jake put all of his attention on trying to settle his stomach.
Tom walked around in front of Jake. "There's nothing we can do for this one. The sore's too bad."
"Is there really nothing?"
With a thick frown, Tom threw his hands up. "What do you want from me? It needs to be cleaned. She needs bedside care. We can't do that."
Looking back at the glistening wound, the grime of the world sticking to it and quickly turning it matt, Jake shook his head. "She's in such a bad way though."
"Exactly! What hope do we have of helping her? We don't even have clean water." Raising his voice, Tom looked at the tower. "They could do something about it. All they'd need to do is get one of their Bots to keep it
"Did, Jake. Did."
"Whatever. Stop trying to get out of it and help me." Rolling his eyes, Jake dropped into a hunch and waited for Tom to squat down next to him.
When the tall man finally moved into place, Jake smiled. "See, there's a heart in there somewhere."
"It's not about kindness. I don't help because of self-preservation. Why are we wasting energy on this fat slug? She decided to put the headset on."
"She's still a person."
"She's got all the sustenance she needs, and we're living like rats."
"Then why are you helping?"
Tom looked at the floor. "If Rory's still out there, and if there are other people like us, I hope they're doing the same. I hope someone like you has passed him and taken an interest in his welfare."
Nodding, Jake said, "Karma."
"I believe in science, Jake. I'm not a nutter."
Jake laughed. They'd had the conversation too many times to repeat it.
Positioning himself so he was ready to push, Tom groaned from the effort of crouching down.
"Right--three, two, one, go."
When Jake shoved her, the muscles in his back set alight and his head pulsed as if it was going to explode. With his feet scrabbling for positioning, and his injured legs screaming for him to stop, he looked at the gap between her back and the ground, desperate for any sign that they were making progress. "Come on, Tom. We can do this."
It was obvious that his friend didn't share his optimism.
"Imagine she's Rory."
The comment seemed to enrage the man, who growled as he pushed hard into her.
Seizing the opportunity, Jake put everything he had into it. Slowly, the large woman lifted from the ground a centimeter at a time.
The progress was steady until she neared her tipping point. With his hands sinking into her fat arm, sweat running down his forehead and his vision swimming, Jake fought his shaking muscles and dug deep. If he dropped her now, she was never coming back up again.
When the sharp tang of excrement hit him, Jake looked down at the viscous paste rolling down her back and tried to breathe through his mouth.
Gritting his teeth and shoving harder than before, they got the woman past her balance point and she fell away from them. Knowing what was coming, Jake mirrored Tom in stepping away from her and pushed the sunglasses up his sweaty nose.
When Tom shrieked, Jake looked at her exposed back. Hot saliva gushed down his throat as he stumbled backwards. Unable to look away, he stood limp-jawed and stared at it.
***
Her stomach bucked. What the hell? Turning away did nothing to banish the image that was now burned in her mind's eye. How did she get in that state? It wasn't often that she felt inclined to agree with Tom, but killing her probably would be for the best.
Chapter Eleven
The pressure sore was so big it stretched all the way across her sizable lower back. Dark red and glistening with puss and shit, it wept out across her skin. It ran so deep that Jake peered in to see if he could see bone, but after a few seconds, he had to turn away.
Several deep breaths did nothing to calm the nausea rolling through his guts, instead, it filled his sinuses with the smell of excrement and rotting flesh. Not even the fierce wind could dilute the rancid kick. Turning to face the tower, Jake put all of his attention on trying to settle his stomach.
Tom walked around in front of Jake. "There's nothing we can do for this one. The sore's too bad."
"Is there really nothing?"
With a thick frown, Tom threw his hands up. "What do you want from me? It needs to be cleaned. She needs bedside care. We can't do that."
Looking back at the glistening wound, the grime of the world sticking to it and quickly turning it matt, Jake shook his head. "She's in such a bad way though."
"Exactly! What hope do we have of helping her? We don't even have clean water." Raising his voice, Tom looked at the tower. "They could do something about it. All they'd need to do is get one of their Bots to keep it
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