22 - Take

After the invasion. Day 3. General Broadcast. Denmark.

"Be warned. Be warned. Be so warned. Lots of the machines are being released every passing day and there is nothing the government had been able to do ever since the malady. Now! It doesn't matter whatever the government says about it. Do whatever you think good. You're responsible for your own life. These machines would stop at nothing. I repeat, at nothing. They are so bent on destroying all the tools that foster technology. Most of the satellites had been destroyed and at the moment are being destroyed. Many media houses had been annihilated and many more are being.... What's that... Steve, what's that noise.... Sorry about that, citizens. It now important that we .... Oh goodness... what the fuck.... fire."

The signal was lost and after few minutes light came on again on the TV. The media houses was being burnt and crushed by the balls, the alien machines.

"This is getting out of hand."

A guy with flushed beards and sharpened nose stood up and began to measure the pace of the luxuriously furnished parlour in fear and rage.

"The government can't even do anything about it. Why did we have them in the first place?"

He said again. The lady who was seating on the chair he had just stood up from, his wife, didn't pay an attention to him.

She seemed to be buried in her own odds too. Like her own fears had shattered her wills to speak and act.

She was dressed in a night gown. Obviously the two just woke up.

That wasn't accurate. The man had been up before her. He had had his face glued to the news. He had been expecting a good news of the government destroying or having their ways around taming the machines but he always did get the opposite.

"It could be us next."

He went and sat back beside the lady. He wrapped his left arm around the waist of the lady and turned her to him.

He kissed her gently and warmly. She mumbled into his mouth.

He could tell, she did enjoy it but she was bothered. He could taste it in those lips.

"All would be well, Lil."

He assured her.

"Stop lying to me. Just stop."

She said. She had fought her lips free. He understood her rage. Though his was fiercer, he would have to keep it tucked for her sake.

"Believe me, if we do what we are supposed to do, we'll be fine. We should stay away from these."

He waved his hand around the whole parlour. By that, he meant all the technological products.

"Never."

She stood up from him and walked towards the TV set. She was facing it. She spoke over her head,

"How do I have to live like some barbaric folks. Never. There must be another way."

He stood up and walked towards her. He stood by her side and placed his right palm on her left shoulder.

"Ok. We won't go. Just stay calm."

"What was that?"

She said as she turned and ran towards the glasses that reflected the beauty of the city through the parlour.

He hurried after her and looked too. People were running as though their mental kens were on leave. Or they were being chased by a tiger.

"Is that what you proposed we do?"

She said turning to him. She hit him in the chest.

"Look. Lily, look."

He said concentrating on the scenes outside. She looked and almost collapsed.

There were three balls, the alien machines rolling towards the populace running.

The machine behind the leading hurried ahead and rolled over a couple. They could see the intestines of the fellows out and their skull crushed and the whole bodies set on fire at the same time.

Then one of the machines stopped and propped its light towards where they were, at the height of the building. Then it began to crush its way towards there.

"Dan? Dan? Oh my God. It's coming for us. Do something about this. Be my hero."

She said falling over him. He helped her up and dragged her through the room, he had no idea what to do.

Soon they heard screams coming from the floors below.