The rain hasn't stopped since the machines took over. It comes in waves. One day it'll be softer rainfall and others it'll be torrential downpours. But no matter the weather, nor the state of the world, I hope for better. Surely things couldn’t get any lower? The world is in ruins, united under an A.I. known as Primus All large cities were destroyed when world governments tried to revolt. Money isn't a thing any more, and we are fed through tubes in the labour areas. These machines have no concept of taste so they feed us algae - healthy, but tastes like ass. Most of us don't care as long as we are allowed to live and love, but others have fallen from this new society. A cult of sorts, rebels, devoted to returning to the ways before the machines took over.With no livestock remaining, however, they have turned to cannibalism. Even now, sitting in my apartment, I can smell the foul stench of blood and cooking flesh from the street below, then there are the faint cheers echoing through the dimly lit concrete passage, chased closely by the unmistakable scent of urine


Even if I wanted to, I couldn't escape here. The machines have us contained in boxes of flats, each one allocated to a family, each one supplied with algae when needed. We are expected to follow their programme; work for 12 hours and then return home to rest. The main streets are patrolled by drones, leaving the back alleyways to be controlled by the cultists. Either one is deadly. Shot or eaten. Not a fate I'd like to choose. So I stick to my routine and do as I'm told, to protect myself and my family.



All of a sudden, there is a thump. A loud, banging thud from across the hallway. I jump up from my incredibly uncomfortable sofa to investigate. As I get to the door and reach forwards, my fingers tap the display screen to reveal the view of the corridor outside;


Cultists.


The door of my neighbours apartment had been kicked in, and a group of 5 had entered, makeshift blades carved out of scrap metal held in their hands. Immediately I slam my hand onto the lock of my apartment, deadbolting it just to be safe as I continued to watch. What were they doing? Then it became clear as day to me.


Before me on the screen I witnessed something horrific. Blades ripping into flesh, peeling back the scalp of a young brown haired woman, exposing the skeleton below. I couldn't see her face but I assumed that was Tiffany, the mother of my sons best friend. Her screams echoed in the hall, and I was shocked, frozen, with no idea what to do as I watched them skin her alive. As they did this they packed the flesh I to some form of cooler, saving it for later as they began to remove musculature and organs from her, packing them into the cooler.


It was devastating to watch, thankfully my son was tucked Up in bed with his headphones on. I had to do something, but police were no longer a thing. Perhaps…. Yes! I could do something. As I looked at the tablet I pulled down the screen, exposing the “emergency call” button that was hidden behind. My husband had it installed a year ago just I case, and I was thankful for that now.


With no hesitation I slammed my hand onto the button, the doors locks clicking multiple times to reinforce the door as it called the machines. I could see on the screen now dangling from the wall the looks of the cultists faces as they heard the terrifying scrape of metal feet upon the ground, and that's when I saw it. The Enforcement bot, a human-like machine covered in armoured plating. One arm was missing a hand, and in its place was a tazer, in the other was a Cattle prod.


“Under section 4 of the Labour act, Circa 2402, Damage to property of Primus is punishable by death”


As I heard that, I felt chills run down my spine. It was going to massacre them. No longer frozen I decided to turn off the screen, walking back to the Couch to try and read my book, but that didn't cover the pained wails of the people outside as they found themselves mutilated by a machine.


I had seen the aftermath Of a machines punishment before. Open fractures, bones ripped from sockets, skulls broken open and leaking grey matter, organs hanging from gashes in the abdomen and even appendages forced down throats to make then suffocate. It appeared as if the AI controlling the machines made them want to suffer before death. An effective deterrent I'm sure.


It's because of these sights around towns that we remain in line. Oh and you must think I mean just On street corners? No. Offenders corpses are hung from streetlamps, tied there via their own intestines to serve as an example to potential offerders. These corpses are never removed, they just eventually decay and fall, creating a pile underneath the lamppost before the bones are taken by stray dogs that seem to act as a clean up crew for the machines.


It's a natural sight now, children are exposed to this world early by order of Primus, no matter what we think we must obey or face becoming an example, dead or alive. But it's a brutal world out there, and this is what the whole world is like now, I just hold out hope that one day there will be a glitch, a bug in the system that will release us from this slavery, but then again, i also don't. With us being under machine control for so many centuries, could we function alone? Above all else, one though was there at the forefront of my mind.


Are we worth saving?


A question that remains unanswered