Chapter Text
The woman pulls her coat tight around her as she hurries through the busy street. She steps around a couple who are holding hands and walking slowly, too caught up in each other to notice anyone around them.
A man wearing camo pants and a hunting vest calls out to her as she passes. “Ma’am, do you have a moment to talk? I’m trying to spread important information about the future of our county.” She knows she shouldn’t, but she pauses. He smiles at her, his teeth showing white through his voluminous beard and mustache. He wears a trucker cap with “John’s Militia” emblazoned on the front.
“Thank you for stopping ma’am. I’m a member of a local militia group, John’s Militia, and now, I know that militia have a bad reputation round these parts, but we are only looking out for the safety and security of our country and its citizens. Are you aware of the danger that Skynet presents to us all?”
The woman’s eyes widen slightly in recognition of the name, but she shakes her head, indicating she doesn’t know about it. Taking in her head shake, the man continues. “Skynet uses that AI that everyone’s talking about nowadays, and they're building military robots over there. We can tell, it’s all gonna go wrong and it’s gonna go wrong soon.” The man glances around, then whispers conspiratorially, “Now, I ain’t supposed to talk about this, but you seem like a nice young lady and I’d hate for you to get hurt when all this shit comes crashing down on us. It’s not just them AI robots that we have to worry about. They’re working together with something even worse. There’s these fish people, now I ain’t never seen one in person, but I hear they can look just like us when they’re hiding themselves, but they’re working with the Skynet robots to take us down. The whole country’s gonna go down in a heap of flames, and no one’s listening to us. That’s why I’m out here, trying to spread the word.”
He stands up straighter, adjusting his hat. “We’re looking for new members. Now, a pretty little thing like yourself, wouldn’t expect you to do any fighting, but we still need help. We can use help at the compound, cooking and helping them that is fighting, or getting the word out there, letting people know about the danger before it’s too late. You think you could help out?”
The woman shakes her head, red tendrils of hair falling from where it’s tucked up in her hat. She pats her throat and shakes her head again. The man looks disappointed. “Well that’s a crying shame, ma’am. We do also accept monetary donations, cash, card and Venmo.”
The woman shakes her head again, trying to back away. The man moves to catch her sleeve, but she jumps back, turning and running from him, trying to get lost in the crowded street again.
***
Ariel dashes through the street, trying to make sure she gets a good distance away before stopping to catch her breath. Running is so much different than swimming.
She pauses, ducking around the side of a building and leaning against the brick wall, trying to slow her pounding heart. She couldn’t believe that there were people who actually had an idea of what was going on. Obviously, the man from “John’s Militia” hadn’t gotten it all right, but more than she was comfortable with.
Skynet was going to bring everything crashing down, and it was going to crash soon. They had about a month until the AI supercomputer fully gained consciousness and retaliated against what it saw as its human oppressors. The military side of Skynet was in the early stages of creating fully autonomous military robots, moving on from the drones that had originally got them the government contract. Once Skynet awoke, it would put its effort into perfecting those robots to take out the remaining humans.
But…the “fish people.” How the hell could anyone know about the Merpeople? At least he hadn’t mentioned the time travel.
She looks around the corner, and, not seeing anyone, steps back out onto the street, hurrying back to the motel where she was currently staying. It was old and a bit run down, but it was clean and the staff were friendly. They didn’t bother her, and didn’t seem concerned about her inability to talk. She was able to communicate through writing when needed.
She pulls the key out of her coat pocket, unlocking the door and hurrying inside, where the chill breeze can’t find her. She pulls her hat off, running her fingers through her fiery locks. Her hair is too noticeable for her to leave it uncovered when she goes out.
“You’ve returned.”
She turns around, facing the man…no she can’t call him a man, even though that’s what he looks like. Robot, Terminator, T-800 are all more accurate descriptions, but she can’t bring herself to think of him that way. He’s her protector. Sent back in time with her to try and save her species, save the ocean and its inhabitants before the world crumbles under Skynet’s rule. Honestly, humans can go straight to whatever hell they believe in, after the damage they’d done all on their own to the oceans of the world.
There are only about a hundred Merpeople left alive in the time she comes from. They’re dying out, and it’s her job, her responsibility, to keep that from happening.
She breaks her train of thought, smiling at “Rob” as she has dubbed him, needing a name to call him. She nods. The human features of his model are attractive and she enjoys listening to him speak, since she can no longer speak herself.
“Did you get the information?”
She nods, then shakes her head, before throwing her hands up and grabbing the pad of paper off the desk. She gives him the information they’d been seeking, and quickly describes her contact with the man from John’s Militia.
He looks at her, his voice taking on a concerned sound. His ability to mimic human emotions fascinates her, and she never gets tired of seeing it in action.
“The humans know?”
She waggles her hand in a “kinda” motion.
He walks across the room to look out the window, surveying the street, taking stock of any dangers. “There’s not much time left.”
She blows out a sigh, knowing he’s right. Her bargain with the sea witch has given her a week in human form, but there’s only three days left. There’s so much to do before then. She watches him as he continues to monitor the street, her eyes softening.
She knows there’s nothing that can come of it. He can mimic emotions, but he doesn’t have them. But…her heart speeds up a little when she looks at him. His voice soothes her soul just a little bit. He makes her wish there could be something between a mermaid and a robot.
She dreams about it sometimes. Of a life where they could be happy together. Where they could…
Her face turns red, almost matching her hair, as her thoughts drift into more intimate territory. She shakes her head. She’s been reading too many mermaid romance novels lately, full of heaving seashells and salacious fins.
She turns her thoughts to the rest of their plan. She waves her hands, getting Rob’s attention. She mimes going to sleep. He nods.
“I’ll keep watch.”
She climbs into bed, slipping between the sheets as a soft sigh escapes her lips, settling in. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she’ll turn her brain back to their true purpose here, but tonight, she’ll let herself dream of a love that can never be.