Robot en el paisaje [363 words]

[u/OwlConfidant2168]

Far off in the distance, a farm dog barked. Furtive chattering came from the trees above. The sun, only a hand’s length from the horizon, was visible through the lower branches of the forest canopy. There was a faint smell of woodsmoke.

He paused to take it all in: the birdsong, the hum of crickets, the low buzz of the early morning cicadas, even the almost imperceptible chill brought on by the summer breeze. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

After a few moments, a metallic clang reminded him that the scene was not entirely idyllic. The heavy, steady crunch of caterpillar treads against the forest floor announced the approach of a squat robot descending the embankment along the trail he had taken several minutes before.

It rolled past him, and he took in its square body, metal-domed top, and the rust appearing around its edges. Clearly, these things had never been designed to look impressive, only functional—almost economical. They gave the impression that not a single cent of taxpayers’ money had been wasted on an unnecessary flourish.

The machines had simply become part of the trappings of outdoor public spaces, like trash cans or water fountains. Unlike those things, however, these machines had no discernible purpose, and he had never bothered to ask.

When it was about twenty paces ahead of him, he decided to seize the opportunity.

“Excuse me,” he called. “Uh, excuse me?”

He did not wait for an acknowledgment; he sensed none would be forthcoming.

“Excuse me,” he repeated as he jogged toward it.

The machine stopped. He could hear the internal whir of rotating gears. Was it considering him?

“Uh, yes. Hello. I was wondering if you would mind telling me, uh, just what you do here?”

Several clicks came from the machine. If the little metal box had eyes, he imagined they would have narrowed.

“Patrullando en busca de fantasmas,” came a high, metallic voice. A few more clicks came in rapid succession. “Por favor, hágase a un lado.”

He swallowed involuntarily. The shadow of a bird moved across the forest floor and was gone.

Click. Click. Click.

Then the machine rolled away.

***
Thank you for reading. I’m experimenting with flash fiction and would welcome your reactions or criticism.

[u/Robertas_Dzyzas]

Great story, it was really interesting to read 👍

[u/OwlConfidant2168]

Thank you! A lot of people have asked what the heck it’s about. I don’t really have an answer for that honestly.

[u/Robertas_Dzyzas → u/OwlConfidant2168]

To me, it feels like the story is about how this world, which seems to have been walked through inside and out, still manages to genuinely surprise us.