The Heart's Mirror

By Dana Wellman

Human kind has developed free from any outside perspective, free from any form of criticism that wasn't self criticism.
Now for the first time it has created a mirror to see itself, but hating its own reflection it must shatter that mirror, even at the cost of its very existence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781471611834

Book preview

The Heart’s Mirror

By Dana Wellman.

2022

"The very first cell of your brain that forms is you,

the rest is just self defence."

-Dana Wellman.

Make no mistake, the servos will grab your throat and rip out the tubes without even pausing, and they won’t even watch you die, they won't even break stride.

"The worst part is, unlike being killed by a human, they won't even remember you.

There won't be any thinking back to your dying face, no guilty memories of murdering you, no images coming back to haunt them in their quiet moments.. They kill you and they don't even keep your memory.. They kill that too.  Ok ok that was really something huh kids? The teacher nervously cut off Captain Rennel with a thin vale of forced laughter in a hopeless attempt to lighten the mood, In spite of this Rennel continued. There are no more years left for this war! There won't be a next generation at this rate don't you understand? It is time that these kids–’’  Ok Class I think what Captain Rennel is saying is just that servos can be pretty bad huh? Well some of them.. But we don't have to worry, you are all quite safe here at Ultima Civitas.’’ The teacher turned to Captain Rennel and placed an arm around his shoulder in a hope to usher him from the class room as quickly as possible. I know it’s getting tougher out there Captain I really do and the whole of Ultima Civitas thanks you for your service, but you know that the kids here have been pretty sheltered from all that and we don't want to frighten them with that kind of talk do we? The Captain turned to face the teacher as they walked through the doorway. That kind of talk eh? He leaned into the teacher’s face, aggressively close. You think it would be better to have them playing hopscotch and kiss chasey here in this little bubble of yours while outside the world burns to God damned ashes!?’’ The teacher stared back wordless and stunned, it was obvious in that moment that he feared the Captain. You people make me sick! I don't even know why I was invited to talk here, if it were my choice I would have all these kids line up and begin training right now! Learning to kill is the only thing that might keep them alive.’’ The teacher tried timidly to shrug off the captain’s verbal barrage, he squirmed in his position as Rennel continued. Don't you get it? In a few years these kids will be out there whether it’s their choice or not, killing, fighting, dying and when they do, mark my words they will be the last of us.. Do you know what that means? Huh?.. It means we’re fucked!"

Captain Rennel stared pitifully at the teacher’s clammy face  before turning and marching away down the hall with his driver following.

The teacher knew the servos had never set foot at Ultima Civitas but he also knew that the reason for this was still a mystery. It might be some kind of geological electro-magnetic phenomenon that prevented their tracking and navigation systems from seeing it, or some kind of black spot in their base code that somehow coincided with this city, concealing it from their mapping. Whatever the reason, he knew that the safety of this place was tenuous at best.

The teacher strived to gain composure of himself as he straightened up and caught his breath opening the door to the class room, he put on his usual smile for the kids again as he entered. The children were silent, most of them staring blankly at the front of the class, their little minds no doubt echoing the harsh words of Rennel, that battle hardened man who seemed so out of place here in the white sterile surroundings of the education block. Some of the children had little bloodshot eyes red with the strain of tears, one of them at the front was staring in absolute anger, his little jaw muscles tensed in rage as he burned a hole in the white board with his eyes.

Well it really was something having a brave soldier like Captain Rennel here to tell us some scary stories wasn't it kids?.. I know that your parents would probably have listened to Rennel’s stories too at some point since they are all in the military together, he was quite a character wouldn't you say?’’ The children seemed to ignore their teacher except one child, the angry one who now had his hand raised waiting to ask a question, scanning the room the teacher’s eyes came upon the patient boy. Jesus here we go damage control." He thought.

Yes Antem, you have a question? The boy lowered his hand and gathered his courage to speak. Wh.. why don't we ever learn about the servos in class Sir? Antem asked. What do you mean child? We have already told you everything that you would need to know.  No not everything Sir, not how they turned bad, not how to defend ourselves from them, no–  Ok that’s quite enough Antem you can stop there. The teacher took a sterner more disciplinary tone with the boy. You and all your classmates here at Ultima Civitas are safe and you don't need to think about these kinds of things, just focus on your studies and let the soldiers like Mr. Rennel worry about all that ok? The light from the artificial window bathed the room in a crude simulacrum of a long extinct summers day, the boy looked down at his desk not saying a word.

It had been fifteen years since that day at school when that Captain had come to talk in his class, and Antem sat in the dark musty head of the war bunker. This particular installation one of the last strategic and intel relays for the dwindling human resistance movement.

The servos were gaining new ground every day and they had