The Strike Trilogy by Charlie Wood Page B

anything you need. Just ask me and you’ll get it. Okay?”
    Tobin nodded, uncomfortable. “Uh, sure. Thanks, thanks...”
    With a laugh, Aykrada grabbed Tobin by his cheeks, gave them a squeeze, and then walked away with Orion.
    “He looks just like him, O,” she said. “Just like him.”
    “I know,” Orion replied. “I promise we won’t be here long, Aykrada, just a day or two. Is everything I asked for ready?”
    “Yup. Anytime you need it, Orion.”
    As the two of them walked down a brick path behind the billboard, leading deeper into the woods, Tobin and the others followed.
    “Wow!” Scatterbolt whispered. “Did you guys hear that? Aykrada said Tobin could have anything in the city that he wanted!”
    “I know,” Tobin replied, scratching his head. “What was that all about? It kinda freaked me out, to be honest.”
    “Just ask for her daughter,” Keplar said. “Trust me.”
    The dog winked.
    “What was that?” Aykrada asked from up ahead.
    “Nothing!” Keplar said quickly. “Nothing!”
    As the dog ran up to the others, Tobin and Scatterbolt shared a laugh.
    “So,” the boy asked, “there’s actually people living in this place? I can’t believe anyone would want to live here.”
    “Well,” the robot said, “it wasn’t always like this. And some of them do wanna leave, so Aykrada’s been helping them out until we can find a new place for them to live. But there’s a lot of them, so it’s taking a while.”
    “Oh.”
    Ahead of Tobin and Scatterbolt, as he walked with Aykrada, Orion turned around. He watched as Tobin said something with a grin that made Scatterbolt burst out with a loud laugh.
    The old man turned back to the brick path. For a moment, it felt as if he was once again on an adventure with his best friend.

    After walking down the brick path, Aykrada led the group into the city of Gallymoora. As Tobin scanned the area, his stomach turned, and he nearly forgot to breathe.
    There was a small city in the middle of the forest, but it was a wasteland. The houses were hollowed out and boarded up, and the cobblestone streets were littered with potholes. The giant marble fountains in the center of the city were covered with algae, and the largest fountain—the one from the billboard—was cracked into pieces and bone-dry. Worst of all, Tobin realized, there were people living here, dressed in rags and pale and beaten down. They were regular human beings, but so starved and ill they appeared to be ghosts shuffling through the wreckage.
    “Oh, Aykrada,” Orion said. “I had no idea it had gotten so bad. I am so sorry.”
    Aykrada looked over the city. “Since the flood we have made almost no progress. Every day, more people get sick, and every day more people are lost. It is heartbreaking.”
    Tobin watched as a mother crossed the street with her two sons. One of the boys was about four years old, and the other was an infant, who was being pushed in a wobbly, barely-standing stroller.
    “This is my fault,” Orion said. Tobin spun to the old man, surprised. “I should have never given you that damn thing to watch over. It was my responsibility, not yours.”
    Aykrada shook her head. “I asked you for it. And you know they have been searching for it everywhere, not just here. So never think like that, Orion. Never think like that.”
    She turned to the others.
    “I’m sorry to say that the only building really left standing is City Hall, and the space there is pretty limited, so I’ve set up a camp for you outside in the garden. I hope you understand.”
    “Of course,” Orion said, and the others nodded. “You know, Aykrada, once you get this place back up and running again, I think you could run for mayor.”
    She smiled. “Thank you, O. You’re as good a friend as ever.” They hugged, and then she walked toward City Hall, which wasn’t far from where they were standing. “Have a good night, everyone. I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast, my