Realizing the inevitability of my discovery, I, struggling to squeeze the wrench in my hand, seemed ready for the most terrible and unexpected turns of fate....
Suddenly, a stranger bent over and saw me... I saw him... And all my willingness to hit him vanished.
- Can I help you? - A man asked for a view of a man in his forties.
- No... Thank you... - I answered, knowing how funny it looked from the outside.
But the stranger didn't laugh, though most men on Earth had a good sense of humor, at least that's what they wrote in their books. The stranger didn't even smile. So something was wrong with him. But maybe it wasn't the same in life as in fictional books.
- I will help you after all. - A stranger said and reached out.
So, with his help, I crawled out of my mini-home.
Now I could see the intruder completely. He was wearing a business suit, but like his shoes, he was covered in dust.
- Does Svetlana Ivanova live here? - The man asked.
- She died. - I answered.
- I'm sorry... We can arrange a funeral. - A man suggested it.
- She was already cremated.
- But right now you can bury her at a very good price!
- No, thank you. - I answered.
The man stopped talking for a second. His face expressed deep frustration.
- Well, who are you?
- Her daughter.
The second the man's face changed, and a smile shone on him.
- Beautiful! Oh, sorry, I forgot! My name is Arthur Sovietsov, I represent the Free World Bank.
- And what do you want? - I asked.
- Your mother, Svetlana Ivanova had a great debt to our bank. And since you are her direct heir, now her debt passes to you.
- I'm sorry, but I have nothing.
- You will earn in time. In fact, you can take a new loan.
- How can you do that?
- Yes, but the interest on the new loan will be much higher.
- And how much?
- I think that fifty percent per month will be the best offer for you.
- I think it's a hell of a lot. - I was outraged.
- No, it's a profitable deal for you, and then, today, the stock is minus ten percent.
- Okay, I get it. Is there a need for money now?
The man's face turned pale.
- I do not understand your question.
- Why do I need money now? - I asked. - Didn't you see what happened?
- I don't know what you're talking about. But you have to take a new loan, otherwise I will have to take you to prison.
- Well, since I'm in an impossible situation, I'll have to take a loan from you.
After signing the contract, I went to the surface. There I found a passenger car, from which, apparently, this clerk appeared.
- Can I borrow this car? - I was wondering.
- Of course! Wait a minute, I'll go get the papers.
When I went down the stairs, the man stumbled and fell down.
I ran to the hatch and asked if he was okay.
- A loan, a loan, fifty percent... Today is a promotion. Credit...
The man was lying on the floor with his head curled up and a lot of wires sticking out.
"Damn it! It's a robot! - I was surprised.
I never knew anything about robots, and I didn't need a new loan. So I just jumped in the car, turned on the ignition, and rushed towards the ruined city.
Once I got there, I decided to walk. Close up, the city looked even worse than it did from afar: cars were scattered everywhere, the wind was blowing strong, shaking down poles and lifting dust and debris into the air. It was frightening to imagine people dying in the streets, in their apartments during the disaster...
After wandering through the ruins, I came across a central library building. I immediately decided that this was the right place to look for answers to my questions.
Once inside, I headed towards the historic shelves. There I found a book about modern history. When I opened the last section, I started reading...
It turns out that it all started when the government of our country decided to replace people with robots in one of the production areas. The latter have shown themselves well in their work - better than people. The first riots have swept across the country. And then the government decided to replace people almost everywhere...
Then the printed text came to an end, and the next one was handwritten: "Until the government itself replaced itself with robots. And then there was a failure. The robots were going crazy. People were going mad. And the end of the world came... - it was the end of the text.
Suddenly, there was a voice from somewhere.
- If someone is alive, turn on the computer and find a video on the server.
By connecting all the wires and inserting the battery into the power unit, I was able to turn the computer on and watch the video...
***
I took my stuff and got in the car and drove home...
As I returned, I watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon, blinding my path.
When I got to the shelter, I stopped the engine and got out of the car. Realizing that I would never see the sun or the rays of the sun or the city that had been destroyed in the distance again, I struggled to capture those moments in my memory for the rest of my life.
When I got underground, I took the instructions for repairing the robots and got down to business. An hour later, everything was ready. Now, thanks to the new chip, Arthur Sovetov will be helping me around the house, not with bank loans. How easy it is to fix the robot," I thought. - To replace his program... If the same could be done to a person.
I dreamed of finding a new world on the surface. But I found nothing there. First, people fought with robots, then, in the struggle for power, they chewed each other's throats out. I was the last hope of mankind: I was left with maps, weapons and instructions on how to restore this world. But one thing they did not take into account...
Now that I have all the answers, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted to live my life in peace and die in my refuge, just like my mother. I didn't want to risk my life for anything unknown. And who am I to save the world? There were people upstairs who were smarter and more experienced than me, and they failed. Having interrupted each other, they decided to hope for a girl of twenty-five years, who had lived underground for the rest of her life.
Yes... Robots wouldn't have done that for sure...