Manual Deterioration' Complete

Nic clunked the metal keyboard. An echoing creak resonated around the tower. This sound would never get old to him. 

The buzzing of the cameras, panning in and out, captured this vast, now obsolete place. Giant, metal helter skelters, egg-shaped orbs caught mid-spin, chained swings suspended, creaking, high above the trees.

Nic had fought to keep this place alive, but the infrastructure, rusted and derelict, highlighted its demise. It was almost over. A few of the rides and simulations had required 'manual deterioration' but one refused to give up.

Nic was looking for Ruth. She'd been a part of this park as long as he had. His observational skills meant he could tell, from the rustle of a single leaf, if it was a bird, a cockroach or, as it soon became apparent, her.

The lever she stood next to, once viewed from every camera angle, now had blind spots. She'd known this. She knew everything he did.

He smiled. He'd always known she was better than him. The lingering look between them was the last stand-off before she grasped the lever and pulled.

It started with tingling first. An electric pulse moved up his body, paralysing him. The last thing he saw was a small, flashing red light in the corner of his eye. Then a single red line. 

Then black.

***

Ruth clicked the comms from the tower. 

'It's over', she said.

'And the final NPC?'

She ran her finger over the letters on the console in front of Nic. The curve of the letter 'P' had been etched away. 'P' read as 'I'. He'd always wanted to be human.

'Manual deterioration complete', she said.

'You know what to do.'

Ruth touched Nic's rigid, unmoving shoulder gently before lighting the match on her way out.