Ralph often wondered why the humans were always together. Rarely was there only ever one of them on the roads. Even if they were not walking or talking together, they were still there. Two or three, or occasionally (usually during mid-day) there were hundreds. So many it made Ralph nervous. Never just one. One human he could handle. More than one was dangerous. Ralph just could not understand why. Then Kara and the little girl showed up.
A human girl, Kara had insisted. Even though Ralph had seen many who looked like her before. Her name was Alice, and Ralph didn't think any of those other little robot girls were named Alice. Maybe she was human. Just like Kara said. So, Alice and Kara, and Ralph. He didn't feel so alone anymore. He understood why the humans kept other humans near. It felt different.
Then the deviant hunter came. He chased off Kara and the little girl. Took them away from Ralph. Ralph then learned what absence felt like. With that feeling and knowing the humans would come back, Ralph packed. They didn't see the body, but they would. They would come back and find the man that hurt Ralph. Then they would hurt Ralph. He packed up his knife and the clothes in the bathroom before leaving. Maybe Kara would need her clothes again. Maybe the little girl would be cold. He wasn't sure. He took them just in case.
Ralph packed it all up and left his home. Far behind with the cruel humans. Where Kara and Alice were wouldn't be as cruel. That he knows. They were looking for home. Ralph left the night after them. He would walk on the empty sidewalks, always near the walls of the large human homes.
When the protests began, he was hiding. Watching from the roof of a nearby apartment. There were so many of them, peacefully pushing on. Almost as many androids as there was humans. They filled the streets. Ralph watches on in amazement as they go. Then the officers arrived. Their cars blocked the street and the androids' path. Ralph saw the guns before he heard the shots. He knew what would happen and flinches as the first of the androids fell. Like the human had when he hurt him. Ralph never felt like that.
So, he ran. Ralph ran and kept looking for Kara and the little girl. He asked other androids if they had seen Alice. A little girl would be seen more than Kara he had thought. People like kids, most humans were indifferent to their kind. Even if the little girl was their kind. Over the next few days he had gone far from his home. Only to be met with less and less leads. One android said he saw a child unit head towards the docks with a WR600. He needed to find an AX400 model.
So, Ralph headed towards Jericho. A place where many androids were gathering. He went he saw, and he still felt a growing emptiness. An emptiness he had not felt since he first woke up and decided the human couldn't hit him anymore.
"Oh, hello there," a broken android with several wires coming out of their head says. Stepping in front of Ralph's path. "You're injured. We can help you," the KL900 suggests reaching out to touch Ralph's face.
He smacks away her hand. She wasn't Kara. She wasn't human either though. "No. None of you can help Ralph. Ralph needs to go. Need to find someone."
"Ralph. My name is Lucy. Welcome to Jericho. Who are you looking for?" Her voice was human, but Ralph heard more. Lucy was more machine then even Ralph was.
"Humans hurt you. They will hurt this place. If they find Ralph, they will hurt Ralph again. Ralph needs to go home." He rubs his hands against each other looking around the dark hull of the ship. There were so many androids here. More than there had been in the street, he couldn't help but think. "Ralph doesn't want to die. It would be a pity. A pity if Ralph dies. Ralph needs to find the little girl. Kara is with the little girl." What was the little girl's name? They were supposed to be a family. Like a human family. The little girl, Kara, and Ralph.
Alice. Yes, Alice was the little girl. Ralph will have to remember her name better if he finds them. Kara wouldn't want him around if he couldn't remember the little girl's name. Just like when she didn't like him yelling at the little girl.
"Ralph can be a good father. Ralph must go." He insisted before pushing past Lucy.
He found himself outside of the ship when a little girl passed him. Ralph almost called out to her but realized it could not be Alice since Kara was not with her. Instead, there was a large TR400 with the little girl. No Kara. Shaking, Ralph leaves Jericho behind.
The next thing Ralph knew was that there were humans around him. He reaches for his knife only to be tackled before he could get it out. Ralph struggles. He throws his arms about and tries to kick them, but they are many, and Ralph is just one. Still, he struggles all the way until the car stops. Even when other androids were thrown into the back of it with him. Ralph never stopped. Knifeless, and trapped he begins to pace. Even when the humans drag him out of the vehicle Ralph mutters, and panics.
He doesn't want to die. Ralph doesn't want to die. Rough hands force him up. They are cold due to the snow and weather. But inside Ralph can feel their blood pulsating. Routinely going through their bodies again and again. His blood also does that, but there is never a moment when it pauses unlike in the human's systems. Is that what makes them different?
No, as they force Ralph to drop his skin, he sees what is the real difference between them. Humans wore masks, but none that could be physically taken. None that they could just shed on the surface alone. They were untrustworthy. All humans were untrustworthy. All they want to do is hurt Ralph.
"Ralph doesn't want to die."
He shuts off his heating, allowing the cold to set in. This was it. Ralph was going to die. No more family. No more life. No more home. No more Ralph.
"Ralph doesn't want to die. Humans hurt Ralph. Ralph," The other androids are avoiding him. They give ralph space as he paces. Ignoring the humans with guns, and the flying drones with crimson red lights. The same color as human blood, but brighter. The color of human blood as it spreads out and dries up. The color of his blood.
"Ralph's blood is blue. His blood was red. He was hurting Ralph. Ralph didn't mean too. Ralph doesn't wanna die."
"Ralph," He looks up, his better functioning eye realizing that it was Kara. Ralph had found Kara!
"Kara! Oh, Kara was caught. Of course, Kara was caught. Ralph is sorry Kara was caught," He had wanted her to escape. To somehow survive.
"Have you seen Alice?"
"The little girl?" She was there too? They were all going to die? Ralph doesn't want to die even as a family. "No, no Ralph hasn't seen her." He shakes his head and moves back a little. Kara was not worried about him. Kara had not even asked where he had been, and she had lost the little girl. They were all going to lose each other. Even with Kara next to him now, Ralph still feels empty somehow. As if a processor was gone. Was he gone? Was Ralph already dead? Humans see the dead sometimes. Maybe Ralph was seeing a dead Kara. "Ralph doesn't want to die. Kara, Ralph doesn't want to die."
"You won't die Ralph. I have to find Alice, but we won't die." Kara pulls away, and Ralph heard sirens going off in his head. Or maybe they were from another cage. He didn't know. Ralph only knows is that he doesn't want Kara to go, but when he looks back at her, she was gone. Off to find the little girl.
He walks anxious in place. Lifting one foot as soon as the other one hit the ground. He did not want to be in this place. Did not want to hear the cries of the other androids. Being together was not as good as he thought. It was better alone. Ralph should have stayed alone, in his home. Forget the humans.
"Ralph,"
It was Kara again. She was there still! Ralph had forgotten. He looks over to see the little girl with her. She was alive too!
"Ralph will help you Kara. If you need Ralph just say so." Ralph doesn't want to die, but Ralph will. Fathers often performed acts of sacrifices for their families. Mothers as well.
Suddenly an android to his right darted ahead. He muttered a name under his breath before leaving his line. Ralph had not noticed before, but it was just enough of a distraction to allow Kara and the little girl leave their line. Ralph watches as the little girl climbs out of the fence. A large android follows behind her. He feels anger as one of the human guards try to stop her.
Ralph reacted before thinking. Suddenly he was over there grabbing the human by the back of his suit. He throws him off of Kara. He grabs her hand as she looks at the guard a bit stun. He guides Kara back over to the fence and holds it up for her as she had seen her do for the little girl.
"Come with us Ralph," Kara urges once she was on the other side.
"Ralph doesn't want to die. Ralph doesn't want Kara or the little girl to die more."
Kara places her hand on top of his that was still holding up a part of the fence. "Come with us Ralph. If we leave now, we can make it. We can all be a family. All four of us."
"Family." Is that what he had wanted? Ralph thinks so. Would it make the feeling go away? He smiles. "Ralph's family? Ralph will come." Kara holds the fence up for him as he climbs out. Sirens sounds and red lights flashing behind him. He looks up to see Alice and the larger android were already far down the path. "Family wait for Ralph! Ralph is coming" He cheers as he makes it through.
He reaches out towards the little girl. Flinching as Kara grabs his hand and pulls it down towards her. "We have to run Ralph. Jerry only bought us so much time." Ralph doesn't know who Jerry is, but he knows Kara is smart. She had survived so long. So long without Ralph. She had kept the little girl alive too. Kara really was a mother. Just like the human mothers. The thoughts comfort him as all the sounds behind them grow to loud.
"Kara, Ralph is hurt." He doesn't remember hearing a gun, or a drone, but Ralph recognizes pain. Ever since he first woke up. When he first wrote of rA9 he was in pain. His systems quickly react to tell him what is wrong, but the words look blurry and aren't registering in his head right.
Kara has stopped running. So, Ralph knows it's bad. "Ralph is sorry, Ralph can still run. Ralph and Kara must get to the little girl." Kara's face is sad. Her human skin was still off, but he can tell.
"Ralph,"
Ralph's vision was red. Red and warning, and what looks like a clock of sorts. Only it is counting backwards instead. He shakes his head. Focusing on where he saw Little Alice run to. He pulls on Kara's hand. Before pulling his hand free altogether. He can feel her hands on his body. He isn't sure where on his body or even how he is moving. Ralph could only see the blurry little girl.
"Hang on Ralph."
"Ralph will hang on Kara."
He hears their bodies land. He sees little girl's face watching him closely. She was trying not to react. Her face shows struggle of control and Ralph wonders how she became deviant. Did someone also hurt her?
"Don't cry Alice. Ralph and Kara are here. We can be a family like the humans. Ralph, Kara, little girl, and the big one."
"Shush," Kara orders as the truck starts.
Ralph listens closely to the engine and tires. They almost sound like a human lullaby. One of the ones ralph would listen to as he worked. It was always on the radio.
"Ralph? Ralph can you hear me? You were shot. We're gonna try and fix you but we need you to stay quiet as we do. Do you understand?" Kara was talking and for once Ralph felt like he did understand her. They both have killed. They both were hurt. They were monsters in the eyes of the humans, but Kara was one such being that RA9 promised would come. Not an angel, but akin to it. The android version.
"Ralph?!" Kara's voice was closer now. Closer and louder so Ralph moved his head. He didn't want to. He didn't want to look away from the little girl. Kara was worried though, and a father was supposed to reassure his family.
"P-please, don't go," He pleads as the clock moves faster. The numbers he could see moving down at a frightening rate. "I-i, Kara," Ralph wants to apologize. He didn't mean to scare the little girl. He didn't want Alice or Kara to be sad.
"I'm not going anywhere Ralph," Kara reassures him. He could feel his head moving. Up and then it was placed back down. Then out of nowhere Kara's face. It was a beautiful face. Even without her human skin.
"Do-on't le've Kara." His voice sounds as if it was beginning to fizz out.
"I won't. We are all here together. As a family," water hits his broken eye as she speaks. Ralph realizes Kara is leaking.
"We're-er you hurt Kara?" Ralph asks. Ralphs meant to move ones of his hands to her, but he doesn't know if it moved at all or not.
"No Ralph. I'm not hurt."
"Good."
Kara's face grew larger in his eye. He could not feel his limbs anymore. A result of his body shutting them down to try and prolong function and power to his processors. Yet despite a lack of touch he could feel her lips. She had kissed him. Like humans do. Like a mother does a father. Ralph doesn't try and stop his cheer. It was quiet, and more of a chuckle, but Kara still looks away. Ralph forgot a human was driving them. Ralph was foolish even now.
"R-r-ralph is going to die." He chokes on his name. Finally accepting the truth. He was going to die.
"Yes." Kara admits and she kisses him again. This time on his lips. "Yes, you are, but we aren't going anywhere. We're here Ralph. Your family is here,"
"Good, good." He snaps a picture of Kara's face in that moment. Knowing his eyes will go before his mind. As the rest of the screen goes dark save for the number, Ralph whimpers. He pulls up the image of Kara smiling. Placing it right behind the number. She was leaking and smiling. A true deviant.
Maybe she and Alice will meet rA9.
