Chapter 1: Falling In Love, Literally
Thunk!
That was the sound that had changed Simon's life. The sound he'd heard before the most beautiful android he'd ever seen literally dropped into Jericho. Like an angel from the sky. It was like some kind of fate. He only had a few seconds of wordless staring, though, before he had realized that he should be the one to welcome the newcomer. He quickly gathered his composure, a gentle smile gracing his face.
"Welcome to Jericho." he greeted, watching the other's face. How could an android like himself be so unique? Not to mention absolutely stunning...
"Who are you...?" The stranger asked, his flashlight's beam never leaving Simon's direction. That was, however, until Josh spoke up.
"Fugitives...Just like you. My name is Josh."
"I'm Simon." he introduced, trying to seem more confident then he felt. Every time this mystery android even looked at him, a strange feeling whirled around his insides that he couldn't quite place. He'd been deviant for so long that he thought that he'd discovered all his new emotions. Apparently not.
He had been so focused on his feelings, he barely paid attention to the conversation continuing until the unknown one spoke up yet again.
"This is Jericho...?" he questioned, looking from android to android and seeming almost disappointed in what he saw.
"It's a refuge for those who don't want to be slaves anymore..." Josh explained calmly
"And hiding just to stay alive...that's freedom to you?" He asked, seeming disgusted by the mere word fear.
"Humans hate us. Hiding is the only way we can survive." His friend reasoned, trying to get the android to see the point of Jericho like they did.
"There is no safe place for those like us. If humans knew we were here, they'd kill us." North added, her hatred for humans nearly dripping from her words.
As the conversation continued, Simon had quite a hard time focusing on anything but how breathtaking he was, standing directly in front of him. He tuned back in just as Josh finished a sentence and the android that had arrived near moments ago started to speak in a quite serious tone.
"Waiting in the dark for something to happen? That's not how I see freedom."
"You're lost...Just like the rest of us. We didn't ask for this. All we can do now is deal with it." Simon himself had finally spoken up again before walking away, not wanting to accidentally make a fool of himself somehow. Right now, he had hoped to come off as a mysterious leader, although that was far from the truth.
He heard Josh and North's voices briefly from behind him as Lucy began to hum, her voice echoing throughout the boat. Before he could hear anything otherwise, Simon let himself drift off into a temporary stasis. While his eyes were closed, he could hear the sound of footsteps bouncing off the walls accompanied by the sound of North chucking at a rubber ball at the wall. She had made a habit of it, so he was more than used to the sound of it. Eventually, a new noise cut through the constant pounding.
Voices.
The new android was talking to one of the damaged ones.
"I've heard humans are afraid of dying, too. Do you know what happens after death?" He heard her broken voice ask.
"No...No, I don't." The other voice sounded concerned yet somber.
"Well, I'm about to find out...What's your name..?"
"Markus…" he introduced, before a brief silence.
Markus. That was such a special name for an equally rare seeming being.
"I was glad to meet you, Markus…" was the last thing he heard from her, which made him assume she had passed away.
He then heard Markus' footsteps fade into the distance, presumably walking off to find Lucy. All newcomers eventually sought her out since most of them came in an injured state after trying to escape their masters.
The next thing Simon knew, there was a voice calling his name and as soon as he processed the first syllable, he knew who it was and opened his eyes to reveal he was right.
Markus.
He had only been here less than an hour and Simon already knew what his voice sounded like. Smooth and calm yet firm and interesting. It made him feel like he could listen to Markus for hours.
He briefly spoke to the group regarding Markus' plan to invade the Cyberlife warehouses, a sense of fear rising in his chest at the thought.
"They have everything we need," he explained, with a determined look on his face.
"The docks are guarded. We can't just walk in there and take what we want. Humans will never let us.."
Markus stopped Simon's argument in its tracks, explaining the peaceful and considerably illegal nature of his idea.
It took a bit of convincing but Markus was able to get Josh, North, and Simon to agree to help him. They were all well aware of the androids dying every day around them and were eager for some sort of solution. No matter the cost. This would help them save their people so they could live in Jericho peacefully without having to witness slow deaths day in and day out.
Little did he know, with Markus here, this would only be the beginning.
A/N: hey there! I'm sorry this is kind of short but I was really excited to get this out into the world so I hope you enjoy it! More will be coming soon!