The sewers, though smelly, weren't actually that bad, but I'm glad to be out of them as we climb up another ladder to this bridge. We're in front of a huge factory, one that hasn't been used in years by the looks of it. The robots have been here as well, few broken bodies lying about. Ulrich's phone rings and he takes it out of his pocket as I offer Odd my shoulder to lean on.
"Yeah, Jeremie, we're here." He pauses for a moment as he looks at me. "Kaylee's here, too. Okay. We'll be right there."
"What'd Einstein say?" Odd asks, but Ulrich ignores him as he puts his phone away and motions me to keep going and into the factory. It's even bigger on the inside as we descend down a long staircase. There's an elevator ahead and Odd takes a moment to lean against the wall as Ulrich presses the red button for us to go down. I wonder where this leads.
"Can you keep a secret?" The silence is broken by Ulrich, his dark eyes studying my face waiting for my answer.
"Yeah, of course." I try not to hesitate and sound as sincere as I can. "I promise."
"Really?" Odd questions, and I wonder why they're so serious. It's not like the world is at stake is it? I've kept plenty of secrets, even some of my own. Even now.
"Really. I swear on it." I cross my heart, meaning every word, but I can't help but think what I am getting into. First the robots, what could be worse than that?
The elevator stops, its doors sliding open to reveal a small room with these three pillar-looking things, two open with one shut tight. A humming noise emits from the closed one, and a name is shouted from a floor above.
"No, Yumi!"
As quick as he can, Odd hobbles to an open thing and stands inside.
"Einstein, Odd to the rescue!" He yells and I swear he winks at me as the doors shut around him, a bright light shining through the cracks and more humming.
"Where's he going? What's going on?" I don't get it, but Ulrich gives no answers as he steps in front of the first closed one. The noise stops from it as it opens, a body in black falling out as Ulrich catches the exhausted girl.
Yumi.
"Hey." She smiles weakly as Ulrich guides her into the elevator, giving me no choice but to do the same. What is going on? The ride is short as we go up one floor. Just when I thought I had enough questions, the elevator stops and opens.
There's a blond boy who I can only guess is Jeremie, the one who's been on the phone, sitting on this chair attached to what looks like a computer with multiple screens that reflect off of his glasses. A large globe made of light is the centerpiece of this contraption, like a world made of what looks like different sectors.
"What is this place?" I breathe almost forgetting everything in this futuristic setting as Ulrich and Yumi waste no time getting to Jeremie's side to see what's going on. "I've gotta be dreaming."
"Oh, it's no dream." Jeremie replies without even looking away, his vision set on two blue circles and five red ones-now four, near a tower. It takes me seconds to realize he had actually spoken English back at me while Ulrich blankly stares and Yumi shrugs. "You've got four tarantulas left. Open a path to the tower!"
"Is that some kind of game? How is that-" Then I see it. The symbol that was on all of those robots on the screens in some places. This is connected. Ulrich had attacked the robots back there, so that doesn't make these guys and Yumi bad does it?
"It's how we fight back." Yumi explains calmly as if knowing my conflicting thoughts. The red arrows dwindle into two, then one, and the last is wiped from existence. "I'll tell you more later."
A blue arrow races for the tower symbol and vanishes inside while the other stands guard. There's an unsettling quiet amongst the three of them and I don't like this feeling of being left out.
"It has to be done. I'm sorry, Kaylee." Jeremie presses a key on the board. "Return to the past."
Huh? A blinding white light shines out of the sphere, engulfing everything as it expands past us. I shut my eyes, thoughts scrambling as I try to understand what's happening.
"Time to wake up, Kaylee." Yumi, my host sister, yawns as she gently shakes me from the futon on the floor. The clock reads 6:30 on her nightstand and I get up with a stretch.
"I had the weirdest dream." I can vaguely recall pieces of it as I dig into my backpack for my change of clothes. Killer robots and computer games? What was I doing before bed?
"Probably just first day fears. Don't worry. Everything's boring and normal at school." Yumi shrugs it off and changes into her black clothes of choice.
"I don't even remember any school. It was so bizarre." It feels like deja vu as we eat a quick breakfast, the rest of her family already gone for the day.
"Ready to go?" Yumi asks and she opens the front door, waiting for me to go out. I don't know why I'm almost scared to go outside without something to defend myself with.
"Y-yeah." I shake my head to try and knock the dream away. It was a dream. Had to be.