Chapter 7: No Matter What

7 ran and jumped. Not for her life… happily. She was frolicking. When was the last time she had done that? It was nearly unheard of in their way of life, though the more childish and irresponsible members of the group—such as the twins or 6—had been known to do a little dance every once in a while.

7 found herself in a low valley. On the highest peak surrounding her, she saw 9, waving to her ecstatically.

"9!" she called.

"7," he replied, his voice full of laughter. "Come get me, 7!"

7 grinned and rose to that challenge. She began to run up the mound… but found herself tripping, her feet sliding under the slick sides of the mountain.

Not only that, but the entire valley was closing in on her… the mountains coming closer together, actively trying to crush her. They were going to crush her… there was no way she could get away.

"9!" she shrieked.

He was nowhere to be seen… and she was trapped, trapped in a tiny, lightless prison the exact shape of the number seven.

And it was becoming smaller.

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7 sat bolt upright. If stitchpunks could sweat, she would have been cold and wet—as it was, without sweating she couldn't really relieve the stress she felt, and that was altogether worse.

"I can't do this anymore," she said aloud. "I've got to get out of here."

Turning, she tripped over 9's extended hand. He had tried to reach out for her during the night, but hadn't been close enough to her, or courageous enough to get closer.

"7?" 9 muttered. "What's going on?"

"I've had enough of this place," 7 said. "If I don't see the rest of the world, I'll lose my mind completely."

7 did a back-flip off the balcony of the building they had taken as their shelter that night, landing gracefully on her feet. 9 followed by shimmying down the wall.

"7, where are you going?" 9 demanded.

"To find my helmet," she said. "I lost it near the barbed-wire fence where we destroyed the Machine. Help me look for it."

9 didn't understand what was happening, but he complied. The fencing was out in the open plains, closer to the town than to the factory, but it was still a long walk for people six inches tall.

Finding it wasn't difficult, though. Nothing was displaced out in the emptiness.

7 put on the helmet. She had made it out of the body of a long-dead bird who she had shared a cage with—the top of its skull formed a visor, which was plumed by the bird's own feathers; 7 had even fashioned a pair of earrings out of the bird's bones, which, as she had no ears, simply dangled off the edges of the helmet.

9 was finally awake and alert. "7, why do you want your helmet all of a sudden?"

7 also managed to find her weapon and shield. "Well, you said it yourself," she said. "There just might be something out there, and I want to be prepared for good encounters and bad."

"You're leaving?" 9 muttered. "Where?"

"I'm thinking that way," 7 said, pointing through the town, away from the factory. "The farthest we've ever been is to the factory… and, I'd actually rather keep away from the factory, so I'll just head in the exact opposite direction."

7 marched purposefully forward. 9 followed. "But, 7, what are you going to do out there?"

"I don't know," she said. "Anything. But I can't stay in this town any longer."

"But…" 9 tried to articulate. "Things are finally going well! All nine of us, together and safe. We can do anything if we all keep together! Don't you want that kind of stability?"

"You can call it stability," 7 said, "but it does nothing but drive me crazy. I can't live my entire life in one place. I'm the kind of person who needs to be out doing something."

9 tried to comprehend that… but found that he couldn't. To him, living his entire life in one place sounded absolutely perfect. He didn't want to leave the town, the only atmosphere he had ever known. He had all the life he needed right there.

"Well, that's one thing we most certainly don't have in common," he finally had to admit. "But… but I'll come with you, 7."

"Knew you would," 7 said.

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All nine of them sat around a light bulb mounted on a post. They looked out into the distance, the unknown expanses of the world.

"I told 7 that things would be best if all of us stuck together," 9 said.

"And I told 9," 7 said grimly, "that I'm going no matter what, so if somebody wants 'the power of all', you're going to have to come with me."

2 stepped forward. "Well, I understand your free spirit," he said. "And we'll all gladly stay with you… but we need time to gather our supplies! We do have lives here in this town."

7 shrugged. "That's not a problem," she said. "Pack all you want, but I'm going right now. If it doesn't take more than a day, you can catch up to me." 7 lowered her helmet and ran off at her top speed.

Everyone's gaze followed her, until 5 turned to 9. "What is your take on all of this?" he asked.

All other eyes turned to 9 as well, who wouldn't look away from 7's retreating figure. He didn't move when he said, "I love her so much."

5 nodded, as if that was the only answer that 9 needed to give. And indeed, 9 had nothing more to say. He plucked the light-staff out of the ground, turned it off, and followed 7 through the dusty wilderness.