"And the commander was super stern when I came back! Sure, I snuck out of the camp when I'm not supposed to and went exploring. But I came back fine and was only a few minutes late for my shift! And yet, she placed me on probation for a few days and even held onto my books until it was over!" The familiar short female android exclaimed, stomping her foot for emphasis.
"Uh-huh." I said absentmindedly, focusing on my current task.
I'm not sure how, but somehow, the same android from before managed to find me again after about three days since we first encountered each other.
This time we met in an old battlefield instead of a bookstore. With machine bodies and parts scattered all around.
My right arm was currently digging deep inside into the torso of a medium biped. With my fingers feeling around for something specific, a machine part that was a control system or something for the limbs. All I knew was that it was worth a lot of money, or G as it was called.
As for the android? Instead of offering to help me, she had decided to talk my ear off. Telling me everything that had happened since we last saw each other.
"Though the probation part may have been because I snuck out when I'm not supposed to, while also taking a rifle from the armory. It was still unfair." She idly kicked the head of a machine, watching it roll away until it ran into a body with a clang and stopped.
"And you aren't worried about getting in trouble again?" I couldn't help but ask. She really was just risking getting herself in trouble a second time and possibly receiving a harsher punishment.
She just waved her hand in a flippant manner. "Eh, it'll be fine. Today's my day off anyway. So I won't have to worry about being late. That and the commander is always really busy, so I doubt she'll go looking for me."
Her words made me pause in my scavenging while an involuntary sigh left me. Just because her commander was busy didn't mean someone wouldn't report that she was missing. I eyed the rifle hanging from the strap around her shoulder. Or the missing gun from the armory.
I shook my head and started moving my arm around again. "If you say so," I mumbled. "So what did your probation entail?"
A pitiful groan left her, her body slumping forward dramatically. "I had to help her go through reports and all kinds of other paperwork, while also doing errands for her. It was so boring."
She then straightened up, a scowl on her face. "And then! To make matters worse! After my probation period was finally over. The head of our storage facilities showed up and messed up the organization of everything again!" She growled.
"So I got stuck working with our quartermaster as he went through everything we had! Just to see what she had taken, which took forever! All because she can't even log what she took. I also had to move all those heavy crates and boxes the entire time. Setting them back in place so that it is possible to maneuver around in there. I was so tired afterwards." She moaned pitifully, rubbing her arms.
A chuckle left me at her dramatics. "Sounds like a difficult job." I grunted, my fingers grabbing onto what felt like the part I was looking for. I gave it a good pull.
She nodded her head with a pout. "Yeah, it can be pretty hard sometimes. Especially with how heavy those boxes can be. But, well… everyone's gotta do their part after all, you know?" She said with a shrug.
I nodded at that, while inspecting the piece I pulled out of the torso. Looking at it, I sighed when it wasn't the part I was looking for. Chucking it over my shoulder, I dived my arm back in.
She plopped down on the body of a stubby, before her face suddenly took on a look of panic when it started to roll, her arms and legs flailing before her boots dug into the dirt and she stabilized herself.
I stopped and turned to look at her. She was bent slightly to the side, fiddling with something out of my view.
There was a loud scraping noise and clank as her arm jerked forward. "Ah hah!" She cheered before she sat up with a smile, pushing her boots into the dirt and against the stubby torso. Nodding to herself in a pleased manner when it didn't slide back, she looked up to see me staring at her.
She blushed. "What!?"
I rolled my eyes. "Nothing."
Her eyes narrowed as she watched me before she huffed and planted her head on her hands. A thoughtful look on her face. "Say, why are you out here anyway?"
My boots dug into the dirt as I pulled, placing my free hand on the torso. "Found this place yesterday, so I came back to gather some scrap so I could do some trading with your camp when I find it."
She perked up. "Really?" Her brow then furrowed. "Wait, do you not know where the camp is?"
"I was kinda hoping you'd tell me." I said through gritted teeth as I pulled harder. The part slowly but surely coming loose.
"Oh, sure! It's about 60 kilometers to our south from here. Not hard to miss." She then frowned. "But how come you didn't know that? Your map should show you."
I didn't answer immediately as my boots dug further into the slightly wet dirt for purchase. The android looked at me with concern. "Uh, do you need- Ah!" Whatever she was about to say was cut off as she cried out in shock when I went flying backwards.
The part had come loose faster than I was expecting. And with how much I was pulling. I wasn't surprised that I was sent tumbling.
My vision was a blur as I rolled and rolled until I finally came to a stop on my back, facing up towards the dark cloudy sky as a groan left me. Taking a moment to get my bearings, I lifted my right arm, bringing the part into view, thankfully in good condition. With a little bit of dirt coating it.
"Phew." I lowered my arm with a flop and stayed on my back, waiting for the slight dizziness to go away.
Swift footsteps approached me. "H-Hey! You alright?" The android's young, almost pale face appeared in front of me, making me jump with how sudden it was and how close her face is to my own.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Just a bit dizzy is all." I waved my free at her. Also, a bit was a hell of an understatement. My damn eyes still felt like they were spinning.
She just nodded her head with a smile. "Oh, ok." She then leaned back and fell silent, rocking slightly back and forth on her knees. Her head was constantly moving while her hand rested on her rifle. Watching for any kind of movement.
Thankfully there hadn't been much of a Machine presence here, with most of them sticking around on the outskirts of what amounted to a Machine graveyard.
Around us, what must have been a normal open field before, had now become a partially flooded bog due to the massive amount of rain earlier from the storm. And judging by the dark looming clouds overhead, it was definitely only a matter of time until it started raining again. And I did not want to get stuck in that kind of hell.
A slightly irritated sigh left me. That meant I had to hurry up in my scavenging and get out of here, or, try my hand at scavenging in the pouring rain. Heh, probably even trip and break my neck on something in the process.
"Hmph. Wouldn't that be a shit way to go after everything." I muttered quietly.
Not quietly enough though, since the android turned to me. "Hmm? Did you say something?"
I shook my head while sitting up. "Don't mind me. Just thinking out loud." I winced when a pop came from my back. Rubbing the spot as I stood up with a groan and slow movement. While she did the same, though with little noise and more finesse. That I couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
"So are you done now?" She asked suddenly with a pout. "I want us to go find some cool stuff, not dig around in scrap piles!" She whined, bouncing on her feet.
I wiped off some dirt from my pants before I gave her an unamused stare. "Well, if a certain someone was helping me, then this would go much faster."
There was a huff from her, as she made a strange sound from her voice box? Speaker? And she hung her head. "Fine." She groaned, dragging out the word exaggeratedly. Making me roll my eyes at her childish antics.
"Any kind of parts in specific?" She asked, turning her head while her eyes trailed over the dead Machines.
I held up the part for her to look at. "Anything like this, or of high value." I told her, she eyed it before nodding. Satisfied that she had a basic idea of what to look for, I shoved it into my pack. "Once my backpack is full, we'll be on our way."
As soon as those words left my mouth, she ran off. Bounding and leaping over rocks and Machine corpses with surprising agility and speed. The sudden movement had startled me before I was rolling my eyes in exasperation.
"Hmph, Kids these days." I mumbled with a smile.
(-)
(-)
I kept my head on a swivel as I carefully stepped over the body of a small biped while putting another part into my pack. Which was filling much faster than when I had first started, thanks to my little helper.
Who had been reluctant at first, until I had thanked her.
Now she was bringing me plenty of parts to stuff into my pack, before she would disappear from my line of sight behind the piles of destroyed Machines and mounds of dirt, in search of more. A bright pleased smile on her face every time I had thanked her.
I will admit, I did feel slight worry every time she went off. One of the main concerns about scavenging for machine parts like this was the risk of being attacked by a machine that was still functioning.
It has happened a few times in the past. Where a machine would play dead, or just be offline until someone touched it, thinking it was dead.
The first time it happened to me, it had been a stubbie, which had scared the absolute hell out of me. Thankfully it couldn't do much since it was missing its arms. Though it did try to headbutt me to death, so I promptly unloaded an entire mag on it. Which made me feel like an idiot afterward at the waste of ammo.
And then there was another incident where a goliath biped was buried beneath some foliage and bursted out from it, flattening an unlucky android who had been near it with its fist.
But as much of a high risk as it was, it was a necessity for the Resistance or any other groups in similar situations. Since they needed the parts to repair themselves and maintain their weapons. Especially so, since they didn't receive regular resupply shipments like Army of Humanity units or vital locations.
A sudden cold gust of wind blew against me, forcibly interrupting my thoughts and ruffling my jacket, making me shiver and pull my jacket closer with a quiet grumble.
The weather has been getting progressively worse in the city. While at first, it had been just gentle breezes that would only move the leaves on trees. It had gotten to the point where some trees were visibly swaying.
While I was all for the cold temperature over more warm or hot weather, that didn't mean I liked dealing with strong winds or being pelted by rain. The latter hasn't started yet, thankfully. Because when it does, it is going to be an absolute nightmare with this kind of wind.
Hiking up a small hill, I stopped just in time to avoid falling into a ditch I almost failed to see. Regaining my footing, I looked down into it. And froze when a pair of dark blue eyes and a face locked in a look of horror, stared up at me.
My brow furrowed and my eyes closed as a sigh left me. "Fucking hell." I breathed. Should've expected to find something like this. My posture loosened as I trailed my eyes over the dead android in the ditch, or now grave I suppose I should call it.
The android, a Resistance member, wasn't in good shape to put it lightly. Her clothes were torn in a few places and covered in dirt, oil and the blood-like substance that all androids had. Along with a few deep lacerations along her arms and torso. The worst was her legs, or lack of.
Her lower body past her waist seemed to have been severed by a bladed weapon, and it wasn't a clean cut either. Making for a gruesome sight.
I swallowed hard, ignoring the churning feeling in my stomach as I turned away again. Reaching up, I massaged my eyes through my shawl with a sigh. It wasn't the first body I've ever seen during my travels. But the sight of a mutilated body always still made me squeamish.
And it most certainly wouldn't be the last I would see in this god awful war the androids were stuck in.
Glancing up, I could see the rain pouring down on buildings in the distance. Meaning it would only be a manner of time until the body was submerged beneath a flood of rainwater soon.
I mulled it over. "Just leave it, man, there's nothing you can do to change what happened," I muttered to myself. Before I kicked a rock and groaned. "Ah, damn it…"
Sighing wearily, I slipped off my pack and got ready to climb down when I heard the sound of a twig snapping, followed by the sounds of rapid footsteps.
I grimaced when I realized it was the girl coming back from a search. "Shit, can't let her see this." I murmured. Said android quickly came into view, a few bits and pieces held in her arms.
Her eyes brightened when she saw me, hopping over some Machines corpses she made a beeline for me. And just as she was about to make her way up the small hill, she stopped when I held out my hand in front of me, my palm facing towards her.
Her smile faltered as she came to a slow halt, her head tilted to the side in confusion before her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed and immediately started flickering to the sides. Shifting a bunch of parts into her left arm, while her right hand slowly began reaching for her rifle.
Ah, damn it no. I winced, realizing she misinterpreted my gesture to just stay put and instead think there was danger. I shook my head and slid down to her. Making her fixate on me.
"What's wrong?" She whispered as I walked up to her, her head turning constantly as she looked at the deceased Machines all around us. "Is there a live Machine here?"
I shook my head at her. "No, I…" I paused, doing a circular gesture with my hand as I tried to think up what to say. "Look, it's nothing dangerous, but you need to stay here." I pointed to the ground while handing her my pack. She took it with uncertainty, her eyes flickering back up to me, a look of confusion in them.
"Uh, alright." She opened my pack and began stuffing the parts she gathered into it.
My gaze softened while my shoulders sagged. "Just stay put okay? It'll be quick, I promise." Turning around, I quickly made my way back up the hill.
Stopping near the ditch I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to psych myself up. My hands opened and closed nervously, the skin under my gloves slick with sweat. Whether it was from all of my scavenging or because of my nerves, I wasn't sure.
I exhaled. Here goes nothing. Carefully lowering myself down, I did my best not to disturb the ground or the body. I winced when my boot almost slipped out from under me, though I managed to keep myself stable when my other foot touched down.
"At least I don't have to worry about a horrible smell." I mumbled. Which was true, the only thing I could smell was the oil and lubricant in the dirt.
Letting out a slow exhale, I knelt down next to the body. Hesitantly, I reached towards her face, gently closing her eyes and mouth. Giving her a more peaceful look than before. I then grabbed her hood and scarf, unraveling and removing both.
Bundling up the scarf, I placed it on the ground next to me before taking the hood in my hands, using it to cover the... "gash" on her lower body.
Damn it. I shuddered as I tried not to focus too closely on it. Which wasn't easy since I had to place my hand underneath and lift her waist enough to slide the cloth around. Once I had that out of the way, I was able to fold it and tie it all up.
I grimaced when I pulled my left hand back. My glove and exposed thumb and index finger slick with android blood. "Sorry about this." I whispered as I wiped my hand on her shirt leaving a red hand stain.
Leaning back to take the chance to inspect my work, I gave the hood an experimental tug, to which it thankfully held.
"Alright." I pulled the front of my shawl down and wiped some sweat from my face. "Now for the torso."
Grabbing the scarf, I pretty much did the same as I had done for her waist, but this time, all I had to do was wrap it tightly around. And just like the hood, it held. Making me sigh and sag in relief.
"Now what the hell do I do?" I mumbled, resting one hand on my knee while resting my face on the palm of the other. I could leave the body here, and it would probably be buried by the mud when the water came through.
But… I don't know, it just didn't sit right with me for some reason. I guess maybe because of the lack of dignity of just being left in some ditch for a grave.
Ah, damn it! Why can't this stuff ever be easy? I massaged my forehead as irritation welled up inside me.
I don't really remember why I started burying deceased androids or doing… whatever the hell it is I'm doing, or what even caused me to start doing it in the first place. Hell, maybe It's a sign of poor mental health, that I've become slightly crazy. Maybe it's some kind of irrational guilt I'm feeling.
Maybe it was just my way of putting them to rest or… something.
"Oh, that's why…" A soft voice spoke up from behind, disrupting my inner turmoil.
My neck popped with how fast my head snapped to the side. Looking up and over my shoulder, I saw the girl on her knees leaning forward to look into the ditch. An emotionless expression on her face.
My eyes widened. "Damn it kid! I told you to-"
"I remember her," She interrupted me, with her tone making me pause. "She was always really nice." There was a glazed look in her eyes as she focused on the body. "I never really got to know her name, but we would talk sometimes. I always enjoyed it, more than I did with the other older models. She was always so understanding."
I couldn't help but grimace and shift uneasily. The sudden change from her seemingly usual mood was a little more than jarring for me. I absently rubbed my shoulder as she continued.
"She once told me how she wished to become something called a musician. So she could play in… concerts, for the humans. When we finally won the war." She trailed off quietly after that. Her fingers digging into the dirt below her.
There was a tight feeling in my chest as I turned my gaze back down to the body. If it weren't for the damage to her body. I'd probably have just assumed that she was asleep.
Rubbing my face with both hands. I let out a loud tired sigh before I stood up and walked over so that I was standing above the dead android's head. Bending down, I hooked my arms under her armpits and lifted. Grunting as I gritted my teeth and I strained my arms and shoulders, lifting the upper part of the body up with all my strength, and slowly started dragging it out.
The girl stared at me with silent curiosity and confused eyes before a look of understanding entered her eyes and she stood up, jumping down in the ditch and lending me a hand by grabbing and lifting the deceased android's waist so that it wasn't dragging in the mud. I sent her a grateful look as we carefully maneuvered ourselves out of the ditch.
Once we were out of it I looked around. Stopping when I saw a nice big tree that was standing in the middle of the field.
I gestured with my head over towards it. She nodded and stuck her tongue out in concentration as we started making our way over to it. With her giving me the occasional warning to avoid tripping on a piece of machine or weapon I couldn't see. Stepping around a large rock, we finally got to the tree.
Groaning from the soreness from my arms, I shifted my hold on the body so I could prop it up against the tree. Crouching down, I nodded at the girl, making her give a quick nod in return as she eased the android's waist onto the ground before sliding her hands out and hastily stepping away. An uncomfortable look on her face as she wiped off her bloody hands on the grass.
An exhausted sigh left me as I leaned the android against the tree before taking my chance to catch my breath. Placing my left arm against the tree, I rested my head against it while holding my jacket open to let the cold air cool me off.
My arms and shoulders throbbed from the mini workout I had just endured. Not that it was surprising, since I think androids weigh something like 300 pounds. Which was definitely way more than whatever I weighed.
Once I shivered, I let go of my jacket and leaned back. Turning my eyes to the body again. Her form was slumped against the tree. I gently grabbed her head and tilted it back so it was resting against the tree bark, before grabbing her hands and folding them together on her lap. Giving the deceased android an almost serene look.
Emphasis on almost, as it didn't do much to detract from the grisly state of her body.
"Is…" The android spoke up from behind me, catching my attention. "Is this any better than before?" She asked timidly. Her arms hugging her waist as she shifted from one foot to the other. A gloomy expression on her face as she watched me.
I pressed my lips into a thin line as I gently brushed a few locks of black hair from the dead android's face before standing up with a sigh and walked over to her.
"Probably not," I replied, running a hand down my face. "Honestly, If I had the time and a shovel, I would dig a grave so we could give her a proper burial." I told her. Placing my hands on my hips and chewing on my lip as I stared at the ground.
She turned to me with an odd look. "Burial?"
"Ah, it basically means to bury someone in the ground."
She gained a look of alarm at my description. "Bury!? Why would we bury her?"
"It was a human custom or tradition, one that could have many different reasons for it. One was to give closure to family members or others. Some believed it was the next step to the afterlife. Or so that the dead may finally rest and know peace." My explanation got a wide eyed look from her, before she looked away biting her lip.
"To know peace? Huh…" She whispered, so quietly that I almost missed it.
I gave her a worried look as she walked past me and knelt down next to the body. She reached over to her left and plucked a blue flower that was next to the tree. And placed it in the other android's hair. She stayed there for a few moments, I thought I heard her whisper something before she stood up and walked back to me. Her posture stiff.
My gaze softened as I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, we should get going." She nodded silently in response as I gently took my pack from her.
She remained silent, her eyes locked onto the ground, her hair swaying in the wind. A somber and tired look on her face, one that I have seen too many times on the androids.
My mouth opened as I tried to think of something to say, maybe something comforting but... nothing came out. I closed my mouth and slowly breathed out through my nose as I slipped on my pack, and pulled up my shawl back over my face.
There was suddenly a quiet plop next to us and then another, I turned my head and saw ripples in a small puddle. Looking around, I noticed the area had turned considerably darker. My eyes widened in realization.
I grabbed the android by the arm as rain slowly began to fall. "We need to find shelter, now!" I shouted, dragging her away. She didn't protest as she stumbled slightly before she managed to right herself, making me let go of her as we started running. The rain already beginning to pour down on us.
(-)
(-)
The android shook herself like a dog after a bath, sending water everywhere. I didn't blame her, the rain was pouring heavily outside and she had run straight through a mini waterfall when she wasn't looking. Leaving herself and her clothes completely drenched.
I was a bit better off than her, though not by much. My red shawl was soaked thoroughly, but the jacket and pants I had taken all those years ago were thankfully made with this kind of weather in mind. So they had somewhat helped prevent me from being soaked.
Though my jacket was feeling a little damp so I tore off my backpack so I could get my jacket off. The last thing I needed right now was to get hypothermia. My pack landed with a loud thud and other loud sounds from all the scrap in it, as I gave my jacket a good shake before dropping it into a bundle on the floor.
Thankfully the building we had run into had a gigantic tree growing inside it. So I had used its branches and leaves to start a fire. To help me stay warm and dry my clothes faster.
Quickly unraveling my shawl, I grimaced as the cloth slightly clung to my head before coming free. A shiver running down my spine as some water ran down my back, soaking my shirt somewhat. Holding it in front of me, I twisted it, wringing out most of the water.
The water splashed onto the concrete floor. Making me step back slightly before giving it another twist until I was sure there wasn't any excess water left. I then laid it down next to the fire when I was done.
The android removed her hood from her shoulders, not bothering to wring it out as she simply laid it down next to my shawl with a wet plop, before walking away and picking up a large slab of loose concrete and placing it down in front of the fire as a seat.
I did the same, though dragging mine instead of picking it up. She ignored me as she sat down on it, drawing her legs close to her chest, hugging them with her arms, and resting her head on her knees with a quiet and drawn out sigh as she stared into the fire. Water still dripping from her hair and clothes.
The whole thing with the dead android was still weighing down on us. And had left us both feeling… Well, like crap to put it lightly. Her especially from what I could tell.
And I was never really good at helping others when it comes to emotional stuff, let alone someone who might have PTSD. Especially someone I had only just met. That was something unfortunate I had discovered in my travels, just about every single android I have met seemed to have it in some shape or form. All with varying ways of coping with it.
Some would just busy themselves with their work, drink until they couldn't even walk straight, go out more to fight the Machines in an almost blind rage, or even pick up hobbies and try to learn more about humans.
But more often than not, it just wasn't enough to ease the pain some androids held. The pain of losing their friends or being stuck in a constant battle for survival. Causing a few to fall into madness, some deleting their memories or the few who would wander off so they could die.
So they could be free, as one android once told me.
I shook my head. Don't dwell on it idiot, you're just gonna make yourself feel even more like shit. I tiredly berated myself, while reaching down to grab my pack and jacket and carried both over to my seat and placed them next to me as I sat down, running a hand through my slightly long and now wet hair with a sigh.
Hmm, gonna have to cut it soon. I thought to myself, pinching a short strand of slightly curly brown hair between my fingers. Water dripping off the end.
Just another reason to find the Resistance camp, so I could hopefully buy some new scissors if they had them. Seeing as how the current ones I bought about a year ago have slightly become rusted.
And I am certainly not gonna try and cut my hair with them. Just trying to shave is enough risk of self harm in my life. Hell, maybe they'll have someone at the camp who tries their hand at being a barber.
Pulling my hand away, I flicked a bit of water off it, before stretching my arms above my head, letting out a quiet yawn. Lowering them, I leaned down to open my pack and start idly rummaging through it. Making sure not to cut myself on the bits of scrap inside it.
"Hey." The android suddenly broke the silence, making me pause and look up at her. "Can I ask you something?" She asked, her tired eyes looking back at me.
I pulled my arm out of my pack and sat up, giving her my full attention. "Sure, what is it?"
"Are…" She paused, chewing on her lip as she thought about something. "Are you from the Night Kingdom?"
I blinked in surprise before chuckling. "What gave me away?" I asked, leaning back down and pulling a part out of the pack to inspect it before shoving it back in.
She nodded at my jacket and pants. "Your uniform, specifically the colors. No one around here I've seen wears dark blue. I even have a memory file image of some Resistance members from the Night Kingdom. They all wore darker colors like you."
She then smiled. "It's also how I found you in the field. I had been walking past when I saw something red and blue moving around and realized it was you."
I huffed at her last sentence. And she wasn't wrong about the colors. A lot of the Resistance groups over in North and South America tended to favor darker colors for their clothes, since that whole side of the planet was stuck perpetually in nighttime thanks to the whole tidal lock mumbo jumbo.
Though there were a few who still wore the more earth-colored tone outfits like everyone on the dayside of the earth did. Whether that was a supply issue or not, I couldn't say.
As for why I still had the outfit. I'm a bit stubborn about getting rid of stuff I like, and the clothes sorta grew on me over the years. So unless it's nothing more than shredded cloth, I ain't trading it in for anything.
"Can you tell me about it?" My thoughts were interrupted by her voice.
"Hmm?"
She shuffled in her spot. "The Night Kingdom. I... Is it true you can see the stars in the sky?"
I smiled and let out a wistful sigh. "Sure can, as long as there are no clouds blocking the view. You can see thousands of them, all across the sky."
That was something I kind of missed about my time in North America. Besides it being where I had been born, being able to look up into the night sky and get lost in the stars was something I had started taking particular enjoyment in. I remember also inadvertently causing a small group of androids I encountered to start doing it as well.
That and well… It was easier for me to fall asleep and stay asleep without the constant sunlight bearing down on me.
There was that bit of that spark of curiosity in the android's eyes again, seemingly alleviating her somber mood, as she leaned forward in anticipation.
"What else!?"
I leaned back, working my jaw as I thought about it. "Well, there's the shooting stars."
"Eh!?" Her head shot up, her mouth agape in shock. "S-Shooting stars? Do you mean some of the stars shoot at you guys over there!?"
I choked on my spit, while I tried not to laugh, waving my hands in front of me rapidly. "No. no, no! Kid, that's not-" I chuckled before taking a deep breath, wiping a tear from my eye. "Hoo boy. No, a shooting star isn't a star that well… shoots at you. It's… A shooting star is just a small meteor that's burning up in the Earth's atmosphere."
She blushed in what I could only guess was embarrassment. "O-Oh, yeah. T-That makes more sense." She stuttered, scratching her cheek.
I leaned forward. "There's also a legend saying if you wish upon a shooting star. Your wish will come true." A gasp left as her eyes widened. Leaning so far forward, I got worried that she might fall face first into the fire.
"Really? How does that work? No wait, did you ever make a wish?"
More than I can remember. I thought bitterly to myself. "A few," I answered with a shrug. "But well, it is just a legend. Whether or not a wish will come true…" I trailed off. But she seemed to get the idea.
Nodding her head, she leaned back onto her seat and brought her knees up again. "Did you ever see dawn over there?" She asked, brushing some hair out of her face. "I've only ever seen a picture of it and I think the closest thing we have over here to it over here is dusk. I remember seeing it a long time ago."
I scratched my chin. A wistful smile on my face. "Hmm, dawn. I saw it alright. You could see it if you were on the west coast of North America. I spent a while there. It was beautiful." Closing my eyes, I felt a bit of nostalgia as I remembered it. "Heh, it was almost enough to make me forget there was even a war going on."
"Mhm, I get the feeling." She murmured in agreement.
"Oh!" She gasped suddenly, making me open my eyes and look at her.
She sat up, letting go of her legs and grasping the edge of her seat. "What about the dragons? I've only ever heard they exist, but I don't know anything else besides rumors!"
Ah, the dragons. That… That was definitely something I couldn't answer, simply because I never got to see one of those 'dragons' up close. I had only ever caught glimpses of them in the night sky from Machine searchlights or anti-aircraft fire during a battle in a city that I had been outside of.
There were explosions in the sky that would just briefly highlight their forms before they disappeared from sight. Destroying any Machines in their way with deadly efficiency.
After such a display, I had promptly decided to just go parallel to the city and kept going that way, not wanting to go anywhere near whatever weird magical shit was happening in there. Which could be said a lot for my time spent in what used to be the US.
And all I really knew about them is that they're some kind of weapons or something that had been first used against the aliens supposedly. At least from what I had overheard from a few conversing androids during my short stay in a small camp.
"Hmm… Sorry kid," I apologized, scratching the back of my head. "But I never got a chance to see those things up close, so I can't really tell you anything concrete about them."
I could tell she was disappointed, but she gave me a smile. "It's okay, I imagine that the details about them might be classified for grunts like us."
I nodded my head in agreement before we both fell silent, my finger picking off some dirt on my glove, while she stared off into the corner, resting her cheek on her knee.
The only sounds in the room were the crackling pops from the fire. Along with the storm that was still going strong outside, as strong gusts of wind practically slammed into the building we were in. There was of course the rain, which also limited visibility quite a bit, and the constant thunder.
The android then lifted her head, a thoughtful look on her face. "Hey, about the uh…" she paused, chewing on her lip in thought. "About us going to find some cool stuff, like I said a while ago. Is it alright if we do that another time?" She asked quietly.
I chuckled and tossed a few bundles of sticks into the fire, making sure it kept going. "Sure kid, we'll do a rain check for that." I told her.
She squinted her eyes and gave me a confused look before just nodding her head. "Thanks"
Scooting herself up further onto the slab of concrete, she laid down onto her side, resting her head on her arm. "I'm gonna get some sleep if that's alright." She mumbled, curling up as she blinked in a slow, tired manner.
I nodded my head, feeling extremely tired myself while grabbing my jacket, which should be dry now. "Heh, alright. Sleep tight kid. I'll keep watch." I told her while slipping on my now slightly dry and warm jacket.
"Mmm, names… not, kid," She murmured. 'It's... Lilac." With those final mumbled words, her eyes closed shut and her breathing became quiet. The android already fast asleep.
Wish it was that easy for me. I thought with a smile before it turned into a frown and I heaved out a tired and exhausted sigh. "What a day…" Turning my head and looking out of our shelter and into the rain. I couldn't see much because of the rain, but I did see the yellow eyes of aimless Machines moving around occasionally.
"Hm… Nice to meet you Lilac." I whispered.
(-)
(-)
I'm really sorry for the late update everyone. Life ended up hitting me with a bit of good old family drama and trauma, the day after I had posted the first chapter, so that kind of threw everything pretty much into a tornado for me.
After that, I spent some time doing some lore research so I can try and be as accurate as I can with small details about the androids, the planet and whatever else for later on.
Which was a pain in the ass, since Taro essentially threw a lot of worldbuilding stuff and extra bits of lore into a giant turbine, and scattered it everywhere. And led to me finding stuff I had never even heard about.
The pods for example. Apparently, their number is linked with how much knowledge and experience they have, so the lower the number, the wiser the pod is.
So yeah, I'll try my best to make sure not to make any changes to the already well known lore. While also trying to fill in the blanks for stuff that either has no information whatsoever, or it's there but I just can't find it for the life of me, or there's barely any info for it.
Ultimately for me, the story comes first. So I'll make minor changes to small intricate details if it means the story can work in some places and is enjoyable.
- Small edit. Changed the distance to the camp because someone was kind enough to inform me, that the distance I used went really far. So hopefully the change is better.
And I suppose I should clarify this to just avoid any possible confusion later on. But for the city ruins and maybe the forest kingdom, I'm going off what's seen in the concept art for the game, so they'll be much larger than what is seen in the game. Since I think the map in the game was condensed for gameplay purposes, so it didn't take long to get from one place to the other.