A groan left me as I pushed away some branches before plopping down on the ground and leaning forward to rub the aching muscles in my legs from all the running I had to do. Sighing, I leaned back into a large tree. My shoulders rose and fell as I took in deep breaths to ease my rapid heartbeats, the sound of rushing blood in my ears slowing going away.
My small expedition out to the forest next to the city hadn't gone as planned and had been cut short by the Machines living there. All adorned in some kind of medieval armor. They had been pretty relentless in their chase for a good while. Though I managed to lose them eventually after running back into the city, weaving through multiple buildings. They eventually gave up on their chase to regroup and fall back. Oddly enough, they even started attacking other machines that got too close. Which turned into an all out brawl.
Rubbing my eyes with another groan, I leaned deeper into the tree and blew out a breath. Resting my rifle on my lap, I grabbed the bolt and pulled on it, only for it to resist slightly before finally pulling back, ejecting a round. Frowning, I grabbed the round off the ground and put it in one of my pant pockets, and flipped the safety on. "Well, that's not a good sign." I grumbled. Tapping my fingers on the polymer stock and handguard.
A loud growling sound came from my body. Glancing down, another went off followed by a gnawing feeling in my stomach. "Right... Guess I would be hungry after all that running." I said to myself. Slinging my backpack off and sitting it in front of me. Opening it, I dug my arm in and pulled out a green apple I had managed to grab back in the forest. Pulling down the lower half of my shawl I took a bite of it, savoring the sour and sweet taste.
Tilting my head back and relaxing against the tree. I took a look around at my surroundings as I ate.
Around me were various buildings, all rebuilt by the androids at some point during the war with the machines. The buildings had seen better days, that's for damn sure. Most of them were in various forms of disarray, slanted to the side from shifting earth or chunks of them blown out from constant battles. Some even had gigantic trees growing through them. Others were in better structural condition, though their stability was questionable and I didn't feel all that comfortable being inside them. Then again, it's been a long time since I felt that way, and I couldn't be picky about I where slept.
Taking the last bite of my apple. I gripped the core and chucked it a good few yards from me behind some bushes. The last thing I needed right now is one of those giant moose or boars I've seen in the city wandering up to me.
Crossing my arms over my chest and closing my eyes for a moment, I let my body loosen and relax. Heaving out a sigh as I took in the surprisingly peaceful atmosphere around me at the current moment. A nice breeze brushing against my exposed face, whilst the warmth of the sun was felt on my legs through my pants.
After some time, chirping from right above caught my attention and I opened my eyes to look up and see some birds sitting on a tree branch sitting above me. I don't know what kind they were, thousands of years of evolution did god knows what to the animals on this planet. They were fairly small though, enough to probably fit in my hand. They bounced around, chirping at one another before they flew off. Disappearing from my sight once they flew past a building.
Rubbing my eyes, I yawned and wiped my nose. "Hm, guess that's my cue to leave." I placed my bag and rifle to my side and stood up with a grunt.
Pressing my hands against my back, I pushed, getting a satisfying pop. "Oh, that's good." I groaned, rolling my neck side to side before I leaned down and picked up my backpack and rifle. Slinging my pack on, and keeping my rifle in my hands. Taking a deep breath through my nose, I exhaled slowly and pulled the cloth back over my face. Letting out a long and loud yawn, I rolled my shoulders and got moving.
Bits of concrete and dirt crunched under my boots as I walked on the old broken paved roads. With debris and junk blocking some parts of the road. A few paths were even blocked by a few barricades, built mostly from scrap and other unknown materials. Honestly, I am still kind of surprised there we even any buildings still standing here. Since it's probably been a long time since the androids had a stronghold on Japan and some other cities that weren't under android control I've come across during my travels didn't seem fortunate enough to survive the constant warfare that goes on. Mostly being reduced to only a handful of standing buildings and rubble. Though the battle lines were always moving in some shape or form, at least from what I've heard over the years from some androids. Major strongholds for both the androids and machines have been the same for a long time now, while lesser, unimportant areas, were sometimes exchanged in battles between the two groups. Rinse and repeat for thousands of years and that's the war the androids were stuck in.
I frowned at the thought of those wars, and the current one that was going on. The battle between the androids had been raging for a very long time. I couldn't remember the exact date that one android had given me of when It all started. I was mostly just too busy trying to survive and do... Whatever the hell it is I do anymore, just wander around like some old fool. But it had been going on for thousands of years, and from what I've seen, it doesn't look like it'll be ending anytime soon.
Climbing up the small hill of rubble and destroyed Machines, I kicked at the wreckage of a small flyer, sending it falling to the other side with a loud crash. Hopping down onto the ground, I glanced to the side when something caught my eye and saw a small brick building. I looked through the still standing front windows to see a bunch of shelves inside. Along with a good amount of books on them as well, from what I could see.
Grabbing the straps of my backpack, I gave it a good shake. There was quite a bit of heft to it from the random items I've collected through the day, but I doubt a few books would add too much weight to it. Stepping around some rusted signs, I grabbed the handle for the door and gently pushed against it, the door squeaking a bit which made me wince, followed by a pitful ring from a bell above the door frame, but the door managed to open without falling apart. Nodding my head, I pushed it further and squeezed past, and headed inside. The door closing behind me.
(-)
(-)
A page of illegible words greeted me for the sixth book that I opened. It was written in that odd language that I've seen a couple of times during my travels. And unfortunately, I still couldn't understand a single damn letter.
Sighing, I put it back on the shelf before grabbing another and opening it, only for this one to be in Japanese.
Closing my eyes and taking a deep, I exhaled and chuckled. "Yeah, what the hell I was expecting." Really, I shouldn't have been surprised. This is or used to be Japan after all and the androids would have tried to rebuild it to the best they could with what frame of reference they probably still had in this day and age. Placing the book back on the old shelf, I looked down at the floor, which had books and pages scattered all around, all of them showing their age with their worn out covers. I pursed my lips as I looked at them, stepping over a few and nudging some with my foot, before stopping when I saw a cover with English words on it hidden under a pile.
Humming quietly, I squatted down and pushed the other books away, and scooped the one that had caught my attention up from the floor. Holding it up in front of me, I wiped away the thick layer of dust on its cover with my other hand, only to grimace at the thick layer now coating my glove. "Ugh, damn it," I grimaced while coughing a bit and flicked the dust off my hand, and wiped the rest off on my pants before opening the book. Thankfully the pages were in English and in somewhat okay condition, enough for me to read the words on them, which was good enough for me as I stuffed it in my backpack. Looking at the other books all scattered around, all of their titles were only in the weird language or Japanese. Tapping my finger on my chin I looked around the store again, my eyes stopping on the large desk near the back of the store.
Standing up and grabbing my backpack, I walked over. Pulling out the rolling chair with my foot before easing myself down on it and resting my backpack against the desk, along with my rifle. Rolling myself forward, I leaned down and started opening the drawers. "Let's see," I said out loud as I dug through them. "Paperwork, paperwork, and just more paperwork." Slamming it shut I opened the one under it, only for it to also be filled with letters and documents. All of which were useless to me.
Leaning back and using my knee to close the drawer, I turned my attention to the computer on the desk. Pulling myself over, I ran my hand across the old keyboard. Course, nothing happened, even when I pressed a few keys on the keyboard repeatedly or pressed the power button for the old CRT monitor and tower next to it. "Hmph," I leaned back in the seat, resting my head on my fist. "And here I was hoping I could play a bit of solitaire." Scratching my nose with my finger, I looked down to my left under the desk, where I saw a bin full of books all neatly stacked on top of each other.
Humming and raising a brow, I pushed myself away a bit from the desk and scooted myself closer to the bin, leaning my head a bit under the desk so I could get a better look at them. Pulling the bin towards me, I grabbed one of the books and looked over it. The front and back dark blue and black covers completely blank. Opening it, the book's title was on the first page in English along with the next few pages. Nodding to myself, I closed it and reached behind me and placed it down on the desk before going back for more.
A minute later, I heard the bell at the entrance ring as someone pushed the door open, along with the sound of metal snapping. Causing me to jump and slam the back of my head into the desk. Hissing quietly in pain, I clutched the spot on my head and groaned as I slowly pushed myself back. Sitting up and looking to the entrance I saw a female android standing in the doorway, with one hand holding the door open, while the other held the now broken metal door handle. She stared down at it with an awkward frown.
She turned her eyes up and looked around the store before landing on me, they widened a bit in surprise. She continued to look at me for a few moments before looking down at the door handle and then back at me. She gave me a small nervous smile and a shy wave as she hid it behind her back. "Uh, hi there!" She said, leaning against the door with her body to hold it open.
I slowly blinked at her before returning the greeting with a halfhearted wave of my own. "Morning." I groaned out before placing my hand back on the aching spot of my head and sucking a breath through my teeth.
Her smile became a bit more confident as she pushed the door open a bit more so that she was able to squeeze through. Quickly placing the broken handle behind a bookshelf out of sight, making me snort in amusement.
Taking a closer look at the girl's appearance. She had a young looking face, with brown chestnut hair that stopped just above her shoulders. Her clothes were the standard muted earth toned colored resistance member attire for the day kingdom. With a hood laying on her shoulders and ended at her waist. And hanging from her side was a short barreled AK rifle.
"Um..." I looked up at her as she tapped her fingers together nervously, her head looking down at the floor while her eyes glanced at me. "Sorry for intruding, I had found this place a while back and thought it would good spot to collect some stuff and-"
"I don't live here miss." I interrupted the girl with a tired smile that she couldn't see. "I'm just a scavenger grabbing some stuff, same as you. So go ahead take whatever you want." I told her, gesturing to the shelves and the books that were on the floor.
She blinked in surprise before smiling and nodding. "Oh, okay!" She quickly turned and disappeared behind some of the tall bookshelves, leaving me to myself again.
Squeezing my eyes shut with a sigh, I massaged the spot I had bumped for another few seconds as I opened one of the books I had picked from the bin and looked over the pages. There was creak as I leaned heavily on the side of the chair before suddenly snapped and I quickly fell to the floor.
"Gah! Shit..." I groaned out, a bit of pain coming from my shoulder where I had landed on it, my right arm laying over my head with my body completely sprawled out on the floor and still sitting on the top half of the chair. The wheels of the bottom end just barely visible past the cushion seat from my position on my back.
I heard hurried footsteps come rushing over before I saw the girl leaning over the desk, a gasp leaving her when she the position I was in. "Are you okay!?" She asked as she pushed herself off and hurriedly came around. Kneeling down next to me as she looked over me.
An amused huff left me. "I'm still in the land of the living. If that's what you're asking." I told her in a dry tone, letting my left arm flop onto my chest.
She blinked at my response and scratched her cheek and looked away. "Uh... I guess that means you're okay..." She mumbled to herself before shaking her head and looking back at me. "H-Here, let's get you up!" She said as she hooked her hands under me and pulled me back a bit before sitting me up on the floor.
I shook my head and kicked the broken chair away before grabbing the desk and pulling myself with the help of the girl. Standing at my full height. I dusted myself off and turned to her, giving her a nod. "Thanks." I mumbled.
She stepped away seeing as how I wasn't falling over and returned the nod with a smile. "No problem." She beamed at me stepping close to the desk while I leaned against it and rubbed my sore shoulder.
This is just not my day... I looked away from my shoulder to see the girl picking up one of the books I had grabbed flicking through the pages, stopping occasionally and reading a few lines before flicking through more.
I'll admit, it was nice to interact with someone again, even if we haven't really said much to each other. Since it had been a while since I last talked or been near another person. The last time being when I had made it onto the coast by boat. Where the guy who owned said boat and had ferried me over, promptly told me to, 'Have a nice day and get the fuck off my boat.' after I had paid him in some high value scrap, which he was appreciative of. Though he had been polite in saying it, so I guess that was a plus.
And when I had the chance I would make visits to android camps or the towns set up by them to trade or just to... mingle with them for a short time, which wasn't too difficult considering how human they were, at least on the outside, visually. Or just occupy myself with the buildings that they built from a familiar time. If only to help keep my sanity. And I knew there was a camp or base somewhere in the city, where else would the androids I've seen be coming from? I just somehow hadn't found it yet. My navigation skills were probably screwing up again and I couldn't find it because I am currently looking for it. I've probably already seen it somewhere, but my brain probably glossed over it.
"So…" I turned to the android, she placed the book neatly back down and leaned on the counter, crossing her arms together on top of it and tapping her finger on the wood surface as she stared at me. Her bright orange eyes looked at me with curiosity, making me quirk a brow at her. "You like to scavenge for human relics as well?" She asked. Tilting her head to the side.
I hummed and nodded at the question as I reached down for my backpack and lifted it up, placing it down on the desk before grabbing one of the books and checking its condition as I flipped through the pages. "You could say that," I shrugged. "It's more just collecting stuff for personal use really." I answered. Closing the book shut and stuffing into my pack before grabbing another.
The girl hummed and rested her head on her arms. "Really!?" She asked, her eyes wide in surprise. "A lot of the androids around here never really give this stuff the time of day or just use it for..." She leaned her back and stared at the ceiling with a frown. "I'm not sure really. I think some people just like having the stuff." She mumbled before sighing. "Then again, we're still in this constant war with the Machines. So some people don't have the time for such hobbies. Especially at our camp." She said, her hand reaching over and grabbing an empty pen holder, looking over it with a pout.
"Hmm yeah," I said idly while stuffing another book into my pack. "I can see how it wouldn't be the interest for some." While my collecting of items could be seen as a hobby by the androids. It was more of a way of just trying to deal with the occasional boredom, and so I would be physically active.
"What about you?" I decided to ask her. I knew that androids would collect items from the old world. Be it because they want to salvage what they can of the past. Or because they want to feel closer to humanity, their creators, even if they didn't understand the purpose of some of the things humanity had used.
She scratched the back of her head and placed the pen holder down and glanced to the side. "Ah, I only started doing this kind of stuff because of another android I met years ago. He was a bit odd, but he meant well. He would collect lots of old stuff, even when he wasn't supposed to." She smiled. "One of the things he used to collect was postcards. One of them he showed me had a picture of a place called London." She sighed wistfully. "It was... kinda mesmerizing seeing what the old human cities used to look like. So I started collecting some myself. I found one of Moscow a while back."
I hummed and wiped some dust off a book. "Yeah, it was a beautiful place." I hadn't been to the current one, but I had seen a video feed during my stay over at some camp. The buildings all looked surprisingly the same as I remembered it looking like, so kudos to the androids. Though the only major differences I saw were the rising pillars of smoke, fire, and a major battle going on within the city. So I was glad I didn't get the chance to go there. Alaska had been more than enough for me.
Checking the last book in my hand one more time, I ran my thumb down the spine before stuffing it into my pack and zipping it close now that it was full. Hefting it up I placed it on my back and reached down for my rifle and stepped around the desk and the girl. Stopping, I turned to her and straightened out my jacket and shirt before giving her a nod. "Well, it was a pleasure talking with you miss. But it's time for me to head home." I told her as I turned heel and made my way for the door.
The girl started sputtering behind me and quickly caught up with me. "W-Wait, you're leaving already?" She stuttered. Making me stop and look at her while I gestured to my pack.
"Sorry, but I ain't got much reason to stay here anymore now that my pack is full." Said pack was full of other miscellaneous items I had collected throughout the day. And now with the books in it, it was almost overflowing and heavy as hell. So I definitely wanted to get home and offload this stuff before I keeled over from it.
"Oh…" She faltered at that, rubbing her arm. She suddenly perked up and look at me. "I'll come with you!" I raised a brow. Which she took notice of and cocked her hip to the side with a smile. "Walking around by yourself in the city isn't exactly safe y'know?"
I gave her a deadpan stare. "Aren't you also doing the same?" I asked, looking outside the front windows to not see anyone else standing around waiting for her. "Since there doesn't seem to be anyone else with you?"
That wiped the smile from her face as she flinched and looked away. "Uh, well, um," She paused and put her finger to her lip as she tried to think of something, before looking at me and shrugging. "I guess?" She said slash asked with a wince.
Huffing with a roll of my eyes, I sighed and fiddled with the velcro strap for one of my ammo pouches as I mulled over it. It wouldn't hurt to have someone travel with me, even if it was for just a short distance. And even if she was a bit odd. But she wouldn't be the worst I've traveled with. Tapping my foot before I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded. "Alright fine, you can tag along," I told her, opening my eyes to see her doing a fist pump for some reason. "I'll be waiting outside, so grab what you want. But don't take too long." I told her before making my way out the door.
"Kay!" I heard her say from inside, followed by the sound of multiple books falling onto the floor and a panicked gasp from her.
Pausing for a moment in the doorway, I waited, listening for anything else before rolling my eyes and leaving the building and headed over to the body of a medium biped, intending to sit on it. Just as I sat down, the girl came running out. A few books were tucked under her left arm. Walking up, she stopped in front of me, all ready to go.
I stared at her with tired eyes and let my shoulders sag. Could've at least let me take a moment to relax. I sighed and sat back up with a bit of effort. Rubbing my temples as I felt a bit of a headache coming on. Lowering my hand, I looked at the android who straightened up when my eyes landed on her. "Alright, as I said before, you can tag along." I brought my finger up. "But only for a while, and then we go our separate ways. Sound good?" I asked her. To which she nodded with a quiet sound of agreement.
"Alright then." Taking my rifle from my shoulder, I gripped it with both hands and started walking, eyeing the large skyscraper in the distance which I've been using as a landmark to tell which direction my home was. The girl did the same and grabbed her rifle, but just held it in one hand. Since her other arm was preoccupied holding the three books she had grabbed.
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(-)
Our walk through the city was relatively silent. Minus the sound of the rustling leaves from the wind and the idle noises from the Machines coming from around us, I had seen a few on some corners and behind the buildings or inside them. Thankfully they had all been the weird ones who would just walk around, staring blankly at everything, doing nothing. So I took the chance to enjoy my walk while also keeping an eye out. My new companion, however, seemed to be the feeling opposite about our walk. Her head constantly looking around us, pointing her rifle at the alleyways. And while she had the right idea, she was being a bit too jumpy for my taste, to the point where it was starting to become distracting for me.
A sigh left me and I stared at a stubby up in a window as we passed by it. "Kid."
She jumped at my voice, nearly dropping her books before getting a hold on them again before calming down and glancing at me. "Y-Yes?"
Shouldering my rifle, I turned my head forward again and glanced at her. "Ask me a question."
Her brows furrowed while she frowned. "Eh? Ask you a question?" She asked in confusion. Stepping around an old car wreck.
I nodded, stepping up onto the hood on one of the cars and hopping down. "Yeah, it should help take your mind off things and help you relax a little."
Her frown became more pronounced as she looked around us with an even more wary look. "I don't know..." She trailed off, eyeing a machine corpse. "The last thing you want to be in this city is relaxed."
"Hmm, true." I nodded at that. Being completely laid back out in the open was just asking for trouble. Cause being taken by surprise by the machines was the last thing you wanted, and would usually spell death for some, or end with them just having injuries if they were lucky or strong enough to fight back. It also didn't help the city was quiet. But I don't think it warranted being so jumpy to the point that someone might jump at their own shadow. That could lead to other problems. "But, it's better than having you get startled by like a bird or something and shoot at nothing." I replied after a few seconds of silence.
She pursed her lips and looked to the road in thought, slowing down just a bit, before slowly nodding her head and speeding up her pace again. "Yeah, I… I guess you got a point." She conceded.
"Good," I walked around some tall grass and a few bushes. "What's your first question?"
She blinked and I saw the sudden realization flash in her eyes as she didn't have one prepared was obvious as she started looking around us, before looking everywhere in a panic. "Uhh… Um, uh..." She glanced down at the books in her arms and looked back at me with an uncertain look. "Uh, can you tell me about books?"
Nodding at the question, I cleared my throat. "Alright, as you probably already know, and is something that's obvious. Books are for reading, those ones and the ones I have are meant for entertainment." I said, and she slowly nodded her head. So I continued "But books were used also used for things. But they could also be used for recording information, be it the history of a person, country, or the planet itself. They were essentially used for archiving. They were even used for religious text. And they could also help in learning." I answered her honestly. Or, at least as honestly as I could.
The android looked at me with wide eyes, her mouth agape like she hadn't expected an actual answer.
I smiled at her, not that she could see it. "Weren't expecting that kind of answer were you?"
She shook her head. "Not really, I… Honestly, I wasn't expecting an actual answer. Most of the androids I know wouldn't be able to even answer that question. Let alone with that much detail!"
I couldn't help but frown at that. Sure it wasn't something new to me, but it still bothered me all the same that most androids didn't really have a basic understanding of well… basic things. Then again, I've spent the most time around military androids, who were busy with a planetary wide war for their survival. So understanding what humans used to do isn't exactly isn't their top priority, save for a few curious outliers.
"Can..." I was brought out of my thoughts and glanced at the girl, the sparkle of curiosity visible in her eyes. "Can I ask more questions?" She asked, obviously holding herself back from doing so.
I paused as I thought over it, before sighing tiredly and nodding, my headache making itself known again. I'm going to have my hands full for a while.
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The girl asked about just about everything in our immediate view if only to satiate her sudden appetite for knowledge and just to distract herself. To which I answered all of them to my best ability. But at the end of the day, the questions had the desired effect. As she slowly began to loosen up her tense form. Until finally she finally looked like she wasn't about to jump out of her skin at the sight of her own shadow.
Taking a short pause as we climbed over a barricade built around a bus, the girl performed a nicely done jump, landing on the roof without any problems. I, unfortunately, didn't have the same strength to pull of the same as androids were able to. So I had to climb up onto some of the scrap on the ground before I could jump onto the bus. With a height that is past the what average person could manage. I saw her eyeing me with curiosity and worry when I stumbled on the landing a bit. Though that only happened because of all of the gear I was wearing and how heavy it was, hence I tried to avoid jumping around with my gear, after doing it a few times and biffing it a few times when I was younger. I rolled my neck and shook my legs. "Hah…" I looked at her before gesturing to the end of the bus. "Shall we?" She nodded silently, her eyes lingered on me as I walked past.
Hopping down, I grunted and winced when I landed. "Fuck, I'm going to feel that later." I muttered to myself, rubbing my now aching knees. This is what I get for jumping at that height while wearing all this gear, along with the stuff I've got sitting in my backpack.
My temporary traveling companion landed next to me with little problem. Standing up with a small twirl, and giving me a childish grin. I just huffed and rolled my eyes as I walked past her.
We were at least a quarter of distance away from my home when she suddenly stopped, making me do the same, and turn to her. "You alright?" I called out.
She stared at the ground, having the look of someone who just remembered something important and it was something they shouldn't have forgotten. "Do you know what time it is? She squeaked.
I raised a brow and reached into an empty grenade pouch, pulling out an old damaged wristwatch. I brought it close to my face and squinted as I tried to look past the cracked glass. "It's uh… two-thirty pm." I answered. Only to be immediately replied with a horrified gasp. I looked up to see her gripping her hair with her right hand, her eyes wide in panic.
"Oh crap! I've been out for too long! The commander's going to scrap me for parts when she finds out I'm not there!" I opened my mouth to say something but she was already running off.
"Sorry! I have to go! Bye!" She yelled, breaking out into a sprint. Her hand waved wildly as she ran before quickly disappearing around a corner within moments. Leaving me standing there in slight bewilderment. Staring at the spot she had just been occupying a few seconds ago, I couldn't help but snort in amusement and shake my head before turning around and continuing on my way home.
It didn't take long before the familiar sight of four large trees entered my view, which acted as the entrance and natural camouflage for my home. Stepping between them, I entered a courtyard. The building I had taken shelter in was a simple four story store or something. As far as I could tell with it, it hadn't been finished, with it missing windows and the doors. And no furniture inside it, when I found it. With only a small bit of green paint on the front. Around it were also some tall office buildings. Which were at least eight, ten stories tall I think? I didn't care to count. All that mattered to me was the shade they provided.
Unraveling my shawl, I took a deep breath of fresh air and sighed, walking under a massive cherry blossom tree that sat in the middle of the courtyard on a small uprise in the ground. Only a quarter of it was in sunlight, and if I remember correctly, they're meant to have a lot of it. Though this thing doesn't seem to care, and the only answer apparently is Maso. At least, that's what the android I asked a long time ago said. He had explained to me that Maso was a magical element or something that was infused with everything, be it an animal, plant, or even machines. The non-alien ones he had quickly clarified afterward.
I had just nodded like I understood what he was saying, before quickly walking away because I assumed he was just crazy, thinking he must have just read a fantasy book that mentioned magic in it. Only until someone else told me pretty much the same thing when I asked.
Pushing past the tarp I had set up in the front doorway, I stepped over a scattered pile of broken glass and walked upstairs to the second floor where my room was.
A yawn escaped me as I stepped in. I removed my shawl, wrapping it around a coat hanger I had found a while back. Before doing the same with my backpack and combat vest. I sighed in relief at the removal of all of the heavyweight on my shoulders and just plopped them down on the floor. Fiddling with my equipment belt, I set it down on my chest drawer and placed my rifle on the wall before stumbling forward towards my bed, my exhaustion finally having caught up with me. Sitting down on my makeshift bed, I quickly untied my boots and kicked them off. A soft groan left me as I stretched my legs, before pulling a few small stools I had found closer and rested my legs on them. With piles of cloth on top of them to act as cushioning. Laying down on my 'bed' which was just an old cushioned chair, I grabbed one of the blankets hanging from the side and threw it over me.
Two damn months in this city, and I still haven't found a damn mattress. I grumbled internally, as I began to fall asleep.
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And there we go. I only ended up wanting to make this story because I was inspired by A Man Rants at a Camera, for Hours On End. I just really love the idea of a human wandering around for years, "blending" in with the androids and teaching them a few basic things they can't completely understand. Whilst they just think the poor guy is an android nutcase who's slowly breaking down.
That, and I wanted to make a story where the human character is basically a father figure for the majority of the androids. So hopefully this turns out decent and to people's liking because there are a few scenes I thought up that I love. The only problem is figuring out how to get to them.
() Did a bit of revisions for this chapter, cause quite honestly, I did not like it. Every time I came back to this chapter I pretty much would just go "Eh!" in pain and close out of it or skip it. I'm still a bit iffy on it. But I don't want to get stuck in the pitfall that I've seen a lot of people get into where they try to rewrite their first chapters only for the story to die off. But don't worry! I don't plan on having that happen. As this only was the only chapter I wanted to fix. Any others will be after (Hopefully) the story is finished or if theirs something in them that needs to be changed/fixed.