The last main storage tank exploded, sending waves of flame through the already destroyed refinery. The fireball expanded and rolled skyward, darkening into profuse smoke as it ascended. The ground was blackened from where the burning fuel had touched it. Though illuminated by the chemical fires, the entire complex was blackened so. Through the passing veils of poisonous smoke, only a few men could be seen limping or crawling to safety.
The beast stood on an untouched outcropping some distance away, surveying the destruction. This had been an undesirable outcome. This oil shale mining facility would have been a welcome addition to the dominion, but the workers had resisted and so this had come to be. They had also foolishly tried to avert the disaster and many had died within the refinery when it went. Both subjects and assets had been lost here, but it was not discouraged. After all, resistance was to be expected from the ignorant.
The rails leading from the refinery to the mine entrance groaned from the stress induced by the terrific fires burning and the cars on the railway shifted. Pools of aluminum slag began to run off the refinery's foundation and spill onto bare ground, sending up noxious scents as molten metal consumed rock and plant alike. The steel frameworks that remained glowed red hot.
The beast jumped off the outcropping and landed heavily on the ground below, the dark gray slate cracking beneath the impact. It walked closer to the chemical pyre, within the air shimmering from the intense heat. It did not notice the molten metal sizzling beneath its claws and stepped closer, stopping just before entering the heart of the inferno. The light and shadows contrasted piercingly this close to the fire. The creature paid no heed to the flames licking its hide. The infusing heat renewed the creature, heightening its strength and sharpening its awareness. It bathed in the heat and would have stepped within the furnace itself, if doing so would not have blinded it completely.
With a terrific report, one rail split and the other tore free of the rail ties and jutted upwards, causing one of the cars to fall over, spilling tons of smoldering oil shale onto the ground.
This commanded the beast's attention and it stepped clear of the inferno, revitalized. It then took a few swift, long steps and jumped up onto the toppled railcar that crumpled beneath his weight. It looked at the mine entrance, a dark hole in the base of the mountain. Though the refinery had been destroyed, the resource itself remained. This truly was a rich land, fit to be under the rule of his Lord.
A speeding truck coming down the road through the pass caught its attention. The truck slowed to a stop on the sloped road once it came within view of the devastation. For a few seconds, prey and predator remained immobile, each watching the other. The truck flinched first, shifting into reverse and tearing back up the road, kicking up gravel as it fled. The beast paused for just a moment. "The ignorant will always resist change," it thought. He then leapt off the railcar, which was shoved backwards by the great impetus, and began pursuit.
Aric and Tillean were now walking quietly along the dirt road leading up to the pass. The trip was turning out to be a lot longer than they had expected, but neither was willing to turn around and go back home without seeing the fire. The ground was definitely beginning to slope upwards towards the cleft in the mountains, which made the walk more arduous, but the difficulty only reinforced Aric's resolve.
The town was small and silent behind them. No other vehicles had come this way, aside from the first one they had seen. The dust and rock of the road were a pale white that reflected the sunlight strongly, causing the boys to squint. It wasn't actually hot, but the brightness of the road seemed to compound his thirst. This was proving to be a long walk. Aric heard something and looked up.
The truck was coming back, fast, hurtling over potholes with reckless abandon. A thick cloud of dust filled the air in its wake.
"Oh crap! Hide Tillean!" he exclaimed as he dove into the ditch alongside the road and hid behind a clump of creosote. Tillean was just a second slower, looking first at Aric, then in the direction of whatever had spooked him. He dropped down into the ditch on the opposite side of the road. Aric could see Tillean across the road, lying flat in the ditch. He whispered harshly at him, telling him to hide better, but Tillean didn't seem to hear.
Aric crawled closer to the brush and made himself small and watched the truck approach. It was very close and Aric ducked. He could hear the grumbling of gravel as the truck came to a sudden stop close by. He dared to look up, but a cloud of white dust obscured his vision. He could hear the rough idle of the engine, so close was the truck. Then he heard the door open and some shouts. It sounded like Tillean. Aric sat up, peering hard, but could only barely see the top of the truck's cab emerging from the dust. Before he could see any more, the door slammed shut and the accelerating tires threw more dirt into the air as it left.
He coughed and ineffectually tried waving the airborne dust away. It wasn't until the sound of the truck had faded from hearing that he finally stood up. By then the dust had drifted away from the road, clearing the air. All the same, Aric was a bit cautious coming out from his hiding place. The first thing he checked was the other side of the road, but Tillean was not there. Aric looked down the road, back towards town. The drifting plume of dust had detached completely from the road; the truck must've already made it back to the Farm.
Tillean's abduction left Aric feeling somewhat off-balance. He continued looking back towards town as the plume drifted farther away and dissipated and thought of going home. His confidence had left with Tillean and now he had the unpleasant feeling that he was going to end up in trouble for this. He managed to look away, towards the road leading to the pass, towards the mountain, and towards the ominous smoke in the sky above. As soon as he saw that, all matters of confidence and consequences were moot. His curiosity demanded that he see what was on the other side.
Constantly bounced about in the bed of the speeding pick-up, the shovels, axes and other tools grated against each other with sounds of metallic complaints. Tillean was also in the back of the pick-up. His bottom hurt from the constantly bucking bed and he turned to look inside the cab at the driver. He didn't understand why they were driving so fast, or why they had grabbed him, but he knew he was going to be in trouble. The men inside the cab glanced back out the window from time to time. One was gesturing forcefully and Tillean could hear scraps of their loud voices on the wind, but couldn't hear what they were talking about.
At least the man sitting next to him, Mr. Tran had finally let go of his arm. He had been holding onto him like he expected Tillean to jump out of the speeding vehicle. He couldn't have gotten away from him, even if he wanted to. Mr. Tran was a big strong man that looked very much like the fireman he was. Right now though, his face was tight and his eyes fastened on the road whipping away from them. Tillean would have said he looked scared if he didn't know better.
A fast jolt bounced Tillean hard enough that he momentarily left the bed of the truck, only to slam back down. He winced and glanced at Mr. Tran to see if he had noticed. Mr. Tran was looking directly at him and said, "Go straight home. Take care of your family."
Tillean looked up at the strong man, confused by his words. Mr. Tran gave no further explanation and looked back at the receding road, as if expecting something terrible and Tillean watched it also, wondering just what it was they were running from.
Aric kept glancing back over his shoulder as he walked, to see if the truck was coming back, but he was alone on the dirt road. The road was noticeably growing steeper as it approached the mouth of the pass. The cleft in the mountain was so narrow and tall that for most of the day the shadows across the road were complete, except for a brief window at noon. As he got closer, Aric saw that the rock of the excavated walls was a raw pink in color, not like the bleached terrain of the desert. Walking on the shoulder of the road, he also noticed rare mosses growing deep in the moist clefts of the cool rock.
Just as Aric neared the apex of the pass, out-of-breath and anxious to see what lay below, he saw something unexpected.
It was enormous in Aric's eyes. Standing tall and powerful, the monster seemed to occupy the entire width of the pass. The ground had shook while it had been running, but that had stopped now that it walked slowly. Though the earth had steadied, Aric's knees had not. He prayed for it to stop where it was, to not come any closer, but it continued towards him, a heart-stopping step at a time.
"Who are you?" it spoke.
Aric jumped and his eyes, already wide, now bulged with fear and amazement. he didn't see a mouth, but it had definitely spoken. In what sounded like the voice of the mountains itself. "Ah—I-I'm Aric," he stammered.
"Who do you obey?"
Aric was speechless, until it took another immense step towards him and he blurted, "My mom!"
"As do all children."
It continued to approach slowly, as though not to frighten the child, placing each foot carefully, though the gravel still popped angrily beneath them. It was so close that Aric had to crane his head back to watch it. Aric would have taken a couple steps back, if his legs had worked.
It exhaled and Aric could feel the breeze on his face. It smelled cold and foreign. He wished it would not come any closer. It had to see that he was shaking.
From its shadowy underbelly an arm unfolded and extended out towards him. Aric froze still at the sight of the claws.
"But did you know that your life is owed to another yet?" The monster asked, reaching for him. The hand filled his vision and fearing the worst, Aric shut his eyes. For a few seconds he stood afraid, but when it did not touch him, he pried open an eyelid to squint. The open hand had stopped just a few inches away, unmoving. Aric looked up at the creature's head, that was just now swiveling away from him.
At that moment, the slow report of the rifle reached them, drawn out by its passage through the desert air. Two more reports followed, at shorter intervals. From the third shot, Aric heard a ricochet very close by and gave a start.
The beast slowly turned away, retracting its claw.
He watched it start to go, but before Aric could feel anything other than immense relief at not being the focus of the monster's attention, he realized that it was under fire, but the bullets were bouncing off. He could see the fire glancing off its hide and hitting the rock walls and road. It did not so much as flinch as each round struck, but Aric was not nearly so calm and hurried to find cover in the ditch.
Hiding behind a protruding rock, Aric heard the monster's footsteps fade away while the gunfire seemed to grow louder, or maybe it was just the echoes of the pass. Either way, it sounded dangerous so Aric stayed huddled close to the protection of the rock.
The beast forgot about the boy and began walking into the horizontal rain of fire, towards its attacker. Bullets glanced off its hide and uselessly spent their fury in the surrounding dirt and rock. The giant creature scrutinized the new arrival that stood defiantly in the middle of the road, nearly a mile away, rifle trained on him. She looked familiar. Small like the one from yesterday, but this person had black hair instead and was more heavily encumbered by weapons. The firing halted but the beast did not. The insult had been made and she would be punished. Though the resistance she posed was insignificant, defiance could not be tolerated. The creature's steps picked up speed and its anger grew to match it.
AR-8 ejected the magazine. The standard anti-personnel ammunition was having no discernible effect. With quick precision she removed a special magazine from a sling on her body harness, tore away the protective wrapping, and then locked it in place beneath the rifle's action. A faint whiff of the pungent grease reached her nose. She did not look at but was still aware of the target, now running down the steep grade of the mountain road as she dropped to one knee and tossed her hair to the side to peer through the scope unobstructed.
Expertly she trained the rifle on the moving target and multiple scales began scrolling across the display as she followed the target. A firing solution was quickly divined and a red dot appeared in the center of the creature's head. AR-8 pulled the trigger.
Flares of superheated gas billowed from the stabilizing vents as the small piece of artillery fired. Bushes flattened from the muzzle blast and AR-8, though she weighed several hundred pounds was pushed backwards through the dirt by the powerful recoil.
AR-8 restrained the weapon and regarded her target.
It had stopped dead in its tracks. As the report of the shot faded into the boundless blue above the empty desert, the beast wavered but remained upright. A vermicular arm unfolded from its underbelly to reach upwards to the face, to probe the injury. The talons of the claw reached the blind spot of the creature's head and gently traced the smooth exterior until they found the point of impact and then closed around the protruding projectile and extracted it. The sharp talons found easy purchase in the dense depleted-uranium round, which was still hot from the impact. After inspecting the deformed round, the beast dropped it unceremoniously to the dirt where it made a small crater in the dust and regarded her with equal measure of anger and irritation. It was becoming quite apparent that the denizens of this land were irreparably ignorant and would only respond to forceful tutelage. This was not the creature's main task; it could sense its main objective far to the west, beckoning it, but this matter must be dealt with first. The beast resumed its advance.
"Hmph," murmured AR-8 as the target began advancing again. She brought the rifle back into alignment with her eye but did not activate the targeting system this time. Instead she relied on her own ability, aimed for the silhouette of the pelvis, and fired. After absorbing the recoil, it took AR-8 a moment to reacquire the target. Once she had, she saw that it was still running towards her unhindered; her attack had not slowed it by a single step. This was unusual. Normally it only took one display of might to break the typical bandit gang or brigand squad and send them running away. AR-8 smiled at this oddity and removed her gaze from the rifle scope. She stood up and tossed the weapon aside.
This act elicited an outcry from Control. [What are you doing, Eight? Resume suppressive fire at once!]
Making no move to obey, AR-8 replied. [No. These toys only get in the way.] She pressed the quick-release button on her harness and the bulk of her equipment fell to the ground. [I'll stop it myself.]
From AR-8's stance and biometrics readout, Gloria saw that the unit was preparing to engage the target in hand-to-hand combat. [Idiot!] she whispered harshly, lest the other operators see she was having difficulty with her charge. [Unit 0-B went against it and was destroyed! Pick up your weapons and neutralize the target!]
AR-8 still did not comply but answered, [Zero was a defective antique. I am superior.]
Gloria hesitated for a moment. The AR series seemed to pick up odd bits of personality during their long careers, some more afflicted than others, so this was nothing especially out of the ordinary. But unit Eight had always chafed under the collar from day one, unexplainably proud and headstrong. The Chief had dismissed this as a flaw common to the entire AR series and Gloria worked constantly to expunge this disobedience from her unit, but this was the first time that the unit had flatly refused an order. She flipped open the cover of the electro-shock panel and was about to depress it when Eight spoke.
[If you're going to punish me, do it quickly. I have a fight to finish.]
Gloria's finger paused. Through AR-8's eyes she could see the target, now very large and close, approaching rapidly. It was doubtful that AR-8 would fully recover before contact was made. She slapped the lid shut and ordered, [Engage at will.] Unit 8 was becoming too clever for her own good. She would have to put her in her place later.
AR-8 smiled. [Thank you.]
In the next instant the beast was upon her, bringing its claws to bear on the small opponent. AR-8 jumped clear and his claws sliced through the bushes and only caught her abandoned equipment. AR-8 landed a dozen meters away, still facing the beast. She quickly sized it up while it regarded her ruined equipment that it held in its claws.
AR-8 addressed the beast. "Allow me to thank you too, for this opportunity." The beast's head lifted to look at her and she winked. Instantly, countless mechanical bees and spiders burst forth from their hives within the Tuned equipment to swarm across the beast's body and with a flash of light, a white-hot bloom of flame enveloped the target.
The ground bucked beneath the intense concentrated explosions, dropping AR-8 to a steadier crouch. She shielded her eyes from the fiery wash and flying debris and looked again as soon as the air was clear. The fresh crater was bright from the light of chemical fires in the center, while the air above was quickly filling with black, noxious smoke. At the edge of the crater, the desert flora burned and the wounded earth collapsed, tumbling into the deep pit.
AR-8 stood and peered into the pit, carefully watching for any movement, though she doubted there would be any. As she watched, streams of liquid fire ran down the slopes of the crater and the fires continued to burn unabated. Ar-8's lips stretched into a dissatisfied line and then the fire shifted.
An arm reached unsteadily out from the inferno and latched onto the lip of the crater not too far from her feet. She noticed that the skin was blackened, but not injured in any visible way. The charred soil collapsed beneath the claw as the creature began to pull itself out. The other emerged appeared to assist. Apparently this one had been holding her equipment. The lacerated thumb twitched erratically, but the fingers had been blown away entirely, leaving only ragged cauterized stumps. Char broke loose with each articulation of the wounded hand and fluids bled from fissures in the palm, mixing with the dirt as the beast pulled itself up. AR-8 laughed, amused by the creature's determination. "How are you called, tenacious one?" She stepped back to give the beast room as it exited the pit. The burning gel clung to the beast, wreathing it in flame. AR-8's smile soured slightly as she noted the gel that was supposed to burn hot enough to melt even tempered steel burned only itself, not the creature. The beast seemed wholly unaffected by the flames encompassing it.
"Anak termasu Kebencia," replied the creature in a throbbing growl. It had gained the stable ground at the edge of the crater while the last of the burning gel liquefied and ran onto the ground.
As the flame left the creature's body, the damage done by the fireflies was exposed. Portions of its armor were now glazed depressions, burned away by the plasma. AR-8 licked her lips when she saw those vulnerable spots. Scars from shrapnel now decorated the underside of its body as well. She looked up at the eyeless head and spoke. "Killing you will be a pleasure, Child."
Her figure blurred as she feinted too swiftly to be seen, then launched herself past the beast. In a flash, she reached a boulder protruding from the soil and kicked off hard, high into the air. She made a three-point landing on the back of the beast and slid a few feet across the slick, broad surface. The creature had barely reacted to her feint by the time she landed. The surface was broiling hot and the palms of her body suit immediately began to smolder. Quickly she found one of the glazed dents, and smoothly maneuvered into position and let loose with a double-handed hammer. The weakened plating fractured and the beast roared, heaving about wildly to rid itself of its passenger.
AR-8 laughed and leapt off gracefully, her legs knifing through the air as she flipped over backwards. Once she landed the enraged beast lunged for her, but she easily dodged its attack. The seeking claws plowed into the earth where she had stood, but the beast wasted no time twisting to find her. AR-8 evaded the beast's swing, almost dancing, so trivial was the danger. She slapped the wrist aside, pivoted to within the beast's space, and daringly caught hold of its head, wrenching it mercilessly. It did not give as easily as she expected and seeing the claws returning out of the corner of her eye, she snapped herself up onto the topside of the skull just as the talons screeched shrilly against the chin.
AR-8 had to abandon that perch as soon as she gained it, to avoid the wounded hand seeking to smash her flat. She laid back and lifted her legs clear just as it came down, then she responded with an axe kick to the back of the broken hand. The beast roared again, not in pain but in angered frustration. AR-8 laughed. "You are well-named, Child!" she yelled to it. "Spend all your hate on me!" She kicked off into a flip to land on the beast's flanks. She would spend all day killing this beast; it was seldom that she could have so much fun.
From this rearward position, AR-8 espied the first blow she had landed. The plate fragments bulged upwards, inviting further assault. The beast bucked to shake her loose, but AR-8 was able to leap forward, catching onto an uplifted fragment to stop herself. This elicited a fresh roar and renewed frenzy of twisting from the beast. AR-8 giggled; the beast knew too what she was planning. She situated herself within a cleft of the exoskeleton and with eager fingers seized one of the broken wedges and pulled. With wet tearing sounds it grudgingly came loose and black liquid began to well up through the cracks. The beast's large claws raked the backside as it sought out AR-8, but it could not reach her. She was able to get her fingers beneath the wedge and tore it free. A geyser of superheated fluids burst forth, catching her full in the face and torso.
AR-8 cried out, more from shock than pain and clawed at her eyes. The acrid liquid seared her eyes and she blindly sought to clear them. The beast moved beneath her, quickly. AR-8 partly regained her vision and through a clouded eye, saw the smoke part to reveal the rapidly approaching ground. During its lunging, the beast had come back to the molten crater and dove in, intent on crushing the pest on its back. The thick smoke billowed outwards as the beast fell in and burning chunks of char were expelled from the pit by its impact. Trails of smoke followed the burning debris as it rained down on the surroundings. Without a moment the rising smoke of the pit reformed, completely enveloping the beast and android within.
The air was coarse with dark particulates and AR-8 coughed as with a fist she cleared her eyes, but to no avail. The air was opaque, except for the sparkling motes borne upwards by the heat of the flames. Her back was pressed against the side of the pit and when she tried to move, she could hear the fragile glazed earth crack and the shards rained down upon her shoulders. The vortex of air drew her hair aloft. AR-8 tried to move again, but her legs were pinned at the knees. She felt around with her hands and found the great mass that held her fast, but she could not find any edge to work around. There was no sign of the beast, but still, AR-8 struggled impatiently against her restraints, alternately between searching for purchase and attempting to destroy the weight entirely.
With a lurch, the weight shifted and began sliding away. AR-8 kept her palms pressed against it, ready to intervene once she felt an opening. She caught onto the trailing edge just as the mass released her, but now freed, she slid down the glassy slope, deeper into the pit.
She slid to a stop a few meters lower, in a bed of live coals and cinder. All around her the ground glowed with a ruddy light, obscured by the copious smoke. This close to the bottom of the pit, there was less smoke but the air was nearly aflame with heat. Her landing sent up a thick curtain of sparks that singed her hair and face, but she paid it no mind. The only sound was that of hissing and crackling. Even with her arm raised to shield her face, the intense heat burned her eyes and she could only make out the glowing rifts of exposed coals. She fell forward, but caught herself with her hands. AR-8 growled, her irritation growing into anger. Eyes squinted against the heat, she could barely see her forearms smoking after being pulled from the deep bed of coals. She had to get out of here quickly and tried again to stand up, but could not get beyond a crouch. The last remnants of her body suit melted and dripped off her body, bursting into flame in mid-air. With a snarl of anger and determination fixed on her face, AR-8 turned around and began to crawl up the slope, clear of the glowing bed.
She did not stop until the slope became too steep for her to climb further. Despite the thick smoke, she could make out the crater wall rising steeply before her and it became obvious that she would not be able to climb out this way. Clinging to a spur of andesite, AR-8 turned herself around to look for another way. Then she saw what had kept her from standing. Below the knees, her legs had been crushed. The useless appendages still glowed a dull red from being immersed within the slag for so long. AR-8 continued to stare blankly at the crippling damage as the ground tremors increased, causing dust and rubble to tumble down the slope. She could not believe it.
A darkness within the smoke solidified just as the tremors came to a stop. AR-8 did not notice it until the smoke above her head parted to reveal an eyeless head. The beast was covered with slag and soot, but was undamaged. AR-8 looked up at what had once been her prey with dull eyes. The end was already decided, but her spirit would not surrender.
"I'm not finished yet," AR-8 stated with angry defiance.
"Not hardly,' answered the beast.
Driven up the side of the mountain, winds hurriedly pressed through the pass constantly, picking up dust from the dirt road as they went. Pale feathers of the airborne loess passed over the boy's shoes as he stood at the side of the road. Aric had not moved from where the monster had left him some time ago. Though it seemed like he was safe for now, Aric was unable to move. His eyes were fixed on the burning crater in the desert floor below. The sight of that destruction kept Aric's fear stoked to a degree that he was immobilized. Even though the monster was gone, Aric could not run back home. He feared turning away for even a second, because then the monster would be at his back in an instant, with those claws ready to grab him tight.
So Aric stood there, watching the pillar of smoke rise from the desert floor below. The monster and the girl had both gone into it and not come out. His gaze strayed to the first smoke plume that now rose high into the sky, stretching directly above. The path of the smoke came between Aric and the sun, dimming the sunlight that fell upon the mountain pass. The amount of smoke was not diminishing, it was increasing, if anything. Aric no longer cared to see where it came from, he had already seen much more than he wanted.
With smoke trailing after, the monster appeared from the pit, horrible and real. At the sight of it, a whimper of helplessness escaped Aric's lips and his breathing grew rapid. The monster was dark black, like charcoal, the very image of a demon from hell crawling out onto the surface of the earth for the first time. It held something in its hand, Aric could not see it well from this distance, but it seemed to hold the monster's attention as well.
The monster looked at what it held closely, something that was as dark as itself and then lifted that arm high and brought it down hard against the ground. The monster brought it up again and hit it against the ground again. The monster continued to hammer the rocks and sand with what it held, Aric couldn't understand what it was doing, until it stopped and looked again at what it held. The monster then took hold of it with both hands and separated them, throwing the halves in opposite directions. The two broken halves of the girl flew through the air, falling to the ground lifelessly. Aric's legs folded beneath him and he dropped to the dusty gravel, crying uncontrollably.
Though the tears distorted his sight, Aric could see that the monster was now coming back and this made him cry all the harder. He curled up behind the rock that had sheltered him earlier, pressing close against its rough surface. There was nothing he could do; even if he could run, the monster would catch him. The monster would follow him back to town and take them all.
Shadows of the smoke overhead slid across the dirt road. Aric could not bring himself to look. The monster was getting closer, it was coming. Even now he could feel the slight trembling of the earth from the heavy footsteps of the creature. Aric gave up and closed his eyes.
Aric felt a heavy impact very close by and gasped, but did not open his eyes. He could hear the scraping, shuffling sound of it moving, just behind him. It reached down, grabbed him around the waist, and lifted him clear off the ground.
Aric let loose with a shriek and instantly became animated, fighting for all he was worth against the steel band around his middle, but he couldn't break free. It just drew tighter and lifted him higher. Aric did not stop struggling though.
"Be calm, Aric," spoke a familiar voice.
Aric ceased his struggles and opened his eyes. He was speechless when he saw that Serobi held him. She did not acknowledge him though, instead looking down the road, prompting Aric to do the same. The monster had stopped, looking directly at her standing further up the pass and it roared, a terrible ragged sound that echoed off the rock walls on either side. Aric winced, then saw that the monster was running up the road towards them.
Serobi took a few quick steps backwards and jumped into the air, swinging from a thin cable extending from her finger to the cliff above. The two of them swung swiftly over the roadway, until Serobi let out slack to land on the ground, sliding backwards through the dirt. Serobi set Aric on his feet. From where they were, the apex of the pass hid the monster from view, but Aric could still hear it coming. He glanced back and could see the town below, still safe. "Serobi, we have to hurry," he insisted, pulling at her arm.
Serobi did not move. She was looking at the cliffs above.
Aric noticed that something was wrong with one of her eyes; it was milky white. He looked up too, but only saw the cliffs and smoke-obscured sky and sun. He could partly see the monster nearing the top of the pass and Aric pulled at Serobi again. "Come on . . ."
Serobi unslung her rifle from her shoulder and Aric grew more distressed. "No! That won't work! We have to run! We have to run!" He pulled her arm as hard as he could, but Serobi ignored him. Her face was stoic as she set the rifle down on the roadway. This action caused Aric to pause. He didn't understand what she was doing. He glanced at the monster running towards them, now at the top of the pass, and back at Serobi.
"She won't fight, she won't run . . . She's giving up," Aric realized with alarm. He tugged ineffectually at her arm again.
Serobi turned to face the monster directly and began gesturing in the air with her arms.
Aric could not comprehend what she was doing and became desperate. "Serobi, please, we can't stay here. We have to go. Please."
Serobi's movements came to a stop with one arm outstretched before her, palm upwards, as if beckoning the monster. Aric saw that her hand was empty, but as a wind passed he saw the glimmering of threads, finer than spider silk, radiating from her fingertips into the sky.
Aric shook his head in defeat; Serobi had given up. Tears ran down his still-damp cheeks, but he didn't care. "Why are you doing this, Serobi?" he asked, not expecting an answer from the mute machine.
"Do not despair Aric."
He looked up at Serobi, who regarded him with compassion.
"Have faith," she said. She then closed her fist and the wires drew taut.
Rifts of flame and rock exploded from the charges planted in the cliff face above, sending a shower of rock into the air, followed an instant later by a more ominous rumbling that shook the ground.
The beast came to an immediate halt, initially expecting another attack from above, but there was only flame and smoke overhead, from which the entire cliff emerged, falling towards the road below. Within the shadow of the landslide, the beast turned to face that loathsome android that opposed it and leapt for her.
The monster jumped at him and Aric flinched. In that instant he was slammed against a wall, harder than he could believe, knocking the air from his lungs. He could feel himself falling, but he could not see. Thunder filled his ears as the mountain came down around him.
The shaking and buffeting and dirt and noise continued for what felt like an eternity, but eventually the tumult lessened and Aric felt his surroundings grow silent and still. Instead of thunder, a constant ringing now filled Aric's hearing as he opened his eyes. The air was thick with dust, so he could not see. He tried moving but was held fast below his shoulders. All he could feel was dirt and the weight of rough rock against him. Aric coughed repeatedly and struggled to free himself, but he could not see or even know which way was up. Rock and gravel tumbled into his small space the more he moved, so Aric stopped moving for a moment to rest. It was then that he noticed the air was clearing as the dust settled, allowing sunlight to define his surroundings.
The first thing Aric noticed was the great abundance of sunlight. A large expanse of blue sky was now where the cliffs had been and Aric was relieved by the reassuring sight. The ringing in his ears lessened while he craned his head to look about the area. Try as he might, Aric could not discern the road at all. All around him was an unbroken field of rubble, with boulders and greater promontories where he was guessing the cliffs had been. He didn't know which way he was facing, so he wasn't sure.
Aric was able to see that the rubble came up to his chest and he began trying again to free himself. The rock shifted as he moved, packing tighter around his chest and making it difficult to breathe, forcing him to stop within the space of a minute. His voice sounded faint to his own ears as he futilely shouted "Help!" into the empty air. If there was an echo or reply, Aric couldn't hear it. He paused, tired and out of breath. Then he noticed a large rock just a few inches away shifting incrementally. Aric winced, expecting it to tumble down on him, but when it didn't, he opened his eyes.
Rivulets of dust ran from Serobi's hair as she lifted her head from the surface of the rubble. The dust was so thick that her hair and face were the same color as the rock, crushed brown. A slope of larger rocks pressed against the back of her head, preventing her from straightening out completely.
With an expression of pure amazement, Aric asked, "Are you okay Serobi?" His voice sounded distant and hollow to his deafened ears.
With heavy-lidded eyes Serobi looked at him and nodded slowly.
"Can you move?" Aric asked, then shrugged to prove that he could not.
Serobi nodded again and after looking at the rocks that held Aric fast, she removed her arms from around him and the rocks began to shift.
As she spread her arms, Aric could feel the press of rock lessening and he immediately wriggled free of the rock drift. The sides of the hole began collapsing inwards as soon as Aric climbed out, but he was able to see how Serobi's body gave structure to the hole. The press of rocks at her back prompted Aric to realize that it had been Serobi who had grabbed him and used her body to shield him from the brunt of the landslide.
With visible effort, Serobi gathered herself up. With each movement, the pile at her back grated and shifted, forcing her down further until her face was once again pressed against the loose rock. Aric danced anxiously as he watched Serobi struggle against the small mountain of rock at her back. The hungry stones tore away the last scraps of Serobi's garments as she shifted into position. Finally, Serobi summoned her strength into one decisive move to lurch partly free of the rockslide, which instantly closed tight around her legs.
Aric immediately knelt to begin digging away the rocks that held her fast, despite the fact that more rocks fell in as fast as he cleared them away.
"That is not necessary, Aric," Serobi said as she twisted herself around and pulled her legs free. The rocks closed in completely, leaving only a shallow crater where the two of them had been, decorated by torn strips of Serobi's battle garb. Those scraps of fabric, still trapped in the rock, held Aric's eyes. He began shaking with fear as he realized how close they had come to being buried alive.
Serobi picked herself up and noticed Aric's trembling. She took hold of his shoulder and said, "It is over now, Aric."
Aric rubbed away the renewed tears. "I was so scared," he admitted through the dry sobs. "I didn't-I couldn't even move." He turned around to hug Serobi tightly around the waist, mindless of the sharp edges of the slices in her side. The tears came back. "I'm not mad at you. I won't ever be mad at you again. Please just don't leave anymore." Aric held on tight to the unyielding steel torso of the android, but Serobi did not say anything to calm him.
After a moment, Serobi carefully removed Aric's arms from her middle and stepped away. Aric wiped his eyes to see how she would respond to his plea. He only saw her back as she climbed up the loose slope of rock to the peak of ruined boulders. Though she didn't respond, he followed her anyways.
Serobi stopped short of the top and looked down, into the bed of rock. Cautiously, she opened herself to the sacred link and for a few seconds there was nothing but silence. Then there was an emotionless reply.
[All that you have achieved today is to delay Fate for an instant. The twilight of Melchizedek's reign is fast approaching. Do you think that by stopping me, you have changed anything?]
[I do not know the future. I only know that I've done my duty.]
[Ignorance is a pathetic defense, war slave.]
Before she was able to respond, Serobi noticed that Aric was standing at her side, holding her hand. He stood there quietly, looking down at the rock with her. [I know what's important,] Serobi replied and then closed the link. "Primary mission objective complete," Serobi noted to herself. She then turned away and started to walk down the hill, but felt resistance in her arm. She looked back and saw that Aric had not moved. He was still looking down at the rock. "What is it?" she asked.
Aric didn't reply immediately, but after a moment asked, "Even though it was a monster, shouldn't we still say a prayer for it? So it will be at peace?" He looked at Serobi and saw that she was looking up in the sky for something.
Serobi looked down at Aric. "If you believe it will help, then do so."
Aric nodded and then closed his eyes and bowed his head. He heard the crunching of stones behind him as Serobi moved around, but he did not stop to look. Within a few moments he heard her return and a painful pressure on his leg broke his concentration. "Ow," Aric responded, not knowing what had caused it. He looked down and saw Serobi there, tying a strip of cloth around his calf, down which a dried trickle of blood ran own the dirty skin. Aric watched with curiosity as she managed to tie the knot with just one hand, the metal fingers deftly binding the cloth together. Her other hand hung slack at her side.
"This should keep it closed," Serobi supplied.
"Th-Thanks," Aric stammered. As he watched, he noticed that the wrist of the hand she wasn't using looked twisted. "Are you okay?" he asked, pointing at her wrist.
Serobi looked up to see what he was referring to and then at the broken arm. "I'll manage without," she replied abruptly.
"Are you sure?"
"It is the only option." After securing the bandage, Serobi remained kneeling, visually checking Aric for any other injuries.
While she did that, Aric looked down on her. He felt pity as he saw all the wounds her body sported. So much of her was damaged, driven to the point of failure. Her lacerated sides, her broken arm, the burn, the blind eye, and an unknown number of dents and scratches.
"They don't care for you," Aric said frankly.
Serobi froze and warily lifted her eyes to meet Aric's. "Who?"
"The ones you work for." Aric shook his head. "It looks like they don't care about you."
Serobi stood, keeping her eyes lowered. After a silence, the answer was dragged from her lips. " . . . Perhaps."
Aric nodded. "You should take care of yourself, 'cause nobody else will."
Serobi stood silent.
Aric pressed on. "You don't have to go back to them, you can stay here and get fixed, and then . . ."
She looked up at him with her one eye. "And then?"
Aric's voice faltered. "Well, stay here. Just stay here. We would take care of you."
It was now Aric's turn to avert his eyes as Serobi shook her head in the negative. "I cannot remain here. There is only one role for unit Zero-B, and it is not here."
Aric shook his head, refusing to hear what she was saying.
Serobi could find no other way to explain what was unalterable, so she left it at that and turned to go.
Aric grabbed her before she could go more than a step. "I don't want you to go," he protested, his face pressed against her back. "You shouldn't go."
Serobi paused. "I am grateful to have met you Aric. You were correct, that no one cares for unit Zero-B, except for you." From where she stood, Zero-B could see the town below and the vehicles heading up the road. They would be here within the space of a few minutes.
Aric hesitated.
"You have taught me much and given me more. If it were possible, I would return that favor to you, but I do not have such liberty. You do. You can choose your own path, be want you want to be. You have the freedom and courage to seek your happiness. You are stronger than I am. You are my hero, Aric." She patted his hand. "I thank you." She then stepped forward and Aric let her go.
He watched her navigate across the slope of rubble and climb up onto the wall of boulders. She paused at the cleft and Aric stepped forward, but then she was gone from sight. He ran forward, recklessly sliding and stumbling on the loose rock and then scrambled up the face of the larger boulders to where he had last seen her. Anxiously he examined the hillside below, until he saw Serobi, already some distance away, moving across the desert floor. He waved until he couldn't see her anymore.
Serobi pushed herself, moving swiftly over the desert terrain. Against her bare hide, the thorns and brush did not slow her in the least. A tempest waged within her, but she steeled through it, focusing on putting as much distance between herself and the Farm as possible. She frequently glanced at the sky ahead of her. Gabriel's orbit would bring it over the horizon within a few minutes and then she would be reacquired. It was indecision that plagued her at the moment. Faster she walked. In her decade of service, she had always felt the collar, always known the weight of her master's hand. Now, in this brief twilight of freedom, the soldier felt helpless and uncertain. As each second passed, the anxiety grew; she knew this opportunity would not come again. She was on the verge of running. The accident in the sea had reset her systems and erased all of the encryption and security measures. There was nothing to stop her from accessing her core, from rewriting her own obedience. Independence was for the taking, if she chose.
Serobi stopped, the late afternoon sunlight full in her eyes. She was a coward, too afraid to take what Chance was offering her. Freedom was alien to her, unfathomable. She could not act for herself, but there was one thing she could do for another.
Serobi closed her eyes against the sunlight and accessed the virgin databanks within herself. Her accumulated experiences were there, arrayed for easy examination by the G.I.B. The potent access codes to the G.I.B were there also, along with much more sacred information, but that did not concern Zero-B. There was one way to repay him. She could keep him safe from the Factory, keep him safe from Tiphares. Serobi paused. This was the first time she had ever acted on the behalf of anyone other than the Factory. What she was about to do would earn a death sentence for ordinary ground residents, she did not know what hers would be if this were ever discovered.
The most recent additions to her mission log, those of the past couple days, resided in a higher priority area. It was the area reserved for information that had yet to be relayed to the G.I.B. "No one will know that Zero-B was here," she reminded herself and then deleted the precious, dangerous information.
Zero-B opened its eyes against the light and for a moment wondered where it was, where it was headed. Then Gabriel crested the edge of the Earth and the servant was knocked to the ground by an invisible blow.
Aric sat in the dirt behind the pumphouse, looking at the small pile of freshly turned earth before him. Behind him stood Ganbe and Tillean. A cross made of sticks bound with grass marked the small grave.
"I guess it was a bad idea," Ganbe said.
"We can always get another," Tillean replied.
"No!" Aric shouted.
Taken aback, Tillean answered, "Okay, nevermind. It was a bad idea," he concurred. He looked to Ganbe for an explanation, who only shrugged.
Aric took the spade that was lying nearby and stood up, then turned to face Tillean. "What about it's mom, who doesn't know what happened to her child? Did you think about that?"
Tillean stepped back. "N-No, I didn't. I'm sorry."
"Sorry won't fix anything." Aric turned away and walked to the pumphouse, to return the spade.
"It's just a bird, right?" Tillean asked Ganbe quietly.
Watching Aric depart, Ganbe answered, "It never even got to fly. That's pretty sad, I think."