10:51pm- West Side Industrial

Ruby

Ruby, Kara and Alice padded through the snow as quickly as they could. The darkness pressed against them even with the city lights blinding the sky. They had little time to reach the bus terminal. But they had to.

Ruby's heart ached. She couldn't describe the feeling but her whole body hurt. Her head fogged like someone was squeezing her skull.

She pushed the thoughts away. Kara and Alice needed her to focus now. They had far to go and little time to get there.

"The last bus leaves in twenty minutes. That doesn't give us much time. We've got to move fast," Kara said, interrupting Ruby's thoughts.

"We will make it. Whatever it takes…" Ruby smiled quickly. But Alice slowed, pulling her jacket further around her.

"Are you all right?" Kara asked, leaning down.

"I'm… I'm really cold…" Alice replied quietly.

Kara smiled sadly. "It'll be okay. We'll hurry and be there in no time…"

They carried on down the street, passed the eerie shop windows and the cars parked diagonally. But just before they reached the corner, they spotted two dead androids lying in the snow. Blue blood stained the white powder underneath them. A gun lay on the road.

Kara turned Alice away, pulling the child towards her. Then she bent down and picked up the handgun, eyes glancing around.

"Hopefully, we won't need to use it," Ruby muttered.

Kara pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Come on, let's not stay here."

An army truck barrelled down the road so they ducked into the shelter of the corner shop, pressing themselves into the shadows as best as they could. Then a voice shouted from across the road:

"No! Please don't hurt me!"

Ruby peered around the wall. An android in a white uniform held his hands on his head and was thrust into the snow by a soldier.

"Shut up! On your knees!" The soldier snapped. Ruby thought quickly, surveying all the parked cars.

"What are we going to do?" Alice whispered.

"We have to keep going if we wanna catch that bus," Kara whispered back. "Stay close to me. We're going to sneak past them without being noticed. We're going to make it, Alice. I promise you."

"Hide behind the cars. I'll tell you when it's safe. But we shouldn't rush. I know we have to get to the terminal in fifteen minutes, but we can rush after," Ruby instructed. She took a deep breath. "Come on." Then she ducked behind the first car, careful not to lean too hard against it.

The soldier's voices echoed against the walls as they spoke to each other.

"Shut up, I said! Are there many more? Look at them, they're like rats, the more you look the more you find…"

The other snorted. "I hope we don't have to spend the night here. I'm freezing my nuts off…"

"It's gonna take weeks to clean up this fucking city. Believe me, we are far from finished here."

"There are soldiers everywhere," Kara whispered from behind Ruby. "We need to be careful."

Ruby's eyes narrowed as a soldier moved passed, pushing an android forward with his gun. She held up her hand.

As soon as his back is to us, we can move…

"Come on, get moving!" The soldier ordered. They moved to the truck. "Come on, get in!"

"Let's go." Ruby gestured, running over to the next car as the soldier was pushing the android inside. She looked around the car at the chaos that was ensuing. There were small fires dotted around the trucks and the soldiers who patrolled them.

They hurried to the side of a smaller truck as the two soldiers yelled at other androids who were hidden from Ruby's view.

We'll have to go to the end of that truck to see…

She glanced back at Kara and Alice before running to the truck. Kara clutched Alice's hand tighter, her eyes alight with fear.

Alice peered around them. "Look over there, it's Luther!" He was kneeling in the snow next to a Jerry, shrinking against the guns pointed at them.

Kara shook her head. "We can't help him, Alice. The soldiers are everywhere."

"We can't just leave him. They're going to kill him!"

Ruby sighed. "Alice is right. There must be something we can do…"

Kara sighed. Then nodded. "Okay, let's go."

They tiptoed to the left side of the truck, behind the soldiers. They were pointing their guns at someone Ruby couldn't see.

"I just wanna go home!" The figure cried. "I'm human! My wife is expecting me and we're gonna—"

"We've got orders to check all civilians," The soldier interrupted as they scanned him. Then they stepped back and shot him.

Ruby grimaced. Turning her head away, she pointed to the next truck that sat diagonally facing Luther and the Jerry. Kara helped Alice hide under the car, making sure she was in the middle and out of sight.

Kara turned her head, eyes landed on a brick nearby.

"Be careful," Ruby hissed as Kara leapt for it, weighing it carefully in her hand. She held her breath as Kara approached the soldier slowly and gave him a wallop around the head. "Thank god."

Ruby helped Alice out and she ran towards Luther who was holding Kara's hand firmly.

"Luther!" Alice cried, hugging him tightly. "I thought you were dead!"

"I thought I'd never see you again." He beamed, holding her away from him. She smiled up at him.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked.

"You shouldn't have risked your life for me," Luther chastised, though he was smiling.

"We couldn't just leave you," Ruby remarked, helping the Jerry up. "We should go. Before any more soldiers come."

"Thank you," Jerry breathed before running through the alleyway.

They ran to the side of a cab, kneeling in the snow. Ruby peered around, pushing the others back as a soldier came close. He shined his torch around the car opposite.

The torchlight scoured the ground underneath the car and around the front and back. It came dangerously close to where they were crouched, but the soldier didn't move any further forward.

Finally, he turned around and made his way back to the army trucks. Ruby saw this as their chance before he could turn back around. The four of them hurried across the street and behind the car. They were close to the fire that the soldiers guarded. Ruby didn't even want to contemplate what they were burning.

They were close now. One more car and they would be able to make a run for it past the bus. There were two soldiers here, so they'd have to be more careful.

The crunching boots came closer and closer, following the torchlight and the clicking of the gun.

Ruby held her breath for what felt like a long time. Her lungs began to ache for oxygen, and she feared she'd have to let go.

Then the soldier finally turned away, muttering to the other. Ruby nodded once to the others, making a run for the next car. The last car.

Freedom was so close. Yet so far.

The soldier was already moving towards the abandoned bus, pointing the gun diagonally as he turned the corner. His shoulders drooped as he found nothing, shaking his head as he made his way back to his partner.

Ruby smiled with relief, giving one last nod to the androids behind her. They ran past the bus, breathing the fresh, new air on the other side.

Another bus was ahead of them, this one parked, in the eerily quiet streets. Ruby's eyes narrowed at the empty bus.

Where is everyone?

They hurried through the snow—then quickly pulled back behind the bus. Two soldiers stood before the black gates, checking a family's papers.

"Shit," Ruby whispered, watching their movements.

"A checkpoint…" Kara bit her lip carefully. "We have passports, it should be okay, but you never know."

"Maybe we should take the detour and avoid the risk," Luther suggested.

"We're almost out of time, we could miss the bus," Kara replied.

"We have less than ten minutes left, and the detour takes eleven. I don't like it, but we'll have to try the checkpoint," Ruby added.

"Yeah, but it might be safer," Luther responded with a sigh.

"We don't have much choice. You know I'll protect you if I can…"

Nothing else was said. The silence was tense as they marched towards the checkpoint. Ruby took a few deep breaths as she watched the guard tighten his grip on the gun.

"I don't like humans who carry guns, they make me nervous," Luther whispered harshly.

"Just stay calm, all right, Luther? Don't do anything until I say so," Kara whispered back.

The guard turned his body stiffly towards them.

"ID, please," he ordered. Kara handed it to him tentatively. "You do realise there's a curfew? Civilians aren't allowed out unless absolutely necessary. Where are you going?" His tone was terse.

Ruby opened her mouth, but Kara answered, plastering a smile on her face.

"Our car just broke down… We're finishing on foot, we live nearby…"

The guard didn't reply but bent his head down towards Alice.

"You all right, little girl?" He looked up at Kara, who was clenching Alice's hand. "She's trembling, something wrong?"

"She's sick… A bad flu. We just need to get her home."

"Sorry, but we've gotta be careful. There are deviants around and our guys are nervous. You should hurry on home."

"Thanks," Ruby said, nodding to him carefully.

They tried not to rush out of the gate, taking every step as calmly as they could. Ruby tightened her fists in front of her to calm herself.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

They stopped still. Ruby bit her tongue hard, holding the cold metal handle of her gun. They turned slowly. The guard waited a moment before producing a glove.

"You dropped this…"

Alice gave him a small smile as she took it from him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He turned back through the gates, and the group breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ha! That was close," Ruby chuckled quietly.

"Too close," Luther muttered darkly.

11:02pm

The bus terminal was crowded in the fenced area just before the bus. It was bright in here compared to outside and Ruby squinted against the bright lights. There were many soldiers here, circling the crowd like vultures.

"The bus terminal… We've arrived. We made it…" Kara breathed, almost laughing to herself.

A soldier spoke into a megaphone at the barrier ahead of them.

"The last bus for the border is full. Ticket-holding passengers only. All departures are suspended until further notice."

Ruby's heart dropped. Her eyes darted around.

What are we going to do now? We've come all the way here…

"We don't have tickets, they won't let us on… We're stuck here now…" Kara went on.

"There must be a way. Somehow…" Ruby faltered.

"They're checking everyone. It won't take them long to find us…" Luther craned his neck over the crowd, watching the scanners.

"We need to get out of here," Kara agreed.

The tv was showing the news. What was happening in downtown Detroit. A demonstration. The march was being led by Markus, followed by hundreds of androids down Woodward Avenue. They were heading for the camp in Hart Plaza, to liberate the androids there. Hopefully.

Ruby moved away when she heard a shout.

"Security! Over here!"

She turned her head in that direction and saw a dark-haired, ill-looking man holding tightly onto Kara's arm.

"Bloody hell…" She muttered, hurrying over. Luther and Alice were staring at the encounter worriedly.

"Don't do this, Todd." Kara was appealing. "They'll kill us if you hand us in."

Todd didn't answer so Kara continued, speaking frantically.

"When your wife walked out, she took your daughter… You couldn't live without her, so you bought yourself an android. A substitute little girl… You thought you could love her. That she would make you forget. But nothing could replace your child…"

Todd hung his head, sniffing.

"I just wanted to prove to myself that I was a good father… That she was wrong. But I fucked it all up all over again. She was right in the end… I didn't deserve them. I miss my little girl. You don't know how much I miss my little girl." His voice broke, the anger dissipating.

The only sound was Todd crying quietly before Alice moved slowly towards him. Kara involuntarily moved towards her a little, but Ruby placed a hand on her arm gently.

Alice looked up at Todd and slowly put her arms around him. He hugged her back tightly for a few moments before she pulled back and gave him a smile. Todd smiled back. But then a soldier interrupted the quiet moment.

"Is there a problem, Sir?"

Ruby watched Todd silently pleading him not to turn them in.

He shook his head. "No. I made a mistake. Sorry." He turned back to them. "Good luck."

They drifted away, putting as much space between Todd and them as they could.

Kara glanced around, trying not to stare at the scanners. Ruby opened her mouth to reassure her when she realised Alice had wandered off.

She hadn't wandered far. Just around the corner to where a mother was rocking her baby in a blue blanket, holding him close and gazing at him lovingly.

"I think Oliver likes you," the woman told Alice, smiling at her. Kara placed her hands on Alice's shoulders. "Is she yours?" The woman asked.

"Yes," Kara replied with her own fond smile.

"She's adorable."

A man marched towards them holding a duffle bag and his phone.

"That's it. I got the sandwiches, I called your mom… Let's get going before we miss our bus. You got the tickets, right?"

"Yes, honey. In my bag." The woman got up holding her baby in one hand and strapping her bag onto the other shoulder. As they walked away, a blue envelope fell out and drifted to the ground. Kara picked it up carefully and opened it. Inside were the couple's tickets.

She turned around slowly. Luther, Ruby and Alice huddled around her to take a look. The adults glanced at one another.

"I'm sorry… Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I was sure!" A trembling voice reached them and as they turned they realised it belonged to the woman with the baby.

"Shit, I don't believe it!" Her husband hurried ahead of her towards the bench where they'd previously been.

"I- I don't know what happened…" She sounded like she was about to cry. Ruby suddenly felt a small bloom of guilt.

"You can't have lost them. Did you check your bag?"

"They were in there. The envelope must have fallen."

He checked under the bench and on the ground around it. Ruby watched Kara tuck the envelope into her pocket. He looked up at them.

"Excuse me, you didn't happen to see a blue envelope somewhere, did you? It has our bus tickets in it and…" He drifted off with a sigh.

Kara glanced at Ruby who shook her head ever so slightly.

"No," Kara gave them a sad smile, "sorry…"

The man nodded. "What are we gonna do?" He wondered aloud, turning back to his wife in despair. He sat on the bench, head in his hands.

"I'm so sorry, honey. They were right here in my bag…" His wife lamented as she sat next to him.

"Come on," Kara said, taking Alice's hand and hurrying towards the guards.

They slowed as they neared the front of the crowd.

"Got your ticket?" The guard asked, holding his hand out.

"Yes, here it is." Kara handed him the ticket out of the envelope.

Ruby held her breath as he checked their ticket and then finally he spoke.

"Ok, go ahead." Waving them through.

Ruby led them through, trying hard not to hurry towards the bus. But as Alice climbed the steps first, she turned to Kara.

"What's going to happen to that family and their baby? Will they die because of us?"

Kara paused for a moment before shaking her head.

"No… No, of course not."

Alice didn't look convinced but turned and trotted up the steps of the bus. Luther placed his hand on Kara's shoulder silently, then passed her to get onto the bus.

"You did the right thing. I know it doesn't feel like it… But I can't go with you from here." Ruby met Kara's eyes.

"What? Why?"

"I want to, but I need to meet up with Vera. I can't leave her yet. I can't leave Caleb, even if he's… gone. I loved him, Kara, and I'm missing a part of me. Vera needs me and I need her, right now…"

Kara nodded after a few moments, glancing up at the bus.

"Go," Ruby continued, "we'll meet up again in Canada one day. Say goodbye to Luther and Alice for me." She waved.

Kara waved back, making her way up the steps. The door closed hurriedly behind her, slamming loudly. The bus drove away, and Ruby watched it go with a heavy heart.

But she smiled too—they were going onto better things and a better life.