I know I'm not updating this story as much as I like to, but I will try to fix that. So here is a long overdue update enjoy!
9 slowly opened the message box as if it were a treasure, which technically form him it was. This time, the gears and different parts remained still. The scientist's message didn't come back on as 9 figured it was a onetime thing. He took a good look at the complex inner workings of this little machine. He looked for the last bit of hope this last message could hold for them. 9 fiddled with some of the parts to see if they were hiding the missing piece in some way or would unlock some sort of secret compartment. Growing a little impatient he hit a metal rod causing it to move downward with a click. 9 took a step back as the machine whirled back to life. As he slowly walked to the left of the box, he saw the side of it was on the floor.
7 stopped her search when she heard the movement of metal coming from below. Her instincts told her it was a machine has found them, but with a quick aerial view of the room calmed her fears. 7 noticed 9 search an opening of the box lying next to the scientist. Before she could ask what he was doing, he pulled a little device from it, a metal object. 7 froze when she saw it, her mind finding it hard to process what she was seeing. 9 was holding what could very be the thing to return everything back to the way things were.
9 slowly turned the device around in his hands. It looked like the sketch in the journal, but there were details that weren't on there. It looked like half a sphere with four latches around the edges, different symbols around it like the talisman, but they weren't the same ones, 4 bulges on the flat side of it and a single symbol was on the other. As 9 studied the small object, the box came back to life projecting the scientist once again, but on closer inspection he looked different than before, now he looked rested, full, and healthy, not the withered man he appeared before. He spoke "Greeting everyone, if you are watching this 9 then you have found the other half of the talisman, but that would also mean that you are trying to bring back the ones who didn't make it." 9 listened to the scientist carefully "I was hoping you wouldn't have to use it, but that was just wishful thinking I'm afraid." 7, 3 and 4 made their way over next to 9 "9, you and the others have done well, I'm sorry you had to fix my mistakes. I hope this will make up for it, when you connect the device and the talisman, when the latches close then you are ready for the next step." 9 opened his zipper and pulled the talisman out.
3 and 4 took a tentative step back remembering what the little thing could do. He placed both devices end to end and gave a little jump when the latches closed on to the talisman. "This is the most crucial point to remember, press the symbols in this order." 9 watched as the scientist pressed the symbol resembling a crescent shape with two lines through it and go clockwise. "Once that is done press the symbol on the bottom and leave it near a single… body to bring their soul back," 7 felt a ghost of a smile. The scientist saw them as people not machines and his hesitation when he referred to the departed as bodies, not corpses also showed that he cared about all of them. "Once everyone is brought back do what we were meant to do; live."
The twins, 7 and 9 watched as the image faded leaving them all in silence. 9 was the first to break the still air "Guess I should head out then." 7 turned to him "Don't you mean we?" 9 sighed "7 I'm fixing my mistake and more importantly we don't exactly know what could be left out there." "Which is why I should go with you," she countered. 9 looked over at the twins behind her "Keep them safe, I will make things right again, besides you left your spear when we destroyed the Fabrication Machine." 7 knew it was no use arguing with 9, she opted to asking him one thing "Who are you going for first?" 9 placed the new talisman back inside and pulled his zipper back up "I think you know." With a smile, he headed out of the room and back out into the Emptiness.
3 walked up to 7's side and 4 on the other. They looked at her and noticed her first real smile she has had since they destroyed the machine. 3 flashed his eyes toward his brother "She's happy!" "I am too! We are going to see 5 again!" 4 replied. With that, all three of them went back to the bedroom patiently waiting for 9 to return.
2 hours later…
9 climbed over another pile of rubble that seemed to be an old aircraft of some sort. He had been heading in the direction of what was left of the machine factory thanks to 5. The whole time 9 wondered how he would cross the gorge now that the bridge was destroyed. It couldn't have been the only one and there could be a strip of land connecting them at some point, but that would just mean more time wasted.
As 9 got closer to the destroyed bridge he froze because where a gaping hole should be, stretched a new one made of wood and metal. 9 hid behind a piece of jagged metal reaching to the sky, looking for anything else that should not be there. Unless humans came back to build this bridge then leave, he was sure the machines built it as a trap should they come back for any reason. 9 was not going to fall for that.
From what he could see; however there wasn't anything to indicate that it was a trap so as a test he picked up a nearby pebble and threw it. He ducked back waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. 9 did not want to cross this bridge, but there wasn't much choice in the matter. He could find another way across, which could take days for all he knew and he could easily get lost in this place. As he was contemplating his dilemma a snapping sound from his right caused him to yelp in surprise. He quickly hid behind another piece of rubble hoping it was a scavenging robot he could take down not something like The Beast or that horrible snake thing that sowed you up and took you away.
From the large stone, he slowly peeked out only to have a needle shot pass dangerously close. He fell back and scrambled to get up and run. Another needle shot past grazing his right elbow. 9 took cover inside metal pipe hoping his pursuer would keep on going. 9 winced as he checked how bad his injury was and by the look of it he wasn't in big trouble, but whatever that machine was seemed to lose track of him. He wanted to wait a few more minutes before daring to take a look. The one pointing a crossbow directly at him had other ideas.
9 stared at the figure before him, a stitchpunk like himself, but that is where the similarities end. The one in front of him was made of a faded cloth giving it a grayish hue, 2 metal buttons running down its middle, 4 copper fingers and wood palms, metal feet, 2 optics trying to read him like a book and some kind of scarf around its neck. 9 took a moment or so to find his voice and realize he was shaking "W-who are you?" "I should be asking the questions," it said. Hearing its lighter voice tone than his own made him relax a little; although she was still pointing a gun at him, her ability to speak let him think she could listen to reason. "Go ahead ask then," he finally said. The stitchpunk glared at him "Why were you following me?" 9 held his hands up "I wasn't following you I swear, I was on my way to cross this gorge when you attacked me." Before 9 could take back what he said the grey stitchpunk tensed up "I thought you were a machine, besides why do you want to go past the bridge, there is nothing you can use, everything burned down." 9 smirked "It blew up, but I wasn't going to the factory." The stitchpunk in front of him slowly lowered its weapon "Did you destroy it?" 9 shook his head "No, my friend did, I was on my way to get him." The stitchpunk took a step back "There are others?" With a smile 9 answered "Yes."
The grey stitchpunk helped 9 out of the pipe before apologizing "I'm sorry about earlier, usually machines are the only things I encounter." 9 gave her a confused look "You have never seen others like you?" she shook her head "No, you're the first one I've seen without looking in a mirror." 9 chuckled and held out his left hand "I'm 9 by the way." The grey stitchpunk slowly returned the gesture "91 nice to meet you." 91 looked at the small cut she inflicted on 9 "Again I'm sorry about that, let me patch you up." She placed her crossbow down and pulled her quiver in front of her, taking out a needle with some thread. 9 thanked her before noticing her weapon and quiver in front of him, something about them was familiar. Just as 91's patched him up he finally asked "Maybe you could make a weapon for me? I think being able to defend myself would help calm me down." 91 slung the quiver over her shoulder "I didn't make this, I found it." 9's optics grew "Did you get them from across the bridge?" 91 grew a little suspicious, how would he know that? "Yes, near a phonograph, but how did you know?" 9's face fell "It belongs to my friend; he made it a while back." 91 crossed her arms over her chest "He wouldn't happen to have a burned leather patch over his left eye." 9 nodded "Well I hate to break it to you, but he's dead so don't waste your time."
As 91 turned to leave 9 spoke up "I know he's dead I was there when it happened." 91 stopped and turned to face him "If you were there why are you going to get him?" 9 took a step closer to her "Because I can bring him back."
Who is this 91 that turned up out of nowhere? Next update will be in a few days this time.