I own nothing. Please review. Steam Powered Giraffe Fanfiction.
Rain was pouring down from the dark sky. Large drops soaking the concrete ground. In a random back alley, somewhere in a cities dark underbelly. Places where organics rarely came to. Unless under guard. A form raced through this alley, bare feet splashing in puddles. Disoriented and able to run no more, the form collapsed in the alcove of the back door of the Clockwork Cat, a rundown night club, frequented by automatons.
In this world there are three categories of beings. Automatons, humanoid robots, fully function and able to reason and exist within their programing. Though some seemed to have a learning software, adding experiences and outcome to the base programing. The second group, Cybernoids, humans with cyber/ robotic upgrades. Some part of them remained organic, often the brain or heart, but they had strength and abilities far surpassing normal. The final group, Humans, often referred to as organics. Once the majority on the planet, in the past 50 years organics had become the minority, almost rare.
The door opened after a few moments, Hatchworth, the automaton, looked out. He had been expecting a delivery of his mustache monthly. The dead looking human lying in the doorway was very unexpected. He gathered the form into his arm and bought it inside.
Gently cradling the organic, Hatchworth made his way, down the three stone steps, through the narrow concrete hallway, to the dressing room of his band waiting for their stage cue. He nudged the door open with his foot.
"Get your reading material?" The Spine asked from his chair not looking up. The silver automaton was too busy tuning his guitar. He was dressed in an old fashioned suit with a fedora upon his head. Slits had been cut/ sewn into the back of the fabric to make room for his spines. Four in all, two large and two small silver spikes. The larger set was around the shoulder blades, and the smaller ones not far below the first ones.
Rabbit sat at the small mirror polishing her face, she was the first to notice the bundling in her band mates arms. "Hatchworth! What do you have?" The golden automaton female exclaimed getting up from the mirror. Her black corset, plush black skirts and black top hat accentuated her golden looks. Her exclamation drew her "brother's" attention, and he looked up at Hatchworth. She and the Spine had been built at the same time and she at least considered them siblings, like organics had.
Hatchworth crossed the room and placed the organic on the small settee. "I found it outside in the rain…is…is the organic d-dead?" Hatchworth asked reaching up to twist his bushy orange mustache, a habit of worry programed into his system.
The Spine was already at the organic side. He undid the trench coat wound around her body. Had a moment to make a mental note that it was a female human, that she was naked and this was not normal for organics, before finding her pulse. "She is alive." Spine said as he continued to check for injury. The Spine had been in war before, fighting side by side with organics. He knew the basic checks and first aid requirements for organic life. Rabbit has also been in the war but in a completely automaton unit. She had no knowledge of first aid.
Humans did not come to places in the city like this, not normally. The Spine narrowed his eyes as they alighted on two perfect circle bruises just around the temples. He moved the blonde hair of the human gently to the side for a better look. Inside each bruise were three puncture marks that formed a triangle. He hissed, drawing Rabbit and Hatchworth closer.
"What did you find?" Hatchworth asked.
The Spine pointed at the marks. "She's been brain drained."
"Brain drained? But that's Illegal!" Rabbit said, glitching slightly while looking at the marks. "Especially on organics."
Spine nodded. "Since the last war, it's been deemed inhumane and torture. When the organic wakes up, she won't know anything. Not even her name."
Hatchworth expelled some steam from the small smoke stack on his hat. That was a very upsetting thing to hear. Organics needed there memories. They couldn't survive without them. There were blank slates after being drained, and often abused. It was one of the reasons the memory removal technology had been outlawed.
Rabbit frowned and looked at Spine for direction. "What do we do now?"
The Spine opened his mouth to answer but before he could, a loud banging knock came on the dressing room door.
"You're on in five!" The voice shouted loudly on the other side of the wooden door.
"We will be right there." Spine called back. He grabbed a blanket and laid it over the sleeping organic form. "We can deal with this after the show."
The clubs stage was little more then some raised plywood and rag curtains, in the corner of the dirty bar. The air was filled with smoke, a mixture of coal, steam and diesel smoke. None of these things bothered the Spine as he sang his song on stage. A ballad of wanting, a song thinking that he was missing something but without feeling to know what that something was. It was a song that many automatons could understand. Movement caught his attention as he preformed. Law Keepers, two of them had entered the bar. The Spine would have ignored this except for how they looked. One, both Law Keepers appeared to be human, no law keepers would come into a automaton bar such as this without at least one law keeper being an automation. He might have taken a vow of peace, but most automatons would fight to keep following there programing. Secondly, The two humans were wearing the uniform of law keepers but they looked ill-fitting and dirty, something that would not happen.
….Something was wrong. The Spine continued to watch them as the two weaved as quietly as they could through the crowd and to the back stairs. One slipped down while the other watched for a moment, then also slipped down the stairs after his companion. The Spine's song was finishing and Hatchworth came out to start his comedy musical act.
"Spine..." Rabbit started, Hatchworth would cue her soon, so there wasn't much time to speak.
"I know. I saw them too, I'll check on things." Spine replied slipping out behind the curtain and down the hallway both men had taken.
The concrete hall was a straight shot and he couldn't see the men. Spine began to hurry, worry firing in his wiring as he opened the dressing room door. There were the men standing over the organic. One holding her down the other pushing a pillow tightly to her face. At his entrance the one holding her turned and hissed at him, eye flashing green, jaw unnaturally dropping, tearing off the plasticine fake human skin, revealing inhumane metallic fang. Free to move now the girl's struggled in creased pulling at the pillow at her face, fighting the other as best she could.
"Cybernoids...Get off of her!" Spine growled, vow of peace or not, he would not stand by while an organic was murdered in front of him. He had seen enough death for a thousand lifetimes.
The long jaw attacked him. Spine blocked with his arm as the Cybernoids teeth buried into the metal, oil oozing out from the wounds. Spine took no notice and grabbed the neck of his attacker throwing him off and back into the other one. Knocking them both almost to the floor. Freed from the suffocation the girl gasped for air and moved away as quickly as she could. The one who held the pillow reached out for her, arm extending three times the normal length and grabbed for her. The Spine brought his bass down across his extend arm bending it at and angle. The cybernetic was unable to retract his arm.
Pouncing from behind the long fanged cybernoid bit deeply into the Spine's shoulder and neck. He let out a mechanical cry trying to throw the attacker off. The crippled long arm pulled a gun out from his boot with his good hand. This was taking too long. He was standing by the door and did not see Hatchworth who rammed into him like a steam locomotive, sending him flying. Rabbit right as his heel crushed the weapon under her perfect robotic foot.
Now outnumbered the two cybernoid backed away before dropping a smoke bomb, obscuring them from sight. One called back. "This isn't over musicians! You should have never messed with the family!"
"The family? As in the mob crime family?" Rabbit asked as the smoke cleared. "That Family?"
"Are you hurt Spine?" Hatchworth asked looking at his friends injuries, as leaking oil dripped onto the floor. He grabbed a rag and held it to his neck.
"Its not serious. The oil will thicken and plug the leaks soon. A little welding and it will be easy to fix." Spine assured his friends. Seeing the danger was over Rabbit snorted."What were you thinking Spine attacking them?"
"There were killing the human." Spine replied now looking for said organic. "What was I suppose to do Rabbit, just watch?" Soft coughing drew the trio to her hiding place under a pile of Rabbit's extra costumes.
Three pairs of robotic eyes met a set of pale blue ones. The girl put her hands up slightly, and flinched away afraid.
"We won't hurt you." Hatchworth assured, with a bright toothy grin.
Rabbit frowned. "What now Spine?" She asked, as he tossed her a suitcase.
"Pack, fast." He commanded, and the did just that. Rabbit taking a moment to dress the human in one of her costumes. Couldn't have her running around naked. Everyone would stare at that because of how unusual it would be to see.
"You're coming with us, its not safe here. Do you understand?" Spine asked the organic who nodded.
"Good. Rabbit take point, Hatchworth, don't leave her side." Spine said, while grabbing his guitar and bag. The band, plus one, slipped out the back door to the alley and into the rain.
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