Chapter 10: Home on the Wastes (IV)

"M-miss Anne, please wake up!" Saphirette implored as she grabbed the unconscious woman by the shoulders, shaking her gently. "Please, please wake up! I beg you!"

The elementalist was a nervous wreck, unable to even think clearly, focused only on making sure that the woman accompanying her was not dead.

"I implore you, open your eyes!" Saphirette said as her voice cracked, being on the verge of tears.

The woman was unresponsive, remaining unconscious, with a long trail of blood falling from her head. Those sudden and violent movements forced by the mechanisms of the ruins had moved them to some random place, and had done so with such force that they were sent flying. In a cruel twist of fate their landing place ended up being a subterranean cave connected to the ruins, so the fate of both of them would be to crash into huge, jagged rocks. Or at least that would have been the case had it not been for the sacrifice of her companion, who by means of a quick levitation spell managed to prevent Saphirette's fall, at the cost of her own safety.

"How can I live knowing you died because of me?!" Saphirette whimpered as she sank her head into her companion's chest.

She remained like that for several seconds, plunged into the deepest despair, crying inconsolably at what seemed to be the loss of her expedition partner. However, being so close to the woman's chest allowed her to hear a faint sound.

"H-huh?"

She could hear a faint heartbeat, It was weak, but it could be heard.

"S-she is still alive!" exclaimed the elementalist with glee.

In those moments she could feel relief spreading throughout her body, still shedding tears, but this time of joy. However, she knew well that not everything had been solved, for her companion was still in a serious condition. She had to find a way to cure her, or at least to improve her condition.

"Aquarius, heed my call," she whispered softly as she raised her hand high in the air.

From beneath her sleeve a serpentine-looking creature composed of water began to emerge, encircling her arm as it made its way to her palm where it conglomerated into the shape of a huge water droplet. From there the elemental began to communicate with its mistress, emitting little glows in its mental speech, one that could only be understood by those who were bonded together.

"Can you do it? Then please do it, cure her!" she pleaded.

Aquarius responded again through mental messages, faint whispers that echoed in Saphirette's mind.

"I-is that so?" she asked with some trepidation.

The elemental would be able to give a mild treatment, just enough to heal external wounds and stop bleeding, but that would be no more than a simple, light, temporary cure. Any internal damage would continue, and if she did not receive the necessary medical help soon, her condition would be in danger of worsening.

Saphirette had no further knowledge of medicine or healing magic. Her main specialization was the control of elementals and the skills that went with that, among them the ability to provide first aid through the healing waters of Aquarius. However, she had always limited herself to treating cases of slight gravity, such as animal bites or common diseases, she had never been in the situation of dealing with possible internal hemorrhages, much less those involving an area as delicate as the head.

An impact of that magnitude would easily wreak major damage on any human being, especially someone as fragile in appearance as that woman. At that moment Saphirette could only provide a slight cessation of pain, but she would need to leave the ruins as soon as possible and seek medical attention, something that would probably be impossible given the distance between the ruins and the nearest village. There was also the fact that the ruins had shown themselves capable of moving at will, changing her position unexpectedly. Any advance towards the surface could easily be spoiled in the blink of an eye, not to mention the defense machinery she might encounter in her path.

Saphirette had a dilemma. She wanted to cure her companion, but realistically she would not have the opportunity to get her to a place where she could be given the necessary medical treatment. She could give her a slight superficial cure, but nothing that could save her completely from death.

She used her free hand to rub her face, rubbing it in frustration. "What should I do?" she questioned herself in an anxious tone.

The elementalist thought of one plan after another, coming up with possible ideas only to discard them instantly, finding herself immersed in a frantic internal debate about what to do. She was about to give up, to let herself be overcome by despair, but an unexpected realization changed that.

"The artifact," she mused, focusing her attention back on Aquarius. "The artifact, the one that can bring life to any wasteland. If I used some of its energy, just a little, it might be enough to power your healing waters and save Miss Anne!"

The elemental did not respond immediately, remaining silent, as if analyzing its mistress's proposition. Aquarius was slow to issue a response, but finally did so through soft whispers directed at the elementalist's mind.

"It may be a risk, but it is the best option out we have," she said determinedly. "Honor our bond, Aquarius, and may your waters quell all unrest. May purity bring wellness, Healing Water!"

Once the words of enchantment had been uttered, Aquarius was forced to obey its mistress's command. The huge drop of water quickly expanded amorphously, leaping from its owner's hand and landing on top of the unconscious woman's body. Once there it began to run over her body extensively, with its crystalline body glowing potently. Soon the external wounds began to close, with any traces of blood being wiped away. The woman seemed to respond to the healing, emitting a small whimper, but still unable to wake up.

The process lasted for a few minutes, with the water elemental making sure that every superficial wound was healed. Once it had finished its work, it once again took on a serpentine appearance, leaping from the woman's body and returning to its resting place under its owner's sleeve.

"H-huh? This... this is strange," Saphirette mumbled, feeling a curious sensation as she welcomed Aquarius back.

Healing Water not only used the healing energy of Aquarius to heal wounds, but also recharged itself by making use of the spiritual energy of the person being treated. By absorbing a small portion of the patient's energy, Aquarius was able to not only remove any mild affliction, but also accelerate the body's natural regenerative abilities. A side effect of the spell is that remnants of the spiritual energy were infused into Saphirette when Aquarius returned to her, something that normally did not present any kind of noticeable change, or at least not until now.

Saphirette felt strange, in a way she couldn't find words to describe. Absorbing some of that energy had provoked a reaction in her, one by which she could feel her own magical abilities being enhanced, but at the same time as if something was eating away at her very spirit. She felt dizzy, even nauseous, but gradually the discomfort subsided.

"W-what is the meaning of this?" she asked, feeling stunned.

Saphirette didn't have time to even process what had just happened, as the chilling sound of machinery echoed in the distance. She was in hostile territory, so she couldn't waste any time. The main thing right now was to find the artifact, heal her companion, and find a way out of those ruins. Although for some reason she felt that she was forgetting something.

She quickly got up from the ground, carefully approaching the exit of the cave and looking to the sides to make sure that there were no hostiles nearby. Once she was sure that the corridor was deserted she decided to leave, turning to see the cave where the woman remained leaning against the wall. She could not leave her without any kind of defense, for she did not know how long it might take for her to return, not to mention any possible enemy that might find her as she lay unconscious.

"Gaea! Heed my call, honor our bond!" said the elementalist, placing the palm of her hand against one of the walls of the cave. "Emerge and block any transgressors, Stone Mantel!"

Once the incantation's words were uttered, a massive formation of solid stone erupted from the ground almost instantly, blocking the entrance to the cave and hiding the unconscious body of the woman.

"Please wait for me, Miss Anne, I will be back as soon as possible!"

Saphirette began to run, pulling the blueprints out of the small pouch on her hip. It was the one she had drawn based on the writings she had spent years deciphering, the only reliable guide she had in that labyrinth. If she could find her way, then she would have no problem reaching the center of the ruins, where the supposed artifact lay. She could only pray to the Chief God that the ruins would not move again on their own, for she was now working against the clock.

Things were not going as planned. She thought that separating the groups and isolating them from each other would make it easier for her to deal with each one individually, but it was obvious that had failed. The leader of the group from above was now in an intense fit of blind rage, having destroyed any obstacle she had put in his way to stop him. He was unstoppable, hacking away at machinery and metal doors with a mysterious violet axe, one capable of cutting through the steel of the facility with insulting ease.

The man moved from section to section, annihilating everything in his path in a berserk rage, even going so far as to personally destroy the security cameras, as if to send a message. He was not the only one, for the winged creature that seemed to lead the group from below was likewise on its own destructive path, casting powerful spells of destruction and destroying entire corridors composed of the best set of defense machinery the facility had. Both, despite their notable differences, seemed to share the same objective: to destroy everything in their path.

"Why... Why?" the android mumbled in frustration. "Why can't I... stop them?"

The turrets, the defense automatons, the war machines, nothing was able to stand up to them in their savage attack. No matter what she did, they simply destroyed whatever she sent their way. Worse, they were wiping out the heritage of her master and his companions in their relentless onslaught, destroying not only the magnificent technology of old, but also desecrating unique heirlooms of the former inhabitants of the facility without even noticing or at least caring. They were the best representation of the savages her master had warned her about, the loathsome uncivilized beasts from the outside who live for nothing else but to desecrate civilization and the advancement of her creators.

She felt anger and frustration, but unfortunately there was not much she could do about it. Her own body was already in a pitiful state, unable to stand up to them. To do so would be suicide, and that was something she could not afford. She had to follow her master's command, she had to remain on guard until his promised return.

"What... should I do? What?" she questioned herself in despair as she watched through the screens as the man and the winged creature continued their relentless destructive journey through the facility.

She could no longer reapply the X9-1 protocol, as the very conditions of the facility did not allow it. It was an emergency act that could only be performed a few times, as it caused a radical and damaging change in the infrastructure of the facility. Doing it again would mean destroying the facility, and although it would mean stopping the invaders, it would be going against her master's orders. Not only was she to protect the facility, she was also to protect the Battery.

'It is our only chance to be able to return, so you must take care of it until we get back, understood?'

Her master's words still echoed in her mind, the last memory she had of him before she fell into her programmed sleep. She was only allowed to wake up every century to clean and maintain the facility, as well as keep track of the Battery as it recharged. She hated waking up, as it forced her to confront the loneliness she was subjected to. Each time she came back online she did so in the hope that her master had returned, only to be greeted by disappointment, a fact she was forced to repeat constantly. Not only did she detest the intruders for having broken into her sacred home, but also for having awakened her, for forcing her to go through that heartbreaking feeling of hope again, one that they had heartlessly destroyed.

She hated them. Not only did she want to get them out of the facility as soon as possible, she wanted to punish them, to make them pay for all the damage they had done to her and her home.

BEEP BEEP

An emergency alarm attracted her attention. She had been so focused on those destructive individuals that she had barely paid attention to the rest of the groups, which had dispersed and remained low profile. Much to her horror she was able to watch as one of the invaders, something that appeared to be some sort of floating machine, made its way to the Battery Room.

Panic began to invade her. The most important place, the one for which she had spent centuries in deep sleep, ever vigilant, would soon be exposed to someone who was not her master. She could not even send reinforcements to that area, as most of her forces were focused on holding back the violent leaders of the groups. Already they were barely able to hold them off, if she removed them it would only give them a clear path to the Battery Room.

The fact that it was just one was preferable to dealing with a group, but still her body was in no condition to fight. Her corroded mechanical limbs were barely able to function properly, and her weaponry lacked the necessary maintenance to bring out their true potential. She would go into battle at a disadvantage against an enemy with unknown capabilities, and the result would be more than obvious.

She knew what she had to do. She was in no condition, and the outcome would probably be one of the least desirable, but she had no choice. Whatever happened, she had to protect the Battery, no matter what the cost.

Any trace of elegance had been taken from Zarthir, who now moved through the corridors wildly and erratically, dispatching any machinery that dared to stand in her way. Countless defense robots had been reduced to molten metal thanks to her powerful fireballs, with a few having the privilege of being personally severed by her sharp crimson claws.

She was not of a violent nature. She was cruel, like all of her race, but it was a cruelty of a playful and mischievous nature, not one aimed at causing harm to others. This time, however, it was different, for she pushed her way through the mechanical horde with fury, one of which she had never previously shown in her life.

Such things as the current location of her subordinates, the mission she had been given by the Fourth Princess, and even her own mutilated tail whose wound she had to cauterize to stop the bleeding, had all lost value or importance to her. She only had a single goal in her mind: to follow the essence of that man.

The demon was in a frenzy, in a state such as she had never experienced in her centuries of life. She was focused on following the trail of that exquisite essence, one that although faint due to the abrupt change of positions, was still noticeable.

"Out of my way!" the demon exclaimed with a mighty scream.

Zarthir could feel nothing but mere contempt for those pieces of scrap metal and their audacity to stand between her and her precious man. They were not living beings, so it was not against the Demon Lord's command not to murder, so she was free to dispose of them in any way she liked, a fact that she greatly adored.

"Begone!" she exclaimed as she tore apart a bulky defense robot with her razor-sharp claws.

She could feel the essence getting closer and closer, it was still far away, but if she continued on the way she was going she had no doubt that she would soon be reunited with her precious one, and this time she would make sure that nothing would separate them.

"Zarthir!" a voice shouted from afar.

The demon's frantic flight came to an abrupt end, as the sudden materialization of a wall of pure energy in front of her forced her to stop. Her developed senses had allowed her to stop in time and avoid collision, something that any other lower-caste being would have been unable to do.

"Have you lost your mind?!" again shouted the voice in the distance.

The demoness turned around, watching as Faeren ran at full speed in her direction, with fury in her eyes. Valeria was even farther away, with her staff held high, undoubtedly responsible for having projected that wall of energy.

"Oh dear, I was already wondering where you were, my darlings. I am glad you are well," the demoness commented with an almost insulting casualness.

"You abandoned us and flew away like a lunatic!" said the dark elf as she raised her whip high in the air. "Do you have any idea what we had to go through? We barely made it out of the movement of the ruins intact!"

Once close enough, the dark elf delivered a powerful lash, but it was easily repelled with a simple hand movement by the demoness, deflecting the attack and causing it to head for a nearby wall, managing to break through it due to its intensity.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" asked Faeren as she faced her, bringing her face as close to hers as the height difference between the two of them would allow.

Zarthir was expressionless for a few brief moments, but quickly adopted a coquettish, playful expression, one that could only be attributed to someone who was aware of her wrongdoing but felt not the slightest hint of guilt about it.

"I met a man!" she crooned playfully.

The dark elf's expression at that response was a bizarre mixture of confusion, anger, disappointment, and stupefaction.

"A… man? You ditched us and abandoned the mission for a man?!" Faeren burst out, using all her willpower not to strangle her on the spot.

Zarthir nodded while giggling, with a feline smile drawn on her lips.

"How is it possible that you found a man down here? These ruins have been abandoned for centuries," said Valeria, already having reached them despite her slow and weary walk.

"I have no idea, but he certainly is not just any man," Zarthir replied as she placed her right hand on her own cheek, still smiling brightly. "And that is why we will abandon our mission and focus on looking for him! If you behave yourselves I may even consider sharing him with you."

Both the dark elf and the dark mage could not believe their ears. While it was a tempting offer, going against a direct order from the Fourth Princess was basically an act of unparalleled treachery. Comrades of higher rank than them had suffered great punishments for far less than what the demoness was proposing.

"Z-Zarthir, when we are done with the mission we can go and collect as many men as you want, there is no need to take such drastic me—"

Valeria was interrupted by the sudden and swift grabbing of her face. The demoness moved extremely quickly, pushing past the dark elf and pinning the dark mage in place, squeezing her cheeks intensely and forcing her to look straight into her reddish eyes, which seemed to lack their usual glow. Instead they were piercing, intimidating, reminiscent of those of the beasts of old, from before Lilith took the throne.

"I. Want. Him," Zarthir claimed, her usual sweet, sultry voice replaced by a deeper, raspy one.

At that moment the subordinates felt an enormous pressure coming from the demon, so great was its magnitude that they were barely able to stand, on the verge of falling to their knees on the floor. Zarthir was showing a side they had never seen before, one that genuinely terrified them.

"Who is ´him´?" Faeren managed to ask, though feeling a tightness in her chest as she spoke.

Zarthir proceeded to let go of Valeria's face once she heard the question, causing the dark mage to collapse to the ground, breathing heavily, with a noticeable shock on her face. The demon turned to face the dark elf, still with that disturbingly serious expression, which soon changed to a more jovial one once she began to speak.

"Why, my soon-to-be husband!"

The eyebot grumbled internally as he floated through the abandoned corridors of the Vault, repeating to himself over and over that it had been a bad idea to let the Courier go on his own, and worse, in the company of those women. It was a bad habit of his human companion, always wanting to hang out in the company of complete strangers just because they were attractive. He honestly could not understand how the Courier could follow any pretty-faced woman so irresponsibly, especially since they were in unfamiliar territory.. He thought he would have changed his habits after what happened with Cass, but it seemed that would never happen. He knew that Lake Mead would dry up before the Courier gave up his peculiar tastes for the female gender.

Clank

ED-E quickly turned toward the source of the noise, ready to fire. He expected to find some kind of enemy or similar, but instead found a simple piece of decoration that had fallen from the wall. He wanted to make sure, so he scanned the place carefully, finally letting his guard down when was sure there was no presence nearby. The previous strange movement in the corridors had unsettled him, making him nervous. He had explored several Vaults over the years with the Courier, but nothing similar to that place. Not only was it significantly larger than a usual Vault, but it had proven to possess some very peculiar technology, including the ability to alter the internal locations of the Vault, somehow managing to move entire corridors in all directions.

Now the eyebot was lost, having been dragged to a random spot in the Vault, forced to explore that ancient and treacherous place on his own. His only goal in mind was to meet the Courier again and reproach him to his face for the fact that he was right, but in order to do so he had to find him first, a task that was proving increasingly difficult.

The corridors were long and complicated, with intersections that made him assume he was in some kind of labyrinth. He had hardly had any kind of hostile encounter like the one they had recently had as soon as they entered the Vault. He hadn't encountered any automated turret in his solitary exploration, not even a single sentry bot had been dispatched to deal with him. It was as if the Vault's defense systems did not recognize him as a threat, or perhaps it could be that his very presence was ignored. Both possibilities were equally insulting to him, so he couldn't help but feel offended that he was allowed to explore the Vault in complete peace.

The eyebot continued his long, boring stroll, his only consolation prize being the data he had collected and the intact piece of turret he carried in his compartment. But just as he was tempted to play a recording from his vast collection to distract himself, specifically the one when the Courier had to potty train Rex's cyberpups, he could feel a powerful source of energy nearby, one whose power was even beginning to affect his circuits. He could not explain it, as it was not something that was stored in his database. It was a powerful source of energy, one whose magnitude was comparable to nuclear energy. The further he went, the more intense the influence of that energy became in his system. The eyebot stubbornly persisted in following the trail of that energy, even as its own operating system began to be affected by the magnitude, driven by unparalleled curiosity.

Soon the eyebot found himself at the entrance to what appeared to be a special room, one whose structure stood out among the gray monotony of the corridors he had grown accustomed to. There were a great number of pipes running in and out of the floors and walls, immense ducts wasting electrical energy in great quantities, and countless gears of various sizes attached to the walls and parts of the floor, working together perpetually. It was a visual chaos, but everything seemed to follow a certain pattern, one that was directed at what was in the center of the room.

In the middle of the bizarre room, perched atop a curious marble pedestal, lay something that the eyebot could only describe as reminiscent of a fission battery, though it could hardly be considered as such. It had a relatively similar shape, although that object was much larger in comparison, with an amorphous and inappropriate size for the place where it resided, almost as if it had overgrown over the years. That thing seemed to be connected to various wires and connections, which seemed to be feeding it continuously with immense amounts of energy.

Amazed at such a discovery, the eyebot began to consider what his next action should be. It would be dangerous to take such a curious device without prior preparation, however tempting it might be, not to mention that his main objective was to rejoin the Courier. That object could be used later as study material, but now the main thing was to make sure that his human companion was safe. The little robot stayed for a few seconds, contemplating that mysterious and curious construction, but before he could continue on his way he could hear the sudden and shuddering noise of a wall being opened.

"Master warned me... about the savages," mused a mysterious voice, one that denoted a certain distortion in its speech. "Now I see... he wasn't... exaggerating."

ED-E quickly pointed to where he perceived the voice to be coming from, ready to fire. There he could see how a mysterious figure made its way out of what had previously been a rigid steel wall, possibly making use of a secret passageway to do so. It was a mechanical being, a robot, though not an ordinary model, as it had a relatively feminine figure, with an eerily human face, including details such as eyes, nose and mouth, and even had a kind of fiber that resembled hair. It had an appearance that could be considered sophisticated were it not for the noticeable corrosion effects seen on much of its body, with those mechanical limbs barely holding together with the main body. It appeared to be a unit that had gone too many years without maintenance, long enough for it to fall apart and stop functioning, but somehow it was still working.

"I will not… allow you to continue… to destroy the Master's home," it said haltingly, though denoting determination and contempt in its speech.

In itself the curious and enigmatic figure was surprising to the eyebot, but what intrigued him most was the fact that he could understand its talk, for that mysterious robot was speaking English. It was not using the same strange language he had heard from the natives since the moment they arrived, the one that for some reason the Courier was able to understand and speak, that was North American English.

ED-E was perplexed, he could not understand why that machine was able to speak perfect English in those foreign lands. He didn't have time to process the confusion, however, as he saw the robot raise its hand in the air towards the object in the middle of the room, which seemed to respond instantly, trembling in place before detaching itself from the wires and flying off at full speed towards the robot.

"I will… dispose of you… savages," it declared as it brought the now shiny object closer to its chest.

The eyebot waited no longer, quickly firing at the target in repeated blasts of energy, unleashing the full power of his miniaturized Tesla cannon. The enemy robot barely had time to react, receiving that burst directly and without the possibility of dodging or defending itself, falling to the ground dejected. Unfortunately, the shots failed to hit the mysterious object, which now rested intact in the center of the robot's chest, glowing brightly.

ED-E rushed to close in and finish off the robot, but an unexpected explosion of energy sent him flying, ending up smashing into one of the walls. That blow stunned him, but when he finally managed to regain his senses, he could see with surprise that the enemy robot was now standing, but now different. Its appearance had undergone an instant radical change, with all traces of erosion removed, showing a completely renewed appearance. Not only that, but the robot was now surrounded by a pulsating, flame-like aura, emitting atrocious amounts of energy, almost as if it were a walking nuclear reactor.

The expression on the robot enemy's face was not what ED-E expected. It didn't look happy, smug, or even satisfied that it had avoided being destroyed, instead it looked distressed, guilt-ridden even.

"Master, I'm sorry..." said the robot with some pain in its voice, one with a more human touch than expected. The robot quickly raised its hand in ED-E's direction, giving him a contemptuous glance. "You savages, you will pay for what you have done!"

A large weapon began to emerge from the robot's arm, one whose main feature was the long protruding barrel. Mysterious purple bullets began to emerge in midair, orbiting around that weapon, with one being loaded. ED-E was still having trouble understanding what had just happened, as any logical explanation failed to give reasoning to what he had just witnessed, but he knew this was not the time to think about it. The enemy was still in front of him, still capable of attacking, and that was something he would not allow.

The eyebot searched his databanks, finding the desired file and playing it through his speakers. Battle music echoed through the room, being ED-E's way of communicating his defiance to the enemy.

"Disappear!" exclaimed the robot as it proceeded to fire.

Thus began an exchange of gunfire between the two robots, with ED-E levitating with agility and speed to avoid those mysterious purple bullets, something the enemy robot had no need to do, as it was now able to receive the eyebot's powerful shots without any problem, with the same not even being able to cause a scratch on its alloy.

Those purple bullets were fast, not to mention extremely powerful, as the ones that hit the walls had no problem vaporizing large portions with terrifying ease. The eyebot understood that receiving just a few directly would mean his destruction, so he made use of his small size and speed to surround the enemy while unleashing numerous shots, all in an attempt to hit a possible weak area.

The confrontation was erratic and fleeting, but it took an abrupt change when the enemy robot stopped firing, standing still in place to receive ED-E's shots, something that surprised the eyebot, who took a considerable distance without stopping his burst. There he could see how the floating purple bullets that circulated the gun began to accumulate inside it, causing the barrel to expand and glow. His sensors could detect an immense amount of energy accumulating in that single place, being a powerful and dangerous charged shot. Due to the space provided by the room it was logical that an attack of that magnitude could cause gigantic concentrated damage, one that he could not escape. He wasn't sure if that robot was willing to launch an attack of mutual destruction, or if it already had a way to protect itself from the blast, but he decided he wouldn't stick around to find out.

He flew away as fast as he could, out of the room and back down the hallway he had come, feeling safe once he was at what he considered a safe distance, but this feeling was quickly overridden when he heard a powerful explosion in the distance, one followed by a blinding shockwave of pure energy that engulfed the entire hallway.

She knew the Battery was powerful, but she herself had never imagined it to be at these levels. Not only had it managed to revitalize her from what would have been certain destruction, she had also put her armament to work, and had done so at levels that exceeded its original functions. Even firing a charged shot of that magnitude would have meant the assured destruction of her old body, but she felt not the slightest effect on it. She could not help but feel slightly excited at the possibilities she now had in front of her with her new abilities, but she felt miserable just the same, for she had just gone against her master's order. The Battery could now no longer be put back in its charging area, as having used it without prior implementation would result in its destabilization.

Now she and the Battery were inseparable, as separation would mean the cessation of her body's functions, not to mention the destructive consequences of having the Battery in an unstable state. She had failed in her mission to guard the Battery, but at least she had prevented it from falling into the hands of the savages outside.

She walked over to the carcass that now lay on the ground. It was still emitting certain squeaks, so it had somehow managed to survive the charged shot. It was of no consequence, as it was no longer in any condition to be a threat.

"What kind of machine are you?" she asked as she looked at the curious mechanical being.

It was a kind of robot, with a spherical shape and the ability to float. It also had an efficient offensive capability, so it was undoubtedly the result of relatively advanced technology. She did not remember that her master or his colleagues had any plans or ideas similar to that thing, so the only possibility was that it was something invented by the savages.

Thinking it would serve as study material, she reached out her hand as she approached so she could grab the remains of the machine, but unexpectedly, her hand was intercepted by a flying object, one that caused an explosion that stunned her, feeling a powerful electromagnetic pulse coursing through her body.

Alarmed, she looked up to search for the person responsible for the attack, which she soon did, for in the darkness of the hallway she could see two large crimson lights moving in the darkness, and the closer they came to the light, the better she could discern their identity. They belonged to a humanoid figure, one covered from head to toe in dark armor. In his right hand he carried a mighty battle-axe, on which the remains of countless turrets and defense machinery still gleamed.

It was the savage leader of the group from above. He had finally reached her.

"Get away from him, you bitch!"