A cold wind blew across a desolate landscape.

Bothered by the chill current running through my body, I awoke with a groan.

'Perhaps it was a nightmare.' The words I've repeated thousands of times resounded in my ears. I found myself unwilling to open my eyes and face what I knew as reality. Yet still, a lingering sense of hope beckoned me to open my eyes slowly.

As soon as they adjusted to the light, however, I realised I'd much rather have kept them closed. The decayed buildings and lack of life around me seemed to mock my thoughts...

Dazed and hopeless, I closed my eyes again, hoping to escape into fantasy. Perhaps I would dream of her, of seeing her smiling and laughing, feelings I had long since forgotten. My hand traveled over to my ring and caressed it gently.

Against my wishes, I felt my consciousness become clearer. I forced myself up, ignoring the aching in my muscles from sleeping on stone as my hunger got more pronounced with each passing second.

'Where am I?'

I looked around frantically, not knowing how long I was asleep. It didn't help either that I didn't know which direction I was going. After all, ruins look the same from every direction, and if they don't, then I was too tired and hungry to note any differences on the roads to my way here.

I tried exploring the place, but the hunger for food persistently invaded my thoughts.

I sighed, my breath leaving my body in a cloud of smoke, making me painfully aware of my shivering body.

I trudged to the corner of what used to be a room. Exactly as I remembered it, a bag made of plants was resting on the corner of the wall. It was a contraption I had woven a few years ago, while our destruction was still taking place.

At the time, I had strayed from civilisation to escape them, and I needed a way to store food and water. It was a simple bag made with vines and leaves, Of course, I had to make a new one after some time, but it would usually last a long time.

Looking inside, I reached for one of a few bottles of water and the last of a few snacks and fruits. The snacks had long gone bad, but they should sate my hunger for a few more days to a bearable level, at least. Other items inside were fruits and vegetables, generally ones that could last more than three weeks, but those were running out too.

I took a snack out, too hungry to be bothered about its state, and drank some water.

Afterward, feeling a bit more refreshed, I tried once more to map my surroundings. Dark clouds grumbled over the roofless room, and the cold wind penetrated from the broken walls.

'I must have fallen asleep.' I recalled. It was around dawn at the time I entered, looking for food. Having felt tired and defeated, I decided to sit and rest for a while.

'...'

My memory faded after that, perhaps due to the lack of sleep I'd been having.

Looking around, I was just as confused about my location as I was previously. I climbed over a few walls and tried to reach as high as possible.

'Never thought I'd be looking for those things...' The irony was anything but humorous.

Unable to climb any further, I looked into the distance, trying to find any of those machines to guide me.

A few flew far over in the distance, looking for survivors to finish to job. Much closer, on the edge of the block, I saw a human. His slow, scraping movements made me naturally weary.

'He's one of them,' I deduced.

Those enslaved by the AI weren't killed immediately, though the empty look in their eyes would make you wonder if they're still human. They tended to be unresponsive and worked more as bait and scouts for the AI.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

He continued to trudge along, disappearing into the other street. His clothes were a bit less tattered than mine, and the lack of any possessions on him confirmed my doubts that he wasn't a survivor.

' Those machines couldn't bear to just kill us.'

My thoughts conflicted with what I saw before me, though memories proved that it was true.

'They didn't want this...' I stopped myself quickly, feeling my emotions diving back into memory.

Already having found my direction, I climbed down hastily. I took care not to injure my already weakened body as I reached ground level.

Determined to reach Utopia, I braced myself for the dangers ahead. I took the bag with me and headed towards the direction of those machines.

Walking north, I took care not to trip over the vines and rubble on the road, and especially to not be spotted by that "human" I saw earlier. Each step felt heavier than the last, the lack of food taking its toll on me.

'If only I can find other survivors.' My wishful thoughts returned. The fear of betrayal from people and the need I had to interact with them intertwined in a contradictory mix of emotions.

Peeking over the corner, I saw him. His steps were still slow and scraping, but looking closer, a smile was evident on his face. The more I observed, the more bewildered I became. His steps, seemingly despairing at first, had a certain bounce to them.

My confusion was interrupted by the sound of my stomach growling, reminding me to carry on walking.

Moving forward, I passed by a few shops and parks. They've all been scavenged for any food or supplies, but I paused when I passed by them, reminiscing of times when I would come to these places with friends, family, and my lover.

My hand subconsciously traveled to the piece of jewelry on my finger.

The wind brushed past my ears, carrying a sound I recognised as one of those machines. Stiffly, I turned around, only to be met with empty surroundings.

Those long months alone must have finally taken their toll on me. Looking in the direction of the sound, I heard it once more, but again, there was nothing there.

Beginning to doubt the reliability of my senses, I ignored it and carried on. After what felt like hours of walking, I spotted another of those machines flying high in the distance.

'I'm getting closer,' I thought, seeing another one.

Throughout my journey, I've had to avoid multiple of those brainwashed scouts, becoming more frequent as I moved closer. Unwilling to climb and check anymore due to the fear of being spotted, I had to trust my memories of the directions to get there.

A few minutes later, I looked again in the distance. The developing fog clouded my vision past a few meters. The clouds rumbled louder than before.

I checked for any building suitable to take shelter in nearby, and I was left disappointed.

I sighed, forced to walk a few blocks back to a building that looked relatively better.

I broke the door down as the rodents scattered about at my intrusion. A weak but revolting odour was in the air. Looking in one of the rooms, I spotted the cause.

Under a large piece of rock, which seemed to have fallen from above, was what was loosely recognisable as the remains of a body. It had decomposed extremely, and the rats had had their fill, but still, I could recognise the few bones and body parts as human. I felt like vomiting, but my body refused to take out any valuable food.

Closing the door, I continued to the furthest room away from that one. At the end of the hall was another door, and I twisted the knob. The door clicked open.

It was a relatively unbroken room, with dust and pebbles on the furniture.

Opening the wardrobe, I found dresses and other female clothing. I sighed, taking only two thick jackets into my bag. The rain grew louder, creating even chillier weather. I found a few blankets around the room and put them all atop the mattress.

Placing my bag high on the shelves and away from the rodents, I immediately crashed onto the bed.

I dragged my body into the blankets, a warm sensation washing over me for the first time in a while.

My eyes drooped down naturally. My need for rest was greater than the trauma of seeing a dead, decomposing body just a few doors away. The sound of rain acted as a lullaby, working in tandem with the warm feeling inside the blankets. It wasn't long before I fell asleep, snoring peacefully for the first time in months.

I woke up after what felt like an absurdly long time. The sun shone brightly through the windows. The blankets, having been so warm and wonderful yesterday, felt like I was covering myself in flames.

I got out of bed, stretching my body and feeling a bit lighter. Reaching out to grab my bag, I drank half a bottle of water and ate some more snacks, then left everything as it was. I got out of the room and into the kitchen.

Rummaging through the cupboards, I found no supplies or food anywhere. Having little option but to accept reality, I returned to bed and crashed onto it, not bothering to remove any of the blankets. I sat relaxed, the thought of being captured at the furthest edges of my mind.

After a long while, though not more than an hour, I left. Passing by that door, it was only when I smelled the odour that I remembered what was inside. I exited quickly after, wanting to stay as far as possible.

Outside, the rain glistened in sunlight, covering the earth in a shiny layer of liquid. The bright world gave me a perfect view of the utter destruction around me.

Despite the sunlight, it was still a bit chilly, and so I was forced to put on the jacket I had found earlier. Surprisingly, it was a good fit. It was not perfect, a bit too small, but in this ruined world, it seemed tailored for me.

I looked into the distance, my view much clearer than the previous day, and saw a tall tower very far away. The landmark served to confirm my directions.

With my steps lighter than I remembered, I walked at a faster pace towards Utopia. A figure flashed in the corner of my vision. Turning toward the movement, I saw two shadows trailing behind before disappearing into the darkness.

'Survivors?' I speculated, though I saw no one as I walked toward the passage.

Chalking it off, I resumed my journey towards Utopia. It was a surprisingly long time before I found another of the scouts. The machines were also becoming more frequent as I got closer to Utopia.

Continuing, I found myself absorbed in memory.

***

" Jackson!" She came running to me. Shouting my name and waving her hands frantically. A wide grin was on her face.

" I told you I'd do it!" She was practically jumping now. " I made---".

***

My memories were interrupted by a mechanical sound. The source this time was evident, as I saw one of the AIs flying around quite close to my location.

"Just give in." It seemed to be talking alone.

"We can provide you happiness. We can give you closure."

Its words reminded me of the scout I saw earlier. He indeed seemed happy, but even more so that he seemed delusional, unhinged even. I made sure to keep out of its sight, passing through an alleyway with a bit of cover to avoid it.

"If only." said another mechanical voice beside the first. Seemed like it wasn't alone after all. I didn't listen further, wanting to keep away as far as possible.

Covering the distance of a few more kilometers, I found myself looking at an empty, barren landscape. A few kilometers of only grass and trees.

I stood on the edge of a shadow, looking over at the border of Utopia. The extravagant, futuristic-looking city in the distance was a stark contrast to the desolate world surrounding it.

" Utopia" I murmured before falling deep into thought and preparing myself.

For this was not a Utopia for humans, but one for the AI. The place where I could find food, and the answer to our problems. The place was fraught with the most danger, where those machines live...

And yet, it was my best chance at survival