It had been days since the two travellers had spoken to each other. The boy’s tracker estimated his arrival at the esteemed haven in 18 hours; relative to his movement speed. The weather was surprisingly calm since leaving the abandoned building. Sandstorms were an unpredictable occurrence to the majority of people. Only those wealthy enough were awarded access to the technology to track weather patterns. Broadcasting stations were no longer a commodity, as the desolate environment and strict laws kept society rather uneventful, for better or worse. Though, the odd radio signal would get out to announce any major world news.

The boy kept his head down, but would occasionally look up to see if Lune’s manner had changed at all. He seemed less distraught, but Lune still hadn’t opened his mouth since the incident. The boy thought back to his days at CynTech, envisioning the cold concrete floors, the flickering lights on the ceiling. He would sit alone in a corner with his arms around his knees and his head down, hoping to pass the time.

Conversations between factory workers could be faintly heard in the distance. One cyborg, designated G68, held a sheet of blueprints in her mouth as she braided her hair. She called out to her colleague, TN23, asking her to toss over a spare wrench. TN23 promptly scoffed, remarking that it would be impossible to catch it with the former’s insistence on styling their hair every few minutes. She was too busy with her own project anyway, so she deferred the request to the boy instead. However, she received no response from him.

TN23, a cyborg with long dark hair and pale skin, noticed the boy sitting alone on the floor of the factory room with his back to the wall. She tossed her wrench to G68 and walked over to ask if he was alright. The boy had only been at the manufacturing plant for about four months at this point. His memories of his family were completely wiped from his mind when he received the cybernetic enhancements. TN23 knelt down to comfort him, understanding the isolating feeling of being thrust into such a bleak environment, especially at a young age.

“I don’t have much time to talk, but I know someone who can.” she said in a sympathetic tone.

Though reluctant, the boy got up and she guided him to an older cyborg, who sat on a makeshift throne. He had messy grey hair that covered his eyes and a tattered cloak; it was probably impractical to wear, but it seemed to hold sentimental value to him.

“This is Ace, he’ll help-help you get a-acclimated.” she said, her voice beginning to stutter in a glitchy tone, “If you ever need anything, don’t be-be afraid to ask for-for-for help.”

The boy kept his head down and stared at the floor in silence for a moment. He turned back to thank her, but she was already gone.

“What you witnessed right there was sheer willpower.” Ace said, “The cyborgs here are tethered to their workstations, they cannot leave for too long without risk of internal damage or worse, a permanent shutdown.”

This revelation only worsened the boy’s pain, as he began to cry. Seeing everyone conform to the factory’s depressing atmosphere made him feel hopeless. He wondered if perhaps this was all there was to life; perpetually working for someone else’s gain.

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“Why… Why aren’t we tethered to a workstation?” The boy asked, he had calmed down a bit and wiped the tears from his face.

Ace’s eyes perked up at the realization, “Hmm, perhaps we’re special.” He smiled at the boy, “By the way, do you know your name, child?”

“I… I don’t know, I can’t remember.” the boy replied. His memories of a life before CynTech were impossible to envision. His furthest memory was that of an operating table, anything beyond that became static; fuzzy images and faint colours.

Ace took a moment to think, then he quickly perked up, “I’ve got it! C13, haha. That will be your code name.”

Ace was tasked with naming each new recruit in the company. Though he was ultimately a pawn in the grand scheme of things, he did hold a sliver of authority in the factory. The higher-ups trusted him enough to manage the department.

The boy accepted his name as he felt he really had no other choice. The old man seemed oddly obsessed with 20th and 21st century culture, stating they were the bronze age of technology. He took heavy inspiration from those eras, sporting a fancy glowing pendant and hoarding a pile of cassette tapes, mp3 players and old smartphones beside his chair.

“Hey! Did you know people used to make social media accounts with certain numbers replacing some of the letters?! So my name would be spelled 4C3! Or CynTech would be CYN73CH.” Ace laughed, “The 21st century was pretty creative for its time. Dontcha think?”

“I couldn’t care less.” C13 said, pouting while getting up to go back to work, “Thanks for the name, I guess.”

Ace knew it would take time to truly connect with the boy. His often exuberant attitude would likely just be an annoyance. He called out to C13 one last time before the boy left. The boy stopped to listen…

“Hey… before you go. The people here, most of them are very friendly. If you need anything, have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’re all in the same boat, more or less. It’s rough here, I know, but just remember… Together, we are limitless, and you are not alone.”

The boy walked back to the nearest empty workstation. At the time, he didn’t know how much that quote would stick with him, “Together, we are limitless.” It became a staple for his relationships in the factory. As the years went on, he remained quiet and standoffish, but something about seeing his comrades every day made him feel safe.

It was that quote that prompted the boy to finally speak up to Lune, who had been silently marching along in the sand for days. He could see himself in Lune, the quiet pouting boy, content by their lonesome and rejecting any attempts to socialize.

“Hey! You and I. We’re not so different after all.” he said, Lune stopped in his tracks to listen as the boy continued his spiel, “I’m not the best at talking, but I know that I can’t do everything by myself. Working together with my friends is sometimes necessary to accomplish my goals, and frankly, after that last encounter, I need you by my side, Lune.”

“Friend?” Lune replied, turning his head back to the boy.

“Yes. You saved my life back there. I obviously don’t know you that well, but from what I’ve seen, I feel like I can call you a friend.”

Lune stood in disbelief. He’d never had a friend, nor had he encountered anyone who appreciated him. He always put on a happy face and comedic personality to hide his insecurities, and yet this boy, the same boy who seemed so defenseless and timid when they first met, saw right through Lune’s facade.

Speechless, Lune tilted his head down and stared at the sand beneath his feet. The boy walked over and put his arms around Lune, hugging him and ensuring him that he understood how he felt.

“You know, I was worried you would be a brat,” Lune said with tears in his eyes, “but you’re… actually a really good guy, C13… Oops! I mean… uh…”

The boy chuckled and cut him off, “It’s okay, I got that name from someone really important to me. It may not be my real name, but I think I’m learning to appreciate it.”

The two smiled at each other and continued on, determined to reach the location on the boy’s radar. A haven where it was said cyborgs, humans and fully-fledged robots alike all lived in harmony. That freedom was unfathomable to the cyborgs, but they always kept faith that there was a place for them at the end of their journey.

A place to call home.