CHAPTER 4 - WAKING UP YET AGAIN

CRITICAL REPAIRS CONCLUDED.

I woke up to the droning sound of my auto repair. And some sort of grinding sound…?

COMPONENT STORAGE USED. PLEASE GATHER MORE TO CONTINUE AUTO-REPAIR OR PROCEED WITH MANUAL REPAIRS.

Opening my eyes I notice the open sky above me. Glancing around I notice that pieces of mostly intact magitech devices, along with lots of used or degraded mana stones of all different colors and varieties. All piled around and in some cases on top of me for some reason feeling like the worst weighted blanket known to man.

‘At least I won’t have to look very far for parts’ I thought, still in a mild daze. I move my arm out from under a pile of junk causing a cascade of clinking noises in my wake.

A sudden thump down and a startled “Eep!” informed me that I wasn’t as alone as I had first thought.

I tense up, fearing the worst as I hear cautious footsteps crunching on the sandy ground around what I now realize is some sort of sled holding everything. Why am I on a sled?

Into my vision walks a tanned woman, holding a bottle filled with some sort of liquid. She wears a thin and baggy maroon shirt, cinched around her wrists and tucked into her pants. A leather bandolier crosses across her torso holding an assortment of similar bottles as in her hand but with many different types of liquid inside. Some are clear, while others are bright and colorful. I’m pretty sure one of the green ones are glowing too. A leather belt filled with yet more bottles and some of what I recognize as magitech tools holds up a pair of black colored pants made with a similar material as her shirt.

“You were shut down; how’re you back up?” The woman asks, projecting a confident front.

‘Not immediate violence, that’s good.’ I slowly raise my hands, trying not to startle her into throwing whatever is in that bottle at me. I don’t think I’d enjoy the experience if she did. “I was just in emergency repairs.” I say.

“But repairs shouldn’t work when shut down!” She retorts.

“They can work. The mana flow just needs to stay stable through the processing unit and memory units. If mana stays flowing then the mech can be brought back the same. If that flow is broken however, then the mech is lost forever.” I explain cautiously. I don’t want her to think I’m talking down to her and decide to throw the bottle my way anyways.

Said bottle lowers a little as she hears what I say. “Really?” she asked skeptically. I just nod. Lowering the bottle fully she hums in thought. “Looks like they made a mistake with you then.” she finally says as she begins to walk back around the sled.

“What do you mean they ‘made a mistake with me’?” I ask as I hurriedly get up from my not-so-snug impromptu repair palette. As I finally get a good look from outside the sled I gasp at my surroundings. A dusting of sand adds color to the mostly drab appearance of cracked and sunbaked earth. Looking around I notice the profile of a city not so far away from us, and where the tracks of the sled seem to lead to.

“I found you in the junkyard.” the woman responds simply.

I look at the contents of the sled. I look at the woman. “And what were you doing dragging me back with a bunch of spare parts?” I ask suspiciously.

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“I wanted a friend?” she tries. I just give her a dirty look. She shrugs back at me. “Yeah, not my best.”

I shake my head and turn away from her to face the direction of the city. Towards Diala. Towards Mom.

Before I can take more than a few steps however she calls out at me. “I wouldn’t head back at the moment if I were you.”

I turn back to her. “Why not!?” I ask angrily.

She snorts and gives me a mildly condescending look “You achin’ for another beating kid? Or just looking to join that exploding powder keg?”

I flinch at the reminder of what had happened to me. But that’s why I needed to go back! “I need to make sure Mom is ok!”

“What can you even do to help?” The woman asks.

“I’ll figure it out!”

“I figure you’ll make it worse.”

That gives me pause. “How?”

“She an organic?” she asks. I nod. “Can she stand for herself?” I remember the prototype she pulled out and its devastating effect. Then I thought of all the other prototypes I was never allowed to touch. I nod.

“The way I see it, you’ll just get in her way. There's a damn civil war starting in there, and as you’ve experienced it's not the friendliest place for mechs right now. The way you are now you’ll just get scrapped by the first unfriendly group you see. No, you need experience.” the woman seems to ponder something, then come to a decision. “You can follow me. I’m getting out of this hellhole and heading west. Towards the Federated Cities. We can join the adventurers guild together.”

“Adventurers guild?” I ask.

“They do a lot of tasks that can be more dangerous where there’s a higher monster population than here. Desert kept this place mostly safe. You can learn to fight there, and to presumably build your own arms.” She takes a good look at me. “And repair the ones attached to you.”

It sounds like a good idea. I don’t want to be a burden to the only family I had. But… “Won’t Diala worry about me?”

Something seems to flicker in the woman's eyes. It looks like recognition? Before I can really process the thought the woman continues speaking.

“She built you right? Self repair and everything?”

“I was born only a few weeks ago.” I respond.

“She probably dumped you at the junkyard then.” she responds matter-of-factly.

“Why would you think that?” I ask, a bit thrown at the idea. Mom wouldn’t throw me away!

“Well, think about it. A self repairing mech thrown into a place where there is all the parts they could need. Not only that, but also a clear way out of the city.”

It made some amount of sense. A junkyard was basically a buffet to me, and would certainly have all the materials I would need. But why would she want me to leave her? Why not help me herself? I had to ask, and so I did.

The woman gave me a sad look. “I wasn’t joking when I said it was the start of a civil war, kid. Lines are being drawn right now. Not just front lines, but lines between those who support the mechs and those who don’t. What parent would want to see their kid go through war? Getting you out and as fast as possible was probably for the best.”

It makes sense. It makes sense and I really wish it didn’t. I just want to be with my mother again. I want to feel her arms around me. I want to hear her getting excited about her projects. To see the sparkle in her eyes as they fill with the light of passion.

But I was too weak. I knew it. I couldn’t do anything when that crowd had bashed into our home. I just hid. Well, no more. I will learn to protect myself so that Diala never has to worry about me. But most of all I’ll get strong enough to make sure that we’re both safe.

I look up into the woman's eyes. “I’ll do it.” I say, my voice filled with determination. “I’ll come with you.”

The woman smiles at me. “That’s good.” she says, walking towards me and putting her hand out. “What's your name kid?”

“Aria.” I say grasping hers and shaking it. “Yours?”

“Rayna,” she responds. “Rayna the Alchemist at your service.”