Chapter 21

Log. 8953.y.b

It implanted the virus in a young woman. Robot Physicians have no personality, they only have commands and schedules. My simulation was not affected by the virus, so I don't know if Physicians would be affected. And I can't just steal a Physician and check. However, if they have an order to implant the virus in their programming… hum... If there really is such a thing, this is much bigger than we’d imagined.

— Little Finny, what are you talking about? — Soña asked.

The boy was breathless, his eyes as large as the moon. There was hay in his dark hair and his clothes were dirty, he had run to the house, there was no doubt.

— The Forest People! They got Poppy’s babies and took them away! I was playing with them when the Forest People came, so I hid and ran here!

The music and voices got lower as the boy spoke, and the party died in that instant. Soña was suddenly serious, and she held Séra’s shoulders:

— Is the car fixed?

— No yet, ma’am, we need some cables that are missing.

— So I’ll ask a huge favour of you two. Help us get the pups back. Without a car, we would take too long.

Séra looked at Ganen and the woman nodded; after receiving so much from them, helping was a duty.

— Count us in.

— Thank you. — Then she looked at the rest of her family: — Jasin, get your bicycle and let Misha know as fast as you can. Finnian, Nika, and Resha, get weapons and join the girls.

Séra was about to say they could only fit two people in the back — and not quite comfortably — when Ganen asked her if taking the mini-cooling box would take too long. The engineer thought for a while; if they worked together, it could be done in half an hour.

— I guess that’s about how long it’ll take for them to get ready. — Ganen wasn’t sure, but they had to try.

— Come on, then, love. We gotta hurry.

In those thirty minutes, while Ganen and Séra were removing the cooling box — with the promise Soña would keep it working for them — Finnian, Nika and Resha got knives and crossbows, and wore thick vests to protect themselves. They also brought two for the women, and soon they were driving.

Resha, a tall person with dark eyes and hair, sat in front with Séra to give her directions, while Ganen was sitting by the window, Finnian on her left side and Nika, a strong young woman, was by his side. They were holding hands, and the man looked quite apprehensive.

They had asked Soña if it would be better to drive to Misha’s and Gayo’s house, but the matriarch said Jasin knew a shortcut which was way faster than the road, and the usual hideout of the Forest People wasn’t far from there. Misha could drive, so they would probably arrive at the same time.

The drive was silent, except for the eventual concerns expressed by Finnian. He and Resha had been there sometime ago, but hadn’t ventured inside. It was a giant metal box hidden underground, and after opening the hatch on the floor, they couldn’t gather enough courage to go in.

— That year, we lost two set of pups. — Resha explained. — But once we got there, we knew it was too late. And, to be honest, only the two of us wouldn’t have done any good. Now with you guys, Misha, Gayo and Jasin, I’m sure we can rescue them.

— It’s a large place for all we could see. — Finnian added. — I guess they live there while they’re not stealing things from others. If we’re extra lucky, maybe we can even find some of the stuff they got from you two.

— I don’t know why they steal. — Nika spoke for the first time. — If they talked to us, there’s a lot of work in the Farms, they could live here with us and have everything they need. But they prefer living in the woods. I really don’t get it.

In general, all the people in Soña’s farm shared some resemblance with one another, they were all family, after all. But Nika was different, she didn’t fit in; while most of them had dark brown skin, thick brows, and brown to black eyes, Nika’s hair was almost white, her eyes were of a pale blue, and she had the skin of someone who had never seen the sun.

— I was born with the Forest People. — Nika blurted out of the silence. — And I lived with them until a few years ago. Soña caught me stealing, as I was taught to do, but instead of hurting me or something, like I was told she would, she asked me if I was hungry. Offered me a nice and comfortable place to stay. I tried telling them she would help, but they wouldn’t listen to me.

— That’s how you know about the hideout? — Ganen asked.

— No, I don’t know this one we’re going to. The group I was part of lived in another one, up north. Different groups, but same thinking. — She sighed, disappointed. — I thought we were fighting against people who hated us, and maybe in the past they did hate us, but not now. I thought we were fighting for justice and shit, but once I actually met them, I knew I was wrong. It sucks, you know? Going against your own people, but they’re as wrong as I was.

— I know how you feel. — Séra said. — At least a bit, anyway. My people also weren’t on my side when I needed them most.

Resha told Séra to take a turn into the woods, which made her quite worried, but after a few bumpy minutes, the road got smooth again, and Resha told them to stop. There they were.

Log. 8953.y.a

I took a while to save this memory because I wanted to be absolutely sure I wasn't wrong. Unfortunately, I’m not: I saw a Physician implant the virus in a young woman. I had doubts, I didn't want to believe it, so I reviewed my memories, and I reviewed the virus we have here.

Ana stumbled with Koira to her house, and started laughing when the woman couldn’t open her own door. Koira tried her key in all ways possible, she even begged the door to open, to no avail.

— Come on, let me open it for you. — Ana offered. — You can light one up for me in exchange.

— How will I close it after, eh?

— Can I slip the key under the door? — Ana had a cigarette in hand and searched for her lighter with the other.

— I don’t think so. — Koira looked at her door. It was an enemy now.

— So, I’ll open up, and close it from the inside.

— And ya’ll come out by a window? — She started laughing at the idea, and Ana soon was cackling along. — I have a big bed, ya can sleep with me.

— We’ve just met, Koi-koi.

-– Oi, oi, not like that! — She shook her head. — I also have a sofa!

— Sounds good for me. — She laughed at that. — Give me your key, and light me up while I do this. — Ana offered her the cigarette and the lighter.

Koira nodded, put the cigarette in her mouth and inhaled with the lighter on. She almost burnt her fingers. Just almost. She looked at the smoke going up and disappearing among the fake stars. It had been a long time since she last smoked. “I’m full of bad habits”, she thought.

— There you go, like magic. — Ana went in, soon followed by Koira. — You can keep that one if you want, but light me another.

— We can share. — She gave the woman her stuff back. — House’s a mess, as always, careful not to step on parts. I’m hitting the hay.

— I’m hitting the sofa. — she said while locking the door.

Sometimes, Koira simply slept with the house open. She would forget to lock it; in Sand City, the doors didn’t have locks. There was a crime rate in the Underground, though it was low, and nothing had ever happened to her.

The worst that had ever happened was a person breaking in during the night to ask for help; and Koira never denied it. People knew she had a good, generous heart, she helped without asking questions or waiting for something in return. She just liked it.

She stumbled around her mess and fell face first on her bed. Ana asked if she was okay, and Koira just raised a thumbs up. Slowly, she got her legs on the bed and laid down in a position that was kind of comfortable.

— I have a bunch of pillows and blankets on my bed, just get what ya need, sofa’s over there. — She pointed to a pile of books and papers. — Under there, I guess.

— Can I just put it on the floor?

— Sure, suit yourself.

It didn’t take more than five minutes for both of them to get cosy, each in their place. Koira was almost sleeping when Ana’s voice brought her back to consciousness:

— I wonder if Qena’ll be upset tomorrow.

— Why would she? — she mumbled back.

— Aren’t you two dating or something?

— What?! No, she’s my friend, that’s all. — Koira was confused.

— Not in her head, though.

— Shit. I mean, I’m not oblivious to her, uhm, advances. Not as she thinks I am, and I must admit she makes me feel them butterflies in my guts, ya know? But… I don’t know, I was hoping she would give up on it once she noticed I was not reciprocating or whatever.

— Qena always gets what she wants. — Ana yawned. — You’d better talk with her, or else she’ll keep it up. She’s a good person, you know, but she’s a bit spoiled.

— I know. I like her a lot, but I don’t… I don’t know. I told her I’ve never had anyone like that before, because I didn’t have the time nor the opportunity… But I also never missed it. While all the people around me were getting lovers, I was making stuff. I like making stuff.

— Then you should talk to her.

— I will. Eventually.

Ana sighed. It wasn’t her problem anyway, and she knew better than to get involved. Besides, she also had many other things to worry about, like discovering what really happened with the transformer. She had also heard the report from Vone, and she knew it was a lie. Maybe not a lie, but definitely not the whole truth.

— I miss the stars. — she said out of the blue. — When I was a teen, I used to sneak up at night to look at them. I haven’t seen them in years.

— Ya should go up there. — Koira let out a long, loud yawn. — I took Tovu the other day. He cried.

— Maybe next time I’ll tag along. Why do you care so much about him, anyway? Isn’t he from the cult that shunned you from your home?

— He’s way worse than that. But, oi, if I can change him, maybe there’s still hope, ya know?

— Well, you can have my share of hope. I don’t really use it for anything anymore. — Ana chuckled.

— That’s rather depressive, ain’t it?

— I like to think of it as being more realistic. — She shrugged.

— Oi, I’m almost sleeping here. And I know tomorrow I’ll have a hell of a hangover. I haven’t drunk this much in a while, was trying to tone it down.

— Sleep while you can, then. I’ll let myself out once I wake up.

— Don’t, we can have a brekkie eventually. — Koira hugged one of her pillows.

— I’ll remember that.

— Please, do. Bathroom is… — She couldn’t explain it. — somewhere in the house, ya can look for it.

Ana laughed and yawned at the same time; the alcohol almost came back from her stomach, but she managed to keep it in. She wished Koira a good night, and the woman didn’t answer. A snore came up a while later, and it was obvious she was asleep.

— Better get some shut eye too. — Ana said to herself.

Log. 8823.v

They said the appointments were to confirm the well-being of each one, that we should not be stressed in this crisis. The Great Government says they’ll take care of the problem, but I don't believe it. I don't think they have the power to do it. Also, during the appointment, I saw some things... things I’m not sure I want to analyse. I have installed better eyes, you see, because of my work, so my vision is better than usual.

Once Misha, Gayo and Jasin arrived, Séra, Ganen, Nika, Finnian and Resha got together so that they could explain what they knew about the place.

Among all the trees and bushes, there was a hidden hatch, a great maw opening way to the depths of the earth itself. It could swallow a person whole, and they would never be seen again. If one wasn’t looking for it, they would never find it.

From the hatch, there were long, narrow stairs, which only fit one person at a time, and Misha said she would go first — as the present matriarch — and Gayo would follow. She trusted her brother more than anyone else in the whole world.

Since Ganen’s arm was still hurt, Séra should go before her, in case she needed help; Finnian and Nika would go before them, because the man knew the place, Resha would go last and Jasin — who was the youngest of them — would stay with the cars in case they needed to get away in a hurry.

— Let’s try to talk to them first. — Misha said. — No blood unless needed, okay?

Resha grunted, they liked a good fight, and Gayo had quite the grudge against them for stealing some goats a while back; they never managed to retrieve the animals. Still, no one dared disagree with the matriarch. Not hurting the Forest People was for the best, they were known to retaliate, and if one of them was hurt during a fight, the farmers would probably have to kill all of them. Safety measures.

Stolen story; please report.

Finnian led the way and opened the dread mouth to the unknown; in absolute silence, they started going down. The place was full of mechanical things, and no one could even imagine what they were for.

In the dim light, they could see a giant vehicle with metal plates on its wheels and a long metal pipe up front, dust piling over it for ages; long metal tubes on the walls, desks with screens and keyboards, cables dangling from the ceilings, a wall of metal cabinets with strange symbols on the doors; but once Resha closed the hatch, darkness swallowed their curiosity.

There was a faint light ahead, where some figures talked about something they couldn’t understand. Nika counted five people, which was good. The farmers had the advantage of numbers. As Misha was about to whisper her plan, the lights went off and an arrow almost hit Finnian’s head.

They all got to the floor, behind a fallen desk, and tried to find one another.

— Okay, talking won’t be easy. — Misha complained.

Gayo held her hand and tapped it a few times, long and short taps — Morse code. “If we have a hostage, maybe they’ll listen.”

— A hostage. — Misha shared with the others. — That’s not a bad idea. But how will we get them close? They surely know the place better than us.

— A trap. Make them come close, then attack. — Finn suggested. He looked at Nika, who had experience in that kind of fight, and she explained what to do.

The idea was good, all they needed was getting into position, and if everything worked out, they could try to talk without hurting anyone.

Nika offered to be the bait, she was smaller than most and could defend herself; Finnian was worried for her safety, they had become quite close in the last few years, and even Little Finny had called her “mother” a few times. He didn’t want to lose another person he loved to fate, but there was no changing her mind.

She stayed behind the table while the others hid around it. Even though she had been living under the sun for a while, hey eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and she could see the shadows of her friends. Once in position, she lit a weak lantern, only enough to call attention, and soon the Forest People attacked again.

Nika let out a muffled scream, and another arrow flew above her head. She groaned as if hurt, and heard the Forest People getting closer. The light showed their faces, three men and two women; they didn’t look very strong, but were confident they had hit their target.

— Show yourself! — a scrawny man screamed: maybe the leader.

Nika groaned again, they could hear the pain in her voice. She raised her arms and started slowly stumbling out of her hiding place. Then the other farmers attacked.

They surrounded the Forest People with crossbows pointed at them, hoping the people would surrender, but they were fierce. One of the women shot an arrow at Resha, and Finn fired a bolt in her direction. A bigger man jumped on him and both started throwing punches on the floor.

Séra got in front of Ganen as the other woman ran at them, knife in hand, but it was Gayo who put her down with a perfect shot to her neck.

Resha was helping Finnian, and Nika took the opportunity to attack the other man with a bow. He seemed to be protecting the scrawny one, and had his attention divided: a sitting duck for the fierce woman. She jumped on him, got the bow and pushed him to the floor with a boot on his neck; they were really caught by surprise.

The scrawny man was running to the back, where they were before, but a bolt to his leg made him fall: Gayo never missed. Misha went after the other woman, they still had to find the pups and it would be much easier if one of them talked.

Resha hit the bigger man’s head using the butt of their knife with enough strength to make him slump over Finnian; he pushed the body out of the way and got up, there were still two of them running away, and that wouldn’t do.

Since the scrawny man was on the floor, he prepared to shoot the other woman, but Gayo was faster: as his sister was getting closer, he shot a bolt to the Forest woman’s thigh and she fell groaning in pain.

Séra and Ganen were frozen in place, they weren’t used to the violence and the stench of blood reminded them of the fight with Ori, something they never wanted to relive. Séra thanked the darkness for hiding her fear — fear of losing control, of killing someone again —, but Ganen could feel her lover shaking.

Finnian had a black eye and a cut on his lip, and along with Resha, they pulled the scrawny guy and the other woman closer to the table — and the light — and tied them up.

— Where are the guinea pigs? — Misha asked; there wasn’t any niceness in her voice, she just wanted things to be over quickly.

— It’s too late for them. — The man looked back, he was afraid, but not of the people. — The others will come back soon, and it’ll be too late for you too.

— So maybe we should finish you both now. — Nika crossed her arms besides Misha. — Get the pups and get the hell out of here.

— Resha, keep an eye on them, we’ll look for the guinea pigs. — Then she looked around; there were piles of well packaged blocks all over a wall. — Séra and Ganen, look for a light switch, maybe there’s something we can use around here. — Then she looked to their captives: — For compensation.

Ganen nodded and pushed Séra away from that bloody mess. She lit a small torch and both started to look for switches. Resha was trying to get information for the captives, both looked nervous, their eyes darting everywhere, searching for something, but none of them would talk.

Truth was, everyone was fighting for their own survival in a world where the rules differed everywhere. The Farms had a system, the Forest People had another, and none seemed to agree on what was right or wrong. In the end, everyone just wanted to live.

Log. 8721.w

The rumours seem to have reached The Great Government. We were all summoned for an appointment at the Workshops. Robot Physicians paraded through the corridors, with their false smiles and lifeless eyes. Some questions were asked, cognitive and system tests performed, but they wanted to do some tests physically, with cables and file transfers! I refused. They have rules for not forcing humans into doing anything, so they had to accept it. I fear we’re not safe.

Ana took the liberty to search Koira’s kitchen for coffee and breakfast. She found some bread, honey, and jam, and while the water was heating, she decided to eat. While she chewed, she walked around the messy house and found some prototypes and blueprints — toys, engines, enhanced transformers, magnetic railways, and more practical deep wells.

She was quite surprised, for someone who worked on prosthetics, Koira had the potential to be doing so much more. Given the resources, maybe she could upgrade everyone’s life in the Underground City. Ana could imagine her as the next Chief Engineer, bringing all her projects to life with a little guidance.

Ana finished her sandwich and went back for the coffee; then she saw Koira at the door. The bags under her green eyes seemed darker than last night, her blonde hair was a mess, and she could barely stand. Koira stumbled to a chair and slumped on the table; at least she had remembered to wear pants that morning.

— Oi… it’s too early. — she mumbled.

— Coffee? Although it might be a bit cold.

— Uhum… thanks.

— There you go. — Ana sat at the other side of the table and lit a cigarette she had just rolled. — I have office hours, you know?

— Ya late? — Koira slowly reached her mug with both hands and brought it closer.

— Not yet. But I wanted you to tag along today.

— Why? — She sipped the warm coffee and closed her eyes; her head was killing her.

— I think maybe we’re wasting you on prosthetics.

— I like it there.

— I know. But I want to give you the opportunity to do more. The University has a great lab, I wanna show it to you.

— I’ve been there once. It’s beautiful. — Then she pointed to the bread. — Can ya pass me that?

— You were there with Qena, not with me. She can show things around, but I can let you play with them. What do you think?

— Can I have a painkiller first? — Koira was still half-asleep.

— Take your time. — Ana answered through the smoke.

Thanks to Koira’s delay, Ana got to the University a few hours late. The place was an old renovated building, like the Office, but it was much larger. She had seen the classrooms and experimental greenhouses, the biological, chemical and engineering labs, there was also a data room, with datapads and other information devices — which she would love to study more, but had never gotten the approval for.

Now, with Ana, she ventured into the labs and was shown the tools, schematics and plans for the future of the city. They spent the day talking about the big machines they had for digging and building, and Koira mentioned her ideas for the mass production of the chainmails.

They sat down and the whole thing reminded Ana of something her mother used to make: spool knitting. If they could design a machine to do it with aluminium wires, it could be done rather easily.

— Though, as you know, I work with the maths. The making is your job, Koira. — Ana said, as she lit a cigarette by the window.

— Yah, your idea is better than mine! — She laughed. — More simple and effective. I’ll work on a prototype.

— You can do it here if you need any material or tool. Or space. — The woman raised her eyebrows; Koira’s house was a mess with all the stuff she managed to pile in it.

— I just might. — Koira got embarrassed. — It’s just me in there, so… yah, I don’t clean much. Oi! By the way, I’m going up with Tovu in the afternoon. He wants to see the prosthetics, but under the sun, because of his religion and such. In case ya wanna tag along, just lemme know.

— I’ll comm you.

— Thanks. I need to get to the hospital now, but I’ll keep my comm open. It was nice meeting ya, Ana.

— Likewise. And talk to Qena, okay?

— I’d forgotten. — After a long sigh, she continued: — I’ll talk to her. I think what I’m doing is… kinda mean, eh?

— Not on purpose, but it is, yeah. Now, go, I’ll comm you later to tell whether I’m coming with you or not.

Koira nodded, and left Ana by herself in the lab, working her maths into magic. There were lots to be accounted for in the Underground City, and the Chief Schoolars — Engineers, Physicians, Professors — were all responsible for keeping the city in balance. And they always had plenty of work to do.

Log. 8456.t

Walking on the streets is dangerous. People disappear and there seems to be no distinction. They come from behind, force a connection and spread the virus. After that, it takes but a few minutes for you to become a carrier. At least, that's what I believe to be happening, I saw it! Some say I'm paranoid, but I know people are missing! The reports on the Net vanish in seconds, but one the obscure, underground places on the internet, the reports remain!

As Misha and the others spread out throughout the bunker, the scrawny man started screaming. He was afraid, saying crazy things like they should all leave while there was still time, but Resha put their knife on his neck and told him to shut up:

— If you don't wanna say where the pups are, that's fine, but cut the crap. We're not leaving without them.

— You don't get it! At least let us out!

— So that you can call your buddies? Hell no.

He kept looking around for something, bolt still in his leg, and the woman by his side started whispering prayers. It was too silent, the background noise that brought them peace was gone, and so was their hope.

On the other side of the bunker, Ganen found a light switch. When she turned on the lights, the scrawny man screamed:

— Turn it off! Turn it OFF!!

— What have I told you? — Resha was angry. — If you're not helping, shut that mouth of yours!

— You're all in danger! — Anyone could see the fear in his watery eyes. — It's safer in the dark!

— Keep them on! — Resha ignored the man and screamed to Ganen. — It's easier to find stuff like this.

Ganen nodded, her attention soon caught by what looked like a dusty microscope. Maybe they could take it, if the Forest People didn't use it — though she was trying not to think about it, those people would probably never have the chance to use it.

Séra held her hand and pointed to Misha's group, who were calling them closer. There was a metal door half-closed, but the hinges were melted and Finnian needed more help to open it. Resha was the only one who saw the fear in the scrawny man's eyes intensify.

He started whispering “It wasn't us, it wasn't us, we were just buying time, it wasn't us”, and Resha had no idea what he was even talking. The others, however, were about to find out.

With the extra strength, Finnian, Séra and Gayo managed to get the heavy metal door to move, and once the woman had a glance of the inside, she turned around and puked. Ganen ran to help her and screamed as her eyes found what was beyond the door.

There was a person scattered all over the walls, skin, muscle, guts, hanging from the ceiling, and the husk of a human nailed to the wall. The body was open, pieces still dangling. Blood painted the room in red and brown, and empty cages were left there in a hurry.

All that didn't worry Misha as much as the huge hole in the ground did. Whatever was there, whatever had done all that barbarism, wasn't there anymore.

— We need to leave. — she said. — Come on, hurry up!

They ran as fast as they could to the stairs, and when Misha was almost hitting the end, the lights went off again and a thump closed the hatch. She punched the metal plate again and again, to no avail.

Misha cursed and went back to the floor; she stopped in front of the remaining Forest People, and the version of his sister Gayo had warned Ganen and Séra about was suddenly there. The anger in her face was terrifying, and the two women were sure she could kill someone as easily as she could smile.

— How do we open the door? — she ordered. — Now! Or I'll finish what my brother started. — She pulled the man by his collar, made him stand.

He opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. A piercing scream followed by a flash of blinding light surprised everyone, and in the next instant, the man fell to the floor like a puppet whose strings were cut. He was imobile on the floor, blood oozing from deep thin jabs on his body.

— Help… me… — he mumbled still alive, but not able to move.

Blinded by the light, Séra grabbed the man, and ran away with Ganen. Misha and Gayo fled to another direction while Finnian and Nika darted to the opposite side. Resha grabbed the woman, she was still alive, though barely, and ran towards the bloody room.

They had no idea of where to hide, and the darkness numbed all their senses. The scrawny man mumbled there was a safe room, and in desperation Séra followed his words without thinking twice.

Ganen was afraid, her brain was confused and she couldn't think straight. All she wanted to do was escape, get to safety, so following Séra, who had always saved her, was the most obvious. She had no idea what had happened or what kind of creature that was.

Light started glowing behind them, Ganen looked back and saw the creature stabbing the woman on Reshas's arm. It was an open skeleton, cyan light glowing through its bones. It had hands and claws, a metallic malnourished six-legged monster, and once it finished stabbing the Forest woman, the machine locked eyes with Ganen, and its lights went off once again.

Séra busted the door open, pushed Ganen inside and shut the door. She put the man on the floor and only then looked around. There were many strange boxes pointed to the door, with cables leading to a skeleton sitting on the floor.

— Was it after me? — Ganen was shaking.

— I don't know, love, maybe it's going after anyone. — Then she looked at the man: — What’s that?

— An Immortal. — He coughed up some blood. — It slept for a while when we found it, but it woke up.

— Yeah, we can see that. — Ganen found it difficult to wait for the man's words.

— One day, we opened its door and it was awake. You saw what it did to Lorn. It pierced him just like me, stabbed him on the wall and started… started taking him apart. So we kept it busy… We needed a new place.

— That's why ya got the pups.

He tried to nod, but his muscles wouldn't answer him anymore.

He watched while Séra looked at the boxes and Ganen followed the cables to the skeleton. There were many other boxes on shelves on the walls, and Séra noticed most of them still had a picture, like a little ball exploding, and that gave her an idea.

Her train of thought was broken by another piercing scream and Ganen opened the door: the Immortal was on the ceiling with its lights on, and it was after Gayo. She screamed to Misha, told them to get in there, and the woman grabbed her brother's hand and ran.

Finnian and Nika were hidden, while Resha also heard Ganen and started to run. When the couple found courage to follow them, the Immortal turned to Nika. It ignored Resha passing right under it and showed no interest whatsoever in Misha, but Nika was different. Worth analysing.

With its claws ready to attack, it ran on four legs towards Finnian and Nika, the mechanical hum deafening the group. The two people ran to opposite sides in hope of losing the Immortal, but it followed Nika without thinking twice.

When Finnian saw their plan fail, he sped back to his lover, he couldn't lose another person yet again, but once he put himself between human and machine, the Immortal jabbed its claws into his chest, and ripped him in half.

Nika screamed as his blood splashed on her face, her clothes, the man she loved was on the floor, his body destroyed beyond salvation, and for a moment, she didn't know what to do. She fell to her knees as the Immortal prepared to attack her, and tried to put Finnian back together.

A ration brick hit the machine from behind, and it turned to see Séra shaking, her arm raised with a second brick. Resha almost slipped on Finnian's remains to reach Nika, and dragged her away from the monster while the mechanic distracted it.

But it kept coming, its mechanical eyes focused on Gayo and Ganen. They were different from the rest, they had to be analysed, it had a job to complete. It dropped itself on the floor and the whole bunker shook, it was heavy. Now, without trying to hide, it rushed towards them with blood dripping from its claws.

Gayo was about to flee, try to attract it to another side, and give Nika and Resha a chance, when both Ganen and Misha held his arms. Confused, he didn't move, and Ganen darted to the tables. Now that the Immortal was on the floor, maybe it would have trouble running around obstacles, and she put her life on that hope. She couldn't fight, but Gayo could. They needed him there.

As the Immortal changed directions towards Ganen, Resha and Nika made it into the room in time. Séra screamed, she needed her lover back, and she started throwing bricks at the creature once again. Ganen had no idea what she herself was doing, her body moved before she could think, the survival of the group ruling over her own fragile human nature, and all she could do was run, or else she would be dead.

She rushed back to the room while Séra kept the Immortal distracted and at bay, and as soon as she got in, the woman locked the door.

— We're all gonna die. — someone whispered.