Very recently, I've been really wanting to do a lot of things. Post apocolypse, steampunk, cyberpunk, etc. etc. Then a few things set off a spark in my head that came out with this. And I plan on actually making a chapter-story out of this. Eventually.

---

The world wasn't always like this. You hear about it in fairy tales and such these days. A world where everyone was normal. A world where the land wasn't barren and wasted for enormous spans. A world were plants and animals were just plants and animals. A world were one could travel without worrying about being ravaged by Beasts. But that was before the Great Reshaping, a cataclysm that shook the land and transformed the inhabitants. It was all different, now.

Those Beasts are what I am watching for, now, in this dingy shack. One time, long ago, it might have been a barn, or a large house, or something, but time and God knows what else has worn down the building to a husk. I think there's a bloodstain on the wall, there... Dammit, I could sleep if this place wasn't so out in the open.

I lean back in the rickety wooden chair I had found in the corner—really, I was surprised it was even still able to support a human body—and closed my eyes. I don't think I slept last night, either... but I have to stay awake, for Carol's sake. Opening my eyes, I allowed my head to fall limply to one side, granting me vision to where Carol was sleeping.

The blanket over her slowly rose and fell in time with her gentle breathing. For her, I had to stay awake, and alert. In the middle of this wasteland, a Beast could arrive at any moment, and Carol doesn't have the abilities to protect herself. She can fight on her own well enough with conventional weapons, but when it comes down to it, she's still a Norm, and the Beasts could overwhelm her.

As an Abnorm, I was granted the ability to manipulate lightning from my fingertips. Recently, I've also been able to move small objects with my mind... telekinesis, I guess. I'm just glad that I was lucky enough to get an ability I could use in a fight, what with the lifestyle I have now. We used to be fine, me and Carol, in the town we lived in. It was relatively small, but we had an electric fence to ward off the Beasts outside.

At least, that was until some damn Trip destroyed the generator in a psychotic episode. The Beasts ran us out shortly after. I grabbed Carol and ran as fast as I could. The screams of dying villagers only sped our retreat, and that was when I first showed my abilities to Carol... I was scared of doing it, scared of being rejected by her because I was an Abnorm... but I had to do it, to save her.

A Warg—a big purple wolf, pretty much—jumped between us. Carol fell, and the Warg started advancing towards her... I had no choice. I extended my arm forward, and a bolt arced from my fingers into the back of the Beast, blasting it away from her. I immediately attempted to explain myself, but she simply assured that it was alright, and we continued running as fast as we could. Two years later, we have a few more weapons and some more fighting prowess. I don't have to use the lightning so much anymore.

We met a lot of people along the way. Back in the village, I only knew Norms, maybe Abnorms who hid their abilities, like me. When we left, we met Anthros, Modded, and Trips, of which I had only seen passing through the village as a kid. Anthros are the creatures who were probably the most effected by the Great Reshaping: they were animals and plants who were granted human-like appearances and intelligence by the energy from the event, but as to why it affected them as such is a mystery, still.

That cataclysm is why I have the abilities I do. People like me—Abnorms—are people who got strange abilities from this Great Reshaping, though, these days, very few are original Abnorms. I guess either one of my parents was one, but I don't know. I was always afraid to bring it up to either one of them, because I wasn't sure which one was the Norm and which was the Abnorm, and then after the attack, they disappeared.

Modded are what you'd call a “fake” Abnorm. Some Norms were so entranced and envious of the Abnorms that they used whatever technology they could to recreate an ability of some sort. It's usually easy to tell if someone's a Mod, because they'll probably have pieces of metal jettisoning from their body. You do see some, these days, that use injections to get powers. Except for certain Abnorm, or people with certain technology, it's essentially impossible to tell them apart from a Norm.

A Trip is an Abnorm that has... certain side effects. Their powers unlock too early in their life, or they were just unstable in the first place, or something—there are all sorts of theories, but in the end, it comes down to this: Trips have mental issues. Along with their power, they were given a disability. Hearing it like this, though, it's easy to assume that all Trips are gibbing unintelligible, homicidal psychopaths carrying hooks, but most Trips can function normally. From what I can tell, most Trips are just compulsives of some sort, but you occasionally get the really bad off ones. I hear some of the worse-off have formed secret societies underground somewhere.

“Why haven't you gone to sleep yet?”

I turned my head again. Carol had woken up, and was now looking at me with large, inquisitive brown eyes.

“I'm keeping watch.” I replied. My voice was cracking due to lack of sleep and hydration.

Carol stretched her lithe arms. “I feel pretty rested... why don't you sleep until morning? I can keep watch for a few hours.”

“No, you should go back to sleep.” I protested.

“Nope!” She said, raising her hand to point at me, “you didn't sleep yesterday, either! Really, Jack, I can watch while you sleep.”

I attempted to say something against her. Really, I did.

“Look, I have a revolver and a sword,” she continued, gesturing to the weapons next to her bedroll, “if anything happens, I can handle myself.”

“What if something happens?”

“I'll scream. That should be enough to wake you up, right?” She winked.

“...we're almost out of bullets...”

“Oh, would you shut up and go to sleep, already?!” Carol stood and began pulling me off of the chair—I wondered for a moment if the damaged old thing would be able to handle a small scuffle on top of it.

“...yeah, alright, okay, fine, damn.”

“Good!” Carol said with a bright smile as I lay down in the bedroll she occupied no more than a moment ago. I pulled the blanket over my tired body, and I could feel the heat of Carol's body lingering on it, and her scent drifting from the pillow... I closed my eyes, and already I felt sleep coming for me. As I fell asleep, I heard Carol softly singing a lullaby that was popular in our village...

Very well thought of, I must say. The pace is comfortable and the setting interesting. Do continue. ^_^

A Life of Bounty Hunting – Retreat



Parched earth, earth so dry that it had been rumored that some areas were bone dry to the very core, was the road the two walked. Dust scattered and floated about at even the lightest step—the woman had gotten a bit bored with walking and wondered how well she could move tracelessly—and the sun bore down in a very brutal, unforgiving manner.

But that doesn't make sense, the man thought as he walked. The sun is just doing what it always does. It could care less about the affairs of man. Nodding, satisfied with his answer, he continued to fantasize great stories about warriors, plotters, investigators, researchers, and so forth, stopping occasionally to lament the little need for a writer in a world like he was in. What irony!

“Jack, look!” the woman piped up with a very excited tone in her voice that Jack had now become very familiar with. Yes, that tone could only mean... “A building! Looks abandoned...” The sheer desire to explore the mysterious building was radiating from the woman with such intensity that, despite his normal thoughts to the contrary, he felt inclined to take at least a little peak inside whatever the building might be. The woman turned to him with a wide smile and deep, deep green eyes that always reminded him about the forests one heard about in ancient writings and legends. Yes, a calm, yet highly active place full of life...

“Alright, alright,” Jack spoke. “I can already see it in your eyes. We'll go, but please be careful this time, Carol.”

“No problem!” Carol smiled wildly, her short blond hair bobbing. Jack remembered when her hair was long and beautiful, but that was long before they had to start traveling.

Carol had to stop herself from running to the building, as much as she wanted to explore it. Some of the first lessons she learned were “don't overexert yourself” and “don't allow yourself to become separated from the guy who shoots lightning”. Actually, she learned both of those at the same time.

As the mysterious grey-toned structure grew closer, the use for the old structure became more and more apparent. The doorless entrances that were as tall as they were wide, the systematic window setup, and the almost geometrically perfect rectangular design all pointed to signs of a storage facility. Or perhaps a cheap factory. The two entered through one of the large entrances into a wide room that had been nearly stripped bare except for some tables and empty crates.

“Looks pretty ransacked already...” Carol said with a very obvious tone of disappointment in her voice. Turning to Jack, she furrowed her brow and frowned, “why can't we ever have the good luck?!”

“Maybe we do. This place looks pretty normal, so there probably aren't any Beasts around.” For a moment, the thought of how the world “normal” is hardly ever used in a positive sense fluttered across Jack's mind and he chuckled softly.

“Wha'cha laughin' at?” Carol pouted.

“Nothing.” Jack said, sighing off his laugh. “Shall we explore further or continue to the next town?”

Carol put on her best thinking face and looked around the room. “Weeelll... it looks like people've stopped by here all the time lookin' for stuff... so maybe some of them dropped something! Or left something seemingly useless behind!”

“Ever the positive one, aren't you?”

“Aw, c'moooon, Jack!” She smiled wryly at him.

“Alright, alright. We're pretty close to the town anyway, if memory serves.”

Carol cheered and took off to exploring the various crates and boxes, while Jack surveyed the layout of the building. A few offices in the back... remnants of old machinery long since stolen. A few odds and ends that were practically useless... really, the most outstanding thing about the place was the fact that it was still in such good condition! Maybe the offices had something more interesting to behold...

“Aha!” Carol shouted suddenly, appearing from the inside of one of the larger wooden crates. She held up her right hand proudly with her treasure fixed firmly between her thumb and index finger. “A bullet!”

Jack felt a little let down after hearing a cry like that. “Is it even the right caliber?”

After much thought and deliberation, “...I think,” was the only response she could muster.

Jack stared at her with a very exasperated look on his face. “So it's obvious there's nothing really in this room. I'm gonna check the offices back here,” he said as he walked through a door leading to the offices.

“Oh, oh, wait for me!” Carol called as she climbed out of the crate she was in, and following him into the hall. One by one, they peered into the office doors only to find that the rooms were totally and completely empty. Except one. Inside of the bleak room, there was a single desk, complete with a chair and computer.

“That's odd.” Jack muttered as he moved closer to the monitor. Words and digits flashed across the screen faster than the eye could read, and as desperately as he tried to keep up, he couldn't read a bit of information.

“Hey! You can see the next town from here!” Carol called. Jack turned to see his companion hanging out of the window looking towards the horizon.

“We should get going, then. Nothing left here for us.”

“Not even the computer?”

“It's sayin' something, but I can't make it out. Not our concern, anyway.”

“Awww, alright.” Carol pouted.

- - -

The town was surprisingly large, and full of activity. Roads lead out in various directions, but they all centered around one circular middle with a large, and shockingly, functioning fountain—much to Carol's delight. As Carol waved her hand through the cool, crisp water, Jack relaxed in a seat next to her and put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

“Looks like we're closer than I thought. So, Carol, what are our finances like?” He asked opening one eye to peer over at the girl who honestly looked like she didn't have a care in the world.

“We've only got enough bullets to reload one of our revolvers once, we're almost out of food, medical supplies, water, and basically everything else needed for basic survival. In terms of money, we have enough for one night at a cheap place to stay,” she listed off almost mechanically. The fact that she looked like she couldn't care less as long as the fountain was there filled Jack with a desire to instill the ability to prioritize into his companion.

“Hmph. Well, maybe we can just by some food and hoof it to the Center from here...”

“Doubt it.” Carol said, finally turning her head towards him by laying it on the edge of the fountain. “This place is obviously under Center influence, but it's still a bit on the shabby side, isn't it?”

“Yeah.” Jack agreed, panning his vision across the buildings surrounding them. Some were in rather good condition, while others were lucky to be standing, and all had the same dusty, parched look. “We should probably take an odd job or two, then,” he suggested as he looked towards the crowds instead of the buildings. Abnorms flaunting their abilities and Modded were abundant. This was probably their last stop before the wasteland, within which many bounties and Hunts lied.

“It's really busy for a frontier town,” Carol said airily as she moved away from the fountain to sit next to Jack. “I wonder if there'll be a Hunt, soon...”

“Doubt it.” Jack responded all too quickly. “There weren't any signs of an overpowered Trip, and the Beast patterns seemed pretty normal.”

“I hope so. I hate being forced into Hunts.”

Jack couldn't help but agree. Though the Hunts were meant to take down a Trip who's power had become so overwhelming that they'd lose their mind and wander doing as they pleased, it just didn't sit right with Jack to perform euthanasia, even if it was to protect nearby settlements as well as put the Trip out of his insanity. He could clearly remember the first Hunt he had ever participated in, and he could bet that Carol recalled it just as clearly. Soon after escaping their village, they found refuge in a frontier city. It was only days later that they were forced into arms and led back into the wasteland to take out a pesky Trip.

He couldn't remember the fight, except for the Trip's ability: causing massive earthquakes. He didn't know how, but he ended up knocking the Trip over and about to stab him through the heart. The Trip pleaded for his life, over and over again, as Jack held the blade in the air. The fear in his eyes... the poor guy might have lost his mind, but in that one moment, he was just as sane as everyone else on the field. He didn't know how long they stayed in that position, but Carol eventually put her hand on his shoulder and Jack put his blade down. It was then that a rifleman took advantage of the situation to put a bullet through the Trip's head. Ever since then, Jack couldn't figure out why Trips were treated as less than human... their blood was as red and warm as anyone else's, after all.

“I'm hungry.” Carol suddenly said. “We haven't ate today, now that I think about it...”

“Let's get some lunch, then.”

- - -

Carol let out a long sigh, leaning back and patting her stomach. “That was delicious! It really hit the spot.”

“The spot in our wallets, you mean.” Jack sighed. “We're almost broke.”

“Let's just ask him for compensation when we get back, then.” Carol suggested off-handedly as she scratched at her teeth with a toothpick.

“Compensation for what?”

“I dunno. Traveling hungry?”

“A money-grubber like that would just tell us to suck it up.”

“I guess.” Carol shrugged.

Jack looked over the patrons of the bar they were in, and was utterly surprised at how many drunkards there were at that hour. He noticed some activity across the room, and could already tell what was brewing.

“So yeh're a TRIP, eh? A dirty little TRIP, huh?!” A man, obviously drunk beyond reason, was yelling at the top of his lungs as to attract the attention of the entire bar. He began towering over a meek man who was sitting at a table near him. The smaller man began to mutter some sort of apology, but the bigger man didn't want to hear it. “Worthless TRASH like you should just be takin' out into the streetsh an-and SHOT!”

“This is disgusting.” Carol said, suddenly looking serious.

“Please, don't,” Jack pleaded, but the look in her eyes told him that she had no intention of listening.

“I aughta take care a' you righ' now, ya FITHY VERMIN!” The man continued to yell as he picked the smaller Trip out of his chair by the scruff of his neck.

Carol stood suddenly and strode across the room towards the man. Jack immediately followed, afraid of what might happen if he let her on her own.

“Hey!” She yelled. “Hey, put the poor guy down! He didn't choose what he was born as, you drunken moron!”

“Wha... who the hell are you, girly?!” The drunk yelled, putting down the smaller man and turning his attention to Carol.

“You, you fat, lazy wino!”

“What did you call me? You little wench, you're prolly juss' another STUPID TRIP, aren't ya'?!” The drunk's face grew crimson with anger.

“Hey.” Jack made his presence known. “I hope you don't intend on hitting a girl.”

“Girl or not, she'sh just a piece o' garbage Trip... you defendin' 'er? YOU A TRIP, TOO, BOY?!”

Jack sighed. “You're giving me a headache. Go home and sleep off your drunken stupor, old man.”

“You... You...” the drunk growled. “I lost my wife and kids to stupid Trips like you... EVERYONE in here has lost family and friends to STUPID TRIPS LIKE YOU.”

“Your logic is as flawed as it is stereotypical...” Jack hissed to himself.

A murmur of voices collecting in the bar didn't give him the sort of reassurance from the crowd that he was hoping for. He gave Carol a quick look and they positioned themselves around the small Trip the drunk was attacking.

“So whaddya' say, everyone?! How'sh about we teach these slimeballs a lesson, eh?!”

The crowd began to stir, and roar. Spiteful yells emerged from the crowd. Jack looked towards the bartender, who, while glaring at the four, also looked simply sorrowful at the brawl about to break out in his bar. All over, patrons began standing and approaching the group.

“Jack, I think it's time we do 'that',” Carol said with a confident smile gracing her lips.

“Well...” Jack looked around briefly. “It looks like 'that' is our only choice.”

“Ready?” She smirked at him.

Jack sighed and closed his eyes, before allowing a wild grin to surface. “Go!”

The two grabbed the Trip and ran out of the bar at a blinding pace. Luckily, it only took the Trip a few steps before he realized what was going on. From behind them, the rabid voice of the drunk and the roar of a mob arose, as well as an unheard sigh of relief from the bartender, who had gone back to cleaning the glass in his hand.

At the end of the street, the three stopped, and began panting for breath.

“Th... th... thank you...” the Trip choked out.

“No... problem.” Jack responded.

“Uh... Um... Jack?” Carol's voice quivered. “T... They're following us.”

“Oh, dammit, run!” And the three took off down an alleyway. The voices never ceased or even grew quiet as the three navigated a web of alleys separating the street they were on from the next. Their lungs burned, but the rampaging mob behind them spurred their legs on. No matter how many times they turned, it seemed as if the next street would never appear.

“Who the hell designed this place?!” Jack yelled.

“Look, up ahead!” Carol pointed. Ahead of the three was the opening to the next street. “We can lose them in the crowd!” Closer and closer the opening grew. And then something strange happened: a part of the crowd entered the alley and began charging at the three running, and the mob behind them continued to grow louder. “No!” Carol shouted. “We've been cut off!”

“Since when the hell can drunks form a strategy?!” Jack looked for something, anything to escape being pincered. “To the left!” The three took off down another branch alley, followed by yells of “after them!”

“I... I don't know how much longer I can go on...!” Carol gasped. The Trip didn't look too good either.

“Dammit...”

In front of them, a woman dropped from a fire escape and stood. Shocked, the three slid to a halt in front of her.

“Please continue,” she said flatly. “I will take care of the bar patrons.”

Jack couldn't help but eye the woman strangely. Her eyes were as a clear, crystal blue as a lapis lazuli, and her hair was a deep, deep ocean blue. Such a style isn't usually seen outside of a Center, he mused, but her clothes are those of a townswoman. He assessed her face for a moment before saying a thanks and running off, Carol and the Trip following. The three turned a corner and the sound of gunfire echoed from behind them, and then silence. They continued to run out into the next street and even past the walls of the town before finally stopping to catch their breath.

“I... I can't thank... you guys enough.” The Trip said after a few moments. “But... it looks like I can't live here anymore...”

“Don't worry about it too much. Listen, go back into to town and lay low for a day or two while you get some supplies and things from your home, and then,” Jack pulled out a card from the inside of his vest and held it out to the Trip, “find this place in the nearest Center. I'll set you up.”

The Trip's eye's lit up, and he took the card from Jack. “Th... Thank you so much! I can't thank you enough! I'll go get ready right away!” He bowed in gratitude before running back off into the city.

Jack sighed and scratched the back of his head. “Well, we didn't even get introduced. Hope he'll be alright.”

“You're so nice, Jack, inviting him to work with us.” Carol giggled.

“Yeah, yeah... but thanks to you, now we're stuck without a safe place to sleep.” He groaned deeply, “and I was looking forward to having a soft bed for once...!”

“We can make it to the next city if we hurry. If we walk all night, we might make it to the Center!” Carol said cheerfully, patting Jack on the back. Once again, two bounty hunters set off into the wasteland, where what would happen in the next moment was always a mystery.

Hurray! Keep it up, Ryuu, I need to know what happens! : D

EVERYONE DIES :angry:

:P

Holy crap it's like I'm actually doing something! ALSO ROBOTS



A Life of Research – Field Test



The breeze was a cool contrast to the sun's warming rays. Trees wavered gently, and the sunlight filtering through the leaves illuminated the flowers in the park's garden. It was his favorite place in the entire Center, as much as it was his daughter's. The young girl played in the flowers while Micheal watched her from the bench. It was amazing Centers could accomplish... you couldn't see any sights like this out in the wasteland.

The nine year old Amelia turned to him with a bright smile, her newly dyed azure hair shining in the light. She had insisted on changing her natural hair color, as it was the popular thing to do in her school, and in the end, he had given in. “Dr. Sanders, did you stay up all night again last night?” She asked.

Michael was puzzled. He hadn't earned his doctorate yet... that was still a few years away. And she knew as well as he did that he went to bed early the night prior...

“Dr. Sanders!” She shouted.

- - -

Michael awoke with a start. As his eyes regained focus, in front of him he saw a document on his monitor with an exceptionally long string of nonsensical characters covering the page he had been working on the night previous. Sighing, he wiped the drool from his keyboard and began to backspace the night's work character by character.

“Honestly, Doctor, you should really try to get more sleep,” said the woman at the door. Michael looked up blearily at the voice he had grown so used to awakening him from his desk in the past months. She strode over and placed a mug of hot coffee on his desk.

“I knew I made you Assistant Director for a reason.” He croaked with a grin on his face. The woman pouted at him before taking a sip of her own coffee. She looked terribly out of place, with her short, bubblegum pink hair and lab coat. She looked more like a teenage girl in a costume rather than a scientist in her late twenties.

“It had nothing to do with my remarkable beauty or mental prowess? What a sexist Director you are!” She whined with a smile on her face, as she sat down in the seat in front of his desk. “Okay, so spill it. What were you up so late working on this time?”

Michael chuckled into his coffee. “Another damn report. I swear, our commissioners have been going crazy over this recently. Don't they realize that we need to sleep, too? Well, what about you, Miss Purewater? You don't look like you've slept very well either.”

“Everyone's been in an uproar preparing for today.” She shook her head and threw her arms in the air. “And enough of that Miss Purewater crap; we've known each other for years, you can call me by my first name.”

“Says the woman who woke me by calling for a Dr. Sanders,” Michael said sardonically.

“Well I... er...” She looked at a painting on the wall. “I guess I'm just used to talking to you in the workplace, now. I have to be respectful to my superiors, even if I had better grades in college.”

“Hey, now. You know as well as I do that English was not my subject!” Michael laughed. “We're just lucky that the higher ups gave me permission to pick my own crew. Honestly, we would have fallen apart a long time ago without you, Nina.”

“Oh, you exaggerate,” she giggled.

“No, really,” he responded with a smile. “But... we should get to business. How is she?”

“Everything's good. No errors detected in her body, and her mental processing is sharper than a tack.”

“I still can't believe we're sending her out into the world.” Michael sighed.

“She'll be fine. We'll be right there with her just in case, remember?” She said assuringly.

“Yeah, yeah. Well, I have to finish this report before we head out. Thanks for the coffee.”

“No problem,” Nina said as she rose from the chair and headed for the door. The tapping of the backspace key stopped.

“Damn it.”

She turned. “What is it?”

“I hate it when I leave off on 'and'.”

- - -

The air in the lab always became highly electric whenever they started her up, Michael mused, chuckling slightly at his accidental pun. Reports shot off like lightning from all sides of the room, but he only vaguely listened to them. Usually, he was alert and attentive at this time, but his sixth sense told him that everything would run exceptionally smoothly today. Or maybe it was because this marked the sixth sleepless night on his keyboard in a row?

Regardless of the cause, everything was proceeding smoothly. The large metal coffin-like apparatus positioned upright against the far wall cracked open. The doors slowly moved to reveal a young, emotionless beauty sleeping as still as the dead. At least, until her eyes suddenly shot open, but that was the most unsettling part to Michael. It was like a corpse opening her eyes to stare accusingly at him for disturbing her rest. The woman, dressed in simple clothing, stepped out of her morbid bed and strode across the room with even, calculated steps until she stood before Michael.

“Good morning, Amelia,” he smiled at her. “How are you feeling?”

“Quite well. Thank you, Doctor,” she tried to return the smile, but it was obviously forced. She sounded much more natural today, Michael noticed. “But, you seem very tired yourself.”

Michael blinked, and then burst into uproarious laughter. Amelia looked obviously puzzled, while Nina gave him a sidelong glance. “I'm sorry,” he started when his laughing ceased, “It's just that it's a bit odd to finally hear you say something other than 'my sensors indicate'.”

Amelia furrowed her brow. “I am afraid I still do not fully comprehend your concept of humor, Doctor.”

“I don't understand it myself, sometimes. Maybe I'm just sleep deprived.” Michael shook his head. “Amelia, do you know why we woke you up today?”

“No, I do not.”

“Today's going to be your first day outside of the lab! We're taking you to a city within the influence of the Center.”

“I understand,” she nodded.

“We would like to observe how well you act in the real world in your current state. Do you think you can do that?”

“I...” Amelia hesitated. “Well, if I may be frank, I do not believe that I am yet ready for this task.”

“Nonsense,” Michael chortled. “Remember that Megumi girl who was here last time? You should have seen the look on her face when I told her that you were the android!”Amelia smiled, but this time it looked much less forced. Michael couldn't help but feel a little happy at that. “Now, Mr. Mendez is in the usual briefing room, and he'll explain today's operation to you.”

“Understood.” Amelia nodded, walked past Michael and exited the room without another word.

“It's really amazing...” Nina murmured as Amelia left. “When we started this project, I never expected it to turn out so well.”

“Indeed.” Michael agreed. “When I was given the opportunity to lead Project Mithril, I was shocked. It was everything I had wanted to work on in college! An android who could learn, interact with people, and something to defend towns from Trips and Beasts! It was like the two projects I've wanted to do rolled into one!” Nina grinned at his beaming face. “But, it's eerie,” Michael continued, growing suddenly grim. “I know she was used as the model for her body, but... Amelia looks exactly like my daughter would have, given a few years.”

Nina sighed and frowned. “I'm really sorry about what happened.”

“I know, but I've finished my mourning. She wouldn't have wanted me to be sad. I wish I could have done something, but it's hard to fight against a sickness when your field is robotics and programming,” he sighed. “I really appreciate everything you all did for me. Besides, it was getting old calling her PTA-X00 anyway. She needed a real name if we wanted her to act like a human.”

“I agree. It's really astounding how quickly she's progressed.”

“Well, I'm getting another cup of coffee before I get my things together. Want to join me?”

- - -

The trip was hell. Six hour drive through the wasteland in a van with air conditioning that broke forty-five minutes into the trip. Keeping the equipment from sliding around proved to be more of a problem than they had originally anticipated, as well. At the very least, they didn't need to worry about Beasts as long as Amelia was around.

Once they had finally parked outside the town, they set up a small operating base(complete with shade and large fans), and it was time to send Amelia into the great unknown. “You're not worried, are you?” Nina joked.

“Only a little bit,” was his only response. “So, Amelia, you know what you're supposed to do, right?”

The android nodded. “I am to blend in with the townsfolk and collect data on every day life in this settlement, and use what I find out to establish my own basis of thought of the world outside the lab.”

“Good. Just remember that what you hear out there might be a bit... biased against certain parties. Just remember to ask why and try to see both sides of the story. I don't want you to become prejudiced, now.”

“I will do my best.” Unless Michael was mistaken, she looked nervous. “It is time for me to begin the operation.” Without another word, she turned and headed out of camp into the bustling city in front of them.

“Try to stay out of trouble, Amelia!” Nina yelled after her.

- - -

It was truly fascinating. There were people everywhere talking about anything one could conceive. There were so many viewpoints for her to store and analyze. It was nothing at all like the lab. It was strange, but Amelia somehow expected it to be much less active than it was. Families performing their daily bustle, friends telling stories and laughing. There was an old man telling a story to a crowd of children, who seemed to giggle and gasp at all the right parts. Interested, Amelia stopped behind the children and watched the man with a bemused expression.

“And then I pointed my pistol at him and I said, 'if ya' wanna get past me, I can't say for sure that you'll do it without gettin' hurt...” he gave a dramatic pause, “or without dyin'.”

“What did he do?” A bright-eyed boy with black hair asked.

The old man chuckled. “He turned tail and ran, he did! All of his friends, too!” The children clapped enthusiastically, and the man took a bow. “Now, kids, go'n play. Time for this old man to take a nap.”

The children took off around Amelia and began reenacting the man's story in the street. She watched them dart around and point gun-shaped hands at each other and yell “bang!” while who was pointed at would dramatically grab their chest and fall to the ground. Children were certainly interesting and carefree people.

Amelia continued to wander, listening to the murmurs of the townsfolk. She often heard a mention of a local bar, and in the end, she decided to go see what it was like for herself. It took her longer than she expected, however, as she did not realize that she should have asked someone for directions. Finally, she saw the building in the distance, and she quickened her pace.

As the details of the bar came into view, a group of two grinning people—one male, the other female—carrying a confused and panicked looking man burst from the door and ran past her down the street she just walked. Confused, but not deterred, she continued towards the door of the bar. The door was a mere three steps distance away from her before it burst open again, and a large mob charged out of it screaming about killing “those three damned Trips”. Amelia paused for a moment before turning and running to follow the mob.

“You're going to follow them?!” screeched a familiar voice in her ear.

Amelia made a puzzled sound and put her hand on the ear the voice came from. “Dr. Purewater? But those people are in trouble.”

“They can handle it! Please stay out of trouble! We can't have you getting hurt!”

“But...” Amelia began to protest.

“Now, now, Nina,” came another voice. “She's a big girl, now. She can take care of herself.”

“But...!”

“No buts!” Michael insisted. “This whole field test is for Amelia to make her own decisions. So, Amelia, do what you feel is best.”

Amelia smiled. “Thank you, Doctor Sanders!”

She focused on the group ahead of her and attempted to decipher what was going on. “They're running into the alleys!” a man yelled. “Split up and corner 'em!” Amelia charged into the closest alley and up the first fire escape. On the roofs, she could detect all of the groups moving in the alleys below her. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, she followed the mob until she could detect the three that had ran out of the bar first.

When she had located them, it was apparent that the mob was closing in on all sides. They were running towards her, so Amelia decided that it was her duty to ensure that the three could escape safely. She ran from the middle roof to the fire escape, from which she dropped down in front of the three escapees. Shocked, they stopped in front of her.

“Please continue,” she said. “I will take care of the bar patrons.”

The man leading the other two—another male and a woman—eyed her cautiously. Even to Amelia, it was obvious that this man and his female companion were travelers. The third, however, seemed to be either a member of the town. She could feel their eyes studying her.

“Thanks,” said the first, and he led the two behind him past her. The footsteps behind her slowly washed away in the thundering stampede ahead of her. Without a single moment of hesitation, she reached into her coat and retrieved a compact handgun and fired some shots at the ground in front of her. The crowd ceased it charge an tense silence hung in the air as she stared the mob down.

“I would not advise continuing beyond this point.” She said monotonally. “Please turn back and forget about the three you were chasing.”

The lead man—who was obviously much drunker than the rest—let out an unintimidated laugh. “What'cha got, girley? You think that little popgun's gonna scare us?!” He roared.

“Would you like to try to make it past me? I cannot guarantee that you will make it unharmed,” she narrowed her eyes and pointed the gun at the leader, “or alive.” The man growled and fumed for several long moments, before spitting out some insults and turning back. Amelia replaced the gun in her inner coat pocket.

“Ahhh... God... I thought my heart was going to explode...” Nina's voice whimpered from the radio built into Amelia's ear.

“I am sorry for worrying you, Dr. Purewater.”

“Aw, Nina's just all fuss,” Michael's voice came this time. “That was quite the show, Amelia, but it's getting late. You should return to base for now.”

“Understood.”

- - -

Night had fallen, and still they hadn't returned home yet. Michael sighed. He had wanted Amelia to spend more time in the city, but the higher-ups wanted a new report by tomorrow morning. He couldn't also help but wonder why the hell they were sent to a city so far away from the lab. There had to have been a better place, but it wasn't his job to ask questions like that. Looking away from the window(there wasn't much to see out there anyway, even if there was light), he turned and saw Amelia sitting rigid and upright in her seat with her usual expressionless face. But, even still...

“You look pretty happy.” Michael commented.

“Oh?” She turned to face him. “I suppose that I am.”

“Have fun today?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“You did a good thing today.”

Amelia smiled. “I only remembered what you told me.”

“Oh? What was that?”

“You were teaching me about the world. You told me that the Trips get looked down upon because of those found in the wastelands, but they are not all bad people simply because of how they were born. When I saw those three getting chased for what they could not help being, I had felt like I should help them.”

“And that's what you did.” Michael chuckled softly. “Good girl. I'll make sure to put in a good word for you in the report today.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

god I take forever doing this and it really only takes like three hours of work


A Life of Change - Loss



Priscilla sighed, staring out her window and looking over the city. The grey landscape was occasionally dotted with a green of a small park, or a strangely painted building, or the black of smoke from factories. It was the same, day after day, and though she had rarely left the manor, she could probably find her way around the entire city by now. Sunlight had barely began to filter through to her room, and she was already dreadfully bored.

She had considered reading another novel, but she had read twenty over the past month, and she was beginning to truly envy the heroines in every one. Some were like her, stuck in some rich home day after day until some shocking event led them on some adventure. Others were different, adventurers, bounty hunters, and the like, roaming the wastes and fighting Beasts day after day. If only something could happen to her so she could live a life like that, too, maybe she would finally be happy... but she had no abilities, no talents. She was just a normal girl who was excessively good at being bored.

Priscilla began drumming her fingers on the windowsill. Why was she so unfortunate? She had the pretty, golden hair, the clear, blue eyes, the slim waist and everything. Okay, so, maybe she wasn't as... developed as some of the heroines in the novels, but that shouldn't hold her back. Why did she have to sit here in boredom and stagnation? Her romantic prospects at the moment weren't looking good at all. There wasn't a single man in her life and she'd likely get arranged off to some slob who is rich as he is fat. Oh, how she wanted to break from her normal life...

A quiet knocking crept through the room. “Come in.” Priscilla sighed dully. A dark-haired maid in her mid-forties entered.

“Your father wishes to see you in his study.”

“Right.” Priscilla said thickly, finally getting up from her seat. She turned to the door and began to make her exit, when she noticed that the maid had a rather pallid expression. “Stella, are you alright?”

“Huh?” The maid started. “Oh, no, I'm fine, Miss.”

“If you say so... just don't overwork yourself.”

“Thank you for your concern, Miss. Now, hurry along to your father.”

Priscilla shrugged and stepped out into the hallway. The large, lavish passageway was, as always, clean enough to eat off of, thanks to Stella and the other maids. The carpeting looked fresh as it had been purchased yesterday, and every picture, trophy, and stand had been polished to a mirror sheen. Stella worked herself and the other maids to death, and the germophobic amount of attentiveness to detail was suffocating, sometimes.

After navigating the extravagant halls, she finally arrived at the grand doors to the manor study. She showed herself in and strode through the endless bookcases to find her father at his desk in some dark corner of the room. “You shouldn't read in such low light,” she announced her presence. “It's bad for your eyes.”

Her father looked up. “Ah, Priscilla. Have a seat.” He gestured at the chair across the desk from himself. Priscilla nodded simply and sat.

“What did you want?” She asked.

“I am going to the mines today to show some potential investors around and to see how things are doing. I wanted to ask you to come with me.”

Priscilla was somewhat taken aback. “The mines? Why there of all places?”

“Well, since I'm always so busy, I thought it'd be a good chance to spend some time together. We can go out to eat after the tour,” he smiled.

Priscilla folded her arms across her chest and began tilting her head from one side to the other.

“We can stop at that park you like, too!” He offered cheerfully.

“...alright, I guess.”

“Lovely!” His smile broadened. “We're leaving within the hour.”


- - -


The mine was a lot... dirtier than she expected. She never thought a dry hole in the ground could have been so dusty and smoky. The equipment was numbingly loud and ceaseless. Her father asked her to dress well, so she put on a red traveling dress with thin black stripes designed after the outfit of one of her favorite heroines, but now she imagined it would be ruined due to the dust and dirt.

Almost immediately after she arrived on-site, she was forced to put on a hard yellow hat on her head, and it made her ponytails uncomfortable, and her ribbons were probably wrinkling. Mud had already splattered all over the soles of her shoes and caked. Almost immediately, an unshaven, overweight man far past his prime began to lead them away. The man and her father were back and forth, trying to remain audible over the din of the equipment. Though, Priscilla couldn't hear a word over the motors and drills and whatever nonsense they had piled into this hole.

The man waved Priscilla and her father over into a small shack under some makeshift scaffolding. Inside, the air was just as suffocating and dirty, but much cooler, and somehow quieter. It also smelled something noxious, as many dirt-and-sweat covered men were relaxing in the shack, chatting with each other, and laughing.

“The lot're all waitin' at the entrance to the mine, juss' as yeh' wanted, sir,” the man said to her father.

“Ah, brilliant.” Her father clapped his hands together and smiled. “You also mentioned a worker would be guiding us.”

“Yeah, he's righ' 'ere, sir,” the man turned his head towards a group of men talking in the corner. “Oi oi, Bruno, get'chur arse over here.”

A large dark skinned man rose from one of the few tables that could fit in the shack and crossed to the man. “Yeah, boss?”

“Time to lead that lot through. Be swift abou' it.”

“Sure thing.” The man nodded and turned to Priscilla and her father. “My name is Barry Tallsmith, but everyone here calls me Bruno. I'll be helping ya' around the mine.” He extended his hand, which Priscilla's father grabbed firmly and shook.

“It's nice to meet you, Barry. I'm Vincent Maxwell, and this is my daughter, Priscilla.”

“Nice to meet you.” Priscilla said offhandedly, staring out the nearest window.

“Let's get going, then.” Her father said. “Don't want to keep the investors waiting!”

Again they forayed out into the blazing hot and deafeningly loud outdoors. Barry led them across the baked land, between stacks of pipes and through traffic of transport vehicles to the mouth of the mine itself. There was a large group waiting there, and they were all dressed similarly to Priscilla and her father—in nice clothes being ruined by the terrain.

Her father began a speech about the area, which Priscilla, honestly, couldn't care less about. She was beginning to wish that she had stayed home instead. The wind picked up a bit, and she watched the dust kick up and flutter around as if guided by invisible hands into a small waltz. She didn't need to look to tell that the man who was supposed to be guiding them was as bored as she was, and simply waiting for his cue to take them around. Maybe it wouldn't have been so boring if her mom had still been around. At least then she'd have someone to talk to.

They finally entered the mine, and her father's speech was ceaseless. Only the promise of going somewhere worthwhile when the tour was over was keeping her dimly sane. As the minutes turned to hours wandering the mine, stopping at mineral deposits and large pieces of machinery, Priscilla found herself hard pressed for entertainment. Attempting to find patterns in the rock formations or the machinery around the mine—the latter being much easier—became stale quick. She even noticed Barry trying to hide his yawning on a few occasions.

Priscilla was struggling to retain her composure when she began to recognize the things they were walking by. A familiar metal deposit, a drill with chips in all of the right places, the same sweaty, rancid workers... they were finally heading back! They stopped at a T-intersection.

“And that concludes the tour. I hope you enjoyed yourselves.” The crowd clapped. Priscilla and Barry both gave sighs of relief. Her father smiled. There was a sudden blast from nearby, and the mine began to shake. Small rocks fell from the ceiling. The investors looked terrified and Priscilla could barely keep her balance. Larger and larger rocks began to fall, and Priscilla felt herself being pulled. It felt as if she had been torn in half, and then everything went black.

- - -


Her body ached everywhere. From the top of her head to the tips of her fingers to her toes. Every muscle in her body hurt and it felt like all of her bones were broken. She opened her eyes and the light blinded her, causing her head to throb even more severely. There was a dark figure next to her that she could barely make out.

“Hey, you awake?” A deep, rumbling voice came. Priscilla tried to reply, but the only thing that came from her mouth was a moan. “Take it easy.” The voice continued. “You've been through a lot. Have some water.” She could see the figure holding what must have been a canteen, but her arms felt too heavy to move. Luckily, he seemed to understand, and pressed the container to her lips. The cool, clean water soothed her parched throat, and eased her headache. Her vision began to return to her.

“T... thank you.” She barely made out. The man in her vision became clearer, and she recognized him as the man who had lead them around the mine. “Wh... w-what happened?”

A pained look immediately shot through Barry's face. “Well... there...” he swallowed, “there was a cave-in.”

“W-What...?”

“I... I was barely able to pull you out in time. I'm sorry.” He hung his head. Priscilla tried to sit up, but her body was just too heavy. It was only with the force of both arms that she could raise her body. “Please don't move around too much.” He said suddenly. “You're still in the...” He grew silent.

Priscilla looked at him dazedly. “Still in what?”

“The... synchronization period,” he finished gravely.

She was dumbfounded. “The... excuse me?”

Barry buried his face in his hands for a moment, before running them through his short, curly hair and then dropping them back in his lap. “I deeply apologize for not being fast enough.” He looked away. “Your arm.”

As soon as he spoke, she immediately noticed how strange her arm had felt. As if it was there but it wasn't there. Like it was how it always had been but totally different at the same time. Weaker, but stronger. She looked down and had to suppress a scream. Her right arm was now a large, clunky robotic monstrosity. Large boxy sections connected by small pipes and platelike fingers. She turned to Barry in shock, trying to speak but no words came out of her mouth, which could only hang open.

“It's... a heavy lifting model. For construction and stuff. W-We had to put it on to stop the bleeding before you lost too much blood.”

“M... My....” She gasped.

“I know it's a shock but please relax.” Barry looked at her with a sad expression.

“I... my...” She closed her eyes hard and limply hung her human arm over her mechanical one. “I... I can get... a new one... right?”

“Yes.”

“I... I... don't have to look like this forever, right?”

“Yeah, that's right.”

Priscilla gave a shuddering sigh. “I... I want to see my father. Where is he?”

Barry didn't respond.

“Where is my father?”

Silence.

She shot up from looking at her arm to meet Barry's face. “Where is he?!”

Barry turned to stare hard at some spot on the floor. “He... died. In the cave-in.”

Priscilla's fierce stare became blank. “Wh... at?” She held her head in her human left hand. “Dead...? Dead? Dead?! He died?!” Tears began to blur her vision.

“I'm... I'm very sorry.”

“Liar!” She exploded. “He's not dead! He... He can't be dead!”

Barry wore a pained expression. “I'm so sorry.”

“Stop lying! Take me to see my father this instant!”

Barry sighed, and said nothing.

“Take me to him!” She demanded. When Barry's silence wasn't broken, she threw the blankets from her body, sliding her legs across the bed and finally standing. It was awkward, her legs were tired and weak and the machine on her arm was terribly heavy. She began to feel light headed, and when she attempted to walk, her legs fell out from under her. Strong arms kept her from landing on the floor.

“You're not strong enough to move, yet. Rest some more.” Barry said simply, laying Priscilla on her bed and covering her with the blankets.

“I have to see... my father...” She choked out.

“I'm sorry.”

Priscilla brought her knees close to her body, and buried her head in her human arm. Barry watched wordlessly, as Priscilla's breathing became shallow and her body began to shake. He could vaguely hear her whisper to herself but could not make out the words.

“Why?!” She screamed, turning to glare at Barry once again, tears streaming down her face.

“We don't know what cau--”

“Why did you save me?!” She shrieked violently. “Why didn't you let me die?!”

“Miss--”

“My father is dead! And I'm less than human! Why did you have to save me?!”

Barry fell silent again. Priscilla screamed and cried until all she could do was dryly sob into her sheets. He waited until she fell asleep, and he waited still. Did he do the right thing? Did he really just save this innocent girl from certain death just so she could suffer?

These thoughts haunted him as he waited by her bed in the clinic.