[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟ sᴏʀᴛɪᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ: 24:41:63]

[sʏsᴛᴇᴍ: ᴜɴᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ ɢʟᴏʙᴀʟ ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴏɴɪɴɢ sᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴇ]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ɪꜰ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴀɴᴅᴇʀ ʙᴀsᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴs ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴄᴀʟ ꜰʟᴏʀᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴛᴛᴇʀ ʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴏғ ꜰᴀᴜɴᴀ, ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇʀɴ ᴛɪᴘ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀss ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴀs ɪᴄᴇʟᴀɴᴅ…]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: . . .]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ, ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴀʟʟ sᴘᴇᴄᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇʀʀᴀꜰᴏʀᴍɪɴɢ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ sɪɢɴɪꜰɪᴄᴀɴᴛʟʏ. ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ɢᴇᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄᴀʟ sᴛᴀɴᴅᴘᴏɪɴᴛ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ sʜʀᴜʙʙᴇʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴇᴇɴsᴡᴀʀᴅs ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀᴄʀᴏss ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴇsᴛᴀᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ’s ʀᴇsɪʟɪᴇɴᴄᴇ.]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: . . .]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀʏ; ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀɪɴ ɪs ɴᴏ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ ᴀʟᴋᴀʟɪɴᴇ. ᴛʜɪs sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛs ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴇᴏʀʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟᴇᴅ ᴀᴄʀᴏss ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴇɴᴛs. ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴀ ꜰᴇᴡ ʜᴀᴅ ᴡᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ.]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴠᴇʀ sʜᴜᴛ ᴜᴘ? ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴅɪsᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ sᴜʀᴇ ᴀs ʜᴇʟʟ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴀᴍɴ ᴘʟᴀᴛɪᴛᴜᴅᴇs!]

“But… I didn’t say anything…?” Slate muttered beneath his breath as we continued our downward trek off the face of a steep mountain range of black soil. “Do we need to stop and take a breather? The oxygen at this altitude is extremely thin, and I’m not sure how well Owen is holding up.”

“I wasn’t talking to you- and like I said before; you’re more than welcome to go back to the wreckage and wait for the Salvage and Rescue Crew.”

“Then who were-?”

“Please, can you just not?! I’m hungry, I’m wet, and I’m freezing! Can I please have an excuse to act a little delirious for just this once!?”

“Whatever floats your goat, Bearcat, sheesh.”

For miles, we had trekked through the inclement weather along series of switchbacks craved through a mountainous gully. With Owen fashioned to a section of metal pulled from the wreckage vaguely reminiscence of a stretcher, our plight was both grueling and critical to his survival.

Ever present on my mind, a reel of possibilities and their outcomes; almost all of which end in our Engineer succumbing to his wounds.

If we were to stop now, asphyxiation via oxygen deprivation in the thin atmosphere. If we do not find the warmth of a fire, hypothermia and gangrenous infections. The list goes on with growing severity until I can no longer stomach the details.

“If only we had some way to slide down the cliff face, we could search the basin for a cave or something… you know, just to get out of the rain? I bet you would like the wild ride down, huh, Owen? Damn ledge must be more than sixty degrees at least.”

Continuing to ramble to himself between his conversant muse with our Engineer’s unconscious body, Slate shifted his weight in the plight for a better grip on the sharp edges of our makeshift stretcher biting into his hands.

Against my belief that Owen had been out cold, the man grumbled something inaudible.

“Hey, take it easy. C’mon Bearcat, let’s set him down for just a minute. I’m afraid if I go any more without binding some cloth around my hands I’ll drop him. My pain switch is on the fritz again.”

Taking what little time that might remain into account, I sighed with relief as I looked to my palms, both deeply cut and badly bruised.

Through my Thermals, a purple hue slipped into a deep blue where Slate had covered Owen with his tattered jacket. Owen’s body temperature had plummeted to life-threatening eighty-degrees, a sign that his body was beginning to shut down.

“We need to keep going! This man may not have much longer if we do not find a way down this ridge.” I stated earnestly while gesturing for Slate to pick up his end of the stretcher.

“W-Wait, I think he’s trying to tell us something.”

Out of Owen’s lips, nothing but a puff of air, but from their movement, Logic translated for me.

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ʜᴇ ɪs ᴀsᴋɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪꜰɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴋɪʟʟ ʜɪᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇɴᴅ ʜɪs sᴜꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ, ᴛᴏ sᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟᴠᴇs.]

“No.” I firmly pointed my eyes towards the dying man, allowing the ubiquitous response to go unquestioned by both parties.

“Alright, alright, crack the whip I get it. Owen's lips are turning blue, and we really need to change his bandages. You know, you’re pretty banged up too, Bearcat. I might be able to spare a few Nanites if you’re willing to undergo a transfusion.”

“That won’t be necessary. Something tells me you need them more than I do.”

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ʀᴇꜰᴜsɪɴɢ ᴀɪᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴇᴛᴇʀɪᴏʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ; ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴡᴀsᴛᴇ.]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ɪᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴡᴀsᴛᴇ? ᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴡɪsᴇ, ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɪɴᴅʟʏ, sʜᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ sʜᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀs ᴡʜᴇɴ- ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴀsᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ!]

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴀs ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪsʜ, ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ. ʙᴜᴛ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ɪ ʙɪᴛᴇ ᴍʏ/ᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴏɴɢᴜᴇ; ʏᴏᴜ ᴏᴠᴇʀʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅ ᴘᴀᴄᴇs ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴇᴇᴘᴇsᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟɪꜰꜰ.]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ᴡʜᴀᴛ!? ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ɴᴏᴡ?!]

.

..

Grunting with all my might, I took the narrow width of the stretcher into my arms along with an extra passenger.

..

.

“H-Hey, Fragile what are you doing!? Why are we turning back!? Talk to me here!”

“We’re going back- just to the last bend; I think I may have seen something.”

“Ugh, are you sure you’re not getting too delirious?! You’re beginning to seriously freak me the fuck out! Hold up- hey, at least put me down!”

By the tension in his voice alone I could tell that his patience was wearing thin. Thus far, Logic has yet to fail me unless one could count the words I could use to win him over, and for the first time I began to wonder; what if Logic was… wrong?

What if this decision kills Owen?

Could I live with that?

Why is this so different from the many lives I’ve taken?

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ʟɪᴇs ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟɪᴛʏ. ᴛʜɪs ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴊᴜsᴛɪꜰʏ ᴏʀ ʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟɪᴢᴇ. ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴏʀ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ, ɪꜰ ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴀᴍᴇ-]

“No- Slate, lets keep moving!”

“Damn it Fragile! No; I order you to let go of Owen! Ever since we loaded up into the damn truck you’ve had a stick up your ass! What the hell is wrong with you!?”

“Piss off Slate, I’ve earned your stupid Captain’s stripes at least twice over in my lifetime! You don’t get to abandon your authority and invoke it when it’s convenient!”

“I’ve been withholding from pulling rank on you because I know you... can handle yourself! B-But now you're not giving me any choice, just look at me for one goddamn second!”

I couldn’t look at him, let alone my own reflection shimming off puddles from the faint light of my vest’s dim torch.

“A man is dying Slate. Neither of us has time for your petty intimidation games; so with all due respect, you can stuff your rank and your orders! No one is coming for us out in the middle of fucking nowhere!”

“You’re the one that convinced me to leave the wreckage! I said we stay put! Stop acting so afraid- we just need a minute to think this through! I’m sure Habu will figure something out-!”

“And get shelled by another mortar!?!” I screamed, putting all my weight into every step until Slate’s boots began to lose their traction. “We couldn’t have possibly stayed; the Architects would have found us for sure!”

“What the hell are you on about- we are Architects! Whatever you got going in that rusty old head of yours they’re nothing more than Scavengers! Damn it, Fragile, if we’re going back we’re going ALL the way back to base!”

As the flashlight began to quake and waiver in my search for better footing against the slick surface of the muddy outcropping. In our tug of war, the answer that held the key to life or certain death spun wildly to either side of the contestants.

An obvious prize; something I cannot say I have always cherished… Life, now so incredibly tangible in my hands, I couldn’t afford to be wrong.

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙʟᴀᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟꜰ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴍʏ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ɪꜰ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ]

“Fragile, kill your light- there’s a spotlight in the clouds above us!!”

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ, ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ɢᴏ]

“Fragile!” Slate hissed aggressively as I turned over my shoulder just in time to witness his hand reaching for me over the length of the stretcher.

As we locked eyes in the dripping rain, I said to him; “You talk too much,” the moment a white circle of light raced down the incline above us, directly towards our position.

Letting go…

It is as if I had asked the entire mountainside to let go.

“Mudslide!!”

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ʜᴏʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ.]

.

..

...

..

.

Ge…t ... p.. g..e..u.....ge....up..!

[SYSTEM: Hard Reset – コンプリート, Systemリスタート, Initializing… 13.1%]

Get…

[Primal OS: Custom Firmware - Shi no Rōtasu v347.9b2]

[SYSTEM: Reboot… Complete, Recalibrating Language Dictionaries: Default/Japanese -> English]

Up…

“GET UP!!... FRAGILE, PLEASE WAKE UP!!”

Unable to see or make sense of the broken state of my surroundings between the static and visual tears, Slate’s voice replayed itself like a record until I reached out in its general direction.

"I-I can't see?!” I wheezed, running my fingers over my eyes in a futile attempt to find a physical reason.

“Just hold still for a moment, you ate the dirt so hard it probably damaged your Optics.”

On the verge of panic, I knew it would be impossible to repair even under the most ideal circumstances and with every attempt to open my eyes, the ability to control my ragged breathing spiraled further out of control.

“D-Don’t touch me! Just t-tell me where w-we are!”

Ignoring my demand and battery of flailing fists, Slate or who I alleged to be Slate attempted to pin my wrists against a hard surface with only gravity to tell me that what lay behind me was a wall.

“Would you quit struggling woman! I’m trying to help you!”

“I’ll be fine if you'd just tell me where I am! How do I know you’re Slate!?”

[ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʟ ᴏs: ʀᴇʀᴏᴜᴛɪɴɢ ᴀᴄᴏᴜsᴛɪᴄ sᴜʙʀᴏᴜᴛɪɴᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴏᴘᴛɪᴄᴀʟ sᴇɴsᴏʀʏ ɴᴏᴅᴇ]

Out of nowhere, sound became visible in the form of rippling light in the midst of a pitch-black void. From every drip of water to the movement and breath of insects consequently pinged and jolted like rain upon the surface of a vast body of water.

For the briefest moment, I thought I might be able to withstand the bombardment of exotic sensory information, but within seconds, it became overwhelming just as the crunch of a pebble echoed from behind.

Unable to react timely or effectively, I merely retained my fetal position against the hard face of a wall and readied my fists.

[ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʟ ᴏs: ɴᴀɴɪᴛᴇ ᴛʀᴀɴsꜰᴜsɪᴏɴ ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ!]

In patting my hand from the base of my neck, I traced a wire until it led back to a scruffy face blasting my fingers with warm breath. By the sudden nearness of Slate’s proximity and the inadvertent response to my eyes to the world of chaos, a jolt reverberated through my spine.

“Watch it, you just stabbed me in the eye with your finger, ya moron! Hurry up and accept the request before I go blind too! This is as embarrassing to me as it is to you anyway, so don’t get all hot-headed on me once your patched enough to see!”

There would be no avoiding it, I absolutely needed those small nano-machines suspended in their nutrient gel to regenerate my vision. Still, I was hesitant and for reasons other than what I had previously stated.

It’s just…

There’s a part of Lilim Culture I mentioned briefly a while back that I had almost entirely forgotten…

“ Your Aux cable better not leave any grime in my connector, it’s a pain in the ass as it is to clean it out and I forgot to bring any rubbers.”

“That's not very funny, you dolt, it's far more embarrassing for me than it is to you! Ugh, just- tell me where we are already... and why can’t I feel the rain?”

Clicking his tongue as if the answer had some possibility of being obvious, a cool, almost invigorating rush surged through the base of my neck, radiating throughout my spine. “That’s because I carried you and Owen into a cave. You couldn’t tell by how our voices echo? We were carried down by the avalanche- hopefully before those spotlights in the sky made us. Although... I suppose it doesn't matter since the entrance to the cave is almost entirely packed with dirt.”

“So those lights flying overhead, it wasn’t rescue?"

Slate shook his head, his outline barely perceivable as my eyes had yet to fully repair.

"Then I was right all along, they were Architects!"

"Oh please! They could be aligned with any other Militia in the area. We crossed like two territories, you know..."

"No, I don't know because everyone told me; 'That info is on a need-to-know basis! Err- and I don’t think a mudslide is the same as an avalanche…”

“Does it really matter?” He huffed peevishly. “Anyways none of that is important now, so why are you shaking? You’re not permanently blind thanks to the last of my Nanites.”

“An automated repair tied my ears into my eyes and everything got really… hard to stomach. You’d freak out too if you suddenly awoke to an acid trip- b-but don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm shaking because I'm scared!”

Leaning in with my palms, a tap on my shoulder redirected my passionate explanation.

“Oh, so that’s why you smell like vomit and old noodles. It’s dark in here anyway, but now I’m going to have to get out of my clothes because I’m probably covered in it too. I’m almost afraid to toggle my Night Vision.”

“No-no-wait, don’t do that! I still can’t see!”

“What, you wanna see?” Slate teased as fingers began tapping either side of my shoulders, making it impossible to tell from which direction he had sought refuge from my fury.

“Nooo~! St-stop!! I mean it Slate! I don’t trust being trapped in a friggen cave while you’re naked! It’s not like you’ll know when to put your nickers back on when my eyes heal!”

“Gah-damn your old. Who the hell calls them nickers anymore? Fine, you know what? Forget it. Just tell me how long it is going to take to repair your marbles. It’s not like I’m going to give you the ‘end of the world’ pity request with Owen taking a nap above you.”

Perplexed, I felt around above my head to discover a long lump which pinged back the bulge of a hammock.

[ᴀᴜᴛᴏᴍᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴘᴀɪʀ sᴜʙʀᴏᴜᴛɪɴᴇ: ᴏᴘᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ɴᴏᴅᴇ 1-4 ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴛɪᴄ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛ: 8ʜʀ, 31ᴍ, 42s]

Eight... Hours!?

“I can tell by the look you’re making that I’ll be taking my clothes off cause I'm sure as hell won’t stew in them for more than an hour… Oh and, you should probably get out of yours too since you're the source of the rank stench.” Slate cooed as the rapid waves of sound vaguely formed the outline of his body reaching towards me.

“Whaaaa!? N-No! I don’t want to, and even if I did; you’re sure as hell not going to be the one to help me take them off!”

“It’s not like Owen can help undo your vest, and even if he could, I’m pretty sure he’s not into crabby Robots or Bearcats.”

“Ugh! I’ll beat your face off if you come near me again- and what the hell is a Bearcat!? Stop calling me names!”

Chortling deeply, “Are you sure it will be my face your beating ~Mwehehaa!!" every instance of his laughter painted a blurry target in which I would soon release my boiling nerves.

“Stop being so damn stupid for crying out loud! And quit calling me Bearcat when neither of us knows what it is! Let me rot in peace!”

Overhead, a moaning roll eked out from the injured; causing Slate to return to his side of the cave before our antics stirred Owen from his slumber.

“I’m pretty sure a Bearcat is like a chimera or something.” Slate sighed gently. “You got the stature of a cat the crankiness of a grisly! Either way; it makes enough sense to misuse it.”

“Just wait until I get my eyesight back and I get my hands on you…”

“You sure you want to do that now that I’m naked?”

“Ohh~ I swear I’ll pop the eyes from their sockets with a rusty spoon, Slate, just keep it up…!”

Lunging towards the direction of his voice, my fist struck the inner wall of the cave.

“You know what, I think I’ll stay naked. The breeze in this cave is pleasant, and it’s like I’m wearing anti crab-bot repellent. No-effort full-effect sorta stuff works for me!”

.

..

How did things end up this way…

..

.

We’re here having a spitting match, and a man is dying overhead.

But that isn’t an answer… and it isn’t the reason why I ask…

The air is so damp, so cold.

That’s right… the unyielding reach of the frigid cold. That’s the reason why I keep telling myself; that this is ‘okay.’

“Stop squirming so much! You’ll rip our only foil blanket!” Slate huffed a warm roll of air over the top of my crown.

“Stop pressing into me so much! You’re already uncomfortable as it is! Don’t give me more of a reason to murder you in your sleep!”

“You’re shivering, dummy, if you keep it up you’re going to shake the nuts and bolts in your head loose at the rate you’re going. Turn off your vibrate function already, ahaha!”

Closing my eyes and numbing my senses, I focused intently on the timer counting down the hours. How could that fool be laughing at a time like this and how could I be equally wrapped up in this drunken stupor?

“This isn’t funny Slate, stop resting your scraggly chin on my head, it’s freaking itchy. I’m only here because I have to be.”

“Oh, now where have I heard that line before, eh? I can’t help it that you fit in my lap perfectly like one of those weird little Russian-cup-doll things.”

“They’re called Matryoshka Dolls, and no- we don’t! Don’t stay stupid stuff like that! I'm not in your lap I'm just... in between your legs.”

He was right, I did fit in his lap almost perfectly. As if we had been tailor-made for such an absurd occasion. When I take into account all the occurrences that lead up to this dire situation, maybe it was not so crazy to think our actions and demand for warmth are rational. Still, I would really... really.... REALLY like to put my clothes back on.

“Why the heck do you… yah know what, I don’t really care how you know what those dumb cup-things are called. Move your head for a second, I need to wipe my chin.”

Silence. Oh, what dreadful silence I thought to myself as I leaned my head into his arm.

“There we go, freshly shaved!”

“Did you just use your EPCM to shave your face?”

“Sure did. Pretty ingenious, am I right?”

“You could do that to our clothes and strip the grime from them…”

“What, and leave the barf behind inside me?! No-thank-you.”

“Organic matter turns to carbon ash-.”

“Maybe if I was a dated model like yourself. But if you remember, I was able to convert Bio-Metal to the succulent sweet flesh of apples! So yes, your filth would get put inside me...! Ugh, now that reminds me... I'm freaking hungry, and all out of Bio-Metal... At least your hair smells good, but it is sorta making me hungry for more apples.”

Food… Just thinking of the stale noodles I shared with Lux not but a day ago feels like a far-off luxury, much like sleep and the ability to see again. And so I thought this might be a form of punishment dealt by Fate or what-have-you.

That’s when he put his arms around me as if he were an envoy sent to stop me from delving the mysteries of the universe, from finding out the truth that it is all one big balancing act of chance and circumstance.

...Or so I thought....

“The rain is letting up outside, can you hear it all the way from the entrance?” Slate whispered in my ear.

I was far too tired, sore and aching to give an answer.

“Ah, it doesn’t matter. I can hear your stomach growling, so I know you’re not asleep.”

How annoyingly perceptive of him…

“I got ya now… so you can let your guard down for a little while. This isn’t so bad cuddling a rusty crab-bot. Even your hard shell needs love too.”

As if to go back on his words, Slate flinched and hesitated to see if I would retort. Once he was satisfied that I had really fallen asleep, only then he would continue.

“Warm and cuddly like a cat and as ferocious as a bear. I think Bearcat suits you just fine.”