Clang CLANG Clang CLANG

Now crouching down through the grass, the closer Tamina got to the box, the better she heard the heavy, metallic sounds coming from it. Not wanting to look behind her, knowing they were all being taken right now, she felt slightly ashamed.

"I can't do anything, it's not my fault." She said, trying to rationalise her feelings. “I am so not getting paid.”

Once Tamina reached the walls of the box, she placed her hand on it. The metal was warm and there was vibrations all through it. Although the type of metal was unknown to Tamina, it just looked like a generic, grey metal. Through the slits at the top, there were some really vague voices, but the loud booms and clangs of machinery mostly overpowered them.

She searched the entire perimeter of the box, there no visible entryway. Thinking about it, Tamina realised she hadn’t even seen anyone outside the box. Guess they felt the forcefield was protection enough. But who wouldn’t want to see this beautiful scenery? Aside from corporate overlords.

She looked off at the animals in the distance. “I could continue my journey- or I could eat. It’s a really tough decision. Self care or people I generally don’t care about? Hmmm-”

It was a calm night. Tamina had decided to venture far from the box so she could enjoy her meal without the pleasant sound of someone trying to pound metal into the core of the planet or some shit. And, thankfully, the forcefield deflected the biweekly dose of acid rain.

She just needed to rest before continuing, “it’s been a long few days”, she told herself. Trying to take her mind off the workers desperately needing her help. “It’ll be fine, they can protect themselves.” Drifting off in the flowers, beating of metal far in the distance, those were her final thoughts.

Waking up, she heard a sharp singing from above. Panicked, she sprung up, taking out her dagger- looking all around her, but didn’t see anyone and slowly lowered the weapon. What is that? She looked up and it was, uhhh, a bird? “Those little weirdos are actually real?” Tamina never got to see a proper bird. On the occasion she saw a mutated vulture with tumours everywhere, but never a pretty bird. “You scare me again and I’ll- well- no- you’re too nice to kill... I’m talking to a fucking bird. Ugh.”

Tamina looked ahead of her again at the box. “No better place to start.” She dragged her feet through the grass, hadn’t felt a good morning like this in a while, if ever. She approached the box, still with no entrance. There was only one way Tamina thought to progress. Using her powers, appearing inside.

The noise of machinery seemed lessend when inside, which really made no sense but at least you could hear yourself, or others if you bother socialising.

There were pipes coming up and sideways from more hunks of metal, there also seemed to be clockwork gears in some places mixed with modern tech like wires and screens displaying some funky sci-fi hieroglyphs. There was a huge fan on the west side wall which wasn’t even connected to anything and wasn’t moving, and this whole place just didn’t make sense. But, what was most interesting was probably the source of all the vibrations and steaming heat. A big hole in the middle of the place going deep down into the void, and a drill-like object.

Tamina had appeared behind a pipe on the ground, and she made sure to keep low, spotting two croakers speaking on a walkway ahead. “It’s really them. They’re back, even after destroying the planet and killing billions. They came back for more. Greedy assholes...”

Tamina listened in on the conversation “What you reckon she thinkin’?” Said the first one,

”No clue, mate.” Replied number two.

”Probably thinkin’ she won’t get caught sneaking around like that.”

”Probably, dude.”

”Should we talk to ‘er about it?”

”If you want, man.”

“Well I ain’t doin’ it myself. Ya in?”

”Sure, pal.”

”Alright, well-“ The first one turned to Tamina. “You are so very garbage at that whole thing. You don’t even fit behind that pipe for fucks sake!” He looked a bit crooked, like he’s done some really rad herbs for half his life. His expression was full of excitement.

“Yeah, like, so garbage.” Said the second one as he slowly turned to her, expressionless.

A cold blade wrapped around her neck. “Looks like I’m getting the promotion here, fellas.” Said a third one.

The first one screamed up in a high pitch, ”OI! NO YOU FUCKIN’ AIN’T, PRICK!!!” He took out a handmade knife from his half-torn pants, or shorts at this point.

But without a second thought, Tamina slowly reached behind her and slid her hands into her claws, shredding the third’s fingers off two of his hands, then cutting off his other two arms entirely, but before he could even process it, she spun around and shoved her claws through two of his eyes. He dropped dead.

”What in the fuck?” Said the first one, “I’m still gettin’ that promotion.” He tried to jump over the railing on the walkway, but landed on a pipe, slipping and hitting his head on a different pipe, knocking him out cold.

The second one scratched his neck. “Uhhh, lunch is in ten minutes.”

”That’s ten minutes to answer my questions.” Replied Tamina

”Yeah, dude! Exactly my thoughts.” He finger gunned with all four of his hands.

”Oh boy.”