I quickly spring up onto my feet. I grab the nearest and smallest piece of metal I could find to use as a weapon. I look at it for a moment, resting in my hands was a small, shard that was jagged at the side but then came to a point at the tip. This will have to do if I need to use it under any circumstances. In a way, I am bluffing. I have never used a weapon or even held anything similar to this in my entire life, I have absolutely no idea on how to use it. But just the hope of it looking intimidating and if I mirror a stance of someone who would use a weapon like this would do, kept me to continue pressing forward. I was as careful and as quiet I could be while around the sleeping bodies around me, cautious not to wake them. Carefully, I avoided the miscellaneous metal spread out around me, and started towards the area in which I heard the sounds.
My blood boiled up from inside me as I heard even more chaos within this metal field. I came to the realization that a large, frightening creature with mounds of muscle may be waiting for potential prey that might be lurking around and I am walking precisely into it's trap. I know that my bluffed battle position and tiny shard would not scare any creature away, but it's the only way I could try to save Eli and Atraya if that thing threatens to feast on them. Finally reaching my destination, I became even more alert and attentive. While listening for more movement within my surroundings I hear the familiar sound of more metal scraping against each other. Like an instinct, my body jumps towards the sound and awaits for the creature to show itself. The ragged scrap enveloped in my hand begin's to feel heavy as my body froze of panic and fear. What are you doing? Your acting like Atraya. Go back, now! I thought. No I can't listen to it, not now. I could feel it's very close presence now "show yourself!" I yell in a loud whisper. Nothing, no sound erupted from the dark emptiness I'm staring into. Suddenly, a figure bursts forth from the aphotic metal yard and lands on top of my body, sending me to the ground.
I squirm, and wiggle my tiny body from under neath the mysterious figure, gasping for air and release. The figure is too strong for me though and continues to hold me down and is pushing harder. My shard was also pinned down with my hand, so even turning it upwards, is not an option. Finally, I resort to the last thing that I could while being suffocated from the creature lying on top of me and kick it with all my remaining strength which caused the figure to release me and it fell to the ground, whimpering. As soon as it let me go, I quickly stood up and was about to flee, until I realized something. Animals don't whimper like this one. It sounds... Human. I cautiously walked toward the mysterious being, I stay ready for flight though no matter what. Noticing it's silhouette, I quickly came to the conclusion that It indeed is a human, a male. I can tell by his reaction to where I kicked him. He was covering his pelvis area and lying on the ground unable to stand too soon because me. I suppose he thought I was out to capture him so he tried to defend himself. I instantly, put away my pathetic dagger and run up to him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were a person. I am so sorry!" I cried out to him.
"No, it's okay. I usually get that a lot when I attack people." He said, his voice drowning in agony.
"Let me help you" I offered, trying to pick him up by his torso, which of course, I couldn't do.
"No, It's okay, I can get up on my own" the boy told me as he slowly stood up.
He walked in front of me, his legs stiff and spread out farther then they should be. He came close enough to me that I could vaguely see his appearance. He had shaggy, honey colored hair that flowed in front of his eyebrows. His eyes were grey but they had an emerald green tinge around the pupil and sky blue outlining the irises. He stood a few feet taller than I, perhaps he is even as a tall as Eli. I look at his outfit and realize that he is not wearing the same white uniform that Eli, Atraya and I wear. His torso was covered by a navy blue shirt and a unzipped, black sweater over top. The boy also wore dark jeans over his legs and black boots. How can another person be here? Did he also escape? Why isn't he wearing the uniform? Was he ever a slave? Those questions filtered my mind by looking at him.
"You sure got some kick, don't you?" He asked me.
"I'm really sorry for that I just wasn't expecting another person to be out here" I replied back.
"Don't worry about it, babe. I'm sorry I jumped on you, I thought I was catching some food, but what ever." He told me.
"So you didn't hear me yell for you to show your self?" I ask, confused.
"What? Um... No! No, I didn't hear you yell anything." He said.
What? He didn't hear me. How could he not? There were no other noises overlapping my voice. It doesn't make any sense. Maybe he was so hungry that that was all he could think about and not focus on the things around him. If he were ever a slave then that would mean that the effects from the pill wore out. We were taught that if you stop consuming the pill, then your body would go through a withdrawal period. Your body begin's to develop an addiction to the pill and the nutrients it provides so if you just stop taking it then you won't have the craving for any type of food during the withdrawal process and that could kill you. If you are lucky enough to live through that entire time without food then once that cycle is done you automatically feel exceedingly voracious. I can only assume that that is what happened with the boy.
"Where did you come from because you aren't wearing the usual uniform if you were a slave?" I ask.
"I came from the Main Control Centre" he said looking down at the ground.
"How? How could a human come from the Main Control Centre?" I question.
"I worked there" He says, now looking into my eyes.
"What? You worked there! How, all humans are slaves to the robots and work in the factories? How could you possibly work at the Main Control Centre?" I ask, partially yelling.
"Look babe, if you get on their good side and do enough work for them without question, then promotions are in your future." He told me, smirking.
"Stop calling me that!" I demand.
"OK. Then what's your name?" He asked.
"How do I know I can trust you? You did come from the Main Control Centre." I ask.
The boy is now smiling at me "I escaped, remember? I'm as much human as you are, so why can't you trust me?"
He does create a good point. He did escape from that place and has no intention on returning. "So, are you going to tell me your name, or am I going to have to force it out of you?" The boy asks, giving me a playful grin.
"Um... No, I am Syrah." I say, taking a cautious step back.
"Wow! You have a very beautiful name, Syrah. I'm Calix. You know, that means 'very handsome'." He informs me while inching too close to me.
This idiot is trying to flirt with me, watching him do this is actually quite entertaining. "So... Uh, you know where the Main Control Centre is? Because my friends and I want to travel there so that we can use that phylactery to dispose of our tracking devices and then shut down all of the robots so that all humans are free." I say, trying to quickly change the subject and silently plea for him to guide us there, even if he is a pig.
"Seems like you have quite the journey ahead of you. How about you take me to your camp and then we can discus all of this?" Calix proposes.
"I'm not taking you to my camp! I don't even know you!" I bellow out.
"Sure you do." Calix says, smirking his trademark grin. "I am Calix, I believe we met each other a few moments ago, or did you already forget that? Oh, you poor, sweet girl, did I knock you on your head when I jumped on you?" He asks in a very odd, seductive voice while pulling me in for a hug. Calix forcefully drags me into his arms, with my head against his strong chest while he constantly strokes my brown hair.
The joking has gone too far now. I need straight answers now, not constant evasions. I push him off of me, enraged. I reach for my metal weapon and quickly arrange my body into that battle position, now intentionally aiming at Calix. He looks at me with fear when he notices the sharp substance in my hand and cautiously and slowly walks a few feet backward. I suppose my bluffed pose worked. "Look, I don't want to do this. All that I want is straight answers as to how to get to the Main Control Centre or possibly be lead there." I say, trying not to reveal the fact that I am not at all that threatening and that he could possibly kill me with one punch to my head. I still stand there, waiting for a response but all that I receive is a loud, cackling laugh.
"Good job on that fake stance, it almost fooled me for a second. No offense, but I could squash you like a bug and if you wanted me to lead you, you could have just asked me nicely but maybe I won't anymore." Calix replies, in a falsetto voice as he turned his back to my face.
I roll my eyes and let out a sigh. "Fine, will you lead us to the Main Control Centre, safely?" I ask.
"I didn't hear a 'please Calix, please lead me because I am so incredibly hopeless and totally vulnerable and need your strong arms to protect me'." He says, making his voice raise 3 octaves higher than what it was before, trying to imitate his fantasy version of myself.
"I am not saying that. Come on, please? I need you to help me, I don't know how to get there and I have two other lives on my hands and the robots are still after us." I inform him.
He stares at me for a long time. The moonlight hits his backside, illuminating the outline of his body which makes him look even more strong and muscular than how he really is. Calix is actually very handsome, with his perfectly angular face and his wild eyes that look as if the entire universe dwells within them. Finally speaking, Calix proposes that if I take him to my camp, then he would lead us to the Main Control Centre. I agree, it seems to be a fair enough deal, so long as he keeps his hands to himself.
I lead him back to our resting stop and realize that Eli is completely awake and anxious while Atraya still is happily sleeping. "You! Where have you been, I have been looking for you. I thought that you were eaten by something." Eli screams.
"I am sorry Eli, I heard a noise and I didn't want to wake you, so I went after it" I explained.
"I can't believe you would be so stupid! You could have died!" He says, now holding onto the sides of my arms, not noticing that I brought back someone from my late night travels.
"Eli, calm down. I ran into this guy who has been to the Main Control Centre and agreed to lead us there."
He looks up at Calix, who is standing behind me, and ran up to him. They now stand face to face with each other and I realize that they are the same height as each other. From where I stand, I can only know that they are whispering to each other, but I have no idea on what. After a few minutes of those two muttering to each other, Eli walk's away, very angered from something that I suppose Calix had said. Then I see Calix, with that cocky grin plastered across his face and his hands on his hips. "Keep that creep away from me!" Eli says to me in a scarce voice while he passes by me.
"I know that he is an ass, but he is our new partner and we are just going to have to handle him for a while." I try to reassure him.
He just shrugs off my notion and walk's back to his sleeping spot. Then I walk to Calix "just because I allowed you here, doesn't mean that you can walk all over everyone." I warn him.
"Oh come on, I was just having some fun."
"Just go to sleep and we will figure out something in the morning." I tell him.
"Fine, good night Syrah." Calix says.
"Good night Calix." We both go to our own resting places and let fatigue wash over us. The land is now quiet and safe for us to relax and sleep in this bizarre world.