They were blind folded and brought in a secure undisclose location somewhere within the city. They removed their blind fold and what they saw amazed them. There was a leather couch and carpeted floor with a fireplace that wasn't being use at that moment. They were surprised that they weren't in a jail. Eva tried opening the door but was lock from the outside, Zi inspected the room but there was no window to be seen, Whip look up inside the fireplace but it was seal off. "There is no way out of here." She said.
"We just have to wait for someone to come in." Zi said.
"I don't know what going on here but it feels this is your fault." Whip lashes out at Zi.
"My fault? What did I do?"
"I don't know it feel like because of your bad luck we been capture."
"What do you think I am some kind of a criminal that so supposed to be lock up in jail. I think you haven't remove your blind fold because in the first place this isn't a jail. Second there is this lovely couch over here that you can sit on." Zi sat down, "And it's comfortable and relaxing that you can sleep on it." He put his feet on the coffee table and lie down.
Eva tried stopping them, "Calm down, Whip."
"If you didn't come to my life I would still be with my big sis riding alongside her."
"Like it was my choice, your big sis and her friend was the one who capture me. If it was my choice I would rather be far away from you as possible. Who would want to be with you? You're short temper, rude and a crybaby who always want to be with her big sister."
The door opened, Zi stood up from the couch and prepared himself for what to come. Free came in blindfolded and behind was a man. A man which was Eva was familiar with, "Lyra's father?"
The three of them stare at him. "You're supposed to be dead. Are you also a robot?" Zi responded.
"Calm down everyone." He removed Free's blind fold. "There is no way for me to prove at the moment I'm not a robot since our scanner have been compromise but our engineer and technician our doing their best to improve our system. All I can as of you now is to believe me."
"I believe you. General Barton Ross"
"Thank you, Miss Eva. I appreciate that. First, I like to thank you for saving our citizen from their suffering and saving this city from the possible destruction. We have almost capture all of the robots that were disguised as humans but unfortunately some are hiding."
"Are you okay, sir? You seem a little down, how is Lyra doing?" Eva asked.
"Since you help her, I'll tell, it a bit disheartening. The real Lyra is at the moment is in a coma. The doctor said that she may be in that condition for a while. They are doing their best to help her. While the imposter, we have brought it here in this facility to salvage its part and download every information we could get."
"What was the sphere they took from that capsule?" Whip asked.
"That was a bomb that could destroy the entire civilization."
"WHAT!"
"But don't worry the thing they took was a decoy. The real one is somewhere else. Lucky I ordered it to be move to another location before they took it."
"Did you know?" Eva look at him with her eyes tearing up.
"That my wife is gone and she was replace by another. No, we don't see each other much but I love her so much. Just knowing I won't see her anymore hurt so much."
An alarm went off, "Emergency! Code Red! The captured target has gone missing. Every exit will be seal off. Search and destroy the target."
"It still alive." The general ran out of the room with fierce look.
"We got to help him." Zi followed him out but as soon as he turned to a corner he lost sight of him. "Where did he go?"
They caught up with Zi, "Where did the general go?" Asked Whip.
Zi shrouded his shoulder, "I don't know, I lost him." He looked at them and realized someone is missing. "Where is Eva?"
"I thought she was right behind us. She probably got lost." Whip retraced her steps, "I'll go back and see if she is there waiting."
"We'll try to look for the general." They started walking the hallway filled with rooms and intersection.
"This feel like we are in a maze, maybe we should split up, it would be faster." Free suggested.
"All right, we just have to find each other when this is over." Zi and Free went each other way and continued their search.
"This is just strange." Free was wondering while walking the quiet hallway. "We been walking through hallways and entering different rooms but we haven't seen anyone at all. Is this a cage meant to trap us or something else?" He continued talking to himself, "Is everyone been kill?" He shook his head, "That can't be, we be able to at least see some blood or destruction of surrounding if something is killing people. Could some be watching us?" He looked at every corner but couldn't see anything unusual. "There is nothing there out of the ordinary, I also can't feel anything like before but something is bothering me."
Then he heard a voice around the corner, "What are you doing?" He hide himself against the wall and tried to peek. "Why are you trying to destroy me? I was just following order." It was Lyra, the imposter who is copying Lyra appearance. "You should help me get out of this place not destroy me." Both her hands was cut off. "Quit hiding yourself I know you are here." She stomp her foot. "I...."
It fell silent.
After a minute, he tried to take another peek and he saw her in pieces. "What happen here?" minutes later the alarm went off follow by an announcement the target has been destroy. Everything will be back to normal. The light went back to its normal white light.
Zi found Free standing next to the pieces of scrap and asked, "What happen here?" Behind him was Whip.
They were then surrounded by soldiers and they were pointing their guns at Free. He raised his hands and said, "I didn't do it."
"We believe you but your friend is not what you seem to believe to be." The general made a signal, "Fire!" One of the soldier wearing a mask aimed at the wall and pulled the trigger sending out a barrage of bullets. A figure showed up and sliced every bullets in half.
"Eva!" Free and Whip were surprised at what they saw. Everything look the same, it was the same Eva they knew except for the blades that were used to be her hands.
"Men! Capture that robot."
"No, Stop it." The three of them tried to hold the soldiers from capturing their friends.
Eva took a gun from the nearest soldier and pointed a gun at the general but Whip blocked her aim. Zi stand in front of Whip making Eva pondered, "Why?" She ran up the wall and u the ceiling. She went stealth hiding her presence from the soldiers escaping from the area.
"Men! Follow that robot don't let it escape." The obeyed his command and pursued Eva. "Now you three follow me, there is something I need to discuss with you." A soldier beside him pointed his gun at them. "And no you don't have the option to run." The three on them follow the general back to the room where they started. He sat down on the chair. "Have a seat." They sat down on the couch. "Usually we arrest those who are connected to those things but since you save our citizen and our city we'll forget what we saw today. And also it seems that you three haven't been to school yet."
"I think we are too old to go to school." Zi replied.
"It's not that kind of school, it's a school for those who are recently awaken from there long slumber, the 'Waker'. There they will teach you the history of this world and everything you need to know to survive. They will also train you to fight those robots. All I need are your approval, we will handle everything you need. We just need your finger prints."
"Do we have another choice?"
"Of course you do, you can leave this place peaceful without any commotion, but I highly recommend accepting this offer. It will benefits you more than you think."
"Can we have time to think over it?"
"Very well, I'll come back later for your answer." He stood up and left the room leaving the three alone in the room.
"What do you think should we do?" Free asked.
"This is something you have to think for yourself." Zi said. "For me, I know what my answer will be."
Exactly an hour later, the general entered the room and asked, "What will it be?"
The room was in silent for a minute, Free looked at Zi staring at the ceiling. He stood up and approached the general, "I accept your offer." He shook his hand.
"I as well will accept the offer." She answered while sitting on the couch.
Zi stood up and approached the general. He took out his hand and shake his hand. "I'm glad you accept..."
Zi interrupted him, "Take care of them both or else I will hunt you down." He let go his hand and left the room.
"Zi!" Free shouted. "What are you thinking?"
"Never mind him, he made his choice. Now then both of you need a lot of rest cause tomorrow you going to have a long day ahead of you. You can choose any rooms you like in this mansion."
Meanwhile, Zi who was escorted out the mansion exit the gate. "It seems you were able to leave the place alive."
"Hahahaha, I'm impress you were able to detect my presence."
"What will you do now, Eva?"
"I have no choice but to return to my Master."
"Hahahaha, of course you have a choice, everyone has a choice it's their live."
"Hmmmm, I probably still choose to go back, something has been bothering me."
"Ohhh, like what? I might be able to help you."
"For example, why did you protected Whip if both of you hated each other."
"We don't hate each other. It just who we are and how we show our emotion to each other."
"When did you first realize I am an android, was it the first time we met?"
"Nope, I had no clue what an android was until I first met one in person then I had some suspicion about you."
"What made you think I was an android?"
"Your face."
"My face?"
"It's too perfect there is no flaw, no pimple, no acne, no scaring."
"What about Whip her face seem to be flawless as well."
"No, she has one big flaw. Her attitude."
Eva punched Zi on his face. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."
"Hahaha, it's all right, I was expecting to get it hit anyway, and I just didn't expect that it will be coming from you."
"Where will you be going from here on?"
"I really don't know, but if you can help me I will appreciate it a lot."
"You can go to the nearest oasis, it northwest from here. It will take you 2 to 3 days to get there on foot." Eva gave Zi a plastic card. "Use this for your journey, spend it well."
He examine the card, it was a black card with nothing written on it. "Thank for the help." There was a long pause." She gone." Zi started walking away from the mansion and kept the card in his pants pocket.