"So what are we going to do today?" Perla asked excitedly to Devola and Popola as she slung a bag over her shoulder.
"A lot of things, we have machines to eliminate in the Flooded City, supplies to deliver to one of the Desert outposts, and parts to pick up in the village of Pas… I mean, in a certain village in the Forest." Popola responded, quickly correcting the last part.
Damiana narrowed her eyes at the sudden change in attitude, but Devola spoke before someone asked any questions.
"As you saw, we will have a busy day. And none of our missions will be easy if they are like all the previous ones, this is your last chance to leave." Devola spoke, slinging a backpack and drawing a small blade similar to her sister's one.
"Don't worry about us; we know how to handle ourselves." Damiana smiled arrogantly, resting her claymore on her shoulder.
"Well, then don't say we didn't warn you." Devola responded in the same tone, returning the smile.
Then, the group of four androids left the camp, getting out of reach of the androids that stared at the twins with disdain, and walked through the City Ruins, seeking to fulfill their objectives for the day.
Unfortunately, a strange silence took over the environment after a few minutes of walking. Suddenly, the ruins, plants, and animals became more interesting than the faces of the androids present there.
"Listen; is every day always like this?" Perla asked shyly, breaking the silence.
"Like what?" Popola asked confused.
"I noticed the looks and comments that the androids made when we left the camp, and Devola said that the missions will not be easy. Is every day like this?" Perla elaborated, trying not to offend the android.
Popola went silent, looking embarrassedly at the floor as she opened and closed her mouth, thinking about how to respond.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend!" Perla quickly apologized after seeing the android's reaction.
"Don't worry; you didn't offend us, we just…" Devola muttered, pondering her next words as she scratched her head nervously.
"We're not used to people asking about us. Honestly, I don't even know where to start." Popola completed her sister's speech.
"Yeah, right, that is it. Sorry if this sounds rude, we know you've been nice to us so far, but we prefer not to talk too much about ourselves for now, after all, we met recently." Devola continued, watching Perla and Damiana with anticipation.
The wavy-haired redhead expected an explosive response, an angry look, an insult, anything her sister and she used to hear, but she received a reassuring smile instead.
"I see, then, how about we start with something small?" Damiana suggested.
"Like what exactly?" Devola asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"How about we talk about our hobbies? My sister and I love music, whether it's singing or playing an instrument." Perla suggested.
"Oh, cool, us too! My sister and I love to sing occasionally, we also know how to play the lute, but we have never found one intact." Popola responded with a twinkle in her eye.
"What an interesting coincidence! I bought a brand new lute recently. Maybe we can sing together?" Perla suggested with a big smile on her face.
"Seriously, would you mind bringing him to camp sometime? We could…" Popola exclaimed excitedly, returning the smile.
Then, Perla and Popola embarked on a long conversation about music, songs, and musical instruments, with big smiles on their faces and a gleam of recognition in their eyes upon meeting someone who shares the same tastes.
Unfortunately, Devola and Damiana stood out of the conversation, staring at each other in an awkward silence.
"Well…" Damiana muttered.
"This happened…" Devola added as they both watched their sisters lost in conversation.
"So, do you have any favorite drinks?" Damiana asked hesitantly, trying to break the strangeness of the situation.
"Beer, I consider myself a connoisseur capable of feeling all the nuances of the different types, although the camp beer damaged my taste sensors." Devola replied dejectedly.
"Oh, why do you say that?" Damiana asked with a curious smile.
"Well, human knowledge of how to brew beer disappeared during the war, but not the concept. Therefore, several androids around the world made their beer through trial and error. Some got it right and made a delicious drink, while others... Let us say the camp brewers put everything they see in the recipe, rats, bats, mushrooms, plants... The taste is horrible and it burns your throat like fire, but it leaves you drunk in the end…"
Devola spoke disappointedly, as her voice dropped and a blank look took over her face with each word spoken. Damiana's smile slowly faded as she looked away and frowned at the android's suffering.
"Listen, I think I still have some real booze at home, I'll bring some next time." Damiana spoke, comforting the android.
"Thanks, I'll make sure to bring some snacks too. Your sister and you eat food, don't you?"
"Sometimes." Damiana shrugged.
Just like Perla and Popola, Devola and Damiana found a common interest and kept themselves entertained until they reached the first of their goals, the Flooded City.
-XXXXXX-
"Seriously, isn't there an easier way?" Damiana complained, jumping over a chasm into the city's sewers.
"Well, we could dig a tunnel or build a bridge across the chasm, but Anemone said the camp doesn't have enough resources." Popola responded. Balancing on a thin mass of pipes suspended over the abyss.
The android walked slowly with her arms open to keep her balance, taking one step at a time as the metal creaked beneath her feet.
Suddenly, the pipes creaked more than normal and Popola accelerated her pace, crossing the abyss and falling on Damiana arms before the improvised bridge collapsed.
"Thanks!" Popola spoke embarrassedly, leaving Damiana's arms.
"You're welcome!" Damiana replied, giving a thumbs up.
"Hey, what's taking you guys so long?!?" Devola screamed at the end of the sewer tunnel. Her voice reverberated off the walls as the light at the end of the tunnel turned her into a dark speck in the distance.
"Sis, you have to see this!" Perla shouted next, obtaining a similar result to Devola.
Nodding, Popola and Damiana walked to the end of the tunnel, standing next to their respective sisters and watching the scenery.
They saw mountains and rows of gray buildings slowly sinking into the sea, some of them having sunk to the point where waterfalls formed on the terraces and windows, while others had tilted dangerously, overrun by plants and animals.
"What happened here?" Damiana asked, impressed by the sight.
"The Army of Humanity bombed the foundations of these buildings a long time ago during the war, now the buildings are sinking. Soon, this area will lose its strategic value for the resistance." Devola replied, crossing her arms and enjoying the scenery.
"Can you imagine what this place looked like before it was destroyed, with humans living here and everything?" Popola asked.
"You wouldn't believe my answer." Perla spoke, leaving the tunnel behind and approaching the ruins, observing them with longing and regret.
Devola and Popola looked at each other, confused by the android's reaction, but came out of their thoughts as soon as Damiana caught their attention.
"So where is the group of machines?"
"Oh, right! As per reports, the machines must be in sector 13–45-B." Popola spoke, taking out a map from her backpack.
"Lead the way, please." Damiana replied, stepping to the side with an amused smile.
The group of androids walked through the ruined streets of the Flooded City, observing its tilted buildings degraded by water amid a cloudy sky.
They watched seagulls land in their nests in the buildings, crabs hiding in the sand on the beach and fish swimming in the small rivers formed between the ruins.
The group passed under a waterfall formed on the roof of a building, looking in wonder at the formation just above.
However, their looks soon changed to surprise and irritation when a shoal jumped from the waterfall into the river below, accidentally slapping every android there in the face.
After the initial shock, the group let out a barrage of insults and kicked the fish that landed on the ground towards the river, but laughed in amusement when they saw the red fish-shaped marks left on their faces.
Finally, the group reached the marked location, but a fierce current blocked their path. The androids stopped at the edge of the ruins, watching the current with hesitant eyes.
Androids were good at many things, but swimming was not one of them. They would sink immediately if they fell into the water and, depending on the depth, there would be no way to return to the surface.
Perla looked around with a hand on her chin, lost in thought, but smiled when she saw a piece of ruin next to the group.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Damiana asked her sister who walked away.
"I am making a path for us." Perla responded, removing something from her bag and sticking it to the ruin.
Perla ran away from the ruin while holding some sort of controller in her hand, and then the android pressed a button on the controller.
BOOM!
An explosion occurred at the base of the ruin, knocking it sideways, where it fell with a crash, serving as a bridge over the current.
"Where the hell did you get explosives?!? Anemone made sure to ban the sale of explosives in the camp!" Popola asked surprised.
"I bought the explosives from Jackass." Perla replied innocently.
"Jackass, did you buy anything from that crazy bitch?!?" Devola continued in the same tone as her sister.
"Devola!" Popola exclaimed, scolding her sister.
"What? It is true! I do not trust anything she sells! Jackass blows up her customers as much as the machines the explosives are supposed to destroy!" Devola responded, throwing her arms up.
"I know Jackass is a little weird, but that's no reason to insult her!"
"Tell that to the android that walked into the camp with both hands missing after a grenade exploded as soon as he removed the pin!"
"Putting that aside, the machines are just ahead, aren't they?" Damiana asked stopping the argument before it got out of hand.
"Yes, but despite what we said previously, I believe that getting rid of the machines won't be that difficult, after all, there are four of us." Devola shrugged.
-XXXXXX-
"GET DOWN!" Damiana shouted to Popola.
The redhead wasted no time in ducking and getting out of the way of Damiana's claymore, which cleaved a Medium Biped in two. However, Popola noticed three Stubbys approaching from behind Damiana.
Popola quickly got up and ran towards the machines, delivering two fast cuts to the first's face, spinning her body and dodging a punch afterward, and planting her blade in the second Stubby's head as soon as she finished her dodge.
Popola placed her foot on the Stubby's face and yanked her blade in time to parry the last Stubby's metallic fist, and pierce the machine's head during the opening created.
Simultaneously, Damiana unleashed a barrage of blows, reducing a pair of Medium Bipeds in her path to piles of sliced metal, soon she kicked one of the Bipeds' heads away, colliding with a Small Flyer and sending the small machine crashing to the ground.
Perla took another explosive from her bag and threw it towards a Small Biped, sticking it to the machine's face. Devola acted soon after, kicking the Biped away, where he collided with a group of machines, including a Small Exploder.
Then, Perla pressed the detonator button, and the explosive trapped in the machine detonated with a bang, causing a solidary explosion with the Small Exploder, transforming the machine group into a ball of fire followed by a shower of metal.
"WOW! WE DID IT!" Popola spoke excitedly, raising her hand for a high five, but stopped embarrassed as soon as she saw Damiana staring at her.
"I mean…" Popola murmured, blushing with embarrassment, but her eyes widened in surprise when Damiana smacked her palm with hers.
"You did a good job, thanks for covering my back." Damiana spoke with an amused smile that Popola returned in the same tone.
"Well, you guys weren't lying when you said you could hold your own in a fight, I guess I owe you an apology." Devola spoke, approaching with Perla beside her.
"You don't have to do that, fighting the machines was fun." Perla replied, patting Devola on the back.
"If you insist, but you were of great help, I can't deny that. We finished off the machines quickly... In addition, without injuries... Unfortunately, the fun ends now, as all that's left are the boring tasks of delivering and receiving supplies."
-XXXXXX-
"WHAT WERE YOU SAYING ABOUT BORING TASKS?!?" Perla shouted as she ran alongside Devola.
"ME AND MY BIG MOUTH!" Devola shouted irritably as she ran at full speed.
"LESS TALKING AND MORE RUNNING!" Damiana exclaimed, passing by the two soon after, with Popola following her.
The four androids found themselves in the desert housing complex, the scorching sun shining overhead as the hot wind blew sand clouds in their faces, amidst the narrow streets filled with dunes and their slowly crumbling buildings.
CRUNCH!
CRASH!
Speaking of crumbling buildings, that was what happened now.
Two different types of machines known as Linked-Spheres, a set of digging spheres connected like a serpent, and Small Spheres, a Stubby with a drill for legs, excavated the foundations of the buildings around the androids, taking the large constructions to the ground.
Steel beams creaked audibly as concrete shattered and buildings toppled with deafening crashes. The buildings tilted to the point where furniture slid out of the windows, creating a hail of glass and heavy objects.
The androids covered their heads as they dodged debris in their path, the shadows indicating roughly, where the objects would land.
As if that was not enough, the passage where they stood narrowed with the slope of the buildings, raising sand and reducing the space for them to dodge.
"THERE, THE OUTPOST IS NEAR!" Popola shouted pointing to a passage ahead that slowly closed.
The group of androids ran faster, pushing their systems to the limit as they approached the exit of the passage, simultaneously, the passage closed more and more.
Giving one last push and a leap of faith, the androids threw themselves forward, crossing the pass and rolling down a dune. They let out screams and insult more out of irritation than pain until the fall finally ended.
"Son of a… Do you have any idea how much work it will take to get this sand out of my hair?" Devola complained as she stood up.
"Look on the positive side; at least you don't have sand in your parts, that's a completely different level of work." Popola responded, trying to comfort her sister.
Meanwhile, Perla tried to help Damiana, who stood upside-down in the sand as she dangled her legs in the air.
With everything said and done, it did not take long for the group to find the outpost, which consisted of a small fortified ruin of a building.
Camouflaged tents, metal barricades, and sandbag coverings surrounded the ruin while a few androids remained on top of the building, watching over their surroundings.
Unfortunately, the surprised expressions of the androids at the outpost due to recent events, changed to contempt and disdain upon seeing the red-haired twins accompanying the unknown androids.
Once again, Perla and Damiana saw firsthand the sudden change caused by the Androids' programming concerning Devola and Popola.
"Hey, the supplies arrived and… Oh, it is you two… You can leave the supplies in the corner and go away, I do not want to see your faces more than… AAARRRGGGHHH!" An android wearing a desert camouflage suit spoke, but stopped as soon as Damiana grabbed his neck.
"LISTEN HERE YOU BASTARD, WE WERE ALMOST CRUSHED ALIVE BY TONS OF STEEL AND CONCRETE! THE TWINS RISKED THEIR LIVES TO BRING THESE SUPPLIES TO YOU, AND THIS IS HOW YOU THANK THEM?!?" Damiana screamed in the android's face, shaking him violently.
"Damiana, no!" Popola screamed, grabbing one of the android's arms.
"You don't need to start a fight; we're already used to it!" Devola spoke next, holding the android other arm.
"Let go of him, sister. I think he learned his lesson." Perla spoke calmly, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder.
Damiana took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and abruptly released the android, causing him to fall to his knees, coughing violently as the air cooled his systems again.
"We'll just leave the supplies here and go without disturbing you." Popola spoke disconcertedly, taking the large backpack off her back and placing it on the floor.
Devola did the same as her sister, only with less gentleness, throwing her backpack onto the sand with a loud thud, turning her back on the android, and walking away soon after.
No one at the outpost dared to stop the twins after Damiana's display.
-XXXXXX-
"Holy shit…" Damiana muttered, impressed.
"I didn't expect that…" Perla said next, having a similar reaction to her sister.
The androids found themselves face to face with a surprising sight, a machine village built in the area where the City Ruins met the Forest Kingdom.
The village consisted of several wooden and metal houses suspended from trees and connected by bridges and stairs, with several white flags hanging and waving in the wind.
Machines of different types went about their daily lives, talking, playing, or working.
Couples of machines walked hand in hand, expressing their love to each other, working machines expanded the village, building more houses. Simultaneously, children machines went down a long slide, laughing along the way.
"Welcome to Pascal's village!" Popola spoke excitedly as she opened her arms, but there was certain nervousness in her gaze.
"Listen, I know that most of the machines out there tried to kill us, but we assure you that Pascal and the other inhabitants of the village do not wish to cause us harm, they are pacifists, believe me." Devola continued, standing in front of her sisters and raising her hands apologetically.
"Don't worry, we know about the existence of strange machines." Perla replied, making the sisters sigh in relief.
"But we never found those capable of forming a society." Damiana added, analyzing her surroundings.
"Well then, you'll love meeting Pascal, after all this was all his idea." Popola replied.
Then, the group of androids walked through the village, attracting curious looks from the machines in their path.
Some waved friendly, wishing the androids a good day, others backed away scared, aware of the bad reputation they had, and finally, some asked questions to the androids, mostly the child machines.
"Hey, what's it like outside the village?" A machine wearing a blue cap, asked.
"Do you like animals?" Another machine, this one wearing a pink bow on its head, asked as well.
"This sword is cool! Can I hold it?" A machine holding a metal lollipop asked too.
"Your hair is beautiful! How do I get the same?" Another machine, this one holding a doll, asked right away.
The quartet of androids backed away nervously, surprised by the amount of questions from the child machines that surrounded them. Fortunately, their salvation arrived in the form of a strange machine using a Jetpack.
"Children, children, please stop bothering our guests. Why don't you all go play on the slide for a bit?" The strange machine spoke in a gentle feminine voice.
"Okay, Mr. Pascal!" The small machines responded in harmony before rushing away.
"Children, they are full of energy and difficult to take care of, but they are adorable, right?" The machine, now identified as Pascal, spoke to the group of androids.
The quartet of androids went silent for a few seconds, processing what happened, but they soon recovered when they saw Pascal staring worriedly.
"Yes, of course!" The group responded quickly.
"Haha! It is good to see you again, Miss Devola and Miss Popola! I believe you came looking for the parts, well here they are." Pascal spoke politely, handing a medium-sized box to the red-haired twins.
"Thank you very much, Pascal! Anemone will be happy, we needed new parts." Popola responded with a smile.
"How are things here in the village? Are you sure you won't need the parts?" Devola asked.
"Everything is great, Miss Devola, we haven't had any problems with androids or other machines, although I wish we didn't have to hide so much from the rest of the world. In addition, parts are not a problem as we can always make more. That aside, I see new faces here." Pascal replied, turning to Perla and Damiana.
"Oh, I believe we did not introduce ourselves properly! My name is Perla and this is my sister, Damiana." Perla said, bowing slightly.
"Sup!" Damiana replied, waving at Pascal and receiving a withering look from her sister.
"Well, I welcome you both, Miss Perla and Miss Damiana. As you may already know, my name is Pascal, the village chief. I hope to see you here again." Pascal responded, returning Perla's bow with his own.
"Likewise, Pascal!" Perla and Damiana responded.
Then, both parties said goodbye, Pascal and the machine children waved to the androids as they walked away until they disappeared between the trees of the forest.
"Hey… Thanks for everything…" Devola said embarrassedly, breaking the silence of the forest.
"I know our start wasn't the best, but…" Popola continued.
"We understand, we don't know the details, but we have the general idea of how you are treated, so it's not surprising that you are hesitant to have us around." Perla responded, comforting the sisters.
"We hope what we did today is enough to prove that we want to help you." Damiana added, nodding to the sisters.
"Yes, I believe there are no doubts left, but we just have one last question…" Popola said.
"Why are you doing all this for us?" Devola said right after.
Perla and Damiana faced each other, exchanging a serious look, and then they answered the wavy-haired twin's question.
"Although it may not seem like it, my sister and I are very old androids. We were built millennia before the aliens arrived and the war against the machines began." Pearl replied.
"And thanks to that, we know that you weren't to blame for whatever happened. No one changed our programming to hate you two. The treatment you suffer is unfair and we want to show you that you are not alone, that there are people who want to be your friends." Damiana finished.
Devola and Popola widened their eyes, surprised by the answer, but soon recovered and smiled from ear to ear.
"So how about we do this right, friends?" Devola asked as her sister and she held out their hands to Perla and Damiana.
"Friends." Perla and Damiana responded, returning the smile and accepting the handshake.
END OF CHAPTER]