The wind was blowing hard through the abandoned library as the storms continued. I was huddled under a threadbare blanket, trying to keep quiet. Nemo, the AI in my bracelet, remained silent, his dim glow dimmed so as not to alert anyone or anything outside. I had spent days surviving in this strange, frozen world so I had no desire to be caught now! And although every step I took seemed to bring me closer to my end, part of me was curious about whatever was out there but another part was scared to say the least thinking of happy, pretty things like flowers or kittens.
But my concentration was interrupted by the sound of something falling to the ground. At first, I attributed it to the wind hitting some loose object, but then I heard footsteps, very light, approaching the entrance of the room I was in. My heart raced. These weren't the typical, heavy, disassembly robot footsteps I'd heard before. Something else was out there.
"This is weird…" I whispered. If it was one of those extermination drones, then they would have already detected any trace of life.
I stood still in my corner, trying to control my breathing and not make a sound. I heard footsteps stopping near the door. Then a noise, as if something small was trying to get in, pushing the door open slowly.
My eyes squinted in the darkness. I couldn't see much, but it clearly wasn't one of those big extermination robots. It couldn't be.
Finally, the door opened, and I saw a small figure peering out. It was a drone, but not like the small reconnaissance drones I'd seen before. This one was small, but not designed for combat like the quadruped drones. It looked more… fragile and bipedal obviously. My first reaction was confusion, then caution – better safe than sorry.
The small figure moved forward slowly, almost groping, as if it didn't know exactly where to go. It was wearing a dark blue vest and had glowing eyes, not yellow like the extermination drones, but a softer, duller shade of red. Something told me this drone wasn't an immediate threat, but I didn't dare let my guard down.
"What are you?" a soft, hesitant voice said. I didn't understand anything. It sounded like Russian, and although I could identify the language, I had no idea what it was saying, but I felt deja vü.
The drone stopped and looked around. Its posture was tense, as if it were scared too. It didn't look like a hunter looking for prey, but a lost, disoriented creature. I wondered what a little thing like that was doing here, why exactly where am I?
I tried to stay quiet, but curiosity started to get the better of me. I knew this drone wasn't a direct threat, at least not right away. I slowly sat up a little more, trying not to make a sound, but the rustling of the blanket under my feet gave away my position.
The small figure suddenly turned towards me. Its eyes flashed, briefly illuminating my hiding spot that if it weren't for the fact that I had to be cautious, I would have heard a laugh because it was like a walking flashlight.
"What are you?" it asked again, its tone now more cautious.
I had no idea what it had said, but its voice was young, almost childlike. Something clicked in my mind. Could it be…? Was this drone just a girl?
I slowly stood up, keeping my hands in plain sight so it wouldn't freak out any more than it already seemed to be and I was too.
"I won't hurt you," I said, hoping my words would calm her down, even though I knew she wouldn't understand me. "Uh… who are you?"
She tilted her head, as if she was trying to figure out what I was saying, but she didn't respond right away. Despite her young and fragile appearance, there was something about her that kept me on my toes. It was possible she was just a work drone, but I also knew that innocence in this world could be deceptive—example being when I had to run away from a dog drone a few days ago, which was weird when you're not supposed to.
She approached slowly, her footsteps almost silent on the dust-covered ground. She didn't seem to know what to make of my presence. Could it be that she'd never seen a human before? Does the oxygen mask make me look ugly? Okay.. that sounded stupid.
"Твоя рука…" she muttered, looking at the Nemo bracelet on my forearm. Her eyes sparkled again as she observed the device.
"Huh?" I looked down, following her gaze to the bracelet that flickered for a moment. Sure, she was interested in Nemo. Is she trying to steal him from me? THIS IS NOT LATIN AMERICA!!
The drone-girl timidly raised a hand, as if she wanted to touch him, but then hesitated and pulled back. It was clear she didn't know what to do with me, and I didn't know what to do with her either, this was supposed to be my safe place to begin with.
"Listen, I don't know what you're saying, but I won't hurt you," I repeated, knowing I was probably speaking into thin air. "But... what are you doing here? Can't you go somewhere else to hide that's not in this building?"
There was no clear answer. She stayed silent, looking at me with those inquisitive eyes, as if she was deciding if I was trustworthy. Her movements were slow, calculated, but she didn't seem to have any intentions of attacking me, but that doesn't mean I should be trusted either.
That's when it hit me. She wasn't just any old drone. This one looks very familiar?? , like the worker drone that appears in the 'Murder Drones' canon. But something didn't add up. Wait.. Doll!?? But.. The Doll from the series didn't have this childish, lost look. Could it be that this version of Doll was from years before the main events? Before all the chaos? Holy crap... So that means I'm like 8 or 9 years before all the canon.. which is even WORSE! SINCE I HAVE NO INFORMATION FROM THAT TIME!!
I tried to think of a way to communicate with her. Being cautious, I pointed to my chest and said slowly, "Josh", hoping she'd get that it was my name. If I was going to do something, I should at least try to establish some sort of basic communication.
She looked at me and then, in a timid voice, said something that sounded like "Долл". I didn't understand the word, but something in her expression told me that maybe it was her name and luckily I knew it beforehand.
"Doll," I repeated, nodding slowly. "Okay... Doll."
For the next few minutes I tried to get her to go away or go somewhere else to hide since I had gotten here first to begin with, in the end I couldn't because of the damn language difference. Doll and I tried to communicate clumsily which was terrible. Even though we didn't share the same language, some things were universal. Pointing at objects, making simple gestures which was interesting to see how her visor did that. Slowly, I began to understand that Doll was lost and looking for something... or someone. It wasn't exactly clear.
She kept looking at Nemo's bracelet, and out of curiosity, I asked the AI. "Nemo, can you detect anything from her?"
Nemo glowed slightly in response, doing a quick scan, but then her mechanical voice echoed in my ear: "[Insufficient data to analyze]."
"Great," I muttered, more to myself than to Doll. Though I didn't understand exactly what Nemo had said, Doll seemed to pick up on the disappointed tone in my voice.
"Твоя… машина?" she asked, pointing at the bracelet again.
"I have no idea what you said but this is an AI. I don't know if you even know what that means though," I tried to explain, though I realized how pointless it was to talk because it was like talking to a wall.
Several minutes passed in silence, as we both assessed the situation. The wind outside had died down a bit, which meant I would just have to wait patiently for the sun to rise before leaving the library to get more supplies and a new place since this one isn't safe but obviously I'll come by from time to time to get books. But I didn't know if taking Doll with me was a good idea. For starters it was obvious that she'd already lost her parents and there's also the fact that she's like a little time bomb for having the damn Solver. I want to be reasonable even though she's a drone, she still seemed like just a kid, scared and disoriented and this is a pretty hostile world.
So I gave her a piece of a leg from the chair that's near me to clear my conscience, which obviously unnerved her. Don't blame me, at least I'm aware of the danger.
Finally, I pointed towards the door, then towards myself and waved goodbye, trying to indicate to her that I was thinking of leaving. She seemed to 'understand' and nodded, albeit somewhat hesitantly.
Now I head towards the library exit with... Doll following closely behind me. She obviously didn't understand my instructions!! Where's the instinct for caution!?
Already outside the library The frozen city greeted us with a biting wind and the light of dawn. I walked slowly, with Doll right behind me which makes me sigh in defeat, so I tried to orient myself towards a place with supplies. And by the way a new shelter because I knew that staying in one place for too long was dangerous, and even worse now that Doll stuck to me, since it could attract the attention of the hunting drones.
And now that I think about it, why was the first thing Doll noticed Nemo? And what was that blinking before?
"Nemo tell me why did Doll see you first and why did you blink?"
-[Binary code difference, self-analysis of recognition] I felt stupid after asking since the answer was so simple that I didn't understand. Well, eventually I'll find some way to get rid of her or leave her near a worker drone bunker.
The cold wind continued to blow hard as Doll and I walked through the desolate city. The snow beneath my feet crunched with each step, but she, being a drone, didn't seem to feel the cold which made me shiver with envy. I still wasn't sure why Doll was still walking beside me, but it was clear she had no intention of leaving which wasn't good.
I tried to ignore the fact that she was following me like some kind of shadow, but I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Still, she didn't pose an immediate threat I think. She seemed more lost than I was, and even though we didn't understand each other's language, there was a certain sense of unspoken cooperation, or so I like to think. We were both trying to survive in this hostile landscape, even if it was in different ways.
The silence we shared was strange, but somehow comforting. I knew Doll couldn't understand me when I spoke, and she didn't seem to want to hurt me either. However, I couldn't help but be cautious. Even though she was small and seemingly harmless, this world had proven to be dangerous in many ways, and trust was something I couldn't afford so easily, much less until I was 100% sure it wasn't like its canon version.
We passed by the ruins of what was once a store. The door was hanging off one hinge, and the windows were broken. I decided it would be a good place to look for supplies. While I didn't expect to find much, anything I could use would be welcome.
"Stay here," I told Doll, even though I knew she wouldn't understand me. I pointed to the entrance to let her know I didn't want her to follow me inside.
To my surprise and delight, she seemed to get the idea and paused at the door, watching me as I entered the store. I started looking through the fallen shelves and rusty drawers. After a while, I found a couple of cans of food with a date on it that I barely see but since it's canned it'll do I guess and some duct tape which is good as everyone knows tape is never going to be enough. Anyway, nothing out of the ordinary, but enough to keep me going.
Just as I was about to leave, Doll entered the store, completely ignoring my earlier attempt to keep her out nichh... She approached slowly, looking around curiously. Her eyes stopped on an old monitor that was still flickering with static.
"Uh... what are you doing?" I asked without waiting for an answer. She seemed fascinated with the monitor, as if she was watching something I couldn't see. However, the monitor was just showing static, shit that reminded me of a certain figure that comes out of a well if you watch such a tape on TV. Cough what could be drawing her attention so much?
I moved closer to look more closely but nothing on the screen seemed to make sense. Maybe she was just remembering something from when she was younger or her parents or whatever. I had no way of knowing and honestly it didn't matter much at the moment. We were wasting valuable time.
"Come on," I said and this time, without hesitation, she followed me to the exit which for the first time I was happy because even though I don't think it's possible in this world the thing about the tape I didn't want to find out either!
As we made our way through the frozen city again, the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, though its light was dim and provided no warmth. Doll walked silently, never leaving my side too far. I knew I couldn't stay with her forever, but I couldn't just abandon her in the middle of this desolate place either - that would be frowned upon.
Every step we took made me question my decision. What should I do with her? She was just a kid, seemingly defenseless - even if you don't believe it, she's obviously like a weapon with legs if you think about it - but in this world you couldn't trust anything or anyone. Still, Doll hadn't done anything to suggest she was a threat to me.
Suddenly, she stopped, staring at something in the distance. I followed her gaze and saw a semi-hidden building on a nearby hill. It looked in good condition, which was unusual in this ruined city.
"Do you want to go there?" I asked, though I knew she wouldn't understand me. She nodded slightly, or so it seemed, and began walking towards the building.
I didn't have many other options, so I decided to follow her. We approached cautiously. The structure looked like it had once been a warehouse or a small factory, but there were no signs of life. The door was closed, but not padlocked. Doll, without waiting, walked over to the control panel next to the door. She touched the device with one hand, and after a few seconds, the doors creaked open.
"Wow, that's useful," I commented, even though I knew she didn't understand me, you fucking hacker.
We entered the building. The interior was dark and cold, but it seemed safe. There were shelves of tools and some old equipment, though most of it was covered in dust. I began to look for something useful while Doll explored the place in her own way, her eyes glowing softly in the darkness. Flashlight with legs...
I didn't find much more than a few drone parts and some oil cans. At least I could take a break here and think about what to do next. The place wasn't ideal, but it was better than being outside, exposed to the wind and any danger that might lurk.
I sat on the ground, leaning against one of the walls as I checked my supplies. Doll came over and sat next to me, consuming a bottle of oil that I don't know where she got it from, and watching me silently, little one... you're scary. There was no need for words, we both knew we needed to rest before moving on, or rather I needed it, I don't know if drones really rest.
As we sat in silence, only the sound of the wind outside broke the tranquility.