She had finally reached the factory where she hoped to find the replacement parts for Taratha Tag.
After days of fighting off the corrosive beetles, carrying the heavy robot on her back, she was exhausted but determined. Upon entering the place, she found everything different from how she had left it.
Rummaged drawers, empty boxes, and marks on the floor indicated that someone had been there.
Her heart pounded.
"No… It can't be…" she whispered to herself, her eyes frantically scanning the room.
She searched every corner, but there was nothing useful. The parts, the tools—everything was gone.
All that remained was an overwhelming emptiness. Ba-Zi-Ha fell to her knees, the weight of disappointment finally crushing her.
She looked at Taratha Tag, lying on the floor, motionless, its damaged structure exposed. Despite being just a machine, it was her only companion in this desolate world.
"I… I just wanted to fix you. I can't lose you too," she said, her voice trembling as silent tears ran down her face.
Her sobs echoed in the silence of the factory, mixing with distant metallic sounds. Her head hung low, shoulders shaking under the weight of loneliness.
Then she felt it.
A hand gently rested on her shoulder. The touch was firm but not aggressive. The skin felt human—warm and solid.
"Why are you crying?" asked a deep, low, and distinctly male voice.
Ba-Zi-Ha froze. Her entire body tensed as her mind struggled to process what had just happened. Slowly, she turned her face, tears still streaming down, and saw only the shadow of someone behind her.
Ba-Zi-Ha glanced at her shoulder, still feeling the unexpected touch. But when she turned, she found Taratha Tag leaning against the wall, missing a leg, yet somehow trying to comfort her.
The robot had no expression, but its behavior was strangely reassuring. The sound of its joints moving—trac, trac, trac—was familiar, yet now it was different, almost like an attempt to mimic a human gesture of support.
"What… what did you say?" Ba-Zi-Ha quickly stepped back, eyes wide, a sudden shock surging through her. But she knew she had to keep going. The robot was there for her, even if in an imperfect way. Taratha Tag had become more than just a machine—it was her only companion, her only hope.
She sighed, trying to pull herself together. But the doubt lingered.
Who had taken the replacement parts? With her mind still full of questions, she began exploring the lower floors of the factory. The place was dark and abandoned, a heavy sense of desolation hanging in the air.
When she entered the next room, a terrifying sight awaited her. A horde of robots stood there, appearing to be fused with what looked like some kind of insect.
The corrosive beetles had evolved. Now, they were directly infiltrating the robots, drilling into their heads and taking control of their machines, turning them into soulless soldiers, mere instruments of destruction.
The robots, though still humanoid in shape, were now like zombies—empty inside, their heads pierced, their bodies moved by the infestation of beetles. Ba-Zi-Ha swallowed hard as she took in the scene, fear tightening around her chest. But she had no choice. With limited weapons and supplies, she would have to fight.
"Taratha Tag…" she murmured, looking at the robot beside her.
Taratha Tag observed her, its movements now more agile, its only functional leg sliding with a more confident trac, trac. It followed her command without hesitation.
"Let's go," Ba-Zi-Ha shouted, activating the weapons she found in the factory and preparing to face the horde of corrupted robots.
The battle was brutal. The sound of gunfire echoed through the factory corridors as she and the robot fought off the enemies. For every robot that fell, more seemed to emerge, as if the very place were an incubator for these corrupted machines.
Ba-Zi-Ha fired quickly, focused on blocking their exit, but the number of enemies seemed endless.
Taratha Tag, with its newfound agility, wielded its weapons with precision. Despite its flaws, it was surprisingly efficient.
Together, they managed to defeat the first wave, sealing off the exits and securing a safe space to continue the mission.
Ba-Zi-Ha, though exhausted, didn't stop. She knew this was her only chance to fix the robot, to make what remained of her life more bearable.
She kept searching, finding parts that seemed even more sophisticated, more powerful—parts that could reinforce Taratha Tag further.
Now, it was more than just a companion—it was her last line of defense in a world that had long since forgotten humanity.
But the mystery remained. Who was controlling the robots? How had the beetles evolved into this form of attack?
She took a deep breath, letting the weight of the moment settle for just a second. The path was clear.
She and Taratha Tag would have to descend to the lower levels, where the corrupted robots and the beetles had originated.
Down there, she knew the answer awaited—and with it, perhaps the key to surviving this new world.
With her eyes fixed on the darkness ahead, Ba-Zi-Ha gave the command:
"Let's destroy this."