//Worry//

A long chasm of dark black rock. Tall looming hills of corroded metal construction. A highway half-built, running along the side of the open rocky desert landscape.

Yyiir walked underneath its shaded crumbling frame. He walked with the silent heat of the blazing sun running against his black outfit. With the soft raging sounds of far-off sirens and machines rolling and commuting about. He walked with that looming threat always with him.

Even with the world destroyed and the ancient tech of the past gone, the Bots were still able to create and connect themselves to a hidden system. A system much like the old internet, but instead of it being digital, and being connected through servers across the world, it was connected through the air and the brains of the machines that carried this secret code.

Yyiir pulled out his small black box with the screen that displayed the bright four-digit code.

[3, 1, 9, 2]

This black box was called a connector, and like its name, it connected to the Interwave. To the system that the Bots used to communicate to each other. And every time the code changed, it meant the Bots were getting instructions from a higherup in their infrastructure.

"Again... They're chasing after something..."

He walked under the tall half-constructed bridge. It's a long highway turning at a slight five-degree angle as if it was dodging in and out of the tall rocky desert mountains.

Suddenly the footsteps of three strangers echoed behind Yyiir. He turned around, his face confused by the sight of three humans in metal armor.

They bowed before Yyiir.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"We are the IK brothers. I am Jik, you can call me the leader of us three."

Pik bowed.

"I am Pik, I'm the brainiac of the bunch, who likes electronics and stuff."

Mik bowed.

"And I'm Mik, I'm the idiot of us. But I'm also caring and fun."

Yyiir looked at the three goofballs as they stared back at him. At his short silky black hair and bright white eyes. They looked at his ragged strapped black clothes. The box on his back.

Yyiir replied with a simple, "Ok," and walked away.

Jik followed.

"Wait! We... You're the Delivery Man, aren't you? We..."

Yyiir stopped. He stood still, his face uncaring and bored by these young men's questions and comments.

Jik continued, "well... We have a request... We want to follow you..."

He looked at their desperate faces, "do what you want."

Yyiir turned back around and started walking away again. The three brothers followed silently in the background, under the half-constructed highway. The sun glaring in shadows.

"Nice. It worked," laughed Pik sarcastically.

"Oh course it did, Jik's the smooth talker of us brothers," smirked Mik.

"I am not guys. I... Ok maybe I am."

He started to feel himself before...

Yyiir disappeared ahead, his feet moving double the speed of the brothers.

They tried to catch up but they couldn't match the distance between. He was just too fast...

And at first, they thought it was because their armor slowing them down, but even after taking it off, nothing changed. Yyiir kept moving fast, his long legs and fast feet always going taking one step more than them.

After half an hour of nonstop walking, Mik ran up to Yyiir and asked out of breath, "are we going to take a break? We can't keep up with you."

"A break..."

Yyiir turned around. He looked at the three brothers stumbling forward in sweaty white t-shirts and ripped-up shorts. He took no pity on them. But at the same time, he felt the bright sky go dim.

"Fine... We stay for the night."

The group pulled out their supplies and set up their thin electric-powered tents. The tents came in small capsules that expanded upon contact with an energy source. They were very lightweight, and reusable. But at the same time, they were expensive and hard to find, so the brothers only had one to share.

While on the other hand, Yyiir slept with his back against a long concrete pillar.

The next morning, they all woke up to the loud sirens and screeches of nearby machines.

"What's that?!" screamed Mik as he woke up his tired brothers.

"What... Shut up Mik... It's just the Trash-Bots. They're harmless."

"Are you sure their Trash-Bots though?" he worried more.

Jik leaned over and smacked Mik in the head, "if you stop worrying, then it won't happen. Just worry about bots after the fact, and enjoy some rest. We have to conserve our energy for when we walk with the Delivery Man."

Twenty minutes later everything was packed up, and Yyiir stood on the underside of the highway waiting. His large magnetic box hovering against the ground, as he stared off into the distance, watching, waiting, observing.

Pik walked up laughing. He looked down at the large metal box floating next to Yyiir.

"So what are you delivering?" he asked.

He ignored the question as Mik came up from behind.

He asked, "where are we going to? Delivery Man? Do you have a destination in mind?"

He didn't answer and continued walking.

"I don't think yall are getting to him. Just leave him be. He obviously knows what he's doing," said Pik, his face without any worry.

"And why do you think that?" asked Mik back pissed that Yyiir ignored his question.

Pik pointed at the box floating on his back, "duh, look at the box on his back. That's ancient tech... Magnetic waves and minuscule electro connectors. You can't find this stuff laying about, and you especially can't make anything like that from scratch anymore. It's a one of a kind."

Yyiir turned his head slightly toward Pik, "it is a one of a kind."

"See, I know what I'm talking about."

"Shut up..."

"Yeah, shut up Pik."

"You guys shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

"Can we all just shut up!"

They continued like this for another ten sects.

---

Meanwhile somewhere deep in a dark hollow valley. A bald Android in white stood with its arms extended out, scanning the surrounding area for any humans.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Another Android in white approached from behind.

"You won't find anything here. This place is empty."

The second Android had the same white turtle neck cloak. But this one had a different design. Its arms and legs were thin and beige, with fake pink hair attached to its silky scalp. Its face was also more feminine, with a short nose and symmetric face.

The bald Android turned around, its long white turtleneck cloak following in a small gust of wind.

The female Android sighed, "give up GER, your crusade has become derivative to our mission."

GER looked sternly at the woman-like Android, "R1 was a fluke... VIW, you are correct that this crusade is derivative and pointless. But derivative and pointless is life. Are we alive or are we dead? What is this mission?"

VIW turned around, her glowing red eyes against the dark deep cavern.

"Our mission is our mission. Do what you want GER. But when it comes, it comes. We aren't humans, so stop hunting them and killing them. We have more important matters to attend to."

GER watched as VIW slowly walked up the valley hills and into the overhead sunlight. He watched as she disappeared over the ridge and into the rocky desert.

He pulled up his long winding mechanical hand and pointed out to the white sun, "what is our objective, VIW? Derivative... Those humans... I let them escape... I failed... Am I becoming human...? No! Humans are... Weak... And pulsating... And selfish... And greedy... They are a virus to this world..."