Chapter 8 Meeting my first living androids

From the top of the tallest building around the part, I was observing g the surrounding area for the location of the camp while only carrying light equipment from Ak-47 and enough food to last me for days.

I was observing for any noticeable camp that stood out or any movement, I sighed and wiped out the sweat from my head from the long period of sunbathing.

It was in vain as it was pretty damn hard seeing from the distance without any binoculars. Should have thought of it before heading to the tallest building around this part.

Also, it's kind of scary staying on top of the tallest building, especially because it can fall over at any time due to its fragility.

It's surprising that it even stands now. And how badly my legs are shaking from fear if the building suddenly collapsing.

Anyway, according to the map, which shows a red circle and uses the language I decipher, it should be around this part of the city. It took me some time since I didn't even know where I was on the map, but once I got to the tallest building, I immediately knew where it was.

But surprisingly, I don't see any machines around the part. Yesterday, I saw numerous machines roaming down the street in groups while I observed them from afar.

The androids that are stationed around here must have cleaned the area recently.

As I keep observing the surrounding area, I notice movement and scrutinize my eyes to look closely. In the distance, I saw a dot running somewhere and It was entering one of the alleyways.

Jackpot. I can't miss the chance.

/

I peeked around the corner and found someone guarding the entrance. Two possibly androids armed with AK-47s and green clothing that blended the surroundings were overlooking the area.

But it wasn't just them. I could sense or rather see more.

My eyes darted to the dilapidated building just behind them, and sure enough, there were others. Several more guards hid among the debris.

"Security's tighter than I expected," I muttered under my breath. "Should've known they'd do this."

Seems like sneaking inside was my only option, so I began my plan to search the area for a weak spot, a wall, or anything that could give me an edge.

The plan began to unfold. I moved cautiously, keeping low and hugging the shadows until I found a spot hidden from the pry eyes. The area was littered with debris—broken walls, overgrown vegetation—perfect for blending in. Once settled, I made sure there were no eyes on me, then muttered under my breath, "Dark Owl..."

A shimmering circle of energy erupted from the ground, coalescing into the form of a majestic small owl. With a soft hoot, the creature took flight, disappearing into the bright sky.

While my body was weakened and I couldn't use many spells like I used to in my prime, I could at least summon small animals for Scout or an attack spell.

From the owl's vantage point, I could survey the entire city, each building and street laid out before me like a sprawling map. It was akin to having a third eye in the skies, a perspective that offered a distinct advantage in combat.

As useful as this spell was, it came with its own set of limitations. The farther the owl flew from me, the weaker the connection between us became, requiring a greater expenditure of energy, or maso to maintain.

And the weaker I spent the maso, the blurred the image the owl sent to me.

Since I still haven't fully recovered my strength, I plan to avoid using any maso-related spells unless necessary. Maso itself is already full of risks, and with my current condition, I can't afford to be reckless.

Finding a decent hiding spot, I sit down and begin observing the camp from the skies through the owl's eyes. 

Looking around the camp I notice several watchtowers all throughout the camp with most of them either on top of the building or on the ground of each entrance to enter the camp.

On each watch tower, I notice several androids' arms with most of Russia's guns like AK-47s, snipers, and much more. But mostly ancient guns that are older than me.

"Ten thousand years, and they're still using fossil weaponry," I muttered to myself, shaking my head in disbelief. "You'd think they'd have upgraded to lasers by now."

Well, not my problem. But man for a camp of around a hundred androids this place sure is guarded well, I have a hard time finding a gap in their defense and these guys are keeping watch like a damn hawk..

But after a few minutes of looking around the camp using the Dark OwI, I managed to find a gap in their defense and begin making my way there.

As I avoid patrol while using the Maso-related Spell to move silently along the shadow I manage to arrive at the wall not before dropping down to the ground exhausted and coughing repeatedly.

"Guh... fuck... it hurts," I muttered between violent coughs.

My lungs felt like they were on fire, and the pain in my neck throbbed with every strained breath. I shouldn't have used the spell. I knew I hadn't recovered enough to handle it, but I had no choice.

At least I'd made it. 

Upon reaching the wall, I climb over the wall and finally arrive at the other side of the wall. I drop to the ground and begin walking slowly to the tip of the wall looking left and right noticing the road was empty with a few of androids not looking my way.

I thought it was safe and was about to walk over something poked my body, I was about to look over until...

"Don't move!" 

The stern command, accompanied by the unmistakable pressure of a gun against my back, jolted me into stillness. With a mixture of caution and compliance, I raised my hands in a surrendering gesture, my movements deliberate and slow.

Where the fuck did she come from-

"Turn around slowly. If you try anything weird, I won't hesitate to blow your head off!"

The voice, despite its attempt at authority, carried a youthful timbre that seemed at odds with the gravity of the situation. Nevertheless, I obeyed, pivoting to face my captor with care.

As I completed the turn, I found myself locking eyes with a figure much smaller and younger than expected. The girl standing before me was about as tall as 160cm and was covered by a thin, flowing cloth that draped over her slender frame like a blanket.

"Easy there," I said, keeping my tone calm and reassuring. "I'm not looking for trouble. Just passing through."

The girl's grip on the gun tightened and snorted at me "Yeah right, passing through by climbing a wall and avoiding androids totally not suspicion."

I guess what she said is true, I do look suspicious now that I think about it.

She threw her AK-47 away grabbed one of her handguns and pointed at me, she stepped closer to me "Don't try anything funny unless you want a head full of holes."

Since my plan was not to make an enemy with a android I decided to let her do what she wanted. She slowly took a step forward to me, went to the pistol that I keep in my waist, and threw it away. Well, there goes my only gun.

Kind of surprising she even noticed it since I hid them pretty well.

"Well, miss..." I said, keeping my movements slow and non-threatening, "How about you lower the gun and have a little chat? I promise I won't bite."

"Hah! In your dream, I will put you in prison and we will interrogate you most painlessly-"

As I was about to get ready to run away fearing for my life, she paused her speech.

I was a bit alarmed as she slowly walked to me looks up at me closely, like really close observing me from down up to my face with her scrutinizing gaze, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed from how close she was observing me.

But for no apparent reason, she suddenly freezes in her spot with her gaze upon my face in disbelief as she slowly lowers her firearms.

Since she lowers her firearms I lower my arms slowly as well. But I tried my best to keep my alert up and remind myself that I was not out of danger yet, and was readying myself to escape.

I was waiting for her response but her gaze was... different than before. Gone was the alert she had before and was replaced by shock and disbelief on her face.

I stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do for around half a minute or so as she continued to gaze at my face until I decided to clap my hand in front of her face to get her attention back.

Startled by the sudden sound, her mouth formed a perfect 'O' of surprise, confirming that whatever had caught her off guard was significant.

"Wa..."

"Wa?" I crossed my arms and tilted my head to the right

"WAAA!!!" She suddenly dashed off and left me behind with her hand up in the air

..

...

I... did not have the time to react which left me stunned from her overreaction.

But I quickly shrugged off the bewilderment. Her absence was an opportunity, and I wasn't about to waste it. I had to find what I needed before she alerted anyone in the camp.

Without hesitation, I grabbed a coat from a nearby clothesline, slipping it over my shoulders. It was worn and frayed, but it would do. The hood draped low enough to obscure most of my face, concealing my features from any prying eyes. I could blend in for now.

Time was running out, and I needed to move fast.

My goal was clear, gather information and find something—anything—that could help me survive in this hostile environment.

From the owl's perspective earlier, I had managed to get a glimpse of the layout of this place.

There were distinct areas that I noticed including a shopping district, a training ground, a maintenance zone, and several other facilities that made up the camp's infrastructure.

Right now, the shopping area is my best bet

As I navigated the narrow streets, I couldn't help but feel the awkwardness creep in. I could sense the occasional glance, people—or androids—turning their heads just slightly as I passed. Was it the coat? My unfamiliarity? I wasn't sure. Either way, I kept my head down and my pace steady.

By the time I arrived the shopping area was unexpectedly crowded. Vendors yelled out prices, while others quietly struck deals in the corners. Stalls were packed with various goods, weapons, tech pieces, and things I couldn't even identify.

I had assumed the androids would work together seamlessly, sharing resources as a collective without the need for commerce.

Apparently, that wasn't the case here. Maybe the year or location was different, or perhaps these androids operated with a different set of rules altogether. It didn't matter much to me since I could do both trade and gather information that I desperately needed.

Maybe there are even a few easy quests I could do in order to earn money.

I moved carefully through the crowd, keeping my hood low, blending in as best I could. The vendors' stalls tempted me with a variety of wares. Some of it looked useful—spare parts, small arms, basic tech, and maybe one of them could be a spare battery I need. But it was the merchant's voice nearby that caught my attention.

"Thanks for buying!" he called out with a hearty laugh as he handed a customer their purchase.

Curious, I drifted toward his stall, keeping my pace slow and casual. His goods were spread out on a makeshift table

I moved closer, my eyes fixed on the item, to be exact a scope that I desperately need.

"How much for this?" I asked, pointing at the lone piece that had caught my attention.

"oh? This one is-"

The merchant looked up with a welcoming smile, but the moment his eyes met mine, the smile froze on his face. His body stiffened, and for a moment, it was as if time itself had stopped. He didn't move, didn't blink, just stared at me, his eyes wide with shock.

When I saw his shock face I finally realize why the girl before run away the moment she saw me.

It was not because she was scared or something came up

It's because she or they know my true race.

Before I could process it fully, the merchant's trembling hand slowly rose, pointing straight at me, his voice shaking.

"HUMAN!!" 

Oh no... no no no, this was not I wanted the moment I came here.

Suddenly, everything around me went silent. The air grew thick with tension as the murmur of voices came to an abrupt halt. I glanced around, and sure enough, everyone was staring.

Every android, every being in the market, their eyes fixed on me. Like they saw something that they thought did not exist.

My heart pounded in my chest. I could feel the weight of the stares pressing in on me, the tension building like a storm ready to break. Whatever sense of anonymity I had was gone in an instant, and the only thing in my mind was what kind of fate I was going to face the moment I was captured by this android?"

While I was still standing not moving, unsure what I was supposed to do next. I heard the sound of footsteps and when I glanced I spotted a group of androids making their way toward me, parting through the crowd like a well-organized unit. At their front, was an android who seemed to be the leader.

I was unsure of the leader's gender since it wore a coat that covered her face, but I could tell its eyes locked onto me with unnerving intensity the moment the leader saw me.

As they stepped closer to my position seemingly worried, I thought to myself.

You know what? I thought. This might actually be the perfect time to use one of the oldest, most reliable tactics known to man…

Nigerundayo!!

Without another second of hesitation, I spun on my heel, my body twisting with fluid precision, and broke into a full sprint.

/

In the year 11.942, the war still rages on.

In the face of war, and extinction of humanity, android still continues to face hardships one after another against a threat that was never seen before.

Legion, Shades, Independent, and finally the largest enemy the planet has ever faced the machine.

Currently, It is the 14th Machine War, and even after such a long period of war, the android population is still struggling to find a way to end the deadlock in this war.

But something had shifted. A ripple in the timeline has altered, though none will know about it, one thing is clear, and a new path was made.

Our story focuses on a girl named Rose, or usually, everyone calls her Captain Rose, and Beside her stands the vice leader Anemone herself.

Currently Captain Rose listened closely to her comrade's advice since she had a very important cargo she had to protect that could change the course of the war.

"We should take advantage of YoRHa gathering resources to build a perimeter defense with some watch tower around the city to make sure the cargo is safe" Anemone points to several locations on the map "So at the moment of danger we can evacuate the cargo"

Several androids around nodded in agreement, murmuring among themselves about logistics and allocation of troops. Rose stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, eyes fixated on the map, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

Her thought was that this was her chance, or maybe her only chance to prove to the people on the moon that they could fight and prove that their existence and sacrifice have meaning.

As she continued to gaze at the map in the middle while her advisor and family continued giving advice, her focus was interrupted.

"CAPTAIN ROSE!!" All of the people in the camp were startled by the scream and gazed their eyes at their little member who seemed to be running towards them in panic.

There was panic in her expression, so naturally, Captain Rose's first instinct seeing her panicked expression was to calm her down. Rose wasted no time, grabbing Lily by the shoulders as soon as she reached her.

"Lily, calm down. What's wrong?" Rose's voice was firm but try to conform her

Lily struggled to catch her breath, her chest heaving as she tried to steady herself. After a few seconds, she managed to speak, though her voice still wavered with fear.

"A HUMAN!!"

The entire camp froze. For a moment, it felt like the air had been sucked out of the space. Androids exchanged confused glances, and murmurs began to spread. But before anyone could say anything more, Jackass, who was standing nearby, scoffed, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Haha... nice joke Lily, You do know that-"

"NO! This one is completely different!"

Many thoughts ran through her mind

Rose's heart or her core pounded in her chest as she processed Lily's words. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Could the Council of Humanity have sent someone to retrieve... her?

The idea seemed absurd, yet there was no denying that if the human is indeed here then.... 

Rose shook her head, trying to clear the rush of emotions threatening to cloud her judgment. This didn't matter now, she needed answers, and the only way to get them was by seeing the human herself.

With her fellow comrades at her side, she followed Lily as they made their way through the camp. It didn't take long before they spotted the human when every android around was looking at the human, Even from a distance, Rose knew that she was seeing a human male.

Despite the heavy coat obscuring most of his body, her enhanced vision zoomed in on his face and eyes, confirming what she had feared and hoped.

T-they... really came, the human personally came from the moon.

After 200 years of fighting, she was not expecting to get emotional again just over meeting a human that came from the moon.

As she walked closer, trying to get a better look, she noticed the androids around the human had begun to block his path, curious but cautious. The human glanced around nervously before his eyes landed on her.

For a split second, their gazes locked. His expression shifted, and without warning, he pointed toward a random spot in the distance.

"Look! A machine!"

It was instantaneous. Every android in the vicinity reacted to the human's command, pulling out their weapons, rifles, and guns. It didn't matter that they couldn't see the threat—a human had given an order.

Rose blinked, trying to regain control of the situation. The area the human had pointed to was empty. There were no machines, no enemies—nothing, except for one lone android, who raised his trembling hands in surrender, clearly terrified.

A beat of silence followed as confusion spread through the crowd. One of the androids finally turned back toward the human, scratching their head in puzzlement.

"...Where is the machine-"

But when the android looked back, the human was gone.

And when everyone looks at the trail he left behind they look at him running with his back showing.

"...Oh, we have been lied to."

Another immediately shouted, "Captain Rose! The human is escaping!"

Rose snapped her head toward where the human had just stood, her heart skipping a beat when she realized he was truly gone. 

Captain Rose slams the concrete wall beside and screams "Don't let the human get away! Scramble all androids and deploy the trucks if need to!"

Immediately the whole androids begin running outside chasing him while some begin entering the trucks in drove and begin driving.

One of Rose's subordinates, face pale with worry, approached hesitantly. "Should we inform YoRHa or...?"

"No! No YoRHa!" Rose snapped, her voice fierce. "This is something we need to deal with personally."

The android fidgeted nervously. "But if something bad happens to the human... we'll all be responsible!"

Rose's jaw clenched, her frustration boiling over. "You think I don't know that? Now stop wasting time and move!"

"Y-yes!" The android quickly turned on their heels and darted off to join the others.

She needs to seek out the reason why a human was here.

Suddenly, a groggy voice behind her interrupted her thoughts. "Ngh... Why is it so loud today, Miss Rose?"

/

ANDDD CUT!

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