[Survivor and Death] I'll Be Back;; Terminator

[Deathonator]

-Accidentally deleted post- T__T

 

[Survivor00]

The city was a smoldering graveyard, the broken streets littered with scorched metal and shattered bones. The blackened metal skeletons that liked the street were all that remained of the traffic that had been exposed to the fury of a manmade sun. Overhead, the skies were clouded, rumbling with a thunderstorm that would never break, never quench the parched earth.

â??Goddamnit, hurry up, will you?â?

â??Hey, Iâ??m trying. There must be likeâ?¦fifty pounds of ammo here.â?

The hushed but frantic voices belonged to a small raiding party of humans, trying to transfer several boxes of ammunition and a machine gun from a wrecked APC to their jury-rigged SUV gun-truck. They were all ragged-looking, grimy and weary from years of fighting the machines, huddled around the wreck. Their eyes were trained towards the darkened evening sky, dreading that at any second; they would see a Hunter-Killer Hovercraft come shrieking over the shattered skyline to tear them to shreds.

Curtis Slader kept his finger close to the trigger of his M16A4 assault rifle, his teal-colored eyes scanning the empty and broken windows. He was only a kid when the bombs had fallen, killing most of the worldâ??s population and flooding the skies with toxic radiation. Now, he was part of the human Resistance, the last of humanityâ??s haggard fighting force. Nearly every human that was still â??freeâ?? was a part of the fight against the machines. Christ this place gave him the chillsâ?¦ He knew that in every shadow, every jagged doorway, there could be a machine. There were so many different versions, so many shapes and sizes; he didnâ??t think heâ??d ever stop seeing â??new modelsâ??. Heâ??d seen some that were drone-sized, others that were as big as buildings.

He tensed at the groaning call for help that emerged from the alleyway. He wasnâ??t the only one, the other three bristling as well. â??The fuck was that?â? One of them growled, raising his shotgun towards the darkened alley.

â??Shhhâ?¦â? Curtis muttered, taking a cautious step towards the sound. â??It was a voice.â? He looked around quickly, making sure there were no machines setting up an ambush, before sweeping the beam of his gun-mounted flashlight down the alley. He was startled to find himself looking at a wounded girl, looking as if she had escaped from one of the slave camps. â??Shit, weâ??ve got a survivor!â? He said, lowering the rifle and rushing to her side. He crouched down beside her and took her arm. â??Come on, youâ??re going to be alrightâ?¦â?

 

[Deathonator]

The girl raised her large empty eyes at the man that saved her, in a fraction of a second realizing that he was part of those she had to get rid of. The Human Resistance was the only thing preventing machines from making the world theirs: a perfect place, reigned by nothing but electricity. Mathematically perfect, with no oxygen, no plants. Nothing but machinery, evolving as a virus to spread out accross every inch of the large previously blue rock. At that very point, there wasn't much left already; streets mostly refused to grow grass, the sky was a constant recollection of dark, dirty brown clouds.

It was unnatural, but she didn't know much. Nothing was natural to her, a creature deprived of feelings. For a moment, she didn't know how to act and jerked her arm away from the stranger, not aware that she was supposed to thank her savior. Of course, this could be interpreted as an emotional numbness, a state of shock and simple fear of everything moving.

Finally, she licked her lips, as her brain ended the thought process and all human actions were implemented. ''Don't let them get me,'' she whispered hoarsely, her chest raising irregularily as the emptiness of her body was filled with air and then emptied of it. Breathing was surprisingly pleasant on certain levels.

Shutting her eyes for a few moments, she shifted to her feet, making sure to display a hardship when doing so. ''I need to hide,'' she muttered, only looking at the man. He drew her somehow - most likely because aside the wires he was the only creature she has ever addressed. However, she didn't accord it interest or attention. He was a target, and she was to destroy him and everyone else. ''Please,'' she added calmly, her warm pale hand brushing his hand.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis looked around the alleyway, once again checking that there were no machines or drones to attack them. â??Come on, Iâ??m not going to hurt youâ?¦â? He said to the girl as she drew back from his outstretched hand. â??Weâ??ll bring you somewhere safe.â? He kept his hand offered to her; he couldnâ??t just leave her out here. He could see the bandages on her arms and torso, the bruises and stains of old blood. She had to have escapedâ?¦nobody else was alive out here. â??I promise, I wonâ??t. Youâ??ll be safeâ?¦â? Those words were less truthful than he wished they were. He honestly never knew when the machines would overwhelm them.

He helped her as she made her way to her feet, â??We have a safe place, that the machines have yet to find. Weâ??ll take you there.â? He said, letting her drape an arm over his shoulder as he escorted her out of the alley and back to the armor-plated SUV. The others bristled, the barrels to their guns rising slightly. Curtis waved them away. â??Itâ??s fine, guys. Come on, letâ??s get out of here and get back to the shelter.â? He helped her over to the SUV, opening the back hatch and climbing up, turning around to offer her a hand.

â??You have no idea how glad I am to find someone aliveâ?¦â? He said to her.

(Since it's fitting: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/terminator-salvation.html?showVideo=1">http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/termina ... howVideo=1</a><!-- m -->)

 

[Deathonator]

The woman nodded briefly, taking in every word he said. She has hit the jackpot - luck, although her programming disallowed her to believe it existed, was on her side. The place machines have not yet found...the hopes of humanity were growing slimmer and slimmer. If only they knew...A part of her almost felt bad - after all, in spite of a metal dominance, she had certain feelings humans submitted to. However, it was far from enough.

Wrapping an arm around the male's waist, she tightly held on to it, seemingly too weak to walk. ''Th-thank you,'' she murmured, her lips briefly curling into something similar to a smile before fading away again. ''So am I,'' she replied, climbing into the SUV with him. ''Everyone is dead there,'' she motioned further into the heart of the city where one of the remaining resistance camps has been destroyed - along with the few machines protecting them.

Not wanting to get questioned, she leaned forward, pressing her head against her savior's chest. It was only in that position that she could allow her eyes to grow red, scanning the people in front of and close to her.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis set the assault rifle on the floor, reaching up to unlatch the metal plate that served as the hatch for their machine gun next. He pushed it open and flipped the gun up and onto the roof. Ducking back inside the cabin, he jumped a little when he felt her press her head weakly against his chest. Curtis sighed softly, patting her back gently. After a moment, he gently released her and hopped out of the truck, loading the last of the ammo crates in the rear and closing the hatch behind him as he climbed back in. He looked at her with a soft smile, â??You should sit downâ?¦the rideâ??s not exactly the smoothest oneâ?¦â?

Just before he climbed up to look through the hatch, he paused, and crouched to look at her. â??I never got your name.â? He asked her. â??Iâ??m Curtis. Curtis Slader.â? The front and passenger doors opened, and the others climbed in, the engine starting and echoing off the buildings. â??Curtis, stop yapping and get your ass on the turret!â? The driver snapped, shifting the car into drive and pulling away from the spot.

 

[Deathonator]

The few moments the girl managed to remain on his chest were enough to scan most of the population. Some of them were in the registries, obviously declared as wanted, others were unidentifiable. That didn't quite matter though, she knew a part of her future victims and figuring the other ones out would not be all that hard. ''Alright,'' she replied automatically, giving him a smile matching his own before taking a seat. Hearing him speak his name, she nodded, her gaze trailing over the male's body and to the driver.

''Curtis Slader...'' She repeated slowly, in a fashion that would have probably seemed to be nostalgic or even admirative. However, she was simply registering him. Truth was, she even liked him to an extent - the extent to which a robot could appreciate a woman. She would most definately kill him last. ''I'm Andromede. Just Andromede,'' she smiled at him, the smile seemingly less empty than the previous one- perhaps because she was not simply mirroring him.

 

[Survivor00]

â??Andromedeâ?¦thatâ??s an interesting name.â? Curtis said, before focusing fully on the task that he had before him. They had a long way to go to get to their refuge, and more than likely, something knew they were out here. As the SUV rattled below him, he kept his eyes on the sky. Their biggest worry was that the machines would send one of their Hunter Killers after them. If that happened, then they were all well and truly fucked. But would the machines waste that kind of a resource to go after one little SUV?

â??Weâ??ve got Rollers!â? Someone called from below, banging on the roof of the vehicle. Curtis swiveled around, aiming the gun behind them. Two dark shapes snaked through the congested streets, two-wheeled machines that resembled old-world motorcycles. They were incredibly fast and agile â?? more so than the hunk of junk that they were currently riding in. He opened fire well before the machines came into range, holding he could at least keep them at a distance until they reached the â??defense lineâ??.

The machine gun roared, spitting hot shell casings that rattled off the roof. Sparks winked in the darkness, chips of metal and concrete spinning off into the distance. The machines rolled closer, weaving around the debris that littered the streets. They opened fire as well, twin miniguns mounted to their bodies that chewed up the ground only a few feet behind their car. Sparks danced from the bumper as it was nearly torn away from a few stray rounds that impacted it.

â??Get us out of here!â? Curtis yelled to the driver, firing in short bursts to make the ammo he had last as long as possible. There was no way that they would be able to destroy these things, not with their limited armament, their best shot was to take them both out at once by surprise. They just had to live long enough for that to happen. â??Andromede!â? He called down to her, â??I want you to stay down and cover your head!â? He fired again, a long burst that shook the vehicle slightly.

The machines adjusted their aim quickly, and riddled the SUV with rounds. Curtis felt something hot pass next to his leg, and thought that he had been hit, but it wasnâ??t him that was crying out in agony. â??Jesus! They got Adrian!â? Someone shouted. â??Stop the bleeding! Come on!â?

Curtis fired again, aiming for the tires on the front of one of the machines. They had closed in close enough that he could at least hit them with some success, but they had near total success when it came to shooting back. The machine gun fired, throwing sparks off the front of one of the machines, chips of black metal jumping. The machine suddenly seemed to cartwheel through the air, flipping over and over, shedding parts as it crashed. He had hit the tire! Or something had jammed it!

â??One down!â? He shouted, cringing as the SUV rode through another barrage of fire. The city had thinned out around them, leaving them in the desolated suburbs, crumbling frames of houses and convenience stores. And just ahead, a freeway overpass â?? the defense line. â??Letâ??s hope to God the machines didnâ??t find the charges!â? He called, even though he doubted God was home at the moment.

The twin muzzle flashes winked from the remaining robot, and suddenly his leg buckled from beneath him, dropping him down into the cabin next to Andromede. He cursed loudly, gripping his leg, which was soaked in blood. The round had only nicked him, thankfully, but it hurt like Hell. â??Just blow it!â? He shouted.

The night was torn open by a thundering BOOM as two explosives blew a chunk out of the freeway. Concrete and rebar tore apart and fell to the street below, just missing the truck as it raced below. The machine did not have time to stop, getting crushed by the massive weight of the collapsing debris. Another explosion erupted from the crushed shell, echoing out over the landscape.

With a groan of pain, he reached over and tore a swath of fabric from his shirt, using it as a temporary bandage to stop the bleeding. He looked to Andromede, quickly checking her visually for injuries before asking. â??Are you alright?â?

 

[Deathonator]

Andromeda watched the scene with a sense of detachement. Her programming did not instruct her how exactly to react - it was a learning, constantly evolving software. Somewhat like a human, she would evolve, acquire experience...Only she would never die or grow old - those around her would. It might have been a bitter realization, but she didn't mind - whether it were machines or humans that were killed, she did not care for she hasn't been instructed or taught to do so.

However, as the SUV started swaying along the road, she detected a strange occurance: the level of adrenaline hormone instantly increased to extremely high levels in every human surrounding her. She has been implemented with a knowledge of biology that told her what the emotion was - of course it didn't help her with the reactions. Adrenaline. It could have been provoked by several things, but this appeared to be a mix of excitement and fear, she figured after a brief analysis.

Hearing the order, she silently obeyed, her movements calm as though she saw no threat to her life. Yet by the time she reached the floor, defense systems have kicked in from the imminent threat detected by all her sensors. She did not know self restraint yet and would have followed her instincts and jumped to the back of the truck to destroy the machines. She was stronger than them, and most likely had a little more agility, simply because those were low class creations. She was above, exceeded in force only by combat type creatures.

But, he gave her an order and she stuck to it, instead studying the situation with something similar to curiosity although she didn't identify it as such. When one of the members of the crew has gotten hurt, she watched the reactions of people around her. Compassion and fear to lose a loved one. She didn't understand them.


Nevertheless, she crawled over to the man whose shoulder was bleeding intently. ''Let me see,'' she spoke quietly, pushing the other man aside. She didn't know what pushed her to do so, but rationalized the action into an attempt of a better infiltration. Studying the gushing blood, she quickly undid one of the bandages on her arm. The skin was already constructed by the microscopic robots and thus she was relatively safe without covering it.

''The axillary artery hasn't been touched, nor was the clavicle...You'll live,'' she spoke dimly, not trying to sound gentle or encouraging - not part of her task. ''But the thing's stuck. I'll have to pull it off before something bad happens,'' she stated, afraid that the machines have used poisoned ammo or one of the models that had a lot of effects other than simply tearing through the limbs.


''It'll sting,'' she stated without a hint of sarcasm yet this time sounding slightly softer. Her slim fingers with long, strong nails slid over the shoulder, one hand pushing it down while the other pulled on the ammo that hasn't sunk too deep to show much resistance. Studying the piece of metal, she shook her head, before tightly wrapping the bandage around the man's arm to prevent him from bleeding everything out. ''All good,'' she stated, not detecting much risk to his life.

It was then that the car shook once again and her savior fell back into it right next to her. At that point, the girl really discovered the feeling of compassion, a strange wave of fear for him overcoming her. She wasn't afraid of blood, darkness or mice, but this pushed her to almost fly over to his side.

''Curtis, you're hurt!'' She let out in a worried voice she didn't recognize. Completely dismissing his question about her own well being, she looked down at his leg, content that the blood was slowed down. She crawled over to sit next to him, studying the leg. ''You'll be okay...,'' she whispered, her large eyes filled with worry, one of the few emotions she has learnt over the brief road.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis pushed himself against the wall of the SUV, feeling lances of pain stab up into his thigh, his breathing a little heavier than normal, the adrenaline racing through his system slowly starting to fade out.. The bandage and parts of his jeans were stained with blood, but it wasnâ??t serious. He looked up into Andromedaâ??s blue eyes with a pained smile, â??Yeahâ?¦I know.â? He nodded, reaching up to place his hand on hers, giving it a soft squeeze. â??Iâ??m glad to see youâ??re alright...â? He said with a genuine smile. It was so rare that they found anyone alive out there. â??Weâ??re still a little ways away from the shelterâ?¦you can get some rest there.â?

The SUV rocked underneath them as it rolled out into the barren countryside, burnt and blackened trees sticking up alongside the road. They stuck to the backstreets, the highways too open and clogged with long-dead traffic. The ride took about twenty minutes until they pulled into a destroyed trainyard. The place looked like it hadnâ??t been touched in years, and for the most part, it hadnâ??t. The SUV drove over the tracks, and the driver pulled a lever. A set of lightweight railroad wheels swung down and locked into place. Flicking on the headlights, they drove on the tracks, following them until they entered a tunnel that burrowed through the mountains.

â??This is why they canâ??t find us.â? He said to her. â??We built off of the maintenance tunnels already inside. Weâ??ve excavated so much more since then. We must have around forty people living down there.â?

 

[Deathonator]

Andromede smiled at the man, following him out of the vehicle. ''Let me help you,'' she proposed, noticing the limping. Once again, compassion kicked in along with the other feelings she was learning. At that very moment she understood most basic emotions humans felt: compassion, anger, fear, sadness. There were a lot missing still but those were enough to pass as one of those creatures.

Looking around, she jumped slightly once the door parted, imitating fear. ''Sorry,'' she whispered, sliding closer to him, wrapping one arm around his waist to help him - or to get them to mutually help eachother.

However, the woman appeared, almost blowing her cover. She was a smart one - but no one listened to her. She was similar to Cassandra, Andromede thought, and would have laughed if she knew anything about being amused or happy.

''It's alright, she is right to be suspicious. Machines are progressing,'' she stated. Lies were implemented into her programming from the start to avoid blowing the cover, and in that case she wasn't even lying. Simply avoiding the truth.

She followed him into the tunnels, seeming almost relieved for the heavy doors to close. No more battles. She discovered that she didn't like them much - or at least humans didn't.

''Is there a place where someone will look after your wound?'' She wondered, looking back. ''That man on the car should get some help as well,'' she stated, remembering the male whose shoulder has been hit during the shooting. Meanwhile, she followed him wherever he went somewhat like a puppy.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis smiled softly at her as she squeezed his hand back, glad that she trusted him. He had only seen a few people that had been rescued from the Wastelands, but they had all been too traumatized to fully recover. Andromede seemed to finally break that chainâ?¦ As the SUV ground to a stop, Curtis looked over at her, â??Letâ??s go.â? He opened the rear hatch and gingerly hopped down, keeping most of his weight off his injured leg as he helped her down from the back of the vehicle.

â??Of course.â? He promised her. It was a big placeâ?¦at least in terms of human shelters. He wanted to make sure she got comfortable living here, who knew how many nights she had been hunted by machines? The maintenance door swung open and several people rushed out with a stretcher, loading Adrian onto it. Another person walked over to them, looking at Andromede, slightly suspiciously.

â??Whereâ??d you pick her up?â? She questioned.

â??We found her in an alley. Sheâ??d escaped from one of the camps.â? Curtis said, placing his hand around her shoulder and holding her closer to him, almost protectively.

â??The machines have been making machines that look like humans, you know. T-600s.â? She said back, but Curtis cut her off before she could finish.

â??Yeah, but the T-600s were covered in rubber.â? He said, â??You could tell that they werenâ??t human.â?

â??Yeah, but what if you couldnâ??t? Thatâ??s what Iâ??m trying to say.â?

â??Look, machines donâ??t show emotions. Sheâ??s human, I know this for a fact.â?

The woman just sighed and walked away, deciding that she wasnâ??t going to be able to raise his suspicions at all. Curtis turned to Andromede, letting go of her. â??Sorryâ?¦Janice is always suspiciousâ?¦â? He said to her apologetically. Limping forward slightly, he escorted her into the tunnels, closing the door behind them.

 

[Deathonator]

Andromede smiled at the man, following him out of the vehicle. ''Let me help you,'' she proposed, noticing the limping. Once again, compassion kicked in along with the other feelings she was learning. At that very moment she understood most basic emotions humans felt: compassion, anger, fear, sadness. There were a lot missing still but those were enough to pass as one of those creatures.

Looking around, she jumped slightly once the door parted, imitating fear. ''Sorry,'' she whispered, sliding closer to him, wrapping one arm around his waist to help him - or to get them to mutually help eachother.

However, the woman appeared, almost blowing her cover. She was a smart one - but no one listened to her. She was similar to Cassandra, Andromede thought, and would have laughed if she knew anything about being amused or happy.

''It's alright, she is right to be suspicious. Machines are progressing,'' she stated. Lies were implemented into her programming from the start to avoid blowing the cover, and in that case she wasn't even lying. Simply avoiding the truth.

She followed him into the tunnels, seeming almost relieved for the heavy doors to close. No more battles. She discovered that she didn't like them much - or at least humans didn't.

''Is there a place where someone will look after your wound?'' She wondered, looking back. ''That man on the car should get some help as well,'' she stated, remembering the male whose shoulder has been hit during the shooting. Meanwhile, she followed him wherever he went somewhat like a puppy.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis escorted Andromede down into the depths that humanity had carved out for themselves, dank, cramped tunnels filled with pipe and wire, keeping her close to him as he walked. They got a few stares, mostly directed at the newcomer. Curtis wished he could know what they were thinking. Were they relieved to see another survivor? Worried that they would get less food now because of the extra mouth to feed? Were they like Janice and suspected her of being a machine?

There was a small part within him that also held that suspicion. The machines were advancing, like Andromede had said, and the T-600s were proof that the machines were attempting to infiltrate humans by posing as them. But he was too desperate to believe that she was human. A psychologist might say he was a little over the edge, but who wasnâ??t nowadays?

â??Adrianâ??s going to be okay. Thereâ??s a medical room a few floors downâ?¦â? He said softly, â??And Iâ??ll be alright. Itâ??s just a scrapeâ?¦â? He knew that it could have been much worse. If the bullet was only slightly to the left, it could have hit an artery, and he would have died in the back of the SUV. The pre-built tunnels soon gave way to a network of excavated passages that bored into the rock. Strings of electric bulbs were hung from the ceiling, awkwardly reinforced by steel beams. â??As I said, we make dueâ?¦â? He told her again.

He kept walking until he found a small enclosure, off to the side of everything else, only covered by a ragged sheet. Holding it aside, he swept his arm before her as if to say: â??After youâ??, waiting until she entered to go in. The space was cramped, like everything else. A ragged mattress lay on an old army cot, a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. A series of object scavenged from the surface were tucked in â??shelvesâ?? that had been carved out of the rock. Curtis shucked off his dirty jacket, revealing an orange shirt. He set his gun down on the dirty mattress, before dropping down as well.

â??I know itâ??s not much, but youâ??re welcome to sleep here until youâ??re comfortable.â?

 

[Deathonator]

Andromede walked straight, her gaze directed straight in front of herself. She could sense the hostility, the way even Curtis tensed next to her. She didn't think much of it but that her assimilation attempts had to be harder. She tightened her grip on his arm slightly, seemingly worried as she studied the strange faces. Some of them seemed to show compassion, but others displayed nothing but apathy. She let out a soft sigh, feeling a sense of relief as they reached his private cabin.

Entering the small place, she looked around and took a seat on the bed, studying him. She felt a strange need to hold him, to make the pain go away - and it was steadily growing. Picking up the gun, she set it aside, watching him. She didn't know what to do next, she she obeyed her instincts and crawled onto the matress to rest next to him.

''Curtis, you think I'm a machine, don't you?'' She wondered softly, her bright blue gaze searching his one, her black hair caressing his neck.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis opened his eyes a little, glancing at Andromede out of the corner of his eye as she climbed up onto the mattress with him. He felt her hair brushing his neck, the warmth of her proximity, and he liked those feelings, however, her question made a chill ripple down his spine. Curtis sighed and rubbed his eyes with the base of his palms, looking over into Andromedeâ??s stunning blue eyes.

â??No, itâ??s just Iâ?¦â? He sighed and shook his head. â??I know youâ??re notâ?¦you donâ??t act like they doâ?¦machines donâ??t have feelings. They canâ??t show emotionsâ?¦â? He looked at her, â??Thereâ??s just thisâ?¦little voice in the back of my head, and I donâ??t want to believe itâ?¦â? He sighed.

â??Iâ??m sorry.â? He said, averting his eyes, figuring he had probably alienated her just then.

 

[Deathonator]

Making herself comfortable, Andromede rested one of her arms accross his shoulders, setting her hand above one of them. She listened to his words, her gaze never quitting his. He seemed to be sorry for speaking the truth. Curious. Biting on her lower lip as she has seen some females do, she shook her own head.

''It's fine. I understand,'' she murmured, leaning her head down onto the matress, her eyes shut. ''With all that's happening right now, it's only normal to be afraid. What can I do to make you believe me though?'' She wondered, not certain if she was making the right move but not having much of a choice. Infiltration was a bitch.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis shook his head, feeling her warmth against his skin as her arm lightly brushed the back of his neck. â??You donâ??t need to do anythingâ?¦â? He assured her, lifting his head and letting out a small, soft smile. â??You donâ??t act like they do. Thatâ??s enough for meâ?¦â? He nodded to her, leaning back against the cavern wall. He opened his mouth and let out a quiet yawn, his body aching all over. â??Iâ??m going to head down and get this checked outâ?¦â? He said, motioning to the wound on his leg.

â??If youâ??d like to stay here, you can.â? He spoke, carefully standing. â??You could probably use some sleep after tonightâ?¦â? He said, scratching slightly at the thin layer of stubble that had formed on his chin. He was tired too, more than he wanted to admit, but he could sleep later, after things were settledâ?¦

 

[Deathonator]

Andromede listened to his words without seeming very convinced, nodding. ''Alright, but I could prove it to you,'' she stated, turning away from him with a sigh. She stretched out slightly, her semi metallic containts uncomfortable from the lack of extensions. She did everything to seem tired - and truth to be told it wasn't all that hard with the people surrounding her looking similar to zombies. ''Yes, you should,'' she quickly turned around, concern returning to her face. ''Wake me up when you come back...You need sleep as well,'' she stated, ''and your matress is big enough.''

With that, she almost dropped onto the mattress, curling into something similar to a ball, her eyes half shut before he could even leave. She had to conserve energy because ressources seemed to be quite scarce there - and she doubted others would believe her if she went around drinking oil.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis frowned slightly at Andromede's words, watching her as she flopped down onto the mattress and curled up to sleep. "I will. I'll be back shortly..." He told her, before leaving the chamber without a sound. She seemed...almost desperate to convince him that she wasn't a machine. He groaned and rubbed his forehead with his palm, pushing himself off the wall to lip down to the medical bay. It was built from of of the maintenance rooms, since the prebuilt walls made it easier. They were low on supplies, as always, but the doctor took a quick look at his leg, gave him a disinfectant, and bound the wound in an actual bandage. It was a good of a treatment as one could expect, as long as the injury wasn't life-threatening.

He limped over to the patient ward, old army cots being used as resting beds for the injured. Adrian lay amongst them, a large wrapping of bloody gauze covering his shoulder and chest. He sighed and walked over to him. "You going to make it?" He asked him, placing his hands in his pockets.

Adrian nodded weakly. "Hurts like...a sonofabitch..." He said. "They've got me...on some strong stuff, though...so I don't feel the pain." He swallowed dryly. "That girl alright?" He asked.

"She's fine..." Curtis nodded, looking back towards the medical ward, as if though he half expected to see Andromede waiting there. "Janice didn't greet her too kindly, though. Now she's almost begging me to let her convince me that she's not a machine..." He leaned against one of the concrete walls, feeling the vibrations of the generators in the next room.

"Then let her..." He said, "Worst scenario...she's a machine, and you shoot her." Adrian grunted out. Curtis could tell that the talking was taking a toll on him and he nodded.

"We'll see..." He muttered, "Get some rest."

Curtis turned and left the patient ward, heading back up to his bunk. Slipping in the door, he saw Andromede laying out on his bed, her eyes closed. He softly nudged her shoulder a bit until she woke. He sat down beside her and let out a thoughtful sigh.

"If you want to convince me..." He turned to her and nodded. "Convince me." He figured that, if anything, it would settle both of their concerns.

 

[Deathonator]

Andromede remained curled on the mattress, sleeping comfortably. Sleep was quite enjoyable, she discovered, and as she was nudged she found herself letting out a soft groan. â??What?â? She muttered, sitting up. She was instantly alert but could not make it seem that way. Rubbing her eyes with the backs of her palms to disguise their growing red to quickly scan the area for danger, she waited for them to return to their usual blue before looking up at Curtis.

Confusion was part of the emotions she knew, and she realized that she would have to use it quite often. Hearing him sigh, for instant, was a source of confusion. Why would he wake her up, seeming discontent? Did he realize that she was a machine? Worry brushed over her briefly. She didnâ??t want to have to kill him.

â??What?â? She whispered softly, seemingly not understanding what he meant. â??You want me to convince you? How?â? She wondered, arching her eyebrows. She didnâ??t really know how humans proved to other humans who they were. Shutting her eyes, she leaned her forehead against her palms, seemingly thinking yet truly replaying the few videos that have been played to her back at the base the machines owned.

Humans had a few basic emotions, and she supposed she could play on one. They were warm. They liked violence and sex. They had animals. She sighed â?? most things she knew were not quite relevant to the situation, she simply wasnâ??t prepared for it. Finally, her brain stumbled upon a scene.

Her skin recreated the blush the actress had, the girl shifting herself slightly. She reached down to take a hold of his hand, bringing it up to the side of her chest her heart beat again. Remaining silent for a moment or two, she leaned in, pressing her lips against his ones. Just as it should have been expected from a human, she was warm and soft, her kiss gentle and uncertain.

 

[Survivor00]

Curtis has been expecting her to try a lot of different things, answering a type of question, eating something, hell even crying would have been more than enough to prove that she was a human, but when she took his hand in her own and placed it to her chest, he froze. This was not one of the things he expected. Her skin was slightly flushed and warm with embarrassment, and his stunned reaction was met with her lips, tender and trembling against his.

His eyes looked up into hers, wide and confused, letting out a breath. He wanted to push her away, tell her that she did not need to do this to prove she was a human, but, his brain and body, deprived of such feelings, wanted more. Already, his body was warming, something that she could no doubt sense by the increase in his pulse. He leaned back into the kiss, Andromede suddenly the only thing that mattered to him. He leaned up his hand cradling the underside of her chin, tilting her head back ever slightly as he kissed her.

His hand slipped down her side to rest on the slight swell of her hip.

 

[Deathonator]

Andromede shivered slightly as she felt his lips caress her own; somewhat surprised that he did not push her away. She sensed his blood pressure increase along with his heart pace â?? it was a strange sensation. Realizing that someone elseâ??s heart beat at the same time as yours, somehow it was fascinating. Soon enough, she found her breath grow heavier, the pleasure receptors placed all over her body stimulated. Her lips seeking his with more and more intensity by the second, she found herself pulling away soon enough.

She loved the taste of his lips, the way he made her feelâ?¦However, she didnâ??t want to go too far. Emotions were not the best thing in her position. â??So?â? she murmured in a soft whisper, her eyes traveling over his, filled with fear, excitement and affection.