androidx|xoutfitx|x#DC403B xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxwith all the layers of dust.
Astrid knew she needed to get out of the way, people were still bumping into her left and right; some were leaving, others were trying to get a better look at one thing or another. It was overwhelming, trying to pinpoint an opening so she could just get out of everyoneâs way. She was always causing problems, wasnât she? Maybe thatâs why everyone sends me away.
She had just found a way, and just needed a moment to get through, when it happened. There was a loud boom, and a lot of screaming. Suddenly, all she seemed to be able to process was the fear of everyone around her. She quickly looked around: people were running away, now. Maybe back home. Maybe just as far away as they could get. There was another explosion. It wasnât safe here, was it? She needed to go, but the fear everyone felt⊠It was just her programming, but she felt the intense need to protect the humans around. They were frightened, and it was only getting worse with every passing moment.
She didnât know if it was being broadcast over the speakers, or just in her mind, but she heard an overwhelming chorus of, âStay calm. We have everything under control.â It didnât look like everything was under control, but Astrid knew that was what they always said. If the powers that be couldnât control a situation, theyâd lose control of everything. Still, in control or not, there wasnât anything Astrid could do. She wasnât well-suited to crisis situations; she was a domestic droid.
Astrid caught sight of a little girl, presumably separated from her family, and all thoughts of retreating to the relative safety of the seedy underbelly of the city left her mind. Suddenly the only thing that felt right was helping the child. Caring for children was what she was programmed for, after all.
Then there were more people, who Astrid only recognised as being associates of the Alpire Corporation. What did they manufacturer? Weapons? They had arrived very quickly, Astrid thought, and immediately started cordoning off areas, ushering people away and to different places of the city. âDonât worry,â They said, âWeâre here to help you.â Maybe theyâd been hired as private security.
There was some sort of weapon fire from somewhere above. Astrid couldnât place it, but the Alpire Corp representatives certainly used the moment to keep corralling people along. Keeping order, it seemed, was the top priority.
Astrid was getting swept along with the crowd, weapons were still firing from, what sounded like, all directions. âWhere are we going?â
âDonât worry, maâam,â Astrid could hardly tell if the person in question was a human under all of their armor. âThere's a warehouse nearby where-â Then the person in question seemed to realize that Astrid was an android, âWe donât have the space for androids.â
A gesture was all it took to seal her fate, it seemed. Astrid was grabbed from behind, and deposited back into the middle of the square, to fend for herself. Something strong that she didnât quite understand filled her, and she felt quite resigned to whatever was in store for her. She didnât have anywhere to go, not really, so she figured that she would probably be shot down and then tossed on a scrap heap somewhere. She wasnât just going to stand around, though. Maybe she could get lucky, find some place to hide⊠At least until this blew over. It couldnât last forever.
M I L E SxxCAAL
there is very little left of me,
"human"x|xoutfitx|x#35404F xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxand it's never coming back.
Even as Miles went to switch off the broadcast, it cut to a shot of the crowd on the ground. The cityâs government loved to show off how well everyone got along when it suited them. Sometimes the news organizations played along, and some played nicer than others. Normally he wouldnât care, if not for the fact that the crowd seemed to be pretty worked up. Surely that wasnât the image Infinity City officials wanted to broadcast. The first explosion went off right before they cut the footage to some pre-recorded message of peace and prosperity, though that was quickly cut to make way for the coverage of the terrorist attack on the upper levels of the city. On the day they were meant to celebrate one hundred years of peace, no less.
Miles switched off the broadcast; he could hear the screaming and subsequent detonations over the gentle hum of the lights. Even so far beneath it all. It was quiet, and Miles couldnât fully be sure if he was really hearing the commotion, or if someone nearby just had their television up too loud.. Subtle green lights raced along his veins, visible from just below his skin: the lights flashed yellow. He was distressed. It was strange, if he hadnât known better, he may have said he didnât recognise what he was feeling until then. But what was he meant to do in a situation like this? He supposed most people would be shutting themselves in their homes, which seemed like a reasonable response.
He elected to swing open his front door. There was chaos everywhere, people were running out and away from the center of the city. Did Miles know any of the people running past? Did it matter? Of course it mattered. He would let a friend take up shelter inside if they needed it.
RPG
