Atlas Abandoned

Bearings (day of the crash)

Atlas started coughing as he ran. He was feeling lightheaded, but it wasn't disorienting enough to distract from the pain on the back of his hand. It was drizzling lightly, but this rain came with a painful burning sensation. AGS-9 had balled up the parachute they had descended with and was holding some of it over Atlas' head with one arm as they ran, keeping him dry until they found cover under some trees. At least, they appeared to be trees. They weren't really like the trees Atlas had seen in the Wild rooms back home. These trees were half wood, and what seemed like half metal beams. Atlas only noticed the metal aspects as he leaned against a tree, panting, once they were out of the rainfall. Staring at the ground, kicking the gray sand, and then staring at the back of his hands, Atlas didn't notice AGS-9 analyzing him.

"Do you feel alright? You have not sustained any critical injuries. Stay there while I survey the immediate area." Without even waiting for Atlas' response, AGS-9 turned his back to the newly 14-year-old and engaged in some quiet whirring and clicking. Atlas just shook his head and looked back down at the ground.

"I feel dizzy," Atlas admitted when his breathing had slowed. The android didn't miss a beat with his response.

"There is a layer of butane gas that sits approximately one foot high at the ground level. Do not lie down or breathe on the ground and you'll avoid serious butane inhalation." Atlas' mouth fell open and he gave the back of AGS-9's head a skeptical scowl.

"What? Butane gas? Where, like here by the tree?" Atlas frantically looked around his feet for any signs of gas, thinking back to one time in science class where they talked about butane. All he remembered was a blue-ish, green-ish flame during a demonstration, but nothing else.

"No," AGS-9 said, "Everywhere." He was sharp, and remained silent for another few minutes. As Atlas processed what AGS-9 really meant, the android processed what else he could about the environment they were now stranded in.

Finally calming since he had been resting against the tree, Atlas started letting his curiosity take over, cautiously walking around a little bit. He took care not to walk anywhere where the burning water was dripping down to the ground. He looked at his unharmed hand. On one hand, Atlas wasn't really overwhelmed by this environment. He'd played hundreds of different virtual reality games and been in every configuration imaginable of the Wild chambers back home. He had even snuck into the volcano one you're not supposed to be in until you're 13!

'Sneaking in,' Atlas thought to himself, 'look where that got you, dummy.' In the grand scheme of things, this felt like just another random terrain to him. With a wince, Atlas then looked at his other hand, the back of which was red and had a couple blisters forming. On the other hand, though, something very real, very patient, and very terrifying was slowly clawing its way to the front of his consciousness. This wasn't home, this wasn't simulated, and this wasn't safe. This was alone. Well, almost alone. He had the android with him. "Hey Aegeus?" Atlas yelled as he wandered back towards AGS-9. He stopped in his tracks when he saw it. He screamed. "Aegeus!" AGS-9 was standing out in the open while conducting its survey of the area and the skin on its head and hands had been exposed for nearly 10 minutes. The same rain that had burned Atlas' hand had peppered AGS-9's entire body and when Atlas ran up behind the android and grabbed it around the waist, trying to pull it back into cover, a piece of skin sloughed off its mechanical left hand, landing on Atlas' shoe. He screamed again and began sobbing.

"Aegeus no! No! You can't die, you're the only one I have! Please get out of the rain! You have to! Please! Please!" Atlas begged through tears as he pulled back on the android, barely budging it. He yelled 'Please!' over and over until he was choking on his own breath in hysterics. AGS-9 suddenly sprung back to life and spun around, facing Atlas with a terrible grimace of half-melted synthetic flesh, and half mechanical skull.