Project I - Incipere

CHAPTER 23

FIVE had been trying to find the signal from wherever he's from again last night, but then again it failed once more.

Probably Utopia forgotten about him, or did they just left him here to rust and die?

Pasko didn't think so, he's too valuable an asset to them.

Afterall, all they thought of was themselves, themselves alone in their sights.

Arrogance and a lack of thought for anyone else.

Pasko looked over to FIVE.

He didn't seem to be the case, he was merely a worker for them, propaganda.

An entertainer.

He didn't have a clue on what was happening up there, such was the absence of his human nature.

And she would slowly bring it back for him.

Uncle Fedir had been less hostile this time, although he still resented the idea of him staying with them for the time being. He had been clearly upset that Pasko was still in the company of a Utopian machine, which he had grown to naturally hate and fear.

FIVE was harshly rejected help or shelter from Fedir, yet the idea of him being able to stick with Pasko for now had been good enough for him.

They sat on a small plateau just on the outskirts of Eglador. Pasko had her hands on her cheek as she stared blankly into the ghost city that once held so much hope for mankind.

FIVE was watching her again as he tried to imitate her pose, making him look ridiculously out of place together with his black coat.

Pasko gave a short chuckle as she noted his attempt.

"No, Engel," she managed, "Men, sit like this,"

She did the most masculine pose she could think about. Her body was titled to the side supported by her arm. She then rested her other arm on the other knee.

"It would have gone nicely with a wheat or something like that in your mouth," she added.

FIVE followed her effortlessly, his limbs making soft whirring sounds as he shifted his position. His coat that just made him look awkward was now actually giving him an extra flair in that pose, making him look rather dashing.

"Hah! You just killed it, Engel!" Pasko couldn't help but voice out her opinion, "You should just sit like that anytime you want to take a break,"

FIVE merely tilted his head as he processed the words she had just said.

A break.

An idea sprung to her head, a risky but exciting one.

She should bring him to another city.

She got up to her feet and headed towards the bike, slightly jumpy from the excitement that it had brought her.

She paused in her steps as remembered.

The Dystopians there detested the Utopians.

He would have to blend in.

Pasko opened the trunk of her bike and was relieved to find an extra set of scarf as well as leather gloves that she would sometimes wear when the day was cold.

"You'll have to put this on, Engel," She handed him the clothes, "The people in Oaheofield don't take Utopians lightly, so you gotta blend in,"

FIVE looked at the items blankly before reaching out for the scarf first. He had seen how Pasko wrap her scarf over her neck, so it was relatively easy for him to follow.

He eyed the gloves, and then back to her.

Pasko mentally smacked herself, right, he had no idea what this is and never seen her wear it, it was natural for him to stone up.

She walked over to the robot and gently lifted his robotic hand, the one that was replaced.

She then slipped on the leather gloves, which didn't exactly fit the man made limb, but it was enough to conceal the metallic parts.

"There you go," she muttered as she tried to pull down the glove to hide any excess wires or circuits,

"You'll have to just follow me, alright? Don't stop at anything this time, no roaming,"

FIVE plainly replied, "Roaming deactivated,"

"Good, good, I don't wanna get you caught or hurt, that's why I had to do this, I hope you understand Engel,"

And yet again he merely stood there looking at her with that blank look.

She got onto her bike and they made their way to the inhabited city.

Oaheofield, or the City of Rats, as they called it, was still inhabited by Dystopians, mostly locals and refugees. It was perhaps the only city not yet torn to shreds by the invaders.

Why was this city not looked upon, Pasko would never know.

She slowed her bike to a stop as she heard loud and rowdy sounds and music coming from the ex-central station.

There was also loud revving sounds emerging from the cluster of noises.

"It's a truck monster race!" Pasko spoke, her voice full of excitement, "We have to watch it Engel, I've heard that they hold these races twice a month in Oaheofield, and I've always wanted to see it for myself!"

She stepped on her accelerated and drove towards the sounds, with FIVE following closely behind.

She parked her vehicle slightly away from the crowd and fastened it with a chain to a pillar. As they approached, she noticed the race had only yet to start.

The spectators were going wild, screaming and whistling as the racers revved their engines repeatedly. Some of them were sloshing their beer bottles as they cheered on the racer which they had placed their bets on.

It was a madhouse.

Yet Pasko didn't seem to mind the unruliness as she made her way to the second level of the old central station and got herself a rather good position just slightly above the starting line.

There was a loud sound as the starter pressed the pistol. The racers bolted forward, bringing up dirt and dust with them as they accelerated, and igniting even more cheers from the crowd.

"Look at them go!" Pasko could hardly contain her glee as she watched the vehicles swerve and roll with their massive tires.

FIVE simply observed the entire situation and scene. The spectators seemed to be intoxicated. Some of them even had body piercings, at which he felt foreign and slightly confused. They were shouting weird things, incomprehensible to his ears, and going completely wild and out of control in this setting.

It was the first time he felt... overwhelmed, among humans.

"Engel! Come on, they've headed towards the river now! We got to see them!"

She pushed her way through the surging crowd, all eager and absolutely excited to watch the progress of this intense competition.

FIVE tried to follow her, but with the amount of people nudging their way forward, she was soon lost in the mass of spectators.

He did a scan of his surroundings, and tried to find that familiar face among this mob. His scanners in his vision did went through the horde, his detector hovering and trying to track her down.

There was no results.

FIVE stood there, not moving, among the multitude of people.

She was nowhere to be found.

He was lost.