Falling skies

Shattered

It felt like everything ended. You didn't saw Connor for the last 11 days, and you didn't hear about Hank either. He took the blame for the fight. And of course you didn't heard anything about Gavin. But to be honest you would rather cut down your ears like van Gogh did. Well, maybe not, but you felt like nothing could make you talk to him. You were sitting alone in your apartment. You closed all the curtains so you wouldn't see the sun go up and down. You did this because you hoped you would lose your sense of time. If course it didn't work. You just ate ice cream all day in the dark, and when your body realised that it's around midnight it always made you go to sleep.
But this day was not like the others. Now that you faced that you probably lost everything that was worth anything, you decided that it's time to do something.
You searched for the pendrive, Ralph gave to you. It must have has something on it that could help you get out of your miserable condition.
You put it into your notebook. It almost didn't need any time to load. You saw a photo file an application for mobile phones and a video. You started to copy the app to your phone while you opened the photo.
It was a photo about the Ferndale metro station. And a graffiti.
You didn't understand why was it on the pendrive, but you printed it anyway. You opened the video file. It was Ralph.
"H-hi! Ralph does this so he can help (Y/N) the same she helped him. Yes, Ralph does this to help. There's the photo. Find that place. And the application! You need the application to get to the next ones. Oh yes... You need it. Ralph hides, but know we'll where others hide. Go to Jericho. Jericho where all androids can be free. Yes, they can be free. This symbol. You need to find them to find the other locations. The application will tell. Yes. The application will tell the right pictures."
Suddenly the video ended. You saw a symbol for a moment then you looked at the printed picture. It had the same symbol. Your phone downloaded the app, and you knew what you have to do.
You need to dress up in something other than your pajama and you need to find Jericho.
You put on a black hoodie and a navy blue baseball hat. You looked like someone who really tried to look like they are rebellious. This meant others would not suspect anything. Not like humans cared.
You took out the pendrive and put it to your pocket. You looked at your phone. It was low on batteries. As much as you wanted to go right now, you knew that if your battery dies it will be pointless. You searched for the charger and put it up to charge. You didn't know how long will you need the device so you needed it to be 100%.
For the time you waited, you looked for route to get to the Ferndale metro station. It wasn't too bad. You needed to go 3 streets to get to a bus stop, then you would be there after around 34 stop. That meant around 45-50 minutes.
You looked at your phone. It was still around 80%. You went upstairs to your room. You packed for yourself some chlotes, and from the kitchen you put in some energy bar and a bottle of cola. You didn't have water so...
You checked the phone again. It was ready. You looked around in the room. You weren't sure if you'll come back. The when you felt like you said goodbye, you walked out the door. You locked it, then went to the previously  planned route. To the bus station, through the 50 minutes ride then to the station, Ferndale.
It looked like a normal station. At first you didn't knew what you were doing here. Then you saw that graffiti. You saw the graffiti and you immediately realised one symbol in the middle.
You took your phone out and opened the app. You scanned the symbol, and it wrote out '1/1 check'. Then showed you another picture. It was a lion.
You walked to the stairs to leave the station, and then walked down. The loin was right in front of you.
Well not an actual lion, but there was another graffiti. You walked closer, and scanned the sign that was in front of the lion. The application wrote out a new message. '1/2 check'. You needed to find more. You observed the picture. Soon you saw the other one on the belt of the left boxer, that was next to the lion. You scanned that too, and you got the message.
'2/2 check'. A new picture showed up.
A wall, with colorful strips on it, with stars and the symbol.
You looked around. The sun was setting and if you were sure in one thing that would be that you won't find Jericho after sunset. You needed to hurry. You searched for the same colors, then you spotted a weird looking man. It was on the other side of the street, dressed kinda as you and it was looking up. He had a long coat with short sleeves and a long sleeve shirt. He looked up to a normal building then ran off. You walked to the place he was standing, and recognized the wall from the last picture.
'He might have been an android.' you thought for yourself.
You spotted the two symbols immediately. You scanned them and got a new picture of a wire fence and robot paintings behind it. You knew where you will find it. In this area this was your favorite painting. You walked directly to the fence. You pulled the corner up so you could squeeze yourself under it. When you were in you saw that man in his long Jacket walking around. He had different color eyes. He looked at you for a second. Then he probably saw the picture.
You didn't knew what to do. You just waved  and smiled. He came closer. Then at the other side of the fence he stopped. He observed you from the bottom to the top.
"Jericho?" He asked only this word. You nodded. There didn't needed to be words. You pulled up the fence again and let him come in.
"I'm Markus." he said holding out his hand removing his skin. You saw his android hand. You were a bit afraid to shake his hand because... Why would he trust you? Why would he trust a human stranger?
"I'm (Y/N)." you said not shaking his hand. You pulled out your phone and scanned the first symbol on the first robot.
"You are not one of us." Markus said. You looked at him then at the phone in your hand.
"Well, it seems like you know my secret. Are you gonna stop me?" you asked. He shook his head.
"Not until I know your intentions."
You just smiled and scanned the second symbol, while Markus revealed the last fragment. When he was done he looked at you.
"I guess we could go together. If someone trusted you enough to give you the code, it won't make any harm to me to trust you." Markus said.  You scanned the last symbol and the newest picture shown on the phone.
"I promise you don't have to be afraid. I have someone I have to do this for. If I'm right, and I know I am, then I can find him, following my instincts." you said. The painful memory of Connor saying goodbye to you came in your mind. A lonely tear run down your cheeks. You dried it off, then walked forward.
Markus stopped and looked into your (E/C) [~eye color] eyes and gave you a sympathetic look.
"I know how that feels. I am doing this for someone too. Changes coming, and after that I might be able to reunite my family and go back to the man I look as my father at."
None of you smiled. There was nothing to smile for. The two of you walked into an abadoned parking lot. It was full of broken rusty cars, but you saw the woman's face that was on the last picture.
You looked at the roof. At first sight you could tell, that none of you will get on the building easily. Or you thought so. Markus pulled a trash container over then parkoured to the top of the roof. He looked back at you then reached for you.
"If you jump from the container, I will catch you and pull you up. I trust you, so now, you've got to trust me." he said.
You took a deep breath and nodded.
"Alright girl, you can do this. You did harder in the police academy than anyone has." you mumbled to yourself, as you climbed up to the container. You looked at Markus's hand. You tried to measure how long the jump needs to be and how far do you need to hop, if you want to reach him. You weren't sure you could actually do it.
But you needed to. You were doing this, not just for yourself. For Connor, for Hank, and for every android that had hope. Had hope in their future, had hope in their love, had hope in their lives.
You closed your eyes and ran. Ran, and the end you jumped. You hit the wall, and it hurt, but you felt something. You didn't fell. Markus was holding into your hand.
He pulled you up. You cleaned your body then looked at the graffiti.
"Thanks." you said.
"We gotta stick together if we want to make it to Jericho."
You smiled. You were pretty sure that Markus could get to Jericho without any help too, but it warmed your heart. You saw how lost he was, just like a lonely, broken child.
Both of you scanned the 3 symbols, that were meant to be find there, then you got a new picture.
"Are you fuckin' kidding me?" you asked and the you looked at the hole next to you. You were pretty sure that was the way, and there just wasn't any way through it.
Markus looked at you then at the hole for a moment. He seemed like he was thinking. You knew that if he had have the LED on his head, it would be yellow, processing the available routes.
"I can get through, it's just I can't help you get through." he said. You looked around.
"Just gimme a sec." you said. If you were sure in something that you can't just jump around and do crazy parkour shit, you assumed Markus is gonna do. You needed something more solid. The iron sticks, standing out from the building most certainly wouldn't hold you, and there were some missing, making it an impossible route. Then you got an idea.
If you can't get through, you just need to get around. You looked at the building left to you then Markus. Then your plan was ready.
"Could you give me a boost to that roof over there?" you pointed left.
Markus nodded, and helped you get up there. Then you looked at him as he (as you predicted it) did the parkour shit. Then he looked at you.
"Now what?" he asked.
You just walked over the other roof. Then, when you were about to jump off you saw the next graffiti.
"There!"
Right at the moment when you said it, the roof below you collapsed, and you found yourself in an abadoned factory.
"(Y/N)!!" Markus shouted.
"I'm fine! Go, scan the graffiti. I'll meet you on the other side of this building!" You shouted, then took your phone out. You turned on flashlight mode and then walked in a direction, that as you thought would be good.
You wandered around these kind of places a lot in video games. You hoped they worked the same. Because all places like this had a long hallway, that connected the whole floor, with every other building.
And you seemed to be just right! After a couple of minutes you kinda found where you needed to be. Except, that you couldn't go back and scan the graffiti. But you found Markus.
"I've got the next one too. Follow me. I know where to go." He said and then crouched through a what you could only call a pile of rubbish. And it seemed unstable. But you glupped and hoped that it won't fall on your head at the time you try to get through it.
Once when you were out again you could see the sun shine brightly, with it's last power to make these abadoned ruins glitter in gold. The dim lights were breathtaking, and all you could think about that how this is the hope of the androids. How this could be the hope of someone, who lost everything. You took your phone out and made a photo. There was Markus on it, but he was standing back on you. It looked like as a savior just found it's own kingdom.
And then you found. The old monstrum named Jericho. The rusty giant that has been forgotten by humans, swimming gracefully in a place, that's not hid at all, but noone seems to see what's right in front of one's eyes.
You stepped at the bridge leading to this beautiful, beautiful thing. It cranked under your steps, but seemed to let you walk through. When you arrived the other side safely, Markus started walking. The metal was crying under each step of him, then in a blink of an eye, it fell off. Markus jumped back, so he wouldn't fall into his certain death.
"Markus!" you shouted.
"It's alright! I got this. I'm gonna meet you later. Go! Find what you are looking for." he said.
In the lights you could swear you saw a halo around his head. Then he turned around and walk away.
And so did you. You finally found Jericho. Now, all you needed to do was making everything right.

*Author's note*
Sorry, this is a bit boring, I know, and I know, I'm messing up the game's timeline, I just really think this should work out better for the story. But hey! We finally met someone other than Connor, Hank, or Ralph! And we are on the side of the revolution. But I'm gonna go peaceful. Just so you know.
Now, I gotta go. I did a lot of computer work today so I can finish my Christmas gift for my sister, so my eyes are bleeding right now.
Goodbye my little cranberries! Have a nice day! 📴 🔵 (The blue dot is for the berry. Sadly, I don't have the emoji.)