Terrestrial Undead

Chapter 11

The sensation of losing their stomach as the Airship came to a halt signalled to 003 that it was time to go.
"We shouldn't have let her go," 004 was despairing as 003 peeked out the door. "What if she's alerting the Captain to regain her own favour?"
A nauseating splat answered her, followed by cries for a medic. 004's hit the ground after the guard's body. For a moment they saw a figure raise a mechanical hand towards them in salute from one of the upper catwalks before disappearing.
"I think that's our distraction," 003 guessed. "Let's go."
004 followed them while the rest of the crew gathered around the corpse.
"How can she just throw him over the railing like that? Where is her humanity?"
"Same place ours would be if it weren't for her," 003 retorted, losing patience.
They continued a few paces before a wail rose up behind them. 004 stopped dead.
"Was that the Captain?"
003 had to stop themselves from ploughing 004 along the catwalk.
"I know it's weird hearing her express emotion, but..—"
"I can't do this," 004 gulped for air. "He was family, and 009 just treated him like garbage—"
"You mean like everyone treats her?" 003 had had enough. "At least he was dead. He's hardly going to mind. Meanwhile, we're facing worse and you're standing there gibbering like you have about as much spine as a pudding. So can you please pick your wet brains off the floor and get your arse off this ship before we're both in mind-controlled pieces held together with scrap metal?"
003 had never spoken so firmly in their life, which probably helped shock 004 into moving again, and they finally made it to the undercarriage. To their horror, there was a crowd gathering underneath them amongst the anchorage ropes.
"What's the hold up? Where's your Captain?" One of them called. 003's mind raced.
"There's an emergency. We've been sent down to fetch a surgeon and medical supplies."
The crowd shuffled to raise a bridge for them, and before any of them could ask more questions, the fugitives jumped down and sprinted for the exit.
The dock was bustling, and the two held hands so as to not get separated. They had never seen so many people in their lives going back and forth, talking, shouting, rushing to obey orders. And the stairs!
They went down and down, half running and half falling, wondering if they would ever end.
003's suddenly overworked lungs screamed for a break, but they kept pushing, knowing that eventually their head start would be over and everyone on the docking tower would be searching for them. Sure enough, the familiar voice announced from the airship above:
"All units are to remain at their docking positions. No personnel are to be permitted to leave the craft."
The entire tower would be next. Apparently 004 was thinking the same thing.
"We've got to get out of these clothes," she painted, "or everyone will know who we are."
"Security to the stairwell. Lock the elevators."
003 felt their stomach churn at the new announcement.
"And get off the main stairwell."
They veered off the stairwell as soon as they could, and found themselves in construction scaffolding. Workers on beige overalls were hanging off harnesses, tending to their business. The bright blue of the fugitives' stood out against the rusty hues, and they backed up into a nook, bumping into  two large men with hammers.
"You aren't authorised to be here," one of them growled, advancing on them.
"Wait."
003 turned to look at 004 as she produced some of the coins 009 had stolen.
"We need to get to ground quickly, for supplies. One of our crew is injured."
The men looked uncertain.
003 quickly produced some of their own.
"We can give you more if you can give us some overalls to blend in. We can't afford to be stopped by every worker up here."
The second worker took the coins and unlocked a door opposite.
"Extras're in there."
They slipped the brown coverings over the blue and were on their way again. Powerful shiny things, coins, 003 thought. It suddenly seemed like a shame that half of their supply was already gone.
Both 003 and 004 were so exhausted by the time they got to the bottom of the tower that they didn't register their first steps on the ground. All that mattered was heading north. As they stumbled into the city, 003 hoped 009 wasn't far behind them.