We Are Humans

Chapter 19 The Plan

The glacial blizzard dies down as the dawn of a new day breaks out from under the horizon. A stray breeze from the dying cold wind outside creeps into the cave, crawling across Axel's rested face. Axel shivers as he opens his frosted eyelids, waking from his sleep. He rubs his eyes as he looks ahead to the entrance of the cave, flooded with the blinding light of the rising sun. V stands just outside the cave, shrouded in the divine light.

Axel gets up, walking towards the blinding light joining V as he watches the sunrise.

Axel: "Did you even sleep?"

V: "No, I'm not like you, I can't rest my eyes knowing there are machines in the same room as me. I've learned to never sleep with enemies nearby and only when it's absolutely needed. Growing up in the part of the city that I'm from and surviving out here, in busy machine cities like this one. You learn that you don't have the luxury to sleep, machines don't so why should you. So it's no hard task for me"

Axel: "So you've been to other cities? How long have you been travelling"

V: "It's been about 6 to 7 months now that I've left home. Making my way here and trying to survive"

Axel: "You still haven't told me much about your home... Where is it? What's it called?"

V: "That's because it isn't nothing special kid, I don't know what you think it is or expects to hear but it ain't some fairytale place. Just a community of survivors, possibly the last large civilisation of humans left on the planet. That's the only thing it has going for it, that and there's n..."

V stops himself from saying any more and looks back towards the sunrise.

V: "I think I've told you enough anyway kid. Still need to be sure I can trust you... And those machines you walk around with"

Axel: "Oh Caesar and R3? Trust me you can rely on them. They are fighting back against The Primordial just like us, not all machines are bad. You can trust them..."

V: "I will never trust a Machine..."

Axel: "Well they basically raised me all my life so I guess I am biased but you will see for yourself as time goes on..."

V: "You can never truly trust a machine. I'm sure you will learn that as time goes on as well. Anyway, let's prepare for today. We got a long day ahead of us"

Axel: "Ok..."

V: "But first let me take in this sunrise a little longer... Because you never know when it might be your last..."

Axel: "Yes, it is very beautiful indeed. I always watched the sunrise and sunset back home as well. After growing up below the surface unable to see the sun, it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen... And it still is"

V: "So you lived most of your life underground uh. That's why I wanna change this world... So no human... Especially a child ever is forced to live underground... Buried like some insignificant insect, while machines rule above them, hunting and killing us... It has to end"

Axel briefly turns his gaze away from the sunrise and looks at V's face, engraved with the look of determination, and a growing stern look of anger. He then turns back towards the sunrise and nods his head in agreement.

Axel: "Yeah..."

After the sun finally rises above the horizon, V and Axel head back into the cave greeting the children waking from their sleep, as the melting ice drips from above their heads. Caesar, R3 and Scrappy enter the cave shortly after behind V and Axel.

Caesar: "We were scouting the perimeter, making certain of no prying eyes. There was some activity when I scanned the area, but they appear to have covered their tracks pretty well even within the snow. No physical footprints of any sort other than ours, Scrappy also didn't seem to have picked up any scents either but I suggest we stay cautious"