Heart Like a Machine

Chapter 58

I reached down and removed the arrows from my legs. I let out a yell of pain before wrapping them up in bandages. I grabbed her boar cloak and placed it around my shoudlers. Grabbing my spear, I pulled myself upwards as I leaned against it. Bending down, I grabbed her bow and spear, using hers to help with walking. 

"Aloy? Aloy, are you there?"

"I'm here, Beta."

"I got a message from Y/N. She wanted me to relay it back to you."

"What is it?"

"Nemesis is no longer coming after us."

"What did she do?"

"She didn't say."

"And she didn't leave me her Focus. So there's no way of finding out what she did."

"Let's hope that she's right and Nemesis isn't coming anymore."

"Tell everyone to stop production on the signals."

"I will."

"I might be back at the base latert. But I'll see you when I can."

I called for my Sunwing, which it landed right next to me. I let out a sigh as I carefully crawled onto the back of it. I flew into the air and headed back towards the base. When I was closing in on the base, I contacted Beta so I can get her help inside. I landed right outside and Beta was there waiting for me. She helped me off and Y/N's mother came running out.

"Where is she?" she asked. "Where is Y/N?"

I looked into her mother's eyes, not wanting to relay the news back to her in such a state I was in. Tears slid down my face once more and she knew exactly what I was conveying.

"She saved us? Didn't she?"

"She did us a great service on getting rid of the threat before we could even think about proceeding forward with our plan."

"How? How did she do it?"

"We don't know how she did it."

Her mother's face grew a look of despair as her last family member had died. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears slid down her face. She let out a sob before turning around and heading back into the base. Hearing her cry for her daughter made me cry harder. I tried to compose myself as we walked back into the base. Beta helped me into my room. I sat down on the edge of the bed, thanking her as she walked out. The door closed behind her and I lost it. I placed my hands over my eyes and just started to cry. I picked my head up and facing me was the wooden Thunderjaw she had whittled for me. I pulled out the tooth that was around my neck and looked at it. I clutched it tightly, closing my eyes, letting more tears fall down my face. I fell back against the bed and looked at the empty space beside me.

"Why did you do it Y/N?" I asked myself.

"Aloy, there is a message I must give you," GAIA said.

"I'll be there in a minute, GAIA."

I slowly got up and using my spear to help, I walked out of my room to see Zo was standing outside. 

"Zo?"

She pulled me into a hug and held me close. Doing the best I could, I hugged her back, silently crying in her shoulder. She pulled away and I looked at her. Taking my hand, she placed a bag of seeds in my hand.

"Y/N told me what she was going to do when she was in a rush to leave."

"When she came to stop me."

"Yes. So I decided to gather up her favorite plant seeds. I have a perfect place to bury them."

"Thank you, Zo," I said, taking the bag of seeds.

"I'll show you where when you're ready to bury them."

I nodded and slowly made my way to where GAIA was. I slowly walked up the steps and was greeted with her glow.

"I am sorry for what happened with Y/N."

"Thanks, GAIA," I said. "I wish I had more time with her. More time where it was just the two of us and not having to worry about the threat of humankind being wiped out. Or someone coming after me. I wanted those little moments with her. Like the time where we were playing around in the creek in Meridian and the ocean before we headed to the Zenith base. Or when we were flying together."

I let out a sigh, "I miss her so much, GAIA."

"I understand where you're coming from. I was deeply saddened when Elisabet Sobeck decided to give her life to save the world."

"She did save the world. Both her and Y/N did."

"Before Y/N's final moments, she had recorded this while on the Zenith ship and sent it to me to show you."

"Please do."

A hologram of Y/N popped up and it was her sitting in the cockpit of the ship.

"Nemesis is right on my tail. I don't think I can shake it, but I have this idea. It's a crazy idea, but it's a good one. There's a black hole on the outskirts of the solar system. I am going to lead it there. It's going to follow me and I will pull back at the last second to see that it got sucked into the black hole. If all goes according to plan, I will be sucked up as well. The black hole's pull will be too much for the ship to handle and I will be killed."

There was a sigh.

"I wish things were different. I wish I had more time with everyone. Had more time to see the world and discover new things about myself. I wish I had all the time in the world to do so, but I don't. At least not now I don't. But I hope that Aloy will forgive me. I hope she will forgive me for shooting her in the legs and basically running off onto the ship. Hope that she will forgive me for the decision I made before this time. The black hole is coming up. Better execute this plan with 100% accuracy or I would have done this for nothing."

There was a lot of beeping and other noises as I watched her struggle in the cockpit. A smile appeared on her face and she jumped up and down before sitting back down on the chair.

"Aloy! We did--" she turned to her right, expecting me to be there. "That's right. I'm alone up here."

There was aloud alarm going off and she silenced it.

"I know I am hurtling towards a black hole."

She tapped her Focus.

"Beta? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you."

"Pass this message along to Aloy."

"Ok."

"Nemesis is gone. It won't come after us anymore."

"What did you do?"

"Saved the world."

She looked out in front of her as she black hole was upon her. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Take care, Aloy. Know that I will always love you."