Terra Firma

The plan

Luna sat tapping her old pen in frustration on the handle of the chair, she looked out to the horizon deep In thought "It doesn't make sense" She tipped her head to the side as she spoke to herself.

Eli watched her and couldn't help smiling "what doesn't" He couldn't help but sometimes smile when Luna pulled certain faces.

Luna raised her voice turning to Eli 

"All the food, water, electricity, computers and equipment, where did she get it from and how does she feed so many? it cant be coming from earth?"

El walked out of the cabin as she heard Luna's thoughts looking concerned " No, you're right, Luna, it makes no sense. She has everything. Could it be coming from another planet?"

"I have survived on this toxic dying planet barely getting by. Finding the last scraps of food in tins and hiding places. She has either got a massive store room or someone is helping her"

Eli had a thought "Luna, have you ever seen anything coming from the sky? a plane or a space shuttle?"

Luna stared out again thinking back to all the years she had survived on her own or with friends, had she ever seen anything or heard anything. The fog was always so thick in the city so there was no chance of seeing anything there. But maybe out where her bunker was. Thinking back to all those memories sent a wave of emotion across her body giving her goosebumps. She coughed as she remembered the burning feeling her lungs went through all these years.

"I don't know, maybe.... possibly, but in the fog, you can't see anything and it could be miles away so we couldn't know. The plan is to try and get back in there and pull the plug on her hive. We need to take the queen bee out" Luna made a fist and scrunched her face as she thought about the boss lady.

Eli smiled "Yes, she needs taking out and we can try and help all of the innocent hybrid humans that are left. They need our help"

Luna came a little closer to the both of them, her heart beating a little faster

"So the last thing we need to do is choose the decoy?" 

El giggled nervously "Rock, paper, scissors?" raising her brows nervously

"It should be me" Eli stood up and held his hands up. I will be the bait and you two can sneak back into the control room and we will blow it sky high. Then we take her out and we win" His voice was deep and he spoke with authority.

Luna swallowed nervously "Ok that's the plan, now we need some explosives to blow that control room and we need it pronto. She will be searching for us and won't stop"

"You, are right Luna. We need to leave right now and find the things we need in the city, that's our best chance" Luna nodded and walked slowly back into the cabin. She knew they couldn't stay here, no matter how safe it felt. They needed to finish this and free those other droids.

The smell of the cabin was like a time machine taking her back those few years to when she had Frank. His smile and the wrinkly lines on his forehead. His dusty oat pancakes he would make with the out-of-date oats, but tasted like heaven. Luna ran her fingers down the walls and into the bedroom as she said her goodbyes to the cabin.

********

The smog grew thicker as they slowly entered the outskirts of the city.  The concrete graveyard stood tall spreading out its obstacles at every path they wanted to take.

Luna stopped, holding her chest as she gasped. Her lungs may be able to fight this toxic air but it hurt like mad. She took shallow breaths as they scanned the area. It never seemed to get any easier for Luna as she walked through the city. The memories would flood back along with fear, this planet was dangerous. It was slowly killing her and if that wasn't bad enough another human could take her life a lot quicker if she wasn't careful.