Timeless War

Chapter 3: Aftermath

I ran out from the room I was in to check on the situation once all was silenced. The scene was something out of a nightmare. All outside of the tent and somewhat inside was blood and things I never wanted to see mixed with electrical parts. It almost looked like something out of a horror movie... Another bright light shone and then Mandy stepped out of it, human once more. "I'm so sorry you have to see this, nobody should be subjected to this. Unfortunately, I see this day and night, it's nothing new to me." I just don't get how she deals with this like it's not a huge deal, it doesn't make sense... "I need to know, what the hell is going on? None of this is normal, it's like I'm dreaming." Finally, she started to explain. "Ok, I guess you DO deserve to know. Basically, we aren't from this time, me and all the others here. Same goes for those robots you saw coming out of that portal. Speaking of them, they weren't robots. The blood and everything you saw? That was them. Us and them are what we call androids. Humans who can take on the body of a robot. Essentially a hybrid. We came to this time to defend it, so as for it to not be destroyed. We're from far into the future, so if we lost this timeline, our time would be drastically changed. We're protecting the timeline itself, with the powers and bodies of robotic beings. So, yeah, it's all different." None of that sounded real, but if I'm standing here, then it has to be. "But, what about your parents? Aren't they worried about you becoming an android and fighting?" She turned her head, saddened by the question. "I'm not their daughter anymore... They rejected me, saying they won't have a robot girl for their daughter, so now these guys are my family, they're all I have left. But, I want to ask you something. Now that you've seen firsthand what I truly deal with when you aren't around, do you, perhaps, want to join us as an android?" I answered without hesitation, having already made up my mind. "Absolutely, if this is the kind of thing you guys deal with. I want to do my part and fight to protect the timeline. And maybe we can find a way to purge those who would destroy and change time itself." She seemed hesitant to let me join so quickly, as if there was more to say. "You realize that you may never see your mother again. Many androids that have introduced themselves as androids have been killed by their own parents, or were completely rejected and disowned... But, some have gotten lucky. I wish I could say I was one of them, but some androids have been accepted by their family, rather than being killed or disowned." Even though I felt like that should scare me, that simply lit a fire in my heart. "You know, I'll deal with whatever comes somehow, even if it hurts. I'm strong enough, and my mother is the one person I really truly trust. She'll understand, I'm sure of it." After we discussed some things, I returned home for what could possibly be the last night in this bed that I've felt so safe in since childhood. Tomorrow, my android surgery will happen, and I'll change into my new form. I'm ready.