Murder Drones: Born from ashes

Chapter 13 : A Clique of Children

The land of Copper9 was populated by man made boulders and neglected machinery. The land was hostile, paranoid of being attacked by the beings that now wished to live in it. From millions of miles, the scars of the core collapsing seemed only relegated to floating orbiting dwarves that were once part of this little white orb. From the ground, you could see the torment stretch for miles. Entire areas of land had caved so deep, one could only see darkness, their jagged sides are decorated with cracking white tunnel segments. Supplies and cargo boxes clung to the sloping walls. Blocks of land that weren't populated by holes were competing in territory against the mountains. Sheets of rock jutted and fragmented towards the sky, bringing along millions of pounds of earth and ore with them.

Their arrival had brought upon the downfall of the dozens of buildings put before. The buildings had crumbled from decades of corrosion, the snow filling every small cramped room. The neon signs meant to serve as beacons were no more, if they survived the efforts of millions of scrappers, only their rusted skeletal frames remained, dangling from the buildings clung to the remains of foundation. These sharp hostile formations had been calmed many years ago, their edges dulled, but their monolithic presence remained, awaiting battle, never forgetting what their offenders did.

The planet now offered its combatants multiple vantage points. This side was abandoned completely, no more oil to suck from the hills and ravines. The only evidence of a battle was the occasional worker drone horrendously strewn across the floor or idly dangling from suspended wires. Discarded purple armbands bled color into the pale blue land. Patches of scorched land were covered in ice, along with the victims that valiantly gave their lives to protect humanity. The occasional tank, mortar, or jeep could be spotted around the ravines. Uzi had the idea of repairing one, they would have more protection, but the holes melted by nectar said otherwise. Some machines groaned from the occasional gust of wind, while others fought against the elements to contain the loud bangs of the monsters it held inside. Only a few years ago did the worker drones ever consider fighting on the offense with only infantry. Their most powerful weapons had been sacrificed to defeat the strongest, now they had to fight the remaining ever growing forces.

The Organ Runner's van chugged through the narrow sections of ground. Turning wildly to avoid the occasional gap in the earth. Most of the drones had fallen asleep by then. Eyes continued, guiding their vehicle with precision. More rusted and corroded remains began to appear in the headlights. Relics from only years earlier remained in this intact city. The smooth road was cracked, numerous vehicles remained untouched coffins for the drones that drove them. A few corpses laid on the streets. Articles of trendy clothing wrapped their bodies, and their corpses abandoned household items, toys, tools, and books. This city had become their final resting place, forced to languish in the old world, until they returned to the earth.

This city however, was still intact. Buildings stood tall, which housed millions of families. Towers of glass walls were populated with office supplies and cubicles. Papers and documents still glide on the air from open holes. Uzi gazed at the scene around her, buildings with large windows, beckoning humans and drones to buy more valuables. Little valuables that made them human. There are dozens of stations, signaled by their red stripes along their roofs. They could have quenched the thirst of millions, a beacon of peace. She continued to look on with disgust, seeing multiple drones laying dead from battling each other to sate their own thirst. There was never truly peace, the disassembly drones only exposed their evil. Her mind boiled, and finally gave out. The organ runners were all finally asleep.

The Hunter drone turned back, and with no eyes to watch him, he indulged in his isolation. He paid no heed to their spirits, purposely running over their bodies, crunching them like paper. The fraying remains of ancient luxuries of a world long forgotten were reduced to ashes with their owners. Eyes chuckled to himself, taking detours to destroy every last trace of the dead with carefree ignorance. He swerved around every corner, skidding across the streets and kicking up debris. He briefly ripped himself from his sport to return to their course, the highway.