Beneath the Blind Sky

Chapter 17

The workers flock to the sides of the room, readying their makeshift spears and preparing for the battle soon to come. Mina and I are on the other side of the room, hidden between a large oil barrel and thick fuel pipes attached to the walls. Mina's restless breathing beside me reminds me of her anger; flashbacks of her short temper as we were kids rushes to me like a runner to the finish line. Mina was well known for fighting anyone who teased me-so much so that her visiting time was banned for a few months on end, long enough for her to understand how much trouble her temper could get her in.

The beep of the clock mounted on the wall above me brings me from my thoughts and into the present. The doors slam open and the robots march into the room with what smells like dinner. And that's when we attack.

The sounds of metal clashing against metal rings in the air, and the smell of oil and burning wires mingles with the hot air from the engines. My eyes sting, and I close them. "Charlotte, it's time to go." Mina pulls me up from behind the barrel and runs forward, barely giving me time to steady myself. We run around the fallen metal robots and make our way towards the door. I can feel the workers running on all sides of me, and it suddenly occurs to me that the fighting has stopped.

"Mina? What's happening?"

"We won. Now it's time for Stage 2."

My mouth falls open and I grin. We're actually doing it! We're actually going to escape. I cheer, and the workers follow suit. We flood into the hallway, which is eerily quiet. Not for long, I think. Mina calls for silence and the crowd listens; she splits everyone up into groups. As soon as she signals they begin to move, like soldiers to battle.

Which isn't far off.

"Charlotte, we're going to Nanny Headquarters," Mina whispers in my ear.

A chill runs up my spine as I think of our last visit there, but I nod my head anyways. I'm ready. Mina guides me up the stairs and down long corridors, which are quiet due to the lack of Nannies and robots. It seems like everyone is on the lower half of the ship, fighting the battle.

"We're here."

My eyebrows crinkle in confusion. We didn't climb the staircase from before, and there was no passcode. "What are you talking about?"

Without answering, Mina gently grabs my hand and presses it against the door, and I nod my head in understanding. "There's another entry," I laugh. Mina nods her head and opens the door to the Nannies Headquarters, then leads me into the room.

Although I already knew the room would be quiet, I didn't expect it to be this silent. It feels like all life outside has paused. Mina doesn't seem to mind though; she begins to march towards the other end of the room, quietly whispering our plan. I nod my head, but in my gut I have a bad feeling about all this.

"Mina...are we sure we planned this right? What if not everyone is downstairs?"

She laughs quietly and kisses me. "It's okay, no one will be there."

"What even is 'there'?"

"It's the Control Room for the Ship. And no one will be there because all the Nannies are downstairs. It'll be fine, Charlotte. Just trust me on this."

We reach the other side of the room and she guides my hand towards the door. I stroke the odd texture and realize that it's wood. "I wanted to give you a small glance of Earth," she smiles. I kiss her and try to shove down the knot that's building in my stomach.

Something isn't right.

Before I can tell Mina my concerns for a second time, she opens the door and steps inside -and I can't do anything but follow. Loud beeps fill the air as I walk in, an immediate contrast from the Nanny Headquarters. I link my hand with Mina's and begin to walk forward, but she stays rooted to the spot. And that's when I realize that we're not the only ones in the room.