Murder Drones : Born From Ashes REDUX

Red Sky at Night

//BEGIN CHAPTER 1//

Howls of the wind echo through the alleys of the city. The deteriorated buildings had been repurposed into living quarters and offices. The snow on Copper 9 had finally melted away, leaving behind inches of water that the inhabitants will have to slosh through for the next few months. Compared to the population of other labor planets, Copper 9 flourished. Its inhabitants were drones, vaguely humanoid creatures with their skin made with bleached white silicon and limbs made of metal segments. They lacked defining contours and essential homeostasis like organs to differentiate one another, instead they went by the tint of the graphics on their visor and hairs. In a world from far, they were miners for the corporation JC Jensen. Now they only answer to each other. The worker drones that had to work early wore deep rubber boots to prevent the rusting of their heels. The Sun had begun its rise along the horizon, a calming yellow ripples across the water.

These workers, dubbed merchants, were traveling to the center of their sector, one of the many centers of commerce, and oil, the metaphorical life blood of their steel bodies in this perpetual winter. The Bunker.

The Bunker, formerly known as The Arc, was considered the pinnacle of Jensen's economical and technological might (during the year 2015). It spans over 10 square miles, and reaches down over 10 miles deep. With over 30 floors, 15 housing districts, 30 medical wards, 10 workshops, 5 sealed vaults to contain any forms of adverse malefactors, 40 empty rooms of varying size to meet the needs of any rebuilding society, and 3 square miles that contain the cryo chamber. All equipped with contemporary technology, powered by cold fusion. To endure quakes and aftershocks of Copper9's other core power plant, which powered the research and landfill facilities, The Arc was lined with a mile of insulation material, and numerous soft body materials that could absorb over billions of joules, you wouldn't even feel the shaking.

Today, The Arc's new name was given to it by the drone inhabitants. For the numerous companies, The Bunker acts as high security storage. For freelancers it is a chance to settle down or a field of opportunity. For those who do neither, it is home, safety from the lawless world that still very much exists.

Uziel Doorman stands over the sink. The drone has lived for 10 years. In that time, her body had grown. Her visor color was as purple as her messy hair. Atop her head was a purple beanie. She was getting ready for school, though she didn't want to go outside.

Khan and Sarah, Dad and Mom, were arguing again. They always did it.

"What about your daughter? Who will she look to if you get in trouble?"

"It won't happen. I've done worse things- we've been through worse, together."

"Our lives there are over, we need to look after her-"
"It's always about family. That's all you say. Family family family! Do you even remember what that means? Or do you just say it to manipulate me? We had a family back on Zinc12!"

"It was fake! We were set up and I don't want her to think it's ok to do these things!"

"You don't even raise her! Whenever she comes home, I'm the one doing everything while you play cards and take care of those stupid doors! You're a hypocrite, Khan. What are we keeping out with 3 ten inch thick hydraulic doors? The D-"

"You're saying it again! You don't even uphold your own morals."

Turning to the radio next to her, Uzi flicks the button. The loud crackle is heard throughout the household. The radio came to life as a calm voice came on "Good morning! Drones of Copper 9! It is March 13th, 2034. Remember to keep your bodies warm as we begin our 4 month long period of being the farthest from our Sun. We will start today with some tunes." The music came on, bringing some color back into the blue and white tiled bathroom.