Murder Drones : Born From Ashes REDUX

Chapter 3: Six (Thousand) Feet Under

//BEGIN CHAPTER 3//

"Get your hands off her!" Screamed Thad as he rammed the butt of his mp5 into the face of a trooper.

"Come here! Come!" Yoon said, guiding the fleeing baby with her hands. One of the ULU troopers unconsciously walked towards the 2 month old girl. Thad stood between them.

"He's just a kid! Leave him alone!" He snarled. The trooper looked at him dumbfounded.

"I've been enlisted since I was 2."

"He's a 2 month old baby!"

"Then he'd be the same age as me."

"Jesus-! We had an agreement!"

"What?"

"Nevermind!" Thad yelled, helping Yoon take the baby back with them to the general store.

–

"Oh my little bear! Little bear!" She cried in relief and anguish as she embraced her grandchild from Yoon.

Khan sighed in relief, the caravan traders were to close their operations any time now, it was also the time the ULU would start kidnapping children. The store owner, Molly Blackwater, placed the baby in a crib in their office. She scrambled through her drawers and took a can that clattered with credit chips.

"Thank you! Thank you!" She placed the can in Khan's hands.

"Miss I told you I don't take money."

"Please! Don't tell my husband!"

"We don't take bribes-"

"You deserve it! You've been fighting longer than any of us. Spend it on a nice coat or a gift for your daughter!"

Kahn didn't move a muscle. His days as a soldier of fortune were over. The woman then went to Thad and then Yoon.

–

"But you always demanded money for favors!"

"Mrs. Blackwater, that was 8 years ago." she said to the ground.

"Oh, there's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I just don't want to remember anything from then. Ok? Please Mrs. Blackwater, this is me paying back for everything. I don't want anything anymore."

"Oohhh I'm so proud of you Yoon! All grown up! You don't need money from me anymore now that you have a job!" She hugged Yoon.

The three had to return to patrol immediately after.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to have some maturity." Thad jokes, previously believing Yoon would snatch the can without hesitation.

"Not everyone deserves a family." Yoon said, rubbing the destroyed picture locket on her chain necklace, "I want to protect the people who do. To make up for everything."

There was a silence before Khan's visor flashed a notification.

"Meeting again...?" He muttered to himself. The Old man rubbed his weary eyes and looked to the two Worker Drones.

"You two, get someone to or cover for me. Council wants my word again."

He went off with urgency. Yoon craned her neck forwards.

"It's not like what he says matters." She said,

"He probably wishes he could." Thad replied to Yoon.

"That's pretty fucked up."

--

Khan looks at the rest of the council.

"We had an agreement with the ULU. They keep my daughter off the front lines, we draft people WE choose to go to the surface. Not only this, but we keep those damn Murder Drone cores inside our disposal facility! We've done more than hold up our end of the bargain!"