The Knife Machine.

Leonsoris

"You know what, let's go outside, it's too loud in here"

I nodded.

Stepping on broken glass, we made our way to the door. He leaned over me to open it, revealing a still, foggy morning complimented by soft bird song. I'd never seen fog before. I jumped to the conclusion that it was some form of smoke caused by chemicals rather than asking him. The planks of wood that made up the old decking creaked unnervingly as we walked over them and across the path.

"God it's foggy today." Commented 78 "not very ideal for going all the way to leonesoris if you ask me."

"Foggy?" I questioned.

"Yeah, fog. It.. well, it just makes things hard to see I guess. Smokey stuff." There was a loud squeak from beneath my feet. I realised we were crossing a rusty bridge with water peacefully running under it, obscured slightly by the thick fog. "We'll have to come off the path and go through an alleyway if that's ok" he said from beside me.

"It's fine" I replied briefly, even though I didn't really know what an alleyway was, I decided not to ask. Best not to ask too many questions. I started hearing odd clicks. Slowly, more and more of the bushes surrounding the path seemed started chirping repetitively.

"78, what's that noise?" I asked.

"Those are crickets, insects, they make noises like that to talk too each other. Like what we're doing now."

"... Whats an insect?"

"It's a category of.. creatures, I guess. They're small animals who live in bushes.. or in Kanaris bathroom"

"Animals?"

"Humf.. You don't know what an animal is? Well you know how there are two kinds of robots at shadowpony, canines and whatever-you call-thems, well out here it's like that but there's hundreds of variations. Like rabbits, tigers and deers. You'll catch onto it."

I merely nodded in response, deciding I'd had enough of asking questions.

"We should stop by the market and get some bread, Kanari was saying how we were nearly out of it. Is that ok with you?"

"Yep." I responded, not understanding a word he'd said "don't mind me asking but.. why are you taking me with you, I don't really know you all that well.."

"To show you the village, explain the basics and that.. Oh and make sure some people in town know you're at the sanctuary" he said cheerfully.

"Why do they need to know?" I inquired. His face fell a bit.

"Because they might think you're still one of them. They might shoot you"

These words sparked something in my mind. A memory, a flashback. Those were the exact four words 23 had said to me.

"I've heard that before"

"W-what?"

"Do you know about the robot I was found with?"

"Yeah, sad. I was in my room when the bomb hit. Were you two close?"

"He saved my life. The only other person I spoke to till now. Lolly tried to tell me what happened but she just didn't seem to make sense."

After a few seconds of silence, he sighed and looked down at his feet. " You're friend was a E.P bot, he was an underdog. He was in an area he wasn't aloud in and for some reason a broken pink eye followed you in a plane. Sandy said it was because it thought there were loads of blue eyes and one of you so, thinking there were hundreds of worthless androids escaping, it shot you. And he did indeed save your life but he wasn't able to save himself."

Quietly, I padded next to him before something hit my mind like a rock "wait" I suddenly said "how did you know all of that?"

"Sandy" he stated blankly "he's a pink eye, one of the highest in command, the one on top of the pyramid. He can read every thought, every message in his vicinity.  He saw it all happen."

"If he saw it, why didn't he stop it?" I said, feeling a little hurt.

"Because he's a coward. He may not look it but he's just as broken as the one who killed your friend."

Our surroundings had turned to short grass and the occasional tree. Behind us was a long row of straw roof houses.

"We're here."

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Peacefully, the huge vessel floated stationary in the thick fog. Like a dead carcass, it loomed over the feeble waves, every part of its giant grey body, stationary. The seahorse hadn't moved from this spot in years. Nobody spotted it, anybody who got close to it never came back. On this day, something was different. A rumble, a hiss that echoed around the surrounding, empty ocean. The sight of the mesmerizingly huge motor was enough to give anybody nightmares. Gradually, the motor turned faster and faster ways until the seahorse finally started moving slowly towards the bay. The beast had awoken, bringing with it, a new danger.

____________________________________________________________________

"That'll be twenty coins" said the the old fox, reaching out its tiny paw in 78's direction. 78 had to awkwardly bend over loaf after loaf of different breads the note in the tiny animals paw. The fox scowled as 78 knocked over loafs, tins and boxes in the process.

"Aanngh, sorry mr. Fletcher.." 78 apologized.

"Ohh it's fine" grumbled the fox, staring me down as he picked everything up. He didn't look like he meant it.

"Cooey! Hey robot guy!" Called a young female voice from behind us. The town center was far too busy with strange animals to see where it came from. "Hey 78! Get your rusty butt in here!" Suddenly, I felt 78's cold hand grab my tail and drag me through the crowd into a small corner shop.

Inside the shop, the walls were painted warm orange, complimented by the crimson light cast by the Japanese window covers. Strange items lined the roof, walls and floor. A baseball bat, a broom, a strange collection of pots with faces all aloof on shelves. I stood next to 78, staring in wonder before the voice caught my attention again. "Who's this?"

The voice had come from a fin wolf, sat behind the cluttered counter in the of the building. She was tall, or at least taller than the other wolves I'd seen, her fur a light ginger brown sprinkled with pastel blond spots around her face, back and feet. Singualy, her ice blue eyes stood out the most. She looked espectantly at me while her red scarf fluttered gently in breeze coming from the still open door.

"Its a long story" he responded, breaking the silence "she's a new arrival though, involved in that explosion along the outskirts. I'm just showing her around the village today." The wolf put her two front paws on the counter and peered over at me. nervously, I tried to avoid eye contact as she inspected me.

"Not very talkative, are you?" She said. It took me a little while to realise she was talking to me.

"Not really" I responded quietly, still not making eye contact.

"Do you still have your guns, radars, one of those walk-talky thingys?" She enquired.

"We don't know yet, I was planning to find that out with her tonight" interrupted 78, not even giving me an opportunity to speak.

"Well if you find she's a mega-bot, get back to me" she continued cheerfully. We stood in silence until 78 glanced at the clock a broke the quiet.

"Wow, time's getting on. We ought to get home before Kanari calls the cyber police"

"See you later, alligator" said the young wolf before disappearing into a wooden door behind the counter without a second glance.

"See you in a while, crocodile" he called back.