《Last hope》 Chapter 1. Success Metal arms reached out to the sides of the reconstructed body of Experiment 213. Two metal pads stuck to the side of the organic tissue and two connected to the mechanical side of the chest. An Intubation tube was shoved down the throat of the test subject. The Core Mk. IV double checked the functionality of the mechanical parts. Online systems functional? Check... Vital body systems operational? Check... Connection ready? Check... Experiment 213.5 ¨C Final stage, ready for execution... It retracted the metal arms and lowered the measuring instruments that monitored the vital functions of the hybrid-body. Experiment 213.5 ¨C Execution in 3...2...1... The Core jolted electrical shocks through the metal pads into test subject 213. The body twitched, limps flailed, then laid still. Another electrical shock and the body twiched more violent than before. The instruments registered a pulsing sound that increased distinctively in strength. The Core initiated intubation, forced oxygen into lungs that had been idle for weeks. Initiation... Success Stabilisation in progress... The first successful start-up of the muscle known as the "heart," the Core saved the configuration of the start-up process for later reproduction. The heart beat regular and steady, the experiment exceeded calculated expectations. The succes filed away, the Core switched its attention to the battlefield in sector 24,15. Camera''s, microphones and other devices kept watch on the test subject. The culling in sector 24,15 was proceeding according to plan, but Life-form 186.C had shown to be stubborn and creative. A troublesome combination that forced the Core to spend a significant amount of effort into actively commanding his armies. The life-form was a threat to the existence of balance, the culling was according to protocol, but it had proven to be demanding. The main processor triggered warnings, the monitoring devices registered significant changes in the functionality of the reconstructed body. The Core tore its attention from the battlefield. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The heartbeat of the body increased, temperature rose and the oxygen usage rose. Both mechanical as organical limbs of the body flailed to the sides, its chest shook as muscles contracted. Twitches pulsed through the body. Alarm signals of the battelfield required its attention, the Core ignored the requests and continued to monitor the performance of the reconstruction. The eyelid fluttered; the organic ball underneath rolled violently, before slowing and steadying. The seizures stopped as soon as the eye ball steadied. Leaving the instruments to monitor the body, the Core refocused on Sector 24,15. The warning signals indicated communication with 46% of his front units had dropped simulataneously. The Core processed the last footage from the units. The culling had progressed according to plan, but an attack of unknown nature had disabled the microphones and cameras. Blind and without specific orders, the units switched to stand-by. Shortly after, communication ceased. The organic eye of the test subject winked open. A clear, prisine eye stared into the camera. The layer of diffusion that clouded the eye gone. Processors that reviewed the footage of the lost units put tasks on hold as as the Core focused his attention on the test subject again. The eye blinked, than darted from side to side. Heart beat increased and oxygen usage increased to levels the Core had not registered before as the test subject drew breath deeper than intubation allowed. "Grhrgrgrhhrll... Grhrgrgrhhrll.." The limbs of the reconstructed body moved up, the organic arm tugging at the intubation tube. A drop of liquid rolled from from the inner part of the eyelids down to the metal parts of the head. It took a while before the oxygen usage dropped. The test subject released the intubation tube with a final tug. Despite the Core''s efforts to warm up the body, the temperature of the body diminished and finally, the heart stopped it''s regular beat. For the first time in 213 of these experiments, Mark IV had managed to bring a non-functional heart, back to life. Chapter 2.1 Alexa ran. Her boots crushed dry leaves and twigs as she rushed through the forest. The ground shook violently, her pursuer was getting closer. She bounced forward on the patches of moss; knees almost buckled as she rushed over big patches of stones strewn across the path. Her breath was fast and superficial. Light, it felt as if her chest would burst, her lungs protested with every breath. She darted from side to side to prevent the hunter from blasting her to pieces. She threw her chest forward, forcing her legs to keep up. After running for what seemed like hours, she wanted to double up. Not yet, she couldn''t give up now! She flew past the huge oak that indicated that the zone was near. She slowed down a little when she saw the clearing ahead of her. She turned, trees snapped behind her as dry tinder, bushes protested loudly as they were flattened by her heavy pursuer. The ground shook more violent with every step he closed in on her. She needed to find the dispell. And fast! She scanned the open space in the forest as she ran along the side. Had she taken a wrong turn? Panicked, she slowed to walking speed. If she was wrong, she had to cross the clearing fast. If she was right, stepping into the clearing would be fatal. Another heavy shock ran through the ground, her teeth chattered from the impact. It must have been the wrong clearing. She lifted here foot to step onto the clearing. "There!" A faint call from the other side of the clearing. Dimitars head floated above a thornbush on the other side. His hand shot up and he pointed at a small cluster of flowers, a lilac blossom standing out amongst the others. Despite her predicament, anger flared up, but Alexa dashed towards the flowers and tore the small flower from the ground. The clearing turned into a gaping hole, ten paces across and at least twice as deep. She shivered, anger forgotten for the moment. Had she taken the step, her neck would have snapped or her spine would have shattered from the fall. A plank in front of her crossed the pit. It shook with the steps of her pursuer and bend down every step she took, but it held. The sudden silence indicated her pursuer had closed in on her. She flew over the plank, not caring how far it bend down. An explosive burst of light passed her by hairs. Fear gave her the strength and courage to leap towards the edge of the gap. She barely made it and dove forward into the low bushes along the clearing. . She hit the ground hard, but she started crawling forward as fast as she could. A blast of sticks, smoldering leafs and dust around her. She pressed herself against the ground and redoubled her efforts, scraping her knees and elbows. A flash of light illuminated the clearing accompanied with a loud bang that rung in Alexa''s ears. Had they managed to do it? He heard pounded in her chest. Adrenaline gave her the strength to push herself to her knees, it took her effort to get up. She grasped for air, but managed to turn around slowly. Her heart skipped a beat. Unbelievable! The hunter lay inside the smooth pit. One leg flailed the air, the other dug itself deeper and deeper into the muddy ground on the bottom of the hole. Its metal arms groped around to catch a handheld to no avail. It worked! It had actually worked. Her knees buckled and she let herself fall to the ground. She felt as if her legs deflated like a balloon. She grasped for air, tried to inhale and exhale deeply to transfer as much oxygen to her muscles as possible. They couldn''t stay for long, but she felt she would not be able to move for days. Unwilling to move, her heart pounded with exhaustion and excitement. They finally caught a metal bastard with a repeated strategy. The rumors may be true, obscure the machines vision and it might not be able to find any counter-measure. As she laid down, her heard pounding in her chest and her lungs struggling for breath, she could hear her companions stepping out of the bushes surrounding the gap. Heard some of them climbing down the hole to dispatch of the collossus. Would this change the war for the better? A small explosion followed by a big hollow boom indicated they detonated a small explosive to destroy the assumed power supply of the metal skeleton. After her crazy, desperate sprint, the ground felt soft as velvet. She wasn''t even bothered with sticks and stones pressing their shape into her flesh. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A bald figure entered her vision. An eagle holding a skull tattooed on the right side of his head. "We told you it would be on the left side." he said. "You look awful." He bend down and plucked some twigs from her hair. She shrugged. "Left, right.. it''s all the same sometimes." She turned her head and their eyes met and she sighed again. "Thank you." she said, " I decided I miscalculated. If you weren''t there.." There was no need to say more. The magical illusion was necessary to trick the machine into the clearing, into the carefully prepared hole. This was their first attempt to purposely bait one of the hunters. "But I was. Had it followed closer on your tail, we would have had a whole lot of other issues." Dimitar pinched his eyes as he regarded her. "Did it hit you?" he asked. "Or did you decide that you''ve done enough?" She suppressed a shiver as she recalled the two shots that had barely missed her. Hunters were deadly accurate, she''d been far too lucky. She couldn''t count to be that lucky again. Despite her heavily protesting muscles, she got up. A round path had been cut from the clearing behind her to at least ten steps before her.. The dispatched hunter was one of the newest types, with an arsenal of weapons that seemed to rely on concentrated light, rather than the earlier projectile weapons. "I''m fine" she said, steadying her breath. "Next time, the bait will choose the dispell. We risk losing this advantage. let''s hurry." Dimitar nodded, then slapped her on the back and Alexa''s knees almost buckled again. "We''d better take this time to salvage what we can. We haven''t laid our hands on one of these new guns before." "Yes, but hurry up!" Joining the squad, they surrounded and slapped her on the back, most of them wearing smiles of relief. The last few days had been grim and the squad had expected to die as they tried to reproduce a previously used tactic. Their opponents learned fast and never fell for the same thing twice. Up to now. She shared their happiness, but also knew that this was not the time celebrate. According to their resources, the flash and bang were pertinent for succes and diminished chances the hunters would be able to respond. The next time would be dangerous again as it was likely their enemies would find a counter-measure to their maneuver. For now, they could head back to the tower with a sense of achievement. "Dimi, Mihail and Ani, you take off the guns and that new looking front piece." Alexa ordered. "Take everything else you haven''t seen before. The rest will carry it to the transporters as fast as we can." She didn''t like ordering her friends around, but the high council had given her command despite her protests.The council had hinted her aversion of commanding had earned her the station. Despite the reasons the council had given, she could not let her friends die on her account. Hence the reason she had been the decoy herself. She realized that her promotion was the result of severe losses of manpower in the battles against the machines. Realized she was young and unexperienced, that she had been lucky this time. What would happen to the squad if she had been hit? The squad dismantled the Hunter quickly. She ordered the heavy parts to be equally divided among the two carriers she commanded. She wondered what good it would be to bring the parts to the tower. Their adversaries technology was always steps ahead. Would the salvaged parts provide more insight into their technology? Or would it just put them in front of another mystery? The different squads always tried to salvage as much as they could, but she hadn''t seen many new insight recently. They were pressed too hard by the machines and barely had time to research the part. let alone produce new equipment that could be used. Still, the parts were taken and transported, who knew what weaknesses they would expose. She turned to Velislava as the men got to work. " A small flower, really? Do you want me to get killed?" Chapter 2.2. Velislava sniffed, "Any one with a little common knowledge knows these flowers don''t grow in this region, I figured you knew." Was that meant as an insult or a compliment? Or was it merely a statement? Alexa just nodded at Veli then focused herself on the pit. Two spears of metal stuck into the earth where the hunter had tried to find grip. The tips of the spikes were smooth and there were no holes at the ends where shots could leave the guns. The sides wore holes the size of her fists. This newer technology scared her, a few weeks ago one of these hunters pierced three of her companions with one shot. At first, they had assumed the colored ray of light was harmless, but it left gaping, smoldering holes in their chests. Other weaponry was mounted on both chest and shoulders of the hulking giant of metal. She couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable and insignificant. If it were up to her, the entire colossus would be hauled to the tower, every inch of that dark smooth metal meticulously inspected and every secret uncovered. It was a shame that most of the battle-mages did not possess the talent to move the metal construction to the tower directly. She urged her squad to hurry. They were about to finish the salvaging. The massive guns already packed and ready to be hauled off and other, other unknown items hauled on the carriers to be taken to the tower. A light shudder shook the ground and everyone froze. It lasted a second, then the squad burst towards the transporters as another heavy thud shook the ground. Another hunter? Why didn''t they come together? They always worked in packs. At that moment, another tremble shook the ground. And another, but lighter. The pause between the two shudders too short to be made by only one slow-paced hunter. Rapid, lighter thuds indicated at least one scout moving in their direction. Scouts were lighter, less armored thus more vulnerable, but also faster and more agile in combat. "Veli!" Alexa shouted at the battle-mage at the other side of the hole. "We need time to escape, we can''t fight them now!" Velislava nodded and her hands went into the air, already forming signals. Alexa didn''t wait. Instead she sprinted towards the carriers, already hovering in the air. Her ears started beeping as a shockwave of air and earth crashed all around her, then lifted sods of grass, stones and sticks off the ground. The debris hovered around her in gently, then soared away. Alexa didn''t look at the debris, instead she focused on the transporters, again forcing her legs to take fast, long steps. She grabbed Dimitars outstretched hands and he pulled her up the hatch in the belly of the transporter. "Man the turrets! Wait for Veli to join us! Let''s hope she can keep this debrisstorm around us till we are too far from them" Alexa shouted at the top of her lungs. She heard the barrels of the turret spinning, ready to spit a hail of explosive rounds at their enemy. The rounds would slow, maybe damage the scout. They would hardly scratch the hunter. The dome spun on rails; a weird sound through the ceiling as the men swung the barrels to check their angles. Again Alexa found herself wishing Velislava had the talent to move bigger objects over a long distance. Her train of thought was interrupted when Dimitar pulled Velisalava through the hatch. She slammed the hatch closed. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Mihail, Go!" Alexa screamed, "head South, then arc towards the tower." Mihails voice crackled over the intercom. "We have a hunter and two scouts on our six, you sure you want to head straight at them?" "Yes, the debris will keep them at bay! Did the scanners pick up anything else?" Noise distorted Mihails voice again, "No, but it also did not pick up these before they were almost on top of us." Alexa didn''t respond. She felt the transporter surge to the left and accelerate to full speed. Nothing to do for now, she observed Velislava whose face glistened with sweat and breathed heavily. "How long?" She asked. "Five, tops." Veli breathed. Five minutes, not long enough to escape the scouts. The scouts would be as fast as they were. It meant chances for escape were low. She stared outside the window, the debris storm shielded their own view as well as that of the machines. The ground underneath flashed by, adding more debris to the storm. They weren''t fast enough. The scout and hunter would follow the storm. The carrier was loaded with the squad and the heavy parts of the despatched hunter. "Dimi! Order the men to dump everything we don''t need. Keep one of the guns. Do it now! We need to be fast!" Alexa screamed at top of her lungs. "Mihail, pass the order to the others!" Dimitar got up, saluted and climbed up the ladder that led to the cargo compartment. Several moment later she heard the hydraulic sounds of the cargo door. Scraping across the ceiling indicated they were pushing the parts out of the transporter. The cargo door of the other transporter opened and she could see parts of the hunter hitting the ground and digging itself deep into the ground below. She felt the carrier surge forward with increased speed. She hoped her plan worked. It better, else there would be nothing to report. Well... no-one to report what happened save the signals the carrier send to headquarters. Velislava panted now, sweat seeping down her face in steady streams. She looked up when Alexa adressed her. "Veli, can you slow the storm and let us through" Only a slight nod indicated that she had heard and would obey. They had to try something, needed to escape to inform the others that the strategy they considered foolproof was already dead. That the machines were only picked up by the scanners when they were too close for comfort. Ambushed while ambushing, Alexa didn''t know whether to weep or laugh in frustration. "I know spells are harder to maintain on distance. Can you keep it alive and bend it Southbound again? Just for a few minutes?" "I can for maybe two," Veli panted between the words. "I will keep up till I pass out, but then it will wink out in an instant." Chapter 2.3 She fixed Alexa with a tired look. "I hope you have a plan." "All evacuate the cargo department and hurry downstairs. Gunners, stay where you are." Alexa said over the intercom. One by one the squad slid down the ladder, stepping aside quickly for the next to slide down. In seconds, the entire squad sat down next to them. Alexa nodded at Velislava, "Do it!" Velis closed her eyes, her hands forming symbols in the air that Alexa did not recognize. The tempest of debris raged around them. Stones, sticks and rubble soared by, flashing their shadows on the crew around them. Miraculously, they stopped or changed direction centimeters from the carrier. A loud howling filled Alexa''s ears till she thought she couldn''t bear anymore. She would never hear again, her eyes must be bleeding by now. Then, silence save for the heavy panting of Velislava whose face was set with determination. The top of her shirt drenched in sweat, her hands trembled and her cheeks blushed with red. The carrier buzzed low above the roof of the forest at full speed. Leaving the debrisstorm behind them rapidly, the squad clambered back to the cargo deck to secure the doors and make sure the gun of the hunter was safely secured. Velislava had shown her prowess before, but Alexa couldn''t blame them for being scared. Unlike technology, magic seemed horrible capricious. Dimitar stared out of the windows. He moved left and right and up and down, Alexa had to try not to laugh at the delighted expression on his face. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "I don''t see any of the machines," He said, a smile on his lips. "I think it worked. I hope Veli can hold on till we are out of sight." The smile on his lips flashed to a grimace as Velislava collapsed and sprawled over the floor of the cabin. Alexa turned to see how the storm winked out. "Where are you guys?" Ani''s distorted voice sounded panicked over the radio, "The storm is gone and so.." Alexa could not what Ani meant to say, her crackling voice drowned in the wooping alarm sounds of the scanner aboard the other carrier. Shocked, she stared at Dimitar whose face had gone white. In the heat of the moment, she had completely forgotten the other carrier. Velislava, already straining to hold the storm, had only allowed their transporter through the storm. The others had followed the the storm, expecting the storms protection. She stared in the distance. The other transporter flew southward, black and white contrasted heavily in the blew sky above the green top of the forest. She wanted to turn around, to pretend this was not happening, but she could not tear her gaze from the carrier in the distance. With a heavy thump Dimitar sagged to the ground. He and Ani were together for a short period of time and hadn''t split since the moment they had decided to be toghether. He gasped for air as he stared at the doomed carrier. "Oh no.." Alexa whispered as a barrage of specks skyrocketed towards the exposed carrier. Chapter 3.1 The whisp of smoke above the high treetops of the rainforest locked her gaze, the shape blurred by the tears in her eyes. It felt as a testament to her objections, proof of her failure to keep her friends safe. Here she was, safe and sound, while half of her squad was blasted to pieces cause she made a mistake. Her knees hurt, she hadn''t realized she had fallen on her knees. She had never wanted to command, never wanted to fight. Couldn''t the machines just have left them alone? What terrible things had they done, to deserve such a treatment? Her entire life, people who had wanted nothing else but to live had died. Forced to fight for their existence against an undefeatable enemy. People who wanted nothing else than spend their time in peace and wanted nothing else but a safe haven for the people they loved. She wept without shame, griefing for the fate of Ani, for Dimitar. Wept for the fate of her people, for the losses she had endured during her life and for the losses she would have in the future. She wept for the world, wept for her failure and wept for the grief her choices would bestow upon others. The tears kept coming and she did nothing to hold them back. The world was so unfair, the situation so stressful and her forced command had gone completely awry. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She the whisp of smoke turned smaller rapidly as the transporter zoomed through the air towards the tower. The leafy roof of the forest became thinner and thinner, the trees grew shorter and further apart from one another. Next to her, Dimitar moaned loudly. She tore her gaze from the horizon where the remaining smoke was no longer discernible. Tears streaked down his wet cheeks, his eyes red. He didn''t respond to her when she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I''m so sorry," Alexa whispered. "Im so.. so sorry." Dimitar shook off her hand, got to his feet and walked to the other side of the room. He didn''t say a word, nor looked at her and sat down next to Velislava. Alexa wasn''t worried, they had been friends for years and been through many losses in their lives together. He would come to her when he was ready and they would grief together, they always did. Her voice was shaky when she turned on the intercom to inform the squad what had happened. Chapter 3.2 The High Council was not as majestic as the name would suggest. The members were veterans in the Big War, the ones that had survived several battles and had managed to survive by sheer luck, between 30-50 years old. Which meant they were among the oldest inside the tower. Alexa looked around the room, only two of the five members of the High Council were graying, the others seemed in the prime of their youth. She glanced at her grandma among the ranks, but she knew better than to expect mercy from her. When she spoke in the Council, she was a council member, not a familymember. "So you came up with a good strategy to save your squad, " Bogdan said brusquely. His bald head crowned with gray hair that sprouted in different directions. The man had listened quietly, raising an eyebrow here and there, but refrained from asking questions. "And still half your squad is dead." Alexa winced, as if every word was a strike from a whip. She shuffled her feet, unsure what to say and whether she was supposed to say anything. Instead, she stared at her feet and waited for the next lash of the whip. "Do you understand the predicament we are in?" He asked her "Do you understand how precarious our survival is at this moment? Do you know how heavy a loss this is to us? We lost seven soldiers and a transporter that we will need in the future." His voice held resignation. Resignation to the future that didn''t seem bright. His voice said he was done fighting, done losing the people he cared for. None of the High Council seemed to have heard, at least their faces were smooth. "What else, do you have to report?" Bogdan fixed her with a stare and she straightened her back, squared her shoulders. Her bowels untied, she felt the anxiety flush away. She expected to be chastised or heavily punished. Perhaps what happened at the tower, had softened their judgement of her failure. "Blinding the Hunters works, even after repetition." Alexa said, "But, it seems the machines are clustered. As soon as one goes down, the others will come to investigate. To me, it seems the first has been established before our return, the second is something that can cause a lot of issues." She shot a glance out of the window. Several destroyed hunters still burned amongst the rubble of the battlefield. "If you ask me, the machines are trying to force us to make mistakes, allowing them to find a way to deal with this tactic." She added softly. When they arrived at the tower, the already shaken crew had been shocked again. Huge metal skeletons , defensive turrets and burning tanks had greeted them while they soared across the desert towards the tower. The battle had ended before they arrived, but the Scav had paid a heavy price. Portable turrets had been torn to shreds, countless of lifes had been lost in the fighting. But that was not the worst part. As soon as the first hunter showed up, the tower should have dissected. The hundreds of aircraft that were the tower scattered in all directions to prevent the machines from knowing where they were and prevent them from striking in their heart. With five Hunters and three Scouts inbound, the High Council decided to fight. To use the new found strategy and to stand their ground, discarding the regulations that required the tower to move. Once the battle was over, the tower had been molten together on crucial locations, grounding the Scav, perched on the foothills of the Planina mountains. "Yeah, it seems they were," Vania said. "And now we are stuck. We might be able to hold off more Hunters and Scouts, but if they attack in full power..." "Therefore we will evacuate the tower." Victor stepped forward, his dark hair in a long braid. His beard was trimmed around the edges. Alexa always thought he looked like a little pompous, a man that cared too much how he looked. His clothes were colorful and richly decorated. "The Mumy Pact has accepted our request for refuge, as long as we will fight alongside them against the machines. Its unfortunate we can no longer bring the tower, but I assume the Mumy Pact will shelter us anyway. We will have to bring all our forces and our artillery. We might be able to hold in unity." Ever since he joined the High Council, Victor had publicly spoken of unity, of working together with other races, to bury the differences and come together. Most Scav had laughed at the idea, ever since the Big Crash, the world had been on fire. Skirmishes among the races were the norm, it would never change. He had always been passionate, even now, when the Scav didn''t have a choice but to accept shelter from another race. That, or be destroyed. The other Council members did not seem as pleased as he was. Vania had obviously not meant to say that. She bristled and smoothed her skirts and didn''t manage to keep face smooth. Bogdan''s smile turned sour and Zornitsa and Georgi''s face wore grim expressions alike. Surely, they didn''t like the idea of being sheltered, nor the idea that they''d be dependent on the mercy of the Mumy Pact. The Myln and the Murn had not been very friendly towards the Scavs in the recent years, though none of them was old enough to remember what it had been like. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "We haven''t officially decided upon that." Georgi bit of the words. His dark hair was very short, a few milimeters of hair. He was shaven clean and wore the same uniform that Alexa wore. "But, we have no other choice," Victor replied. He looked annoyed and resigned, they obviously had this discussion before, his voice was one of reason and patience. The rest of the council held silent, but looked at her feet. "Have we ever tried to send an envoy to the machines?" Alexa couldn''t help but burst it out. She and her grandma had discussed this often. Perhaps that communication could deliver them from this predicament, could safe them for utter destruction. "We have, none ever returned. " Victor bit. "Do you really think we prefer to see our race falter, than to find a resolution?." He looked at her." No , we will not send another envoy and weaken our position even more. We will have no choice but to allie with the others and hope, no pray, that we can stand the machines together. We might even have to ally with the others, but we will not go down without a fight. Will not falter in the face of destruction and will not give up when there is a sliver of hope on the horizon" The passion in his voice, the fire made her want to join. "But, what if I and another person would travel into the territory of the machines. We do not need to send a force, do not need to endanger a small fraction of the forces we are losing on a weekly basis?" Perhaps we can find another solution, perhaps we can find the center of their forces, come back and strike at the heart of the machines. We cannot give up, but can we afford to ignore other options? What if we need to strike at the heart of the machines..- "No" Victor interrupted her crudely. We will not risk more resources on useless missions, will no longer waste it on hope with no cause. Our only hope is the unification with the Mumy pact and from there, with the others that are fighting the machines." Alexa looked around the room and though the others, she saw the others nodding and agreeinng witht he words of Victor. Bogdan stepped forward. "We just lose half a squad cause you didn''t take care of them and now you want to tell us what we should do? You should be on your knees, begging for forgiveness! You should be happy we talk to you as we have so far. You turn the world upside down, we are the High Council, we do not explain our decisions to the likes of you." He bristled with anger. She opened her mouth to object, but Vania interrupted her. "We hadn''t decided what to do with you yet. But you insolence keeps growing, despite your own failure. We were willing to forgive the grave mistakes you made, dismissing it cause of your inexperience and forced command. But what are we supposed to do with you now?" Vania held up her hand and looked at the others. "I suggest we strip her of her rank. She has shown to be unable to hold her own command and is obviously prone to insubordination. I suggest we put her out of service before she throws are orders into the wind and invites a catastrophe." Hand shot up, her grandma bristled with contempt. "just cause someone disagrees with you, you want to dismiss their value? Cause someone might see another way and willing to object to us, you will throw the service away? What nonsense is this? Though my vote may not be needed, I will NOT support this kind of decision making, isn''t that was makes us Scav? Isn''t this what makes us a community. Though she may be right, will we be blinded for anything else than our own truth? Even though she is convinced of something else, should we refuse her service" Her face turned red underneath the white hair. "No! I do not say this cause she''s my kin, Bogdan." She spat at the graying man. "We cannot ignore reason cause we are too busy looking down our own noses." " No matter" His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed his anger. "The lesser consensus stands." His voice was cold as he turned to Alexa. "As of now, you are demoted. Please take off your squadleader pin and leave them on the table. We will discuss whether any further disciplinary action is needed in the morning. You will report to Captain Tamarov in the morning for your reasssignment. And remember, not a word about the evacuation till it has been announced.'' He clapped his hands. "now go!" Chapter 3.3 She entered her small rooms in her sisters aircraft that was now part of the northern wing of the tower. Yordana looked up from her wounded leg as she entered. Her sister was always eager to fight and ready for a fight at any moment. She always made fun of Alexa''s unwillingness to fight without a cause. "Hey." Yordana winced as she continued to clean the wound . "Damn shrapnel almost cut off my leg. I was lucky I didn''t go further down the slope. You should have seen some of the others." Surely she knew that Alexa did not want to see what happened to the others. Yordana looked up at Alexa. "What''s up? Sad to see these marvelous legs getting damaged?" Her smile disappeared when Alexa didn''t respond, but simply sagged down onto the bed. "But seriously... what''s up? Dimitar stormed past here as if he had a machine on his heels." She cried while she told the story of her mission, the discussion she had with the High Council and her demotion. Between sniggers, Alexa realized she was unable to let go of the concept of peace. Of the possibility, that somewhere, somewhere, peace could be found without resorting to violence. That her race could be saved, without fighting till the last of them. It struck her that fighting no longer held the same purpose for her. Fighting, evacuating and dodging only delayed the inevitable. The machines made their purpose very clear; to wipe the Scav of the face of the planet. She no longer wanted to protect everyone by fighting a pointless battle, no longer wanted to lose her friends and family. No, she longed for peace, longed to build meaningful relationships that would not be torn apart for no reason. "I''ll ask Tamarov to put you in my squad." Yordana interrupted her train of thought, she had obviously been waiting to share the news with her. "You can be my second in command. We will call ourselves the Dimitrova-squad and we will defeat the machines with ease." "I.. Thank you." Alexa stammered. She and her sister shared blood, but that was about the full extent of their sisterhood. Her sister puzzled her most of the time; how could she be happy to fight, look forward to it even? Did she have a deathwish? This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "Don''t mention it.. It''ll be so much fun!" Yordana said. Alexa didn''t respond, but laid down on the bed on the other side of the room and pressed her damp cheeks in the pillow. Thinking of the future of the Scav made her feel powerless and sad, but she couldn''t let it go. Shelter at the Mumy Pact would not help. She would bet on it, that the Mumy Pact agreed cause they were pressed into a corner as well. That the Pact hoped that the Scav would prove useful in their own fight against the machines. Except the Pact itself, which were two races allied, none of the other races had ever protected or sheltered another race. The High Council should be sceptical towards the offer of the the Murn and Myln, not rush into it blindly cause of Victor. What would happen if she would refuse to fight? The High Council had always been clear. Those who do not provide food or perform necessary functions were required to do military work. What would happen to her if she refused to report tomorrow to the Captain? It was unheard of, everyone knew that the armed forces were the only reason the Scav still existed. There was a fair chance that they would punish her, treat her like a paria and make an example of her for the others to see. She really didn''t want to report, didn''t want to be engaged in yet another pointless fight. She''d rather abandon her people, then deal with the desperation that was part of the life in the tower. She''d rather lose the people she loved at the moment she chose. She''d rather live her life trying to achieve something, than to be unhappy while delaying the inevitable. She''d rather leave to find an alternative, than to try the same thing that didn''t work for decades. She decided she would leave before the tower was evacuated.