Terra Firma

The Decoy

"I'm sorry Luna, I'm sorry that we have become these untrusting, hateful humans. I'm sorry everything around us wants to kill us and that we were left here to die"

Theo kicked a large stone outside the building as they waited for Eli.

Everything was ready and the plan was in place. This was all or nothing. Luna sat down by the doorway "That's ok Theo, We can't help what happened to us. I have been close to death a few times in the past few years but you know what. I'm alive, I'm still here. I have survived despite the odds, the ups and downs. I have met only a handful of humans over the years and each one has left a piece of their heart with me. And then I even met a droid! who I trust with my life"

Theo came and sat next to Luna his face covered by material "You are always smiling Luna and positive despite the world we live in, we need more of that"

They made the journey back to the droid's nest quietly not saying a word as they walked. It was like they knew this might all be over and they may not come out of this alive but they needed to try. The city was quiet, the only noise they could hear was their own footsteps.

Luna held her hand up to signal a stop. This was as far as they would go with Eli, he was the decoy. They would hang back and follow him and hopefully sneak in around the back while he made a loud noise as a signal.

Luna cupped her hands around Eli's face getting as close as she could looking him directly in the eyes. It wasn't so long ago she couldn't even bare to look at him and now he was family. She whispered to him..

"We will be right behind you Eli, remember.. don't do anything to get yourself killed. please! we need you. Look what we have been through together" Her eyes pleaded with him.

He kissed Luna's forehead and winked "I've got this Luna, I owe you everything"

Eli kissed his sister and then slowly walked ahead of them.

He thought back to that day he was shot and laying there dying with his blue blood pouring from his body. He couldn't remember most of that, only waking up and seeing Luna in her bunker, the one who had fixed him and helped him find out what had happened to him. He laughed to himself as he remembered Luna calling him Todd because he couldn't remember his own name.

The sky seemed even darker than usual and thick with the fog that covered the city. Eli walked slowly scanning for any noise or movement, he knew she would be waiting for them. He wished he could be more positive like Luna, she was like a ball of sunshine, even after all she had been through.

He looked back at Luna once more then took a deep breath and ran towards the droid's nest. The others quickly jogged to the back of the large building where they had escaped last time. They waited for the explosion, which was the decoy so they could get into the building without being noticed hopefully.

Theo placed a small amount of the explosive on the door and they stood back and waited for the signal. Luna's heart pounded loudly in her chest, her stomach rumbled reminding her she hadn't eaten in a long time.

Those seconds felt like an eternity. She watched El and Theo who looked as scared as her. Luna ran her hands through her wild tangled hair and then crouched down to wait.

A loud noise rumbled across the sky making them jump to attention "Ok, here we go. I will wait a few seconds and then blow the door. It shouldn't make too much noise as it's only a small amount of explosive"

Theo counted quietly and then blew the door from its hinges. The three rushed into the building picking the door up and leaning it against the doorframe to look like it never happened.

The hallway was quiet and no one seemed to be on guard around there just like last time.

"Ok we need to get to the control room El" El concentrated and quietly scanned the hallway making sure it was empty, the plan seemed to have worked. The three of them walked as fast as they could following El down the long corridors. They all looked the same Luna was sure she would have never found anything without El.

They reached the corridor where the mainframe was kept, the control centre as Luna put it. They barged through the corridor and were met with a blue-eyed droid who looked empty. He lifted up his weapon and pointed it at El.

El stood frozen staring at the droid, she knew he was programmed and would never listen.

"Intruders" the droids eye started to scan

Theo darted quickly and knocked the droid off of his feet flinging the weapon away from him. They both fell to the floor with a loud thud. Theo rolled over and sat on top of his body "How do we wake him up, Luna? I don't want to hurt him"

Luna stared wide-eyed back at Theo "Now?"

"Now Luna," Luna thought for a moment "Ideally he needs to be unconscious" Theo held the droids head still "Just do what you did to Eli"

"We haven't got time for that Theo, just tie him up for now " Luna threw a long thick piece of wire at Theo and he tied him up while El got the door open.

The room was bigger than the other control room they had found El in. There were screens everywhere and big units. One of them was the mainframe. "Ok lets light this baby up and hope this works"

Luna was nervous, what would happen if this didn't work and it just fried all the droid's brains somehow?

They placed the remaining explosives around the control room and then closed the door. They would have to light a long fuse and then run as fast as they could. Luna smashed a fire alarm making a loud alarm noise so the droids would know to leave this nest. "Go Luna and El, I've got this" Theo ran the fuse down the hallway as fast as he could.

Luna shook her head but Theo pushed her forward "Go!"

Luna had no choice so she walked quickly with El back to the broken door and waited for Theo there. They would blow the mainframe and then find Eli and the boss lady and hope the rest of the droids would be down and not be commanded anymore by anyone. She had this nagging feeling that wouldn't leave like this all seemed a little too easy.

"Well, Well Luna I thought we might meet again" The boss lady was waiting for them. right at the broken door.

"Actually we have been waiting for you. There is nothing but death out there Luna, here you can live and we can rebuild this earth and make humans stronger. Join me?"

Luna rolled her eyes, "You control these poor droids, they have no free will. I don't want to be any part of a new world like that"

She looked angry and her face seem to turn a shade of red, she stepped towards Luna and grabbed her arm "You have no choice, we need you" She pulled her towards her holding her arms behind her back. Luna tried to free herself but the boss lady was strong. El knew that if she stepped any closer to help the two droids behind the boss lady would shoot.

A large explosion came from behind them throwing them off their feet. The earth seemed to violently shake. The ground rumbled as heat soared down the corridors followed by flames. Their bodies were just like paper in the wind.

Luna opened her eyes as a loud ringing sound pierced through her ears, she coughed as heat travelled closer to her body. She wanted to get up, she knew she needed to, the flames were moving closer by the second but all she could do was look for El.

El wasn't moving.

******************

Thanks for sticking with my book and reading 🥰 I really appreciate all of you