KETTY'S SUBDIVISION Wattys2017

Chapter 7-Part VII

Four thirty came too soon, dragging her back to the reality known as life. Boondock woke them all, cold breakfast and no fire.

"Young Mistress, I see no reason to proceed down to the floodplain unless you wish to fight," said Boondock. Ketty tried to mentally pry her eye open.

"What time is it?"

"Time to get up, as you planned." Boondock had his face so close she imagined he had bad breath. She forced herself back to consciousness.

"What did you say?"

" I said, I see no reason to proceed down on to the floodplain unless you wish to fight."

"We're in a fight for our lives, you silly twerp, if we stay here, we're sitting ducks for the hunter that is behind this."

"You imply a force of evil?"

"I have no idea. Evil is a label humans have put on what they don't understand, but I think we're up against something simpler, yet more deadly than evil."

"You make it sound like a game," said Boondock a bit sarcastically.

"That's it!" Ketty was excited as her mind began to race. "This is so much like a game, I think that is what our adversary believes."

"You mean the Gort?" asked Boondock.

"No, something more deadly. Look." She peeled the bandage from her arm, revealing the three deep slashes that we're healing nicely. "If I hadn't deflected the creature that did this, my arm would be gone and I would have bled out. That reminds me, what did the analysis of the blood sample show?"

"Unknown genetic makeup," Boondock said. Then more casually. "I found no matches to any known life form. I'm clueless."

"Very well, wake the others."

"I have done more than that, look." Her bots had assembled advance weapons stores and modified plans to build a crude airship with the sun sail as a power source. Ketty realized their brains were developing at a much higher rate than the ten years it took an adolescent human brain to develop.

"Who told you to do this?" She interrogated Boondock because he was grinning like a guilty clown.

"Mistress, when you said we're in the fight of our lives, I took this as a literal threat and acted accordingly."

"Your programming is not designed for war." It was more of a thought out loud than a question.

"It was a natural adaptation, I created a subroutine and integrated it into my personality profile."

"When did this happen?"

"Four hours, twenty seven minutes and six seconds ago."

She was stunned. The others listened in the pre-dawn silence as she drilled her robot.

"How long did it take to create the subroutine?"

"Twenty seven milliseconds, including the synaptic reorganization of my sintered brain." He was smiling, proud she was impressed with his work. But now everyone was gathered around her, munching on a dry breakfast bar or sipping cold instant coffee.

"We're going west along the ridge, then cutting straight towards the city. Lindy may still be alive, and we need her. Then, we will work our way into the city. Also, keep your eyes out for the rest of the supplies we need, I would rather fly than walk."

"Were going straight towards the filthy Gort stronghold," Scott asked accusingly?"

"In my opinion, the Gort are not attacking us of their own accord. They are being manipulated," said Ketty. This brought a murmur of dissent from the group. "Hey! I feel it in my gut. And I saw one."

"Saw what?" asked Grendle.

"It was dark, and it was fast. That's all I know. And there was a rustling, like wind. Just remember, avoid the Gort at all costs." Ketty turned to the newcomer. She looked vaguely familiar from school. Belletine had a mask covering her face, just her eyes showing below angled bangs and long brown hair that fell around her slim shoulders. The brown checks of her brows cut sharply across her deep green eyes which held terror at bay by a thread. Yet the double swords strapped to her back exuded a bit of confidence that was backed up by two blasters from Kato's dad, a javelin, and some type of blow gun. Her pink striped tank top was laced with a few stains that covered her firm muscles and Ketty smiled in admiration..

"Come here," Ketty motioned with her hand to Belletine. She was a good judge of character, but today, she needed all the help she could get. Somehow she had to form them into a fighting group, fast.

"I can see you're taking care of yourself," Ketty whispered in her ear, then turned to the group and announced, "I'm putting Belletine in charge so I can focus on the mission. Scott and Grendle stood in protest, but Ketty held them with her gaze. "She can be un-biased. Do we really have time for dissent? They sat down begrudgingly. "You will follow her orders, is that understood? Now I need you to take charge of your group and lead them." Ketty saw a smile beneath the dust choked scarf covering her face.

"Lead them where?" Belletine's soft voice whispered like a melody.

"We have to reach the city, it's the only way we can escape."

"Escape how?"

"We have to see if the Fault-line is still operational.

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