Ghost in the Machine

Last chapter readers! Thank you for coming along on this journey!

~Sara

Shifting through the rubble, his sharp gaze looked for anything that would tell him what had become of her. Time had diminished evidence, the bodies ravaged by wild animals and the weather, a wildfire burning through the buildings and grounds. Nothing much was left. A blanket of snow six inches thick lay over the ground, the wind frigid as it swept across the land. Standing, hands on his hips, he glanced around with a frown.

"Vera!" His call echoed. "Echo! Can you hear me?"

There was no answer, so he headed toward one of the scorched buildings he'd not searched yet. It felt pointless, he'd been at the compound for several hours. If Vera were here, she would have come out to him by now. Truthfully, though, he didn't expect to find her after so much time. Why would she stay? Putting his shoulder to the door, he used force to break the rusted hinges, opening it to the dim interior.

"Vera," squinting a little, he looked around. "Are you here? Echo, can you hear me?"

No sound, no movement answered him. In his search, he hadn't come across any trace of their research at this facility, or who had been here, nothing about what had happened or the mysterious pulse that had wiped out everything on the grounds. Even the news feeds had said nothing about it, proving that the government squelched all information regarding the compound, the fire and time taking care of the rest.

In all the time that had passed, he'd been unable to do anything but wonder about what really happened. When the opportunity to drop off the map had come, the Rhaners had taken it, not about to miss the chance to disappear. Completely off-grid, almost on the edge of the map, they were as far from Tech as it was possible to go. Their lives, however, although away from the government threat, had been anything but easy. An uprising was on the horizon, rebellious factions always looking to forcibly recruit the vulnerable to their cause.

Life was becoming increasingly more dangerous. Anyone who hadn't taken a side was considered a pawn of the government and treated as such. Work was rare, honest pay even rarer, the line between right and wrong blurring worse every day. An android would have caused him a lot of trouble if ever discovered, but since Echo could mimic humanity so well, she'd have been an asset too. Expression grim, he shook his head, turning in a slow circle to survey the space.

"This is pointless-" then he saw her.

Curled on her side, head cradled on her arms, coated in dust and debris, she blended into the disarray. The charred camo uniform she wore almost made him look past her slim form. If not for her long raven hair, he might have. Moving forward, he knelt, reaching out to touch her hand. Blackened, coated in ash and grime, it was ice cold, her sightless eyes wide and blank. A cold shiver went up his back, but he reminded himself this was an android, not a human.

"Vera," shaking her gently, he rolled her over. "Echo."

She didn't answer. Grunting a little, he slid his arms beneath her and lifted the android, frowning a little as her scorched, ruined clothes crumbled, leaving her mostly naked. Her skin was black, but rubbing a thumb over a patch of it revealed an undamaged surface. He noted her hair wasn't burned either, and grinned thoughtfully. Series Five was fireproof.

Finding a place to set her, he found some bits of cloth that had survived the fire and scrubbed what grime off he could. The result was satisfactory until she could wash, so keeping his eyes to himself, he picked her up and walked slowly back into the sun outside. Holding her against him, he waited suddenly glad she had exposed skin to hurry the process. Gradually, with soft humming sounds, she began to stir as the bright sunlight began recharging her core. Luminous blue began to glow in her eyes, then she blinked slowly, parting thick lashes as she gazed up at him. He grinned as she frowned.