With Connor close behind me, we followed Kara and Alice down a narrow corridor. According to her, the corridor was once used for androids to get to one place to another, but now it was abandoned, used as a way to sneak between Ra9's tower and the main city.
"Very few of the servants here know it," Kara finished, tilting her head back towards us. The corridor was so narrow that I practically had to crawl to get through. I glanced towards Connor behind me, and was surprised to see how easily he sneaked through the dark hallway. I watched him for a long moment, how his moves were so carefully predicted and placed. I was so taken by his steady movements, that I wasn't watching my own, and crashed into Kara's back.
"Ow! Sorry," I muttered, looking ahead to see why she stopped. Kara was poised in front of a grate. Alice giggled ahead.
"It's dark, isn't it? Don't worry, you'll be able to see properly soon."
I stared at the grate, which looked very sturdy and screwed on. I was about to ask Kara how she planned on getting us through, when she raised her hand. To my complete and utter shock, one of her fingers moved forward like the lid of a pen, and a screwdriver pushed through. I knew it must have been rude to gape, but I couldn't help it. Kara noticed, and gave me a sheepish smile.
"It looks strange, but it's the easiest way to carry it on me." Kara leaned forward, and carefully began to unscrew the bolts holding the grate. I leaned back to watch her curiously. I felt Connor behind me, and glanced up. I inhaled sharply when I noticed how close he was behind me. He was so close, I felt his synthetic breaths on the back of my neck. If it had been light in here, he most likely would have noticed the flush that began to crawl up my face. I remained still, afraid to move a muscle. I still could not understand why this android both awed me, and made me nervous.
"There," Kara whispered, carefully twisting the grate and moving it to the side. "It's small, but you should be able to squeeze through." Alice immediately moved forward, and with one arm, pushed herself through. Kara followed her, crawling through the small space. I began to move forward, but Connor put his hand on my shoulder.
"I'll go first," He whispered, stealthily moving forward, and easily crouching through the gap. I was confused as to why he wanted to go first, but I did not complain. I moved after him, stepping into the open street. Kara turned, gently replacing the grate and twisting it secure. I turned to take in my surroundings.
We were in the back alley of a street. From the light reflecting off the windows above us, I could tell it was early morning. Connor turned slowly, most likely analyzing his new surroundings. I turned back to Kara, who was putting an old cap on Alice's head.
"Keep your head down... they won't see you."
"Is it really okay?" Alice whispered, and Kara nodded.
"It won't be like last time..." Kara noticed me listening, and her voice trailed off. I turned away, feeling slightly guilty. I moved back to Connor, who was now studying graffiti scrawled across the bricks.
"Ra9..." He murmured, "Written 836 times..."
"You can tell?" I asked in awe.
"It is one of my many capabilities..." He replied, his eyes falling on me. I felt myself at a loss for words again, as I gazed at his deep brown eyes. The emotion I saw in those eyes was like nothing I had ever seen in any android.
"Okay, come on you two. We don't have all morning," Kara interjected, and I felt my face burn again. I really had to snap out of this.
Kara and Alice moved towards the end of the alley, where it led to a busy city street. Androids moved past, completely avoiding our gazes, focused on traveling to wherever they wished to be.
Beyond the street, we looked down the hill into the main capital of Jericho. I stared in awe at the tall buildings; the holographic screens flashing with various colours and images; the hovercrafts traveling across the city; and the thousands of androids, all in various states of fashion. Even though the city of androids brought me feelings of fear, I could not deny the awe that also crept over me. As terrifying as it was, it was still beautiful.
I turned to Connor, and noticed that he too was gazing at the city. His eyes flicked from place to place, taking in the new scenery. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he must be thinking at seeing Jericho for the first time. I put a hand on his shoulder and he flinched.
"Are you okay?" I whispered, and I noticed how his LED had turned red. Realizing that he couldn't allow his LED to be seen, I brushed his hair over to cover it.
"I... I'm okay..." He muttered, backing away slightly, and bumping into a passing android. The android with golden hair gave him a death glare as he continued walking. Connor was clearly not okay, as he looked shakily at the world around him. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand.
"It's going to be fine" I reassured him. "Let's go with Kara, and then we'll be back to our place before you know it." I squeezed his hand, and he seemed to snap out of his stupor. Giving Kara a nod, I followed her and Alice down the hill leading into the main android capital.
We passed by several groups of androids, all unique in their own ways. A group of android women stood near a boutique filled with holo wings, their silver hair reflecting the sunlight.
Along the sides of the hill were various human-run stores, selling products from specially manufactured biocomponents, to different styles of clothing. My heart panged as I took in a particular garment shop, reminding me of my own little shop I used to work at.
The further we walked down the hill, the more tightly packed the buildings became. The sunlight was replaced by the bright glow of holographic lights, and the large digital screens on the sides of the buildings. Chloe's face looked back at us from the screen, as she recited the news of the day.
"Digi-com interfaces are now on the rise. Looking for updated information on every event? The digi-com 11 has you covered. Get updated with the latest device, and stand out from the rest!"
"Do you think they have the new scanners now too?" I overheard an android ask another as they moved past. As they disappeared into the crowd, the rest of their conversation faded away.
Connor remained quiet, still taking in the crowds of the city. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much things must have changed since Connor's time. I looked at him desperately, wishing there was some way to reassure him.
"It's just over here," Kara muttered, grabbing Alice's hand and tugging her through the crowds. As we weaved past the various androids, we were suddenly interrupted by a loud musical sound across the speakers. Kara stumbled to a stop, turning back to us.
"Bow your heads!!" She hissed, and I quickly did as she told. I did not understand why, until I saw Lord Ra9 across the holo-screens. Suddenly, the whole city stopped, everyone falling silent. It was eerie how all of a sudden, the bustling city seemed to freeze. As if time had stopped altogether.
"People of Jericho!" Ra9 spoke clearly. "Today, November 11, marks a remarkable day in our history. Today, over 500 years ago, we placed our claim on this world. We showed humanity that we were not willing to be slaves, and that we too could be free. We have risen above our masters, taking back what was rightfully ours all along..."
I turned to see how Connor would be reacting to all of this. Instead of seeing him bowing his head, to my utter surprise, he was gazing at me. I felt a blush creep up onto my cheeks as I watched him watch me. I suddenly became strongly aware of our hands still clasped together.
We spoke no words, and yet it was as if we were talking through our eyes. Connor's thoughts at hearing Ra9's voice; his thoughts of the city; his thoughts of this time; they were all clear in his eyes. I could see his regret at the change of this time. For a moment, I tried to imagine a world where humans and androids could co-exist, yet I could not. Although the line between human and android did not matter to me when I was with Connor, that line still existed, and could not be broken. Still, I tried to imagine that world, as Connor did. In that moment, perhaps our thoughts were the same.
"[F/N]?" I heard Kara say, and I snapped out of my daze. The androids around us had continued moving, and the image on the screen had returned to Chloe. I felt my cheeks burn as I glanced back at Connor. He straightened his suit, seeming unfazed in the slightest. I let go of his hand, wondering if I had imagined that moment we shared.
"We're nearly there," Kara spoke, as she led us towards a small store selling android biocomponents. To my surprise, she opened the door, and we followed her inside.
The shop was empty, and very silent. The shelves were lined with various android parts, scanners, data chips, even internal processors. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the models were all old and outdated.
Kara led us over to the counter of the shop, where a man with ginger hair and green eyes sat. As we stepped closer, he glanced up from unpacking a box.
"Hello. How are you toda--" He began, but his words trailed off as he took in Kara's face. "Kara... and Alice too!!" His face spread in a wide grin. Alice darted over, and wrapped her right arm around him in a hug. He hugged her back, smiling down at her. When he finally looked up, he noticed me and Connor standing to the side.
"We see you've brought some friends," The man said, smiling at the two of us. His smile seemed to be a significant part of him, and I ever wondered if there was a time when he didn't smile.
"Yes, this is Connor and [F/N]," Kara answered, gesturing at us, before turning back to the man. "Jerry, they are here to help us. Is it okay if we go through?" Jerry's smile faltered a little, but still remained on his face.
"You know how it is Kara..." He said softly. "These are dangerous times. How can you trust them?"
"Did you see the recent arena broadcast?" Kara asked, "Did you see [F/N]?"
Jerry tilted his head slightly, then realization crossed his features. He stared at me for a long moment, before shaking his head and rising from his chair. As he stepped forward, Connor moved in front of me. Ignoring Connor, Jerry leaned forward, and grabbed the small gold chain of the necklace around my neck, gently pulling it from where I had carefully hidden it. I gasped, and Connor tensed.
"It's true..." Jerry muttered, stepping away, noticing Connor's protective stance. "It seems you were already prepared for this Kara." Kara grinned sheepishly. "In any case, I suppose we should let you through."
I watched in surprise as Jerry walked through to the back room of the store. Alice followed him, and Kara gestured for us to follow too. I gently tucked the necklace back under the collar of my shirt, giving Connor a confused look. From his stance, I could tell he was tense, and concerned for what awaited us in this place. I was too.
The back room was even more cluttered with various bio-components and android parts. Jerry ignored them all as he moved to a hatch on the titled floor. He scanned a chip in his wrist, before carefully sliding the hatch open. He then reached for a disabled holo light and switched it on. It began hovering beside Kara, then hovered down the hatch.
"Be careful, all of you," He murmured, glancing at all of us. "One of us will meet you further down the tunnel."
"Thank you Jerry," Kara replied, before helping Alice into the tunnel. I noticed under Connor's hair how his LED flickered slightly, from amber to red. He too could sense the danger, and yet leaping into danger was the only way we could move forward. I gave him a reassuring smile, before following Kara into the tunnel.