Work Text:
The loud noise of the metal hatch slamming open woke up two sleeping figures awake as someone screamed, "GAS MASKS NOW!" They both scrambled to grab and put on their masks on a few seconds' notice of the shout.
"You're dead, you... Have minor radiation poisoning, but you live." Someone said as they closed the hatch.
"What was that!" the one who was putting on her mask shouted angrily. "I was sleeping!" She glared at the girl who was talking.
"It's not my fault you aren't quick enough to survive. We are lucky to have a secure area above the bunker to even do gas mask drills." She attempted to explain her reasoning. She glared at the two people who had their gas masks on.
"You guys are lucky I haven't started on hazmat suit drills yet. Only Cryus and I have been outside to collect supplies from other bunkers that are free-use" She spoke as she grabbed the gas mask and a hazmat suit for her clothing. "We'll be back before nightfall. Keep the bunker hatch locked until you hear our signal, okay?" Violet said she put on her shoes, grabbed a bag that was used once for carrying items, then it would be buried and tossed away.
"Be safe, Violet!" Cora said as she and Charlie got to fixing their beds, and made breakfast for themselves. On a simple day, like always, Violet said they weren't ready enough to go outside yet, that it was dangerous with even more dangerous people. People who would forget their morals to steal from others for their own gain and survival. Not caring who lives and who dies. Just as long as they are still alive.
"Charlie, what do you think happened on the surface? Only Violet and Cyrus tell us some stuff, but not everything." Cora murmured as they were making their bed. Charlie spoke up.
"I overheard them talking about what happened," Charlie muttered, pausing from folding the blankets as he hesitated before telling Cora what he heard. "Apparently, there was this, like, really smart computer or something like that that people pitched in to make. It got so smart it like, had a conscience, and when someone asked how to fix the world it malfunctioned and said something like 'terminate’ a million times and' then the room around it exploded"
"Oh my god."
“That's kind of all I overheard before Cyrus spotted me and shooed me away. Sorry, Cora." Charlie said, Cora shook her head rapidly.
"It's okay, Charlie, that's more than they have ever told me! That's so cool! And.. Honestly, it's a bit terrifying." Cora giggled.
They spend the rest of their time in the bunker playing board games, doing chores, reading, and sleeping. Before Cora was hit with a sudden 'great' idea.
"Charlie! I have an idea! Let's go outside!" Cora screamed in his ear, suddenly, jolting him awake.
"Cora! That is a terrible idea. What if Cyrus and Violet find us?! Or realize we are missing! Who knows what they'll do!" Charlie whimpered. He also glared at Cora for waking him up from his nap.
"Come on! Trust me on this one, Charlie!" She pleaded, and Charlie gave in when she tried to drag him out of bed.
Cora dragged Charlie out of bed and into Violet's room, where she had stacks upon stacks of hazmat suits and gas masks. They grab bags and stuff to carry things they find, knowing they can't take them inside with them, but it's nice to have.
"Cora, I'm not so sure about this anymore," Charlie mumbled as Cora was just about to open the hatch to the outside.
"Charlie, don't be a baby and trust me on this! It will be the best exploration of our lives!" She says convincingly, and Charlie listens, then goes with her, not wanting her to go outside by herself. They took the keys with them. Locked up the hatch and left to explore.
The outside world was.. Bland, it was empty with the occasional broken building. Cora and Charlie remembered what Violet told them about what the world used to look like. She imagined it as she walked, with Charlie nervously behind her.
"Violet said the sky used to be blue, with clouds, and the ground green with grass, and the buildings not crumpled, but complete and tall. There used to be other people, lots of them," Cora mumbled, her voice muffled slightly by the gas mask, and her hazmat suit squeaked. "What do you think it used to look like, Charlie?" She asked and turned around to look at Charlie. But, she couldn't find him. Actually, she couldn't see where she came from. There was a thick green fog in the air now. She coughed and called out Charlie's name.
"Charlie! Charlie! Where are you! Charlie, please say something!" She screamed, now in tears, running in a random direction, trying to look for Charlie. Then, while running, she ran into someone who did not have a hazmat suit. They looked metallic, maybe there was a reason why they weren't let outside without Violet and Cyrus. A robotic-sounding voice started to rumble before someone grabbed her and ran off. She turned to watch the person. Stumble and crumple to the ground.
"Cora? What are you doing here! Didn't V tell you to stay in the bunker? It's not safe out here!" The person who was recognized as Cyrus from the voice scolded her for leaving the bunker. Then another voice piped up.
"I said it was a bad idea.", Charlie murmured, also being carried by Cyrus.
"Mhm, Violet's still out, but I'm staying at the bunker with you guys now," Cyrus said, as the children both collectively groaned.
The bunker hatch creaked open as the three stepped in, quickly took off the hazmat suits, and tossed them out. Cora looked at Cyrus with pleading eyes.
"Cyrus, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasee, tell us what actually happened! Is it true that there was a smart computer? What was that person doing before you got me? Why is there green fog? What did the world look like before everything?" Cora shot questions at Cyrus that he couldn't answer all at once. He sighed, "You guys are too young, and that person must've been dying from radiation poisoning. It's nothing to worry about." he said, but his voice sounded fake, like he was hiding something. Then it partially clicked, Cyrus was a terrible liar, but he wasn't this time, though. As if someone just saw him and tried to be him.
"Cyrus?"
"'Yes, Cora?"
"Here." Cora said as she pressed a hot object into Cyrus's hand, he didn't register it until Charlie screamed, 'Cyrus's hand was melting like soft metal. Cora grabbed Charlie and put on a suit for both of them, then bolted out of the bunker.
"CORA, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Charlie asked/screamed, confused, scared, and worried, Why did Cyrus' hand melt? What was going on?
"That wasn't Cyrus, Charlie! That was something else!" She said as she roughly shoved on a gas mask, still keeping her grip on Charlie.
"How?-"
"HE'S A TERRIBLE LIAR!" She shouted, upset and scared. "Don't question it, I had a gut feeling that thing I saw before Cyrus caught me looked like it was metallic, but it was like. Melting slightly." She murmured, still running into nowhere, extremely cautious. Cora saw a somewhat intact building and ran into it. Panting, she finally lets go of Charlie's hand.
"Cora, what are we going to do? We need to find Violet."
"I don't know if she's even herself or a metal thing! Charlie, we can't trust anyone now, until we find Violet, maybe. She always knows what to do." Cora muttered, shifting in her spot on the wall. They rested in the building before they were shaken awake by someone.
“Kids? What are you doing here?” A familiar voice asked the children. Cora jolted away and flinched, grabbing Charlie and pulling him close to her as she looked at the figure cautiously.
“We.. I wanted to find you guys.” Cora said in her calmest, brave face.
“Cora, you are a terrible liar, I hope you know that.” Violet? Said with a small snicker as she ruffled her head through the gas mask.
“I have a gift for you, V,” Cora said as Charlie looked at her nervously. She gave Violet a hot piece of metal she found nearby.
“Thank- OW!” Violet said, then shrieked when the metal burned her. She glared at Cora. “Now, Cora, what was that for?” She murmured stiffly, the burn hurt. Her skin didn’t melt. She was truly herself. Cora sobbed and basically shoved herself and Charlie into Violet's arms. Crying.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou YOU’RE REAL!” She cried, clutching Violet like a lifeline.
“Cora, what are you talking about?” Violet asked, and then Cora and Charlie started speaking at the same time, trying to tell her what happened. From what she understood, they went out by themselves to explore, but then Cora was nearly attacked by someone who was melting. Then they got saved by Cyrus, who, to Cora, was acting strange. She then gave Cyrus a hot piece of metal, just like she did now, and. Cyrus’ hand melted. So she and Charlie booked it from the bunker, leaving the fake Cyrus in the bunker, and they ran away looking for somewhere safe. Then Violet found them. She hugged them tight before looking at them seriously.
“I might know what's going on, but we have to be extremely careful. And you both have to do as I say, and when I say it. Okay?” Violet stated, and Cora and Charlie nodded vigorously.
“Okay. Everything you know, you’ve heard of from me and Cyrus was a watered-down version for you guys because you are still young. But you need to know the full picture to understand the severity of this situation.” Violet takes a deep breath and starts explaining.
She told them that now, since that office explosion, the supercomputer has gained control of the military’s weapons. Including nukes and of the sort, by launching one, it started a war that didn’t stop until they realized it wasn’t a leader behind it. But an extremely smart computer that thought humans should be erased for the Earth to heal. But it exterminates the humans in the cruelest way.
It stalks you, then knocks you out to copy what you look like, how you act, and what you know. But it's not always correct. It's somehow sloppy in a way. That's why Cora figured out so quickly that Cyrus wasn’t the real one.
“You are really perceptive Cora,” Violet complimented as they walked. Violet knew a safe place. Well, it should be safe because there were a lot of people there who know how to take out the metallic humans.
“Thanks, Violet!” She chirped. Charlie was listening to Violet intensely.
“Ok, because this is important so you both listen up, me and Cyrus have been talking to other survivors, for information about this stuff and for food. But. I’ve noticed some of them disappear after they tell the group something important, or if they find something that is important,” She pauses to take a turn after seeing something in the distance. “And, when it was just me, Cyrus and a few guys, one of them looked panicked and told us something-”
“What did they say?” Cora asked, cutting off Violet.
“I was getting to that Cora.”
“Oh, sorry Violet.”
“It's okay,” Violet said, giving Cora a small smile as she continued. “He said something along the lines of ‘the computer is still alive, and metallic shapeshifters.’ And. I think I finally understand what they were saying.” Violet muttered, she knew the situation was serious, but this was bigger than she expected. After a few hours of small talk and silence, they made it to the safehouse Violet was talking about. They are let in after being tested to see that they are, in fact, people. A small group of people were huddled in the middle, talking in hushed whispers before Violet cleared her throat.
“Violet?” One of the men asked, “Where’s Cyrus? And who are these children with you?” He asked. Violet stood in front of the children protectively.
“They are the children Cyrus and I are taking care of,” Violet said calmly, maintaining a blank expression. “Cora and Charlie.” She said, revealing them with a small movement of her arm. Cora was in front of Charlie as he poked his head out to see the group.
“They are just adorable!” Someone in the group commented as they stepped out, walking towards the children to look at them, but stopped when Violet glared. “Ok! I’ll look from afar.”
“We are just here to stay the night. Does anyone have information about the computer?” Violet asked bluntly, so some people shifted uncomfortably before someone spoke up.
“Violet, you do understand what you are going to do is dangerous. You need a plan. We can help, for a price,” He said, looking at Violet. “What do you have to offer?”
Violet swallowed her words and spoke up. “Freedom. For everyone who has gone missing. I plan on going to the base of the computer and destroying it.” She said confidently. “I do need people willing to help, for I only have myself and two children to go on this journey. You do understand this would be dangerous?” She asked, looking for anyone to join her.
“V, you cannot even think about going to the computer! Much less with children!” The man yelled, clutching his fist, before someone spoke up.
“I’ll go with her.” A voice spoke up, someone emerged from the group. “I’ve been there once, I know the path,” JC murmured. “JC, thank you.” Violet said, voice softening, “I know what you have to gain from this.” It's true, JC was one of the many people whose loved ones were taken by the bots. One of the many people who took it so badly, they tried to find them, succeeded, but had to leave quickly.
“You’re welcome V.” JC said quietly, standing on her opposite side, across the children she had at her side.
“Does anyone have the guts to come help us?” She asked the room of people. 2 more people who had nothing to lose joined her. After that, no one else did, but they gave them supplies and wished them well on their journey.
“Thank you all for the supplies and blessings. We promise to come back as soon as possible. With everyone.” Violet said, before leaving, with JC, the children and the other two people.
It was a few days walk to the base of the computer. It was difficult and they had to take many breaks but they made it. The area was more like an industrial building, like a powerplant with large buildings with pipes everywhere. They snuck in, noticing there wasn’t any camera at all in the area they snuck in. Walking quietly they made it halfway before a bot spotted them. And ran at them. But, thankfully JC had grabbed a loose pipe and smacked the bot like a baseball. They each grabbed something for protection. Violet grabbed a brick, Cora and Charlie got pipes as well. And the others whose names are Nancy and Erik, got a knife and a large container. They treaded through the area and hit any bots that came in their way at all. Cora and Charlie did hit a few of them to help out.
“These guys won’t stop attacking.” JC panted as they all ran to the main building, it was the biggest and all of the pipes led to this area.
“I know, it's okay though, remember what we are fighting for.”
“Yes Violet.” JC replied as they picked the door open and they all ran in, locking it behind them. A loud silence echoed through the building as they saw a large amount of the bots. Surrounding the computer, a large bot with insanely human features, clicking away at the computer.
A battle ensues.
Cora and Charlie are told to stay back as the adults fight, Charlie starts crying because he just saw Violet get hit and fall down to the ground.
“Charlie! Listen to me!” Cora screamed, “We- we need to help.” She said, not believing the words tumbling out of her mouth at all.
“CORA ARE YOU INSANE-” Charlie tried saying but he screamed when one of the bots noticed them. Cora swung the pipe with all her strength and it fell back and stumbled. JC gave her a thumbs up before hitting more.
“A bit!” She grinned at Charlie and pulled him up by the arm. “C’mon we have to help V!” She held her bat tighter, then let go of Charlie as she went running in, swinging at the bot's knees as the adults fought them head-on. Charlie is hesitant but grabs his pipe as well and runs to help Cora. Violet is okay, she gets up and panics when she sees the children in the fighting, but JC speaks up.
“V! The children are helping us, if they get hurt ill take the blame, but for now we need all the help we can get! Now come on!” JC shouted at Violet and she looked nervously at the children but let them be and helped out. Nancy and Erik handled themselves well, Erik passed them pipes and such and Nancy helped fight.
It took a long time to finish the battle. So far, it was in their favor as Cora and Charlie beat the last one in the building until it melted and Violet had to pull them off. Once they were all defeated, the bot typing on the computer stops, turns and stares at the group.
“I see.. I must’ve calculated incorrectly. Humans are more intelligent than I assumed.” The bot murmured, its voice like scratching a chalkboard, bland and it acted as if a higher being than the group gasping and panting after fighting. Erik offered bandages and items to help heal.
“YOU!” Violet and JC growled, Nancy and Erik had to hold them back as the bot spoke up.
“Ugh, humanity and their emotions. I find it unnecessary.” It moved to click a button and summoned more bots. But before even pressing the button. Cora threw her pipe and it went through the bot's hand, and the button. Making it malfunction and then the whole building lights went red and an alarm went off.
“What,” The bot said stiffly, standing up and looking directly at Cora, who whimpered and hid behind Violet. “Arrogant humans. Pathetic, they assume they can barge in here and just make a mess of the area.” It said as its arm changed, shifting into a sharp point. Before lunging at Violet. Cora screamed and smacked it away with Violet’s pipe. She then scrambled back behind Violet with Charlie.
“You wish for a fight? I’ll lower my morals to battle with ants.” The bot said, before stepping back. Another fight started as the group quietly groaned. Before getting into the fight. The bot could handle two adults at once. But not 4 adults, and 2 children who stabbed pipes through its legs. In response it cut Charlie’s leg with a sharp point of its foot. Charlie screamed, and jumped back. Cora, shocked and enraged that it hurt basically her brother. Grabbed a sharp pipe, and stabbed the bot in the stomach area. With help from the assault the adults were doing. The bot quickly fell. Melting into a puddle of liquid metal. Panting, the group looks at Cora in shock. But their success was short -lived as the computer made a loud beeping noise.
“Right. The computer.” JC murmured.
“Cora, would you like to do the honors?” Violet asked.
“No, actually, Charlie. Wanna do it? Together?” Cora asked Charlie with a smile, Charlie nodded vigorously as he ran to the computer with Cora, as they tore it down, smashed screens with their pipes as Violet pressed random buttons until they all heard clicking noises, and people talking at the same time. And then running, like, a stampede of legs running and walking all at the same time. They couldn’t believe their eyes, all of the people who went missing, which is a lot of people. We're here! All of them!
“Oh. My. God.” Violet blurted out as people ran out of the areas that the bots presumably had them caged in.
“MY GOD!”
“YES! FINALLY”
“WHO EVER DID THIS THANK YOU!” People were talking all at once, everyone seeing each other and running to the doors, there were all the hazmat suits that had been taken from them as they all put it on just to leave the building. JC, Violet, Cora, Charlie, Nancy and Erik were all taken away in the flood of people. Each of them all looking for someone they lost and leaving with them. It took about 30 minutes to find Cyrus in the back trying to leave. As soon as Violet spotted him, Cora and Charlie ran towards him. Practically sobbing as they jump into his arms. Violet walks but she gives Charlie a hug.
“Cyrus! CYRUS WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!” Cora and Charlie sobbed as Violet gave him a smile and a tight hug.
“I missed you guys too.” Cyrus said, tired but happy. After hugging and crying, they went home. Well, they went back to the safehouse and asked if anyone had a spare room. Mainly because their bunker was probably already looted, or unsafe because of the radiation.
“This was worth it, you know?” Cora murmured to Charlie as they crashed on someone’s couch.
“Yes, I’m so happy we got the real Cyrus back, Cora.” He grinned, fiddling with an oversized shirt someone gave him.
“Good night Charlie.”
“Night Cora.”
FIN