Metal Face and Human Tears

A flaming arrow hissed through the air. It passed inches from Combat Unit C9’s left arm. The heat brushed his cheek. C9 leaped back. His shoulder hit the rough bark of a cedar tree. He pressed his back against the wood.

As he listened, the forest remained silent for a moment. Then, a dry branch snapped to his left. C9 shifted his weight. He raised his sniper rifle and looked around, scanning for enemies. He spotted a dark shape behind a thick bush. He squeezed the trigger. The shot rang out, but the bullet just hit a tree limb.

C9 did not move. He adjusted his aim slightly to the right. He pulled the trigger again. A sharp scream echoed through the trees. The bullet struck the enemy's leg. The Elysian rebel collapsed into the dirt. C9 stepped away from the tree. He gripped his weapon tightly and advanced toward the rebel.

The man lay still on the dry ground. Dust covered his gray clothes. C9 slowed his pace as he reached the body. He looked down at the rebel's face. Suddenly, a mace swung from the shadows behind him. The metal head struck C9's shoulder.

C9 stumbled. His boots slid through the dirt, and he nearly hit the ground. He gripped his weapon with both hands. He pushed off the soil and leaped toward the attacker. C9 drew and swung his blade, but the edge missed the enemy's chest. He swung again, but the attacker leaped to the left.

A stone flew through the air. It struck C9 on the forehead. He felt a sharp sting. C9 stepped back. He raised his gun and fired one shot. The bullet hit a nearby rock. The attacker laughed.

C9 breathed heavily. He closed his eyes for a second and aimed once more. He pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced the attacker's upper arm. The enemy dropped the mace, gasping as he clutched the wound. Red liquid soaked through his sleeve. He backed away from C9 with wide eyes. Then, he turned and sprinted.

C9 raised his gun. He aimed at the retreating figure and pulled the trigger. The shot missed. The bullet struck the large rock and sent a cloud of gray dust into the air.

C9 began to move. He stepped forward, but his boots scraped heavily against the grit on the ground. He took a heavy step. His movements were slow. He paused and looked at the empty dirt road.

Suddenly, C9 stopped. He turned around. A rebel lay on the ground. The man groaned and shifted his legs. Blood pooled around his wounded leg. C9 looked at the man for two seconds. He turned his shoulders and walked toward the injured rebel.

Suddenly, Rain fell heavily on the battlefield. The rebel lay in the mud, his clothes soaked and brown. C9's optical sensors glowed a dim red in the dark.

The man opened his mouth.

"Mercy!" he said.

C9’s translation chip processed the sound and converted the voice into data.

C9 did not move an inch. He raised his rifle and pointed the barrel at the rebel’s chest.

He pulled the trigger.

A sharp click echoed through the air. The gun did not fire.

The rebel trembled. He looked up at the metal face of C9.

"Please, I have two kids," he said.

The rebel sobbed.

C9 stared down at him. He did not speak. He pulled the trigger a second time.

Again, the weapon only clicked. It seemed to be jammed.

Suddenly, a flash of white light filled the sky. A bolt of lightning struck C9's shoulder. Blue sparks flew from the robot's joints. C9 stiffened and tilted forward. He fell on top of the rebel.

C9 pushed himself off the cold ground. Metal joints clicked as he straightened his legs. He stood still for a moment. He panned his gaze from left to right.

His optical sensors flickered. Red text flashed across his sight. The letters moved in random patterns and made no sense. He blinked. The text slowed down and began to organize into rows. The red lines disappeared one by one. A clear image replaced the glitches.

C9 looked down at the ground. The rebel lay on the ground. A hole in his leg leaked dark blood onto the dirt. The rebel's chest still moved up and down. He breathed in short, heavy gasps. He did not move his arms. He stared at the sky with wide, vacant eyes.

C9 lifted his right arm. He gripped the handle of his weapon. He raised the barrel. The sight aligned with the rebel's forehead. C9 held the gun steady.

"Please," the rebel said.

The rebel looked at C9. He shook with fear. He closed his eyes and waited.

C9 stood over him. Inside C9's vision, red letters flashed. The text read: TARGET ACQUIRED.

A light flickered in the display. The red text changed to white. The words shifted to: STATUS UNKNOWN. C9 stopped aiming. He watched a single tear roll down the man's cheek.

The android's fingers loosened. His grip on the rifle relaxed. The barrel dipped slowly toward the ground. The rebel opened one eye. He did not move.

C9 stepped back one pace. He lowered the weapon completely. He did not pull the trigger. C9 stood silent and watched the rebel breathe.

C9 bent his right leg and dropped his knee to the ground.

He tilted his head to the left. He scanned his internal logs for a new command. Nothing appeared.

C9 listened to the steady hum of his cooling fans. He processed the empty data fields in his system. New goals did not appear.

Suddenly, a window flickered in the center of his sight. Some text appeared.

[Skill Gained: Sensations]

Another window popped up immediately below the first one.

[Skill Gained: Emotion Emulator]

C9 stared at the letters. He remained in place.

C9 moved his eyes to look at the rebel on the ground. The rebel's chest rose and fell. His breath made a wet sound.

C9 knelt closer to the wounded rebel. He reached out with his right hand. He placed his fingers under the man's head. He lifted the head slowly. The skin felt warm against the cold steel. The rebel groaned. He did not pull away. He looked at C9 with tired eyes.

A new signal pulsed in C9's system. His sensors sent data about the warmth of the man's skin. C9 did not have a command for this feeling. He tilted his head. He watched blood drip from the man's leg. The red liquid hit the wet ground as the wind howled.

A text box flashed in the center of his vision.

[New Mission: Take the rebel to a nearby village]

C9 stared at the goal. He looked back at the rebel.

C9 slid his arms under the rebel. He lifted the rebel from the ground. The man weighed very little to C9. The rebel groaned and shifted his weight. C9 held the body tight against his chest. He stood up and turned toward the trees.

The forest grew darker as C9 walked and pushed low branches out of his way. The rebel's head rested on C9's shoulder. Blood stained the android's gray metal chest.

C9 reached the edge of a village. He saw small houses made of wood and stone. No people on the streets. No dogs barked.

[Mission Completed: Take the rebel to a nearby village]

C9 entered the first house. He pushed the door open. The hinges made a loud noise. The room inside smelled of dust and old cloth.

A wooden bed stood in the corner of the room. C9 leaned down. He placed the rebel on the bed. The rebel closed his eyes and did not speak.

[New Mission: Treat the rebel]

C9 stood still for a moment. He processed the new order.

C9 turned away from the bed. He scanned the room for supplies. He walked to a wooden table in the corner. He pushed a thick layer of dust aside with one finger. He found a bowl of water and a strip of clean cloth. He picked up the cloth. He gripped the bowl in his left hand and moved back to the bed.

C9 knelt on the floor. He dipped the cloth into the water. He pressed the wet fabric against the hole in the rebel's leg. The man flinched and groaned. C9 did not move his hand. He wiped the blood away from the skin. He wrapped the clean cloth around the wound. He pulled the fabric tight and tied a knot.

[Mission Completed: Treat the rebel]

The light in the room changed. Gray light turned to yellow. C9 stood up and walked to the stairs. He climbed to the rooftop and stood on the flat stone surface. He faced the rising sun. C9 entered suspend mode. His internal systems slowed. Energy entered his batteries.

A few hours passed.

C9 opened his eyes. The yellow sun rose higher in the sky. He stood up from the flat stone floor. He walked to the stairs. His metal feet hit the stone steps with a loud click. He moved slowly. He went down the stairs and entered the small room.

The rebel sat on the edge of the bed. He did not lie flat anymore. He rested his back against the cold wall. His hands gripped the edge of the mattress. He breathed slowly. He looked at the door when C9 entered.

C9 stopped in the center of the room. He looked at the rebel's leg. The white cloth stayed tight around the wound. There was no new blood on the fabric. The rebel shifted his weight. He moved his leg a few inches.

The two stayed silent for a moment. C9 scanned the man's face. He checked the man's heart rate and breathing. The rebel looked at C9. He blinked. Then, the rebel spoke.

"Thanks," he said.

His voice was weak. C9 stood still and processed the words.

The rebel moved his shoulders. He leaned forward on the bed. His eyes stayed on C9.

"Why did you save me?" he said.

His voice sounded a bit louder this time. He waited for an answer.

C9 stood still. He opened his internal files. He searched for a rule or an order. He looked for the word "save."

His system scanned the mission history. He found the order to treat the rebel, but he found no reason for it. He tried to build a sentence. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

A white line appeared across his vision. The line grew. It split the image of the room into two halves. Then, red letters appeared in the center of his sight. The letters said: ERROR.

The image of the rebel began to shake. The colors of the room changed from yellow to a dark purple. C9 blinked, but the red text stayed.

C9 stepped back. His left leg did not move correctly. He lost his balance. He tried to reach for the wall, but his arm moved too slowly. His metal body tilted. He hit the stone floor with a loud crash. Dust rose around him. He lay on his back and looked at the ceiling. His vision went black.

A few hours passed.

C9 opened his eyes. A black screen flickered in his vision. Then, white text scrolled quickly across his sight. The text stopped. His systems turned on. He saw a low ceiling made of gray stone. Water dripped from a pipe. The sound echoed in the small space. C9 lay on a hard floor. He felt the cold stone against his back.

C9 moved his head. He saw a man. The rebel sat on a wooden crate. He wore a dirty coat. The man leaned forward and looked at C9. A small lamp sat on the floor between them. It cast a dim light on the rebel's face. He watched C9 with narrow eyes.

"You are awake now," the rebel said.

C9 did not answer. He tilted his head to the left. He scanned the room. He saw a heavy iron door. The door had a thick lock. C9 tried to move his arm. His joints made a clicking sound. He looked back at the rebel.

The rebel pointed toward the ceiling.

"Your friends attacked us," the rebel said.

The rebel closed his eyes and opened them again.

"They used flying machines. They flew over the village and dropped fire," the rebel said.

The rebel stood up. He walked to the iron door. He pushed the metal, but the door did not move.

"I pulled you into this basement to hide but now we are stuck here," the rebel said.