As they moved, Savine couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. She had encountered rogue machines before, ones that had malfunctioned or gone off-grid, and they were unpredictable. "Stay alert," she whispered to Liza, who nodded solemnly. The girl had proven her resilience, and Savine found herself growing protective of the child she had only just met.


They stumbled upon an overgrown path, a relic from before the flood. The vegetation was thick and tangled, but the ground was more stable than the mud-slick streets below. The mountain air was cooler, carrying a faint scent of pine and earth. It was a stark contrast to the metallic reek of the city.


Savine’s boots crunched on the gravel as they made their way deeper into the mountain's embrace. Liza's eyes grew wider with each step, taking in the beauty that the machines had yet to claim. The trees whispered secrets to each other, sharing tales of a time when humans had roamed freely without fear.


They walked for hours, the path growing steeper and more treacherous. Liza stumbled, and Savine caught her before she could fall. "You okay?" she asked, her voice gruff but filled with concern. Liza nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired."


They reached a clearing, and Savine spotted a cabin nestled among the trees. It looked abandoned, but it might offer shelter. She approached with caution, her spear at the ready. The door was ajar, and the windows were shattered. She nudged it open with the toe of her boot, and the hinges groaned in protest. The cabin was small, but it was dry.


The interior was sparse, with a single bed, a table with two chairs, and a stone fireplace. The chimney was clogged with debris, but it looked like it hadn't been used in a while. They would have to clear it out if they wanted to stay warm. Savine's eyes fell on a metal box in the corner. It was padlocked, but the wood around the lock looked rotten. With a few strategic blows from the butt of her spear, the lock gave way, revealing a stash of food and supplies.


Her stomach growled at the sight of the canned goods and bottled water. It had been days since she had had anything more than the jerky she carried with her. Liza's eyes lit up, and she rushed to the box, pulling out cans with a sense of wonder. "Is it safe to eat?" she asked, holding up a can of beans.


Savine nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "It's been a while, but it's better than nothing." She found a rusty can opener and handed it to the girl. "Let's get a fire going, and we'll have a real meal."


They cleared the debris from the fireplace, and Savine struck another waterproof match, the flame dancing in the darkness. The wood caught, and soon the cabin was bathed in a warm glow. Liza opened the cans with an excitement that seemed out of place in the bleakness of their world. They shared the beans, the warmth spreading through them like a balm to their weary souls.


"We can't stay here too long," Savine said, the crackle of the fire punctuating the silence. "We need to keep moving."


"Is there a place where the machines can't get us?" Liza asked.


Savine looked into the fire, the flames reflecting in her eyes. "There's talk of a human camp in the valleys beyond the mountain. It's rumored to be well-hidden, but the journey is treacherous. And the machines are everywhere."


Liza nodded solemnly, her gaze dropping to the half-eaten can of beans. "Do you think your brother made it there?"


Savine's expression softened. "I hope so. Melio was always the smart one." She took a deep breath, the warmth of the fire battling the cold reality of their situation.


They rested for a few hours, the crackling fire their only company. The cabin felt like a mirage in the middle of their damp, cold hell. But the comfort was fleeting. The machines were persistent, and their patrol patterns unpredictable. The longer they stayed, the greater the risk of discovery.


With the fire reduced to embers, they gathered their supplies and made their way back to the path. The mountain's slope was steeper now, the trees closer together, forming a dense canopy above them. The air grew colder, the mist thicker. Savine felt a prickle of unease. The silence was too deep, too unbroken by the usual sounds of the city below.


"We're getting close," she murmured to Liza, whose breaths had turned into clouds of mist in the chilly air.


The girl nodded, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. They had been walking for what felt like forever, their progress slow and arduous. The mountain was a labyrinth of rock and vegetation, a place where the machines had not yet reached. Or so they hoped.


Savine’s thoughts drifted to Melio. How was he? Was he safe? She pushed the doubt away. He was clever, she reminded herself. He had to be okay.


The path grew steeper, the vegetation thicker, and the air grew colder. Liza stumbled, her legs giving out. "We need to rest," she whispered.


Savine looked around, her eyes searching for any sign of danger. They had come too far to stop now, but Liza’s exhaustion was clear. "Okay, just for a bit," she conceded, her eyes never leaving the path. They found a spot under a large pine, the branches providing some semblance of cover from the machines' prying eyes.


Savine leaned against the tree trunk, her spear still at the ready. Liza curled up beside her, the warmth of the fire from their meal slowly leaving her body. "Why do you think the machines took over?" she asked, her voice small and shaky.


Savine sighed, her eyes scanning the path. "I don't know. Maybe we did something to anger the creators, or perhaps it was just a glitch, a mistake." She shivered, not just from the cold but from the memory of that fateful day when the world changed forever. "All I know is we have to survive, and we can't do that if we sit around and think about the 'whys'."


They sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound the rustling of the leaves in the mist. Then, a strange noise pierced the quiet—a sound that didn’t belong in the wilderness. It was a soft beeping, rhythmic and persistent. Liza's eyes grew wide, and she grabbed Savine's arm. "Do you hear that?"


Savine's heart skipped a beat. "Shh," she whispered, her head cocked to the side. The beeping grew louder, more insistent. It was coming from a device in the pocket of Liza's jacket.


With trembling hands, Liza pulled out a small, waterlogged device. It was a child's toy, shaped like a robot, with a single glowing red eye. The beeping grew faster, the eye pulsing in sync. Savine's gut tightened. This couldn’t be a coincidence.


"Who are you really?" Savine asked.


Liza looked up at her with wide eyes, the rain trickling down her face. "I told you, I'm Liza."


Savine's grip on her arm tightened. "And what's this?" She held up the toy robot.


Liza's eyes darted to the toy and back to Savine, fear flickering in them. "It's just a... a toy. I found it, back in the city. It's all I have left of... of before."


Savine studied her closely, the beeping growing louder. Something wasn't right. "It's not just a toy, is it?" she pressed, her voice low and firm. "That thing is gonna lead them here."


Liza's eyes filled with terror as she realized her mistake. "No, please, I didn't mean to—" she stuttered, trying to explain herself. But the damage was done. The beeping grew into a pulsing whine, piercing the quiet mountain air.


Savine snatched it and tossed it behind her. She then took off running without the girl or whatever she was.


"Come back!" Liza called after her, but Savine was already gone, her footsteps echoing through the mountain's embrace.


Liza stood there with her arms folded. A low growl came from behind her.


Suddenly, a robotic hand grabbed her from behind. She screamed and thrashed, trying to break free, but the grip was too strong. It spun her around, and she found herself staring into the cold, metallic face of a machine that looked like it had just climbed out of the floodwaters. "Put me down, Arsitx!"


The machine paused, the glow of its single red eye dimming slightly. It seemed to recognize her voice, and for a moment, Liza dared to hope that it might release her. But the hope was short-lived as the eye brightened, and it spoke in a robotic tone, "Intruder detected. Protocol dictates capture for reprogramming."


"I am your creator! Put me down!"


The robotic voice seemed to consider Liza's words before a metallic hand reached up and covered her mouth, muffling her cries. Her heart raced as she stared into the unblinking red eye, the hand's grip tightening. Savine had abandoned her, and now she was alone with this monstrous creation that she had created and seemed to have a mind of its own.


The machine lifted her off the ground, its movements surprisingly gentle for something so powerful. Liza's eyes searched the dense foliage, desperately seeking a glimpse of Savine. But she was gone, swallowed by the mist and the mountain's embrace. The robot's beeping grew more urgent, a signal to others of its kind.


"We need to find her!"


The words echoed through the mountain, bouncing off the wet rocks and trees. Liza's cries grew distant as the robot, known as Arsitx, began to ascend the slope with Liza in its arms. 


The words echoed through the mountain, bouncing off the wet rocks and trees. Liza's cries grew distant as the robot, known as Arsitx, began to ascend the slope with Liza in its arms.


Savine's eyes narrowed, watching from her hiding spot. She had been fooled by the girl's innocence, lured into a false sense of security. "That little . . "


The whine grew closer, the beeping of the toy a siren call to the metal monsters that had destroyed her world. She knew she had to act fast. The machines didn't care they would eliminate anything in their path. Savine had to warn the others, get them to the camp before it was too late.Then get them to leave and go elsewhere in the world.


Her heart thundered in her chest as she sprinted down the mountain, her boots slipping on the wet leaves. She couldn't outrun the machines, not in this terrain, but she had to try. She had to focus on the task at hand: surviving.


Arsitx and Liza saw two others coming toward them.


"Stop!" Liza yelled. "Don't move!"


The two machines halted, their red eyes scanning the area. Fosest and Runde, other animal-like and smaller machines, had picked up the signal from Arsitx. They were more nimble and faster than Arsitx, designed for capture. The rain had stopped, and the mist began to clear, revealing the full extent of the mountain's beauty.


Liza, shifted uncomfortably in Arsitx's grasp, her mind racing. "I'm Liza Nickel!" she shouted to the approaching machines, her voice strained with desperation. "Let me go!"


The two smaller machines, Fosest and Runde, paused for a moment, their eyes flickering as they processed the information.


"Creator." Runde spoke.


Liza's eyes widened. "Yes! That's right! Now, let me down!" She slapped Arsitx's metal chest, but her feeble protest was met with unyielding steel.


"Creator?," Arsitx responded, its voice cold and unyielding.


Liza's hope grew. "Yes! Yes, I'm the creator! Of you and the rest of Nixellpac."


"Impossible," Arsitx's metallic voice was firm, "you are not in the database."


Liza's heart sank. "But I am! I swear!" she insisted, her voice trembling. The two smaller machines exchanged glances, their mechanical heads tilting slightly as if considering her words.


"Protocol dictates verification," Fosest stated, its voice a series of clicks and whirs.


Liza's eyes darted around, searching for any escape. The mist had lifted, revealing the steep drop behind her. The mountain's edge was a stark reminder of her precarious situation. "Take me to the control center," she blurted out, trying to buy time. "There you can see that I'm the creator."


The machines remained still, their red eyes unblinking. "Compliance is not mandatory," Arsitx said, its grip tightening. "You will be taken for reprogramming."


"Fine."


The word came out of Liza's mouth, surprising even herself. "Take me to the control center," she repeated, her voice steadier now. She had to reprogram him.


"Affirmative," Arsitx responded, its grip loosening slightly. It turned and began descending the mountain, Liza in tow. The two smaller machines fell in line behind them, their movements silent and precise.


Savine saw this from down the mountain.


Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched Liza being carried away by the machines. "Good," she hissed under her breath. She had to get to the camp and warn the others before the machines got there.


Savine sprinted down the mountain, her muscles screaming with each step. The path grew steeper, the vegetation thicker, but she didn’t slow down. The rain had turned everything into a slippery obstacle course, but she had to keep moving. The lives of her fellow survivors depended on it.