The time was almost seven o\x92 clock in the evening. The place was like a huge dumpster. Electric parts everywhere, bodies and body parts could be seen-and smelled. Yet, one person was hiding amongst those garbish. A wingless griffin, she was almost 30 years old. Her thin and well-built body carried a lot of scars-sign that she has been though a lot. Her fur was light orange and she had long red hair tied up to a ponytail. She was wearing a t-shirt that was almost torn and a pair of short jeans. Yet, even with those clothes on, she still felt very hot. She was sweating both from heat and from anxiety. She crawled quietly through the smelly garbish. She knew that the robots\x92 radars weren\x92t working now.
It was a very small base, where they kept parts of robots and weapons - it was worth destroying. She pulled out a round cylinder from her pocket. There was a small keyboard at the side of it. She had to type the ignition code and get out of there in seconds. As she was typing, she noticed with the corner of her eye a dark figure flying above her. She looked up but she only saw the red sky. She shrugged it off, hoping that the machines didn\x92t know she was there.
\x91This is for you Jimmy\x85\x94
\xA0She said as she tossed the grenade towards the camp. The robots heard the noise of the cylinder hitting the ground and turned their radars to where it was. That gave her time to flee without being noticed. She started running - she only had one moment - but suddenly something made her fall. Her foot was caught between two metal tubes. She gasped, trying to pull her foot out of the deadly trap but it was too heavy for her. She had only half moment left. There was no way she could make it\x85 this was the end
-----
The year was 2254. The Dragon Isle was still isolated from the human world, but the dragons managed to destroy themselves. After making machines better and better, people came along, governors and people with a big influence that believed that machines could be used to enslave the \x93unobeytient\x94 anthros. Many anthros were killed and from their bodies they made killing machines. Yet, small groups of anthros were brave enough to fight back. By forming little cities and villages, they did whatever was possible to fight against the machines. Dana was one of them. After loosing her family due to a robot attack at her village, she swore that she\x92d fight the machines with all her might. And she begun with a little base some miles outside her village\x85
-----
Now, trapped there, only a few seconds before her death, the only thing she could thing about was her son, Jimmy. She only hoped someone would take care of him. Her foot now ached a lot-the metal tore through her flesh. \x9320\x85. 19\x8518\x94 She started counting the seconds she had to live. Suddenly, she saw a black figure approaching her with lightning speed. Within seconds, the figure removed the metal tubes away from her foot and tossed them away as if they were made of paper. It grabbed her in its huge arms and run away. But even it was not fast enough. It realised that, and it quickly set her on the ground and hugged her tight in its chest-as if protecting her
-----
Dana opened her eyes. It was nigh time. She sighted and watched the smoke coming out of her mouth. It got quite cold at night. \x93Wait a minute\x94 she frowned as she thought. \x91I\x92m not dead? How come? The explosion\x85 the\x85 that thing!\x94 Suddenly, a feeling of something probing her leg made her gasp and she tried to jump, but something was holding her on the ground. She looked up and saw a robot was kneeling down and doing something at her foot. She screamed and struggled to get loose. But the robot\x92s arm was locked on to her leg very tight and no matter how much she kicked; it didn\x92t let go of her. Finally, exhausted she started crying.
\x93Please\x85 don\x92t hurt me,\x94 she whispered\x85 although she knew it was in vain. Machines did not listen to anthros talking. They were not programmed to do so. They were only programmed to follow orders and to kill! But to her surprise, the robot spoke to her.
\x93You have a malfunction on your leg. I can fix you.\x94 Dana looked at the robot surprised - not sure if it was because that a robot was speaking to her or that it was actually helping her! She examined the robot. Obviously, before he was \x93turned\x94 he was a mountain dragon. He had straight, long hair all the way down to his waist. His body was huge and bulky, his joints attached together with thick black wires. On his stomach there was a big \x93globe\x94 thing that had a very light purple color. Must be some kind of a weapon, she thought. She watched him work. His left arm was holding her leg tight while his left fingers had changed into small needles that pumped some kind of fluid onto her wound. It didn\x92t hurt anymore. Finally, the robot stood up.
Dana could only watch in amazement. \x93Th-thank you\x85\x94 she whispered. She looked at her wound. There were no stitches, yet, the bleeding stopped and it seemed as if it was already in the healing progress. She looked up. The robot was still there eyeing her.
\x93So\x85 you\x92re a machine\x85 why did you help me?\x94 \x93I\x92m not like the rest\x94 The robot replied. \x93I don\x92t understand\x85\x94 The robot didn\x92t answer her. He just looked at the sky as if he was thinking\x85 or remembering. Dana was confused, both from this robot and from her emotions. Even though there was a robot close to her, she didn\x92t feel threatened at all. She noticed that his body was also scarred and patches of metal were missing from his body.
\x93Looks like you need some help\x94 She said \x93Why don\x92t you come with me tomorrow? I can fix you\x85\x94 The robot looked at her \x93I know about robots and stuff\x85 eh\x85 better to know your enemy, right?\x94 she blushed and coughed. She felt very sleepy and tired, but yet she couldn\x92t go to sleep. No matter how \x93safe\x94 she felt at the moment, there was a machine close to her. She didn\x92t want to go to sleep\x85. just in case!
-----
-----
She woke up with a yawn. As soon as she opened her eyes, she gasped! The robot was standing in front of here, right where he was the night before. His eyes glowed blue for a second as if he \x93woke up\x94.
\x93You\x92re still here?\x94 He only looked at her. She thought she saw his lips contract. As if he really had emotions\x85
Dana, followed by the robot, started her way back to the village. Although her leg was healing, she was still limping while walking. Every now and then she would catch a glimpse of her machine saviour. He was following her like a little puppy, like he needed her. It was very hot, but he didn\x92t seem to get tired. Of course not, he was a machine. Dana, on the other hand, was sweating and her limping made things worse. Finally, they saw the village appear.
The passed the gates of the village. Dana was walking close to the robot afraid of what the villagers would do when they saw him.
It was an old lady that saw the robot. The robot didn\x92t expect a scream, and he spun to the direction it was heard from, his arms changing in to huge cannons. After that, everyone in the village started running around, screaming. They thought that the machines were attacking them
\x93NO WAIT! STOP! HE\x92S NOT DANGEROUS!\x94 Dana was trying to calm them down. She walked towards the robot and touched him gently on his arm. He turned and glared at her. \x93You don\x92t want to hurt them, right? Put the gun away\x85 please?\x94 With slow movements, the robot changed his limps back into arms.
\x93Listen up everyone\x94 Dana said looking over the panicked crowd \x93um\x85 this\x85 this robot will not hurt you! He\x85 he saved my life. He needs help!\x94 \x93You\x92re gonna help that machine?\x94 A man called \x94Have you forgotten what have they done to us?\x94 Dana sighted. \x93Ok\x85 if you don\x92t feel safe with him being here then\x85 umm\x85 I\x92ll keep him locked in!\x94 This was ridiculous! She knew no one trusted a machine! Still, she did lock the door, not so that the robot couldn\x92t get out, but villagers couldn\x92t get in.
\x93Come close\x85 you need to be cleaned\x85\x94 The robot approached he, as she dipped a piece of cloth in some sort of liquid. It was a special liquid that could clean up metal from almost all kind of dirt. She started. First from his back. Then moved to his chest. And finally, his legs. She could feel no heartbeat, no breathing, nothing\x85 yet deep inside, something told her that this machine in front of her was more alive than some anthros themselves.
\x93So\x85 do you have a name?\x94 Dana asked as she was cleaning him. He hesitated. He didn\x92t want her to know his name\x85 it was too\x85 funny. Finally, he spoke. \x93Cleave\x85\x94 \x93Cleave\x85 nice name. I\x92m Dana!\x94 She said and extended a hand, but she got no response. She signed and sat on her bed. \x93I still don\x92t understand\x85 who\x85 what are you? Why\x85 ummm\x85 why are you like this? Machines are not supposed to\x85um\x85you know\x85\x94
\xA0Cleave could pick up another person on his radar
\xA0
\x93\x85Feel?\x94 he finished her sentence. She sighted. She didn\x92t know what else to do to make him talk to her about himself. She walked towards him.
\x93Look\x85 I hope one day I\x92ll find out who you are\x85 but now\x85 it\x92s late. Umm do you want a room or something?\x94 \x93I do not sleep\x94 \x93Of course not. But I\x92m an anthro and I sleep! So\x85\x94 she gently pushed him out of her bedroom \x93Goodnight and\x85 call me if you need anything\x94.
She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She thought\x85 could this be real? Could a machine actually be alive? Could it have feelings? A soul? Where did he come from? He was obviously not like the rest\x85