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2.
"Tomo," a low call came from the doorway of my bedroom, it couldn’t be called a whisper because Zero couldn’t whisper, he’d just turned down the volume.
"Yeah," I croaked through the last dregs of sleep, I sat up and squinted through the darkness trying to discern Zero’s form.
"Would you like to come with me?" his voice came from closer, my eyes began to adjust and the moonlight glinted off of Zero’s smooth face. He appeared blue in the low light, brows turned up imploringly. I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth.
"Where?" I whispered softly swinging my legs off the edge of the bed, I curled my toes into the plush carpet. Zero’s hand came before my face in an instant, I jolted and gasped at the sudden movement.
"I was reading old maps of the area and I found a place where you can get close to the continental wall," his words almost ran together as the map projected from his hand, he leaned over the light. "It must be an astounding feeling, comparing yourself to a wall that embraces the entirety of humanity," a smile born of wonder spread across his face.
"What?" My brows knitted together, "w-what are you talking about?" My voice wavered as I sat rigid.
"Oh," he expelled seemingly in surprise as he switched off the projection and straightened up. Zero stood still as my mind whirred, a wall surrounding all of humanity, I flushed cold with shock. "What do you know about the history of this nation Tomo?" Zero asked after an immeasurable span of time.
"I-I," I took a deep breath to calm myself, "I knew that we were surrounded by a wall but I thought we could leave, that there were other nations," I was suddenly unsure of everything I knew. How I instantly took Zero’s words for gospel didn’t escape me, but I had more pressing things to worry about at the time.
"It’s true that there are smaller walls surrounding each and every nation, but there’s a larger wall that surrounds the last surviving continent, beyond that is a waste land," Zero warily reeled off the information.
"Why don’t they tell us that in school?" I asked, fingers twisting and pulling at the sheets.
"I’m not entirely sure, but it’s obvious that there’s something the people with that information don’t want everyone to know, this is as far as your mother’s clearance pass gets me," he pursed his lips, hands fisted at his sides.
"Then what happened, to the outside?" I stood meeting Zero’s eyes, I felt as though I was being dragged down by a torrent of things I wasn’t supposed to know.
"I don’t know," he said distantly, "Tomo, I’m sorry I did not mean to distress you," he placed his hand upon my shoulder.
"L-let’s go," I said taking the hand on my shoulder in both of mine.
"Are you really sure?" his fingers wriggled in my grasp. I nodded firmly.
__________________________________________________________________________________
"Is this really necessary?" Zero squirmed in my clothes.
"Yes, it is," I said as I straightened the cap atop his head. "Did my mother not create you in secret?" I raised a brow.
"No, she didn’t tell anyone about me, there are strict rules against creating intelligent robot in humanoid form," he stated. "I understand why, I am just uncomfortable with the method," he pulled at the hem of the shirt.
I stood back and snickered at the sight of him, my clothes draped loosely over his sparse frame. His fingers came up and curled around my chin, he tipped my gaze to his face.
"Your laughing face might be delightful, but these are your clothes," the touch of his fingers spread a coolness over my face.
"Yeah and they suit me," I smiled.
"I am quite convinced that no clothes will ever suit me," Zero looked away, a thought came to me as he removed his hand from my face.
"Maybe you should wear gloves too," I considered, tilting my head to the side.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Zero’s gloved fingers were curled around my hand as he led me through the dark streets, I found that I missed the cold touch. He must have made a path that dodged all of the security scanners, even the drones that roamed the skies, and committed it to memory. We navigated the narrow roads and shadowed cracks between looming buildings, the blood red moon shone low in the sky. It must have been around three am when we came upon an obviously abandoned area, towering server buildings had hid this place behind their backs. One could find it if they only cared to look and it seemed that only Zero had cared.
Nature curled and crept upon the steel carcass of former buildings, vines and leaves sprouted and completely covered most of the four buildings. Zero’s pull on my hand took us deeper, ignoring the buildings to go between and beyond them.
"On the map this area is empty," Zero stated blandly, "there’s no record of these buildings existing," had I been listening, had I not been completely captivated by the sight before me, now past the buildings, I might have been more cautious, I might have urged Zero to take me back home, but I didn’t.
Nature had tried to reclaim the deep dirty grey wall, but had ultimately failed to scale its peak. The structure so tall it made me feel as though I were sinking into the ground, a pressure crushing my body and making my bones creak. I was unable to do anything but stand there and stare, caught in the gaze of a monument of something far before my time and knowledge.
"I wonder why there’s no record of these buildings," it was only once he’d spoken that I noticed Zero was no longer holding my hand. "There must be something hidden here," he said voice thickly coated in interest, I turned to see him stalk into one of the buildings using what was once a window as a door. __________________________________________________________________________________
I dragged my hand over the screen, pen gripped loosely between my fingers, a monochrome figure began to appear and I frowned. Even when he wasn’t in the same room as me he was still ruining everything. I peered over my drawing table and out at the garden, intent on finding inspiration there, only to have my sight caught by Zero’s form absorbing the bright summer light. I ground my teeth together, I really couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without him getting in the way.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Silicone fingers curled over my mouth and pulled back my lip.
"You cut your gum with an apple," Zero’s voice was verging on incredulous. I swung my feet against the kitchen cabinet from where I sat upon the countertop.
"Yes, I cut my mouth eating an apple," I slurred, speech impaired by Zero’s fingers. "Now that we’re sure I don’t have gum disease, will you get off," I barked at him, impatience tinged my tone. Zero backed off slowly, carefully placing my lip back in its place.
"You should be more careful next time, maybe softer fruits would be just as adequate," Zero suggested, mouth pulled up in concern.
"Sure," I breathed as I climbed down from the countertop.
__________________________________________________________________________________
I winced and rubbed the small of my back, glaring up at him. A kind of laughter I’d only heard from girls trying to get the attention of boys drifted down on me, it was a sweet sound that grated against my nerves.
"Are you laughing at me?" I leant back, the next step dug into my spine.
"You’re prejudice is rather amusing," Zero smiled down at me. I frowned and tried to kick his legs out from under him, to no avail.
"Damn robots," I grumbled under my breath.
__________________________________________________________________________________
"Yeah," I croaked through the last dregs of sleep, I sat up and squinted through the darkness trying to discern Zero’s form.
"Would you like to come with me?" his voice came from closer, my eyes began to adjust and the moonlight glinted off of Zero’s smooth face. He appeared blue in the low light, brows turned up imploringly. I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth.
"Where?" I whispered softly swinging my legs off the edge of the bed, I curled my toes into the plush carpet. Zero’s hand came before my face in an instant, I jolted and gasped at the sudden movement.
"I was reading old maps of the area and I found a place where you can get close to the continental wall," his words almost ran together as the map projected from his hand, he leaned over the light. "It must be an astounding feeling, comparing yourself to a wall that embraces the entirety of humanity," a smile born of wonder spread across his face.
"What?" My brows knitted together, "w-what are you talking about?" My voice wavered as I sat rigid.
"Oh," he expelled seemingly in surprise as he switched off the projection and straightened up. Zero stood still as my mind whirred, a wall surrounding all of humanity, I flushed cold with shock. "What do you know about the history of this nation Tomo?" Zero asked after an immeasurable span of time.
"I-I," I took a deep breath to calm myself, "I knew that we were surrounded by a wall but I thought we could leave, that there were other nations," I was suddenly unsure of everything I knew. How I instantly took Zero’s words for gospel didn’t escape me, but I had more pressing things to worry about at the time.
"It’s true that there are smaller walls surrounding each and every nation, but there’s a larger wall that surrounds the last surviving continent, beyond that is a waste land," Zero warily reeled off the information.
"Why don’t they tell us that in school?" I asked, fingers twisting and pulling at the sheets.
"I’m not entirely sure, but it’s obvious that there’s something the people with that information don’t want everyone to know, this is as far as your mother’s clearance pass gets me," he pursed his lips, hands fisted at his sides.
"Then what happened, to the outside?" I stood meeting Zero’s eyes, I felt as though I was being dragged down by a torrent of things I wasn’t supposed to know.
"I don’t know," he said distantly, "Tomo, I’m sorry I did not mean to distress you," he placed his hand upon my shoulder.
"L-let’s go," I said taking the hand on my shoulder in both of mine.
"Are you really sure?" his fingers wriggled in my grasp. I nodded firmly.
__________________________________________________________________________________
"Is this really necessary?" Zero squirmed in my clothes.
"Yes, it is," I said as I straightened the cap atop his head. "Did my mother not create you in secret?" I raised a brow.
"No, she didn’t tell anyone about me, there are strict rules against creating intelligent robot in humanoid form," he stated. "I understand why, I am just uncomfortable with the method," he pulled at the hem of the shirt.
I stood back and snickered at the sight of him, my clothes draped loosely over his sparse frame. His fingers came up and curled around my chin, he tipped my gaze to his face.
"Your laughing face might be delightful, but these are your clothes," the touch of his fingers spread a coolness over my face.
"Yeah and they suit me," I smiled.
"I am quite convinced that no clothes will ever suit me," Zero looked away, a thought came to me as he removed his hand from my face.
"Maybe you should wear gloves too," I considered, tilting my head to the side.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Zero’s gloved fingers were curled around my hand as he led me through the dark streets, I found that I missed the cold touch. He must have made a path that dodged all of the security scanners, even the drones that roamed the skies, and committed it to memory. We navigated the narrow roads and shadowed cracks between looming buildings, the blood red moon shone low in the sky. It must have been around three am when we came upon an obviously abandoned area, towering server buildings had hid this place behind their backs. One could find it if they only cared to look and it seemed that only Zero had cared.
Nature curled and crept upon the steel carcass of former buildings, vines and leaves sprouted and completely covered most of the four buildings. Zero’s pull on my hand took us deeper, ignoring the buildings to go between and beyond them.
"On the map this area is empty," Zero stated blandly, "there’s no record of these buildings existing," had I been listening, had I not been completely captivated by the sight before me, now past the buildings, I might have been more cautious, I might have urged Zero to take me back home, but I didn’t.
Nature had tried to reclaim the deep dirty grey wall, but had ultimately failed to scale its peak. The structure so tall it made me feel as though I were sinking into the ground, a pressure crushing my body and making my bones creak. I was unable to do anything but stand there and stare, caught in the gaze of a monument of something far before my time and knowledge.
"I wonder why there’s no record of these buildings," it was only once he’d spoken that I noticed Zero was no longer holding my hand. "There must be something hidden here," he said voice thickly coated in interest, I turned to see him stalk into one of the buildings using what was once a window as a door. __________________________________________________________________________________
I dragged my hand over the screen, pen gripped loosely between my fingers, a monochrome figure began to appear and I frowned. Even when he wasn’t in the same room as me he was still ruining everything. I peered over my drawing table and out at the garden, intent on finding inspiration there, only to have my sight caught by Zero’s form absorbing the bright summer light. I ground my teeth together, I really couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without him getting in the way.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Silicone fingers curled over my mouth and pulled back my lip.
"You cut your gum with an apple," Zero’s voice was verging on incredulous. I swung my feet against the kitchen cabinet from where I sat upon the countertop.
"Yes, I cut my mouth eating an apple," I slurred, speech impaired by Zero’s fingers. "Now that we’re sure I don’t have gum disease, will you get off," I barked at him, impatience tinged my tone. Zero backed off slowly, carefully placing my lip back in its place.
"You should be more careful next time, maybe softer fruits would be just as adequate," Zero suggested, mouth pulled up in concern.
"Sure," I breathed as I climbed down from the countertop.
__________________________________________________________________________________
I winced and rubbed the small of my back, glaring up at him. A kind of laughter I’d only heard from girls trying to get the attention of boys drifted down on me, it was a sweet sound that grated against my nerves.
"Are you laughing at me?" I leant back, the next step dug into my spine.
"You’re prejudice is rather amusing," Zero smiled down at me. I frowned and tried to kick his legs out from under him, to no avail.
"Damn robots," I grumbled under my breath.
__________________________________________________________________________________