A warm, golden sunlight. The air filled with the pleasant scent of summer. And an overwhelming, ringing sound of cicadas.
As you wander through the streets of a city long consumed by nature, the only sounds that can be heard are the incessant noise of insects. In a few centuries, or perhaps even longer, all of this will change. But for now, the pleasant scenery of a city painted in green is a view common in this world. It has been like this for quite some time. Humanity is long gone. And even those who were able to escape have long been lost among the stars.
The backpack is quite heavy, as it has been stuffed with numerous mechanical parts. Usually, healthy people avoid the trouble of leaving the city to search for items. The path itself is not particularly dangerous; however, everyone is making an effort to avoid becoming infected. It doesn't matter to you, as you have already recovered in the past.
It was a disease from over a century ago.
An illness that always left the patient with colorless eyes. The lucky ones who were able to survive the infection ended up losing the ability to reproduce. Needless to say, almost no humans remained. Only their machines are now exploring the peaceful planet as their ancestors once did.
You return from your thoughts as you approach the grave. Two little birds are perched on the tombstone, singing, but they fly away instantly as they notice you.
"I wish I could. To see the ground from the endless, distant skies."
A painful memory flashed through your mind. Something from a different time, from another life.
You place the flowers on the tombstone and after a few moments, move away. Naturally, there are almost no children left in this world. The only children one can expect to see are mostly androids, being developed for some weird reason. Well, the AI knows better how to integrate into declining human society.
As it happens, there is an android just like that in your workshop, awaiting repairs. It's an Eve model caretaker that was discovered outside the city, severely damaged. Poor thing had several of its limbs broken. Being an engineer have it's advantages, as one of the scavenging scouts gave it to you a few weeks ago.
"Perhaps you'll get some useful scrap out of it," you remember the words, and such idea surely crossed your mind not even once. Yet, you started to repair it. Merely a way to test your skills, perhaps?
Some of the guards greet you with friendly faces when you return to the settlement. They are not afraid of you. Everyone here has already been infected, as the uninfected rarely venture to the surface. After a brief exchange, you head to your workshop. There aren't many people around - you could count them on one hand even on the busiest days. Still, it's more than the practically naught outside the settlement.
The workshop greets you with its warmth as you enter. You flip on the lights and set your backpack down on the floor. As the artificial illumination fills the room, it reveals the body of an android secured to a specialized table, various cables connected to it. Once you have gathered all the necessary tools and materials, you take a seat nearby and begin your work.
The android's skin is no longer damaged and looks almost human, if a bit too pale. All of its limbs are attached and have some functionality. Its left leg, however, is still barely working, making it your priority for today's repairs.
You press a few buttons on the terminal. As the numbers run across the screen, your eyes stop tracking them and instead fix on the table beneath you. The body of a girl—lying there beautifully—is making everything around seem ugly. The light dances on her pale skin, staining the dark worn table in beautiful gray. The scenery is almost surreal, and time is nonexistent. The girl asked you to be turned off because she was extremely bored. A silly reason. It isn't until you hear a few beeps from the monitor—signaling that she is activated—that your mind returns to reality. It's better for her to be activated during the procedure, as she can guide you if necessary.
"Oh. You're staring," the girl said, sounding lazy and a little surprised. Only her eyes could move, and she looked right into yours.
