Her Eyes Reflect The Stars

by Lynwood

We Near the Expedition's Goal

Dear Diary,

It's been two days since we first encountered the five machines. Each day they waited for us to pack, assumed their formation around us, and moved us closer to the Horseshoe Ruins. We entered the northern outskirts early in the morning. I was shocked at how little destruction there was. A few city blocks had burnt, but most of the city had simply been abandoned and left to rot. Score and I guessed that the Event swept through that part of the city so quickly that there simply wasn't any time for resistance, but we can't be sure.

The machines led us right through the center of the city. The streets are filled with the same grass that covers all the Ash Fields, but a few of the city's towers are still standing, thrusting up out of the ruins and reaching high into the sky. They're wind-swept by the sea air and overgrown now, but walking below them felt like walking alongside ancient giants.

It happened so fast. One moment, we were walking in the shadows of the centuries-old skyscrapers, and the next, we were surrounded. Dozens of children poured out of the buildings' remains and began to circle around us, twitching and groaning something like words. The machines froze, motionless, as we huddled close to Auburn. For a moment, nothing at all happened, and then the first Child screamed and sprinted at us.

The nearest machine's back unfolded and something glinted in the sun. The Child went tumbling down, spasming on the ground before going still. I barely had a moment to see the tendril that had sprouted from the machine, lithe and long and tipped with a razor-sharp crystal, before the rest of the Children attacked. I pressed myself close to Auburn but I needn't have bothered. The machines all opened up and began whipping at the monsters. Not a single one got close.

In a few terrible moments, it was all over. The machines promptly folded back up and began to move again, ignoring their coating of stinking gray blood and leading us out of the ring of corpses as if nothing had happened at all.

The southern side of the city had seen unimaginable destruction. There were rusted sets of armor and destroyed machines everywhere. I've never seen so many in one place, of so many different sizes. They were lying in the streets and draped over buildings or blown apart. I thought our destination would be there, but the machines ignored it all and lead us through a hole in the decaying remains of a massive palisade wall and out of the city.

They walked us to the edge of the ruins. Then they stopped and laid down, save for one. It looked at us and pointed a hoof to the south. Compass recorded the direction and we departed our strange allies, eager to leave them behind. The last one watched us go.

We had all been unnerved by our time in the Ruins, so we silently made camp not long after that. I cannot help but wonder why the machines chose to lead us through the city like that, but I am determined to find out.

There is a large hill on the horizon, directly in our path. We'll reach it tomorrow, I believe.

Signed,
Quick Quill

Comments

[GrimDarkSurvivor]

We had all been unnerved by our time in the Ruins, so we silently made camp not long after that. I cannot help but wonder why the machines chose to lead us through the city like that, but I am determined to find out.

Rogue machinery that ain't under no ones control?

[FOXTrot2]

11478305
No way, there's definitely a plan here.