Metal and Flesh

David could hear the muffled roar of the bike’s engine through his helmet. The wind

whipped at his worn clothes, the feeling of tiny particles of sand pelting his shawl, bouncing off

the metal of the helmet. He shifted his position on the bike slightly, trying to relieve the stiffness

of his back, leaning back into the makeshift support. He glanced out to his side, taking in the

scene. An ocean of sand spread out in front of him, the setting sun creeping closer toward the

horizon. He could see bits of metal and concrete poking up from sand dunes, remnants of what

was buried under the sands of now. He took a deep breath, before letting out a huff, listening to

the sound of rubber speeding through sand.

“You good?” a woman’s voice came through the headset. David returned his gaze in

front of him. A flurry of black hair whipped at him, a sand-stained trenchcoat sat in front of him,

its arms outstretched, hands firmly clamped to the bike's handlebars, guiding it through the

desert.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” David replied as he studied the hands. They resembled human hands,

peach-colored like skin, except the texture was wrong. These hands were mechanical, the joints

were gray, metal covers resembling knuckles protected the intricate machinery underneath. He

studied the lines on the hands as they outlined the separate sections of the hand, making it easier

to replace damaged parts. He slowly brought his gaze down the arm, the trench coat sleeves

rolled back to the elbows. Similar mechanical markings and lines spread down the arm, a bolt at

the elbow joint. It was still strange to David, seeing something so human, yet entirely robotic.

“We’ll reach town in a few hours,” the woman’s voice came again. One of the

mechanical hands gestured towards the sun. “Should get there before dusk. You sure you’re

good? We could take a break, get you movin-”

The voice was silent a moment. “Alright,” Corri responded, the hand pulling back on the

throttle, the bike accelerating forward.

Another hour passed as they drove, Corri making slight adjustments to their course as

they rode forward, the sun sinking ever lower in the sky. David tried to keep his eyes open, his

head falling forward before he jutted back upwards, shaking his head.

“Dip out if ya need,” Corri’s voice came from the helmet. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you

fall.”

David shook his head. “I’m good, just a little tired,” he said.

“Then best to get some sleep now,” Corri responded. “Can’t do that when we get in

town.”

David nodded in response. “Thanks,” he responded, letting his head drop, closing his

eyes. He felt Corri lean back into him, keeping him in place. He slowly drifted off to sleep, the

sound of the bike slowly fading as the helmet sealed, blocking out all sound as the visor

darkened.

***

David was violently jolted awake, his body feeling as though it was flying sideways. The

visor lightened, revealing that David was staring straight at the ground. His eyes widened in fear,

seeing but not hearing sand slamming off his helmet before he was suddenly shoved upright. He

tried to orientate himself, bringing his gaze in front of him. He watched Corri fight with the bike,

swerving back and forth until she got it under control.

“You ‘ight?” her voice came through the helmet.

chest. “I’m good, I’m good,” David said, trying to get his bearings. “What’s happening?”

Corri let go of David’s chest, returning her hand to the handlebar. “Damn sand slug,” she

muttered under her breath, glancing off to her right. David followed her gaze, his eyes widening

at the sight just ahead of them. A twisting mass of metal snaked up through the air, before diving

back down, giant plumes of smoke erupting from where the machine dug, its tail disappearing

into the ocean of tan. David noticed the rumblings that shook the bike, assuming before it had

just been the road, as they became more violent until suddenly the machine exploded upwards

from the ground just in front of them. Corri quickly veered off to the right, sliding around the

machine as it dove once more. David watched as the machine dug into the sand just off to his

side.

This thing’s amazing, David thought to himself, tapping the side of the helmet. His

thoughts quickly turned from amazement to worry as he felt the rumblings slowly fade, before

starting to pick up again.

“Hey, is that thing after us?” David asked.

Corri shook her head. “Nah, sand slugs don’t tend to go after nothin’,” she replied. “But

they do make for a preem target for scrap, so that means…” Corri trailed off, glancing at her side

mirrors. She stared for a moment before she let out an annoyed sigh. “Right on time,” she

muttered.

David furrowed his brow, before quickly deactivating the helmet’s silent mode. Muffled

sound returned to him, the sound of the bike engine roaring. But now he could hear the

rumblings of other engines, getting closer and closer with each moment. He turned, seeing

plumes of sand rapidly approaching before someone hunched over on a bike shot past them.
Suddenly more bikes flew by before trucks and old military transports started to overtake them.

An old military APC pulled up alongside them, matching their speed. The top hatch burst open, a

figure emerging. He wore tattered military fatigues, his face a mix of chrome and peach-colored

metal. One arm was completely silver, the other a strange mix of metals. His jaw was slightly

extended, bolts moving up the jawline.

David saw his eyes flash blue for a moment before an open channel was established. “Oi,

you lot fuck off, this slug is ours,” a man’s voice yelled through the helmet.

“We look like we’re huntin’ slugs, choppa?” Corri responded, irritation in her voice.

“Piss off and hunt your glorified caver, damned scrap junkie.”

“The fuck you say, bitch?” he yelled back.

“Leave it,” another voice said, “Bastards gettin’ away.” David glanced in front of him. A

majority of the convoy was pulling ahead, the machine exploding upwards once again, much

further off in the distance. He turned back towards the APC. The man was staring at the machine,

before turning back towards them.

“Fucking watch yourself, bitch. Lotta things happen out in the Dunes,” he yelled, before

his eyes returned to their normal color, the transmission cutting off. He slammed the top of the

APC. It began to speed forward, Corri giving the man the middle finger as they started to pull

away.

Corri returned her hand to the handlebar, shaking her head. “Damn choppas,” Corri said

as she pulled back on the throttle.

David watched the convoy chasing the worm into the distance, slowly disappearing into

the sand. “Choppas?” David asked.

vultures,” Corri responded.

“So they hunt machines like that?” David asked.

“They hunt anything they can get scrap out of,” Corri responded. “Slugs, ferals, other

droids, they don’t care as long as it gets ‘em more metal.”

“Wait, they hunt droids?” David questioned.

“Like I said, whatever gets ‘em scrap,” Corri replied.

David returned his gaze to the horizon, hearing the sound of explosions and gunfire in the

distance. “That ‘slug,’ what’s it doing?” David asked.

“Digging,” Corri replied. “It’s all it knows how to do. Its onboard AI is completely

fucked, so it just digs.”

“That cause of Virotech?” David asked. Corri simply nodded her head. David returned

his gaze to the horizon, the sound of gunfire faded, the rumbling of the engine steady as the sun

drifted lower and lower in the sky. David closed his eyes for a moment, unable to bear the sight

of the world that was left for them. He opened his eyes again, a pang of guilt echoing in him as

he stared at the ruins of what once was.

***

Corri slowly brought the bike to a stop, putting her leg out, keeping them upright. David

glanced up at the walls of the town. They were made of various metals, some looking as though

they came from ruined cars, sides of buildings, scraps from a downed plane. David looked across

the top, but could find no sentries posted. They waited in silence, the sound of the engine idling

only accompanied by wind howling across the desert. The sun had fallen below the horizon, the
moon now high in the sky. David stared up at the moon, a sense of longing suddenly overtaking

him.

Suddenly a transmission opened. “Purpose?’ a voice asked.

“Resupply and refuel,” Corri responded. David glanced around, before spotting a glint of

a lens. He narrowed his eyes, spying a makeshift camera hidden near the top of the entrance. He

saw it pan over them, before the gates were slowly pulled open. Corri walked the bike forward as

David glanced around. Chrome buildings sprawled upwards, a gigantic bar was in the center of

the town. Androids of all kinds sat around it, drinking chemical cocktails or plugged in, their

eyes closed, sometimes twitching as a pulse of electricity coursed through them. David cast his

gaze about the town. He could feel eyes on them as Corri moved the bike forward, a droid that

David assumed to be a guard pointing them towards a corner of the town. David followed his

finger, noting a large area with vehicles all crammed together. Corri nodded to the guard, before

pulling back on the throttle slightly, coasting the bike towards the other vehicles. She slowed

down as she made her way past them.

There was a variety of vehicles there. Some bikes, large transport vans, trucks, and

scraped-together buggies. Corri eventually pulled into a space between a van and a truck. She

reached down, flicking the engine off. She dismounted the bike, David taking a moment to

stretch his back. She turned back towards him, offering her hand. David took it, getting off the

bike. He stumbled a step, his legs stiff from the ride. Corri reached up, clicking a series of

buttons on the helmet, uncompressing it, before lifting it off David’s head. David took a deep

breath through his nose, before exhaling slowly.

“Missed fresh air,” he said, smiling.

“Don’t make too much of a show of it.” She quickly wrapped the scarf around David’s neck,

pulling it up around his nose, covering his face. David reached back, pulling a tattered cap from a

bag off the bike. It had cloth hanging from the back, something humans used to wear in the

desert to protect their necks from the sun. David put it on his head, before Corri handed him a

pair of wraparound glasses. David took them, covering his eyes. The clear lenses darkened as

David activated them.

“They good?” Corri asked.

“One sec,” David said. He waited a moment, until the glasses synced with his neural

impulses. He ran a quick scan on Corri. The lenses flashed information from a basic scan, her

base unit model, rudimentary diagnostics, as well as some biotechnical data he didn’t understand.

“We’re good,” he said.

“Right, now, we’re here to resupply, refuel, and we’re splitting, savvy?” she said.

David nodded. “Got it,” he said.

“Now let me do the talkin’,” Corri said, before turning towards the town. “You know

how your accent can get us into trouble.” David nodded, before following Corri into town. David

could feel eyes from all over staring at him as they made their way to the bar in the center. He

tapped his brim a bit lower as they continued. Corri stepped up to the bar, leaning on it, glancing

around at the bartenders as they moved about. David stepped up beside her, leaning on the

counter with both elbows.

“Oi,” she said, flagging down a bartender as he walked by. “Two chemtails,” she said,

reaching into her pocket, pulling out a machine chip. David studied it, its intricate components

making his head spin. Apparently, they're quite common down here, generally seen as common
and used to trade for basic accommodies. The bartender nodded, turning and grabbing two

glasses as Corri put the chip on the counter. He picked up two canteens, pouring them into a

shaker. One was a dark green mixture, the other a vibrant blue that seemed to nearly glow. The

bartender shook the concoction, before setting a glass in front of David and Corri. He poured

them both their drinks.

“Get ya anything else?” the bartender asked.

“Y’all have any water?” Corri asked.

“Course,” the bartender said, gesturing towards a machine near the vehicles. “How much

ya need?”

“Three gallons, at least,” she responded.

The bartender cocked an eyebrow at Corri. “Three gallons?” he questioned.

“Yeah, three, that an issue?” she asked.

“No issue just seems… excessive,” the bartender commented.

“The fuck do you care?” Corri responded. “So long as you can provide, I can pay. So

how ‘bout we leave it at that, yeah?”

The bartender gave Corri a strange look, before shrugging his shoulders. His eyes flashed

blue, David noticing a droid from one of the upper floors starting to make its way downstairs.

David watched them make their way down, before stopping near the machine. The bartender

turned towards Corri. Corri reached into her pocket, pulling out another chip. This one, however,

had gold plating.

“How much will this get me?” she asked.

The bartender looked closer, studying the chip. “You’re looking for a refuel too, right?”

Corri nodded.
 “That'll cover the water, full refuel, and a night in town,” he responded, leaning back.

“Not staying,” Corri responded.

The bartender leaned on the bar in thought. “Could probably throw in clean of your bike,

if you got a couple hours,” he said.

“Done,” Corri said, placing the chip on the counter. The bartender picked up the chip,

before his eyes flashed blue. David glanced over at the droid that stood near the machine. He had

turned, the machine activated, beginning to fill up several canteens. David felt his mouth start to

water as he stared at the clear water that was pouring out of the faucet. David turned away,

closing his eyes for a moment, trying to push the thought of how thirsty he was out of his head.

He opened his eyes, glancing over at Corri. She swirled her chemtail, before downing the drink.

She put the empty glass down.

“Settle in, we’re gonna be here a bit,” she muttered. David stared at her a moment, before

shuffling to his right, sitting on one of the bar stools, trying to get comfortable for the time being.

***

David stared down at his chemtail. He swirled the glass, watching the green and blue

mixture mingle with each other, before settling once again. He glanced up at Corri. She was

leaning on one elbow on the bar, staring over at the bike. David cast his gaze in that direction,

watching as two droids cleaned the bike, removing sand and dirt from the bike’s engine and

applying a protective gel to the metal. David returned his gaze to his drink. Corri had been

watching them like a hawk, her gaze unrelenting as they cleaned her baby. Some droids had

come and gone, but for the most part, the town had been fairly quiet, the moon high in the sky.

Suddenly David heard a commotion near the front gate, the sound of several engines rumbling.

The gates opened, and several vehicles quickly pulled into the town, their engines roaring. David
watched as several bikes pulled in first, then some transport vehicles, until finally, a familiar

APC made its way over to the parking area.

“Bollocks,” Corri muttered. David glanced around, noting most of the droids that were

still outside eyeing the new arrivals, some placing their hands on the base of their weapons. The

vehicles killed their engines before a gang of choppas began to pour out. David watched until a

flock of about twenty emerged before they started to make their way over to the bar. Corri turned

back towards the bar, leaning down on both elbows. David turned as well, pushing his chemtail

in front of Corri. She picked it up, swirling it, before taking a drink. David could hear the gang

approaching, whooping and loud conversation approaching until a bag slammed down on the

counter next to him.

“Chemtails for all my boys,” a familiar voice demanded. The bartender stood for a

moment, until the choppa pulled a platinum chip out of the bag, slamming it on the counter. The

bartender picked it up, looking over it, before nodding. Several bartenders began to move,

starting to make up chemtails.

“And keep ‘em coming,” the choppa shouted, cheers from the others gathered echoing

through the town. David kept his eyes forward, listening to the flurry of footsteps pushing

forward, grabbing drinks from the bar. The main choppa, however, stayed at the bar, and David

could feel his gaze burning into him. As his men continuously hollered and cheered, grabbing

drink by drink, making a mess of the place, the choppa sat next to David, staring directly at him.

David sat quietly, keeping his eyes forward, thanking his good graces that his face was covered,

so the choppa couldn’t see him sweating.

“Oi,” the choppa said. David ignored him, keeping his gaze forward.
 “Oi,” the choppa said again, louder. He leaned in towards David, looking him up and

down. “Do I know you?”

David glanced out of the side of his eye at Corri. She was still leaning forward, but her

head was slightly tilted now, staring at the choppa out of the corner of her eye. David turned

towards the choppa, quickly glancing over the familiar chrome jaw and tattered military fatigues,

before he returned his attention forward, shaking his head.

The choppa leaned further into the counter, tilting his head completely sideways, staring

at David. “You sure? I feel like I’ve seen ya somewhere before,” he said. David shrugged his

shoulders.

The choppa took a step towards David. “Your vocals fried, mate?” he asked. “Taken a

vow of silence? Bein’ a prick?”

“Another one,” Corri called loudly to the bartender, drawing the choppa’s attention.

His eyes went wide with recognition. “You’re the bitch from the Dunes,” he said,

straightening. Corri gave no reaction. The choppa glanced back at David. “And you’re the gonk

that was ridin’ with her.” The choppa took an aggressive step towards David.

“And you’re the junkie too chromed out of his mind to see the difference between

travelers and competition,” Corri said. The choppa quickly pivoted to Corri again, a smile

spreading across his face as he walked around David.

“Yeah, I ‘member you,” he said, putting himself between David and Corri, leaning on the

bar.

“So, junkie,” Corri said, turning towards the choppa. “How’d the hunt go?”

“Well,” the choppa responded, gesturing towards the bag on the counter. “That, plus a

full truckload.”
 Corri raised her eyebrows in mock amazement. “Woah, a whole truckload? Off a

machine that can’t fight back? How impressive,” she said.

The choppa let out a snort of annoyance. “You really can’t keep your mouth shut, can

you?” he asked.

“It’s a bad habit of mine,” Corri replied.

“So, what’s the deal with your friend then?” he asked, gesturing towards David. “You

talk for both of you?”

“Maybe he just has enough self-respect not to talk to choppas,” Corri said, shrugging her

shoulders.

“That right?” the choppa asked, frustration building in his voice. He turned towards

David.

“That right? You got enough self-respect not to talk to me?” he questioned.

The hell are you doing, Corri? David questioned, keeping his mouth shut and gaze

forward. He could feel the choppa shift towards him in anger.

“Or maybe,” Corri started, drawing the choppas attention. “He’s a gonk droid. Not all up

there,” she said, tapping the side of her head. “Maybe he doesn’t have a speech modulator or a

vibration translator. Maybe he’s a broken fuckin’ droid and physically can’t respond to you,

stupid fuckin’ chrome junkie,” Corri finished, turning back towards the bar. The choppa

slammed his elbow on the bar, staring intensely at David. He didn’t move, seeing the choppas

eyes flash blue. An unauthorized scan message flashed over the glasses, but David ignored it,

letting it fill. It flashed complete, David noticing the choppas eyes quickly scan invisible text,

before a smile spread across his face, straightening from the bar.
 “Hoho my god, empty is right,” he said. “The fuck you doin’ with this thing?” he asked,

turning back towards Corri.

“None of ya fuckin’ business,” Corri said.

“Oh c’mon, the hell is he even good for?” the choppa asked. “Wait, wait, he your input?”

he asked, a smile spreading across his face. “Cause if you’re looking for a good input, I can

guarantee you’d have more fun with me than some empty-headed dome.”

Corri let out a laugh, shaking her head as she took another swig from the chemtail,

ignoring the choppa.

The choppa turned towards David. “How ‘bout it, no chrome, you her input?” he asked,

reaching out towards David.

“Hands off,” Corri said, staring at the choppa from the corner of her eye, her hand

moving towards her waist.

“C’mon, over some empty-headed bot,” the choppas said. “I just wanna see what makes

him tick,” he said as he reached out, gripping David’s hat.

Corri’s hand shot up from her waist, pressing her pistol into the side of the choppas head.

David could hear the gang behind him all put hands on weapons, the choppas hand now frozen

on David’s head. David stared at the bartender, whose eyes flashed blue. Without moving his

head, David glanced around the town. He could see droids on the outskirts of his vision putting

hands on rifles, but not making a move.

“Hands. Off,” Corri growled.

“Really?” the choppa asked. “C’mon, you really think you got the firepower-” The

choppa cut himself short as he heard the sound of plasma building next to his head, immediately

recognizing the weapon was energy-based, not ballistic. He slowly released David’s hat,
carefully lifting his hand off his head. Corri motioned with her pistol for the choppa to move

away. He did so slowly, walking past David before turning to face Corri.

“The fuck did you find something like that?” he asked.

“Nowhere you’d dare to go, choppa,” Corri responded. “Oi, barman, tell your lads to fuck

off me bike.” The bartender was silent, but his eyes flashed blue, the two cleaners quickly

moving away from Corri’s bike. Corri stepped forward, grabbing David by the shoulder before

yanking him to his feet. “Follow me and I’ll flatline ya,” Corri said as they walked past. Corri

pushing David toward the bike. The water was already loaded, the bike’s engine clean, but the

rest still only half-finished. David quickly mounted the back seat, Corri getting on in front,

revving the bike to life, her pistol still trained on the choppas.

David glanced around them, seeing bots in the upper parts of the city leaning on railings,

rifles in hand, but not pointed at anyone. Corri kept the gun leveled, even as they pulled out from

the lot, only holstering the weapon once the choppas were well behind them. Corri quickly

navigated toward the gate, throttling back as it opened, launching them into the moonlit desert.

“Helmet,” Corry said. David nodded, carefully removing the glasses and hat, placing

them in his lap as he grabbed the helmet from its holster. He placed it over his head, the helmet

sealing tight and activating, the display flashing to life. David reached down, putting the hat and

glasses into a bag at his side.

“Good?” Corri’s voice came through the helmet.

“Good,” David responded, holding tight to his seat as Corri opened the throttle up all the

way, the bike screeching through the quiet desert night.

“Well keep going for a bit, then head off so you can get some sleep,” Corri’s voice came.
 “Um, okay. Is that such a good idea? Those guys didn’t seem the type to let sleeping dogs

lie,” David questioned. Corri didn’t respond, keeping her hand on the throttle, her eyes forward

as they drove under the light of the moon.

***

David lay on the ground, his folded jacket underneath him as a pillow. He was wearing

his hat and glasses again, underneath him cool. He could hear a fire crackling behind him, Corri

leaning against the bike. David took a nervous breath, listening intently to the sounds of the

desert. Ten minutes ago, he swore he could have heard the faint sound of an engine, but it had

ceased soon after. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his nerves, feeling the sweat on his head,

despite the cool night air. Another ten minutes passed, David focusing on his breathing before he

heard something. A slight drag through the sand, coming on just the outskirts of their makeshift

camp, before suddenly footsteps exploded forward, entering the camp and surrounding them.

David didn’t dare move, keeping himself in the exact same position, hearing as Corri

jutted quickly up, the sound of plasma charging. “Ah ah,” a familiar voice said, David feeling

metal press into the side of his head. “Don’t do anything. Unless you want your bot’s empty head

made into a crater.” David tried to keep his breathing as quiet as possible, hearing the lead

choppa walk over to Corri, the plasma dying down. “That’s right, nice and simple.”

“The fuck do you want?” he heard Corri ask.

“First, I want that gun right there,” the choppas voice said. He heard Corri hesitate before

the choppa took the weapon from her. “Second, I wanted to see what kind of tech your boy-toy is

packing.” He heard the choppa start walking toward him.

“Stay away from him,” he heard Corri say, before a heavy blow sounded out, metal on

metal.
 “Relax, love,” the choppas voice said as he stepped next to David, the feeling of the

metal lifting. “I just want to see what makes him tick. See if he’s worth anything. Then, we’ll see

about you.” David felt a foot kick in his back. “Oi, scrap-for-brains,” the choppa said. David

took a deep breath, before he rolled over, looking up at the silver-jawed choppa. He had two

others at his sides, both holding rifles. He glanced over at Corri. She was standing just behind

silver jaw, a third choppa with his pistol against the back of her head. He glanced back at silver

jaw as he crouched down, plasma pistol in his hand.

“I still don’t get what she sees in you,” he said, his eyes flashing blue, David letting the

unauthorized access pass. “What’re you hiding in him, huh? No way he’s your input, don’t got

the specs. So c’mon, what’s he hiding?”

“Touch him and I’ll blow yer head off,” Corri growled.

“Ooo, now I gotta know,” the choppa said, smiling as he turned back toward David,

reaching his hand out. David’s heartbeat quickened as the choppa grabbed his hat before he

ripped it off his head. The smile disappeared from the choppas face, his expression frozen staring

at David’s hair and exposed skin. He quickly reached down, snatching the glasses from his face,

staring into David’s frightened, organic eyes.

The choppa leaned back slightly, his eyes wide with surprise and disbelief. “What in the

fuck…” the choppa said, before David glanced behind him. Corri had raised her arm, her hand

pointed down, her wrist pointed at silver jaws head. Suddenly, Corri’s arm split itself into four

parts, each pushing in the opposite direction, revealing a complex mechanical array, electricity

quickly charging her arm. Corri’s arm jutted back as a pulse fired from her wrist, David feeling

the immensity of the blast in his bones. The choppas head next to him exploded, bits of metal

and oil violently flying past him, the silver jaw embedding itself deep in the sand. Before any of
the other choppas had time to react, Corri lunged forward, snatching the already warmed plasma

pistol from silver jaws lifeless body, swiftly wheeling on the droid behind her. She leveled the

pistol, pulling the trigger.

David saw the plasma flash for a moment, a molten ball of green energy pulsing across

the open sky, before it collided with the other android's head. Molten bits of metal exploded into

the sky, a burst of flame spouting from the droid's head as the plasma ignited the oil. The droid

fell to the ground, his head split in half. Corri shoved David to the ground, covering him as the

third choppa fired his rifle, a three-round burst deflecting off Corri’s body. She raised the pistol

again, firing off another bolt. The plasma tore through the choppas weapon as he raised it to his

chest, the plasma following through and punching a superheated hole straight through his chest.

He toppled over, several small fires leaking through his chest as the flesh-colored metal melted

into himself. Corri pushed herself to her feet, quickly making her way over to the choppa,

kicking his rifle away.

“W-wait,” the choppa struggled out, David pushing himself up, watching as Corri stood

over the choppa. She had the pistol aimed at his head, the choppa reaching up at her. Her finger

was curled around the trigger, David seeing it loosen for a moment, before she glanced over at

him. She stared at him a moment, before her eyes narrowed, turning back to the choppa. Her grip

tightened on the pistol as she steadied before she pulled the trigger. The choppa’s arm dropped as

sparks flew from his destroyed head, the sand underneath him flash-frying into glass.

Corri let out a sigh as the plasma pistol beeped warnings at her. She held it up, studying it

for a moment, before she pressed a button, the plasma pistols barrel opening, and vents along the

weapon rising, releasing heat from the weapon. After a moment, the pistol closed once again, but

the normal green glow was now a dull gray. Corri pulled the back of the pistol out, an expended
plasma cartridge launching out of it, landing in the sand. Corri reached down, picking it up and

pocketing the spent casing before she walked over to the bike. She leaned over it, opening a

compartment, pulling out another cartridge. She loaded into the pistol, the weapon whirring back

to life, the green glow returning, before Corri flicked a switch, the plasma dulling as she

reupholstered it.

Corri turned toward David, walking over to him and extending her hand. He took it, Corri

pulling him up to his feet. “You ‘ight?” Corri asked, batting the sand from him.

“Y-yeah, yeah,” David said, stumbling back slightly as he tried to straighten. Corri

quickly moved forward, grabbing David by the elbow, steadying him.

“You sure you’re okay?” Corri asked. David glanced down at his arm, annoyed as it

trembled against Corri’s iron grip.

“Yeah, yeah,” David said, trying to sound confident, steadying his feet. “Just not, uh, not

used to, all that.” Corrie glanced over at the bodies that David gestured toward.

“Hm,” Corrie muttered, before she let David go, giving him a solid slap on the back.

“Don’t worry, you will.”

Not sure that I want to, David thought as Corri made her way over to one of the bodies,

crouching down and pilfering his pockets.

“What’re you doing?” David asked.

“Takin’ anything useful, I suggest you do the same,” Corri responded.

“Oh, um, okay, is it uh, you know, safe?” David questioned.

“They don’t have bloody heads anymore, David, course it’s foockin’ safe,” Corri

retorted. David took a step back, surprised by the anger in Corri’s voice. He for a moment,
opening his mouth to say something, but thinking otherwise, turning taking steps towards the

closest body.

“Oi, David,” Corri called out, David turning back towards her. Her face was much calmer

now, walking up to him with a pile of components in hand. “Look, sorry, didn’t mean to snap at

ya. I’m just… pissed that I had to use a whole cartridge on those bellends.”

“Sorry,” David muttered quietly.

“Ah, chin up,” Corri said. “Wasn’t you who decided to wait for ‘em here. I knew it

mighta happened, just pissed with myself that I didn’t do it better. Only droid I got to blame is

me. Don’t take it to heart, savvy?” David took a deep breath, nodding several times before

glancing up at Corri, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Good man,” Corri said, slapping David’s shoulder. “Alright, crash course in lootin’.

You don’t got the scanner that I do, so you get to do it the ol’ fashion way. Look for anything

like conductors, chips, motherboards, heat dispersers, if it has electronics, snag it.” David

nodded, carefully watching as Corri pointed to each that she held in her hand. “If they just got

scrap, take what you can, but be picky. Metal itself is a dime a dozen out here. No rust, nothin’

thin unless it’s got a fantastic shine, and if you can bend it, I don’t bloody want it, yeah?”

David nodded enthusiastically, Corri shaking his shoulder reassuringly. “Good, now hop

to it. Don’t know how many of their boys are still waiting out there, but we need to be MIA

when they show up lookin’ for their boss,” Corri said, walking back over to the body, continuing

her search. David let out a determined huff, before he turned toward the nearest body,

confidently walking towards it, before his pace slowed as he approached, his eyes wandering

over it’s split head, small fires burning in the recesses, bits of oil and charred metal flung behind

it.
 That’s not a person, that’s not a person, that’s a droid, that’s not a person, David

repeated in his head as he walked up to, crouching down and carefully starting to search the

pockets.