hard. “Hey Lili I thought you were reading?”
“Umm. Well I was but there’s something I really want you to see. Come on Kev please?” She whined.
“Ok, ok Lili I’m coming.”
They made the trip back to the barracks at a quick pace with Kev trying to get Lili to tell him what it was she wanted him to see the entire time. “You’ll just have to wait and see,” is all she’d say every time he would ask.
They stopped outside the door. “Ok Kev close your eyes until we get inside and please don’t freak out.”
He gave her a weird look. “What’s going on Lili? Why would I freak out?” He already knew some of what she was hiding but he’d still be in for a shock once the door was opened.
“Please Kev just promise me,” she begged.
“Ok Lili I promise, for you, I won’t freak out,” he let out a sigh.
Kev closed his eyes and Lili opened the door guiding him inside. She shut the door behind them and led him to the middle of the room. “Ok Kev you can open your eyes now.”
When he opened his eyes Dawn was standing before him, trying to smile the way a human would smile, however her attempt was more unnerving and resembled that of a menacing monster than a happy to meet you type of smile, between the smile and the bright red of her hair and eyes and the fact her joints were all metallic, it was enough to make anyone freak out. Kev was no different.
Kev let out a loud gasp as he leapt back against the door, barely able to catch his breath. “L.. Lili what have you done? Guardian please forgive her she doesn’t know what she is doing?” he babbled as he bowed his head.
“Kev relax, this is my friend Dawn. She’s the one I wanted you to meet. She’s not like the guardians.”
“Greetings to you Kev. It is a pleasure to meet you,” said Dawn.
Kev just stared awestruck at what he was seeing. He was trying to comprehend what it was he was seeing and hearing. He’d never been this close to one of the guardians before and he’d never heard any of them talking before. He wondered if this was who he had heard Lil talking to before.
“I.. Ah, yea you too, I mean it’s nice to meet you too. How is she not like the other guardians?” He asked Lili, still looking confused.
Lili beckoned for Kev to come and sit with her on the bed. Between herself and Dawn they spent the next hour or so going back over everything Dawn had already told Lili about the A.I. and of the Earth above. He listened to everything they had to say with rapture. “I knew there had to be more to life than what the farms had to offer us,” he said when they finally finished with their story. Kev was unsure what to believe but he wanted to appease Lili, she was his friend and he didn’t want to do anything that would upset the guardian.
“So, you believe us then? Will you come with us? I really want to see this world above.”
“Yes of course I would love to see it myself but Dawn is right, it would be very dangerous for all of us. We have to be very careful not to be caught. We should try and stock up some food, which will not be easy, and we will need to find a way to get to this surface you talk about without being seen by the Guardians that patrol the caverns,” said Kev.
“I think I might know of a way,” said Dawn as she thought for a moment. “If we could commandeer one of the ships at the docks, just after the dimming of the lights, no one would know you are gone until the morning, by