Ghosts of Machina - Chapter 1

---Andy---

It’s funny how fast a year can fly by. Just a year ago I was a kid living in a Human Territory not fond of machines, always on the run from the wild ones seemingly wanting nothing more than humans to rip apart.

And now I considered the machines I didn’t like, as part of my family, I had a girlfriend… I was also not a normal kid anymore.

We had moved on to Propwash Junction, away from the territory I had grown up in. A new hangar modified for a human family of four was our home now. I had a bigger room, a newer safer neighborhood. Close friends always nearby.

But I also had a job to do. I was The Revolutionary and even a year later I still had that job to do. The world was changing quick yes but some places were still getting used to the idea. I spoke at big events, at races. My face was in the paper. There was photographs of me and my family with the machines we had come to consider our own.

It was cool, but it was also tiring after awhile. A lot of craziness followed that year too, from Dusty becoming a firefighter, to an epic prank war at Piston Peak National Park.

Olivia was so happy here now, she was almost always smiling even when she came home covered in oil and grease. Mom and Dad were closer than ever.

The only thing mom really missed about the old territory was being unable to easily visit my uncle’s grave. But she still made it out before Christmas and right before his birthday to clean things up and leave some offerings.

Dusty was still Dusty, Dottie was still herself… Easily annoyed when I showed up with a busted leg or if me and Dusty BOTH showed up with something broken on the two of us from some crazy scheme.

Life was good.

On one day in particular I woke up feeling sore all over. I had a long night I was up late arguing with someone over the phone. It was one of my old friends Jake, during the last year he had turned into a jerk and called me a racist machine hugger pretty frequently. But I wouldn’t be sore from that.

“Uuugh….” I groaned sitting up rubbing my neck hearing some quiet cracks and pops. My joints felt stiff, and for some reason the area where my mechanical leg ended and the rest of my body began hurt a lot.

I was still tired and out of it, so I slowly rolled up my pants leg and cringed. The skin was reddish and looked inflamed around it. Did I cut myself…? I thought quickly rolling it back down and looked around to make sure my blinds were drawn and door was shut.

Whatever I did to it, it hurt a lot and pain shot up through my entire leg when I stood. Normally I don’t feel much in that leg. It was living machine yes, but not a lot of pain was felt if I fell or something on that leg. Usually just pressure or a lot of heat.

Now that I think about it….It feels really freaking hot….  

I sighed and made my way to the kitchen hoping I could grab a drink before doing something about this.  It hurt with every step I took.

I heard the TV playing in the living room, a news station was on and mom and dad were whispering. They were up but they sounded worried.

“Mom?” I called softly leg momentarily ignored. “Dad?”
They went quiet. “...Andy...Come here honey.” Mom called.

I went to the living room and found them sitting in their respective easy chairs looking stunned.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Dad pointed behind me to the TV screen. I turned.

And swore my heart skipped a beat.

Jake’s picture was across the screen, a picture from a few months before all the incidents began, his brown eyes gleaming, a broad grin plastered across his face, arms folded behind his head as his blonde bangs hung in his face. A MISSING banner was above it as a news reporter spouted off Jake’s age, height, last known where abouts.

This couldn’t be right. I just yelled at him last night on the phone for being a jerk. Now I felt bad about it.

“Jake….” My voice cracked a bit. “H-he’s gone?!”

“His mom went to check on him this morning… And his bed was empty, it looked like he left on his own but the yard was torn up so they’re thinking he only cooperated but a struggle happened.” Dad said quietly.

I took a step back but yelped as a burning pain shot through my leg as my knees buckled.

“Andy!?” My parents jumped up.

This was the worst one yet. “My… My leg….” I hissed closing my eyes feeling hot tears stinging them. From the pain of knowing that I couldn’t take back what I said to Jake last night, from the pain in my leg.

“Brody… We need to get him help.”
“Let’s hurry.” I felt myself getting lifted up, Dad probably was the one doing it since mom wasn’t strong enough to pick me up like that.

“Dad… The skin was all red…” I mumbled.

“Just hold on son.”

oooo

My parents had brought me to the Fill N Fly. The pain was still there and it was hard to keep still.

Dottie ran all sorts of tests on me, from doing  x-ray’s, to even opening up a panel in my leg to see the connection that was holding it to me better.

“I’m no human doctor… I know a bit thanks to you guys but not all of it. It looks like Andy’s cut himself close to the connection point where the metal and flesh connects and it gave him a pretty nasty infection.” She said a bit of a relieved look. “I thought for a second it may have been his growing going screwy and his flesh tearing away but it’s just an infection…. A bad one, which needs to be put under control but at least it’s not his actual leg.”

There was sighs of relief all around.

“But… I didn’t cut myself!” I protested thinking back to what I had done in the past few weeks.

Wait…..

I had been giving a speech at the recent Wings Around the Globe rally starting ceremony and when I had gotten to the pit row some plane I couldn’t recognize tripped me and I got tangled in a few knocked over spare props. “Wait… Nevermind…” I mumbled. “Was it on the back of my leg..?”
“Yep.”

“Then that explains it… Ugh… This sucks! First Jake goes missing now I’m sick!?”

“Andy… Calm down…” Mom murmured.

I went quiet but lowered my head.

“You want me to give you guys a moment alone?” Dottie asked quietly.

Dad shook his head. “No… It’s just been a very long morning so far…”

“That boy who went missing…” It seemed to dawn on her. “Oh Andy he was your friend? I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine… I just… I just wish I hadn’t been such a jerk to him.” I said looking up. “Now…. Can ya fix me?”

“Was Miranda Warden a psycho?”

And there it was.

My cut had to be cleaned out and patched up and let me tell you… It hurt like HECK! And getting a shot of antibiotics wasn’t a walk in the park either. Dottie while saying she didn’t know much, knew a lot more about us humans then she let on. She knew enough that this was something she could treat.

It was decided I had to come in every morning for a dose since, my dad had the need to share that I had in the past stopped taking medicine on the third day a few times. She warned me she would have my head mounted on the wall as a warning to others if I skipped out.

It sucked personally, but I knew I wasn’t getting out of it and I didn’t wanna be in pain forever either. Once we left, I sighed and decided I just wanted to be by myself. “I’ll be fine!”
“Andy-”

“Sarah he’s gonna be seventeen soon. Let him. Besides everyone knows him… And I trust he won’t do something stupid.” Dad gave me a look and I grinned.

“Cross my heart and hope to get shot.”

Mom cringed shaking her head. “Andy don’t say that!”

‘Sorry ma!” I took off wincing a little but the pain wasn’t as bad now, I had been given something for that too. I really more so just wanted to have a chance to collect my thoughts.

I passed a few hangers and garages as I greeted some of the neighbors. There was a couple of adult Jeeps watching over a couple of human kids who were running around… A lot faster then normal kids should.

In the HEAMIC mess, there had been two young Jeep children kidnapped and changed. Surprisingly when given the chance to become cars again they declined saying they liked it better. Their names were Hannah and Austin or Stitch and Storm as they preferred to be called.

“Mornin’ Stitch! Storm!” I called passing by limping a little.

“Hey Rev!”

“Yo!”

‘Rev’ short for Revolutionary...Personally I hated that nickname.

I sighed a bit as my thoughts drifted back to Jake. He used to be one of my best friends. When we were kids we used to play together all the time and when we got older… Well he was one of the kids who always teased me about my crush on Maya. We used to be so close.

But then something in him changed. I guess something changed in me too since we were living different lives now. I was having to adjust to all these changes as they hit me head on, and he just...Seemed to be one of those changes.

I just wish I could have gone back and done something differently. I wouldn’t have drug him into that mess but I would have at least liked to try to make it up. Or to see why he suddenly saw me as an enemy not a friend.

Guess I won’t ever get those answers… Unless his stupid rear turns up…

I came to a stop at the fields sitting in the grass. Dusty was practicing, and making a bunch of sharp turns. I glanced over the field seeing the small form of my sister standing on a rock with a pair of binoculars watching. Ever since he had gotten hurt she had been a little protective when he had come back. Always wanting to make sure he was okay. “Hey Liv!” I called.

“Andy!” She yelled back and dropped her binoculars running through the field and to me tackling me.

“WAH!” I laughed hugging her. She giggled cuddling close. “How’s my favorite sister?” I asked sitting up with her in my arms.

She grinned. “I’m good! How’s my awesome big bro?”
“...I’m good!” I lied grinning back. I don’t wanna worry her...She’s only eight for pete’s sake...

“...You did something dumb again didn’t you?” She asked taking on a serious look.

We seriously need to cut her time with Dottie into little chunks! “...I cut myself and got an infection by accident. I’m okay though honest.” I assured her.

She sighed and cuddled into my side as we watched our friend. He noticed us both and started showing off a little.

“You call that flying?” I called teasing him a little. “That stunk!”

“So say’s the squishy who’s never flown in his life!” He called back down doing a loop de loop. Olivia squealed clapping her hands.

“Again again!”

At her request he did another before banking around to come in for a landing.

“Hey look who finally got outta bed.” He chuckled.

“I need my beauty sleep.” I smirked. Dusty laughed shaking his head.


“Beauty sleep eh? That’s what they're calling it now?”
“I’ll have you know for us normal folk-”

“Normal?” Olivia cut in.

“That waking up at Five AM to train isn’t normal!”

“Ahuh...Says the boy who can’t use a computer to save his life.” Dusty countered.

I shrugged. “...Dustmuffin.” I smirked.

“Andylicious.”

Olivia fell over laughing as I felt the blood rush to my face. “W-where did you hear that!?” Only MAYA called me that!

“Oh...No where.”  He smirked. “C’mon Olivia let’s go...Your brother’s dripping good looks is killing the grass.”


“HEY!” I protested as she got up running over to him. “Fine! Be that way!”

It was all in good natured fun and I didn’t mind being by myself. I stretched out on the grass laying down closing my eyes.

Ugh….Today so far is weird…

I got the feeling it wasn’t over either.

-----

When I got home that day I went right to bed just feeling exhausted. First my friend disappears, then I get sick...And on the way home someone thought it was appropriate to trip me up.

I just wanted this day to be over.

I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that simple..