A Different World

Ares tried to formulate a plan, but he could find no way to stop them. He scanned his surroundings, hoping to find a solution, and fifty meters away, between the buildings, he spotted a figure hiding in the darkness, also observing the situation. He was puzzled. His first hypothesis was that this was one of the Enix, watching them. But would they not intervene? Or did they also lack the power to stop a battle of this magnitude? Suddenly, from the dark sky, Ares saw a strange craft hovering above him. It looked like some kind of aircraft. It descended near their location. Ares dropped low and moved toward it, crossing the streets amidst the rubble, the corpses, and the putrid stench that covered the city. He slipped between two ruined buildings into a long, shattered alley until he reached the square where the strange aircraft had landed. He cautiously peered out from the alley and looked to his left, seeing a vessel that was clearly not of human design. He could only make out a few of its features in the moonlight. Suddenly, a door on the craft—roughly the size of a medium bedroom and illuminated from within—opened upward.

Terror seized Ares, a thunderbolt of fear striking his heart. He saw blue robots emerging from the craft, one after another in a disciplined single file, heading toward Sairi and Ivanov. Tension consumed him; this was the first time he had seen them, but what was worse was the realization that he would be unable to save his companions now.

He quickly moved into the square, following the robots. He saw how easily they defeated his companions, then carried them to the aircraft. They were still alive. Ares thought quickly. He had to rescue them at any cost; the success of his mission and the survival of humanity depended on them. This also presented an ideal opportunity to infiltrate their headquarters, study it, and destroy the generator without their knowledge. He slipped lightly behind one of the robots and placed a hand on its shoulder to absorb all the data concerning its properties and composition. His form shifted, becoming an identical copy. He then walked among them without arousing any suspicion. He checked on his companions and saw they were still breathing, which gave him a small measure of reassurance.

They headed to the ship, filed inside, and its doors closed. It began to ascend into the sky until it disappeared over the horizon.

Ares sat in his seat next to a row of five robots. They all sat in silence, without the slightest movement or word. Across from Ares was another row of five robots. One of them stared directly into Ares's optics with lifeless eyes. A tremor went through Ares, but he tried to maintain his composure as he met the unblinking gaze of the dead, terrifying eyes fixed upon him. He knew that if he broke eye contact, his cover might be compromised, so he continued to stare back, his heart hammering violently.

My cover will be blown if we don't arrive soon, he thought, fear gripping him.

He tensed his body to hide his trembling. He saw that Ivanov's body had reverted to its normal form, as he had first seen him at the weapons shop. Sairi lay next to him. They looked like two slaughtered lambs. Ares envied them; they were deep in sleep, unable to see what he was seeing now. He regretted taking this risk, but it had been necessary. His life as a spy had put him through many dangers and terrifying situations, but he reckoned this was the most horrifying of all. He scanned the robot in front of him, taking in every detail without moving his eyes, lest the robot suspect him. If his cover was blown, a noisy party for his execution would surely ensue in this confined space. The thought sent a shiver through his body.

He felt the vibrations of the aircraft as it hit turbulence. A few minutes later, it began to descend smoothly. Ares was sitting next to the rear door of the aircraft, his hands on his knees. He realized he was in a precarious position; he would be required to turn toward the door and exit first, without knowing where he was supposed to go. Any wrong move could expose him. He didn't make a single movement. The suspicious robot with the red eyes was still staring at him in unnerving silence.

Suddenly, the aircraft landed, and the door opened. Two of the robots picked up Sairi and Ivanov, while the rest, including Ares, disembarked in perfect, orderly formation. They pressed a button behind them, and their weapons descended from a rack attached to the ceiling of the aircraft. They took them and continued on their way. The light seared Ares's eyes, but he forced himself not to react, marching in formation with the other robots. As his eyes adjusted to the light and the surroundings, he saw something that stunned him so profoundly he almost stopped in his tracks, but he forced himself to keep moving.

The sun had risen. Ares looked around and saw robots moving in every direction, their forms different from the ones he was walking among. They were children, women, and men, even elderly. They wore normal human clothes, but their forms were a blend of human features and a uniform white color that covered their entire bodies. Ares was stunned by this vast and different world that lay before his eyes.

Their clothes were varied, their hairstyles diverse, as were their facial features. They were more alive than Ares could have possibly imagined; they joked and conversed, discussed various matters in their strange language, displayed their goods, sat in cafes, enjoyed their time, and performed their work with utmost diligence. They laughed, they joked, they debated.

The crowd lined the streets, saluting the soldiers among whom Ares marched, cheering for them in an alien tongue. Yet another throng regarded Sairi and Ivanov with open hostility, pelting them with strange soda cans and packaged food.

Ares had little time to analyze it all; his entire focus was on marching in perfect synchronization with the others. The world he had stepped into was like something from a fantasy; towering, silver skyscrapers stretched majestically toward the sky, and holographic advertisements flew through the streets for all the city's robots to see. He also saw numerous displays hovering above him: advertisements for programs, household supplies, news, travel, and other strange things, all in an unknown language he could not have understood if not for the images accompanying the flying holographic panels. Above the displays, he saw flying vehicles in vast numbers, moving to and fro in every direction. Then he saw a massive building on the horizon that extended into the heavens, dominating the city's center. It was shaped like a strange planet, a fusion of white, blue, and green, with a large transmitter rising from its apex, and its base was circular. It was clearly the largest and tallest structure in the city. The other buildings, while not exceeding five hundred meters, boasted a bizarre architectural style. Some were spiral-shaped, others circular like a coffee cup, and some were triangular. There were structures that rose in undulating waves, and others that looked like giant glass spheres. The colors of the buildings were vibrant and beautiful, a mixture of every brilliant and dazzling hue.

Ares felt as if he had walked into a dream. He continued his march, his eyes cautiously darting around, staring in stunned amazement at all the strange things he had never before witnessed in his life.