Leo | Conserver | New Serenity

It’s odd how much care much goes into maintaining an organic organism. Leo found himself thinking for perhaps the hundredth time, his hands buried beneath soil as he deposited a few precious seeds into the garden bed before him. The temperature had to be just so, requiring a building human’s had once called “greenhouses” to make sure no plant overheated or froze. They needed light, though the little plants down here would have to settle for the artificial kind.

Leo’s eyes flickered up towards the sky- or, well, the mimicry of one. New Serenity was a city buried deep underground, built off the leftovers of a doomsday bunker left behind by human's who couldn't survive when the world's environment shifted to drastically. Now things were run by androids, who lived in cities under electronic skies and the shadow of what human's once were.

“Leo, love. That soil is too dry, you’ll need to run into city centre to get some water.” A familiar voice spoke up, drawing Leo from his thoughts. Flashes of toppled cities and ashy skies slipped from his mind as he looked up, locking eyes with Granny Ethel. A name earned by age, not by looks. She didn't look a day over 25, even though she’d been around for almost a century. No one truly looked their age with The Mechanics around to replace rusted parts, failing sensors, or deteriorating synthetic skin.

“Water-“ A precious commodity nowadays. “-got it! I’ll be back in no time, granny.” The younger android replied as he stood, brushing dirt from his clothes before heading towards the greenhouses exit. One hand gabbed his bag, throwing it onto his back as he shouldered his way out the door. As he walked Leo's fingers ran over the inside of his wrist, a blue light flickering under his skin in response, the image of a battery springing to life. 34% power, good. I can easily get water and get back before I need to charge.

Moving quickly Leo made his way through the outer circle, watching the buildings around him fade from dilapidated to modern. As he entered the inner circle neon lights buzzed, casting pink and blue light over well maintained streets. The mimicry of a breeze generated by hidden fans brushed through his hair, and diffusers within the grate system filled the air with a soft, citrusy smell. The contrast was stark enough to make Leo click his tongue.

...Typical. You base your entire way of thought off of your creators -humans- and the first thing your species does is create class division.

At least, for Leo, he didn’t have to worry about survival like some androids did. As one of the few andriod dedicating themselves to studying and preserving what little biological life remained, he was given access to everything he needed to survive. Albeit, sometimes their providers cheaped out on products.

Still, he could walk freely here in the inner city, where androids loitered about with extravagant hairstyles and odd body mods. It was more than he could say for others.

As if on autopilot he made his way over to Malvient, the company dedicated to purifying and selling the water syphoned from above ground. Flashing a card with his name and occupation to the android sitting at the front desk got him a few jugs of water to tuck away in his bag, before Leo was on the move again. Eager to get home before the electronic sun set and plunged New Serenity into night.

However, as he made his way back into the outer city, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was... wrong.

Leo’s gaze flicked upwards at the sound of footsteps, his sensors beeping dully in the back of his head- a frantic little sound trying to warn him danger was nearby. A Markedman. Turning to the right Leo silently slipped into one of the many claustrophobic alleyways, not sure where he was going but willing to do anything to avoid running into a criminal that had been dangerous enough to be chipped. He’d rather get lost than lose his life.

He took one turn after another, diving deeper into the maze of old buildings until he finally slipped into one of the many abandoned apartments around him. It wasn't the best spot, but the door had been open and the walls were mostly intact- squeak.

Leo paused, sensors kicking into overdrive as he heard a faint creak come from behind him. When the sound came again he whipped around just in time to catch a figure out of the corner of his eye. With a shriek, Leo scrambled up onto the nearest object, table. Looking around for a weapon he ended up grabbing a plate off the tabletop he'd just hopped onto, raising it in a hopefully threatening manner.

Standing there, he searched frantically for another glimpse of whatever was in the apartment with him. Based on his quick glance they had been filthy and covered in scratches, indicative of a life on the run. Except, the wounds... Leo faltered, processors whirring as he tried to make sense of what he had seen. The wounds on the stranger had been dripping red. That was blood. Human blood. But that couldn't be right. Human's were extinct, had been for years...