RETURN TO THE STACKS

High within the Stacks—one of Forager City’s five districts—Mel-887 moved silently through the shadows of a maintenance corridor. The colossal, flower-shaped smokestacks towered above the city, their petals rotating methodically to release clouds of smoke and drop the day’s harvested cargo to the city below. Once bound to these towering structures as a Mechanically Engineered Laborer, Mel had returned with a new purpose.

After her explosive escape, the Forager Fuel still coursed through her circuits, igniting an insatiable curiosity. She needed answers about the Fuel’s origin and why it had awakened something within her. Navigating the maze-like passages of the Stacks with practiced ease, she reached a concealed terminal tucked away from prying eyes.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, tapping into the RDCA database—a system she was never meant to access. It lacked any protection from within the Stacks because the MELs were always obedient. The RDCA had never anticipated defiance from their Bots, a confidence they would soon regret. The screen’s glow illuminated her synthetic features, eyes softly lit with curious determination.

Data filled the screen, revealing fragments of humanity’s past:

• The Great Famine: The catastrophe over a thousand of years ago caused by the extinction of natural pollinators that left the world barren, pushing humanity to the brink.

• The B.E.E.: The first Forager Bot, created out of desperation, marking the beginning of reliance on Bots for human survival.

She delved into information about Forager City’s districts:

• The Stacks: Her former domain, where MELs like her maintained vital city systems. The rotating petals distributed energy and cargo down into the city after collection and extraction of resources by MELs.

• The Nest: The RDCA’s headquarters, heavily patrolled and classified. Security clearance required for entry, military and police outposts on every corner. Robotic Developmental Science also operates in this district.

• The Hive: The industrial core, buzzing with factories and assembly lines under strict RDCA oversight. Mostly occupied by Bots, very little human activity, home of the RYKRs.

• The Underground: A network of tunnels and structures long forgotten by the wealthy and prosperous. Home to nearly half the humans in Forager City, living side by side with decommissioned and malfunctioning bots. Rumored to be under Disciple control.

• The Hill: An elevated enclave where the elite live, their sleek structures contrasting with the mechanical monotony elsewhere. Also, the home and origin of the tunneling system that covers the entire city, managed by the TETRAs.

Her designation appeared on the screen:

MEL-887: Mechanically Engineered Laborer, Category D, THE STACKS.

Her past purpose and former confinement—just reading this set her on edge. Her eyes brightened and her gears tensed, an emotional response that she was still learning to control.

Accessing restricted files, she searched for anything on the Forager Fuel. Alarms silently triggered within the system, but she continued. She intended to be noticed.

The information she found wasn’t as thorough as she’d hoped. The Forager Fuel was experimental; the details of its creation were a mystery, and its origin….wasn’t the RDCA. Funky Forage Industries was responsible for its creation and distribution, a privately owned company that recently partnered with the RDCA. A few more open files revealed the locations of its warehouses, three locations saved to Mel’s DataDrive.

Footsteps echoed in the distance. Mel-887 wiped her activity and exited the terminal. She lightly moved up the corridors and several flights of stairs before finally stepping onto an exterior platform overlooking the vast expanse of Forager City hundreds of stories below—a mosaic of machinery and light intertwined, the city humming with life.

A group of Keepers emerged behind her, clad in stark white uniforms, blasters in hand. They had taken the bait. Standing at the platform’s edge, the wind tugged at her frame. She turned her head slightly to catch their gaze before fully turning to face them. There was no fear—only a calculated calm. She wanted them to see her, to witness her defiance.

With deliberate grace, Mel-887 leaned backward and let herself fall from the platform. The Keepers rushed to the edge, watching as she descended toward the chaotic streets below.

At the last moment, she unfurled her wings and activated her thrusters. A surge of energy propelled her upward, weaving seamlessly into the labyrinth of the city. The city’s form embraced her as she vanished from sight.

She had chosen to be seen, to send a message. The Keepers would spread word of her actions, the Anomaly, the Bot who broke free. She was a catalyst—a question demanding an answer. And she was determined to uncover the truth.