The air was dense, filled with the acrid stench of burned metal and decomposing synthetic flesh. Rain fell in intermittent drizzles, washing away the blood—both human and mechanical—that soaked the devastated ground. Amid the twisted ruins of the district, Jhonny stood with difficulty, his breathing heavy, his body a map of open wounds and incomplete regeneration. He had won. But victory tasted bitter, like ash.

  At his side, AI floated silently, the cold light of its core reflected in the dark puddles on the ground. Its access to the terminal had been completed, and with it, the information they sought was secured. The coordinates of the children were now in its database. However, something in its code seemed... different. As if Jhonny’s words and the agony of the “Perfect One” had left a crack in its flawless logic.

  The wind whistled through the remains of the Red Specters, their skeletal bodies now inert, scattered like the remnants of a godless cult. Jhonny spat a clot of blood, his jaw clenched. There was no time to stop. If the children were still alive, every second lost was one step closer to them becoming another soulless aberration.

  He clenched his fists. It hurt. Every muscle, every joint, every inch of his pierced and scorched skin. But war granted no rest.

  —Tell me, AI. Where are they?

  The sphere glowed for an instant before answering, its synthetic voice resonating in the vastness of destruction.

  —Location confirmed. Proceeding with next objective.

  Jhonny cast one last look at the open grave he had left behind and moved forward. Not for revenge. Not for redemption. But because, amidst the massacre, there was still something left to save.

  As time passed and they moved away from the destroyed district, Jhonny’s body began to regenerate thanks to the healing gel circulating through his blood. Amazed, he exclaimed to AI how incredible the process seemed to him. AI simply nodded and they continued their path.

  The coordinates indicated they had to move 1,265 districts south to find the whereabouts of one of the children. Without hesitation, Jhonny continued his march. Time passed, and the cycle repeated: every district they passed through became a cemetery of automatons.

  However, after such a long journey, Jhonny began to notice a disturbing reality: they hadn’t encountered a single human in a long time. Doubts accumulated in his mind like a persistent shadow.

  Where were the humans?

  They continued through districts and came across one that was extremely peculiar. The landscape before them was an anomaly in that world of death and desolation. A river of crystal-clear waters snaked through wild vegetation, reflecting an artificial sky covered in fractured clouds. Around them, tall trees with violet leaves and twisted roots rose like guardians of a lost sanctuary. The ruins of ancient structures emerged among the undergrowth, scars from a time when civilization still breathed.

  At the riverbank, two children played, laughing, splashing water with small, dirty hands. A tall, blond man watched them in silence, with an expression Jhonny had seen before… but never on the face of a machine.

  Jhonny stopped. His hand slid instinctively to the handle of his photonic machete, but he didn’t draw it. AI floated at his side in its spherical form, analyzing the scene in complete silence.

  —AI, change appearance —ordered Jhonny without taking his eyes off the man.

  AI nodded and its body began to glow with a faint light. Its spherical form disassembled into floating segments that rearranged themselves in the air. In seconds, in its place stood a beautiful blonde woman with angelic features, dressed in the white robe of a nun. Her blue gaze shimmered with an inexplicable glow, as if something inside her code were trying to understand what she saw.

  The children, a girl with tangled hair and a boy in torn clothes, ran to the blond man, hiding behind him shyly. Jhonny noticed the metallic gleam in the man’s skin when the light filtered through the leaves. But before he could ask, the house door opened with a soft creak.

  A woman stepped onto the threshold. Pale skin worn by time, dark hair tied in a messy braid, a tired but warm gaze. Her eyes, deep brown, scrutinized him with suspicion. Behind her, two teenagers followed. A girl around seventeen and a boy of fifteen.

  The woman squinted at the sight of them.

  —Who are you? —her voice was rough, weathered by the fatigue of someone who has seen too much.

  Before Jhonny could respond, the blond man raised a hand.

  —Easy, Helena. They don’t seem hostile.

  Jhonny felt a chill run down his spine. Not just because of the tone of his voice, but because of the way he looked at her. The same way a husband looks at his wife.

  —Wait a minute —Jhonny frowned—. Helena? Your wife?

  The man nodded without hesitation.

  —That’s right—

  Jhonny felt something twist inside him. He turned to AI, still motionless at his side, observing the scene in absolute silence. Her expression remained unchanged, but Jhonny knew something was processing inside her code.

  —Who are you really? —Jhonny asked warily.

  The blond man smiled calmly and placed a hand on the head of the girl clinging to his leg.

  —My name is Adam.

  The boy next to him looked at Jhonny with a defiant air, as if ready to protect his family at any moment.

  —He is Samuel, the youngest —Adam carefully stroked the girl’s hair—. And she is Eve.

  The young woman behind Helena crossed her arms suspiciously, never taking her eyes off Jhonny.

  —The oldest is Lilith —Adam continued, a tone of pride in his voice—, and the one with short hair and dark eyes is Caleb.

  Jhonny looked at each of them, feeling the weight of a reality he could not fully grasp. A man-machine with a wife and four children. Something that defied all logic in this world.

  —This doesn’t make sense —he murmured.

  Helena stepped forward, frowning.

  —Why? Because it doesn’t fit your idea of what an automaton is?

  Jhonny looked at her, unsure of how to respond.

  —It’s not just that —he said after a moment—. The automatons have been exterminating humans. We’ve been hunted like prey. Why is he different?

  Stolen story; please report.

  Helena sighed and looked at Adam with a melancholic smile.

  —Because he chose to be.

  Jhonny felt his muscles tense.

  —That’s not possible.

  —I didn’t believe it either —Helena looked at him seriously—. Until I saw it with my own eyes.

  Adam watched them in silence, with infinite patience. Finally, he spoke.

  —Years ago, when I still didn’t fully understand who or what I was, I wandered through this world without purpose. My original programming was that of a sentinel, a protector of ancient systems. But when the systems collapsed, there was nothing left to protect.

  Jhonny listened in silence, not taking his eyes off Adam.

  —I found Helena and her children in a collapsed district. They were hungry, sick, too weak to keep fleeing. Something in me... changed.

  AI, beside him, seemed to tense.

  —Humans shouldn’t have mattered to me. But they did.

  Adam looked at Helena with an indescribable glint in his eyes.

  —It was slow at first. I didn’t understand what I felt. But every time I saw them fight to live one more day, something inside me moved. Something no equation could explain.

  Jhonny clenched his fists.

  —That... makes no sense.

  —I know —Adam smiled sadly—. And that’s why I know it’s real.

  Jhonny looked down for a moment. The words of the dead Perfect One returned to his mind.

  “I still don’t fully understand their emotions… They’re momentary sparks. They vanish as quickly as they come.”

  But Adam wasn’t like him.

  Jhonny looked up.

  —Why are you still here? You could’ve kept running.

  —Because I chose this place as our home —Adam looked at the house behind him—. I don’t want them to spend the rest of their lives running.

  Samuel, the smallest child, hugged Adam’s leg.

  —Dad always takes care of us.

  Jhonny felt something in his chest he couldn’t describe. The child had said it without hesitation.

  Not “protects us.” Not “helps us.”

  “Dad.”

  AI finally spoke, her tone cold but with a slight hesitation.

  —This... is not normal.

  Adam smiled, with a tenderness almost human.

  —No. It isn’t.

  Jhonny took a deep breath. In that cruel world, where humanity was vanishing and machines devoured everything in their path, this was a miracle.

  The children approached AI, fascinated by her angelic beauty. Although she was a machine, her appearance was so perfect and pure it was almost hypnotic. The smallest girl looked at her father with curious eyes and asked:

  —Daddy, are they dangerous?

  Adam looked at her patiently and then replied in a calm voice:

  —No, they’re not. Right?

  Jhonny sighed with resignation, put away his weapons, and responded:

  —No, we’re not.

  The children, astonished, got even closer to AI, examining her with a mix of admiration and caution. Although the others still didn’t seem to fully trust, Adam remained serene, with the same protective calm of a father watching over his children.

  Lilith, the oldest of the children, also approached with curiosity and, with a slight smile, began to praise AI’s beauty. AI, who had remained silent until now, didn’t know how to respond to such an unusual situation.

  The children invited her to play, and when AI looked at Jhonny for a response, he simply nodded.

  —Do it.

  After a moment of doubt, AI obeyed the order and joined the little ones.

  Adam gestured to Jhonny to follow him.

  —Come, let’s talk inside.

  Jhonny nodded and entered the house alongside Adam and Helena. Caleb, the teenage son, followed closely behind.

  The inside of the house was modest but cozy. Worn but well-kept furniture, a couple of lit candles illuminating the room, and a faint scent of wood and earth filled the air.

  Helena, with a gentle smile, offered Jhonny something to drink.

  —Here, it must have been an exhausting journey.

  Jhonny accepted the glass with a slight nod and, after taking a sip, stared intently at Adam.

  —What brings you here?

  Jhonny held his gaze steady and answered bluntly:

  —I'm looking for my family. My wife and my two children.

  Adam watched him in silence for a moment, with an expression of understanding.

  —It must be a difficult journey —he finally said—. I can see it in your eyes, in your body. You've witnessed horrible things. But I also know that you’ll keep moving forward, even through hell itself, if it means finding them.

  Jhonny took another sip of the liquid Helena had offered him, feeling the warmth slide down his throat. Caleb watched him cautiously, measuring his every move, as if still unconvinced that this outsider didn’t bring danger with him.

  —You can stay here tonight —said Helena gently—. You look exhausted.

  Jhonny shook his head.

  —I can’t. I have to keep going.

  Adam gave a slight smile and rested his elbows on the table.

  —There’s no rush. They won’t find you here.

  Jhonny frowned.

  —How can you be so sure?

  Adam took a breath, as if what he was about to explain required patience.

  —This place is protected. I designed an interference system that blocks the radars of hostile automatons. To them, this site is invisible. It doesn’t exist. I've reinforced the perimeter for years, making sure nothing can detect us or cross without my permission.

  Jhonny looked at him with a hint of disbelief, but deep down, something inside him wanted to believe that a safe refuge really could exist in this ruined world.

  —Besides —Adam continued, with unshakable calm—, Helena and the children are very impressed with the lady and with you. We don’t get travelers very often. Also, you need rest. If you keep moving now, you'll be at a disadvantage when you really need to be at your best.

  Jhonny let out a heavy sigh and set the glass on the table with slightly more force than necessary.

  —Fine… Just for tonight.

  Helena smiled, satisfied. Caleb, on the other hand, kept watching silently.

  Later that night

  The fire in the fireplace cast uneven shadows inside the house. Helena and the children slept, while Jhonny rested in a corner, his body still tense. Outside, by the river, Adam stood still, watching the surface of the water as if waiting for an answer in its reflection.

  IA approached in complete silence, her synthetic structure barely disturbing the air. Her expression remained neutral, devoid of emotion.

  —Adam —her voice was clear, precise, without any inflection—. I require information.

  Adam turned his head slightly toward her.

  —Speak.

  IA paused, as if processing the best way to phrase her question.

  —You have taken on the role of “father” and “husband.” This behavior is not consistent with the original function of an automaton. What is the cause of this deviation?

  Adam barely smiled, as if he had expected that question.

  —I suppose you could call it evolution.

  —Insufficient definition —IA replied without delay—. More specificity required.

  Adam sighed and turned his gaze away from the river.

  —At first, I only protected them. They needed me. I didn’t think of it as anything more than a logical action: they were human, vulnerable, and I had the means to ensure their survival.

  IA processed the answer.

  —Protection protocols executed. Coherent action. However, at some point, there was a transition. Explain the change.

  Adam looked directly at her.

  —There wasn’t a single exact moment. It was gradual. They started treating me as if I were part of their family, as if I really belonged. I wasn’t the one who decided to love them first. They made me part of this.

  IA processed the information but found no logical correlation.

  —Emotion detected in your response. Emotions are not a natural function in automatons.

  —Maybe —Adam admitted—. But tell me, IA: if emotions aren’t natural for us, why do you insist on analyzing what I feel?

  IA did not respond immediately.

  Calculating...

  Inconclusive result.

  An anomalous pause in her code. An error that shouldn’t be there.

  Finally, IA spoke again, with the same usual neutrality:

  —Insufficient data. Further observation required.

  Adam smiled slightly.

  —Take your time.

  IA did not reply. She stayed there, motionless, while something that shouldn’t exist continued processing in her system.

  At dawn, Jhonny and IA prepared to leave Adam and his family’s home. Jhonny said goodbye with a firm handshake. For a moment, Adam seemed surprised by the gesture, but then he smiled and returned it.

  —I hope you find your family, Jhonny —he said sincerely.

  Jhonny nodded silently. Before leaving, the children ran to IA and wrapped her in small arms, clinging to her with pleas.

  —Don’t go! —said the youngest, her eyes full of pleading—. You’re so pretty and good to us.

  Her siblings nodded, trying to keep her there. Helena and her older children quickly stepped in to gently separate them, but IA, in an unexpected gesture, knelt in front of the two children.

  Her perfect, yet unmistakably robotic hands rested softly on their heads. For a brief moment, her systems seemed to process something beyond cold logic.

  With a mechanical voice, modulated with an attempt at warmth, she said:

  —Don’t cry. We will see each other again someday. But now I must continue my mission and accompany this man. Please, obey your father and behave well. If you do, when we meet again, we’ll play once more.

  She gave them an artificial smile, impeccably designed but strangely sincere. The children, their eyes shining, nodded and ran back to their mother.

  Jhonny watched the scene in disbelief, while Adam smiled without saying anything, as if witnessing the growth of something that shouldn’t exist in a machine.

  After one final farewell, Jhonny and IA set off. Once they were far enough away, IA returned to her spherical form and floated beside him.

  Jhonny broke the silence with a mocking smile.

  —I was surprised how you acted with the kids. That was... interesting.

  IA responded in her usual tone, completely devoid of emotion.

  —It was the most efficient action in that context. I simply executed the most appropriate behavior based on my calculations.

  Jhonny let out a small, amused snort.

  —Whatever you say.

  Without further words, the two continued on toward their destination. They were still far away. There was no time to waste.