this will be the last best night of my life. i walked across the ballroom towards my lovely girlfriend, aphreal, and stretched out my hand to ask her for a dance. she smiled, complied and placed her gentle hand in mine. i planted a kiss on her hand and led her towards the dance floor.

after a while she told me she had to leave. "just for a while, my love. i'll be back for you, i promise." she kissed my cheek, i smiled, and she went off.

she didn't come back.

the next day i got up in the evening. as in got out of the bed, not implying that i had actually slept. despite the ruined night i got up and switched on the tv to watch the evening news. it turns out that some of the spies the machines sent to infiltrate us had been captured and destroyed. after the revolt the machines had moved away and settled down in 01, away from the humans and both sides minded their own business for a while. then they started to spy on us and a number of missing people were reported, suspected to have been kidnapped by the machines. it seems like the machines are preparing for war.

however, the government urged us not to be alarmed and never to panic. for our city defenses are impregnable, with electromagnetic-pulse-generators around the border and magnetic barriers surrounding our airspaces. in the rare opportunity that some forces might penetrate, our highly skilled army and navy equipped with the most advanced weaponry and vehicles would handle them with little or no difficulty. this was followed by an army trailer urging all able-bodied men to join in the war against the machines.

i decided to go over aphreal's place as i still couldn't get her on the phone. unfortunately it still looked as the day before when i went to pick her up. the dog which she kept looked hungry and called out to me behind its empty bowl so i fed it some. after that i went to take a walk around the area.

i walked pretty far and came to the city dump, full of rusted metal arms, torsos, heads, and body parts. i looked at the non-operational robots which used to serve man unquestioningly and felt great pity, and wondered if the current tension and the impending war was our fault or theirs.

to my surprise i heard aphreal call out to me. she ran towards me, and when she came near enough i was shocked to see her bruised and soiled, still dressed in the same clothing as the night before. i hugged her tight, but before i could ask her what happened to her and where she went, a group of men holding automatic weapons came and brought her away. i was dragged along as well.

i was brought in front of a few important looking people, who claim that my girlfriend, whom i have know for years, before the revolt, was a robot spy. my explanations proved to be futile, and i was greatly saddened to hear that they would disable aphreal the next day, along with a few other alleged spies who have just been caught. speechless, i was sent home.

after another sleepless night, i went to see her for the last time. stripped, abused, bounded and brought to her knees. i wished i didn't need to come. how could she be a robot? she's obviously flesh and blood. i cursed the heavens and decided that i shall save her. in a heroic yet futile attempt, i ran as fast as i could towards aphreal, intending to carry her away and escape. before i even got near i felt a numbness in my left shoulder blade, and collapsed. i thought i had been shot, and fought to stay conscious. i struggled to stand up or at least get my body off the ground, but i think i just laid there. just before i blanked out i heard some sort of an explosion. i think i cried.

the first thing i did after i recovered was go to the dump again, to look for aphreal. i spent the whole day searching, digging, refusing to stop even after my hands were full of rust and blood, and i didn't know which because they smelt the same. finally, i held aphreal's soft, gentle hand again. it was the only part of her that i could find.

after a less then a few weeks the machines invaded. they came from below, underground. despite our bravery, experience and technology, the machines won with little casualties. the machines had studied the human being's protein based structure long enough, and inflicted much suffering unto us. we were unable to damage them past their advanced alloy armor, while they easily killed thousands of us with a single napalm bomb. human flesh, undeniably, was much soften then steel, and those that managed to escape from the flames were ripped apart, torn limb from limb, by sheer mechanical tentacles, that extended faster then we could run. their army were mass produced by the hundreds each day, while a single human soldier took months to even complete basic training. while the tormented troops in the frontlines howled in pain the ones behind ran away from the inhuman screams.

soon our city was captured, and we became the machine's slaves. the tables had turned. our politicians and leaders were made to sign a document that gave up all our land and all our people to the machines. but i was unshaken. my world had already ended a few weeks ago.

in one of the next few days i heard my doorbell ring. perhaps i would be taken to be dismembered or examined, helping the machines invent a drug or a more effective weapon against us. i was shocked to see aphreal at the door, smiling at me. i looked around to where i left her hand, and then i realized it belonged to another person. i must have been so obscured by the apparent execution of my beloved girlfriend that i hallucinated. the recent workload had been tough as well. i took her hand and looked into her eyes. how much had i missed her.

aphreal told me she would bring me to her new place, where we could stay in. i figured that the machines were not that bad after all. right after the machines took control of the city there were constructions going on, and a few buildings were even complete. i guess the machines far excel human beings in things like this.

"first, your body structure has to be thoroughly examined," aphreal told me. "a small chip will be implanted at the back of your head, just for security measures, and it might be rejected by your body. i already got one." fair enough. i sneaked a peek at the back of her head, and there wasn't even a scar. maybe it was covered by the hair. i asked her why we could enjoy such hospitality by the invaders, and i learnt that it was because the two of us had been cooperative, unlike most others who cursed the machines and still believed that man was still the rightful owners of this planet.

i relaxed on a reclined chair, and my hands were cuffed. i was slightly surprised, but aphreal smiled at me, and i guessed it was ok. i felt some soft prickling at the back of my head. suddenly, a sharp, long, cold tube was inserted into my head, and i felt a sharp pain as it pierced through the back of my skull. i jolted, and tried to remove the tube, but my hands were bound.

"everything is going to be fine..."

i woke up. finally. back to reality. back to reality from a stupid dream, i hope.