Asha sits back on the rover's hood and watches the sun bleed orange. For the first time since the city fell, the sound of gears in motion feels like possibility.
Across the ring, the Animo closest lowers a mandible. The sun makes the mandible glow like polished copper. For a breathless moment, the machines look less like beasts and more like instruments waiting for a player.
Asha lets a small, dry laugh slip out. "That's the problem," she says softly. "Better isn't a single metric."
End Ep. 1.
She steps forward, sliding a palm along the Supporter V8’s flank. The rover releases a low chime; the Animo emit synchronized clicks that sound almost like agreement.