the only one left clear, a hundred shining rows of robot
sentinels came, marching in unison toward the remains of
their precious phason. And them, trapped among the debris.
No way out but through.
Taz dropped back to the ground, Up beside her.
“There are too many,” she said. We really are going to
die here.
Up was looking at her intently.
Then he reached out, took her face in his hand, and
kissed her.
This kiss was raw, desperate, rough, but it spoke of
everything she was feeling and told her everything she
needed to know. She pressed herself into him, her hands on
his chest, then sliding them around his neck, keeping him
close, praying to a dead God that it would never end, that
one kiss could keep the end of the world at bay. He was
warm and solid and strong and everything she had always
known him to be, but now he was hers and she never
wanted to let him go -
He drew back, just far enough so that their breath still
mingled, his moustache still tickled the bottom of her nose,
his hand was still tangled in her hair.
“Te amo, Taz,” he whispered into her lips. There were
tears on her face. She didn’t know if they were hers, or if
they were his.
She kissed him again, sweetly, slowly, and they stood
together to face the end.
They fought back-to-back for as long as they could. It all
became a blur, a blur of metal and robots and gunfire and
pain. Taz fought like she had never fought before, fought
for love rather than hope, her back pressed against Up’s, his
strength becoming hers. When they were separated it was
by sheer numbers, and then there were robots all around