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"Kate... Kate!" a voice from the smoke cried.
Kate Walker furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Who... Who are you?"
"My poor Kate..." the voice lamented as the smoke begun to take a familiar shape. "You don't recognise your real family anymore! You need to come back home quickly! Listen to your mother!"
Her heart sank at the words and she looked around frantically. It couldn't be... her mother was speaking to her but it was impossible for her to be here! It cannot be real!
"I must admit it, it's not easy to understand why such talented lawyer took the path of crime..." another voice spoke up. She recognized it. It was the voice of her old boss. "We appealed the case to the court, miss Walker. We won't leave it as is!"
The feeling of crippling gulit began to rise in her chest. The ghosts of her old life came to haunt her and she stood there, confused and scared. Before she could do anything, react or beg for help or mercy, another voice began.
"You need to understand, Kate... I couldn't wait forever" Dan, her ex-fiance said reproachfully. Another voice followed. "You really disapointed us, Kate... I was your friend..."
Kate couldn't understand. Why was this happening to her now? What was the meaning of all this? Why now?
"Everyone was right... You really left, Kate, forever." the voice continued. "You are dead, Kate"
"Kate Walker?" a metalic voice called out. Kate blinked a couple times trying to focus on the voice. "Is everything alright?" Oscar asked softly.
The air was suffocating for Kate, it was full of special, ritual incenses and burned elixir made by Madame Ayawaska (that was most likely just vodka). The drums were deafeningly loud as was the low, throaty singing. Everything was too much for her.
"I... yes." she lied, trying to regain her composure. "I need some fresh air..." Kate placed her hand on her forehead as her head was pounding. "Let's go outside..." she breathed out and turned on her heel and walked urgently towards the exit witout paying slight attention to Oscar who was following her.
All those voices... of people she once knew... her mother... oh, how could she leave her mother! She's a bad daughter for abandoning her family just like that! She could have started her own family with Dan... her mother would be so proud... but all she is now is a disappointment for her family, her friends, her boss. Oh, her job... she had a perfect job. Everyone was envious of her. And how hard did she worked to have that? All those days in the library studing for finals in colleage, all those exams. It was a well payed job too, she was set for life! Now she barely knows where to sleep now... oh god... she's homeless now... like, really homeless, not in a i-changed-so-much-the-old-places-feel-strange-to-me-now but proper, proper homeless. No roof over her head, nothing.
"Kate? Kate Walker?" Oscar tried to call for her but her hearing was muffled as if he was talking to her through a glass wall. She couldn't feel her hands, they were cold and numb. She tried to get the circulation going by squeezing them but nothing seemed to help. Her legs started to feel numb also and she stared to feel dizzy. Her head was spinning. She could feel her breathing to quicken.
She had perfect life in New York, a family, a steady job, fiance, friends. Now she's a dissapointment, a fraud, a criminal chased by the FBI! The FBI is out to get her and also that weird russian guy with an eyepatch... and Olga? That crazy doctor? Oh God... everyone is out to get her... even Nic Cantin, the detective her old boss hired to find her... and he almost got her! God, she's fucked, she's proper fucked right now... she almost died near the river from the cold, she could've died then, she could die any day now, she could die right now, in this moment! Is she dying right now? Oh God she's dying right now, she is dying.
"Oh, Kate Walker! Look out!" Oscar called and quickly grabbed her as her knees buckled under her. He gently sat her on the ground and kneeled before her. His optics quickly scanned over her face. Kates breathing was fast and shallow, tears were gathering in her eyes and her hands were trembling. He felt... concerned for her.
"Kate..." he begun, taking her hands in his own, trying to keep them from trembling so much. "Kate, are you alright?"
She just looked at him with empty eyes, still shaking from her rapid breathing.
"Kate Wa-Walker..." his voice program cracked from the throng of unfamiliar emotions running through his hard drive. "Your breathing is too fast for proper functioning, you need to slow it down." Oscar urged her. Kate sobbed loudly as tears began running down her face. The automaton taken aback tried to shift his arms to hold her shoulder, to try to ground her or do something for her but Kate suddenly threw herself into him, holding him close and hiding his face in his chest, muffling her sobs into his jacket.
"Oh! Kate!" he gasped. Oscar looked around, uncertain about what he should do right now but after some contemplating, he decided to gently place his arms around her. Her sobs still rocked her body forcefully. "What happened, Kate Walker?" he asked but he was met with more of her sobbing.
He hold her gently, his hard drive buzzing from trying to decode what on earth could put Kate in such state. Did someone hurt her? Impossible, he was with her all the time in the temple. Maybe the ceremony was especially upsetting to humans? But then other Youkols would react like this as well, but it looks like it only brought Kate to such distress.
They were alone, sat in front of the Olimpia stadion, surrounded by dark coniferous trees. The light from red moon refleted on the fallen snow as if the snow itself was made from glitter. Snowflakes lazily fell all around them looking like they weren't really eager to lay on the ground. It was quiet, with only the muffled hums and drums being heard from the temple inside the building and quiet sobs escaping from Kate.
Oscar listened to her sobs and gasps slowly quieting down and being gradually replaced by sniffling.
"I'm sorry..." a quiet voice choked out.
"It's alright." Oscar shushed her. He stroked her head knowing that humans find it comforting. "What happened?"
"I messed up" Kate sniffed and cluthed to automaton even more. "It's all my fault, the army, the doctor, the detective. I'm being chased by the FBI, Oscar! I'm in big trouble and I don't know how can I-"
"Stop, stop Kate Walker. Your breathing is growing erratic again." Oscar shushed her as Kate gasped out her words. "No need to work yourself up to a such state."
She breathed out and closed her eyes shifting her focus to keep her breathing calm.
"You're trembling, Kate Walker." Oscar stated as he pulled her away from him to get a better look at her face.
"I'm cold, Oscar." Kate whispered and hugged herself.
"Let's go and warm you up next to the campfire." he said while reaching out his hand to help her get up. Kate took it and stood up, trembling. She hugged herself again as Oscar placed a protective hand over her shoulder to guide her to the warm campifre.
*
Warm light painted them as they stood close by the fire. Kate leaned on some barrels, deep in thought. Oscar stood akwardly near her, observing. Her eyes were red and puffy, tears on her cheecks reflected warm light as is her cheecks where made from gold. Her chest rose slowly with her breathing, that was a good sign, Oscar thought. She was looking at the ground, sniffing from time to time.
"Is everything for sure alright?" Oscar asked cautiously. "I don't want to be rude, but you looked like you were in a different world."
"Ghosts..." Kate whispered as to herself and looked frantically. "It's just ghosts..."
"Kate Walker, I think you need to get some rest now."
"Yeah..." She stood up suddenly making Oscar slighltly bold towards her to catch her, thinking she was about to fall. "I'm so tired" she yawned. "I'm going to try to sleep, even for a short while."
Oscar watched her walk away towards her yurt. "Kate Walker?" he called out hestitantly.
Kate halted and turned towards him. "Yes, Oscar?"
"As an automaton created by Hans Voralberg, it is my duty to operate Voralberg's train..." he hesitated "...but it is also to make sure my passengers are comfortable. And since you and Hans were my only passengers and since, well, Hans is no more, nor is the train..." Kate's eyes softened. "Is there any thing I can do for you, Kate Walker?"
A faint smile showed up on Kate's lips as she walked back to Oscar and hugged him. "Thank you, Oscar."
He hugged her back gently, still afraid, as if Kate was a very delicate automaton. "I am..." he stopped, searching for a right word. "... uncertian about you."
Kate pulled herself away to get a better look at Oscar. "What do you mean?" she chuckled.
"I see you getting into dangerous situtations ever since you got me into this new body. You destroyed the Ferris Wheel that could easily crush you under its weight. You walked into the tunnel full of bats without considering any deadly diseases they could carry. You wanted me to get out of the chamber before proper decontamination even though the radiation would be deadly for you. You hurt your hand by..." he took her hand into view to show her the damaged skin.
"I punched a glass window." Kate explained herself and giggled. It just came to her how stupid it was of her to do that.
"Kate..." Oscar sighned disappointingly.
"I know! I know!" She stepped back in defence, holding her damaged hand. "I just really want to help them out!" She exlaimed and gestured at the Yukouls around them that were quietly getting ready for sleep after the ceremony. "They really need me now, they need my help-"
"-and I am here to help you, Kate." Oscar cut her off. She blinked at him. "You help everyone around you, you give them so much but..." he took her hand again and caressed his thumb over the cuts from glass. "... you get hurt so easily and... what if I won't be there to help..." his gears jumped inside his chest anxiously. "I'm uncertain what will happen to you... "
Kate was looking at him dumbfounded. "You're worried about me."
Oscar looked up at her. "Yes... I could say I am 'worried' about you. You are my passanger still..."
Her gaze softened and she reached out to gently place her hand on his cheek. "My dear Oscar..." she chuckled.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Oscar asked again.
Kate slowly stepped forward and hugged him. "Just by being here you help me so much." she stepped back and looked at him warmly. A sping sett off inside Oscar's chest.
"I'm going to sleep now, Oscar." Kate said softly.
"Oh, yes, yes of course." he stepped back and looked at the ground nervously. "Take a rest, you need it."
"Goodnight, Oscar." Kate hummed and stared to walk off toward her yurt.
"Goodnight, Kate Walker. I'll wait for you here."