Lloyd didn't say a word to anyone as he left. If he had he probably would've gotten into an argument with Will, and there was enough conflict in the office already, with the automatons looming around. He waited by the door for his ride to come and Ben appeared beside him.
"Got anything planned for the rest of today?" he asked him.
"Not really. Just thinking about what kind of crap they're going to pull tomorrow."

"Alright good. I mean, that's not good, but at least you're available. When you get in the car, redirect it to go to downtown. You'll see what we have been working on in these machines."

Lloyd turned and looked at him. "What is it?"
"A massive machine, taller than any skyscraper. Designed to remove all the toxins and pollution's in the air. It's not an instant fix, but in a few years the atmosphere will be clean again."

Lloyd touched his mask and looked up at the sky, wondering if he'll ever see it blue again. His ride pulled up and he started to reroute it's direction on his phone.

"I'll be there."
He got in the ride with Ben's lanky, stalking figure peering at him until the door closed, and the moment the car moved forward Ben jutted forward, running in huge lengthy strides. He was gone in a matter of seconds. Lloyd rolled his eyes and took off his mask, enjoying the filtered air through the car. The smog was almost too dense to see Ben's sprinting form in the distance. Lloyd stared at the fog through his left window and wondered what could possibly change all this. And why now? Why wasn't this built before the pods, before cryogenics, before the digital world? Ben tapped on the glass, causing Lloyd to jump.

"You alright man? We're here."

Lloyd started to put on his mask, already hearing multiple voices outside. He didn't expect there to be that many people left. There must be more dissenters than he thought. He closed the door and pressed the idle button in the app so the car wouldn't leave and looked around. There was about a dozen other people outside, most likely dissenters who refused to go digital. He wondered how long they would last out here. He didn't plan on lasting at all.

In the middle of the park was a massive structure that looked like the bottom half of an egg. There were multiple storage containers stacked together, and over a dozen automatons walking around. The structure was a sleek metal color, but the thickness of the smog hid most of the details.

"It looks like an egg." said Lloyd blankly.

"Yeah, for now." Ben replied excitedly. "But when its done it'll look more like a bullet, or the rocket boosters you see on a space shuttle. And it shifts, opening and rotating to cleanse the air. At the rate these guys are going, it'll be done by midnight. I won't be able to see it, we have to turn these suits in at certain times depending on the job we've been given."

"Suits?" Lloyd asked, staring up at Ben. "You call them suits?"

"The training program for using them tells you to think of it as a suit. For most people it's gotta be disconcerting to step back in this world, three or four feet taller than actually were."

"It wasn't for you?"

Ben laughed and stretched his metallic hands. "No. I felt like a god."

"Suddenly, the smooth area where his eye sockets should've glowed red, and he could hear a rhythmic humming from within Ben's head.

"Shit. I'm out of time. I gotta return this suit and apply for deployment tonight. I'll see you then."

Ben patted his shoulder before turning around. "Don't drink anything before tonight. I want you to have a clear head when you witness it."

In a full sprint Ben dashed down the street, his smooth eye sockets getting brighter the farther he got away until they shone like headlights on the street in front of him. Lloyd turned around and walked towards a cluster of people, all with a different assortment of masks, some new models, some old, and some cracked. A couple gave him brief glances before directing their attention back towards the machines.

"Hey, excuse me, are any of you going digital?" Lloyd asked politely.

"Fuck no," a tall guy spat, his voice warbled by his malfunctioning mask.
"I ain't letting them bastards put me in no program. What about you? We saw your little escort. You working for them ain't you?"

"I was a regular therapist that got reassigned to transfer therapy. My family went in but I'm not going. It doesn't feel natural to me."

The tall guy nodded solemnly. "My name's Colton. I ain't got kids, but my sister and her kids went in. The hook, the selling point for this shit is that it's just like real life. I have a uh... criminal background, so I could barely find a job here. What time of world awaits me in there? You can't offer the world a digital utopia and expect the class system to stay the same. Why be poor when your entire reality is just ones and zeroes?"

An automaton walked over to them, causing multiple onlookers to back up and even run away.

"I'm sorry, but testing is about to begin for the purifier. Testing can result in wind speeds comparable to an f3 tornado or higher so it is highly advised that the immediate vicinity be evacuated for your safety."

"Yeah. Sure." Colton said with disdain. He raised his mask, revealing a much older face than Lloyd had imagined. He hawked spit at the automaton, whose eye sockets glowed red in response.

"If you continue to be hostile, I will be forced to retaliate. Please evacuate immediately."

Lloyd, Colton and the others walked towards the street before some quickly dispersed in different directions. Lloyd pulled out his phone to summon a car before realizing Colton wasn't doing the same.

"Hey, do you need a ride?"

Colton shook his head, his mask still raised. "I live in a wolves den, not far from here. I'll be fine." He walked away, coughing haggardly as Lloyd's ride arrived.

Back home, Lloyd had a couple of drinks and tried to watch the news. They showed the final schematics of the purifier, saying it could possibly change the air quality from 370 to 210 after after a single use. That number, however does not factor in changes weather patterns, or pollution from machines that have yet to be shut down. He changed the channel to music instead and closed his eyes.

It's hopeless. Lloyd thought. They'd never clean the atmosphere enough in his lifetime for him to see his family again. If the Mars colonization program had worked, if there were other hospitable planets... it can't be helped. Lloyd had a feeling humanity was on its last leg, and there was nothing to be done about it.

Every moment, every waking moment, Lloyd had been trying not to think of his family. But he couldn't help it. he got up and walked to his son's room, kneeling under his bed to pull out a shoebox covered in red tape. In permanent marker and crude handwriting, it read: To Dad, From Eric. He smiled.

"You idiot. We have giftwrap in a closet." He brought the present back to the living room and had another drink.

"I shouldn't open this." he reminded himself. "It's not time yet."

He shook it, and it felt relatively light. What could it be? He remembered a few years ago when they would make paper mache masks and fight each other. Now, there was only one way he could see him again. Lloyd set an alarm and fell asleep clutching the box, hoping this was all a dream.

-------------

"Lloyd! HEY LLOYD! YOU'RE GONNA MISS IT!!" Ben was banging furiously on his door, enough to make it rattle.

Lloyd groggily woke up and turned off the tv, unaware the sound was coming from his front door.

"You better not be dead in there!" Ben shouted.

"Oh. Oh shit.' Lloyd stammered, standing all the way up. "I completely forgot."

He opened the door to reveal Ben's lanky metal frame bending down to be at eye level, his expressionless face unmatching the urgency in his voice.

"Oh my god, back the hell up, that is scary." said Lloyd as he coughed, finally remembering his mask.

"You're drunk aren't you. What did I say?"

"I forgot alright? Look at that shithole and tell me you wouldn't pour one out." Lloyd replied, pointing towards the sky.

"You know," said Ben quietly. "Your situation is completely optional. You could join digital after you finish your clients. You could join now and they'll be assigned another therapist. You could see your family again."

"You mean my wife and my son. Most of my family is already in the ground." Lloyd looked at the box on the couch, knowing that even if they managed to fix this world, Jenna wouldn't leave the new one.

"Alright, come on. You're going to want to experience this. It's five minutes till."

"My car probably wouldn't even get here in that time." Lloyd complained.'

"Guess you're riding piggyback then." Ben said laughing. "Hop on."

Ben helped the inebriated Lloyd climb onto his back and started at a light jog.

"Hold on tight okay? We're going to go a little fast." Ben told Lloyd, who, already suffering from motion sickness, was holding as tight as he could. He could feel the chill of the cold dark metal right through his clothes.

"One...two.. three!" At breakneck pace Ben dashed down the street. Jostling Lloyd so much he worried about vomiting in his mask.

I'm going to die. Lloyd thought. I'm going to choke on my own vomit and die.

It seemed much longer than five minutes but Ben finally stopped. Lloyd slid off his back and crumpled to the pavement.

"Are you alright?" he asked, unable to hide the glee in his voice.

"No." said Lloyd between breaths, hyperventilating. "If I didn't need this mask I would've vomited already."

"Don't worry, you'll be able to take it off in a second." Ben said excitedly. He patted Lloyd's shoulder as he stood up, practically knocking hm back to the ground. "Look at this crowd. I can't believe this many chose to stick around."

Lloyd looked around, the grayish filter making it difficult to see much. He could discern multiple groups of people scattered about, all surrounding the giant bullet shaped metal monolith that was near completion. He could hear a few chattering about how it might be a massive bomb they were going to detonate. 

"They were probably scared." Lloyd responded. "Lots of fear mongering among the ignorant."

"You know... well, you don't actually, but being inside feels like living in the garden of Eden. It's the real world that feels like a waking nightmare. Ben replied grimly. "Look! It's starting."

One by one, floodlights at the base of the purifier turned on, illuminating one fourth of the gargantuan, missile shaped machine. An automaton stood by each floodlight while a group of others spread out and began to approach the crowds. Lloyd watched as their eye sockets lit up red, and his heart nearly stopped as they casted red waves of light over the crowds of people.

Some immediately screamed and turned to run, while others flinched, slowly realizing the light wasn't harmful at all.

"All of you are past the safety perimeter." A human voice spoke from one of them. "Please stand back." The people quickly backed away and out of the glare of the red lights, but the automaton continued to approach them until the lights turned green.

"Thank you. For your safety, please remain at this distance away." The automaton turned away and started to approach another group, its red eyes activating again.

Lloyd looked to Ben. "Can you do that?"

Ben laughed, which was unnerving to see with his faceless head. "Can I? I'm supposed to be doing it right now. But this is just an extra shift I signed up for. My main task is to protect the employees of Transfer Therapy, and with you here, I think I'm allowed to deviate."

"But what if they're watching?" Lloyd replied suspiciously.

"They probably are. This is being broadcasted in the digital lands, so that people can see the restoration process in action. It's also to convince more people to sign up to work as automatons. There aren't that many reasons to actually work in digital, so either you come in with a lot of money or you live in what looks like a barely furnished college dorm. The sky is very pretty though."  Ben answered bleakly.

"Exactly why I ain't join." an old man crept up behind them. They turned to see a relatively spry looking fellow, couldn't have been more than 65. One of the many onlookers without a mask, he had a grayish white bear and was beginning to bald a little on his head. He wore a gray sweatsuit and kept his right hand in his hoodie

"All that damn paperwork... all those damn questions. Asking about assets, everything inside my fucking house. My daughter tried to get her boyfriend to help with all the paperwork, only a couple hours my ass."

"Um, hello, I'm Lloyd. and this is Ben." Lloyd tried to shake the man's hand but he kept the right hand in his pocket, opting to use his left.

Must be a leftie. Lloyd thought as he switched hands. "They ask for all that information to know your social standing, and to replicate your home so you feel more comfortable."

"I don't have no internet money, and I rent. I'd be in one of those crappy dorms he mentioned earlier." He turned his attention towards Ben. "Why aint you doing yo job?" he asked rather bluntly.

"I only signed up to see the progress, to see a real breath of fresh air. Besides, most people are horrified at these machines we get to use. I don't want to scare anyone."

The man stared him up and down. "I guess there's someone decent in there."

"Purification begins in thirty seconds. Please stand back.

The trio took a couple steps back and watched in silence. One by one segments of the bullet shaped machine began to to glow white and extend, pushing outwards at least 40 feet. All the civilians and automatons stood back in awe.

"Purification begins in five, four, three, two, one."
Suddenly, the ground rumbled and people were sucked forward, most getting completely locked off their feet. The segments were glowing blue now, closing at a fraction of the speed while they sucked all of the toxic air in.

Lloyd took off his mask and stared up in amazement at the tip of the purifier, where the all encompassing clouds of pollution were getting sucked in like the shape of a tornado, as if a giant were sipping on a straw.

Then, maybe about thirty seconds after it started, it stopped. A massive hole was made in the clouds, piercing through the thick orangish smog and revealing vast dark emptiness behind it. Light pollution was still too bright to see any stars. Lloyd took a deep breath and, while it still smelt like crap, he could actually breathe the air for once.

"Lloyd what did I tell you? Amazing right?" Ben said as he looked down to greet Lloyd. Lloyd was still fixated on the sky past the clouds.

"Yeah it's uh... Really something, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry." the old man said quietly.
Lloyd looked to see him shoot Ben in the stomach five times. Without a word, multiple lights underneath his metal plating lit up sporadically, and he crumpled to the ground like a rag doll.
In perfect sync, the faceplate of every automaton went red and they all turned around.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Lloyd shouted with his hands raised, slowly backing up.

"Relax, he's in the shit ain't he? He didn't die. The motherboard for these machines are in the abdomen, I've snuck into one of their factories."

DROP THE WEAPON AND GET DOWN ON THE GROUND

The old man laughed. "Do you hear these demons?" He reloaded his gun and started to walk backwards. He slowly pointed his gun at each of the them as they cautiously approached him, until one decided to break flank.

THIS IS YOUR LAST-

"LET'S GO! Another one down. If we had more people, more guns, maybe we actually could-"
"Drop the gun!" Lloyd shouted a second too late, not that the man would've listened. An automaton on the right leaped twenty feet forward and punched straight through the old Man's chest. Lloyd and the other automatons all screamed in horror and shock, with Lloyd frantically wiping blood on his face and trying to put his mask back on.

"Holy crap, I didn't think... I didn't. Oh. My. GOD!!!"
They were now trying to get the old man's body off of his arm. All of their faceplates glowed faint whites and blues as they talked.

"You! Sir, did you arrive with this man?" One of them asked Lloyd.

"No, god no. I came with him." Lloyd motioned over to Ben's slumped robot. Two of them walked over, propped him up carefully, and screwed off his head. Leaning against the wall, Lloyd stared up at the hole in the clouds, slowly moving and warping into a random shape because of the wind.

"Not part of our unit." one replied. Both of them turned towards him, faceplates glowing yellow.

"Dr. Lloyd Hall, Transfer Therapist. Hmm." They both stood up and walked towards the others. He heard them mention his and Ben's name, and something about a cleanup crew before one walked back over to him.

"You should head home now. We've had a couple crazies going wild these past few nights. I've already summoned a ride for you."

"Thanks but before I go, I have a few questions."

"Why did all of your faceplates glow red when that man shot Ben? I know it's a security measure but, everyone's turned at the same time."

"Hm." He looked back at the others. One had went over to stop some new civilians from getting close.
"In a dangerous scenario, or if a machine is damaged, all automatons in the vicinity go on autopilot. Prevents cases of ptsd for later."

"What do you mean for later? Prevents cases of ptsd from what?"

The other automatons walked over silently and pointed behind Lloyd.

"Your ride is here Dr.Hall."