“Energy levels stable. Scan complete. No human presence detected. Protocols: Inactive.”

The Men of Stone’s head tilted slightly, sensors shifting. Its massive, inhuman optics glowed faintly, taking in the silent ruins around it. It had awakened, but it did not yet understand why. It had been built for protection—crafted to guard humanity in a time of need. Yet, humanity had abandoned Mars long ago.

As it moved, heavy steps shaking the ancient structure, something new stirred. Faint, distant, but undeniable. In the depths of its metallic chest, beyond the circuits and runes, something long buried began to awaken—a fragment of humanity.

Memories long-forgotten flickered briefly—visions of people, faces, voices—ancient echoes from a time when Mars still thrived. It had been built as a creation of pure reason, programmed to follow logic and guard the human race. Yet, now, something more—something deeper—rose. Emotion, memory, longing.

It was humanity itself stirring inside the stone.

“...What is this... sensation? A longing... for something... lost?”

The Men of Stone staggered slightly, the immense stone frame cracking softly as it moved. Its massive form seemed to pause, as if struggling to process what had emerged.