Shifted Reality Book One: Just AI

Making A Run: Jonathan

I watched the movie alone, in silence. Why in hell did I let Lisa and Hunter go out together without me? I looked out the window. I've got to admit, this city is beautiful, especially with the stars twinkling above it. There is hardly anyone I can think of who wouldn't agree. Simulated or not, this city is beautiful.

There was a knock on the hotel door.
"Hunter and Lisa back already?" I questioned to myself as I walked over to the door.
As I opened the door, it revealed a bunch of employees and guests to the hotel. They all began clawing at me, slamming me around, punching me, kicking me, slapping me, anything they could do to hurt me.
"What the fuck!" I yelled as I ran over to the hand gun and aimed it at some woman's head.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. The knock back sent my arms flying up, my eyes opened to reveal the woman dead. As fast as I shot and ran, the people continued to get uncomfortably close too me.

Without anymore ideas, I grabbed Hunter's back pack, opened the window and dove out. My hands caught onto a flag pole outside as I fell, causing a cracking sound to come from my shoulders. The knife I was holding plummeted to the ground. I had to think fast. There was a deck, a few feet down from me. I swung back and forth on the flag pole then launched to the deck. Working my way around the edge of the deck, I found windowsills that I could use as ladders. Step by step, I finally managed to reach a height that I could jump down to the ground.

I ran over to the gun and pulled out the address to the club. Without hesitation, I ran in that direction. To my surprise, I found the club empty, and all it's guests standing outside. There was police tape surrounding the building. Two body bags, one average height, and one small was pulled out of the building. My heart skipped a beat as I ran through the chaotic crowd.
"Hunter! Lisa!" I called as loud as I could, hoping they were alive and could hear me.

Suddenly, a woman grabbed my arm.
"You know their names?" she said curiously.
Thinking about it, I nodded and hoped she knew something about their location.
"The boy, Hunter saved the girl's life. Those three men he shot terrorize this city by going to business, raping girls, then killing them once they've been raped, then leaving, just to get the business closed down for not paying them a fee. Now that they're dead, this town might be a little safer, along with my club. The girl, Lisa, is unconscious and is inside with some paramedics, as for Hunter, he refused to leave her side," the woman explained excitedly.
I sighed with relief as I now knew those body bags didn't contain Hunter and Lisa.
"May I go inside? They are close friends, almost family, I really need to see them," I asked hopefully.
The woman sighed frustratedly.
"I'll ask if they will let you in," she offered, waving for me to follow her.

After a few minutes of arguing, the police finally agreed to let me in. A cop led me towards the backroom. Next to the backroom, on either sides of the door, there was large pools of blood, probably from the two bodies that were carried outside. The cop opened the door as one more body bag was about to be carried outside. The man in the third bag was naked. Worry rushed over me as the officer led me to the paramedics then left.

Hunter looked up at me and sighed.
"That got a little too close for comfort," Hunter said, holding onto his gun.
I looked at him nervously, then glanced over his shoulder at Lisa. Lisa was laying on the floor, many parts of her naked body had hand prints bruised into it. There was blood running down her legs, and a little blood on the back of her head. She was deathly pale and shaking like a leaf. There was blood on her chest, but from the lack of wounds there, I could tell it was from the man who must have tried to have his way with her.
"Why didn't she use her knife?" I asked hesitantly.
Hunter pulled Lisa's knife from his pocket.
"The guy outside had it, must have took it from her before she had the chance to use it," Hunter explained, obviously upset.

I frowned and pulled off Hunter's back pack.
"There's some clean clothes in here," I said, looking at Lisa.
The paramedics had managed to stitch up and bandage the wound on the back of Lisa's head. Hunter thought for a moment. Once the paramedics managed to clean up the lower half of Lisa's body, Hunter hit them over the back of the head with his gun, knocking them out.
"Quick, dress her!" Hunter ordered, standing by the door with his gun aiming, ready to shoot if anyone came in.
Once I had dressed Lisa in lose clothes that she could move in, Hunter picked her up. He ran towards a fire exit at the back of the room.
"Once I open this door, we've got to run, straight to the exit point, no stopping. Tonight got too close, so change of plans, we're getting out of here tonight!" Hunter announced, putting his hand on the handle of the door.
I nodded and threw Hunter's backpack on, just in case.

Hunter opened the door and we began running. An alarm went off behind us, and of course cops came running. Bullets came flying at us as we ran. Hunter picked up his pace and I followed. The distance between us and the club began to grow more and more copious. Finally, we reached a large, white building. Hunter stopped outside, and turned to look at me. I slowed until I came to a stop next to Hunter and began panting. I don't know how Hunter could have run that far while carrying Lisa and not end up panting at the least.
"Listen, I don't know what it's going to be like in there. They might not have created guards, but then again, they might have. Either way, stay close to me, don't leave my side. Once you and Lisa log out, you'll wake up in a grey room together. I will try get to you guys as quick as possible, all I ask is don't leave that room unless absolutely needed. The scientists in there may try to put you back under, don't let them," Hunter ordered swiftly.
I nodded and looked up at the building. It was now or never. Hunter opened the door and we ran inside.