Android Affection Book 1 - Rogue Zero

33: Go

The air is cold, and smells of rotting iron, as I run through the stale corridors without ever looking back. The museum is something else with the lights on, and I don't even want to begin asking myself how the hell that guy got them working again, because I'm too busy trying to ignore the fact that I'm now visually surrounded by more than three hundred androids, and that I only have my favorite fucking Assistant to thank for bringing me into this mess.

It's awfully quiet as I near the exhibit in which I'd left Gilbert behind. As I take my first step inside, I'm disgusted to see that the space we'd been standing on was filled with large squirming worms, who eat away at a strange type of mold peppered across the floor.

However, I don't linger on the thought, for I soon realize that is the least of our worries.

"Shit."

Gilbert's being pinned to the wall by two Assistants. I know I joked about them coming to life a few minutes back, but this is just fucked up. Fuck, I wipe the sweat away from my brow.

Will we ever catch a break around here?

Despite their aged, torn backs, and screeching limbs that look like they could give out any minute, Gilbert is struggling. It's a battle of numbers here, not of strength, and Gilbert seems so caught up in trying to defend himself that he hasn't noticed me, yet.

His suitcase, too, has been discarded next to the space where the Assistant he'd been dismantling used to stand. And as I observe the scene in silence, something horrid occurs to me: I could leave him.

I could run back to the car, and take off, and nobody would ever know—not even Gilbert.

I could... but I don't.

Once Gilbert attempts to kick one of the malfunctioning robots off, I take that as an opportunity to tackle the other one down. It's useful—for a few seconds.

Unfortunately though, the Assistant doesn't stay splayed across the ground for long, for its head spins around on itself then locks into place, before it faces me again.

My survival instincts start to kick in.

I immediately regret my choice.

I don't know what came over me—to think I could take on an Assistant: I must be going insane, from hanging around one of their kind for too long, and now I'm going to die like an idiot because I couldn't do something as simple as running far from this place.

"Ian!" Gilbert shouts and reaches out for me. "No— Stay back!"

I huff. "You should've told me that before I tackled this"—the broken Assistant tries to lash out at me. I jump away from it, then aim the biggest hit I can muster at its arm with my crowbar—"asshole to the ground." I cough into my elbow. Fuck this dust.

Gilbert shoves his own Assistant away, before he grabs me by the collar.

As he yanks me back, and away from the robot that was trying to end my life, I choke on my spit. "Fuck you!" I shout. "What was that for—"

"You were being subjected to a very grave danger," Gilbert mutters, all the while he drags me out by the arm. "It was either this, or watching your demise in person, Sir."

"Yeah, well..." He's not wrong.

I shrug.

Okay.

Fine.

He's right.

I sigh. I guess I'll have to live on with this humiliation in my heart forever, instead. Great.