From Your Wires to Your Core

Fear and Heartache

Nines slowly forced his eyes open. He felt groggy. At least, it's what he thought groggy would feel like. Everything was out of focus. At first, there was only darkness, a few shadowy shapes dancing in his blackened vision. His audio processor was malfunctioning. Sounds were muffled and distorted. He was lying on a flat surface. It was hard, but he couldn't feel the texture to figure out what it was. It was like his tactile sensors were blocked. He wasn't strapped down, but he couldn't move. He tried. It was like he had no muscles. Panic flooded his chest. It rushed through his core, making him open his communications array and dial Gavin on reflex.

Gavin! I need help! Please, don't leave me! Had he even picked up? He wasn't aware of any ringing. The world was eerily silent, inside and out. Panic and despair gripped his chest, leaving him crying into the abyss for help. His primary tracker had been blocked, and he didn't know if the backup was working or if the signal was getting through. He was lost. Trapped. Just as Gavin had feared. Where was Gavin? Would he make it in time? I need to assess the situation like an android. I need data. I need control. He reviewed his memory logs.

Gavin had headed into the Eden Club, leaving him trying not to feel exposed as he crouched in the alley with his back to the entrance. He'd run continuous scans of the area, somewhat comforted by the fact that Connor and Hank were parked one street over. It helped that Connor had called his internal line to keep him apprised of activity in the area. Apparently, the street was quiet over there, too. Perhaps they'd need to rethink things, to give up and try a new approach. The thought was somewhat comforting.

Gavin had barely been gone for five minutes, and he already felt vulnerable and alone. He pushed the feeling aside, keeping his focus on the ground. He recorded the cracks beneath his fingertips. Sharp fragments of stone that a human wouldn't even notice. It was damp out. The evening air was heavy with humidity. A human may feel a slight chill, which would contrast with the day's heat. The dumpsters nearby were full, leeching out a smell that humans would find unpleasant. He could identify various rotting food items. Banana peels, chicken flesh, and a myriad of other things.

More time passed. He moved to new patches of cement every few minutes. He even went right up to the dumpsters, though he refrained from putting anything else in his mouth. There was no need. He just had to appear as if he were working. After almost an hour, he heard footsteps. A few quiet words were exchanged, pointing him out as if they'd been told where to find him. Was someone watching? Did someone know about the mission? The figures approached. He told Connor, clicking an image of the masked trio just before the disc was thrown.

It was like the one used before, but stronger. The electric shock sent him to his knees with a whine he was glad Gavin wasn't around to hear. He couldn't help it. He was scared. His silvery eyes were wide and soft as he looked up, unable to identify the men, but knowing he could have taken them out in a fairer fight. They weren't even as toned as Gavin, and clearly unused to physical work. A static cry fled his lips as a metal rod was pushed against his chest, sending a surge through his power core. That agonising shock was the last memory he had before he'd opened his eyes on the table.

Now, back in the present, he did his best to focus his vision and get a clearer look at his surroundings, even though he couldn't move his head. The darkness gradually brightened, remaining dull and grey but betraying shapes. He was in a warehouse, given away by the high ceiling and faded skylights above. He could make out tubes running from his body to somewhere beyond his sight. Tubes filled with blue. My thirium. They were siphoning off his thirium. He ran a scan to check his internal levels. There was twenty percent left, which explained his lack of mobility. He barely had enough to keep his internal systems running.