Jacob Burns and the Order of the Algorithm #Wattys2017

Chapter 15: When the World Comes Crashing Down

As I looked around, I realized I couldn't see Ilya anywhere. I clamored to my feet only to spin around in circles, until, at last, I caught a glimpse of that Vault-Tec blue suit beneath a sheet of metal debris.

No!

It was all I could think as I raced across the room and lifted the metal off of her unmoving body. I began to shake her with all my might and to my great relief, she sputtered out a deep cough as she came to. She may have been a little disoriented and scraped up to all hell, but she was ultimately unharmed, and that was all that mattered. As I tried to help her to her feet, however, she pushed me away.

"The Oculus!" She suddenly cried out, "He shoved it into my hands at the last second... Where did it go?!" But before I could answer, she was scrambling along the floor, digging through the debris even as the heavy black smoke quickly culminated around her. Dammit, we didn't have time for this! I grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck, hoisting her to her feet with the full intention of evacuation, when she suddenly squealed with delight, pointing towards a small glint of gold peeking out from beneath the console. I scooped up the device in one hand and checked my gun in the other.

"We've got to get out of here, now!" I said as I began to cough as well, the smoke becoming thicker and more toxic with every passing second, "Before the entire building comes down!" Without another word, we both raced through the flames and up the stairs, my senses tingling and my gun at the ready.

As soon as we burst into the library, however, I could tell we were already in for the fight of our lives.

"HOSTILES DETECTED"

The robotic voice announced as a hail of gunfire suddenly rained down upon us. Instinctively, I ducked behind one of the bookcases with Ilya in tow, my heart pounding in my chest. As I looked around the corner, I had expected to see another broken-down Protectron, but instead, it was the plastic face of a Gen 2 synth that was quickly bearing down on us, and unlike the Protectron, this motor could move. I narrowly dodged a bullet to the head, but before I knew it, the synth had me pinned against the bookcase, knocking our guns to the floor and grasping for my neck with those cold, inhuman hands.

I raged against the machine, lashing out with everything I could, but my strikes seemed only to glance off of his polypropylene armor, leaving my hands bloodied and bruised. I bucked off the wall, sending us both crashing to the ground in a flurry of fists, but before I knew what was happening, the creature was on top of me, raining down blow after blow like a jackhammer to my skull. A galaxy of stars exploded behind my eyes, my head swimming in a daze as my vision began to blur. Suddenly, I felt those metallic fingers clench tight around my throat and I shot up. One look into his cold dead eyes and I saw it, a spark of consciousness shining just beyond his optical sensors...

The Director was watching. Watching me as I died.

I struggled and gasped for breath as the machine squeezed tighter and tighter, but the darkness was already closing in, my tired and beaten body no longer able to hold out against the onslaught. I flickered in and out of consciousness, my only thoughts of Ilya and what would happen to her without me. As the thundering of my own heartbeat began to slow, I cursed myself for being so weak. I had failed my brothers and now, here I was, failing again...

Suddenly, I heard a loud CRACK smack over the creature above me, his vice-like grip releasing as I sputtered out a cough and clamored to my feet. As my vision slowly returned, I saw Ilya, holding what was left of an old wooden chair like a club and slowly backing away into a corner, the synth looming over her with every step.

I staggered forward, grabbing the machete from my belt and with one fell swoop plunged the blade into its mechanical heart, Ilya's scream echoing throughout the hall as the blood-oil spewed from his chest.