My heart nearly ruptured in my chest, and I hadn't turned around yet. Frank's face was enough to send me into a panic. And his voice? The shouting? I unraveled. The android clawing at my leg didn't help the situation either.
"Elijah!" Frank sped up but was it enough?
I knew I couldn't stay focused on him forever. He wasn't a beacon of hope or my savior. Frank had to have had just the same amount of body strength as I did. And shit, sometimes, I looked strong, but I knew my limits.
Judging by the sound of metal hitting metal, ricocheting off my ears, this was out of my limits.
Holding my breath, I gulped, turning my head to look at what Frank was warning me about. I should've expected red eyes but not the height of the android. This skeletal base had me beat by five or six inches, and that was tall by a normal person's standards. The base was about as big as Reggie, only I knew Reggie was kind.
The android eyes that glared at me reminded me of the day I lost it all. Of the Lyons raid on my family home, of the moment that my grandfather died and my father took a beating. The hate in that red color was the same that brewed in my soul for years.
All I ever wanted was to live a normal life, with a family, and far from the terrors and lies within this world. Instead, I was continuously met with this. Artificial hate and control.
I gulped as the skeletal base straightened. "I didn't come down here to die," I whispered.
Frank continued running in my direction. "Don't look at it! Move! Why aren't you moving!"
I didn't know why I wasn't moving. I was tired. I hadn't been here for a complete month, and I was already tired. The running, the hiding; everything I did to stay alive out in the world, I'd done the same in this building under Katherine's nose. It was exhausting. I was suffocating.
This android had to feel the same. I knew it felt because I believed all androids felt emotions, regardless of programming or data. Maybe this android and I could connect. We could relate.
And it'd let me live.
"I came here to save you." I shifted as much as I could to face the android. The torso at my feet hadn't let go, but I couldn't let it hold me back. The android beside me needed to see me, understand me, and know that I was here for them. "All I want to do is help."
Its fingers expanded. I looked down at the shine of its metal picked up from my phone's light. The slender metal rods designed to be inconspicuous were there; protruding, exposed, and creaking as it moved.
It's hurt.
"I can fix that." I pointed at the android's hand. I could repair the damage, but I didn't have the time. One glance at my phone told me we only had eleven minutes left. And how the fuck was I going to locate all fifty androids in that time?
The android raised its hand over its head.
I stepped back as much as I could, dragging the floored android with me. "I'm here to help." I lifted my hand. My phone's light shone on its face.
Danger shimmered in its eye as its head dipped to one side. Was the android observing me?
I licked my lip because I felt dry. I was. There wasn't any spit left in my mouth to help, though.
Nervously, I chuckled.
"Okay, Elijah, I'm here," Frank huffed as he came to my side. His hand dropped on my shoulder, his gaze traveling up the android in front of me. I heard him gulp louder than I saw him do it. I did the same. "We, uh, should move," he whispered as he tried to tug me back.
"Can't," I responded, "I'm stuck."
Frank's gaze locked with mine before dropping down to my feet. Then his eyes widened. "What the-" He kicked at the torso that wouldn't let me go.
As soon as he did, the android in front of us snatched Frank by the collar of his shirt, lifting him off his feet. He screamed. I did, too. I managed to fall back, realizing that Frank's kicks did the job; I was free. But now my partner was in trouble.
I scrambled over the fallen pieces of android limbs and got on my knees. Still holding my phone, I pressed my hands together, pleading, praying to the machine that continued to lift Frank higher. "Hey, hey, listen to me," I said to it, "we came down here to help you."
The android lowered its gaze.
I pressed my hands and phone against my chest. "It's my fault that you're in here and I'm sorry. I was the man who entered the creation floor and messed with data. If I hadn't, no one would have ordered you guys to be down here. You've done nothing wrong."
The android's eyes changed color. Red, then white, then green. Without eyelids, I couldn't read its expression. "You opened the door," they said.
My brows shot up high. It had a voice and I recognized it. If this was the only base with the ability to talk, then I just had to be lucky. I dropped my hands to my knees. "A," I breathed, my brows pinched together, "is that you?"
Frank's frantic gaze bounced from the machine and me, his hands struggling with the strong grip on his shirt. His jaw dropped as the android lowered him back to the mess on the floor.
"I am A," the android said. "You must be Logan's friend. You're the one who opened the door."
I wouldn't say I was Logan's friend, but I also didn't know about a door. Unless the android was comparing to the temporary rift I helped create in the data's security, then sure, yes, I carved a doorway. It wasn't intentional, and I wasn't sure how much outside information made it inside.
"I, um-" I passed my hands over the parts beneath my legs. I was uncomfortable but I was in no position to move.
The android had let Frank go and he dropped beside me. Both of his hands grabbed my shoulders as he shook. "We need to go, Elijah. We're running out of time."
"No." My gaze snapped at him. Sweat dripped between his eyes as he panted, shaking me still as if that would get me to listen. I wouldn't just leave. It would ruin the very reason we came down here to begin with. "We said we'd save them and get them out before Katherine destroys them."
"Destroys us," the android spoke and gestured at the graveyard beneath its feet, "like the destruction we stand on."
I looked up at the massive metal skeletal frame. Its focus on me calmed me and I wasn't sure why. At least I'd found the one android Logan had done some good with. "At some time tomorrow, this room will try to press and flatten you into little pieces. If you make it, like this guy," I pointed at the android torso that'd held me for minutes, "you'll be aware, alive, but with no place to go."
The android lifted its hand and stared at its damaged fingers. "It is not just me here," they said. "All of us were removed."
"Yes, I know." I pushed myself up to a stand. "There are fifty."
Its eyes shifted as it peered at me. "There are more than fifty of us."
My eyes widened as I shook my head. "What do you mean there are more?"
The android motioned its hand at the mess at our feet. It bent and lifted the android torso, caressing the side of the semi-intact face. "There are hundreds, if not thousands of us here, thrown away and abandoned." It looked at me as its eyes shimmered with different colors, like a kaleidoscope of emotion. "Most, if not all, still function. Are you going to save us all?"
There was no way I'd be able to save every piece of semi-functional machinery on this floor. Even if I could, and I made the attempt, it'd take days. Months. And that was if any of them were even repairable. Some, I'd have no choice but to put it out of its misery.
Scanning the mess on top of the floor, I started to count the number of mismatched limbs. In one area, I couldn't connect a matching piece; there were either too many right legs or not enough hands. I felt like what the android wanted couldn't happen.
"A," I shook my head, "I can't do that. I can't save all of you. It's..." I looked around again before I sighed, "A, it's impossible."
The android touched my shoulder, passing its hand over my shirt. "What was impossible was a doorway opening itself inside of my mind. With it, I was able to see the hatred of this world, anger directed at creatures like me-"
Frank stepped back. His foot landed on a different android part. The sound of metal bending under his feet echoed. I looked at him, catching the fearful expression spreading over his face. Then he mouthed, "No time."
The android's hand gently fisted the sleeve of my shirt. "With that doorway, each of us learned that there is a man-you-who is aiming to help us. Isn't that you?"
I looked down at its metal hand as Frank reached for mine. The warmth of his fingers gripped my skin. I shot him a quick look, just as sweat slid down his brow. Again, he repeated, but with words, "We're running out of time, Elijah."
My heart thumped in my chest. I knew we were cutting it close. At this rate, with this android, I wouldn't be able to do what I came here to do. That cut into me. This hurt more than the day itself. Why wouldn't this android let me save what I could? The thousands would happen eventually, but this day, right now, I could only do so much.
When the android kneeled in front of me, I looked into its mechanical eyes and whispered, "I can't save all of you."
Its hands fell onto its lap. "But you were going to try."
"No," I licked my lip, "I was going to try and save the fifty I saw yesterday. Not hundreds. No thousands. Just you and the others."
"Hm." The android looked down at the torso that continued to try and move. It traced the damaged skull before looking out into the rest of the floor. The light from our phones, even though pointed at the floor, cast a glow on the android. Was that emotion in its eyes?
It looked back at me. "But your long-term goal is to save us, isn't it?"
Frank tugged at my hand. He got me to stand beside him as he moved me back. He forced me to face him. "I'm sorry, Elijah," he hissed. "I don't think this android wants your help right now. And-" He showed me his phone. "-we've got three minutes."
I knew this android didn't want my help, but I couldn't just give up. I came all this way, and got my other android involved; if I was caught, what would happen to Victoria and Reggie? I had to protect them as much as myself, and these androids. "I'm not leaving without them," I said to him.
The android's hand reached for my leg. It gently touched the fabric of my jeans before dipping its head. "I see why Logan kept talking about you."
My eyes widened as I leaned my shoulders back, straightening in front of the android.
"Believe me when I tell you that we, all of the androids, appreciate your efforts," it said.
My heart rate sped up as I took in a long deep breath. It couldn't have understood me. "But you haven't seen all of it," I whispered. This was just the beginning. "You need to experience it, so please, I am asking you to tell me where the others are or you call them so we can go. Please."
I was pleading. What else could I do? I wasn't one to just give up, not like this.
It turned itself on its hands and pushed itself to stand again. It was careful not to damage the android torso at its feet. "Listen," it turned its head to look at me, its gaze passes quickly over my face, "because you opened that door, I have seen you and your kindness through the eyes of the others. Every android is aware of you."
My breath hitched in my breath. If I was understanding what it meant, consciousness was connecting like a spider's web. Each pair of android eyes were like windows looking at me. Me.
Victoria mentioned this, hadn't she? All androids were able to sync and communicate with each other without having to be next to one another. Had this doorway connected all of them this way? Was this new?
Either way, this isn't how I want the word to spread.
"I don't want you to see it through the eyes of others." I reached out for its hand. "I'm not leaving you."
It took my hand. Its cold fingers pressed between mine. It dipped its head; even without skin on its skull, I felt like it was smiling. It was in the calm tone of its voice, its demeanor. "It's all right," it said, "I'll be here when you come back for us all."
That was it, huh? I wasn't going to be able to get this android to move. It would sit in this room and willingly be crushed. But what about the others? One android couldn't speak for the masses. There were still forty-nine others I came down here for.
"Okay, we need to go!" Frank yanked me back. "We've got two minutes to leave, two minutes to run up those stairs-two minutes!"
"Listen to your friend, Elijah." The android lowered its hand. "You need to leave before this place comes after you."
I inhaled sharply through my teeth. "My mission is to save you."
"And we will be here." It lifted its hand above its head. One finger pointed at the ceiling. I followed its direction until the movement behind it caught my attention. Lifting my phone, I shined my light into the shadows of the disposal floor. There were shadows, large and small, coming toward us. I squinted in the darkness; the closer they came, the clearer they were to me.
It was the other forty-nine androids. They walked hand in hand, synchronized steps. Their gazes were stuck on me, not the android in front of me. I couldn't lock eyes with all of them, so I looked back at A, their leader in this situation. "It's like that?" I whispered.
"It is," it said and lowered its hand. The androids behind it stopped, unified and unafraid. None were going to leave with me.
"Come on." Frank pulled me, but he didn't sound as frantic. It was as if he knew this would rattle me because it did. I tried my absolute hardest, thought of the extremes, to make what happened right, and these androids refused. Was this really, okay? For me, it wasn't, but if it was for them, I would have to accept it.
I stumbled back, following Frank. Looking the android in the eye, I whispered, "I'll come back for you," my gaze passed over the androids behind it, "for all of you."
***
My legs felt like boulders as we hurried back upstairs. Frank had to stop to help me up, to have me keep up with him, but for what? I knew we were past the time limit, our faces had to be plastered on every security camera Lyons had. So, when Frank opened the main lobby door and I glanced at the hour on my phone, I huffed and closed my eyes, leaning against the wall. "How bad is the punishment if we're caught?" I asked.
"Caught doing what?" Frank stepped out into the lobby and looked around. He glanced back at me before motioning me to follow as if the cost was all clear. "We haven't done anything," he said.
I followed him, but confusion gripped my chest. "We broke into the disposal floor intending to break out fifty androids," I whispered.
Frank passed a hand over his face. "Wouldn't be breaking in if these are floors that I have all access to." He shot me a grin. "Just irregular visits."
My brows pinched together. I couldn't figure out his next move. He was normally the one with the rollercoaster emotions, yet, the minute my heart plummeted, he took a sharp right, then upward. Was this his coping mechanism? Or was this to make me feel better?
He waited for the android guards to pass and the area was clear before he crossed the lobby to the elevator. I watched him for a second, even though I should've left immediately. It was just my moment to think back to when I first met him. Frank, the seemingly in control man who lost composure when I slipped from his fingers. Here I was, hesitating because I broke.
Standing at the elevator doors, Frank turned around and hissed. "We need to go, Elijah."
I snapped out of it, shaking my head as I pulled myself out of my thoughts. I scanned the lobby quickly and then darted toward the elevators. The moment it opened, I slid inside.
Frank quickly tapped the floor button, but I didn't see the number. I was focused on his face. Questions sat on the tip of my tongue. "Can I ask you something? What keeps you going?"
The elevator started to ascend. Frank leaned against the wall. "Now you're asking me questions?"
I was.
"Fear of confrontation." Frank tongued his cheek. "I don't know how to take that."
"When I asked you to get my family's files, you looked like you'd shit your pants."
"But I did it, though." He blinked at me. "I took them and brought them straight to you."
"Okay." I crossed my arms and faced him. "What about everything that happened with Reggie? The whole conversation with Katherine, in her office-"
"Katherine's a different story." Frank raised one hand, then he pointed at the elevator floor. "But this place, this building, I grew up here. I'm not afraid of this space."
His hand tapped the buttons on the side. I glanced at the panel before looking up at the elevator's numbers as they reached a floor that wasn't mine. I narrowed my gaze as we settled on the twenty-fourth floor. "Aren't we going back to my apartment?"
"No." The doors opened, and Frank looked out into a dark lobby-like space. There were chairs and tables, much like the areas on the twenty-seventh floor, but this felt more like a restaurant; at the far wall, I saw a counter, a register. Beyond that resembled a kitchen. "I think you need to unwind," Frank said.
He stepped out of the elevator, and I followed him. Immediately, the lights came to life. One by one, they powered on above our heads, creating a guiding path between the tables. I watched Frank as he walked ahead, hands extended, fingers passing over the backs of chairs.
Then he glanced back at me as he turned. "You have questions. We can talk. And you," he pointed at me, "can forget today and chill."
Biting my lip, I reached for one of the chairs. I could chill. He was right; I should and needed to relax. Dropping down in the seat, I passed my hand over my chin. "I could use a drink."