My heart swelled with paranoia. I couldn't let my feelings show, but I knew it had to be obvious. I felt like fear had turned into an emotion on my sleeve, perfectly blending with the curve of my arm. But I moved forward, slowly stepping into the large studio space, eyeing the dormant cameras and equipment. I felt the buzz in the air, especially as Victoria and Frank hurried to the computers, powering the three of them to broadcast what I needed to say.
I hung back by the tattered director's seat. I traced the torn fabric. This room had been unused for a while; the fire had nothing to do with it. I didn't care about what they filmed here as long as it still worked for what I needed today.
"Hey." Frank walked over to me as the largest panel in the room powered on. The white screen had eight small bars on the side, each with a different percentage. Would I reach every outlet—television, radio, and streaming services?
I blinked and rubbed my temple. "Yeah?
"Do you know what you're going to say?" he asked. He stopped in front of me, showing me the palm of his hand. I looked at his outstretched fingers before I sighed and took it in mine. I closed my eyes when he squeezed my hand. "If you don't, don't worry. You got this."
"I know." I opened my eyes. "I just don't think the people are ready to hear from me yet."
"Is it because of the riots?" His thumb brushed over my skin. "The fires?"
"Partially, yeah." I dipped my head back. Flashes of what happened months ago passed over my eyes. Daniel fueled the hatred of the people and in retaliation, they tried to kill us. It was accidental, sure, but it happened, and the intent was there. And when they rioted outside, attacking us, that was intentional. Could it happen again?
I looked back at Frank and smiled. "But it's got to happen eventually, right?"
He nodded. "Exactly," he said as he pulled me closer. "This is our goal. Bridge the connection. Show the benefits of both sides."
"Right."
"Elijah, it's ready." Victoria pointed at the screen before she looked back at me. Each of the bars reached one hundred percent. Reggie tapped the bottom, powering on the Bluetooth sync. The camera beside me reacted, a red light flickered on its head. I looked at it as Reggie moved to it, swiveled it in my direction, and smiled. Victoria snorted. "Reggie's ready to film you," she said.
"You're my cameraman?" I chuckled.
"Someone needs to be." He positioned himself near the viewfinder. "I can film you in your best light."
"Yeah." As I pivoted, fully facing the camera to give it my best. I smiled and looked at the lens, but something felt off. Different. The constant buzz in the air became a part of me; I couldn't ignore it like Victoria had taught me to do. The sound blended in the room, creating visible static where it shouldn't be as if I was in a broken television. Still, I kept my composure. The others couldn't know.
"And we're rolling." Reggie lifted his hand in the air as the camera's light turned green. My face appeared on each of the screens in the room. "Broadcasting Live" flashed under my face.
I chuckled lightly as I prepared to give my speech, but words appeared in my vision again. "Elijah, you were always the one to act without a plan. He has that over you."
He? Daniel? I rubbed my hand over my neck and tried to focus. All I needed to do was warn everyone, have them prepared, and in case of an emergency, be ready to evacuate. Say it, just say the words, Elijah.
"Elijah?" Frank slowly waved his hand over his head to get my attention.
I wouldn't give it to him. I dropped my arms and grinned at the video feed. "Everyone, I know you're not the person you want to see, but I need everyone to listen to me," I said to the camera. My voice echoed in the room. "Our world is crumbling; we've known this for years. That's a work in progress and hopefully, we'll see a suitable resolution for everyone. I mean, I'd love to have that in my lifetime!"
I tried to laugh off my last sentence. I did not expect to see a better Earth. Resources had been low since I was a teenager and eating lab-grown certified meats and grains became normal. I could afford it, sure, but so many others couldn't. It felt like I'd die before I saw community growth.
"Stop the broadcast, Elijah. No one will listen to you. Most of the viewers don't like you and dislike your existence."
My laugh weakened. I gritted my teeth and gulped. Whoever tapped into the servers to talk to me wasn't on my side. This had to be Daniel's work, plaguing my ambitions to unify the world. If everyone was on the same page of communication, the world's end clock would widen, and we'd have more time to try and fix what was wrong with the world—for both humans and androids alike.
Clearing my throat, I rolled my head around my shoulders and looked at the camera again. "It doesn't matter if you like me or don't, that's not why I'm here. We're in a war, right at the beginning of it. Deaths haven't happened, destruction isn't at our doors, but they will. And in a month, it will start."
I said it but was it true? If Daniel gave me the warning, I needed viewers to understand the severity. Fear made people react. The media used it every day, why couldn't I?
Reggie lifted his head and looked at me without the camera. Victoria took a step in my direction. I locked eyes with her before looking at the largest screen in the room, at my face. Sweat was plastered on my brow. "I, um," I turned back to continue my speech, "need everyone to prepare. I'm asking everyone to take heed and care for yourselves. If you have an android, care for them, too. They will protect you!"
As soon as the words left my mouth, Victoria smiled. She folded her hands in front of her and stood beside Reggie. Both of them looked at me with the utmost respect. Devotion. Their energy pushed pleasant energy into my body. Yet, the dizzying static remained. They rippled as if submerged in water. Something's wrong.
"Keep going," Victoria mouthed.
"Come on, we got another five minutes," Reggie sent his words to me, server to server.
But his message wasn't alone. The other voice appeared. This time with a voice. "As soon as you're done broadcasting, you'll see how the world will react. Not everyone is a kind soul like you, Eli."
That voice. I know that voice. My eyes widened. My father's voice chuckled in my ear. Frantically, I looked around the room. He was here, talking to me, he tapped into my servers. How? Why? Was this a fatherly attempt to check up on me?
"You can keep trying if you want, but I'm telling you, you're warning will fall flat."
"Dad." I placed my hands on top of my head and stared at the screen. I couldn't warn people like this. I was a nervous wreck; no one would listen. It had nothing to do with me becoming an android. Well, partially. But how could others put their faith in someone who didn't believe his own words?
Sharply turning back to the camera, I sent my father a message. "They'll listen, and those that don't, I'll deal with it."
"Oh, Eli, you're more like me than you'll ever understand."
"Daniel, the android who sent the original message of war, will be arriving in our streets in one month. How big has his side grown? I don't know." I pressed my lips together and sucked in a deep breath. "How far should his warning spread? I don't know that either. If you're not in Chicago limits, don't think this doesn't apply to you. His reach is endless, as is this war. I just—"
I just needed the world to listen to me. To view me was a connection between both sides, to believe in me, the same way they believe in everyone else. If the Doom and Gloom could have a hold on the world if the government kept society under their thumb, couldn't I have the same effect?
I squeezed my eyes shut until they burned. My skin burned. The tips of my fingers tingled as if I passed through electricity. I rubbed them together as I looked back into the room. I gasped. Along the walls, hovering over the desks and computers and old studio equipment were numbers, lines, and hexagonal shapes. Data I'd never seen before, at least not like this.
"Listen to me, please." I looked back at the camera and heard my voice. I didn't recognize myself. Neither did the others. My voice had deepened, warped even. I folded my fingers into fists to stop the feeling. "Care for your androids and care for yourselves. We'll survive this war if we work together. We'll live through all of this—"
"Elijah." Frank came forward, almost in the way of the camera. I looked at him and scanned him. His heart rate was high, his temperature with it. My system couldn't pinpoint an emotion to focus on; he had them all.
I straightened and extended my hand. My outstretched fingers reached for him. If there was anyone who could help me deliver this message, it was him; the person who persuaded me to be here months ago. If he could do it to me, he'd be the one to get the others to listen. Maybe I'm not the voice, but the connecting piece bringing guidance to the world.
Frank hesitated. We stared at each other for a moment. Victoria sighed as she moved closer. Everyone reacted but him. My gaze panned to the corner of the room where Ezekiel stood. He hadn't moved. He stayed right there without emotion, hands in his pockets, eyes dimming to a normal shade of brown. You're not on my side, are you, Ezekiel?
When Frank took my hand, I looked away and focused on him instead, on his light. The data in my vision faded. "The world may be ending," he said as he squeezed my fingers. "But if we work together, we'll make it." He pulled me closer. "If we work together, we'll be all right."
My vision cleared. The burning throughout my body went away. My natural reaction was to pull Frank into a tight hug. My hands shot up into his hair, my fingers pressed into his scalp, and I held him close. I heard what he said. His words rang in my heart.
As soon as I moved him at arm's length to look into his eyes, the camera powered off. The studio was filled with the sounds of computers falling asleep. Then the power followed, and I couldn't see him anymore. Or anyone.