Last chapter readers! Thank you for coming along on this journey!
~Sara
Shifting through the rubble, his sharp gaze looked for anything that would tell him what had become of her. Time had diminished evidence, the bodies ravaged by wild animals and the weather, a wildfire burning through the buildings and grounds. Nothing much was left. A blanket of snow six inches thick lay over the ground, the wind frigid as it swept across the land. Standing, hands on his hips, he glanced around with a frown.
"Vera!" His call echoed. "Echo! Can you hear me?"
There was no answer, so he headed toward one of the scorched buildings he'd not searched yet. It felt pointless, he'd been at the compound for several hours. If Vera were here, she would have come out to him by now. Truthfully, though, he didn't expect to find her after so much time. Why would she stay? Putting his shoulder to the door, he used force to break the rusted hinges, opening it to the dim interior.
"Vera," squinting a little, he looked around. "Are you here? Echo, can you hear me?"
No sound, no movement answered him. In his search, he hadn't come across any trace of their research at this facility, or who had been here, nothing about what had happened or the mysterious pulse that had wiped out everything on the grounds. Even the news feeds had said nothing about it, proving that the government squelched all information regarding the compound, the fire and time taking care of the rest.
In all the time that had passed, he'd been unable to do anything but wonder about what really happened. When the opportunity to drop off the map had come, the Rhaners had taken it, not about to miss the chance to disappear. Completely off-grid, almost on the edge of the map, they were as far from Tech as it was possible to go. Their lives, however, although away from the government threat, had been anything but easy. An uprising was on the horizon, rebellious factions always looking to forcibly recruit the vulnerable to their cause.
Life was becoming increasingly more dangerous. Anyone who hadn't taken a side was considered a pawn of the government and treated as such. Work was rare, honest pay even rarer, the line between right and wrong blurring worse every day. An android would have caused him a lot of trouble if ever discovered, but since Echo could mimic humanity so well, she'd have been an asset too. Expression grim, he shook his head, turning in a slow circle to survey the space.
"This is pointless-" then he saw her.
Curled on her side, head cradled on her arms, coated in dust and debris, she blended into the disarray. The charred camo uniform she wore almost made him look past her slim form. If not for her long raven hair, he might have. Moving forward, he knelt, reaching out to touch her hand. Blackened, coated in ash and grime, it was ice cold, her sightless eyes wide and blank. A cold shiver went up his back, but he reminded himself this was an android, not a human.
"Vera," shaking her gently, he rolled her over. "Echo."
She didn't answer. Grunting a little, he slid his arms beneath her and lifted the android, frowning a little as her scorched, ruined clothes crumbled, leaving her mostly naked. Her skin was black, but rubbing a thumb over a patch of it revealed an undamaged surface. He noted her hair wasn't burned either, and grinned thoughtfully. Series Five was fireproof.
Finding a place to set her, he found some bits of cloth that had survived the fire and scrubbed what grime off he could. The result was satisfactory until she could wash, so keeping his eyes to himself, he picked her up and walked slowly back into the sun outside. Holding her against him, he waited suddenly glad she had exposed skin to hurry the process. Gradually, with soft humming sounds, she began to stir as the bright sunlight began recharging her core. Luminous blue began to glow in her eyes, then she blinked slowly, parting thick lashes as she gazed up at him. He grinned as she frowned.
"Hey, Echo."
"Kai Rhaner," it was a whisper of sound. "Where are we?"
"Still at the compound,"
"You have aged..." her gaze was unwavering. "I would estimate fi-"
"It's been a few years," he interrupted gently. "Not important."
"As you wish. Since you are here, I conclude we were successful?"
"Yes and no. It's a long story."
Her brow furrowed as she slowly looked around.
"I am unfamiliar with...is this snow?"
"Yes."
"What has happened?"
"Well, I got my dad to a hospital after Vera showed up, and we-" Abruptly changing the topic, he looked at her, frowning. "What happened to you?"
"Unclear. There are impressions in my memory matrix, images of soldiers, but it is... vague. Perhaps my memory storage was damaged."
"I saw the blue light, the same pulse you used to crash the helicopter. Same as you used at our old house when the Reapers first came." Her nod was slow. "Did you use it on the soldiers?"
"That would explain my current state. Using the pulse is a heavy drain on my reserves, multiple uses could bring my energy level almost to empty."
"And Vera?"
"I have not felt her presence."
"You can do that?"
"I feel as though I have, but cannot be certain."
"Well, you said we probably wouldn't live through this crazy plan...I guess you were almost right."
"You avoid mentioning Greer Rhaner, along with the passage of time," electric blue orbs seemed to glow as they held his attention. "Does he live?"
Gritting his jaw to keep his voice steady, Kai held her gaze.
"It didn't go as planned, Echo."
"How badly was he injured?"
"The shot severed his spine. He spent ten months in a coma, then a year and a half in recovery therapy relearning his basic motor skills. After that, we had to find a safe place to live, but... I couldn't leave him by himself and we couldn't trust anyone because of the uprising, so, that's why it took me so long to come back."
Reaching up, she touched his jaw, feeling it bunch beneath her fingertips.
"He has died."
"Yeah,"
"You mourn for him."
"I always will, in a way."
"I am grateful you returned for me, Kai."
"I missed you, Echo. We both did. The world... it wasn't the same without you."
"Explain?"
"We needed you," tears shone for an instant in his eyes as he looked away, forcing a tight smile. "We needed you so much. You're all Dad talked about in the end, you know. About how we owed you everything, and how you were just left behind."
"I'm sorry that I wasn't there," concern flicked over her features. "I failed him."
"No," forcing a smile, he hugged her a little tighter. "You saved us. You saved him. Without you, he would've died that day. You gave us the years we had."
Her smile was faint but warm, a strange glow in the electric blue of her eyes.
"I was so scared, so worried that you wouldn't get away, and that I'd messed everything up. If I could just go back and change what happened-"
"Vera..." Kai suddenly realized he was conversing with the personality of a woman dead for three centuries. She didn't comment on how much he'd aged, and it made him wonder if Echo and Vera's programming was beginning to overlap somehow. "it's alright now. Everything's over. Are you okay?"
"I'm not sure, I think so. Just very tired." Glancing around, her eyes widened. "Is that snow?"
"Yes,"
Her gaze swung back to him.
"You already told her that, didn't you. Sorry,"
"Don't be. I missed you too, Vera."
She looked down with a shy smile, stiffening before shooting an accusatory glare at him.
"Am I naked?!"
"That is not my fault."
"Kai-!"
"Seriously, I had nothing to do with it. I think there was a bad fire through here. Turns out you're fireproof, but your clothes... not so much." Gently putting her down, he shed his thick outer coat and slung it over her shoulders, tucking her arms into the sleeves before plucking her off the ground. "Better?"
"Yes, but I can walk, and-"
"Barefoot through the snow?" His snort was teasing. "I was raised better than that."
She studied him quietly, for though light, his tone fell a little flat. When he didn't look at her, Vera let it go. Resting her cheek against his chest, she let him carry her to the waiting truck. When he started to close the door she stopped him, her fingers gently on his wrist.
"I don't want to be a burden to you, Kai, or your father."
"You got somewhere else to be?" He teased, watching her smile. "You don't have to come, Vera, but I thought, well...we belong together. We're sort of family."
"Even though I'm not...real?"
"You're real enough." Cupping her face, Kai leaned in and kissed her, stroking his thumb across her cheek. "Thanks for saving our lives."
Surprise filled her eyes as she watched him come around and climb into the driver's seat. His calm expression and relaxed posture told her the gesture was sincere, and not indicative of anything more. Still, a warm flush coursed her body, not having anticipated the physical contact.
"Anytime," clearing her throat, she tried to hide the blush on her cheeks. Swallowing, her gaze went to the white landscape. "What happens now?"
"After we get home, we'll figure out the rest as it comes."
"Will they come after us?"
"The government?" He caught her nod from the corner of his eye. "Eventually maybe, but not for a long while. Nothing survived from that day, not the military personnel, not the data, not the research. It'll take anyone who comes looking years to sort it out."
"I'm glad." Somewhat nervously, Vera tucked loose strands behind her ear. "Is Greer angry with me? Is that why he didn't come with you?"
"No," he spared her a glance, shifting the truck into gear. "It took a while, but once he adjusted to life in a chair, he stopped being angry at everyone."
"I'm so sorry, I tried-"
"Don't apologize. It was a long time ago, Vera."
"It feels like yesterday," her murmur made him pause, and Kai looked at her with genuine affection. He didn't want to tell her that his dad was dead. Maybe Echo could tell her somehow, or he'd figure it out in the coming miles.
"For you, it was, but not for us. Maybe by the time we get home, you'll feel better about it."
"Where we're going, is it far?"
"Actually yeah," shifting into gear, the truck's engine roared to life, snow crunching beneath heavy tires. "What used to be northern Canada, a few miles from the coast. I have a shop out back for welding. It doesn't pay much, but it's enough."
"I have never been near the ocean, although the data I possess contains numerous files regarding coastal regions. A phenomenon known as aurora borealis is supposed to be a stunning sight in the northern sky. Is it visible at our new location?"
Kai shot her a sharp look, then shook his head with a patient grin. It was going to be hard keeping up with Series Five and the ghost she carried inside her, but it would never be boring. He suddenly had a pained respect for what his dad had gone through. Reaching over, he took her hand, squeezing gently, smiling when she looked at him.
"Echo," he told her softly. "I can't wait to show you how beautiful it is."