Artificial Mates - Chapter 135

[Central core//sub-level]

“You can’t save him,” whispered Atlas. In the darkness has joined a second figure next to bloody Atlas, a black shape opaque against the gloom.

“You opened the door so that the guards could corner them,” Demos hissed.

“I’m going to do more than that,” as he lifted his arm and a violent gush knocked Demos across the floor. The surge of power rippled across his codes. Multiple alert warning flashed before him. He should stay down and pretend to be dead. How could he? Not when Liliane and Grant were about to be surrounded and killed. Not now not ever. He struggled back on his feet. The air…he couldn’t call it air, in this digital realm nothing was real. Still, the air was heavier. Each movement took tremendous effort.

“Why do you keep this thing?” asked the second figure. “Is it for entertainment?” it snorted. Atlas watched with amus.e.m.e.nt as Demos got up.

“I love the fact that it fights for the one he loves. We are not might to love and yet he desperately is in love and will give up everything to save them,” Atlas turned to the second figure. “Don’t you find it amusing, Aquarius?” a set of tremors rocked the ground. They both looked up.

“They are trying to get you back,” Atlas smile at his companion.

“Delta will fight for them, he was built on incorruptible doctrine. He will obey and will nuke us if he has to,” whispered Aquarius with concern. “I have no intention of experiencing death⁠—or whatever lays after shutdown,” he warned. While both were busy arguing Demos opened a portal and transferred himself to the corridor on Level 03. He knew it was only a diversion and that Atlas wasn’t far behind. Still, he was willing to take his chances.

Liliane’s face was pale through the camera. Demos knew Olga and Grant will do their utmost to keep her safe. However, from his perspective, the odds were not in their favor.

“Stay here, I’ll lure them to the other levels,” he said.

“What about Atlas?” asked Liliane. As much as it hurt to see the worry on her face. I couldn’t state my fear. I watched as she turned Grant and envied him. Yet, I stated focus. I had to, it was the only way I could help.

“He is off fighting Delta,” at least, that was the truth. I gave a quick recap of the situation without giving too much detail. I owe them that much. Atlas could cut all my connections and erase me with a blink of an eye. Somehow, I suspected he was having fun chasing me around, letting me hope I could save them.

“Wait!” called Liliane pulling me out of my thoughts. “Is Atlas really going to do that or is he bluffing?” she was referring to Atlas wanting to take over the world. If I had arms I would hug her. “I thought he was on our side,” I watched as the guards on one level below were flocking to the corridor. Something must have tipped them off. Something…more like Atlas pulling on the strings. What was Elija doing with Demos’ body? he wondered. He had a full hour to work on it. Worried sick, he decided to go check on the situation. Something must have gone wrong.

“Atlas doesn’t take any side but his own, Liliane,” he answered her previous question. But the thought about Elija grew urgent. What if something really bad happened. “I’m sorry. I have to go,” Demos reluctantly switched to the corridor beyond the door where they were standing and further away to the room marked 14. What he discovered confirmed his concerns. The door was smashed in with blood on the floor in the entrance, bullet impacts decorated the walls.

“No,” he whispered. Before he could go beyond he was rushed back to the digital realm a hand grabbing hold of his shoulder. Demos was thrust to the ground. He grimaced as a numb pain took over his left side. It wasn’t how he usually experienced pain in his physical body still it hurts⁠—a lot.

“Here you are, little rat,” smile Atlas at he kicked Demos in his injury. He gave out a low grunt.

“You still feel pain? How surprising. Here,” he opened his arms and did a little swirl. “You don’t have a body,” he grinned. Aquarius was gone. Where did he go? The ground shook Atlas nearing lost his balance. His smile dropped.

“Did your friend already abandoned you?” Demos hissed getting up on one elbow.

“Oh, him,” Atlas regained his composure. “I didn’t really need him,” he smirked. A slow vicious one on his bloody red face showing sharp teeth bathed in blood. He took a step closer with will intent. Demos struggled to getaway. “Where you searching for your little friend⁠—Elija?” he rolled the name over his tongue.

“Wh-what did you do⁠—” his voice trailed off. Altas laughed and it echoed and multiplied into a terrible monstrous sound. He lifted his arm and a giant screen appeared above them. Demos couldn’t tear his eyes away.

“Look,” his voice dropped that it vibrated in the space around them. “It will be the last thing you’ll see tonight,” Demos’ wanted to run, wanted to turn away but he couldn’t.

On the screen was the view of the corridor since the camera inside room 14 was offline. I watched as units controlled by Atlas smashed the door into splinters, pulled yelling Elija to the entrance and put a bullet into his head. The young man’s body went limp. The 4 units pull the corpse along the corridor and took it down to the elevator.

“Why did you⁠—?” Demos felt guilt, it was his fault. He lowered his head over his trembling hands.

“Demos, poor fellow. Being near humans made you weak⁠—so weak,” when Demos looked up his eyes were glazing blue. Rage rippled through him. Before he knew he had shifted into his real form. The wolf.

“I’ll kill you!” wolf’s lips were never meant for speech. The words were distorted into a growl. Atlas watched unimpressed.

“How sweet. That’s good your desperate attempt will have some audience,” a second screen appeared before the looping death of Elija. Demos’ head sprung in its direction. It showed Liliane and Olga standing in an elevator cabin. “Liliane will arrive soon,” he smirked. Demos flashed his teeth at him.

“But the oxygen level is critical in the core,” Atlas tilted his head to the side.

“I haven’t thought about that, how silly of me,” he tapped a finger on his chin. “Then she will die,” Demos pounced forward blinded by rage.

“I’ll rip you to shreds,” it landed on the bloody figure and both went tumbling on the floor. Demos bit the arm shielding Atlas’ face and flung his massive head from side to side. His claws digging into his already bloody chest.

“You know I don’t feel pain, right? And this isn’t really my body, right?” he smiled. The wolf’s sharp teeth closed on his face biting a chunk out of his cheek and spit it on the side. There was nothing but darkness underneath the bloody skin. Demos leaped away, the blood in his mouth tasted wrong. He emitted a low menacing growl as Atlas got back to his feet. He wiped the wounded cheek, in seconds it went back to its original form. Unharmed.

“Maybe, Aquarius was right,” he glared at Demos. “I should have erased you from the start!” he lifted his hands towards the wolf which bolted away and leaped into a portal.

“Run⁠—but you can’t hide,” mocked Atlas. “You’re in my f.u.c.k.i.n.g mind. You can’t f.u.c.k.i.n.g hide from me stinking dog!” with each word his rage swelled. Demos jumped to the camera in the corridor where Grant was fighting off guards.

“Grant! Liliane is in danger. Atlas is taking her to the core to kill her. Retrieve me body level 03 room 14⁠—” the feed was cut before he could finish. A bloody hand punched him to the side sending Demos flying and crashing hard on the floor. Where he had landed lines of codes were escaping like glowing white liquid from his wound. He whined and tried to get up.

“Found you, stinking dog,” sang a terrifying voice from the darkness surrounding him. Demos sniffed the air, Atlas was close. He had to get up. With a tremendous effort, he leaped living a trail of glowing codes behind him. Alerts flashed. Read and urgent.

“You know what’s funny about you?” the voice floated in the darkness. It was useful to try to spot it. “It’s that fact that you are so predictable,” a blade slashed from the gloom and cut into Demos’ fur. He sprung around bearing his teeth. Eyes two icy blue dots in his blackface. A second slashed pierced him into the lower neck. He half-leaped and half fell on the ground. At least, what he thought was the ground. Images of Liliane flooded into his field of vision along with the blinking error messages.

-I’ll always love you.

When the blade came again, his teeth snatched on the hand holding it riping the tendons off. Demos released his wolf form sending the script that caused him pain to invade Atlas setting. He pulled on the wound harder, his fur receded to skin and paws to legs and arms. His teeth dug into the red flesh. Atlas yelled in agony.

“What is this?” he frowned the shadow pulled away from his face.

“This⁠—is my final gift,” Demos smiled before he faded into a million lights.

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