Artificial Mates - Chapter 151

When I think back at how relieved I was to wave up to the sound of birds chirping. There was a light breeze playing in the curtain. I stirred and immediately regretted it. Still, I smiled and turned towards the person sitting at the end of my bed.

“Grant…Demos…” I didn’t recognize my own voice. The person sobbed. My vision was hazy, I extended my arm and found that it was wrapped in bandages.

“Liliane,” said the male voice. I frowned at it. It wasn’t their voice. I blinked a couple of times in confusion. A large hand grabbed mine when I looked up I saw the crying face of Angus.

“Angus?” he nodded then turned to the man standing next to him. Dr. Churchhill smile…a weak one.

“It’s been one week, we thought you wouldn’t pull through,” fat tears rolled down his cheeks and into his beard.

“Where…” was the only thing I could articulate. My mouth was as dry as a bucket of sand. He shook his head and let go. “The boys?” I tried to sit up but he pushed me back onto the bed.

“They are gone, Liliane. Everything is. All of it. They had raised a fence around the whole perimeter,” said the doctor. He had scratches all over his face and one of his arms as held by a sling. I couldn’t believe it.

“No, you’re wrong…” I coughed. I looked up at Angus. “You’re wrong, they… we were at the water system. We need to go back there,” they both shook their heads.

“No one is allowed into the perimeter. They said it’s dangerous…with high levels of radioactivity. They has been setting tents to accommodate the survivors,” added Angus.

“What about the boats…?” my voice broke. They averted their eyes. There was a heavy silence. Then Dr. Churchhill went back to his chair, he sat down with a sigh.

“This whole incident was disguised as sabotage. They are saying that Real humans bombed our facility. They are not sure Atlas is really gone. So they are not taking any chances, that’s why they sealed the whole island. And things are not better on the continent either…”

“It’s pretty ugly,” Angus cut in. The doctor glared at him for the interruption.

“We are on our own. Nobody is coming to rescue us,” he added. I let myself fall back in bed, staring at the unfamiliar tent ceiling.

“Olga was in her pod, they switched her off before putting her in there,” a tear rolled to the side of my face and onto the pillow.

“Y-you were able to save her?” the doctor’s voice quivered. I turned my head to the side to see him. His eyes were wet. He suddenly appeared older.

“I’m sure we can do something to salvage her memory…to get them back,” I whispered. Angus crossed his arms over his board chest with a sigh.

“Liliane, we are back to the dark ages. No technology is working. The bomb took it all down. Many had tried to go back to save their loved ones…but the military is either locking them up or preventing them from coming back,” I turned back to the ceiling. An idea has bloom inside my head. An idea that defines me. An idea I couldn’t let go.

All this time, I thought that I had no goals that my emotions….my attachment to them was the only thing that got me going. I was wrong. I own had a mission. I closed my eyes, all the memories of the time we spent together replaying behind my closed lids.

“Wait for me…”