Artificial Mates - Chapter 77

I munched on the bread to the door. I’ve got to admit I was not hungry but who knows what might wait for us out there. The unknown, that’s for sure. For the last 24 hours, correction since that day I stared at that cyborg delivering my order from Sognare everything went south. In a good way and it the worse possible way too. Guess you can’t bake a cake without breaking the eggs. I was not homeless. Lost and probably poor. I was back to square one. Like that day I left that damn happy house.

“Liliane,” Demos waited at the glass door with a frown. “We need to hurry. They are putting up roadblocks all around level 22,” he explained. When I got out I found Grant standing next to a black SUV with Olga in the driver seat.

“Where is Nicolai?” I asked peeking around the corner to see if I’ve missed him as I walked out. And I didn’t find anything.

“He had something to attend to,” simply said Grant as he held the door for me. Demos climbed next to Olga in the front seat and Grant in the back with me. Olga nodded at me in the rearview window. I couldn’t keep my thoughts off of the fact that Nicolai was gone. We went through empty streets to the crowded and chaotic area near our fallen tower. People were screaming, ashes flew in the air. A couple of cyborgs formed a line to keep the frantic crowd overrunning the slow traffic. When we came to a stop a yelling man slammed his fist on the window where I was sitting. I jumped and reached for Grant. He took my hand in his and pulled me closer.

“We are going to be fine,” he murmured.

“Wh-what about all these people?” I frowned at the crowd clogged near the gates where angry patrol agents waved and shoved people out of the way with clear plastic shields. “What will happen to all of them?” my voice quivered. The whirlpool of sounds assaulting me from all sides was terrifying. I couldn’t tear my eyes from the yelling man with yellow teeth. His face was covered with gray dust, hair turned completely white, eyes bulging.

“They will be evacuated to a camp outside level 3,” answered Olga in a flat tone. Her gaze didn’t leave the street when the traffic started to move again. Soon we moved to the highway, from here we had a full view of the city. The columns of black smoke rose on our left, tall towers sprung from a carpet of numerous smaller buildings. The late afternoon sun shone a dull orange through the dust carried in the air. Even if I’ve seen this view hundreds, maybe thousands of times while going to work or coming back home, it felt strangely alien.

The more we went away the colder my heart grew. The heavier my soul felt. It was all gone. All of it. I felt Grant’s fingers lightly squeezed my hand. I peeked at him.

“Please, stop saying it will be ok,” I sighed. “You know very well it will never be the same…again,” I paused and he averted his eyes. He knew it too. “I’m no fool,” he just pulled me into a hug and we stayed in this position as we gazed at the speeding scenery. Demos kept staring at us through the rearview mirror. Right now, I didn’t want to hear lies. I listened to my own beating heart against Grant’s chest, a steady and constant rhythm.

When the sun slowly sunk on the horizon, it’s violent oranges clashing with pinks and purples over the glittering waves, I pushed away from Grant. He was very still, eyes fixed on the bright spot as it descended in the water.

“I’ve never been this far before,” I admitted. Without thinking I pushed the button to lower the window. The wind blasted inside sending my hair in disarray. I gasped at the sudden gush. I chuckled at my own reaction and sprung around with a smile at Grant.

“I’ve never seen a sunset at sea,” he smiled back. I found Demos eagerly watching the horizon also. He rolled down his window and stuck out his head.

“Aaaaah!” he howled. I busted into uncontained laughter.

“Stupid, why are you howling to the sun. Shouldn’t wolves like do it at nighttime and to the moon,” he turned around with a smile.

“Wolves yells to signal their pack of danger, to comfort each other, when they are happy when they are sad, and especially when they are searching for their mates,” he held my gaze then he turned back to the front. Olga didn’t appear to be disturbed in the slightest. She kept on driving with a stone face.

They have so much to learn and experience.

I have so much to learn from them.

I’ve experienced so much since I’ve met them.

Somehow, I can feel the change inside of me as I watch tall skyscr.a.p.ers blocking the view of the sunset. Olga slowed down her pace as we cruised between the apartment blocks, bright shops, and restaurants. We could still catch a glimpse of the ocean between buildings. By then, it had turned deep blue with a shade of pink lingering in the clouds overhead.

“We are almost at the docks,” announced Olga with a faint smile. The car stopped at a crossroad, over the windshield, information about the street and the direction to take to the docks appeared.

500 meters to the right. There was yelling crowds, no angry cyborgs, no fire. People were going about their usual business oblivious of where we were and when we went through. It was shocking to see couples having early snacks on the terraces. Others smiling in front of stores.

The car took a sharp turn to the right, leaving the lively city center behind. In this area the warehouses were massive. Squares next to squares stripped of every green. The street was deserted with few cars. We were surrounded by huge automated trucks heading to the harbor. Even if the SUV wasn’t tiny, it was overwhelming to be next to those trucks. The c.o.c.kpit was completely black with a stripe of orange running along its side. Pretty impressive. We followed them to a gate then turn away to the marina.

Olga’s bracelet buzzed, she touched it without looking away from the road. Doctor Churchhill appeared on the windshield in front of Demos. He wore a concerned face.

“Everything is ready,” he didn’t greet her or us. He went straight to the point.

“I’ll arrive in two minutes,” said Olga. I saw masts poking out behind a gray decrepit warehouse. Flags from various countries floated in the evening sky. Stars were coming out one by one.

“Finally,” I whispered.