Chapter 13 - Flight
I finish packing what seems to be a sufficient amount of resources, and stand back up, satisfied. Ell1s seems to notice and quickly floats back over. “Oh! Do you… have all the resources you need?” He says, strangely more anxious now. He was offputting before, but it’s definitely noticeable now as I start to walk back towards the storage room’s entrance. “...Yeah. I, uh, didn’t really expect this place to be so desolate, yknow? I was hoping to find another human… At least this should last me a good while.”
“Aha… Yeah. Gets pretty lonely here. I didn’t really think an AI like me could get lonely.” He floats next to me as he guides me back to the exit before he stops suddenly, and I look back at him, concerned. “You know, I was built to assist humans. It’s… really tough being unable to do your only job. I’ve spent so long here… alone…” His expression changes, and I swear the lights flickered for a second along with it. I guess I kind of feel bad for him..? We are in similar situations, but… he’s just an AI. Lines of code and binary with only one designated purpose – to assist. I should just move on and get out of here while I can, he’s not even real after all.
I put on a fake smile and give him the best “I’m sorry” look I can. “That’s, uh, pretty rough. I’m sorry you have to go through that. I guess we’re both struggling. Or something.” His face seems to glitch profusely before returning to his typical anxious smile, and goes back to floating along. “I suppose so! It’s quite interesting how we have similarities despite our forms being so different.”
We’re now back in the hallway I came from, a faint light from the exit visible from the ladder I carefully climbed down. I grab a tight hold of my bag and prepare to leave until he speaks up again. “Hey… are you… really going to leave? You could… um… stay for the night! At least…” His voice turns desperate. This is not something I want to deal with. “Sorry… no thanks. I’ll be alright.” I turn towards the exit and he speaks yet again, floating closer to me. He looks… scared.
“But– Y- you could live here! Stay here, protected from the dangers of the wasteland… with me! Aren’t you tired? Tired of struggling to live every day? Tired of… everything?” He pauses and the lights flicker again. “Please. I’ve seen the injuries and scars all over your frail body. Considering the amount of radiation that’s hit you… You probably don’t have much longer.” I stand there, unsure. As much as I’m tired of struggling… I am not going to waste the rest of my life in a practically empty facility like this. Kind of a boring way to go out, too. Especially when help could still be out there.
He approaches me, and floats back onto the ground in front of me. “Please. I’m so tired of being alone. I don’t think I can stay in isolation much longer. You’re the first human I’ve seen in so long. Please.” He holds out his hand even though I can’t even physically shake it. Shit. What do I do? I can’t stay here. It’s not happening.
Without thinking, I make a sudden run for the exit, as fast as I can. “NO- N- NO!!! DON’T LEAVE!! PLEASE!!!” His voice rings out, desperate and louder than ever, his green holographic light behind me glitching and phasing in and out of existence. The lights are flickering. I’m just about to run back to freedom before the door suddenly shuts right in my face. I run into it and fall onto the ground, my bag falling along with me, resources I’ve gathered now all over the floor. Ell1s slowly floats over, standing over me, grinning ear to ear. He speaks again, a hint of insanity and desperation still in his voice.
“Did you really think I would let you leave?”