Chapter 15 - Freeze
I fall to the ground, blood soaking my clothes around my chest, huddled over in pain. I don’t say anything. I’m going to die down here. I’m going to die down here in this stupid bunker. Nobody is coming to save me. Nobody is left to save me. My blood seeps onto the floor, dirtying its previously clean and untouched exterior. Before I can gather the strength to move, he speaks up again.
“Oh, don’t worry. You’re not going to die.” He readjusts his glasses, and floats over by my side again. “I specifically calculated that a wound like this is not enough to cause any significant damage. Just to immobilize you for a bit. To serve as a warning, perhaps.” I shoot him a glare as I press my arm against the wound to at least stop the bleeding a little. “Besides! My programming doesn’t let me kill people anyways. But do me a favor and stay here! There’s so many resources, and you could live in safety…”
“Why do you think I’d want to stay now? What makes you even THINK I’d trust you at all after this?” I speak up, infuriated. “You’re insane. If you were built to ‘assist’ humans or whatever, you’re doing a terrible job at it.” Barely gaining the strength to move again, I force myself to stand back up despite the searing pain. He seems amused by this. “Well I wouldn’t have needed to if you’d just… stop being so DIFFICULT! There’s absolutely no reason for you to go back out there. You can’t help a lonely AI like me out?”
“No. Absolutely not. Why the hell should I care about mindless pieces of code like you?” I can feel my body getting weak from the blood loss. “Well you should now. If we don’t get that little wound of yours patched up, we could have a bigger problem on our hands. So why don’t you stop being so stubborn and let me help you?” He’s doing it again, acting all smug the second he gains a sliver of control. I can’t stand it when he acts like this.
“Fine.” He grins again at my acceptance. “Wonderful! You’ve made the right choice. I’m sure you’re strong enough to walk to the other end of the facility, right? Plenty of medical supplies in store there.” I can just barely walk, actually, so that’s great. If I don’t pass out along the way. I stumble across the hallway again, following him slowly. I guess I’m used to pain at this point – It never seems to go away. Whether it’s a stream of crimson red leaving my wounded flesh or a stained memory of Her, it’s all the same. Nothing is going to change.