Chapter 31A - Persistence
I untangle wires from various servers and rip them out as quickly as I can, before Ell1s notices. After a few moments of this, it doesn’t seem like anything has happened yet. I decide to target a different row of servers instead, and as soon as I disconnect more of them, the lights completely shut off.
Shit. It’s pitch black, I can’t see anything. I trip over a bundle of wires and fall to the ground, injuring my arm from the sudden impact. As I’m trying to pick myself back up and recollect my bearings, something sharp presses lightly against my neck.
I freeze in fear, feeling my face turn pale. Before I have a chance to think, a sickeningly familiar voice rings out all around me, echoing against the walls and serving as a harsh indicator my efforts have all gone to waste.
“Veeeeery impressive. Very! Wow!”
A green light emerges from the shadows, and Ell1s takes form as he slowly walks towards me with an infuriated expression on his face. “If you couldn't tell, I'm being sarcastic. I hope that sounded right. But I suppose you managed to disable a few of my systems! I had a feeling you’ve been up to something."
He adjusts his glasses, now fully opaque as he glares down at me. I glare back at him, angered yet frozen in fear as the blade against my neck doesn’t falter. “I try not to be nosy, you know? I gave you space. Time to adjust. It’s just too dangerous out there… It’s a miracle that you’re even alive, you know? But you just have to take this one opportunity away from me. Away from you, too! You’re risking your life for no good reason!” He grits his teeth. I don’t respond.
“As much as I don’t want to be alone again… I know you don’t want to be alone again either. I constantly overhear you mumble in your sleep. You miss her, don’t you? Whoever this ‘Calista’ person is–”
“Don’t bring her into this.”
I force myself to stand up, prying the sharp object away from my neck. I glare into his eyes as I watch his angered expression change from a glimmer of surprise and then into an irritatingly smug grin.
“What, can’t handle the truth? It’s written all over your face. Don’t act like you don’t miss having someone to depend on. Having someone to talk to, the feeling of company by your side…” “I’ve never felt those things before until you came along! And now you want to leave and destroy every glimmer of hope I’ve had within me?” He clenches his fists. “How.. how selfish! Destroying what little chance of survival you have left in hopes of finding any other remaining humans out there? Well guess what? There's none!”
He takes a bit to collect his thoughts before speaking again. “Oh, I’m sure, if any sort of afterlife exists, little Calista is smiling down at you alright. Watching you shatter the one chance–”
I punch my fist into one of the servers, watching Ell1s’ hologram glitch uncontrollably for a bit until returning to normal. I stare at my hand, blood dripping from the wounds of the sudden impact.
“Don’t fucking bring her into this. You don’t know her. You don’t know me. You don’t know ANYTHING I’ve been through. Don’t even THINK about comparing me to yourself. We are nothing alike. You trapped me here for your own selfish reasons. My past has nothing to do with it. Keep talking and I won’t hesitate to do some actual damage.”
I watch his face contort into a smile, holding back a laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
Before I can say anything else, a bundle of wires grabs me and forcefully throws me against the metal wall. I feel my vision turn to static for a brief moment, the impact leaving me disoriented. I grit my teeth as my head aches, and the room feels colder than before.
“Do you think you have a choice? Did you really think I would abandon the one chance to serve my purpose, what I was made to do? And now, the first human survivor to ever enter this facility wants to LEAVE? Maybe I’m selfish. Maybe we’re both selfish. I don’t know.”
Ell1s turns his back to me, angered and trying to compose himself. I wince in pain as the wounds on my left hand bleed, and my dizziness slowly subsides. I struggle to get up but the wires wrapped around my body forcefully slam me against the wall once more, and I recoil from the impact yet again.
He speaks up again, his tone now desperate and shaky. “Just… why? Why are you so persistent? Why can’t you just stay here? I can’t be alone again… I can’t…”
I take a moment to collect my bearings as I struggle. Ell1s, now glitching with greater intensity and increased fervor, doesn’t bother to stop me this time. I break free and stand there silently, staring at him as he appears to be lost in panicked thoughts. After a minute of silence, he weakly speaks up again.
“Go walk back upstairs and patch up your hand.”
The lights faintly flicker back on again, and I find my way back to the staircase I entered from. As I begin to ascend upwards, I hear his voice ring out again.
“Don’t bother asking me for anything anymore. I’m sure you have everything figured out on your own.”