The Mechanics of Us

The Cyborg

Chapter 37

Flickering lights. Complete darkness. Red lights. Sirens are blaring. Panicked screams. Complete chaos. We couldn't find the surgeon. We tried to follow behind but got lost in the maze of mirroring hallways and doors. When the lights started flickering, and then everything shut down, I knew what happened. Not long after the lights reset themselves, the mechanic and I experienced the same thing, strings of black binary code scrolled across our visual pathways, then darkness, and when we blinked our vision returned. Still, red flashing words displayed themselves in front of our visual field.

"Data Lost"

My heart beats forcefully partially from the adrenaline but mainly because I am grieving. The moment everything went black, I felt so lost, and sadly, I think a part of me will be lost forever. The surgeon was a parent to me, and I will always remember them as such. But now is not the time to think too critically on that. The surgeons passing is a tragedy, but I know they would want me to keep going, to keep fighting, just like they have.

There was no need for us to stay any longer; our mission ended when the surgeon met their end. We didn't need to free anyone or anything; now, we have to survive.

"Bete's! Let's go!" the mechanic takes my hand and drags me down the bright hallways. Eventually, I gain my footing and start taking the lead, shins pounding against the linoleum, arms pumping trying to propel us further-faster, lungs retaining and taking any oxygen available, hearts thumping and pressing against our rib cages, adrenaline driving every single one of our actions.

I am unsure how long we have been in this hospital, for the time did not exist during this espionage, so now I am not sure if it is still night or if the day has come. All I know right now is that we need to get out while we still can. The mechanic paces me, and I follow in her strides. I am unsure how to get out, but I believe she does. When she takes a sharp left, I observe, she takes another left, I follow. When we come up to a sunshine yellow door which leads to a stairwell, she goes in and investigates it before she allows me to enter with her. The staircase extends significantly in both directions, and the flashes of red give us brief insights as to how many stories we need to travel down before getting to the bottom. On top of the sirens, an additional chorus of footsteps from the floors above collect in the walls around us and ricochets in every direction.

"Block it out!" the mechanic instructs, and I know what she is meaning. I start to hum lightly to counteract the incoming stimulus and it does help. The mechanic rushes down the stairwell, not even bothering with the last few steps but jumping off when she feels as if she is close enough to the ground. I try to follow her lead, but due to the overwhelming sensations, my depth perception isn't as good as hers, and I jog down the flight of stairs. Soon enough, we make it to the bottom of the stairwell and without being noticed, but soon the real challenge makes itself apparent. The mechanic, with her back, pressed up against the wall, inches out to the hallway opening, she must have seen something since she shoves me backward.

"There is a security guard stationed by a single door, and from the looks of it, they aren't going to hesitate to kill" her vocal cords have to be sore because her voice doesn't carry.

"Got any plans?-" I ask.

"Let me think-" The mechanic presses her finger to her lips.

"I got nothing-" She promptly says.

I facepalm and rub the bridge of my nose.

"We got this far; we just got started; this can not be where our story ends." I huff.

No idea comes to mind, but innately I get ready to charge out from behind the wall. "Follow me," I breathily utter and sprint out from behind the door and charge at the cop. As I draw nearer and nearer I watch as their facial expression shifts from stern to scared. Their arms raise and shakily they hold up a gun at me. Seeing the barrel in front of me, the point-blank range is terrifying, but I do not flinch. I do not break eye contact, I do not blink, I stand my ground. There is a wobble to his gun and I can tell they are frightened just as much as I am. My eyes dart from the gun to their eyes then back at the gun. I raise my hands above my head and drop to my knees then lean forward and put my hands behind my head so I am now looking down at the floor. The sound of the gun lowering it's soft metallic clicks signaling it is being put away in its holster.

A loud thud, an exhalation of breath, and then a big flops signals that the cop is unconscious. I perk my head up, the mechanic grins at me and tosses a metal tray to the side.

"Where did you get that?" I step over the guard's body.

"We're in a hospital, they're everywhere," she presses against the door latch that leads to the outside, and as soon as it opens, the sun's intense shine greets us. We take a few steps into the outside, but fast, we stand still together, embracing warmth and freedom. There's a faint breeze that sweeps past us and strands of hair flow in front of my face, and the smell of dew on the grass is overwhelmingly pleasant. A sense of relief washes over me and momentarily carries away my anxieties and sadness with it. It is a new day. It is a new time. Things are going to change now; they have to.

My awareness becomes circular, and it loops around to the mechanic, who houses a bold and empowering stance. The way her arms rest at her side, fists slightly clenched, her chin lifted slightly towards the sky, all coupled with a look of fierce determination.

"It's a new day" her words are silvery and grace my ears with a pleasant ring.

"It is-" she airily says.

"It sure is," the unfamiliar croaky voice sends chills down my spine.