Heart Like a Machine

Chapter 86

"Ascension...respond...apple...respond...orange...respond...Londra...respond...God...respond..."

"Respond...respond...respond...respond...respond...respond..."

My eyes ripped open and I was breathing heavily. I tried to swallow to soothe my aching throat, but it just burned and felt like I was swallowing sandpaper. This was worse than the time the Shadow Carja captured me and Helis put me through a rough time. Not Londra. He was going to drag me through hell and back until I cooperate. While he told me his life story, about being a Zenith and coming back here to complete the ascension with the Quen, I refused to tell my story to him. I refused to let him know any kind of information about Aloy. Why didn't he just use my Focus? Well, after learning different things in the Forbidden West, I put a lock on my Focus, both a physical lock and a password. If neither of them connected, the data would come up as corrupted or denied access to them. Londra got the physical lock figured out, but not the password. That's what he was trying to get out of me now along with my story.

The door opened up and I picked my head up lazily. Everything was a haze. My brain hurt and throbbed every time I tried to think, but with the use of electricity, my brain couldn't last for long, especially with how high the voltage is now. I'd surely die before Aloy and Lis came to save me, but I need to hold out for them. As I watched Nova float around the room, there were monitors that turned on and off for a split second before things that were around my wrist unlatched.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Londra wishes to do other methods of getting things out of you."

"Such as?"

"Seems as the red head from the first attack on the Zeniths found her way into Heaven cent. Security cameras are still up and running and we were able to get footage."

"You're going to use her against me?"

"That is correct."

"Such a barbaric way of torture," I sighed as two Quen guards walked into the room, picking me up and shoving me onto the ground.

I was slow to get up, but one kicked me in the stomach, causing me to fall over. I coughed, trying to catch my breath.

"Be careful," Nova said to the guards. "Londra wants the prisoner in good condition for his torture sessions."

"Understood," they said as they picked me up, dragging me off to who knows where now. 

Reaching outside, I was finally able to get a good look at where we were. There was a volcano not too far from here and there were holographic dinosaurs. Scanning the other surroundings, I couldn't exactly tell where we were, but what I did notice, was another one of those things from the tower that shot me down. I sighed as I couldn't get a message to Aloy and Lis. I had to find a way to get the message to them without exactly telling them. How to do that though?

No time for thinking as I was pulled into the volcano, even though it wasn't exactly a volcano. Londra was standing in there waiting for me. Once we were there, the Quen guards threw me to the ground once more, sending me on my hands and knees in front of Londra.

"Now this," he stepped towards me. "This is what it should be."

"What? Me grovelling at your feet?"

"Yes. And to do every bidding of mine."

"I'm not your wife, Londra."

"No, you're not. Unfortunately she died and was unable to grasp the immortality we achieved. But here's the thing, with the ascension, you can come with me."

"Like I'd want to come with you."

"Oh, but you will come with me."

"No way in hell am I going with you."

Looking down at my hand, he knelt down and grabbed the left one, removing the ring from my finger.

"Hey!" I reached up, trying to grab the ring, but the Quen guards grabbed my arms, pulling me back. "Don't touch that!"

"Who are you married to?"

"None of your damn business."

"It is very much my business. You see, I want to touch the stars and get the hell out of this place. Start anew and have a large colony of people to follow me, worship me! I can't do it alone. You are similar to my wife and I think you'd make a fine step in for her. But if you're already married," he looked at the ring Aloy had made me from the parts of machines. "Then I'd just have to kill whomever you're married to. By the looks of how this was made, they're a welder and a fine craftman. They did a wonderful job, whoever it may be."

"A better ring than you'll ever get me."

"Oh I know I can do better. While this ring may have emotional value to you, I will bring you monetary value."

"Can't really do that if paper money isn't really used anymore. Shards are the currency of this age, along with trading things."

"So barbaric. It's like we're back in the stone age again."

"Because we are, no thanks to Ted Faro."

"You know Ted Faro?"

"I know of him. I also know of Elisabet Sobeck, the one who made Zero Dawn. The one who gave Earth a second chance from the Faro plague."

"I see. Then you must have known what Tilda wanted to do and Beta?"

"Yes."

"You know too much, but I am not going to kill you. Not yet."

"Just get it over with. I am tired of being here and going through your endless torture."

"If I were to kill you, I cannot salvage any data from that Focus of yours. And it would be wonderful to get my hands on that data."

"Starting to sound like someone I used to know," I sighed.

"Life is nothing without knowledge. The more we have, the dangerous we become. If I am to use whatever is in your Focus, maybe I can find a better way to avoid Nemesis all together."

"You'll never get your hands on this data."

"Suit yourself," he said and crushed the ring in his hands.

"NO!" I yelled, watching each part and piece fall to the ground from his hands.

I watched as part of the Thunderjaw heart fell onto the ground before it was crushed by his foot.

"Like I said, I'll give you a ring that has monetary value, not this sentimental bullshit."

Clenching my jaw together, I lifted my head up and bared my teeth at him.

"Go to hell you ignorant motherfucker!"

"You'll eat those words."

The Quen guards forced me to the ground and Londra walked over to me, kicking me across the face, knocking me out.