Teddy sat in a blank hall of nothing. He hated it here; he hated the people that kept glancing at him and he hated the walls so pitch-white it was like being in an asylum. He wanted to leave, but he was stuck, hands together in mock-prayer as he waited as he had waited for a the past three--
"You can come with us."
Teddy got up and went over to where the scientist was waiting, her coat as white as the walls.
"Twenty years of robotics all leading to this." The scientist sighed. "She'll be fine, but..."
She looked up at Teddy, then down at the body.
"You've seen what she really is."
"She already told me."
The scientist nodded, slowly.
"Okay. Look, I just work here. So when I say this...just be aware."
The scientist paused, then sighed.
"It's hard to accept people for what they really are."
Teddy shook his head. "I don't believe that for a second."
"You came to us. We're only helping."
"Why?"
She smiled. "I don't know what Amelia has planned--I swear to god."
He believed her.
"Is she okay?"
She looked the same. As if nothing had happened. The only thing that had changed was the setting.
"It's sort of like a repaint," the scientist said. "It's how we designed them. Physical abstractions can destroy the outer-layer--the skin, but no real damage is done."
"I just want to get out of here. With her."
The scientist hesitated.
"Amelia will be here soon. She can be turned on at any moment. If you want, you can leave the room."
He touched the side of her face. He would gladly give his own life for her--it was known, but now the depth of his love had reached something like a new plateau.
He would give his life, the life of the scientist, and anyone else who got in his way to save her. To know her for even a little longer.
"I'm not going anywhere."
***
Seven. Fourteen. Eleven. Sign. Eight. Forty-seven. Towards. Eleven. One. FIFTEENTHOUSANDFORHUNDREDANDEIGHTOHGOD--
She blinked.
"What happened?"
***
She watched as Teddy explained it to her. He seemed desperate. He might have held a cool demeanor before, but now the scientist could see that the kid was afraid.
The door slid open.
Amelia smiled.
"You shouldn't be playing games."
Hannah pulled down the readout of yesterday's numbers.
"It's getting worse."
Amelia nodded, going over and looking out the window, at the couple now rectifying one another's existence.
"What do you think she dreams about?" Amelia asked.
Hannah blinked.
"She doesn't dream about anything. She's a robot."
"Hm."
She was in a better mood than Hannah had seen her in for a long time.
"Let's hear what she has to say."
***
Molly watched her approach. She seemed so real.
"Where am I?"
"On the station." Amelia shrugged. "Maxis nearly got you. If he did he would have linked the sequences together and taken complete control over the mainframe. Over everything."
"He has control of the mainframe."
"No." Amelia sighed. "No. That's a misconception. I've read the files; I know there is something else at play here. Maxis lied to me, and I don't like being lied to."
"You're afraid."
She wanted to kill her; she wanted to take her head and split it in two. Instead she was forced to fix her, to help her.
"I don't know exactly what role you have in the future," Amelia said. "I'll admit that. But I do know that so long as Maxis doesn't have you, he hasn't beaten me yet."
"I thought you wanted the same thing he wanted."
"What I want is a world for my children. I will do anything and everything to achieve that. You cannot stop me. My army is vast, our will strong. We know what we need to do to reach heaven."
"The starving years are coming."
Teddy circled around to stand before Molly.
"What--"
"The electricity isn't going to last forever," Molly said. "We took too much of it. Soon he'll be looking for the leylines. The dance continues."
"No," Amelia said. "I'm going to stop all this before it gets out of control."
"Amelia, it's been out of control since we came to this country."
"No."
"You're not going to win a war against a machine."
"Get out. I don't care where you go--I don't care if Maxis takes you and destroys you. It was a mistake to allow you to exist."
Molly got up and brushed off some of the dust on her jacket. Coughed.
"Fine."
As she left, Amelia said her name.
"It was always going to be this way."
Molly smiled.
"I know."
YOU ARE READING
Molly - Part 4
Science FictionThere wasn't a statue of liberty anymore--there was no need for it. And as the sun dawned and the fog rolled in and the buildings became so high they blotted out what little sunlight there was it could only be said that yes: this was the end of the...
