Our Manufactured Reality

Chapter 15: Chase or Stay

I pulled her into a hug.

The first thought that came into my head was:  Harper.  I felt my arms pick her up and spin her around.  Yet, I was met with an unfamiliar laugh as my arms lowered her to the ground.

"I'm so glad we get to be together, Charlie."  She smiled which made me feel on edge. Who is this girl?

Even though I was unsure about my circumstances, my hands began to form another hug around her and I found my mouth forming the words, "Me too."

My eyes were fixed on my surroundings and I took a moment to realize I was in a compound.  A much newer, safer one.  But then I put it together; This is the same facility I woke up in.  I must be having another flashback.

"I was so scared we weren't going to m—make it in here together,"  My past-self mentioned.

"Well we made it, Baby."  The girl took my hand.  It felt so wrong.  Her touch was nothing like Harper's.  It was so empty.  She and I had no connection.

My gaze was limited to what I'd seen in the past, but my head swung around as we headed toward a cafeteria.  I looked back at the girl, smiled, and returned my vision to our path of travel.

We maneuvered through a series of tables toward the line of food.  Still, I tried to take in what I could.  And then I caught a glimpse of two girls watching us.

One of them was Harper.

She and the girl hurriedly looked away and began talking again, but I could not get the image out of my head.  Harper had looked at me with no connection.  At this point we did not know each other, we did not want to get acquainted, and we just wanted to move on with our lives.  We were in completely different situations; yet she'd still seen me.

All I had seen in her eyes was longing.  Something burned inside of me because this Harper didn't know anything.  She didn't know what would happen.  And she didn't know who I was.  She was just a normal teenager that wanted what I had with this stranger.

From that, I wondered if she still had the same goal.  If in a post-apocalyptic world, she would want something so small...  But what I really couldn't take my mind off of was how her face had seemed so sad.  So broken.  I know she had only been jealous, but I couldn't help finding the similarities with that expression and the constant one on Harper's face today.

She was still a bit sad.  Still a bit lost.  And still a bit lonely...  Now more than ever...

~~~

When I finally came to, everything seemed out of focus.  All I could make out were the figures of Corey and some other people hovering over me.

"Charles?  Charles?"  Corey asked. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah..."  I grimaced. "Wha-what happened?"

"Well, that bullet did a number on you, but our medical team patched you up the best they could."  The group around him grinned.

"Thank you f-for saving me."  I smiled halfheartedly, still reminiscing about my dream.

"Um, give us a moment."  Corey signaled to the medical team and they slowly filed out of the tent. "I'm sorry...  About Harper,"  He sat down on my mattress.

"Oh, it's-it's okay."  I bit my lip. "It just..."  I looked away, "...just hurts."  Addressing the topic was harder than I thought.

He nodded sympathetically, "Yeah...  You know, I kinda know what you're going through."  I turned back to Corey. "A few years ago, I too had a girl..."

"Oh, no-  We're not-  Uh-"  I tried to cover up my feelings.

"It's fine.  I've... seen the way you look at her."  My cheeks flushed. "But anyway, as I was saying, I used to be with a beautiful woman.  We loved each other very much."

"What was her n-name?"  I asked, tears pouring down my face while connecting his story with mine.

"Deborah.  Or Debbie if you knew her well.  Some people around camp still remember her as I do."

"What happened?"  Suspense settled into my mind.

"Well, one night, before we had all these defense systems and guards, a group of robots found us.  They stormed into camp and started either grabbing people or shooting them.  It was chaos...  By the time I got to Debbie's tent, she'd been taken."

"I'm so sorry, C-Corey."

"Yeah...  After the battle was over, the few of us that were left started to search for survivors.  We found a few.  Some of them had seen Debbie, so I kept asking around.  'Where is she?'  'Did you see what happened to her?'  I assumed she'd been shot, but eventually one man noted that he'd seen her being dragged away.  I walked over to where he'd seen her and searched through the bushes..."  He paused. "Her body was found a few days later under some brush.  She'd died from her injuries...  But what kills me is that I could've saved her.  She didn't die instantly, she died slowly, unable to move...  If I'd found her sooner, I- I could've, maybe, helped her."

He had the exact pain in his eyes as I did.

"Corey, I- I can't imagine-"

"I know.  And I don't want you to imagine it either."  He stood up. "I don't want to be too late this time.  I'm sorry we didn't send a team with you two.  But I'm gonna make things right.  A team and I are gonna search for her.  We know the location of a robot base.  I think that's where Harper is."

"You mean she still might b-be alive?"

"I'm counting on it.  They needed you two for a reason.  I don't know why, but you're both special because you're from before the war.  If Harper is as stubborn and brave as I think she is, she won't give up what the robots need for a while."

"Definitely not."  I beamed with pride.  She could still alive.

"The team leaves tonight.  Is there any information you can give us?"

"You mean I'm not c-coming?"  I sat up and grimaced with pain.

"You can barely even walk, Charles.  Not to mention you're stuttering, is that from the pain?"

"Oh.  Uh, no.  It's just a habit that came back, I g-guess,"  I didn't mention how Harper tied into my speech. "Um..."  I tried to think of any information they'd need, "One thing about Harper is she's extremely c-claustrophobic.  If she's anywhere small, you'd b-better get her out quick."

"Got it."  Corey turned to leave and paused. "Don't worry.  We'll find her.  Just rest right now, Charles."  He stepped through the tent flap, and closed it behind him.

As the doctors began filing in again, I couldn't help but feel powerless.  What kind of friend was I if I wasn't there to get her out?  How would Harper feel if a bunch of strangers saved her?  I had to be the one that found her.  And maybe it was just stubbornness, or the need to see her again, but as the medics tended to my leg, I promised to follow the search party to her.  I had to try to save her.  Injury or not.