Alive: to Live is to Love

Chapter 5

Markus stood in front of his fellow androids as they stared into the empty streets. He saw the helicopters flying above them as they waited in anticipation of what him and his people were about to do.

He slowly lead them to a march towards the recall center that held his fellow brethren and when they neared the armed forces were already waiting for them in anticipation.

"Surrender immediately or we will open fire!"

Markus looked and saw that almost everything was barricaded and outside of one of the barricades were reporters taking photos and covering their movements.

"We don't want confrontation. We are protesting peacefully."

"I repeat, surrender now or we will open fire!"

Armored vehicles rushed to their location and blocked the streets, Markus saw that they were now cornered and that any hopes or plans to escape were now useless and futile.

"There's no turning back now."

Markus continued to face the armed forces and calmly spoke up to them.

"We ask that you release all androids detained in camps and cease all aggression against us. We are peaceful. We will not resort to violence. But we are not leaving until our people are free."

The journalists outside were closely listening to Markus as he spoke, they took photos and reported the news in real time and Markus could only hope that the more they showed the world that they were peaceful the more support they would get.

There was silence for a moment before Markus decided to march forward again, as they did the armed forces opened fire and killed a number of them but Markus stood his ground and continued to march forward.

Another rain of bullets came and shot down more of them but he continued to walk until he was closer to them.

Markus then sat down on the ground followed by the rest of his people as he looked at the armed forces in front of them, the light of the helicopters pointing down on them and the journalist outside the barricades took endless photos of their actions.

"Are you gonna open fire on unarmed protesters?!"

There was silence for a moment with only the sound of the helicopters raging and cameras going off before the armed forces announced that they would hold their fire.

Markus and the others stood up after hearing this but they knew that this silence was only going to be for a moment.

"Markus, what do we do now?"

"We hold out... As long as we can..."

-

Markus looked over his people as the silence went on.

They had successfully made a small barricade around them hopefully to keep the armed forces at bay but if an attack from the humans ensued there would be nowhere to run.

"I know it was not an easy decision to make..." Josh started, "But I'm sure we're doing the right thing."

Markus looked around his people and checked up on them. Morale was falling and everyone was fearful and of course he understood but he had to remind them that the reason why they were here was so that they would never be able to feel that fear again.

As he said this part of him wasn't sure if he was telling them or if he was reassuring himself but still he had to stay strong.

"Markus, we found what you asked for." A female android spoke up and he in turn picked up the equipment for their holographic message.