CODES

T W E N T Y - S I X

Polk's original machine, the same one that created me for the first time, was tucked away in the hall's basement just like I remembered. As we stepped inside, Xerses flipped on the lights. And as soon as I saw the old machine, I hurried and placed Clara on the bed,

"Okay, what do we do?" Xerses quickly moved to the computers and powered them on. They buzzed with life, slowly loading. "Is there a program I'm looking for?" he asked.

I carefully placed Clara's head on the old, white pillow. Her breathing had slowed, weak. I placed my hand on her chest, trying to detect her heart. With my other hand, I pointed at the computers. "Anything with Zara's name." I looked at him. "This machine was for her."

"Right." Xerses pulled a chair and sat in front of them, tapping at the keys. "I remember that..." He glanced back at me. "When you came from here, did you..."

He paused as we locked eyes. Did I what? Had I used the whole program? No, that wasn't what happened. The machine was meant to create one body, yes, but... I shook my head and looked back at Clara. I reached and pressed each of the cables on the sides of the bed into her arms. She didn't react at the pinch. She should've.

I gulped. Please don't die, Doll...

"His machine had enough flesh for one body, but the nano bots?" On the sides of the bed were buttons, small ones. With one hand, I pressed all the ones on the left before reaching over Clara to press the ones on the right. "There are enough for more than one. I know there is."

Xerses clicked around the moment before pausing. He sighed, then pressed his head into his hands. Sliding his fingers down to his chin, he stared at the monitors in front of him. "What if this doesn't work, Roger?" he whispered. But I heard him.

He looked at me and frowned. "What if—"

"Don't." The bed powered on, glowing white on the sides. Each of the cables I'd attached to her arms lit up, too. Focusing on her and the machines, I switched my vision to see the electricity. Small openings from each of the cables lit up; the nanos were ready to be launched.

"Clara's always taught me one thing, X." I turned and moved over to the computers he sat in front of. He'd found the Zara file, and pulled it right into the center of the desktop. I clicked it twice. "Clara's never one to give up."

"This is kind of out of our control, Roger..." Xerses moved back to give me room. "I'm not blaming you... I'm just..."

I tried to stay calm. I knew if I was a wreck, screaming, and in tears, nothing good could happen. Our chances would drop, irrational decisions would be made. And the more Xerses let his feelings show, the more I felt mine spill over on the surface.

I didn't blame him. He loved her as much as I did. They were close, since children. They grew up together.

I loved her, mind, body, and spirit. I loved every part of her and vowed since the moment she freed me to protect her. And in keeping her in the dark... I put her in more danger than I'd done in the past.

"I know you're not blaming me," I whispered as Zara's file came up on the computer, filling the screen with encrypted code. "And I thank you for that..."

I turned back towards Clara and slowly approached the bed. "I just hope she doesn't blame me either..."

Xerses' chair rolled back over to the computer. I heard him click keys, muttering under his breath.

I stood next to Clara. As the bed glowed beneath her, I touched her cheek. She was cold. I glanced down at the cables in her arms, the tubes; they were dimmed. I bit the insides of my cheeks as I tried not to assume the worst. "The bots are going to come, Doll," I whispered to her. "They're going to close that gunshot and anything else that's there and..." I sucked in a deep, hard breath. I choked on my words. "I love you, and I'm sorry. I... I'm sorry."