Mechanical Gods (lgbtq+)

Chapter Twenty-Nine: High Tension

     Tyler quickened his steps to match Gregg's. The lights in the entire facility went down, leaving the emergency lights on, yet it was still hard to see through the labyrinthine hallways of Sub-Level Three. Tyler's heart hammered against his chest. Maybe this was another dream, but the gunshots behind him made him realize how wide awake he was.

     Dread had come over him, and it brought a wave of looseness to his joints with every step he made. At this rate, he would never make it to wherever he was going alive. He tried to keep his strength focused on his legs, and he didn't want to think what would happen if he didn't.

     He hurried through the shadows after Gregg, though he tripped on a raised platform leading to another hallway. It was a small staircase leading to the platform, barely a couple of steps, but he landed with such a force that it knocked the wind out of his lungs. Gregg stopped and picked him up.

     "Are you okay?"

     "Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine." Tyler made the mistake of looking back. "Oh my god, how about the others?"

     "They ran off. Don't worry about them."

     "But what if they're hurt? Al! Oh my--Reese!" 

     Gregg hissed, "Hey, do you want to get out of here or not? I can find us a way out. Then, we'll call in the cavalry."

     Tyler hesitated and looked back where they came from, though he didn't need any reason to stay any longer. "Fine." The thought of the cavalry and the other dozens or so soldiers above their feet heaved a sigh of relief like a dark shroud lifted off of his chest.

     But a horrible scream cut out the respite, and they quickly hastened their pace again.

     Oh, Al. I hope you are okay; Tyler tried to fight the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. He last saw Al bleeding on the floor, but Aiden's unit left him alone to go after the others.

     Back inside that hall, the momentary shock gave Tyler a chance to look into Aiden's eyes. It wasn't Aiden staring back at Tyler, but an empty husk of a shell now occupied by a phantom stranger. There was death in his eyes that filled with ungodly hatred and rage like a creature from another world. And there was something else, a coldness that refused to melt through the haunting gaze he gave him, something that knew he was a weakling prey, an animalistic rush that determined it could pounce on him as quickly as he could cut through metal.

     As much as Tyler wanted to stay and face the Android, and maybe try to risk it for Aiden's trigger, adrenaline won over him as he turned his heels, knowing what was after him in a blind panic like a prey the Android tagged him as, meekly running away as if a bolt of lighting had passed.

     Gregg still had his hand around Tyler's wrist, dragging him along. At least he was glad of that. Tyler wouldn't get lost through the narrow hallways. Dark shadows cast on corners, making it harder to see what was ahead.

     "Where are we going?" he managed to say.

     "Where else? To the elevator!" Gregg answered breathlessly.

     They reached the elevator, but the panel lights weren't working, or the doors for that matter. Gregg tried the panel just in case, but it wasn't working. He even tried his access code, but that didn't work either. Tyler did the same.

     Gregg pressed on the speakerphone on the panel. "Hello? Is anyone there? We're trapped here!"

     No answer.

     "Toby? Are you there? Please give me brief access in Sub-Level Three now! It's an emergency!"

     "Gregg, Toby's locked out. Iago gained access to the system, remember?" Tyler said.