Release Me From Heaven (Release Me From Hell Series)

Chapter 19: (System 107: Number 89/Vaeshi) Over The Walls

        "Vaeshi, you need to get away from him. What were you thinking lying next to him like that?" Yentira scolded.
     I had no excuse unless I wanted to reveal my Elite power. Which, I didn't, because I was beginning to not trust Yentira like I initially had. And I heard her. It didn't matter if she was right or not because my operating system was programmed to serve and protect Askin. I was going to do that, and I would use whatever force was necessary to restore what I had. Iskil's eyes began glowing, though I was pulled from the glow as Yentira confronted me by grabbing my shoulder.
     "W-"
     Not even a word got out before the ground shook in a violent manner. Violent, terrifying, and Alieka ran into my leg for comfort. Somehow, we all knew that this was the worst possible outcome.
     "Fuck!" Yen screamed, kicking Askin's bed frame. "The plane will be here in thirty minutes."
     "Have it land on the roof of this house," Iskil commanded. "Viania should be awake by now. We'll fight them off."
     "What about Vaeshi and Askin?"
     "I got it. Focus on navigating."
     Yen glared at us, but she was quick to act and open her panels as she ran out into a more open space. Iskil idled for a moment, that glow in his eyes still strong.
     "Do you trust me, Vaeshi?" he asked.
     I crossed my arms. "Quite frankly, no."
     "Heh..." Iskil turned on his heels and began walking out. "You should."
     I turned to Askin as he left and saw Askin's body barely stir. Another vibration, another shriek from Alieka. We were running out of time. I decided on a whim that I would carry Askin down the stairs and wait for the plane. Or... No, I would go to the roof and stay as far enough away from Yentira as I could until she wasn't trying to eliminate Askin. She would get over it. Have to get over it.
     I told Alieka to stay with Yen, because saying inside was safer, and I dragged Askin all the way up through the attic to the roof. The flat, yet tall roof. This was one of the places that I tried to avoid because of how high it was, and it was the only place where you could see over the wall. I was struck with a sight that was full of gloom. The wall was being climbed by machines, robots that looked more like Viania had began their descent inside. The speakers issued a warning that there was a breach, and below it was a massacre of machines and humans. There was nothing to be done now but watch it, and Iskil and Viania were doing just that. Sort of. Viania's hand had flames exploding from them, and Iskil was full of electricity.
     "We're getting the hell out of here," Iskil grunted. A machine ascended the wall, but they were quickly shot down by Iskil's electricity. "Prepare our defenses until the plane is here."
     Viania nodded and turned to find me. The two of us seemed to pause, like the world had frozen time b our stare alone, and then there was a scream.
     "Viania! Vaeshi! Do you even listen?" he spat. "Look out!"
     Electricity sparked the air above, but one slipped by his hand and grabbed me by my neck. Viania looked horrified by it, and I could barely get a read on her face as Askin had me pinned. So did this robot, who found pleasure in holding me by my throat and slamming my head into the roof.
     "THIS ONeS TAsTY!" it screeched. It opened its mouth, and a bunch of loose wires came from within its jaw. Loose, infected wires. I shut my eyes and prepared for the worst.
     "NO!"
     A weight was lifted from me, and I opened my eyes and scrambled to my feet. It was Askin. He was awake. How? His body was on top of the machine's, and he had his fingers cutting deep into the robot's neck. It screeched, though at this point the sound was normal.
     "Viania! Assist!" Iskil yelled.
     Viania shook her head and burned a few oncoming machines. I turned to Askin, who had ripped the robot's chest and began gnawing on its core without so much as a second thought, and I shuddered. He was awake, but Yentira said she manually shut him down, so how was he here in front of me? Askin turned, oil on his mouth that was consistently dripping. I froze.
     "Vaeshi." He stood p and approached me. "I won't hurt you."
     I wanted to believe him. "Askin."
     "I will protect you."
     "Askin... I-"
     "Hey!" Iskil screamed. "Look out!"
     A machine leaped, and Askin couldn't reach in time. I crouched, hiding my face from the pain that was going to come. I would die here. That's what I was thinking. But a few too many moments passed, and I lifted my head to see a barrier.
     "Barrier Mode: Activated."
     That was my operating system talking, and everyone, even Iskil, was staring at me. The entire roof was covered in a translucent barrier that held us all inside, and the machine that attempted to attack was falling from the roof. How?
     "OS, is this-"
     "This is System 107, Number 89's Elite power. It is a barrier that kicks out anyone the user is untrusting of."
     That was impossible. The only machine to have more than one Elite ability was-
     "By the first Elite, you-" Askin wiped is mouth. "This has wrapped around the whole house."
     Evitol.
     Askin approached me and grabbed my shoulders. He then whispered low enough for only me to hear. "How did you do this?"
     I shrugged, and in the moment of peace inside the barrier, Iskil and Viania walked up to us and acknowledged me. This made no sense. The only reason Evitol had two Elite powers was because he stole someone's OS and reprogrammed it to his own. I did not do that. I couldn't even fathom the capability you had to have to do that, so why was I like this?
     "Vaeshi, the three of us are aware of your... first Elite power," Iskil said.
     "Wait, you are?" Viania exclaimed. "Since when?"
     "I... Hm, well, that's my own secret. I'm only saying that I know. I think it's strange in all honesty, to have power over two things."
     "Don't tell Yen." I closed my eyes. "She might try to use me, and I'm trying to use me, and I"m trying to help Askin."
     Askin sighed. "It can't be helped. I am unfortunately broken."
     "How long do you have? Vaeshi told me that you were, uh, eating people," Viania asked.
     "I estimate I have weeks."
     Weeks? That wasn't enough time. To completely re-authorized and re-create a machine or his caliber took months. They had to find the right model, the right core and the right OS that could transfer his Elite power without trouble, and to even get approved was almost a month. It wasn't enough. Saving him wasn't enough. I held myself with my arms wrapping around my frame, crying enough for me to feel it enter through the cracks and shocking me. I wished it hurt, but the idea of Askin being gone forever hurt more.
      Viania acted on impulse and grabbed me in a hug that felt even colder.
     "We will find a way," she whispered.
     "Uh, I hate to break your heart-to-heart, but we have about eight minutes until the plane lands. And-" Iskil gestured to my shield. It was not invincible unfortunately, and there were some of the crazies that were breaking in. "We need to hold them off."
     "Askin, can you fight?" I asked.
     Askin nodded. "I will protect you."
     I held my hands out on either side of me and then I clenched my fists. The barrier broke.    "Good. I was hoping you would say that."
     I had to fight before. I was a part of the resistance, and I was capable of fighting machines in ways that were learned. We were all not powerful, not like Iskil or Viania who could destroy as many as they wanted all at once. Some of us had to fight with our hands. I wondered, though. Elites had powers that pertained to their personalities. Askin was an intel genius, so of course he could hack anyone he wanted. Viania told me how she gained her fire, and I've never had the courage to ask Iskil about his. So, what gave me two? The dreams, the shield? They had no correlation to each other, but how did they correlate to me.
     "Vaeshi!" Viania shouted.
     She created a circle of fire around me as a robot came up and gurgled and staggered on its feet. It didn't look at me, but at Viania. It laughed at her flames, holding its synthetic hair like it was going to rip it from its head.
     "No," she started.
     Iskil had covered the ground in electricity, too distracted to notice. The machine laughed hysterically at Viania.
     "Siddim, you..." Viania started. "You're sick."
     "Viania, open this wall!" I shouted. "Don't go near him!"
     "We live a bit and die after." Siddim held his hands out and they began to glow. Siddim held his hands out and they began to glow. "Isn't that funny? Because I'm supposed to be dead."
     "VIANIA!"
     I ran through the fire and tried stopping Siddim from hurting her.