The Cold Unknown

Chapter 14 - The Attack

Life's funny.

One second you are enjoying a happy moment with you're family, and the next you're running through the halls of Jericho, looking for an exit, trying not to get shot by the soldiers that are chasing after you.

How this happened? No idea. But, I'll tell you what happened to us anyway.

We were sitting by the fire, Kara and I holding hands, while Luther sat across from us. All of the sudden, we hear noises from high above us. They sounded like helicopters. "What's going on, Kara?" Luther questioned. Kara suddenly seemed panicked. "Quick, we gotta get outta here!" She said. We began to run through the giant maze of Jericho, along with every other android. Military soldiers appeared out of nowhere, and started firing at every android they could. Is this Connor's doing? I asked myself. "Quick, Kara, they're coming!" Luther warned. He led the way through the halls. "Over there, follow me!..This way! There must be an exit further on!" He said as we turned a corner.

We kept on running, helping a few androids if they'd fallen and stuff like that, though we were concerned about our own safety more. In my head, I hear a voice. "There are exits on the second and third floor. Find them and jump in the river." It seemed all the androids heard the voice, too, because they all started for the stairs. We were still on the first floor.

Still running, we looked for an open stairwell, dodging gunshots as we went. But just then, a bullet hits Luther's leg, causing him to fall. "Luther!" Kara cried. We ran back to him. "It's too late, Kara!" He said. "Save yourself, save Alice!" But, I couldn't leave him. I thought of him as family at this point.

"No, we're not gonna leave him behind! Right, Kara? We can't leave him..." I pleaded. Kara seemed to be thinking the same thing. She grabbed Luther, and carefully dragged him into an empty room. "What are you doing?" Luther questioned. "I won't leave you." Kara told him. "Kara, no!" He protested, but we already made it into the room. Kara set Luther down, then quickly closed and locked the door just as soldiers passed by and killed a couple of androids there.

"You shouldn't have done that." Luther scolded. "You can't put Alice in danger. Go now, before they come back." But he'll still be here... with them. "What about you? What are you gonna do?" Kara asked him. "I'll manage" Luther promised, shifting on the floor. "Alice is all that matters." I hugged him, still worried about what could happen. "I don't want to leave you, Luther." I said. He hugged back. "Don't worry. I'll catch up with you at the border, okay?" I let go and nodded. "Go now, take care of each other." He said.

I smiled softly at Luther, who smiled back. Turning back to Kara, I held her hand as we made our way through the broken walls into other rooms to avoid the hall. At last, we unfortunately came to a dead end, so we had to open the door to go out to the hall. Kara peeked out of the door's window to check for soldiers, and suddenly an android started lightly banging on the door.

"Open the door!" She said. "Please! They're coming! Let me in, please! Let me in!" She continued to plea as I looked to Kara. "She'll die out there, Kara! Open it, open the door!" I told her. The android continued crying. "Open up, I'm begging you, please, they're gonna kill me, help, please!" Kara opened the door and the android hurried inside. But soldiers weren't far behind, and they ran up to us. Kara quickly fought them off, taking Todd's gun from her pocket, and shooting both of them, which killed them. They fell to the floor as Kara shakily put away the gun. "Are you alright, Kara?" I asked. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine." Kara said, still shaken up. "We can't stay here." She took my hand and out the door we went.

We continued running, and running. My feet began to simulate pain, and they ached from it all, but I didn't care. All I wanted to do was get out of here, alive. We kept running and we entered a big room with a hole in it's wall, opening to the outdoors. Other androids were running towards it, too.

"A way out!" Kara exclaimed. "We're safe, Alice!" Just then, soldiers entered the room from behind us and began firing. Just our luck. "Stop!" One of them ordered. We kept on running, as androids fell, dying around us. "Alice, get down." Kara quietly told me. We then both fall to the ground effortlessly, pretending to get shot.

We lay on our stomachs, heads facing each other. "Don't move." Kara whispered so quietly that I barely heard it. With us being androids, we were able to be completely still. I stared straight ahead, stopping my artificial breathing. (I'm actually surprised Kara didn't come to realize I was an android all the times we were outside. My breath isn't heated like humans breaths are when it's cold, so it doesn't steam.) Kara did the same thing, and we laid there in still silence. The soldiers came to check on the bodies, and thinking everyone was dead, finally left. After they were gone, Kara and I slowly stood up. We were the only androids that did. We were the only ones alive in this room.

"Quick, we gotta go." Kara said. Yeah, before they think to come back. We briskly walked out of the boat into the night air, unharmed.