The Disparate One

Chapter 22

"S-sir... I honestly don't know what you are talking about," said Ray, keeping his eyes locked on Cal's.

Cal stood tall and remained that way as he pressed on. He looked at Ray as if he could see right through him.

"Don't lie to me, Ray. I know someone's a liar when I see one. It always takes one to know one," said the robot, now circling with his hands behind his back, keeping the wine steady.

Ray spoke about Oxford telling him about the facility such as its history and rules. The rules which he realized he might have already broken dozens of times in front of the head management. He tried covering it up with a blanket of praises to the size and design of the facility and Cal's leadership. But it flew over the robot's head.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" Cal invited when he let go of his cane and placed his hand over Ray's shoulder. The cane floated and followed when Cal calmly pushed Ray out of the dome.

Ray remained vigilant when they walked past the guards who only nodded at the gold robot's appearance. The silver robot joined them in their walk upon arriving back at the lobby. The atmosphere inside the elevator was somewhat suffocating. They went to the Manufacturing Section of the facility where, as usual, everyone was covered with sweat.

Though, unlike his first visit with Oxford, they ended up in a different type of pathway which he saw at the very top long ago, it oversaw the entire endless sight. The glass in front of him separated the boiling air from the outside and the freezing temps wrapping around him. Cal's figure appeared as a reflection, standing behind him. The silver robot behind Cal.

"You see, as the head management, my job is to protect these people. Not just 'these people' but also the people above us," Cal began.

"Chaos will erupt from all over the world if someone from above discovered this place and the secrets it holds. Imagine fighting over which was real and not. Imagine two civilizations with different ideologies on the course of destroying each other. However, even though I am confident we would win due to technical advantages, the number of lives that'll be lost cannot be ignored," Cal stepped forward and glanced at Ray.

"Do you want blood in our hands?"

Ray didn't answer. He glued his eyes on the helmets moving around like ants. Labored to build advanced technologies only for what?

"I guess you're more humane than I've thought," commented Cal, moving his gaze away.

"Then I hope you now understand why I'm asking about Oxford. There are certain rules that everyone must play by," he added, "Hopefully you're smart enough to make a wise decision."

Ray stood silently still in front of him. He thought about the moments he had with Oxford. His family. Fier. Everything he had built outside of the facility. Oxford acted like a robot on their first meeting, but as time went on, like Fier, he became more human. He recalled what Oxford wrote on his document.

He simply didn't want to put anyone's life at risk, despite Oxford already in jeopardy.

"Don't worry Oxford, I promise no harm will touch anyone", Ray's own voice echoed in his mind.

Ray remained silent, hoping he would be sent back to his cell instead. Cal huffed with disappointment, shaking his head at him.

"You leave me no choice but to make an offer," murmured the robot, grabbing and pushing him back to the elevator.

They traveled to the infirmary where Ray could see a hazy memory of Oxford bring rushed through the hall. They silently walked through the bright corridors. Nurses, doctors, and other employees made way for the gold robot. They stopped at a particular wooden door which had a window next to it. Ray's heart stopped as soon as he saw Oxford's name on the door.