Conduit - Season 2

Ch. 19

"Elijah."

Sighing in bed, I arched my back and pressed my head further into my pillow. Sleep was what I needed, not drama, no voices. I rolled and grabbed the bed sheets on my left.

"Elijah."

I groaned and flopped back the other way. I reached my hand out and spread my fingers. The spot next to me was empty. Slowly opening my eyes, I peered at the wrinkled sheets; Frank had been there. After last night, he came to bed with me. Why would he leave?

"Elijah."

Pushing myself to sit up straight, my name appeared in my vision. It wasn't someone's voice calling me, but words. O rubbed the corner of my eyes.

"ELIJAH!"

My eyes widened as blaring red letters shouted my name. "What?!" I responded with both voice and encrypted messages.

Then my bedroom door swung open. Frank hurried inside, hurrying over to the closet for hoodies. He grabbed one for himself and then tossed one to me. I caught it as I met his gaze. "What's happening?" I asked.

I knew it had to be something bad. The red letters were clues enough.

"Everything." Frank pulled the hoodie over his head.

I stopped putting mine on with my arms halfway. "Care to elaborate?"

"Everything," he said again as he rushed to the window, opening the curtains. "You released the Garret code last night. Our androids are great, but down there? Who was supposed to get it?" He grunted as he pushed off the wall and hurried to the door. "Victoria's been trying to reach you for the past hour."

Victoria? Was she the one sending me messages? It had to be. As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, I hastily pulled my sweater over my head but instead of following Frank into the living room, I turned for the window. I needed to see the 'everything' he was talking about. Were there others with the Garret code?

"Elijah," Frank hissed from outside the room but I pushed the curtain far to the right and stared outside. My vision zoomed in. From the twenty-seventh floor, the streets below were visible to me, and my heart caught in my chest.

I slammed my hand against the glass. There were groups out there on the sidewalks, some were human, and others were androids. They were shouting, screaming. A man jumped onto the only parked car in front of Lyons and held a device in his hand; a Molotov without flames. Until he lit it.

"Shit, Frank," I quickly turned and looked at him, "what's happening?"

"Everything," he huffed and motioned for me to follow him. I did. What choice did I have?

***

The Bridge was a mess filled with flying papers as they were thrown in the air and frantic voices from confused employees. Their emotions filled my senses, visible to me in both words and images. Fear. Guilt. Turmoil. The letters were bordered by squares and hexagons; each shape bounced in my vision. But I blinked until they partially cleared and scanned the floor for the android I needed to see.

Victoria stood by the computers on the right, hidden in the white technician jackets and casual clothes. Her delicate hands nervously twirled at the ends of her hair; something she only ever did in distress.

"Vicky," I breathe, pushing through the knitted crowd of employees. As I got closer, I scanned her. Data returned empty and my heart broke.

"Vicky." I stood behind her, placing my hand on her shoulder. She tensed. Her hands gripped a part of her hair. When she turned, her emerald eyes were wide, terrified. I saw information bounce over the iris. "What's happening?"