THEREFORE I AM [Completed]

Chapter Seventeen

Eli
Now, 2078

As I slowly regained my senses, I whispered her name, "Benny?" Confusion clouded my mind. Where was I? It felt as though I had been somewhere, yet nowhere at the same time. She gazed at me with an expression that resembled the awe of witnessing a miracle. She appeared frail and disoriented, and I reached out to help her up, the glow of relief emitted from her face.

I examined her cheek, and my heart sank. She had been injured, a harsh handprint marred her skin, which was now red and raw. I could feel the warmth of blood rushing to her face. A surge of protectiveness swelled within me. How did this happen? I wondered, struggling to piece together the fragmented memories swirling within my mind.

It was then that I realised my surroundings. I stood in the heart of Arden Square, and the stage for the cleansing stood at the periphery of my vision. The silence that enveloped the square was eerie, punctuated only by the sound of breathing and confused murmurs. How did I end up here? I wondered, as disjointed and incomprehensible flashes of images continued to whirl around my mind.

I absorbed my surroundings. Androids. The underground. Kelvin. Katherine. Saul. Sebastian. Sebastian. Sebastian... He was me, yet not me. A personality imposed, no, intruded upon my own. The recall of his memories was overwhelming, unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was as if a torrential waterfall of someone else's life had crashed down upon me in a single overwhelming surge. Sebastian had me question my own being. Was it me? or was I simply a vessel for Sebastian's consciousness? The doubts clawed at my mind, threatening to unravel the core of my being. Was this the extent of my capabilities? Was this the darkness lurking within me? Instinctively, I reached out to the Network, but I abruptly stopped. Mother. Mother had infiltrated the Network.

"What's taking so long. Mother is waiting." Kelvin impatiently threw my way.

"Follow my lead, Benny." She nodded and I let a quick vision surface, it felt different than before. A new sense of power surged within me—a heightened perception that allowed me to see multiple paths and possibilities simultaneously. It was as if I could manipulate time itself, shaping the outcome I desired by understanding the cause that led to it. As if time was a dough I could knead and manipulate it. Instead of seeing cause and effect, I asked the effect to show me the cause.

I walked alongside Benny, keeping my gun pointed forward, concealing my true intentions from Kelvin. In my vision, I saw the arrangement of Androids surrounding us—the twenty-seven on the rooftop, and the sixty behind me. Protecting Benny's life became my singular focus as we approached Mach. I let one of the guards give Benny their shield and she stood to the side, just in reach. I stood there watching the confusion fill Mach's face. I had a two second window to get this right. In a swift motion I placed two fingers to Mach's temple, I shared the plan, transmitting my intentions and actions in an instant. Simultaneously, without turning around, I swung my arm back, firing three precise shots into the heads of nearby Androids. Then the air erupted forward as bangs and bullets went swarming through the square. The guards followed suit, Benny lifted her shield and cradled herself against her shield. I knew time was of the essence, and with a few more seconds, I would be able to grab her and lead her to safety, away from the mayhem.

"Rooftops!" Machina shouted, prompting the guards to fire upwards whilst the rest dealt with the others on foot. Three... two... one... Benny and I rushed through the crowds to get to the closest alley way, Saul and Katherine were still hung from their crucifixes as the storm carried on below and around them. I kept checking the visions as we rushed past the chaos, I punched an Android straight up their chin and knocked them to the ground. I checked again. Saul and Katherine were safe, but the visions showed I would need to go back.

Suddenly, a tight grip seized my arm, and I turned to face Gail. Silver fluid oozed from her shoulder, exposing the metallic frame beneath her skin. She bore the marks of a deranged and determined Android, her eyes locked onto mine. Reacting instinctively, I unleashed a powerful punch that sent her crashing to the ground, her jaw hanging loosely from her face. More silver fluid gushed from her mouth, and she convulsed as it seeped into her head. Despite that, she picked up a gun and aimed it directly at Benny.