THEREFORE I AM [Completed]

Chapter Eighteen

Eli
Now, 2078

Kelvin lunged forward, and I was forcefully slammed to the ground with a thud. The weight of his body pressed against me, his hands gripping my jaw tightly, while a knife sliced into my neck, causing a searing pain. Silver fluid trickled down my collar as I let out a scream of agony. Suddenly, Benny intervened, using the shield to yank Kelvin off from me. Fortunately, the cut wasn't too deep, I could still function. Though caught off-guard, I instinctively switched into combat mode, grabbing a large nail from the floor. Kelvin pushed Benny, and in a quick motion, I executed a low kick, sweeping his legs out from under him and bringing him down to the ground. Straddling him, I tried to immobilise his legs. With one of his arms, Kelvin managed to hurl the nail away. Thinking I had him pinned, I reached for the nail, but I lost my balance and found myself sprawled on the gritty surface, with bits of gravel and water grinding against my mouth. Kelvin's knee crashed down hard on my back, and my head was yanked backward, almost bending my neck in half. The pressure of his hands on my jaw and forehead intensified, causing a vibrating sensation. I screamed in pain, desperately hoping that Benny, Saul, and Katherine would manage to escape unharmed.

"No one pushes Amy. Fucking. Waddell," I heard Benny cry. I felt a powerful surge of energy course through my body, followed by a sudden silence that engulfed the scene. Seizing the nail in my hand, I noticed Kelvin convulsing on the ground, affected by Benny's stun gun but still active and conscious. His eyes locked onto mine, trapped in his immobile state as his body continued to spasm uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," I whispered, realising that mercy killing was the only option. It was a familiar position to be in, ending a life with a simple act—pulling a trigger or delivering a fatal blow. But this time, there was a purpose behind it. As long as Mother had a hold on Kelvin, he would never realise the true nature of her evil. He would continue to kill, fuelled by her influence. I threw the nail to the ground and grasped Kelvin's head, feeling the remnants of the volts in his body and delivered a final snap, severing his neural network. His head fell into the pool of silver fluid below. He was dead. There was no satisfaction in his demise, no sense of triumph or victory—just the absence of life. But I couldn't dwell on my actions; there was no time for remorse.

Benny remained with her shield as I glanced out at the wreckage of the battle. The ground was stained with a mixture of blood and silver fluid, evidence of the fallen Androids and their Human counterparts. The guards were busy rounding up the stunned Androids, creating a window of opportunity for me to free Katherine and Saul.

Grabbing a fallen guard's jacket and helmet, I navigated through the smoke and debris. Through the haze, I spotted Saul slumped on the crucifix, unconscious. The silver fluid from his abdomen was seeping into his clothes, indicating a serious injury. I removed the wooden restraints and hastily tore off his jumper, revealing the wound. I applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding, relieved to find that the damage appeared to be superficial.

Performing a quick scan, I confirmed that Saul's battery levels were critically low, and he had entered a low-energy mode to conserve power. With a gentle tap on his panel, I attempted to awaken him, knowing that he would regain consciousness. He hadn't quite reached zero yet. I transferred as much power as I could to Saul, careful not to draw attention by lingering with my fingers on his head for too long.

"Argh!" Startled, Saul's scream echoed through the air, but I quickly blocked his mouth with my hand, trying to calm him down.

"It's me. We need to rescue Katherine before the guards get to her." Saul, still clutching his wound, nodded and followed me, limping as we moved.

Unfortunately, we arrived too late. The guards had already begun taking Katherine down from the crucifix. But I had a plan, a vision that guided my actions. I gently laid Saul down, instructing him to stay put and pretend to be dead.