The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 1/Chapter 2
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After a few eternities, Kylan concluded the creature wasn't coming back but he was still reluctant to leave his shelter. Even though he knew it offered no real safety, he just wouldn't know when that thing was breathing down his neck. He'd had enough surprises. He felt drained.
He found the power button on the tall blonde model and thought of taking his chances, but decided he would only switch her on as a last resort. She felt so much softer now that her synthetic muscles were relaxed and he drew some comfort in her presence. At least the worst thing she might do is arrest him. They didn't know what was going on. He was sure that the officers were only caught off guard. If he explained the creature to her, she could offer protection... if he could only be sure... if he wasn't so damned tired... if he... Kye collapsed as he sank into the soft bosom of the other android and fell into a disturbed sleep. The Lounge seemed so far away.
He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, but he estimated it must have been at least a few hours. Kye felt his strength returning and thought it might be safe enough to attempt an escape. The tunnels ran for miles and there were plenty of them. Obviously that evil looking thing had moved on by now.
Kylan Renson kept in pretty good shape. He had to. Being a supply scout wasn't easy. The Great Mistake left many places abandoned but relatively unharmed -- a looter's paradise -- and anyone who wouldn't conform was forced to survive in hiding. The government seized all unregistered property and ran most of the businesses now.
Unfortunately for Kylan, some of the automated security systems could be lethal. He was lucky there was a subway entrance near that electronics warehouse he was scouting... WAS. He knew what to expect from the security systems and that sometimes patrols ventured into parts of the tunnels. But today's encounter was something he had never faced before and it scared the hell out of him. Even more unbelievable was that a patrol was overtaken. He couldn't be certain if what he saw was responsible for the attack or if there were more of them, but he wasn't taking too many chances.
Still, he had to get the bodies back to The Lounge. Maybe his friend Stan could make some sense of it and he would definitely want to know what happened. Besides, Stan would need the bodies for that and Kye owed him one... or two. Kye had rest and adrenaline on his side and he intended to use them to make the journey as short as possible.
The entrance to The Lounge was very inconspicuous and could easily be overlooked if one didn't know what to watch for. What looked like rubble was actually extremely solid and only opened with the correct authorization. After several more hidden gateways, Kye made it to the inner sanctum where he was greeted by surprised stares and exclamations as he passed other outcasts and non-conformists. Mostly younger and some older, mostly male but some female, it was open to all but the selfish and malicious. And secrecy was the rule. Only a few females were trusted here.
The lighting was much better in the secret sanctuary and Kye found it easier to drag the stretcher across the well-kept floors. It was spacious in the main hallway. This was formerly an underground shopping center that connected to the subways and several buildings above ground. This was also one of the few areas hit by a terrorist bomb almost immediately after The Mistake just as women and children had gathered to receive aid.
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