The thing

"We should be coming across the cave soon."

Wild noises.

Birds- animals this place was packed. But they were far away.

Theo was taking charge and he was being careful. He was observing a lot of things. But that only made their progress awfully slow.

Perhaps he was being- too careful.

"Theo-" Sizzy stopped.

Theo stopped too. "What happened?" He didn't sense any danger. This place was kind of abandoned. His sensors didn't issue any warning either.

There were some large caterpillars on the tree; that was all. But Sizzy's eyes were glued towards the back. "Something is approaching us. Hurry."

She urged Theo to run and he didn't disagree.

Both of them ran hard, fast. But the thing that was behind them was fast too. It was blurry and black in color. That was all they could see.

"What is that!" Finally Theo's suit started to dish out warnings.

[Initiating enhanced physical mode.]

"The cave should be up ahead, please take shelter there, I'll stop it."

"What? You can't possibly-" Was this really the future Theo wanted? "NO! I have a gun."

He took out his plasma gun and pointed it towards the blurred black thing. It was so fast, that it was blurry.

Theo fired. A ball of yellow plasma flew at greater speeds than sound. His guided aim was perfect.

The black thing fell on the ground, screeching loudly. They took a closer look. 'I did it.' Theo was exhilarated.

The thing was twice as large as Theo and had black fur. But the animal looked like something he already knew. "This is an ape."

An ape with six arms and three eyes.

[Warning!]

'This was a mistake.' His face went pale. The earlier screech was a dead giveaway.

And if there was one- "We're surrounded." Sizzy looked at Theo with terror. "Run."

One word was enough for them to start running again.

***

They ran.

But it wasn't enough. Behind them were a group of apes, dedicated to end their lives.

Theo's suit came in handy for him to run fast, but it wasn't enough. The apes were up on the trees, sprinting on the ground and some were even attacking the two with rocks. This wasn't good.

And both of them knew that.

"Request a teleport!" Theo screamed.

"I've already tried, but there's no response!"

[Connection timed out] Theo's suit couldn't connect either.

'What was this damn thing good for then?'

"What's our percentage of survival if we both start attacking!"

He was already getting tired. He couldn't keep this up forever.

"41! If I went all out."

Theo clicked his tongue and both of them kept on running: if it was less than 50%, what was the point in taking the risk? They couldn't do anything more than just run.

Crash! Trees uprooted just right next to Theo and-

But then all of a sudden- something big appeared just behind them. Even Sizzy, let alone the sensors hadn't picked this thing up.

The apes were hell-bent on killing these two and yet, even they had to run away.

ROAR!

Behind the two was a tiger, a tiger with black fur and white stripes. But it was at least ten times bigger than the biggest tiger on planet Aura.

And it was feasting on the two apes it clawed and crushed beneath its feet. The rest just ran away.

"Ru-run…"

But before they could even make that move- the Tiger's gaze was already upon them, fresh pink blood dripping from its teeth.

It was too late.

'Damn!' Theo's hands shook and his body shook too. But he had to fire. And he did too. Even Sizzy tried using weapons, but no matter how perfect their aim was, the tiger always dodged. As though it could predict where the plasma ball would hit.

The tiger grumbled and circled the two, sizing up its prey.

"What's our survival rate?"

"2%..."

"Shit." They were about as good as dead.

"In five seconds, close your eyes, and run west to the cave. After twenty-one hours, help will surely come," Sizzy said, detaching something from her forehead.

"But-"

"I'm a machine, I can be repaired, but you cannot. Now close your eyes." It wasn't a request, and it wasn't an order.

Theo didn't like the idea but there was nothing he could do. He closed his eyes. And even with eyes closed, he could feel the intensity of the light. Sizzy had just used a very strong flare.

"Now!"

Theo opened his eyes and fired three shots before running west. Even now, the tiger dodged. Its body moved on its own, though its eyes were closed.

"I'll come back for you!"

"I know," Sizzy whispered, her voice didn't reach Theo.

Sizzy was an R.I. She was created to serve, and yet her creator had given her something called intelligence. Perhaps it wasn't free will, perhaps she wasn't sentient: or, maybe she was. But none of it mattered now.

After all, she saved someone. She felt glad.

Was this, happiness?

She didn't know. She didn't feel pain, though her body was designed not to, but she did feel glad.

Even though she was being torn by the claws of the tiger, even though she was now barely standing. But now that she was on the brink of destruction, she felt, frustrated- it was a new feeling for her. And R.I weren't supposed to feel it. And yet, she felt it.

She didn't breathe but her creator gave her breathing expressions just for the fun of it. And her expression definitely was anything but fun.

As the claw finally came for her head, before it connected, she launched one final plasma ball- with her severed arm. The tiger was very close and it was impossible for it to escape. But even so, the ball only grazed the tiger's left leg. But the claw connected, and Sizzy's head fell on the ground, rolling.

"I hope he makes it," Were her thoughts as the auxiliary power finally failed.

***

Theo breathed hard as he finally reached the cave. But he couldn't stay here, he couldn't stay by the entrance.

"Damn it!" He grimaced and punched the wall. His knuckles crackled but he had better things to worry about than pain.

'Why am I so powerless?'

If he hadn't made that shot, then all of this could have been avoided- or so he thought.

Now he finally understood why everyone was so intent on keeping him grounded. He finally understood, they were always doing things for his own good.

He could almost cry, but he didn't. Instead, he glared forward and walked. 'I've gotta change. I've gotta survive. I've gotta save her!'