Ten: Departure To Tower Three

The android didn't even flinch as I shot a bullet right to its head.

He slowly turned, focusing his bright blue eyes on me, They almost had a dead look to them.

"You're becoming hysterical." The robot spoke in it's stoic voice as it marched towards us.

Great! How could I be so stupid!? I just wasted a bullet and gave away our hiding place. I should have just stayed quiet and hidden like I have been doing this entire time! Chelsea was relying on me and she needed medical treatment urgently.

What was I going to do? It's bad enough we have savage passengers wanting to kill us, and this monster, and now these androids!? If my father was responsible for releasing them, what was he thinking!? These androids were just as lethal as the other passengers.

"Chelsea, I need you to run over to the gate, hit the red call button and stay low, I'm going to try and distract it." I said, slowly rising to my feet.

"Chaeyoung..."

"HURRY!" I cried, ducking just in time as the androids hands lunged for my throat in attempts to strangling me.

Chelsea scurried off to the gates to call for a cart. I really hoped I could distract him for that long.

I raised my foot and kicked the robot in the side. Big mistake. It was hard as stone.

I cried out at a popping sound from my foot.

"Calm down, I want to help." The robot said, swinging a hand towards my face. I ducked and jammed the end of my revolver into his gut causing him to stumble back slightly.

"BACK OFF!" I sneered, sliding my bag off my shoulder. It was pretty heavy with all the supplies I've kept in it.

"Tut. Tut." The android responded as it came back for me.

I swung my bag at it, socking it right in the face and sending it to the floor.

A loud clicking noise came from Chelsea's direction. I knew that it was the sound of the transmit car coming our way. The android noticed the sound too as he turned his head to look right at Chelsea.

No...

"You're entering a restricted area." He repeated as he got up to his feet and moved robotically towards her. "I cannot allow that."

Chelsea widened her eyes and pressed herself against the gate, her small frame slightly slouching over. She was loosing her strength...

"HEY! OVER HERE! I'M OVER HERE!" I shouted at the android.

I couldn't let it hurt Chelsea.

I raced after it and jumped on its back and started hammering onto it's stone-like head with my first, possibly breaking my hand. Adrenaline raced through my veins so it was hard to tell how much pain I was in.

The robot sputtered and started to spin around in circles, in attempts to throw me off his back. I tightened my legs around his waist and continued to slam my fist into its head.

"Stay away from her!" I barked, looking up at Chelsea. "Go Chelsea! I'll take the next one!"

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving you, Chaeyoung!!"

This wasn't the time to argue and I was in no position to argue either.

"Give me the tool!" I cried, my hands ripping the helmet off the robots head just as I was thrown off his shoulders. Everything whizzed by me in a blur as I fell hard onto my back, the impact sucking the wind right out of me.

The robot turned to me and got down on it's knees, straddling me as it wrapped it's ice cold hands around my throat in an unbelievable death grip.

I gasped and inhaled sharply as I felt my lungs burn in need of oxygen. My hands moved in slow motion as they grabbed onto the robots. He was way too strong and I was starting to see white.

"Relax. I'm trying to help." The robot said as he continued to strangle me.

His dull blue eyes bored into mine. I choked and sputtered, my legs kicking limply beneath it.

"LET HIM GO!" Chelsea screamed, just as a large tool swung right to his head.

The robot spit out a white liquid substance that looked like watery milk, as he released his tight grip from around my throat and collapsed to his side. I inhaled loudly for air, wheezing and coughing as I fed my lungs their need for oxygen.

Chelsea cried out as she started to bash the tool into the androids head repeatedly, causing him to spit up more white fluids. His hands shook and his feet kicked wildly as he sputtered and gagged on the liquids that continued to pour out from his mouth.

I sat up and watched as the light from the androids eyes slowly went out as his body became limp. His head slowly split open reviling multiple different sets of wires and switches.

Chelsea turned to look at me, her eyes big with fear.

"A-are you alright!?"

I nodded and grabbed weakly for my bag as I continued to wheeze like an old man. The gates for the transmit car opened automatically making a terrible shrieking noise. Chelsea grabbed my hand.

"Let's go!"

I nodded and followed her to the car, the both of us moving at a slow pace.

Just then out of nowhere the creature leaped out from the shadowy corner across from us. Flashing it's fangs at us as it shrieked loudly.

Chelsea stumbled against me and screamed. I grabbed onto her and scampered with her into the car, my heart leaping into my throat.

The creature sprinted towards the car snapping it's mouth at us hungrily as it reached out to us with it's long claws. It was fast. Was it there hiding this entire time!? Or has it caught up with us just as we were about to leave?

I pounded my hand on the green button frantically for the doors to close.

"Hurry!" Chelsea cried, as the doors automatically closed just as the monster leaped towards the doorway.

It shrieked loudly and swung it's arm down at the doors just as they closed.

Chelsea and I sighed with relief as the car began to move backwards, taking us to the third tower.

"My God...that was close..." Chelsea rasped, falling back onto one of the chairs.

I could only nod as I sat down besides her. I buried my face into my hands as I waited for my body to stop shaking. A wave of nausea hit me and I was sweating bullets. I was so scared.

How many more encounters would we be lucky enough to escape from that thing?

How much longer will we have until we see it again?

Those were questions I wanted but also didn't want to know.

"H-how are you doing?" I ask her, just wanting to take my mind off the peril we were in.

"Dizzy...and weak...and also feverish..it's probably getting infected." Chelsea replies, holding onto her leg.

I nod. I had to stop feeling sorry for myself and start thinking logically so that I could keep us both alive.

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon..." I say, flinching as a painful throbbing sensation came from my right hand. The one I was hammering onto the androids head. I tried flexing it, my fingers froze up and I shouted as a sharp pain inflamed my entire hand.

Chelsea jumped at my shout and looked at me with big eyes.

"Chaeyoung!? What is it?"

"M-my hand.." I whisper, feeling sweat dripping down my back. "It's broken..."

"Really? You can't move it?"

"N-no...not without it hurting...I guess my adrenaline hid the pain for awhile. I think I broke it when I was punching that android. He was hard as a rock..."

"Well at least we're going to the medical ward now...you don't think that monster will be there do you?"

"It's possible." I reply, hating to say it. "That thing travels through the air vents. I'm sure it's been traveling from tower to tower."

Chelsea shook her head in disbelief as a few tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm scared...." She whimpered.

I reached for her right hand, taking it in my left one.

"Me too." I confessed. "Maybe we can get help when we're there....who knows? They might have high security or something...to protect the ill and vulnerable passengers."

"You think so?" Chelsea spoke in a soft whisper, as she squeezed my hand tightly.

"Sure."

I had no clue. I didn't know what to think anymore. The more encounters with that monster the more I started to believe that we were all doomed. Even though there was only one of it, it was still enough of a threat. Then we have the other passengers and androids around the station. The only ones who were vulnerable to firearms were the humans. But I couldn't tell Chelsea that, I had to have her believe that somewhere on this station was a safe haven.

We were both silent the rest of the ride to the medical ward. The screeching sound of the metallic doors as they opened startled both of us.

"It's just the doors..." I reassured both of us, as I helped Chelsea up to her feet.

"I feel like every little noise is going to scare me from now on." Chelsea replied as the two of us walked out of the car and through the medical ward.

There were many green lights that illuminated brightly off the white marble floors. There were a few signs for customers to read about their beneficial and lawful rights. As we made our way to the waiting room, there were a few cozy looking couches and chairs along with tables that had a few magazines on them.

To our relief it was pretty simple navigating around the medical ward, everything was straightforward and right before your eyes. I spotted a nurse behind the front desk, wait let me rephrase that.

I spotted a nurse hiding behind the front desk.

Chelsea and I looked at each other in disbelief.

"Do you think she'll help us?" Chelsea asked me.

"She has to...it's her job, and you're in a serious need of help. Let's go." I reply, wrapping my arm that sported my good hand around her waist.

She only nodded and followed besides me to the front desk.

The nurse looked at us behind her wild wavy brown hair.

"W-what do you want!?" She stammered.

Really!?

"We-she needs medical help...she was shot in the leg....I accidentally shot her..." I looked at the nurse who seemed hesitant to leave from her spot behind the desk. "Please, it's probably infected." I say pointing to her leg.

"Are you two alone!?" The nurse asked, her dark brow eyes were wide with fear.

"Yes." I reply, but looked around us briefly just to make sure.

The nurse looked at Chelsea and then at me.

"You two seem fine to me."

Was she serious!?

I took a deep breath. "Look, I realize what's going around here but from the looks of it, this area seems safe. Am I right?" I eye the nurse curiously.

She nods slowly. "Yes but...what if it's not safe?"

"Then we worry about it then." I paused and take out a sandwich from my bag. "I'm sure you're hungry. I'll give you as much food as you want if you take care of her, and I have weapons. I'll keep an eye out for trouble. You have my word."

The nurse eyed the food hungrily and looked at me considering it for a moment.

"Alright, fine...I'll take care of the girl first. Come on..." She said, holding a hand out to Chelsea.

Chelsea looked at me and mouthed a thanks as she took the nurses hand. I nodded and watched the two disappear down a hall to one of the medical rooms.

I looked around the vacant room for a moment, gripping my revolver tightly in my left hand. I wasn't so sure on how I could manage shooting with my non dominant hand. I wasn't sure if I could even protect the nurse and Chelsea. Those last few escapes from the monster was just luck.

Looking out at my surroundings I noticed a transmit cart slowly moving its way towards me.

The monster surely couldn't know how to operate machinery...or the androids...

I slowly backed down the hall keeping my gun out in front of me. A wave of fear washed over me and I turned and sprinted down the hall, throwing myself into the nearest room.

I shut the door behind me and closed my eyes shut as I pressed myself against it.

"Put your hands up and drop your weapon!" A voice in front of me called.

I opened my eyes and swiftly raised my revolver pointing it right at a kid my age. If he wanted to kill me he'd have to risk his life too.

I was done playing the good guy.