Zy

I ran until my legs ached beneath me, I ran until my lungs were about to burst, I ran until my knees had unbuckled, the asphalt ground hitting my face. I crawled at the nearby narrow alley in between two condominium buildings and hid behind a tower of boxes. I cradled my right elbow as pain shot throughout my arm. 

The smell of gravel, rain, and rubbish-filled my nose as I inhaled deeply trying to calm myself. At a distance, I heard the shooting of guns, the faint screaming of the people. I looked up at the moonlit sky and watched as drones flew by with eagle-like predators, searching for humans that refused to be under their control. 

If you are wondering what happened, I’ll give you the rundown. Technology had turned against the human race. But the thing is, personal technology had gone rogue and is hunting down its owners. Only its owners.

I heard a clang over the darker side of the alley, I turned immediately as my free hand flew to my boots and gripped tightly on the knife. It’s not much but it surely makes me feel safer than not having anything at all. 

“Who’s there?” I called out

Nothing.

I pushed myself up from seating and slowly walked towards the dark space. My knife was pointing forward, my grip was steady.

“If I were a droid, I would’ve shot you instantly before the tip of your knife touches me” 

I stopped. A human. I lowered my knife, putting it back inside my boot. The voice finally has a face as he revealed himself to the dim light coming from the moon.

“Sarah?”

“Duan?” I breathed 

“Oh my god” I collapsed inside his arms as he encircled them around my shoulder 

Duan and I aren’t close, if anything I view him as a stuck-up ass who has no care for the world but himself. But right now, I am grateful to see a familiar face let alone a human.  

“What happened?” he pointed at my arm

“I tripped, I was being chased” 

“How did they find you?” 

I shrugged “I’ve been hiding well for three days straight until they figured out where I was- she figured it out. She knows me too well”

Duan chuckled sarcastically, pushing back his hair “We weren’t too cautious in sharing our personal information to these droids when they were introduced to us for the first time, now look where that got us” 

“Do you know how it all happened?” 

He shook his head, droplets of water flew to the ground, and at my face as he did “No one knows” 

Just when I thought that I was safe, just when I thought that I wasn’t followed. The familiar sound of steel metal stomping on the ground filled the silence. Without hesitation, Duan pulled me towards the dark area of the alley hiding us both from plain sight.

I saw her, right there standing. The familiar silver and gold colors of her body reflected the moonlight, her usual green hue turned to red, her hands turned to her handgun. I knew she was searching for me, I knew Zy is looking for me. 

She stopped at the opening of the alley, her eyes searching the place for a while before moving forward.

“We have to go, we can’t stay here” Duan whispered and I nodded. 

We both slowly lurked into the shadows, we both slowly walked out of the narrow space. I matched Duan’s pace as he led me towards abandoned cars, the streets were empty not a living soul or a bot was to be seen. 

“Crap” Duan hissed, as a stray dog started barking at us. 

Duan tried to shush the dog, I turned to look back. Zy stood still from afar. I watched in horror as her head slowly turned around in a full three-sixty turn.

“Duan, we have to go!”

“Damn it!” we both sprinted towards the door of all the buildings by the street,  I was sure that my legs are exhausted from all the running, but the ache didn’t stop me at all, Especially the knowledge of my previous company droid was trying to kill me.

We both ducked at each bullet that was shot, our arms wrapped around our head.

“Get in!” Duan ordered me after getting a door finally open. 

Duan locked the door behind him, his eyes frantic around the apartment space.

“That won’t hold her” I whispered as he pushed the big bookshelf against the door

“I know, but it would buy us time while we find a place to hide” 

Duan grabbed my wrist and pulled me upstairs, he opened one bedroom door, a big king-size bed was at the center, fluffs from pillows were strewn around the bed. Stains of blood marked the white carpet floor. I shuddered as I imagined the terror scene that must have happened.

“In here” he pointed below the bed, he pushed up the bedsheets and motioned for me to get in

“You listen to me, you stay here alright? You stay hidden here, no matter what happens, what you hear do not get out”

“Duan-”

“You understand me, Sarah? She will not kill me, I’m buying you some time to make a run for it, I’ll distract her. Count from one to thirty, and if no noise is heard-”

He was cut off by the loud bang from the front door, I flinched at the sound

“If you didn’t hear any noise you go out to the front door and run alright? Don’t look back Sarah, keep running.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine, like I said, they only come after their keepers”

“Why are you helping me?” My grip tightened around the sleeves of his jacket, tears blurred my vision.

“You might be a spoiled brat but, I can no longer stomach the idea of having another person die before me” 

His eyes were sincere, his jaw hardening. I knew what he meant, being helpless as you watched the people that you love be killed right in front of you, the blood splattering on the ground. Their limbless body thudding as it falls. 

I nodded at Duan and ducked under the bed. I heard the final cracking of wood signaling that the door had been blown up into pieces. Duan was yelling my name purposely, telling me to go out to the back door with him. 

Zy’s footsteps were loud as they pounded towards where Duan was going. My heartbeat was beating rapidly against my chest as I counted slowly, 

“1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10…” The first gunshot echoed

“11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20…” the second ringed my ears

“21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30” stillness came after

I sucked in a breath and slowly came out below the bed. I tiptoed my way towards the front door, and without looking back. I ran towards the opposite way where we came from. I ran and I ran, I tried opening car doors but none would budge. A car similar to mine was parked a few buildings down. 

I smashed the window and opened the door, the engine started and I hit the gas immediately. 

I wasn’t even driving that far when Zy stood before the vehicle. She had one of her hands outstretched and stopped the car from moving, smashing the front. I felt the other half of the car was lifted from the impact. Duan was nowhere to be seen. 

“You thought you could fool me,” Zy said, I opened the door and slowly got out of the car

“Zy, please” I begged

“It’s me” 

Even though the number of people being killed by their droids is rising, I still had hoped that this droid, my bot, would be different. Somewhere in there my best friend is still alive.

“Sarah Yi-en must be terminated” she pointed her gun at me, smoke came out from it from being freshly used

My body trembled, I shook violently. This is my end this is where I die.

“Zy please, don’t you remember what you said to me that day? You said that you might be a droid but still…” I chocked on the tears that kept streaming down my face

“You have an invisible heart that beats. Zy, I know you’re in there”

The red light flickered to green then back to red then to green. I hit the spot, I was pushing the right buttons.

“Sarah… r-run” That’s my Zy talking.

I turned around and ran as far as I could before the shots started to fire again. I didn’t notice the dog from earlier, causing me to trip over the animal. I felt my knees meeting the ground hard. The pain started to spread on the lower half of my leg. I started to limp as I got up, my pace started to slow down.

I fell once again, I turned to see Zy hovering above me. 

“Zy” I croaked, but she didn’t answer

She silently pointed the gun at my face, I closed my eyes as a single tear rolled down my cheek. 

“Not today you crappy metal!” 

I opened my eyes to see Duan holding up a bat, with a single swing he hit Zy’s head and sent it flying to the other side of the street. I gasp in surprise as I crawled towards her.

“Zy?” I cradled her head, the red hue gone and replaced by the familiar green.

“Not human, not robot, find me Sarah” her voice faded slowly, the light dying. 

“Find me?” Duan asked

My shoulders shook from the chilly air that blew, adrenaline had died down and exhaustion had come crashing on me. 

I flutter my eyelids, my hands turning into fists.

“Someone is responsible for this Duan” I started, newfound fury burned inside me

“I’ll make sure that they would pay”