Part 3 | Jake

I turned and raised my hands. Next to me, Dr. Holt did the same, his body tense.

I froze.

A Knight® robot held a gun inches from Dr. Holt’s chest. A small gasp escaped from my throat as I shifted towards him. The massive gun flashed to my face. My eyes wide, I stared down the barrel. I realised that this was what Mark must’ve felt. I did not want to die. Not now. Not like this.

The Knight gestured with his weapon. He grunted from behind the dirty mask that was his face. “Move away.”

I stepped away from Dr. Holt, trying to catch his gaze. He didn’t acknowledge my presence, keeping his eyes fixed on the tall, dirty robot.

Several heads taller than the scientist, the Knight looked far less human than me. His inaccurate proportions showed a resemblance to human anatomy, but there was no skin to add to the illusion. His once shiny metal body was covered with filth, the large armour on his shoulders still containing a hint of red.

The stench of waste clung to him like a body odour as he prodded my chest with a large, pointy finger. “Don’t budge or your boyfriend dies.”

Three other Knights, just as dirty as the first one, came to stand next to him. Glancing sideways, I saw many others emerge from under the garbage. We were surrounded by stinking war robots, all of them holding guns.

The first Knight, apparently the leader, walked over to Dr. Holt, grabbing the man’s face. “Now tell me, human, why should I let you live?”

“Because I am not your enemy.”

The Knight jabbed the gun in Dr. Holt’s stomach and I cried out. He doubled over and fell into the mud, panting. Two large guns kept me from rushing to his side.

The robot stepped closer. “And why should I believe that lie?”

Dr. Holt pushed himself up, panting as he struggled to speak, mud clinging to his face. “Because you know me. I’m Jake.”

I frowned. His name was Frederick, not Jake. I tried to catch his attention. I wanted to talk to him, hold him as he sat in the dirt, but I wouldn’t risk his life by moving.

The Knight straightened, his voice low. “Anyone can claim that.”

“I was found by a Knight, as a baby.” Dr. Holt staggered to his feet, breathing heavily. “He gave me to my parents, two Angels. They raised me, for eight years.” He wiped mud from his eye, challenging the Knight with his gaze. “Best years of my life, until…”

He gestured around, to the thousands of corpses. I had stopped breathing. I didn’t know what to think. Why hadn’t he told me? Why…

The Knight grunted and reached for Dr. Holt’s throat. I balled my hands into fist as the robot took out the thin ribbon hanging from the scientist’s neck. “You wear an ION badge, human.”

“I became a robot scientist, to help future robots realise they have a right to live their own lives.” 

Finally, Dr. Holt looked at me. His blue eyes showed fear and confidence, his mouth drawn into a thin line. I nodded briefly, to let him know I was fine. A small smile twitched at the corner of his lips before he looked back.

The Knight turned to me and then back to Dr. Holt. “What was the name of the Knight who found you?”

A deep line appeared on the man’s forehead, gaze focussed on the ground. His eyes snapped up to the dirty Knight, surprised. “Alexander?”

The giant robot laughed, a strange metallic sound that made me smile. “You’ve grown, boy.”

Dr. Holt grinned and looked the dirty Knight over. “You haven’t.”

“Captain!” a robotic voice shouted.

Alexander turned to see a large Knight approach.

“I found these in the boat, sir.”

In one big claw-like hand, the robot held Mr. Teddywinkles, in the other, he held Mara. The small robot was screaming, her wheels spinning in mid-air and her red eyes flashing with anger. “Let me go, you big, horrible oaf! You rotten brute! You broken record!”

I gasped and ran forward, forgetting for a moment all the guns that were still on me. I tore Mara and the bear from the Knight’s hand and folded my wings around them, the best protection I could offer.

Large iron feet stopped in front of me, shaking the ground slightly with each heavy step. Alexander looked down on me, his voice flat. “Why are you here, girl?”

I glared at him and opened my mouth, but closed it again when I realised I didn’t know. Not anymore. I had come because Dr. Holt had asked me to, because I trusted him. Why was I here now?

Dr. Holt placed a hand on the Knight’s arm. “We need your help, Alexander. I temporarily disabled her tracker, but the destruction device is still there. It’s only a matter of time before…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. We all knew what followed. There was a bomb ticking in the back of my head and I was running out of time.

“Why should we help her?” He didn’t move as my gaze snapped to the black eye holes in his mask. “If we do, what’s in it for us?”

Dr. Holt protested, but I didn’t hear his words.

I clutched Mara tighter, my wings still around her and my bear. He was right. There was no reason for them to help me—a robot who refused to harm anyone. I was of no use to their rebellion. Why would they help me, if they gained nothing in return?

What use was there in saving me, when I would not harm a human to save myself?

I frowned. I wanted to live.

“I will join you.”

The robot and the man turned to me, a worried look on Dr. Holt’s face.

I continued before my courage left me. “I can clean, I’m good with organising things, I’ll do any job you want me to. I will fight if I must.”

Alexander folded his metal arms in front of his chest. “You’ll fight, Angel girl? What an offer.”

I straightened and gave him my deadliest look, my voice sounding more confident than I felt. “I am not a war robot. I am not made to take lives, but if I must to defend myself and other robots, I will. This is my best offer, sir. Will you help me or not?”

Seconds of silence ticked by. All eyes were on the tall Knight as he thought over my words, my time shortening every moment.

“Alright, girl. We’ll see what we can do.”

I didn’t let the tension out of my body. “My name is Angel,” I snapped. “And can the guns go down now?”

Alexander let out something that sounded like a metallic chuckle and signalled the other Knights. The guns lowered and only then I allowed a sigh of relief to come from my lips.

The large robot looked at Dr. Holt. “How much time do we have, Jake?”

Dr. Holt glanced at me and then checked his watch. “Twelve hours.”

“In that case, we’ll have to hurry.” He gestured and the Knights who surrounded us all moved towards the pyramids of rubbish, their heavy steps making the ground tremble. “Percival, take the recharge bot. We’ll need its data.”

I just managed to tell her to cooperate before another robot took Mara from my arms. I wanted to protest, but I knew that if I wanted their help, I had to trust them. Alexander followed the other Knights and I started out after him, but something stopped me.

Dr. Holt hadn’t moved. I glanced at Alexander and saw that he had slowed down, waiting for me. He nodded his head towards Dr. Holt, indicating that I should go. A heavy feeling settled in my stomach. This was goodbye.

I walked up to him, clutching my teddy bear. I held it out to him, my voice shaky. “He’s yours.”

Dr. Holt smiled and shook his head. “It was a gift.”

I looked away. “You’re going back, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Angel…” He reached out to my face, gently lifting my chin to make my eyes meet his. I leaned in to his warm touch. “Are you sure you want to stay? Did you mean what you said?”

I took a long breath and nodded. This time no fake courage or strong front. Just the two of us, like our talks in my room that seemed decades ago. “Yes, I am sure. It’s either that or dying. This is the sacrifice I make to keep my life.”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his familiar, warm embrace. I inhaled his scent, trying to memorise it. His voice whispered in my ear. “I’m proud of you.”

My chest swelled.

“Angel!” a Knight’s voice called. Alexander. My time was ticking.

Dr. Holt took my face in his hands, speaking hastily. “Angel, please, let me know if you made it. Send me a sign, a message, anything. I need to know whether you’re alright.”

Electricity raced through my body. “I will. I promise.”

He kissed me. My system felt dangerously close to a short circuit, but I couldn’t care less.

I grinned as he stroked some hair out of my eyes, my happiness mirrored on his face. “Be careful,” I whispered.

He nodded and pecked my lips before pulling away. “I have to go.”

I swallowed and nodded. “I know.”

His blue eyes held mine for a few more seconds and then he turned away, jogging over the muddy field of blue flowers. I watched until he disappeared around a mountain of garbage, and listened until I could no longer hear the sound of his small motor boat.

Alexander stood next to me and put a massive hand on my shoulder, soiling my white bodysuit as he guided me away.

Neither of us had said goodbye. We would see each other again.