Chapter 14: G-Mech 0100
1123 Words
“What just happened?” Butcher asked as he appeared beside us.
“Look up,” Lydia whispered, her voice tinged with awe.
Above us, suspended in the center of the room, was a sleek, oval object. Its surface gleamed like polished silver, and faint red patterns pulsed along its edges.
“I am G-Mech, 0100,” a feminine voice said, smooth and refined. “I admire your courage, and for that, I have allowed you to enter my chamber. What questions do you have for me?”
“Questions?” Gidon scoffed. “How about a way out?”
“This is everywhere and nowhere,” the voice replied. “You cannot leave.”
Butcher raised his axes. “Then we smash it.”
“Is that all you think about?” Lydia snapped, glaring at him.
She muttered a spell, and the walls turned translucent, revealing countless identical objects floating in the void beyond. Their glowing red outlines gave them an ominous appearance.
“You have no intention of letting us leave, do you?” she asked.
The object pulsed. “Leave the girl chosen by the tortoise, and I will let the rest of you go.”
'It means me,' I thought, a chill running down my spine.
The boss stepped forward, placing himself between me and the machine. His voice dropped to a whisper, so low I had to heighten my senses to catch it. “Girl, be honest with me. You use fire magic, and you have heightened senses. Are you a hybrid?”
My stomach turned as panic surged through me.
“Answer me, girl!” he barked, his voice loud now.
“Yes,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
The boss turned to the object, his fists clenched. “You . . . You’re the one who killed my boy.”
The room fell silent, tension thick in the air.
“What are you saying?” Gidon asked, his voice heavy with disbelief.
The boss’s gaze didn’t waver. “If it wants her, then it makes sense. You know what Brand was.”
Lydia’s eyes widened in realization. “So . . . that’s why we never found his body.”
"So are we smashing it or—"
Before Butcher could complete his words, a beam of light shot from the object, striking his face to leave behind a charred, steaming hole in it. He collapsed instantly, his lifeless body hitting the floor with a sickening thud.
"Butcher!" Gidon screamed, rushing to his side. "You—"
A second beam shot through the air, striking Gidon square in the chest. His face froze in shock as his body crumpled to the ground, leaving a gaping, charred hole in its wake.
“No!” Lydia cried, tears spilling from her eyes as she backed away. “Don’t show any hostility toward it!” she warned, her voice trembling.
The boss stood rigid, his muscles twitching as his breathing grew heavier. His body began shifting, veins bulging and bones cracking as though caught between transformations.
“We’ll give you the girl,” Lydia said, her voice breaking, her hands trembling at her sides.
The machine pulsed faintly, its glowing triangle intensifying as if in approval. “Finally, one who is sensible.”
I stood frozen, too stunned to react. My mind struggled to process what had just happened. Butcher’s laughter, Gidon’s snark—they were gone. Their lifeless bodies lay sprawled on the floor, faces I’d barely known but somehow felt deeply connected to.
I didn’t even glance at them. I couldn’t. My heart felt like it was being crushed, piece by piece.
“Naila, don’t,” I whispered inwardly, sensing the beast stir. Her fury swirled within me like a storm.
‘They died for nothing,’ Naila hissed, her anger barely contained.
'We can't win this,' I thought back, my knees buckling. 'Not now.'
“No,” the boss growled, his voice low and guttural. His trembling form towered over us, his wolfish features fighting to emerge. “I will not give her up.”
“Stop it!” Lydia shouted, stepping between him and the machine. “If you attack, we’ll all die here! Please . . . don’t do this.”
The machine hummed ominously. “Careful,” it warned, its triangle glowing brighter. “Do not think my beam will spare you because you can transform into a monster. I allowed you to live because your son proved useful to our mission. Do not push your luck.”
The boss’s fists clenched, his sharp claws digging into his palms. Tears welled in his eyes, his grief palpable.
“You . . .” he whispered, his voice breaking. “You killed Brand, Bu . . . Butcher . . . Gid—" he sobbed, too broken to speak. "I'll make you pay one day . . . Mark my word.”
The machine remained silent, its glow steady and unyielding.
“Let’s go, boss,” Lydia urged, her voice shaking. She grabbed his arm, trying to pull him toward the newly formed doorway in the wall. “Please . . . we can’t fight this. They wouldn’t want you to throw your life away.”
His jaw tightened, but he allowed her to guide him.
As they passed the threshold, Lydia turned back to me. “Take Blooby,” she said, her tears streaming. She pushed the small machine toward me. “I’ve just programmed him to see you as his new master. This is the best I can do.”
“But, you love—” My words were cut short as the door behind them slid shut, leaving me alone with Blooby and the machine.
“Master . . . bloob . . . Is . . . Is . . .” Blooby’s gears clicked as he processed the change.
“My name is Jade,” I whispered, steadying myself.
“Master is . . . bloob . . . Jade. Old master tell Blooby to protect new master,” he said, his small voice carrying a strange reassurance.
I couldn’t bring myself to reply. My chest was too tight, my breaths shallow. A machine had my life in its hands, and I didn’t know if it meant to save me or end me.
A sharp sting pricked the back of my neck.
Instinctively, I raised my hand, feeling a small dart embedded in my skin. My vision blurred, and my body felt heavy.
“Blooby . . .” I tried to speak, but my words slurred. The world tilted, and before I could process what was happening, the ground rose to meet me. Darkness swallowed me whole.
- Writer
