Part VI

The blow caught it squarely in the face, emitting a flat sound and no reaction what so ever. It rocked back and then started to right itself almost immediately and Slyia let out a frustrated curse. Then Linna, grunting with exertion, threw herself forward onto it and the two of them crashed noisily to the ground.

"If the boomers didn't know we were here they do now," Nene warned.

"Linna!" Sylia said and quickly moved to her friends aid.

"It's alright, Sylia," Linna panted, still under the affect of being knocked unconscious in the last engagement with the rogue boomer sales staff. "Its not a boomer –"

"It isn't?"

"No, it's just a mannequin. Help me up."

Sylia reached down with the pole and Linna grabbed onto it and heaved herself up and rested herself against Sylia again. Sylia could feel Linna's heart beating fast against her own chest. Her own heart was quick.

"Lets keep going, we can't stop."

The four found the halted escalator again and some more slain shoopers. They had been killed like the rest, strangled or had their necks broken. It was fortunate that there was no light to see the gruesome expressions on their faces as they died. Fighting boomers had one advantage over its danger and that was the boomer's expression rarely changed from nothingness as they were just machines, or anger and rage if they had become that aware. It was easy to fight and destroy a machine, something without a living soul or a family and life that could be found out. No one missed a dead boomer. Easily forgotten. The husbands, boyfriends, children and parents of the victims spread throughout the building would mourn and remember painfully for the rest of their lives.

"Just one more floor and we'll be at a position where we can get out," Sylia told everyone quietly. Linna had picked up a clothes pole for herself and Jenny and Nene lit the way with their phone screens.

"Why haven't we seen any more boomers?" Nene asked. "They're meant to be everywhere."

Jenny whimpered.

"Don't frighten her, Nene. She's been through enough, we all have." Sylia chided.

"She is right through, Sylia. On all the floors…"

"Maybe the rogue process didn't activate them all or Nene's hack worked better than she expected. I'm not complaining," to herself she said that they would not have made it this far if there had been even one other boomer. "It gives us a chance and we have to take it."

They found a broken phone. It had been stomped on, twisted and torn apart. The level was without incident and they went down to the second.

"What are we looking for?" Linna asked Sylia.

"The front of the building that faces the street. I am sure that it had windows. We'll break them and jump."

"That sounds dangerous, Sylia," Nene said. "I'm not athletic like you too and we have Jenny to think about."

"Don't be silly," Sylia snapped, "its that or stay here and be killed. Which would you prefer?"

"Sylia!" Linna exclaimed.

"I'd prefer it if Priss came and rescued us. She must be worried."

"Priss is doing her own thing and doesn't know what is going on. We can't expect any help from her."

"It's okay. I can jump," Jenny said surprising everyone. They hadn't expected anything from the woman. Sylia nodded, satisfied.

"Let's go then."

It wasn't far to the first wall. Unfortunately it did not have any windows, just a monotonous flatness that spread in either direction. There was no way Sylia was going to split the group to check each side. They had to stay together for any chance of survival if attacked. She lead them to the right feeling that it was right direction. If only she had paid more attention when the lights were on… but then how was she to expect what had happened or believe that it was possible to happen?

They thread their way long the wall. One phone lit the front, the other checking behind them.

"I thought I head something," it was Nene. Sylia was almost in a mood to disregard her out of hand.

"Keep listening hard. Look for reflections."

"Okay."

They followed the wall until it came to a corner. They turned and light bound back at them.

"Sylia, look!" Linna said her voice filling with hope and eagerness.

"Yes!"

It was not far in front of them and the four rushed as quickly as their tired and sore bodies could carry them to the source of the reflection. But they were disappointed when instead of being able to see out side through glass and freedom they were met by a barrier of a steel shutter.

"Shit!" Sylia swore and smacked her pole against the shutter doing nothing but making a loud noise.

Nene and Jenny sobbed.

"They must have total control of the place," Linna said, her voice empty of all the hope that had been in it just moments before, snatched away by the screen. On the other side of the security shutter was the potential for freedom but they had no way to get at it. None of their weapons were capable of damaging the shutter. "What do we do now?"

Sylia tossed her pole to the floor and it rattled away from her. "There's nothing we can do. The rogue virus may have infected the boomers somehow but how did that jump into the security system so they could activate the security screens? How can rogue boomers take it over? They don't have the mental capacity unless it was her… and it isn't…"

"Her who?"

"It doesn't matter. We can't get out; it means the front doors will be sealed as well."

"Someone will have to notice…"

"It doesn't matter, Linna. Its Christmas, everything is shut now and may not even open tomorrow."

"What about the missing people?"

"There are dozens or hundreds of stores that were open tonight in this area alone that will also be closed. It's a random hope only that ours will be inspected earlier."

"We can't give up," Linna pleaded with her last strength. "We just can't."

Sylia snorted. "You may as well drop your pole. It won't do you any good. You're not strong enough anymore,"

"Sylia what are you saying?" Linna said shocked and hurt.

"Just look behind you," all the fight had gone out of Sylia's voice. Her face was resigned.

Linna pressed her lips tight together and slowly turned around. She knew what was there before she looked, as soon as Sylia had said to turn. It could only mean one thing.

Glowing eyes.

Dozens of pairs of glowing eyes.

Tears streamed down their faces. Nene and Jenny sagged to the floor holding each other. Unconsciously Linna stepped in front of them. Sylia just leant against the shutter.

The rows of eyes were ten meters away covering wall to wall.

The air hummed.

Lights, starting from the distant, flickered and leapt on, a bank at a time chasing the darkness away with brilliance.

Behind Sylia the shutter shuddered and started to move. Startled she stepped away and turned around. She stared as the shutter rose above her ankles, her knees, waist, her eyes following it upward beyond her height and she looked up until it vanished into the ceiling.

Her eyes fell back down and she could see outside.

Her mouth fell open.

Blue and red light washed across her from the many police cars and ambulances that filled the street. Below her as the last bank of lights turned on above them arms pointed at her and she saw mouths open in shout. They had been seen. The barrels of weapons too pointed up.

"Sylia…" urgency in Linna's voice.

Sylia refocused away from what was happening below to the window and the reflection within it. Behind her the rows of uniformed female boomers, faces and figures twisted and distorted by the rogue virus that had taken over their bodies beginning to surge towards their small tired band.

She turned around, the energy of someone not wanting to die, to survive this nightmare, infusing her limbs like electricity. She picked up her pole and joined Linna protecting the others.

"Do they think we're not boomers?" Linna asked of the police behind them.

"When they see us fight they'll know."

"How long have they been there? How did they find out?"

"I don't know and it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we can hold these bitches off long enough for the cavalry to arrive." She tightened her grip on the pole.

"I wish Priss were here."

"Me too, me too."