Thank you to Era, for the enthusiastic review, I'm glad you're enjoying it, and just, thank you for the compliment.
10.45PM Thursday 11th November 2038
With everything washed and dried Paul sat in front of the couch. There was nothing else to do. If he really wanted to do he could set about tidying the house, but since they were hiding here it didn't seem like a good idea.
Sensing his restlessness Megan started moving around, looking for something. "Have you seen a remote Oscar?"
"Uh, yes, here it is," Oscar found it on the mess that was the coffee table and switched the tv on, quickly lowering the volume. He switched to the 24 hour news channel, which didn't seem to be covering much yet, and settled down.
The two humans got comfortable. Megan had the couch and Oscar ended up leaning against the wall, eyes half lidded as he started to fall asleep. He kept the handgun in his lap, just in case.
Megan was still awake, but was yawning. It was about quarter to 11 now, when he would expect her to least be in bed.
"Sleep if you want," Paul smiled, "I'll watch the news."
"Who will defend you if the beast wakes up?" Megan smirked and Paul irritably swatted her leg, making her laugh quietly.
"That dog seems like it could sleep through an earthquake!" he hissed.
"You're probably not wrong," Megan agreed, yawning again. She arranged herself so that was lying on the couch, feet on the arm.
"Any problems with the sling?"
"No," Megan found a comfortable position. "I just won't be able to sleep on my left side."
"I'm sure you'll survive," Paul smiled, hiding his worry. He was still concerned about blood loss and the head injury, but there was nothing he could do but wait.
Megan leaned her head back and began to drift off, and Paul turned his attention to Oscar.
"Are you comfortable like that?" he asked, and Oscar shrugged.
"It's not bad. You okay?"
Paul paused, before admitting, "I've been better."
"I think that applies to all of us," Oscar chuckled. "Are you sure you don't want that patching up?" he nodded to Paul's right shoulder.
"I won't waste first aid supplies," Paul insisted. "Although I might see if we're lucky and whoever lives here has a sewing kit as well." His shirt now had a hole in it from the bullet.
"I would not bet money on it," Oscar responded, causing Megan to add to the conversation.
"Oh yeah, what were you guys betting on last night?"
"How things will pan out between you two," Oscar let on, and Paul froze.
"How do you mean?"
"I don't know. I wasn't betting."
Megan let out a frustrated groan and it was Paul's turn to laugh.
"Do you really want to know?" he asked.
"Yes. And no. Let's just leave it there."
There was a sudden jungle from the tv which they were all familiar with by this point. It heralded breaking news. They went to a grim faced anchor in the studio, looking directly at the camera.
"We're coming to you live from Detroit where thousands of androids are marching through the city at this very moment. The leader of the deviants, the one they call Markus, is at the head of the march."
"Markus is alive!" Paul suddenly cried, before freezing as the dog snorted again.
"Oh thank fuck," Megan relaxed as the feed went to a distant shot of the walking protest.
Everyone tensed as the army held guns at them, and the march stopped in place. At the head, Markus began to speak.
"We are here to demand the immediate liberation of all androids detained in camps across the country. We are not leaving until our people are free."
They continued to walk, and Paul watched wide eyed as androids were starting to be shot. Megan let out a soft noise in the back of her throat and closed her eyes, the events less than a few hours ago still fresh in her mind. Oscar's face just tightened.
"Bastards," he cursed.
"It'll be a massacre," Paul muttered, not really wanting to hear those words himself.
In unison all the androids in the protest stopped moving, and sat down in a cross legged position. Once everyone was down, Markus challenged the army.
"Are you going to open fire on unarmed protestors?"
"Smart man," Oscar muttered.
"You'd think he'd been watching Alex," Megan added, and Paul shrugged.
"Maybe he has."
After a minute, the army held their fire and backed off, and everyone in the abandoned living room breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank God," Paul breathed, releasing the tension he hadn't realised was there.
The news feed cut to a reporter in a helicopter over the scene.
"Yes, Michael, we are less than a hundred metres away, and events are unfolding as we speak. We will continue to bring you live updates, Joss Douglas, Channel 16. Michael? Back to you."
The rest of the report faded into the background as Paul focused on the corner image live feed. The androids seemed to splitting up find material to make a barricade. At the bottom of the screen a banner rolled across reading 'Androids gathering outside Detroit Recall Center n5'
Paul clipped the radio from his belt and spoke into it.
"This is Beep Boop. Anyone there? Over."
"This is Captain Hardass reading you loud and clear Beep Boop. Over," Julia responded instantly.
"Ringo here. Over," Nathan called in as well.
"Everyone okay? Over," Paul asked.
"We're at my house," Julia intoned. "How's Me-Nervousness Incarnate? Over."
"Awake and alert. We're hunkered down in a house whose occupant seems to be missing. Ringo how about you? Over."
"We're okay," Allison came on instead. "Never mind that, did you see the news just now?! Over."
"Yes, we saw it," Paul confirmed, followed by Julia saying that her group had seen it too.
"We should go-" Allison started, but Julia quickly interjected.
"Are you crazy?! With that much military, the world watching-!"
"They're setting up a press barrier, we could protest there!" Allison shot back. "After Markus's comment about protestors they wouldn't dare shoot. Over."
"It's their moment, not ours," Ivy came on suddenly. "Who are we to highjack that? Over."
"We wouldn't be highjacking it!" Allison exclaimed. "We would be showing support."
"What, ten of us? Without signs?" Ivy responded.
"You don't need signs to protest. Over."
"What about Megan?" Julia was back, and had forgotten about codenames. "She is in no state to be sitting in the cold protesting!"
"She doesn't have to come-" there was crackle as the radio was suddenly wrested from Allison, and Lucas's voice suddenly came through.
"Beep Boop. What are your thoughts? Over."
Paul sat there staring at the black rectangle. What were his thoughts...?
Both sides had a good point. The androids need all the help they could get, although yes, this was their time. Was extra support really highjacking though?
For a moment he almost thought that the Thirium in his body had turned to ice as he considered something else. The only reason the army hadn't fired was because of the press. As Julia said, the world was watching. How long would it take for them to stop caring about that?
Paul turned his head to look at his own injury. The synthetic skin had covered it now, but blue blood still stained his shirt. He was obviously an android now. Going there, while noble, was fool hardy. He was asking to be shot.
"Go if you want," he decided over the radio. "I won't. Over."
"Are you sure?" Allison asked. "They are your people after all. Over."
"I've never met any of them," Paul responded. "The only way that they are my people is that they are synthetic rather than organic. I don't know them and going there is asking for me to be shot and scrapped. I'm staying here. Over."
"Alright," Allison sounded a little humbled by that speech. "I'll head over. Anyone else who wants to come, meet me behind the press barrier. Over and out."
There was silence for a minute before the distinctive sound of Ivy swearing. "I'll go, meet you there. Over."
"Rodger that Poison Oak," Nathan responded. "Bring a radio. Biker Chick left this one. I think Captain Hardass took the spares. Over."
"I did," Julia responded. "Good luck. Over and out."
Paul looked over at Oscar, still propped against the wall. "Are you going to go?"
"No," Oscar shook his head. "If whoever lives here comes back you'll need someone intimidating," a grin tugged at his lips. "You two are as intimidating as a pair of marshmallows."
"Thanks," Paul sighed as Megan laughed. "He was insulting you too you know," he informed Megan, who continued to giggle.
"I know I'm unthreatening. You might be threatening, if you're angry enough."
"I see..." Paul really had no way to respond to that and returned his attention to the news, which was showing a live feed of the androids building their barricade. They were moving with great speed and efficiency, easily erecting their barricade.
"How long do you think they can hold out?" Megan asked, and Paul felt something cold in his gut as he responded.
"Until the army loses patience and charges."
"That's a grim thought," Oscar interjected. "Surely knowing public opinion and seeing press would hold them back?"
"Who knows," Megan seemed to be sharing Paul's bleak opinion.
They watched anxiously, the two humans ignoring sleep for now. They watched as Markus went to go meet with the government official. They fully expected the army to open fire then, and they were surprised when they didn't. Markus returned to the barricade, and all hell broke loose.
Paul shot to his feet, cry of dismay clogging in his throat as the military threw grenades and attempted to storm the barricade. Innocent androids were being shot, and Markus was lost in the chaos. Megan got off the couch and stood next to Paul, right hand holding his left as he stared at the television screen.
Oscar also stood, but more or less stayed where he was as they watched the massacre.
Within a few minutes what remained of the protest was hemmed against a disused bus. Markus and a handful of androids remained with guns pointing at them from all sides.
Paul turned his head away, unable to watch.
"Hold on, just a little while longer..."
The sound was faint, but grew louder as the other androids joined in.
"Hold on, just a little while longer. Everything will be alright."
Paul risked a look as the soldiers lowered their weapons, and stared.
The news anchor interrupted and began to speak.
"We're interrupting this news bulletin to bring you the latest news live from Detroit. Joss?"
Joss turned out to be the man in the helicopter, and proceeded to tell everyone what they'd already seen.
"Yes, Michael. The army has just launched an attack on the barricade, despite the fact that the deviants were protesting peacefully."
The camera turned it's attention back to the protest, and the song continued.
"Fight on, just a little while longer. Everything will be alright. Everything will be alright. Sing on, just a little while longer, sing on, just a little longer. Sing on, just a little while longer. Everything will be alright."
Paul barely realised that he was moving, but suddenly he was hugging Megan, and what could only described be as tears were rolling down his face and soaking into her shirt and bandage.
He was happy, at least, that was one thing he was definitely feeling among other. Relief made itself known as Megan responded with a one armed hug. They were safe for now. The protest had gone well, and he hoped beyond hope that gunfire wouldn't sound. Not now. Please not now. Please don't this away from him.
Shots did not ring out, but he still couldn't bring himself to look at the screen. He wanted to live this moment. This glorious moment where the world saw androids as alive and he was with someone he deeply cared about.
The babble of journalists was being registered and recorded in his memory banks, but for now he didn't care to pay attention. He doubted it was over, but it was a massive victory.
Megan ran her free hand up and down his back, and she had an odd thought. At this point in a story, this would be when the two main protagonists would kiss. Especially if they were of opposite genders.
...Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.
This could be considered 'the end' I suppose. I have more chapters, I have probably ten more chapters, but this could an end if you so desired. Everything after this is the cherry on top.
I don't think Paul would leave to go to the protest, it's way too risky for him, so that won't be an option in the Flowchart.
The last line was also meant to be a big 'up yours' to the romance genre. I have deliberately given Megan and Paul good chemistry and made it clear that romance was never going to happen, despite the interactions. I can already tell some people are going to be pissed, and I don't care!
A quick update in terms of posting, I am leaving on another trip tomorrow, which will be a bigger deal than last time because the time zones will be radically different. I will still try and post, but I will mostly using hotel WiFi and be roughly 12 hours ahead of what I currently am (GMT), so when I do post, it might seem to be at odd times.
Other Options Flowchart
(Paul) Ask Oscar if he'll sleep too.
(Paul) Be optimistic about the barricade.