After The End – Chapter
Lucas slowly walks down the building's hall and arrives at Cybersix's door – Adrian's door, he reminds himself. He raises his hand to knock and hesitates. I'm afraid of what I might find he realizes. Then he knocks.
For a very long moment there is only silence and Lucas can feel his heart sinking. But then the doorknob turns, slowly; the door opens wide to reveal the apartment, but no one is inside.
Puzzled, Lucas walks in and looks around. He hears a soft noise behind him and turns in time to see Cybersix quickly closing the door.
"You're alive!" The exclamation comes out as a whisper.
Still leaning against the door, she gives him one of her characteristic half-smiles. "Lucas."
"You're alright! What happened? How could you possibly have survived that explosion?"
Cybersix moves away from the door. "I was lucky. I thought quickly and… my suit protected me." She walks quickly over to her bed. "But Data 7 wasn't so lucky".
The panther is lying on the bed, an expression of pain on his face. Gently, Cybersix pulls back the wet blanket over him to reveal the burns that cover his back.
Lucas winces and comes over for a closer look. "I think those are second degree burns. They're serious, but if we take care of them, I think he'll be okay."
Cybersix nods slightly. "Help me, then, please."
Together they silently tend to Data 7's wounds and when they finish he has fallen asleep. "Let him rest now". Cybersix says. She motions towards the inner room and Lucas quickly follows. She turns as she reaches the other side of the room and, unable to contain himself any longer, he walks over and embraces her.
"I'm so relieved!" He says. "Cybersix, I love you. I should have told you that before, but now we don't-"
"It doesn't matter, Lucas."
Taken aback, Lucas looks her in the face. "It doesn't matter that I love you?"
"No! That's not what I meant." Cybersix pushes him away from her, looks at the floor, then back at him. "I'm going to die anyway."
"What?!"
"The sustenance, Lucas. Most of it is gone, and with VonReichter dead…"
Lucas abruptly turns away from her and sighs in exasperation. On the floor he can see the remains of her hat and cape, both burnt and torn almost beyond recognition. "You knew this could happen when you went after him."
"Yes. I did". She answers simply.
A moment passes. Lucas turns back to her. "Is there none left anywhere?"
"Well, there might be some at Jose's mansion, but it would only last-"
"Then let's go get it." He interrupts her. "Maybe there's a way… I am a scientist… maybe if I got a sample of that stuff I could figure it out."
Cybersix looks up into his eyes. "You really think so?"
"Well… I don't know, but I damn will try."
She is still for another moment. "Okay. Just let me check on Data 7."
Later that night, in the basement of Jose's mansion, Cybersix forces open a heavily locked door. "This way, I think." The house is as silent as a tomb.
Together they enter a large stone chamber, the harsh lights making the walls painfully bright. In the center of the room is a pit of sustenance, dug out of the bare stone. It is only about a third of the way full.
"Just as I thought." Cybersix says.
Without answering, Lucas starts towards the pit. Only to be stopped cold as Cybersix grabs him by the arm. He turns to her, a hurt look on his face.
"Sorry," she says, realizing she'd grabbed him harder than she'd intended. "But you shouldn't touch that stuff! It's poisonous to humans."
"It is?" Lucas' brow furrows. How could she be so different from him that what was poisonous to him was life-saving to her?
"Give me the vials." Lucas hands her the vials they took from Jose's lab and she goes to the pit to fill them. He takes the chance of going a few steps closer.
"You know, there is a lot of it here." He says. "When those vials are empty, we can come back for more."
"I'm not so sure about that."
"Why?"
"Cybersix!" Both of them turn toward the doorway where the voice came from.
"Jose!" There is a moment of stunned silence as all three people get over their combined shock. "You're alive?" Cybersix says incredulously.
"What did you… How did you… " Jose yanks at his hair in exasperation. "AAHH!!" With that simple exclamation, he takes off back through the door.
Cybersix gets a sneaky suspicion. "Lucas, get out" she says, pointing at a tunnel that exits the other side of the room. "I've got to go find out what he's up to."
"But I can help-."
She shakes her head. "It's too dangerous for you with that pit in here. Now go!"
Lucas sighs and shakes his head, then obediently heads for the tunnel.
"I'll meet you at the top." Cybersix yells over her shoulder as she runs to the door Jose disappeared from.
No sooner does she enter the corridor that Jose comes around the far corner, followed by three Fixed Ideas. "Get her!"
Cybersix keeps right on running, taking the fight to them. She jumps over Jose's head and with all her gathered momentum delivers a kick to the nearest Fixed Idea that's enough to send him sprawling. One of the others grabs her ankle and she lets him pull her in, then jabs him square in the nose when she gets within reach. He lets her go, putting both hands to his nose in pain. She hits the floor and ducks just in time to miss a flying left hook by the third goon. She sees an opening and plants her fist solidly in his stomach. Then she casually steps out of the way as he falls on his face.
Cybersix pauses and looks around. All three Fixed Ideas are down and no others seem to be coming. Jose is having one of his temper tantrums, alternately screaming threats at both her and the Fixed Ideas. She decides to make a break for it; right now getting that sustenance and returning to Lucas is more important than dealing with Jose.
At the other end of the corridor, Sylvester retreats from the corner he's been peeking around. So Cybersix is still alive? He knows he shouldn't really wait any longer, and right now Jose is distracted. Without another moment's thought he runs up the basement steps, through the mansion, and out into the night.
Lucas stands outside the tunnel entrance, scuffing his feet in the mud while his mind races. He hears footsteps approaching and Cybersix appears from the shadows, carrying the four vials of sustenance.
"Oh, you got them." Lucas remarks, thinking afterward how inadequate a thing this is to say.
"Yes."
"Can I take one now, to do some tests on it?" He asks, holding out his hand.
"Okay. But Lucas, be careful with it. Remember what I told you."
He only nods in return.
Cybersix looks up at the thin crescent moon, then back at Lucas. "I should check on Data 7."
Lucas nods again. "I'll… call you if I discover anything."
She turns to leave, then hesitates. With all the excitement she has forgotten that Lucas now knows she is Adrian, and so he has her phone number. "Be careful." She says to him again, before leaping away.
In the dimly lit high school science lab, Lucas looks at his watch. Three a.m. He rubs his aching head and sighs, then stares once more at the enigmatic vial of sustenance in front of him. He's been here three hours and he still can't make heads or tails out of it. "I'm out of my league here," he says aloud. He knew this would happen – he isn't really a chemist, but he was just so desperate for something that could save Cybersix.
"But I have to do something." Lucas hesitates another minute before making up his mind. He quickly gathers up his things and leaves the lab.
Cybersix returns to her apartment to find Data 7 in worse shape than he was before. His breathing is shallow and his eyes are squeezed shut in pain.
"Brother, are you okay?" Data 7 makes no noise in response, only opens his eyes and looks at her. "I shouldn't have left you alone." Cybersix says, feeling guilty. She goes to the sink and returns to him with a bowl of water. "Here, drink."
With an effort Data 7 lifts his head, but he only takes a few shallow licks at the water before plopping it back down.
Cybersix's heart sinks as she realizes his condition is a lot more serious than she thought. "Hang on, 29. I won't leave you again."
In a forest ten miles out of town, Sylvester places his right hand on a panel hidden in the dirt. There is a soft shushing noise as a trap door opens beside him. He quickly gets in the hole and climbs down a ladder. At the bottom he throws the switch for the generator.
The lights come on to reveal a small room, abstract shapes covered with tarps scattered everywhere. Sylvester walks over to the far wall and brushes a thick layer of dust off the lock panel. He enters a combination and another door opens. On the other side lies a steel coffin-like capsule.
"Don't worry, Master." He says. "I remember all the instructions you gave me."