Chapter Six
Niyah stood in front of Ace Electronics and just stared at the display case that was bathed in fluorescent light. It promoted everything from racecars to satellite dishes. But Niyah was only interested in one thing.
Looking to her left and then to her right, Niyah made sure no one was around. She looked down at her fuzzy cohort who gave her a lopsided grin. Looking back into the display case she pulled back her right fist and slammed it into the glass casing and pulled out the disposable cell phone. She ripped it from its package and looked at Code E. and he gave her a slight yip of annoyance.
"What?" Niyah rolled her eyes. "Great, I got a dog for a conscience," Niyah muttered. She looked at the phone and turned it on. As soon as it was on it began to ring. Niyah already had an idea who it was. She pushed the call button and lifted the cell to her ear.
"There is a phone on Wellington and Fifth. It's two blocks down and three to the right." The voice was clipped and harsh and as soon as he gave her the directions he hung up. Niyah stood silently warring with her self. The impulse was driving her to get to the exit point, but something else was refusing to follow. Niyah finally seemed to snap back to her senses when she saw a homeless man walk by her and eye her with apprehension as he saw the shattered glass.
"Beat it, old man," Niyah growled. The old man wrapped his coat tighter around him and shivered.
"I didn't see nothing," he said as he quickened his pace. Niyah looked at Code E. and felt the truth dawn on her. She was losing the war against the virus and fast. She seemed to lower her head in defeat and began walking toward the exit line her crewmate gave her. "God forgive me."
When Niyah had reached the ringing phone in the abandoned chapel, Niyah was not sure what to expect when she was brought out. But as soon as she put the receiver to her ear and felt herself sink into an inky blackness, she was not all surprised when she saw her Captain, Titan, and rest of the crew armed with short blades. Orin had the utmost look of disgust in his eyes. She remembered how Orin used to think that she was such a sweet thing, but that was a faded memory now, even if it was just moments ago, before they all saw her betrayal. She also saw Mace, their operator, with the electromagnetic laser gun pointed straight at her. She got up slowly and kept a stoic expression on her face.
"What is this?" Niyah asked calmly.
"The hell, what this is! You know damn well what this is," Orin's voice was cold and filled with venomous hate. "What the hell are you?"
"Titan, it's me, Niyah." Niyah looked to her captain, trying to appeal to him with her eyes. He always had a soft spot for her. Niyah tried to rise slowly. They all backed up, but still had their weapons ready. She managed to get off the loading chair and stood with her hands raised, palms facing them.
"No you're not. What were you doing with that.THING?" As Orin spat at her, Titan remained expressionless. So far Titan had tried to remain calm and thought he was succeeding, but she looked so damn innocent. He hoped to God he was wrong about her.
"Titan," Niyah tried to calm her captain down.
"We should have pulled the plug on you," Orin sneered.
"That's enough," Titan said with stone cold authority. "Explain yourself."
Niyah looked down as if she was about to confess her sins, but then struck with horrible speed as she smashed the nose of the closest crewmember with the heel of her palm, killing him instantly. Grabbing the short blade of her fallen crewman she sent it sailing into Orin's head. He didn't have a chance to even react. Titan and Mace were the last. Titan stood his ground. Mace looked horrified.
"Mace, if she comes after you, you use the gun." Titan waited for a confirmation. "Mace!"
"Yes, Captain," Mace managed to say in a shaky voice.
"Niyah, I know you don't want to do this." Titan looked for some kind of opening.
"You're right. I don't but, I can't stop it." Niyah made the fake to her left and Titan reacted she rolled and yanked the blade from Orin's head and sent it singing its murderous song as it hit true in Titan's heart. Sinking to his knees Titan looked at Niyah with his brown eyes. As Niyah saw the life die out in them she felt something in her heart like it was being torn apart. She turned to Mace, desperately trying to hide the pain in her heart.
"Niyah, please." Mace backed away from her. He had tears running down his face. "How could you? Titan loved you with all his heart."
"I'm sorry, Mace. I can't fight it." Niyah's eyes caught the reaction instantly and dodged the blue streak of lighting as Mace pulled the trigger. Before he could react, Niyah was behind him and with the one strong snap of his neck, ended his life.
Niyah looked at the deaths she had just caused and fell to her knees with the pain. Tears now flowed freely as she tried to keep her heart from completely breaking and killing her.
"Oh God," Niyah sobbed. "Titan," she wailed. She went over to his fallen body and removed the blade. Niyah wanted nothing more than to plunge the blade deep into her own heart, but the damn virus coding did not allow that. She was going to be its host and it knew damn well how to ensure its survival. Picking herself up she got back into the loading chair. Niyah knew that they were using one of their favored locations because it was in a alcove that the sentinels usually missed, she had no real concern about being found out by them, in fact she was hoping that they did find the Leviathan and blow it to hell. It didn't matter that she had no operator to bring her back. She knew that this time, she was not coming back one way or the other, Fate will see to that; her sins will be accounted for.
Niyah stood in front of Ace Electronics and just stared at the display case that was bathed in fluorescent light. It promoted everything from racecars to satellite dishes. But Niyah was only interested in one thing.
Looking to her left and then to her right, Niyah made sure no one was around. She looked down at her fuzzy cohort who gave her a lopsided grin. Looking back into the display case she pulled back her right fist and slammed it into the glass casing and pulled out the disposable cell phone. She ripped it from its package and looked at Code E. and he gave her a slight yip of annoyance.
"What?" Niyah rolled her eyes. "Great, I got a dog for a conscience," Niyah muttered. She looked at the phone and turned it on. As soon as it was on it began to ring. Niyah already had an idea who it was. She pushed the call button and lifted the cell to her ear.
"There is a phone on Wellington and Fifth. It's two blocks down and three to the right." The voice was clipped and harsh and as soon as he gave her the directions he hung up. Niyah stood silently warring with her self. The impulse was driving her to get to the exit point, but something else was refusing to follow. Niyah finally seemed to snap back to her senses when she saw a homeless man walk by her and eye her with apprehension as he saw the shattered glass.
"Beat it, old man," Niyah growled. The old man wrapped his coat tighter around him and shivered.
"I didn't see nothing," he said as he quickened his pace. Niyah looked at Code E. and felt the truth dawn on her. She was losing the war against the virus and fast. She seemed to lower her head in defeat and began walking toward the exit line her crewmate gave her. "God forgive me."
When Niyah had reached the ringing phone in the abandoned chapel, Niyah was not sure what to expect when she was brought out. But as soon as she put the receiver to her ear and felt herself sink into an inky blackness, she was not all surprised when she saw her Captain, Titan, and rest of the crew armed with short blades. Orin had the utmost look of disgust in his eyes. She remembered how Orin used to think that she was such a sweet thing, but that was a faded memory now, even if it was just moments ago, before they all saw her betrayal. She also saw Mace, their operator, with the electromagnetic laser gun pointed straight at her. She got up slowly and kept a stoic expression on her face.
"What is this?" Niyah asked calmly.
"The hell, what this is! You know damn well what this is," Orin's voice was cold and filled with venomous hate. "What the hell are you?"
"Titan, it's me, Niyah." Niyah looked to her captain, trying to appeal to him with her eyes. He always had a soft spot for her. Niyah tried to rise slowly. They all backed up, but still had their weapons ready. She managed to get off the loading chair and stood with her hands raised, palms facing them.
"No you're not. What were you doing with that.THING?" As Orin spat at her, Titan remained expressionless. So far Titan had tried to remain calm and thought he was succeeding, but she looked so damn innocent. He hoped to God he was wrong about her.
"Titan," Niyah tried to calm her captain down.
"We should have pulled the plug on you," Orin sneered.
"That's enough," Titan said with stone cold authority. "Explain yourself."
Niyah looked down as if she was about to confess her sins, but then struck with horrible speed as she smashed the nose of the closest crewmember with the heel of her palm, killing him instantly. Grabbing the short blade of her fallen crewman she sent it sailing into Orin's head. He didn't have a chance to even react. Titan and Mace were the last. Titan stood his ground. Mace looked horrified.
"Mace, if she comes after you, you use the gun." Titan waited for a confirmation. "Mace!"
"Yes, Captain," Mace managed to say in a shaky voice.
"Niyah, I know you don't want to do this." Titan looked for some kind of opening.
"You're right. I don't but, I can't stop it." Niyah made the fake to her left and Titan reacted she rolled and yanked the blade from Orin's head and sent it singing its murderous song as it hit true in Titan's heart. Sinking to his knees Titan looked at Niyah with his brown eyes. As Niyah saw the life die out in them she felt something in her heart like it was being torn apart. She turned to Mace, desperately trying to hide the pain in her heart.
"Niyah, please." Mace backed away from her. He had tears running down his face. "How could you? Titan loved you with all his heart."
"I'm sorry, Mace. I can't fight it." Niyah's eyes caught the reaction instantly and dodged the blue streak of lighting as Mace pulled the trigger. Before he could react, Niyah was behind him and with the one strong snap of his neck, ended his life.
Niyah looked at the deaths she had just caused and fell to her knees with the pain. Tears now flowed freely as she tried to keep her heart from completely breaking and killing her.
"Oh God," Niyah sobbed. "Titan," she wailed. She went over to his fallen body and removed the blade. Niyah wanted nothing more than to plunge the blade deep into her own heart, but the damn virus coding did not allow that. She was going to be its host and it knew damn well how to ensure its survival. Picking herself up she got back into the loading chair. Niyah knew that they were using one of their favored locations because it was in a alcove that the sentinels usually missed, she had no real concern about being found out by them, in fact she was hoping that they did find the Leviathan and blow it to hell. It didn't matter that she had no operator to bring her back. She knew that this time, she was not coming back one way or the other, Fate will see to that; her sins will be accounted for.