My body swam in and out of consciousness for what seemed like hours. Not having the strength or will to stand or make an effort to stem the flow of blood from my shoulder, I allowed my mind to wander helplessly. I didn't think to wonder if Trunks had followed me. If he had I certainly wouldn't have lived much longer--he would have taken the opportunity to kill me in my weakened state. Given the same chance, had I been in his shoes, I would have put such a dispicable creature like myself out of its misery. I was nothing more than a battered machine.
Nothing more than a monster.
I had forgotten the girl. She meant little to me now. She was safe, Trunks had made sure of that. I was no better off, I still had the grief of lonliness to myself and myself alone. There was no one for me to share it with.
I felt dizzy, nauseated and cold at the same time. I had bruises on my legs from where Trunks had landed blows, and my sweater was torn across the sleeve. My belt had been lost in the fight. My faded jeans were caked with ash and mud. My hair was once again soot-ridden, and there was a cut under my left eye. The blood flowing from the gash in my shoulder had subsided slightly, and I cradled the wounded arm in my lap. I couldn't keep doing this to my body, despite the fact that I was made of such durable material.
"You disgust me."
I looked up, and to my disbelief and horror, I found myself staring into the face of my creator, the late Doctor Gero. He looked as alive as ever, as bitter and demanding as he had been before 17 had destroyed him. His cold, grey eyes seemed to look straight through me. "I created you. I made you who you are. This is how you repay me for giving you eternal life and beauty? I find you as you are now: torn and disfuntional, ashamed and beaten."
"You're dead." I said defiantly, shaking my head, ignoring the insults. "17 killed you. I watched you die. You're not real." The absolute tone in my voice seemed to comfort me into believing that my words were real.
Gero let out a harsh laugh which resembled that of a bark. "You were never fit for immortality like your brother was. You were too stubborn. Look where you've gotten yourself." He sneered down at me--I had given up all hopes of standing. I merely looked up at him from where I lay on the ground, propped up against the boulder.
I scowled out of pure fear and confusion. "You only talk this way because you know I can't harm you in this condition." I hissed, seeing the truth for what it was. "You're afraid of me."
He narrowed his eyes as he gazed down at me. Without acknowledging my threat, he continued asking his questions. "This boy... Why have you allowed him to do such damage to you? Your main hard drive will shut down immediatly if you put anymore unnecessary burden on it. You'll become a lifeless doll, as you once were before I gave you life. Is this what you want? For I, your father, Dr. Gero, to put his daughter into a coffin once more, like a doll?"
I was mortified. Memories of being trapped in the start-up coffin long ago came flooding back into my mind--the darkness pressing in on me from all sides, the lack of air and light. I squeezed my eyes shut. Fear seeped into my body and kept me from looking back up as the Doctor continued to interrogate me.
"Your brother was much more fit to become like me." he said, glowering in disapproval. "You were beautiful. No one could touch you. But eventually your programming ran into a malfuction and you became as you are now. You disobeyed me. Now you find yourself in disrepair. You've lost your pride as an android."
I moaned, closing my eyes and turning my head away. If only I could wake up from this nightmare... None of it was true, all of it was a trick. I was perfectly functional, if only I could regenerate my strength. Rest was all I needed for my skin to repair, for my shoulder to heal. There were no bugs in my hard drive, there were no malfuntions in my programming...
"You tried to make us look and act as humanly possible so we could blend in with our victims. You gave us _emotions_, you made us as real as technology would allow. I'm dealing with the emotions you placed within me. Emotions that are now stronger than those of a human. I'm not just dealing with these emotions--they're becomming a part of me."
Dr. Gero eyed me for a moment, running his fingers through his bushy white beard. "The only human parts you have are your flesh and blood. All the rest of you is machinery."
"Liar!" I retorted loudly. I had used the remaining strength left in my battered body arguing--and thusly, having been fully drained, laid back against the boulder in a faint. My eyelids slid shut, the hallucination of Dr Gero disappearing as I fell unconscious, finally giving in to sleep. He was gone.
Nothing more than a monster.
I had forgotten the girl. She meant little to me now. She was safe, Trunks had made sure of that. I was no better off, I still had the grief of lonliness to myself and myself alone. There was no one for me to share it with.
I felt dizzy, nauseated and cold at the same time. I had bruises on my legs from where Trunks had landed blows, and my sweater was torn across the sleeve. My belt had been lost in the fight. My faded jeans were caked with ash and mud. My hair was once again soot-ridden, and there was a cut under my left eye. The blood flowing from the gash in my shoulder had subsided slightly, and I cradled the wounded arm in my lap. I couldn't keep doing this to my body, despite the fact that I was made of such durable material.
"You disgust me."
I looked up, and to my disbelief and horror, I found myself staring into the face of my creator, the late Doctor Gero. He looked as alive as ever, as bitter and demanding as he had been before 17 had destroyed him. His cold, grey eyes seemed to look straight through me. "I created you. I made you who you are. This is how you repay me for giving you eternal life and beauty? I find you as you are now: torn and disfuntional, ashamed and beaten."
"You're dead." I said defiantly, shaking my head, ignoring the insults. "17 killed you. I watched you die. You're not real." The absolute tone in my voice seemed to comfort me into believing that my words were real.
Gero let out a harsh laugh which resembled that of a bark. "You were never fit for immortality like your brother was. You were too stubborn. Look where you've gotten yourself." He sneered down at me--I had given up all hopes of standing. I merely looked up at him from where I lay on the ground, propped up against the boulder.
I scowled out of pure fear and confusion. "You only talk this way because you know I can't harm you in this condition." I hissed, seeing the truth for what it was. "You're afraid of me."
He narrowed his eyes as he gazed down at me. Without acknowledging my threat, he continued asking his questions. "This boy... Why have you allowed him to do such damage to you? Your main hard drive will shut down immediatly if you put anymore unnecessary burden on it. You'll become a lifeless doll, as you once were before I gave you life. Is this what you want? For I, your father, Dr. Gero, to put his daughter into a coffin once more, like a doll?"
I was mortified. Memories of being trapped in the start-up coffin long ago came flooding back into my mind--the darkness pressing in on me from all sides, the lack of air and light. I squeezed my eyes shut. Fear seeped into my body and kept me from looking back up as the Doctor continued to interrogate me.
"Your brother was much more fit to become like me." he said, glowering in disapproval. "You were beautiful. No one could touch you. But eventually your programming ran into a malfuction and you became as you are now. You disobeyed me. Now you find yourself in disrepair. You've lost your pride as an android."
I moaned, closing my eyes and turning my head away. If only I could wake up from this nightmare... None of it was true, all of it was a trick. I was perfectly functional, if only I could regenerate my strength. Rest was all I needed for my skin to repair, for my shoulder to heal. There were no bugs in my hard drive, there were no malfuntions in my programming...
"You tried to make us look and act as humanly possible so we could blend in with our victims. You gave us _emotions_, you made us as real as technology would allow. I'm dealing with the emotions you placed within me. Emotions that are now stronger than those of a human. I'm not just dealing with these emotions--they're becomming a part of me."
Dr. Gero eyed me for a moment, running his fingers through his bushy white beard. "The only human parts you have are your flesh and blood. All the rest of you is machinery."
"Liar!" I retorted loudly. I had used the remaining strength left in my battered body arguing--and thusly, having been fully drained, laid back against the boulder in a faint. My eyelids slid shut, the hallucination of Dr Gero disappearing as I fell unconscious, finally giving in to sleep. He was gone.