The snow had been falling all morning. It seemed like mother nature's attempt at hiding the rubble and smoking streets covered in the remains from explosions under a blanket of white snow. Jonathan shivered as a cold breeze picked up, pulling the scarf that Lui gave him closer around his neck. In his cold gloved hands was the Vanoss-III, the red light glowing on the snow. Jonathan as glad that Evan couldn't feel the cold like he could, every gust of wind that blew the large snowflakes around spending shivers down his spine.
Yet despite the cold, Jonathan had needed to get some air after listening to Tyler for most of the morning rant about New Town and his plans to take it down. So when he got the chance, he took the Vanoss-III with him and headed outside, sitting down on the river bank wall, watching the dark water flow to who knows where. Above him, the large bridge seemed to creak and groan whenever there was a gust of wind, icicles falling from the dark metal sides of the bridge to the river below.
"Why did you never just cross the bridge and get out of Old Town?" Jonathan wondered aloud, glancing down at the glowing Vanoss-III. "Why does no one do that?"
"Maybe because no one knows what is on the other side. Tyler would argue that if people crossed the bridge it would be like abandoning their cause. Giving up on Old Town." Evan paused. "I think it might be because people are scared of the unknown. What people don't know makes them nervous." Evan said after a moment. "That goes for anything in this world. From what is across the bridge to machines."
"Did you ever want to cross the bridge?" Jonathan asked wanting to change the subject. He looked across the river to the barren land on the other side, able to make out what must have once been buildings. Jonathan knew that somewhere out there were other cities, possibly like New Town but it seemed more likely that the majority of them would be like Old Town.
"I must have thought about it." Evan said, trying to remember.
"Would you want to cross it now? After everything that has happened? I know I would consider it. Why fight when we can just sneak away? We could get far away from here." Jonathan thought about all the possibilities, about what could be out there.
"No. There is still work that needs to be done here. I couldn't live with myself if we left and New Town was still ruining people's lives with machines." Evan sounded angry, the red glow seeming as angry as his voice. "I don't know if I could leave Tyler, Lui and Brock either." He said more softly.
"What about after that?"
"Maybe...But I wouldn't be able to really experience it. I'm floating in space, only able to see light. I can hear and talk...But that isn't really close what it's like to be human, is it?" Evan asked. He paused, making Jonathan wonder if he had to answer that but he had no idea what to say. "Maybe if you were with me, I would go. We're both trapped but somehow we set each other free." Evan mused. Jonathan could hear the smile in his voice.
"I think you are still human. Your original human parts have just been...replaced with something more mechanical." Jonathan said after a moment, struggling to think of the right words to say. "Does a human have to have a body to be human or does someone just need to have a consciousness to be human? If you ask me, I would say just a consciousness is needed to be human."
"Tyler and the others wouldn't say that. They would say that I'm a machine. That I'm not me." Evan's smiling tone had become sad. Jonathan shook his head, holding the Vanoss-III close as if hugging it.
"You are you. You aren't a machine." He reassured him.
"Of course you would say that." Evan said, the joking tone back in his voice though Jonathan wasn't sure if he was happy or not when he said that. "Would you do it? Would you cross the bridge and get out of here?" Evan asked after a few moments of silence.
"Well...I've seen New Town and I've seen Old Town. I want to see something new, something different than this and if that means crossing that bridge...then I think I would do it." Jonathan decided. "I'd bring you with me." Evan laughed, a soft musical like sound that startled Jonathan at first before he realized that it was laughter.
"Good. I'm glad that you would bring me! I need someone to carry me around." Evan giggled. Jonathan smiled, his arms wrapped tightly around the device as he shivered from the cold wind, the bridge above him creaking. He watched the sharp icicles fall to the river only to be caught up in the current and float down river."You agreed to help Tyler and the Replaced...Why?"
"Because I want to find out what happened to you, Evan." Jonathan glanced down at the glowing red owl. It was still glitching occasionally, his voice sometimes not sounding as clear as it normally was.
"Is that reason enough to destroy your home?" Evan asked after a moment. Before Jonathan could even try to answer that, the door to the apartments opened, Tyler, Brock, Lui and Luke stepping out into the snow.
"Come on, Jon! We're gonna go find the place that Evan was talking about!" Luke called out to him. Jonathan nodded, getting to his feet. He brushed the snow off his clothes, picking up the bag to put the Vanoss-III in. He was nervous to find the place where Evan had been taken, the worst possibilities running through his mind. It didn't help that Evan had made him wonder if finding out the truth was really worth it.
"I'm gonna have to turn you off for now, Evan. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Jonathan said quietly, trying to brush off Evan's question.
"Okay." Evan said as Jonathan turned the device off, the red light fading away. He tucked the device into his bag, hurrying to catch up with the others.
"Are you alright?" Luke asked when he caught up to him. Jonathan nodded, telling him he was just cold. Luke offered to give him his jacket but Jonathan refused. He didn't want to meet Luke's questioning glance, tucking his hands into his pockets, his gaze on the dark river. "So this place can't be far from the factory. Evan said there were four bridges and street lights. It can't be hard to find." Luke said hopefully. Tyler glanced back at him, his scoff muffled through his scarf.
"You'd be surprised. Almost every street in Old Town has bridges over them." Tyler said, pulling down his scarf so they could hear him.
"Why? Do the riots really get so big that they are all over the city?" Luke wondered. Tyler shrugged, letting out a sigh, his breath becoming a cloud a vapour before fading in the cold air.
"Sometimes. The bridges just make it easier to get around and if need be, get to safety. Some places just have more bridges because it can get violent in those areas." Tyler explained. "People there are always ready for a fight. Those places aren't the safest places to be."
"What about the big bridge?" Jonathan asked, glancing over his shoulder at the bridge he and Evan had just been talking about.
"What about it?" Brock asked. "People don't use it at all. Haven't for years."
"If you could though...would you go to the other side?" Jonathan asked. They laughed and shook their heads. Jonathan knew how they would answer that question but he couldn't help but wonder.
"No. Who the hell knows what is out there." Lui said, looking across the river. "I'd rather stay here." That was the end of it. Jonathan didn't want to talk about it anymore. He stayed close to Luke and Tyler as they walked through the streets of Old Town. They were surprisingly busy despite the smoking ruins which served as a constant reminder that the planes from New Town could return carrying more bombs.
As they got closer to the factory, they weren't entirely certain where to start looking. Most of the streets had several bridges which they searched but found nothing. Tyler didn't fail to mention several times that Evan went missing a year ago and that there would be nothing left which only made Jonathan feel angry for agreeing to help him. He still had to tell Luke about his choice to help the Replaced in order to find out what happened to Evan but he was nervous of how he would react to it.
Luke had less reason to want to turn on New Town than Jonathan did. He just tagged along because he wanted adventure, to satisfy his curiosity. He wasn't here because he cared about Evan like Jonathan did. He wanted to know the truth, but Jonathan wasn't so sure anymore what he wanted. The way that Evan had asked if joining the Replaced was reason enough for finding out the truth made him wonder if Evan wanted to find out what happened to him. If so, then all of this would be for nothing. If only he listened to Evan before they left New Town when he said that he didn't want to go back.
"Oh shit." Lui's panicked voice startled Jonathan, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up at Lui who was looking at something behind Jonathan with wide eyes. They were searching a small street, four bridges above them connecting the old buildings. The others turned, Jonathan glancing over his shoulder to see a dark government vehicle come to a stop at the end of the street. It's blue headlights glowed off the snow in the same way that the Vanoss-III's red lights had. The sleek black car seemed so out of place in Old Town, built entirely from things made in New Town. It had no place here.
Lui stepped forward suddenly, grabbing Jonathan and Luke's arms, pushing them into an open doorway to hide. Tyler and Brock were across the narrow street, ducking behind a few crates. They seemed scared, peeking over the crates with wide eyes. Jonathan noticed Tyler's hand moving to the baton that hung from his belt, preparing to fight. Lui did the same, his other arm outstretched to stop Luke and Jonathan from stepping out into the street.
"Why are we hiding? That's just a car from New Town." Luke whispered, peering around the wall.
"That's a car from New Town. They are probably looking for you two." Lui hissed, pulling Luke back. "Don't move. You'll get us arrested if you do." Jonathan's hand tightened on the strap of his bag that carried the Vanoss-III, not entirely sure if his chills were from the cold or from nervousness. The car started to move again, driving away from the street. No one dared move, watching the car drive slowly past the street. Without any warning, Tyler got to his feet and ran after the car, his scarf waving in the cold wind behind him as if motioning to the others to follow.
"Tyler!" Brock tried to grab Tyler as he got up, forced to scramble to his feet to run after him.
"What are you doing?" Lui cried, moving away from their hiding spot to run after them. Luke grabbed onto Jonathan's sleeve, having to pull him along as they followed Lui. "Tyler! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Lui cried when he caught up to Tyler.
"Let's follow it! See where it goes!" Tyler said as he ran after the car, ignoring the others as they yelled at him to stop.
"We're gonna get arrested or worse, killed! Tyler stop!" Brock yelled. "Stop!"
"We'll keep our distance just come on!" Tyler yelled, turning to look back at them over his shoulder.
"What if it just goes to the checkpoint? We'll get arrested if we go there!" Lui tried to reason with him, grabbing onto his arm to stop him.
"What if it doesn't? What if it goes somewhere else? You want to find out what happened to Evan, don't you?" Tyler spat, pushing Lui's hand off him. Lui and Brock stared at Tyler with a dark look, angry and offended that he would say that. "There is more to this than just a machine that talks like Evan! We aren't gonna find out by asking him everything when he can't remember it! Like Jonathan said! Like you said! We need to do something about it!"
"Don't use that as an excuse to go chasing after a New Town car!" Brock snapped. "We're gonna get arrested!"
"How else are we gonna find out? Isn't that what you want?" Tyler cried. No one could think of anything to say to that. All they could do was follow Tyler and the car, fighting back the nervousness that told them to stop and to go back home.
"It's Tyler's fault if we get killed." Lui hissed. The car turned down another street, having to drive slow because of how busy the streets were. Some watched the car go by nervously, others brave enough to yell or throw things like stones or bricks that had once been a part of someone's home at the New Town car. They followed close behind, blending into the crowd of people on the street. Jonathan was glad he no longer had the polished shoes though that didn't stop the jolt of fear that ran through him whenever an Old Towner watched him and Luke for too long, fearing that they would recognize them as New Towners.
To their surprise, the car didn't go to the checkpoint, instead continuing past it to a place that strangely had no damage from the bombs. There wasn't any damage at all. It seemed as though it was a part of New Town, the streets covered in unmarked snow, the buildings tall and unmarked by angry red spray paint, the windows left unbroken. There were only a few bridges connecting the buildings, though they seemed more for just walking across, not for fighting police machines.
They stuck to the sides of the road, trying to pretend that they weren't following the car. It stopped out front of one of the buildings which looked like a simple apartment building, though the glowing blue button beside the door which opened it suggested that it had more to do with New Town.
Tyler continued forward when the others stopped, Brock's hand grabbing his wrist to stop him. "Wait...Let's see who gets out of the car before we go charging in." Brock said quietly, his eyes on the car. They pretended to be occupied with talking to each other, glancing over their shoulders at the car as two men dressed in dark suits and polished shoes got out and headed towards the door.
"Easy." Tyler moved forward before they could stop him, sprinting the short distance between them and the door. He wrapped his arm in a chokehold around one of the men, grabbing the silver gun that was on the man's belt. He held the gun up to the man's head, threatening the other that he would shoot. "Open the door. Now." Tyler growled, the others catching up to him. The other man nodded, his hands shaking as he used a keycard to unlock to the door.
Once the door was open, Lui took the gun from the other man, one hard hit with the heavy weapon in his hand to knock him out. He let Jonathan, Brock and Luke go in first, following close with the gun held in his hands. Tyler knocked the other man out, leaving him and the other just inside the door, taking the keycard and the gun.
"Tyler what are we doing here?" Jonathan whispered, looking around the white coloured office building. It felt like he had gone back to New Town, everything bright, white and mechanical. It was such a stark contrast to what was just outside. "We didn't think this through…"
"We are seeing if there is anything about Evan and the Vanoss Project here." Tyler answered with as much certainty, walking slowly down the hallway. Lui, Tyler and Brock seemed very nervous by the whole atmosphere of the place. They were not used to the bright, clean colour of the floor and walls, the harsh lights and the doors that would slide open with the push of a button.
They started by glancing into some of the rooms, finding nothing but offices. Oddly, there was no one in the building, the silence heavy and eerie. They went down a set of clear coloured stairs which made Lui, Tyler and Brock nervous but Luke and Jonathan weren't phased, the architecture nothing new to them.
The hall at the bottom of the stairs was lined with solid white doors with small gaps in them to look inside at the white cell like rooms. It felt like a prison, a tense feeling coming over Jonathan as he glanced into some of the small rooms. The door at the end of the hall was the only one left open, the room it opened onto an exact replica of the room that Jonathan would sit in to test robots back in New Town. On the white table was a small computer, not hard at all for Jonathan to get on to. He sat down on the clear chair, needing only a few moments to get on the computer, opening some of the files to see what was on them. One folder had the same owl logo that was on the Vanoss-III, the same one that would light up every time that Evan spoke. He clicked on it, opening it see a list of other smaller files.
"These are video files." Jonathan said quietly, catching the other's attention. The files were named with similar titles, all of which making Jonathan nervous. "Project one. Project Two. Project Three…" He read, the list continuing down to twenty.
"Click the first one." Tyler said, pointing to the file named Project One. They crowded around Jonathan's chair as he clicked on the file, the video opening on the screen. A young man sat across from the same table they were sitting at now, looking at the camera that would have been where they were sitting with big, nervous eyes. His hands were cuffed together, the heavy metal keeping them down on the white table.
"State your name please." Said a voice from behind the camera. To Tyler, Lui and Brock, the voice must have sounded like a machine but to Luke and Jonathan, the voice sounded human. That was how people in New Town sounded, blank, calm and proper, as if programmed.
"My name is Anthony." The man in the video was trying to stay calm, his eyes casting around the room as if looking for a way out.
"You are from Old Town?"
"Yes. Where am I? What's going on?" Anthony cried, sounding panicked. "Let me out of here!"
"Please calm down. We aren't going to hurt you, Anthony. Please don't ask anymore questions." The voice said sternly. "You have been selected to be a part of the Vanoss Project based on your personality and will. How do you feel about New Town and being a part of their project?"
"They can go to hell." Anthony spat. "Every single one of them. Fuck your project."
"Not a friendly person then. How do you feel about consciousness?" The voice asked. Anthony stared at whoever was behind the camera asking the questions with confusion.
"W-What? What kind of question is that? Consciousness is what makes us function. We're aware of stuff. What does that have to do with anything?" Anthony cried, trying to get out of his handcuffs again.
"Answer the questions. Do not ask them." The voice said, remaining calm. "How would you feel if your consciousness was put into a machine?"
"Horrible! I'd want to die!" Anthony yelled.
"Try the next one." Lui said much to Jonathan's relief. His heart went out to Anthony who seemed so angry and confused. The next one, Project Two, was a young woman whose voice was quiet and she answered the questions with some confusion but how anyone would. The next one, Project Three, opened when the Project Two video finished, filling the screen.
Sitting at the white table, just across from them but in the past, Evan stared at the camera, his dark eyes glancing nervously from the lens to the person behind the camera. He wore his red and white jacket, his face looking pale against the harsh red colour.
"State your name." The voice said like it had said before.
"Evan." He said quietly, his eyes going down to the silver handcuffs around his wrists.
"You are from Old Town?"
"Yes. I live near the big bridge." Evan looked back up at the camera. Jonathan stared at the screen with wide eyes, not wanting to look up at the others who were possibly feeling the same mix of emotions that he was. He couldn't think, only stare at the screen.
"You have been selected to be a part of the Vanoss Project based on your personality and will. Though looking through your record, you destroyed a police machine in the past. That is something that no one else has done before. How do you feel about that?" The voice asked. Evan didn't answer, his eyes going back down to the handcuffs. He seemed to be watching the way that the light reflected off the metal, not wanting to think about how he could answer that. "Please answer the question, ." Evan's eyes snapped back up at the mention of his last name. He hadn't said it before a look of nervousness flashing across his face.
"It had it coming. Those machines hurt people in Old Town. How could I stand by and let people get hurt?" Evan snapped. "Why did you handcuff me? Do you think I'm gonna break more machines?"
"Only answer the questions. Do not ask them." The voice snapped. Evan leaned back in his chair, surprised that the voice yelled at him. "How do you feel about consciousness?"
"It's...It's being aware. Aware of choices we make and the consequences of them; good or bad. Our consciousness is who we are. It makes us us." Evan said after a moment. "We're conscious when we are awake. When we're aware of the world. It's what makes us human."
"How would you feel if your consciousness was placed into a machine?" The voice asked. Evan seemed like he was going to question the question but didn't say anything. He looked back down at the handcuffs, struggling against the cuffs for a few moments.
"It would be...restricting." Evan answered, his eyes on the metal binding his hands together. "I guess it would depend on what kind of machine. I would want to be able to move, to be able to hug my friends, and continue about my life without needing someone to carry me around like the tablets some of those factories make." He added. He paused, not sure if he was happy with that answer. Jonathan felt guilty, his gaze going down to the bag hanging at his side with the Vanoss-III inside. "I want to be able to go places. To be able to see the world and live my life. I've seen what those police machines do and it would be hard for me to imagine being in a machine when people are hurt by them everyday in Old Town. So no...No I wouldn't want that." Evan decided, shaking his head. "That isn't a life worth living."
"If you were to disappear, would you be missed?" The voice asked. Evan stared at whoever was asking the questions, not sure of what to say.
"I-I...I think so. I like to think so." Evan said after a moment of silence.
"Thank you, for answering this first initial set of questions. You will be brought to New Town for further progress of the Vanoss Project." The voice said, the video ending before they could see Evan's reaction. Jonathan leaned back in his chair, his hands going to the bag to hold it close. No one could say anything, only stare at the chair across the table where Evan had sat a just a year earlier.
"He was here." Tyler said, breaking the long silence. "Then they took him to New Town and god knows what happened."
"There were others...so many of them." Lui looked through the list of video files, going all the way to Project Twenty.
"They didn't even call them by their names. They called them 'Projects.'" Luke sounded disgusted. "They are people not projects."
"That isn't how New Town sees them. You know that, Luke." Jonathan said after a moment, his voice quiet and shaking. He couldn't find it in himself to not feel guilty. His father and his company was responsible for this. He was starting to get the feeling that this did not end well for Evan. How could it when all he was to these people was 'Project Three'?
He told himself not to think about it, glancing up at the others. "Those guys are gonna wake up soon. We need to leave. There isn't anything else left to find except whatever is in New Town now." Jonathan pushed the chair back, getting to his feet. Tyler led the way, holding his stolen gun tightly. He made a comment about how he had never held one before in an attempt to lighten the heavy mood but no one laughed.
They reached the lobby, the harsh light starting to hurt Jonathan's eyes. He needed to get out of this place, away from that hallway lined with cells and that interview room. The Vanoss-III felt heavier in his bag, Evan's voice running through his mind. All Evan had wanted was to live his life, to be free and have peace. All he got was a machine that made his life not worth living anymore.
The loud wail of a siren startled them, making them freeze up where they stood. For a moment, they thought it was coming from inside, but the echo of it made them realise it was coming from outside.
"The planes...They are coming back." Brock breathed, barely heard over the siren.
"We can't go out onto the street. We're walking targets if we do!" Lui cried.
"There is a bridge connecting this building to the one across the street. We can move faster that way." Tyler took the lead as they ran back to the staircase, heading upstairs past the offices towards the door at the end of the hall. Lui used his keycard to unlock the door which slid open with the sound of gears. A cold gust of wind blew snow into the hall, sending shivers through the group. The siren was now loud, nothing muffling it's wail now that the door was open. Jonathan resisted the urge to cover his ears.
Once through the door, Jonathan grabbing onto Luke's arm as they hurried across, getting into the other building which was also oddly empty of people, the white offices just like the one in the other building.
"It's like they were warned about the bombs." Luke whispered though there was no need to.
"Not surprised. Those New Towners wanna get out of dodge before they destroy the place. Don't care bout Old Towner's lives." Tyler spat. Jonathan wanted to point out that he and Luke cared but they weren't really New Towners anymore. He wasn't sure what they were anymore.
Jonathan didn't have time to think about it, forced to run if he was to stay close to Tyler and the others. They could hear rumbles over the sound of the siren, smoke and fire rising into the sky. The bridges shook as the bombs hit the ground, the wood and metal not stable under their feet. Jonathan often found himself grabbing onto whoever was closest for support, trying to stop himself from looking down several stories to the street below.
They were getting close to the river, moving quickly along the bridges that were still standing, pushing through the crowds of frantic people. Jonathan struggled to breathe, having never had to run so much before. He stumbled to a stop at one of the bridges, trying to catch his breath.
"Wait…" He called out to Brock who was just in front of him. He turned, running back over to him.
"Come on, Jonathan. We're almost back to the apartment." Brock encouraged him, sounding out of breath himself. Across the bridge, Luke noticed that they had stopped, turning around to head back to them. "Only a few more bridges to go then we're there!"
"They're coming back!" Someone screamed over the siren, the sound of planes and the shriek of bombs falling through the air becoming louder. Jonathan looked up at the planes, seeing them flying low over the building towards the bridge he stood in front of. His eyes moved to Luke who had stopped when he heard the scream, his head turning to see the planes coming towards him.
"Luke!" Jonathan screamed, stepping toward him with an outstretched hand. His scream caught Luke's attention, turning his gaze away from the planes to Jonathan. He broke into a run, reaching for Jonathan's hand.
He couldn't outrun the plane. The plane flew close to bridge, throwing Luke to the floor of the bridge as he ducked. He hit the wood with force, the bridge shaking under him. He managed to get to his feet, only to be thrown back down as the force of an explosion went off on the street several stories below the bridge. Pieces of stone, metal and wood flew through the air, the shockwave throwing Jonathan back, crashing into Brock behind him.
"Jonathan!" Luke screamed in horror as the bridge cracked and fell apart under him. He managed to hold onto the broken jagged side, trying to not look down at his dangling feet and the burning, rubble covered street below. Jonathan scrambled to get up, his ears ringing. His back was hurting again, the pain making it a struggle to stay focused as he reached for Luke.
"I got you! I got you!" Jonathan cried, reaching for his hand. Luke stared at him with big eyes, his arms shaking from the strain of trying to keep himself on the bridge. The wood creaked and groaned under Jonathan's weight as he moved across it towards Luke. "I got you." He managed to grab onto Luke's right hand, struggling to pull him over the edge. The wood cracked, breaking apart under Jonathan's feet.
In his panic as he started to fall, his hand shot out to grab onto the railing, his gloves slipping on the metal. Luke's grip tightened on his other hand, the wood that he had been holding onto now falling to street below. He reached up to grab onto Jonathan's wrist, the movement loosening Jonathan's grip. Luke's eyes went wide as he started to fall, reaching desperately for Jonathan who could only watch helplessly as he fell to the street below. Blood splattered onto the snow, as dark as the burning wood and brick.
A loud wail echoed in Jonathan's ears, not realising that the pain filled sound was coming from him. Brock wrapped his arms around him, pulling him away from the edge. On the other side of the broken bridge, Tyler and Lui stared with wide eyes, unable to do anything. Jonathan continued to wail, tears streaming down his face. He struggled against Brock, wanting to run down to Luke's broken body. He knew that he could have saved him if only he was stronger, if only he could have pulled him over the edge. If only he had listened.