Chapter 14 A chance to return home

When the button was pressed, all the lights came on and the pools on the Lido deck closed. Everywhere on the screens as well as on the holoscreens there was a green plant symbol and all passengers were directed to the Lido deck regardless of whether they were sleeping or not. Most of the conscious passengers had no idea what was happening and were concerned. Among them were John and Mary.

The moment everyone appeared, slowly ejected the Holo-Detector. As it turned out, it was hidden under the symbol BnL All the hoverchairs were facing it and then a video came on showing the Captain fighting the Auto. Everyone was surprised and didn't understand what was happening. The Captain talked to the passengers and tried to calm them down somehow.

By this time, almost on the place were Eve with Wall-e on her arms. Eve got there the fastest because she can finally fly. Wall-e showed her with his hand the place in front where the Holo-Detector was. (The illuminated green symbols on the device helped.) Eve seeing this started to fly and at the moment when she was close she didn't expect...

''(SHOT SOUND!)''

''AAAAAA?!'' - Wall-e and Eve screamed when something grabbed their and they both fell pinned together by some kind of belts to the floor.

The fall was painful and both didn't know what happened until they heard laughter. It turned out that the person who did it was Gofour. Both Eve and Wall-e were furious with the Auto's helper. They tried to loosen the ties but nothing happened.

''LIEUTENANT EVELYN AND STEMMING FROM THE EARTH WALL-E'' Everyone heard Auto's voice and looked at the screen. As it turned out Auto pushed the Captain to the floor, who was now lying on his back unable to get up. ''IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANY CHANCE OF BRINGING EVERYONE BACK TO EARTH, YOU ARE SORELY MISTAKEN. YOU HAVE ALREADY RUINED MY PLANS ENOUGH TIMES, BUT ENOUGH OF THAT! NOW YOU BOTH WILL PAY FOR IT AT MY HAND!'' - Auto roared the last sentence and pressed the blue button again.

Pressing the button caused the Holo-Detector to start closing.

''Oh no!'' - screamed Eve

''(BUNG!)''

''…?''

They were both surprised when Gofour fell unconscious and almost next to Wall-e's legs was a cylindrical container. Wall-e looked to the side and there was Moe.

''Moe!'' - Wall-e exclaimed happily.

''Quickly put it in before it closes'' – said to Wall-e

Wall-e quickly reached the container and kicked it sending to the Holo-Detector to inside stopping it.

''This should stop the closing of the device for a while," - said Eve, "Now we need to free ourselves from these straps.''

They both got up and tried to pull them apart or loosen them but the straps held their tightly. Also Moe wasn't able to pull it off until Eve came up with an idea. She told Wall-e to pull the straps as tight as possible, and she managed to pull out a gun and shot at the safeguard and then the straps disappeared and both fell to the floor.

''Phew, we did it. Now we just need to place the plant," - said Eve and reached into her container and took out the plant, which was still green.

Already the plant was about to be placed when the ship strangely began to tilt to the right side. The ship tilted so that everyone lost their balance (Eve at the last moment began to float in the air) and began to roll, including passengers fell out of the hoverchairs and also rolled on down. When the ship was turned a bit sideways, objects rolled off some of the wide shelves, which flew towards the workers and passengers, but fortunately did not hit anyone. Unfortunately, Eve dropped the plant because of this and had to look for it. No one noticed as Gofour disappeared somewhere and Auto was up to something, because at the moment when the ship was listing, he headed for the elevator.

The Holo-Detector still held open, but it was necessary to act quickly before the container crushed and the mechanism closed. Eve looked for the plant from above while Wall-e and Moe from below. It was hard down there because the tilted ship made it hard to keep balance, and it was almost impossible to move around. Fortunately, Wall-e's boots weren't so slippery and allowed him to move on such a surface even if he couldn't stand up straight. He noticed the plant and already wanted to inform Eve or Moe about it but unfortunately Moe slipped, and when he wanted to call Eve, he noticed a serious problem.

''EVE!'' - exclaimed Wall-e getting her attention by pointing to the monorail, which was rolling down the hill towards the passengers (among them are John and Mary).

Eve understood him. She quickly flew to help these poor people before they will crushed. At the last moment, she managed to stop the monorail, and thanks to the tilted metal columns supporting the ship's upper platform, the monorail held on to both sides while Eve held it with all her strength to prevent it from sliding further. Passengers breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her.

At that time Wall-e managed to take the plant and put it in his pocket. It lost two leaves but it was fine. He looked back to see that the passengers were spread out against walls separated by columns and at one part, Eve continued to hold the monorail. He looked around in search of Moe or the new friends from the medical-repair ward, but didn't see them anywhere. After a minute he noticed Moe waving to him from far away, pointing up. Wall-e thought he probably meant the Holo-detector, so he started climbing up. However, he didn't know that someone else was up there too.

It was hard to climb up through the high platforms and tilted ship but after a few minutes Wall-e reached the top. He was exhausted but also glad that he had arrived. However, the moment he stood up his fears came true. The pacemaker had one stripe and it was red. Wall -e fell to a sitting position supporting himself with his hands.

''Please, not now,'' - Wall-e said almost in a whisper, seeing the flashing red stripe on his goggles as well as under his suit. Beeping sounds were heard.

''I see someone's battery is going dead''.

Wall-e heard the sneering voice and unfortunately knew exactly who it belonged to. Everyone present on the Lido deck as well as the Captain heard him. He was holding his long cane in his hand and he was really angry. Wall-e despite his weakness, couldn't just let him give up or they'd never come home. He quickly jumped to the side when Auto moved on him with a cane hitting it on the floor and leaving a mark.

''Can you at least explain why you care so much about leaving these poor people here?''

''It doesn't depend mainly on me, only to the directive A113, which I follow.''

''But it doesn't make any sense. This information was sent a very long time ago.''

''It doesn't matter to me!'' - he roared and hit Wall-e knocking him back several meters. '' Besides, the only pest here is you.''

The impact was so strong that Wall-e felt as if his ribs were breaking. He didn't have time to get up completely because he was kicked and flew to the other side. This made him start coughing up blood.

''WALL-E!'' - Eve screamed seeing what Auto was doing to him.

After several blows Wall-e fell to the side exhausted. Everyone looked on terrified unable to help this poor boy in any way. Auto was getting closer and closer when Auto's head was hit by ...a can?

''Ha ha, hit'' - exclaimed laughing Moe

''You little ...''

When Auto turned around , Wall-e seized the opportunity and ran towards the Holo-Detector with the plant held. At one point, he stumbled, dropping a plant, and he had a red belt on his legs. At first he didn't know what was going on until he saw Gofour running up to him. When Gofour wanted to grab the plant close to Wall-e, the latter made a maneuver with his legs throwing him behind him and almost flew on Auto. He didn't have time to get up because he was caught from behind by Moe, while Wall-e used his laser to cut off the belt before Auto caught him.

Now the four of them struggled among themselves trying to retrieve the plant. Moe with Gofour was pushing through and knocking over, but somehow didn't beat, while Auto and Wall-e fought forcefully, but Wall-e wasn't treated gently. Even though he was on the brink of death he wasn't going to let this robot win. For a few minutes the fight was fierce until finally Moe got an idea and sprayed Gofour's eyes with cleanser making him blind for a moment, and then Moe hit him on the head with a random container stunning him . Moe tied him up with extra straps, which Gofour had, and now he couldn't move in any way.

Meanwhile, Wall-e found himself in a bad situation. Auto was much stronger than he thought (although the low battery might be to blame) and had trouble snatching the cane from his hands. They were practically wrestling holding Auto's cane

"You think you can beat me like that, you stupid weakling."

''Ehh ... maybe I'm weak ... but I'm not stupid.''

''We'll see,'' Saying this Auto snatched the cane from his hands and a separate knife appeared in one hand.

Wall-e began to back away. Auto was probably more cared in hurting Wall-e now, because even though he was next to the Holo-Detector, he wasn't doing anything. Wall-e was horrified to see his eyes redder than before, indicating he had no mercy. Moe was also very worried especially after seeing Auto waving a knife in Wall-e's direction and he was dodging. Moe didn't want to let anything happen to his friend, so he ran towards Auto and jumped on his back covering his eyes with one hand and holding the other under his neck. Wall-e before jumping Moe, was hit on the left cheek and a little were cut off his hair. The wound on his face was so diagonally from the eye (goggles protected the eye) stretching down almost in front of the mouth. Some blood flew. Wall-e touched his hand to his cheek and was frightened after seeing blood on it. However, the sight of Moe struggling with Auto worried him and as soon as Auto dropped Moe to the floor a short distance from them , Wall-e threw himself on Auto trying to do the same as Moe earlier. Unfortunately, Auto was faster and pulled him away, and they repeated the struggle to forcefully hold the cane again.

Wall-e didn't anticipate that Auto would outsmart him and at the right moment lift his cane up, and then stab him in the stomach. Wall-e shouted and everyone froze when they saw him fall to the floor.

''WAAALLLL-EEEEEEEE!'' - shouted Eve at full throat with tears in her eyes seeing her beloved fall.

It was a scary scene, and Auto with a satisfied smile (he had mocking smile on face), walked up behind the Holo-Detector and began to speak : ''Now you all can see you shouldn't mess with me. From now on, anyone who opposes me will end up like this boy!'' - he shouted, pointing his cane in the direction of Wall-e. ''Now, if you'll let me, I'm going to… Woaah...?!... What's going on?'' - he said, losing his balance.

''Unfortunately Auto, but this is your end,'" - said the Captain holding the rudder and turning it until the ship was straight.

''Give up!'' - Eve shouted aiming at him

''I will never give up!''

''I rather doubt it ," - said a familiar voice but before Auto could react he was hit by an electric shot, which so overheated him that he was immediately deactivated. The person who shot to Auto was... WALL-E!?

Everyone stared at him in disbelief. There were still the beeping sounds of his pacemaker but how can he still stand despite the knife being stuck in him? He held the pistol pointed straight ahead, which he got from Eve, and when it was clear that it's over, he came closer to the others and let himself be hugged by Eve, who flew up to him.

''Oh my god, Wall-e… I thought he killed you.''

Seeing her sadness he said: ''I'm sorry to have worried you.'' Saying this, he wiped the tears from her face.

''How is it possible that the knife didn't cause you a lot of bleeding?'' - asked Moe

Wall-e kept his hand at his left side the whole time where he had the knife stuck in. You could see that even though he was standing he felt a lot of pain. He looked down and it was clear that he had blood, but it wasn't as much as with a normal knife thrust in the stomach. Wall-e moved the knife slightly and found that it was loose, indicating that it hadn't been stabbed into him but scratched him. (Wall-e felt the metal.) He slowly began to pull it out, and after seeing through the cut material what a wound it was, both Eve and Moe breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that Wall-e's suit was thick enough to save him, but the wound required several stitches. Eve took the knife from him and threw it somewhere in a corner further away from them. (It was covered in Wall-e blood)

After Eve dressed his wounds (for now using a thick bandage on his side and sticking a white long patch on his cheek), they had to put the plant in the Holo-Detector.

''Let Moe help you pull on that small container, I need to rest for a while,'' - said Wall-e

''It's okay, you deserve it,"- she said, giving a kiss on his lips.

Wall-e felt bad but didn't want to worry Eve. He felt weak and knew he was about to die, because his battery had one bar for almost an hour, and this level was already a warning to recharge the battery immediately.

When his emotions (fear , compassion , courage , desire to help, bravado and a few others) that possessed him while fighting Auto diminished, Wall-e felt even worse. He felt more pain from both the wound and the beating and his vision became blurry. He started to feel dizzy and swayed slightly from side to side. There was also a faster beeping his pacemaker for a few seconds. When it was heard the voice of the computer confirming the positive presence of the plant, Wall -e couldn't stand and fell on the floor.

He didn't hear the passengers scream terrified at the sight of his fall, and Eve and others shout his name.

''Wall-e? ... WALL-E ?!'' - Eve screamedwhen she turned around and saw that he was lying unconscious on the floor and not moving. She quickly ran to him and called out trying to wake him up ''Wall-e?... Wall-e, open your eyes.''

She lifted him up a bit to an almost sitting position resting his upper body on one of her legs. She lifted his goggles to his forehead and patted his uninjured part of his face with her hand, but he didn't even react. Moe noticed that nothing was lit up on his chest, and after unzipping the suit, the pacemaker had a completely black screen.

''No ... No, no, NO , NO ... I beg, just not that !?'' - said terrified Eve and began to check if Wall-e's heart was still beating by putting her ear to his chest and listening but she heard nothing '' NO ?! NO, WALL-E! PLEASE,DON'T DO THIS TO ME, YOU HEAR!'' - she screamed with tears in her eyes and put him on his back starting CPR in the hope that this would at least restore his heart.

During this time, the computer processed the data and searched for the location where the ship was to go.

Eve performed chest compressions but to no avail. Wall-e was dead. "WALL-E! Don't give up. Please wake up ... (sobbing ) Www..Walll-eeee... please.''- she whispered sadly and cried while holding him close to her. ''WWWAAAAALLLLL-EEEEEEEE!?'' - she exclaimed brokenly and her tears flowed down a river dripping onto Wall-e's face .

A drawing of the earth appeared on the screen at the top and activated the time of 10 seconds to enter hyperspace.

Eve cried very hard holding Wall-e, and everyone lowered their heads in sadness at the sight of their deceased chosen one , who risked his life so that they could return home. Mary also cried as she held the children who she and John had previously rescued in her arms. Some people had just met Wall-e and had even befriended him, and were now very much experiencing what had happened to him, unable to believe it.

After a while, the ship entered hyperspace and everything shook so much that everyone fell over, while Eve kept calling Wall-e and hugging him.