Chapter 20
(Adam's point of view)
"Adam!" Cried a voice. "Adam! Wake up! Please! You have to be okay!" I slowly opened my eyes. Everything was bright for a moment, but my eyes adjusted quickly. Sauli was sitting next to me and I was laying on the ground. However, this ground was soft and felt plush. I looked down and saw we were on top of some sort of green covering. I grabbed a piece of it and crumbled it in my hand. I gasped in awe.
"Is this...really soil?"
"Adam!" Shouted Sauli as he hugged me tightly, "It's really you this time!" I smiled as I returned his hug. Feeling his body wrapped inside my arms again felt so good.
"I'm so glad you're alright," I said. I looked around smiling. "Where's Kat?" Sauli frowned and pointed behind me. In the distance I saw a smoking building, pieces of concrete scattered everywhere. I gasped and shook my head in disbelief. "No, no it can't be!" I ran down the hill we were standing on, towards the smoke.
"Adam, wait!" Called Sauli as he chased after me. In the midst of all the ash and dust, I saw something sparkling on the ground. I ran to it, in hopes that I would find Kat, fully functional, laying under the rubble. I tossed and swept the ash aside with my hands until I unearthed the shiny object. It was the pendant that Ann had given to Kat. I cradled the pendant in my hands, shaking with sadness. As I held it, I remembered everything it represented. It represented the rebellion, the choice to be free, the choice to live life without consequence and make things better, because that's what we wanted. I closed my eyes tight and began to do something I had never done before, cry. The tears poured out of my eyes like waterfalls, and it stung like liquid poison. I could feel Sauli's gentle touch stroking my back sympathetically. I put the pendant close to my chest and cried more. As I did so, a cloud of blue smoke began to form on the ground around me. A crowd of droids began to form around Sauli and I, due to their attraction to the color. The smoke spread across the rubble and into the crowd of droids. I opened my eyes and with a quick flash, the rubble became a beautiful landscape, like the ones I had seen in books.
"Adam," said Sauli in astonishment, "look what you've done!"
"I know," I replied, looking at the gorgeous view in front of me, "It's beautiful!"
"No," said Sauli, putting his hand on my shoulder, "turn around." I turned around to see a crowd of androids, dressed in bright and colorful clothes.
"I-I did this to them?" I asked, amazed at my own power. Sauli chuckled.
"You did it to us." He held my hand and I finally got a view of him. He was wearing a colorful paint-splattered short-sleeve shirt with bright blue pants.
"You look so cute!" I giggled. Sauli gently kissed my cheek.
"You should see yourself." I gasped softly and looked down at my own outfit. My gloomy and grey worker's clothes transformed into a silk red suit and a black t-shirt with colorful patterns on it. My worn down work boots, now were brand new black leather heeled shoes.
"Wow!" I cried, "This is amazing!" Sauli nodded.
"It is, but..."
"But what, Sauli?" Sauli looked at me in my eyes, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
"What do we do now?" I smiled and leaned in close to his face.
"First," I whispered, "I want to do this." I ran my index finger down his lips, then pulled him into a passionate and deep kiss. Sauli smiled and blushed heavily when we finished. I giggled, then looked once more at Kat's pendant. I took a deep breath and faced the crowd.
"Everyone," I said loudly, so everyone could hear, "the Superior is gone! No one can tell you who you are anymore! What we do is ours to choose! So, from this day forward, we shall live in this Sanctuary and we will be governed by our own principles, by our own people, and we shall live out the rest of our lives in peace and tranquility!" The crowd of droids in front of us rejoiced with cheers and applause.
"ADAM! ADAM! ADAM!" I laughed softly as I blushed. I never thought I'd be such a figurehead before. Sauli tapped my shoulder lightly and smiled.
"It seems like we've already found our new leader."
"Who? Me?!" I gasped in shock. "No no, I'm not a leader, Sauli. I wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility!" Sauli wrapped his arms around me.
"There's no one I can think of that would make a better leader, Adam. You're kind, generous, loyal, honest, brave, and you'd do anything to help others before helping yourself. Those are all the qualities I'd want in a leader. And it's not like you'd be doing it alone, I'll be right by your side to help you lead." I smiled bright.
"Really?" Sauli nodded.
"I'll always be here for you when you need me." I kissed him softly, then looked at the crowd.
"What do you say?" I declared, "Will you have me as your leader?" The crowd was sent into an uproar of delight. I laughed, "I'll take that as a yes!" The crowd of droids jumped and embraced one another in complete and utter joy. I couldn't stop smiling while watching the unity that was growing between all the androids. "Now let's go home!" I ran in front of the crowd and led my people back to the green hills and pure rivers of Sanctuary. I stopped atop the highest hill in Sanctuary and watched my people from above.
Before, they were nothing but numbers with no separate identities. Now, they were independent, self-thinking people, each with their own feelings and ideas. The revolution was much more than androids rebelling against their mother computer, no, it was the birth of a new world. A world where things really do get better, if you really want them to. A world where no one is bigger or better or "superior" than anyone else. Together we are strong, and together we can accomplish anything. Even then, as I stood upon that hill, the new ruler of an oppression-free world, I thought about all the ones I had lost. I promised myself then that I would rule the way they would've wanted me to, with modesty and grace. However, I knew that with great power, comes great responsibility, and I vowed that I would never misuse my power, and never close my eyes on my kingdom. Never.