Chapter 65 - A decision

Data retrieved>Enhancing display//loading...

A screen beeped and more images appeared. Then his voice an on, at first, low and distant.

PLAY Feed> Demos

"It was something extremely difficult to hear my maker say that I was replaceable. From the moment of our first meeting, I hated the man. This confirmed my distaste and I couldn't stand being one second near him let alone taking a boat trip to wherever was his island of dreams. My first impulse was to refuse him flat and square. However, after hearing how things will turn out soon, I couldn't help peeking at Liliane's sleeping face. I would do whatever it takes for her safety. Even if it meant being on the same boat as that man." It was before everything went south. Back then I didn't think about the consequences of it all.

"Mmh, where is Grant?" called a sleepy voice. Demos reached out to brush my hair out of my face and stopped inches away. I blinked and pushed away from him.

"What...?" I quickly recomposed herself to his disappointment.

-I could feel your heart quicken and the fear in your eyes. It hurts.

"Will he be back soon," Liliane tossed over her shoulder as she scrambled her away from the covers and nearly fell over. I reached out to catch her and quickly pulled away when she found her footing at the last second. It saddened me to stay away from her. When everything I was designed for, simply to love her. How did it become so complicated? Somehow, I was grateful for being unplugged from the imate program. I was grateful for experiencing every second with Liliane.

"I've completely forgotten Anna's souvenir. I promised her I'll bring something from my trip to my parents'," she let out a nervous laugh and walked to the bathroom. I slowly pulled away from the mattress.

(Encrypted network)

-Grant! Liliane is getting ready for work. Get your ass over here, now!

-Deal with her. I'm clearing a few points with Nicolai. There's a big chance we won't see him any sooner.

-Not that I'd missed him

-I'll pass the message

-Da f.u.c.k!

I frowned and marched to the opened door to find Liliane hunched over the sink brushing her teeth.

"Hey! Do you mind?" she said with toothpaste foaming from her lips. What an interesting sight. I leaned against the doorframe and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Not at all, go on, I'll wait. I'm in no hurry," she narrowed her eyes as she stared at my reflection in the mirror. She spat, rinsed her mouth and pulled a nearby towel to wipe her face.

"The jerk is back, I see," she muttered. I get a sting each time she uses the word. It's both pleasure and pain. I wasn't sure how to classify the emotion. I shifted on my feet while pressing my lips together to prevent myself from using sarcasm.

"How come you've never mentioned your work before? Was it also part of deception?" she snapped. Great, now I was the one sitting in the interrogation chair getting grilled by inspector Liliane on her bad day.

"You never asked?" I sighed. How should I deal with this ball of spiky emotions?

"Designed to dodge questions. Did you cops friends teach you that too? To lie and deceive?" she glared in my direction. That was expected, still, it hurts so damn much.

-Grant, damn it. Need some help. I'm not the emotional one

-Just be yourself

With gritted teeth, I strode to her, pulled the towel out of her hand and threw it on the floor. Her head snapped up, eyes wide with shock.

"What...?" her voice trailed off.

"You're not going to work today! Cause..." she didn't give me time to finish. Fury twisted her face, turning her cheek red.

"I'm not some puppet you order around. Where does that kind of attitude come from? You're acting completely out of character!" those words triggered some remote memories inside me. Linking it to the episode with Doctor Churchhill's workshop. The images from the rows of immobile bodies hagging from the roof, overlayed by the yellow plastic duck with lifeless eyes, and the doctor's words repeating in loops that I was 'replaceable'.

"Puppet? Do you even know what it means?" I stepped closer to her, she instantly moved away bumping into the glass shower cabin. "Do you f.u.c.k.i.n.g know what it means to be stuck inside your body without control over anything around you?" I glared at her.

"Yes! I do!" she shouted at the top of her lungs with tears streaming down her face. Her answer took me by surprise. "Yeah! I know. I freaking grew up in a mental institution where they tell you when to eat when to sleep. You had no choice whatsoever. You're a machine that someone order to love them. So what? Do you think being human means we are free?" she stopped to catch her breath. I just stared at her. Liliane lifted her chin and our eyes met.

"The powerful built this society for us to struggle and hustle, crushed by the burden of routine. Do you think I like my pitiful life?" It wasn't the Liliane I met on the first day I arrived. "So, go take you're whatever the f.u.c.k attitude, elsewhere," she pushed away and I didn't resist. Her response has moved me to the core.

-Grant, I'm sorry.

-Not your fault...

"Now get out. I need to shower," she lowered her eyes. I couldn't move from my spot. I couldn't look away.

"Let's run away then," I blurted.

"What?" she didn't even look up. "Stop talking nonsense and get out."

"I'm serious if you hate it so much. Then, let's leave everything behind. The shitty job, the dull routine, the suffocating city, all of it. Let's escape from our cages," I held out a hand towards her.

Finally, she lifted her head and let out choked laughter.

"You're crazy,"

"I am, about you," I smiled. She frowned and opened her mouth to protest. Then shook her head and frowned again. Each of her facial expressions was impossibly cute I couldn't take it anymore.

"There's definitely something wrong with you to come up with such cheesy lines," she tried to hide a smile and failed. She busted out in giggles. "You a violent prick, who's controlling and lying...so what the hell am I laughing?" I took tentative steps towards her and when I down close enough I held my arms open and shrug my shoulders.

"You like that prick?" she slapped my chest and glared at me.

"What kind of dumb girl do you think I am?"

"The type who likes to get the hell out of here and live an exciting life?" I raised my eyebrows at her. she took a moment before answering and I stood in the same position waiting with my arms open.

"Is this another scam? Does Grant know about this? Or was it already planned?" she narrowed her eyes at me. Was she reading into me? I thought Jil's encrypted link was uncrackable. I couldn't help my prideful smile.

"With the way things are rapidly escalating. It's only logical to get out of town as soon as possible. Especially when I got insight that the war will break very soon," I was telling the truth but not the whole truth. Muscles around her eyes twitched. I don't think I am equipped with much variety of facial expression. I felt like a pale imitation next to her.

"You didn't tell me where was Grant," she didn't trust me. She shouldn't.

"I'm here," called a voice from the living room. "I went to get bread and I meet with Nicolai," minutes later Grant peeked from the bathroom door. He lifted a bag as he smiled. "Look what he gave me! Yesterday Adrien when to a super famous restaurant and he got a called and told them to bag it. However, he didn't return home and Nicolai told me he didn't want the food to go to waste," he blinked and his smile dropped. "What are you both doing in the bathroom?" Liliane crossed her arms on her chest and tipped her chin at me.

"This guy here was explaining his plan to escape from our dull routine," Grant turned to me.

-I told you to deal with her not tell her everything

-I...I didn't

"What's that? I thought that with the sync we'll stop lying to each other. Just yesterday you both were begging for forgiveness and you're still brewing plans behind my back?" she glared.

"Liliane, we are not. There are details we must leave out cause it's not safe for you," explained Grant calmly.

"Cut the crap, smooth talker, all I see is," he pointed my finger at me, "a liar and..." then to Grant," a liar!" it hurts.

"Take a chill pill," I muttered not having the strength to look at her angry face.

"We leave out the details to..." started Grant but she cut in.

"That's for me to decide what is safe what is not," she shook her head. "I'm not a helpless girl,"

"I can see that," Grant nodded his face completely blank.

(Encrypted network)

-Please, don't hurt her.

-I won't let her compromise the mission, else I'll leave both of you behind.

-What happened to 'I can't live without her, dump the replaceable junk?'

-New elements in the equation

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