Chapter 70 - Something regretful

Demos' arms wrapped around my trembling shoulders. When he reached down to my lips, I didn't resist his hot kiss. I let myself indulged in his passionate embrace. I was desperate to cling to the little I had left. As one after the other, they were falling apart. The world was falling away. I could feel it in the air around us. I held onto Demos, trembling fingers knitting into his back.

"Liliane," he whispered as he pulled away. "I'll never let you go," I looked up surprised to see him smiling. He held me close against his warmth. "I promise," he leaned and kissed my forehead. A dull reverberation shook the floor. I frowned at him and seconds later, the fire alarm came up in an earsplitting scream.

"Access security!" shouted Demos as he let go of me. Only silent answered him. That was odd.

"Just our luck when the team installing the new Ai," he turned to the pods. "Grant!" he shouted the lid immediately slid open and he stepped out. I didn't get why he was so alarmed.

"What's going in? It's nothing major. It must be some stupid tenant lighting up a barbecue or something. Jil always fixes... this," my voice trailed off on the realization that this time it won't be the case. Our eyes met and I understood the emergency. "Go pack, take the strict minimal...a backpack," he pushed me towards my room. He faces Grant with a grave face.

"Access security. Override protocol. Building status?" shouted Grant over the strident alarm. Still, nothing happened. I slowed next to the door and gripped the frame for support.

-Can you access the mainframe from the corridor maintenance shaft?

The lights blinked and the alarm died. That didn't sound good. Demos frowned at me.

"I told you to hurry," he waved and away and I reluctantly went to my room. I did as fast as I could starting with finding a compact backpack and going through my closet for a coat, a couple of underwear, any shirt I could get my hands on. I slipped into my only heavy-duty pants and pulled training shoes on then placed my glasses back on. I was panting when I got into the bathroom. The floor was slippery I almost fell down. Damn it Lyla. I pause thinking about her. What if she was in danger, stuck in the elevator? I reached for my toothbrush and toothpaste and shoved the vanilla shower gel in the bag. On my way out, I grabbed a towel. I might become helpful, there always a need for a towel in whatever circ.u.mstances.

"Liliane!" Demos' voice came pressing from the living room. "We have to get out now," the urgency in his tone sent shivers down my spine.

The front door was wide opened and quick footsteps could be heard in the corridor. Demos waited for me at the entrance, he had a backpack with Sognare's logo printed on the side. He waved for me to hurry to join him.

"There's a fire on the lower levels, we have to evacuate," he said in hast. There were mostly artificial in the corridor guiding people to the maintenance lift. I frowned at Demos went he pulled me in the same direction.

"Wait, what about the elevator," I pointed towards the shiny door.

"Forget it," he didn't turn when he spoke, his eyes were fixed on his objective. "The whole shaft is on fire and it's rapidly climbing to the upper levels," we reached the already filled platform. There were like fifteen artificial and five of my neighbors Grant stood among them giving orders.

"Close the doors," he called and the metallic fence shut on the sight of the deserted corridor. It felt eerie as we descent in the poorly lit hole. The mechanism creaked as it made it's way down.

"What are we going to do? If the fire in lower… shouldn't we like to go higher and wait for help?" I whispered to Demos standing behind me. His arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer to him. I felt vaguely aware of everyone besides me. I needed a hug.

"I'll protect you," he whispered in my hair. Somehow, I believed in those three words. My fingers squeezed on his forehands and I shallowed the panic trying to choke me. "Just breathe, everything will be ok," a minute after this statement, the light flickered and the platform eased to a stop as the emergency brakes kicked up. Screams rose as the lights died out.

"Don't worry, the emergency generator on floor eighteen will take over," said Grant in a loud but calm voice. He said it more to reassure humans than the artificial. Since his kind just nodded at his order. I tried to take deep breaths. Demos proximity helped ease the terror even though I would prefer Grant being here right now.

-I am here, don't worry. I'll get you and everyone else, out.

I was sure Grant was watching over me, even if he wasn't here. I just don't understand his sense of duty. I must be too selfish.

My heart almost leaped out then the lights came back. Red lights flooded over the relief faces. I sighed when our slow descent resumed. It took an eternity and the lower the panel by the door flashed, the worst was my fear.

The door opened on floor thirteen. The corridor was already filled with a fine cloud of smoke. Grant was the first one to step out; he went straight for the maintenance panel and ordered his companions to search the apartments for survivors. More artificial joined him along with a few coughing elderlies. Further, down the corridor towards the elevator the smoke was so thick we couldn't distinguish anything.

"There was a detonation in the elevator that caused the fire. The security camera from the main hall didn't pick up any intruder. The team working on the new AI was still in the hall," said Grant as he stepped away from the console. I coughed as I got out with the others.

"Cover your face," said Demos he struggled out of his shirt leaving him with a white sleeve undershirt.

'Thanks," I wrapped it around my face. He put his bag on it was then I noticed Grant had the same.

"This way!" Grant waved to the emergency staircase. We all followed without question. No one was going to protest in this kind of situation. I found myself searching for Grant as we made in down the steps bath in an unsettling red light. The air in this confined space was heavy with smoke that it made my eyes teared up.

"I can't…" gasped a woman on the landing. She wore a blue flowery dress collapsed she was on her knees. A young girl came to her aid, an artificial in a short nurse uniform.

"It's ok, Miss Robinson, just calm down. We are almost there. Grant will save us all," I knew her action was only to reassure the old lady but at the same time it shook me in my very beliefs. What if I was wrong? What if all this time, I was really that person Lyla accused me of.

A toxic self-centered puny girl.