Chapter 88 - Help (1/2)
The moment, I reached the docks indicated on the map Captain Thomson gave me, my battery failed. Olga had to drag me to shore. I lost precious hours while charging. When I came back to my senses, Olga already spotted the boat and a rescue team was rapidly put together to search for survivors. She had no problem convincing the security team when she mentioned the name of her owner. With the helicopter, we hovered above the waters around the wreck while a speedboat looked for potential survivors on the surface. However, our efforts were fruitless. By 10:03 AM the helicopter turned back to base for refueling.
”Drop us on the beach,” I turned to the team leader. He was a young man in his early thirties with short curly hair named Victor. That's what was written on the tag on his dark brown uniform. The man nodded and tapped the pilot on the shoulder to convey the message.
”We'll back in an hour. Don't stray, this part of the island is still wild. We rarely venture this far from the city,” he took out a radio and pushed it in my hand. ”This is a secure line. Call us if you see something,” I nodded once. Olga was the first to jump off the craft when it came to a halt on a small patch of green grass over a cliff. I quickly joined her and waved at the pilot. The helicopter took off in a whirlpool of dry leaves and sand. I shield my face with my forearm.
”Let's stay here,” I pointed to the beach just before the cliff. Olga nodded, I've noticed that she was programmed to order without asking questions and that piqued my interest.
”Tell me a little about Dr. Churchhill,” she peeked over her shoulders as we climbed down the steep slope leading to the deserted beach.
”What do you want to know?”
”What model are you? You're not an imate, for that I'm sure. Are you a prototype?” she paused with a shadow of a smile on her face.
”I thought you wanted to talk about Church?” I chuckled. She was no ordinary artificial. I couldn't even connect to her network and when I tried to control her earlier on the boat, I was refused access.
”I'm curious,” I answered. We quickly scan the spot and found no traces of footprint or any indication of disturbance so we pressed on. Checking behind rocks and fallen tree trunks for clues of Demos, Liliane, and the other crew. Since I couldn't connect to Demos, I presumed his batteries must have died and that worried me. What if he wasn't able to make it ashore. I peeked at the slow waves and the way sunlight played in its turquoise waters.
-Liliane, where are you?
I closed my eyes and focus on her image, I felt her heart beating in the distance, her slow breathing and how scared she was. But I couldn't pinpoint her location.
-Liliane!
”I guess I am a sort of prototype,” said Olga out of the blue. I snapped my focus back at her. I was able to get a general position of where she might be. It was better than nothing.
”How so?” I steered to the right and Olga followed me. She had retrieved a dry stick on the beach and used it to poke as the rocks and draw arrows so we knew where we came from.
”I was the first he created before he created his company. This body is my fourth shell,” I slowed down and looked at her.
”What happened to the previous three ones?” Olga grinned at me full of mischief.
”Being near such a great man...has its consequences,” she paused. ”And I personally picked this body. I intend to keep it a little longer than the previous male one,” her long ponytail swayed as she made her way among the rocks.
”You didn't tell me about Dr. Churchhill,” I called behind her. She threw her back and laughed.
”That script you tried to send me. I was the one who created it,” she smirked over her shoulder. I froze and frowned at her. I thought Olga was a basic model like Nicolai. ”I also help Church script his script for his new models. We work as partners, you know,” she smiled and poked the stick she was carrying into a pile of algae. She straightened and peeked at a tall black rock.
”I see something,” she ran to it and pulled an orange life jacket. I dashed behind her, Olga handed me the object. I pulled it around for examination. I was relieved that it was not damaged. It only meant the person wearing it took it off as the strapped were still intact.
”They must be around. Let's spread out. Shout if you see something,” she gave me a quick nod and went to the left while I searched around the pebbles beach. By midday, Olga waved a pair of shoes in the air.
”Found my shoes...well one pair. I loved this thing. Now it's ruined,” she shooked the water off it. I joined her. ”She came with it and ditched it on the beach,” we both scan along the shore. Nothing. The pebbles didn't leave any trail. I sighed in frustration. I was more and more about my mates.
”Don't worry, I bet Church will buy a tone of shoes if you ask him,” I tossed over my shoulder.
”Church, that tight-ass old fart!” she chuckled. I was surprised to hear her told her maker with such names. ”Did you know, my first shell was the identical image of her dead wife?” she smiled bitterly. ”But I am not here, I'll never be her. I have no intention of stepping into her mold. He clubbed me on one day when I used a word his dear wife never used. He broke me and repaired me out of guilt. Since that day he has never touched me again,” her eyes were lost in the distant horizon. The radio came to live, in a loud surge of static. I pulled it from my back pocket.
”Yes,” I brought the device to my face.
”This is Victor. We have found the survivors, they were in a lifeboat about ten nautical miles out at sea. The storm has pushed them out of the lagoon. They are fine. We are retrieving the cyborgs and materials from the boat right now. We'll come to pick you up. Over,” said the voice on the other side of the line. Olga looked up with a smile.
”Seemed like that old fart is still kicking,” I grinned at her.
”Maybe you should talk to him about what you told me earlier,” she rose one eyebrow at her.
”Each time I tried he uses his override-master control,” she sighed. I pressed my lips together, I had the unfortunate chance of experiencing it through Demos' eyes. It was very unpleasant.