Chapter 5

Jeongin and Dilka heard all that noise coming from the other room.

The people nearby them were leaving their gadgets to notice if the sound was real; others continued without thinking.

Jeongin and Dilka went to the door, and they saw Rowan trying to climb the surface. They were shocked by all the tunnels; it looked like a big worm desperately trying to get its prey.

Paulina was trying to help that woman, but she was too weak to stand up, and she said: “Please! Jeongin, give us time!”

When they turned, some people asked them what had happened, but they mumbled, “Nothing, everything’s okay, they… just… have discussions.”

Someone near the sexual toy avatar woke him up, and people who use his body as a sexual skin stopped too.

Some people refused to do anything, and they were directed to that door, but before that, Dilka says, “Jeongin, make some fireworks,” and he nodded.

Jeongin closed his eyes and took a breath. “It’s my time”.

He activated a light barrel and said: “Dilka, follow me”. He ran faster than a hare and pushed all the men against the wall, and Dilka shot everyone from their tables. She didn’t stop shooting and running next to Jeongin.

“I hope they’re alive”.

“Jeongin, Look!”

The survivors took cover; others were ready to use their blades.

Jeongin and Dilka jumped into the bar.

Some light bullets penetrated the bar counter. So, Jeongin activated the barrel again.

Dilka asked him to stop for a while, and she shot towards some holes. When she didn’t see anything, she turned to other holes, again and again.

Someone tried to cut the bar top, but Dilka shot him without any hesitation, and the blood spread on the floor and a little bit on their faces.

“What the!! Dilka! He…”

‘Jeongin! Stop crying! Please babe, we didn’t finish! It’s hard to shoot them without killing them.’

Jeongin stands up, and he shoots some energy into them, and he deactivates an armour from someone who tries to throw a missile.

The action was done; Jeongin rested his hands on the bar top, and Dilka was reloading her guns.

‘Молодец! Eyy! We need a drink to…’

The floor collapsed with two cyber dirty girls; they looked like sparks, but Jeongin used his shield to protect themselves.

One of the random girls pelted Dilka to the wall; the other one tried to push Jeongin, but he shot her an energy shot, and she fell down.

Jeongin goes faster than sound to save her, but that girl moves too fast to many places, and she hits him.

Dilka tries to shoot her in every direction, but fails as much as Jeongin, and that girl pushes her to the floor and kicks Jeongin.

Jeongin and Dilka try to stand up and remain together, but every time, the speed girl fights them.

The main door was opened; two men just appeared. The big guy shoots their missiles, but Jeongin blocks them; the other guy was touching his woman's boobs before the explosion.

Jeongin and Dilka opened their eyes after a little while, and they discovered the odd man touching her boobs, with some parts of his body scattered and torn to pieces. He didn’t activate his shield on time, and some lights were blinking.

Both of them gave a long breath and sat down on the floor, looking at the entrance.

‘What the hell, Dilka? I killed him.’ Jeongin sobs.

‘No, Jeo, he-he, you just defend yourself; he threw that missile, not you.’

‘No, and even you killed many of them, wha wha…’

‘Jeongin! Please! Wake up! You can’t fulfil your dreams without hurting bad people, and that’s what I’m talking about: bad machine people, who do everything in their power to cause pain; you saw what they did with that avatar guy.’

‘I don’t think if they… is all of them do this. I heard about it before, but I didn’t want to listen; I wanted to do this, like the comic books, the stories, the perfect heroes...’

‘They do, but no one talks about it. The government can hide it easily; you’ll see it. Probably you never know about this because you were living in a nice flat.’

‘Stop saying that, damn it. I didn’t have a good life; I suffered a lot from my parents’ expectations, studying so hard to get the grades they wanted, and I failed. I don’t want to live the lives they want.’

‘And when you were dealing with that, honey, I was surviving alone, escaping from my country, trying to walk on the earth, in a country where I don’t even speak the language, avoiding the cops, and seeing many shits in the streets. This is not the first time I visited a place like this.’

‘Escaping? But you said you were an international student.’

‘Look… just go on… we need to be ready, and remember… no one is perfect, even art has flaws, and that makes it special.’ Groaned Dilka, touching his shoulder.

The friends stood up and went with the other couple. Paulina asked him for help; the girl’s body was unable to connect their limbs, and they were separated, like a toy destroyed by a little kid.

Rowan asked if someone needed a stubby, but just Dilka and Paulina answered. While Jeongin was helping the lady, Dilka suggested that Jeongin take a break and relax. When he agreed, the bar collapsed and fell to the ground while Rowan was serving it.

‘Bugger thing,’ wondered Rowan, who was scratching his head. ‘I swear this is not mine, not now.’ He went to the other room for more.

‘Ok, I think I got it,’ cheered Jeongin rising his hand toward Paulina. ‘I need you to destroy the little gadget floating near that limb.’

‘No! No!’ exclaimed Paulina, who was now in fetal position. ‘If I do that, I can kill her, I can burn her, I can hurt her, I can lose control!’

Jeongin and Dilka looked at each other, surprised after noticing what happened in the base, and the girl was trembling.

‘Fine, I can do it,’ Dilka said and hit that thing with her gun.

After repeating the same protocol to their other members, the girl stopped trembling, and their limbs joined again, but she was still unconscious.

Paulina finished her scary dance, just in time when Rowan appeared with the beers.

‘Are you ok, Paulina?’ inquires Dilka, who wants to touch her shoulder…

‘Sí! Sí! Homie! You finally got it, good job, jo… good gravedigger,’ shouts and raises their arms like a party.

‘Is she still… em? Is she fine now? Anyway, there are your drinks.’

‘Thanks, I hope she shall be fine. By the way, what happened to her?’

‘Please don’t…’

‘She got raped, and Paulina helped her.’

“Fucking… pendejo.” Paulina whispered.

“Only sh…” says Jeongin, shaking his head slowly, trying to digest it.

“I told you, they’re bad people, really bad,” explains Dilka and touches his shoulder.

Jeongin moves faster to the entrance, without any word. When Dilka found him, she tried to stop him from drinking more alcohol.

‘What the hell are you doing?’

‘Want some distraction; there´s a lot to process. Come on, Dilka! They… they…’ Jeongin hissed, and drank alcohol.

‘But you saved her, listen! I know it is awkward to digest, but you’re his saviour; it could have ended worse. I’m very glad to be on your team. So, let that thing there, you’re our leader, remember’

‘Ok, ok, just one more,’ Jeongin took the last drink, and both returned with Paulina.

‘Please, just finish it and… ahh… finish this…’ told Paulina and ended her beer.

‘Are you drunk?’ asked Dilka, gazing at her.

‘No, we don’t.’

‘Ok so, what are we gonna do with her?’

‘We can leave it in a safer place here, Jeongin,’ explains Dilka and moves her head desperately.

“There’s a big wheelie bin outside.”

“We can’t let her there! Rowan, she needs our help.”

“I’m wholly agreed,” affirms Paulina to Jeongin.

“Well, try to find another place. Look, I didn’t want to sound mean, but just imagine what kind of person should look after one in that big shit?”

“She’ll be fine, come on.”

Rowan carried the lady and put her outside the big flat, in the rubbish box.

“Ok so, does anyone have an idea where Paulina’s friend is?” begged Jeongin.

“He must be in the top.” Acknowledged Paulina.

“Wait, is it really strange, isn’t it?”

“What?” asked Dilka to Rowan.

“There's no sound over there.” I wonder, when did they stop the music?

“So, they know about her friend?” asked Dilka.

“Probably not, but they know we want something.” Gulped Rowan.

They entered; the destroyed house was the same as when they left it. Jeongin suggested taking the lift, but Paulina stopped him; she said it could be a trap.

They went to the stairs, and it remained silent; on every floor it was a blue light, and the transcription of “오류.”

Bip, bip, bip!! That's how it sounds.

“Shit, it’s a fucking trap!” bellowed Paulina.

Jeongin activated his wall, and Paulina pushed the fire away from them. The calm was talking with the smoke, and the team didn’t want to interrupt them, due to another possible trap.

“Puta madre! I told you, with the fucking lift would have been worse.” Barked Paulina.

“Just go,” says Rowan, who takes the first step.

“Jeongin, you should be first, and not only because you’re our natural-born leader.”

“Sure!” affirms himself and smiled so ambiguously at Dilka.

“Hey Jeongin, you should improve your shield; instead of that wall, you can handle a cube or something to protect us.”

“Yes, like a force field!” agreed Paulina to Dilka.

They arrived on the second floor, and when they opened it, they saw a naked hologram of a woman.

They saw a man who was masturbating himself, looking at another hologram. The whole team was sickened by seeing him, except Rowan, who came closer and asked him where the hell everyone was.

“Oh, they said… uff…aah… arr, there, up… upff. They invited me to fight against you, but man, this shit is better than sex, even porn!”

“Ta!”

The guys continue their path until the top.

“Look! There is an AI; we can ask him about.” marvelled Jeongin, pointing to it.

“Ask what? Where the hell are they? Why are they doing? What kind of trap do they have for us? Sure, king,” affirmed Paulina with a sarcastic tone.

“Probably not, but this AI is useful in these places; you can ask him about the services, costs, clients, and many products. I don’t… it's a…”

“Oh, AI for bad people.” Asked Jeongin.

"You're gonna die! Bastards! Bastar—"

[DESTRUCTION PROTOCOLS ACTIVATED]

“What the fuck?” mumbled Rowan.

Dilka shoots it, and it sparks. “Pro—pro—acti—va—”

[PROTOCOLO OF SEX]

The AI turned into a pink light and changed its voice to a sweet lady, “mmm, oohh, yeees… so fucking…”

Rowan destroyed the sexual AI and turned it off.

“Yep…”

“By the way, how did you know of this thing? I’ve never heard about it.” Demanded Paulina.

“Oh well… I did it.”

“No way… you’re so… Never mind,” said Paulina, and everyone was so amused that they didn’t pay attention around.

Rowan opened the door, and Jeongin was laughing and covering his mouth.

“Stop there!” exclaimed a man, aiming guns at them.

“Oh no,” was the team's expression, and they noticed they were surrounded by many people. People with guns, blades, girls with tail blades, and a big oxide machine connected to her ass, like a chain of energy, and men with improved prostheses.

“No! Lâm Văn Duệ?” assessed Paulina, shocked and watching her friend injecting himself with a drug.