THEREFORE I AM [Completed]

Chapter Ten

Eli
Now, 2078

Woodhill at night felt more sinister and eerie than it did during the day. The sunlight revealed a dirty film across the path and the moonlight lightly reflected off the congregation of Humans and Androids that populate the streets. I took the time to dodge the people and walked on ahead unsuspected, I was a lone Hoover in an area of poverty, and I didn't fancy being a short column on a news article for the charge in his battery. I made it to the red door off an unnamed street near the shop that Saul and I had visited. I recalled the path as I walked through the twisting catacombs of tunnels. Left. Left. Right. Left. Right. I reached the hidden door and moved the concealing slab to the side, walking in, I pushed it back to keep its secret hidden.

"I'm Eli. I'm here." I decided it was better to announce that it was me before I walked in, even so, I was still greeted by Katherine holding up a gun as I walked through the entrance.

"Never be too safe." She said dropping her arm to rest but she never instantly let go of the gun. Trust issues.
"I am assuming you've come back tell me you're joining us. They always do." And I wondered if she meant Humans or Androids. Regardless, it gave me hope that everyone here joined the cause when they heard about it, maybe there was a chance the majority will follow suit.

"Why do you have a gun if you are non-violent organisation?" I asked, pointing out that Katherine still had her gun tightly gripped in her hand. She dropped it on the table, but it still laid within quick reach of her person.

"There's a lot of people that want to kill me," Katherine chuckled as if was funny to her, "as always." She moved further into the light, and I got a better picture of her than I did before. Her body was grubby, and her face seemed at a loss of any sense of life. I recalled the Mandatory Viewing, the first one I've ever watched that stated she was dead, killed by a rogue Android that had missing memory a few years ago. The picture of her then had a glow and the freshly pressed suit was now replaced by a tank top that looked like it was dipped in water for a wash.

"Why would they kill someone that is already dead?" I realised the choice of words sounded sarcastic, but it was meant as a genuine question.

Katherine laughed. "Chancellor Katherine is dead." She paused, looking at me. "Metaphorically." Mistaking my silence in thinking as a sign of stupidity.

"I understand what a metaphor is."

"For a newbie you're very intuitive. My expectation was definitely off." I'm not sure what it was that Saul had told them about my abilities, but I get the impression he may have overestimated my uses. Logical outcomes are not something I could just control, I need a reason for it to happen, a purpose. I inspected Katherine further and I wondered what would happen if I presented an outcome she didn't like. "I didn't fake my death, the NC did. I managed to get away quick enough, but I supposed they were arrogant enough to think that they would have me in a body bag with no questions asked. My death was reported the next day, a pre-recorded report obviously but..." She gestured to her body. "... here we are three years later and I'm still breathing."

"And nowhere near our goal," Katherine startled as Kelvin walked softly into the light. Even I didn't notice he was in the room. "Thank you for joining, our Mothers work." He said holding out a hand to shake.

"Thank you, but I don't think I share the same religious views." I felt his hand grip tighter, and the shaking became more vigorous.

"You will see her as I did," Katherine shot a side-eyed look at me, it was evident she had no religious views either. Whether that was because Mother was considered an Android deity or she was an atheist to the thought of all forms of religion, I wasn't sure of. As much as I started to like Katherine, I was still weary of her ex-Chancellor status. She was still partly to blame for the theatrics of Mandatory Cleansing.