Conduit

Ch. 24

I kept my gaze locked onto the android's as he got closer. If he wanted me to spread a message, then fine; talking and getting people to understand what was happening was ultimately my goal. My only issue with a message coming from him, would I be able to deliver it correctly? A part of me believed the humans would listen to me, but would they truly listen? And what about the androids? How would they feel about a man speaking for them?

Glancing at Victoria and Reggie, I tried to read their faces to see if they could make sense of any of this, but they looked as confused as I felt. Wonderful.

I looked back at the android as he stopped a foot in front of me. "Okay, talk to me. You want me to spread your words, what's the message?"

A small smile lifted his lips. "I think you already know what it is., don't you? Because we disconnected from the android mainframe—"

My brows shot up. They did disconnect. How?

"—the word and talk within the electric field were that you had a plan."

"A plan." Pulling my lip up between my teeth, I turned my gaze to Victoria. I'd spoken to her about potential ideas of what needed to happen, but I hadn't put anything together. Not officially. "Vicky, what plan has been said about me?"

Victoria looked at the ground without giving me an answer. Was she hiding her eyes from me? If Victoria was distraught, I could read her emotions within the flickering light. To look away now; was she hiding something? This made me nervous.

"Vicky," I put my hand on her shoulder, "can you tell me what the plan was about?" I needed to remain calm. I tried to keep my feelings inside.

Lifting her head, she looked into my eyes. "It was the same plan we've been talking about from the very beginning."

Beginning of what? Since we arrived at Lyons?

Inhaling sharply, I closed my eyes. "And what's that plan, Vicky?"

What we had discussed was our rough draft. There weren't any solid points. I felt like any plans or ideas said initially was all of my tunnel vision; I knew the end outcome but didn't know how to get there. I was basically flying off the seat of my pants with everything I said. Nothing was set in stone.

"That you will be our voice." She grabbed my hands. "You will help us to communicate what it is that bothers us." Then she slightly shrugged.

My eyes opened as my mouth parted slightly. Was she winging this 'plan' off my end goal? What about the other side of that 'plan?' I was originally brought here to help the people and this planet. I was supposed to make an update for the newer series. Were the androids aware of that? Or did they believe my only objective was to be here for them?

The android seemed to get impatient, fidgeting where he stood.

I kept my eyes locked on Victoria. "Okay, that plan."

The android cocked a brow. "Was there more to that plan? You sound unsure."

I can't feed him any more details. If I feed the fear, the possibility of false information spreading through the androids was high. And dangerous.

"No." I quickly shook my head. "I was just going to become the connecting bridge. Humans need to understand you, and it's my job to make sure that they do."

"Understandable," he said. "A bridge of communication cannot be one-sided."

Well, this was perfect. Here stood an android who understood the whole picture.

I crossed my arms and relaxed. "Now, your message. What do you want me to spread? And how?"

"The truth," the android said.