Code: 213

Killer

Nila shoots. And misses. Without missing a beat I pull back the hammer and fire. My heartbeat is loud in my ears. *Nila just tried to kill me*. The thought plays over and over again in my head. I stare the bullet hole left in between Nila's eyes. The glowing red eyes. I pick up the Glock laying to the side of Nila. I go back to the storage closet and find two 17-round mags for it. I pick up a rag from the closet floor and go to the bathroom. I dampen the rag to fashion a makeshift mask. I slowly walk past Nila's body towards the front door. I notice a small piece of paper in their hand. I bend down and pick it up. It reads:

260 425 Yesler Way
Nova Storage
16 : 837

It's the address and code to a storage unit. My only plan until now was to leave the state and find help somewhere. I put the small piece of paper in my pocket. I continue out of the front door where the smell of smoke hits me again. *I guess I can take a small detour* I think to myself.

I start heading in the direction of the storage unit. I notice all the VMS signs repeat the same messages on them:

Please stay indoors. Current threat is being eliminated.

*Thats a futile attempt at getting people to calm down* I think to myself.

National Lockdown. Please abide to appropriate protocols.

*National?* I question myself. *So this is happening everywhere. That throws my plan of leaving the state out of the window.* I continue down the street, past all the burning buildings. It's night time but the sky is illuminated by the fire. It's deathly quiet besides the sound of the crackling flames. I walk in silence towards the storage unit.

——————————————————————————
??:??

I've only walked for half an hour but I already feel fatigued. I decide to take a break on a nearby park bench. I take out a granola bar from my bag and open it. *Okay, what do we know so far?* I question myself.

*Androids all over America have been corrupted I guess, by this thing called the Ultimate. But why do their eyes turn red?*

I recall my first odd interaction with Nila. I had cut my finger when their eyes turned red. I then remember the conversation I had with the old woman in the elevator. She had stubbed her toe when the androids eyes turned red.

*Do their eyes turn red when they sense pain?* That's the only logical answer I can come up with. Now that I think about it, the manual said that their eyes flash red when they sense imminent danger. *Why do they stay red then?* My thoughts are cut short when I hear foot steps approaching the bench. To my surprise, I turn to see Keira. But she's- paler than normal. "Anastasia , I've been looking everywhere for you!" She exclaims. "Oh my god, I thought you were dead". She pulls me in for a hug. "Yeah uh- I'm fine for the most part" I say to her. "I tried calling you" I tell her. "My phone died at the police station and I've had no time to charge it" she replies. A loud banging interrupts our conversation. Keira and I turn our heads to the source of the noise. It's a group- no an ARMY of androids, slowly stalking towards us. The lead android in front emits an ear piercing pitch, the same one from before. "Hide!" Keira yells at me, and we do just that.