Lahat ng Kabanata ng COLD STEEL, BLEEDING HEARTS : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

The purple beam hit the hospital buildings three miles away. It was so quiet after that. The silence was even scarier than an explosion. There was no fire. There was no smoke. There was a huge empty hole where a twenty-story building used to be. The concrete and the glass just stopped existing."Move now" Julian screamed.He did not wait for Sarah to answer. He grabbed her arm. Pulled her toward the exit on the roof. The black bird on his shoulder turned red. The silver disc in his hand was shaking hard it felt like it would break his bones."The mountains are sixty miles to the north" Sarah panted. Her boots slipped on the gravel floor. "We cannot walk far before the Harvest reaches us""We are not walking" Julian said.He pointed to the landing pad at the edge of the roof. Three white transport flyers were sitting there. They looked like sharks without wings. One of the soldiers in armor was trying to climb into the first flyer. His hands were shaking as he tried to open the door.J

The light in Sarahs eyes was not like a lamp it was like a fire. Sarah stood still her hands were at her sides. Her body felt like a warm metal statue. Behind her hundreds of people turned at the time they moved like a big machine. A little boy dropped his teddy bear his eyes were also burning with light."Sarah stop this it is not funny " Maya said. She tried to touch Sarahs shoulder. Her hand stopped. The air around Sarah was. Making a humming sound. It felt like touching a wire.The crowd said, "The characters have reached the mountain. The first ending was successful now we begin the revision.""Run " Julian said, he grabbed Mayas waist. Pulled her back. Sarahs hand snapped forward her fingers were stiff like iron bars. She swiped the air where Mayas head had been."They are being controlled " Maya screamed. She scrambled backward her boots slipped on leaves. Her heart was hitting her ribs hard she felt like a trapped bird. Maya was a doctor she knew how bodies worked these people

The air inside the warehouse was cold. It did not smell like a hospital. It smelled like sand and old electricity. Maya stood on her shaking legs. The wires on her arms pulled at her skin. She looked at the man in the suit. He was smiling,. His eyes were like two pieces of cold glass.Maya saw the man in the suit. She felt scared. "Project 04?" Mayas voice was a whisper. "That is not my name."The man said "In the world names are just labels for the bank." He tapped his computer tablet. A glowing screen appeared in the air between them.Maya saw a video. It was a version of Maya. She was sitting in a chair in a dark office. She looked tired and cold. In the video Maya picked up a pen. Signed a paper. The name on the paper was Maya Benson. Below it her job title said: Chief Architect of Neural Entertainment.The man said "You created the Story Farm to save this company, Maya. The people in those glass boxes? They are volunteers. They get paid in the world while their brains make storie

The white room was not empty. It was making a humming noise like a lot of fans running at the same time. Maya felt the floor shaking under her feet. She stood still her hands were clenched into fists. Across from her the man in the suit was fixing his silk tie. This "Real" Julian had no scars on his face. His skin was smooth. His hair was cut perfectly. His eyes did not look tired like a man who had been running for twenty years."You look confused " the Real Julian said. His voice sounded like Julians voice.. He sounded very proud of himself. "I think seeing your face without any pain is a big shock for you.""You are the Writer?" Julians voice was low and angry. He took a step forward. His body was ready to fight. "You are the one who trapped Maya in that loop? You are the one who let me rot in a tank for years?"The Real Julian laughed. The sound was very cold. It made the white room feel like a freezer. "Trapped her? Julian I saved her. Her fathers company was dying. Everything wa

The floor of the laboratory started moving. The alarms changed their sound. The loud scream of the sirens turned into a thumping noise. It felt like a heart beating under the floor. Maya gripped the edge of a metal desk tightly. Her fingers were white with fear. On the wall screen a map of Nigeria was glowing. A red light was flashing on her home village, Oruk Anam."Maya, the satellite in space is moving!" Sarah yelled. Her voice was almost lost in the noise of the crowd waking up. "It is not aiming at the desert anymore. It is following a signal from your home village!" Maya felt a surge of fear."It is a trap " Maya whispered. She felt the hum of the building inside her chest. Every time the lights flickered her heart skipped a beat. She was the power source for this building. Her energy was running out. "Julian! Can you see who is sending that signal?" she asked.The speakers made a cracking sound. Julians voice was broken by static. "The code... It is very old Maya. It is not a c