Again, I slipped the mask onto her as we moved through the darkness. It was only a few steps before I felt a sharp slicing pain rip through me. Paralyzed, I dropped Ava to the ground. My eyes began to sting and water, as I gasped for breath in the gassy tunnel. Searching for the cause of the intense pain, a metal prod came to my forehead. That’s when I realized we had been detected by a roboguard. Its sharp claw had pierced my side and was relentlessly drilling into me.
Now, dangling above the ground, my mind was beginning to fog. I had to think through the confusion of the gas and the searing pain in my side. I didn’t stand a chance against a robot. Nor did Ava. All I could do was kick and try to pry myself from its grip. I had no weapon. I couldn’t reach my pack. It had fallen from my back when I was viciously impaled. As I kicked at its head, I felt my side rip even more fiercely. I pushed myself from its chest until I had no strength left.
As my ears began to ring and darkness began to fill my vision, I dropped to the ground. Just like that, it had let me go. I lay there breathlessly, trying to find my sight. Frantically, I felt around for Ava. There was nothing but empty ground. Was it all for nothing? Had the roboguard dropped me in exchange for her?
That’s when I heard her muffled voice. “Noah … Noah come on.”
As I regained my vision, I looked up to see her standing there with a handful of wires. Somehow in our struggle, she had gotten to my pack and grabbed my knife, disabling the robot. “The guards taught me what to do when they started malfunctioning last year,” was all she said as she grabbed my hand. “What’s going on, Noah? What the hell’s happening?”
I didn’t have time to explain, “Come with me. If we’re lucky, I’ll tell you later. We’ve got to get to the dock.”
Once again, we trudged through the dark passage until the moonlit night opened before us. As the cool fresh air filled our lungs, we sprinted across the prison yard, through the open gate, and down the path. All the living beings on the island had now disappeared. I could hear the planes high above the clouds, letting me know that our time was up. I couldn’t even take the time to check my watch. If we didn’t get to the dock in the next few minutes, we would be obliterated along with everything else left on the island.
As we approached the dock, I saw the silhouette of a man peering out from behind the periscope. Urgently, he was waving us onward. It was the moment of reckoning. Either we would make it onto that sub, or this was the last time I’d ever see my girl. If it was, I wanted it to be a memorable goodbye. I took one last look at my girl and smiled. “I love you. I have loved you since the first summer I spent with you. You are my sweet Ava Grace.” Then, running with her in my arms, I brought her lips to mine and kissed her like it was our last.
The shouting voice shook me from what might be our final goodbye. Pulling the documents from my bag, I waved them in the air hoping against hope that they would let her board with me. “We’re here!” I shouted. “We’re here!” With adrenaline coursing through me, I grabbed her by the hand and confidently presented her to the officer. Instantly, I recognized him as one of my father’s friends. My father stepped out from behind him. “I took the liberty of going over the boarding papers with my friend, Peter. You know, I’ve watched you kids over the years. I was hoping someday Noah would finally be brave enough to introduce us. Nice to finally meet you, Ava.”
Without even checking the documents, they escorted us aboard and closed the hatch. Within minutes of submerging deep into the ocean, shaking permeated the water. That’s when I knew it was over. It was a terrible realization that I was going to have to tell Ava about her home. About her parents. About the place she grew up. It was tragic. It would be a hard story to tell. But, my mind found peace in knowing that in the middle