Chapter 10

I just need to get back to my bike before Ellis kills me too.

The thought traced back through his mind, but he tried to push it aside. What had Ellis done to her? Had he hurt Lena? The fact that there was no trace of her was unsettling. Zark had just seen a new side of Ellis. If she was still out there, he needed to find her before Ellis did. That’s why he’s still here, he thought. If she was dead, he wouldn’t still be waiting. Hope rekindled in his heart. He cut through the woods back towards the road. He briefly considered calling out to her, but to do so would give away his position.

This area of woods was not difficult to traverse , but every direction looked the same. Trees loomed on all sides as he descended the hillside. He emerged from the woods and found the road. He turned on his flashlight and followed the road on foot back to where his bike was parked.

Zark had been gone a long time, but he could still make it back before morning. However, something nagged at him. He needed something. Any sign of what might have happened to her. Ellis was hiding something. He had avoided Zark’s questions about what happened to Lena. Zark battled between the thought of exploring a bit further versus returning home and informing Zedd of Ellis’ strange behavior.

As he walked, the taillight of Zedd’s bike reflected in his flashlight beam. He shined his light around warily before approaching the bike, looking for any sign of an ambush by the android.

Nothing.

He hurriedly approached the bike and grabbed the handlebars to maneuver it back onto the road. Zark realized that the liquid oxygen fuel levels were too low for an extended search. He had no option but to head back or face being stranded in the woods. He placed his celltab into his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. Distraught, he put on his helmet and swung his leg over the bike before starting it. The headlight came on and Ellis stood just a few meters ahead.

Zark’s heart leapt to his throat. Ellis’s eyes blazed. Without a word, Ellis charged.

Pressing a hard right on the handlebars, Zark pulled the throttle nearly all the way in, using his right foot to pivot. The back tire showered Ellis with small rocks and dirt as the bike whipped around. He straightened out the grip, and ripped deeper into the forest.

Ellis lunged towards the fleeing bike. A superhuman grip seized the rear fender. Ellis’ mechanical grip dug into the light metal frame, dragging his legs behind. Zark felt the sudden shift in weight and maneuvered in response. Frantically angling the bike this way and that, Zark tried shaking his attacker, but Ellis held strong. As an inexperienced driver, Zark feared he would be unable to lose the android.

Ellis pulled his other arm forward, crunching the exhaust pipe in his grip. The frigid LOx pipe burned the flesh of Ellis’s hand deep red. He attempted to pull himself upwards onto the rear of the bike. Zark accelerated, hoping to keep Ellis from gaining any more of a hold. The crushed exhaust pipe limited his acceleration, and Zark became desperate. A fork came into view. Zark chose right. He zipped past a sign, unable to catch the words on it’s eroded surface.

A hand grasped Zark’s backpack. He let his left hand off the grip, and wriggled free of the left strap. He then took his right hand off the throttle, if only for a moment, to free the other strap from his body. Ahead, the road rose, and the bike slowed. He quickly grasped the throttle again, maintaining a shaky velocity. The mechanical hand wrestled the pack, throwing Zark off his path.

Cresting the hill, the road ceded to dirt and loose gravel. Zark quickly slowed the bike down by about twenty km/h before the rear wheel could slid out from under him. The backpack came off as Zark abandoned the bike. He fell to the ground, sliding on his thigh, and rolling once. The bike took Ellis with it, careening down the steep gravel road, tumbling end over end down the incline as its front fork jackknifed and caught the ground. The bike flung Ellis’ outstretched body down the slope before finally landing on top of him, crushing him in a sickening, metallic impact. The collision echoed throughout the forest.

Zark sat for a moment. He removed his helmet, and fought to regain his composure. Adrenaline surged through his body. He instinctively felt for broken bones or lacerations. He touched his thigh where he landed but quickly pulled back from the wet feeling. His pants were torn and his celltab was gone, lost in the backpack that he had relinquished to Ellis. He stood carefully, feeling for any breaks, and was relieved to find none. At the bottom of the hill, the bike laid in a crumpled mess, it’s front wheel still spinning. The skewed headlight shone a tapered beam into the forest, clouded by swirling dust in the wake of its ruin. The chase had ended, and he was alone.

Zark stood for a time. His thoughts raced.

Where am I?

How am I going to get home?

Where is Lena?

A rustle drew Zark’s attention. The bike’s headlight beam rocked, sending the shadows of the trees into a synchronized flutter.

No.

The bike pulsed from underneath. Once. Twice. The third movement sent the bike barreling through the air, casting the headlight beam in a frantic spin before it crashed yet again into the ground.

The red glow of the taillight caught the silhouette of a humanoid shape. Two crimson eyes flashed in the darkness.