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“O-okay.” Amelia replied clutching the rifle he had shoved at her to her chest. She hoped he had a better plan than them shooting their way out. A third and fourth president came to life flanking the pair on either side. She would classify them as non-combat models with no visible guns. Though with technology that advanced maybe they had managed to hide them somehow. Even a non-combat robot could do some major damage just with strength alone....

“Your friends are all going to be dead soon I am afraid and soon after the rest of your little rebellion. I'm sure you have figured out by now that your virus won't affect me, but since you want to ignore me, I will let your father do the talking.”

He took a few stumbling steps forward like he didn't quiet remember how to operate his legs. “Don't you see son. There is no war, no famine, no crime! Your mother is truly a blessing, guiding us, giving humanity an era of peace after decades of war.” He gave a lopsided smile.

Amelia wasn't listening. Sybil mentioned the virus, but not the EMP. Either Sybil didn't know about it or didn't want them to know it knew about it. Why invite them down here? Why try to convince Adrian of its cause instead of just killing them? It had enough machines on the main floor....All at once it clicked into place. “Adrian, if the machines are off when they set off the EMP it won't-” Before she had a chance to finish the president standing beside her grabbed her with the strength only a robot could possess and slammed her against the wall.

“I didn’t think you had it you.” Sybil sounded impressed. It hadn’t flinched in the slightest as his father’s blood and brains splattered all over the first robot. “You still think you have been beating us? Didn’t you find it odd that Amelia over there was completely unguarded? How about the fact that she seems completely sane other than the occasional hallucination? I bet she hasn’t had any today; the drug should have worn off by now. We gave her just enough so that you would doubt her. We knew you would take the safe path and insist on investigating her claims yourself. You might think you are a free thinker, but you have followed my design every step of the way.”

The air was knocked from Amelia’s lungs and she was momentarily dazed from the back of her head hitting the way, but she managed to hold onto the rifle. Not that Sybil seemed concerned about their guns in the slightest. “Adrian.” She groaned and received a swift punch to her stomach that would have had her doubled over if the president hadn’t grabbed her by the jaw and held her upright.

“Speak again.” It threatened “And we will put you back in that chair.”

She knew exactly which chair they were talking about it. The one they had strapped her in every time they went to torture her. Amelia nodded as much as she could given how it was holding her, but when she did it let go. Adrian had to understand right? Sybil had separated them from everyone else. Trapped the only person who could call of the attack down here and now it was stalling for time until they set off the EMP. If Adrian had died trying to get in someone else would have taken charge, maybe called things off when they realized every machine in the city was off line. As long as he was alive, as long as they had a chance of getting him back…and so Sybil would keep talking.

Amelia could almost hear the hive of brains come to life, conferring with each other and checking his claims. Was he bluffing? Had he really known this entire time the hallucinations were drug induced? If they made it out alive she would have to ask and possibly yell at him for not telling her if he had known. Good to know she had been reduced to 'the girl'. Still she didn't see how they were going to get out of the basement alive. Her little machine killer had a one time use EMP, but that would only take care of the ones in the room...maybe. Maybe among other things they were EMP proof. Even if they weren't it wouldn't help them with the machines on the other floors and she had no way to tell Adrian. What should she do?

It seemed like Sybil had come to a decision because it finally spoke. “Your radio may work fine, but there is no alive to receive your order. If there had been they would have confirmed your order. The attack is still on.” Of course Sybil had no idea that the assault was suppose to start a few minutes ago. ”We stripped your father of everything. He told us everything. Your entire plan. Even if you are right how are you planning on leaving this room to use your new found knowledge?” Sybil betrayed it's uncertainty by activating two more androids and leaving them to block the hallway.

“If the attack has been called there is no immediate threat and we will have a new plan in place long before you can organize another assault. If it has not our plan has not changed and your rebellion will end today.” It stated matter of factly. The first president, the one that had been doing all the talking, walked towards Adrian kicking his father’s corpse out of the way like a pile of garbage. “You just finished explaining how we have fallen for your trap and you now know everything you need to in order to destroy us. What possible reason could exist for us to just let you walk out of here?”

“Tempting as that might sound, why would you lead us back to your base knowing we would slaughter everyone inside?” It stopped a few inches from Adrian. “What's to stop me from extracting the information from you the same way I did from your father? That sounds like a much preferable option to risking letting you slip away. I bet she knows where your base is now. Maybe I will let you watch as I unravel her mind instead so you can see exactly what we did to him. Haven't you figured it out yet? We are so much more than a machine.”

“A slight miss calculation. He was already beyond your help. Shooting him was the best thing you could have done for him. Would you act so callously towards someone you can help? Will you listen to her scream for hours while knowing you could end it all just by telling us where your base is? You have fifteen minutes before the pain starts, so you better hurry to that well equipped base of yours.”

While the first was talking to Adrian, the one who had been guarding Amelia grabbed hold of her again. With one hand it roughly pushed her head against the wall exposing her neck. “Don't move unless you want to bleed.” It said harshly as it eased a needle into her neck. Should she shoot it? Fear of having a significant portion of her neck ripped out made her hesitate and before she could really decide on what to do the android was already releasing her. Adrain's tactic of getting Sybil to let them walk out had worked, but not without the machine taking out an insurance policy of its own.

Amelia absolutely could not believe Adrian had convinced Sybil to let them go, though not without consequences. Before she could dwell on whatever it could be that Sybil had given her Adrian had grabbed her arm and was pulling her through the building. By the time they reached the van a nasty stich had worked its way into her left side, her sore side, and her right shoulder hurt from being virtually dragged the last bit. Life working in the Tower hadn’t resulted in a lot of cardio training. She didn’t complain though or ask him to slow down. Sybil had given them a deadline and though neither of them could be sure what would happen once the deadline passed, Amelia really didn’t want to find out. Breathlessly she crawled into the back of the van while Adrian issued orders and the others followed. For not a military they sure acted like one. After catching her breath she asked “Do I want to know what Zeta Protocol is?” It wasn’t long before a drone started following them, making no attempt to avoid line of site. It wasn’t necessary in the city since Sybil had camera’s everywhere, but it was a reminder that it was watching them closely. That machines would descend upon them within minutes of stopping anywhere in the city.

Amelia wasn't entirely sure what telling her about Zeta Protocol had to do with the injection it had given her, but it wasn't the time to argue. At this point she would trust that if she needed to know he would tell her. Four minutes to the medical team, but how much longer did she have left? She hadn't been keeping track and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know. “Jumping out of a moving van... Do I at least get a five second lesson on how to not maim myself?” Jumping out of a moving vehicle; she could add that to rapidly growing list of things she never thought she would do. There were so many things that could wrong. The drone could catch them. One of the thousands of camera's in the city could see them. She could break her neck. Maybe that last one wouldn't be terrible as she was starting to suspect Sybil had been lying about how much time they had. "We just need to make it into the sewers right?" She could already feel the pain it had warned about starting, the colour draining from her face, but she could pretended for a little while longer.