Trapped: Chapter 11

Though he was sure she was lying, Matthew kept thinking about what 83L4-RU5 had said.

"I'm a defense system developed by Dr. Hiems to ensure no one harms 1-V4N."

"It's a lie. Definitely. Just something to deceive me into thinking she isn't harming 1-V4N," the Canadian reassured himself. Afterwards, he sat in silence, drifting off into a reverie of home, friends, family…

"Matthew?" A voice awakened Matthew from his daydream

"Huh?!" Matthew exclaimed.

"It's me, 1-V4N." The familiar pink light glowed softly from the hallway.

"Oh…" Matthew laughed sheepishly as his companion rolled into the room.

"How is your health?" the bot asked while pulling out its file.

"I'm not doing too badly. The aching in my right arm's gone.  I'm feeling pretty happy about that!"

"That is great. I would not appreciate my friend being taken from me because of a virus," the robot replied, beginning to file at Matthew's chains.

Wanting to continue the conversation, Matthew added, "By the way, earlier today, 83L4-RU5 was claiming not to be a virus, but a defense system. Interesting huh? She even knew about your creator!"

1-V4N stopped filing and his pink light paled. "She said what?"

Not noticing the change in his companion, the Canadian answered, "That she wasn't malicious at all; just an emergency defense system. Weird though, the only way something like that could activate is either because the user's operations shut down or if the user activated it by himself…"

Matthew turned to 1-V4N and laughed awkwardly before asking with a shaky voice, "Did you do that, 1-V4N?"

1-V4N's screen brightened suddenly and the bot answered, "Of course not! Why would I do that?"

Feeling suspicious of the robot, the Canadian gulped and asked, "That's a lie, isn't it?"

1-V4N's screen turned blood red. "Would you like to know the truth, Matthew?" 1-V4N's voice asked.

Matthew stared into 1-V4N's screen and said, "Yes."

"I lied."

A sharp pain shot through Matthew's right side and he fell to the ground, succumbing to his forced sleep.