Marina slashed at my legs but her swing was met by my blade just inches before striking me. “No my love, I cannot fight you. I promised you long ago I would never fight with you no matter what. You are my love and always will be.”
She lunged at me, the two of us locking blades. Swipe after swipe, pushing me back keeping up a half-hearted assault. I knew the potential of the assassin bots and she was not truly attacking me with all her ability.
“I am not your love…I am an image…I am not her but I feel strangely.”
I lunged at her, making my own half-hearted thrust. She parried me locking her arm with mine. Again we looked into each other’s eyes. “It does not matter what you say to me Marina…you are my Marina. You have come back to me so I can atone for the hurt I caused you long ago.”
Anger flashed across her face pushing me back with true force. “You hurt me! I will kill you!”
She advanced forward, slash after slash murderous fury in her motions. I was on the defensive blocking her with both blade and shield. With each attack she cursed me, cursed my name and kept demanding I fight back.
“I can’t! I won’t! I won’t fight you Marina. I will not hurt you.”
She kept assaulting me with fury and rage, finally stumbling me back against a wall in the courtyard. I was at her mercy. Cocking her arm back I ready myself for the final blow. The backhanded slash came at my throat, crashing into the wall jut a quarter of an inch from my throat.
She moved her face close to mine. “I…love…you Dave. Please stop me. I do not want to hurt you.”
“I can’t stop you Marina.”
“You must Dave…you must kill me. It is the only way.”
“Never! I can never hurt you, never kill you…never Marina!”
She stepped back, lowering her guard. “You must do it Dave. This will continue, this pain will go on.”
There was a slight humming sound from her chest, a compartment appeared where her heart would be. I watched as the metallic skin parted exposing a four by four opening. I beheld a golden light a golden orb. It was the power core of the bot…the heart of Marina.
“I cannot be with you my Dave.”
“And I cannot be without you my Marina.”
At that moment, time appeared to slow down, nearly to a stop. Then I felt a hand, her hand, Marina’s hand touch my cheek.
“My honey…I am your memories…I am all she was…I am not real.”
I began to cry, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“You are wrong Marina. You are everything. You will always be everything to me. You are my soul mate and I promised to never leave you no matter what. I will not leave you now.”
The orb began pulsating, the glow brightened. I knew exactly what this meant, my nanites provided me with that information. She was in self-destruct mode.
“Marina NO! You cannot do this! I will not allow it!”
Gently rubbing my cheek, another tear, a real tear rolled down her cheek, “Then my love you must destroy me. There is no other choice. Our fight will go on and on unless we end it now.”
“No, I cannot hurt you…not again. There is always a way, please believe me, please trust me; just this once.”
“It is your choice Dave, it has always been your choice but you must choose between my self-destruction or you must be the hand that ends this.”
I gave my Marina a loving smile. I smile I had buried deep, kept secret for so many years. I touched her face with my own loving touch. My right hand raised above my head, I formed my blade. The glowing her in chest was becoming brighter. In a few moments she would self-destruct. My love for her grew stronger, deeper than I ever imagined it could.
“There is always another choice.” My body began to glow. At first it surrounded my body then grew surrounding us both. I placed my hand over the place that was where her heart would have been. My hand warmed, growing in brightness.
Marina glanced down at my hand. “Dave what are you doing to me?”
“What I promised you so long ago. I am healing your heart, the heart I broke.”
The opening sealed. Her silver metal skin began to fall off, drifting away in the gently breeze. As it fell away, in its place was the appearance of soft, tender skin.
“I love you Marina. We will be together, forever.”
“Forever…” replied Marina
The glow from David’s body grew brighter and brighter, within a few moments it surrounded them.
Epilogue: (This part is one page, written over the silhouette of two people merged into one…for an ending and powerful image.
The accounts from that moment have varied.
All that is known for sure is that war ended.
Some accounts say that the two of them merged.
Other versions say that they just vanished into a ball of light.
Another narrative speaks that they walked away together.
The only account that is consistent between them all is at the last moment they both had blissful smiles
Their faces were shrouded in pure joy & love.
Jim says
Outstanding tale!