Sincerely

When Lev told me to get out of Seattle with Alessio’s memory card before the police noticed it was missing, I had better ideas. Like getting Alessio back. I was calling every old contact I still had access to, to see if any of them had access to a non-activated android. Many of them, of course, did not. The things were expensive and usually got sold off quickly. I wasn't worried about money, I would pay any price to have Alessio back in my arms.

Eventually, I had exhausted all my contacts, I was lying in a motel room in some small unknown town, lost for what to do next, when my phone rang. I glanced at the number, it seemed familiar but I couldn’t place it, or put a name to it. I decided to pick it up.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Long time, no see, Elias,” the voice of my ex who had made off with a small fortune of mine spoke.

“What do you want, Jack?” I hissed, displeased to hear his voice.

“I hear you’re in the market for an android,” he commented.

Of course, he would have one, he didn’t collect tech for nothing. I was surprised he’d want to sell any of it.

“What’s your price?” I reply.

“A hit,” he replied.

“I’ve moved on from doing illegal things, Jack. I’ve changed. I’m not going to kill someone for you,” I reply.

“Not even if he was the one who hurt your beloved android?” Jack countered.

I didn’t even know who had hurt Alessio, he and his killer and now Jack seemed to know though.

“Why do you want them gone?” I asked.

“None of your business, that’s my price though. What do you say?” he replies.

Alessio wasn’t considered a person in the eyes of the law, this wouldn’t be considered a revenge killing, I would go to prison if I got caught and for a long ass time.

What price was I willing to pay if it meant having Alessio back?

“I’ll have to think about it, I’ll call you back,” I comment before hanging up.

I didn’t have a lot of options. I set down my phone and picked up Alessio’s memory card which was being held in a ziplock bag for safekeeping. I looked up at it, the only part I still had of him. The rest of him was in some police station evidence box back in Seattle.

I stared up at it for a while as if it would speak to me and give me the answers I wanted. I was desperate, but was I that desperate? Was it worth it?

Suddenly, my phone rang again. I looked down at it, this time not recognizing the number. I answered again.

“Hello?” I started.

“Elias? This is Greyson Novak, Lev’s friend. We’re opening an investigation into the crimes that have involved androids, and surrounding Carlos Fairfield’s murder and the destruction and assaults of other androids. Have you found another body for Alessio? We’d like to see what he knows. If we can find enough, we might be able to charge some people with what they did to him and others,” he explains.

“This is bullshit. No one cares about them except the people who are trying to help them and none of them are involved with law enforcement any longer,” I hiss, not believing a word he said.

He was probably trying to lure me out so he could get Alessio’s memory card back and arrest me for possessing it because it was evidence. Lev had basically stolen and tempered with evidence by giving it to me.

“Elias, this is real. Huxley is going to prison already for Carlos’ murder, with your and Alessio’s help, others could, too. You don’t want to be running for the rest of your life, do you? These people are willing to give you a chance to prove others have done wrong. Please, you are still in danger. They won’t stop coming after you just because you left Seattle, this goes beyond Huxley and Seattle,” he reasons. “I want to help you.”

I stared off into space, thinking about what he said. I might be able to do what Jack wanted me to do without killing whoever it was. I just had to hope locking up whoever had killed Alessio and wronged Jack was enough for him.

“I haven’t found a body for him, but there is someone who will give me one for a price,” I explain.

“Do you need money?” Greyson asks without concern.

“Not that kind of price, you have an idea of the things I used to do. The price is taking out whoever harmed Alessio, to begin with, they hold a vendetta against them, too apparently,” I continue.

“You don’t know if it’s worth it, if you end up in prison?” he asks.

“It’s not, I want Alessio back but I won’t get to see him if I end up in there,” I comment.

“Could you see if turning him in is enough?” Greyson inquired.

“I don’t think that would be enough for them,” I replied. “Plus, he’ll probably be worried about me turning him in, too.”

I had been lucky Jack hadn’t killed me when he made off with my stuff. Normally when Jack was done with someone, he took them out, same if they betrayed him. Just like with whoever had killed Alessio.

“Do you have a name for who killed Alessio?” he asked.

“No, he, Alessio and the killer are the only ones who know a name or face of who did this,” I replied quietly.

Greyson seemed to be thinking.

“Okay, forget him. Just come back to Seattle for now, I have a different idea,” he replied.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I don’t want to hurt you by giving you false hope, so just come back to Seattle, we’ll find Alessio a new body, I promise,” he reasons.

I glanced at the memory chip again, I could hear his voice and feel his hand in mine then. As if he were there with me, then.

“Okay,” I reply quietly. “Give me a few hours.”

“I’ll see you when you get here,” he replied.

I hung up the phone and sighed. I got up and start packing everything before bringing it out to my truck before I went to the front desk to check out.

“Hello, I’d like to check out,” I stated to the receptionist.

“Name, please?” she replied.

“Elias Mercury,” I replied as I set the room card on the counter so she could have it back.

“Right, so just so you’re aware, just because you’re checking out early does not mean you are entitled to any sort of refund,” she warns me as if she’s had people blow up on her before for that.

“I know,” I stated calmly.

She seemed to register the return of the card and set it back on the shelf behind her with the other available room cards.

“Have a nice day, sir,” she stated smiling at me.

I didn’t return it nor say anything in return. I left and went back to my truck to get on the road. I started it up and pulled out of the parking lot and started making my way back, my mind starting to drift to memories of Alessio with little else to focus on other than the road.