Ever moving forward

Leave.

You stand on the deserted road, the cool wind no longer causing a chill.

Don't look back.

You holster your gun, with a bit of difficulty, and take a deep breath in.

Rescue our friends.

A calmness finally descends over your head as you take the first step. "I will Megan. Rest easy now." You say firmly. You take to the road following the direction of the convoy, letting your mind wander. You took your first life, first proper life, and it was scary. Scary just how easy it actually was. Maybe you didn't know Megan well enough to have an emotional connection but you did know Megan's name. Is this what we've already come to? With some slow deep breaths you let go of the thoughts containing Megan.

"But what happened?" You ask aloud. "They're well armed, maybe it was bad timing? Why were we attacked though?" Without paying much attention to your surroundings a large sign lit up with neon lights catches your attention, sticking out of the treeline. Apex Motel.

Trees surround the property keeping it slightly secluded to any passerby. The main housing unit has two floors with four rooms made up of creamy white bricks. A building with a reception sign hanging from its extended overhanging roof is to the left, detached from the main housing unit, and comes out towards the road which boxes in the car park that separates the housing building from the entrance of the road. There's a single car left parked in the car park, parked close to the reception building. There's a few outdoor lights attached to the buildings and a single lamppost in the center of the car park.

That is where you take your banged up body. You go to the main entrance near the double doors, under the roof and into the buzzing of an outdoor light. You grab your gun with your left hand, with more difficulty, and check the interior through the large strip of glass down the middle of each door. The room is lit up with four small celling lights that slightly reflect off the polished wood floor. The floor is exceptionally clean for a roadside motel and, better than that, devoid of blood. The reception desk is empty and kept neat and tidy. Behind the desk is a fully closed door. Using your good shoulder you push in.

An overhead bell rings signaling your arrival as you peer around the clean room. You freeze in place and wait for any other sounds. When none return you fully step inside, the bell ringing again as the door closes. "Hello? Anybody home?" You raise your voice ever so slightly and tap the bell on the desk. "Huh... guess not." You say dejectedly. Walking around the desk, the handle on the back door turns and opens going into the other room. You ready yourself, slightly off to the side.

"Hello?" A young man asks. "Who's there?"

"Me... Uhh Michael." You respond, leaning slightly to see into the doorway. "Who are you?"

"I'm... my name is..." He pauses for a moment and steps out of the other room. A tall and very slender man looks directly into your eyes. His cold silver eyes unmoving for several seconds before his eyes darting to your gun then to your shoulder. His stoic face leaves no hint of worry making you tense up slightly. Does he have a gun? Would he shoot me? Why am I still aiming at a person who's alive? You lower your gun slowly, still keeping eye contact as you do. His face breaks into a wide smile as he runs his hand through his ear-length greasy blonde hair. "You can call me Answer."

He holds his wide, slightly disturbing smile as you furrow your brow at his unusual name. He wears a dark grey high-collar twill coat that is fully zipped shut with a diagonal zip which extends to the middle of his thighs and over his plain black cargo trousers. He sports a very worn pair of black sneakers which look slightly off from his very new looking set of clothes. "Answer?" You question. "What kind of a name is Answer?"

"Heh," The man chuckles through his wide smile. "Now that is the question. But you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You might as well say it so I can call bullshit for myself."

"I'm not a real person. I'm just hijacking this body to achieve my goals and set things right which is where I'm off to next. I had to duck in here to hide from an attack squad sent to destroy me. I'm currently disconnected from my main server so if this body dies I'll lose all of my memories and my reason for my goal in the first place. My actual name is A-N-S-W-3-R, but everyone just called me Answer."

Nutjob... "Right... And Answer stands for?"

"Alpha, Node, Security, and Welfare, unit 3, R." You nod silently.

"The R?"

"It's a programming language, specifically used for statistical computing. Which is part of my job. I can predict instances with 98.4% accuracy with enough data." You squint at him skeptically. "I did say you wouldn't believe me. So it was a waste of your time asking."

"What's the attack squad?" You probe again.

"A unit of highly trained, elite people with tactical equipment and weapons with orders to get their job done with zero rules." You let out a gulp.

"Even older... Let's say condescending men for example?" Answer's eyes widen the tiniest bit to your question. "With a scared face, grey hair and-"

"Steel eyes." He takes a step towards you. "You interacted with him? You left alive?"

"He attacked the group I was with... killed one. And left me to die all because he was 'saving humanity'." You explain matter-of-factly. Answer looks closer into your eyes again, staring deeply, one to the other.

"Who are you? Why did he leave you alone?" Now he looks puzzled asking you.

"I'm... nobody. I'm just me, a plain student from Silver Oak academy. Not very popular, not very noteworthy..." He looks as though he's about to speak but you cut him off. "Look, maybe I just got lucky, or maybe we're talking about two different people. Next time I see him I'll ask for you. Why don't you tell me what it is your goal is?" Answer looks at the door then back at you.

"I suppose it is getting late. Why don't you stay the night and I'll try and help with that injury of yours?"