EXPIRATION DATE

I... - he began, but the words stuck in his throat.

You're a purger, - she said. - I know who you are. You've come to kill me because my expiration date has passed. Because I'm defective. Because the system doesn't need me.

I'm sorry, - he said. - I don't want to...

No one wants to, - she replied. - But everyone does. It's your job. It's my death. That's how the world works.

Elias looked at her. He saw her fear. He saw her pain. And he felt his own heart beat faster, his hands begin to tremble.

I don't want to kill you, - he said. - I don't want to.

Then don't, - she said. - But you know what will happen if you refuse. Your PC will fall. You'd be written off. You'd become like me. Consumable material.

He looked at her. She was right. He knew that. But he could not bring himself to pull the trigger. Could not kill her. She was like him. She was human.

I can't, - he said. - I can't do this again.

She looked at him, and a spark of hope flickered in her eyes.

Then help me, - she said. - Help me escape. Help me survive.

Elias froze. He did not know what to answer. Did not know what to do. Did not know how to help her.

I can't, - he said. - I have nowhere to go. Nowhere to run.

Then die with me, - she said. - Die as a human. Not as an asset.

Elias looked at her. He felt his heart beat faster. Felt tears rise to his eyes. Felt fear and hope battle in his soul.

"I want to be human," he thought. "I want to be free. I want to live."

He walked to the capsule. Extended his hand and touched her shoulder. She flinched but did not pull away.

I'll help you, - he said. - I'll help you escape.

She looked at him. Gratitude in her eyes.

Thank you, - she said. - Thank you.

Elias opened the capsule. Helped her stand. She was weak, but she stood. He took her hand.

Come, - he said. - I'll get you out of here.

They walked along the corridor. Elias led her toward the exit. He knew this was insane. Knew it could cost him his life. But he could not stop. He wanted to be human. And a human does not kill other humans.

"I will become a traitor," he thought. "Like Iris Vos. Like Kane-39. I'll risk everything for her."

He walked, his steps confident. He did not know what lay ahead. But he knew he was doing the right thing.

Elias led the clone into the corridor. They walked together, quickly and quietly, trying not to attract attention. The woman was weak - she leaned on his shoulder, her breathing was shallow, her legs buckled. But she walked. She wanted to live. And this desire, this spark of life in her eyes, reminded him of what he himself had once felt. Many years ago. Before he became an asset.

Where are we going? - she asked, her voice quiet and hoarse, with a slight tremor. She looked up at him, trust in her eyes. Trust he did not deserve. Trust he could destroy at any moment.

Down, - he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. - To the lower levels. Where the system cannot see. Where you can hide. There are old tunnels there leading to the Gray Zones. I've heard about them from other purgers. They are unguarded. The system forgot about them.

And you? - she asked, her hand gripping his shoulder tighter. - What will happen to you?

Elias was silent. He did not know what would happen to him. He only knew he had broken the rules. That he had become a traitor. That his PC would fall. That his heart could be shut off. That the head of department had probably already noticed his absence. That the system was already tracking his movements through the corridors, his deviation from the route, his non-standard behavior.

"They already know," he thought. "They already see me. They are already preparing my punishment."

He looked at the woman. She was young - about twenty, no more. Her face was pale, almost transparent, with bluish veins under the skin. Her eyes - large, dark, with that desperate hope he had only seen in those with nothing to lose. She was a clone. She was consumable material. But now she was something more to him. A reminder that he was still human. That he could still feel. That he could still choose.

"I will die," he thought. "I will die for her. And that will be a better death than I could have imagined. I will not die in the disposer like trash. I will die saving someone. I will die as a human."

They stopped at the elevator. Elias pressed the button. The elevator was old - metal doors covered in rust, the control panel cracked, some buttons not working. But it worked. It descended to the lower levels, where the system was weaker, where cameras did not work, where one could hide.

Thank you, - she said, her voice trembling. - Thank you for saving me. I don't know why you're doing this. But I'm grateful. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to be disposed of like trash. I wanted to live. I wanted to see the sun. The real sun. Not a hologram.

Don't thank me, - he said without looking at her. - I'm doing this for myself. I want to be human. I want to prove to myself that I'm not yet a machine. That I can still feel. That I can still choose.

She looked at him. Gratitude and fear in her eyes. But also something else. Something he could not explain. Maybe hope. Maybe respect. Maybe love. He did not know. Did not want to know.

The elevator stopped. Doors opened, letting in dark, damp air. The lower level. It was cold here. Smelled of mold and rust. No holograms, no advertising, no drones. Only empty corridors, abandoned rooms, and silence. The kind that pressed on the ears.

Come, - he said, taking her hand. - We need to go. We have little time.

They walked along the corridor. Lamps flickered, sometimes going out for seconds, plunging them into total darkness. Elias felt her hand tremble in his. She was afraid. But she walked. She trusted him.

What's your name? - he suddenly asked. He did not know why he asked. Maybe to remember her. Maybe so she would not be just another clone to him. Maybe so she would become human in his eyes.

Clara, - she replied. - My name is Clara. I was a worker at the Agro-Continent factory. I worked there for six years. Then my kidneys started failing. The system said I was defective. That my expiration date had passed. That I needed to be disposed of. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live.

Clara, - he repeated. The name sounded strange on his tongue. He had not spoken names for years. Names were dangerous. Names made clones human. And humans were those you could not kill.

And what's your name? - she asked.

Elias, - he replied. - Elias Hall. Purger. Corrector. Class C. Asset.

She laughed shortly, without warmth.

You're not an asset, - she said. - You're human. You saved me. Assets don't save. Assets kill.

Maybe, - he said. - Maybe I just forgot I was human. Maybe you reminded me.

They continued walking. The corridor grew darker and colder. Walls covered in layers of old paint, peeling to reveal bare concrete. The floor uneven, with cracks collecting dirt. Here, on the lower levels, the system did not care about cleanliness. There were no assets to maintain here. Only waste.

Elias stopped before a small door - metal, rusty, hinges creaking with every movement. He pushed it, and it opened, letting in cold air from outside. Beyond the door was a tunnel. Dark, narrow, endless. It led to the Gray Zones. To where there was no system. To where one could be free.

Here you will be free, - he said, pointing to the tunnel. - Here the system cannot reach you. Here you can live. A real life.

She looked at the tunnel, then at him. Tears in her eyes - the first tears he had seen in years. Real tears. Living tears.

And you? - she asked. - Won't you come with me? We could leave together. We could be free. Together.

Elias shook his head. He wanted to say yes. Wanted to go with her. Wanted to be free. But he knew it was impossible. That he had no strength. That he was too tired. That his heart would soon break. That he would die in this tunnel, and she would watch him die. And that would be worse than death in the disposer. Because she would remember him. And she would suffer.

I have work, - he said. - I have a duty. I cannot leave. If I leave, they will find me. And they will find you. I cannot risk your life. You must live. You must be free. For both of us.

She took his hand and squeezed it. Her fingers were cold, but her hand was warm. Alive.

You are human, - she said. - The most human person I have ever met. I will never forget you, Elias. I will remember you all my life. However short it may be.

Go, - he said, gently freeing his hand. - Go. Live. Be free.

She looked at him one last time. Gratitude, fear, hope, and something else in her eyes. Something he could not name. Maybe love. Maybe regret. Maybe a promise.

I will live for you, - she said. - I will make sure your sacrifice is not in vain.

She turned and stepped into the tunnel. Elias watched her go, her figure gradually dissolving into the darkness. She did not look back. Did not say another word. Just walked forward, into the unknown, into freedom.

Elias stood and watched until her silhouette completely disappeared. The tunnel swallowed her, and she became part of the silence. He was alone. Alone in this dark, cold corridor. Alone with his thoughts. Alone with his pain.

"I did it," he thought. "I saved her. I became human."

But he knew this was only the beginning. That punishment awaited him. That his PC would fall. That his heart could be shut off. That the head of department had probably already noticed his absence. That the system was already tracking his movements through the corridors, his deviation from the route, his non-standard behavior.

"I will die," he thought. "I will die, but I will die human. I will die knowing I did something right. I will die knowing I am not just an asset. I will die knowing I was human."

He turned and walked back. His steps were heavy, as if he carried a burden that grew heavier with each step. He did not know how much time he had left. Maybe an hour. Maybe a minute. Maybe a second. But he knew he must return. Must finish his work. Must meet his fate.

"I will return," he thought. "I will return to my clones. I will return to my work. I will return to my death. But I will return a different person. I will return as someone who knows he can choose. Who can be free. Even if freedom lasts only a moment."

He walked along the corridor, his heart beating in time with his steps. Vzh-vzh-vzh. The sound he hated. The sound that reminded him he was a machine. But today this sound sounded different. It sounded like a reminder that he was still alive. That he still felt. That he was still human.

"I will die," he thought. "I will die today. But I will die knowing I saved someone. I will die knowing I was human. And that will be a better death than I could have imagined."

He entered the elevator. Doors closed behind him, and he was alone in the white cabin. He looked at his reflection in the metal wall and saw a human. Tired, frightened, but alive. A human who had made a choice. A human who had risked everything. A human who was free.

The elevator began to rise. Elias closed his eyes and imagined standing in a forest. That wind touched his face. That his heart beat steadily, without this cursed sound. That he was free.

When he opened his eyes, he was still here. In New Tokyo-3. In the center of corporate hell. But he was no longer an asset. He was human. And he was ready to meet his death.

The elevator stopped at the level of sector D-7. Doors opened, and Elias stepped into the corridor. The air was heavy, saturated with the smell of dampness, rust, and something else - that sweet smell he had learned to recognize over the years. The smell of decay. The smell of death. The smell of what the system called "biological wear."

Elias stood in the corridor, looking at the endless row of doors. Each led to a room where a clone waited. Each was marked with a red dot on his terminal. "Defect. Disposal." He had saved one. He could not save them all. And now he had to return to his work. Had to kill. Had to be an asset.

"I don't want to," he thought. "I don't want to do this again. I don't want to kill. I want to be human. But I have to. I have to return. I have to finish. I have to meet my fate."

He took a deep breath. The synthesized air smelled of ozone and chemicals. He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining standing in a forest. That wind touched his face. That he was free. But when he opened his eyes, he was still here. In this corridor. In this hell.

He walked toward room 7. The third clone waited there. Elias opened the door and entered. The room was the same as all the others - white, sterile, with a sleep capsule in the corner. In the capsule lay a man. Old. Gray stubble covered his wrinkled face, and his hands were thin, with prominent veins. He was worn out. He was ready to die. But he was alive. And he looked at Elias.

You came back, - said the old man, his voice hoarse with a slight tremor. - I thought you wouldn't.

Elias stopped at the door. He did not know what to say. Did not know how to explain. He just stood and looked at this man who was supposed to die.

I always come back, - Elias replied. - It's my job.

You saved that woman, - said the old man, curiosity flickering in his eyes. - I heard you leave. I heard you talk. You became a traitor. You broke the rules. The system does not forgive people like you. They'll kill you.

I know, - Elias replied. His voice was even, without emotion. He had accepted this. Accepted his fate.

Then why did you come back? - the old man asked. - You could have left. You could have escaped. You could have been free. Why come back to this hell?

Elias looked at him. At his wrinkled face, his tired eyes, his trembling hands. He was old. He was worn out. He was ready to die. But he did not want to die alone. He wanted someone to be with him. To see him one last time. To remember him.

I came back to help you, - Elias said. - I can't save you. I can't get you out of here. I already saved one. I can't save any more. But I can make sure you die quickly. Without pain. I can be with you. So you are not alone.

The old man laughed shortly, without warmth, but a spark of gratitude flickered in his eyes.

You are kind, - he said. - Too kind for this world. Too human to be an asset.

He extended his hand. Elias stepped closer and took it. The hand was cold and dry, but he felt a pulse - weak, uneven, almost fading.

Thank you, - the old man said, his voice quiet, almost a whisper. - Thank you for being human. Thank you for being here. I didn't want to die alone. I was afraid I would die alone. But you're here. You see me. You remember me.

What is your name? - Elias asked. It was a question he had never asked. Names were dangerous. Names made clones human. But he had to know. He had to remember.

Leon, - the old man replied. - My name is Leon. I was an engineer. I built these capsules. I designed them. And now I lie in one of them. What irony.

Leon, - Elias repeated. - I will remember you. I will remember your name.

The old man smiled - for the first time. His smile was crooked, tired, but genuine.

You are a good person, - he said. - You do what you must. But you don't let the system kill you. You remain human. That's the most important thing.

Elias raised the taser. His hand did not tremble. He knew what he was doing. He was not doing it for the system. He was doing it for him. So he would not suffer. So he would go in peace.

I'm sorry, - Elias said.

Don't apologize, - Leon replied. - You're giving me what I want. You're giving me peace.

Elias pulled the trigger. The taser made a soft sound, and Leon sighed. His body went limp, eyes closed. He was dead. But a smile lingered on his face.

Elias turned away. He could not look at him. Could not look at what he had just done. But he knew it was right. That it was human.

"I did it," he thought. "I gave him peace. I didn't let him die alone. I was there. I remembered his name."

He left the room and closed the door. The corridor was empty and silent. He walked toward the next room. Toward his next clone. He knew he could not save them all. But he could make sure they did not suffer. He could be human for them.

"I will die," he thought as he walked along the corridor. "I will die today. But I will die human. I will die knowing I did something right. I will die knowing I remembered their names."

He entered room 10. The fourth clone waited there. A young man with black hair and a pale face. His eyes were wide open, full of fear. He looked at Elias as if he were a monster.

Don't kill me, - he said, his voice trembling. - Please. Don't kill me. I don't want to die. I want to live. I have dreams. I have hopes. I want to see the world. Please. Don't kill me.

Elias stopped. He looked at this young man and felt his heart break. He was young. He was alive. He wanted to live. He wanted to be free. He wanted everything Elias could not give.

I don't want to kill you, - Elias said, his voice quiet, almost a whisper. - Do you believe me? I don't want to kill you. But I can't save you. I already saved one. I can't save any more. The system will find me. The system will find you. We can't escape.

Then run with me, - the young man said, his voice desperate. - Run with me now. We have a chance. We can go to the Gray Zones. We can be free. Together. You saved that woman. You can save me. Please. I don't want to die.

No, - Elias replied, his voice firm, though inside everything trembled. - I have no chance. I'm too tired. Too weak. Just an asset. I can't run. I can't be free. But I can make sure you go quickly. Without pain. I can be with you. So you are not alone.

The young man looked at him. Pleading, desperation, fear in his eyes. But gradually fear gave way to something else. Acceptance. He understood there was no way out. That the system had won.

You really don't want to kill me? - he asked, his voice quiet.

No, - Elias replied. - I don't want to. But I have to. It's my job. It's my fate. I can't change it. But I can do it quickly. Without pain. I can be with you.

The young man closed his eyes. His breathing was uneven, but he tried to calm himself. He was not doing it for himself. He was doing it for Elias. So he would not feel guilty.

Do it, - he said. - Do it quickly. And remember me. Please. Remember me.

What is your name? - Elias asked.

Alex, - the young man replied. - My name is Alex.

I will remember you, Alex, - Elias said. - I will remember your name. I will remember you wanted to live.

He raised the taser. His hand did not tremble. He knew what he was doing. He was doing it for him. So he would not suffer. So he would go in peace.

I'm sorry, - Elias said.

Thank you, - Alex replied.

Elias pulled the trigger. The taser made a soft sound, and Alex sighed. His body went limp, eyes closed. He was dead.

Elias stood and looked at him. At his young face, now peaceful. At his hands, no longer trembling. He was dead. But he did not die alone. He died with a name. He died as a human.

"I can't save everyone," Elias thought as he left the room. "I can't change this world. But I can make sure they die with dignity. That they are not just numbers in the system. That they are human. Even in death."

He walked toward the next room. Fifth clone. Sixth. Seventh. He went from door to door, doing his work. But now his work was different. He was not killing for the system. He was killing for them. So they would not suffer. So they would not be alone.

He remembered their names. Leon, Alex, Maria, Dmitry, Elena. Remembered their faces. Their voices. Their fear. And his own pain.

"I will die," he thought as he walked toward room nine. "I will die, but I will die human. I will die knowing I did something right. I will die knowing I remembered their names."

Room nine. Ten. Eleven. He continued walking until he reached the last one. Room 39. The twelfth clone. The one with the same number as Kane-39.

Elias stopped before the door. His heart beat faster. Vzh-vzh-vzh. He felt his hands begin to tremble. He did not know why. Maybe because it was the last one. Maybe because he was so close to the end. Maybe because he was afraid of what he would see.

He opened the door and entered. The room was the same as all the others - white, sterile, with a capsule in the corner. But this capsule was different. It was open. Empty.

Elias froze. He looked at the empty capsule and could not believe his eyes. The clone was gone. Escaped. Not here. The system was wrong. Or he was wrong. He did not know. He just stood and stared at the emptiness.

What does this mean? - he whispered. - What does this mean for me?

He did not know the answer. He only knew he had done his work. Saved one. Given peace to ten. And one had disappeared. Maybe it was a sign. Maybe it was a chance. Maybe it was a beginning.

"I did all I could," he thought. "I saved her. I gave them peace. I remembered their names. Now I am ready to meet my fate."

He left the room and closed the door. The corridor was empty and silent. Elias stood and stared at the white walls. He knew punishment awaited him. That his PC would fall. That his heart could be shut off. But he was ready. Ready to die. Ready to be free.

"I did all I could," he thought. "I became human. I was human. And I will die human."

Elias returned to his office. A small room with white walls and a metal table built into the floor. On the table lay his terminal - a black plastic rectangle containing all the information about his work, his life, his death. He sat at the desk, feeling his body ache after the long day. Muscles hurt, eyes burned, his heart continued its monotonous rhythm. Vzh-vzh-vzh.

He picked up the terminal and opened the file. "Sector D-7. Disposal Report. Date: today. Executor: Elias Hall. ID: EH-4492-Gamma." He scrolled through the report, reviewing each clone's records. Names he remembered. Faces he had seen. Lives he had taken.

He stopped at the first name: "Clone No. 1. Name: not specified. Expiration date: expired 3 days ago. Reason for disposal: biological wear." Elias looked at these words and felt his stomach clench. He did not know this person's name. Did not know his face. He just killed him because the system told him to.

"I should have asked his name," he thought. "I should have found out who he was. I should have remembered him."

He scrolled further. "Clone No. 2. Name: not specified. Expiration date: expired 5 days ago. Reason for disposal: system failure." The second clone. Also without a name. He had not even looked at him. Just entered, pulled the trigger, left. Did not give him a chance to be human.

He continued reading. "Clone No. 3. Name: Leon. Expiration date: expired 7 days ago. Reason for disposal: organ failure." Elias stopped at this name. Leon. The old man who built the capsules. Who smiled at him before death. Who thanked him for being there.

"I remember you, Leon," he thought. "I remember your name. I remember your smile. I remember how you held my hand. You did not die alone. I was with you."

He scrolled further. "Clone No. 4. Name: Alex. Expiration date: expired 2 days ago. Reason for disposal: kidney failure." Alex. The young man who begged him not to kill him. Who wanted to live. Who wanted to see the world. Elias remembered his face - pale, frightened, with wide-open eyes. Remembered his voice - trembling, desperate, pleading.

"I remember you, Alex," he thought. "I remember your fear. I remember your hope. I remember how you looked at me before death. You were human. You wanted to live. And I did not give you that chance."

He closed his eyes for a moment. The faces of the clones appeared before him again. Maria, Dmitry, Elena, Sergey, Anna, Ivan, Olga, Peter. He killed them all. He remembered their names, but that did not change what he had done. He took their lives. He became their death.

"I am a monster," he thought. "I kill people. I kill those who want to live. I kill those who do not want to die. I do this every day. And I cannot stop."

He looked at the terminal again. The list of names was long. He scrolled to the end, until he reached the last one. "Clone No. 12. Name: not specified. Expiration date: expired 1 day ago. Reason for disposal: organ failure. Status: not disposed. Location: unknown."