***
“So, how has the investigation been going,” Bark asked while he sat on the bed in the infirmary.
Josiah shook his head. “Unfortunately, nowhere. We have looked into everything and found nothing. The device attached to the security system was a bust.”
Bark looked around to see if they were alone. Fortunately, Josiah usually cleared this part of the infirmary before he did his mental scans with Bark. “Doctor, did anything interesting come up from Green Scream?” There was a touch of hope in this request.
Josiah shook his head. “No. His alibi checked out. Several of his friends saw him eating in the mess at the time of the burglary.”
Bark frowned. “But that was so late.”
“I guess he had a late dinner. But, that does eliminate him as a suspect. As I said, I doubt any of the students would pull such a job, especially one as professional as this.”
“How worried is everyone,” Bark asked. “I'm a little scared thinking about some of those terrible weapons running around the station. Especially if they took that syringe.”
Josiah finished writing up some data on a tablet before sending the information off to the central computer. “Don't worry. Even if they did take the syringe from your incident, there isn't anything in it. It wouldn't do them any good. What they took wasn't chemical; it was all technical.”
“You sound like you're not that worried. I'd be terrified.”
“I've been around in the UCH for a while. I've learned to stay focused in the face of danger. Worry leads to mistakes. If we don't have a breakthrough in finding the culprit, the investigation will take priority. Now, let’s forget about that and focus on you.” The doctor sat in a short chair near Bark and held up a computer tablet to take notes. “Have you had any breakthroughs recently? Any memories resurfacing?”
Bark shook his head. “No. It’s been a while since I recalled anything new.”
“Okay. Sit forward and close your eyes.” Josiah sat down and looked at the man on the table. He put his hands on Bark’s furry head and closed his eyes. “I want you to focus your thoughts on the memories you do have and let me go deeper.”
They sat like this for twenty minutes. Bark cringed while Josiah seemed to be sweating. Every detail of every memory that Bark had recalled, even some memories he had made since the blackout, were combed through by the doctor. Bark hid no secrets from this man.
Josiah fought and fought to dig deeper. He gripped Bark’s head so hard that Bark suddenly, and without warning, pushed Josiah away.
Josiah sat up and took a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Bark shook his head. “No, it’s okay.”
The doctor got up and looked at the dog-man. “I'm sorry, Bark, but your memories are buried too deep. Your mind is much more resistant to telepathy than anyone I have ever encountered.”
Bark was a little distraught. He wanted to remember his parents, if he had any siblings, and where he came from. “But, I didn’t resist you.”
Josiah took a small towel and wiped his forehead. “You did, but not on purpose. Your mind was altered in a unique way by Dr. Osten. The design was to wipe out all of your memory and higher thinking and replace it with programmed obedience. The primitive side of your mind – the side that can help you register scents the rest of us are oblivious to and separate out the sounds that only a dog can hear – is like a barrier against my telepathy. If I dig too deep and work too hard, it could do permanent brain damage to you, leaving you more dog-like and less human. I'm not willing to do that. Unfortunately, Bark, you'll have to live with the fact that you have holes in your memories.”
Bark let out a sigh and looked down. “It’s not fair.”
Josiah tried to put a positive spin on this. “At least you have a resistance that is very powerful. You could prove useful against telepathic enemies. They won’t be able to control you and probably won’t be able to steal thoughts from you. I'm the most powerful telepath on this station, and it takes extreme concentration on my part to retrieve even recent memories out of your mind.”
Bark didn’t smile, but he stopped frowning. “I guess that's good.”
Josiah put a hand on Bark’s shoulder. “After the museum theft is solved and everything settles down a little, I bet we can convince the general to open a small investigation on your behalf. We can use what we already know about your past and do some research. We might be able to piece some stuff together for you.”
Bark finally smiled. “Thanks. That would be great.” Bark thought about something and asked, “While I’m here, do you want that picture of me from the back?”
Dr. Stone frowned and seemed completely lost as to what Bark was talking about. “Come again?”
Bark gave the doctor a frank expression. “Do you want a picture of me from the back, like the one you took of me from the front?”
Again Josiah was lost. “I don’t have any pictures of you. My data is in the scans and charts.”
“Wait. After I joined the school, I had a physical examination by one of those robot nurses. It said that you require a naked photo of the patients who have unique biologies so that you can study them. I had one taken from the front, and that robot said that I would have another taken later, but I was late and there were several others waiting for their exams.”
It took Josiah a moment to understand what Bark was talking about. Then it hit him and he let out an annoyed sigh. “Cynthia.” He groaned.
“Cynthia?”
Dr. Stone glanced toward the back of the infirmary, “Cynthia is the name of one of the robotic nurses. She…is different than the others. About a year ago, Professor Tinker used one of my robot nurses to teach a class on Advanced A.I. programming. He programmed the nurse to act like a hormonal 16-year-old girl. Ever since then that nurse has been the worst sort of flirt imaginable. Apparently, he neglected to put in any modesty subroutines. I think that Tinker finds it amusing, considering he keeps finding reasons to not remove the blasted programming. Bark, I am sorry.”
Bark frowned with an almost angry expression. “You mean that I was some sort of pin up boy for a hormonal robot?”
Josiah contained a little laughter at the humor in that. “Probably, but don’t worry. She doesn’t spread any of this around. I suspect that the photo was probably saved into her processor so that she could recall it internally whenever she wants to satisfy her need to gaze upon the male body.”
Bark shook his head. “Just make sure that picture is deleted. I would hate for that to accidentally get out. Especially with some of the students around who enjoy teasing me.”
Josiah was about to say something else when his communications window opened on the computer tablet. He read it with a humorous smile. “Well, it looks like you have a date waiting for you.”
Bark cleared his throat. “Did Snow contact you about our date?”
Josiah showed him the tablet with a small message window open that read, “Tell that fleabag to get to the theater. The movie starts in two minutes – Snow.” “You two have been a couple for over a month and you still go on nightly dates?”
Bark hopped down from the table with an eager smile. “She scratches my ears and we neck like there’s no tomorrow. Why shouldn’t I want to see her every night?”
Josiah laughed. “I guess that primitive side has its benefits. Now, go, or you'll miss your movie.”
“Like we actually watch the movie,” Bark retorted and ran off, leaving the doctor to his reports.
Josiah waited until the door shut and then he stood up and yelled out, “CYNTHIA! You are in big trouble!”
***
Deep in the UCH space station, down an unused corridor, is a dark storage room. If anyone wanted to make use of it now, they would find the door sealed shut by a sophisticated locking device. Inside, a person worked in secret. There was a replication device that was considered illegal to be operating without a proper licens
e, which this person did not have. He pressed a few buttons and it lit up and materialized another shock collar designed much like the ones stolen from the museum vault. He would need a lot of these collars to make his plans work out.
Marshal Dae’s face filled a small handheld communication module next to the replicator. “Aren’t you ready? I have a lot of people in place for this.”
The man set the shock collar aside and bent over the replication device. “It's taking a little longer than expected. I can’t use it any faster without drawing too much power, which would alert the guards that something strange was happening.”
Dae impatiently tapped his finger off screen. “If my ship is discovered hiding up over the North Pole, this whole plan could blow up in our faces. You need to expedite this!”
“I have had a hard enough time keeping that little investigation confounded so they don’t discover me. If I rush anything, I'll be discovered. Don’t worry, it'll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right, otherwise I'll hold you personally responsible for what happens. I may not be able to capture all of the supernormals up there, but I can certainly get to you.”
With a frustrated sigh, the man answered, “I have this under control. I…” He stopped when a computer tablet next to him began to beep. It showed him a message stating, he read it aloud, “UCH 1 Transport Docking at Port Five. Staff Returning.” The man smiled and checked the lists of passengers. To his delight, the rest of the UCH hierarchy was coming to the station tonight. Things were going exactly as planned. “It appears that everyone is finally back on board. When I have the collars ready, we'll begin. Trust me, it won’t be long.”
“It had better not be.”
***
Coach Thrasher and Rocket walked down a long corridor. This place was mostly used for storage. Students don't normally come to this area, which is why the lights were on standby power only.
“You sure about that reading of yours,” Thrasher asked.
Rocket checked his handheld sensors. “It's gone now, but when I was scanning this area, I detected a bylinium polarized energy signature.”
Thrasher, hardly an advanced engineering specialist, asked, “Annnnd, what does that mean?”
Rocket, a former NASA scientist, answered, “That sort of energy is used in very few pieces of equipment. I've never seen anything on this station that would use it.”
“Does it have anything to do with the stolen items from the museum?”
Rocket slowly shook his head as he scanned a door. “No. But, it's highly unusual, and right now we need to check on anything unusual. It might be a clue.”
They were now standing in front of the door to the room that the mysterious man was talking to Marshal Dae from. Thrasher pressed the open button but the door didn't budge. He got angry and quickly tapped the button again.
“Who the hell would lock this door? It's just an old storage room. Nothing but empty crates and some old computer tech in there.” Thrasher’s rage was growing.
“Here, let me see if I can bypass the lock. Won't take too long to hack the –”
“Stand back.” Thrasher didn't give Rocket long enough to actually stand back before shoving him aside and gripping the door. With an enormous grunt and the full force of his super strength, he bypassed the lock.
The room was dark with a tiny glow off in one corner. A small sound was coming from the same location. Thrasher went in first, ready to pummel whoever was in there with the stolen items. Rocket kept his sensors up to see if he could get anything more.
Thrasher pushed aside a stack of empty cargo crates and found a small active computer screen and some other items. Rocket wasn't far behind.
“What the hell is all this?” Thrasher went for the computer first, hoping to see the person on the other end. “It's receiving something. A signal from earth...no, this is coming from space I think. Who is on the other end?”
“Thrasher, we have bigger problems.” Rocket knelt next to the replicator.
“What's that?”
“This is the source of that strange energy. This is a type nine tech replication device.”
Thrasher was already lost. “So?”
“The last item requested is still on the read out. The thief was replicating the shock collars.”
Thrasher was now painfully aware of how serious this was. He pulled out a communicator and said, “Dr. Stone, it's just hit the fan.”
Chapter 4: Lurking Enemies
Bark’s Journal: Day 7. The station is practically on lock down. The station’s main staff returned from their meetings on earth and the general decided some new rules would need to be put into place until the current situation was resolved. The items stolen from the museum haven't been found and the idea of them running around the station is putting a lot of pressure on everyone. The only stolen item that I heard a rumor about is a large case of shock collars that were not even on display; they were in lock up. I know there were several highly dangerous items on display that went missing as well, and that scares the hell out of me.
For now I'm trying to focus on class work and practicing with Toshi Sensei every day. I would be taking Snow out after my practicing, but all students have been told they cannot leave their quarters unless they have class or a training session, and even then we must be traveling with an instructor. I have considered asking if it would be alright for Snow and I to have a date if we let Spark come along as the instructor on duty, but I just don’t think I can get romantic with Snow while Spark is watching.
Today I have an exam in Tech of Villainy, and I'm going to have a darkness course in the training hall. Of course my day is topped off with the three-hour martial art training with Toshi Sensei. She has been really pushing me in the techniques and styles of using the Bo staff. I like the weapon. It looks clumsy, but it can be a very precise instrument of fighting.
Bark and Snow had finished their exam in the classroom and were sitting in the back with the other early finishers to wait for the rest of the class. Usually when students finish a test, they can leave and grab a bite to eat or just stroll around until their next class. But not right now.
Bark asked, “Why do we learn so much history here? I mean, who cares about that attack twenty five years ago in Chicago? Seriously, they don’t even know the identities of the strange heroes that helped Paladin or Menzuo.”
Snow shrugged, “It does help to know how villains worked in the past, they often employ the same tactics again. And, learning about the tech they used is important, even if it’s two and half decades old.”
Bark scoffed as his collar added, “That pre-dates the UCH.”
“I know.” Snow pointed at the small staff on his desk. “What’s with the stick?”
Bark picked up the short stick and flicked his wrist to let the staff expand, and then collapsed it again. “It’s not a stick, it’s a bo-staff. Toshi Sensei is training me to use this.”
Snow smiled at him. “I know that. You've told me a few times now. But why do you have it here? You don’t go to the Dojo until 2.”
Bark shrugged. “I'm not all that good at hand-to-hand combat and I don’t have superpowers like you. So, if we run across any trouble at least I have this.” He held it up again and smiled.
Snow laughed. “Yeah. A laser cannon has nothing on a stick.”
“Hey, this isn’t just a stick. This is a precise fighting instrument that can be more effective than a gun and is a heck of a lot harder to hear. The enemy won’t see it coming, HA!” He threw his hand up with the staff and it expanded again, which was not his intention this time.
Just then, both Snow and Bark saw Red Fury stomping toward them. He glared at Bark and as quietly as he could muster, which isn’t saying much for this brute, he said, “Keep it down!”
Snow and Bark both nodded and said, “Sorry.”
Red Fury returned to his desk looking like he really, really wanted to rip someone’s head off.
Bark tapped his vocal processor to turn it off and then wrote on a piece of paper, since the processor really didn’t have good volume control. He handed the paper to her.
She blushed and shook her head. “Yeah, I think that he would notice if we were necking back here.”
Bark frowned and gave her the most pitiful puppy dog face imaginable, even whimpering a little.
Snow shook her head and whispered, “Patience makes the heart grow fonder.”
He whimpered more.
She reached up and scratched behind one of his ears. “Oh Bark, it's only been one day since we haven’t been able to go out. You'll live. Besides, just imagine the moment when we can finally go on a date again. Your warm, furry body pressed up against my cold, smooth body. Our lips meet in an embrace that will last seemingly forever. Then…”
Bark put a hand on her knee and shook his head. He was practically panting. He quickly grabbed the paper he wrote something down. She chuckled at what he said but did not reply, as it could get a little dirty.
Deciding to not torture Bark any further, Snow changed the subject. “Have you seen Green Scream?”
Bark nodded and pointed to the guy still taking his test.
Snow nodded with a sour face. “I don’t know how, but he has been put on the security details. I thought that fourth years were the only ones being put on the details.”
Just then Red Fury yelled out, “THAT’S IT, TEST'S OVER. HAND ‘EM IN!!”
Bark tapped his vocal processor now that they could talk a little louder. “Why is it that half of my instructors here are muscle-bound loud mouths? Red Fury is almost as bad as Coach Thrasher.”
Snow nodded in agreement. “I think they want a bit of a boot camp atmosphere. Also, most of the first year instructors have to deal with the new heroes’ egos.”
Enemies and Allies Page 5
