by John Freitas
She sensed that she could lose herself in that entity if she allowed herself to be pulled through by it. Pixie was afraid. She pushed back against that probing voice and mind. She forced herself to focus on Kay’s mind. It was smaller, simpler, more contained, and part of this dimensional plane.
Pixie probed deeper into Kay’s programming and decided to use her herself. “You serve me now and not him. Here is what I need you to do …”
Kay’s eyes glowed brighter for a moment.
***
McKinney pushed up the shed door and shined his light inside.
Martin spoke at his shoulder. “Sir, to the left.”
“Identify yourself,” McKinney said. “Let me see your hands.”
Kay raised her empty hands, “I am Kay.”
“Her eyes,” Martin said.
“She’s mine,” Stanley said. “Don’t shoot her.”
“Is there anyone else in here?” McKinney asked.
“No,” she said. “I am in here alone.”
“Did you see anyone, Kay?” Stanley asked.
“While I was at the crusher, I saw someone run from the salvage yard into the tobacco fields to the north past the drying house. It was a woman with blond hair. I scanned to see if it was one of the children. She did not match anyone I knew in my database.”
Stanley said, “Go into the house. Watch the kids until I say otherwise, please.”
Kay stepped past the officers. She gave Stanley a kiss and continued on to the house.
McKinney and Martin exchanged a look.
Martin swept his light over the empty pools. “Should we search anyway?”
“She’s not capable of lying,” Stanley said. “One of many reasons she’s better than a real woman.”
“Classy, Stanley.” McKinney rolled his eyes. “We need to go meet forensics by the truck.”
“What about the suspect in the tobacco fields, sir?”
“We’ll start a search once we have a team. Two of us running out there in the dark will be no good.”
Martin shined his light into the shed again. “What are the pools for? You growing something in here?”
“Hydro tomatoes and lettuce,” Stanley said. “You got any more questions, then I want a lawyer.”
“Take it easy,” McKinney said. “Just keep it legal, Stan. Wait until the investigation is over before you start any special growing projects, okay?”
McKinney pushed the door closed and their voices retreated.
Martin said, “All this stuff around, it must have been crazy during the Pulse.”
“My wife hit her head on the stove pipe in the house,” Stanley said. “She died before medical help could get out here.”
“I’m sorry,” Martin said.
“Business wise,” Stanley said, “the Pulse was a boom for junk cars. We nearly tripled our inventory overnight and every factory was looking for scrap. The stuff was just flowing in and out of the yard like nothing I’d ever …”
Pixie waited in the dark. She was going to wait until morning, but more police kept arriving and she felt Kell’s scans reaching out to her from a distance. He had seen her.
Pixie locked her mind back down within herself and she ran from the shed. Pixie saw the blue and red lights flashing in the yard and flashlight beams sweeping the tobacco. She ran out past the crusher and away from the property.
14
Dr. Thomas Kell opened the door and walked through the flexible connector to the next car. He left the bunk rooms behind and moved between the rows of benches for the observation cars.
The train rattled along with farmland and marshes racing by the windows. They broke through the trees long enough to see the ocean, beach, and the waterfront highway. The train veered back inland along the track and the trees blocked the ocean view once again.
Thomas found the table and bench where Dr. Jeffery Danvers sat. Thomas sat down across from him. He set his bags and satchels of equipment on the seat next to him across from Jeffrey.
Jeffrey pulled his eyes away from the window. “We have time to get our bags together once the train reaches the station, you know?”
Thomas opened his laptop, connecting to the train’s Wi-Fi. “I know. Charleston is the next stop though. I wanted to be ready to unload.”
Jeffrey looked back out the window. “We’ll have to move through security. We have time.”
Thomas opened Skype and waited for a pick-up. “I flew out of Washington a couple weeks back. It was an empty field and a couple tents. How thick can security be?”
Jeffrey shrugged. “One of the attendants told me it can pretty involved because of the port. I don’t know.”
Eve picked up and Thomas held up a finger to Jeffrey. He put in his earbuds. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes, Uncle Tommy, are you there yet?”
Thomas shook his head. “We’re in South Carolina. We’ll be at the station in a few more minutes. Have you picked up anything else?”
“Not since last time we spoke,” Eve said. “I got the errant signal from the south again and tried to hunt it down, but lost it again. It wasn’t Pixie. Her last ping was Charleston.”
“How far south was the other one?” he asked.
Eve held up her hands in view of the screen. “Far. Off the map. I did a global search trying to fish it out again, but came up empty.”
“I didn’t get any readings either,” Thomas said. “I tried a few minutes ago.”
“You should probably let me handle that from here,” Eve said. “If she gets a fix on you closing in on her, she’s more likely to evade you.”
“Good point,” Thomas said. “I’ll be in touch. Stay inside except for school and please behave.”
“Have a big party. I read you loud and clear, Uncle Tommy.”
He gave a thumbs up. “Be funny, but still behave. I’m too far away for you to be getting into trouble.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll talk again soon.” She shut off the call.
Thomas took out the buds and shut the laptop.
“Everything okay?” Jeffrey asked.
“Okay, but quiet,” Thomas said.
“I don’t understand why she would come all the way down here,” Jeffrey said. “This is a lot of ground to cover.”
“She may be going south. We haven’t figured out what that other thing is yet.”
“Maybe.” Jeffrey shrugged. “Still, there are other cities to travel from with far less security. Like you said.”
“She may not know about the security or it may not affect what she is trying to do.” Thomas shook his head. “Hard to guess. Boston, Philadelphia, and Norfolk are still clearing their harbors. There was a lot of traffic there during the Pulse, so still a lot of mess. New York has only just come back online to container traffic. Charleston is the biggest active east coast port right now. They had just dug out to become a deep water port before the Pulse and didn’t have the same debris to interrupt shipments. They also had the land to take alternate shipments. It’s busy. Containers are coming in and out from all over the world. Depending on what Pixie is trying to do, it may work for her. I don’t know.”
Jeffrey shook his head. “I don’t know either.”
The train pulled into the station at Charleston. Disembarking did take a long time. Jeffrey got his bags and rejoined Thomas before he made it out the door.
An android in a blue cap and dull glowing eyes greeted Thomas and Jeffrey as they reached the head of the line inside the fencing. He reached for the bags. “Surrender for search, please.”
Thomas hesitated.
The android repeated. “Surrender your bags for security search, please, sir.”
Jeffrey handed his over and the android passed them back to two androids and an older human woman behind him. Thomas passed his bags and the android set them out on the table as well.
“One moment, please, sirs.”
One of the androids lifted out the tracker scanner. “This is an android quantum tracker scan
ner … what is the nature and purpose of this equipment.”
Thomas swallowed and said, “We are here for a technology trade show. Our papers should be in order.”
The android put the scanner back into the satchel and closed it.
The human woman asked, “What is your business in Charleston today?”
Before Thomas could answer, one of the androids asked, “What are your names? What is the nature of your business in Charleston and who do you represent?”
The woman sighed. She stepped away from the table and moved over along the fence before lighting up a cigarette.
Thomas said, “I am Dr. Thomas Kell and this is my associate Dr. Jeffrey Danvers. We are here for a trade show. I currently represent Caster Tech Inc.”
“You used to work for CDR Research … You, Dr. Danvers, currently work for CDR Research.”
One of the androids turned and said to the woman. “You are supposed to go beyond the fence and traffic areas to smoke.”
“Shut up, Tin Man,” she said.
The android turned back toward the table.
Jeffrey said, “I’m being recruited by Caster. My current employer is unaware.”
The android stared with its glowing eyes for a moment and then went back to closing up the bags.
The android with the blue cap heading the line asked, “What nation do you represent?”
“We are United States citizens and residents,” Thomas said. “Caster Tech is based out of St. Xander Island.”
The android turned away. “Gather your bags and move through the gate. Obey all laws posted and otherwise to avoid trouble with authorities. Your cooperation is appreciated. Move to the next station for lice check.”
Thomas and Jeffrey exchanged a look as they gathered their bags off the table.
Thomas said, “Lice check?”
“Proceed to the next station. Your cooperation is appreciated.”
They walked through the gate.
One of the androids at the table said, “Breaks are only to be fifteen minutes. You already took a break less than an hour ago.”
“Leave me alone, robot, or I will take out your battery.” She blew smoke straight up into the air.
Another uniformed android stepped in front of Jeffrey and Thomas between the roped lines. “Remain still while you are scanned for lice.”
“Are lice a problem here?” Jeffrey asked.
“Remain still,” the android said.
He stepped forward. “Allow me to check your hair. Your cooperation is appreciated.”
The android tilted Thomas’s head forward a little harder than Thomas liked. His fingers dragged through Thomas’s hair a few time before releasing his head.
“You are free of lice. Enjoy your visit to Charleston.” The android stepped over to Jeffrey. “Allow me to check your hair. Your cooperation is appreciated.”
“Ouch,” Jeffrey said.
Thomas looked out across the city. There weren’t many tall buildings in sight, but many of the buildings and houses looked older. A few appeared patched in cracks with splotches of gray concrete.
In the distance, he watched a large zeppelin glide down onto a raised platform. Small figures disembarked from the large hull under the massive balloon. Large cranes took containers out from under the hold and lowered them to the ground one at a time.
Thomas shook his head. “It’s a different world now.”
“You are free of lice. Enjoy your visit to Charleston. Obey all laws posted or otherwise.”
They walked through and joined the crowd spreading out from the station into the streets. A number of rickshaws pulled by androids in suits with tails and top hats pulled away from the curb with passengers. They moved almost as fast as cars.
Other carriages had horses, but as they drew closer, Thomas saw the horses were made of wood and painted like carousel horses. Suited androids stood between the horses in groups, holding the wooden rails between the horses. When the android driver snapped his whip, the android teams started running to pull the carriage. The movement of the wheels moved the legs of the fake horses in a mock gallop.
“What is going on here?” Jeffrey asked.
Thomas shook his head. “Strange new world … Let’s walk.”
Jeffrey laughed. “Okay.”
They moved along the sidewalk. Androids in period dress shined shoes and held large, ornate shade umbrellas for families and couples walking along the sidewalk.
A companion in a hoop dress carried a baby on each arm as she followed behind a young couple both talking on their phones. A second male companion in a suit and top hat was loaded down with packages and bags walking with the group as well.
Thomas and Jeffrey stepped into the street to get around them. They stepped back on the sidewalk to avoid a suited android using a porter and small broom to sweep trash off the street.
“Is it just me,” Jeffrey asked, “or is there something disturbingly Antebellum about this whole thing?”
“Some of the consequences of our creations are being laid bare here, I think,” Thomas said. “We need to find somewhere we can settle in and see if we can find some clues to Pixie’s movements.”
They approached a section of sidewalk where a group of androids walked in a circle carrying signs.
Jeffrey said, “That’s new.”
They crossed the street between buggies to get around it all.
The signs read: “Close the Android Loop Hole.” “Sin with Robots is Still Sin.” and “A Disgrace to all People EVERYWHERE!”
The android protestors were circling outside a club that had a neon sign reading: The Fantasy Factory. Anything Goes!
“What is this?” Jeffrey asked. “A strip club?”
Thomas shook his head. “If anything goes, I’m guessing it’s a little bit more. The fact that androids are not flesh and blood means they are allowed to do more than human … performers.”
Jeffrey looked at Thomas. “Seriously?”
Thomas nodded. “Brothels in Nevada and abroad were some of our biggest companion clients early on. Other cities and states figured out the loophole and our generation two sales boomed for a while. It practically funded our entire construction line startup costs.”
“No kidding?” Jeffrey said. “So, are the androids actually protesting their own exploitation? Is that what I’m seeing here?”
Thomas sniffed. “I’m guessing the owners of these companions used them to run the protest so they didn’t have to be here themselves. Generation two does not initiate its own orders. Someone has to command them.”
“Using androids to protest the use of androids,” Jeffrey said, “That’s ironic.”
“Come on. Let’s find somewhere to stop and see if we can pick up a signal.”
They moved forward and reached a bench outside a café. Androids held umbrellas and poured refills on drinks.
Thomas sat down and began opening the satchel.
Jeffrey looked around. “Here? You don’t want to go find a hotel first?”
“We don’t even know if she’s still in the city. We’re not here to sightsee.”
“Yeah, I know, but we’re human and she’s not. We have to rest and eat. Remember?”
“Yeah,” Thomas said as he turned on the tracker. “I remember.”
He began adjusting the dials. At first, several blips showed up all around them.
Jeffrey set down his bags on the bench next to Thomas. “You have it picking up all of generation two.”
“I know. Hold on.”
The screen went blank and Thomas continued to adjust. He got an arrow to the south again and sighed. The arrow vanished and a blip showed up in the center of the screen.
“What is that?” Jeffery asked.
Thomas shook his head. He continued to adjust, but the blip stayed in place and grew brighter. “Something is wrong. The signal is right on top of us. I’ll see if I can get Eve to do a calibration from her end and fix it.”
He turned it off and
returned the tracker to the satchel. As he stood, Thomas looped it over his shoulder and reached for the other bags.
He stopped and stared across the street.
“What’s wrong?” Jeffrey asked.
“I think I know what’s wrong with the tracker.”
Jeffrey looked across. In a pink and white hoop dress wearing a tall, matching bonnet, he saw a companion with bright blond hair. At first, Jeffrey thought that her eyes looked particularly bright. Then, he recognized Pixie dressed and standing among the other Charleston companions and workers.
Everyone else passing her were ignoring her, but Thomas and Jeffrey stared across the street at her and she stared back with her blinding, piercing eyes.
“What do we do now?” Jeffrey whispered.
Thomas reached down into one of the bags. He opened a false bottom in one of the laptops and brought out the infuser gun. “We try to stop her.”
Pixie remained still on the sidewalk, but tilted her head.
A table crashed in the café behind them and to their right. Cups shattered and liquid spilled. Several people screamed and metal chairs scraped harsh and loud on the tiled patio.
Thomas turned to look. One on the companions in a black suit was approaching. He pushed human men and women out of his path. As he closed his umbrella, he knocked one woman hard enough to spin her around before she hit the tile on her face. The other customers scrambled out of his way.
His eyes glowed particularly bright. The companion removed his top hat and threw it aside.
“What’s happening?” Jeffrey asked.
The companion leaned over the iron railing near the bench and drew back the long, closed umbrella.
“Look out,” Thomas said.
They ducked and stepped away from the bench. The companion swung into the wall at head level. He hit the brick face of the wall behind hard enough to crack it and snap the umbrella.
His eyes faded and the android looked down at the broken umbrella in his hands. He touched the top of his head and turned around, looking around on the ground. The android approached the woman lying on the ground with her chin bleeding. As he drew closer, she scrambled away from him under one of the tables.
