Future Perfect - S2

by Fran Heckrotte

  "I'm aware of that, Sergeant. I'm also aware that Primeris passed all the physical and mental tests in our program so there's no reason to keep... her in the program for another twenty-four months. Her record indicates she excelled in situational problems. If I remember right, you were in charge of that phase of her training and gave her high marks."

  Flores found Colonel Cranley's difficulty in accepting the Hubot's gender interesting. He had no trouble thinking of Primeris as a woman.

  Probably because she looks and sounds like one, he thought. And is about as cold as the rest of the females in the unit. The sergeant was actually grateful the women were rather emotionless. It made them easier to work with. Realizing Cranley was waiting for a response, he tried to remember what the colonel had just said.

  "Is there something wrong, Sergeant?" Cranley asked.

  "No, sir, I was thinking about the program. It's true she performed well but —"

  "Do you have doubts about SU33's training regimen?" The veins in the colonel's neck began pulsating, a clear indication he was losing patience with the conversation.

  "No, sir," Flores said, stiffening slightly. "SU33 has the best trained men and women in the world. I'd place my life in any of our people's hands."

  "Good, because I would be extremely disappointed if I thought you believed otherwise. Listen, Sergeant," Cranley said, relaxing back into his chair. "Agent Wone has proven it... herself to be a capable trainee. Now she needs to prove she can be a competent soldier, not that she's entitled to a rank. Fortunately, the Committee agreed with me on that one, even though I, too, have voiced my concerns about her readiness. My orders are to test her in a way that will task her skills and intelligence without jeopardizing SU33... or revealing the existence of the Committee. This mission will do that."

  "I understand, sir. Ummm... Permission to speak freely, Colonel?" Flores asked, hesitantly.

  "Of course. I'm always interested in what my troops have to say."

  "Thank you, sir. This assignment makes no sense to me. Why would we jeopardize a multi-million dollar investment to take out a civilian drug czar in another country?"

  For the first time, Colonel Cranley lost his serious expression and smiled.

  "A very good question. You're smart, Sergeant. I like that. I think you're going to go far in SU33. To answer your question, I'm quite aware and prepared for Primeris to fail. Between you and me, I hope she does. I don't trust any machine to make the right decision in life-threatening situations. Our men and women depend on teamwork. We don't exist as individuals. If one soldier is injured, we all feel the pain. If one of us dies, we all die a little. Machines don't feel. How can they understand the closeness, the unity we've developed over years of dedication and service?"

  "I hadn't thought of it exactly in that way," Flores said. "I just assumed Hubots would give us an advantage over our enemies. I mean, Wone is stronger than any guy I've ever met. She's able to analyze situations quickly and come up with strategies that satisfactorily resolve the problems."

  "True, but as you pointed out earlier, Primeris has never been in a real-life situation. Her mistakes won't jeopardize anyone's life. Can you honestly say you trust her to make the correct choice between her mission and possibly saving a comrade?"

  "The mission always comes first. She should automatically choose that."

  "Yes, but how many soldiers would she sacrifice unnecessarily to complete the mission? Our goal has always been to accomplish the assignment with minimal casualties. Why should Primeris worry about casualties?" Holding up his hand, Colonel Cranley stopped Flores before he could answer. "She wouldn't. She can't because she's a fuckin' machine. It's like putting your life in the hands of a vacuum cleaner or something. Would you do that, Flores?"

  "No, sir."

  "Like I said, you're a smart man. Neither would I, so I have no intention of putting my people in harm's way until Primeris proves herself. No one will suspect SU33 of going after a drug lord, but he's the perfect test candidate. His security system is state-of-the-art and his guards are the best in the civilian world. If she fails, no one will know who she's working for and I'll have proven that Hubots aren't ready to be deployed in the field. If she completes the mission, which I seriously doubt will happen, then I'll send her on another... and I'll keep doing that until she either proves herself or gets destroyed in the process."

  "It's a great plan, Colonel, but do we want her falling into the hands of our enemies?"

  "Absolutely not. If Primeris doesn't complete her mission within six hours of the allotted time, I've been authorized to neutralize Guiterrez's compound. Two S-45 Dragons will be on standby with orders to destroy his base. Now, any more questions, Sergeant? If not, you have a job to complete."

  "No sir. Thank you for clarifying things for me. Do you have any special orders for me?"

  "Special? Oh, you mean... No, no. This is all above board. For now, Primeris is to be treated as one of us. If she fails in her mission, it will be because she screwed up. No one can blame us, understand?"

  "Understood."

  "Dismissed. And Sergeant, this conversation never took place."

  "Yes, sir." Standing at attention, Flores saluted the colonel, did an about turn and left.

  Smart man, Flores thought. I'm glad he's on our side. He really cares for his troops.

  CHAPTER 3

  THE ZONE DROP went as planned. Primeris had been hiking through the hilly terrain for over three hours. She estimated her target was less than thirty minutes from her present location. Because of the isolated location, Guiterrez believed he was safe; he would be right if the assaults were carried out by any normal forces.

  A fatal miscalculation, Primeris thought. Humans have perfected that flaw.

  Topping a crest, she crouched behind a large oak tree and gazed at the walls surrounding Guiterrez's estate. Vidcams, motion and sound detectors were positioned every hundred feet. Guards were stationed in towers both above and below the tree lines. Several gates were closed, leaving only the main one open. Primeris noticed several guards milling around the entrance, some staring off into the forest while others checked the people waiting to enter the enclosure. The compound appeared impregnable.

  Easing back down the slope, Primeris moved effortlessly through the undergrowth for twenty-three minutes until she came to another ridge. She climbed almost to the top before lying on her stomach and crawling the last four meters. Judging from her new angle to the main gate, and aerial photos she had retrieved from satellite images, Primeris calculated she had traveled one-fifth of the distance around the compound. Another hour would pass before she finished navigating around the entire perimeter.

  Primeris now had the necessary information to develop a plan. The reports on Guiterrez's security were accurate. He had excellent protection, but it wasn't perfect. Every other observation post was vacant. The complex was designed so most towers would have a clear view of three other towers. The flaw was that, physically, a person couldn’t look in two opposing directions at one time.

  Unless the towers have vidcams, Primeris thought, then quickly dismissed the idea. Monitors would distract the guards. Most of their time would be spent looking at screens instead of checking the terrain outside of the walls. Another alternative would be to assign two people to each tower. That would never work. Humans can't resist interacting. Conversations would be too much of a distraction.

  After careful consideration, Primeris picked tower seven to gain access to the compound. It was the weakest point in the structure's construction, visible to only one tower. Two walls angled sharply inward forming a small, flat, pointed 'V' and an electronic dead zone that ran up the middle to the observation window. Motion detection beams crisscrossed every two feet but were unable reach the narrow wall due to the angles of the beams. Primeris had a three foot wide path to maneuver without setting off alarms. The sound detectors didn't concern her. Silence and stealth were part of her design. Even if she made a mistake, the system wo
uld be calibrated to compensate for a certain amount of noise. The woods were full of animals.

  The motion detectors were a different matter. She needed to stay in the dead zone to remain undetected. That meant climbing approximately twenty-five feet straight up without straying six inches to her left or right.

  First, though, she had to reach the wall.

  * * *

  Sunset always created shifting shadows, giving the illusion of things moving as darkness crept from the forests toward the compound. Removing her backpack, Primeris opened the top flap and pulled out a pair of specially designed gloves, toe grips, a thin strand of wire, two small knives and a three-inch ceramic pin. She placed them on the ground and then buried her pack under a mound of leaves.

  Primeris stuffed the wire in her shirt pocket. The knives she slipped under her belt and the pin into the side of her left boot. Picking up the gloves and toe grips, she spent several minutes examining each finger and palm for any defects that could reduce their effectiveness. The glove and toe grips were covered with hundreds of thousands of microscopic polymer hairs. The hairs were coated with a synthetic adhesive enabling them to cling to almost anything, much like the gecko lizard. Primeris had spent weeks perfecting her climbing skills with and without them. She had to be adaptable under every circumstance. Barring anything unexpected, Primeris figured she could scale the wall in fewer than three minutes... if the equipment worked properly. If it didn't, she would go to plan two, which was to abandon plan one and start over.

  Snapping the toe grips to her boots, Primeris pulled the gloves on and then slid over the ridge, inching slowly on her belly toward the compound. If everything went well, it would take sixty-four minutes to reach her target. Keeping her hands closed like a fist, she stretched her arms in front of her body and then dug her elbows into the soft, leafy mulch beneath her. Her toes pressed into the ground. She flexed her ankles and simultaneously pulled with her arms and shoulders moving her body six inches forward. Primeris repeated the movements one-hundred and sixty-nine times, ignoring a small, poisonous snake that slithered over one of her extended arms and several annoying insects buzzing around her face.

  Chemlab's repellent is working within the specifications predicted for deterring insects with no significant detrimental side-effects, although the faint smell of De-T27 could be detected if used within the confines of a closed structure. Reptiles appear unaffected by the odor. It is unclear if rodents...

  Primeris recorded the data on the repellent while continuing her mission. The advantage of having processors over a brain was memory segmentation. She could assign different memory banks to perform other functions while maintaining her focus on her primary goal. The SU33 scientists could use the information she gathered to increase human efficiency. Situational studies had proven distractions, even as small as a mosquito, could greatly reduce a soldier's odds in completing an assignment successfully. The slightest movement could send a shot off course or expose an operative's position.

  * * *

  As expected, in fewer than three minutes, Primeris was sliding through the tower window. The enclosure was empty except for a chair, sink and a toilet. A spiral staircase was the only entrance to the room. Primeris suspected that tower duty was assigned to the lowest ranking or guards who were being disciplined for some infraction. Knowing humans, no one would be able to tolerate the solitary confinement for more than a few hours without becoming ineffective.

  Primeris eased down the dimly lit staircase. At the bottom was an open entrance overlooking a brick walkway that bordered a magnificently landscaped courtyard. Instantly, Primeris knew her exact position... and the direction she needed to go to reach Guiterrez's suites. Her next obstacle, though, was slipping past the two guards who were quietly talking near a cluster of palm trees. Although their voices were low, Primeris could understand every word. They had just ended their shift. One was trying to convince the other to join him and some friends in the barracks. The men intended on watching a new pornvid and having a few drinks. Apparently the other guard took exception to the offer. After telling her companion to fuck himself, she stalked off. He followed at a slower pace, obviously not wanting to alienate her even more. Primeris had the opportunity she needed. The far side of the courtyard bordered the balcony off Guiterrez's bedroom. Less than twenty-six minutes remained to eliminate the drug czar. Once the sentries were rotated, escaping would become more complicated.

  * * *

  Pulling herself over the rail, Primeris removed her gloves and toe guards. Silk curtains blocked her view of the room but she could hear a man's snoring, and something else — the soft breathing of a second person. Guiterrez wasn't alone, not that it made any difference. Her target was less than six meters away. Nothing could stop her from completing her mission.

  * * *

  Pupils dilated, the brown eyes stared unblinking at the ceiling. The woman had opened her eyes seconds before the needle was inserted into her neck below the ear and forced upward into the brain. Perhaps she had sensed a presence in the room. Humans often claimed to have a sixth sense. There was plenty of analytical data to support the premise, so Primeris couldn't totally discard the hypothesis. Whatever caused her to awaken, no one would ever know. She died quickly and quietly while her lover lay next to her, oblivious to her passing. Primeris stood silently by the bed, her head slightly cocked as she stared at the lifeless body. She had never seen a human die, although she knew they were extremely fragile in many ways.

  Fifty-seven seconds later, the snoring had stopped. The room was now deathly quiet, an appropriate description. The thin blade of the knife had sliced effortlessly across the tender skin, severing muscles, arteries and tendons. Blood pumped from the gaping wound for almost two minutes, saturating the bedspread and sheets. Ninety-four beats after his throat was slit, Guiterrez's heart finally failed. The hand covering his mouth had been precautionary but unnecessary.

  The drug czar died silently while two soldiers stood vigilant outside his bedroom door, unaware that it would be their last night standing guard over their commander... or anyone else.

  The needle is more effective, Primeris thought, wiping her hands on a clean section of sheet. The blood smelled like salt and copper. The sticky warmth fascinated her. She would have liked more time to study the bodies. The more she could knew, the more effective she would be to SU33. Already she had learned a valuable lesson: Humans died easily.

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes later, Primeris had retrieved her backpack and was running through the darkness. Mission accomplished! The first rendezvous copter would arrive at the designated site in eight hours and fourteen minutes. She would be at the destination in three hours and ten minutes, giving her over five hours to replenish her energy.

  CHAPTER 4

  COLONEL CRANLEY WAS aware of Primeris' success hours before her arrival back at SU33. All the major news organizations were reporting on the assassination and speculating on who was involved. Most theorized a rival drug cartel had infiltrated Guiterrez's organization. A few believed that someone in his own ranks had pulled it off. How else could they have gotten past the sentries stationed around the compound and outside of his door?

  How else, indeed? Cranley thought as he waited for Primeris' arrival. He wasn't sure if he was pleased or unhappy with her success, but he was curious how she had accomplished the mission in such a short time. Pressing the button on his deskcom, he waited impatiently for his assistant to answer.

  "Sir?" the voice asked.

  "Has Agent Wone arrived yet?" the colonel asked brusquely.

  "She just arrived, sir. Shall I send her in?"

  "Yes."

  Seconds later, Primeris opened the door and walked in, still dressed in the traditional black ops uniform she had worn on her mission. Colonel Cranley grimaced at the disheveled look but decided not to pursue the 'appearance' issue with her. Her orders had been to report immediately back to him once she arrived back at headquarters.

&nbs
p; "I see you completed your assignment successfully," he said. "Any complications I need to know about?"

  "No. Everything went as planned. The aerial photos and blueprints were accurate enough for me to develop an entry strategy. The informant's information was flawed. Mr. Guiterrez had an occupant in his bed requiring me to change the initial plan in order to complete the mission."

  "There was nothing in the news about someone else being killed. Do you know who she was?"

  "No, but it wouldn't have mattered. My orders were to eliminate Mr. Guiterrez, no matter what the cost. Killing the woman was an acceptable risk requiring a minimal effort."

  "I have no problem with collateral damage as long as it doesn't come back and bite us. Right now I want to know how you managed to accomplish everything in such a short time."

  "At what point do you wish me to begin the debriefing, Colonel?"

  "You can skip the flight and I presume you had a few hours march through the woods. I want to know how you got into the compound and what happened once you were inside."

  "Very well. After surveying the perimeter, I —"

  For over an hour, Colonel Cranley listened to the details of Primeris' mission. When she finished, he sat quietly, not sure whether to congratulate her or not. Her success reflected well on him but he still felt disappointed.

  "It sounds to me like you had a lot of luck," he finally said. "Empty sentry towers, the courtyard thing and Guiterrez and his — well, whatever the woman was — asleep."

  "If by luck you mean a combination of circumstances beyond my control that gave me a certain advantage, you're right. It's illogical to think I could predict every event. I don't see how luck is relevant. Isn't the success of the mission the primary consideration?"

  "Yes, yes, of course. Still, as a logical being, you have to agree that if luck played a large role in your success, you haven't proven you can perform your duties under... let's say, less-than-optimal conditions. Until I'm sure of your performance, you'll be operating on your own. I'm not going to jeopardize good men and women on just one successful mission."