"Yeah, I can just imagine how altruistic their motives are. Medicine is money. Those that have, get," Jain interjected. "I hope we never get that far."
"It's inevitable, Jain. Anyway, it does explain Scootie's extraordinary ability in finding you. I've been trying to find information in my memory banks or the Webnet about ongoing experiments, but haven't found any references yet and there's no reports of a missing dog that meets her description."
"At least that's promising. I'd think there'd be ads all over the place if she was really important.
"Not necessarily. This isn't the type of thing the government or businesses want the public to know about. Spending too much on ads would arouse suspicion. She's probably one of thousands of animals being experimented on. Her loss would be a little problematic, but not devastating."
"Good, because even if someone came for her, I wouldn't give her up. If anyone does put out an ad, though, don't bother telling me."
"As you wish," Solaria said.
"And don't feel guilty about not telling me either."
"Guilty? It's not an emotion I'm familiar with."
"I should be so lucky," Jain said. "So, about her leading you to me... How did that happen?"
"When you weren't home, I let myself in. She was behind the couch, but rushed to the door just as I was closing it. I thought she wanted out. Then she ran into the bedroom and came out with one of your slippers. She ran back to the door. After she repeated this a few times, I realized she was trying to tell me something. It was a simple matter of letting her point the way. She's a very good guide dog."
"Guide dog?"
"Yes. When she wanted to go to the right, she scratched on the right window. For left, she jumped on my lap and clawed my window. We found you in less than thirty minutes. The building is highly secured, so I needed information on the interior floor plan. After taking Scootie to my place, I located a Webnet café and hacked the government firewalls to pull up the blueprints. It was a simple matter of accessing the security system to find you. It took me a bit longer to come up with a workable rescue plan."
"You're slowing down, girl," Jain joked. "The Solaria I know would have figured it out in half that time."
Solaria's lips curled upward in a faint smile.
"Old processors. You know how quickly they become obsolete."
Jain laughed.
A faint melody drifted from the bedroom.
"I'd sure like to know what Chantelle's doing in there," Jain said.
"She's singing." Solaria replied.
"I know that!"
"It must be part of her healing regimen," Solaris said. "I can sense a fluctuation in additional energy coming from the bedroom. The energy level has increased."
"Really! Sometimes I hum when I'm preoccupied," Jain commented, almost absently. "It helps me feel better. Chantelle said she was a healer. Do you think she's a nurse?"
"Possibly."
"You didn't tell her about the processors. Why?"
"It isn't necessary," Solaria replied.
"I don't understand."
"Chantelle doesn't know about Hubots..."
"I wouldn't be so sure. Hubots were mentioned when I was being questioned. Chantelle was probably asked about them while I was unconscious," Jain said.
"Perhaps. I doubt that they would want to reveal much, though."
"What difference would it make if they intended to kill us?" Jain asked.
"None. It's all rather moot now. At the moment, Primeris' life is in Chantelle's hands. She helped you, so she may be able to help Primeris. If not, we'll come up with an alternative plan."
"Makes sense, I guess, although what that could be, I can't imagine. We don't dare take her to a hospital."
"You're right. That's not an option," Solaria agreed.
"Do you recognize her song?" Jain asked, changing the subject. "I've never heard it before. It gives me the willies." She laughed, slightly embarrassed. "Crazy, huh?"
"No, I definitely detect an energy shift in here. The words are nonsensical. They aren't in my database."
Jain gave Solaria a surprised look.
"She's singing in English."
"English? That's not —" Solaria stopped. "You understand the words?"
"The ones I could hear. They're pretty muffled, though."
"Sing them."
Jain looked horrified.
"Good grief, no. I can't sing."
"Then tell me the words."
"Okay," Jain said, sounding relieved. "Let me think. 'I sing your body... I sing your spirit... I soothe your pain.' Then she hummed a bit... Well, not really a hum. More a wordless melody. Then something like, 'Follow me from the darkness... I am your healer... I will calm your fears.' That's about it."
"She does have a calming effect... even on me. I wonder why you understood her when I didn't."
"Well, if you can't figure it out, no one can. Do you really think it's possible to heal by singing?" Jain asked.
"In theory, I would say it is. Ultrasound has been used for decades to accelerate tissue regeneration, but it takes an enormous amount of energy. Humans can't produce the energy required to stimulate cells on a molecular level, and yet she helped you. I have to assume she's able to do the improbable. If so, the right frequency might reboot Primeris' backup system, which would then activate the primary, if it's not damaged. She could then run a diagnostic and tell us what's failing."
"You restarted yours when you were sick," Jain said, remembering the time Solaria caught a virus and almost died. "Why can't she?"
"Her damage isn't from a virus. Her injuries may be shutting her systems down. It's a safety mechanism to protect her processors from overheating. That, of course, would be the best scenario. The worst is damaged processors. She can't repair them, and neither can I."
"This is beginning to sound hopeless." Clasping her hands together, elbows on her knees, Jain leaned forward in her chair and stared blankly at the floor.
Solaria cocked her head slightly when she saw her friend's distress.
"You're worried about her? Why? She works for the man who tortured you."
"I know. To be fair, she had nothing to do with the kidnapping. That colonel said as much when she confronted him about it. Hell, Solaria, if she hadn't killed those men..."
"You were unconscious. You don't really know what happened."
"I believe Chantelle," Jain retorted. "If she said Primeris protected us, she protected us. Chantelle wouldn't lie about something like that."
"Why are you so trusting of someone you barely know, let alone a woman who obviously is emotionally attached to Primeris? She's biased, just as you are about me."
"Oh come on, Solaria. Those soldiers didn't die from boredom. Chantelle was strapped down and I was unconscious. Who else could have killed them?"
"Jain," Solaria said, leaning toward her friend. "Have you considered this may be an elaborate ruse to capture me? Sacrificing a few soldiers would be an acceptable loss." Solaria could see Jain was uncomfortable at the thought. "Perhaps we should have this discussion once we know Primeris' prognosis. If this was their plan, they'd be swarming all over my place by now."
"I suppose. It's irrelevant, if Chantelle fails. I mean..." Jain let the sentence die. Both women fell silent.
CHAPTER 7
Processors
CHANTELLE WAS exhausted, but she knew she couldn't stop. She had managed to heal Primeris' physical injuries. None had been life threatening. The brain, however, eluded her.
Eluded. What a ridiculous concept. Brains don't elude. So why can't I touch your mind? I need to find the damage. Frustrated, she stood and staggered to the door. Her legs felt like rubber. What am I missing?
"Solaria," she called out. Her throat was painfully raw. "I need your help."
Within seconds, Solaria was standing next to her, helping her back to the bed.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. I mean, I —" Chantelle rubbed her forehead, hoping to clear
the fog that was slowly destroying her ability to concentrate. "It's her brain. I need to heal her brain, but I can't get to it. Something is blocking me."
"She needs to know the truth, Solaria," Jain said, following them into the room.
"Truth?" Chantelle looked at Jain and then Solaria. "What truth?"
"Help her into the den," Jain said. "I'll make everyone something to eat while Solaria explains everything."
* * *
"Processors! Are you telling me she's a machine? That's impossible. She's as much flesh and blood as the rest of us," Chantelle declared, refusing to accept what Solaria had just told her. "I had no trouble healing her body."
"Most of her body is human tissue, although it has accelerated healing abilities. The rest is man-made — trabecular metal for the skeleton. Electronic circuitry feeds impulses to bio-tissues. Nano-processors control movement, reflexes and everything else required for optimal function."
"That's crazy. There's no way science has advanced to such a level. The best robots on the market can only be programmed to do about hundred things... and you're trying to make me believe Primeris is a robot?"
"I never said she's a robot. She's a Hubot... like me."
Like me... Like...
"Like you? You... You're saying you're a... a Hubot... man-made?" Chantelle shook her head in disbelief and felt...
What? Confused, yes, but disappointed? Why should I be disappointed? I don't even know if I believe this, so why should I care what they are? Chantelle massaged her temples and leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes. She could feel the blood pounding through her veins.
"Are you alright?" Jain asked.
"I'm tired, confused and not thinking straight. It's all so unbelievable. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to sort this out. Let's say I believe you. Tell me about these processors. Describe them."
"They're extremely complex," Solaria said. "Unless you have a degree in computer sciences, you won't understand anything I say."
Damn! Of course not. I need to clear my head. I'm not dealing with a toy. Think. Think. Chantelle racked her brain, trying to remember everything she had learned about computers. It wasn't much, considering her age and her lack of interest in electronic gadgets. There has to be a way to access those processors.
"Maybe it's not a lesson you need," Solaria offered, "but a direction. If you can reach her backup programs, you might be able to reboot them. The problem is whether you can get through her defenses and discover a frequency to activate the correct sequence."
"I'll find it. You just get me there," Chantelle said confidently.
Solaria described the neuro-circuitry and three possible gates that could circumvent the security system protecting Primeris' processors. Designed to mask the nano-chips, sensors detected and modified scanner frequencies, producing false readings to simulate a human brain. Mini-programs continually altered all magnetic resonance and electronic impulses, creating ghost images. The most advanced civilian technology would be tricked into showing normal brain activity.
"I can't believe science has progressed so far," Chantelle said. "But here you are. At least this explains my failure. Apparently, it's treating my song as a probe. I've never cared for gad —" Damn! That's about as insulting as it gets. "I'm sorry, Solaria. That came out wrong."
Solaria's teal eyes twinkled.
"No need to apologize. My feelings don't hurt so easily."
Feelings? Is that possible? Can machines feel?
"I feel," Solaria said, answering the unspoken question. "That's what you were thinking, wasn't it?"
Embarrassed, Chantelle nodded.
"Yes. I wish we had time for this, but I need to get to work. I don't know how long it's going to take to get into her head, let alone discover her song... and even if I do, I'm not sure I'll be able to repair... or activate her backups."
Getting up, she walked slowly back to the bedroom and disappeared inside, closing the door behind her. Seconds later, Solaria and Jain heard the haunting melody of the Singer. Solaria immediately sensed an energy surge. Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the words. This time, she understood Chantelle's words.
"Interesting," she murmured, scratching Scootie behind her ears.
"Arroof!"
"Yes, arroof," Solaria agreed, ruffling the dog's fur. "Whatever that means."
CHAPTER 8
Questions
WHERE ARE YOU? Chantelle thought, pushing her song deeper and deeper. She could feel it swirling through Primeris' head, searching for a weakness in the barrier. Just when she sensed one developing, an energy surge shattered the strains of her chant, forcing her to start over. I can't keep this up much longer. Stop fighting me, Primeris. Help me, she pleaded. I can't do it without you.
Gathering the last vestiges of her strength, she decided it was all or nothing. Chantelle inhaled, filling her lungs with as much air as possible. Leaning over Primeris' prone body, she placed the palms of her hands on each side of the woman's head. With her face only inches away from Primeris', she focused all of her energy on the song. Lyrics beat relentlessly against the barrier. A spike in energy rushed to reinforce the invisible wall. Chantelle switched to another area, melody and lyrics striking determinedly. The spike shifted. As it moved away from the previous spot, Chantelle returned to it.
"I sing your body, I sing your spirit... Follow me from the darkness..."
Over and over she repeated the ancient song of the Singers, refusing to give up, knowing failure would cost her more than she could ever imagine. Somehow, she had bonded with this... this... woman. The revelation stunned her, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Let me in, Primeris, let me in. I won't give up on you. Don't you give up. The barrier wavered. That's it. We can do this. Follow me. I am your healer....
Again, the barrier faltered and then, in an instant, crumbled, revealing three processors. The gateway was exactly as Solaria had described. Chantelle's heart raced. Adrenalin pumped through her body, giving her an enormous jolt of energy. Voice raised, she poured her heart and soul into her song. A picture on the wall vibrated and crashed to the floor, shattering the glass cover.
* * *
Solaria and Jain rushed into the room. Chantelle straightened momentarily, her eyes glazed with fatigue, and then collapsed over Primeris' body.
Checking her pulse, Solaria motioned for Jain to pick up Chantelle's feet.
"She's just exhausted. Let's move her to the other side of the bed for now."
"What about Primeris?" Jain asked.
"I don't know. She's alive. We'll have to wait and see if she's functional."
Shifting Chantelle next to Primeris, Solaria and Jain left, quietly shutting the door behind them. Neither noticed Scootie slipping onto the bed and nestling down next to the Healer.
* * *
Primeris could hear voices but was unable to identify the sources. Running a system diagnostic, she discovered a sector of her third processor irreparably damaged. The files were permanently lost. Her backup system had also been compromised; someone had accessed it without her permission. Primeris felt violated, an emotion that left her confused and... angry.
Opening her eyes, she stared at the ceiling. Six billion, one hundred seventy-three thousand, five hundred sixty-one perforations. That was the number of acoustical holes she could see without moving her eyes. She was aware of a body next to her. The slow breathing indicated the person was asleep and posed no threat.
Primeris continued her diagnostics. On her left wrist was a bracelet that was blocking her ability to transmit or receive information about her location. She would deal with it later. Physically, she was operating at seventy-eight percent efficiency. The damaged processor was slowing her computing ability less than one-hundredth of a nano-second, which wasn't desirable, but was well within acceptable parameters for now. There was a twelve percent possibility that adjacent memory banks would eventually fail due to three damaged neuro-transm
itters; she would need to monitor them closely. As a safety precaution, she moved the potentially affected files to a new location and quarantined the damaged area.
That's all I can do for now. I need nourishment.
Sitting up, she looked at the woman lying beside her. Only then did she notice the small dog.
Where did you come from? I should have sensed you.
The dog stared unblinkingly at her, its head slightly cocked to the right. Unconsciously imitating the gesture, Primeris tipped her head and returned the gaze. The dog lowered her head onto her paws and closed her eyes. Primeris dismissed the animal as insignificant. Turning her attention to the sleeping woman, she recognized her immediately. Without knowing why, she reached out and moved a strand of hair away from Chantelle's forehead.
Why are you here? What happened after I was damaged?
Solaria should have destroyed her. Why didn't she? Primeris wouldn't have hesitated if the situation was reversed. Instead, Solaria must have brought her here, perhaps as a prisoner. If so, Chantelle wouldn't be in the same room. Nothing made sense.
Approaching footsteps warned her that someone coming. When the door opened, a head popped from behind it. It was the librarian.
"You're awake! Good!" the woman whispered, stepping into the room. "I bet you're starved. Come on and I'll get you something to eat." She motioned for Primeris to follow her and left. Primeris had no choice but to obey.
CHAPTER 9
Primeris' Dilemma
SOLARIA WATCHED the Hubot closely. Primeris was damaged, but more than capable of killing Jain instantly. The fact that she appeared subdued, possibly even confused, made her unpredictably dangerous. Bringing her here was a bad decision.
"You're Solaria," Primeris said, recognizing the second-generation prototype from her file images.
"Sit down," Solaria ordered, ignoring the statement.
Without hesitation, Primeris walked to a chair and sat.
"Have you performed a diagnostic yet?"
"Yes," Primeris replied.
"And the results?"
Future Perfect - S2 Page 12
