#1 Shades of Gray- Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

  Katharine's view...

  I sit up and look around as sweat beads my forehead, and I sadden as grief strikes me. I have no idea what I'll tell the boy. First, I left and now Preacher left him. I cover myself with the blanket. I know it's not safe, but I need to find Chad and tell him what happened.

  Back in the master bedroom...

  Kimberly's view...

  I continue to stare at my pillow, repeating to myself that woman's life means nothing to me. I keep thinking back to what the hologram told me, and I'm hesitant to hand her over to the Rogue for the disk. I roll on my side and grumble. Hades! Nothing's been easy since I met her. It'll be good to get rid of her, and it'll be good to return to my mundane life. I chuckle. Listen to me, I never thought I'd hear myself say I miss the solitude. I roll on my back, contemplating if I really do miss the loneliness.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  What's On TV?

  October 20...

  Wednesday...

  7:58 A.M...

  The TV came to life as Kim turned it on with the remote, and Anchorman Jim Charles with NBS gave a report.

  "As we wrap up this hour, news has come in that Dr. Robert Seeker's trip to Antarctica has been delayed."

  Famished, Kat sat at the kitchen bar, watching Kim cook oatmeal and fry eggs and bacon. Kat had slept for more than twelve hours and felt like a new woman. Her stomach growled as Kim poured her a glass of orange juice.

  The anchorman continued, "Dr. Seeker was scheduled to leave yesterday, but–"

  Kat hummed Unfinished Melody as she whirled on the bar stool.

  Kim commented, "You're in a better mood this morning."

  "I am," Kat said.

  "–the helicopter had mechanical problems," Jim Charles continued. "Dr. Seeker should be on his way to Vulcan Station within the next twenty-four hours." The anchorman turned to another camera. "This just came in... There are reports of several explosions in the Hellenistic Sector."

  Unconcerned with the news, Kim placed a plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of Kat along with a bowl of oatmeal and said, "There's milk and honey if you want it."

  Kat stared at the TV as the flames from the explosions reflected in her eyes. Her stomach growled again, so she turned facing the counter, dove into the eggs, shoveling them in her mouth, and devoured strips of bacon between spoonfuls.

  Appalled by her tiger-like eating, Kim uttered, "I guess you were never taught manners."

  Kat peered up from her plate wide eyed, picked up a napkin, and wiped her mouth, and then she continued eating at a slower pace.

  The anchorman finished, "At this point, the cause of the explosions is unknown. We will update you as new reports come in. This is Jim Charles with NBS, signing off."

  Kim took several bites of her breakfast.

  "Umm... Last night..." hesitant to even mention it to the angry Phoenix, Kat started. "A.C.S. woke me, and your spare bedroom light was on, so I went in."

  Kim stopped eating, put her fork down, and fixated on the plate. That woman better not have touched anything, not one item in that room, or so help her... Kim picked up the remote and turned off the news.

  She noticed the change in Kim's demeanor before Kat continued, "I ah... thought you were home and went in. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. It's a special place. One you made for your mom. I shouldn't have..."

  "Did you?" Kim interrupted as she turned and glared at her. "Did you touch anything?"

  "Umm..." Kat swallowed hard, feeling the intensity of her stare. "No, I only touched the door knob."

  Picking up her fork, Kim examined it as if she would stab it through that woman's heart, but she had to remember the Factory and the disk. She couldn't make the deal with the Rogue if Kat was already dead, so she calmed down and forced a smile. Kim could kill that woman at any time, decided to set the fork down, and said, "It's fine." She pressed a wider toothy smile, cooing out, "No harm done."

  Her smile made Kat uneasy, and Kat dared not say anymore.

  Merely setting the fork down wasn't enough to quell her wrath, so she had to think of something else and take her mind away from the image of that woman violating the memories in the room. She thought of Etna Toys and the things she found there.

  "Oh..." Kim said as she stood, retrieved Kat's backpack, pulled out the envelope, and handed her the letter from Mr. Morta. "I found this yesterday in the basement of Etna Toys."

  Cautious of her, Kat took the letter and opened it, and after about a minute, Kat wondered what Mr. Morta meant by poor devil when he referred to Argus.

  "If I understand everything–" Kim started as she went over in her head how to manipulate things, so that woman would go to the Factory with her. "–you want to find out who you are and what you've forgotten?"

  "Yes, and you're searching for who killed your mom."

  "Here's the deal," Kim began. "We'll work together to find our answers, but once I find my mom's killer this partnership is done. Understood? I'll help you no more after that. I have no reason to."

  It was a little one sided Kat thought, but it wasn't like she had a better offer, so she nodded.

  "Good then." Kim retrieved her knapsack from her bedroom, returned, and removed from it one of the papers the Rogue had given her. "I need your help. I have discovered the location of the Factory and that there's vital information about my mom there; the information's on a disk." She showed Kat the address. "I'm heading there tonight. Will you come with me?"

  Kat couldn't believe it; Kim wanted her to go to the Factory! She wanted her to go back after they had tortured her, and she didn't know if she could. Kat swore she would never let them take her again, so there was no way she was going back. She glanced at Kim and noticed how much it meant to her that they find this disk she mentioned, so for her sake, Kat pushed her fears aside and asked, "Is this information important?"

  "I believe it is very important. Will you help me?" Kim added a little bait, "The Factory could have information on you."

  Kat knew Kim was right about the info. The Factory could have some, but she didn't know if it would be worth the risk. She did tell Kim she'd help, but going back... she was so afraid, but she couldn't be a wimp. If Kim had a plan and they could sneak in, they may have a chance. Even if Kim had a plan, that didn't mean they wouldn't get caught. It was hard for her to decide, but then she thought about what she would do if Kim was one of her friends... if she was Chad and he was asking for her help, she wouldn't hesitate to tell him yes.

  "If it's important, I'll do it." Kat started on her oatmeal and said between mouthfuls, "That's what partners do. They help each other, but you do have a plan, right? I don't want to get caught again."

  "I have a plan, so don't you worry. Someone on the inside's helping me."

  Kat said, "I always worry, but that doesn't matter."

  "It's settled then... We'll go later tonight," Kim said, realizing it wasn't hard convincing that woman. "I've acquired an untraceable van for the job. Eat up and rest. I need to pick up some more supplies."

  She looked to Kim's half eaten plate, licking salt and grease from her lips. "Are you going to finish that?"

  A little disgusted, Kim answered, "No, go ahead."

  Kat pulled her plate in front of her and chowed down on the eggs as Kim cleaned up the kitchen and headed out, and a few minutes later, Kat put the plates in the sink and grabbed the remote. She went and moved the blanket and pillow to the side of the couch and sat. She put the remote on the coffee table and massaged her left shoulder around the bandages. The wound was feeling much better, but she better check the burn. Kat unwrapped the gauze from her left hand and examined the palm, seeing the blisters and most of the redness were gone, but the star remained. She rubbed her fingers across the hand. Kat thought she had burned the higher part of her palm, but the star was dead center. It must've been her imagination. A lot was going on that day. She made a fist several times; it was almost
as good as new. The ointment had worked fast. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV. Kat changed the channel from the news to a show called Cash In! just as it was wrapping up with some final words from its host, Sam Hunt.

  "Alright viewers, if you have seen any of these people call the number you see on the screen to..."

  The TV audience shouted with him, "Cash In!"

  "That's right!" Sam Hunt shouted. "Don't let the bounty hunters make all the money. Your call could bring you a percentage of the reward, so keep those peepers open." He pointed at the camera. "Till tomorrow..."

  The TV audience shouted the show's slogan with Sam Hunt, "If your friend, family, or neighbor is wanted by the N.C.P.F. or a Corporation, you could Cash In!"

  The credits rolled, and she changed the channel back to the news.

  "I'm Linda Harvey with NBS. Welcome to our late morning edition." The anchorwoman turned to a different camera. "The top three stories headlining in the news will start our show. Several Giant Swallowtail Butterflies were discovered in Noir Transgenic National Forest yesterday; the butterflies were thought to be extinct along with most of the Dark Half's life forms." She paused. "The Corporate Senate meets today to vote on the quarter cent sales tax raise, and the three people believed behind the scam The Dead Receiving Water Rations were given a court date." Linda turned to a second camera. "The Giant Swallowtail Butterflies thought to be extinct were discovered in Noir Transgenic National Forest yesterday. Experts believe the insects were able to survive in the sunless forest by changing their food which also became extinct after the Dry Clouds appeared, but at this point, it is unknown what food source they have switched to. A group of scientists are on their way to the National Forest to begin their study of this resilient species." Linda paused again. "The Corporate Senate meets today to vote on the quarter cent sales tax raise. Many analysts believe..." She put a hand to her earpiece and nodded. "This just came in... We now know who is behind the earlier explosions in the Hellenistic Sector. It seems that hundreds of bio-mechas are terrorizing the area, and at this time, it is unclear which corporation is responsible for these robotic men. It is also unknown if they are deliberate attacks or malfunctions. The Corporate Senate is looking into the matter. We go now to one of our reporters in the field."

  A man with a mic stood in the middle of a street with several huge buildings in the background. Flames spat from the windows of a tall structure, and people could be heard screaming along with bursts of gunfire.

  "Frank Trepit here." The reporter glanced behind himself. "Reports are coming in from all over the Hellenistic Sector of robotic men attacking Sphinx Corporation facilities." Gunfire erupted, and the reporter ducked and ran along with the cameraman to the cover of a building. Frank spoke out of breath, "The N.C.P.F. are on the scene, but have not been able to stop these... Wait! There's one now!"

  The camera panned to a T-3 as it marched down the street, shooting at everything that moved. Kat clenched her wrist as if she was wrenching the T-3's arm as the camera went in for a close-up. She glared at the T-3's pale features. It and the other models of Un-Men had haunted her dreams. Kat lifted the remote, turned the TV off, and stared at the blank screen. She removed the music box from her pant's pocket and opened it to hear it soothing tune. If the T-3s had malfunctioned, the Factory had to be on high alert, and it wouldn't be easy getting in or out. They also might encounter the T-3s while they were there. Kat stared at the coffee table, and her eyes drooped as she listened to Unfinished Melody. They were different now. She could tell. Kat grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself and started to fall asleep. The T-3s were cruel and calculating; they were just like the Rogue.

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Entering The Factory

  5:49 P.M...

  Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

  Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office...

  Mr. Griffin studied reports on his desktop computer when the phone rang, interrupting his work. He picked up the receiver and answered, "Yes, Cathy."

  "Mr. Griffin, your 6:00 appointment is here, and Orthos is on line two."

  "My head of security must have an update for me." Mr. Griffin leaned forward, put his ear piece in, and spoke into the phone receiver, "Thank you, Cathy. Please tell my appointment I will be delayed while I talk with Orthos."

  "Yes, Mr. Griffin." She hung up.

  He placed the receiver back on the phone, activated the ear piece, pressed line two, and stood. He walked from his corner desk to one of the large wall windows and stared at his reflection. "Orthos, go ahead."

  "I have news from my men watching the Factory."

  Mr. Griffin questioned, "What is it?"

  "A van has been reported approaching the main gate."

  "My orders were to let no one in or out. I don't see why you brought this to my attention."

  "Your daughter is driving the van. I wanted to check with you before we..."

  "One moment," Mr. Griffin interrupted, moved away from the window, and wondered why Kim was going to the Factory and how did she know of its location. Someone must have given her the information. He just needed to discover why she was there.

  He asked, "Is she alone?"

  "No, the Pandora Project is with her," Orthos answered.

  His daughter still had the stray with her. He looked to the picture of his wife as he considered if it was worth his daughter's life to let them proceed. Whatever she was after could be very valuable, so he instructed, "Let them through, and I don't want them to know your men are there."

  "Understood." Orthos hung up.

  Mr. Griffin removed the ear piece and walked back to the window. "Lights dim."

  The office darkened, his reflection vanished, and he saw outside to Noir's skyline; the Dry Clouds were so close he could touch them, but his daughter eluded him. With his office almost half way up the mile high building, Mr. Griffin had an excellent view of the city and could easily see a hover train station six blocks away.

  He thought about his only child. Kim wanted something so badly at the Factory that she would go up against the Un-Men.

  * * *

  Minutes earlier...

  5:41 P.M...

  Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

  Kim drove the gray van and neared one of the Hellenistic Sector's boundaries on a desolate highway, and from the dark road, she saw a lit facility in the distance. She turned the vehicle in that direction and stopped the van at the Factory's main entrance.

  "Look, they left the front door open for us." She motioned to the mangled gate. "It's an invitation if I've ever saw one."

  "It looks like the T-3s have attacked their own creators," Kat said.

  "Or a rival corporation is staging a hostile takeover," Kim stated. "Can you tell if the T-3s are the ones responsible?"

  A little distracted, Kat glanced across the dark fields filled with tall weeds that surrounded the front fence and along the side road. The hunts over the past year developed instincts within her unforeseen by the conditioning. "We're being watched."

  Kim parted her zipped up sweatshirt and went for the PPK in her shoulder holster. "The T-3s?"

  "No, just men. They're most likely S.C.Ms. There are several of them hiding within the field." Kat made no movement for the Beretta resting on her lap. "I believe they're here to contain the T-3s."

  "I don't know if that's good or bad for us." Kim glanced out her window and searched the field. "I don't see anyone. Whoever they are, they're good." She turned to the woman. "I bet you were no fun at hide and seek."

  She considered Kim's remark and said, "I don't know." The thought saddened her. "I don't know if I ever played games."

  Kim looked in the distance to the Factory's dozen or so buildings. "If the S.C.Ms. were going to stop us, they would have done so by now." She stepped on the gas, and the vehicle sped down the long stretch of paved road, and after sometime, Kim slowe
d, turned a corner, and drove past the graveyard of smoldering cars and trucks littered with blackened skeletal remains. "Looks like they had a bang of a party."

  lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

  "There are several T-3s near." Kat turned, looking out the van's back windows. "I sense they're behind us, but I don't see them yet."

  "Let's not wait around." Kim drove on and pulled into the parking garage for Research Building 10. "This is the building we're looking for." She drove down a ramp to Basement Level One. "Can you tell if the T-3s know you're here?"

  "I can only sense them. I don't know what they're thinking."

  "You're not all-seeing then." Kim turned off the ignition. "Let's get inside. I don't like being out in the open, not with those walking appliances around." She hopped out of the van, rushed to the rear, and opened the van's back doors. "Here's your stuff." She handed Kat her backpack and the Ravlek Vest.

  Kat put on the vest, velcroing the sides. The armor had saved her countless times before, and she wished she had one for Kim, and wondered if she should offer the vest to her. Fear of losing her own life won out in the end, and Kat never offered.

  "Ready?" Kim asked.

  Kat nodded.

  "Great. Let's go."

  Together they hurried to a staircase and descended four floors to Basement Level Five.

  Kim removed her gun, used the Research Building 10 keycard to unlock the staircase entrance, and turned the knob; the door opened with a squeak. Cautious, she stepped through to the first area that was designated the Blue Division, and the floor was deathly quiet as Kim scanned the hall. "Are we clear?"

  "Give me a second." Kat closed her eyes and used her ability, and it stretched across the level, probing the area then she opened her eyes. "I don't sense any active Un-Men."

  "Come on then." Kim removed the blueprint as they hurried on, noting the two rooms the Rogue circled. "There are two possible places the disk could be located." They rushed down a carpeted hall then another as Kim said, "We'll split up to save time."

  A putrid odor hit them, stopping Kat in her tracks, and she covered her nose with her t-shirt. "That smell..." She looked to Kim who wasn't bothered by the horrible stench.